The Honourable Mister Augustus Headerton died, in the forty-fifth year of his age, of inflammation, caught in an old limekiln, where he was concealed to avoid an arrest for the sum of 180 guineas, for black Nell, the famous filly, who won the cup on the Curragh of Kildare—­purchased in his name, but without his knowledge, by his second son, the pride of the family—­commonly called dashing Dick.

All I know further of the Honourable Mistress Augustus Headerton is, that

  “She played at cards, and died.”

Miss Georgiana—­the beauty, and greatest fool of the family, who depended on her face as a fortune, did get a husband—­an old, rich West India planter, and eloped, six months after marriage, with an officer of dragoons.

Miss Celestina was really clever and accomplished.  “Use her abilities for her own support!” Oh, no! not for worlds—­Too proud to work, but not too proud to beg, she depended on her relations, and played toady to all who would.

Miss Louisa—­not clever; but in all other respects, ditto—­ditto.

Miss Charlotte was always very romantic; refused a respectable banker with indignation, and married her uncle’s footman—­for love.

Having sketched the female part of the family first (a compliment by the way they do not always receive from their own sex)—­I will tell you what I remember of the gentlemen.

“The Emperor,” as Mr. Augustus was called, from his stately manner and dignified deportment, aided by as much self-esteem as could well be contained in a human body, depended, without any “compunctuous visitings of conscience,” on the venison, claret, and champagne of his friends, and thought all the time he did them honour:—­and thus he passed his life.

“Dashing Dick” was the opposite of the Emperor; sung a good song—­told a good story—­and gloried in making ladies blush.  He depended on his cousin, Colonel Bloomfield, procuring him a commission in his regiment, and cheated tailors, hosiers, glovers, coach-makers, and even lawyers, with impunity.  Happily for the world at large, Dashing Dick broke his neck in a steeple chase, on a stolen horse, which he would have been hanged for purloining, had he lived a day longer.

Ferdinand was the bonne-bouche of the family:  they used to call him “the Parson!” Excellent Ferdinand!—­he depended on his exertions; and, if ever the name of Headerton rises in the scale of moral or intellectual superiority, it will be owing to the steady and virtuous efforts of Mister Ferdinand Headerton, merchant, in the good city of B——.

Sketches of Irish Character, by Mrs. S.C.  Hall.

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PURSUIT OF KNOWLEDGE UNDER DIFFICULTIES.

We quote the following from the portion of the Library of Entertaining Knowledge, with the above title—­to show the mode in which the heads of the respective chapters are illustrated: