232 



TABLE-TALK AND VARIETIES. 



the former offer, said he was at a 

 loss what to ask ; for he had been 

 already offered so small a price, 

 that rather than accept of anything 

 like it, he would throw the papers 

 into the fire. What was this 

 offer? said Mr. Millar. Only 

 twenty pounds, said Mr. Burn, with 

 great ingenuousness. But, said Mr. 

 Millar, would you think 200 guineas 

 too little 1 Too little ! says Burn 

 in surprise; No. "Well then, said 

 Mr. Millar, the book shall be mine, 

 and you shall have the money when 

 you please. The bargain was in- 

 stantly struck, and a bottle of old 

 port was drank to the good luck of 

 it. Mr. Millar found no reason to 

 repent of his frankness, for the 

 book sold amazingly well ; nor had 

 the author any reason to be dis- 

 satisfied with his bargain, for Mr. 

 Millar, with a spirit of candour and 

 liberality that does not always be- 

 long to men of his profession, frankly 

 sent 100 guineas to the author for 

 every edition of the book that was 

 printed in his life-time ; and these 

 were many : insomuch, that by the 

 sale of this book alone, he cleared 

 no less than .1 1,000. 



Cato being asked how it hap- 

 pened, that he had no statues 

 erected to him, whilst Rome was 

 crowded with those of so many 

 others: "I would rather," answered 

 he, " pepple should inquire why I 

 have them not, than complain that 

 I have." 



EXCERPTS FROM DIARY OF THOMAS 

 MOORE. 



"Aug. 20, 1818. Some tolerable 

 stories told : mistakes in acts of 

 Parliament 'the new jail to be 

 built from the materials of the old 

 one, and the prisoners to remain in 

 the latter till the former was ready' 

 a sentence of transportation of 

 seven years, 'half to go to the king, 

 and the other half to'the informer^ 



it had been, of course, formerly a 

 pecuniary punishment, and, upon 

 ts being altered, they overlooked 

 :he addition." 



"Aug. 21, 1818. Dined with 

 Dr. Parr : himself, his wife, and a 

 riend he called 'Jack,' a clergy- 

 man of .1000 a-year, who lives in 

 tiis neighbourhood, very much de- 

 voted to him, and ready at a call 

 to come and write letters for him, 

 &c. &c.; his own hand being quite 

 illegible (see what he says of it in 

 preface to Fox's Characters}. He 

 was very cordial and animated ; 

 hob-nobbed with me across the 

 table continually ; told me he had 

 written whole sheets of Greek verses 

 against Big Ben (the Eegent) ; 

 showed them to me : the name he 

 designated him by, I saw, was 

 $>va%.uv, inflated or puffy. Told 

 me they were full of wit, which I 

 took his word for, as they seemed 

 rather puzzling Greek. Talked a 

 good deal of Halhed, Sheridan's 

 friend, and mentioned a curious in- 

 terview which took place between 

 them about the time of Hastings' 

 business, by his (Parr's) interven- 

 tion, in consequence of an attack 

 made by Major Scott upon Fox 

 in the house, charging him with 

 having set on foot a negotiation 

 with Mr. Hastings some years be- 

 fore. Fox, who knew nothing of 

 the matter, had nothing to say in 

 reply. Scott was present at this 

 interview procured by Parr, and it 

 appeared that the negotiation had 

 been set on foot without the know- 

 ledge of Fox, and that Sheridan 

 was the chief agent in it. An ex- 

 planation was accordingly made- 

 next night in the house by Scott. 

 Parr's account of the abuse he 

 poured out upon Scott at that in- 

 terview 'Hot scalding abuse; it 

 was downright lava, sir.' Spoke of 

 the poem of Fracastorius as very 

 nearly equal to Virgil." 



"Aug. 22, 1818. A gentleman: 

 told a punning epigram of Jekyl's 



