To return. We called on Paddy; and while he was tying a few flies, the conversation turned on the spirited manner in which a gentleman had lately rescued a brother huntsman from the Laune. "Oh yes, I heard of that, Sir," said Paddy, with a slight smile, "and 'twas very well done indeed of Mr. De Courcy; but I'll tell you what happened myself in the north, one time this way that I was sint by Gusty Crosbie to Lord O'Neill's. There was to be a great hunting and carousing at the Lord's; and he sint me there with the horses. You never saw such a sighth of ladies and gintlemen; and maybe there wasn't wine, and brandy, and ale that would make the mug stick to the table like glue? Well, the day of the hunt came,-a deer they had,-and that was the fine field of huntsmen. I rode the ould yellow horse ;-a raal black horse is good, so is a grey horse of the right colour; but trust your life, Sir, on the yellow. Smoosucgh, (that was the name I gev him,) you wouldn't think any thing at all of him in the morning; but when his blood warmed, and he had the right man a-top of him, your horse should tighten his garters to keep near him, I promise you. Besides that, the leap he had! On we wint, and such a chase I never saw before or since, I think; from one hound's ditch of the county to the other, until there wasn't a soul to be seen but the three dogs, (our Morgan Rattleryou heard of him often, Sir?—was first,) and the Lord's brother, and myself. Well, of course, Sir, I let the Lord's brother be foremost ; 'twouldn't do for the likes of me to take the front of him; but Smoosucgh, I felt him under me as fresh as a daisy, and 'twas all I could do to keep him in. At last, when the deer was just in sighth, and he reeling and blowing, we cum across a terrible feah, that you'd know by the very look of it there was 'Good Lodging for Man and Baste' there. I'm sure 'twas thirty feet across; but the Lord's brother run at it. The black horse was good, but the feah was too much for him; he jumped right into the very middle of it, and it began to swallow 'em both fast. There was no time to lose. I gave the yellow horse the spurs; and well it becum him. He cleared the feah. As I was going over, I stooped down, and caught the tail of the black horse,-that was all of him you could see then,—and tore it up, back-bone and all, up to the head, and threw out the Lord's brother on the field!"

"Bravo, Paddy!" I exclaimed.

66

"Darh an affrin," says Moll, 'tis thrue for the lad, every word of it. The whole country round wint to see the place, that you'd think 'twas a patthern."

Seeing by the perplexity in my friend William's face, that he was endeavouring to detect some improbability in Paddy's narrative, I changed the conversation.

"Wouldn't it be right, Paddy, (for, as a fisherman, there are few more skilful on the lake :) to have a blue hackle? I'd like to try one." "Nothing for the gap but brown. There's a fellow, (holding it between him and the light,) and they'll rise to it as fast as you can throw out."

"The blue hackle I had from you the other day killed me a noble salmon, very near thirty pounds; and what is odd, he gave me no play whatever after a tumble or two he was gaffed. But the strangest thing is, that Doherty, in helping to get him in with the landing-net, caught a fine trout."

(* Literally "a vein," a quagmire.)

By the Mass.

It may be readily guessed, that the last circumstance was invented; for any thing like skill or luck on Doherty's part (he was a rival) displeased Paddy exceedingly: but he took no notice of it, and said, “ Oh! the large fish never give play: a lively pail* now is worth twenty of 'em for that, Sir. But talking of large fish, (continued he, looking at the fire, and then turning to me,) I was fishing over there at Benson's Point one day: the boat was almost wracked to pieces on that blackguard little quay that the Madam has below,-two or three of her ribs war broken, and so I was obliged to fish from the land. Well, just as I was thinking where I'd put her when she was mended, I feels a mighty heavy pull at the line, that I knew must be from a great fellow. I tried him, but not a stir could I get out of him for any money. Says I, "this must be the making of me, when he wont rise his head at all out of the sand: 'tis the way with the great salmon that they wont give any play at all.” Well, we tried him again, and again, and again; but 'twas no use. I thought that may be 'twas a rock, or a stump of a tree, after all, so I goes about every way to get the hook free, but nothing would do. At last he vexed me all out; I didn't care a farthing what became of the rod or tackle; I gave a terrible whip, and tossed something over my head into the bushes behind. Yourself and all that came before you to the divil,' says I, going to see what it was. And sure I found that it was an anvil, and that the hook had stuck in its eye. But that was'nt the best of it: there was a fine stag (nine years ould by the horns) sleeping in the bush, and when I thrun back the anvil, I struck him with it in the middle of the forehead, and killed him as dead as a gurnet." "Who the d-1," interrupted Moriarty, "ever saw a rod or gut that would pitch an anvil out of the lake at Tornies? Weren't Mr. Lynch and I raising an anvil the other day, for a wager? There isn't a rod in the world, unless a rod of iron or steel, that would do it."

Paddy never vindicates a story; I was unable, from laughter, to utter a word; but Moll, as usual, swore "it was thrue for the lad. Wasn't the anvil a block by the fire, until she gave it to her sister's son-in-law, when he set up the forge at Fahah Cross? And for the stag, didn't an Iveraghan give a full-bound of butter for his skin?"

I saw that Paddy was in great blood this day; and willing to see how far he would run if line enough were given him, I requested Moriarty's silence by a look, and showed Paddy a volume containing some excellent drawings of fishes.

"That one is a shark: he grows to be sixteen or twenty feet long, and is exceedingly ferocious. A man in full armour was once found in the belly of one. Did you Paddy ever see any thing like that?

"A man in armour? That's a soger I suppose. No, indeed, Sir, I never saw any thing quare in a fish. A man in a shuit (suit) of iron! The only thing I ever saw out of the way was one day I caught a brown trout, between twenty and thirty pounds, and we found a wran's (wren's) nest and seventeen eggs in his gills. That was all I ever saw in a fish. I remember, indeed, that I caught, below there, opposite Fussa Quay, a big salmon with an officer's cocked hat on his head; and trouble enough he gave before he was in the boat."

"Man alive!" said Moriarty, "how could he see the fly with the cocked hat?"

"Sure, Sir," says Paddy, "'twasn't by the mouth at all I had him; if it was, we'd make aisy work of it: but he wanted to drown the fly with

A Spring salmon.

his tail; when I hooked him ; and that was the raison he gev all the play. It must be, Sir, you often caught a trout that way, and you know how hard 'tis to land him."

"Yeh what is that, Sir?" said Paddy, pointing to a plate.

"That is an Indian fish-spear. The wild Indians, it is said, go out on their lakes, in a canoe—a cot-by night. A large bundle of blazing splinters is placed in the bow; a man stands near with one of these in his hand; and the moment a fish is seen, as quick as lightning he spears it."

"To be sure, spear-fishing,—many a thousand salmon I killed in the Laune and Dooghlasha that way.”

"Ay, Paddy, but the Indian darts the spear out of his hand several fathoms perhaps to the bottom, and nails the salmon to the sand; while ye never let go the spear."

"Thrue for you, Sir: but our way is surer. Maybe we could do it, if we liked to take a dive for the salmon and spear on a frosty night. At any rate the Injians are very active. Well, I'll tell you a thing that happened me one day. Donulh Plookh and myself were cutting bwoelhaans (flails) in the wood at Tornies. There was a hunt the same day in the wood. As soon as we cut a barth (a man's load) of 'em,—and I never seen finer ones, of oak, and holly, and ash,—we war both coming home; when we found Jack Barry and his men cutting turf on the bank that's next the wood. Fine high banks they were, and there'sn't better turf in the country than it. Well,' says Jack, 'sit down and dress yeer bwoelhaans: the divil take me if ye'll go untill ye dine: the mate is boiled long ago, and the froth is on the potatoes; the men are going to rise off the work.' So we stopt and began to open the barth. Donulh, Sir, was always fond of the bone; so he sat down near the fire with his back to the bank, and the other bank opposite us out. I began to dress and sharpen a fine likely bwoelhaan, that would be good enough, you'd think, for Uschur; when we hears the noise in the wood, and out leaps a noble stag with horns that length, Sir. The hounds, to be sure, frightened him but when he seen us he turns, and runs up along the bank. We all looked about us: but there was nothing except the bwoelhaan that I had in my hand. Well, just as he was making by us for the bare life, I thrun the bwoelhaan at him; it ran through and through his side, and into the bank beyont him, that he couldnt stir one step. We ran up and cut his throat, and I never seen a finer stag. There was that heighth of mate, (measuring off about four inches on his fingers) upon his breast." "That I might'nt go out of the house but a corpse," said Moll,” if there is a word of lie for him!"

"Do you think I doubt it? But Paddy, what was the greatest bounce you ever saw a salmon make?”

Why thin, indeed, Sir, I never saw anything out of the way that way."

"Well, I've seen the salmon leap at Leixlip, which is at least twenty feet high; and the salmon spring higher still; so that they are sometimes shot flying."

Gondouth. Sure I'll tell you what happened myself, the day they gave the Stag-hunt to the Lord Lieutenant-he that had the Black with him here."

"Oh! the black servant :-Lord Talbot, I suppose."

"The very same, Sir. Well that day-Maybe you were out yourself, and know it as well as I do? But I believe you were'nt in the country that year,—any how the whole world seen it. The hunt was in

Turk Lake; and as soon as it was over, and the stag was in the boat, all the boats were going down Brickeen Bridge, to dine at Innisfallen. Oyeh! what a show there was of 'em, and what a power of ladies and gintleman there was on the bridge! There war boats too coming up from Glenna and Innisfallen. Well, Sir, just as the Lord Lieutenant came to the Bridge, Mr. Herbert desired him hear the echo first, and the shot for the stag. 'Paddy,' says he to me, let's have a noble shot. I trust you with it before any man.' So I got the Pattherraro.*-you know the place, Sir, of course, where the best echo on the lake is,-from the rocks about twenty yards above the bridge?"-(To this I could safely assent.) "Well, I loads it well with powder and a sod of turf; makes a good divil; and was just going to put the spunk to it, when I hears the cry, The salmon, the salmon ;' and sure enough there he was, a huge fellow leaping over the bridge. I suppose he was caught between the boats coming up and going down, and the wather being shallow, he was obliged to jump over the bridge."

"And what did you do Paddy?”

"I claps the pattherraro to my shouldher, and kills him as dead as a herring."

and o

"Oh b-"exclaimed my friend William, in the agony of his soul; but Paddy went on, "They weighed him and found he was just twenty seven pounds and a quarter. But what do ye think the Lord Lieutenant gev me?-The raggeen put a hand in his pocket, and hands me a tin-pinny bit!"+

""Tis thrue for him," said the never-failing Moll; "shure I have it in the box there yet; only the child lost the key yesterday."

This was enough on one day even for me; so we started for the Gap, having paid Paddy somewhat more liberally than his Lordship. As soon as we got out, "Did you ever," said William, "hear such a liar? Shoot a salmon with a Patterrara a foot long? Why the priming would blind him. Besides, how would the horse do without his back-bone?"

"True. Then you do think he told lies?"

"It's my opinion," said he, stopping and looking like a man that had made up his mind, "that you ought not believe half of what he said. to-day."

THE WHIG COTERIE OF EDINBURGH,

THE old parties have been broken up with the old system, and new ones are forming. Not to speak it profanely, "all old things have passed away." The Tory party is an unreal shade, which continues to look spitefully and peevishly upon us, but eludes our grasp. The Whig party is a mere name bestowed upon all that worthy class of the community who wish to have matters amended, without well knowing how

* A Patterrara is a small brass cannon, about a foot in length, used for the purposes, and in the way described by Paddy. It is loaded with powder alone,-unless, when to produce a greater report, a ball of loose earth and grass is stuffed into it,and, being placed on the ground, is fired off without farther precaution. The place is well chosen by him. On the right hand, about fifty yards above the bridge, are some rocks, which form a well-known station for firing. The echoes are magnificent. But the salmon must have leaped to a height of forty or fifty feet.

+ Lord Talbot was unpopular, and had moreover the character of not being very liberal of his money. This, no doubt, suggested to Paddy the incident of the "tinpinny bit."

to set about it. It is supposed to include every man who, disapproving of our Corn Laws, is of opinion that it would be inexpedient to alter them; or who, abhorring slavery, thinks it unjust to free the slave; or who, averse to wasteful expenditure, rejects every plan of retrenchment; or who thinks the law of entail an absurdity which ought to be perpetuated. This is not a party. A party must have a community of interests or opinions for the bones and sinews of its frame. This is merely a ruddle of timid sheep crowding together, and tumbling stupidly over one another at the impulse of their common fear. Then the word Radical is one which indicates no class of politicians; it vaguely comprehends every man who goes a step beyond the worthy citizens we have been describing. It includes Mr. Hume, who would keep faith with the national creditor; Mr. Cobbett, who would turn him adrift; and Mr. Attwood, who would pay him with fine words, which butter no parsnips, and little paper parallelograms. It includes Mr. Roebuck, who squares all his actions to the principles of Bentham; and Mr. Hunt, who troubles himself with no principles at all. Mr Hume's patriotic band has received an accession of numbers, and a still greater accession of talent. The Edinburgh Whigs, who have hitherto been little more than the literary champions of their cause, have emerged into legislative existence. It is worth while to take a closer view of this first-born of the Scottish Reform Act.

The Edinburgh Whig Coterie has gained a name by the identification of some of its leading members with the Edinburgh Review, and has riveted its influence over the minds of the wealthiest and most influential Whigs of Scotland, by the high stations which they occupy in the legal profession. The talents and professional habits of this body eminently qualified them, as both friends and foes have found, for organizing a partisan force. They are united among themselves, and to the Chancellor; to whom, in despite of occasional piques and jealousies, they look as their leader and representative, by early, unbroken, and long-continued friendship and intimacy. They will stand one for all, and all for one; will enable Brougham to cock his wig more crousely in the cabinet than ever. It is therefore of some importance, that the public should be put in possession of the character of this new influence which has been added to Earl Grey's councils.

The literary talents, amiable dispositions, and purely honourable characters of the leaders of this clique, are beyond a doubt. It were affectation to dwell on their claims to the first of these attributes; and as to the others, men better fitted to grace the festive circle, and add a charm to retired intimacy; men guided by purer feelings and higher principles in the relations of private life, are not to be found. Our estimate of their public character must, however, be "craftily qualified." They commenced their political career at a time when the suspicion of a man's being tainted with liberal principles was, in Scotland, enough to exclude him from the more fashionable circles. The Edinburgh Review, in its earlier numbers, was, if any thing, a Tory publication. When its young conductors did at last venture to shew the cloven foot, it was with a degree of timidity, drubbed into them by the repeated snubbings they had received from the civic and collegiate authorities during their career in the Speculative Society. They avoided the expression of any decided opinions, preferring the eclectic or sceptical tone. Those few doctrines which they have at last heartily embraced, (chiefly relating to the theory of commerce,) they long coursed around, and snuffed at, then scampered away, and then came back again, for all the world as a dog does be