* *

THE CURSE OF SCOTLAND.

The origin of the nine of diamonds being called the Curse of Scotland
is not generally known. It arose from the following circumstance:--The
night before the battle of Culloden, the Duke of Cumberland thought
proper to send orders to General Campbell not to give quarter; and this
order being despatched in much haste, was written on a card. This card
happened to be the nine of diamonds, from which circumstance it got the
appellation above named.

W.M.

* * * * *

POLITICAL PUNS.

Among the many expedients resorted to by the depressed party in a state
to indulge their sentiments safely, and probably at the same time,
according to situation, to sound those of their companions, puns and
other quibbles have been of notable service. The following is worthy of
notice:--The cavaliers during Cromwell's usurpation, usually put a crumb
of bread into a glass of wine, and before they drank it, would exclaim
with cautious ambiguity, "God send this Crum well down!" A royalist
divine also, during the Protectorate, did not scruple to quibble in the
following prayer, which he was accustomed to deliver:--"O Lord, who
hast put a sword into the hand of thy servant, Oliver, _put it into his
heart_ ALSO--to do according to thy word." He would drop his voice at
the word also, and, after a significant pause, repeat the concluding
sentence in an under tone.

W.M.

_Erratum_ at page 306.--For _Hemiptetera_ read HEMIPTERA.

* * * * *

ANNUALS FOR 1830.

With No. 398 was published a SUPPLEMENT, containing the first portion of
the SPIRIT OF THE ANNUALS, with a splendid Engraving of the CITY OF
VERONA, and Notices of the _Gem_, _Literary Souvenir_, _Friendship's
Offering_, and _Amulet_.

* * * * *

LIMBIRD'S EDITION OF THE
_Following Novels is already Published:_

s. d.
Mackenzie's Man of Feeling 0 6
Paul and Virginia 0 6
The Castle of Otranto 0 6
Almoran and Hamet 0 6
Elizabeth, or the Exiles of Siberia 0 6
The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne 0 6
Rasselas 0 8
The Old English Baron 0 8
Nature and Art 0 8
Goldsmith's Vicar of Wakefield 0 10
Sici