give the
name of Montpellier to many places, new streets, rows of houses, terraces,
and gardens, where the situation has been supposed to have been at all
favourable; indeed, there seems to be something attractive in the very
sound of the word Montpellier; but the original city has much fallen off,
and is not so much frequented now, but on account of its former fame, and
the assemblage of the States of Languedoc during the winter, when the
noble families still maintain their old exemplary hospitality. Joseph
Scaliger is known to have asserted, that if he had his choice where to end
his days, of all cities in the world he should prefer Montpellier; but
since that time physicians have agreed that there has been a remarkable
change of climate; and from my own observation I must declare, that I knew
several consumptive patients who seemed to have recovered at Marseilles,
and almost all relapsed again after they had remained for some time at
Montpellier.

_Cradock's Literary Memoirs_.

* * * * *

ANECDOTES AND RECOLLECTIONS.

Notings, selections,
Anecdote and joke:
Our recollections;
With gravities for graver folk.

* * * * *

FASHION.

Pignotte places the temple of this deity in the moon; and it may therefore
be presumed that it was the walls of this edifice that Professor
Grinthausen, of Munich, lately mistook for an immense fortress. The error
of the German astronomer would seem to corroborate the hypothesis of the
Italian poet, who doubtless did not assign that local habitation to the
goddess of fashion without mature reflection. Indeed, it cannot be denied
that that planet possesses some mysterious influence over female fashions,
analogous to that which it has over the tides; hence the cause, for we
really know of none better, of _monthly_ fashions. Let not however any
malicious wit suppose that the moon has anything whatever to do with
monthly periodicals!

* * * * *

HOW TO CHOOSE A RELIGION.

Karamsin, in his history of Russia, relates that when the inhabitants of
Livonia were first converted from Paganism to Christianity, they hesitated
whether they should adopt the faith of the Russian or German church; at
length in their extreme perplexity, they determined to decide their doubts
in a most summary manner by casting lots, when chance prevailed in favour
of the latter. There are man