* * * * *

THE GATHERER

A snapper up of unconsidered trifles. 
SHAKSPEARE.

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LINES

Written impromptu, by Sir Lumley Skeffington, Bart. in the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, at the Benefit of Miss Foote, on Wednesday, May 10, 1826, the last night of her engagement.

  Maria departs!—­’tis a sentence of dread,
  For the Graces turn pale, and the Fates droop their head! 
  In mercy to breasts that tumultuously burn,
  Dwell no more on departure—­but speak of return. 
  Since she goes, when the buds are just ready to burst,
  In expanding its leaves, let the Willow be first. 
  We here shall no longer find beauties in May;
  It cannot be Spring, when Maria’s away: 
  If vernal at all, ’tis an April appears,
  For the Blossom flies off, in the midst of our tears.

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THE KING’S SPEECH IN 993.

Sharon Turner, in his “History of the Anglo-Saxons,” vol. iv. says, “The King presided at the witena-gemots, and sometimes, perhaps, always addressed them.”  In 993, we have this account of a royal speech.  The King says, in a charter which recites what had passed at one of their meetings, “I benignantly addressed to them salutary and pacific words.  I admonished all—­that those things which were worthy of the Creator, and serviceable to the health of my soul, or to my royal dignity, and which should prevail as proper for the English people, they might, with the Lord’s assistance, discuss in common.”  P.T.W.

* * * * *

A very common excuse set up by economists for being too late for dinner is, “There was not a coach to be found.”—­Uncalculating and improvident selfish idiot, not to send for one till the very last moment; you save nothing by it, and spoil your friend’s dinner, in order to save yourself sixpence.  Suppose you have a mile and a half to go, the fare is one shilling and sixpence; you will be about eighteen minutes going that distance, and for that sum you may detain the coach forty-four minutes.  Always call a coach a quarter of an hour before you want it—­i.e. if you do not wish to be too late.

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