1826.] Letter on Affairs in general. . 643 
And; having dropped upon this little impediment—perhaps if we had-hit 
upon it a page and a half back we might have stopped with safety.) » « 
\j- A. umorning..paper, speaking, of the crowd, which filled the Court. of 
Common Pleas,during, the trial of the cause of « Bligh against Wellesley,” 
obseryes that)‘ two ladies had. the courage to obtrude themselves in the 
gallery); but were.immediately removed by. the. officers.” I don’t like 
to,.eavil about an, expression; but it. does not seem to me here, that 
‘courage,’ is, exactly the word. Ae 5 tase 
|The Chancellor has,declared, in the collateral cause of «« Long v.Welles- 
ley” —the question, whether the gentleman that.has “the names,” and had 
‘the property,” is fit to have the guidance of his children—that, as ong.as 
affidavits continue to be offered in the case, he will go. on continuing. to 
hear them. . In that event, the cause seems likely to. conclude, .as,,the 
Persian) proposed. his, conundrum. of teaching the ass to speak, should 
conclude,—A., Persian juggler, being in need, and coming to the court 
of the,Shah,, at, Ispahan, caused it to be reported abroad: that he had 
an,ass which he had taught to speak. The King sent for this pretender, 
who deposed stoutly to the fact, and,.prayed that his ass might. be 
fetched to.confirm,it;. but, on sending to the stable,. the miraculous 
animal (which had previously been poisoned by its master) was. found 
' dead. The juggler threw dust upon his beard, and was. in despair. 
‘* But—since you taught this ass to speak,” demanded the Shah, « can- 
not you teach another ?”—‘“ Son of the bright star,” returned. the pres 
ceptor.of brutes, ‘it will take six years of constant labour, and I am 
destitute,”,, Orders were forthwith given that an ass of the first parts 
‘should be inducted to the royal stables ; and that. apartments. should. be 
provided, ..with all livery and attendance, during six years, , for. the 
juggler. ‘ But beware!” said the ruler of men—< for, if the ass speaks 
not by, the.time appointed, though you had more heads than; that,.ass’s 
tail, has ,hairs, not one shall be left upon your shoulders !”’—« And how 
will, avoid. this. penalty at the six years eud ?” inquired a second juggler, 
the\next day, who, was acquainted with his brother's means for endowing 
asses, with speech..| ‘‘) Ke, patient!” replied, the first; .‘* L am .safe 
for six, years ;, and, before that time, either the sultan, or the ass,. or 
A, myself, , shall. be, dead.”—-Now the Lord.Chancellor has more than 
three chances; for before half the parchment, in the kingdom is. worn 
‘out, with affidavits, either he, or Mr. Wellesley, or the children, or, the 
Misses Long, may be dead—which may be. called. having four strings 
Ainstead of two) to one’s bow. cud oth as 
It is curious to observe what a fund of mischief always seems to be 
ying, dormant in the minds of people in this country ;_ perhaps generally 
dn the human, mind... There is. scarcely ever any. extraordinary crime 
coxamitted, which excites a strong sensation, but, that. two, or three 
‘others; obviously produced by a sort of mania for imitation, immediately 
el ea poor letter-stamper at the Post-office was nearly blown to 
apieces,a few.weeks ago, by the explosion of a quantity of detonating 
powder, which some-chemist had very unjustifiably, sent by post from 
| the; country, . Within a, fortnight afterwards an apothecary’s, apprentice 
was taken up at Manchester for having sent two letters—one of them to 
a female—of the same description ; and a few days since some scoundrel 
5 fied 9: Bir romaine two panes of gunpowder, to be baked at a 
“baker's in Wapping ; which, if the oe had succeeded, would pro- 
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