“‘If the officers do their duty Major O’Shaughnessy, these acts of insubordination do not occur.’ “‘Cock-a-doo-doo-doo,’ was the reply. Some of the staff found it hard not to laugh; but the general went on— “‘If, therefore, the practice does not cease, I’ll draft the men into West India regiments.’ “‘Cock-a-doo-doo-doo!’ “‘And if any articles pillaged from the inhabitants are detected in the quarters, or about the persons of the troops—’ “‘Cock-a-doo-doo-_doo_!’ screamed louder here than ever. “‘Damn that cock—where is it?’ “There was a general look around on all sides, which seemed in vain; when a tremendous repetition of the cry resounded from O’Shaughnessy’s coat-pocket: thus detecting the valiant Major himself in the very practice of his corps. There was no standing this: every one burst out into a peal of laughter; and Lord Wellington himself could not resist, but turned away, muttering to himself as he went—‘Damned robbers every man of them,’ while a final war-note from the Major’s pocket closed the interview.” Now this is an anecdote at which every one will laugh; but its effect might have been vastly heightened by putting a few words of grave morality and reprobation of the conduct of his troops, into the mouth of O’Shaughnessy, upon whose character they would have told well. The cock, in interrupting the thread of his discourse, would thus have afforded an excellent context. We have scarcely a reader, moreover, who will fail to perceive the want of _tact_ shown in dwelling upon the _mirth_ which the anecdote occasioned. The error here is precisely like that of a man’s laughing at his own spoken jokes. Our author is uniformly guilty of this mistake. He has an absurd fashion, also, of informing the reader, at the conclusion of each of his anecdotes, that, however good the anecdote might be, he (the reader) cannot enjoy it to the full extent in default of the _manner_ in which it was orally narrated. He has no business to say anything of this kind. It is his duty to convey the manner not less than the matter of his narratives.