344 CRITICAL NOTICES OF NEW PUBLICATIONS. 



and decorated with the most tawdry ornaments, like a chimney-sweeper 

 on May- day. The editor of a country paper cannot be always present in 

 every town, village, and hamlet, through which his paper circulates ; but 

 he has generally in every place some gratuitous correspondent, — not a 

 penny-a-line man, but an amateur writer, who is more than paid for his 

 trouble by seeing his own composition in print. Now if the editor be an 

 elegant writer, dehghting to see the English language attitudinising in 

 his paper, like a Harlequin and Columbine in a plumber's shop- window, 

 the correspondents of the paper will be ten times more eloquent than the 

 editor himself. 



'* A baronet's son comes of age, and the baronet gives an entertain- 

 ment on the occasion. The tenants and villagers dine and dance in the 

 park ; the baronet's friends dine and dance in the house ; and here fol- 

 lows an account of the festivity : — 



** On Wednesday last the village of Little Dribbleton was a scene of 

 gaiety and festivity, reminding us of olden times, when baronial splen- 

 dour and hospitality were at their meridian acme of glory. On that day 

 the eldest son and heir of Sir Matthew Mugg, Bart, came of age and in 

 order to commemorate so grand and imposing an epoch, the worthy baronet 

 with his accustomed liberality resolved on giving a splendid fete. Most 

 felicitously fortunately the fineness of the day was favourably propitious 

 to the hilarity of the festival. As soon as the bright Phcebus showed his 

 unclouded face over the eastern hills, the bells of the village church 

 struck up a merry peal, a splendid silk flag bearing the armorial bearings 

 of the Mugg family was elevated on the church steeple, which waved 

 gracefully to the gentle breezes of iEolus, and all the lads and lasses of 

 the village were seen tripping across the plain in their holiday attire. At 

 one o'clock a dinner was set out in the park for the tenants and inhabit- 

 ants of Little Dribbleton, which consisted of the most liberal supply of 

 the good old English fare, roast beef and plum pudding, while rivers of 

 home brewed ale were liberally supplied to wash down these substantial 

 viands ; and the condescension of Lady Mugg, who actually ate a piece 

 of the plum pudding, provoked the loudest plaudits from the assembled 

 multitude. When the guests had discussed their dinner, they proceeded 

 to their sports in the park, which were ably managed and skilfully arrang- 

 ed under the highly talented superintendence of Mr. Hogsflesh, the 

 landlord of the Crown and Pigstye. The sports consisted of donkey- 

 racing, pig-hunting, jumping in sacks, grinning through a horse collar, 

 running for a chemise, and such like manly sports, which were wont in 

 the olden time to invigorate the frame, and to make Britain the pride and 

 envy of surrounding nations. The racing of asinine quadrupeds afforded 

 most excellent sport, and the prize, which consisted of half a Cheshire 

 cheese, was carried off in triumph by young Joe Mumps, son of the cele- 

 brated cricket player of that name ; and, singular it is to relate, but such 

 is the fact, that Peggy Mumps, his sister, was victress in the chemise 

 race, so that two prizes went into one family. Dancing also was provi- 

 ded for such as loved that graceful recreation, and many of the lads and 

 lasses of Little Dribbleton were tripping it on the light fantastic toe till 

 such time as the beautiful queen of night, in her silver car, the chaste 

 Dian, sister to the bright-eyed Phoebus, began to climb the eastern 

 heaven. The entertainment within the hall was on the most splendid 

 and sumptuous scale, consisting of every delicacy that^the season affords, 

 and exhibiting a profusion of the most costly viands. The magnificent 

 display of brilliant plate exceeded all that we ever read of in the Arabian 

 Nights' Entertainments, or Gulliver's Travels. All the beauty and fa- 

 shion of Little Dribbleton were present, and the elite of the vicinity 



