The Sun.
London, England, 1825-09-17 00:00:00

ANECDOTES, &c.

ULTIMA Domus.—These words are inscribed
on the family vault of the Dukes of ltrcumoxn,
in Sussex. A wag observing them, wrote under-
neath the following lines :

" Did he who thus inscrib'd the wall,
" Not read, or not believe ST. Paul.,
" Who Says'there is, where'er it stands,
" Another liousE, not built by hands,
" Or may we gather from these words,
" That 110 USE is not a Haulm of LORDS ?"

CARDINAL D'ESTE.--This Cardinal invited
Cardinal de Nlrincts to supper, after which they
began to play at cards. Cardinal de M curets
staked ten thousand crowns. His competitor
won the game, but threw down his cards as if he
had lost. A Nobleman present told him he had
won," I know that," said the host, " but I did
not invite the Cardinal to win his money, or to
make him pay for his supper."
Eant. or DERBY.—Over one of the doors of the
Earl of DERBY'S house at Knowesley is the fol-
lowing inscription, which, however, does not con-
vey an historical fact, for the bill alluded to did
not pass through Parliament :—" James, Earl of
Derby, Lord of Man and the Isles, and grand-
son of James, Earl of Derby, and of Charlotte,
daughter of the Duke de la Tremonille, whose
husband James was beheaded at Bolton, the 15th
of October, 1652, for strenuously adhering to
Charles 11., who refused a bill passed unani-
mously by both Houses of Parliament, for restor-
ing to the family the estate lost by their loyalty."
66 We may allow the family," observes Mr. Pen-
nant, " to be a little out of humour with its mis-
fortunes, for IVilliam, Earl of Derby, used to say,
that he never passed by any estate of his in
Yorkshire, Westmoreland, Cumberland, War-
wickshire, Lancashire, Cheshire, or Wales, but
he saw a greater near it, which was lost by the
fidelity of his ancestor to the Royal cause."
ORIGIN OF TILE Team GROG.—QUEEZCANNE,
of " glorious" memory, gave the too liberal al.
lowance of half a pint, of spirits to each man and
boy; to this Admiral Vernon added three times
as much water, a wise and salutary precaution,
but not calculated to increase his populasrity with
the sailors. The Admiral, before the introduc-
tion of a regular uniform dress, wore a coat of
mixed materials, called grogrum—he was from
this nicknamed Old Grogrum ; but sailors, hating
long words, took off the last syllable—he was
thenceforth called Old Grog, and became spon-
sor to the beverage which has ever since gone by
that name.

A CCUSTOMI,NG BY DEGR EEL-CRAMER, the
Leader of the Royal Baud, had long wished to
have a black man to beat the kettle-drum. His
Majesty, who has an unconquerable antipathy to
blacks being near his person, opposed this desire
of the Leader. At last Cramer appointed to the
kettle-drum a person who, though a European,
has a complexion, that, at a short distance, would
render the quarter of the world where he was
born a matter of doubt. On the first night of
this swarthy gentleman's appearance in his new
office, his Majesty, when he entered the music-
room, seemed at first startled and displeased ;
but, after approaching a little nearer, he called
Cramer to him ; " I see, Sir," said the King,
" you wish to accustom me to a black drummer
17_ degrees."_

MADAME DENics.—A person comp:imented
Madame DENYS, the niece of Voltaire, on the
manner in which she performed Zaire at her
uncle's theatre. "'That part," said she, " re-
quired a young and pretty actress." "Ah !
Madam," replied the flatterer promptly, " you
• are a proof to the contrary."
HISTORICAL DOUBT.—An auctioneer, at a late
sale of antiques, put up a,helmet, with the follow-
ing candid observation :—" This, Ladies and
Gentlemen, is a helmet of Romulus, the Roman
founder—but whether he was a brass or iron
founder I cannot tell."
SHREWDNESS OF ANTIQUARIAN CONJECTURE.--
In the years 1635, as some people were plough-
ing by the Barrows, at Stonehenge, they found
so large a quantity of excellent pewter, as at a
low price they sold for 51. These pewter plates,
says Richardson the tourist, might very possibly
have been tablets with inscriptions ; but falling
into such rude hands, they could no more discern
the writing, than interpret it. "No doubt,"
says Dr. Stukeley, (whose conjecture settles the
matter at once), " this was some of the old
British stannum, which the I:yrian Hercules,
surnamed Mcicarthus, first brought ex Cassiteride
insula, or Britain; which Hercules lived in
Abraham's time, or soon after !"