tial agent; soon after a prime minister, a cardinal and archbishop; then degraded, imprisoned, severely punished by the sacred college, relieved from penury by a foreign pension, and last of all made papal legate of Romagna. Here, even in old age, he could not avoid recurring to his favorite schemes of political intrigue; and endeavoured to bring the little republic of San Marino, which bordered upon his government, under the dominion of the pope. The cardinal had so artfully gained over to his purpose some of the principal inhabitants, that the day was fixed, on which these republicans were to swear allegiance to the sovereign under whose protection they had put themselves, On the day appointed, Alberoni rides up the mountain with his suite, is received at the door of the cathedral by the priests and chief inhabitants of the place, and thence conducted to his seat under a canopy, to hear high mass and a Te Deum sung, Unfortunately, however, for poor Alberoni, the mass began with the word Libertas, This had such an effect upon the minds of the hearers, who began then, for the first time perhaps, to recollect their being about to lose the thing itself, that they fell upon the cardinal and his attendants, drove them out of the church, and made them scamper down the steep mountain of San Marino with more rapidity than that with which they ascended it. Benedict XIV. shrewdly observed, on the occasion, "that Alberoni was like a glutton, who, after having eaten a large salmon, could not help casting a wistful eye at a minnow."

Light Reading at Leisure Hours, p. 332,

CERVETTO, a performer on the violin at one of the London theatres, whose nose was unfortunately the most prominent feature on his face, was the first cause of the exclamation with which most frequenters of theatres have been frequently annoyed, of "Play up Nosey." For this unlucky malformation he was persecuted by the galleries many years, and was actually at last compelled to abandon the only means by which he was able to procure a livelihood.

Of this very inoffensive and respectable man, Mr Garrick used to relate the following circumstance. In one of the most interesting scenes of a favorite part, when the attention of the whole house was rivitted on this excellent actor, the long-nosed musician gave vent to a long yawn, and so loud, as to be heard by every one..

The manager was considerably vexed, and sending for the offender immediately after the play, demanded an explanation. "I ask ten thousand pardons," said the fidler, in broken English, "but I always yawn extremely loud when any thing interests me very much." With this artful apology, he left the room, after being told, that in future he must suppress so singular a symptom of approbation.

WHEN lady C was presented at court, his majesty George II. politely hoped, "that, since her arrival in England, she had been entertained with the gayeties of London."

O yes, please your majesty, I have seen every

sight in London, worth seeing, except a coronation."

This naïveté is certainly not equal to that of the english earl marshal, who, when his king found fault with some arrangement at his coronation, said—" Please your majesty, I hope it will be better next time." Edgeworth on Irish Bulls, p. 32.

THE Dutch, in general, have bad teeth; whether from the effect of the climate, or from the little care they take of them, I cannot tell. It is no uncommon thing to see young people of twenty-five, who have lost half their set of teeth; and others who have none at all.

Duten's Memoirs, v. 3, p. 50.

Of the amusements of modern young men, Swift gives the following description, which unhappily still has its application.

Gaming, talking, swearing, drinking,
Hunting, shooting, never thinking;
Chattering nonsense all day long,
Humming half an operá song;
Chusing baubles, rings, and jewels;
Writing verses, fighting duels.
Mincing words in conversation,
Ridiculing all the nation.

Admiring their own pretty faces,
As if possessed of all the graces;
And, though no bigger than a rat,
Peeping under each girl's hat.

Swiftiana, v. 1, p. 39.

DAMASCUS blades are the handsomest and best of all Syria; and it is curious to observe their manner of burnishing them. This operation is performed before tempering; and they have, for this purpose, a small piece of wood, in which is fixed an iron, which they rub up and down the blade, and thus clear it of all inequalities, as a plane does to wood: they then temper and polish it. This polish is so highly finished, that when any one wants to arrange his turban, he uses his sword for a looking-glass. As to its temper, it is perfect, and I have nowhere seen swords that cut so excellently.

There are made at Damascus, and in the adjoining country, mirrors of steel, that magnify objects like burning glasses. I have seen some that, when exposed to the sun, have reflected the heat so strongly as to set fire to a plank fifteen or sixteen feet distant.

Brocquiere's Travels, p. 188.

A traveller was asked if he knew what was the best thing in this world? “liberty," answered he. The most pleasant? "gain." The least known? "good fortune." The worst? "death." Who is the most happy man in the world? "the learned man, who has riches and knows the use of them." The most unfortunate?" the poor old man." The most importunate? "the hard hearted creditor." The most dangerous? "the ignorant physician." The most worthy of compassion? "the liar, who is not believed when he tells the truth."

Collectanea, p. 263.

LOUIS the fourteenth being at war with England, during the proceeding with the Edystone Light-house, a French privateer took the men at work upon the rock, together with their tools, and carried them to France; and the captain was in expectation of a reward for the achievement. While the captives lay in prison, the transaction reached the ears of that monarch; he immediately ordered them to be released, and the captors to be put in their places; declaring, that though he was at war with England, he was not so with mankind. He therefore directed the men to be sent back to their work, with presents; observing, that "the Edystone Light-house was so situated, as to be of equal service to all nations, having occasion to navigate the channel between England and France."

Naval Chronicle, v. 17, p. 120.

SOON after general Putnam removed to Connecticut, the wolves, then very numerous, broke into his sheepfold, and killed seventy fine sheep and goats, besides many lambs and kids. This havoc was committed by a she-wolf, which, with her annual whelps, had for several years infested the vicinity. The young were commonly destroyed by the vigilance of the hunters, but the old one was too sagacious to come within the reach of gun-shot; upon being closely pursued, she would generally fly to the western woods, and return the next winter with another litter of whelps.

This wolf at length became such an intolerable nuisance, that general Putnam entered into a combination with five of his neighbours, to hunt alter

N