* * * * *
_A Mistake_.--In consequence of some transposition by which an
announcement of the decease of a country clergyman had got inserted
amongst the announcements of the marriages in a country paper a few
days since, the announcement read thus: "Married the Rev. ----, curate
of ----, to the great regret of all his parishioners, by whom he was
universally beloved. The poor will long have cause to lament the
unhappy event."
_New Bankrupt Court_.--One of the inferior judges, whose salaries
are, by the Act, to be paid out of the fees, seeing that the whole
amount was absorbed by the chief, observed to an associate on the bench,
"Upon my word, R----, I begin to think that our appointment is all a
matter of moonshine." "I hope it may be so," replied R----, "for then
we shall soon see the first quarter."
The same humorous judge had listened to a very long argument on a
particular case in which the counsel rested much upon a certain act of
parliament. His opponent replied, "You need not rely on _that_ act,
for its teeth have been drawn by so many decisions against it, that it
is worth nothing." Still the counsel argued on, and insisted on its
authority; after listening to which for a good hour, his lordship drily
remarked, "I do believe all the teeth of this act have been drawn, for
there is nothing left but the jaw."--_Literary Gazette_.
_Criticism_.--A print of a wounded leopard is described by a
contemporary as "a powerful exhibition of animal agony." Did our critic
ever hear of vegetable agony?
_Humbug_.--A correspondent of the _Times_ says "Every body is not
acquainted with the etymology of the word Humbug. It is a corruption
of Hamburgh, and originated in the following manner: During a period
when war prevailed on the Continent, so many false reports and lying
bulletins were fabricated at Hamburgh, that, at length, when any one
would signify his disbelief of a statement, he would say, 'You had
that from Hamburgh;' and thus, 'That is Hamburgh,' or 'Humbug,' became
a common expression of incredulity."
_A Clincher_.--An American paper says, this is the method of catching
tigers in India:--"A man carries a board, on which a human figure is
painted; as soon as he arrives at the den, he knocks behind the board
with a hammer; the noise rouses the tiger, when he flies in a direct
line at the board, and grasps it, and the man behind clinches his claws
in the wood, and so secures him."
_Franking Letters_.--The Princess Augusta asked Lord Walsingham for
a frank; he wrote one for her in such detestable characters that, at the
end of a week, after having wandered half over England, it was opened,
and returned to her as illegible. The Princess complained to Lord
Walsingham, and he then wrote the frank for her so _legibly_, that at
the end of a couple of days, it was returned to her, marked
"FORGERY."--_The Town_.
_Epigram from Scarron_.
A Confessor was caugh t'other day rather jolly,
Who observed, "When a man has committed a folly,
If he has any sense left, hastens straightway to me,
When, confessing his guilt, I can soon set him free;
But how hard is my fate! for when wrong I have done,
Absolution's denied me by every one;
In which case, that I may from conscience escape,
Take refuge from thought in the juice of the grape."