will thank me for the receipt of it, which they will find in a note.* The German mineralogists have given the name of pudding-stein to a ponderous and hard stone, composed of fragments bound together by a common cement. I do not know whether the pudding is derived from the stone, or the stone from the pudding, and either might be considered as a reflexion; but to my taste plum-pudding is excellent.

The wine generally drank is Port, high in colour, rough, and strong,―Madeira, and Sherry; Bourdeaux wine, usually called here Claret, Burgundy, Champagne, and other French wines, are luxuries. Few of these wines come to England without some heightening of brandy. People generally taste of fewer dishes here than at Paris,

Plum-pudding is a mass of paste, formed of equal quantities of crums of bread or of flour, of firm fat from the kidneys of beef, of dried raisins properly stoned, and of corinths, a sort of dried grape which comes from the Mediterranean. Eggs and a small quantity of milk are also added; and to improve the whole, a little citron, spices, and brandy. All this, well mixed, is tied in a piece of linen cloth, and boiled for five or six hours in a pot full of water, but suspended so as not to touch the bottom, which might burn it. The longer it is boiled the better; and this precious faculty of not suffering any thing from waiting, has made it be named emphatically Hunter's Pudding,Pudding de Chasseur. The cloth is taken from it before serving. The pudding forms a large ball, which is cut into slices, upon which each pours a sauce composed of butter, sugar, and wine.

each dining generally on one or two. You are not pressed to eat or drink. The ordinary beverage during the dinner is small-beer, porter rarely, and sparkling ale, which is served in high shaped glasses like Champagne glasses; water, acidulated by the carbonic gas, is frequently used: few drink wine and water mixed. The crystal vessels, called decanters, in which wine is brought on table, are remarkably beautiful. Formerly it was the invariable custom to drink every body's health round the table; and although less general now, it is by no means entirely abolished. It was done in this way: One of the guests challenged another, male or female; this being ac cepted by a slight inclination of the head, they filled respectively, each watching the motions of his adversary, then raised their glasses, bowing to each other, and in this attitude, looking round the table, they had to name every one of the company successively. This This ceremony finished, the two champions eyed each other gravely, and carrying their glasses to their lips, quaffed their wine simultaneously. As one challenger did not wait for another, and each guest matched himself without minding his neighbours, the consequence was, circular glances, calls of names, and mutual bows, forming a running-fire round the table, crossing in every direction. It was then the invariable custom to introduce guests to each other by name, and it was quite necessary to re

collect these names, in order to drink their healths at table. This custom of introducing is losing ground every day; and in fact the height of fashion is, to banish every thing like géne and ceremony. This is certainly very well; but some people go a little farther; and, under pretence of ease, every appearance of mutual good-will is excluded. Voltaire has said somewhere, "qui n'est que juste est dur." I would add, qui n'est que franc est brutal. True politeness, I presume, is merely benevolence in small things, which costs so little, and requires so few sacrifices, that it is not worth while to dispense with it: When politeness promises no more, it is consistent with perfect sincerity. The manners of those who have that sort of politeness resemble each other in all countries, while the arbitrary politeness of fashion is more local. Fashionable people in England are very apt to be insolent,-in France probably impertinent.

Soon after dinner the ladies retire, the mistress of the house rising first, while the men remain standing. Left alone, they resume their seats, evidently more at ease, and the conversation takes a different turn,-less reserved,-and either gra ver, or more licentious:

Le dîner fait, on digère, on raisonne,

On conte, on rit, on médit du prochain.

Politics are a subject of such general interest

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in England, both for men and women, that it engrosses the conversation before, as much as after the retreat of the ladies; the latter, indeed, are still more violent and extravagant than the men, whenever they meddle at all with politics, and the men out of Parliament, I think, more than those in Parliament. Women, however, do not speak much in numerous and mixed company. The political topics most usually agitated relate to the measures of administration; and the ministers are infallibly blamed or praised for the same things and for every thing, as the person who speaks happens to belong to one or the other party. This ministerial controversy, however, is carried on with sufficient good-humour; but there is another branch of politics which is hardly ever introduced without producing more heat and earnestness of debate,-that is, parliamentary reform; a nice and intricate question, which few of the disputants understand, and they are the more positive and violent on that very account. As to ministers, it is quite another thing; the disputants on this point know exactly how the matter stands; those who support them are in general supposed to be in duty bound to do so,and there is no disputing on a point of duty.

The minister Walpole, who is thought to have understood the manipulation of his art better than any one, and to have known how to manage mankind, used to say, that he was sure to keep

his guests at table in good-humour, by leading the conversation to eating and women ;-they were all of one mind on these subjects.-The recipe has lost nothing of its efficacy, and the matter is at this day discussed con amore. Old men and young all join in it; and make them. selves amends, over the bottle, for the restraint necessary before women.

There are some customs here not quite consistent with that scrupulous delicacy on which the English pique themselves. Towards the end of dinner, and before the ladies retire, bowls of coloured glass full of water are placed before each person. All (women as well as men) stoop over it, sucking up some of the water, and returning it, perhaps more than once, and, with a spitting and washing sort of noise, quite charm. ing, the operation frequently assisted by a finger elegantly thrust into the mouth! This done, and the hands dipped also, the napkins, and sometimes the table-cloth, are used to wipe hand and mouth. This, however, is nothing to what I am going to relate. Drinking much and long leads to unavoidable consequences. Will it be credited, that, in a corner of the very diningroom, there is a certain convenient piece of furniture, to be used by any body who wants it. The operation is performed very deliberately and undisguisedly, as a matter of course, and occasions no interruption of the conversation. I