Erskine, and if his Lordship had not felt equal pride at the intelligence, they would have been destitute of the common feelings of human nature. There was a particular occasion, at which this conversation might have happened, on the supposition that I misunderstood the Doctor in stating it to have occurred in the street in London. For Dr Parr in a letter to Miss Emily Calcraft, dated Hatton Febr. 11, 1824, writes thus: "The last time I met Lord Erskine was at Mr Coke's House in Burlington-street. The conversation turned upon the many Latin Inscriptions, which I have had occasion to write. With some vehemence I declared that I would write no more; suddenly I checked myself and said there must be one exception: Lord Erskine, I will write a Latin Inscription to you.'

XXXII. The Bow and Arrow Colleges.

"The Magistrates of Dola gave the Jesuits a College, called L'Arc, or The Bow; they had before another College called La Fleche, or, The Arrow. The master of the rhetorical class thought this a fine opportunity of exercising the epigrammatical genius of his Scholars, and proposed a præmium to him, who should compose the best Epigram on this donation. Accordingly, all the qualities of bows and arrows were jumbled and jingled together; but one lad, who had more wit than judgment, produced the following distich :

Arcum Dola dedit patribus, dedit alma sagittam

Gallia, quis funem, quem meruere, dabit.

For France the arrow, Dola gave the bow.

Who shall the string so well deserved bestow.

For the honour of the good fathers, it were to be wished, that they had bestowed the præmium where it was probably deserved: but the too witty Epigrammatist, after a very severe flagellation, was expelled the College," The Sheffield Iris, Nov. 1, 1825.

XXXIII. CURRAN.

"Lord Clare, Chancellor of Ireland, had taken a most rooted dislike to Curran, and did all in his power to annoy and oppose him. One day, when it was known Curran was to make an important argument in Chancery, Lord Clare brought a large Newfoundland dog upon the Bench with him, and during Curran's argument, he paid much more attention to the dog than to the Barrister. At length the Chancellor losing all decorum, turned quite aside in the most material part of the argument, and began in full Court to fondle the animal. Curran now stopped short: 'Go on, go on, Mr Curran,' said his Lordship. Oh' replied Mr Curran, 'I beg a thousand pardons, my Lord; I really took it for granted that your Lordship was employed in consultation."" The Times, Nov. 17, 1825.

XXXIV. DUNNING.

"A Gentleman, who was severely cross-examined by Mr Dunning, who asked him repeatedly if he did not live within the verge of the Court, at length answered that he did. And pray, Sir,' said Dunning, why did you take up your residence, in that place?' 'In order to avoid the impertinence of dunning,' answered the witness." The Times, Nov. 18, 1825.

XXXV. DUCHESS OF GORDON.

"His present Majesty once asked the Duchess of G ... at that time between 80 and 90, at what time a lady lost all susceptibility of the tender passion? Your Majesty must apply to some one older than me,' was the quick and pointed reply." The Sunday Times, Nov. 18, 1825.

XXXVI. STERNE :

"On a Lady's entering the assembly room at York, Sterne asked her name; he was told it was a Mrs Hobson, on which he said; He had often heard of Hobson's choice, but he never saw it before." The Courier, April 4, 1826.

XXXVII. "LORD ERSKINE'S WIDOW.

The following affecting case, says the British Traveller of Tuesday last, presents a mournful instance of human vicissitude! The widow of the great Lord Erskine, appeared as a mendicant, before the Lord Mayor of London, faint with hunger, to solicet public sympathy, and a rescue from actual starvation! Where are now the courtly-titled friends of the once great advocate? He, on whose accents public liberty hung in 1794whose return from the forum each day, was a public triumph, hailed by the shouts of applauding thousands! Erskine, whose noble, fearless, eloquence exposed the trachery of constructive treason dispersed the shadows of a mock conspiracy — and saved Hardy and his friends from the scaffolds, to which they were destined, by the proud and heartless minister who then ruled England. But this hapless woman is not of Patrician caste, and fell from virtue in her earlier days. True, she was the daughter of a hairdresser, we believe, in Brighton, and yielded to his persuasive accents, to which few men, or women, ever listened without emotion. But can this justify the inhuman desertion that now surrounds her like a desert? Are there no precedents of wealth atoning for such failings? Does not a woman, who was the notorious concubine of her former doting husband, now flaunt it in the full glare of day, with a Duke her Cicesbeo! and rank and title, nay, even royal blood crowding her banquets, and courting her bloated presence! Over one wealth throws the veil of oblivion's flattery. The other is poor and destitute, and the slow and moving finger of scorn is point

ed at her. This marriage, we admit, was ill suited-nay it was ridiculous in its very circumstances. But would Lord Erskine have married this unfortunate woman, after the cohabitation of years, if he saw she had no virtues? True, he attempted a divorce soon after, but it was a proceeding he never remembered but with shame.

Lord Erskine had a pension, but which died with him, and he had scarce any property beside, or a provision must have been made for his wretched widow. But is it well or worthy of this country, we ask, to let her starve to let her, who bears the name, and shared the fortunes, of one of the greatest men and most consistent patriots of his day, expire in a garret of actual hunger? We do trust the affecting appeal will not be lost. That those who knew Erskine-in his day of pride and day of glory-who delighted in his accents, and rejoiced in his fame, will not suffer his hapless relict to perish in utter wantthat for the sake of him, whose great name she bears, and who is still the mother of his children, a charitable pious effort will be made to snatch her from destitution, and supply, by a subscription, even an humble fund, to give this miserable woman bread, and enable her to escape the jaws of famine, and die, at least, in decency and comfort.

"At the Mansion House, on Tuesday last, a female, very shabbily dressed, but evidently accustomed to better society than that in which she appeared at the Justice Room, for she respectfully stood amongst the numerous petitioners to the Lord Mayor, presented herself to his Lordship, and mentioned that she stood in need of his advice, as she was, notwithstanding her undoubted claim to something like an independence, actually in want of the common necessaries of life. She was the widow of the celebrated Lord Erskine. The Lord Mayor requested that the unfortunate lady would walk into another room, when a conversation took place between them upon the subject of her distress, and his Lordship, after giving her immediate pecuniary relief, of which it was evident she stood in need, for she appeared

to be actually faint with hunger, assured her, that he would, without delay, exert himself to procure an enquiry into the circumstances of which she complained, but without attaching the slightest blame to any individual. From her statement it appeared that the late Lord Erskine had, soon after he lost his first wife, became intimate with the petitioner. His Lordship, who had commenced his acquaintance under a promise of marriage, performed that promise some years afterwards in Scotland, where, by the laws of that country, his children became legitimate. They lived very happily together, but his Lordship's death completely destroyed all chance of independence, although she had been assured some time afterwards, that his Majesty would settle a pension upon her, in consequence of the sudden and lamentable reduction in her circumstances. The trustees appointed upon the occasion were, she understood, Lords Roslyn and Duncannon, but she had never received any benefit, pecuniary or otherwise, on account of the pension, and she believed the reason of the rejection was, that she would not part with her youngest child. The Lord Mayor asked her whether the rest of his Lordship's family were aware of her distress? She replied, that they were-but that with every inclination to assist her, they really appeared to her not to have the means. How then do you contrive to support yourself now? asked his Lordship. The unfortunate lady said, she endeavoured to keep life within her by needlework, which was supplied to her very scantily. Her great object being to obtain a decent livelihood for the child that remained with her, she thought nothing of any difficulties she might encounter herself, or of any privation to which she might be exposed in performing her duty. The widow, with tears in her eyes, expressed her gratitude to the Lord Mayor, upon receiving his solemn assurance that he should cause inquiry to be made of the solicitor and gentlemen who were best acquainted with the affairs of her late husband. The conduct of the poor woman was unobtrusive in the extreme." Sheffield Iris, July 18, 1826.