Dey of Algiers.—­When Admiral Keppel was sent to the Dey of Algiers, to demand restitution of two ships which the pirates had taken, he sailed with his squadron into the bay of Algiers, and cast anchor in front of the Dey’s palace.  He then landed, and, attended only by his captain and barge’s crew, demanded an immediate audience of the Dey; this being granted, he claimed full satisfaction for the injuries done to the subjects of his Britannic Majesty.  Surprised and enraged at the boldness of the admiral’s remonstrance, the Dey exclaimed, “That he wondered at the king’s insolence in sending him a foolish beardless boy.”  To this the admiral made a spirited reply, which caused the Dey to forget the laws of all nations in respect to ambassadors, and he ordered his mutes to attend with the bowstring, at the same time telling the admiral he should pay for his audacity with his life.  Unmoved by this menace, the admiral took the Dey to a window facing the bay, and showed him the English fleet riding at anchor, and told him, that if he dared to put him to death, there were Englishmen enough in that fleet to make him a glorious funeral pile.  The Dey was wise enough to take the hint.  The admiral obtained ample restitution, and came off in safety.

A Timely Answer.—­When Admiral Cornwallis commanded the Canada, a mutiny broke out in the ship, on account of some unavoidable delay in the clerks paying some of the crew, in consequence of which they signed what is termed a round robin, in which they declared, to a man, that they would not fire a gun till they were paid.  Cornwallis, on receiving this declaration, caused all hands to be called on deck, and thus addressed them:  “My lads, the money cannot be paid till we return to port, and as to your not fighting, that is mere nonsense:—­I’ll clap you alongside the first large ship of the enemy I see, and I know that the devil himself will not be able to keep you from it.”  The tars were so pleased with this compliment that they all returned to their duty, better satisfied than if they had been paid the money ten times over.

SCHOOLS.

Dr. Sheridan had a custom of ringing his scholars to prayers, in the school-room, at a certain hour every day.  The boys were one day very attentively at prayers, except one, who was stifling a laugh as well as he could, which arose from seeing a rat descending from the bell-rope into the room.  The poor boy could hold out no longer, but burst into an immoderate fit of laughter, which set the others off as soon as he pointed out to them the cause.  Sheridan was so provoked that he declared he would whip them all if the principal culprit was not pointed out to him, which was immediately done.  When this poor boy was hoisted up, and made ready for flogging, the witty school-master told him that if he said any thing tolerable on the occasion, as he looked on him as the greatest dunce in his school, he would forgive him.  The trembling culprit, immediately addressed his master in the following lines.