Star.
London, England, 1827-02-05 00:00:00

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MON-I)AV EVENING, FEBRUARY 5, 1827
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The late Alderman Comte was a veal gamester, and
made as much mom:), by his clestei ity at play, as he
did by brewing. One evening, whilst he tilled the
office i.tLord Mayor of London, he was busily engaged
at a lull hazard-table at Brookes's, where the wst and
the dice-IN's circulated together with great glue,, and
.slarre Beau Brutsarasli was one of the party. 4• Come,
iliasA•eub," said Brnesmell, who was the ouster, ".what
Ju )ou set?" 4. Twenty-five guineas,' answered the
Alderman. •4 Well, then," returned ihe beau, 44 have
at the Mayor's puree S-!ven's the main."—.
He continued to throw until he drove home the brewer's
twelve ponies, running,, and thee gettiong.up. aad making
him a low bo eivehilst pochetung the caskobasselanieed.
N Thank you, Alderman t for 6* Image I shall. Lever
drink any potter but yours." (wish, Sir," replied
the brewer, 44 that every other blackguard in London
would tell me the same."

ROGER W/LBRAHAM AND SIR PHILIP FRANCIS.

The late Sir Philip Francis, who duiing many years
of his life was a Member of the House of Commons,
spoke on all" olUestions of importance, on the side of
Opposition. He was the convivial companion of Fox,
and daring the short administration Uf that Statesman,.
WAS made a Knight of the Bath. Roger Wilbraham,
who was also on the same side, came up one evening to
the whist table, %here Sir Philip (who, for the first
time, wore the ribald of the Order) was seriously en-
gaged in the middle of a rubber, and thus accosted him.l
Laying hold of the riband, and examining u for some'
time before he :poke, he at length said, " So, this is the
way they have rewarded you at last—they have given
you a little bit of red riband for your services, bir,
Philip, have they ?—a pretty bit of red riband to
hang about your neck; and that satisfies you, does it?
Now, I wonder what I shall have ! What do you think
they will give me, Str Philip?'' The newly made
Knight, who had 25 guineas depending on the rubber,
and who was not very well.pleased at the interruption,
suddenly turned round. and casting on him a ferocious
look, exclaimed," A halter, and be d—d to you."

FIGHTING FITZGFGRALD.
Whilst on the subject of sinister admission to the
Club, the writer cannot do better than relate the very
singular and whimsical manner in which Mr. Arthur
Fitzgerald forced his way into Brookes s. This per-
sonage, it is well known, though nearly related to one
of the first families in Ireland (Leirrster), was publicly
executed in the year 1786, for a murder which he had
coolly premeditated, and which he and others perpe-
trated in a most cruel and cowardly manner: The
fame, or rather infamy, which encircled his brows,
from having been the survivor in a great many duels,
became at length the cause of the most ferocious
haughtiness, and greatly increased his overbearing and
quarrelsome disposition. His duelling propensities,
however, kept him out of all the first clubs in London,
and rendered him at once both an object of terror and
of hatred ; and, even when he was introduced at the
Court o. France, where single combat was not so much
reprehended as in Great Btitain, the young Monarch
(the unfortunate Louis XVI.) could not help chewing
his abhorrence of a professed duelist, by uttering a
most deserved sarcasm on Fitzgerald, and by refusing
to admit him a second time to his levee. The Gentle-
man who introduced him (the English Ambassador)
having said, .4 I have the honour-to introduce to your
Majesty Mr. Fitzgerald, an Irishman, of high descent,
who, in his time, has successively fought no less than
eighteen duels, and always killed his man." The King
replied, " Monsieur l'Arnbassadeur, I ha►e read your
famous English history of Jack the Giant Killer ; and
I think it might be greatly improved by adding tai:
Irishman's life, by way of appendix. Let IliM retire!.
His Majesty further observed to the Ambassador, in the
duellists bearing, that if Mr. Fitzgerald shewed a dis-
'position to quarrel with any of his subjects, .he should
order him to quit France in 2+ hours.. _ _

replied the young rx
lure little man; be qi
pence when ye coney

'the /1101• Ina;; but

for be., as will as his
ifitzgeralors violent
contact with him it 4

The bell rang,again, and to !soother erAlter the ifp4
tient candidate put the invii r
yet, *au/art' The ballotting It • ttcreo ytk,
'replied the man. " Not over 3 et r exclaimed Fitzgerald.
" But sure there is no use of ballotting at all whets my
dear friends ale all unanimous for enc to come in. Run,
my man, and let me know how they aregetting on."
Attar the lapse of another quarter of an hour, the bell
rang so violently, as to produce a contest among the
poor servants as to whose two it was next to visit the
lion in his den; aad Mr. Brookes, seeing no alternative
but resolution, took the message from the waiter who
was descending the staircase, and boldly entered the
room with a coffee equipage in his hand, " Did yos
call for coffee, Sir?" said Mr. Brookes, sward r, " D—o
your coffee, sue, and you too," answered Mr Fitzgerald,
in a voice which made the host's blood curdle in his
veins, " I want to know, sur, and that without one ino•
ment's delay, sur, if I'm chose yet?"" Oti,Sir,replied Mr.
13rookes, who trembled from head to foot, but attempted
to smile away the appearance of fear ; " I beg your
pardon, Sir; but I was just coming to announce to you,
Sit—with Admiral Stewart's compliments, Sir—that—
uufortunately—there was one black ball in the
boa, Sir: and—consequently, by the rules of the club,
Sir—no candidate can be admitted without a new elec-
tion, Sir,—which cannot take place,—by the standing
regulations of the club, Sir—until a month from this
time, Sir."

Fi for a

Seen lOst, and honeural:le• Glint Jewess reorotosod from
enjoying each other's good company soone r.— Walther !
come here, ye roskol, and bring me a bottle of chain-
pagne, t U I drink long life to the club, and wish them
joy of their unanimous election of a reed Gentleman, by
father and mother, and"—(This part of Fitzgerald's ad-
dress excited the risible muscles if every oue present,
but he soon restored them to their former lugubrious
pos;tion, by casting around him a ferocious look, and
saying, in a voice of thunder)—"and who never missed
his tame! Go for the champagne, tvaiiher,--Ind, crye
ye hear, cur, tell your maker, Mugger *Brookes, that
is, not to make any morr mistake abort black balls;
for though it is below a Gentleman to call him out,
I will find other meaner of giving him a bag•fuli of
broken bones."

During this address Fitzgerald's irascibility appeared
to undergo considerable inokfication • and, at its con-
clusion,the terrified landlordwas not a little surprised and
pleased to find his guest shake him by the hand, which
he squeezed heartily between his own two, saying," My
dear Mr. Brookes, tor aim, and I give ye much joy;
for I'll warrant you'll find me the best customer in p.or
house :—but there must be a small matter of mistake in
my election ; and as I should not like to be.so ungenteel as
to take my sale among my dear friends upstairs until
that mistake is duly rectified, you'll just step up and
make my compliments to the Gentlemen, and say, it is
only a mistake of on black ball, they will be so good as
to wave all ceremony on my account, and proceed to
re-elect their humble servant without any more delay at
*all ;—so now, my dear Mr. Brookes, you may put
down the coffee, and I'll be drinking it while my new
ekctios is going on."
Away west Mr. Brookes, glad enough to escape with
whole bones, for this time at least. On announcing the
purport of his errand to the assembly above stairs,
many of the members were panic-struck, fur they clearly
foresaw that some disagreeable circumstance was likely
to be the finale of the tai co which they had been play-
ing. Mr. Brookes stood silent for some minutes,
waiting for an answer, whilst :es-era of the mem-
bers whispered and laughed in groups, at the ludi-
crous figure which they all cut. At length, the Earl
of Match (afterwards the Duke of Queensberry) said
aloud, " Try the effect of two balls :—D—n his Irish
impudence, if two black balls don't take effect upon
him, I don't know what will." This proposal met with
unanimous approbation, and Mr. Brookes was ordered
to communicate accordingly.
On re-entering the wajting-room, Mr. Fitzgerald rose
hastily from the chair, sod s:izing him by the hand,
e igeily inquired, is Have they elected me sight now,
Mr. Brookes?" " I hope no offence, Mr. Fitzgerald,'
said the landlord, " but I'm sorry to inform you, that
the result of the second baltotting is, that two black ball.
were dropped in, Sir."—". by .I—s, then," cid timed

The members now saw that there w.s nothing for ir,
but to send the invader to Direful'', wh:ch tney ap -
peared to do by tacit agreement; for, when Admiral
Stewart departed, which he did almost immediately,
Mr. Fitzgerald found himself completely cut by 'all
" his dear friends." The Gentlemen now formed them-
selves into groups at the several whist tables; and tie
one chose to reply to his observations, rioc to return
even a nod to the toasts and healths which he drank,
whilst discussing three bottles of the sparkling liquor
which the terrified waiter placed before him in succes-
sion. At length, finding that no one would contnynni•
'cafe with him in either kind, either for drinking or for
fighting; he arose, and making a low how, took his
leave Ii follows:—" gentlemen, I bid you all good
night: I am very glad to find ye so sociable:-I'll_ take
care to come earlier neat night, and eel' have a hide
more of it, plase GOD."
The departure of the bully was a great relief to every
one present, for the restraint caused by his vapouriog
and insolent behaviour was most intolerable. The con.
versation immedktely became general, and it was una-
nimously agreed That half a dozen stout constables
should be in waiting the next evening to lay him by the
heels and bear him off to the watch-house, if he at•
tempted again to intrude. Of some such measure
Fitzgerald seemed to be aware; for he nevet shewed
himself at Brookes's again, throne he boasted every
where that he had been unanimously chosen a member
of the club.

The lifethorial Borde.l4is and the Adicatertr, both
accused betore the Triounal of Correctional PoHeti at
•Bordeaux, have been acquitted. " Tn, Tribunal, alter
a short deliberation, found that the Alrmorial liordelait
had only wed a right, in publishing an opinion on the
law respecting the Police of the Press." The Indicateur
was immediately alter acquitted also.
E►roauous Boast[. VERTEBRA.—[t is stated in the
last number of the Philosophical Journal,. that in the
neighbourhood of Bridport. in Ddrsetshire, a short
time ago, a labourer, diggiirg for au ingredient used in
mortar, found a vettebra of an enormous animal,
larger than that of the whale, and supposed to belong
to a land animal. This curiosity is in the possession of
a Gentleman at Bridport, ho generously rewarded Vie
finder with ten guineas. Search has been made for The
other pans of the same animal, bat without were r.
The perforation for the spinal marrow is stared to be
nearly equal in ciretrailvence to the b ,dy of a mats.

But, to acid further digression, the writer has to
• Uy gamesters, 25 guineas (rolled sip in paper) are coaled a Po:miry.
and 50 a Bouteat,..

4)s