NOTES FROM THE DIAltY OF A SUB-EDITOR. 491 



comes for doing next to nothing ; but will trouble themselves to insult 

 persons, whom they are no more able to appreciate, than they are willing 

 to enforce, by example, those precepts they are so enormously over-paid 

 for teaching. 



Civic LORE. From a late return of the expenses incurred by the 

 City of London in supporting the pomp and dignity of its Mayors, it 

 appears that no less a sum than twenty-five thousand, several hundred, 

 and odd pounds, has been for some years past the average cost. Among 

 the many items forming this aggregate, there is one of peculiar im- 

 port, as indicating the literary learning of the first magistrates of the 

 first city in this first of worlds ; it is a modest charge of 14. ISs. '3d. 

 -no more,- for the annual replenishment of the Mansion- House " Li- 

 brary !" Who, after this, shall deny the combination of intelligence 

 with economy, amongst the highest of civic functionaries ? Fifteen 

 pounds, less one and nine-pence, per annum, for supplying a chief magis- 

 trate of the city of London in this book-making age with all the cur- 

 rent lore requisite for the performance of such ever- varying duties, poli- 

 tical and justiciary ; and with all the literary relaxations, to boot, after 

 the official labours of his 313 days ! Prodigious ! It would be worth 

 half the money or more to know on what publications the outlay was 

 made. If a Lord Mayor requires no greater sum for such a purpose, 

 how severe and extensive must be his mental culture previous to the 

 assumption of his enormous posers ! There is something about the peer- 

 age, whether corporate or parliamentary, which baffles ignoble compre- 

 hensions. 



SPORTING RECORDS. The narrative of a day's sport in India has 

 been running the rounds of the newspapers, and must have raised a 

 blush of shame in many a cheek this season. The writer speaks of 

 " bagging eleven elephants" with as much cool indifference as though 

 they had been so many speckled partridges; and in the same anti- 

 grandiloquent strain, mentions, incidentally, the fact of one animal 

 having received in his skull the contents of six double-barrelled guns 

 (shotted seven to the pound !), and then trotting off with a slight head- 

 ache! else had twelve been bagged. Truly, this is something like sport. 

 We may expect to hear next of some fine fellow netting a few brace of 

 whales and krakens, as an anti-prandium fishing exploit. The world is 

 in a strange age. 



AGITATION. To Mr. O'Connell is due whatever merit there may 

 be for originating the " agitation" policy. His mere support of most 

 measures, however excellent, abstractedly considered, they are, is 

 generally an all-sufficient apology for the hereditaries to reject them : 

 one scheme, at least, appears worthy of their approval, and its excellence 

 is actually vouched by their personal adoption of it missionary agita- 

 tion. Whilst the Liberator has been following his vocation in the north, 

 other great luminaries have simultaneously made their appearance as 

 prime movers, each after the fashion of his separate office. Boanerges 



