282 Notes for the Month. [SEPT. 



is some fraud in the matter, or something more than he understands 

 walks off for a considerable time, refusing to deal with it again. 



From great matters, descending to small we have received several 

 letters from " Sedentary young men," in the course of the lost month, 

 complaining of our strictures upon the practice and science of "gymnas- 

 tics." These "sedentary persons" who, from their mode of entitling 

 themselves, we suppose must he tailors mistake our meaning. We have 

 not the slightest objection to their taking "active exercise;" on the con- 

 trary we think it particularly right that they should do so ; all we object 

 to is their thinking it necessary to make a fuss about it calling all the 

 world to take notice, every time they go to jump over (instead of on to) the 

 shop board. Now these struttings and Growings are objectionable, because 

 they are superfluous. It is not the act of climbing a maypole after a leg of 

 mutton that one would castigate ; or the playing at hop, step, and jump, 

 for farthings or even sixpences ; but when these simple diversions are 

 erected into "sciences," and gentlemen talk of becoming " Professors" of, 

 and " giving lessons" in them, then every one must feel that a little whip- 

 ping and stripping becomes essential. The most useful art may be rendered 

 offensive by obtrusiveness and affectation. No one would complain of a 

 " sedentary young man" who sharpened his sheers when he was going to 

 cut out a pair of trowsers ; but if he were to keep sharpening them all day 

 long, out of window, and calling the passengers to look at the sharpening 

 as a " new exercise," the foreman of the shop would do no more than 

 justice, if he knocked him down with the goose for his pains. 



The difference of literary taste between the English and the French, 

 is hardly any where better exemplified than in the columns of their 

 daily newspapers. The plain, dry, slang-like, half technical, descriptions 

 of ordinary accidents and events contained in our London journals, are so 

 strongly opposed to the Ossianic accounts of the continent ; where every 

 street squabble becomes a tremendous riot, and a suspicion of a chim- 

 ney on fire, an actual conflagration. The following paragraph, from the 

 Courier Francais of the 12th ult, is a good example of such poetic taste 

 in reporting : 



" We have the following letter from Lyons, of the 10th of August, eight p. m. : 

 * A thick column of smoke announces at a distance a vast fire ! It has broken 

 out in the house of M. Berthet, manufacturer of wooden shoes, at the extremity 

 of the slaughter-houses of St. Paul. The building is not high ; the combustibles 

 in it are said to be increased by a large quantity of wooden shoes ! The sky is 

 all on fire, and the sparks which cover the horizon look like fire-works ! Several 

 ecclesiastics are observed to be very active in assisting to extinguish the flames. 

 Two women are said to be severely wounded. 



' Eleven p. m. The fire has gained the neighbouring houses, and particularly 

 the lofts of the slaughter-houses, which contain a great quantity of raw hides and 

 tallow ! This has added to the intensity of the fire, and spreads an intolerable 

 stench throughout the quarter ! It is hoped, however, that by judicious measures 

 the fire may "be confined within a certain space," &c. &c. 



Tho Report of the Committee of the House of Commons on the sub- 

 ject of " Criminal Commitments and Convictions," gives the following 

 enormous increase of crime in England as having arisen within the 

 last twenty years. In the year 1804, it appears that the number of per- 

 sons committed for trial in England and Wales, was 4,346. In 1816, it 

 had advanced to 9,091. In the last year, 1826, it had risen to 16,147: 

 having rather more than doubled itself in the first twelve years of the 

 account, and very nearly doubled itself again in tho last ton. 



