lightness, and yet with such accuracy of aim, that it appears almost like magic. You see a great fat trout rise lazily at a fly a long distance from where you are standing under some overhanging bushes, which to your unpractised eye appears almost an impossibility to reach save with the certainty of getting caught in some of the projecting boughs and losing a cast of flies and several yards of line; but, before you can look round, Fitzbluebag, with one gentle turn of the wrist, one wave of his arm, has lodged, gently as thistle-down, his killing flies on the very spot where Master Trout had so lately seized his prey. Then comes a bubble, a circle, and the bending of the top-joint of the fishingrod, announcing that Mr. Trout's watery career is at an end; and in a few moments the speckled monster lies flapping on the grass. Fitzbluebag on the day of which I am writing soon got to work, and whipped the stream with good success until he arrived at the spot where the Muddle forked out into two distinct branches-the one to the right was a continuation of the parent river, the Muddle, and belonged to Mr. Turniptop; the other to the left only a kind of offspring of the Muddle, and called the Puddle, was owned by divers individuals whose meadows happened to adjoin the water's edge. The fisherman, wholly intent on his sport and unacquainted with the locality, fished carefully up the left arm, as being the most inviting of the two streams, not knowing and not caring, as he did not hear his friend's injunction, whether it was Muddle or Puddle on which he cast his eye. The sport grew considerably slacker from this point where the rivers divided, as well it might considering the neighbouring farmers indulged in that very sure but not very sportsman-like mode of catching the finny race, viz., "Lading." Fitzbluebag began to get disgusted with his sport, for he had not taken a fish or even had a rise for more than three-parts of an hour, when under a large overspreading tree, whose branches stretched and dipped into the stream in such a manner as to render it next to impossible to throw a fly without meeting with the casualty aforesaid, he saw a very large trout rise at a fly. The very fact of the place being almost impossible to fish roused all the combativeness of Fitzbluebag's nature, and, with a most artistic effort, he safely lodged his flies on the exact spot where he had seen the spotted monster rise. A sharp jerk, and then "Whirr, whirr, whirr" went the reel, Master Trout making off for his hole under the roots of the tree, from which place, had he once gained it, he might have defied Fitzbluebag's efforts to dislodge him, and soon have rendered it all up with his tackle; but the barrister was too old a hand to be caught by such tactics as these, and so a battle royal commenced between himself and the Opposition, Mr. Serjeant Trout pulling one way, and Fitzbluebag, with gentle but firm resistance, coercing in the other direction. In the most exciting part of this contest the fisherman felt a heavy hand laid upon his shoulder, and a loud voice proclaimed in his ear

Dang my buttons, mon, but thee beest a bonny fisher. I'se long know'd of that auld fish; but, jigger me, I never seed ony un as could rise him but thee."

On turning quickly, and rather angrily round, Fitzbluebag beheld a large, bacon-faced-looking man, dressed in a not over clean smockfrock, corduroy "oh-no-we-never-mention-them's," grey worsted hose, and thick clod-hopping shoes. The farmer, for such he was, helped

Fitzbluebag to land his fish, and then entered freely into conversation. with him, accompanying him for some time along the banks of the stream. Fitzbluebag, as was his usual custom, soon let his farmer acquaintance know who he was, and also dropped a sly hint on the subject of the important business which had brought him down into that part of the country, viz., to assist the bench of county magistrates in the great Stubblejock case.

"And so you be the great barrister, be you, who be come down all the way from Lunnon town to settle t'auld Stubblejock's case! My artie, but t'auld chap ull need mind his eye, or 'tull be worst for him, puir mon !

Mr. Fitzbluebag gave it decidedly as his opinion that he rather thought old Stubblejock must do as the farmer said, and also declared that however early that ancient party might have been in the habbit of leaving his bed in the morning, he would find that he, Mr. Fitzbluebag, of the Northern Circuit, had arisen before him, and was one too many for him. "Besides," he added in a most severe tone, with a truly ferocious look, "if I catch the old fellow tripping I will make such an example of him that he shall be glad to rush out of court and hang himself in his own garters."

At all these remarks his farmer friend chuckled with huge delight, and gave it as his opinion that if Mr. Fitzbluebag was half as good a lawyer chap as he was a fisher chap, it would be about as poor a lookout for auld Stubblejock as it had been for the trout he had so lately caught.

After this companionship had lasted some little time, the two arrived at a snug-looking farmhouse, which the farmer announced as his home, and asked the fisherman to come in and take "a bite of dinner, as it would just now be ready, and the sport must have given the barrister an appetite." Notwithstanding the capital knife and fork he had played at Breakfast, Fitzbluebag began to feel a vacuum about the region of his waistband, and, thinking his new-made friend was a tenant of Turniptop's and a very civil fellow, he accepted his invitation with alacrity. Dinner was not only ready, as his friend had foretold, but on the table when the two entered the farmer's comfortable little parlour, and with but little preface or ceremony Fitzbluebag fell to on a couple of most appetizing roast ducks and green peas, of which he devoured nearly a whole one, with vegetables to match, as his share. The farmer chuckled greatly at his friend's appetite, and observed slyly that "he was 'most as hungry as the big trout."

After washing his meal down with a goodly number of draughts of home-brewed ale, Fitzbluebag arose to depart, thanking his agricultural friend as he left the house for his hospitality.

"

"Oh, you be very welcome, sur," said the farmer on taking leave; mappen I may be at th' court to see you make a mess of auld Stubblejock th' morn. My eye!" and he burst into a loud guffaw, which continued whilst Fitzbluebag was in sight.

At dinner-time, as may be supposed, a man with Fitzbluebag's appetite was found in his proper place with his legs under the Turniptop mahogany, where, in spite of his previous efforts, he played no very despicable figure. When the ladies had retired, the gentlemen (who were all the Solons belonging to the magisterial bench in that part of

world) began discussing the, to them, all-engrossing topic of interestthe great Stubblejock case; the particulars of which the Rev. Mr. Turniptop, brother of the squire of Muddle-puddle Hall, and rector of the parish, in a loud, pompous, yet sonorous voice, laid before Mr. Fitzbluebag.

"You must know," said the rector, "that the defendant in this case, Jedediah Stubblejock, is a man of low origin-a small farmer, in fact, who owns a little property, which adjoins my brother's here on one side and the estate of my churchwarden, Mr. Wiseacre, on the other. Well, sir, this Jedediah Stubblejock is, I am sorry to say, a very illconditioned, pertinacious fellow, always at loggerheads with his neighbours. Would you believe it, he actually refused to pay me 34d. tithe on a sack of rotten potatoes which he grew for his pigs! He will come to a bad end, I fear. But, to continue: On Sunday fortnight my neighbour and churchwarden, Mr. Wiseacre, on returning home from church after divine service in the morning, found, to his immense astonishment, annoyance, and disgust, that no less than twelve -sir, mind twelve-of Stubblejock's ducks had trespassed, on the Sabbath, into his garden, and devoured a whole row of early marrow fat peas! You may well be astonished; such atrocity you can hardly credit; and, if lawless deeds like this are to go on unpunished, I for my part am at a loss to conceive what the country will come to. Mr. Wiseacre, very properly, seeing how his property had been outraged, determined to appeal to the law to compensate him for the serious loss he had sustained, and to defend him from such aggressions in future ; he therefore drove the ducks to the village pound, from which they could not escape, as it is surrounded by four high walls and shut in by a high door. Having done this, he placed a fine of 12s. upon the birds, and bid the pound-keeper, Clubstick the constable-a most respectable man and my parishioner-not to permit them to be released until the money was paid. Now, sir, I come to one of the most daring outrages of the law it has ever been my lot as a county magistrate to have brought before my notice. What do you think that hardened old ruffian Stubblejock-for I can call him by no other name -dared to do? He actually arose in the dead of night, which fortunately for him was a moonlight one, and you will hardly believe me when I tell you that with a stick, a piece of string, a fish-hook, and some green peas he caught every one of his ducks out of the pound; and he defies us to prove that he has been guilty of any breach of poundage law, and consequently to punish him for his crime."

The clergyman when he had finished his speech was so overcome by the reminiscence of old Stubblejock's audacity that he fairly gasped for breath, and it took three bumpers of his brother's excellent claret to restore his equanimity.

Mr. Fitzbluebag made many inquiries into all the particulars of this audacious act on the part of the disreputable Stubblejock, and having further elicited that Clubstick had witnessed this outrage against the laws from his bedroom window, but had not dared to interfere, in consequence of Stubblejock having a loaded blunderbuss at his side, he announced his intention to castigate with the utmost severity the offending old scoundrel on the morrow. The party in the dining-room then broke up, and proceeded to join the ladies.

In the morning Mr. Fitzbluebag was driven by the squire, accompanied by his brother, the rector, to Cheeseytown, the place where the magistrates for that part of Uplandshire held their meetings for the prosecution and persecution of felons, rogues, vagabonds, and other disreputable characters of the Stubblejock kind. Mr. Fitzbluebag was introduced to the magistrates, and the barrister took his seat by their side with all the airs of a lord chief justice.

After they had adjudicated on some minor cases, and the magistrates had committed themselves as often as the prisoners, the great case of the day came on; and the magistrates' clerk, in a loud voice, re-echoed by every policeman in the room, called upon Jedediah Stubblejock to put in an appearance in obedience to his summons.

In less than a moment a burly figure was seen pushing its way through the crowd, and a loud voice proclaimed "I be here!" and Mr. Jedediah Stubblejock stood before the bench.

Poor Fitzbluebag turned deadly pale as his rough farmer friend of the previous day, nodding his head familiarly to the barrister, said:

"Sarvent, sur; please do spare puir auld Stubblejock, and doant sarve him as you sarved the trout 'esterday. My eye! but, Mr. Barrister, you'll chance now chaw up auld Stubblejock when you defend yourself again a summons for trespass. Please, Mr. Clerk (turning to that official) I wants a summons.

Mr. Fitzbluebag heard not a word more, but started hastily from his seat, pleading a momentary faintness from the heat of the crowded court, and rushed out. Fortunately the omnibus which conveyed passengers to and from the railway station happened to be passing at the moment on its way to meet the up express train to London; into the farthest corner of this vehicle Mr. Fitzbluebag plunged, and was not seen or heard of for some time afterwards.

Whilst the magistrates were wondering at and discussing the cause of the legal adviser's prolonged absence, a note was delivered to their chairman, Mr. Turniptop, which ran as follows:

Cheeseytown Railway Station.

DEAR TURNIPTOP,-Feeling very ill, and that it must be the salmon I eat at dinner yesterday, for it was not quite done, I am off to town to consult Dr. Cureusall before I get worse. Before I leave, however, I send you this to advise you to let old Stubblejock alone, or you will burn your fingers. You have no case against the old fellow. Your suffering friend, FITZBLUEBAG, Great was the consternation which this note of the barrister's caused the whole bench, when read out to them by their chairman; still, as his opinion was unfavourable to their design of punishing Mr. Stubblejock, they were obliged to let that disreputable individual go unmolested. Upon the magistrates dismissing the case, he said:

"But, gemmen, where be the lawyer chap from Lunnon town? I wants to summon un for trespass. My word! but he be a fine hand at fishing, but a mortal sight better at dukes and paes!"

Mr. Stubblejock, on being informed that Mr. Fitzbluebag had been seized with a sudden and violent indisposition, which compelled him abruptly to absent himself from the court, very naïvely remarked: "Well, I thought so much duke, mappen, might'na be gude for un!"

Mr. Fitzbluebag has not been seen since in the neighbourhood of Muddle-puddle Hall, nor have the fish either in the Muddle or the Puddle suffered from his skill as a piscator.

The present is an epoch in the fine arts of England, and an important era in the annals of the institution we are about to talk of. The distinguished men whose creations or representations tend so materially to advance the civilization of their country, have at last a home of their own wherein to display the varied works that during the past year they have been contemplating and giving reality to in form or colour. The galleries erected are declared by persons best capable of giving judgment, not merely to rival but to surpass those of any capital in Europe, and the expression of approbation accorded, and which as yet seems universal, must be gratifying to the banded brethren who have expended a hundred thousand pounds, it is said, on a structure for no selfish ends or vain glory, but to benefit the world at large; for, throwing awide their doors they have invited one and all, foreigners inclusive, to avail themselves of the space their saloons afford for works provisoed only as worthy of acceptance, and certainly the response has been unequivocal, pictures alone numbering sixteen hundred more than in any other year.

In the schools, students, as heretofore, will be taught gratuitously, no public money having at any period been voted nor solicited by the Royal Academy for this or any other purpose, while the President has intimated an expectation that it may probably be in their power largely to increase their hitherto not inconsiderable charities to poorer and less fortunate colleagues or followers, hoping further to be able in future with open-handed generosity to support every effort for the benefit and promotion of art in this country-words which we trust may be as amply verified as they have been nobly spoken.

We may briefly give an historical sketch and state that the Royal Academy was founded in 1769, whence it will be seen that it enters upon its second century. The first location was in Pall Mall on part of the site where the United Service Club now stands. George the Third, however, who manifested great interest in the Academy and its formation, shortly after granted a certain portion of Somerset House for the use of the schools, officers, and annual exhibitions, approving the choice of President, and knighting him, Sir Joshua Reynolds being the first elected; Benjamin West, an especial favourite of the King from his utterly unsophisticated manner, yet dignity withal, the second; Sir Thomas Lawrence," the courtly," the third; Sir Martin Shee, the poet as well as painter, the fourth; Sir Charles Eastlake, the scholar, fifth, and subsequently Sir Francis Grant, who succeeded Sir Carles in 1866, the apartments assigned the Royal Academicians in Trafalgar-square having been taken possession of twenty-four years previously.