of royalty, and talked like the real one, though with less pedantry. All were infinitely pleased with the joke, till at last the unlucky wight began to moralize on the vanity of honours, wealth, etc.; the insincerity, venality, and corruption of courtiers, showing how they had but their own interest at heart, and how generally their pretended zeal was only the disguise of falsehood.

This discourse produced a visible change in some of the countenances, and James himself did not appear to relish it very much; but Ferguson did not stop here, for raising his voice, and pointing to the king who was personating Ferguson he said: "There stands a man whom I would have you imitate. That honest creature was the comrade of my childhood, and regards me with a most cordial affection to this very moment. He has testified his friendship for me by all the means in his power; studying my welfare, guarding me from evil counsellors, prompting me to princely actions, and warning me of every danger; for all which however he has never asked me for any thing; and by Jove! though I have squandered thousands upon several of you, yet in the whole course of my life I have never given him a single farthing."

James, unable to bear any longer such cutting

sarcasms, exclaimed, in the scottish dialect: "Augh! you pawky loon, what wad ye be at? Awa aff my thrane, and let's hae mair o'your

nonsense.

In English. Oh! you saucy knave, what would you be doing? Get away off my throne, and let us have no more of your nonsense.

ONE night when I was at the Opera at Paris, I entered into conversation with three gentlemen who sat near me in the amphitheatre. It was in the beginning of the war with America; and one of them asked me whether the Americans were as polished as the English? I replied: Oh! mon Dieu, non, monsieur, ils sont trop éloignés de la France. He answered directly: Monsieur, vous pensez comme un Anglais, et vous parlez comme un Français. Says the second to the third, il est aimable; and says the third to the second, il a de l'esprit. My answer was only a civil truth: I did not think of it when I made it; but I thought a great deal of its effect afterwards. There was the good will of three men gained by a single phrase.

SHERLOCK.

GUNPOWDER PLOT.

In the third year of the reign of king James Ist of England (1605) an extensive conspiracy was discovered at London. The intention of the conspirators was to destroy, by one blow, the king, the ministers and the parliament. It was discovered in the following manner.

The conspirators, or some one of them, wishing to save their friends who were in parliament, sent the following anonymous letter to Lord Monteagle, a member of the upper house (house of lords). My Lord,

"Out of (1) the love I bear to some of your friends I have a care of your preservation; therefore I would wish you, as you tender (*) your life, to forbear (3) your attendance at this parliament; for God and man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time. And think not slightly of this advertisement : for though there be no appearance of any stir (*), yet I say they shall receive a terrible blow this parliament, and

(') Out of, à cause de, provenant de.

(2) To tender, estimer considérer. N. B. Ce mot est peu usité comme verbe aujourd'hui.

(3) To forbear your attendance, de ne pas assister à. (*) Stir, mouvement, émeute, agitation.

GUNPOWDER PLOT.

49

yet shall not see who hurts them. This counsel is not to be contemned; because it may do you good, and can do you no harm, for the danger is past as soon as you have (') burnt this letter, and I hope you will make good use of it."

Lord Monteagle, after having read the letter, went to the Palace (White-Hall), and shewed it to the ministers. The secretary of state (the Earl of Salisbury), treated the affair very lightly, saying the letter had been written by a fool, and that it did not deserve notice. On the return of the king, who was absent from London on a hunting party, it was shewn to him, and after some reflection, he thought the menaced blow signified an explosion; he therefore ordered a diligent search to be made in all the houses and cellars adjoining the parliament house, on the morning that the parliament was to meet. The consequence was the discovery, in a cellar under the house of lords, of thirty-six barrels of gunpowder concealed under billets and faggots. In the cellar was also found a man named Fawkes, having in his pocket a tinder-box; a dark lantern (2),

() As soon as you have, aussitôt que vous avez (aurez). Les Anglais se servent du présent au lieu du futur après les adverbes when, before, as soon, as, after. (Voyez Grammaire pratique, p. 236, 8me édition.)

(2) Dark lantern, lanterne sourde, lanterne obscure.

matches and every thing ready to fire the train that was to blow up and destroy in one moment the whole government of England.

The apprehension of Fawkes led to (1) the arrest of several other conspirators, some of whom were men of distinction; they were all executed as traitors, and the anniversary of this day (Nov 5th) is yet celebrated in England.

What renders it particularly remarkable is a custom among the boys of the lower classes, who make mannikins, calling them Guy FAWKES, carrying them about in chairs during the whole day, and begging money of every body for the purpose of buying wood and fireworks (2) to burn their Guy Fawkes at night. The children consider it quite a holiday (fête).

SADLER..

ON CRUELTY TO ANIMALS.

THERE is in England a very excellent law which does honour to the nation, though the necessity of such a law may be said to reflect disgrace upon it.

Any person convicted (3) of cruelly ill-treating

(') To lead to, conduire à, amener, étre cause.

(2) Fireworks, feu d'artifice. Ce nom est toujours au pluriel. (3) Convicted, convaincu, condamné, prononcé coupable.