Star.
London, England, 1831-07-29 00:00:00

SCINTILLA.

IMPOSITION..—The whole world is irnpote
upon. Nothing is what it appears to be. The stars are to:
stars, but suns. The sun is cold as ice, and neither sets et
rises. There is no heat in fire, and no sweetness in 8,
gar, and the chemists go as far as to say that sugar is so%
Decay is not decay, but vegetation ; and a mouldy cheese is
a microscopic forest. Water is not water, but a couple (7
:aThe sky is not blue, though it looks so; indeed
is no such thing as a sky, and when we look at the
we look at nothing—ergo, nothing is blue. We are so
much in the habit of being imposed upon, that we always
expect it, are prepared for it, glory In it, and more than all
that, we are ready to pay for It. We go to see a mageifi.
cent spectacle, and cannot pay it a higher compliment!):
more heartily express our admiration than by saying it eat
an imposing spectacle. We look to be imposed upon rem
in the sacred seats of justice. We reverence the florirg
wig and the scarlet robes of the judge ; we respect the ctrl;
and the black gowns of the barrister, and the mace of the
chancellor, not because justice is thereby expedited, or el!.
dom is communicated to legal decisions ; but all we cal sr.
for the matter is, that there is something so very impciri-g
in them—and so long as we arc imposed upon we are plc; t.
ed..— 4 tlas.

RATS IN THE STATUE.—" What is mast to
be dreaded in a state ?" demanded Huang Kong of his mi.
ulster Koang Tschong. " Prince," replied he, "according
to my idea, nothing is more to be dreaded than what is cal.
led rats in the statue." Hoang Kong did not undentard
this metaphor, and Koang Tsebong explained it to him
the following manner...—" -You- know, prince, that in matt
places statues are erected In honour of the tutelar saint of
the place ; these wooden imagts are hollow within, and
painted without. Now, by some chance or other, a rat had
penetrated Into such a statue, and nothing could be thcught
of or devised to drive It thence. To set fire to it they (141
not dare, fearful that the wood would catch ; neither did
they dare to lace the image in water, lent the colours might
thereby be . Thus the rat remained protected through
the respect they had for the image." " And who are thew
rats in the stater. asked Huang Kong. " They are," said
he, " people who possess neither virtue nor merit, and yet
share the favours of their prince : these are the rats in the
statue."

DEGREES IN COIISMIGUI/lITY.—On Wed-
nesday last, at the New Bailey, Manchester, Dr. Brown,
in an appeal cue, after having cross-examined a witretb
Turner,

NEW rose to eross.eximine the next owe, whose
Imo was also Turner; when the following dialogue gook
-rhos :—Dr. Brown: Are you brother to the last witness?
Turner II piece o.olle. Dr. Brown : What do you
MIMI by a piece of one; are you his half brother?—Tu-.
Ms No; I have only one leg ! ! !
MEMORY OP A BULLFINCII.—The late Sir W.
Parsons, when a •ery young man, took great delight in a
*Mg bullfinch, which he had taught to sing God save
the King.' When he was about to visit Italy, he enuusted
the favourite to a married sister, of whoa* humanity he w
well assured; and on his return, the first visit he made en
to his sister, who, with all reasonable allowance for bro-
therly affection, strongly suspected that she was indebted to
the bullfinch for this special attention. The bullfinch had
long been in declining health, and was at the moment though:
to be dying. Sir William, full of sorrow, opened the cage
door, put in his hand, and spoke to the bird : the bird re-
collected his voice, shook its feathers, staggered on to his
finger, piped • God save the King,' and fell dead.—There
is nothing, perhaps, in this story that needs a warranty,
but we have it on authority which cannot be questioned.—
Atheneum.

FINE WRITING. —A Dublin critic, whose
senses appear to have been ravished by Min Paton's melo-
dy, thus rhapsodies upon her singing in ittenboe--"'Tis
melody indeed—a repast worthy of the gods—a feast rare
and luxurious enough for the black.eyal bouris. There
were occasions last night, and without much effort of ima-
gination, one might easily suppose the sounds, as they cs.
caped her throat, to be so many soft transparent pearls,
issuing from a jingling fountain!"
GLEANINGS FROM BORNIL'SWORICB.—" Never
was Luther wiser than when he threw the inkstand at the
devil's head ! For the devil dreads nothing but ink, and
betakes himself to his heels as soon as he noses it." "Free-
dom may use her tongue, because speech is both her weapon
and her spoils; but despotism is lost from the moment it
attempts to vindicate its was."—Lit. Gus.
THE REVEREND BACHELORS OF PITTEN-
wEEH.--Upon the population of the burgh and parish of
Pittenweem being taken up lately, one of the Rev. Divine,
remarked that, " It was a great pity that there should not
have been more fruitful vines in the burgh, as it only wanted
31 or 32 more inhabitants to make out a population of
1,400." Now the truth is, the reverend gentlemen them-
selves are to blame, by affording a bad example ; fur, in
the said burgh, there are not less than six clergymen, ALL
unmarried. Whether or not they are admirers of the Church
of Rome we cannot tell, but this we know, they are net at
' all admired, in consequence, by the fair sex of the burgh.
SINGULAR CASE OF SOMNGLENCF.—A Spa-
nigh Lady, Donna Maria Mora, is on her way from Cade,
for the purpose of procuring medical advice in London for a
most extraordinary case of somnolency. The lady, it is as-
serted, remains asleep at times for three whole weeks! and
no means have hitherto been devised for awakening her.
is supplied by her attendants while she is in a
state of insensibility. There may be some exaggeration in
this account—but the story, we have the means of knowing,
is founded in truth.—Lit. Gas.
Dr. Johnson is reported to have said, " Whoever
is eked of any thins is a scoundrel." Many a brave nun
is afraid both of a wasp and a viper ; and the most cou-
rageous of mankind have generally enough of that better pug
of valour, discretion, to get out of the way of a mad oz.
Bishop Thomas was a man of humour and drcl-
lery. At a visitation be gave his Clergy an account of his
being married four times; sad' says be cheerfully, 4should
my present wife die, I will take another, and it is my opi-
nion I shall survive her. Perbaps you don't know the art
of geeing quit of your wives. I'll tell you how Ido I
am celled& very good husband; and so I am, for I never
contradict them. But don't you know that the want of con.
tradietion is fatal to women? if you contradict them, :hat
circumstance alone is excess and health, et optima teethed-
seetent., to all women. But give than their own way. and
they will languish and pine, and become gross and letharg:e
foe wart of this exercise.'

On Wednesday, the 27thBIRTH inst. Mrs. Henry Blunt, Ch.l-
- of a daughter.

MARRIED.
On Tuesday last, by special licence, Sir Charles M. L.
Mundt, of Delany, in Northumberland, Bart. to the Lb 4
Mary Elisabeth Bennet, sister of the Earl of Tankerville.

DIED.
At Kew Green, Surrey, on the 25th inst. in the 40th year
of her age, Mary Anne Elisabeth, widow of Baron Fredere
de Hedernann, formerly of the Hines German Legion.
On the 27th inst. at Lambeth Rectory. of a nervous few,
Francis, eldest son of the Rev. Dr. D'Oyly, in the 16th year
of his age.
On Saturday, the 23d last. at the residence ebb soo.'.
n•
law, Sir Lucius Curtis, Bart. Rantridge House, Hots.
Moses Greetham, Bag. in the 69th year of his age.

Lownos : Rinsed sad Published by Joss NATl'''. at die
liTaa °rpm'', No. 1, Plebstsplece, T. list.