1828.] Notes for the Month. 285 



field (now covered with buildings) between Sadler's- wells and Gray's- 

 inn-lane ; where he would meet a gentleman, who would ask him " If 

 he knew what o'clock it was ?" and by that token, he should know the 

 party with whom he was r to deal. The loser of the watch went to the 

 spot alone, in the manner and at the time appointed; and found a well- 

 dressed man, wrapped in a great coat, who asked, " What o'clock it 

 was ?" and, on being answered, " That all was right," he inquired if the 

 visitor had brought the 10/. ? which was delivered, and the watch 

 returned. The moment the property was restored, the stranger drew out 

 a pistol! But it was only a coup de theatre : the compounder, who 

 concluded he had added just 10/. to his original loss (besides the chance 

 of parting with his hat and wig into the bargain) was agreeably disap- 

 pointed. " You see," said the ' squire of the night's body/ " that I 

 could have both the watch and the ten pounds if I pleased ; but do not 

 be alarmed ; that is not my intention. I only wished to convince you, 

 in case any farther transactions should arise between us, that gentlemen 

 of my profession may be relied on." There is no " virtue" in this, any 

 more than the virtue of perceiving that "honesty" is a convention 

 without which men cannot get on. But it is whimsical to find profes- 

 sional thieves impressed with this conviction, and acting upon it. 



An American writer upon electricity (Dr. Hare), in replying to a com- 

 plaint of the frequent non-effectiveness of lightning-conductors, suggests, 

 that the cause of the occasional failure of these instruments, is the fact, 

 that they generally terminate in an imperfect or improper medium : be- 

 ing plunged, as they almost invariably are, into the earth, which is a very 

 imperfect conductor of electric fluid, they present very little more at- 

 traction to the lightning than the earth would do itself. For example, 

 as an ultra position, a metallic rod (or conductor), the lower end of which 

 terminated in a mass of pounded glass, would have scarcely any more 

 efficacy against danger by lightning than a rod composed of glass alto-, 

 gether. To obviate this objection, Dr. Hare proposes, that the electric 

 rods in cities for instance, London should be made to terminate under 

 the earth, " in a connection with the iron pipes by which the city is 

 watered." How far such an arrangement would be pleasant to the in- 

 habitants, or how far the New River Company would be justified in lay- 

 ing on lightning (every time it thundered), to the houses of their cus- 

 tomers, as well as water, does not appear to have been considered : but, 

 we trust, sufficient care will be taken (when the hint is acted upon) that 

 the connection is not carried, by any mistake, to the gas pipes, instead of 

 those for water or else the fire of London would be but as an apple 

 roasting to the general conflagration that might be expected on the 

 first occasion of stormy weather ! The arrangement would not be 

 unpleasant, if care could be taken that the communication were strictly 

 confined to the pipes for water. It would be comical to have one's house*, 

 maid electrified, gratis, every time she went to fill a tea-kettle ; or to 

 see the " turncock/' always, about March and April, knocked thirty 

 yards backwards, whenever he put his " key" into a plug-hole. A 

 lamplighter canted into the air, ladder and all, as he applied his torch to 

 produce illumination, would be comical, in the event of a communication 

 to the " gas /' but we imitate, at humble distance, the example of 

 Crabbe ; and are never disposed to countenance a jest however excel- 

 lent attended with pain to any individual. 



" Errors of the Press" we mean the genuine ".errata" printer*? 



