NOTES OF THE MONTH. 223 



the point he had laboured to establish, that Jews had actually pene- 

 trated as far as Timbuctoo ! The consequence was obvious : after such 

 material facts had been elicited, how could any doubt exist as to the 

 expediency of granting privileges to men who had actually taken pri- 

 vileges which no Christian, with the fear of the tomahawk before his 

 eyes, dare aspire to ? How could relief be granted with propriety, to 

 a class possessing such vicious propensities to travel that had dis- 

 graced themselves by penetrating such a mysterious country as that 

 beyond Timbuctoo ! Besides, if perchance some interesting Hebrew 

 were returned to the house, to watch over the monied interests of 

 the people, what security has an hon. member, that he might not rub 

 against that arch-prince of travellers, the " Wandering Jew," and 

 thus acquire an itch for travelling which might disqualify him for 

 the senate. No : the bill ought not to pass. Forbid it, shades of 

 Clapperton and Bruce ! 



An enlightened member of the house, y'clept Mr. A. Johnstone, 

 very significantly remarked ; " Before the House admitted Jews to the 

 privileges of Christians, they should cease to be Jews, and become 

 Christians! " This was no doubt very good advice, only the hon. 

 gent, forgot to explain by what ingenious process they could admit 

 Jews to privileges, who had ceased to be Jews ! We suspect this was 

 some sly stroke of wit, which we cannot comprehend. The House, 

 as usual, when any thing capital is said, which they do not under- 

 stand, " roared!" 



RUSTIC READING. A stranger perambulating London and its 

 vicinity, would fancy that our aristocracy were by no means confined 

 to one quarter of the town, and that they were likewise much more 

 numerous than is acknowledged. He would be led into this er- 

 ror by the extraordinary number of hatchments visible in all parts. 

 The fact is, that in England there are 110 bounds to the conceit of 

 wealth. People possessed of competence fancy that the first step to ' 

 gentility consists in apeing the folly of their superiors ; so that if a 

 wealthy pawnbroker is summoned to meet his Redeemer, instead of 

 covering the three balls with black crape, his inconsolable family 

 forthwith plaster against his box at the outskirts, sundry figures of 

 hobgoblins, to denote the rank of the illustrious deceased. A funny 

 specimen of ignorance in these matters occurred a few weeks ago at 

 Stamford. Two country fellows were going home from market, when 

 the attention of one was attracted by something unusual at the road- 

 side. " I say, Bill/' said he to his companion, "I'll be hanged if 

 there be'nt a new public house what's the sign ? " " Summut like a 

 Bull's Yead, I think," said the other ; (l and there's the name under- 

 neath ; I never heard of it in these parts afore, let's go and try their 

 tap." Up went the silly yokels to the house, through a garden in 

 front, and finding the door shut, they very unceremoniously saluted 

 it with a thundering knock. It was as quickly opened by a servant 

 in black, with his head powdered as white as a cauliflower. " Why, 

 Bill," exclaimed one of our bumpkins at this apparition, " if this 'ere 

 beant therummest chap of a waiter as ever I seed !" So, seating him- 

 self in a chair, and looking about him, he said to the servant, " I say, 



