“No,” said Quin, raising his voice, “I say I owe you a hundred pounds, and there it is,” (laying a bank note of that value before him).  Thomson, astonished, begged he would explain himself.  “Why,” says Quin, “I’ll tell you; soon after I had read your Seasons, I took it into my head, that as I had something to leave behind me when I died, I would make my will; and among the rest of my legatees I set down the author of the Seasons for a hundred pounds; and, this day hearing that you were in this house, I thought I might as well have the pleasure of paying the money myself, as order my executors to pay it, when, perhaps, you might have less need of it; and this, Mr. Thomson, is my business.”  Of course Thomson left the house in company with his benefactor.

Denon and De Foe.—­M. de Talleyrand, having one day invited M. Denon, the celebrated traveller, to dine with him, told his wife to read the work of his guest, which she would find in the library, in order that she might be the better able to converse with him.  Madame Talleyrand, unluckily, got hold, by mistake, of the “Adventures of Robinson Crusoe,” by De Foe, which she ran over in great haste; and, at dinner, she began to question Denon about his shipwreck, his island, &c., and, finally, about his man Friday!

BONAPARTE.

Possibility.—­Bonaparte was passing along the dreadful road across the Echelles de Savoie, with his engineer, when he stopped, and pointing to the mountain, said, “Is it not possible to cut a tunnel through yonder rock, and to form a more safe and commodious route beneath it?” “It is possible, certainly, sire,” replied his scientific companion, “but”—­“No buts;—­let it be done, and immediately,” replied the Emperor.

Sir and Sire.—­A petition from the English detenus at Valenciennes was left for signature at the house of the colonel of gendarmerie, addressed in a fulsome manner to Bonaparte, under his title of Emperor of the French, and beginning with “Sire.”  Some unlucky wag took an opportunity of altering this word into “Dear Sir,” and nearly caused the whole party to be imprisoned.

Polignac.—­Monsieur le Compte de Polignac had been raised to honour by Bonaparte; but, from some unaccountable motive, betrayed the trust his patron reposed in him.  As soon as Bonaparte discovered the perfidy, he ordered Polignac to be put under arrest.  Next day he was to have been tried, and in all probability would have been condemned, as his guilt was undoubted.  In the meantime, Madame Polignac solicited and obtained an audience of the Emperor.  “I am sorry, madam, for your sake,” said he, “that your husband has been implicated in an affair which is marked throughout with such deep ingratitude.”  “He may not have been so guilty as your majesty supposes,” said the countess.  “Do you know your husband’s signature?” asked the Emperor, as he took a letter from his pocket and