the beggars told stories, played tricks, cracked jokes, sung and danced, in a manner which afforded high amusement to the fiddler and his man, who were well rewarded when they departed, which was not till late in the evening.  The next day the Dean and Sheridan walked out in their usual dress, and found many of their late companions, hopping about upon crutches, or pretending to be blind, pouring forth melancholy complaints and supplications for charity.  Sheridan distributed among them the money he had received; but the Dean, who hated all mendicants, fell into a violent passion, telling them of his adventure of the preceding day, and threatening to send every one of them to prison.  This had such an effect, that the blind opened their eyes, and the lame threw away their crutches, running away as fast as their legs could carry them.

Old Age Secured.—­As Sir Walter Scott was riding once with a friend in the neighbourhood of Abbotsford, he came to a field gate, which an Irish beggar who happened to be near hastened to open for him.  Sir Walter was desirous of rewarding his civility by the present of sixpence, but found that he had not so small a coin in his purse.  “Here, my good fellow,” said the baronet, “here is a shilling for you; but mind, you owe me sixpence.”  “God bless your honour!” exclaimed Pat:  “may your honour live till I pay you.”

Maximilian I.—­A beggar once asked alms of the Emperor Maximilian I., who bestowed upon him a small coin.  The beggar appeared dissatisfied with the smallness of the gift, and on being asked why, he replied that it was a very little sum for an emperor, and that his highness should remember that we were all descended from one father, and were therefore all brothers.  Maximilian smiled good-humouredly, and replied:  “Go—­go, my good man:  if each of your brothers gives you as much as I have done, you will very soon be far richer than me.”

BENEVOLENCE.

A Benevolent Judge.—­The celebrated Anthony Domat, author of a treatise on the civil laws, was promoted to the office of judge of the provincial court of Clermont, in the territory of Auvergne, in the south of France.  In this court he presided, with general applause, for twenty-four years.  One day a poor widow brought an action against the Baron de Nairac, her landlord, for turning her out of her mill, which was the poor creature’s sole dependence.  M. Domat heard the cause, and finding by the evidence that she had ignorantly broken a covenant in the lease which gave her landlord the power of re-entry, he recommended mercy to the baron for a poor but honest tenant, who had not wilfully transgressed, or done him any material injury.  Nairac being inexorable, the judge was compelled to pronounce an ejectment, with the penalty mentioned in the lease and costs of suit; but he could not pronounce the decree without tears.  When an order of seizure, both of person and effects was added, the poor widow exclaimed, “O