cy? Are you a man?" said he to him; 'you behave like a child!' A moment afterwards the soldier who was sentry on the spot, taking pity on him, dashed out his brains with the butt end of his musket. I saw another negro quartered,' the narrator continues, after his arms and legs were tied to four very strong horses, an iron nail was driven under each nail of his hands and feet. He suffered that without complaining, requested a glass of rum, and ordered the executioners to let loose the horses. But that which amused us most, continued the monster, was the humour of the fellow, who, when the hangman presented the glass of rum to him that he asked him for, told him to drink first, as he was very much afraid of being poisoned, and desired him to take care that his horses should not kick him.' As for the old negroes being broken on the wheel, and young women burnt alive, nothing is more common in this colony.

THE DOCTOR AND THE CYNIC.

Doctor Linegar, titular Archbishop of Dublin, who was a man of lively parts and very communicative, happened in a mixed company, to be introduced to a Mr. Swan, a gentleman of a cy. nical turn, whose practice it was to attempt to raise a laugh at the expense of some one in the company. They sat near each other at table, where the Doctor engaged general attention by his sprightly manner. Mr. Swan to silence him said, 'Doctor

I forget your name.'-Linegar, Sir,' returned the Doctor.-'I ask your pardon,' replied Swan, 'I have the misfortune scarce ever to recollect names; you'll not be offended therefore, if, in the course of conversation, I should name

you Vinegar?-Oh, not at all, sir,' returned the Doctor; 'I have the very same defect; and it is probable, though I now name you Swan, I may by and bye call you goose.' The laugh was effectually turned against the cynic, who never attempted a second sarcasm that evening, and slunk away as soon as he decently could.

A SOFT BRUSH FOR PRIDE. A British merchant resident at Leghorn, who was very soliritous to conceal the meanness of his origin by the splendour of his appearance, was one day sent for by the English consul of that place. Previous to his obeying the notice, he dispatched his servant to request he might not be permitted to wait upon the consul in his morning dress.' The consul, entertained with the formality of the upstart, immediately replied, "Tell your master, I have no concern with his wardrobe; he may, if he think proper, make his visit in the dress he wore on his first coming to Leghorn.

FRET-WORK.

A gentleman, who had long danced after the ministry in hopes of preferment, being one day, as usual, at the Duke of Newcastle's levce, and happening to cast his eyes up to the ceiling, observed to his fellow-solicitors how properly the room was decorated. The gentlemen present said, they could see no great ornament about it. I did not say there, was, said he, but I admire the pro-priety of what there is: for both top and bottom is full of fret

work.'

Printed and Published by COWIE & STRANGE, 60, Paternoster Row, and 24, Fetter Lane.

(For the Casket.)

No. IX. THE PAWNBROKER.

When the present church was built is not known; the wall and battlements are built of brick and wrought stone, plastered over, the roof is covered with lead, and bears a resemblance to the architecture which prevailed in the fourteenth century. It is a large Gothic structure, consisting of a chancel, nave, and two aisles; and is of a very considerable extent. It is 114 feet in length, 54 feet in breadth; the height of the roof is 35 feet, and of the tower 92 feet. The pillars, arches, and win. dows, are of the later Gothic, and the west portico was built in 1612, and has no resemblance to the other part of the church, it being of the Tuscan order. At the west end is a plain square tower, containing a ring of ten bells; and supported at the corners with strong buttresses and quoins; it is crowned with a small mean turret; and the same kind of battlements are carried round the body of the church. On the east side of the portico, leading up to the gallery on the north side of the chancel, is a stone, with the following inscription on it:

"Of Carthage great I was a stone,

O, mortals, read with pity;
Time consumes all, it spareth none,
Man, mountain, town, or city.
Therefore, O mortals, all bethink
Go whereunto you must,
Since now such stately buildings
Lie bury'd in the dust.

The church-yard contains many curious epitaphs; there is one to the following effect:

"Here lies the body of Daniel Saul, Spitalfields weaver-and that's all.”

And on the south-west side of the church is a grave-stone to the memory of Joyce Rich and her daughter, as follows:

"We two within this grave do lye,
Where we do rest together,
Until the Lord shall us awake,

And from the goats us sever.',

24, Critchell Place,

Hoxton.

T. WARD.

"If we imagine no worse of them than they of themselves, they may pass for excellent men."

At the corner of a bye-street or alley in some great thoroughfare, stands the mansion of this long pursed attendant on the wants of the needy; the main entrance is half hidden by a multitude of dirty blankets and patch-work bed-covers; between which, at distant intervals, an old gown or a worn-out shawl presents itself to view, with its price exhibited on a ticket of more than ordinary dimensions, and displaying at once the miserable poverty of its former possessor and the anxious desire of its present one to dispose of it to the best advantage; rusty looking hats quite new,' accompanied by saws and planes, with a solitary old telescope or quadrant hanging among them, are tied to nails driven into the top part of the shop front, and serve to decorate the exterior of his habitation; high above all hangs the mystic sign, which, in spite of prohibitory laws, and the prevalence of fashion, he still continues to display; while his neighbours have long since dismissed their's to the wood-cutter,or committed them to the flames of the kitchen fire-the three golden balls, swinging to and fro in the wind as they hang suspended from the wall of his house, proclaim to the idle gazer the wealth of the inmate, and shine in the sun's rays with dazzling splendour; directly under them, in conspicuous characters, is written up in large characters' Money lent,' which sentence has of late years (by the grammatical knowledge of some worthy members of the profession) been rendered more perspicuous by being altered to Money to lend, which intimates they have still some remaining; the only reason that can have any weight with their customers, or induce them to bring their moveables to their shops. In the window are displayed

stout

silver watches, warranted;'very cheap' books, and seals, ear rings, and brooches, 'set in fine gold:' flutes and flageolets, which have all the appearance of having been, like Hodge's razors, made to sell,' are ranged in several rows behind the well-polished glass; silver spoons' and plated candlesticks' occupy the

6

most prominent situations, as it is on their account principally that he assumes the title of 'silversmith.' A stray musical snuff-box, which plays two tunes,' is ticketed remarkably cheap, and serves to convey to those foot passengers who may cast in a glance as they pass by some idea of the variety of articles which may be procured within. Just within the side door are two or three separate enclosures, which on account of their possessing seats (an accommodation which the body of the shop does not afford) as well as from their being devoted to the better sort of customers, are styled boxes.' It is here that the extravagant votary of fashion resorts to replenish his exhausted purse;-here hies the gambler, when after having cheated his unwary dupe of all the cash he possessed, he has robbed him of whatever valuables he happened to have about him, under pretence of giving him another chance: here he repairs to dispose of his ill-gotten booty, and to chuckle in secret at the folly of his victim. Here, too, might we find the unfortunate parent, who, driven by misfortune to poverty, has no other means of procuring a meal for his hungry family than by borrowing money upon his wearing apparel, or descending to the paths of dishonesty and theft; he prefers the lesser evil; and while his wounded bride bleeds at the idea of his altered condition, saves it the worse pang of taking his stand among the crowd of wretches, whom the love of drink, or the habit of needless extravagance has made shameless of their destitution and their vice: he shrouds himself in the obscurity of the dark passage, and opening the creaking door, is soon enclosed in a comfortable solitude, and immediately attended by the pawnbroker.

ance ;

The pawnbroker' is a man of serious aspect, and rather unhealthy appearin the shop' he appears in his shirt sleeves, or in winter has on an old coat, with the cuffs turned back; with a pen in each ear, he addresses himself with feigned politeness to his numerous customers, and scribbles out their 'tickets' with wonderful activity; he speedily ascertains the value of any article, and always secures himself from loss by lending on it' as little as possible; he reckons up the interest' with a readiness that a schoolmaster could scarcely compete with, and sounds the money

offered him with the speed of a bank cashier as soon as he has opened his shop, he commences ornamenting his house with the variety of goods' appointed for that purpose; he then has a constant succession of customers throughout the day, and thus is prevented from attending to his books' till his shop is shut up, which happens during the summer season at nine, and in winter at eight o'clock in the evening; he then has from two to four hours labour, ac cording to the extent of his business, and the number of his assistants, in settling his accounts: so that it is always morning when he retires to rest. Every Saturday is to him a day of considerable bustle; but it is on those which immediately precede Christmas and Easter, that he is teased with custom' in the most extraordinary manner; on the evenings of these days, he commences taking in the things earlier than ordinary: and after putting up the shutters and lighting the gas, is at liberty to serve all comers. crowded state of his shop on these occasions, must be seen to be believed, and it requires no little dexterity to be able to please all who come; frequently does a disappointed gin-drinker, whose pledge he refuses to receive, commence a torrent of Billingsgate abuse; frequently does an expectant holiday maker grumble at the time he has been kept waiting, and swear at the busy moneylender with emphatic violence; but used to all this, the pawnbroker heeds it not, but bustles on till 'past eleven,' when he refuses to do any more business,' and shuts his door against the grumbling crowd. The next day being Sunday is with him a day of rest indeed, and as such he always welcomes it: but on the morrow he is again surrounded by noise and confusion, and continues so till the next Saturday night closes the week's bustle, and another holiday greets his

tired frame.

The

The pawnbroker labours very hard in his vocation, and devotes to it the best part of his life; the utility of his calling is confessedly obvious, and if it is sometimes abused, should not upon that account be absolutely condemned; were it not for him, it is true that there would be fewer in deep distress; but then, at the same time. there would be many in want of food, If his profits are large, (and they are by

Our ship was moored to a field of ice, on which, at a considerable distance, a large bear was observed prowling about for prey. One of the ship's company, emboldened by an artificial courage, derived from the use of his rum, which, in his economy, he had stored for special occasions, undertook to parsue and attack the bear that was within view. Armed only with a whale-lance, he resolutely, and against all persuasion, set out on his fadventurous exploit. A fatiguing journey of about half a league over a surface of yielding snow, and rugged hammocks, brought him within a few yards of the enemy, which, to his surprise, undauntedly faced him, and seemed to invite him to the combat. His courage being by this time greatly subdued, partly by the evaporation of the stimulus he had employed, and partly by the undismayed, and even threatening aspect of the bear, he levelled his lance in an attitude suited either for offensive or defensive action, and stopped. The bear also stood still. In vain the adventurer tried to rally courage to make the attack; his enemy was too formida ble, and his appearance too imposing. In vain also he shouted-advanced this lance and made feints of attack; the enemy either not understanding them, or despising such unmanliness, obsti nately stood his ground. Already the limbs of the sailor began to shake--the lance trembled in the rest-and his gaze, which had hitherto been stedfast, began to quiver; but the fear of ridicule from his messmates still had its influence, and he yet scarcely dared to retreat. Bruin, however, possessing less reflection, or being more regardiess of conse quences began with the most audacious

boldness, to advance. His nigh approach and unshaken step subdued the spark of bravery, and that dread of ridicule, that had hitherto upheld our adventurer: he turned and fled. But now was the time of danger. The sailor's flight encouraged the bear in his turn to pursue; and being better practised in snow-travelling, and better provided for it, he gained on the fugitive. The whale-lance, his only defence, encumbering him in his retreat, he threw it down, and kept on. This fortunately excited the bear's attention; he stopped-pawed it bit it— and then resumed the chace. Again he was at the heels of the panting seaman, who conscious of the favourable effect of the lance, dropped a mitten: the stratagem succeeded, and, while bruin again stopped to examine it, the fugitive, improving the interval, made considerable progress a-head. Still the bear resumed the pursuit, with the most provoking perseverance, excepting when arrested by another mitten, and finally by a hat, which he tore to shreds between his teeth and paws, and would no doubt have made the incautious adventurer his vic tim, who was rapidly losing strength and heart, but for the prompt and well-timed assistance of his shipmates, who, observing that the affair had assumed a dangerous aspect, sallied out to his rescue. The little phalanx opened him a passage, and then closed to receive the bold assailant. Though now beyond the reach of his adversary, the dismayed fugitive continued onward, impelled by his fears, and never relaxed his exertions until he fairly reached the shelter of the ship! Bruin once more prudently came to a stand, and for a moment seemed to survey his enemies with all the consideration of an experienced general; when, finding them too numerous for a reasonable hope of success, he very wisely wheeled about, and succeeded in making a safe and honourable retreat.-Scoresby's Journal.

DENNIS O'TOOL'S WILL.

Copy of a paper written by a poor man in the county of Sligo, in Ireland, who put his resolve in execution just in the manner he himself mentions.

(SUPERSCRIPTION.)

This will be found after my deth, if thea look sharp. DENNIS O'TOOL.