esent in
this kingdom, to wit, the military cap, the collegiate cap, and the
night-cap. Observe, reader, I said _kinds_, that is to say in
scientific language _genera_--for the _species_ and varieties are
numerous, especially in the former genus.

"I am not a soldier, and having long been weaned from Alma Mater,
of course have left off my college cap. The gentlemen of the hunt
would object to my going out with bells on; it would be likely to
frighten their horses; and were I to attempt it, it might involve
me in unpleasant disputes. To my travelling cap the bells would be
an inconvenient appendage; nor would they be a whit more
comfortable upon my night cap. Besides, my wife might object to
them. It follows that if I would wear a cap and bells, I must have
a cap made on purpose. But this would be rendering myself singular;
and of all things, a wise man will avoid ostentatious appearance of
singularity. Now I am certainly not singular in playing the fool
without one."

There is much in the style of the "Doctor," which reminds us of Sterne.
He was evidently a favourite author with Southey, who speaking of his
Sermons says, "You often see him tottering on the verge of laughter, and
ready to throw his periwig in the face of the audience." Perhaps from
him he acquired his love for tricks of form and typographical surprises.
He introduces what he calls interchapters. "Leap chapters they cannot
properly be called, and if we were to call them 'Ha-has' as being
chapters, which the reader may skip if he likes, the name would appear
rather strange than significant."

He sometimes introduces a chapter without any heading in the following
way--

"Sir," says the Compositor to the Corrector of the Press "there is
no heading for the copy for this chapter. What must I do?"

"Leave a space for it," the Corrector replies. "It is a strange
sort of book, but I dare say the author has a reason for everything
he says or does, and most likely you will find out his meaning as
you set up."

Chapter lxxxviii begins--"While I was writing that last chapter a flea
appeared upon the page before me, as there once did to St. Dominic." He
proceeds to say that his flea was a flea of flea-flesh, but that St.
Dominic's was the devil.

Southey was particularly fond of acoustic humour. He represents
Wilberforce as saying of the unknown autho