307

DEATH AND THE LAWYEK.*

A DIALOGUE.

DEATH.Good morrow, Sir ! my call, I trust, isAgreeable to Law and Justice ;—You see, I've got a cause in hand,So brought the brief—

* The writer of this imperfect sketch feels himself bound tomake an apology for the crude state in which it appears—notfor the purpose of deprecating fair and liberal criticism (for noone ought to fliuch from that under any circumstances), butmerely as his excuse for treating so fertile a theme as Law in sobarren a manner. The fact is, that " Death's Doings" hadbeen publicly announced to appear on the 2d of October ; andthe Printer waited till the last moment (Sept. 27) in expectationof receiving a poetical contribution on law, from the pen of agentleman who had promised one—and who, doubtless, wouldhave written on it far more to the purpose—when the mortifyingintelligence arrived, that owing to indisposition he was unableto fulfil his promise. This was an awkward dilemma; for, asnot one Plate had been dismissed without some poetical Illus-tration, Law, by such a marked omission, would, it was thought,have appeared to have been treated contumelionsly; at thepressing request of the artist, therefore, this colloquial bagatellewas attempted, and in a few hours sent to the Printer " with allits imperfections on its head."

x2