158 SPECULATIVE FANCIES. 



who shall venture to imagine the astounding marvels on 

 which his eyes would open at the beginning of the twentieth? 

 Marvels, vastly curious and amusing in the 'Speculative dis- 

 tance, but of which the close reality might be attended by 

 various sensations something less agreeable. The old fashioned 

 courtier would feel awkward enough in the position just sup- 

 posed amongst his modern brethren of the suite ; but how in- 

 finitely more so one of these latter under circumstances wherein 

 the lapse of another half-century might place him, when called 

 on, perhaps, to attend his sovereign if sovereigns there be, or 

 if sovereigns then have lords in waiting in a state balloon ! 



Still worse might it fare with the present great heads of 

 law, physic, and divinity, who, on re-opening their eyes in 

 the year 1900, might each, perad venture, find his " occupation 

 gone " the lawyer, in the march of Christianity ; the doctor, 

 in the march of mesmerism : the church dignitary, in the 

 march of simple gospel truth. 



But disagreeables like these would be but trifles compared 

 with the serious perils to which a life-spinner, such as we have 

 pictured, would be exposed during his state of torpor. To 

 preserve him from accidents by flood, fire, and steel, he might 

 prepare himself, beforehand, a temporary tomb of refuge, 

 wherein he might depend, possibly, on being well secured. 

 But who could he rely on to revoke his soporific spell at the 

 end of its desired period ? Hardly the heirs of his property, 

 or its stewards ; or even, if, on composing himself for his pur- 



