with much seeming gravity,
accosted the chop-fallen counsel thus: Lord Denman--'Are you
satisfied, Sir James?' Sir James (deep red as he naturally was, to
use poor Jack Reeve's own words, had become scarlet in more than
name), in a great huff, said, 'The witness may go down!'"

A Portuguese paper gives some statistics which could only be obtained
under the spy and secret police system. There are said to be in Portugal
872,634 married couples, of which the present condition is very nearly as
follows:--"Women who have left their husbands for their lovers, 1,262.
Husbands who have left their wives for other women, 2,361. Couples who
have agreed to live separately, 33,120. Couples who live in open warfare,
under the same roof, 13,263. Couples who cordially hate each other, but
dissemble their aversion under the appearance of love, 162,320. Couples
who live in a state of tranquil indifference, 510,132. Couples who are
thought by their acquaintances to be happy, but are not themselves
convinced of their own felicity, 1,102. Couples that are happy as compared
with those that are confessedly unhappy, 131. Couples indisputably happy
in each other, 0. Total, 872,634."

The first duel in New England, was fought with sword and dagger, between
two servants. Neither of them was killed, but both were wounded. For this
disgraceful offence, they were formally tried before the whole company
(the first settlers), and sentenced to have their "heads and feet tied
together, and so to be twenty-four hours, without meat or drink." Their
bravery all exploded in a little while, and they plead piteously to be
released, which was finally done by the Governor on their promising better
behavior. "Such was the origin," says Dr. Morse, "and such, I may almost
venture to say, was the termination of the odious practice of duelling in
New England, for there have been very few fought there since."

We are told by Ariosto of a warrior who was so happily gifted that when
his arms, his legs, or even his head, happened to be chopped off in
battle, he could jump down from his horse and replace the dissevered
member. Many modern humbugs are of this description; they are real polipi;
chop them into a thousand pieces, and each piece will start up as brisk
and as lively as ever. Metaphysical humbugs are the most difficult kind to
deal with. Contending with them is like wrestling with spectres; there is
not substance enough