of mind for which even party-spirit can be an excuse, I leave to the determination of those who, whatever their attachments be, stick to the primary principle-Love to our country. I am, Sir, yours, &c. MEDIUS. EFFECTS OF PREACHING. " [From the British Press, Dec. 25.] GOOD Doctor, a word," cried an impudent knave, "Do you know, in our village, they style you the Grave?" "The Grave!" said the Doctor," why where is the jest?" Why, they say that your hearers are always—at rest ?' THE BERNE BEAR: A TALE. [From the Morning Chronicle, Dec. 25.] WHEN Switzerland was free, we learn, A powerful Canton once-call'd Berne With anxious zeal, and ceaseless care, That strangers, far and near, did feast Their wond'ring eyes upon the Beast: For Somerville's fat kine would seem Not that the animal was shown Historiographers Historiographers relate He was connected with the State; Which fear'd that all might go to ruin, any harm befell poor Bruin. If Thus, that no mischief might ensue, Who taught him all he had to do. Which, being now grown out of fashion, Yet, as this world will have its rubs, But since, my Muse! it is not wise And here my word of honour giving, But But when (since I the truth must tell) The tears, that erst her grief supplied, And voted, he was useless too : So, for the Muse should never fail As if they wish'd the Muse should sing, The State Wheels round the same Orbs turning But, their designs while thus they broach, } THE GREAT SEAL IN THE THAMES; OR, THE DEVIL AMONG THE FISHES: A FABLE. WHEN King James in the night He flung the GREAT SEAL in the stream; *Alluding to the House of Lords being put hors du combat, at the Commencement of the Commonwealth. At At the bottom it lay, All depriv'd of its sway Of its powers the fishes ne'er dream : Cried, "Behold the Great Seal! When the King is not by, And then two Commissions I'll frame "What though Common Sense shows, With this salvo- I'll cure ev'ry flaw; Still His Majesty's here- IMPROMPTU ON A STATE VAULTER EXTRAORDINARY, A [From the Morning Herald, Dec. 26.] MID the feats of modern art, In this our varying clime, Where some 'gainst wind and tide be-start, While others fly 'gainst Time: We see (what's surely bold enough) With giant resolution, A tiny Lawyer stripp'd in buff To'erleap the Constitution"! JOHN DOE. * Mr. Gillray, with other daring Caricaturists, are hereby cautioned to restrain any wanton propensity to sketch this heroic attempt of the State Vaulter Extraordinary of all England, either on brass, or any other inappropriate metal whatsoever, on pain of a legal premunire. (Signed) RICHARD ROE, Solicitor to said State Vaulter Extraordinary. ON ON THE LIMITATIONS OF REGENCY, TH AS DETERMINED UPON IN 1789. [From the Morning Chronicle, December 26.] HE brightest jewels from th' Imperial Crown, And throwing at their feet the Regent down, Makes him a sort of King" of shreds and patches." OVID THE AGE WE LIVE IN. [From the British Press, December 27.] VID has given a very fine description of the earlier ages of the world, and has told us a beautiful story about things which, in our times, it is scarcely possible to conceive to be any better than pure fictions of the poet's brain. We are informed, for instance, that there was an Age called "the Golden," from some precious metal, which, on account of its superexcellence, was applied allegorically to designate the most happy, innocent, abundant, and delightful era that ever existed on the earth. What this metal could have been it is not in the power of a modern writer to imagine; but, from our absolute ignorance of the meaning of the term "Golden," it may fairly be presumed, that it is altogether a fabulous expression, and refers to something as unrcal as the unicorn, the phoenix, the sphynx, or the flying dragon; for who can suppose, that if such a metal as this called Gold had existed at any period," it would have been unknown to the chemists of the 18th century, who have explored the very arcana of nature, and made such notable discoveries respecting zinc, bismuth, and a hundred other mongrel metals, which the ancients had no more conception of than we have of Gold? It is therefore clear, that this part of Naso's story is all my eye; and we need |