The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-22 00:00:00

COURT CIRCULAR.

WINDSOR, THURSDAY.—Her Majesty's private band
was in attendance again last evening for quadrilles, and
her Majesty, and his Royal Highness Prince Albert,
enjoyed the amusement till eleven o'clock.

The Queen and Prince Albert walked for some time
on the terrace and in the slopes this morning.
Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Fanny Howard, promenaded for some time
this afternoon.

Lord and Lady Levcson took a carriage drive to-
day to Cumberland LoAge, and Virginia Water.
Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt (St. Leonard's Hill), Colonel
the Hon. Henry Molyneux and Lieutcnant.Colonel
Hall, will have the honour of joining the Royal circle
at the Castle at dinner this evening.

His Royal 1-141iness Prince George of Cambridge
arrived in town shortly before six o'clock yc.terday
afternoon, from a visit to the Duke of B.:aufort, at his
seat at Badminton, Gloucestershire.

A Cabinet Council was held at three o'clock, yester-
day afternoon, at the official residence of the First Lord
of the Treasury, in Dawning-street. The Ministers
present were Viscount Melbourne, the Lord Chancellor,
Marquis of Lansdowne, Earl of Clarendon, Marquis
of Normanby, Viscount Palmerston, Lord John Rus-
scll, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Earl of Minto,
Viscount Duncannon, the Right Hon. H. Labouchere,
Lord Morpeth, and the Right Hon. 'l'. B. Macaulay.
Sir John Hothouse arrived in town in the afternoon,
and joined his colleagues at halt-past five o'clock.
'lle Council broke up at six o'clock.
Mr. Nottidge, Mr. A. Bainbridge, Mr. Larpent,
and Mr. Penryhn, Magistrates of the County of Surrey,
nail an interview with the Marquis of Normanby yes-
terday at the Home-office.

Sir Charles Smith transacted business yesterday at
the Foreign-office.
Mr. J. Shaw Lcfevre and Mr. George Lewis had an
interview yesterday with the Marquis of Normanhy at
the Home-office. Sir C. F. Williams, Mr. Mut chison,
Mr. Loch, and Mr. BAiley, had also interviews with
the Noble Marquis yesterday.

The Earl of Ranfurly has given 501. in aid o
the erection cf a new church at Donoughmore, Ireland.

Lady Gardiner has sold Tackley Park, Oxon,
to Mr. Manning, the purchase money being, we under-
stand, 16,0001.

The Marquis of Lansdowne has issued cards for
a grand dinner at Lansdowne House, tc-mcrrow, to all the
corps diplomat/gee.
THE ROYAL CHRISTENING —We hinted in
our last that it was the intention of the loyal inhabitants of
the ' faithful city" to celebrate the birth and christening
of the Princess Royal Ly a ba:l, and we have now the
pleasure of stating that at a meeting held at the Guildhall
yesterday, it was agreed that a ball should be given (the
proceeds to be appropriated to charitable purposes), and
the Mayor was requested to convene a public meeting to
consider tile subject. His Worship has accordingly called
a meeting for Monday next.— Worcester Chronicle
BRIGHTON.--The Earl and Countess of Har-
rington and suite have arrived at the Gloucester, and the
Hon. Mrs. Lamb at the Bedford ; Captain Levett, Capt.
Burdett, and Major Clarke and family at the Gloucester.
Lord Tenterden has taken his departure for London.
Viscount Neville has taken a house in Regency-square.
diT.rrohemFea
dAroto,ensaiedi
state
tti:otbetweenteNwtAohat t
ile l tee r
crack a nd
coachesLd onn n
havehave
rbeeqe
en e
Ili in l suche
ea
EhoLuErs aAftenrßtrimveALS.—Sir Astley and
,c
Lady Cooper,
and fam ly,
Coop,er,iniCotiduit-street, from Kent; Mr. and Mrs.
in Chapel-street, Grohvenor-square,
from Ayntt, Herts; Sir George Talbot, Bart., and the
Miaoes Talbot, from Leamington Spa, at Mivart's Hefei ;
Mr. George and Lady E'izabeth Rep:on, in New Notfolk-
street, Park-lane, from 13aynard's Park.
TIrE HOUSES OV PARLIANIENT.—The pre-
paraticos for the meeting of both Houses of Parliament
ore progressing rapidly towards completion. Most of the
benches in the House of Lords are fixed, and the work-
men have nearly get all the seats in the pnssages leading
to the House, which are prepared for the accommodation
of parties attending to witness the processions, &c., fixed
and decorated. The chair on the throne will be regilded,
and another chair will be placed on the throne for Prince
Albert. It is, we understand, considered certain that her
Majesty will open Parliament in person, accompanied by
a wallsnd
little and
is
otgalleriesvc.
of
Ie ' ll:9
Pofonarigatitlsiiiiefignriaeception of Memiers. The
qi Prince
theiil.lledeHousete he Albert.de ofe Commons Theoi
em imt
matting on the floor has not, however, yet been laid down.
The decorations of the Bude light apparatus are very taste-
ful, and much improve its appearance.

MONEY and COMMERCIAL NEWS.

CITY, THITTISDAY FVF:ING

- ,
ir,
over the Funds rather fiat, owing to the expose of the
Finance Alinister.

The irregularity of the Provincial Mails since the
frost and snow have visited us this winter, causes much
inconvenience to the merchants. The Post-office List,
which, in the regular course, appears early in the day, is
now often delayed until the afternoon.

We have had a good deal doing in the Funds to-day,
and prices have been on the whole rather mare buoyant.
Consols at the close had got up from 89i to 89; for
Money, and from 89-i 90 to 90 and 90k for the Account ;
Exchequer Bills still look rather heavy, the Batik broker
being supposed to be gradually easing some of them off,
the premium was Gs. to Bs. ; Bank Stock. was firm at.
170 to 171, and East India Stock rose, 251 to 252 an(
252 A ; the New Three per Cents, were 98i to 971,
and the Three per Cent. Annuities, 90 to 90 ; East
India Bonds were 4s. to 103. discount.

In Foreign Stocks there was no animation. Spanish
Active Bonds were marked at 241 toe ; the Deferred
12 ; Portuguese New Five per Cents. 32 ; and the
Three per Cents. at 20-a to being ail within a fraction
or so of the previous rates ; Mexican Bonds were 281-
Colombian 231 to ; Buenos Ayres 20 to 21 ; Bra-
zilian 73 ; and Peruvian 16 ; French Three per Cents.
were done at 77 francs ; Belgian Bonds at 99 to 98i ;
Austrian 109 to 109± ; and Dutch Two-and-a-half per
Cents. at 501.
The Railway Shares were dull. Great Western
were 26 to 27% ; the New 121, to 13 ;. the Efths
the London and Birmingham 83 ; and the Grcenwied
scrip premium ; Brighton were 61; Greenwich 1171 ;
and Midland Counties '2O discount.
The large public sales of cotton to-day went off with
considerable spirit.

(Rom The Sun of Last Niglit )
LIVES:POOL COTTON MARKET, WEDNESDAY. - The
sales to day are 5,000 bags, el:icfly American, with a very
firm market.

LIVERP,;OL SHARE MARKET, JAN, 20.—Grand Junction,
11.0 f Shares, 951; Great Western, Half Shares, 63 ;
Ditto, Fifths 10ili ; Great North of England, 521; Lon-
don and Birmingham, 172; Ditto, 321. Shares, 58;
South Western, 571; Midland Counties, New Shares, 15;1-
MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, JANUARY 20.—A
steady market to-day. Local Bulk. Shares continue in
demand at higher rates:—South Eastern and Dover, 14
to 13i., Gosport Junction 461; Manchester and Birming.
ham, ; London and South Weitern, 57,1 to fre);
Eastern Countioc, 8.1 to 9 ; ninchester and Lccds,
.78
to 781 ; Ditto Halves, 29 to 294.

We have received the Journal of Antwerp of yester-
day's date :
Bourse op AMSTERDAM, JAN. 18.—The Bourse wai,
insignificant., and without variation. The actions of the
Society of Commerce were weAlt and fell from 162 to 161;1.
Ardoin's Spanish sustained the price of 22 1-16th to
after the close.

A letter dated Frankfort, Jan. 12, has the following:—
" Prince Felix Lichnowsky left here this morning for
London, is engage the English Government to assist hint
in the demand he is going to make of the French Govern-
ment, for the liberation of Don Carlos. From London he
is going to Paris, and afterwards to &urges."
BRUSSELS, JAN. 17.—We arc happy to state that the
waters from the inundations have fallen more than a foot
since the morning.

The Quebec Papers state that there Was a proccsaion of
some hundreds of ship-carpenters ; they went to Anse-der,
Meres, to cheer Messrs. Black and l.,ampson, at whose
yards carpenters work at star-a sa. 'per
The Woodstock ( New firunswiek ) 71htel, of the WI
of December, hasthefollorVirtg:—
" The Maine anthorities have been playing a game on
this part of the province that is anything but creditable;
their spies and pedlars have been prowling about the
country, endeavouring to poiion the minds, and lure from
their allegiam7c, the French population, who, we are
happy to learn have their e:,.es opened, not, however, with-
out generally getting well fleeced beforehand. We learn
that these invasions of our country and our liberties will
no longer be suffered with impunity."
The Quebec papers state, " We are happy to learn that
the ship-carpenters are at work in all the yards, and we trust
that the difficulty between them and their employers will
be entirely forgotten, or at least forgiven.
The Montreal Gazette says that his Excellency the
Governor-General has caused a communication to be
made to Dr. Rolph, intimating to him that he ap-
proved of his appointment es agent in England for the
Toronto Emigrant Association, and would give him all
the aid in his Lordship's power.

There being ni,artivals this morning of any importance,
the speculators in the various funds are inactive, and up to
the present time there is not a feature in either of the mar-
kets worth noticing. Consols may be quoted at the leaving
off prices of yesterday,. 89i 90 for the Account; Money,
89 i; Exchequer Bills, 6 8 prem. ; India Stock, 250
252 ; Bank Stuck, 169 171.

In the Foreign Market Spanish Actives the same as they
left off, 24q c; Deferred, 121 1-; Passive, 63 ; Portu-
guese the same, 321 ; Three per Cents.. 201- • Brazilian,
73 74 ; Buenos Ayres, 19 .21 ; Colombian, 231 f; Mexi-
can, 28. H i ; Dutch Two-and-a. Half per Cents., 50i 31;
Five per Cents., 981 991.
SIIARES.—Great Western, 26 28 prom. ; New, 12 13
prem. ; London and Brtlitori, 64 4 disc. ; Blackwall, 42
3i disc. ; Birmingham, 82 84 prem. ; Southampton, 57
58 per share ' • Croydon, 121 per share ; Greenwich, 81
per share; Manchester and Birmingham, 16 15 disc.

PRICES OF SHARES THIS. DAY AT ONE.
RAILWAYS. Paid. Per Share.
Great Western
London and 11:rminghain
London and Greenwich ..... ...... 20
Midland Counties lOO -

PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, DUBLIN, JAN. 19.
3 per Cent. Consols ...... 891, !Bank 5t0ck......., ......
Three and Half Stock 97,1 ' Grand Canal Stock
Ditto Reduced ...... Ditto Debs. fi per cent —
Ditto New, 1830 ...... 98„ Ditto 4 per cent
36- per Cent. Debs.

13y the Flanders mail recaivod this morning we hear of
a failure at Rotterdam of a house which speculated largely
in tobacco; but we understand it will not cause any great
mischief here, as its insolvency has been suspected for
some time past. g
We have a great dearth of intelligence in the City, in
consequence of which every thing- is very dull. The
ench mail is still due; also three Hamburgh and one
Dutch.

Consuls continue inactive, and may he quoted at the
early price of the morning, 89-h 90 for the Account ;
Exchequer Bills 8 6 prem. ; Bank Stock, 170 171 ; India
Stock, 252 251; India Bonds, 4 die.
In the Foreign Market some business has been done.
Spanish Active 241 ; Portuguese 324 ; Brazilian,
73 ; Buenos Ayres, 201 ; Colombian, 2314; Mexican,
28-1 ; Russian, 1131 ; Dutch Two_al.(l-a- Half per
Cents. 50;i1- ; Five per Cents. 981, have bern 99k.
In the Money Kirket little doing. Great Western,
92L 911, 921 ; London and Birmingham, 173 ; Midland
Counties, 80

CLOSING PRICES.
BRITISH FUNDS.

Bank Mock
3 per Cent. Red 904. Ditto Bonds
3 per Cent Cons ...... .. 891 Ditto Old Annuities
3 per Cent Red..— .. 119,i Ditto New Annuities...
New 31 per Cent .. ... 98 Ex. Bills, 1,000/....2 Ad 6pm
New 5 per Cent , Ditto 500/ Bpm
Long Annuities to expire Ditto Small Bpm
Jan. 1860
Oct 1859
Jan. 1860 ...
FOREIGN FUNDS. -
A estrian, 5 per cent... 109 Portuguese, 5 per cent.
Belgian, 5 per cent 9l Ditto, New Ditto..... 32
13razilian Bonds ..
BuenosAyres, 6 per cent 21 Russian, 5 per cent. .. 1131
Chilian, 6.per e.nt
Columbian, 6 per cent ... Spanish, 5 per cent 241
Ditto, 1824 — Ditto, Deferred • ... 1.)-..14
- 1111) ish, 3 per cant. .... 781 French,s per cent... —f. —c.
Greek, 1825, 5 percept. Exchange...
ilexiean, 5 per cent.... 2.33 French,3 per cent 77f. —c.
Ditto, 6 per cent, 1825. Dutch, 21 per cent 503
Peruvian,lt22s, 6 per et. 16 Ditto, 5 per cent..... 98:1
SHARES.
Great Western Railway (65 paid) 92/
Ditto New Shares (50 paid) ...... ... 63
Ditto Fifths( 4 paid) lO
London and Brighton Railway 5() paid) ... 43&
London and Birmingham Railway (90 pd) 173
London anti Greenwich Railway (20 paid) 8)
Ditto Scrip. (•2 paid) ... 41
Midland Counties Railway (MO paid) ...... 80

A LAW SUIT FOR A PENNY.—SIIERRIFF
COURT, El:Ms/Et:ROlL—Yesterday the following case came
on for trial before Sheriff Tait :—A farmer's wife and
daughter had lately occasion to come to Edinburgh, which
they did in one of their own carts. The carter, to pro-
tect the clothes of the ladies, took the precaution of
strea,ieg the bottom of the vehicle with two small bags of
straw, for which, on entering the city, Messrs, Boyd and
Latta, the tacksmen, insisted upon charging one penny in
name el custom, which was paid. The farmer, however,
being persuaded of the illegality of the charge, brought
an action before the Small Debt Sheriff Court for the
recovery of the penny. The case was argued on both
sides at great length. On the one hand, the tacksmen
contended that straw was an article subject to custom,
however small the quantity—that even a straw scat, or
a chaff bed was liable. In support of which they banded
up the new Act of Parliament, which the Sheriff care-
fully examined, The pursuer, on the other hand, main-
tained that straw was only subject to custom if brought
to the market for sale. The Sheriff was clearly of the
same spinion, and decerned for recovery of Cie penny with
costs...—Scotsman.
CUELTENHANI.—The frost being entirely gone,
Lori! Segravela hounds went out for the first time on
Monday lest since their return to the Chelt-nham kennel
this month. The meet was at Stancomb, when a fox was
almost immediately found, and afforded excellent sport.
He made for Foxeote, when seeing the pursuit too hot, he
retraced his steps to Stancomb, where, seeing the game
earl up, he became " resigned tc his fate," and died game,
On Tuesday the gallant pack afforded some excellent sport
to a very numcroUr held. The weather was eticeedirtgly
unfavourable, and the cold and sleet combined made the
hi :Si
Ty
E. successfulFiNA
scent bad. Hazleton was therendezvous, and there were
twolor chi ce capital runs, btr;Nraster Reynard seemed to set
theinsiplaumrsuAenrsnuantldsetfieeenpelee, and succeeded in lading their ef-
forts to take him captive. We rejoice to learn that Messrs.
ELECTION FOR THE Okt:
Griffiths and Ballinger, of this town, have been exceed-
LincoLbotsazincioni!s:s.iu:bseriptions for the Chel-
,p'ehoelL/ictLeEn....../i aotnFicEsßterriadtnlalypinGerE..
af-
ternoon, at Four o'Clock, the numbers were :
Gibbs ......... ....... 2,745
Ledger
Majority for Gibbs .

LITERATURE.

TIPPOO s ur, TA,

Coniesstuas ui a Teare " lYi ich a!eeees.i
eeesiderable notice last year—it was indeed the
best romance of the season—was remarkable, not
only for the wild and striking character of its inci-
dents, which, strange as they were, had their foun-
lation in fact, but also for the perfect knowledge of
oriental scenery, usages, &c., which it displayed in
every page. Precisely the same qualifications are to be
found in the present romance, which is from the
oe M
nof the same author, Captain eadows "Taylor,
-
who has resided several years in India, visited many
of its most celebrated cities and most picturesque
landscapes, and turned his opportunities of close
lbservation to the lest account. In the narrative
before us he has undertaken to dlneare the for-
tunes of the famous Tippoo Saib, the most for-
aiidable of the native princes, with the sole excep-
tion of his father, H vder Ali, that England ever
warred against in the East ; and the capture of
whose stronghold at Seringapatam was one of the
proudest military achievements recorded in modern
British history. The eventful career of this soldier
king is traced, even down to :he moment of his defeat
end death, with great minuteness and accuracy, and
t he leading features of his characterare pourtrayed with
such force and vividness, though without the slightest
attempt at overcharging the portrait, that we feel
persuaded the author must have long and diligently
r,tudied his subject. We ate introduced to Tippoo
st he council-board ; at his wild elephant hunts ;
on his throne of state, when he is receiving the ame
bassadors of other Powers; at the head of his army;
and in his last desperate charge on his enemies
within the walls of Seringapatam. In each and all
of these circumstances his character is maintained
..eith perfect consistency, and with a spirit that never
dagi. Of the subordinate personages of the story,
the most effective are Ryman Khan—one of the
Sultan's best officers and most confidential advisers
—and his protegee, Kasim Ali, a young Synd war-
rior, who, after rescuing his patron's wife, Amneena,
from drowning " in the raging waters of the
Toomhnddra," afterwards falls in love with her, and
on the Khan's death, marries her, though not before
the secret of his attachment has been made known
to his patron, who of course becomes quite frantic
with jealousy, and inflicts a severe wound on
Amneena with. his sword. If we have one fault to
find with the story, it is that the author too often
and too abruptly shifts the scene to England, which
injures its effect as a continuous narrative, and
breaks up the interest at the very moment when it
is most exciting. We have also a little too much of
the Flay ward and. Compton families in the first
volume, though the character of young *Herbert
Compton is afterwards brought out with infinite
skill ; and the details of his interview with Tippoo,
when he refuses to enter into his service, are as
exciting as anything that modern fiction has to
chow. Captain Taylor's descriptions all exhibit
graphic talent of a high and rare order, and have
the additional recommendation of being correct in
point of locality ;—indeed he assures us in his
preface that there is scarcely a spot mentioned in
his tale, so far as India is concerned, " of which
the reality does not exist." We shall hope ere long
to have another Eastern romance from his pen.

THE SPORTSMAN IN FRANCE. 2 VoLs,
CoThurn, London, 1841.

The taste for sporting works, like that for
fashionable and naval novels, is, we suspect, fast
passing away ; nor can we wonder at it when we
consider how many prosy, common-place produc-
tions of this sort have of late issued from the press.
Tiger-hunting in India, bear-hunting in Norway
and Sweden, salmon-fishing in Ireland, deer-
stalking in Scotland ; of each and all. of
these sports we have already had enough,
and more than enough, especially as the details
have had little talent to recommend *them, though
we must make an exception in favour of the sport-
ing sketches of Messrs. Apperley, Lloyd, and
Scrope, which possess every quality that such
sketches ought to possess. We fear we cannot
make a fourth exception in favour of the volumes
before us, which are devoted to the subject
of field-sports in France, but are penned in
such a meagre and lifeless style as satisfies us that
the author is far more at home with his gurt than
his pen. He is not, however, devoid of a certain
species of humour, ajid, despite the Meets of his
manner, contrives to amuse us with his details of the
droll mishaps of ail eccentric little French Marquis,
who would fain have been thought a sportsman, but
possessed not pne requisite for the character. But
the portion of-the author's volumes that will excite
the most general interest is that wherein he describes
the boar-hunta of Lower Brittany, which will give
the reader a very fair idea of the nature of this ex-
citing sport. We quote an account of a tragical
adventure that occurred during one of these boar-
hunts :

" I had been waiting patiently for upwards of an
hour, when a rustling at some little distance aroused
my attention. I perceived a juvenile boar about
thirty yards from me, and saluted the gentleman with
the contents of my left bar:el, and turned itim over.
My aide-de-camp Jaequot, despatched him with a kind
of hatchet, and dragged the animal to the spot where I
was stationed. In the course of an hour afterwards I
killed another boar, about three-parts grown ; and from
the number of shots I heard, I conjectured that my
companions in arms had met with equally good sport.
I have now the painful task of recording a tragical ad-
venture, which will never be effaced from my memory.
A huge boar, of savage aspect, came rooting and snort.
log up the path, at the head of which I was standing.
I took a deliberate aim at the brute and hit him in the
chest ; he staggered, and turned down a small opening
in the wood on his left. Poor Jacquot, in his anxiety
to assist in the capture, followed the boar, and found
him at bay a short distance from the spot where he had
beer, wounded, end where we had lost sight of him.
1 had scarcely reloaded ere I heard a discordant and
horrible scream from my faithful follower. I rushed to
the pot, end found poor Jacquot on the ground, strug-
gling with his bristled antagonist ! I was horror-stricken
at the moment, but, recovering my presence of mind,
shot the savage beast instantly,. having discharged both
harrele within ten yards of him. I found this poor
fellow with his thigh dreadfully lacerated, and his in-
testines protruding from the lower region of the abdo-
uten. It appeared that poor Jacquot had been fool-
hardy, or had conceived the animal to be mere seri-
ously wounded than it turned out he had been. He
had the temerity to approach the brute, with the view
cf despatching him with his hatchet, when the boar
sprung up, and, rushing between his legs, upset and
gored him in the horrible manner I have described."

CHAUCER'S POEMS MODERNIZED.
Whitaker, London, 1841.
The idea of modernizing ChaUcer's Poems—a
task in which both Dryden and Pope signally
failed--is one that deserves every encouragement ;
for, except to the well-instructed few, the language
of this earliest of our great poets is newly, if not
quite, unintelligible, and as dissonant as it is
puzzling. Though his name is still rife among us,
yet not one reader in a thousand ever ventures upon
a poem of Chaucer, which is much to be regretted,
for he will amply repay the task of a careful
rural, abounding, as he does,flin humour, pathos,
picturesque description, and, above all, in spirited
and circumstantial delineation of character. The
labour of reading him, too, and getting at his pre-
cise meaning, is by no means so great as is gene-
rally imagined ; and as for his verse, though tit
first it may appear harsh and untuneable, yet by a
little attention to accentuation, it is soon found to
" discourse most excellent music., To those, how-
ever, who may shrink from the task of acquainting
themselves with his works, except in a modernized
version, we would recommend this little volume,
which is from the pen of various writers, among
whom we may mention Messrs. Wordsworth, Leigh
Hunt, and Robert Bell, each of whom has acquit-
ted himself with spirit and discretion in the
difficult experiment of giving somewhat of a mo-
dern air to the choice old Saxon English of
Chaucer. The volume is introduced by an Essay
on the genius of this fine poet, which, though a
little too flowery and verbose in places, coniains
much sound observation, especially on the subjec.t
of versification, and the changes that havo taken
place in it since the days of Elizabeth. Speaking
incidentally of Pope's paraphrase of the " Wife of
Bath's Prologue," the Essayist remarks that " the
licentious humour of Chaucer being divested of its
rithimtiress and obscurity, becomes yet more licen-
tious in proportion to the fine tonches of skill with
which it is brought into the light," That the
paraphrase is more licentious than the original, is
perfectly true ; but not so that this increased licen-
tiousness exhibits " fine touches of skill." On the
contrary, it is remarkable for nothing so much as
itts clumsy and revolting character. There is no
neat, ingenious insinuation ; is coarse, direflt
plain-speaking. But the versification of the
" Prologue" is exquisite, and far more varied in

its cadences than Pope's poems usually are. By
'A
rnm-k- div " of It ,3:!-; ;;;! ail ranks,

j,.)yed it ver:
it would seem that the Ls,iyist that
swearing was a fashionable peculiarity chiefly
characteristic of Chaucer's age. But the
fact is not so. In the days of Eliza-
beth both men and women of the highest
rank swore like troopers ; and even the Virgin
Queen herself never stuck at a good round oath
when she was in a passion. But it was in the reign
of Charles 11. that swearing was brought to its
utmost possible perfection. In those chaste and
pious times, high-born dames and Maids of
Honour rapped out a hearty curse at every second
word ; and none was more distinguished for these
pleonastic elegancies of language than that astound-
ing vixen, the Duchess of Cleveland. At present
swearing is proscribed in all select circles ; and in-
deed is seldom heard anywhere, except among
sailors, cabmen, Billingsgate fish-women, or elderly
choleric gentlemen with excessively red faces, who
wear creaking shoes and a pig-tail.

Without

:Tl,.it' i 3