bered, he has only subjected himself to a heavier burthen; for the passions, who apportion to every individual the load that he is to bear through life, generally say to the calculating bachelor—“ As you are a single man, you shall carry double."

We may admire the wit, without acknowledging the truth of the repartee uttered by a bachelor, who, when his friend reproached him for his celibacy, adding that bachelorship ought to be taxed by the Government, replied, "There I agree with you, for it is quite a luxury !"

BAIT-One animal impaled upon a hook, in order to torture a second, for the amusement of a third. Were the latter to change places, for a single day, with either of the two former, which might generally be done with very little loss to society, it would enable him to form a better notion of the pastime he is in the habit of pursuing.-N.B. To make some approximation towards strict retributive justice, he should gorge the bait, and his tormentor should have all the humanity of an experienced angler !

BALLADS-Vocal portraits of the national mind. The people that are without them, may literally be said not to be worth an old song. The old government of France was well defined as an absolute monarchy, moderated by songs; and the acute Fletcher

of Saltoun was so sensible of their importance, as to express a deliberate opinion, that if a man were permitted to make all the ballads, he need not care who made the laws of a nation. They who deem this an exaggerated notion, will do well to recollect the silly ballad of Lilliburlero, the noble author of which publicly boasted, and without much extravagance in the vaunt, that he had rhymed King James out of his dominions.

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BALLOT-An equal security against aristocratical corruption, and democratical intimidation: the only security for the free and impartial exercise of the elective franchise, to extend which to the poor and dependent, without the protection of secrecy, is only to throw the representation more completely into the hands of the rich and powerful. Sad rogues must be the lower classes, as we are told, thus to be bought or browbeaten. No doubt and their superiors, who bribe and intimidate them, are all marvellous proper gentlemen! Against a proposition for the ballot, the established arguments are, a shrug of the shoulders, a look of disgust, and an exclamation of horror;-conclusive modes of reasoning, adopted rather from necessity than choice, for we are not aware of any more convincing objections. Some, indeed, are so consistent as to tell us, that the practice is mean, degrading, contemptible, un-English, at the very time that it is

openly practised in the Committee business of the House of Commons, in the elections at the East India House, and in those of almost every club throughout the kingdom. Though such noodles have short memories, they cannot be called great wits.

BANDIT—An unlegalised soldier, who is hanged for doing that which would get him a commission and a medal, had he taken the king's money, instead of that of travellers. "Ille crucem sceleris pretium tulit, hic diadema."

BAR-Independence of the.-Like a ghost—a thing much talked of, and seldom seen. If a barrister possess any professional or moral independence, it cannot be worth much, for a few guineas will generally purchase it. It must be confessed, that he is singularly independent of all those scruples which operate upon the consciences of other men. Right and wrong, truth or falsehood, morality or profligacy, are all equally indifferent to him. Dealing in law, not justice, his brief is his bible, the ten guineas of his retaining fee are his decalogue: his glory, like that of a cookmaid, consists in wearing a silk gown, and his heaven is in a judge's wig. Head, heart, conscience, body and soul, all are for sale: the forensic bravo stands to be hired by the highest bidder, ready to attack those whom he has just defended, or defend those whom he has just

attacked, according to the orders he may receive from his temporary master. Looking to the favour of the Judge for favour with their clients, and to the government for professional promotion, barristers have too often been the abject lickspittles of the one, and the supple tools of the other.

M. de la B, a French gentleman, seems to have formed a very correct notion of the independence of the bar. Having invited several friends to dine on a maigre day, his servant brought him word, that there was only a single salmon left in the market, which he had not dared to bring away, because it had been bespoken by a barrister." Here," said his master, putting two or three pieces of gold into his hand, “Go back directly, and buy me the barrister and the salmon too."

BARRISTER-A legal servant of all work. One who sometimes makes his gown a cloak for browbeating and putting down a witness, who, but for this protection, might occasionally knock down the barrister. Show me the conscientious counsellor, who, refusing to hire out his talents that he may screen the guilty, overreach the innocent, defraud the orphan, or impoverish the widow, will scrupulously decline a brief, unless the cause of his client wear at least a semblance of honesty and justice;—who will leave knaves and robbers to the merited inflictions of the

law, while he will cheerfully exert his eloquence and skill in redressing the wrongs of the injured. Show me such a Phoenix of a barrister, and I will admit that he richly deserves-not to have been at the bar!

"Does not a barrister's affected warmth, and habitual dissimulation, impair his honesty?" asked Boswell of Dr. Johnson.-"Is there not some danger that he may put on the same mask in common life, in the intercourse with his friends?"-"Why no, Sir," replied the Doctor. "A man will no more carry the

artifice of the bar into the common intercourse of society, than a man who is paid for tumbling upon his hands will continue to do so when he should walk on his feet." Perhaps not; but how are we to respect the forensic tumbler, who will walk upon his hands, and perform the most ignoble antics for a paltry fee?

All briefless barristers will please to consider themselves excepted from the previous censure, for I should be really sorry to speak ill of any man without a

cause.

BATHOS-Sinking when you mean to rise. The waxen wings of Icarus, which, instead of making him master of the air, plunged him into the water, were a practical Bathos. So was the miserable imitation of the Thunderer by Salmoneus, which, instead of giving him a place among the Gods, consigned him to the regions below.