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dinner; but Mrs. Neville staid behind every one, to go out arm in arm with her dear Lady Gertrude, who, as the daughter of the house, retired last. As soon as the door was closed, Lord Bellenden took the head of the table, and was followed without ceremony by Mr. Beaumont, who did not much like his quarters, now there was neither the host nor the host's daughter to enliven him.

And now Dr. M'Ginnis prepared his mighty spirit, and hoped the wished-for opportunity was come, when he might display those powers of ratiocination, and that fund of information, which he seemed peculiarly to have treasured up for occasions of this sort. And now the most accomplished of travellers revolved in his mind all his magazines of anecdote and egotism, sighing for that fortunate question, or opportune remark, which might unlock the ample store; and now Mr. Beaumont began to look round in quest of food for his favourite amusement of quizzing;-in short, the health of the King was given, the signal for general conversation was thrown out, and every man's heart beat high with expectation: save only Tremaine's, which had alone felt pleasure while he found himself near to Georgina, and which, now she was gone, gave itself up to the disgust which preyed upon it, from the folly or the vice which he attributed to every one of his neighbours,-always ex

cepted the master of the feast, and Evelyn, to whom he clung with more than usual attachment.

But the removal of Lord Bellenden to the head of the table was rather a damper to Dr. M'Ginnis's hopes, as he by that means was deprived of his most illustrious auditor--the man, whom, being master of the house, he most wished to please: for it was a very good house,-the company assembled in it very good company, and the table which adorned it a very good table; in short, it was a house which in all respects the Doctor had no objection to visit again.

Soon, however, he was relieved; for a difference of opinion had already begun to arise at the upper end of the table, in consequence of a warm eulogy of the traveller upon the Empress Elizabeth, for abolishing capital punishments in her dominions,-accompanied by a censure, in no very measured terms, of the sanguinary nature of the English law. This was replied to by Lord Bellenden himself,-who as a Senator, and perhaps as Chairman of Sessions, where he so worthily presided, thought it right to defend the policy of his country.

Evelyn, who had hitherto been a silent observer, but who loved conversation, ranged himself on the side of Lord Bellenden; while Beaumont, whether he thought it not fair for two to fall upon one, or that he might be better able to draw out the ridicu

lous, by an affected support, warmly took the part of the traveller.

The Doctor saw and heard all this with envious eyes and ears, and began to ponder his misfortune in being placed so hors de combat, or, what was worse, in combat with Mr. Placid, who gave no scope whatever to his dialectic powers. In this emergency, some assertion of the traveller in respect to the great King of Prussia staggered the noble host, particularly as Evelyn said it was a good argument, if the fact were true; and all he had to do was to doubt the fact, until better informed. Appeal was made to Tremaine, as having been at Berlin, but he protested the King of Prussia had been so long dead when he was there, that he could say nothing with accuracy on the subject. It was then that the Doctor's good star presided, for Lord Bellenden recollecting he had travelled many years before, and had seen the great Frederick alive, determined to appeal to him, which he accordingly did in a voice quite loud enough to be heard. The Doctor felt great pleasure at being thus appealed to; but though Lord Bellenden's language were as clear as his lungs were good, he nevertheless protested, with many apologies, that he hay-pened to be so vary deef that day with a cauld, that he had not the honour of being able to make oot his lordship's quastion.

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lenden;

Suppose you come among us ?" said Lord Bel66 we can make room for you." "Weellingly, my Lord," answered the delighted Doctor; and then with his napkin and dessert plate in his hand, he bade adieu to his more ordinary neighbours, to follow fortune in a higher circle.

The question was whether Frederick the Great had not imitated the example of Elizabeth.

"I suppose," said the Doctor, with a grave and wise air, as becoming one who had been chosen a referee, "ye all know he was called Le Roi philosophe et guerrier."

"To be sure we do," answered the traveller, "who does not ?"

"I confess I did not," said Mr. Beaumont, with great seriousness; "I should be glad to hear Dr. M'Ginnis."

"Sir, you do me great honour," returned the Doctor, bowing; "and sir," turning to the traveller, "you will never airgu if you hurry thengs; you are too raypid by half."

"I am not arguing," replied the traveller, "I am only advancing a fact which you cannot deny ;-if you do, I only refer you to Baron Reisbach's account of Frederick the Great."

"Sir," rejoined the historian, "it is not I that am to be referred to any account of a man whose life

I have made it my beesiness to study; but the theng lies much deeper: ye are upon the nature of laws, and as I collacted where I sat, upon cay-pital punishments."

"I thought you were so deaf, you could not hear," said Sir Marmaduke.

The Doctor looked adust, but Mr. Beaumont gravely observed, he knew from experience, that it was the nature of deafness to hear at one time and not at another.

"I thank ye sir, again," said the Doctor; "ye have explained it vary philosophically."

"But the King of Prussia," again cried the traveller, with encreased eagerness.

"We are not yet ripe for him," answered the phlegmatic jurisconsult; "a mere fact will do nothing, tell ye have sattled the whole theory and nature of laws in general. I presume you have never read Ulpian or Papinian

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"No! thank Heaven!" said the traveller, quite vexed.

"And yet no one," replied the Doctor, unmoved, "need thank Heaven for his own ignorance;" at which many of the company laughed, to the annoyance of the traveller. "Perhaps," continued the Doctor, enjoying his advantage, "ye have not canvassed the laws of the twelve tables, foonded upon those of

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