Sir Ch. I tell you, Mr. Blackletter, he is wonderfully changed.

Quiz. And a lucky change for him. What! I suppose he was once a wild young fellow?

Sir Ch. No, sir, you don't understand me, or I don't you. I tell you, he neglects his studies, and is foolishly in love; for which I shall certainly cut him off with a shilling.

Quiz. You surprise me, sir. I must beg leave to undeceive you you are either out of your senses, or some wicked enemy of his has, undoubtedly, done him this injury. Why, sir, he is in love, I grant you, but it is only with his book. He hardly allows himself time to eat; and as for sleep, he scarcely takes two hours in the twenty-four. This is a thumper; for the dog has not looked into a book these six months, to my certain knowledge. (Aside.)

Sir Ch. I have received a letter from farmer Downright this very day, who tells me he has received a letter from him, containing proposals for his daughter.

Quiz. This is very strange. I left him at college, as close to his books as-oh, oh-I believe I can solve this mystery, and much to your satisfaction.

.

Sir Ch. I should be very happy indeed if you could.

Quiz. Oh, as plain as that two and three are five. "Tis thus: An envious fellow, a rival of your son's-a fellow who has not as much sense in his whole corporation, as your son has in his little finger—yes, I heard this very fellow ordering a messenger to farmer Downright with a letter; and this is, no doubt, the very one. Why, sir, your son will certainly surpass the Admirable Crichton. Sir Isaac Newton will be a perfect automaton, compared with him; and the sages of antiquity, if resuscitated, would hang their heads in despair.

Sir Ch. Is it possible that my son is now at college, making these great improvements?

Quiz. Ay, that he is, sir.

Sir Ch. (Rubbing his hands.). Oh, the dear fellow! the dear fellow !

Quiz. Sir, you may turn to any part of Homer, and repeat

one line-he will take it up, and, by dint of memory, continue, repeating to the end of the book.

Sir Ch. Well, well, well! I find I was doing him great injustice. However, I'll make him ample amends. Oh, the dear fellow! the dear fellow! the dear fellow!-(with great joy) he will be immortalized; and so shall I; for if I had not cherished the boy's genius in embryo, he would never have soared above mediocrity.

Quiz. True, sir.

Sir Ch. I cannot but think what superlative pleasure I shall have, when my son has got his education. No other man's in England shall be comparative with it—of that I am positive. Why, sir, the moderns are such dull, plodding, senseless barbarians, that a man of learning is as hard to be found as the unicorn.

Quiz. 'Tis much to be regretted, sir; but such is the lamentable fact.

Sir Ch. Even the shepherds, in days of yore, spoke their mother tongue in Latin; and now, hic, hæc, hoc, is as little understood as the language of the moon.

Quiz. Your son, sir, will be a phenomenon, depend upon it. Sir Ch. So much the better, so much the better. I expected soon to have been in the vocative; for, you know, you found me in the accusative case, and that's very near it-ha! ha! ha!

Quiz You have reason to be merry, sir, I promise you.

Sir Ch. I have, indeed. Well, I shall leave off interjections, and promote an amicable conjunction with the dear fellow. Oh! we shall never think of addressing each other in plain English-no, no, we will converse in the pure classical language of the ancients. You remember the Eclogues of Virgil, Mr. Blackletter?

Sir Ch.

Quiz. Oh, yes, sir, perfectly; have 'em at my finger ends. Not a bit of a one did I ever hear of in my life. (Aside.) How sweetly the first of them begins! Quiz. Very sweetly, indeed, sir. (Aside.) Bless me! I wish he would change the subject.

Sir Ch

"Tytere tu patula recubans;" faith, 'tis more

musical than fifty hand-organs.

Quiz. (Aside.) I had rather hear a Jews-harp.

Sir Ch: Talking of music, though-the Greek is the language for that.

Quiz. Truly is it.

Sir Ch. Even the conjugations of the verbs far excel the finest sonata of Pleyel or Handel. For instance, "tupto, tupso, tetupha." Can anything be more musical?

Quiz. Nothing. "Stoop low, stoop so, stoop too far"
Sir Ch. Ha! ha! ha! "Stoop too far!" That's a good

one.

Quiz. (Aside.) Faith, I have stooped too far. All's over now, by Jupiter!

Sir Ch. Ha! ha! ha! a plaguy good pun, Mr. Blackletter. Quiz. Tolerable. (Aside.) I am well out of that scrape,

however.

Sir Ch. Pray, sir, which of the classics is your favorite? Quiz. Why, sir, Mr. Frederick Classic, I think he is so great a scholar.

Sir Ch. Po po! you don't understand me. I mean, which of the Latin classics do you admire most?

Quiz. Hang it! what shall I say now? (Aside.) The Latin classics? Oh, really, sir, I admire them all so much, it is difficult to say.

Sir Ch. Virgil is my favorite. How very expressive is his description of the unconquerable passion of Queen Dido where he says, "Hæret lateri lethalis arundo!" Is not that very expressive?

Quiz. Very expressive, indeed, sir. (Aside.) I wish wo were forty miles asunder. I shall never be able to hold out

much longer, at this rate.

Sir Ch. And Ovid is not without his charms.

Quiz. He is not, indeed, sir.

Sir Ch. And what a dear, enchanting fellow Horace is!

Quiz. Wonderfully so!

Sir Ch. Pray, what do you think of Xenophon!

Quiz. Who the plague is he, I wonder? (Aside.) Xenophon! Oh, think he unquestionably wrote good Latin, sir. Sir Ch. Good Latin, man!-he wrote Greek-good Greek, you meant.

Quiz. True, sir, I did. Latin, indeed! (In great confusion.) I meant Greek-did I say Latin? I really meant Greek. (Aside) Bless me! I don't know what I mean myself.

Sir Ch. Oh! Mr. Blackletter, I have been trying a long time to remember the name of one of Achilles' horses, but I can't for my life think of it. You doubtless can tell me. Quiz. O yes, his name was-but which of them do you mean? What was he called?

Sir Ch. What was he called? Why, that's the very thing I wanted to know. The one I allude to was born of the Harpy Celæno. I can't, for the blood of me, tell it.

Quiz. (Aside.) Bless me! if I can either. (To him.) Born of the Harpy-oh! his name was-(striking his forehead.) Gracious! I forget it now. His name was-was-wasStrange! 'tis as familiar to me as my A, B, C.

Sir Ch. Oh! I remember-'twas Xanthus, Xanthus-I remember now 'twas Xanthus-plague o' the name !—that's it. Quiz. Egad! so 'tis. "Thankus, Thankus"-that's it. Strange, I could not remember it! (Aside.) 'Twould have been stranger, if I had.

Sir Ch. You seem at times a little absent, Mr. Blackletter. Quiz. Dear me! I wish I was absent altogether. (Aside.) Sir Ch. We shall not disagree about learning, sir. I discover you are a man, not only of profound learning, but

correct taste.

Quiz. (Aside.) I am glad you have found that out, for I never should. I came here to quiz the old fellow, and he'll quiz me, I fear. (To him.) O, by the by, I have been so confused—I mean, so confounded-pshaw! so much engrossed with the contemplation of the Latin classics, I had almost forgotten to give you a letter from your son.

Sir Ch. Bless me, sir! why did you delay that pleasure so long?

Quiz. I beg pardon, sir; here 'tis. (Gives a letter.)

Sir Ch. (Puts on his spectacles and reads.) "To Miss Clara." Quiz. No, no, no-that's not it here 'tis. (Takes the letter, and gives him another.)

Sir Ch. What Mr. Blackletter ?

are you the bearer of love epistles, too,

Quiz. (Aside.) What a horrid blunder! (To him.) Oh, no, sir: that letter is from a female cousin at a boarding school to Miss Clara Upright-no, Downright-that's the name.

Sir Ch. Truly, she writes a good masculine fist. Well, let me see what my boy has to say. (Reads.)

"Dear Father,-―There is a famous Greek manuscript just come to light. I must have it. The price is about a thousand dollars. Send me the money by the bearer."

Short and sweet. There's a letter for you, in the true Lacedæmonian style laconic. Well, the boy shall have it, were it ten times as much. I should like to see this Greek manuscript. Pray, sir, did you ever see it? Quiz. I can't say I ever did, sir. (Aside.) This is the only truth I have been able to edge in yet. Sir Ch. I'll just send to my bankers for the money. In the meantime, we will adjourn to my library. much puzzled with an obscure passage in Livy. our heads together for a solution. addicted to such absence of mind, at times.

I have been

We must lay

But I am

sorry you are

Quiz. 'Tis a misfortune, sir; but I am addicted to a greater than that, at times.

Sir Ch.

Quiz.

Ah! what's that?

I am sometimes addicted to an absence of body. Sir Ch.

As how?

Quiz. Why, thus, sir. (Takes up his hat and stick, and walks off)

Sir Ch. Ha! ha ha! that's an absence of body, sure enough an absence of body with a vengeance! A very merry fellow this. He will be back for the money, I suppose, presently. He is, at all events, a very modest man, not fond of expressing his opinion-but that's a mark of merit.