"Why, they says I be," said Mr. Nabbem, with a grin; "and for my part, I
thinks all who sarves the king should stand up for him, and take care of
their little families!"

"You speak what others think!" answered Tomlinson, smiling also. "And I
will now, since you like politics, point out to you what I dare say you
have not observed before."

"What be that?" said Nabbem.

"A wonderful likeness between the life of the gentlemen adorning his
Majesty's senate and the life of the gentlemen whom you are conducting to
his Majesty's jail."


THE LIBELLOUS PARALLEL OF AUGUSTUS TOMLINSON.

"We enter our career, Mr. Nabbem, as your embryo ministers enter
parliament,--by bribery and corruption. There is this difference,
indeed, between the two cases: we are enticed to enter by the
bribery and corruptions of others; they enter spontaneously by dint
of their own. At first, deluded by romantic visions, we like the
glory of our career better than the profit, and in our youthful
generosity we profess to attack the rich solely from consideration
for the poor! By and by, as we grow more hardened, we laugh at
these boyish dreams,--peasant or prince fares equally at our
impartial hands; we grasp at the bucket, but we scorn not the
thimbleful; we use the word 'glory' only as a trap for proselytes
and apprentices; our fingers, like an office-door, are open for all