istian era, adding, that he thought the general computation was in
error by about one year; and being a particularly modest person, chiefly,
he believes, owing to his having been at school in Ireland, absolutely
blushed at finding that the Lion returned not a word in answer. "What a
wonderful individual I am seated by," thought he, "to whom Arabic seems a
vulgar speech, and a question about the Hegira not worthy of an answer!"
not reflecting that as lions come from the Sahara, they have quite enough
of Arabic at home, and that the question about the Hegira was rather mal
a propos to one used to prey on the flesh of hadjis. "Now I only wish he
would vouchsafe me a little of his learning," thought the boy to himself,
and in this wish he was at last gratified; for the Lion, after asking him
whether he was acquainted at all with the Sclavonian languages, and being
informed that he was not, absolutely dumb-foundered him by a display of
Sclavonian erudition.

Years rolled by--the writer was a good deal about, sometimes in London,
sometimes in the country, sometimes abroad; in London he occasionally met
the man of the spectacles, who was always very civil to him, and, indeed,
cultivated his acquaintance. The writer thought it rather odd that,
after he himself had become acquainted with the Sclavonian languages and
literature, the man of the spectacles talked little or nothing about
them. In a little time, however, the matter ceased to cause him the
slightest surprise, for he had discovered a key to the mystery. In the
mean time the man of spectacles was busy enough; he speculated in
commerce, failed, and paid his creditors twenty pennies in the pound;
published translations, of which the public at length became heartily
tired; having, indeed, got an inkling of the manner in which those
translations were got up. He managed, however, to ride out many a storm,
having one trusty sheet-anchor--Radicalism. This he turned to the best
advantage--writing pamphlets and articles in reviews, all in the Radical
interest, and for which he was paid out of the Radical fund; which
articles and pamphlets, when Toryism seemed to reel on its last legs,
exhibited a slight tendency to Whiggism. Nevertheless, his abhorrence of
desertion of principle was so great in the time of the Duke of
Wellington's administration, that when S--- left the Whigs and went over,
he told the writer, who was about that time engaged with him in a
literary underta