the fire, but don't put your feet upon that hearth-rug. Is not it pretty? I bought it of Mrs. Fry, who bought it of an interesting young woman in Newgate. John, you know I have your good at heart." John fidgeted, and looked wistfully at his hat, which he had left unluckily out of reach. Mrs. Isabella, after the above stock prelude, poured forth her cornucopia of advice; which she assured him she should not have given, if she had not been sure of his having too much good sense to feel offended at what she was about to say. She begged to hint to him in confidence, that his goings on were no secret: she pointed to Hogarth's "Rake's Progress." a series of delicate engravings that adorned the walls of her boudoir : she then took down a volume of Bell's "British Theatre," which she opened at George Barnwell, and assured him that it was every word true: she proved to his conviction that virtue was a good thing and vice a bad one: and concluded by intimating, that figurantes were, like tetotums, to be looked at, but not touched. John Partington promised amendment; and on the very day following, drové Fanny Smith in his Stanhope to Epsom races, in a white satin pelisse and a Leghorn hat with an undulating brim. In so doing, John Partington, I fear, acted too hastily.He should first have consulted his biographical dictionary, wherein he might surely have found many instances of men who had given up a young mistress, because desired so to do by an old aunt. No such case occurs to me, off hand, but many are doubtless to be met with in the books. But of all advisers, commend me to Charles Partington, the youngest son; who, as I before mentioned, is bred to the law. To be sure the young man has suffered advice in his time, about giving up Lord Byron, and streking to his Term Reports, but that is no reason for his inflicting it so unmercifully upon others. Charles always advises his two sisters whom to dance with, and where to buy their white kid gloves and Albums. Charles Partington's last advices are scattered upon his cousin Emily Green, who was courted by Captain Taper. Charles advised her by no means to think of him, and then trotted all over London in quest of proofs. These did not extend beyond showing the lover to be a swindler, a drunkard, and a debauchee; but they seemed to answer every purpose. Emily cried; and, possessed by her adviser of all the Captain's frailties in a focus, said she was now quite happy : she could never sufficiently thank her cousin Charles for the good advice he had given her : she begged he would take charge of a whole packet of love-letters and deliver them to the Captain, receiving hers in exchange. Charles snatched up the deposit, and ran across the Park to Arabella-row, Pimlico, as hard as he could lay leg to the ground. He found the Captain at home, and, after giving him a world of good advice with respect to paying his debts, and leaving off wine and women, laid his budget of epistles upon the table. The Captain, with sorrowful solemnity, gave up Emily's letters in return; and as a parting request, urged Charles Partington to de liver a final leavetaking letter to Emily. Charles (with a sagacity which hereafter must make him a Master in Chancery, at least) complied with the lover's request; and on his return, advised Emily as a friend not to read it. Emily said she would not, but told him he might as well leave it on the table.—Charles did leave it on the table. (A Master in Chancery? phoo! he will be a Master of the Rolls!) and, in a week, the Morning Post told the world that Captain Taper and Emily Green were man and wife. MR. LOWRY, We lament to notice in the newspapers, the death of Mr. Lowry, the celebrated engraver: a man of as rare talents and solid endowments as any with whom it is ever our lot to meet. MR. WATT. A liberal subscription has been entered upon, for a Monunent to the late James Watt. We are sorry to see it announced for the inside of a church, instead of a conspicuous public situation. Original Anecdotes, Literary News, Chit Chat, Incidents, &c, SIGHTS OF LONDON. THE Merman, or Mermaid, (for it seems the sex of this nondescript is not precisely known) commanded my early visit to Piccadilly. There, indeed, I saw, as one Shakespeare says, "a fish; he [or she] smells like a fish; a very ancient and fishlike smell; a kind of, not of the newest, Poor John. A strange fish "—and it might well be added from the same author, who seems to have written something applicable to all times, past, present and future, "in England now, but this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give a piece of silver: there would this monster make a man; any strange beast there makes a man: when they will not give a doit to relieve a lame beggar, they will lay out ten to see a dead Indian, with his fins like arms." Thus it has been, is, and probably will be to the end of the chapter of human curiosity. The present monster, to the upper parts, as far as the breast, of an animal resembling the order Quadrumana (class Mammalia) has the lower extremities of a fish. The arms are covered with a sort of scale or reticuled skin, and the fingers are without webs. It is in a very dry condition, which renders critical examination impossible; and therefore its authenticity rests on the assurances of its owners, and the affidavit of an Indian servant who swears that he has seen a similar creature alive, and on shore for three days. I must leave it for naturalists to decide upon the credit due to this testimony. It is obvious that a hundred such exhibitions might be manufactured in a warm climate in any given year, by dexterously conjoining the upper parts of the Ourang-outang (or other ape or monkey) with the tail of a fish. The sun, rapidly drying such a composite animal, would not only make it look as if of ancient state, but also prevent an easy detection of the means taken to form it; while, by the insertion of teeth, the addition or taking away of skin, hair, &c. &c. the whole imposture would be rendered complete. The grand difficulty is to reconcile the functions of a warm-blooded creature, possessing all the great organs requir-・ ed for breathing the air, and living, as man does, on the earth, with the idea of existing in the water like a fish. Till this can be demonstrated as within the verge of possibility, I, for one, must withhold my belief in the being of Mermen and Merwomen. In fact I consider this to be a made-up thing. The situation of the eyes decides it; for if such a creature were to live, its sight must always be directed downwards, while its existence would require an upright position. It seems to be a fish tail, an ape body, and the head formed of the jaws of the wolf-fish, the skull of an ape and the fur of a fox. THE SICILIAN DWARF. Marlborough-street.-Yesterday two foreign gentlemen came to this office,and made an application to F. A. Roe, Esq. the Presiding Magistrate, for his advice or assistance how to act under the following singular circumstances. Mr. Lewis Fogle, one of the gentlemen in question, who stated himself to be a Sicilian by birth, said, that he was father of the extraordinary child, called the Sicilian Dwarf, that has lately been exhibited in London, and whose sudden and melancholy death has thrown himself and his wife, the child's mother, into the greatest grief. Mr. Fogle said, that he has for a considerable time past resided in the city of Dublin, where he holds a professional situation in the musical department in the Theatre Royal; and, until a short time ago, this child resided with himself and his wife in that capital; but, having there become acquainted with a member of the medical profession, a Dr. Gilligan, that gentleman represented the climate of that country as too cold for the child's constitution, which was then beginning to be rather impaired, and recommended the immediate removal of the child to England, as a more congenial air, and, if that change did not produce the desired effect, ultimately to remove her to the Continent; and the doctor professed to take such a peculiar interest in the health and welfare of the child, that he offered his services to accompany her on her travels, and pay the necessary attentions to her health, provided the parents would consent to his exhibiting her during the short stay they were likely to make in London. The parents, from their professional engagements, being preclude from the possibility of accompanying their child, and having the utmost confidence in the talents and integrity of Dr. Gilligan, consented to these terms; the more particularly, as the doctor represented that his object in exhibiting the child was not so much the gain likely to arise from it, but, as a man of science, he was anxious that such an extraordinary phenomenon should not be lost to the phisiological world. Dr. Gilligan accordingly set out with the child, and arrived in London about two months ago, where he hired lodgings for himself and his interesting charge in Duke-street, St. James's, and resided there until about a fortnight ago, when, unhappily, the child died. This melancholy event Dr Gilligan never communicated to the parents; nor indeed had they heard any thing from him since his departure from Dublin, and the tidings of their interesting child's death they only learned through the medium of the public papers which reached Dublin.— Mr. Fogle said that the sudden account of her child's death threw the mother into the most melancholy and agonizing grief, and he himself set of instantly for London,with a view to take charge of the child's remains, and have them properly interred. He arrived the night before at the Saracen's Head in Snow-hill, where he is at present stopping, and immediately went to the house where he understood by the public papers the child was exhibited at, in Bondstreet, and there he was referred to the address in Duke-street, St. James's; but on his making inquiry at this latter place for the Doctor, he was informed that the day after the child's death he disappeared, taking the remains with him, and has never since returned, leaving a debt of £25 due at the house for lodgings, &c. All his exertions, Mr. Fogle said, had failed to procure any intelligence of the Doctor's destination, or how he had disposed of the remains of his child; but he has been informed that Dr. Gilligan was heard to say in the life-time of the child, and while it was heing exhibited, that some members of the College of Surgeons had offered him, if any misfortune should occur to cause the child's death, five hundred pounds for the body, for the purpose of dissection, and to put amongst their collection of extraordinary instances of the whims and freaks of nature. Under these distressing circumstances, Mr. Fogle intreated the Magistrate's advice. Mr. Roe, who seemed to sympathise warmly with the anxious feelings of Mr. Fogle, and who was deeply affected during bis application, said that he regretted extremely that he had not, he feared, any power to render him assistance for removing the remains of his child, particularly 25 Dr. Gilligan was not forthcoming. The great probability was, that if the child's remains were disposed of for the service of the College of Surgeons, dissection had taken place before this time; but he (Mr. Roe) would advise Mr. Fogle to apply to the parish authorities where the child died, whose duty it was to see that a Coroner's Inquest was held upon any person meeting with a sudden death, as this child was represented to have done. Mr. Fogle said that he understood the child died in a coach on its way from the exhibition-room in Bond-street to Dukestreet, in consequence of cold which it caught. The child was never suffered by her parents to go at all into the air, unless well wrapped up. Mr. Roe said that he should be very glad to hear that Mr. Fogle had recovered the remains of his child, and that his fears about its dissection were unfounded. Mr. Fogle thanked the Magistrate, and assured him, that he believed, if it should turn out that the child's remains were thus disposed of, it would have a most serious effect upon the mother, whose last injunction to him was to let her have one look at her dear child before it was consigned to the earth; and he intended to have taken the remains to Ireland for that purpose.The mother was doatingly fond of this child, which was as intelligent, interesting, and affectionate in her disposition and manner, as she was beautiful in her person and form, and diminutive in her stature. Mr. Fogle then left the office with his friend, to proceed to the Parish officers, whose address Mr. Roe communicated to them. THE BODY DISCOVERED. When Mons. Fogell Crachami, and Mons. Andoyer▬▬ the former the father of the above little personage, and the latter proprietor of the Natuorama, in Bond-street-applied to Mr. Roe, the Magistrate, at Marlborough-street Office, on Monday last, it was for a warrant to apprehend Gilligan, the person to whom the unfortunate little creature had been entrusted, by which means it was supposed the destiny of the child would be come at. However, Mr. Roe did not feel himself justified in granting his warrant ; and recommended Mons. Crachami and his friends to make inquiries of the parochial officers of St. James's, and in all probability it might lead to a discovery of the infant. They immediately acted upon the worthy magistrate's suggestion, and communicated with the gentlemen of the parish upon the subject, but could learn nothing satisfactory of the child. The parochial officers of course could know nothing, unless notice of the death of Miss C. had been forwarded to them by Gilligan, upon which a coroner's inquest would have been called. The unhappy father next went to the house of Mr. Dorlan, the tailor, in Duke street, St. James's,where Gilligan occupied a splendid suite of apartments; he was accompanied by his wife, and her brother, a Mr. King, an actor belonging to the Dublin Theatre. Mr. Dorlan informed him that they left Monday se'nnight, and that he could give no tidings of their destination. All that they left behind was the little state bed of the child, and its habit, which he (Mr. Dorlan) had manufactured for it, to be presented to the king. From thence Mons. Crachami went to Mr Brooks's, at Blenham steps, and there ascertained that Gilligan had offered the body of the little creature to him at the price of 100 guineas! but that the negotiation did not take place. The poor father, in a state of distraction, next repaired to other places of anatomy, and met with the same success; he also went to the different public hospitals, where he was shown all the subjects, but could not identify the body of his tiny offspring. He was now so overwhelmed with grief that he burst into tears, and again returned to Mr. Dorlan's in Duke-strect, who took an active part in endeavouring to find out the little creature; and, from some circumstances, he advised M. Crachami to wait upon Sir Everard Home, at his house in Sackville-street. Thither he went, and saw Sir Everard. Of course they were strangers to each other. Sir Everard, on seeing him, 'said, "Oh, you come from Gilligan, about the dwarf; the surgeons have not yet held a meeting, therefore I can't say what sum will be voted to him." The feelings of the unhappy father, upon this salute, may be more easily conceived than described, and in a flood of tears he told Sir Everard that he was the father of the little creature Sir Everard was astonished at this intelligence, but ultimately an explanation took place. It appears that on Monday se'nnight Gilligan, who was known to Sir Everard, through whose influence the prodigy had been presented to the king, called at his house in Sackville-street with the body of the child, and expressed a wish to dispose of it. Sir Everard refused to purchase it, but said he would present it to the College of Surgeons, and whatever reward they thought proper to vote him should be given him. Gilligan agreed to this, and left the child, saying that he was going out of town, but would send a friend in a few days for the gratuity. He then went away, and when poor Crachami entered the room, Sir Everard considered that he was the man that had been sent by Gilligan, which led to Sir Everard's mentioning the name of the child. The poor father implored Sir Everard to grant him a look at his beloved infant, and that he should then leave this world happy. Sir Everard instantly complied, and gave him an order to see it at the College of Surgeons, at Lincoln's-Innfields, and presented him with a check on his banker for ten pounds, at the same time promising to represent the unfortunate business to his Majesty. Mons. Crachami, in a state bordering on insanity, hastened to Surgeon's Hall, where he arrived almost breathless, thinking he might prevent his child from being anatomised. But alas ! it was too late. He was shown into a room, wherein the first thing that caught his view, was the body of his darling progeny, mangled in a most shocking manner. He clasped the corse in his arms in a manner that excited the feelings of all present, and it was with difficulty that he could be prevailed upon to leave the room, which, however, he did, upon the gentlemen promising him that nothing further would be done to the infant. M Crachami left London immediately by the Liverpool coach for Ireland, to communicate the dreadful intelligence to his wife. It appears that when the child was taken from Ireland about six months ago, by Gilligan, an agreement was regularly drawn up, and attested by witnesses, and stamped between Crachami and Gilligan, in which the latter agreed to allow the former sixty pounds a year, out of the profits arising from the child's being exhibited, but it is affirmed, that no part of the agreement was fulfilled. Crachami, the father of the child, was a trumpeter in one of the foot regiments at the battle of Waterloo, and the child was born on the day after. He belongs now to the orchestra of the Dublin Theatre. Gilligan has not since been heard of; it is supposed he netted about £1500 by the child's exhibition, and that he has gone to France. THE WONDERS OF ELORA. "The Wonders of Elora, or the Narrative of a Journey to the Temples and Dwellings excavated out of a Mountain of Granite, and extending upwards of a mile and a quarter, at Elora, in the East Indies." Although we have so many descriptions of India, we did not, before the appearance of the present volume, possess any detailed and accessible accounts of the singular antiquities of Elora. These stupendous temples, the origin of which is unknown, are hewn out of the solid rock; and, whether we regard the magnificence of their dimensions, the labour which must have been required in the construction of them, or their remote antiquity, may be fairly said to vie with the Egyptian pyramids. The following passage will give some idea of these wonderful structures. "Conceive the burst of surprise at suddenly coming upon a stupendous temple, within a large open court, hewn out of the solid rock, with all its parts perfect and beautiful, standing proudly alone upon its native bed, and detached from the neighbouring mountain by a spacious area all round, nearly 250 feet deep, and 150 feet broad: this unrivalled fane, rearing its rocky head to a height of nearly 100 feet-its length about 145 feet, by 62 broad-having well-formed doorways, windows, staircases to its upper floor, containing fine large rooms of a smooth and polished surface, regularly divided by a low of pillars: the whole bulk of this immense block of isolated excavation being upwards of 500 feet in circumference; and, extraordinary as it may appear, having beyond its areas three handsome figure galleries, or virandas, supported by regular pillars, with compartments hewn out of the boundary scarp, con taining 42 curious gigantic figures of the Hindoo mythology-the whole three galleries in continuity, enclosing the areas, and occupying the almost incredible space of nearly 420 feet of excavated rock; being, upon the aver age, about thirteen feet two inches broad all round, and in height fourteen feet and a half; while, positively, above these again are excavated fine large rooms. Within the court, and opposite these galleries, or virandas, stands Keylas the Proud, wonderfully towering in hoary majesty-a mighty fabric of rock surpassed by no relic of antiquity in the known world." (New Mon.) THE WIND. THE Wind has a language I would I could learn : Sometimes, when Autumn grows yellow and sear, Sometimes it comes in the wintry night, And I see the flash of its withering eye, As it looks from the thunder-cloud sailing on high, And pauses to gather its fearful breath, And lifts up its voice, like the angel of death, And the billows leap up when the summons they hear, And the ship flies away, as if winged with fear, And the uncouth creatures that dwell in the deep, Start up at the sound from their floating sleep, And career through the waters, like clouds through the night, And when the moon rises, the ship is no more, Its joys and its sorrows are vanish'd and o'er, And the fierce storm that slew it, has faded away, Like the dark dream that flies from the light of the day OVERLAND JOURNEY. One of the boats intended for Capt. Franklin's land expedition was last month Jaunched from the communication-bridge, Chatham, in the presence of Lieut. Col. Pasley, the projector, and Dr. Richardson, the enterprising companion of Franklin, The boat was christened by the eldest daughter of Lieut. Col. Pasley, the "Nutshell," which form it resembles. The frame is made of ash, fastened without nails, over which is a case of double canvas, enclosing a lining of dissolved India rubber. Her weight, before entering the water, was 85 lbs. She is capable of carrying four persons, and 350 lb weight of ballast. Lieut. Col. Pasley and three officers of the Royal Engineers sailed across the Medway, and afterwards to the Dock-yard, where she was taken to pieces, and carried upon the shoulders of two men to the Artillery Barracks. BELZONI. An admirable Portrait of Belzoni has just been published. It is engraved by F. C. Lewis, from a sketch by Mr. Brockedon, and is one of the most spirited works of art and most faithful likenesses that can be conceived. The character of the head itself is very fine, and Mr. Brockedon has executed it in a way which adds wonderfully to its effect. NEW WORKS. Tour in Germany and Southern Provinces of the Austrian Empire, 2 vols. 12mo. 16s-Bullock's Six Month's Residence, 8vo. 18s-Count Struensee's Conversion, 8vo. 8s. Blore's Monuments, Part 1. imp. 8vo. 12s. 6d.; royal 4to. proofs, 1.; India proofs, 17. 10s.-Physiognomical Portraits, 2 vols. imp. 8vo. 101. 10s. ; India proofs, 21; imp. 4to 311-Ball's Grammar of Drawing, 4to. 7s. 6d.-Captain Rock detected, f. cap 8vo. 8s.-The Devil's Elixir, from the German of Hoffman, 2 vols, 12mo. 14s.-The Visit Concluded, 18mo. 2s. 6.-Stevenson's Account of the Bell Rock Light-House, royal 4to. 51. 58.-Skelton's Works, 6 vols. 8vo. 31. 12s.-Swan's Gesta Romanorum, 2 vols. 12mo. 18s.-Kater's History of England, 18mo. 4s. 6d. Otter's Life and Remains of Dr. E. D. Clarke, 4to. 31. 38.--Cunning |