The Sun.
London, England, 1825-12-15 00:00:00

AN CDOTES, &c.

ANTIQUITY 07 THE ROUND ROBIN.—The an-
cients, not to give the preference to any, either among their
gods Or their-friends, or even their servants, wrote their names in
a circle, in such a manner that it was impossible to say which
was first, second, or last in their estimation : all were equal,
and the honour was equally . divided. The Romans wrote the
names of their slaves in a circle that it might not appear to
whom they meant to give their liberty, and who were their fa-
vourites. - The Round Robin of the puritans in the last century
is well known. •
REMARKABLE CIRCUMsTANCE.—The Canada,
which arrived on the Bth inst. from New York, sailed on the
18th November, and it is a remarkable circumstance that this is
the third successive year the Canada has arrived at this port on
the Bth December, having sailed from New York at the same
period in each year.—( Liverpool Advertiser. )
IsABELLA COLOUR.--A colour resembling that
of dirty linen. It is said to have received its name from Isa-
bella, Infanta of Spain, who, when Ostend was besieged by the
Spaniards under the command of Spinolas, made a solemn vow
not to change her linen till it should be taken ; but the city
holding out longer than her linen held clean, the Spaniards, who
were acquainted with her vow, instead of calling it dirty, named
it Isabella's colour, and adopted it in honour of their Princess.
ATHEISM CURED.—The Mahommedans have
many stories relating to the Patriarchs and Prophets of Sacred
History. Among these is one, in which Moses is said, after
having made many ineffectual efforts to reclaim Pharaoh from
his atheism, to have caused a magnificent palace to be privately
built in a desert, about two days' journey from a spot where the
King was accustomed to spend his summer. Some years after-
wards Moses contrived that Pharaoh should come, in one of
his hunting excursions, within sight of this new palace: No"'
sooner did he perceive it than he inquired of his attendants
" who had built it ?" None of them, however, conic' give him
any information. At length he came to Moses, who answered,
that the palace built itself." Pharaoh, the story adds, laugh-
ed heartily at this absurd notion of a man who pretended to be a
Prophet. Upon which Moses immediately took an opportunity
of convinrinalie Itrieetc4 the inconsistency of his own notions,
when he eeu. )scat the mighty work of creation existed
only bycitaa,A, yet a any that a house, a mere atom in the
comparison:, caul:: "be
Fre‘loced by the same means. It is ob-
served, in rose:esae,, that this argument had the desired effect
of making a cow:cri. of Pharaoh.
MENTAL RESERVATION.—Although the lower
orders of the Irish are famed for a species of ready wit, mingling
volatility and a rich vein of humour, they are no less marked by
a quaintness of expression and mental reservation, calculated to
gam time, evade inquiry, or having that brought home to them '
which they wish to avoid : of this last complexion is Sheelah's
answer to a Country Alagistrate—" What's gone of your-
husband, Sheelah ?"—" What's gone of :him, your Honour's
Worship ; faith, and he's gone dead."—" Aye, pray what did
he die of ?"--" Die of, your Honour ; lie died of al'uesday."
" I don't mean the day, but the complaint ?"—" Oh! complaint,
yourHonour ; faith, and its himself did not get time to complain."
"Oh ! ho! aye, he died suddenly.?"—" Rather that way, your
Worship." " Did he fall down in a fit ?" (No answer from
Sheelah.) "He fell down in a fit, perhaps ?" " A fit, your
Honour's Worship ; why no, not exactly that—he—fell out of
a window, or a door, I don't know what they call it." " Aye,
aye, and he broke his neck ?" " No; not quite that, your
Worship," " What then ?" " There was a bit of string, or
cord, or that like, and it throttled poor Mick." " And pray
for what did he suffer ?" " Suffer, your Worship, (weeping)
faith, only for embellishing (embezzling) a trifle that he taught
was his own ; but his master said it was not, and so they swore
away his precious life, and that's all; for Mick's as innocent
as the babe unborn."