From number one and number two,

She search'd the pictures through and through,
On benches stood, to inspect the high ones,
And squatted down to scan the shy ones.
And as she went from part to part,
A deeper red each cheek became,
Her very eyes lit up in flame,
That made each looker-on exclaim,
"Really an ardent love of art!"
Alas, amidst her inquisition,

Fate brought her to a sad condition;

She might have run against Lord Milton,
And still have stared at deeds in oil,
But ah! her picture-joy to spoil,
She came full butt on Mr. Hilton.

The Keeper mute, with staring eyes,
Like a lay-figure for surprise,

At last thus stammer'd out "How now?
Woman-where, woman, is your ticket,
That ought to let you through our wicket?"
Says woman, "Where is David's Cow?"
Said Mr. H with expedition,

There's no Cow in the Exhibition.

"No Cow!"-but here her tongue in verity,
Set off with steam and rail celerity-

"No Cow! there an't no Cow, then the more's the shame and pity
Hang you and the R. A. 's, and all the Hanging Committee!
No Cow-but hold your tongue, for you need'nt talk to me—
You can't talk up the Cow, you can't, to where it ought to be-
I have'nt seen a picture high or low, or any how,

Or in any of the rooms to be compared with David's Cow?
You may talk of your Landseers, and of your Coopers, and your Wards,
Why hanging is too good for them, and yet here they are on cords!
They're only fit for window frames, and shutters, and street doors,
David will paint 'em any day at Red Lions or Blue Boars,-
Why Morland was a fool to him, at a little pig or sow-

It's really hard it a'nt hung up-I could cry about the Cow!

But I know well what it is, and why-they're jealous of David's fame,
But to vent it on the Cow, poor thing, is a cruelty and a shame.
Do you think it might hang bye and bye, if you cannot hang it now?
David has made a party up, to come and see his Cow.

If it only hung three days a week, for an example to the learners,
Why can't it hang up, turn about, with that picture of Mr. Turner's?
Or do you think from Mr. Etty, you need apprehend a row,

If now and then you cut him down to hang up David's Cow?

I can't think where their tastes have been, to not have such a creature,

160

A SINGULAR EXHIBITION AT SOMERSET HOUSE.

Although I say, that should not say, it was prettier than Nature;
It must be hung-and shall be hung, for Mr. H I Vow,
I daren't take home the catalogue, unless it's got the Cow!
As we only want it to be seen, I should not so much care,
If it was only round the stone man's neck, a-coming up the stair.
Or down there in the marble room where all the figures stand,
Where one of them three Graces might just hold it in her hand-
Or may be Bailey's Charity the favour would allow,

It would really be a charity to hang up David's cow.
We haven't no where else to go if you don't hang it here,
The Water-Colour place allows no oilman to appear-

And the British Gallery sticks to Dutch, Teniers, and Gerrard Douw,
And the Suffolk Gallery will not do-it's not a Suffolk Cow:
I wish you'd seen him painting her, he hardly took his meals

Till she was painted on the board correct from head to heels;

His heart and soul was in his Cow, and almost made him shabby,

He hardly whipp'd the boys at all, or help'd to nurse the babby.
And when he had her all complete and painted over red,
He got so grand, I really thought him going off his head.
Now hang it, Mr. Hilton, do just hang it any how,

Poor David, he will hang himself, unless you hang his Cow.-
And if it's unconvenient and drawn too big by half-
David sha'nt send next year except a very little calf.

AMONGST the agitations of the day, there is none more unaccountable to a peaceable man in a time of peace, than the resistance to the disbanding of the Yeomanry. It is of course impossible for any one so unconnected with party as myself, to divine the ministerial motives for the measure; but judging from my own experience, I should have expected that every private at least, would have mounted his best hunter to make a jump at the offer. It appears, however, that a part of the military body in question betrays a strong disinclination to dismiss; and certain troops have even offered their services gratuitously, and been accepted, although it is evident that such a troop, to be consistent, ought to refuse, when called upon to act, to make any charge whatever.

Amongst my Scottish reminiscences, I have a vivid recollection of once encountering, on the road from Dundee to Perth, a party of soldiers, having in their custody a poor fellow in the garb of a peasant, and secured by handcuffs. He looked somewhat melancholy, as he well might, under the uncertainty whether he was to be flogged within an inch of his life, or shot to death, for such were the punishments of his offence, which I understood to be desertion, or disbanding himself without leave. It was natural to conclude, that no ordinary disgust at a military life would induce a man to incur such heavy penalties. With what gratitude would he have accepted his discharge! He would

M

surely have embraced the offer of being let off with the alacrity of gunpowder! And yet he

was a regular, in the receipt

of pay,

and with the prospect and opportunity, so rare to our yeomanry, of winning laurels, and covering himself with glory! It has been argued, on high authority, as a reason for retaining the troops in question, that they are the most constitutional force that could be selected; and truly oftheir general robustness there can be but one opinion. However, if a domestic force of the kind ought to be kept up, would it not be advisable, and humane, and fair, to give the manufacturing body a turn, and form troops of the sedentary weavers and other artisans, who stand so much more in need of out-ofdoor exercise? The farmer, from the nature of his business, has Field Days enough, to say nothing of the charges and throwings off he enjoys in hunting and coursing, besides riding periodically to and from market, or the neighbouring fairs. Indeed, the true English yeoman is generally, thanks to these sports and employments, so constantly in the saddle, that instead of volunteering into any cavalry, it might be supposed he would be glad to feel his own legs a little, and enjoy the household comforts of the chimney-corner and the elbow-chair. As regards their effectiveness, I have had the pleasure of seeing a troop fire at a target for a subscription silver cup; and it convinced me, that if I had felt inclined to roast them, their own fire was the very best one for my purpose. On another occasion I had the gratification of beholding a charge, and as they succeeded in dispersing themselves, it may be inferred that they might possibly do as much by a mob. Still there seemed hardly excitement enough or amusement enough, except to the spectators, in such playing at soldiers, to induce honest, hearty, foxhunting farmers, to wish to become veterans. To tell the truth, I have heard before now, repentant grumblings from practical agriculturists, who had too rashly adopted the uniform, and have seen even their horses betray an inclination to back out of the line. The more therefore is my surprise on all accounts, to hear that the Yeomanry are so unwilling to be dispensed with, and relieved from inactive service; for though the song tells us of a "Soldier tir'd of war's alarms," there

is no doubt that to a soldier of spirit, the most tiresome thing in the world is to have no alarms at all.

In the mean time, I have been at some pains to ascertain the sentiments of the yeowomanry on the subject, and if they all feel in common with Dame, the disbanding will be a most popular measure amongst the farmers' wives. I had no sooner communicated the news, through the old lady's trumpet, than she exclaimed, that "it was the best hearing she had had for many a long day! The Sogering work unsettled both men and horses-it took her husband's head off his business, and it threw herself off the old mare, at the last fair, along of a showman's trumpet. Besides, it set all the farm servants a-sogering too, and when they went to the Wake, only old Roger came back again to say they had all 'listed. They had more sense, however, than their master, for they all wanted to be disbanded the next morning. As for the master, he'd never been the same man since he put on the uniform; but had got a hectoring swaggering way with him, as if everybody that did'nt agree in politics, and especially about the Corn Bill, was to be bored and slashed with sword and pistol. Then there was the constant dread that in his practising, cut six would either come home to him, or do a mischief to his neighbours; and after a reviewing there was no bearing him, it put him so up in his stirrups, and on coming home, he'd think nothing of slivering off all the hollyoaks as he brandished and flourished up the front garden. Another thing, and that was no trifle, was the accidents; she could'nt tell how it was, whether he thought too much of himself, and too little of his horse, but he always got a tumble with the yeomanry, though he'd fox-hunt by the year together without a fall. What was worse, a fall always made him crusty, and when he was crusty, he made a point to get into his cups, which made him more crusty still. Thank God, as yet he had never been of any use to his country, and it was her daily prayer that he might never be called out, as he had so many enemies and old grudges in the neighbourhood, there would be sure to be murder on one side or the other. For my own part, she concluded, I think the Parliament is quite right in these hard times to turn the farmers' swords again into ploughshares, for they have less to care about the rising of rioters than the falling of wheat." The old lady then hunted out what she called a yeomanry letter from her husband's brother, and having her permission to make it public, I have thought proper to christen it

AN UNFAVOURABLE REVIEW.

"You remember Philiphaugh, Sir?"

Umph!" said the Major, "the less we say about that, John, the better."

OLD MORTALITY.

To Mr. Robert Cherry, the Orchard, Kent.

DEAR BOB,-IT's no use your making more stir about the barley. Business has no business to stand before king and coudtry, and I