276 



TABLE-TALK AND VARIETIES, 



man who sat just by : "I have been ' 

 a traveller myself, and can testify 

 that what you observe is true ; but 

 the greatest variety of skies that 

 ever I found was in Poland." "In 

 Poland, sir?" said Philips. "Yes, 

 in Poland ; for there is Sobiesky, 

 and Sarbiensky, and Jablonsky, 

 and Podebrasky, and many more 

 skies, sir." 



LATTDAMY AND CALAMT. 



The following is related by Mr. 

 Gillies, in his Reminiscences of Sir 

 Walter Scott : " It happened, at a 

 small country town, that Scott sud- 

 denly required medical advice for 

 one of his servants, and, on inquir- 

 ing if there was any doctor at the 

 place, was told that there were two 

 one long established, and the 

 other a new-comer. The latter 

 gentleman, being luckily found at 

 home, soon made his appearance 

 a grave, sagacious-looking per- 

 sonage, attired in black, with a 

 shovel hat, in whom, to his utter 

 astonishment, Sir Walter recog- 

 nized a Scotch blacksmith, who 

 had formerly practised, with toler- 

 able success, as a veterinary ope- 

 rator in the neighbourhood of 

 Ashestiel. ' How, in all the world !' 

 exclaimed he, 'can it be possible 

 that this is John Lundie?' 'In 

 troth is it, your honour just a' 

 that's for him.'' Well, but let us 

 hear : you were a /iorse-doctor be- 

 fore ; now, it seems, you are a man- 

 doctor ; how do you get on ?' ' Ou, 

 just extraordinar weel ; for your 



no; but it's the will o' Provi- 

 dence. Ony how, your honour, it 

 read be lamj before it makes up for 

 Flodden/'" 



CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION AT 

 GOTTINGEN. 



The Society of Philologists, 

 formed in Germany a few years 

 ago, originated thus : In 1837, the 

 University of Gottingen held its 

 centennial celebration. The festi- 

 val of a university, which could 

 look back upon so proud a century 

 as that which marked the history 

 of this celebrated seat of learning, 

 naturally attracted an unusual 

 assemblage of scholars. Distin- 

 guished philologists of all parties 

 met together, forgetting their ani- 

 mosities, and embracing each other 

 as fellow-labourers in the same 

 great enterprise, though contem- 

 plating it from different points of 

 view. 



So touching was the scene, and 

 so delightful the magnanimous 

 feelings with which those who 

 participated in it greeted each 

 other, that Thiersch, the pillar of 

 Greek learning in Bavaria a man 

 of the noblest enthusiasm, as well 

 as of great eloquence gave utter- 

 ance to his struggling emotions, 

 and ventured, in his remarks, to 

 propose the formation of a society 

 which should secure the annual 

 recurrence of such occasions. A 

 special meeting was called to con- 

 sider the subject, at which Hum- 

 boldt presided. The proposal was 



honour maun ken my practice is j received with acclamation, and the 

 vera sure and orthodox. I depend : first meeting was appointed to be 

 entirely upon twa simples.' ' And held in Nuremberg, in 1838, at 

 what may their names be? Per- which Thiersch was to preside, 

 haps, it is a secret?' Til tell your j In 1839, the society met at Man- 



honour,' in a low tone; 'my twa 

 simples are just laudamy and ca- 

 lami/!' 'Simples with a vengeance !' 

 replied Scott. ' But J ohn, do you 

 never happen to kill any of your 

 patients ?' Kill ? Ou ay, may be 

 sae ! Whiles they die and whiles 



heim. 



Frederic Jacobs, whose age and 

 partial deafness prevented him 

 from attending the first meeting, 

 where his name had been men- 

 tioned with particular marks of 

 respect, had also decided not to 



