As is generally the case, the signal success of Mr Titmouse brought into the field a host of imitators in the House; and their performances, inferior though they were, becoming more and more frequent, gave quite a new character to the proceedings of that dignified deliberative assembly. At length, however, it was found necessary to pass a resolution of the House against such practices; and it was entered on the journals, that thenceforth no honourable member should interrupt business by whistling, singing, or imitating the sounds of animals, or making any other disgusting noise whatsoever.

The political importance thus acquired by Mr Titmouse— and which he enjoyed till the passing of the above resolution, by which it was cut up root and branch-had naturally a very elevating effect upon him; as you might have perceived, had you only once seen him swaggering along the House to his seat behind the front Treasury bench, dressed in his usual style of fashion, and with his quizzing-glass stuck into his eye. Mr O'Gibbet invariably greeted him with the utmost cordiality, and would often, at a pinching part of an opposition speech, turn round and invoke his powers, by the exclamation-" Now, now, Titty! He dined, in due course, with the Speaker—as usual, in full court-dress; and, having got a little champagne in his head, insisted on going through his leading "imitations," infinitely to the amusement of some half dozen of the guests, and all the servants. His circle of acquaintance was extending every day; he became a very welcome guest, as an object of real curiosity. He was not a man, however, to be always enjoying the hospitality of others, without at least offering a return; and, at the suggestion of an experienced friend in the House, he commenced a series of "parliamentary dinners," (presumptuous little puppy!) at the Gliddington Hotel. They went off with much éclat, and were duly chronicled in the daily journals, as thus:

"On Saturday, Mr Titmouse, M.P., entertained (his third dinner given this session) at the Gliddington Hotel, the following (amongst others) distinguished members of the House of Commons: Lord Nothing Nowhere, Sir Simper Silly, Mr Flum

mery, Mr O'Gibbet, Mr Outlaw, Lord Beetle, Colonel Quod, and several others."

Mr Titmouse, at length, thought himself warranted in inviting Lord Bulfinch!-and the SPEAKER!!-and LORD FIREBRAND, (the Foreign Secretary ;) all of whom, however, very politely declined, pleading previous engagements. I can hardly, in fairness, give Mr Titmouse the credit of these latter proceedings; which were, in fact, suggested to him, in the first instance, by two or three young wags in the House; who, barring a little difference in the way of bringing up, were every whit as great fools and coxcombs as himself, and equally entitled to the confidence of their favoured constituencies, and of the country, as so calculated for the purpose of practical legislation, and that remodelling of the national institutions of the country, upon which the new House of Commons seemed bent.

Have you, reader, ever given your vote and interest to return a TITMOUSE to Parliament ?

'Twas truly delightful to see the tables of these young gentlemen groaning under daily accumulations of Parliamentary documents, containing all sorts of political and statistical information, collected and published with vast labour and expense, for the purpose of informing their powerful intellects upon the business of the country, so that that they might come duly prepared to the important discussions in the House, on all questions of domestic and foreign policy. As for Mr Titmouse, he never relished the idea of perusing and studying these troublesome and repulsive documents—page after page, filled with long rows of figures, tables of prices, of exchanges, &c., reports of the evidence, verbatim et literatim, taken in question and answer before every committee that sat; all sorts of expensive and troublesome "returns," moved for by any one that chose; he rather contented himself with attending to what went on in the House; and at the close of the session, all the documents in question became the perquisite of his valet, who got a good round sum for them (uncut) as waste paper.

It is not difficult to understand the pleasure which my little friend experienced, in dispensing such favours and courtesies, as those of orders for the gallery, and franks, to applicants for

them; for all his show of feeling it a "bore" to be asked. 'Twas these small matters which, as it were, brought home to him a sense of his dignity, and made him feel the possession of station and authority. I know not but that the following application was more gratifying to him than any which he received :—

"T. Tag-rag's best respects to T. Titmouse, Esq. M.P., and begs to say how greatly he will account ye favour of obtaining an order to be Admitted to the Gallery of the House of Commons for to-morrow night, to hear the debate on the Bill for Doing away with the Nuisance of Dustmen's cries of a morning. "With Mrs T.'s and daughter's respectful compt."

"T. TITMOUSE, ESQ. M.P."

On receiving this, Titmouse looked out for the finest sheet of glossy extra-superfine gilt Bath post, scented, and in a fine flourishing hand, wrote as follows:

“Please To Admit yo Barer To The Galery of The House of Commons.-T. TITMOUSE. Wednesday, March 6th, 18—."

But the reader, who must have been highly gratified by the unexpectedly rapid progress of Mr Titmouse in Parliamentary life, will be, doubtless, as much interested by hearing that corresponding distinction awaited him in the regions of science and literature; his pioneer thither being one who had long enjoyed a very distinguishing eminence; successfully combining the character and pursuits of scholar and philosopher with those of a man of fashion-I mean a DOCTOR DIABOLUS GANder. Though upwards of sixty, he found means so effectually to disguise his age, that he would have passed for barely forty. He had himself so strong a predilection for dress, that the moment he saw Titmouse he conceived a certain secret respect for that gentleman; and, in fact, the two dressed pretty nearly in the same style. The Doctor passed for a philosopher in society. He had spent most of his days in drilling youth in the elements of the mathematics; of which he had the same kind and degree of knowledge that is possessed of English literature by an old governess who has spent her life in going over the first part of

Lindley Murray's English Grammar with children. Just so much did the Doctor know of the scope, the object, the application of the mathematics. His great distinguishing talent was, that of rendering the most abstruse science, “popular;”—i. e. utterly unintelligible to those who did understand science, and very exciting and entertaining to those who did not. He had a knack of getting hold of obscure and starving men of genius and science, and secretly availing himself of their labours. He would pay them with comparative liberality to write, in an elegant style, on subjects of pure and mixed science; but when published, the name of Diabolus Gander would appear upon the title-page; and, to enable the Doctor to do this with some comfort to his conscience, he would actually copy out the whole of the manuscript, and make a few alterations in it. But, alas ! omne quod tetigit fædavit; and it invariably happened that these were the very macule pitched upon, exposed, and ridiculed by reviewers. No man could spread his small stock over a larger surface than Dr Gander; no man be more successful in ingratiating himself with those persons so useful to an enterprising empiric-viz. wealthy fools. He paid constant court to Titmouse, from the first moment he saw him; and took the liberty of calling-unasked-the very next day, at his rooms in the Albany. He soon satisfied Titmouse that his glib visitor was a great philosopher, whom it was an advantage and a distinction to be acquainted with. He took my little admiring friend, for instance, to hear him deliver a lecture at the Hanover Square Rooms, to a crowd of fine ladies and old gentlemen, who greatly applauded all he said, upon a subject equally abstruse, interesting, and instructive; viz. the occult qualities of Triangles. In short, he was indefatigable in his attentions to Titmouse, and was a very frequent guest at his dinner table. He gave Titmouse, on one of these occasions, an amazing account of the distinction accruing to a member of any of the great learned societies; and, in fact, quite inflamed his little imagination upon the subject-sounding him as to his wish to become a member of some great society, in common with half the dukes, marquesses, earls, and barons in the kingdom-in particular his own august kinsman, the Earl of Dreddlington himself.

"Why-a-pon my soul-" quoth Titmouse grinning, as he tossed off his tenth glass of champagne with the bland and voluble doctor-"I-I-shouldn't much dislike a thingumbob or two at the end of my name—but what's the figure?

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Certainly, I myself, as a zealous lover of science, my dear sir, consider her honours always well bestowed on those eminent in rank and station; though they may not have gone through the drudgery of scientific details, sir, their countenance irradiates the pale cheek of unobtrusive science".

"Ya-a-s, 'pon honour, it certainly does," quoth Titmouse, not exactly, however, comprehending the Doctor's fine figure of speech.

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'Now, look you, Mr Titmouse," continued the Doctor, "the greatest society in all England, out and out, is the CREDULOUS SOCIETY. I happen to have some leetle influence there, through which I have been able, I am happy to say, to introduce several noblemen."

"Have you, by Jove ?" cried Titmouse; "but what the devil do they do there?"

"Do, my dear sir! They meet for the purpose of-consider the distinguished men that are fellows of that society! It was only the other day that the Duke of Tadcaster told me, (the very day after I had succeeded in getting his Grace elected,) that he was as proud of the letters F.C.S,' added to his name, as he was of his dukedom!"

"By Jove!-No-but-'pon honour bright-did he? Can you get me into it ?" enquired Titmouse eagerly.

"I-oh-why-you see, my very dear sir, you're certainly rather young," quoth the Doctor gravely, pausing and rubbing his chin; "if it could be managed, it would be a splendid thing for you-eh?"

"By jingo, I should think so!" replied Titmouse.

"I think I've been asked by at least a dozen noblemen for my influence, but I've not felt myself warranted"

“Oh, well! then in course there's an end of it," interrupted Titmouse with an air of disappointment; "and cuss me if ever I cared a pin about it—I see I've not the ghost of a chance."

"I don't know that either," replied the Doctor musingly.