sented, — tor example, that of Joan Dare: " A Correct Narrative of the Sudden and Awful Appearance of the Devil to certain Blasphemous Mutineers " (N. Y., 1831); "John the Painter's Ghost, how it appeared on the night of his execution to Lord Temple (1777):" "Authentic Account of the Appearance of a Ghost in Queen-Ann's County, Maryland, proved in the remarkable Trial, The State vs. Marry Harris, Ad ministratrix (Baltimore, 1807);" the trial of Galileo, and a number of witchcraft cases. Occasionally some color crops out, as in •' Doctor Wm. Little, for assault on his Wife, a Black Lady" (N. Y., 1808); "Amos Broad and his Wife for an Assault on Betty, a slave, and her little female child" (N. Y., 1809); and the celebrated Whisteto bastardy case (N. Y., 1808), the most amusing case in the books, in which the speech of William Sampson, the wittiest of advocates, is given in full, as well as his encounter with the famous Dr Samuel Mitchell, who gave expert testimony on physiological questions. This case is also reported in 3 Wheeler's Criminal Cases, one of the rarest of American law books. Also the chancery suit of George Christy, to enjoin certain parties from using the name, "Christy's Min strels" (Liverpool, 1865); also the Dred Scott case, which with John Brown's raid did more to precipitate the War of the Rebellion than all other causes. The trial of " James Napper Tandy for challenging John Toler" (Dublin, 1792), suggests "The Wearin' o' the Green," for this was the gentleman to whom •' Up stepped Gen'ral Bonaparte and took him by the hand, saying, ' How is ould Ireland, and how does she stand? '" Whether intended as a jest we know not, but in "A Compleat History of the Lives and Exploits of the most Remarkable Highwaymen," etc., is a life of Sir John Falstaff! There must be fun in "Jas. Maurice against Samuel Judd, in the Mayor's Court of the City of New York, 30 and 31 of Dec., 1818, wherein the problem, is a Whale a Fish? is discussed theologically, scholastically, and historically. Re print by William Sampson." We take it this was the witty advocate of the Whisteto case. The theologi cal branch of the discussion probably arose from the Jonah incident. We are left to conjecture the charge against Hon. James Boyd, of Montgomery County, Pa., — "Trial by his Colleagues of the Const. Con vention of Pennsylvania (a humorous performance, not a real trial), 1874. Such a collection as this should have been kept together, and purchased for some State or historical library, for it is in such rare publications that the history and manners of different times and countries may best be read. THE GREEN BAG. — In the present reigning Shelley revival we have been re-reading our Shelley,
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and we find a distinct reference — clearly prophetic — to the " Green Bag " in his tragedy of " Œdipus Tyrannus, or Swellfoot the Tyrant." This was written in vindication of Queen Caroline Œdipus is George Fourth; lona Taurina is Caroline : Purganax is Lord .Castlereagh. Shelley seized on the incident of Castlereagh's placing a Green Bag, containing certain supposed incriminating documents, on the table of the House of Commons, and demanding in the king's name that an inquiry should be insti tuted into the queen's conduct; and the poet put this speech into the mouth of Purganax in '• The Public Sty, the Boars in full Assembly : — PURGANAX. Behold this Bag, a bag — SECOND BOAR. Oh! no GREEN HAG! Jealousy s eyes are green, Scorpions are green, and water-snakes, and efts, And verdigris, and — TURGANAX. Honorable swine! In piggish souls can prepossessions reign? Allow me to remind you, grass is green, All flesh is grass; no bacon but is flesh, — Ye are but bacon. This divining BAG (W.hich is not green, but only bacon color) Is filled with liquor, which if sprinkled o'er A woman guilty of — we all know what — Makes her so hideous, till she finds une blind, She never can commit the like again. Tf innocent, she will turn into an angel, And rain down blessings in the shape of comfits, As she flies up to heaven. Now, my proposal Is to convert her sacred Majesty Into an angel (as I am sure we shall do), By pouring on her head this mystic water. (Showing the Bag. ) I know that she is innocent; I wish Only to prove her so to all the world."
lona Taurina is " impatient to undergo the test." "Purganax, after unsealing the GREEN BAG, is gravely about to pour the liquor upon her head, when suddenly the whole expression of her figure and countenance changes; she snatches it from his hand with a loud laugh of triumph, and empties it over SWELLFOOT and his whole court, who are instantly changed into a number of filthy and ugly animals, and rush out of the Temple." " A MINOTAUR rises," to wit, John Bull, and beseeches her Majesty to mount him, assuring her that " At least, till you have ridden down your game, I will not throw you." She accepts his invitation, and they have a grand chase, to a tallyho chorus, and '• Exeunt, in full cry; lona driv ing on the Swine, with the empty GREEN BAG." We shall endeavor to have this GKEEN BAG never empty, and always in pursuit of any fair game.
