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This is certainly a pretty pointed stroke at our present race of nobles, who merit the sarcasm, I am sorry to add, but too justly; as therefore it would be impossible to cleanse the existing Augean stable, we offer the following lines to the youthful fry, who will at some future period, inherit the titles and estates of their fathers; Heaven grant that their follies may not equally bear them company!

The destructive vice of gambling is most particularly cultivated by our fools of rank and title, not only males, but females; and in too many instances, I fear, has the dame, after losing every shilling of cash, staked her reputation on the cast of the die, and thereby entailed the title of her lord upon a bastard progeny.

This is alas, too true, for although the feudal system had its vices, it was not destitute of hospitality; for then the hall of every chieftain's castle rung with the strains of joy, while the thick oaken board groaned beneath the weight of viands and nappy brown ale; (vid. by way of proof, numerous items in the Northumberland household book, and many MSS. of a similar kind, preserved in other ancient families;) whereas, in the present day, those sums, which might alike procure the blessings of the multitude, by being so dispensed, are, on the contrary, squandered in the metropolis, on every species of wanton extravagance, and, too frequently, low and disgraceful debaucheries.

This is a fact which repetition has rendered so notorious, that it would be folly to offer any apology for the poet, who well knew, that though the persons of our peers are not tangible, their goods are no ways secured from the clutches of the hungry law.

As to dancing Peers and great folks, they are of ancient standing; witness Sir Christopher Hatton, who was the favoured of Elizabeth, from being quite au fait at turning out his toes. But of later date, who does not know, that Lord Lainsborough, in Queen Anne's reign, was so fond of this amusement, as to advise his sovereign to jig away her grief for the loss of George of Denmark— nay, even the solemn station of a Lord Chancellor has not withheld him from dancing reels, to the no small wonder of his brethren, the sapient periwigged judges.