DXLVIII.--VERSE AND WORSE.

AMONG a company of cheerful Irishmen, in the neighborhood of St. Giles,
it was proposed by the host to make a gift of a couple of fowls to him
that, off-hand, should write six lines in poetry of his own composing.
Several of the merry crew attempted unsuccessfully to gain the prize. At
length the _wittiest_ among them thus ended the contest:--

"Good friends, as I'm to make a po'm,
Excuse me, if I just step home;
Two lines already!--be not cru'l,
Consider, honeys,--I'm a fool.
There's four lines!--now I'll gain the fowls,
With which I soon shall fill my bow'ls."

DXLIX.--THE IRON DUKE.

IT is said the Duke of Wellington bought a book of the "Hunchback" at
Covent Garden Theatre, for which he gave a pound in gold, refusing to
receive the difference. His Grace seemed very ready to sacrifice a
_sovereign_, which he probably would have done had he at the time
refused to take _no change_. The Reform Bill was under consideration.

DL.--CLEAR THE COURT.

AN Irish crier at Ballinasloe being ordered to clear the court, did so
by this announcement: "Now, then, all ye _blackguards_ that isn't
_lawyers_, must lave the coort."

DLI--SCOTCH CAUTION.

AN old shoemaker in Glasgow was sitting by the bedside of his wife, who
was dying. She took him by the hand. "Weel, John, we're gawin to part. I
hae been a gude wife to you, John."--"O, just middling, just middling,
Jenny," said John, not disposed to commit himself. "John," says she, "ye
maun promise to bury me in the auld kirk-yard at Stra'von beside my
mither. I couldna rest in peace among unco folk, in the dirt and smoke
o' Glasgow."--"Weel, weel, Jenny, my woman," said John soothingly,
"we'll just pit you in the Gorbals _first_, and gin ye dinna lie quiet,
we'll try you sine in Stra'von."

DLII.--WALPOLIANA.

SIR CHARLES WAGER always said, "that if a sea-fight lasted three days,
he was sure the English suffered the most for the two first, for no
other nation would stand _beating_ for two days together."

Yesterday we had another hearing of the petition of the merchants, when
Sir Robert Godschall (then Lord Mayor) shone brighter than even his
usual. There was a copy of a letter produced, the original being lost;
he asked whether the copy had been taken _before_ the original was lost,
or _after_!

This gold-chain came into parliament, cried up for his parts, but proves
s