"No commentator," says Judge Hall, in his Letters from the West, "has taken any notice of Linch's Law, which was once the lex loci of the frontiers. Its operation was as follows:—When a horse thief, a counterfeiter, or any other desperate vagabond, infested a neighbourhood, evading justice by cunning, or by a strong arm, or by the number of his confederates, the citizens formed themselves into a "regulating company," a kind of holy brotherhood, whose duty was to purge the community of its unruly members. Mounted, armed, and commanded by a leader, they proceeded to arrest such notorious offenders as were deemed fit subjects of exemplary justice; their operations were generally carried on in the night. Squire Birch, who was personated by one of the party, established his tribunal under a tree in the woods, and the culprit was brought before him, tried, and generally convicted; he was then tied to a tree, lashed without mercy, and ordered to leave the country within a given time, under pain of a second visitation. It seldom happened that more than one or two were thus punished; their confederates took the hint and fled, or were admonished to quit the neighbourhood."

MONUMENTAL ALTERATION

The following odd story is related respecting a monument in a chapel, adjoining Stene, a fine family seat in the north:—The sculptor, in that vile taste which seems to have originated in an unhappy design of making every thing connected with the grave revolting to our feelings, had ornamented this monument with "a very ghastly, grinning alabaster skull;" and the bishop one day expressed a wish to his domestic chaplain, Dr. Grey, that it had not been placed there. Grey, upon this, sent to Banbury for the sculptor, and consulted with him whether it was not possible to convert it into a soothing, instead of a painful object. After some consideration, the artist declared that the only thing into which he could possibly convert it was—a bunch of grapes! and accordingly, at this day, a bunch of grapes may be seen upon the monument; for the chapel, which for a time had been abandoned to the rooks and daws who built their nests among the monuments, has been repaired, and is now united to the rectory of Hinton.

It is easier to induce people to follow than to set an example—however good it may be both for themselves and others, most men have a silly squeamishness about proposing an adjournment from the dinner table. The host, fearing that his guest may take it for a token that he loves his wine better than his friends, is obliged to feign an unwillingness to leave the bottle, and, as Sponge says—"In good truth, 'tis impossible, nay, I say it is impudent, to contradict any gentleman at his own table; the president is always the wisest man in the party."

"Be of our patron's mind, whate'er he says; Sleep very much, think little, and talk less; Mind neither good nor bad, nor right nor wrong, But eat your pudding, fool, and hold your tongue."

MAT. PRIOR.

Therefore his friends, unless a special commission be given to them for that purpose, feel unwilling to break the gay circle of conviviality, and are individually shy of asking for what almost every one wishes.—Kitchiner.

Though much has been done, the orthography of the Dutch language can hardly be considered as positively fixed. A witty writer and one who has biographized the Dutch poets with some severity, but much talent, says—

Spell—"Wereld "—so sets up Siegenbeek, and then Comes Bilderdyk, and flings it down again. He will have "Wareld"—'Tis a pretty quarrel Shall I determine who shall wear the laurel: Not I!—I like them both—and so I'll say "Waereld"—and each shall have his own dear way.

THE MEXICAN NAVY

Is in a most deplorable state. The difficulty of reducing the Castle of San Juan de Ulloa led to the collection of some gun-boats, a couple of sloops of war, and two or three armed schooners. This number has since received the addition of a line of battle ship, two frigates, and some other vessels of war. Some English and American officers were engaged, but we believe that all the former have left the service, and that very few of the latter remain. Commodore Porter, of vain-glorious memory, (who once wrote a book of Voyages,) was, and may be still, the marine commandant, and distinguished himself by threatening to blockade Cuba, and by being obliged to skulk at Key West, to avoid destruction by the gallant Laborde. The Mexicans require no navy, and cannot maintain one; the sooner, therefore, they restrict it to a very few revenue cutters the better. The nature of the country and the destructive climate of the coast, diminish greatly the necessity for keeping up a military establishment for external defence. Foreign invasion can do little; more is to be dreaded from internal dissensions.—Foreign Quarterly Review.

A prudent host, who is not in the humour to submit to an attack from "staunch topers," "who love to keep it up" as bons vivants, whose favourite song is ever "Fly not yet," will engage some sober friends to fight on his side, and at a certain hour to vote for "no more wine," and bravely demand "tea," and will select his company with as much care as a chemist composes a neutral salt, judiciously providing quite as large a proportion of alkali (tea men) as he has of acid (wine men.) To adjust the balance of power at the court of Bacchus, occasionally requires as much address as sagacious politicians say is sometimes requisite to direct the affairs of other courts.

To make the summons of the tea table serve as an effective ejectment to the dinner table, let it be announced as a special invitation from the lady of the house. It may be, for example, "Mrs. Souchong requests the pleasure of your company to the drawing-room." This is an irresistible mandamus.

"Though Bacchus may boast of his care-killing bowl, And Folly in thought drowning revels delight, Such worship soon loses its charms for the soul, When softer devotions our senses invite."

CAPTAIN MORRIS.

Dr. Kitchiner.

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The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 13, No. 376, June 20, 1829

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AMERICAN LAW

MONUMENTAL ALTERATION

THE MEXICAN NAVY

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