Star.
London, England, 1831-06-09 00:00:00

SCINTILLiE.

TEMPTATION.—Dr. Ratcliffe, attending on,
of his most intimate friends in a dangerous illness, refused,
with an unusual strain of generosity, to take a fee. The
patient insisted, but the doctor was positive. When the
cure was performed, and the physician about to take his
leave, "Sir," said his friend, " in this purse I have put
every day's fee ; nor must your goodness get the better of
my gratitude." The doctor eyed the purse, counted the
days in a moment, and then stretching forth his hand, said,
"Nell, I can hold out no longer; single, I could have
refused them for a twelvemonth ; but altogether they are
irresistible."

EDITORIAL DILEMMA.—The editor of the De-
merara Paper, in announcing the non-arrival of intelligence,
bewails his misfortune in the following original manner:—
" It is really a hard fate in an editor to be expected to give
news when there are none. Were we in England now, the
thing is easily done. But so it is ; and unless some vessel
would come in, to let us know what our fellow mortals are a
doing on the other ride of the herriug-pond, we cannot give,
as we dare not make, news."
Sir James Macintosh, in the narrative of the
plot of Perkin Warbeek, speculates, with his usual sagacity,
upon the turpitude of Sir Robert Clifford, as a witness au.
borned to effect the execution of Stanley, first Karl of Derby.
The specuLttions of Sir James are boruc out by a document
that seems to have escaped his attention. In a manuscript
roll from the Itemembrancer's office, is an account of the
privy purse expenses of Henry VII. in which there is an
entry of the (for that time) enormous sum of 5001. paid to Sir
Robert Clifford, without mentioning for what service. The
succeeding entry is curious ; " To W. Hoton and H. Wode-
ford, for bringing of Sir It. Clifford, in rewarde, 261. 13s.
41." 101. was the fee, from time immemorial, paid by a
peer to the executioner, who struck cff his head
with the axe. In this roll there is an entry, "To
Rir William Stanley, at his execution, 101." When
Lord William Russell was going to the scaffold, he
asked a by-atandcr what was the customary fee to the exe-
cutioner ? " 101." was the reply, and he immediately took
the money from his purse and paid it to the man who held
the axe on the scaffold.

MODES OF LIVING AMONG THE CHINESE...-.
The modes of living among the Chinese are, of course,
very different, according to the rank and wealth of the
people ; but the extremes of luxury and misery are nowhere
more ludicrously contrasted. Those who can afford to pur-
-1 chase rare and expensive delicacies grudge no cost for them,
as is proved by the price paid for edible birds' nests (glu-
tinous compositions, formed by a kind of swallow in vast
clusters, found in caves in the Nicobar aml other islsnde),
five thousand dollars being sometimes given fee a pkyl,
weighing 133 1.3 lbs. In the streets multitudes of men
are employed in preparing these fee sale, with a pair of
tweezers plucking from them every hair, or fibre of Mau,
or extraneous matter • and, at the same time, easefully pre.
serving the form of the nests, by pushing through them very
slender slips of bamboo. Sharks' fins are 6 prised, and
when well dried, they fetch a great priers The
(a horrid-looking black sea-slug, forrneripiescribed), brought
from the Pacific Islands, is also exceedingly esteemed by Chi-
nese epicures. But, while the rich fare thus sumptuously, the
mass of the poor subsist on the veriest garbage. The heads of
fowls, their entrails, their feet, with every scrap of digestible
animal matter, earth worms, sea reptiles, of all kinds, rats.
and other vermin, are greedily devoured. We have noticed
lots of black frogs, in half dozens, tied together, exposed for
sale in shallow troughs of water. We have seen the hind
quarter of a horse hung up in a butcher's shop, with the re-
commendation of the whole leg attached. A lodger in our
hotel complains that, his bedroom being over the kitchen,
he is grievously annoyed in the morning by the wises of
dogs and cats, which are slaughtering below for the day's
consumption—but not at our table. Not a bone nor a green
leaf is ever seen in the streets; some use or another is found
for every thing that would be refuse elsewhere.
POPPING THE QUESTION. —The desperate
struggles and fiesodering by which some endeavour to get
out of their embarrassment are amusing enough. We re-
member to have been much delighted the first time we
heard the history of the wooing of a noble lord, Dow no more,
narrated. His lordahip was a man of talent and enter.
prise, of stainless pedigree, and a fair rest-toll, bat the
veriest slave of bashfulness. Like all timid and quiet
men, he was vety susceptible and very mutant, as long
as he was in the habit of seeing the object of his affec.
tions daily. He chanced, at the beginning of an Edin-
burgh winter, to lose his bean to Alias—; and as their
families war in habits of intimacy, he had frequent
opportunities of mating with her. He gazed sod sighed
incessantly—a very Dumbiedikes, but that be had a ismer
diorama of brain ; be followed every where ; he felt
jealous, uncomfortable, ravage, if she looked even civilly
at another; and yet, notwithstanding his stoutest Imo.
Intions--notwithatanding the encouragement affoeded to him
by the lady, a woman of mass, who saw what his lordship
would be at, esteemed his character, was superior to girlish
affectation, and made every advance consiseent with womanly
delicacy—the winter ware fast fading loos spring, and be had
not yet got his mouth opened. Mamma at last lost all pa-
tience; and one day, when his lordship was taking lassoed
lounge in the drawing-room silent, or an occasional mono.
ssyllable, the good lady left the roam and locked the pair in
ome. When his lordship, so essaying to take his lone,
discovered the predicament in which he mood, a desperate fit
of resolution seised him. Miss .-- sat beading most
assiduously over her needle, a deep blush on her cheek.—
His lordship advanced towards her, but, losing heart by
the way, in silence to dm other cod of the room.
He ret to the charge, but again without effect. At
last, nerving bimetalf like one about to spring a powder.
mine, be stopped short before her—" Miss will you
many me?"—" With great pleasure, my Iced," was the
answer, given in $ low, somewhat timid, but unfaltering
voice, while a deeper crimson suffused the face of the
speaker.—Ands right good wife she made to him.

BIRTH.
The bib Init. at Enough, the lady of J. F. W. Herschel.
Esq. of a daughter.

MARRIED.
The 7th lest. at Mershon. Survey, J. Mennen, M.D. or
tbo Royal Mlihary Asykaos, to Mho Phillips, of Hill.lodp.

DI ED.

Yesterday morning, at her re;idenes, in Upper Bake-
street, Mrs. Siddons.—The 7th inst. at she Howe of Lords.
Mr. T. Wright, one of the principal doorkeepers, in the 6&h
year of his age.—The 7th but. in the 16th year of his ax.
Henry, the oldest son of Mr. H. Watson, Old Hood.etreet.
—The 7th inst. Mr. O. Johnston, late of the India Wad.
at his house, Wove, Camber well.—Tbe 7th inst. the infant
Goo of Captain I). R. Newall, East India Senior.-11w 3d
inst. at Rending, Stephen Mihaly, Beg. in the 87th year of
his age.—. The 311 inst. at his son's ratilklKCS the Mount, La.
'tetrad, Wynn Smith, Esq. in his 711th yez.

Lannon: Printed and Published by Joan MATER. al the
STA% Orms, No. 1, Piekeu-place, Tab* Ng.

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