The inhabitants of the rural districts of Scotland, of Westmoreland, and of Cumberland, were surprised by the sudden and extraordinary attention paid to many of their aged members. If they were sick, the surgeon attended them at the cost of some good genius; and if they were poor, the comforts of life were granted them. In one village the clergyman was empowered to supply the wants of three old, hale fishermen during the winter season, to the envy of his sick and ailing parishioners. In another, all the cottagers were rendered jealous by the incessant watchful attention paid to a nonogenarian by the magnate of the place. It was whispered by the less favoured that he had been given a home near the great house; that the cook had orders to supply him with whatever was nice and nourishing; that the laird had been heard to say he took a great interest in his life, and that he even allowed the doctor twenty-five golden guineas a year, so long as he kept his ancient patient alive. One man was chosen of above ninety who would walk eight miles any day for 6_d._ The hills and dales of the north of England, with the wild moors and heaths of Scotland, peopled by those who never breathed the air of cities, furnished nominees; and, lest there should be any lurking disease, they were examined by a medical man to confirm the appearance they bore. There were several curious anecdotes in connection with these shrewd speculations. There were two baronets offered, illustrative of an old story. Both were nonogenarians, both were sound, wind and limb; the one was remarkable for his extreme temperance, the other for drinking two bottles of wine daily, but both first-rate lives. The offices were besieged with contracts on such men as these. Notwithstanding the heavy losses which Government had sustained by the previous tables, they lost much more by the present oversight, for against lives chosen with so much care and nursed with so much attention, there was not a chance. One legend is extant to show the trouble which the nominators would take, in order to procure a person on which they could safely invest their money.