Part 16 (1/2)

BUTLER AND BUCKINGHAM

Of Butler, the author of _Hudibras_--which Dr Johnson terms ”one of those productions of which a nation enius was not sufficient to rescue him from its too frequent attendant, poverty; he lived in obscurity, and died in want Wycherley often represented to the Duke of Buckingha his inirace to the Court that a person of his loyalty and genius should remain in obscurity and suffer the wants which he did The Duke, thus pressed, promised to recommend Butler to his Majesty; and Wycherley, in hopes to keep his Grace steady to his word, prevailed on hiht introduce the modest and unfortunate poet to his new patron The place offixed upon was the ”Roebuck” Butler and his friend attended punctually; the Duke joined the open, his Grace observed one of his acquaintances pass by with two ladies; on which he iement, and from that time to the day of his death poor Butler never derived the least benefit from his promise

THE MERMAID CLUB

The celebrated club at the ”Mermaid,” as has been well observed by Gifford, ”coether before or since” The institution originated with Sir Walter Raleigh; and here, for ularly repaired with Shakspeare, Beaumont, Fletcher, Selden, Cotton, Carew, Martin, Donne, and many others whose na of reverence and respect Here, in the full flow and confidence of friendshi+p, the lively and interesting ”wit-combats” took place between Shakspeare and Jonson; and hither, in probable allusion to sohts wander in his letter to Jonson fros have we seen Done at the Mermaid? heard words that have been So nimble, and so full of subtle flame, As if that every one from whom they came, Had meant to put his whole wit in a jest”

For the expression, ”wit-combats,” wethe character of the Bard of Avon, says: ”Many were the wit-combats between Shakspeare and Ben Jonson I behold thelish her in learning, solid, but slow in his perforhter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about and take advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention” With what delight would after generations have hung over any well-authenticated instances of these ”wit-co on which we can depend has descended to us

PORSON'S MEMORY

Professor Porson, the great Graecist, when a boy at Eton, displayed theup to a lesson one day, he was accosted by a boy in the saot there?” ”Horace” ”Let me look at it” Porson handed the book to his co to return it, dexterously substituted another in its place, hich Porson proceeded Being called on by the master, he read and construed the tenth Ode of the first Book very regularly Observing that the class laughed, theon one side of the page, while I a at the other; pray whose edition have you?” Porson hesitated ”Let reat surprise, found it to be an English Ovid Porson was ordered to go on; which he did, easily, correctly, and promptly, to the end of the Ode Much more remarkable feats of memory than this, however, have been recorded of Porson'sat Tunbridge for the benefit of his health, after his return fro had defrayed, alking one day with his friend, Mr Fairbeard, of Gray's Inn Just as they caheda, a young, rich, noble, and lovely , came to the bookseller and inquired for the _Plain Dealer_--a well-known comedy of Wycherley's ”Madam,” said Mr Fairbeard, ”since you are for the _Plain Dealer_, there he is for you”--pushi+ng Wycherley towards her ”Yes,”

said Wycherley, ”this lady can bear plain dealing; for she appears to me to be so accomplished, that ould be co spoken to her” ”No, truly, sir,” said the Countess; ”I am not without my faults, any , and am never more fond of it than when it tells me of them” ”Then, Madaned by Heaven for each other” In short, Wycherley walked with the Countess, waited upon her hoe, and afterwards when she went to London; where, in a little tie was not a happy one

A CAROUSE AT BOILEAU'S

Boileau, the celebrated French comedian, usually passed the summer at his villa of Auteuil, which is pleasantly situated at the entrance of the Bois de Boulogne Here he took delight in assee; especially Chapelle, Racine, Moliere, and La Fontaine Racine the younger gives the following account of a droll circuuests ”At this supper,” he says, ”at which my father was not present, the wise Boileau was no uests

After the wine had led thereed that life was but a state ofbeen born, and the next greatest in an early death; and they one and all for themselves without loss of time into the river It was not far off, and they actually went thither Moliere, however, reht not to be buried in the obscurity of night, but orthy of being performed in the face of day This observation produced a pause; one looked at the other, and said, 'He is right' 'Gentle to throw ourselves into the river, and meantime return and finish our wine;'” but the river was not revisited

THOMSON'S INDOLENCE

The author of the _Seasons_ and the _Castle of Indolence_, paid hoe in the latter admirable poem to the master-passion or habit of his own easy nature Thomson was so excessively lazy, that he is recorded to have been seen standing at a peach-tree, with both his hands in his pockets, eating the fruit as it grew At another ti found in bed at a very late hour of the day, when he was asked why he did not get up, his ansas, ”Troth, !”

A LEARNED YOUNG LADY

Fraulein Dorothea Schlozer, a Hanoverian lady, was thought worthy of the highest acadeen University, and, at the jubilee of 1787, she had the degree of Doctor of Philosophy conferred upon her, when only seventeen years of age The daughter of the Professor of Philosophy in that University, she froenius for learning Before she was three years of age, she was taught Low Gern to her own Before she was six, she had learned French and Ger ten lessons, she was able to answer very difficult questions The English, Italian, Swedish, and Dutch languages were next acquired, with singular rapidity; and before she was fourteen, she knew Latin and Greek, and had becouages, she made herself acquainted with almost every branch of polite literature, as well as many of the sciences, particularly y; and, during a sojourn of six weeks in the Hartz Forest, she visited the deepest mines, in the common habit of a labourer, and exa talents becoeneral topic of conversation, she was proposed, by the great Orientalist Michaelis, as a proper subject for academical honours The Philosophical Faculty, of which the Professor was Dean, was deemed the fittest; and a day was fixed for her examination, in presence of all the Professors She was introduced by Michaelis hihest seat Several questions were first proposed to her in mathematics; all of which she answered to satisfaction After this, she gave a free translation of the thirty-seventh Ode of the first Book of Horace, and explained it She was then examined in various branches of art and science, when she displayed a thorough knowledge of the subjects The exaree of Doctor of Philosophy was unanimously conferred upon her, and she was croith a wreath of laurel by Fraulein Michaelis, at the request of the Professors

A HARD HIT AT POPE