same point after him." Barrow was certainly very longwinded, and could discern as well as, or better than, any of his cotemporaries, all the positions in which a thesis could be taken; and, as he reasoned on them in a regular syllogistic style, he seldom omitted anything, pertinent to the proof, for others to say after him. Dr. Pope, in his life of Seth Ward, Bishop of Salisbury, relates the following curious anecdote of him :-Barrow, being appointed to preach in Westminster Abbey, divided his discourse into two parts. The first, on lies; and the second, on slander. He was four hours delivering the first part, so fully had he entered into the subject. The congregation sneaked off, but the dean and prebends could not, with propriety, leave till the conclusion of the sermon. But, at last, thinking it would be like Aristotle's world, αTEλUTOLOV (without limit), they sent a chorister to desire the organist to draw out his trumpet and open-diapason stop, and play the doctor down. This was instantly done. Dr. Pope afterwards asked Barrow "if he did not feel himself distressed in the lungs after such a spell at preaching ?"" Not at all," was his reply, "I was only a little tired with standing."

SETTLING A POINT OF PRECEDENCE.

On a time, a question arose in the University of Cambridge, between the doctors of law and the doctors of medicine, as to which ought to take precedence of the other on public occasions. It was referred to the Chancellor, who facetiously inquired whether the thief or the hangman preceded at an execution, and, being told that the thief usually took the lead on such occasions,-" Well,

then," he replied, "let the doctors in law have the precedence, and the doctors of medicine be next in rank." This humorous observation set the point in dispute at

rest.

"JOVIAL DAYS."

A party of Johnians were one day assembled in order to moisten the inward man with a bumper of wine, when the conversation turned upon a discussion of the different festivals and days-amongst others, sidereal and solar days were named. A dry fish, who looked anything but a punster, putting a bumper to his lips, observed, "I think we should have jovial days as well.”

THE MITRE.

One of the wooden mitres carved by Grin. Gibbon over a prebend's stall in the cathedral church of Canterbury happening to become loose, Jessy White, the surveyor of that edifice, inquired of the dean whether he should make it fast-" for, perhaps," said Jessy, "it may fall on your reverence's head." "Well! Jessy, suppose it does," answered the humorous Cantab,suppose it does fall on my head, I don't know that a mitre falling on my head would hurt it."

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A COMPLIMENT RETURNED IN FULL.

Porson once happened to be in the company of Dr. Jackson, an Oxonian, who, thinking to pay the learned professor a flattering compliment, said to him, "Porson,

you are the only man that ever left the University of Cambridge, learned in Greek." The professor, whose wit, like the "whoop halloo!" of a keen sportsman when his dogs are at fault, was always at command, responded to the doctor's flattery, "And you, doctor, are the only man that ever left Oxford with any learning at all."

HYDROSTATICAL EXPERIMENT.

Dr. Craven, late Master of St. John's College, excited the wrath of a waggish student, by indulging him with an imposition, for some irregularity of conduct. Sky parlour claimed the honour of being inhabited by this aspirant to philosophical fame, when, watching an opportunity, as the venerable master was sunning himself beside the college walls, he proceeded to discharge the contents of a huge stone jar upon his devoted head: unfortunately, the jar followed the water, and was near inflicting on the learned doctor the fate of Æschines. Enraged at this, Dr. Craven issued a summons, commanding the immediate attendance of the inhabitant of that room from whence the pitcher had fallen. Upon his entrance, the doctor exclaimed, "Young man-young man, you had nearly killed your poor old master-you had nearly killed me;" when the unabashed culprit, with the most perfect nonchalance, replied, "I was merely trying some hydrostatical experiments." "Hydrostatical experiments!" exclaimed the enraged master, thrown entirely off his guard by the cool answer of the Johnian, "I'd thank you, young man, when next you pursue your hydrostatical labours, not to use such a d-d large pitcher."

NOVEL RECEPTION OF A CREDITOR.

A gentleman of St. John's College was very fond of pursuing electrical and other experiments; indeed, so much was he attached to it, that it might justly be denominated his hobby; and he would occasionally expend money in the purchase of apparatus, which ought, in justice, to have liquidated debts previously contracted :— so Mr. Bishop, the tailor, thought; and who, accordingly, with a view of dunning the Cantab, after he had mounted the stone staircase which led to the " parlour next to the sky," and in vain beat a tattoo upon the double doors, would slowly descend again. This had been repeated so often to the annoyance of the Johnian, that he resolved at once to cure poor Snip of his peregrinating propensities. To this end, he charged his electrical machine more than ordinarily, and fixed the conductor to the latch of the door. Bishop, watched by the Johnian, as usual, ascended the staircase at the expected hour, and was not a little overjoyed to behold but one door between him and client. He gave a gentle rat-tat: "Come in," echoed from the interior;-he joyfully grasped the brass nob:—the electric shock was communicated to his sensitive, but not very robust frame, with so much force, that, more dead than alive, he made a precipitate retreat-nor was he in haste to renew his visit.

CRITICS.

Besides great integrity, great humanity, and other qualities alike honourable, Dr. Jortin was of a pleasant and facetious turn. He had a great respect and fondness for

critical learning, which he much cultivated, and thought the restoration of letters and the civilization of Europe to depend on it. He could not bear to see it contemptuously treated, and did not spare those who had done so. He thus speaks of an oration of Julius Cæsar Scaliger, whom he esteemed one of those insolent critics:-" The whole is seasoned with arrogance, vanity, self-applause, spite, and scurrility, the usual ornaments, not of a meek and quiet spirit, but of a ruffian and a bruiser in the republic of letters."

CURIOUS ADVERTISEMENT.

The following advertisement, drawn up by an alderman of the town of Cambridge, some years ago, is here inserted, as a specimen of singular felicity of expression:

"Whereas a multiplicity of damages are frequently occurred by damages of outrageous accidents of fire, we, whose names are underwritten, have thought proper, that the necessity of an engine ought, by us, for the better preventing of which, by the accidents of Almighty God, may happen, to make a rate to gather benevolence for better propagating such instruments."

RABBITS UNDERSTANDING LATIN.

Some young Cantabs, going a-hunting, enjoined one of the company, who was usually very talkative, to preserve silence, or he would frighten away the game. However, on espying a number of rabbits, he vociferously exclaimed, "Ecce! multi cunniculi!" when they