trouble if I was caught; I therefore started the minute they were out of my sight, and ran as hard as I could for nearly a mile. I then pulled up, and looking round me, and seeing nothing to indicate a pursuit, congratulated myself on having escaped, and walked on at an easy pace, planning with myself how I should evade the inquiries that would certainly be set on foot.

"In the midst of my cogitations I was interrupted by a loud but distant shout, and looking round, saw Mr. Scrape on a pony, and the two under-keepers, about a quarter of a mile behind me, evidently on my trail. I knew I could beat the men in running, but the pony was four to two-legs I mean-against me.

"I laid a trap for Mr. Scrape--I ran boldly out across the middle of a grass field, at the top of my speed, and made for a gap, I saw in the fence opposite me; I jumped through, and stood quite still on the other side. Mr. Scrape gave a loud view hilloh! and galloped after me, leaving his two attendants behind him, and most gallantly rammed his poney over the ditch where I was standing. I caught the bridle, and turning him short round, succeeded in unseating his rider so far, that a gentle application of my hand to the sole of his boot, threw him out of the saddle on to the ground. I mounted in his stead, and whistling to Don, went off as hard as the pony could carry me, until I thought I was fairly out of danger of my enemies, and had sundry misgivings about being taken up for horse-stealing.

"I rode to the nearest public, and gave a boy sixpence to ride the pony home with my compliments to his master and thanks for the loan of him. The landlord of this house was an old sportsman, and we were very well acquainted; I therefore told him of my adventures, which amused him very much, and as Tapes was a very bitter enemy of his, he readily promised secrecy as to my name and college, and relieved me of my anxiety about getting back to Oxford undiscovered, by putting his horse into a light cart and driving me, by a roundabout road, close to our college gates.

"On the following morning, I confess I was very anxious to know if any and what inquiries or proceedings had been instituted; but was afraid to venture out lest I should meet some of the parties. My appearance is rather peculiar, hoh hoh! hah! so I sent my scout down to St. Paul's College to act as scout, and learn the tactics of the

enemy.

"Mr. Scrape and the keeper had both been to inquire of the porter if a Mr. Snugs was there, and had described my personal appearance so accurately that no one who had ever seen me could mistake me. The porter, however, was too old a stager to betray me, and the bailiff and keeper returned as wise as they came.

"I took the advice of my scout and altered my usual dress, and by cutting off my whiskers, and substituting an eye-glass for my spectacles, looked a very different character. Still I was very uneasy; I did not so much fear the wrath of Mr. Tapes as that of his attorney, and turned over in my mind every plan I could think of for deprecating his anger; but without success, until I fortunately recollected that one of our men who happened to be up, was intimately acquainted with him. I called upon him and told him of my impudent conduct of the day before, and of my fears of the result of it.

"After listening to and laughing at my tale-for somehow every body laughs at me-he very goodnaturedly promised to set matters straight before night.

"About seven in the evening, I received a message from him to beg me to come over to his rooms. I went, and to my great surprise was formally introduced to the attorney by my real name, which he did not seem to recognise. He was already up to the degree of "Merry," from the wine he had drunk, and we pushed the bottle round so rapidly, and drank so many irresistible toasts, that he got boisterous in his mirth. I told him all my old anecdotes which were new to him, and sung him three or four comic songs, which pleased him so much that he shook me warmly by the hand, and assured me that he should be proud to know more of me, and to render me any assistance at any time that lay in his power.

"My good sir,' said I, 'I stand in need of your professional aid at this moment.'

"I'm sorry-that is-glad to hear it-command my services; but what's the crime?'

"Forgery.'

"Good heavens! forgery! On whom?'

66 6

Yourself,' and I told him in as amusing a way as I could every thing that had occurred at Tape Hall.

"He tried to look serious but could not, and after laughing heartily, promised to relieve me from all anxiety, if I would merely tell him who had imitated his writing so closely that he himself could not tell whether it was his own or not.

"This I respectfully and firmly declined doing, as it might be prejudicial to another's interests. At last he freely forgave me, and engaged to give me a note to old Tapes, which would prevent his instituting any proceedings against me.

"He kept his promise, and with the note which he had written for me, I rode over to Tape Hall and found the owner at home.

"Mr. Scrape, who opened the door to me, knew me in spite of my disguise, and chuckled to think I should pay for the rabbit-pie and his tumble.

"Mr. Scrape,' said I, here is a real note, not a forged one for your master.'

"He slammed the door in my face, but returned in a few minutes, and in a very humble tone desired me to walk in.

"I found Mr. Tapes evidently in a bad humour at being compelled to pardon so grievous an offender as myself, but I brought him into a good humour at last, by flattering him on his merits as a country-gentleman, and a county magistrate, and by expressing a wish to repay his hospitality of the day before, by giving him a return bottle of sherry in college.

A sovereign to the keeper and his subs, made them so very polite, that they hinted at my having another chance at the pheasants when I knew their master was out.'

P. P.

(To be continued.)

SNUFFS AND SNUFF-TAKERS.

What a moment! what a doubt!

All my nose, inside out,

All my thrilling, tickling caustic,
Pynamid Rhinocerostic,

Wants to sneeze, and cannot do it!

Now it yearns me, thrills me, stings me.

Now with rapturous torment wrings me,

Now says," Sneeze, you fool; get through it."
Shee-shee-oh! 'tis most del-ishi,

Ishi-ishi-most del-ishi

(Hang it I shall sneeze till spring),
Snuff's a most delicious thing.

THE above is a free version of a passage from a clever little Italian poem on tobacco (la Tabacheide), in which the witty author has attempted the description of a sneeze. This titillating indulgence, however, is permitted only to the novice, for your real snuff-taker disdaineth to allow his nasal organ to yield obedience to the thrilling call-his proboscis is proof against such tickling. But if long habit have blunted the sensitiveness of this delicate promontory, it is fully compensated for in the rapture his nose knows, be it Roman or snub, when primed with a liberal pinch of old Pontet's delicate Martinique, or his son's more pungent mixture.

Little do the sneeze-totallers know of the inexpressible luxury attendant upon a pinch of fine old snuff after dinner-it is the fit companion to a glass of generous wine: and in shunning the real connoisseur's box, they deny themselves one of the greatest enjoyments discovered by man. Yes, gentle reader, sceptic though you be, it is an enjoyment-a refined, a social enjoyment. Some hypercritics have denounced the habit of snuff-taking as uncleanly, and a few ultra railers have gone so far as to say it is unwholesome, quoting as an authority the late Mr. Abernethy, who, upon being asked by an inveterate consumer of rapé, if an immoderate use of snuff was calculated to injure the brain, replied, in his usual caustic and splenetic manner, "Not in the least, sir, for people who take snuff immoderately, can have no brains."

I am no advocate for excess of any kind-although instances might be quoted where the greatest gluttons in this way have had tolerably long heads-Napoleon, for instance, took snuff by handsful, and I think even his enemies will allow that he lacked not brains;—but numberless are the examples I could quote, of eminent men, endowed with transcendent talents, who exceeded all bounds in the gratificaton of this taste. But return we to the rational epicure (for there are epicures in snuff), who takes his pinch at moderate intervals, and who administers the comfort to his nose, with such a good observance of propriety, as to be exempt from censure, and the imputation of uncleanliness-why is this class to be decried? Without any claim to the title of sensualist, let me ask why in this short span of life a man is not justified in affording himself all the enjoyment he can? It may be asked why create an artificial want? I answer, if in the indulgence of that want, an extra drop of joy be added to the cup of chequered happiness, dans ce bas monde, taste of it, and leave the reasoning to the

noseless. It has been asserted that the man who delighteth not in poetry or music, has no soul, and I say that the man who liketh not a pinch of snuff has no nose. How easily is a genuine snuff-taker recognised amongst a thousand-the very manner in which he handles his box will betray him. He is as easily distinguished from the or TOOL οι πολλοι as Taglioni amid the figurantes. Mark too, the indescribable ease and tact with which he dexterously extracts with the sinister thumb and finger (pardon the anomaly) the soft and fragrant portion-talk of the eighteen manœuvres! They are nothing compared to the manual and platoon of the snuff-taker's exercise! (although some snuff-boxes play tunes of themselves-but this is a digression).

The pseudo snuff-taker, and the uninitiated votary have all the awkwardness of undrilled recruits! For instance, your old experienced hand will take his pinch from out the receptacle horizontally, unstinted in quantity, and will inhale the bountiful and precious allowance at one effort, while the neophyte will insert his right finger and thumb vertically and falteringly into the box, and compress the scattered grains into the smallest possible compass, applying the aforesaid finger and thumb to the nose in such a questionable manner as to convey the impression that he is endeavouring to abstract some capillary excrescence from the nostril, instead of comforting the organ of smell. The veritable art of snuff-taking, is only to be acquired by long practice, and a close observance of the aforesaid manual and platoon-the air and grace which distinguish the polished gentleman, are the more observable, in snuff-taking than any other fashionable indulgence. The snuff-takers of St. James's and St. Giles's differ as widely in the manner of applying the redolent mixture to their noses, as the votary of Terpsichore at Almacks does from the coalheaver at Greenwich Fair. The democrat, the radical, and the leveller, may not be disposed to admit this-but the truth is undeniable. Some persons eat their fish, and even peas, with their knives, while others use forks-the former are barbarians, the latter, gentlemen.

The number of purveyors of snuff in this demoralized metropolis is enormous. My list, however, will comprise but a chosen few; the élite of manufacturers-the elegant extracts from the erudite body of mixture-makers. Their names are imperishable, and will be handed down to posterity, by their grateful customers, so long as good taste, discriminating judgment, and noses prevail. It will be my pleasing task in submitting this tobacconistical list to the snuff-taking public, to point out the several excellences of each firm as regards their mixtures; and as I descant, en connoisseur, upon the merits of each happy combination, I anticipate the thanks of many an amateur.

The most celebrated establishments are the following:

Fribourg's can justly claim precedence in point of antiquity, the firm having been established for upwards of a hundred and fifty years. The race of Fribourg and of Treyer is extinct-they are gathered to their forefathers. The name still adorns the portal, however, and is a tower of strength. The business is now in the hands of the Messrs. Evans, and oh Evans! what snuff they sell!!! The secret of the Fribourgs has been studiously preserved and handed down to the present possessors, for the peculiar rich, full quality for which their snuffs are celebrated, is not to be met with but in the Haymarket. Where the fragrant leaf is culled, from which they dress their matchless mixtures it is not for me to say, but their snuffs, cæteris paribus, are not to be equalled. Certain houses are celebrated for certain snuffs, as I shall hereafter show, and Fribourg's stands pre-eminent for Bureau and Etrenne. The concoctors of this plain, gentlemanly mixture, have imparted a flavour to these two snuffs that one may look for in vain elsewhere, and I pronounce it the best for a moderate snuff-taker. It is not so delicate as the Martinique, Bolongaro, and others of the genus brown; nor so rich and luscious as the Cuba, cum multis aliis, of Carrottes, but admirably calculated for the admirer of the juste milieu. The Messrs. Evans purchased nearly the whole of the stock of his late Majesty George the Fourth, for a large sum, which they retailed at a rather extravagant price to their customers. The speculation must have answered, for his gracious majesty's mixture lasted for an incredibly long time; but it is to be presumed the stock was a large one. Talking of regal mixtures, if the reader be a snuff-taker, and like a rich-flavoured, and rather a coarse-grained snuff, and above all, if he be in favour with Mr. Evans, let him ask for some of the King's Carrotte, and if he does not thank me at every pinch, why I know nothing of good tobacco. The name of Fribourg and Treyer gladdeneth the eyes of the city connoisseurs also, for the Messrs. Evans have a branch establishment in Cornhill, facing the dilapidated site of the late Royal Exchange, a formidable rival to Mr. Beynon, of whom anon. The snuffs are the same as at the fountain-head in the Haymarket, of surpassing flavour and richness. The next on my list is Pontet Père. He dwelleth in the aristocratic region of Pall-mall. The old gentleman has some very fine snuff, and herein more especially must I mention some splendid Martinique, of which Papa Pontet is the undoubted possessor.

Well do I remember in the days of my nonage, and nonsense, subscribing my name as a candidate for two or three pounds of this then celebrated snuff. Reader, in those days it was the fashion, and under its powerful sway did I enrol my patronymic, together with some score of my acquaintances. You might as well have been out of the world as out of Pontet's book; for not to know Pontet argued oneself unknown. But to my poor judgment, there were snuffs equally as good as the far-famed Martinique, although not quite so much in vogue, in proof of which, in obedience to all-powerful custom, I had a mixture of my own. This was composed of three-fourths Bureau, and one-fourth Havannah Rapé, but then such Havannah Rápé! Alas! every grain of it is gone, and so ended my mixture. The history of this snuff may not be out of place here. Some twenty odd years ago, when the colonnade was added to the Italian Opera-house, the workmen in digging the foundation discovered