"A HIGH SPIRITED MAN

"Is one that looks like a proud man, but is not; you may forgive him his looks for his worth's sake, for they are only too proud to be base. One whom

A

no rate can buy off from the least piece of his freedom, and make him digest an unworthy thought an hour. He cannot crouch to a great man to possess him, nor fall low to the earth to rebound never so high again. He stands taller on his own bottom than others, on the advantage ground of fortune, as having solidly that honor of which title is but the pomp. He does homage to no man for his great stile's sake, but is strictly just in the exaction of respect again, and will not bate you a conipli ment. He is more sensible of a neglect than an undoing, and scorns no man so much as his surly threatener. man quickly fired, and quickly laid down again with satisfaction, but remits any injury sooner than words. Only to himself he is irreconcileable, whom he never forgives a disgrace, but is still stabbing himself with the thought of it, and no disease that he dies of sooner. He is one had rather perish than be beholden for his life, and strives more to be quit with his friend than his enemy. Fortune may kill him but not deject him, nor make him fall into a bumbler key than before, but he is now loftier than ever in his own de fence. One that is above the world and its drudgery, and cannot pull down his thoughts to the pelting business of life. He would sooner accept the gallows than a mean trade, or any thing that might disparage the height of man in him, and yet thinks no death comparably base to hanging neither. One that will do nothing upon command, though he would do it otherwise; and if ever he do evil, it is when he is dared to it. He is one, that if fortune equal his worth, puts a lustre in all prefer ment; but if otherwise, he be too much crossed, turns desperately melancholy, and scorns mankind."

This is an eloquent description of one of the most noble of God's creatures.

Antiquaries have existed ever since the world ceased to be new, and their taste has been too consistent to admit of novelty in their characters; the Book-worm must plead guilty to the charge of a little antiquarian bias; and though he may be touched by some parts of the following description, he

cannot but take it kindly from such hands which, like the sword of Telephus, will heal the wounds they inBlict.

AN ANTIQUARY.

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"He is a man strangely thrifty of time past, and an enemy indeed to his maw, whence he fetches out many things when they are now all rotten and stinking. He is one that hath that unnatural disease to be enamoured of old age and wrinkles, and loves all things (as Dutchmen do cheese) the better for being mouldy and worm-eaten. He is one of our religion because we say it is the most ancient; but a broken statue would almost make him an idolator. A great admirer he is of the rust of old monuments, and reads only those characters where time hath eaten out the letters. He will go you forty miles to see a Saint's well or a ruined abbey, and if there be but a cross or a stone footstool in the way, he'll be considering so long till he forget his journey.. His estate consists much in shekels and Roman coins; and he hath more pictures of Cæsar than James or Elizabeth. Beggars cozen him with musty things which they have raked from dunghills, and he preserves their rags for precious relics. He loves library but where there are more spiders volumes than authors, and looks with great admiration on the antique work of cobwebs. Printed books he contemus as a novelty of this latter age, but a manuscript he pores on everlastingly, especially if the cover be all motheaten, and the dust make a parenthesis between every syllable. He would give all the books in his study (which are rarities all) for one of the old Roman binding, or six lines of Tully in his own hand. His chamber is hung commonly with strange beast skins, and is a kind of charnel-house of boues extraordinary; and his discourse upon them, if you will hear him, shall last longer. His very attire is that which is the eldest out of fashion, and you may pick a criticism out of his breeches. He never looks upon himself till he is grey-haired, and then he is pleased with his own antiquity. His grave does not fright him for he has been used to sepulchres, and he likes death the better because it gathers him to his fathers."

Monkbarns himself might have studied after such a model.

"PAUL'S WALK

"Is the land's epitome, or you may call it the lesser Isle of Great Britain. It is more than this, the whole world's map which you may here discern in its perfectest motion justly and turning, It is a heap of stones and men, with a vast confusion of languages, and, were the steeple not sanctified, nothing liker Babel. The noise in it is like that of bees, a strange humming or buzz, mixed of walking tongues and feet; it is a kind of still roar or loud whisper. It is the great exchange of all discourse, and no business whatsoever but is here stirring and a foot. It is the synod of all pates politic, jointed and bred toge ther in the most serious posture, and they are not half so busy at the Parlia ment. It is the antic of tails to tails, and backs to backs, and for vizards you need go no farther than faces. It is the market of young lecturers, whom you may cheapen here at all rates and sizes. It is the general mint of all famous lies, which are here, like the legends of popery, first coined and stamped in the church. All inventions are emptied here, and not a few pockets. The best sign of a temple in it is, that it is the thieves sanctuary, which rob more safely in a crowd than in a wilderness, whilst every searcher is a bush to hide them. The visitants are all men without exceptions, but the principal inhabitants and possessors are state knights and captains out of service; men of long rapiers and breeches, which after all turn merchants here and traffic for news. Some make it a preface to their dinner, and travel for a stomach, but thriftier men make it their ordinary and board here very cheap. Of all such places it is least haunted with hobgoblins, for if a ghost would walk more he could not."

This description of so celebrated a place as Paul's Walk, is extremely interesting; it was once the resort of every body in Loudon. Having begun with the character of a child, we shall finish with an extract from that of a good old man, by way of serving up our author ab ovo usque ad malum.

"A GOOD OLD MAN

"Is the best antiquity, and which wo may with the least vanity admire. One whom time hath been thus long a working, and like winter fruit ripened when others are shaken down. le hath taken out as many lessons of the

A COLLECTION OF SCRAPS.

BEING THOUGHTS ON VARIOUS SUBJECTS,
ANECDOTES, &c.
No. LXV.

A MAN OF FEW WORDS.

YOUNG man a short time back arrived at an ion, and, after alighting from his horse, went into the traveller's room, where he walked backwards and forwards for a few minutes, displaying the utmost self importance. At length he rang the bell, and upon the waiter's appearance, gave him an order nearly as follows: Waiter, I am a man of few words, and don't like continually to be ringing the bell and disturbing the house; I'll thank you to pay attention to what I say;" the waiter replied, "yes Sir." In the first place bring me a glass of brandy and water, cold, with a little sugar, and a tea-spoon; wipe down this table, bring the boot jack, throw some coals on the fire, and sweep up the hearth; bring me a couple of candles, pens, ink, and paper; some wafers, a little sealingwax, and let me know what time the post goes out: tell the ostler to take care of my horse, dress him well, aud let me know when he is ready to feed; order the chamber-maid to prepare me a good bed, take care that the sheets are well aired, a clean night cap, and a glass of water in the room; send the boy with a pair of slippers that I can walk to the stable in, tell him I must

have my boots brought into the room to night, and that I shall want to be called at five o'clock in the morning; ask your mistress what I can have for supper, tell her I should like a roast duck, or something of that sort, and desire your master to step in, I want to ask him a few questions." The waiter answered, "Yes, Sir," and then went to the landlord and told him, that a gentleman in the parlor wanted a great many things, and among the rest he wanted him, which was all he could remember.

MODESTY.

The author of a pamphlet entitled, "Thoughts on State Lotteries," published in 1799, in 32 loosely printed pages, and sold at 2s. 6d. has the following very modest postscript: "Readers desirous of expressing their opinions upon the author's sentiments, are invited to purchase four copies as a mark of approbation, or two copies for that of disapprobation, and leave their names with the puplishers, which will be printed in the second edition; and any other improvement on the subject addressed to the author, and left as before, will be thankfully received, and inserted in the appendix to the next edition, should this work go to another.

CORONATION ANECDOTES.

Queen Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I. appeared as a spectator at the coronation of the King her busband; as her bigotry would not permit her to be present at our church ceremonies on that occasion, she insisted upon having the solemnity performed by the bishops of her own religion. The circumstance is recorded in Sir John Finet's Philoxensis.

At the coronation of King William and Queen Mary, the Champion of England, dressed in armour of com plete and glittering steel, his horse richly caparisoned, and himself and beaver finely capped with plumes of feathers, entered Westminster Hall while the King and Queen were at din-, ner; and at giving the usual challenge to any one that disputed their Majesty's rights to the Crown of England (when he has the honor to drink the Sovereign's health out of a golden cup, always his fee), after he had flung down

LORD NELSON.

It is related of him, that when he was quite a child, he strayed from his grandmother's house at Hillborough, after bird's nests, with a cow boy. The dinner hour arriving without his appearance, the alarm of the family became very great, for they apprehended that he had been carried off by the gipsies. Search was instantly made in various directions; and at length he was discovered, without his companion, sitting with the utmost compo sure by the side of a stream which he had been unable to pass. "I wonder, child," exclaimed the old lady, on seeing him, "that hunger and fear did not drive you home." "Fear never came near me, grandmamma!" replied the infant hero.

GEORGE I.

During the siege of Fort St. Philip, a young lieutenant of marines was so unfortunate as to lose both his legs by a chain shot. In this miserable and helpless condition he was conveyed to England, and a memorial of his case presented to an honourable board; but nothing more than half-pay could be obtained. Major Manson had the poor lieutenant conducted to court, on a public day, in his uniform; where, posted in the anti-room, and supported by two of his brother officers, he cried out as the king was passing to the drawing-room, Behold, great sire, a man who refuses to bend his knee to you; he has lost both in your service." The king, struck no less by the singularity of his address, than by the melancholy

A Correspondent sends us the following: "Some years after this nobleman's resignation of all his employ ments, a petition was sent from the City to his Majesty, humbly requesting

an immediate dismission of. his minis

ters. The reply, as might reasonably be suppossed, to so audacious a solici tation, consisted in a plain negative. The petitioners were told that their demand was an imputation against the royal abilities and penetration, as if he wanted sagacity to perceive when he was faithfully and ably served. In the ensuing session of Parliament the Earl

of Chatham made a motion, that an humble address be presented to his Majesty, requesting that he would be graciously pleased to discover to the House the person under whose influence he had returned such a reply to so loyal a part of his people. But, said his Lordship, this metion of mine will certainly be negatived: I can anticipate rejection in the aspects of Ministers. How then shall I come at the information I contend for? Was it you, or you [addressing himself to those most liable to suspicion]? Will nobody reply? Let me see if countenances will betray. The face has been known to be the index of criminality. He then directed his eye of fire to every minster in the assembly, and fixing it with all his collected force at last upon a great Law Lord, exclaimed, 'Ah! methinks I see Felix tremble.' It is said, that such was the irresistible effect of the united power of this statesman's person, manner, and eloquence, that even one of the greatest men that ever adorned this kingdom was on this occa sion daunted into a temporary fear, by this bold, though vague imputation."

BARON SMITH'S RIDDLE.

Some men of the greatest talents have taken delight in composing or

endeavouring to unravel riddles. Dean Swift is a case in point. Sir William Smith, the learned Irish Baron of the Exchequer, at one time spent two days and nights in considering the answer to this conundrum: "Why is an egg un. derdone like an egg overdone?" He would not suffer any one to give him the answer, which he at last discovered. It is a tolerable pun enough. "Because they are both hardly done.”

PHYSIOGNOMY.

Mr.

A witness was one day called to the bar of the House of Commons, whea some one took notice, and pointedly remarked, upon his ill looks. Fox (afterwards Lord Holland), whose gloomy countenance strongly marked his character, observed, "That it was unjust, ungenerous, and unmanly, to censure a man for that signature which God had impressed upon his counte nance, and which therefore he could not by any means remedy or avoid." Mr. Pitt rose hastily, and said, “I agree from my heart with the observation of my fellow member; it is forci

ble, it is judicious, and true. But there are some (throwing his eyes full on Fox) upon whose face the hand of heaven has so stamped the mark of wickedness, that it were impiety not to give it credit."