"Then this is all chaff?" said Baldwick, pointing to the letter. "You are not surprised at it?" "Surprised! I knew it all long ago. I knew what this fellow was about; but you don't suppose I trouble myself with such trifles. Let him go to law; he will learn, if he does, not to meddle with other people's business."

"Well," said Baldwick, "I'm sorry I've given you so much trouble, sir. You see, it's nothing for you to be in danger of a thousand pounds or so, but it makes all the difference in the world to a man like me.'

"Of course it does, and therefore I make allowances for your panic; but I hope you will be quiet now, and laugh at any one who tries to scare you about it. You haven't said a word about the price you gave?"

"Not I; not a word," said Baldwick, with a cunning grin.

"Very good," said Mr. Case. "Keep your own counsel. In a short time you will have cleared off the purchase-money by your profits, and then it will be all absolute gain. Of course, as I told you, there must be risks of dispute when there is no title, but as long as you are secure of possession, what does that matter?"

66

No, sir, certainly it doesn't matter," said Baldwick, his heart warming towards the great man for having done him such a wonderful favour as to put him in possession of a highway to wealth.

"Very good, then, unless you have more to say, I have another engagement in a short time, and shall not be able to talk any longer on this business."

"Thank you, sir. I beg your pardon for taking up your time," said Baldwick, brushing his hat with his coat sleeve.

"Never mind. I am glad to help those that will help themselves. I shall be repaid for what I have done for you when I see you-what Callowfields must make you-a rich man.'

When Baldwick left the office his heart was full of gratitude and confidence; how could he, for a moment, have doubted Mr. Case ? But whether it was the fog, or whether it was a spice of native roguery within, that made him distrust others, he was colder in heart by the time he got home, every step from the office seeming to steal a ray of the generous warmth that had glowed within. "I hope he is not a-doing of me," he thought; "after all said and done, I almost wish I hadn't taken to the place."

And how about Mr. Case? No sooner had Baldwick departed than he threw himself into a chair, resting his head on his hands; and when he was warned by the clock's striking two that Fisher would be back immediately, he arose hastily, extinguished the fire, cloaked himself, locked the door, and gave directions to the messenger who was always in attendance, to bid the clerk not return till nine o'clock the next morning, when he would find him there. What his thoughts had been while resting his head on his hands shall presently be told.

in the sense." To render this definition more accurate, though less concise, it may be varied into, "a conceit produced by the novelty and unexpectedness arising from the use of two words that agree in the sound, but differ in the sense, or of one word used with a double application." Addison observes, in the paper just mentioned, that "Aristotle, in the eleventh chapter of his 'Rhetoric,' describes two or three kinds of puns, which he calls paragrams, among the beauties of good writing, and produces instances of them out of some of the greatest authors in the Greek tongue." Cicero," he goes on to observe, "has sprinkled several of his works with puns; and in his book where he lays down the rules of oratory, quotes abundance of sayings as pieces of wit, which also, upon examination, prove arrant puns."

The age in which this species of wit chiefly flourished in England was the reign of King James the First. His Majesty was a tolerable punster, and the taste of the sovereign was studied by the courtiers and by the clergy. The greatest authors, in their most serious works, made frequent use of puns; and even in the pulpit they were not uncommon. Punning was used under all circumstances-serious as well as trivial matters were infected with it. This vice, as some will consider it, extended itself everywhere. Indeed, it spread to so dreadful a degree, that it was as freely used in the court of justice and the church as anywhere else. The criminal, when conducted to death, received his sentence in a mixture of gravity and puns; and the preacher, the more strongly, perhaps, to impress his doctrine, played on the words as he went along. The following sentence occurs in a sermon from the pulpit:-"The dial shows that we must die all; yet, nevertheless, all houses are turned into ale-houses; our cares into cates; our paradise is a pair o' dice; our marriage a merry age; our matrimony a matter o' money; our divines have become dry wines-it was not so even in the days of No-ah, Ah-no."

In the clever paper in the "Guardian," No. 36, entitled, "A Modest Apology for Punning,' ," is drawn the distinction between the extemporaneous puns of conversation, and the deliberate and grave use of this species of false wit in general composition. While defending the pun as a means of enlivening the dull wits of those engaged in common conversation, the writer, nevertheless, affirms, "I look upon premeditated quibbles and puns committed to the press as unpardonable crimes. There is as much difference betwixt these and the starts in common discourse, as betwixt casual rencounters and murder with malice prepense.'

To clear the ground, it may be well to notice the differences between puns and other forms of wit. The proverb, "Wit of one man is the wisdom of many," is attributed to Lord John Russell, in Rogers's "Italy," ed. 1856, p. 453. The foundation was laid most probably by Bacon: "The genius, wit, and spirit of a nation are discovered by their proverbs."

The precise boundaries of the term wit are still too unsettled to admit of any strict definition. It may, perhaps, be described generally as consisting in the display of remote resemblances between dissimilar objects, or such, at least, as have no apparent resemblance. This species of wit is exhibited in great perfection in two poems of a very opposite class-the "Hudibras" of Butler, and the "Night

Thoughts" of Young: ludicrously by Butler, to display the absurdities of hypocritical pretence; seriously by Young, to add force and point to his reasonings in favour of religion, belief, and conduct. When, instead of the remote resemblances discoverable in things themselves, the different meanings of the same word are brought into equivocal contact, the operation is called punning, and the product is a pun.

The philosophy of the pun, and its relation to alliteration, rhyme, and other forms of speech, the effect of which is derived partly from the sound, rather than the sense, might afford matter for some speculation.

The greatest authors, in their most serious works, made frequent use of puns. The sermons of Bishop Andrews, and the tragedies of Shakespeare, are full of them. In the latter, nothing is more usual than to see a hero weeping and quibbling for a dozen lines together. Butler, who was greatly taken with Bishop Andrews's style, affirms that he was an inimitable preacher in this way, in an anecdote which he tells with the view of showing how difficult or impossible it was for those who attempted to copy him with success. But Butler unconsciously records a severe and, at the same time, well-deserved condemnation of the manner of writing which he so much admires. "Pious and pleasant Bishop Felton," he says, "his contemporary and colleague, endeavoured in vain to imitate his sermons, to assimilate his style, and therefore said merrily of himself, I had almost marred my own natural trot by endeavouring to

imitate his artificial amble.'"

There is no kind of false wit, says Addison, which has been so recommended by the practice of all ages, as that which consists in a jangle of words, and is comprehended under the general name of punning. It is, indeed, impossible to kill a weed which the soil has a natural disposition to produce. The seeds of punning are in the minds of all men, and though they may be subdued by reason, reflection, and good sense, they be very apt to shoot up in the greatest genius that is not broken and cultivated by the rules of art.

Punsters, in the opinion of Steele, very much contribute towards the sardonic laugh, and the extremes of either wit or folly seldom fail of raising this noisy kind of applause. "As the ancient physician held the sardonic laugh very beneficial to the lungs, I should, methinks, advise all my countrymen of consumptive and hectical constitution to associate with the most facetious punsters of the age."

One way to try a piece of wit, is to translate it into another language; if it bears the test, you may pronounce it true; but if it vanishes in the experiment, you must conclude it to have been a pun. In short, one may say of a pun, that it is vox et præterea nihil -a sound, and nothing but a sound. Like most tests, however, this fails occasionally; for there are some few puns that, in spite of the prohibitory law, can smuggle themselves into the regions of true wit, just as foreigners who have perfectly learned the language of a country can enter as natives, and set alien acts at defiance.

It appears, too, in the novelty and unexpectedness of the signification or application presented by the pun,- -a novelty which always, at least, produces surprise, and often the livelier titillation of a grotesque or otherwise ludicrous image. Sometimes, though rarely, a pun has risen into a far higher

|

region than the ludicrous; as, for instance, when Burke (or whoever it was) exclaimed: "What is majesty, when deprived of its externals, but a jest?" So, in his account of his ramble through London, in the "Spectator," No. 454, Steele tells us that when he looked down from one of the windows on the first floor of the Exchange upon the area below, "where all the several voices lost their distinction, and rose up in a confused humming," a reflection occurred to him that could not have come into the mind of any but of one a little too studious; for he adds, "I said to myself, with a kind of pun in thought, What nonsense is all the hurry in this world to those who are above it!" It may be observed that both these puns arise, not out of the similar sounds of two words, but out of the double application of oneexternals in the former, abore in the latter.

We will give two or three examples of these slippery fellows, who, to use a modern phrase, have succeeded in driving a coach-and-six through Addison's act, as to the non-translatability of puns.

The lectures of a Greek philosopher were attended by a young girl of exquisite beauty. One day, a grain of sand happened to get into her eye, and, being unable to extricate it herself, she requested his assistance. As he was observed to perform this little operation with a zeal which, perhaps, a less sparkling eye might not have commanded, somebody called to him in Greek, "Do not spoil the pupil."

A punster, being requested to give a specimen of his art, asked for a subject. "The King." "The King is not a subject," he replied. This holds good in French likewise-Le Roi n'est pas un sujet.

The last case belongs to a class which is, perhaps, more extensive than is commonly supposed; where the two senses of the word are allied by an easy metaphor, and may consequently be found in more than one language. We give another of the same kind.

Erskine was reproached with his propensity to punning, and was told that puns were the lowest kind of wit. "True," said he, "and therefore they are the foundation of wit."

Madame de Lamotte was condemned to be marked with a hot iron on both shoulders, as well as to perpetual imprisonment, for her fraud in the affair of Marie Antoinette's diamond necklace. At the end of ten months, however, she made her escape from L'Hôpital, where she was confined, by the aid of a sœur, who said, when quitting her, "Adieu, Madame, prenez garde de vous faire remarquer." (Farewell, madame, take care not to be re-marked.)

At a time when public affairs were in a very unsettled state in France, M. de G, who squinted terribly, asked Talleyrand how things were going "Mais, comme vous voyez, Monsieur." (Why, as

on.

you see, sir.)

Another pun, attributed to the same great master, is not only translatable, but is much better in English than in French. During the reign of Bonaparte, when an arrogant soldiery affected to despise all civilians, Talleyrand asked a certain general what was meant by calling people péquins. "Nous appellons péquins tout ce qui n'est pas militaire," said the general. (We call everybody who is not a soldier a péquin,— a miserable creature.) "Eh! oui," replied Talleyrand, "comme nous autres nous appellons militaires tous ceux qui ne sont pas civiles." (Oh yes, as we call military all those who are not civil.)

I propose now to amuse the reader with some miscellaneous examples of punning. It may be

observed that many of the notable punsters were dramatic writers or professional comedians, and a selection of some by George Colman will serve to show the quality of this style of wit.

A gentleman having a remarkably long visage, was one day riding by Mr. Whyte's school at Dublin, at the gate of which he overheard young Richard Brinsley Sheridan say, "That gentleman's face is "That gentleman's face is longer than his life." Struck by the strangeness of the remark, he turned his horse's head, and requested its meaning. "Sir," said the boy, "I meant no offence in the world, but I have read in the Bible at school that a man's life is but a span, and I am sure your face is double that length." The gentleman threw the lad sixpence for his wit.

66

of the street. They had each sent a dramatic manuscript for the Summer Theatre, and, being anxious to get the start of each other in the production of their several works, they both called out, " Remember, Colman, I am first oar." Humph," muttered the manager, as they passed on, "they may talk about first oars, but they have not a scull between them." This reminds one of a witticism of Douglas Jerrold. Two conceited young authors were boasting that they rowed in the same boat with a celebrated wit of the day. "Aye," replied Jerrold, "but not with the

same sculls."

John Taylor sent to Colman a volume of his poems, which bore the motto,—

"I left no calling for this idle trade;"

"For none were blind enough to ask thine aid."

specie.

W. II. Ireland, the Shakespeare forger, wrote in a volume of his "Rhapsodies'

:-

"As on thy title-page, poor little book,
Full oft I cast a sad and pensive look,

I shake my head and pity thee;
For I, alas! no brazen front possess,
Nor do I ev'ry potent art profess,

To send thee forth from censure free."

Upon this Porson wrote: "Though I cannot help looking upon him as too modest in the fourth verse, he certainly underrates the amount and extent of his possessions; he is by no means poor in his own brass."

Sheri

George Colman was an admirable punster. dan once said, when George made a successful hit, "I hate a pun; but Colman almost reconciles me to the infliction." He was once asked if he knew Theodore Hook? (6 Oh, yes," was his reply, "Hook and I [eye] are old associates."

George Colman the younger was an early associate of Theodore Hook. On the first evening they met they had been sitting some time, when Colman, fixing his eye upon Hook, muttered, "Vory odd, very strange, indeed! wonderful precocity of genius! Astonishing diligence and assiduity! You must be a very extraordinary young man. Why, sir," he continued, raising his voice, "you can hardly have reached your twenty-first birthday?" "I have just passed it," said the other, using the phrase of card"Ah, very good,' players, "ringt-un, overdrawn." replied Colman; "but pray, sir, tell me how the deux-ace did you contrive to find time to write that terribly long Roman History?" (Hooke's.)

A young person, being hardly pressed to sing in company where George Colman formed one of the party, solemnly assured them that he could not sing; and at last said, rather hastily, that "they only wished to make a butt of him." "O, no, said Colman, "my good sir, we only want to get a stave out of you."

One day, when Colman and his son were walking from Soho Square to the Haymarket, two witlings, Miles Peter Andrews and William Augustus Miles, were coming the contrary way, on the opposite side

Now, Taylor was an oculist, but having little or no practice, the satire was the more poignant. Taylor heard of this jeu d'esprit; and shortly after, being in company with Colman, the word calling was incidentally mentioned by the latter, when Taylor, with great quickness, interrupted him with, "Talking of callings, my dear boy, your father was a great dramatic English Merchant;' now your dealings are and always will be those of a small Coal-man."

George the Fourth presented to Colman a commission of Lieutenant of the Yeomen of the Guard in 1820. On the first birthday that Colman attended officially in full costume, his Majesty seemed much pleased to see him, and observed, "Your uniform, George, is so well made, that I don't see the hooks and eyes." On which Colman, unhooking his coat, said, "Here are my eyes, where are yours?

At the table of George IV, when Prince Regent, the royal host said, "Why, Colman, you are older than I am!" 66 'Oh, no, sir," replied Colman, “I before your Royal Highness." could not take the liberty of coming into the world

Turning to the Duke of Wellington, who was Gold Stick in waiting, the King remarked, "George Colman puts me in mind of Paris." "If that is the case," exclaimed Colman, "the only difference I am the hero of Loo-he of Waterloo!" between the Duke of Wellington and me, is, that

Lord Erskine, the ex-chancellor, who, in the course Colman and Bannister were dining one day with of conversation on rural affairs, boasted that he kept on his pasture-land nearly a thousand sheep. "I perceive, then," said Colman, "your lordship has still an eye to the Woolsack."

Colman, himself no giant, delighted in quizzing persons of short stature. Liston and pretty little Mrs. Liston, were dining with him, and towards evening, when preparing to leave their host, Liston said, "Come, Mrs. L., let us be going."

Mrs. L.

(Ell) indeed," exclaimed Colman, "Mrs. Inch, you

mean.'

REST.

WID
IDE fields and moors in russet garments vested;

A lone hill lifted calm and still and fair
Above the morning haze, and faintly crested
With tender brightness in the golden air.

Brown, withered leaves, some shelter mutely craving,
Lie heaped in clefts and hollows of the bank
Where scarlet berries gleam, and fern-plumes waving
Shadow the mossy velvet, green and dank.

Over the trees a silver network, airy
And delicate as woven rays of light,
Wrought by the fingers of some silent fairy,
In the clear moonshine of the winter night.

I listen, for this quiet wind is singing
A penitential psalm in undertones,
Breathing faint sadness in its sighs, and swinging
The solemn fir-tree, crowned with clustered cones.

I know not why the stillness and the sweetness
Of days like this bring out that subtle sense
Of our own life's mysterious incompleteness,
Its little knowledge and its sad pretence.

O that the calm of God were resting lightly
On weary spirit and on striving hand,
Like these soft morning beams that shed so brightly
A Sabbath quiet over all the land!

O to be hushed, and feel His presence shining
Around our lives, to keep them pure and still,
To stay our fevered strife and eager pining,
And trust in meekness to His holy will!

Earth hath her times of peace,-we struggle vainly,
In ceaseless action, toiling to be blest;
This winter calm may show us all too plainly
Our restlessness that chafes against God's rest.

SARAH DOUDNEY

THE NEW WORLD AND THE OLD:

AMERICAN ILLUSTRATIONS OF EUROPEAN ANTIQUITIES. BY PRINCIPAL DAWSON, LL.D., MONTREAL.

X.-PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF PREHISTORIC MEN.

THE

HE part of our subject on which we now enter may well be compared to the prospect presented to the prophet Ezekiel when he was introduced to a valley filled with bones, and observed that they were "very dry." Yet if the reader will bear with a little disquisition on the dry bones of prehistoric humanity, we may promise him that in the end we shall find that these bones will come together and become clothed with flesh, and that their owners will fall into the ranks of the great army of mankind as known to us in our more modern times.

The attempts which have been made to draw such lines of distinction as would serve for race characters between the different varieties of man have necessarily been only partially successful, since these race characters shade into each other, and this in several directions, depending on the particular lines of comparison followed. More particularly, when we have merely bones to rely on, classification becomes less satisfactory; and though it is easy to divide any number of skulls into dolichocephalous, or longheaded, and brachycephalous, or short-headed, and these again into those that are orthognathous or prognathous, that is, with more or less prominent jaws and retreating forehead, yet these pass into each other by imperceptible gradations, and the differences are not altogether coincident with those of race as established on other grounds.

of skulls and skeletons requires to be placed on a I have long thought that this matter of comparison the note furnished by Professor Huxley to Sir Charles somewhat different basis, which is well indicated in Lyell in connection with the prehistoric skulls of the Belgian and Neanderthal caves. He contents himself with a broad distinction between skulls of the low and high types, that is, of the ruder and the more civilised nations, and informs us that even in rude and homogeneous races like the Australians there is great cranial variety, while it is well known that any skull, ancient or modern, except those that have been artificially flattened, may find its counterpart in a large collection of European skulls.

The practical point, therefore, is to ascertain what cranial characters are necessarily or generally connected with those other characters which we perceive in different races, and so to apply the whole as to obtain definite information regarding the state of civilisation and general habits of life which they indicate. From this point of view the mere length or shortness of skulls does not seem a very important lised races with both forms of cranium. The Laps feature, except locally. There are rude and unciviare a rude people, somewhat comparable with the Greenlanders, and, like them, of small stature, but they have short orthognathous heads, while those of the Greenlanders are dolichocephalic and prognathous. Of the most ancient skulls taken from caverns, as we shall see, some are long-headed, others very short. Those of the more northern American Indians tend to a lengthened form, but

The Editor is obliged from lack of space to omit two sections relating to the "Religion of Prehistoric Man," including the instinct of immertality, illustrated by details as to burial rites and observances. Reference to these subjects will be found in the concluding paper of the series...

Both the Hochelagan skulls are from photographs by Henderson, of

may be made respecting breadth and prominence of the cheek bones and of the angles of the lower jaw, though these probably have reference rather to the constant use of coarse and tough food than to want

marks of the lower races. Habits of life may have mechanical connections with skull forms. Independently of the attempts made by some tribes to modify the skull artificially, modes of carrying in