a corresponding cessation from their arduous labours. He is a great favourite with them; they look to him, viewing the thing professionally, as the most popular speaker in the House. The honourable and learned gentleman is a very indifferent speaker. He has abundance of words at his fingers' ends, but he drawls them out in so peculiar a way, that it is unpleasant to hear him. Some times he speaks in so low a tone, as to be inaudible; at other times he articulates so imperfectly, that it requires an effort to understand what he says. Very few, however, of his very few hearers, ever put themselves to the trouble of trying to understand him. He is one of the coldest speakers I know; nothing could be more dry than his manner,-except it be his matter. His countenance was never yet lit up by a gleam of animation: he specially guards against an undue exercise of his lungs; and the Speaker's chair is scarcely more innocent of anything in the shape of gesticulation. Mr. Lefroy is entitled to all praise on the score of good temper. There does not exists a more decided Tory; but he never betrays anything of the virulence of party feeling in the House. When he refers by name to his political opponents, it is rather in the form of observations than in that of attack. I have no idea that he has any personal dislikes: I am sure that no one entertains any feeling of ill-will towards him. I scarcely ever recollect to have heard the Liberal Irish members make even an ill-natured allusion to him. Though he excites no attention as a speaker, I believe he is respected by all who know him, as a consistent public character, and as a man of much private worth. make more than three speeches on an average in the course of a session; but if any honourable gentlemen regret that he does not treat them to his eloquence with greater frequency, he gives them a sufficient quantity of it when he does begin. He would not think it worth his while to open his mouth for less than an hour and a half's monopoly of the attention of the House. He speaks with much rapidity, without pausing for a moment till he has got through his task; that is to say, until he has repeated all that he has committed to memory. His parliamentary exhibitions are not unlike the exhibition which a schoolboy of fourteen or fifteen years of age makes when giving a recitation at an annual examination. He uses little action, and that little is restricted to the looking about among those of his own friends who sit within a yard or two of the place from which he speaks. When he gets into what he conceives the more brilliant parts of his oration, he superadds to the movement of his body, a moderate motion of his right hand. On such occasions he waxes very animated; but the want of variety in his voice prevents his animation producing any sensible impression on the House. Lord Morpeth happily characterized the quality of the honourable member's voice when, after the delivery of a speech which occupied nearly three columns of "The Times," in February last, the noble lord said it had been spoken' with an entire monotony of voice. His voice is clear, and his enunciation, notwithstanding the rapidity of his delivery, sufficiently distinct. He would be by no means an unpleasant speaker were he to reduce the dimensions of his orations to about a sixth part of their usual size. The everlasting monotony of his voice always palls on the ear before he resumes his seat. Though not remarkable for the regularity of his attendance in the House on or- Mr. Emerson Tennent is a great favourdinary occasions, he is as sure to be pre-ite with the reporters. And he is desersent when any Irish question is under discussion, as is the Speaker himself. He has great faith in the ultimate triumph of Toryism. The Reform Bill he has always regarded as a political pestilence; but doubts not that eventual good will result from it. He is not very positive as to the time when the reform visitation shall completely cease; but he is quite satisfied, that though now beyond his fiftieth year, he will live to see the happy day. Mr. EMERSON TENNENT, member for Belfast, is celebrated in the House for his extraordinary memory. As I metioned in my "Random Recollections of the House of Commons," he can commit to memory, with very little exertion, a speech full of figures and of facts, which will take three hours in the delivery. And he will even deliver it without missing half a dozen words, or making any alteration in it whatever. The honourable gentleman has also brought himself into notice by the length of his speeches. He does not vedly so; for he kindly saves them the trouble of reporting what, from the rapidity of his utterance, and the number of facts and figures which he usually presses into his service, they would find, if I may invent a word, an unreportable speech. He sends his speeches sometimes before he delivers them, to his favourite paper, whence slips are procured for such of the other journals as may be disposed to open their columns to the honourable gentleman's oration in its full proportions. Hence, while the Tories are rewarding the honourable gentleman's exertions and eloquence with an occasional faint cheer, though secretly, wishing, with the occupants of the ministerial benches, that his speech or lungs would fail him,-the printers are venting their indignation, in no very becoming language, at what they call his "wretched" manuscript. Mr. Emerson Tennent is a man of some talent. His speeches usually display acuteness; but like the orations of Demosthe nes, they smell of the midnight lamp. Castlereagh, and other ultras, presided Every sentence bears on it the impress of over the destinies of the country. It is great elaboration. I have no idea that he true that Lord Liverpool was, at the period possesses in any degree the faculty of im- in question, at the head of the governprovisation. At any rate, I never saw him ment; but he, good easy man, though congive any proofs of his being a man of ex-stitutionally mild, and always inclined to temporaneous resources. How long it moderation in his politics, was often influtakes him to prepare a speech which oc-enced by the noblemen whose names I cupies an hour and a half in the delivery, have mentioned. Mr. Horace Twiss was I cannot say; but that it must be a Hercu-known to be the most obsequious tool of lean task I am fully convinced. How else Lords Eldon and Castlereagh, and was would he deliver a speech on a given consequently very unpopular with all but night, and on a certain question, which his own party. His name was indeed a was intended for delivery a month or two sort of by-word among the Reformers. before, and on a totally different question? Some people say that Mr. Horace Twiss Lord Morpoth detected this practice on would like to be the Tory whipper-in of the the part of the honourable gentleman at house. And an excellent one he would the commencement of last session. The make. In season and out of season noble Lord publicly expressed his convic- would he be found at his post. Many a tion, that the speech which Mr. Emerson hard race would he run through all the Tennent delivered while the Irish Municipal Corporation Bill was under discussion, was intended, though the honourable gentleman was then prevented from delivering it, owing to his not being fortunate enough to catch the Speaker's eye, for the discussion which had taken place a fortnight previously, on the alleged abuse of patronage on the part of the Irish government. It is very convenient for the honourable gentleman that he can thus bottle up his speeches, or, as Burns would have said, nurse them to keep them warm," until an opportunity is afforded of getting them comfortably delivered. clubs and gaming-houses, and sometimes through other houses in town, after those of the party, who prefer their own pleasures at those places, to their legislative duties. Many a strange place would he visit, and many strange scenes would he witness, when in quest of truant members, whose votes were expected to be in imme diate requisition. And if he were to publish his adventures in such a case, under some such title as "The Life of a Whipper-in of the House of Commons," the work would be sure to command an extensive sale. The celerity with which Mr. Twiss would go over the width and breadth of the fashionable districts of the metropolis, on pressing emergencies, would put the expressess of "The Sun" newspaper to the blush; that is to say, if Mr. Emerson Tennent has, of late, been a Tory of the first water. It was not always so; in other words, he is one of the many political renegades who are to be found in the House of Commons. Imme-expresses are things which are susceptidiately before the passing of the Reform Bill, he was an Ultra-Reformer. He then presided at or took an active part in the proceedings of a meeting held in the north of Ireland to petition for Reform, on which occasion he was a strenuous advocate for triennial parliaments; and, if my memory be not at fault, household suffrage, and the vote by ballot. Some time after, however, he set up, like Lord Stanley, Sir James Graham, Mr. Walter, and some others, for an "independent member," which, translated into plain English, means becoming a downright tory. The honourable gentleman takes an active part in all party conflicts in the north of Ireland. ble of a blush. But I doubt whether this, after all, is the most arduous part of the task which a whipper-in has to perform. My own impression is, that the most un pleasant circumstances which occur to him, in his official career, are the squabbles, sometimes conflicts, he is oiten obliged to have with honourable members on their seeking to quit the House. He has to watch them in the lobby, for the purpose of keeping all in that are in, especially when he suspects that some of them are inclined to "bolt," as Mr. Holmes used classically to express it. As soon as such suspicious persons open the door of the house, he must spring upon them like a Mr. Emerson Tennent is apparently tiger, and seizing them by the breast of the about forty years of age. He is of the coat, tell them they must not stir a foot out average height, and of a rather good of the house till the impending division is figure. His features are distinctly marked: over. With Mr. Twiss it would be of no they have, on the whole, a pleasant ex-use for them to say that they were only pression. His face is of an oblong form. His complexion has a healthy appearance. His hair is of a sandy colour, and seldom exhibits any proof of having been lately in the hands of the friseur. Mr. HORACE TWIiss, member for Bridport, was once one of the best-known men among the Tories. This was in the palmy days of that system, when Lords Eldon, going to some adjoining room, or that they would be back in a couple of minutes. He would listen to no excuse: he would hear no argument. If the party were to be peremptory, it would be well if no mishap occurred he would have reason to be thankful if his shoulder were not dislocated, or if some other physical disaster did not befal him, in the struggle to escape. same ratio to his sack, that the ideas of Mr. Horace Twiss are to his phraseology. He sometimes hammers away for five or six consecutive minutes on the same idea. It is nothing uncommon to hear him make speeches of ten or fifteen minutes' duration in the delivery, in which there are only two or three ideas, and those of a very inferior order. I fear he is sometimes guilty of making speeches without an idea at all. At any rate, I have heard him over and over again make speeches in which, if they contained any ideas, I had not the good fortune to discover them. His best speeches are always those which are shortest. Some of these indicate, as before said, more than respectable talents. It is due to the bodily capabilities of Mr. | bread to two gallons of sack. The fat Horace Twiss, as well as to the zeal I knight's bread was in pretty much the know he would evince in the discharge of official duties, to say, that he would often succeed, in "spite of all the efforts " of honourable gentlemen to the contrary, in forcing them back to the house again. Whether his robust bodily frame would be any recommendation of him to his party, were there a vacancy in the office, is a point on which I am not in a condition to give an opinion; but this I know, that, to be five feet ten inches in height, and to be more than the average breadth, coupled with considerable muscular energy, are acquirements which would contribute to the efficient discharge of the duties of the office. There would be some amusing scenes occasionally between Mr. Twiss and sundry Tory members, were he regularly installed in the situation of whipperin of the party. He never hesitates or falters in his speeches. His delivery is rapid and continuous. It were as well if he now and then paid a little more attention to his stops, as they say at school. His voice has something harsh and croaking about it, which occasionally makes it difficult to catch his words. His manner is quite monotonous. He never raises or lowers the tones of his voice; and he expends the same amount of gesticulation on all his speeches. That gesticulation is natural and pleassnt enough, only one tires of always seeing the same movement of the head and hands. Of late he has not spoken often. He has never been in his pro per element since the occurrence of the mishap in the fortunes of his party, which ejected them from office, which he is afraid they are never destined to fill again. Possibly, however, he may be wrong. Time only can decide the question. There is one incident in the parliamentary carreer of Mr. Horace Twiss, which is worthy of notice. In every instance in which he has been elected, he has been previously personally unknown to his constituents, and it is said, though I am not sufficientiy conversant with his legislative history to be able to vouch for the fact, that he has never, on any occasion, faced the same constituent body twice Mr. Horace Twiss is now a pretty old man. He is apparently on the wrong side of fifty-five; but one would not, from his appearance, take him to be so far advanced in life. He has a dark, rough complexion, with strongly marked features. Those who have seen him once, will be in no danger again of confounding him with any other individual, or any other individual with him. He has large grey eyes, Sir FREDERICK POLLOCK, member of Hunand a nose of corresponding proportions. tingdonshire, entered the House some His hair is of a darkish grey. On the years ago, under circumstances which exright side of his head, a patch of it, mea- cited a general expectation of a brilliant suring about five inches in circumference, parliamentary career. His whole life had is almost entirely white, and has a curious been a continued scene of triumphs. He effect. He has a well-developed forehead. was distinguished at school sbove his If his countenance has an expression of class-fellows. The same good fortune any peculiar qualities, those qualities are followed him to the University. There he intelligence and moral firmness. And so carried off almost every prize for which far his physiognomy speaks truth. He is he competed. Nor was his success less a man of a very respectable share of in- great in the profession to which he applied formation; and he always expresses his himself. He rose rapidly from one degree opinions in the House, no matter how un- of distinction at the bar to another, till he popular, in a bold and fearless manner. reached the highest. Under these circumHis talents are above, rather than below, stances his party expected that he would mediocrity. He speaks with much fluen- immediately, on his entering Parliament, cy, and his style is usually correct. He is produce a sensation in the House, and prolix in his speeches. I do not mean by ever afterwards occupy a position in it this that he inflicts orations of two or three second only, perhaps, to that of Sir Robert hours' length on the House. Far from it; Peel himself. The event has proved how on the contrary, I do not suppose he has grievously his friends had miscalculated spoken more thon twenty minutes at a on the subject. Sir Fredcrick's parliatime-seldom so long-for some years mentary efforts have, without an excep past. But his words have such a fearful tion, been signal failures. He dwindled disproportion to his ideas, that one soon down at once to the dimensions of a fifth tires of hearing him. He has often re- or sixth rate speaker. The few months called to my mind, when doomed to hear during which he filled the office of Attorhis speeches, Falstaff's ha'penny'orth o'ney-General to Sir Robert Peel's govern ment, brought him, of necessity, rather frequently before the House; out Sir Robert's administration received but little actual assistance from his speeches. Since the dissolution of that government, he has seldom addressed the House. When he does so, he always makes short speeches. I have seldom seen him occupy the attention of honourable members more than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. He does not now excite much attention when he rises. Even the Conservatives themselves are not over-prompt in lending him their ears. The tones of his voice, and occasionally his manner also, remind me of the voice and manner of Lord Brougham; with this difference, that the voice of the latter is much more powerful, and is called into greater play, and that his action is much more vehement. Like Lord Brougham, Sir Frederick is in the habit of throw ing back, and withdrawing himself a few feet from the table. At other times, he shakes his head a good deal, and applies his fist with all his force to the table. In the beginning of his speeches, his utterance is slow and solemn. As he advances, he proceeds with a little more rapidity. The tones of his voice are somewhat harsh; and they fall more disagreeably on the ear from their want of variety. Sir Frederick Pollock bears some resemblance to Lord Brougham in his personal appearance, as well as in the tones of his voice and gesture, though not so tall as his lordship. His hair is of a dark-grey colour; and he usually has an ample crop of it. His features are marked; his eyes and nose are large; and there are incipient wrinkles in his face. His complexion is something between dark and pale. The expression of his countenance is that of deep thought mingled with a reserved manner; and so far the principles of physiognomy hold good; for Sir Frederick is often lost in his own contemplations on literary and legal topics, and seldom holds conversation with any of his friends in the House. He does not, indeed, seem to be comfortable in St. Stephen's; which circumstance may account for the fact of his not being over-regular in his attendance. He looks mueh older than he is. He is not much above his fiftieth year; but any one, judging only from his appearance, would be apt to set him down as close upon sixty. CUPID AND THE FOWLER. TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK OF BION. Ιξεντᾶς ἔτι κώρος ενάγσει δενδραςντι. κ. τ. λ. A FOWLER, yet a boy, in thick-set grove, "Give o'er the chase-that bird no more pursueFlee it, it is an evil bird! and you While it eludes the snare will blest remain, R. S. FISHER. BY A RESIDENT OF SIXTEEN YEARS. rival anything found in the forest. Our THE BACKWOODS OF AMERICA.* destination that night was the Block-house, on a lonely and dreary part of one of the Alleghany ridges. The name of Blockhouse could not fail to awaken in my imaWe found the snow now so deep along gination the stories I had read of or heard the route we had to travel, that we were related-in my younger days, of Indian anxious to procure a sleigh for our own slaughter, massacre and blood. Although comfort, and the greater ease of our night had set in before we had completed somewhat jaded ponies. However, the our day's journey, there was no danger country was so thinly settled, that we had of our missing our quarters; for we were but little hopes of falling in with one to aware that the "Block-house" had the suit us; so we continued to jog on in the whole run of business-the nearest neighbest way we could. In travelling through bours being at the distance of ten or such a vast extent of country, it could not twelve miles. About an hour after dark be expected that great variety of incidents a distant light twinkled through the interwould occur, or that there would be vening trees, and presently afterwards much to amuse an entire stranger. The we arrived in front of this lonely dwelling. forests for hundreds of miles presented which I found was built of square logs, or the same mixture and species of timber, "blocks," which, no doubt, is the origin which generally consists of beech, maple, of its name. Shortly after we had an(sugar and soft,) birch, ash, chestnut, hem-nounced the arrival oftravellers, a tall, unlock, and pine. Of these there are some- comely female opened the door, and gave times two or three varieties for instance, us to understand that we might remain for there was the black, and yellow, and silverbarked birch; there was white, and Norway and yellow pine, &c. Sometimes we met with a region of hills bordering on some river, and there we were sure to find perfectly new varieties of timber from what the forests were generally composed of. These would consist of three or four varieties of oak, of two sorts of hickory, of walnut, of butternut, &c. But the names I have introduced do not include one half of the different sorts of trees and shrubs found in the forests-but point out the sorts of which the woods are chiefly composed. Almost the only evergreens found in these forests are the different species of pine. This day we travelled along the side of a small valley, where the timber principally consisted of Norway pine. The trees I observed grew very near each other, so that they did not attain a great diameter. But what they lacked in thickness they made up in altitude; for I am sure they could not be less than two hundred feet high. They were as straight as arrows, and averaged about eighteen inches in diameter; although some of them hardly exceeded a foot, and yet they towered to this vast height. They seemed like a forest of bare poles when the eye attempted to trace them-for the few branches which composed their tops were at least one hundred and fifty feet from the ground. Sometimes we found the tops af the highest ranges of hills almost destitute of timber trees, although some sorts of hardy shrubs cling to their barren bosoms. Amongst these the wild laurel grows in the greatest abundance; and although it is always a sure sign of a wretched soil, yet in winter, with its ever dark-green foliage, contrasted with the glaring snow, it very much enlivens and beautifies the scene; while in summer its lovely and profuse blossoms Continued from p. 47. the night. I asked her if she had any person to take care of our horses; she informed me that she had not, but if I continued along the road to the bottom of the hill I should find the barn, into which I might put them. My friend and I had made an arrangement that he was to cater for us, if I would see the horses properly attended to; a matter of which he knew but little. So off I set down the hill with the ponies, in quest of the barn-which, having found, I was annoyed at its being little better than an open shed. Into this miserable place I introduced the poor animals, but could find nothing for them to eat. The fact was, that there was no hay in the establishment; but to supply its place I learned that I could be supplied with oats in abundance. The oats in America are husky and light; so that it is quite common for travellers to feed their horses almost exclusively on oats, when hay is in much greater plenty than it was at our present quarters. On my return to my companion I found him basking in front of a most glorious fire, but saw no preparations for our evening's repast, that was to be both dinner and supper. I therefore inquired of him what he had ordered, or rather, what it would be possible for us to have; for I began to apprehend that the house might be as ill-provided with necessaries as the barn. "Nothing!" said he, with a deep sigh, "but I dare say that the good lady (meaning the coarse-looking Yankee woman) will be able to give us something. What have you got, madam, that you can let us have shortly, without giving yourself much trouble?" I was not above half in humour with this mighty civil speech of his, for I had been annoyed at finding no hay in the barn, and at his neglect at not providing some refreshments for us during my absence; which, according to our previous arrange ment, he had engaged to do: for what |