atler_, No. 158), who stuffed
four chambers in Gray's Inn so full, that his bed was removed into the
passage. John Day, the famous early printer, lived "over Aldersgate."

* * * * *

RECONCILING THE FATHERS.

A Dean of Gloucester having some merry divines at dinner with him one
day, amongst other discourses they were talking of reconciling the
Fathers on some points; he told them he could show them the best way
in the world to reconcile them on all points of difference; so, after
dinner, he carried them into his study, and showed them all the Fathers,
classically ordered, with a quart of sack betwixt each of them.

* * * * *

DR. PARR AND SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH.

Sir James once asked Dr. Parr to join him in a drive in his gig. The
horse growing restive--"Gently, Jemmy," the Doctor said; "don't irritate
him; always soothe your horse, Jemmy. You'll do better without me. Let
me down, Jemmy!" But once safe on the ground--"Now, Jemmy," said the
Doctor, "touch him up. Never let a horse get the better of you. Touch
him up, conquer him, do not spare him. And now I'll leave you to manage
him; I'll walk back."

* * * * *

SIR JAMES MACKINTOSH'S HUMOUR.

Sir James Mackintosh had a great deal of humour; and, among many other
examples of it, he kept a dinner-party at his own house for two or three
hours in a roar of laughter, playing upon the simplicity of a Scotch
cousin, who had mistaken the Rev. Sydney Smith for his gallant synonym,
the hero of Acre.

* * * * *

WRITINGS OF LOPE DE VEGA.

The number of Lope de Vega's works has been strangely exaggerated by
some, but by others reduced to about one-sixth of the usual statement.
Upon this computation it will be found that some of his contemporaries
were as prolific as himself. Vincent Mariner, a friend of Lope, left
behind him 360 quires of paper full of his own compositions, in a
writing so exceedingly small, and so exceedingly bad, that no person
but himself could read it. Lord Holland has given a facsimile of Lope's
handwriting, and though it cannot be compared to that of a dramatist of
late times, one of whose plays, in the original manuscript, is said to
be a sufficient load for a porter, it is evident that one of Mariner's
pages would contain as much as a sheet of his friend's, which would, as
nearly as possible, balance the sum total