33 



proceeded to chop his better half in pieces with 

 their hatchets ; while the widower opened his jaws 

 as wide as possible, and gulped down pounds upon 

 pounds of the dear departed as fast as they were 

 thrown to him, with the greatest delight and all 

 the avidity imaginable. I make no doubt that all 

 the while he was eating, he was thoroughly per- 

 suaded that every morsel which went into his 

 stomach would make its way to his heart directly! 

 " She was perfectly consistent," he said to himself; 

 "she was excellent through life, and really she's 

 extremely good now she 's dead ! " and then, 

 C( unable to conceal his pain," 



4< He sigh'd and swallow'd, and sigh'd and swallow'd, 

 And sigh'd and swallow'd again." 



I doubt, whether the annals of Hymen can produce 

 a similar instance of post-obitual affection. Cer- 

 tainly Calderon's " Amor despues de la Mnerte " 

 has nothing that is worthy to be compared to it ; 

 nor do I recollect in history any fact at all resem- 

 bling it, except perhaps a circumstance which is 

 recorded respecting Cambletes, King of Lydia, a 

 monarch equally remarkable for his voracity and 

 uxoriousness ; and who, being one night com- 

 pletely overpowered by sleep, and at the same 

 time violently tormented by hunger, eat up his 

 queen without being conscious of it, and was 

 mightily astonished, the next morning, to wake 

 with her hand in his mouth, the only bit that was 



D 



