The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-01 00:00:00

NEW MONTHLY MAGAZINE.

Mr. Hood opens the present Number of this
Magazine in a most appropriate fashion—that is
to say, by a lively Anacreontic in honour of the
New Year. Next follows a prose sketch, with
the quaint title of the " School for Horse-Play."
which is the production of Mr. Poole, the dra.ma givesosed a quizzical account of a club
to meet weekly at the sign of
whichlst, is andst supposed
the" Hog and Hop-sack," in Chancerydane, and
whose members consider it the height of humour
to pass off insults on each other, in the shape of
coarse jokes on each others real or imagined
peculiarities. In pourtraying this club we have
little doubt that the author had a real model in
his eye, and intended to satirize the sayings and
doings of sundry of those lawyers' clerks, whom
Boz has delineated with sucloruth and force in
the ccPick wick Papers." If so, the sarcasm has
been most justly applied. "Recollections of
ig,ton" are ingeniously put together, and we can
otirstives bear testimony
retmotslrencteisi:ithFoofr
some '.7of the writer's ini
instance, he mentions his having gone to
Langley-Broom, which was a preparatory
school to Eton,and speaks of the Master as having
" wielded the birch with a most powerful arm,
andhaving been termed the Prince of Flogwerti."
He was, indeed,
bifch and the cane with equal
rare tiagailent, wielding the
skill; and the
smart of his vigorously-flourished ferula, as he
forced us night after night through the very in-
different Greek of the New Testament, still
tingles in our imagination. A " *grip pa-s..
sage in the Life ps chow w word, Esq.', is a
veV str.Knge tale indeed, the point or force of
which we do not exactly understand. " Phi-
fleas Quiddy" contains one or two graphic scenes,
and an amusing episode on the subject of a
haunted house. We extract from Mr. Poole4i
cc Sphopi fqr florse-pigYiwthe rtillowing divert-
ing passage, The 'lmbers of the club, we

should premise are all enjoying themselves at
one of their hebdomadal meeting's, and cracking
their offensive jokes on each other:—
This ended, Dapper drew Roughshod away from the
table, and offered to lay him a wager that he would
make Addlepate repeat the words, "I wish you wouldn't
move my glass," two-and-thirty times within the hour."
The wager was accepted, and all of us (with the ex-
ception of the poor helpless victim and his Butt.col-
league) were quietly informed of it. Dapper resumed
his seat, and drawing Addlepate's glass a little away from
him, said---

" And how are you by this time, Wiseacre ?"
" I wish you wouldn't move my glass," said the victim.
" I don't," said the wit, again removing it.
"But you do," said the other, drawing it back again ;
" and I wish you wouldn't move my glass."
After a short interval, the experiment was repeated by
Dapper, and was met, in precisely the same manner and
with preci.wly the same wordf?, by Addlepate. Suffice it
to say that the wager was won easily in 49 minutes.
This excellent jest was received with loud laughter
and great applause. }'or my own part, having wit-
nessed ►ts performance on the four previous evenings of
my attendance at the " 'School" (that is to say, on every
evening' since I have had the honour of belonging to it),
I must confess, that though it had not become posi-
tively tiresome, I was less charmed by it than upon the
first two or three occasions ; and, unless it be one of the
standing and chartered jests of the society, I shall pro-
pose that its performance be limited to every second
meeting, unless a new member chance to be present for
the first time, in which case it will be indispensable to
his perfect knowledge of the merits of the " School for
horse-play."
After this there commenced a brief silence, which
was occupied by Dapper and Roughshod in exchanging
winks and glances with each other. It was sufficiently
intelligible that an entertaining attack upon the new
member was the object. _

" f beg your pardon, but I really forget
your name," said Roughshod, addressing ➢ir. Courtly.
" Courtly, sir," replied the latter.
" Courtly, Iv i,h an o ?" inquired the wit ; at the same
time, by sundry nods and winks, preparing the initiated
for one of his brilliant sallies.

" Exactly so, sir," replied Courtly.
" Why, then," continued the illustrious Mime-player,
as we all in this society give nicknames to one another,
we shall call you Squintly, with an eye. Do you take?"
At this joke the applause was unbounded : even the
poor Butts seemed to appreciate it, for they laughed
louder than the rest of the company.
" Pray, Gentlemen, am I a bone fide member of your
School,' not having paid my admission-fee ?" inquired
Courtly. _ _

Being answered in the negative, he asked what was
the amount of the fee.

" Only ten shillings," briskly replied the attorney's
clerk ; " which is sixpence than all the profits you
seem ikely ever to make by your profession—the fee for
one half-guinea motion."

Mr. Courtly rose, drew forth his purse, and threw ten
shillings down upon the table ; observing with a grave
look, that he considered the fee to be exorbitant—
monstrous.

" You are now regularly admitted, though merely as
a Butt," said Roughshod ; " and, as you will remain so
till you have proved yourself worthy of promotion
by saying as good a thing as the worst you have heard
to-night, you may as well go to sleep for the next twelve-
month at least."
This, of course, was greatly applauded.