ng to the purpose.

There is, perhaps, hardly any mind wherein the tremendous roar of 1,076
guns, the smallest of which are 32 pounders, and the largest throw 68
lb. shot and 84 lb. shells, would not excite some degree of emotion of
some sort.

The boom of each Brobdignagian piece of ordnance inspired me with a sum
in mental arithmetic, which the immediate thunder of another explosion
prevented me from carrying out with strict accuracy. The problem,
however, was simple enough. So much noise, so much gunpowder, so much
money. So much money; so much taxation. The scene--of smoke chiefly--was
too sublime; the noise was too overwhelming; perhaps I had also drunk
too much brandy and water: to admit of my COCKERING myself in exact
calculation; but I ciphered roughly in a mental soliloquy, thus:--

Bang! There goes the Income Tax. Bang! That's the Succession Duty. Bang!
Bang! That's the Stamp and Paper Duties. Bang! Bang! Bang! There's the
Assessed Taxes. Bom! the Malt Tax. Pop! the Wine Duties. Pop-pop-pop!
The rest of the Taxes on Consumption.

All this money gone in fire and smoke? Not so--the greater part of it,
doubtless in national defence and Peace Assurance; but is it not just
possible that a rather enthusiastic nation may get a little too fond--as
it has been ere now--of gunpowder and artillery; a little too prone, if
it does not take care--no disparagement to Chobham Camps and Spithead
Reviews--to amuse itself by playing at soldiers and sailors.

Of course it is necessary, to a certain extent, to discharge small arms
and to fire broadsides at nothing. But yet, "amid the joy and the
uproar" of these imposing high jinks, it may be a useful exercise for
the mind of the spectator, if not too much clouded by powder smoke, or
other fumes, to count the cost of the cartridges, and compute the
dimensions of the hole which they blow in our pocket.

* * * * *

PARLIAMENTARY BULLETIN.

It is useless to affect any further disguise with respect to the
condition of an Illustrious Body; or to the human certainty, almost, of
that melancholy event which nothing but some unlooked for occurrence, or
inconceivable change in the Constitution, can now protract above a few
days. The following Bulletin was issued this morning:--

"_St. Stephen's, August 18, 1853._

"Parliament has passed a very unfavourable night; for the most part
in a state of extreme prostration: dozing heavily at interval