bon, to which they invited the prince. He accordingly appeared; but, instead of attending to their deliberations, he proceeded to recite his adventures at Cintra with all the levity of a young sportsman. When he had finished his narrative, one of the noblemen stood up, and thus addressed the king

"Sire,-Courts and camps were allotted for kings, not woods and mountains. When business is sacrificed to amusement, the affairs, even of private persons, are in danger: but, when pleasure engrosses the thoughts of a king, a whole nation must inevitably be consigned to ruin. Sire, we came here not to hear the adventures of the chase, which are intelligible only to grooms and falconers, but to consult the welfare of the people. Your majesty will find sufficient employment in attending to their wants; and if you will remove the grievances with which they are oppressed, you will find them dutiful and obedient subjects; if not-" Here the king, starting up in a rage, interrupted him, saying," If not! what then?" "If not," resumed the nobleman, in a firm tone," they will look for a better king."

Alfonso hastened out of the room, and, in the highest transport of passion, expressed his resentment; but as passion always begins in folly, and ends in sorrow, his rage soon abated, and he returned with a serene countenance to the assembly, whom he thus addressed—

"I now perceive the truth of what you have advanced. A king, who will not perform the duties of his throne, cannot have affectionate subjects. Remember, that from this day you have to do not with Alfonso the sportsman, but Alfonso the fourth, king of Portugal." His majesty did not fail to adhere to his promise, and afterwards became one of the best kings that ever reigned in Portugal.

GOOD ADVICE.

A LADY of quality, dressed in a gaudy and immodest manner, was in a jeweller's shop with her maid; a gentleman coming in, and thinking she was one of the ladies of easy virtue, began to make love to her: but

turning to him with indignation, she said, "Sir, do you know whom you talk to? I am the wife of Don ****!" "Madam," answered the gentleman very coolly," you should either be what you seem, or seem what you are."

THE ORIGIN OF CARDS.

WITHOUT enquiring whether any games with cards, which resemble those of our times, were in use among the Greeks and Romans, Father Menestrier, in his "Bibliotheque Curieuse," confining himself to France, says, that it is only about four hundred years since games of cards were first known. This he demonstrates by a negative argument, drawn from an ordinance of Charles VI. in 1391, against the use of all such games as did not assist the military science; and in which, though the forbidden games are enumerated, there is no mention of cards. The following year, however, is that to which he gives their origin, as well as the occasion of their being invented. It was in 1392, when Charles VI. becoming disordered in his mind, the whole court was employed in contriving every possible method of diverting his melancholy.

The four suits are supposed to represent the four branches of the state: the church, the army, the city, and the country. The hearts, or cœurs, and which should be choir-men, for the church, the Spaniards represent by copes, or chalices, instead of hearts. Spades, in French piques, signify pikes. In Spanish, swords are called spada, denoting the military order. Diamonds, carreaux, or squares; on Spanish cards dineras or coins; are expressive of the monied or mercantile men of the city. Clubs, trefoil in French; in Spanish, basta, a club or rustic weapon, for the peasantry of the country.

The king and queen need no explanation; the knave may be intended as a sly stroke at the minister. The ace seems to be one distinguished character, selected from each rank, and elevated to an honourable situation.

ROYAL MIRTH.

IN the reign of Henry III. a crown was given by royal authority to a person who made the king laugh. Vide Hume's History. In the time of Edward II. a hearty laugh cost the king four crowns. We find in the An

tiquarian Repertory the following article in one of the king's accounts. Item. When the king was at Walmer, to Morris, the clerk of the kitchen, who, when the king was hunting, did ride before the king, and often fall down from his horse, whereat the king laughed greatly, 20s."

MODERATE LIVING.

"IN the year of our Lord MDXLI. it was agreed and condescended upon, as well by the common consent of both the Archbishops, and most part of the bishops within the realm of England, as also of divers grave men of that time, both deans and archdeacons, the fare at their tables to be thus moderated. First, that the archbishop should never exceed vi divers sorts of flesh, or vi of fishe on the fishedays; the bishop not to exceed v sorts; the dean and archdeacon not above iiii sorts; and all under that degree, not above iii. Provided also, that the archbishop might have of second dishes iiii, the bishop iii; and all under that degree not above ii, as custard, tart, fritters, cheese, or apples, pears, or ii other kinds of fruits. Provided also, that if any of inferior degree did receive at their table any archbishop, bishop, dean, or archdeacon, or any of the laity of the like degree, videlicit, duke, marquis, earl, viscount, baron, lord, knight, they might have such provision as were meete and requisite for their degrees. Provided alway, that no rate is limited to receiving any ambassador. It was also provided, that of the greater fishes or fowles, there should be but one in a dish, as crane, swan, turkey cock, haddock, pike, tench; and of the less sorts but two; viz. capons, 2, pheasants, 2, connies, 2, woodcocks, 2; of less sorts, as of partridges, the archbishop, 3, of bishops and less degrees under him only 2; of blackbirds, the

archbishop 6, the bishop and other degrees under him 2; of larks and snypes, and that sort, but 12. It was also provided, that whatsover was "spared by the cutting off of the old superfluity, should yet be provided and sent in plaine meates for the relieving of the poore."

Memorandum. That this order was kept for two or 3 months, "til, by the misusing of certayne willfull persons, it came to the olde excesse.'

PRIDE IN DIFFERENT MASKS.

DIOGENES, being at Olympia, saw at that celebrated festival, some young men of Rhodes magnificently arrayed-smiling, he exclaimed, “This is pride." Afterwards, meeting some Lacedemonians in a mean and sordid dress, he said, " And this also is pride."

RIVAL DREAMERS.

SOON after Sir William Johnson had been appointed Superintendant of Indian Affairs in America, he wrote to England for some suits of clothes, richly laced. When they arrived at Sir William's, Kendrick, sachem, or king, of the five nations of the Mohawks, was present, and particularly admired them, but without saying any thing to Sir William at that time. In a few days, Kendrick called on Sir William, and acquainted him that he had had a dream. On Sir William's enquiring what it was, he told him he had dreamt that Sir William had given him one of those suits which he had lately received from over the great water. Sir William took the hint, and immediately presented him with one of the richest suits. Kendrick, highly gratified with the generosity of Sir William, returned to his own country. Sir William, some time after this, happening to be in company with Kendrick, told him that he also had had a dream. Kendrick being very solicitons to know what it was, Sir William informed him he had dreamed that he (Kendrick) had made him a present of a particular tract of land, (the most valuable on the Mohawk river) of about five

thousand acres. Kendrick presented him with the land immediately, with this shrewd remark—“ Now, Sir William, I will never dream with you again; you dream too hard for me.' ." The above tract of land is called to this hour, Sir William's dreaming land.

AN ELEGANT COMPLIMENT.

DR. BALGUY, a preacher of great celebrity, on account of the excellence of his sermons, after having delivered an exceedingly good discourse at Winchester cathedral, the text of which was, "all wisdom is sorrow, received the following extempore but elegant compliment from Dr. Warton, then at Winchester school.

If what you advance, my dear Doctor, be true,
That wisdom is sorrow, how wretched are you.

A READY RETORT.

A GENTLEMAN, who was quitting the Court of King's Bench, found some difficulty in pressing his way out, and coming too closely in contact with the gown of a barrister, the latter exclaimed, " Do mind, Sir; don't tear one to pieces!" No, Sir," said the gentleman, “that is your business, not mine.”

MRS. BADDELEY.

WHEN Mrs. Baddeley was once confined for debt at a lock-up-house, in Southampton Buildings, she sung so sweetly that she sung herself out of her cage: but her keeper soon found the fatal effects of the syren's voice, and was immured himself. Being asked by a fellow prisoner in the King's Bench, "what business he had there." "Faith!" he replied, “I had no business here-I came here for pleasure."