antiquity
than of ale. It happened that the kitchen where he and his companion
were sitting was neatly paved with sheep's trotters disposed in various
compartments. After one pipe, Mr. Hearne, consistently with his usual
gravity and sobriety, rose to depart; but his friend, who was inclined
to enjoy more of his company, artfully observed, that the floor on which
they were then sitting was no less than an original tesselated Roman
pavement. Out of respect to classic ground, and on recollection that
the Stunsfield Roman pavement, on which he had just published a
dissertation, was dedicated to Bacchus, our antiquary cheerfully
complied; an enthusiastic transport seized his imagination; he fell on
his knees and kissed the sacred earth, on which, in a few hours, and
after a few tankards, by a sort of sympathetic attraction, he was
obliged to repose for some part of the evening. His friend was,
probably, in the same condition; but two printers accidentally coming
in, conducted Mr. Hearne, between them, to Edmund's Hall, with much
state and solemnity."

* * * * *

SHERIDAN'S WIT.

Sheridan's wit was eminently brilliant, and almost always successful; it
was, like all his speaking, exceedingly prepared, but it was skilfully
introduced and happily applied; and it was well mingled, also, with
humour, occasionally descending to farce. How little it was the
inspiration of the moment all men were aware who knew his habits; but a
singular proof of this was presented to Mr. Moore, when he came to write
his life; for we there find given to the world, with a frankness which
must have almost made their author shake in his grave, the secret
note-books of this famous wit; and are thus enabled to trace the jokes,
in embryo, with which he had so often made the walls of St. Stephen's
shake, in a merriment excited by the happy appearance of sudden
unpremeditated effusion.--_Lord Brougham._

Take an instance from this author, giving extracts from the common-place
book of the wit:--"He employs his fancy in his narrative, and keeps his
recollections for his wit." Again, the same idea is expanded into "When
he makes his jokes, you applaud the accuracy of his memory, and 'tis
only when he states his facts that you admire the flights of his
imagination." But the thought was too good to be thus wasted on the
desert air of a common-place book. So, forth it came, at the expense of
Kelly, who, having been a composer