'The wise man's folly is anatomized
Even by the squand'ring glances of the fool.'

"The sundry contemplation of my travels, in which my often rumination
wraps me, is a most humorous sadness.

"But, gentlemen, your walls have, if not ears, tongues, to recall the
glorious humor and wit of our race. HOGARTH looks down upon us. ADDISON
tells us of dear old Sir ROGER de COVERLEY; I am sure he must have been
the grandfather of Mr. PICKWICK. STERNE makes us weep on one side and
smile on the other, at the mention of my UNCLE TOBY; GOLDSMITH, at the
remembrance of himself. And so does TOM HOOD, the prince of humorists.
THACKERAY we all remember; and neither he nor his Vanity Fair will ever
be forgotten. DOUGLAS JERROLD, and JOHN LEECH, too--the only tears they
ever made men shed were at their graves. And who can fail to feel like a
"pendulum betwixt a smile and tear," when he remembers our ARTEMUS WARD?
Over the water now we have some yet; of whom we count "the TWAIN one;"
and we can get up as good BILLINGS-gate as ever went to market. Then,
for right Saxon wit, have we not SAXE himself? And, for the luminous,
PETROLEUM, the ex-postmaster of the Cross-roads?

"I represent a name, gentlemen, new with us, yet old in Europe. You are
well aware that, in Italy"--

"_That_ might 'uv been tuk for granted; as the donkey said ven his dam
called him a hass"--whispered, rather loudly, SAMIVEL, behind me.

Now whether it was the Thames atmosphere that had got into my head, or
whether it was SAM WELLER'S unexpected remark, I am unable, to this day,
to say. But, somehow or other, my speech had, by this time, gone up. So