her and her uncle with death, got possession of 300 francs.  Two of the ruffians then proceeded to the church, broke open the poor-box, and took about 30 francs.  They then bound again the old man and his niece, and departed.  One of the robbers, however, left an agricultural tool behind him, which led to the discovery of two of the thieves, who are committed for trial.  This is a perfect newspaper gem.

The fifth column has terror in its first line “Law Report,” and commences with an action in the Court of King’s Bench, against the late Sheriffs of London for an illegal seizure—­one of the glorious delights of office.  The next portion relates to an illustrious foreigner, who stated that he professed to swallow fire and molten lead, “but he only put them into his mouth, and took them out again in a sly manner, for they were too hot to eat.” (Much laughter.) He could swallow prussic acid without experiencing any ill effects from it; that was what he called pyrotechny; “he had no property except a wife and child, &c.”

Next are the Police Reports, sometimes affording admirable studies of men and manners.  The first is a case of a man being locked up for the night in a watch-house, “on suspicion of ringing a bell”—­and brings to light a most outrageous abuse of petty power.  In another case, a gang of robbers pursued by one set of watchmen, were suffered to escape by another set, who would not stir a foot beyond their own boundary line!  Neither Shakspeare, Fielding, nor Sheridan have given us a better standing jest than this incident affords.  It reminds us of the fellow who refused to take off Tom Ashe’s coat, because it was felony to strip an ash; or the tanner who would not help the exciseman out of his pit without twelve hours’ notice.

The Births, Marriages, and Deaths—­and the Markets, and Price of Stocks, in small type, which well bespeaks their crowded interest, wind up the sheet.  Yet what thrilling sensations does this small portion of our sheet often impart.  What hopes and expectations for heirs and legacy hunters—­people who want the “quotation” of Mark Lane and the Coal Market—­and others whose daily tone and temper depends on the little cramped fractions in the “Stocks” and “Funds.”  Another catches a fine frenzy from the “Shares,” and regulates his day’s movements “the very air o’ the time” by their import—­and hence he dreams of gold and gossamer, or sits torturing his imagination with writs and executions that await adverse fortune.

Such are but a few of the pleasures and pains of a newspaper.  Shenstone says the first part which an ill-natured man examines, is the list of bankrupts, and the bills of mortality; but, to prove that our object is any thing but ill-natured, we have glanced last at the Deaths.  The paper over which we have been travelling, wants the Gazette and Parliamentary News, and a Literary feature.  The Debates would have enabled us to illustrate the rapid marches of