that country, it was necessary to import from England young women as wives for the planters.

A letter accompanying one of these shipments, and dated London, Aug. 12, 1621, is illustrative of the simplicity of the times, and the concern for the welfare of the colony. It is as follows:

"We send you in the ship, one widow and eleven maids, for wives for the people of Virginia; there hath been especial care had in the choice of them, for there hath not any one of them been received but upon good commendations.

"In case they cannot be presently married, we desire that they may be put with several householders that have wives till they be provided with husbands. There are nearly fifty more that are shortly to come, and are sent by our most honourable Lord and Treasurer, the Earl of Southampton, and certain worthy Gentlemen, who, taking into their consideration, that the plantation can never flourish till families be planted, and the respects of wives and children for their people on the soil; therefore, have given his fair beginning; for the reimbursing of whose charges it is ordered, that every man that marries them give 120 lbs of best leaf tobacco for each of them.

"Though we are desirous that the marriage be free, according to the law of nature, yet we would not have these maids deceived and married to servants, but only to such freemen or tenants as have means to maintain them. We pray you, therefore, to be fathers of them in this business, not enforcing them to marry against their will.".

Curious Mistake.

A person who held an official situation in Dublin, whose wife had caught the Typhus Fever, had her

sent to the hospital for recovery. Having received information of her death, he brought her home to his house, and according to the Irish fashion, had her waked for several nights; he then invited several of her relations, and conveyed her into the country, where she was buried. Having called at the hospital about a week afterwards, for her clothes (whether to his sorrow or not we cannot say) he found his wife so far recovered as to be able to walk home with him. The woman he had buried in mistake was a friendless pauper, who otherwise would have been buried at the exof the parish.-Dublin Paper.

Insolvent Debtors Court.

I.

A Return containing an Account of the aggregate Number of the Persons discharged by the Commissioner of the Court for Relief of Insolvent Debtors, from the time of the last Return in 1815, to the 1st day of February 1819; and of the aggregate Amount of the Debts of such Persons, specified in their Schedules.

Aggregate Number of Persons discharged:-Thirteen thousand two hundred and seventy-one-No. 13,

271.

Aggregate Amount of the Debts of such Persons; -Nine millions, five hundred and six thousand, eight hundred and seven pounds, sixteen shillings and eleven-pence half-penny.-9,506,8071. 16s. 11žd.

II.

A Return, containing an Account of the gross Amount of the Debts stated by the Insolvents in their

Schedules to be due to their Estates, from the time of the last Return in 1815, up to the 1st day of February 1819:

Two millions, nine hundred and twelve thousand, four hundred and thirty-four pounds, fifteen shillings and ten-pence-2,912,4341. 15s. 10d.

R. W. Clarkson, Clerk.

Perth, 28th June 1819.

A country Schoolmaster, who kept a few boarders, thought he observed one of them paying more attention to one of his servant girls than he was doing to his task. To convince himself of the truth of his suspicions, he one day proposed the following subject to try their skill in composition-" Which of his two servant girls they most admired, and the reasons for their choice."

The girls were both very handsome: the one a native of the village, and the other of Dunkeld, which name she generally went by.

The young rogue was catched in the trap, for in a few minutes he produced the following lines:

In point of beauty Betsy Bell
Mustyield the palm unto Dunkel',
But in some points she does surpass
By far the bonny northern lass.

She has less pride, more frank and free,

Though they are equal in degree :

Her blood's more warm, her heart more true;

She has a better temper too.

Let those who please admire Dunkel',

For I think most of Betsy Bell.

Anecdotes of Marshal Ney.

In 1814, after the abdication of the Emperor Na-, poleon, which was principally arranged by Ney, he gave a grand ball, to which all the foreigners of distinction were invited, and, amongst the rest, the Duke of Wellington, who presented himself covered with all his orders, beaming like a peacock's tail, but in boots and spurs. The marshal, receiving him at the entrance of the saloon, refused to recognise him, and asked him who he was?" I am Field-Marshal the Duke of Wellington," he haughtily replied. beg the field-marshal's pardon; I invited the Duke, and not the field-marshal: there will be neither action nor review, but simply a dress-ball, this evening, at which I cannot suppose his grace the Duke of Wellington would present himself booted and spurred." The marshal bowed, and the Duke retired.-Such is the anecdote related previous to the return of Buonaparte. No inference is pretended to be drawn from it in regard to the Duke's conduct towards the marshal.

In 1792, Marshal Ney, commanding the advanced guard that followed the Prussians in their retreat from Longwy made a great number of emigrants prisoners, and particularly of the regiment of the crown; he succeeded in saving all their lives, notwithstanding the laws condemned them all to death. Two of these persons, now peers of France, were, it as well known, the bitterest enemies the marshal had on his trial. -

Wilson's American Ornithology, of the early volumes of which we gave an account when they first

reached England, has now been received entire in nine volumes quarto. Mr. Ackerman has imported several sets, and they certainly exhibit the most splendid work yet produced by our transatlantic brethren. Lit. Gazette.

Here lies,

Titled and Docqueted for future inspection, the original Manuscript

Placed to the Debit of this World's Account, May 7th 1760,

and to the Credit of

do. in a good old age.

Ever grateful for favours,

When any were conferred, he would not remain long Debtor. The independence of his spirit, and the rules of his profession, Both dictated to him,

That the occurrence should be immediately recorded, and balanced by a corresponding entry.

Though prone to exuberant amplification in discourse,
Yet, in writing, all redundancies were excluded;
The entries in his day-book

Being, like his dress, diet, and manners, neat, plain, and simple.
His Anecdotes,

Which he took great delight in relating, were numerous and amusing,
And, having them ranged in distinct order on his Memory,
According to their subject,

He could, like the receipts and documents in his book press,
Produce them at a moment's notice.

His station in life did not permit him to be often a principal
in extensive speculations;

Yet he was very useful as a subsidiary,
And greatly promoted the success of undertakings,
by recording accurately their result.

Weak in nerves,

Yet he displayed great fortitude in bearing up under the evils of life, placing them, when they occurred, with equal accuracy and composure, To the debit side

Of his profit and loss account.

Errors he no doubt committed,

But who is free!--Let us hope a pen will be drawn through them, And cancelled for ever.