324 Notes of the Month on [Skft. 



had not nerve enough for ratting," and prides himself on his superior 

 energies in the science. But, whatever might be the reason, Warren 

 never rallied after his ratting. His chief justiceship comes under the 

 general class. It is a sinecure. It has been declared useless by a 

 Committee of the House. Yet it was kept up, and will be kept up, 

 though the price of rats has greatly sunk of late, according to the 

 market principle of the superabundance of the commodity. 



Another. 



" Notwithstanding current reports to the contrary, we believe Covent 

 Garden Theatre will open at the period specified by the acting manager 

 at the close of the last season. A powerful and most effective company, 

 in every department of the drama, is already engaged ; and the rent, no 

 small consideration in the accumulation of debt, must be paid, even if 

 the house were shut." 



We strangly fear that there is a " current report" in the name of the 

 Court of Chancery, which is w orth all the others, and that the " most 

 sumptuous theatre in Europe," as John Kemble used to call it, in all 

 his speeches, will not have any better audience than Sir Richard Birnie 

 and his surrounding ragamuffins for the season. 



Another. 



" There are several love matches on the tapis in the higher circles. 

 Among them are ]\Iiss Cavendish, sister to the member for Cambridge, 

 to Lord Titchfield, son of the Duke of Portland ; ]\Iiss Frederica Law, 

 youngest daughter of the dowager Lady EUenborough, to the son of Sir 

 John Ramsden ; the daughter of Lady Eliza Talbot, to Mr. Abbott ; 

 Lady Emma Bennett and Lord St. INIaur, son of the Duke of Somerset." 



Of this we do not believe a syllable, further than that the parties wiU pro- 

 bably go to church together. The love is out of the question. The portion on 

 one hand, and the settlement on the other, will doubtless join issue. 

 The pounds, shillings, and pence will, we dare swear, be excellent 

 friends, as long as they can keep together ; but, as for the Arcadian 

 absurdity of the love, we should as soon expect it from the Saracen's Head, 

 or the piety of Lady Charlotte Bury- A propos, why does the Duke of 

 Somerset suffer his sons and daughters to Frenchify their name, and at 

 this time of the earth, lisp themselves St. Maur ? The name of Seymour 

 is a noble name, known in the history of their country, and borne by 

 eminent persons, who would probably be as miuch astonished at finding 

 it abandoned by their descendants, as at finding that they had such 

 descendants to abandon it. It perhaps, however, does not look so, 

 enchantingly foreign ; it does not slide so fondly into a chansonnette with 

 an accompaniment on the hai-p-lute ; it is not so naturally pronoimced 

 with a sensitive shrug of the sensitive bosom, and a heavenward glance of 

 the fainting eye on some Count dancing master, or Baron black-leg. This 

 may do well enough for women, and men like women. "La Comtesse 

 Seraphina Chitterlina St. INIaur !" — The very sound is a ravir, charinante, 

 quite a spell ! But we hope that there are some of the family superior to 

 this sickly absurdity. 



But in the matter of matrimony, we propose the following form of 

 announcement for general adoption, as the most natural, simple, and easy, 

 and in ninety-nine instances out of a hundred, the most true. As all the 

 well-bred world prefer poetry to prose, we give the fact and form 

 together, thrown into verse by the most celebrated improvisatore of this 

 or any other country : — 



