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To illustrate, we shall quote Plato, who, in his " Banquet," puts a very pretty fable into the mouth of the celebrated comic poet, Aristophanes:-" Jupiter, in the beginning, did not make the man and woman separated as they are now, but both the sexes were combined in one body; and in this manner the human race continue to be manufactured, and to live, one generation after another, for the space of 50,000 years; but in the year of the world 50,001 and a half, one of the double beings who was high in authority, ordered a mountain to be levelled, and the course of a river to be turned. Now this was, in those days, considered to be flying in the face of the gods as much as cutting our own throats is at the present day; therefore, Jupiter took it into his head to be angry-nay more, he flew in a great wrath; and to punish the sacrilege of this presumptuous individual, he hurled one of the heaviest and best loaded thunderbolts which Vulcan had ever made, at the whole race of them, and split each of them into two. Thus, for the crime of one, the whole race was condemned ever after to exist as distinct sexes; and such was the confusion, that they were obliged to go hopping about in search of their right halves, very frequently picking up the wrong. Hence arose domestic broils, jealousies, and strife; hence the origin of anger and discord between man and wife. Those, however, who, in the lottery of life, got hold of the right half, managed to live comfortably; and, in the worst of times, if they could make both ends meet, and every thing was fitting and appropriate, they enjoyed a heaven upon earth."

We shall conclude this subject, for the present, by recommending the moral of this fable to the serious attention of our readers.

1.

The Cuckold's Chronicle.

AN AFFAIR OF GALLANTRY COMFORTABLY HUSHED UP.

[PRIVATE INTELLIGENCE.]

A nobleman, hitherto better known on the turf than in the annals of gallantry, was in the habit of purchasing certain fancy articles at a stylish shop in one of those streets at the west end of the town, where the gay and the fashionable lounge away their mornings. It happened, that the wife of this tradesman occasionally assisted in the shop, notwithstanding they were considered the most dashing high-flyers in the street. She is about thirty years of age, and has had three children-but there is something very agreeable in her person, and moreover a sort of bewitching glance, and amorous look, sometimes discoverable in her eye, which attracted the notice of the noble customer, and led him frequently into conversation with her, when the husband was absent. From the circumstance of her always entering the shop when his carriage was seen to stop at the door, and the general tenor of her conduct, he flattered himself she was come-at-able, and immediately determined to lay his plans accordingly. He took an opportunity of introducing the subject of theatricals, and learned that she was going with a party to Covent Garden the next evening the " Exile" was performed, which was the most lucky information he could desire. When the evening arrived, he repaired to the theatre, and being confident she would like to show off her agreeable person in the dress circle, he kept a strict look out, and had the pleasure to see the object of his wishes enter a box not far from him, in company with another lady, and a youth. Many minutes did not elapse before he was comfortably seated by her side, earnestly pleading the violence of his passion, and pressing her hand within his own at every

convenient opportunity. The fear she evinced lest his ardour should be perceived, made him confident that nothing would be wanted to crown his bliss but proper time and place.

There having been so many awkward discoveries at such places as the "Key," the "Fountain," &c. he thought he should be more retired and secret if he could procure an obscure set of chambers in the Temple. He immediately made a confidant of his chaplain, and employed him to look for a vacancy on a third or fourth story, which being met with, was taken in the clergyman's name, merely as a study-and truly it was for that purpose, for

"Woman is a book, and often found

"Much better in the sheets than when she's bound!
"No wonder, then, some students take delight,
"Above all things, to study in the night!"

The chambers consisted of two rooms in the attic story, which could not possibly be pryed into from any other window, being at the end of a building which overlooked a garden. It was to this place he conducted her the moment she had become ripe for his designs, on an occasion when she was returning from a call on a female friend in the city, the intention of which visit was hinted during a chat she had with him in the shop.The matter once accomplished, it only remained to concert measures for their future meeting, which were to be as frequent as possible, without exciting suspicion.

Their appointments were, in the first place, periodical; at least, she was only missed about twice a week, and it is supposed they settled at parting when they should meet again-but his lordship became urgent to see her more frequently, and one day was observed, by a maiden sister of the husband, to slide a note along the counter under her hand. This was mentioned to the husband, in private, when he came home in the evening, and the absence of the wife served to strengthen the suspicion. A plan was arranged to watch her the next time she went out, and they succeeded in

tracing her to the entrance of the Temple, from Essexstreet, where she was met by his lordship, who conducted her to the accustomed rendezvous, the husband's trusty scout gently tripping up the stairs to ascertain the door they entered.

This being done, he returned to the anxious husband, and held a council of war on the best mode of proceeding to catch them in the act. They proceeded towards the staircase, and steeling gently up, discovered, that a window on the landing-place of the attic story opened into the gutter, between the roof and the parapet wall. They calculated that it might possibly lead them towards the windows of the chambers, and determined to crawl gently round the roof. The first window they arrived at, looked into a sittingroom; one candle was on the table, a lady's bonnet and scarf, and a man's hat, stick, and gloves. It was not thought prudent to enter this window, unless they could arrive at no other; they therefore continued until they turned the corner of the roof, when they reached an attic window consisting of two sashes, which slid past each other in an upright direction. They could perceive a light in the room, and the window, was partly open, on account of the closeness of the evening; there was a curtain, yet it was undrawn, there being no house near to overlook it. The husband, and his trusty shopman, paused for a while in breathless silence, before they ventured to peep inbut hearing the well known voice of his wife pronounce "My dear," as in the moment of rapturous ecstacy, when grateful for the excess of bliss enjoyedhe could no longer contain himself, and sliding back the window, he sprung into the room, and found his lordship closely locked in his wife's arms on the bed. They were both in a state of perfect nudity, but though so desperately engaged in the sudden alarm brought their conflict to an abrupt termination. The poor husband had brought a horsewhip, and was about to lacerate the body of his frail spouse before she had time to put on her chemise, but her inamorato had sufficient presence of mind to give

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the affair a very different conclusion. He was prepared with a brace of loaded pistols, which he immediately seized, and presented, one in each hand, at the husband and his shopman, and bid them both get out of the window again, or he would blow their brains out, as thieves attacking him in bed, with a view to rob and murder him. They lost no time in obeying his commands, and he immediately ran down to the second floor window, and called up the watchman, to take charge of two men on the roof of the house, who came there with a view to rob him, Expostulation was useless, their situation was sufficient, and Charley sprung his rattle for assistance, to lug them to the watch-house. His lordship told the affrighted fair one to get into bed and make herself comfortable, as she should stay there all night, and he would come back as soon as he had given the parties in charge.

(To be concluded in the next.)

COURT OF KING'S BENCH, Saturday, Dec. 15.

WRIGHT versus WRIGHT.

Mr. Scarlett stated the case to the jury. He said that the plaintiff, Mr. John Wright, was a respectable wine and brandy merchant, and spirit retail dealer, residing in Ratcliffe Highway; and his wife had been a kind and affectionate partner to him, assisting him in his industry, by her aid and assiduity, before the unhappy circumstance occurred which had led to their final separation. The defendant, he lamented to say, was united by the ties of relationship to the plaintiff he was his own first cousin; and was a linen merchant, residing at Norwich, and also a man in a very respectable line of trade. The plaintiff's wife was from North Walsham, in the county of Norfolk, and was the daughter of the coroner of that county. In the year 1812, the plaintiff married her at her parish church, and, having respectable means, determined on coming to the me

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