1832.] Affairs in General. 587 



Ettrick Shepherd, to his beloved ' Mary.' The Cholera has been long 

 enough with us to be placed upon a friendly footing. The disease, as it 

 has been called par excellence, is evidently an ardent ameliorator of the 

 condition of the poor a sort of Indian Howard, whose efforts, since his 

 arrival in this country, have been unremittingly devoted to the improving 

 the condition of the poor by passing them as speedily as possible to a 

 more charitable country. 



To supply this deficiency in our menagerie, we are indebted to George 

 Bennet, the surgeon, who has introduced another Lion in the shape of an 

 interesting Repuan child. It is almost unnecessary to observe that Clara 

 (the name of the girl) is the first of her race who has ever visited our 

 shores. A portrait of the lady illustrates Mr. Bennet's memoir, and we 

 must candidly say, that a mouth more adapted to the reception and mas- 

 tication of human flesh we have never beheld ; for we blush, to say, Clara 

 is a true stickler for the ancient monarchical right of her ancestors 

 cannibalism ! The interesting Clara entertains, says Mr. Bennet, when 

 brought into society, the spirit of her native independence. We know not 

 in what sense these words can be taken, but we would in all diffi- 

 dence suggest to Mr. Bennet the propriety of continually supplying the 

 young lady with a reasonable quantity of food. It may be expedient to 

 avoid all those Public Fasts, called conversazzioni. Clara certainly con- 

 ducted herself with propriety and moderation at a soiree at the Royal 

 Institution. Nevertheless, we would impress upon all who may chance 

 to be in the vicinity of Clara, the necessity of being cautious 5 for old pre- 

 judices and habits are more frequently deadened for a time, than entirely 

 eradicated. 



THE SECOND READING. Earl Grey has at last proved, triumphantly 

 we presume it must be called, the correctness of his calculations, though 

 at the cost of more intense and mischievous anxiety to the country, than 

 any minister, probably, ever before chose to incur the odium of, upon his 

 single responsibility, or without stronger and more statesmanlike reasons 

 than any that are discoverable in Lord Grey's anti-creation code of error. 

 He has carried the Second Reading of the Bill by an illustrious majority 

 of Nine. He has escaped destruction, as if by the strength of what was 

 considered in the Minister's younger days a magical number ; but the 

 people have lost all faith in magic, and would rather have an unlucky 

 number of a higher amount one that might be more likely to carry their 

 measure unmutilated through the Committee. Up to this point Lord 

 Grey has unquestionably triumphed. He refused to comply with the 

 unanimous call of the country for a new creation of Peers ; he per- 

 severingly resisted the demand for a bridge over the stream, though he 

 admitted the current to be strong, and the passage perilous j he de- 

 termined upon leaping it, and has miraculously escaped without loss of 

 life : he can just enjoy the reflection that he was not drowned in 

 the attempt. But is he yet out of danger, on the shelving bank which he 

 has gained, surrounded as he is by fords, shallows, quicksands, rocks, reefs, 

 breakers-a-head, and other unnameable inconveniences and impediments ? 

 Will he yet make good his passage, without resorting, after all, to the 

 measure of expediency which, with such devoted affection for the dignity 

 of his order, and such impenetrable deafness to the demands of those 

 whose stake is in his hands, he still confidently and consistently declines ? 



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