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"why stop?" ". "Why? because," said Mr. Curran, "it sets out the consideration too early in the deed."

Mr. Hudson, the dentist, lived very near the Priory, and had built there at considerable expense, among other things, a pair of piers, so massive and heavy, and so fantastical in their structure, that they drew the attention of some person on a visit with Mr. Curran, who asked him of what order of architecture they were." Of the Tuscan," replied Mr. Curran. Many changes were rang upon this piece of wit; one said the mansion was fit for the Grand Duke of Tuscany.

One of the relations of the same Mr. Hudson, who having served his time to the profession of dentist, but who afterwards changed it for the more honourable one of war, had returned from the Continent, after a memorable battle fought there, covered with glory, and "bearded like a pard," he attracted so much notice, that some one asked about him, and from whence he came. "Late from Pultusk," said Mr. Curran.

Mr. Lysaght, the barrister and bard, once returning from circuit, brought with him some young woman about forty miles on the way to Dublin, and meeting a chaise going back, he sent the lady home. On relating this to Mr. Curran,

he said, "How sweet's the love that meets return !"

Stopping at an inn one morning to breakfast, and perceiving every thing unpromising, he said to the waiter, "My good sir, I regret to learn that this house has fallen back very much indeed, indeed it has; yet I remember myself cheered and refreshed by the comforts of its hospitality;: it was a neat and a clean retreat, but report deals unkindly with it, and it is so malicious as to say, that your hens do not lay fresh eggs." This alarmed the pride of the waiter, and he was de-. termined to keep up the honour of the house, and as Mr. Curran observed of his story, that it was not without its good effect, it was not ab ovo ad mala!

On consulting a friend on the propriety of dining at the house of another, on an invitation written under peculiar circumstances, the friend modestly excused himself from giving any opinion. on a subject embarrassed by delicacies, and said, "Your own understanding could better decide. upon a subject of this or of any other nature; it is to it I would resort were I placed as you are, and not to a mind so much inferior as I feel mine to be." "God help you, my friend, do not be deceived, take my word for it, the fellow who writes the notes to Virgil is often much more

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wise than the epic poet; I do assure you he often is."

Few men have filled a greater space than Mr. Curran; after many of his speeches he has been frequently chaired through the streets of Dublin, amidst the plaudits and acclamations of its citizens; paintings and engravings extended the celebrity of his name, and the wax works of him, of Voltaire, Mr. Fox, and Mr. Grattan, were exhibited throughout the principal cities of Europe, whilst his speeches and such other productions as could be obtained, were spread over the vast continent of the New World, from Ontario to the Alleganies, and westward from the Ohio to Lexington, A Gadibus usque Auroram. Their circulation was nearly co-extensive with the English language. So much was he the object of imitation, that the young orators copied even his defects; like Hotspur,

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"He was indeed the glass

Wherein the noble youth did dress themselves.”

A lawyer, a friend of Mr. Curran, who had devoted much more of his time to the study of Hoyle than of Hale, a notable gambler, but a person of eccentric and lively turn of mind, got entangled with Mr. Curran one day after dinner, and losing a little ground on the score of temper, sharply observed, that he had too much spirit to

allow any person to go too far with him, and passionately added,

"No man shall trifle with me with impunity;" to which Mr. Curran replied, "Play with you, Roderick, you mean.

Mr. Curran one day riding by the country seat of one of the judges, was struck by a group of lovely children whom he perceived playing in the avenue; he stopped to inquire to whom all these fine children belonged; he was answered by the nurse, who had a beautiful infant in her arms, that they were the children of Judge

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Pray, my good woman, how many of them has he?" "There are twelve playing about inside, and this in my arms is the thirteenth." "Then, said Mr. Curran, "the judge has a full jury, and may proceed to trial whenever he chooses, and the young one will make an excellent crier."

Mr. Egan, the lawyer, was a person of very large stature and of great thews and sinews: on going into the bath, he exultingly struck his breast, all over matted with hair, and exclaimed, "Curran, did you ever see so fine a chest?” "Trunk, you mean," said Mr. Curran,

Mr, Curran happening to cross-examine one of those persons known in Ireland by the significant description of half-gentlemen, found it necessary to ask a question as to his knowledge of the Irish

tongue, which, though perfectly familiar to him, the witness affected not to understand, whilst he, at the same time, spoke extremely bad English : "I see, sir, how it is, you are more ashamed of knowing your own language, than of not knowing any other."

Of the same family with that last related, an anecdote is told with great humour by Mr. K—. A person of kindred genius with the above-mentioned Irish gentleman, whose portion of English was rather scant, proceeding for the first time from the interior of the country to town, in a public carriage, accompanied by a native, half servant and half companion, dealt out his conversation in that language, with what his friend, who knew the extent of his stock, very rightly considered an indiscreet profusion, who whispering this gentleman, said, “ Keep a pull in your hand, or by J-s you will not hould out, till we get to Dublin."

A gentleman who was too desirous of attracting the attention of those about him to the style and fashion of his dress, and one time, to the shape of a pair of half boots, which he had that day drawn on, appealed to Mr. Curran, among others, for his opinion, who said, "He observed but one fault, they shewed too much of the calf."

A barrister entered the hall with his wig very

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