reality before, and he stood transfixed, a wondering spectator of the glorious vision,-for such to his aching sight it seemed to be. At this moment, the embroidered arras that hung before the oriel window of the tapestried chamber was slowly drawn aside, and the figure of Shakspere, his eyes beaming with immortality, and his lofty brow discoursing of all things past, present, and to come, stood revealed to view! "Flowers of all hues, and without thorn the rose," sprung up spontaneously beneath his feet.

And as he walk'd along th' enamell'd bed
Of flow'rs, disposed in many a fairy ring,
Celestial music answer'd to his tread,

As if his feet had touch'd some hidden spring
Of harmony-so soft the airs did breathe

In the charmed ear-around-above-beneath?

He spoke But his voice was of "no sound that the earth knows."

The sensations of Uncle Timothy grew intensely painful amounting almost to agony. He made a sudden effort to rush forward, and in making it, awoke! when he found himself seated

snugly in an arm-chair before a bright "sea-coal fire," at the Mother Red Cap, where he had fallen asleep after the exit of the Bartholomew Fair troop, in their progress to the "Rounds."

And thus ended Uncle Timothy's Vision of the Boar's Head!

CHAPTER XIII.

"GENTLEMEN, on this anniversary of St. Bartholomew, let us not forget that we owe his Fair to a priest and jester."

"A priest and a jester, Mr. Merripall ?—ha ! ha! ho!"

"In sooth, Brother Stiflegig," replied the comical coffin-maker to his inquiring mute, whose hollow laugh sounded like a double knock; "and the merry monk is no more to be blamed for the disorders that, fungus-like, have grown out of it, than is Sir Christopher Wren for the cobwebs and dust that deface the dome of St. Paul's. Right is not always the reverse of wrong. Brush away the cobwebs and the dust, but spare the dome. Don't cut off a man's head to cure his toothach, or lop off his leg to banish his gout in toto!”

The latter clause of this remark was much

applauded by a sensitive member, who had evinced great anxiety to protect his physiognomy from the cutting draught of the door; and by another, who was equally careful to keep his ten toes from being trod upon. But the sexton and the two mutes exchanged significant glances, that plainly hinted their non-approval of this anti-professional, ultraliberality on the part of the comical coffin-maker. "Gentlemen," resumed Mr. Merripall, rising

"THE JOVIAL PRIOR OF ST. BARTHOLOMEW ! Sons of the fair, to Father Rahére Chant a stave in a hollow mew;

Hosier Lane shout back the strain

Through the cloisters of holy Bartholomew.

Saunders, Gyngell, merrily mingle;

Richardson join in the choir:

Two-legg'd dancers, four-legg'd prancers,

You can't cry nay (neigh?) to the Prior.

Now fire away in full chorus !

Peace to the soul of the bald-pated droll!
Sound him a larry-cum-twang!

Toss off a toast to his good-humour'd ghost,

And let it come off with a bang!"

We were passing by those ancient houses in

Duke Street, Smithfield, undecided whether or not to drop in upon the little Drysalter, when our attention was arrested by this chorus of mirth proceeding from one of the many obscure hostelries with which these ancient turnings and windings abound. We had stumbled on the Pig and Tinder-box, near Bartholomew Close. The chair was on his legs,-an exceedingly long pair, in black stockings, — leading a loud cheer. Mr. Merripall, the comical coffin-maker, was president of the Antiqueeruns. On each side of him sat his two mutes, Messrs. Hatband and Stiflegig; the sexton, Mr. Shovelton, by virtue of his office, was vice; the rest were tradesmen in the neighbourhood, to whom porter, pipes, punch, purl, pigtail, and politics were a pleasing solace after the business of the day; and a warlike character was given to the club by the infusion of some of the Honourable the Artillery Company, and the angel visits" of a city-marshal. Its name,

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though implying the reverse of a jest, had its origin in a joke, arising from the mispronunciation of a member, to whom a little learning had proved a dangerous thing. This intelligent brother, at