English bees would be a pretty good match for three French.

"Ah! Monsieur," said the Frenchman, complaisantly, "cela peut être (that may be).”

LIBERTY.

BEFORE I left Paris I heard a person who was filled with indignation at the recital of the horrors then committing, cry, "D-n liberty, I abhor its very name." The indignation was just; but surely it was ill directed.

If he had been hearing a recital of the cruelties exercised under the pretext of zeal for the Christian religion, whose essence is mercy and good-will towards men, he might with equal justice and discerment have said, “**** -I abhor its very name!"

SPANISH GRANDEES.

THEY seem to be a race apart in that kingdom; they engross the highest offices, and are employed in attendance on the king's person, though very seldom in the affairs of Government. It is said that their education and talents are generally of a nature to prevent this from being a loss to the public. Their per

sons, as well as their minds, are thought more diminutive than the usual human size in their country. Those who assert this, impute it to their intermarrying constantly with each other, and to some other physical causes. The higher Spanish nobility seldom eat at each other's houses, though they reside the whole year at Madrid; hardly any of them live at their seats in the provinces, or even go at all to the country, except those whose offices oblige them to accompany the royal family, when they visit the different country places, at stated periods of the year. Considering the natural beauty and fertility of many provinces of Spain, it seems surprising that they in general should prefer a town to a country life.

Few of the nobility of Spain display any taste for the pursuits of literature. * What is also singular, is that notwithstanding princes of the House of Bourbon have so long sate on the throne of Spain, yet the nobility of this country are less acquainted with the French language than the nobles of any other European nation: they differ from the great of other nations, likewise, in being as superstitious as the vulgar.

The style of living of the grandees of Spain is not calculated to excite envy in the breasts of those who have a taste for the real enjoyments

*We have heard that Mr. T. J. Matthias entertains no very favourable opinion of the Spanish Grandees! ED.

of life; it is expensive without being elegant; and their expence consists chiefly in an useless number of carriages, mules, and domestics.

There is as little appearance of jealousy in Madrid as in any town of Europe. It were to be wished that the tranquillity which the nobles enjoy on that head was derived from the consciousness of the chastity of their wives: but the very reverse of this is true, if we can rely on the account of those who have long resided in that city.

This alteration in the manners of the nobles seems to have had one good effect; namely, that there is hardly any such thing as assassination on account of jealousy.

NEGROES AN INFERIOR RACE.

"You do not pretend to assert, that negroes are originally on a footing with white people, you will allow, I hope, that they are an inferior race of men." Thus was speaking in company a

West India planter.

"I will allow,” replied a gentleman present, "that their hair is short, and ours long, that their nose is flat and ours raised, that their skin is black and ours white; yet after all these concessions, I still have my doubts respecting our right to make them slaves."

TRANSUBSTANTIATION.

ON somebody having observed that it was unfortunate that the great change operated on the wafer in transubstantiation was not visible; an ingenious person, formerly a Jesuit, pronounced the miracle to be much greater on that account. "For, pray Sir," said he, addressing himself to the objector, "suppose I should immediately turn that fowl, pointing to a turkey which was at that moment stalking past, suppose I should immediately turn that fowl into a woman, would you not think it very extraordinary ?-" Certainly;" replied the other. "Well Sir, but after the fowl has to all intents and purposes become a woman, if it still retained the appearance of a turkey you must acknowledge that would be more extraordinary still. In the same manner that after the transubstantiation, the real body of Christ should, even in the eyes of the sharpest sighted, still retain its original form of a wafer, is a great deal more amazing and stupendous than the conversion of the wafer."

ANTINOUS.

In the famous gallery of Florence is a series of Roman emperors. This series is almost complete, but wherever the bust of an emperor is wanting, the place is filled up by that of some

other distinguished Romans. Such an honour is bestowed with great propriety on Seneca, Cicero, or Agrippa the son-in-law of Augustus. But on perceiving a head of Antinous, the favourite of Adrian, an English gentleman. whispered to his friend-" That minion," (pointing to the head)" would not have been admitted into such company any where but in Florence.”*

VIRGIN MARY.

A PERSON present at the performance of a serious opera, on an Italian stage, after having displayed great signs of satisfaction, cried out, "The composer deserves to be made chief musician to the Virgin, and to lead a choir of angels." +

TRINITY.

AN Italian connoisseur was shewing two famous pieces of painting to some Englishmen travelling in Italy." That picture," said he to them, "which represents the Trinity is natural, well grouped, and easily understood; and that is all that can be said for it."

* The Florentines have long been accused of a certain vice.

+ It is a popular opinion in Italy, that the Virgin Mary is very fond, and excellent judge of music.