1829.] Ajj'aiin in General. 551 



Our English readers may not know what the meaning of the word is, 

 we shall therefore explain. During a jubilee the priest-confessors ai-e 

 permitted to give plenary indulgence for all past sins — no matter of 

 what nature — for a certain con-si-de-ra-tion. In some cases, where pro- 

 bably the money is not considered sufficient, penance is inflicted. 



One of the ablest of the Irish papers. The Evening Mail, gives us a 

 happy instance of the work of this jubilee. 



" On Thursday last," says our Irish contemporary, " this city was 

 affronted with one of the most indecent exhibitions it has witnessed 

 since the jubilant reign of James the Second. On that day, at the hour 

 of two o'clock, p.m., when the streets were most crowded, a female of 

 otherwise respectable appearance, performed Jubilee-penance. Our 

 informant met her, accompanied by a man to keep off the crowd, 

 crossing one of our most frequented bridges, and parsing through the 

 leading streets of the city. She was barefooted ; had no clothing on 

 her, but a white muslin petticoat and a white gown, the skirt of which, 

 turned over her head, formed a kind of hood to cover her face. Had 

 this poor penitent neither husband, brother, or friend, to protect her 

 from the insolent tyranny of a beastly priest ? Wliere is the manhood 

 of Ireland gone ; when 7nen — fathers, husbands, brothers, friends, or 

 lovers — will permit a celibate monster thus to degrade and insult a 

 woman ? We shall not be surprised shortly to witness processions of 

 the Host, to which our soldiery shall be obliged to present arms, and 

 the Protestant community to doff their hats and kneel down in the 

 gutters while it passes. Is this to be endured ? Quick indeed has 

 spiritual tyranny followed in the wake of Emancipation. But it will 

 not stop here." 



The Zoological Gardens are a great favourite of ours ; and nothing 

 can be prettier than their little knots of flowers, their cages and kan- 

 garoos, and wild ducks, and golden winged paroquets, and blue beard 

 monkeys, and the whole exhibition of IMr. Vigors' naturalist ingenuity. 

 But this does not prevent our believing, with a perfectly firm faith, that 

 some desperate accident will before long show the folly of bringing lions 

 and tigers, panthers and wolves, into visiting acquaintance with the pursy 

 citizens and citizenesses of this innocent and overgi-own metropolis. As 

 to trying how far we can domesticate rein-deer, elks, and lamas, and all 

 the tameable species of animals, we wish all kinds of experiments to be 

 made, that do not choke the victims with kindness, or break their hearts 

 with confinement in pastures twelve inches by three. But does the most 

 sanguine IMr. Vigors on earth expect to make wolves stand the process 

 of milking, lions furnish wool, or panthers draw my lord mayor's coach ? 

 In the mean time, they follow their original tastes, and are as ready to 

 snap off a stray hand or foot as if they never heard a syllable of English 

 in their lives. 



A few days ago, as two gentlemen philosophers were descanting on the 

 possible civilization of the wolves, a pi'actical evidence of our position 

 was given : a child playing near the cage put her arm within reach, and 

 was instantly seized by the ferocious animal. One of the by-standers, 

 Mr. Perry, surgeon to the Foundling Hospital, with great promptitude 

 kicked the wolf violently in the tliroat, and made him quit his hold. The 

 limb was considerably lacerated, and after Mr. P. had used tlie best 

 remedies at his command, the child was conveyed home to Pai'k-streetj; 



