so familiar, that it acts more as a sti mulus, a sort of accompaniment to conversation, than as an interruption. At the further end of the room was a card-table, where most of the gentlemen played at a game called monté, The space in the middle of the room seemed to be allotted as a play-ground for the children of the house, and those of many removes in consanguinity. The nurses too, and the old servants of the family, used the privilege of walking in and out; and sometimes they addressed such of the company as happened to be seated near the door. It may be remarked here, that in all those countries a degree of familiarity is allowed between the servants and their superiors, of which in England there is no example in any rank of life."

The convité, or dinner-party, presented a scene equally original. "At first a suspicious kind of calm prevailed, but the soup had scarcely been removed before there appeared symptoms of an approaching storm. While we were discussing the olla, the dish which always succeeds the soup, a principal person in company rose up and shouted out Copas en mano!' handle your glasses. But he had to repeat this mandate several times, and to stretch out his tumbler brimful of wine, before the distant parts of the table stood up in honour of the toast, which was one of the commonplaces of the day, Union y Libertad.' After this signal, there was kept up, during the whole dinner, a constant discharge of toasts and sentiments; and upon an average, towards the end of the dinner, there could be no less than ten or twelve men, on their legs, all speaking at once, at the full stretch of their voices, and accompanying every remark with some theatrical gesticulation. Others kept their seats, thinking, perhaps, they might thereby have a fairer aim at the table, which rung from end to end with the

6

blows by which these orators sought to enforce their arguments.

"Meanwhile the dinner went on, as if nothing remarkable was passing; the plates and dishes were changed by the servants and their volunteer assistants, with singular dexterity, and in spite of this vast confusion. The bottle passed more and more rapidly; the noise increased; the bawlers became more numerous; and by the time the dinner was well over, the party fell to pieces, and all seemed uproar and confusion: groups of four or five, and sometimes twice that number, might be seen clustered together, all speaking or singing at once. I never was more astonished than at seeing so many men, on all other occasions perfect models of decorum, suddenly lose their formality, and act like so many professed topers and merrymakers. At first I thought this must needs end in blows, and stood prepared to avoid the bottles and glasses which were likely to be flying about. But after a little while, it was easy to discover more sounds of mirth than of anger; and the ladies, who must have been accustomed to such scenes, sat very composedly, viewing it all with great delight."

Attention was for some time engrossed by the feats of a Biscayan mimic; after which "the noise ceased, the party broke up, and every one went off to his siesta, with a composure, and steadiness, which shewed that the greater part of the preceding riot was the effect of choice, not of intoxication; to which, certainly, in appearance, it was most closely allied. To satisfy myself on this point, I entered into conversation with several of the most boisterous, but they were now so perfectly quiet and sedate, that it was difficult to believe they were the same individuals who, but a few minutes before, had been, apparently, so completely tipsy."

The declaration of the independence of Mexico upon Spain had just been published. In this quarter it was viewed chiefly in a commercial light, and was thus generally welcomed. The merchants of Tepic and Guadalaxara were anxious to open a direct commercial intercourse with England. A

mountain peasant made use of a very cogent argument upon this subject. "My opinion of the free trade," said he, " rests on this,-formerly I paid nine dollars for the piece of cloth of which this shirt is made, I now pay two-that forms my opinion of the free trade."

to a select few, who could come into contact with some part of the royal household. So long as it remained the private property of the crown, and was lodged in one of its palaces, no freer access could be conveniently afforded. Its donation to the public, was therefore a most princely deed, and calculated to render the most signal benefits to the cause of literature.

After this splendid gift had been announced to the public, the Chancellor of the Exchequer submitted a motion with respect to it. "By those," said he," who think that there is much and intimate connection between the literature and the morals of the country-by those, in short, who think that there is something like analogy between a love of letters and a love of freedom, it is impossible that this collection should not be regarded with feelings of the deepest interest and pleasure. This library, which it has been his majesty's pleasure to give to the nation, was collected by his late venerated father, during the course of a long and exemplary life; and although, perhaps, the circumstances which attended his youthful education, and the fact of his having been at so early a period of his existence oppressed, as it were, with the cares of royalty, might reasonably seem to have precluded him from applying himself to objects of this kind; yet it is, I think, on these very accounts, the more honourable to the character of his late majesty, that, from the date of his accession to the throne down to the unhappy moment in which, by one of the most calamitous visitations with which Providence ever affects our species, he was deprived of the means of pursuing any object relating either to his own benefit, or to the good of his people, he employed himself actively, zealously, and carefully, in forming this collection. But if it is surprising that

his late majesty, under such circumstances, should so have occupied himself, it is not surprising, I conceive, that his present majesty, influenced by that finished taste, that love of science, that enlarged and liberal spirit, that disinterested generosity, which belong to him, should have applied himself, upon becoming possessed of this most valuable treasure, to consider in what way his people would be likely to derive from it the greatest benefit. If his majesty had chosen to consult merely his own gratification or his own taste in appropriating it, he would obviously have retained this excellent collection in his own hands; and it would have constituted in his palace, or in that of his successors, a most valuable and a most distinguished ornament. But his majesty has considered that a much more noble object would be attained if this library, instead of being confined to his own palace, should be placed at the disposal of parliament, for the benefit of his people. His majesty, therefore, has so far proposed, that this library should be placed at the disposal of parliament, that it becomes necessary for me to suggest to parliament the best means for its disposal. I think, then, that, under all the circumstances of the case, we cannot do better than confide the custody of this most important collection to the British Museum. At all events, it would be a very desirable object; and I believe it to be an object, also, which his majesty, who is the munificent giver of the library, has very much at heart, that it should be kept distinct and separate from any other. Such an arrangement, indeed, I think we owe it to his majesty's father who collected, and to his majesty himself who has given these books, to make. I think it would be unjust, if we were to suffer the collection to be connected with any other of the same kind; while it

B

seems to me most desirable, both on general considerations, and in a pecuniary point of view, (though that, in truth, is by no means the most important one,) that it should be deposited in the British Museum; for this library of the late king, though, possibly, it cannot be said to be the most gvaluable library in existence, is unquestionably the most valuable, as the collection of an individual, that ever did exist; and I believe, that, if to this library be added that which is already possessed by the British Museum, increased as it will very shortly be, (I understand,) by the library which has been bequeathed by the late Sir Joseph Banks, and which is to be placed under the same roof, there will be contained under one and the same roof, a library, without all question, the finest in the world." The honourable gentleman concluded by moving for a committee to examine the letters and treasury minute, and report their observations thereon to the House.

Sir Charles Long seconded the motion, observing that the library had been collected with the greatest judgment, upon a plan formed by Dr Johnson; that neither pains nor expense had been spared upon it, and that there never had been a library more completely arranged and catalogued. His present majesty had ever been a zealous patron of the fine arts, and he now shewed himself the warm friend of science and litera

ture.

In the Upper House, Lord Ellenborough met the announcement by an objection, which really seems ill-timed and ungracious. On occasion of a bill allowing his majesty to dispose of certain property, his lordship asked, "Whether the library of the late king devolving to his present majesty in the order of succession to the throne, ought not to be accounted as a jus

corona, or, in other terms, an heirloom of the crown?" By a variety of precedents drawn from English history, he endeavoured to shew that there was no power to dispose of the personal chattels of the crown with out the consent of parliament. Lord Coke has stated that the king could not dispose of the ancient jewels of the crown without authority, since they descended as an heir-loom, and were inalienable for the regal state. Why, then, was that portion of his majesty's property, which consisted of the late king's library, and which had been so long in the possession of the crown, not to be considered also as an heir-loom? He could not help viewing both the disposal of the royal library and the bill upon the table with great suspicion. He must object to the present bill simply as a general measure with reference to the constitution of the country; and he objected to it, particularly, as his majesty was without a successor to the throne except in the heir presumptive; and, indeed, he was astonished how his majesty could desire to make a different disposition of his property. Such were the sentiments which reflection had forced on him; but he should be sorry, on such a subject, to oppose his own opinion to the experience of the noble and learned lord upon the woolsack, whose judgment had so much weight.

The Earl of Liverpool expressed himself surprised at the arguments which had been made use of by the noble baron. If anything were to be collected from that noble baron's observations, it would be that he spoke as if he suspected that under the mask of the gift of the royal library to the public, some trick was intended to be played off. Now the fact was, there was no connection between the one and the other. So far from it, it had been as far back as three years ago