reserved
and unsocial water-rat, on whom Sir Isaac in vain endeavours at
present to force his acquaintance. Man commits a great mistake in not
cultivating more intimate and amicable relations with the other branches
of earth's great family. Few of them not more amusing than we are;
naturally, for they have not our cares. And such variety of character
too, where you would least expect it!"

GEORGE MORLEY.--"Very true. Cowper noticed marked differences of
character in his favourite hares."

WAIFE.--"Hares! I am sure that there are not two house-flies on a
window-pane, two minnows in that water, that would not present to
us interesting points of contrast as to temper and disposition.
If house-flies and minnows could but coin money, or set up a
manufacture,--contrive something, in short, to buy or sell attractive to
Anglo-Saxon enterprise and intelligence,--of course we should soon have
diplomatic relations with them; and our despatches and newspapers would
instruct us to a T in the characters and propensities of their leading
personages. But, where man has no pecuniary nor ambitious interests
at stake in his commerce with any class of his fellow-creatures, his
information about them is extremely confused and superficial. The best
naturalists are mere generalizers, and think they have done a vast deal
when they classify a species. What should we know about mankind if
we had only a naturalist's definition of man? We only know mankind by
knocking classification on the head, and studying each man as a class in
himself. Compare Buffon and Shakspeare! Alas, sir! can we never have a
Shakspeare for house-flies and minnows?"

GEORGE MORLEY.--"With all respect for minnows and house-flies, if
we found another Shakspeare, he might be better employed, like his
predecessor, in selecting individualities from the classifications of
man."

WAIFE.--"Being yourself a man, you think so: a housefly might be of a
different opinion. But permit me, at least, to doubt whether such an
investigator would be better employed in reference to his own happiness,
though I grant that he would be so in reference to your intellectual
amusement and social interests. Poor Shakspeare! How much he must have
suffered!"

GEORGE MORLEY.--"You mean that he must have been racked by the passions
he describes,--bruised by collision with the hearts he dissects. That is
not necessary to genius. The judge on his bench, summing up evidence and
charging the jury, has