acket and
white pantaloons; and the principal figure turning round, the boy
announced that he wanted his arm, as was the case with Felix's brother.
The ceremony was repeated fourteen times; successfully in twelve
instances, and in two it failed from non-appearance of the seven banners
in the first instance. The apparent frankness of the operator was not
the least surprising part of the affair. He made no mystery, said he
possessed this power by inheritance, as a family gift; yet that he could
teach it, and was willing to do so, for no enormous sum--nay, one which
seemed very moderate. I think two gentlemen embraced the offer. One of
them is dead and the other still abroad. The sage also took a price for
the exhibition of his skill, but it was a moderate one, being regulated
by the extent of the perfumes consumed in the ceremony.

There remains much more to ask I understood the witnesses do not like to
bother about, which is very natural. One would like to know a little
more of the Sultan, of the care taken to secure the fidelity of the boy
who was the viewer and on whom so much depended; whether another sage
practising the same feat, as it was said to be hereditary, was ever
known to practise in the city. The truth of a story irreconcilable with
the common course of nature must depend on cross-examination. If we
should find, while at Malta, that we had an opportunity of expiscating
this matter, though at the expense of a voyage to Alexandria, it would
hardly deter me.[473] The girls go to the Chapel Royal this morning at
St. James's. A visit from the Honourable John Forbes, son of my old and
early friend Lord Forbes, who is our fellow-passenger. The ship expects
presently to go to sea. I was very glad to see this young officer and
to hear his news. Drummond and I have been Mends from our infancy.

_October_ 17.--The morning beautiful. To-day I go to look after the
transcripts in the Museum and have a card to see a set of chessmen[474]
thrown up by the sea on the coast of Scotland, which were offered to
sale for L100. The King, Queen, Knights, etc., were in the costume of
the 14th century, the substance ivory or rather the tusk of the morse,
somewhat injured by the salt water in which they had been immersed for
some time.

Sir John Malcolm told us a story about Garrick and his wife. The lady
admired her husband greatly, but blamed him for a taste for low life,
and insisted that he loved better to play Scrub to a low-li