The Sun.
London, England, 1825-11-24 00:00:00

ANECDOTES, &c.

REMAnKABLE DAY.—This day is the anniver-
sary of Hugh Le Despencer, the favourite of
Edward the Second, being hanged at Hereford,
1329; his father was hanged at Bristol in Octo-
ber preceding; of the death of Lawrence Ricci,
the last General of the society of the Jesuits,
1776 ; and of the death of Dr. Henry, historian,
1790.

KELLY, who was afflicted with the gout, being
told that the gout ensured its possessor a long
lease of life, replied, " If it be so, I am sure the
lease is held at a rack rent."

LORD KAIMES says, that there is an old law
in Wales, that for defiling the Prince's hed, the
offender must pay a rod of pure gold, of the
thickness of the finger of a ploughman who has
ploughed nine years, and in length from the
ground to the Prince's mouth when sitting.

ECCLESIASTICAL FEASTING.—At the feast of
GEORGE NEVILL, Bishop of Exeter, OD being
translated to the Archbishoprick of York, in the
palace of that city, there was consumed-300
quarters of wheat, 330 tuns of ale, 104 tuns o{
wine, one pipe of spiced wine, 80 fat oxen, 6 wild
bulls, 1,000 sheep, 300 hogs, 3,000 calves, 3,000
geese, 2,000 capons, 300 pigs, 100 peacocks, 200
cranes, 200 kids, 2,000 chickens, 4,000 pigeons,
4,000 rabbits, 200 bittours 4.000 ducks, 400
herons, 200 pheasants, 500 partridges, 4,000
woodcocks, 400 plovers, 100 curlews, 100 quails,
1,000 egrets, 200 rees, above 400 bucks, does, and
roebucks ; 1,056 hot venison pasties, 4.000 cold
ones, 1,000 dishes of jelly pasted, 4,000
4,000 cold custards, 2,000 hot, 300 pikes,, 300
breams, 8 seals, 4 porpoises, and 400 tarts. The
Earl of Warwick was steward at this surprising
scene of gluttony, the Earl of Bedford treasurer,
and Lord Hastings comptroller. There were
also 1,000 servitors, 62 cooks, and 55 scullions.
OLD GRIMALDI, father of the present Senior,
was well known in Flanders and on the Continent, as a dancer,
and for expertness in leaping was called Iron Legs. He once
leap2tl so high at Paris that he broke a chandelier, a piece of
which hitting the Turkish Ambassador, who was in the stage-
box, he considered it as a premeditated affront, and complained
to the French Court of the outrage. But the most extraordi-
nary circumstance was his being put in prison for indecency on
the French stage. After this his popularity decreased. and he
rambled with a party of strollers into Flanders. As he added
legerdemain and other tricks to his jumping, he was there con-
sidered a supernatural being. Grimaldi was always accompa-
nied by a lady, who was occasionally supposed to be his wife,
his sister, or his daughter. So equivocal was the character of
the lady at various places, that it was difficult to ascertain the
precise degree of relationship. She was remarkably like him,
being a squat, thick, strong figure, and almost as great a jumper
as himself. At the time he was obliged to decamp into Flan-
ders, he and his troop were attacked near Brussels by a ban.
ditti, the baggage waggon was ransacked, their pockets
turned inside out, and the thieves, according to their usual
custom, about to dispatch their prey. It should be stated
that rimaldi, wanting money for his expedition, enticed
one Flahaut, a bookseller, to follow his fortunes. Fla-
haut, being a Latin scholar, took it into his head it would
be a good thing to introduce the ancient chorus on
the stage, by way of explaining Grimaldi's dances. Gri-
maldi, who appeared to approve the scheme, told him it would
succeed by degrees, and that he had better learn to dance first:
which would make him immediately useful. Flahaut set to
work. Grimaldi promised to make him a capital dancer, and
he having got together as much money as he could, left his
family, and accompanied the strollers. When the sabres of
the banditti were drawn to dispatch the dancers, Grimaldi, who
at any risk, would have his joke, whispered Flahaut to speak
Latin to them ; the enthusiast began, and for a few seconds the
sabres were suspended ; presently loudly vociferating dixi,
one of them, aiming a blow at his head, cried feci, which
blow, had it taken place, would have silenced the orator for
ever. But the lady, Grimaldi's partner, in the fury of ro-
mantic heroism, just as the word dispatch was given, stepped
forward, and, in a scream of ?etpair, implored the banditti to have
pitty on her comrades, offering that, if they would be merciful,
she would yield herself up a sacrifice, and devote herself to their
pleasure. She diseribtd l!ow many ways she could be useful
to them—she could dance and sing to amuse them, she could
cook for them, &c. In short, the robbers were appeased, and
carried off the lady in triumph, but not till they had reduced
the remainder of the troop to a state of nudity, leaving them
nothing but the refuse of what the pillaged from the baggage-
waggon, consisting of a few odds and ends of pantomime
dresses, Grimaldi put on an old harlequin's jacket, poor Fla-
haut was forced to be contented with the trousers of Scarantouch,
and in this plight they begged their way to Brussels.

The following anecdote is related a the pre-
sent King of Bavaria :—A idow, who had re.
ceived a monthly pension of eight florins from the
Civil List of the late King, was featful of being
deprived of that support. She therefore preented
a petition to his Majesty. The King kindly listen.:
ed to her, took the petition, and retired into his ca-
binet, desiring the widow to wait. The King
soon returned, gave her back her paper, and or-
dered her to present it to his Treasurer. What
was the astonishment of the good woman, when
she learnt that the King had just ordered that
she should receive sixteen florists instead of the
eight she had been accustomed to receive each
month.—(French Paper.)