tables five copies of that paper which you have unintentionally purchased, and only one of the Courier; and that one I retain partly out of compliment to that old quiz' whom you observe smoking his pipe, and sip ping his glass of negus, in the further corner." Upon this I turned my eyes towards the figure pointed out, and through a volume of incense which gradually ascended to the roof, and settled over his head like a blue and silky canopy, I discovered a round squat figure with grey hairs, and a kind of "Dirk Hatterick" aspect, something betwixt hardy enterprize and determined roguery. "This man," continued "mine Host," in an under tone of communication, "has made his fortune by cheating and is now endeavouring to establish his character as an honest man, by bepraising the King. Having had an appointment in the naval department, he managed matters so, that his dis missal became absolutely necessary, not only to the interests of the board, but to the forwarding of his own deep-laid and nefarious schemes. He has retired beyond the reach of prosecution, and within the entrench ments of the Inns of Court; and vapours away in this place, each day, from one to four, on the integrity of the present ministry, and the beauty and permanency of the British constitution. That large overgrown figure, who is just now swallowing the last morsel of his mutton chop, is a tallow-chandler in Cheapside. He has lately married, or, to speak more properly, been married to a young wife, an admiral's pennyless daughter, whom he leaves to amuse herself with ponds, parrots, and flower-pots, in his splendid country mansion, whilst he repairs, every day, in his own carriage, to the city, where he is to be found any hour, (except one), betwixt ten and five, with a large striped apron tied round his immense paunch, disposing of his grease by the pound to all and sundry, who may be prevailed upon to become purchasers. Look into his country box-you may observe it near by a jet d'eau, no larger than a weeping willow, on your road to Edmonton and you will conceive him to be the very essence of refinement and pink of sentiment;

but visit him in his warehouse, where he will be fully as happy to see you, and you will find his refinement confined to that of tallow, and his sentiment to the smell and exhalation' thereof." "In Scotland," observed I, "such an incongruous combination could never take place."-" In Scotland," rejoined my informer, "you know nothing at all about the matter; you put on one coat at Christmas, and it serves you without alteration or change till the return of that season; you assume your rank in society, and by that, as by an immutable allotment of Providence, you abideonce a plebeian, and always a ple beian-once a gentleman, and always a gentleman. Now this method is extremely preposterous, and subjects you, from the want of pliability and accommodation to many inconveniences, and much awkward adjustment. But in London, nothing is more common than that the same individual shall, during the course of a single day, exhibit a variety of distinct, and even quite opposite rank and character. View this same rotund personage at his breakfast-table, surrounded with footmen, and palavered by simpering ladyhood, with his gun-powder tea, and buttered toast; and you cannot fail to see the country Squire' peeping through all the easy frankness of his demeanour; observe him attached to his fine greys, and under the management of a livery servant, making his way up to town→→→→ and the Citizen' begins to become apparent; ask him, in his shop, for a pound of candles, and he will even wipe the scale for you in which they are weighed, and with a polite bow over the counter, thank you for custom; here the Shopkeeper' has acquired a decided predominancy. And were you at this very instant that he is ringing the bell to settle his chop, to accost him either under the altitude of his matrimonial, or under the humility of his professional character, it is ten to one but he would conceive himself insulted. He is now plain honest Williams,' who pays his taxes, rails at the government, and owes no man a farthing!

your

"In that concealed box, a little to the left, there are at this moment two Reporters for the great rival papers, making up their points of diss

agreement for the evening press, in the most amicable manner imaginable. These fellows have hard work of it just now; but they eat and drink well-sleep when they can-and have a rare splore once a-week. Though one of them is bound to put on a most outrageously Tory countenance, we all know him to be a true genuine Whig at the heart, after all. "That there figure with the snuffbox in his hand, and the cane head in his mouth, is a Bookseller's flunky, or, in other words, an Author,' not from choice, but from necessity, having failed in an attempt to render himself publicly known, by a work of great labour and research, which, in this age of Quid-nunc-ism' and 'tact,' fell still-born from the press. His subsistence, such as it is, he now earns by translating foreign books, by writing occasional articles for the London Magazine, and by undertaking all the drudgery of correcting sheet after sheet for the press. But here comes one of his Employers, or, as they are termed, Patrons,' a celebrated bookseller in 'the Row.' Hereupon I observed a smooth little round man, somewhat like a pound of butter set upon end, glistening in oil, and ornamented with a green shade, or cabbage leaf, which came so far down as to eclipse not only his eyes, but a full half of his countenance. No sooner had this man of books and shelves made his debût, than poor "Suck-cane" made his exit, evidently anxious to escape the irradiation of so splendid a luminary. "And is it possible," thought I -for my friend, in consequence of a call to the bar, had just left me" is it possible that men of education and talent can, in this learned and literary Metropolis, become the slaves and drudges of mere Booksellers-that the mind which actuates, and the soul which excites and energizes, can be regulated in its movements, and cramped in its efforts, by mere machinery' -that the body of literature should thus lord it over the spirit, and the 'certamen quod est animo cum hac gravi carne,' should be at once so severe, protracted, and degrading? I sat some time musing upon this melancholy subject, in expectation of mine Host's return; but return he did not; business had suddenly laid its

claws upon him, and in his situation in society, nobody thinks of resisting such claims; so I was left to finish my steak and my porter by myself. I had not remained, however, long, when my companion's place was supplied by another individual, with whom, as I had no inclination, for the present, to commence an acquaintanceship, I quietly pocketed my newspaper, rung the bell, found all, by my landlord, already settled, and was actually upon my legs to depart,

when the lately-arrived stranger suddenly addressed me, in somewhat of an embarrassed tone—“ I, I beg your pardon, Sir, but you will excuse me, if I request a reading of that paper you have just now put into your pocket, Sir. We do not usually carry the papers along with us from this place, Sir!" Seeing at once the source of his error, I proceeded to explain the circumstance to him, upon which he seemed perfectly satisfied, asked my pardon again and again-and suggested, if I was not otherwise engaged, that he would be glad to have a little more of my company. It seemed strange to me, that every one I met with seemed so desirous of my conversation-but this I found afterwards to be a peculiar and most prepossessing feature of the London, I may add, of the English character. They enter at once into an acquaintance, and conduct themselves towards a stranger with all the ease, and even confidence, of old and estab lished intercourse. In this instance, however, I found it convenient to decline the invitation, and once more placed myself amongst my quizzical friends, who had formerly supplied me, to their own mind, with a newspaper. Having no more purchases to make, I passed along, mixing with that continuous and unebbing stream of humanity, which, like the waters at the Straits of Gibraltar, is ever setting in and out, through Temple Bar. As I was employing myself in idling away the time most agreeably, at a caricature-shop window, a face passed me, and an eye met mine, which I felt to be associated with times and circumstances not quite forgotten. Yet I had no distinct recollection of the individual to whom these belonged, but stood looking

after him, till I saw him go down an entry immediately opposite that from which I had so lately emerged. I tried to walk in the opposite di rection, endeavouring, all the while, to recal a distinct impression of the face; but the more eagerly I pursued every link and association, by which the object might be individualized, the more deeply was I involved in uncertainty, and the greater was my curiosity to ascertain the truth; so, turning almost insensibly on my course, I gradually drifted to the very entry at which I had seen the mysterious countenance disappear. I entered, having previously resolved on a two-o'clock beef-steak dinner, and hoping, likewise, to be at my wits' end respecting the object of my pursuit. I was not acquainted with a single individual in London, with the solitary exception, if such it might be regarded, of my kind and hospitable landlord at "the Cock;" and I was every hour more anxious to meet with some one more experienced than myself in the ways and the tricks of this "great City," by whose advice I might contrive to navigate myself clear of misapprehension and imposition. I started back, however, under some degree of alarm, upon observing, as if through an inverted telescope, a dim light, struggling, from a distance, through a lengthened avenue of darkness, up which it behoved me to advance. However, following closely at the heels of one who had just I passed me, I was at last conducted to an abode of a very suspicious appearance. Into this retreat the light of day had never, seemingly, been known to penetrate. It was lighted by a large patent lamp, hung from the centre of the ceiling, and -shining like the sun in a November mist, through a complete envelopement of smoke, emitted and emitting from mouths innumerable. The whole contour of this place was truly terrific every inanimate object wore a sombre aspect-the walls were blackened the seats were disfigured with cutting, like the benches in a school-house-and the tables were without table-cloths, groaning under immense pewter trenchers, which were sunk into the wood, whilst the knives and forks were cautiously

chained to rests on each side of the several plates, on which, as satellites, it was their duty to attend. Over the chimney, written in legible characters, was displayed the price of every variety of drinkable or eatable, which the place afforded, accompa nied with this admonitory remark

It

PAID WHEN TABLED." Spit-boxes stood in every corner; and a large shaggy nondescript dog seemed to move about, quite at home, presenting his head to be patted, and his sides to be stroked by the various customers who condescended to notice him*. Gin and brandy seemed here to have usurped the place of port and porter; and an expression of sulky impatience, and dusky malignity, seemed to predominate amongst the visages which gleamed and glared around. was some time before I found an empty seat, and still longer whilst I remained in suspense, whether or not I should take possession of it and I was still hesitating, when the same countenance, which had excited my curiosity before, again, from a position immediately opposite, arrested my attention. In a word, for I am becoming tedious by being minute, I was at last recognized by this stranger as an old school-acquaintance, and found in him, after a varied succession of rather untoward fortune, the Captain, or Skipper, of a coasting-vessel, engaged in the coal trade. There is no school, Mr Editor, like the world; "it kittles wit, it waukens lair," or, what is still better, "supplies it," and "pangs us fu' o' knowledge." This young man, who had made but a sorry figure in his class, and ranked as a kind of simpleton amongst his playmates, had now acquired a promptitude of decision, an ease of manner, and a sagacity in respect of worldly matters, which altogether astonished me. He was glad, he was truly glad to see me; and even with all the deductions of a somewhat particular dress, and an acquaintance ship in no way prepossessing, I still was de

I have heard that dogs of this description are sometimes kept in low Coffeehouses, for the purpose of cleaning knives and forks upon their shaggy hides; but this I never saw, and believe to be fiction.

lighted to make the recognizance. He was to sail that very afternoon, otherwise we should have travelled it, he said, together through London "in style," or, in other words, so as to see, through his superior experience, of what various and inconceivable materials this immensity of sin and folly is made up. We spent, however, two hours in a very agreeable manner, talking over our school-days, and laughing immoderately at all these little incidents, which, to any one but ourselves, would have appeared trivial and uninteresting. And when at last I took notice of the very suspicious-looking retreat where we had encountered each other, he assured me, quite gravely, that this was the "Hole-in-the-Wa'," one of the oldest and most respectable coffee-houses, in the line, in London, That, although the general run of the house was rather of the labour ing and mechanical description, yet there was 66 a certain Nobleman, of facetious memory," who had actual ly dined here, in preference to any other place, for nearly forty years. "But I see," added he, "you are still trammeled by your Scotch prejudices. If you wear a good coat, keep the proper side in walking along the street, and pay what you call for here, you are a gentleman: nor does that fellow, who has now placed our beef-steak on the table, provided we advance him one penny over the very moderate charge which is made, care a single stiver whether, when out of his sight, we drive a dung-cart through the City, or 'hip it,' four in-hand, in a tandem. Nor is the freedom of rank greater with us than the freedom of speech. You have heard nothing, since you entered this room," continued he, "but censure on the government, direct abuse of Majesty, and insinuations of the most disgraceful nature against certain individuals high in favour and in power. Those very individuals, who are at present using this liberty, are, in many cases, immediately de pendent upon the very power which they censure, and endeavour to bring into contempt; and yet, such is the confidence which every man here reposes in his neighbour, even though he happen to be a stranger, that no disguise is assumed, no constrained

and temporizing sentimentsare spout ed. When a man pays down his two-pence for his plate of veal or mutton, he pays, at the same time, in his own apprehension, for the pri vilege of speaking, as he terms it, his mind-of venting spleen, whim, prepossession, prejudice, truth, or falsehood, in the words and manner which occur most naturally and readily. The government is far too wise and liberal in its views to take the smallest notice of this; the steamvessel (to use a professional comparison) of the government, makes her way through the waves of popu lar opinion with the greater security that she is possessed of "a safetyvalve," by which all redundant and dangerous vapour escapes. It was by endeavouring to stop this "safetyvalve" that Louis and King Charles lost their heads, and that the governments of Spain and of Turkey are at this instant in imminent danger of being blown out of the water. But in Scotland, matters are otherwise managed." "Say no ill of Scotland," interrupted I, looking rather suspiciously around me; we are all Ministerialists in Scotland, and, should I say we are otherwise, nobody can tell who, even here, might repeat my observations." "There now," retorted my school-fellow, you have exhibited a specimen of that worse than Egyptian bondage to which you are reduced. Before you dare speak your mind, you look over your shoulders, and then only do it in a whisper, lest a bird of the air should tell the matter. In every district you have some " great little man,” some mighty Regulus' of a limited domain, whose prerogative it is to get his younger children, and other immediate relatives and dependents, into warm and comfortable officialities to navigate his politics by the government Beacon and to preserve all the neighbourhood in a state of subjection, and even in apparent attachment to the existing Ministry." "We will pay our reckoning," said I, "and depart, for I have made it a rule all my life long, never to dabble in politics." So saying, we separated-he to attend, for the time, to the interests of his trade, and I, in the course of a few minutes, to ring my room-bell at the

"Bull and Mouth," in order to ob tain a "glass of cold water." Hoping, my good Sir, to meet you next month in Bedlam, I remain, in the mean time, your's truly, EBEN. ANDERSON.

SKETCHES OF UPPER CANADA, DOMESTIC, LOCAL, AND CHARACTERISTIC; TO WHICH ARE ADDED, PRACTICAL DETAILS FOR THE INFORMATION OF EMIGRANTS OF EVERY CLASS; AND SOME RECOLLECTIONS OF THE UNITED. STATES OF AMERICA. BY JOHN HOWISON, ESQ. EDINBURGH AND LONDON, pp. 339.

A BODY of emigrants, collected on the shore of their native land, and about to sail for that distant, and, in many respects, unknown region, for which they are bound, is, we think, one of the most affecting sights which the present state of human society presents. On the first view of such a multitude, our minds are perhaps carried forcibly back to those early ages in the history of the world, when colonization was a thing of frequent occurrence, and when the early inhabitants of those regions to which we now look as the most fortunate, of all that are to be found upon the earth, for the renown which they have acquired in letters and in arms, prepared to carry the very first elements of civilization and of knowledge into other countries, which had not then receiyed any form of rational life. But there are other feel ings awakened by the view of a body of emigrants, which soon show that there is a wide difference between the colonists of those early times, and the individuals who are preparing, in the present age, to bid adieu to all their previous habits, and associations, and connections. In the early ages of the world, man seemed to feel that his duty was to people the wide world, which lay in desert solitude around him; and when, there fore, he left the country in which he had been born, it was with the spirit of an adventurer, who felt that he was doing what was in itself both dutiful and becoming. The feelings of those to whom he was bound, went along with him in his enter

prize, and he appeared to them rather as a hero who was setting out in quest of adventures, and who was probably to become the founder of a new race, or the original tenant of a country which was hereafter to be renowned, than as a person over whose hard destiny they were bound to lament, and in whose future history they could see only labours and

sorrows.

But the emigrants of modern times are in a very different situation. They are not adventurers in quest of glory, but, in general, men whose affections are bound to the land which they are forsaking, and who are forced, by the hard necessity of obtaining a livelihood, or an independence, to forsake a country' which, in their hearts, they value above all under heaven; and, what is far worse, to sacrifice affections which to them have hitherto constituted the charm of existence. They are men upon whom the hard fortune of the world has pressed with unusual severity, and who are forced to seek, in a foreign land, that freedom from distress, which, in their native country, they have either never known, or which has been severely torn from them. Such an asseinblage, therefore, presents to him who witnesses their departure, one of the most melancholy subjects of reflection which it is possible to behold. And the ship which bears the interesting cargo, seems, as it leaves the shore, from which it is carrying them for ever, to be a more than usually affecting representation of the hardships of that voyage of life, which has already been attended with so many storms to those who are departing, and which may yet bring to them so many more of which they are at present ignorant.

After these reflections have produced their effect upon our minds, we naturally follow the path of the voyagers into that distant land to which they are proceeding; and in such moments, the most consolatory information which we can receive, is, that the region before them is one in which they may venture, not only with safety, but with good hope; that they are now, therefore, but in the crisis of a change, which to them is to be productive of good;