Chamber in which Lord
ESLINGTON once had a place, chanced to hear this question. Delighted
with it. Wished he could introduce something of that sort in House of
Lords. Went about Lobby with his faithful umbrella (companion of his
daily life, wet or shine) murmuring the musical phrases. "Recognised and
established regulations," "afford pastime to large masses of industrious
population," "unable from pecuniary circumstances," "the more expensive
forms of sport." That all very well, but not quite all. Easy enough to
catch the trick of speech; who but JEMMY LOWTHER can add the indefinable
personal gifts which invest even the commonplace with impressiveness?

_Business done._--Lots. Ministers bring in Bills by the half-dozen.

[Illustration: Earl and Umbrella.]

_Friday._--Such _alouettes_! SAGE OF QUEEN ANNE'S GATE, who can't abear
scandals, brought on alleged iniquity of Government in connection with
Cleveland Street affair. Got off his speech; ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied;
then SAGE proposed to offer few supplementary remarks. In course of
these appeared frank declaration of his private opinion that everything
the MARKISS says must be taken _cum grano Salis_-BURY; only the way he
put it was much worse than that. COURTNEY asked him to withdraw.
"Shan't!" said the SAGE. Then COURTNEY named him (calling him, by the
way, "Mr. HENRY LABOUCHERE.") OLD MORALITY, rising to height of duty and
occasion, moved that SAGE be suspended.

"Oh, hang it!" cried Opposition--"can't agree to that."

Divided on proposal; beaten, and SAGE hung up for a week. "He'll be
pretty well dried by that time," grimly muttered the ATTORNEY-GENERAL,
whom the SAGE had stroked the wrong way.

_Business done._--Vote on Account agreed to.

[Illustration: Grand Historical Picture. Mr. Labouchere struggling with
his Conscience.]

* * * * *

"A DOSE OF GREGORY."

It is some time since I have tasted a dramatic mixture so much to my
liking as Mr. GRUNDY'S Gregory's Mixture, known to the public, and
likely to be highly popular with the public too, as _A Pair of
Spectacles_. Art more refined than Mr. HARE'S, as _Benjamin Goldfinch_
in this piece, has not been seen on the stage for many a long day; nor,
except in _A Quiet Rubber_, do I remember Mr. HARE having had anything
like this particular chance of displaying his rare skill as a genuine
comedian of the very first rank.

[Illustration: The Ruffled Hare. "This is your umbrel