Before sitting down to dinner, Bitka presented each guest with a small silver cup of sweet brandy from his own hand, as a provocative to appetite, according to the custom of his country, which the whole company had the complaisance to drink with their nost, desirous to show every attention to a man who was to have so great a hand in their favourite work. 1

During the first course, the reverend Russian father rose with great solemnity from his seat, and after stroaking his well combed beard filled a boukal, [A boukal is a large fine crystal glais, often gruamented with a coat o. arms or other bearings,used at great festivals in Ruisia to drink the sovereign, the church &c. and holds from a half to a whole bottle, The person who first fills it, commonly some great man, stands up, and with much ceremony presents it to his next neighbour, who must take off the cover, (cqivalent to your pledging any one) and hold it till the first has drank off this birth-day bumper, when it is his turn to rise up and do the same: til it has made the tour of the table] of champaign, to the holy Catholic Church; which of course the Ko man clergy could not refuse to pledge him in. After a proper inter val, father Bitka rose a second time with equal gravity, to drink a boukal to the holy Greek Church; a toast which the French doċtors were too politic to refuse on the present occasion, especially after the Czar's confessor had drank to the Latin.

The second course was ushered in with a third boukal, to the so much desired union of the two churches; which it would have been folly to refuse: and the last dish of it was graced with the health of the pope himself, which it would have been a bold priest in those days. who would have refused drinking.

After having so well regaled his guests at dinner, father Bitka told them that they had one duty still to fulfil betore proceeding to bui sinefs; at least it was one that he would never omit, with all his at tachment to the two holy churches, viz, drinking his sovereigns health the Czar of Moscovy; and the French clergy were too good courtiers to refuse it in the present moment.

Lastly our confessor after having with much fervour, exclaimed t render unto Cæzar what appertains unto Cæzar &c.” from holy writrose and drank a last bumper with great solemnity, to the great monarch, the French king; and his clergy made fhift to pledge him in it in duty bound.

23

The Russian church militant, thinking himself now a match for Romish theology and eloquence, invited the Sorbonne to the proposed VOL. Xviii

U U

conference in the Czar's chamber of state, up one pair of stairs, and led the way himself with a firm pace and stately gait.

On being seated in his masters state chair, lent to him for the occasion, father Bitka expressed much surprise at finding but two of the whole Sorbonne had followed him up, a couple of rosy bishops; to whom, after waiting a proper time for the rest of his antagonists, he addressed a fhort latin speech in favour of the Greek church, ending it by declaring he was prepared to hear all their learned arguments for the desired union, whilst he was perfectly open to conviction.

The well seasoned Russian champion now found he had kept his word with the Czar, and literally struck his antagonists dumb with the power of his strong arguments; for not a word could be articulated on repeated efforts, by either one or other of the bishops, whose truant tongues for once refused the defence of the Roman church; so that after a fhort pantomimic harangue, they were obliged to leave father Bitka master of the field and dispute, who told them on parting, that he never doubted to see the mother church triumph over all the attacks of her seceding sons.

Peter, on coming home in the evennig, was highly diverted with his confefsors victory; and did not fai] next day at court to invite the French doctors to a second conference with Bitka, which they politely refused, relying on his former promise to refer the affair to his synod, on his arrival in Russian.

Now Mr Editor I cannot help thinking that. this important church dispute ended as quietly, as most of those related in church history; of those days, at least, in the reading of ARCTICUS.

THE inclosed is genuine; and I honour the lady who had the merit of putting it in writing. If you think it worthy of a place in the Bee insert it. If not let me know by a note in your address to correspondents, and I will send for it, or let you know to whom to return it It is in my opinion the most natural and most humurous description o the consequences of a first debauch that ever was published in any language.

A LOVER OF GOOD NONSENSE.

DANIEL'S DREAM.

Taken from his own mouth by the lady of an Irish lord who built the Grotto alluded to in the introduction.

When the Grotto was finished, My lord invited the men to a dinner, on the lawn before the house. Daniel Rouk only, was amissing the day after, and no where to be found till next morning. When I enquired the reason of his absence,..." Why then I'll tell you" says he, that the good mait, and the good drink, I got at the grot-hole did not agree with my helt at all at all: I ate so much, that I would never desire to leave off. But what would you have of it; such sickness came upon me, that I was not strong to go back to my work; and when I went home, I was not the better of it, so I went to my bed; but never a wink of sleep c uld I get for dreaming all night; and I wish I may never dream such another." What was your dream Daniel.'" Why then, saving your presence, I'll tell you. I was dreaming that was coming home from Molly Crinigan the fairy woman where I had been to get a cure for the braked heifer that was bewitched, and as I was coming over stitchford key of Ballanaskeaugh, and looking up at the stars, and blefsing myself, because it was - our ladies day, what did I do but mifs my foot and fall into the water. Well, that was all very well. I was swimming away for the bare life o'me, when I swimmed afhore on a desolate Island. Well, I went to my beads, and gave God thanks, and then I sat down and sang. The cause why, I thought for sure, and certain it was to be my burying place. While I was singing, there came a big black eagle to myself. God save you Daniel,says he; you also, says I. What are you doing on this desolate insland says he. Nothing says, I only wish I was safe at Ballanaskeaugh again. Come a horseback upon me Daniel, says he, and I'll bring you safe at Ballanáskeaugh again. My life for yours Daniel, says he. Mount, says he, faint heart never won fair lady. I thought so myself, and this is fine perswadance, thinks I. Thank you Sir, says I, for the tone of your civility; and I'll take your kind offer. So what will you have of it, I got a horseback upon him, and away he flew with me untill he got up to the moon itself So then I thought to set him right; the cause is why, thought for sure and certain he did not know the right road to Ballanaskeaugh, and I was resolved to be civil; because he had me in his power you

know. So says I, please your honou's glory, says I, I think you are not on the right road to Ballanaskeaugh.

Hold your tongue Daniel says he, and mind your own bnsiness, and don't interfere with the business of other people, Daniel, says he. May be so says I so I said no more. When we get up to the moon, take off me Daniel? says he, I am tired. Bad enough says I, what will I do. Go upon the moon till I am rested, and then I'll take you up again. No, but I won't, says myself; for if I do I will fall. Never fear Daniel says he, don't you see a reaping hook sticking in the side of the moon; take a grip of it, and you are as safe as a thief in a mill. Well, I did so-but what did himself do, but turned about, and, Good bye to you Daniel, says he. Is that all you brute, says I,-Devil speed the trayeller, says I, you ugly unnatural beast, is this the way you servc me ? Well, all that was very well, when out comes the man of the moon to myself, Daniel Rouk says he, what are you doing with my reaping hook. Please your honours glory, I am doing no harm, only holding it least I should fall. Let go the reaping hook, says he; indeed with your honours leave, I will not, says myself. "Let go the reaping hook says he. Indeed I will not says myself. Let go your grip, says he, or else you had better, you had. Indeed I will not, says myself; and the more you bid me, the more I wont; is it to fall and be kil't, and spil't. I'll try that Daniel, says he. What does himself do, but goes in and fetches out a hand hammer, and knocks off the handle of the reaping hook, and down myself falls, falls, falls, like a bird that was flying; when (God speed) there flys by a flock of wild geese and sure enough they were some of the geese from our bay of Ballanaskesugh, or else how fhould they know me. Is this Daniel, says one of them. It is so, says II think you are falling Daniel, says he. You may see that, says I. Take a grip of myself Daniel, says one of them, and I'll bring you safe to the ground in a way yon won't be spilt. Sweet was your heart in a pitcher of honey my Jewel, says I. Immediately I saw a chip below under me; Houla, stop the chip, stop the chip, says I: Why should we stop the fhip Daniel, says they; by the reason why tve dont know whether you are over the ship or not. Mufha! how fhall we know that, says I: Trow something down Daniel says he, God help yonr head what would you have me to trow down?. Ease yourself Daniel, say he, and if it falls in the ship then we will stop the hip. Saving your presence I did so. But what will you have of it. I thought for 'sure and certain it would fall in the chip. But what did find but itself under myself in the bed this morning.

ELUCIDATIONS RESPECTING THE URKISH EMPIRE.

Concluded from p. 288.

On the population of Constantinople.

NOTHING in general is more erroneous than the calculation of the number of inhabitants of great cities; But no calculation has beer so exaggerated as that of the population of Constantinople. The causes of this error may have proceeded from the situation of the city on the ascent of a hill, which shewing every house in it, and hiding the voids between them, makes it appear to the greatest advantage. Secondly, the crowd of people in the streets, leading to the custom house, the Port, the great Bazars or markets, the bagnios, the principal mosques, and scales-without people reflecting that these are all situated almost in one part of the city, and that every one who goes out on any kind of businéfs, or on pleasure, passes through them, without observing that the interior parts of the city seem desolate, so few people are found in them Thirdly, strangers are misled by the accounts they receive of the number of Janisaries, of Bostangies, of boatmen, of artizans, of hopkeepers, without knowing that one and the same person is generally in two or three capacities; for instance all the boatmen are either janisaries or bostangies, (excepting a small number,) and the greatest part of the shopkeepers and artizans are also janisaries. We must rely on real calculation

1st Calculation.

In Constantinople and its environs there is consumed from 9 to 11 thousand kilos of corn daily. Experience has proved that one person consumes 9 kilos a year. (One kilo of wheat is twenty-two okes which renders 18 okes of flower, of which they make 27 okes of bread as their bread is very moist, like flat cakes half baked.) In France 1, pound of wheat gives 1 pound of bread exactly. An oke is nearly 3 pounds.

According to this calculation, there would be in Constantinople 4c6 thousand inhabitants. This calculation misled Sir Joseph Porter, formerly English ambassador at the Porte, as it does all those who have not examined into the matter. It is the policy of the vizirs, to keep the price of bread cheap at Constantinople; and it is cheaper there always than in places a few days journey distant. The mirat Constan