happiness of wealth bracteata felicitas, tinfoiled happiness, and
infelix felicitas, an unhappy felicity. A poor man drinks out of a
wooden dish, and eats his hearty meal with a wooden spoon; while the
rich man, with a languid appetite, picks his dainties with a silver fork
from plates of gold--but, in auro bibitur venenum; the one rinds health
and happiness in his pottered jug, while the other sips disease and
poison from his jewelled cup. A good laugh is worth a guinea, (to him
who can afford to pay for it) at any time; but it is best enjoyed when
it comes gratuitously and unexpectedly, and breaks in upon us like the
radiant beams of a summer sun forcing its way through the misty veil of
an inland fog.

I had been paying a morning visit to a wealthy ~58~~citizen, Mr.
Alderman Marigold, and family, at the express desire of my father, who
had previously introduced me for the purpose of fixing my--affection
--tush--no, my attention, to the very weighty merits of Miss Biddy
Marigold, spinster; a spoiled child, without personal, but with very
powerful attractions to a poor Colebs. Two hours' hard fighting with the
alderman had just enabled me to retreat from the persecution of being
compelled to give an opinion upon the numerous bubble companies of
the time, without understanding more than the title of either; to this
succeeded the tiresome pertinacity of Mrs. Marigold's questions relative
to the movements, ondits, and fashionable frivolities westward, until,
fairly wearied out and disgusted, I sat down a lion exhausted, in
the window seat, heartily wishing myself like Liston{1} safe out of
purgatory; when the sound

1 John Liston, the comedian, is in private life not less
conspicuous for finished pleasantry and superior manners
than he is on the stage for broad humour; but nothing can
offend the actor more than an invitation given merely in the
expectation of his displaying at table some of his
professional excellences. John had, on one occasion,
accepted an invitation to dine with a wealthy citizen en
famille; the repast over--the wine had circulated--a snug
friend proposed the health of Mr. Liston; and John returned
thanks with as much dignity as a minister of state eating
white bait at Blackwall with the worshipful company of
fishmongers. Then came the amiable civilities of the lady of
the mansion, evidently intended to ingratiate herself with
t