their eyes feafted with the buft of the modern Efculapius, that demi-god, whofe natal day was now intended to be celebrated. Its head was crowned with a wreath, compofed of the Radix Jalapi, interwoven with the leaves of Colocynth and Senna *.

The feftive board, extending the whole length of the room, was decorated magnificently, and arranged with refreshments of all kinds. On an adjoining fidetable were placed mufic-books and mufical inftruments of all forts, both ancient and modern, and whatever elfe could induce the guests to call forth their various talents for their own and the general amusement.

At fix o'clock precifely, the knocker announced the arrival of the too happy fharers of the feast. After the ufual ceremonies, they were feated at table; and,, having fatiated themfelyes with the viands, the entertainments of the evening commenced.

And firft, after a becoming and fuitable preamble, in which their Right. Hon. Hoft expatiated upon the viciffitudes of life, and the best modes of rendering it palatable, he dilated upon the expediency of mixing as much as poffible the drugs which it contained, He stated, that by well fhaking the ingredients, pounding the Sweet with the four-the noble and the bafethe Jacobin with the Loyalist-and the Jew with the Chriftian-fuch an amiable compofition might be produced as would be an anodyne to the whole world, and a certain recipe for every man to rife according to his own talents. But perceiving fome of his guests

*There had been another Buft in this room, which by many was faid to resemble the immortal Chatham, which Mrs. A- had intended to have placed by the fide of that above mentioned. After much fearch, it was found to have been ordered into the Lumber Room by the prefent occupant; and, perceiving him rather averfe to being (from fome motive or other) ftared in the face by fuch a memento, fhe, like a good and prudent wife, ordered the fervant not to duft it but let it remain on its nofe where it was.

VOL. VIII.

L

begin

beginning to look rather queer, he abruptly changed the fubject, and, fnatching up an ancient lyre, which lay upon the table, he, with a mafter hand, ftruck up an Ode to Friendfhip and Credulity; and concluded with an antiftrophe on the art of lying; which having finifhed, he called upon Mr. W

for a

fong; who, being a little exhilarated, fung a hymn which was fent him from St. Domingo, originally exported from this country, and now univerfally known by the name of the Black Joke. Here Mr. H

B- burst into a moft immoderate fit of laughter, fwore by that he was a damned honeft fellow, and inftantly took himself to dancing a hornpipe.

After thefe lively fallies, fomewhat more ferrous was propofed; and accordingly the Right Hon. Ts St-le, with much dignity and emphafis, began reciting an Ode to Gratitude, in which he proceeded very fuccefsfully, and with great effect, till, unfortunately, hearing Mr. Manaffeh L-p-z afk his neighbour whether this was not the Gentleman who was formerly called Honeft Tom, the friend and and Mr. Ph protegé of the Duke of Rhe ftopped abruptly, damned him for a little fireaking Ifraelite, for interrupting his recitation by fuch impertinent queftions, and would have knocked him down with a knuckle of ham, which, by accident, had not been removed, but was called to order by Mr. At-nf-n Sav-lle, who, grafping him in his arms, confined his head and his hands as if he were faft in the pillory, thus reftrained him from farther mifchief and violence, and requefted him, if he had a grain of friendship for him, to be quiet; he calmed his paffion, and with a melodious voice reftored every thing to harmony again, by finging the favourite fong out of The Beggar's Opera, which ends with "Tyburn Tree!"

This timely exertion fo exhilarated the fpirits of

the

the company, that the moment he had finished, the lively Meffrs. I--y Ad- H

B

and Coufin 'G-d-g, ftruck up the well known glee of "We three merry men be." By this time the Right Hon. Founder of the Feast began to wax mellow, and, calling out to his particular friends H-b-fe and T-rn-y, "Citizens, give us a fentiment," the worthy pair ftarted up together; and, the head of the Briftol Citizen coming into contact with that of the Citizen for Southwark, the pious orifons of the one for the fuccefs of the Bristol Fortifications, and of the other for that of the Borough Volunteers, were fuddenly interrupted, and, both forgetting their new leffon, muttered fomething about Bonaparté, to which Gen. Mait-d and Mr. T-wh-t J-s cried Amen!

This, however, caufed fome confufion, and a fort of fparring-match between the two Citizens, which was put an end to by the interference of Mr. Secry Y, who reprefented to the Gentlemen how foolif it was to be in a paffion, and what great advantages the cool and calm conduct of philofophy poffeffed over the headstrong and unruly tide of impatience, which always made men fay things they were afhamed of afterwards, when they were obliged to retract. This called forth a compliment from the mellifluous mouth of Mr. R- P Car-w, who joined with his Right Hon. Friend and Relation in deprecating any thing which looked like hafte; and, as for wit, he defpifed it, and all who poffeffed it. This was too much for poor Sherid-n to bear, who, for fome reafon or other, had been fitting filent all this time; but conceiving that this fentence was evidently levelled at him-as the high authority whofe refpectability and influence he had fo repeatedly endeavoured to promote in Parliament (by allufions to Doctor Fellto knocking out the brains"-and to the "fitting

.

part" of Mr. Pitt) had affured him, in return for all thofe kind attentions, that he alone exclufively poffeffed all the real talent and wit of the House of Commons he attempted to get up; but, whether the champaign partook of that foporific quality which pervades every thing that comes in contact with the House of Ad- or whether the quantity he had drunk overpowered his faculties, he could only belch out a few incoherent fentences and fcraps of Latin and Greek epigrams from the Anthologia, which could not be well understood; and he dropt into his chair fast asleep. The Duke of N- k and Mr. E—— rose at the fame time, to apologize for their friend; and, the firft having been called upon by mistake, propofed a bumper to "the Majefty of the People," but was inftantly fet right by Mr. A- who whispered him "Honi foit qui mal y penfe;" when his Grace, recovering hinfelf, gave the company the favourite fong of "A-begging we will go," in which they all joined, and cordiality and harmony were restored.

Immediately after this, the Clerk of the Pells being called upon by Lord Gr-ve-or to give the company a little Greek, read fome extracts from an entertaining effay, called As in Prefenti, while the attendants were preparing for the grand difplay of all; but, owing to fome mistake, the preparations occafioned delay, in which time the company were entertained by a learned dispute between the learned Tutor of the learned young Gentleman, the Bishop of Glr, and Sir Wm. S, about the Clergy Refidence Bill, in which the learned Prelate infifted, that it was perfectly proper and fit for a bifhop to refide and adminifter his duties at the diftance of one hundred miles from his diocefe, although it was quite right to fine and imprifon a poor clergyman for the fame conduct.

This was followed by the little Speak-r of a certain

Houfe

House and his tall Chaplain dancing a maeftofo fort of Pyrrhic dance, with fwords and piftols, which latter weapon had been previously loaded with Ward's pills, which, at the conclufion of the dance, were completely fwallowed by the two performers, without any bad confequences whatsoever.

By this time every thing was prepared, and a curtain drawing up, difcovered his Majefty's Chancellor of the Exch- -r feated at a table, with cups and balls, and other inftruments of white magic, placed before him; with which he diverted the company. Among other furprising feats of dexterity, we only repeat the following:

Firft, he produced the model of a magnificent palace, fomewhat refembling the Bank, the rooms of which were filled with ingots of gold and filver, and the turrets adorned with ftreamers in imitation of Bank notes; but, touching it with his wand, which had a head upon it very like Mr. Gr-gor's, the aftonished. fpectators beheld nothing but an empty and fhrivelled clyfter-bag, marked with the initials H. A.

2dly, He produced fifty fail of the line, all manned, who went through all the evolutions of a fleet in prefence of the enemy; then opening his mouth, he fuddenly swallowed them all; but the Admiral's flag happening to tickle him in its way down, he fairly difgorged the whole fleet again upon the table-but it was obferved that all the men remained behind in his fomach. He then placed on a table, covered with green cloth, two perfons, whom he called L-ds of the A, and, whispering and, whispering a secret in their ears, they immediately figned an order, which looked like a warrant for a general prefs of feamen; he blew upon it, and it was inftantly converted into a transfer in the three per cents.

He next took out of a bag a figure, which first looked like a Judge's wig; then it affumed the look