SOME MARCH JOTTINGS. 69 



Dem. " Which was first, the hen or the egg ? 



Res. " The hen at the creation. 



Dem. " What is the age of a field mouse ? 



Res. ' ' A year ; and the age of a hedgehog is three 

 times that of a mouse ; and the life of a dog is three 

 times that of a hedgehog ; and the life of a horse is 

 three times that of a dog ; and the life of a man is 

 three times that of a horse ; and the life of a goose is 

 three times that of a man ; and the life of a swan is 

 three times that of a goose ; and the life of a swallow 

 is three times that of a swan ; and the life of an 

 eagle is three times that of a swallow ; and the life of 

 a serpent three times that of an eagle ; and the life 

 of a raven is three times that of a serpent, and the 

 life of a hart is three times that of a raven ; and an 

 oak groweth 500 years, and fadeth 500 years." 



The old printer or his author could hardly have 

 calculated the age of some of these wonderful animals 

 thus, according to the rules of the multiplication 

 table, a goose would give up the ghost in her 243rd 

 year ; a swan in his 729th year , a swallow in his 

 2 1 87th year ; an eagle would be 6561 ; a serpent may 

 live 19,683 years; the raven 5949 years; and a 

 hart would reach 177,147 years. O ! Wynkyn ! 



Here is a bit of sound (if rather brutal) advice to 

 lady authors (and others) : 



"A lady sent a manuscript poem to Dr. Johnson, 

 and told him she had other irons in the fire. ' I 

 advise you to put your poem with the irons.' " 



Perhaps some of my readers may like to be re- 

 minded that this 1 7th day of March is the fourteenth 

 centenary of the death of St. Patrick. 



