LAW FOR BACHELORS.
A Hard Law.—At Sparta, a man was liable to an action for not marrying at all, for marrying too late, and for marrying improperly.
Club Law.—At Lacedemon, upon a certain feast, the women drag those men who were not married round an altar, and beat them with clubs, that the scandal of this treatment might induce them to avoid it, by desiring to become fathers, and marry at a proper time.
The Civil Law.—The Roman law lent all its aid to a point so ⟨national⟩ and interesting; for we learn from Dionyssius Halicarnassensis, ⟨that⟩ their old law compelled those who were of a proper age to marry, ⟨and⟩ it was a branch of the Censor's office to see it put into execution.
Commentary on the Civil Law.—When it is urged against this ⟨coercing⟩ power, that matrimony should be free, it is granted as to any ⟨particular⟩ person. Your consent is not compelled to Titia or Sempronia. The State has a right to your contribution in general, but leaves you to ⟨choose⟩ the party at your own discretion.
A Pious Pinch.—During the better days of Presbyterianism—when ⟨the⟩ ministers' stipends were one half less. and their labours of love one ⟨half⟩ more- snuff-taking was reckoned among the foolish vices, and of ⟨course⟩ was considered a luxury not to be countenanced by the cloth. ⟨One⟩ worthy divine, however, had swerved a little in his youth from the ⟨virtue⟩ of total abstemiousness, and among other College sins that had ⟨beset⟩ him, that of snuff-taking clung to his reverence with ⟨unconquerable⟩ tenacity. He never, however, forgot his gravity so far as to ⟨indulge⟩ in a pinch during sermon, until one close, warm, weary ⟨afternoon⟩, when the hearts of the congregation were heavy, and his eyelids ⟨threatened⟩ every moment to follow the example of their neighbours. ⟨He⟩ hemmed, stamped, and struck the pulpit till his fingers dinneled; (illegible text)t all would not do, for the clouds were charged with electricity, the kirk ⟨was⟩ heated like a baker's oven, and the drowsy audience were fast ⟨dropping⟩ away into the balmy dominion of Morpheus. At this critical ⟨juncture⟩, the minister's eye caught an honest countryman in the act of ⟨opening⟩ a huge mull, and resuscitating his drooping spirits with a hearty ⟨sneezer⟩. "Ah! John!" exclaimed the Divine, taking out his own ⟨snuff⟩-horn, "I see what ye're about there! yer taking snuff, John!— (illegible text) needna deny't!—Here's the way ye did, John. Ye took out yer (illegible text)ll, this way, see; and ye took a pinch as big as that, John; and (illegible text) played this, and this-iss-iss, (inhaling nearly a goupin of macouba); ⟨which⟩ is a great sin, John.—But to resume our discourse, &c." There ⟨was⟩ no more sleeping in the kirk, that afternoon at least.
Mocking Bird—The musical powers of this bird have often been ⟨taken⟩ notice of by European naturalists, and persons who find pleasure ⟨in⟩ listening to the song of different birds, whilst in confinement or at ⟨large⟩. Some of these persons have described the notes of the ⟨nightingale⟩ as occassionally fully equal to those of our bird. I have ⟨frequently⟩ heard both species in confinement, and in the wild state, and without ⟨prejudice⟩, have no hesitation in pronouncing the names of the European (illegible text)lomel (illegible text) equal to that of a Soubrette of taste, which, could she study