I remember now -'t was Xanthus-plague o' the name! that's it.

Quiz. Egad! so it is. "Thankus, Thankus"-that's it. Strange, I could not remember it! (Aside.) "T would havebeen stranger, if I had.

Sir Ch. You seem at times a little absent, Mr. Blackletter.

Quiz. Dear me! I wish I was absent altogether. (Aside.) Sir Ch. We shall not disagree about learning, sir. I discover you are a man, not only of profound learning, but cor

rect taste.

Quiz. (Aside.) I am glad you have found that out, for I never should. I came here to quiz the old fellow, and he'll quiz me, I fear. (To him.) 0, by the by, I have been so confused-I mean, so confounded-pshaw! so much engrossed with the contemplation of the Latin classics, I had almost forgotten to give you a letter from your son.

Sir Ch. Bless me, sir! why did you delay that pleasure so long?

Quiz. I beg pardon, sir; here 'tis. (Gives a letter.)

Sir Ch. (Puts on his spectacles, and reads.) "To Miss Clara."

Quiz. No, no, no-that's not it—here 'tis. (Takes the letter, and gives him another.)

Sir Ch. What are you the bearer of love epistles, too, Mr. Blackletter ?

Quiz. (Aside.) What a horrid blunder! (To him.) Oh, no, sir: that letter is from a female cousin at a boardingschool, to Miss Clara Upright-no, Downright that's the

name.

Sir Ch. Truly, she writes a good masculine fist. Well, let me see what my boy has to say. (Reads.)

"Dear Father: There is a famous Greek manuscript just

come to light. I must have it. The price is about a thousand dollars. Send me the money by the bearer."

Short and sweet. There's a letter for you, in the true Lacedæmonian style-laconic. Well, the boy shall have it, were it ten times as much. I should like to see this Greek manuscript. Pray, sir, did you ever see it?

Quiz. I can't say I ever did, sir. (Aside.) This is the only truth I have been able to edge in yet.

Sir Ch. I'll just send to my bankers for the money. In the mean time, we will adjourn to my library. I have been much puzzled with an obscure passage in Livy. We must lay our heads together for a solution. But I am sorry you are addicted to such absence of mind at times.

Quiz. 'Tis a misfortune, sir; but I am addicted to greater than that, at times.

Quiz. I am sometimes addicted to an absence of body.
Sir Ch. As how?

Quiz. Why, thus, sir. (Takes up his hat and stick, and walks off)

Sir Ch. Ha! ha! ha! that's an absence of body, sure enough an absence of body with vengeance! A very merry fellow this. He will be back for the money, I suppose, presently. He is, at all events, a very modest man, not fond of expressing his opinion-but that's a mark of merit.

LESSON XLVIII.

CAPTAIN TACKLE-JACK BOWLIN.

ANONYMOUS.

Bowlin. Good day to your honor.
Captain. Good day, honest Jack.

Bowl. To-day is my captain's birth-day.

Capt. I know it.

Bowl. I am heartily glad on the occasion.

Capt. I know that, too.

Bowl. Yesterday your honor broke your sea-foam pipe. Capt. Well, sir booby, and why must be I put in mind of it? it was stupid euough, to be sure, but hark ye, Jack, all men at times do stupid actions, but I never met with one who liked to be reminded of them.

Bowl. I meant no harm, your honor. It was only a kind of introduction to what I was going to say. I have been buying this pipe-head and ebony tube, and if the thing is not too bad, and my captain will take such a present on his birth-day for the sake of poor old Jack

Capt. Is that what you would be at-come, let's see.

Bowl. To be sure it is not sea-foam; but my captain must

think when he looks at it, that the love of old Jack was not mere foam neither.

no.

Capt. Give it here, my honest fellow.

Bowl. You will take it?

Capt. To be sure I will.

Bowl. And will smoke it?

Capt. That I will. (Feeling in his pocket.)

Bowl. And will not think of giving me anything in return? Capt. (Withdrawing his hand from his pocket.) No, You are right.

Bowl. Huzza! now let mother Grimkin bake her almond cakes out of her daily pilferings and be hanged.

Capt. Fie, Jack! what's that you say?

Bowl. The truth. I have just come from the kitchen, where she is making a great palaver about "her cake," and "her cake," and yet this morning she must be put in mind that it was her master's birth-day. Hang me, I have thought of nothing else this month.

Capt. And because you have a better memory, you must blame the poor old woman. Shame on you, Jack.

Bowl. Please your honor, she is an old

Capt. Avast!

Bowl. Yesterday she made your wine cordial of sour beer so to-day she makes you an almond cake of

Capt. Hold your tongue, sir-hold your tongue.

Bowl. Aint you obliged to beg the necessaries of life as if she were a pope or an admiral? And last year when you was bled, though she had laid up chest upon chest fell of linen, and yours, if the truth was known, yet no bandage was found till I tore the square canvas from my Sunday shirt to rig your honor's arm.

all

Capt. You are a scandalous fellow. (Throws the pipe back to him.) Away with you and the pipe to the dogs. Bowl. (Looking attentively at his master and the pipe.) I am a scandalous fellow?

Capt. Yes!

Bowl. Your honor will not have the pipe?

Capt. No; I will take nothing from him who would raise his own character at the expense of another old servant. (Jack takes up the pipe and throws it out of the window.) What are you doing?

Bowl. Throwing the pipe out of the window.

Capt. Are you mad?

Bowl. Why, what should I do with it? You will not have it, and it is impossible for me to use it, for as often as I should puff away the smoke, I should think, "old Jack Bowlin, what a pitiful scamp you must be, a man whom you have served honestly and truly these thirty years, and who must know you from stem to stern, says you are a scandalous fellow," and the thought would make me weep like a child. But when the pipe is gone, I shall try to forget the whole business, and say

to myself, "my poor old captain is sick, and does not mean what he said."

Capt. Jack, come here. (Takes his hand.) I did not mean what I said.

Bowl. (Shakes his hand heartily.) I knew it, I knew it. I have you and your honor at heart, and when I see such an old hypocritical bell-wether cheating you out of your hardearned wages, it makes my blood boil

Capt. Are you at it again? Shame on you. You have opened your heart to-day, and given me a peep into its lowest hold.

Bowl. So much the better; for you will then see that my ballast is love and truth to my master. But hark ye, master, it is certainly worth your while to inquire into the business.

Capt. And hark ye, fellow, if I find you have told me a lie, I'll have no mercy on you. I'll turn you out of doors to starve in the street.

Bowl. No, captain, you won't do that.

Capt. But I tell you I will, though. I will do it. And if you say another word, I'll do it now.

Bowl. Well, then away goes old Jack to the hospital.

Capt. What's that you say? hospital? hospital, you rascal? what will you do there?

Capt. And so you will go and die in a hospital, will you? Why-why-you lubber, do you think I cant take care of you after I have turned you out of doors, hey?

Bowl. Yes, I dare say you would be willing to pay my board, and take care that I did not want in my old days; but I had rather beg than pick up money so thrown at me.

Capt. Rather beg! there's a proud rascal!

Bowl. He that don't love me must not give me money. Capt. Do you hear that? Is not this enough to give a sound man the gout? You sulky fellow, do you recollect