M. Lévi reminds us of the Frenchman who came over to England with the object of writing a book about us. He arrived in London one Saturday night, and being tired, at once went to bed. At breakfast next morning he asked for new bread; the waiter told him they only had yesterday’s. Out came the Frenchman’s note-book, in which he wrote: ’In London the bread is always baked the day before.’ He then asked for the day’s paper, but was again told they had yesterday’s only. A memorandum went into the note-book: ’The London newspapers are always published yesterday.’ He then thought he would present the letter of introduction he had brought with him to a private family, so having been directed to the house, he saw a lady near the window, reading. Not wishing to startle or disturb her, he gave a gentle single rap. This not being answered, he had to give a few more raps, when at last a servant partly opened the door and asked his business. He expressed his wish to see the master of the house. ’Master never sees anybody to-day, but he will perhaps to-morrow,’ replied the servant, and shut the door in his face. Another memorandum was added to the previous ones: ’In London people never see anyone to-day, but always to-morrow.’ Having nothing to do, he thought he would go to the theatre. He inquired for Drury Lane, and was directed to it. The doors being shut, he lounged about the neighbourhood till they should open. As it grew later and later, and there was no sign of a _queue_, he at last addressed a passer-by, and asked him when the theatre would open. ’It won’t open to-day,’ was the reply. This was the last straw that broke the camel’s back. Our Frenchman hurried back to his hotel, wrote in his note-book, ’In London there are theatres, but they never open today,’ took a cab, caught the night mail, and hastened to leave so barbarous a country. This description of London life is about as correct as that recently given in Max O’Rell’s ’John Bull and his Womankind.’ What kind of people did O’Rell visit? I look at another book before me, written in Italian, and entitled: ’Semi-serious Observations of an Exile on England.’ The book was published at Lugano in 1831, but the author—Giuseppe Pecchio—dates his preface from York in 1827.