al stars who have studied the heavens from their
earliest history; and hasten to make ourselves acquainted with the
proper study of mankind, the ludicrous and legendary lunar man.

II. THE MAN IN THE MOON.

We must not be misunderstood. By the man in the moon we do not
mean any public tavern, or gin-palace, displaying that singular sign.
The last inn of that name known to us in London stands in a narrow
passage of that fashionable promenade called Regent Street, close to
Piccadilly. Nor do we intend by the man in the moon the silvery
individual who pays the election expenses, so long as the elector
votes his ticket. Neither do we mean the mooney, or mad fellow
who is too fond of the cup which cheers and then inebriates; nor
even one who goes mooning round the world without a plan or
purpose. No; if we are not too scientific, we are too straightforward
to be allured by any such false lights as these. By the man in the
moon we mean none other than that illustrious personage, whose
shining countenance may be beheld many a night, clouds and fogs
permitting, beaming good-naturedly on the dark earth, and singing,
in the language of a lyric bard,

"The moon is out to-night, love,
Meet me with a smile."

But some sceptic may assail us with a note of interrogation, saying,
"Is there a man in the moon?" "Why, of course, there is!" Those
who have misgivings should ask a sailor; he knows, for the punsters
assure us that he has been to _sea_. Or let them ask any _lunatic_;
he should know, for he has been so _struck_ with his acquaintance,
that he has adopted the man's name. Or ask any little girl in the
nursery, and she will recite, with sweet simplicity, how

"The man in the moon
Came down too soon,
And asked the way to Norwich."

The darling may not understand why he sought that venerable city,
nor whether he ever arrived there, but she knows very well that

"He went by the south,
And burnt his mouth
With eating hot pease porridge."

But it is useless to inquire of any stupid joker, for he will idly say
that there is no such man there, because, forsooth, a certain single
woman who was sent to the moon came back again, which she
would never have done if a man had been there with whom she
could have married and remained, Nor should any one be misled by
those blind guides who darkly hint that it is all moonshine. There is
not an Indian moonshee, nor a c