The accompanying likeness is of course from the life, and complete in
every respect. Even if I had been totally ignorant of the man's real
character, and it had been placed before me without remark, I should have
shuddered involuntarily. There is an intense malignity of expression in
the features, and a baleful ferocity of purpose in the ruffian's eye,
which appals and sickens. His whole air is rampant with cruelty, nor is
the stomach less characteristic of his demoniac propensities.'

'_Monday_.

'The great day has at length arrived. I have neither eyes, nor ears, nor
pens, nor ink, nor paper, for anything but the wonderful proceedings that
have astounded my senses. Let me collect my energies and proceed to the
account.

'SECTION A.--ZOOLOGY AND BOTANY.
FRONT PARLOUR, BLACK BOY AND STOMACH-ACHE.

_President_--Sir William Joltered. _Vice-Presidents_--Mr. Muddlebranes
and Mr. Drawley.

'MR. X. X. MISTY communicated some remarks on the disappearance of
dancing-bears from the streets of London, with observations on the
exhibition of monkeys as connected with barrel-organs. The writer had
observed, with feelings of the utmost pain and regret, that some years
ago a sudden and unaccountable change in the public taste took place with
reference to itinerant bears, who, being discountenanced by the populace,
gradually fell off one by one from the streets of the metropolis, until
not one remained to create a taste for natural history in the breasts of
the poor and uninstructed. One bear, indeed,--a brown and ragged
animal,--had lingered about the haunts of his former triumphs, with a
worn and dejected visage and feeble limbs, and had essayed to wield his
quarter-staff for the amusement of the multitude; but hunger, and an
utter want of any due recompense for his abilities, had at length driven
him from the field, and it was only too probable that he had fallen a
sacrifice to the rising taste for grease. He regretted to add that a
similar, and no less lamentable, change had taken place with reference to
monkeys. These delightful animals had formerly been almost as plentiful
as the organs on the tops of which they were accustomed to sit; the
proportion in the year 1829 (it appeared by the parliamentary return)
being as one monkey to three organs. Owing, however, to an altered taste
in musical instruments, and the substitution, in a great measure, of