Now that we are hearing of the manner in which foolish and ostentatious Americans are lately representing themselves in Paris by military titles, as if connected with the army of the United States, perhaps "Monsieur le General Court, de Boston" may "pass muster" with our readers. The implied satire, however, of the whole affair, strikes us as not altogether without a valuable lesson for those miscalled "Americans" who forget alike their country and themselves while abroad. * * * * * When the oxy-hydrogen microscope was first exhibited in Edinburgh, a poor woman, whose riches could never retard her ascent to the kingdom above, took her seat in the lecture-room where the wonders of the instrument were shown, and which were, for the first time, to meet her sight. A piece of lace was magnified into a salmon-net; a flea was metamorphosed into an elephant; and other the like marvels were performed before the eyes of the venerable dame, who sat in silent astonishment staring open-mouthed at the disk. But when, at length, a milliner's needle was transformed into a poplar-tree, and confronted her with its huge eye, she could "hold in" no longer. "My goodness!" she exclaimed, "a camel could get through _that_! There's some hopes for the rich folk yet!" * * * * * Legal tautology and unnecessary formulas have often been made the theme of ridicule and satire; but we suspect that it is somewhat unusual to find a simple "_levy_" made with such elaborate formalities, or, more properly, "solemnities," as in the following instance: The Dogberryan official laid his execution very formally upon a saddle; and said: "_Saddle_, I level upon you, in the name of the State!" "_Bridle_, I level upon _you_, in the name of the State!" Then, turning to a pair of martingales, the real name of which he did not know, he said: "Little forked piece of leather, I level on you, in the name of the State!" "Oh, yes! oh, yes! oh, yes! Saddle, and Bridle, and little forked piece of leather, I now _inds_ you upon this execution, and summon you to be and appear at my sale-ground, on Saturday, the tenth of this present month, to be executed according to law. Herein fail not, or you will be proceeded against for contempt of the constable!" * * * * * We find recorded in the "Drawer" two instances where ingenuity was put in successful requisition, to obviate the necessity of "making change," a matter of no little trouble oftentimes to tradesmen and others. A rude fellow, while before the police-magistrate for some misdemeanor, was fined nine dollars for eighteen oaths uttered in defiance of official warning that each one would cost him fifty cents. He handed a ten-dollar bill to the Justice, who was about returning the remaining one to the delinquent, when he broke forth: "No, no! keep the whole, keep the whole! _I'll swear it out!_"