ballads, and as some monk or idle minister of rustic music might have rejoiced in the name of Hadrian, I should think it very probable that to some such obscure and long-since unknown individual, this harmonious invention might be imputed. When Classic prosody ceased to be applicable to the irregula rities of modern languages, rhyming became a substitute for it, but we have no instance of it in the ancient Greek and Latin writers. Of the translations you send, that by Casaubon in Greek, composed in the same number of lines, is the best. Fontenelle's is very poor, prolix, and does not observe the due measure of feet. You state Prior's very justly as an improvement on the original, but it is anything but a correct translation, filled with extraneous circumstances, and in short a little English poem on the same subject. I view the speaker, or rather his sentiments here expressed by some other for him, as standing on the brink of the grave, when truth generally comes forth. He describes the character of a worldly person, about to put off this body, without any certain prospect of that unknown country, into which he goes. Insignificance, (animula,) levity, inconstancy, (vagula,) self-love and self-applause, (blandula,) are the features of past life. It is no longer the companion of the body, of which nothing more remains than inanimate matter, well-described by its external properties, (pallidula, frigida, nudula,) nor is any longer capable of becoming an instrument, through which the soul can indulge its jests and follies, (here represented by joca.) It puts me in mind of an epitaph, I forget by whom, which, as well as I remember, runs thus,

Life is a jest, and all things shew it;

I thought so once, but now I know it.

Under the above impressions, I have attempted a translation, which I think less liable to the above objections, though not as close in version as I could wish. Gustavus brought me a version by Lord Byron, which is utterly devoid of harmony, and takes a liberty with our language, which it does not admit.

It may be seen in the words that terminate the lines, the rhyme being too long suspended, as

Nothing but an irregular Ode could bear such metre as this, and even there much depends on the nature of the subject, where excitement, rant, and bursts of passion abound. Mine runs thus:

Little fluttering, flattering thing,

My body's guest, my body's guide,
Where, ah! where wilt thou abide,
And paleness, coldness, bareness bring,
And leave thy wonted jokes aside?

The Venerable Archdeacon of Ferns, Dr E. Barton, to his son, Edw. Barton Esq. June 5, 1838.

CCXCI. STERNHOLD AND HOPKINS.

June 6, 1838. Some one spoke of Sternhold and Hopkins: Dr G. said there was only one passage in their version of the Psalms, which deserved praise for poetical merit.

The Lord descended from above,

And bowed the Heav'ns High;
And underneath his feet he cast
The darkness of the sky.
On Cherubs and on Cherubims
Full royally he rode,

And on the wings of mighty winds

Came flying all abroad.

CCXCII. Canonicals.

The late Mr Sibley, who was Rector of Walcot Parish, in the City of Bath, wore his gown and cassock in the streets many years, and discontinued doing so only a few months before his death, which took place in 1814 or 1815.

CCXCIII. Devil's own-Erskine.

"When, under the dread of French invasion, the lawyers of this metropolis formed themselves into a regiment, Colonel, Lord Erskine, their commander, was asked to give a name to his corps, and called it the Devil's own." The Courier, June 20, 1838.

2.

Once a man stood up in the pit to the annoyance of many; he refused to sit down, though urged to do so; Lord Erskine called out, 'Let him alone, he is a tailor resting himself!'

3.

During the Regency, Lord Erskine was at Carlton-House, when George IV was complimenting himself for having added the crown to the anchor, on the buttons of sailors' clothes. His lordship replied, "Take care lest your Royal Highness should bring your crown to an anchor!'

CCXCIV. MANNERS AND MORE.

Mr Manners, who had just been created Earl of Rutland, charged Sir Thos More with pride on account of his recent dignities, and applied to him the expression, HONORES MUTANT

MORES. "Nay, my Lord," replied More "it is better in English, 'HONOURS CHANGE MANNERS.'"

CCXCV. SAGACITY OF THE DOG.

A young man, whilst rambling at a distance from home in a wild country, fell and broke his leg. Alarmed at the rapid approach of night, and unable to move, he tied his handkerchief, with his glove in it, round the neck of his dog, which accompanied him, and sent him home. The dog, apparently aware of the emergency, hastened home, and guided the anxious family to the spot where his master lay disabled.

CCXCVI. GAME-COCKS.

A gentleman, who had staked two game-cocks against a whole neighbourhood, found that his Irish servant had shut them up together in the same room, and that the birds had almost killed each other. The servant apologizing for the error said that he had no idea of their quarrelling, as they were both going to fight on the same side!

CCXCVII. JUNIUS.

Jackson's Coffee-House, Bow-Street, July 6, 1838. MAJOR REVEL was here to-night, and said as follows:-MR DUBOIS received a Letter from Sir Philip Francis, written with such force and point, that its resemblance to Junius struck him particularly. He wrote a Letter to Sir P. F. in which he remarked that he should have pronounced him Junius, had not Sir Philip so frequently denied the authorship to him. On receiving this Letter, Sir Philip proceeded to Dubois's chambers in

great wrath, actually foaming at the mouth, and asking Dubois, how he dared to write to him such insinuations after his frequent denials of the authorship, declared that, if he ever repeated the insinuation, their friendship would be severed for ever. The excitement, into which he was thrown, was so extraordinary that it left an impression on Dubois's mind that he had something to do with the matter.

CCXCVIII. Sellis-Geo. IV-Carpue.

In MISS WOODWARD's or LADY ANN HAMILTON's Secret History it is stated that Mr Carpue saw Sellis's body and pronounced him to have been murdered. Major Revell asked him about the matter this day; Carpue said that it was a mistake, he had not seen the body. The fact was this: George IV had a stricture, and sent for Carpue to instruct him in the anatomy of the parts and use of instruments, that if he had occasion to employ a surgeon in the country, he might be prepared to detect his unskilfulness. The King asked him about Sellis. Carpue observed that, if the statement in the Papers was correct, Sellis was murdered, for he could not possibly have destroyed himself in the manner described, viz. by first cutting the artery on the left side, and then on the right. Carpue contended that no man could possibly destroy himself thus by two distinct strokes; his physical energies would fail after the first stroke. The King asked if he could begin with drawing the razor from one ear, and then rapidly carry it under the throat to the other ear. Carpue said that he could.

A

CCXCIX. MARRIAGE.

young woman, about to be married, was cautioned by her