However, he thought, at a heading like that,
Some persons might kick up a bobbery ;
And, as the joke was a decided Joe Miller,
He called it a 'Daring Robbery.'

He set up a leading article, on

The advantage 'twould be to the nation,

If Lord Grey would but make a new batch of peers— Which he called 'Beauties of the Creation.'

A speech on Reform too by W

So full of disjointed inelegance,

-1 he did;

And so far from the purpose, he headed it
With the title of 'Foreign Intelligence.'

The debate on Pluralities next he composed;
But, finding the incomes so large,
And the duty so little, he headed it
Extraordinary Charge.'

An extract from Satan Montgomery's poems
Is the next thing the Devil commences;

But he sees that it's humbug, and, when it's composed,
He puts it among the 'Offences.'

A speech of St. P—I was his next job;
But it was too much for the elf,

And he was unable to set up the speech,

For he couldn't set up himself.

So into a corner the Devil sneaks,
O'ercome by so prosy a sample,-
Composes himself, and leaves the Times
To follow his example.

GAFFER GRAY.

THOMAS HOLCROFT.

Thomas Holcroft, the author of this, was born in London 1744, and was originally a shoemaker with his father. He then became an actor, and finally devoted himself to literary pursuits. He wrote several dramatic pieces, the best known of which is The Road to Ruin. In 1794 he was accused of high treason, having rendered himself obnoxious as a warm advocate of liberal principles on the outbreak of the French Revolution, but was dismissed without a trial. Died 1809.

Ho! why dost thou shiver and shake,
Gaffer Gray;

And why does thy nose look so blue!
"Tis the weather that's cold,

'Tis I'm grown very old,

And my doublet is not very new,
Well-a-day!'

Then line thy worn doublet with ale,

Gaffer Gray;

And warm thy old heart with a glass.

'Nay, but credit I've none,

And my money's all gone;

Then say how may that come to pass ?
Well-a-day !'

Hie away to the house on the brow,
Gaffer Gray;

And knock at the jolly priest's door.
'The priest often preaches

Against worldly riches,

But ne'er gives a mite to the poor,
Well-a-day!'

The lawyer lives under the hill,

Gaffer Gray;

Warmly fenced both in back and in front

'He will fasten his locks,

And will threaten the stocks

Should he ever more find me in want,
Well-a-day!'

The squire has fat beeves and brown ale,
Gaffer Gray;

And the season will welcome you there. 'His fat beeves and his beer,

And his merry new year,

Are all for the flush and the fair,

Well-a-day!'

My keg is but low, I confess,

Gaffer Gray;

What then? While it lasts, man, we'll live.

'The poor man alone,

When he hears the poor moan,

Of his morsel a morsel will give,

Well-a-day!'

WRITTEN AFTER SWIMMING FROM SESTOS TO ABYDOS.

LORD BYRON.

On the 3d of May 1810, while the 'Salsette' was lying in the Dardanelles, Lieutenant Ekenhead of that frigate and Byron swam from Abydos to Sestos. Of the exploit, Byron himself wrote:-'The whole distance from the place whence we started to our landing on the other side, including the length we were carried by the current, was computed by those on board the frigate at upwards of four English miles; though the actual breadth is barely one. The rapidity of the current is such that no boat can row directly across, and it may, in some measure, be estimated from the circumstance of the whole distance being accomplished by one of the parties in an hour and five, and by' the other in an hour and ten minutes. The water was extremely cold, from the melting of the mountain snows. About three weeks before, in April, we had made an attempt; but having ridden all the way from the Troad the same morning, and the water being of an icy chillness, we found it necessary to postpone the completion till the frigate anchored below the castles, when we swam the straits, as just stated, entering a considerable way above the European, and landing below the Asiatic, fort. Chevalier says that a young Jew swam the same distance for his mistress; and Oliver mentions its having been done by a Neapolitan; but our consul, Tarragona, remembered neither of these circumstances, and tried to dissuade us from the attempt. A number of the "Salsette's" crew were known to have accomplished a greater distance; and the only thing that surprised me was, that, as doubts had been entertained of the truth of Leander's story, no traveller had ever endeavoured to ascertain its practicability.'

IF, in the month of dark December,
Leander, who was nightly wont

(What maid will not the tale remember?)
To cross thy stream, broad Hellespont

H

If, when the wintry tempest roar'd,
He sped to Hero, nothing loath,
And thus of old thy current pour'd,
Fair Venus! how I pity both !

For me, degenerate modern wretch,
Though in the genial month of May,
My dripping limbs I faintly stretch,
And think I've done a feat to-day.

But since he cross'd the rapid tide,
According to the doubtful story,
To woo-and-Lord knows what beside,
And swam for Love, as I for Glory.

'Twere hard to say who fared the best:

Sad mortals! thus the Gods still plague you!

He lost his labour, I my jest ;

For he was drown'd, and I've the ague.

NAHUM FAY ON THE LOSS OF HIS WIFE.

'Just eighteen years ago this day,
Attired in all her best array-
For she was airy, young, and gay,
And loved to make a grand display,
While I the charges would defray-