342 Note* of the Month on [MARCH, 



awakens parliamentary associations. This prolific specimen of the plant 

 forcibly reminds us of Mr. Croker. He is " a potato of the red kidney 

 sort." Somebody planted him in parliament and how he has grown ! 

 He immediately shot into a politician of a sixty-potato power ; came out 

 the next session as big as three bushels; and during his Admiralty- 

 secretaryship swelled at least into the size of 168 sacks. The chroni- 

 cler of the above in stating the quantity has forgotten to record the 

 quality of the potatoes thus marvellously propagated ; we suspect them 

 to be of a very inferior order. If so, here is more affinity. That the 

 parallel might still hold good, we should like to have a calculation, 

 according to Mr. Cobbett's theory, as to the extent of physical mischief 

 that has sprung from this one potato ; and a like estimate of the amount 

 of moral mischief, occasioned by the planting of a single Croker in the 

 field of politics. 



BOOKWORMS AND BIBLIOPOLES. We are continually scandalized by 

 the squabbles of authors and booksellers. The first accuse the others 

 of living luxuriously upon the produce of their wit ; while the book- 

 sellers retort, that the wit they speak of, is principally employed in pick- 

 ing their pockets. The two orders never think alike. They agree in 

 nothing but in robbing the public. The author calls the bookseller 

 grinding and selfish ; declaring the scanty pittance he receives, scarcely 

 pays the rent of his back room, 4th floor, and never allows him a full 

 meal. The Bibliopole triumphantly replies, " You rogue j are we not 

 the patrons, the Mecaenas's of literature ? Did we not bring your works 

 to light, would you not starve altogether ? As to full meals, we know 

 your interest better slender fare makes a man thoughtful, and attics 

 are proverbial for sharpening the wit/' There is some reason in this ; 

 and after all, the booksellers must be the best judges. Their opinion on 

 diet we should recommend before that of Dr. Paris. An anecdote is 

 going the round of the literary circles, against one of these worthy 

 <c patrons and Mecaenas's of literature," who dwelt not long since in the 

 vicinity of Temple-bar the city side of course. He had the proud dis- 

 tinction of introducing literary medical practitioners to the public by 

 vending their books. He would often say, in his own witty way, that, 

 (C he was drugged in more ways than one." It was so good a joke, that 

 it lasted him longer than his shop. One day, a physician alighted from 

 his carriage, and entering this emporium of physical learning, inquired 

 of its sleek-faced master, " whether he had a copy of Heberden's Com- 

 mentaries ?" " No, Sir ;" replied the man of letters, " but we have 

 Caesar's Commentaries, and they are by far the best." 



LORDS AT THE LIFE OFFICE. A paragraph appeared a few weeks 

 ago in the Court Circular, which has escaped the observation of our 

 contemporaries. It is an important paragraph though in the Court 

 Circular and we here copy it. 



" Mr. George Farren, director of the Asylum Life Office, had the honour of an 

 audience of the King to present to his Majesty a work entitled ' Observations on 

 the Expectation of Life and the average duration of the occupancy of title by the 

 Peers of Great Britain.' " 



Next to knowing what his Majesty's reflections were on reading such 

 a work, we should enjoy a glance at it ourselves. " Expectation of 

 life/' and the " average duration of the occupancy of title/' as applied to 



