13G 



fOETRY AND POETS. 



long suspense, became satisfied that I to turn his lines over and over 



they had reached what lawyers call 

 the " operative " clause of the sen- 

 tence, and both exclaiming at once, 

 " O, yes, sir, we're quite aware of 

 that,'" down they plunged him into 

 the sea. 



On emerging, Lamb sobbed so 

 much from the cold, that he found 

 no voice suitable to his indignation ; 

 from necessity he seemed tranquil ; 

 and again addressing the men, who 

 stood respectfully listening, he be- 

 gan thus: "Men, is it possible to 

 obtain your attention 1 " " O, surely, 

 sir, by all means." "Then listen : 

 once more I tell you I am to be di 

 di di ," and then, with a burst 

 of indignation, " dipped, I tell you 

 "O, decidedly, sir." And 

 down the stammerer went for the 

 second time. 



Petrilied with cold and wrath, 

 once more Lamb made a feeble at- 

 tempt at explanation. " Grant me 

 pa pa patience ; is it mum urn 

 murder you me me mean? 

 Again and a ga ga gain, I tell 

 you, I'm to be di di di dipped 



" now speaking furiously with 



the voice of an injured man. " O, 

 yes, sir," the men replied, " we 

 know that we fully understand 

 it ; and, for the third time, down 

 went Lamb into the sea. 



"O limbs of Satan !" he said, on 

 coming up for the third time, "it's 

 now too late. I tell you that I am 

 no, that I was to be di di di 

 dipped only once'' 



POPE'S ACCURACY. 



"At fifteen years of age," says 

 Pope, " I got acquainted with Mr. 

 Walsh. He encouraged me much and 

 used to tell me that there was one 

 way left of excelling ; for though we 

 had several great poets, we never 

 had any one great poet that was 

 correct. He ended his remarks by 

 desiring me to make accuracy my 



study and aim." 

 This, perhaps, 



first led Pope 



again so often. This habit he con- 

 tinued to the last, and he did it 

 with a surprising facility. 



CAMPBELL AND WILSON. 



"Campbell," says Dr. Seattle, 

 " went to Paisley races, got prodi- 

 giously interested in the first race r 

 and betted on the success of one 

 horse, to the amount of fifty pounds, 

 with Professor Wilson. At the end 

 of the race he thought he had lost 

 the bet, and said to Wilson, " I owe 

 you fifty pounds ; but really, when 

 I reflect that you are a professor of 

 moral philosophy, and that betting 

 is a sort of gambling only fit for 

 blacklegs, I cannot bring my con- 

 science to pay the bet." 



"O," said Wilson, " I very much 

 approve of your principles, and 

 mean to act upon them. In point 

 of fact, Yellow Cap, on whom you 

 betted, has won the race ; and. but 

 for conscience, I ought to pay you 

 the fifty pounds ; but you will ex- 



CHATTERTON S KISERT. 



A prodigy of genius, the unfor- 

 tunate Chatterton, was amusing 

 himself one day, in company with 

 a friend, reading the epitaphs in- 

 Pancras Church-yard. He was so 

 deep sunk in thought as he walked 

 on, that, not perceiving a grave that 

 was just dug, he tumbled into it. 



His friend, observing his situa- 

 tion, ran to his r-ssiatance, and, as 

 he helped him out, told him, in a 

 jocular manner, he was happy iu 

 assisting at the resurrection of ge- 

 nius. Poor Chatterton smiled, and^ 

 taking his companion by the arm, 

 replied, "My dear friend, I feel the 

 sting of a speedy dissolution. I have- 

 been at war with the grave for some 

 time, and find it is not so easy to 

 vanquish it as I imagined. We can 

 find an asylum to hide from every 

 creditor but that." 



His friend endeavoured to divert 



