ment at my ignorance. "Who should he be? That, my dear Sir, is our Hoppy!?

With becoming reverence I looked after this celebrated personage till he had bowed himself out of sight.

"Judging by his dress," said I," he must have been up all night at some party or assembly."

Hobbleday looked at me with an expression of countenance and a shake of the head which convinced me that I had not, by my remark, raised myself in his estimation-at least for my notions of the proprieties of society.

Assembly!-Party! What can that have to do with his dress? Never saw him dressed otherwise in my life: sunshine or rain—morning, noon, or night. Really, my dear Sir, you seem to forget what he is. Dancing-master! and Master of the Ceremonies, too, of such a place as Little-Pedlington! how should he dress? Must excuse me for saying a cutting thing: but clear to see you have no Master of the Ceremonies of London."

Abashed by the rebuke, and unable to boast of such a functionary for poor London, I abruptly changed the subject of conversation. Thanked him for the letters of introduction which he had sent me to Rummins and to Jubb. Told him that, after breakfast, I should avail myself of them.

"O-ah!" said Hobbleday, with something like a show of confusion, which I attributed to regret at having just now so deeply wounded my feelings; "Ah!—surely! Have said all you can desire.-Ahem !~~ But you say after breakfast. Thought you were going to Hoppy's Public Breakfast, at Yawkins's skittle-ground, at one o'clock.'

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"So I intend,” replied I; "but I shall take breakfast at my inn." "I seeyou mean only to make a dinner of it, eh ?"

"Nor dinner neither," said I.

"How odd! Don't you see what the bill says ?" said Hobbleday, directing my attention to a posting-bill which announced the Grand Public Breakfast.

"Yes, Mr. Hobbleday, I see: 'Admission two shillings, refresh

ments included '

He interrupted my reading with "Refreshments ?-Tea and hot rolls, my dear fellow-ham and eggs-you must pay two shillings whether you eat or not; so I always make it a rule to

I continued to read: "Refreshments included, ad libitum.” "Pooh! nonsense!" exclaimed he; "limit 'em, indeed! The bill says so, to be sure; limit who they please, they don't limit little Jack Hobbleday, that I can tell you. No, no, my dear fellow; pay my two shillings-no trifle you know- so I make it serve me for breakfast and dinner both. And, I say”—(here he brought my ear in contact with his mouth, as before, at the same time honouring me with another poke in the ribs)" And, I say; half the people who go there do the same thing, that I can tell you, too."

After a moment's pause," Now," continued he, " I'll carry home my lettuce; and then I'll go to our Universal-Knowledge Society, and read Guthrie's Geography for an hour or two; and then I'll take a nap for an hour or two; and that will just fill up the time till the Breakfast."

"A nap so early in the day!" exclaimed I, somewhat astonished. '' "Of course," replied he; "Nature is Nature ;"-(a philosophical reflection which I was not at the moment prepared to dispute;) and he continued: "Ah! my dear fellow, I perceive you know nothing of the pleasures of the advantages of early rising. Ah! for shame! You, who lie in bed till nine or ten, are as fresh as a lark all day long, eh?——in the evening, ready for anything-read, talk, sing, dance-no wish for bed; no enjoyment of your natural rest, as I have. But I-when eight o'clock comes can't keep my eyes open; and am half asleep all the rest of the day into the bargain."

Eleven o'clock.-Two hours to spare between this and the time fixed for the Master of the Ceremonies' Breakfast. Rummins's public day for exhibiting his museum is Friday; but as his "dear friend," and my most obliging acquaintance (who has, as he assured me, "the privilege of introducing a friend there on any day of the week") has furnished me with a flattering letter of introduction to the great antiquary, I will at once avail myself of the advantage of it. Under such auspices as Hobbleday's I feel confident of an agreeable reception. But, for my own satisfaction, let me once more refer to the exact words of Hobbleday's kind note to me:

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"Dear Sir,-Sorry cannot have pleasure of accompanying you to my dear friend Rummins, neither to my worthy friend Jubb. Send letters of introduction-spoke in warmest terms-all you can desire. Believe me, my dear Sir, your most truly affectionate friend, "JOHN HOBBLEDAY."

"Most truly affectionate friend!" Kind, obliging, warm-hearted' Hobbleday! Yet this is the man stigmatized by Scorewell as a humbug! O, Friendship! spontaneous as it is disinterested and pure! O, shades of Castor and of Pollux! O Pylades! and Orestes, O! You, ye sublime exemplars of the noble passion! If ever-About to proceed to Rummins's I have not time to work out my apostrophe in a way worthy of the subject. But what I mean to say is this: let those who complain that Friendship is not to be found on the surface of our wicked world-a complaint which I do most devoutly believe to be rarely well grounded except in the case of such as do not deserve to find it-let them, I say, try Little-Pedlington.

To the residence of Simcox Rummins, Esq., F.S.A. The door opened by a little, slim woman, aged and tottering-the finest specimen of the living antiquities of the place I had yet seen-an appropriate appendage to the domestic establishment of the F.S.A. Her age (as I was afterwards told) ninety-four. Asked me if I wanted to see little Master." "Little Master! No," replied I; "my visit, my good lady, is to Mr. Rummins, the elder, who is, as I am informed, a gentleman of near sixty."

"That's him, Sir," rejoined the old woman, as she ushered me into a small parlour; "but that's the name he has always gone by with me, and it's natural enough, for I was his nurse and weaned the dear babby when he was only three weeks old-as fine a babby as ever war—and he has never been out of my sight never since." (Without halting in her speech she pointed to a drawing suspended over a buffet.) "There he is, bless him! done when he was only three years old over the cupboard

with a dog behind him in sky-blue jacket and trowsers with sugar-loaf buttons running arter a butterfly in a brown beaver hat just afore he was taken with the small-pox with a Brussells lace collar to his shirt and an orange in his hand which he bore like an angel though the poor dear babby's sufferings"

"Thankee, thankee, thankee," cried I, forcing a passage through her speech; “but if you will have the kindness to inform Mr.—”

It was in vain for (unlike the generality of ladies of her vocation, who are usually not over-communicative of their information concerning the early diseases, sufferings, and escapes of their interesting charges) she bestowed on me a particular account of the " poor dear babby's " (the present illustrious F.S.A.'s) progress through the small-pox, chickenpox, measles, hooping-cough, rash, rush, thrush, mumps, dumps, croup, roup, and forty other sublime inventions, which I had, or had not, before heard of, for diminishing the numbers of the infantine population; nor did she cease till she had safely conveyed him through the scarlet fever which" took him "-happily, not off-in his fifteenth year. She then withdrew to inform Mr. Rummins of my visit.

Cannot say that I felt at all obliged to the old lady for the information, since it must, to a certain extent, diminish my interest in little master's "Life and Times," which is preparing for the press by Jubb, who will, doubtless, treat of those matters with becoming minuteness.

Being left alone, read the various printed "schemes," " projects," and "prospectuses," which were scattered about the tables. The great Antiquary's learning almost equalled by his philanthropy and patriotism. All conceived with a view to the benefit of the empire at large; but, as might be expected, to that of Little-Pedlington more particularly; and as it somehow struck me-most particularly to the advantage of Simcox Rummins, Esq., F.S.A., himself. Amongst many others were the two or three following:

"Prospectus of a NATIONAL EDITION of Rummins's Antiquities of Little-Pedlington.

"When we reflect on the march of intellect: when we reflect on the spread of intelligence: when we reflect on the improvements in the arts of printing and engraving: when we reflect on steam-boats and railroads when we reflect on the facility with which all nations of the civilized world are brought into intercourse with each other by these means: when we reflect on their mutual anxiety, in consequence of such facility, to become acquainted with each other's Topography and Antiquities: above all, when we reflect on the growing importance of LittlePedlington; it cannot but be a matter of wonder and of regret that, although Troy has been illustrated by its Gell, and Athens by its Stuart, our town should not as yet have put forth a work worthy of its station in the map of Europe, and capable of satisfying the growing desires of society in its present more enlightened state. It is true that Mr. Rummins's Antiquities' in a small duodecimo volume (to be had of the author, price one-and-sixpence) may be an admirable vademecum and pocket companion for the traveller, and which no traveller should be without' (See Little-Pedlington Weekly Observer,' 25th April) yet, as that intelligent journal adds, 'a splendid edition, worthy of our town, and fit for the shelves of the library, is still a desideratum;

and it is disgraceful to our country that no such monument exists, &c. &c.'

"Mr. Rummins, feeling deeply for the honour of his natal town and of the kingdom at large, is resolved that this reproach shall no longer have cause for existence; and, regardless of time, labour, and expense, has determined to publish an enlarged and improved edition of his work. "Terms. This NATIONAL EDITION in one volume, post octavo, embellished with four elegant lithographic engravings, to be published BY SUBSCRIPTION, price four shillings; one half to be paid at the time of subscribing, and the other half to be paid on delivery of the copies. Only five hundred copies will be printed; and, to prevent delay, the work will go to press as soon as four hundred and fifty copies are subscribed for. To prevent trouble, subscriptions will be received by the author only."

Patriotic Rummins!

"Plan for aiding the Funds of the Little-Pedlington Alms-houses. "Mr. Rummins, having learnt with the deepest and most heart-felt regret, that the eloquent Sermon delivered on Sunday last by our highlygifted curate, the Rev. Jonathan Jubb, in favour of the above-named charity (although it melted the hearts, and drew tears from the eyes, of a numerous congregation) did not (from a variety of adverse causes) produce (in a pecuniary point of view) the effect anticipated (only fourteen shillings and two-pence having been collected at the church-door ;) submits to the Nobility, Gentry, Visitors, and towns-people of LittlePedlington, who are ever foremost in the heart-soothing work of Charity, the following plan for supplying the deficiency.

"Mr. R. proposes to publish, in aid of the funds of the said institu tion, an elegant engraving of his lately-acquired treasure, the Helmet of the time of King John! The drawing will be made on stone by Mr. R. himself; and, after five hundred copies are sold, at one shilling each, to defray the necessary expenses, Mr. R. will PRESENT all that may afterwards remain, together with the copyright in the stone itself, to the trustees for the management of that praiseworthy institution; the whole of the profits thereof to be applied in aid of its funds !” Philanthropic Rummins!

Beautifying our ancient and venerable Church.

"The churchwardens and overseers of the parish of Little-Pedlington having, in the most prompt and liberal manner, complied with the wish of several of the parishioners,' that the roof of our ancient and venerable church he whitewashed;' Mr. Rummins suggests that a general meeting of the inhabitants of the place be held at the Green Dragon, on Wednesday next, at one o'clock, for the purpose of passing a vote of thanks to those gentlemen. Mr. R., regardless of all personal inconvenience to himself, will take the chair; and hopes and trusts that the meeting will be as numerous as the occasion requires. Mr. R. having had the said vote of thanks (which he has gratuitously drawn up) printed on an elegantly-embossed card, each person, on entering the room, will have an opportunity of becoming possessed of this memorial of the occasion, price only sixpence.'

Disinterested Rummins! Find me such an F. S. A. elsewhere than in Little-Pedlington!

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"Little Master" entered the room. Six-feet-two, and stout in proportion. Port and demeanour dignified—I had almost said pompousbut what else ought I to have expected in so great a man? Speech, slow and solemn :-pro-nun-ci-a-ti-on precise, accurate even to inaccuracy, and so distinct as to be almost unintelligible—at least to one accustomed, as I had hitherto been, to the conversation of ordinary people, who utter their words in an every-day sort of manner. The great antiquary delivered each syllable separately-upon its own responsibility, as it were-disconnected from its companions in the same word: in short, as a child does when it first get into "words of three syllables" in its spelling-book. He wore a green shade over his eyes.

Slowly raising his head, so as to enable himself to see me beneath his green shade, he pointed, amongst the papers on the table, to the prospectus for his national edition; saying, in a sort of taking-it-forgranted tone, "For this." At the same time he put a pen into my hand. Unable to comprehend what he meant, I at once delivered to him Hobbleday's kind letter of introduction, and said, "No, Sir; for this:" accompanying my words with a bow, and the involuntary "a-hem" which usually escapes one on feeling perfectly satisfied that that (such or such a thing)-settles the business. Rummins first raised the letter to the tip of his nose; then, slowly lowering it, held it out at arm's length; turned it up-down-examined it length-ways, breadth-ways-looked at the superscription-the seal. At length he made the solemn inquiry

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"From whom?"-(pronouncing it woom)—" and what may be its ob-ject or pur-pawt?"

"It is, Sir," replied I, a letter of introduction to you, with_which your friend Mr. Hobbleday has favoured me. I, like the rest of the world, am desirous of viewing your museum; but as my stay in this place till Friday, your public day, is uncertain; and Mr. Hobbleday being allowed by you to introduce a friend on any day

Here I was interrupted by a long-drawn " He!!!" growled forth in a tone of mingled astonishment and disdain. I paused in awful doubt of what might next occur.

The F.S.A. having made three strides which carried him from one end of the room to the other, and three strides back again, desired I would read the letter to him: the state of his eyes (in consequence of a cold he had taken) rendering it inconvenient to him to undertake the task himself. And he concluded with-" He in-tro-de-oos to the Rumminsian Museum !"

Either (thought I) Hobbleday, carried away by his enthusiastic love of obliging-perhaps by his scarcely-merited friendship for me-has promised a little beyond his power to fulfil; or, it may be that I have chosen my time unluckily-have disturbed Mr. Rummins in his moments of profound meditation. In short, (and reason sufficient) it may be that Mr. Rummins is "not i' the vein." But here is Hobbleday's letter to the" dearest friend he has in the world," and, doubtless, that will set the matter right. Re-assured by this reflection I opened the letter and read:-" Sir." Somewhat disappointed that it was not "Dear Rummins," 66 or My dear Friend," or at worst (that lowest degree in the scale of friendship) "Dear Sir." Sir,-Pardon liberty-not my fault-bearer wants to see your

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