_Question._ Who was WILLIAM the Conqueror? _Answer._ The Managing Director of an Exploration Company composed of the most respectable shareholders. _Q._ WILLIAM RUFUS, HENRY THE FIRST and RICHARD THE FIRST? _A._ RUFUS, a worthy son of a worthy father; HENRY, a scholar, who strongly objected to over-cramming; and RICHARD, a mild-mannered man, who modestly shrank from canonisation. _Q._ And what do you know about King JOHN? _A._ That he gave to a grateful country the Magna Charta. _Q._ And all the intermediate monarchs' being equally good, what have you to say about King HENRY THE EIGHTH? _A._ He was a model monarch, and worthy to be the father of MARY and ELIZABETH. _Q._ How about the Royal ladies you have last mentioned? _A._ The first had as large a mind as the other a heart. _Q._ What do you think of the STUART Family? _A._ It was famed for its fidelity, trustfulness, and gratitude. _Q._ Were WILLIAM and MARY, and ANNE, pleasant Monarchs? _A._ Most pleasant. As witty as they were beautiful. _Q._ And how about the GEORGES? _A._ All that could be desired--and more. Indeed, all our monarchs have been of the most exemplary character, against whom the most scandal-loving would utter no word of complaint. [Illustration: The Professor.] * * * * * THE ENGLISH-FRENCH EMBASSADORE AT THE MANSHUN HOUSE. [Illustration] WELL, we've bin a going on much as usual at our grand old Manshun House under our trewly liberal LORD MARE, but I ain't had nothink werry new to tell about, till a few nites ago, when we had what I can truthfully call a reel staggerer, and no mistake. It seems as it's allers the custon, when a Embassadore, who has made hisself werry poplar, is gitting jest a leetle tired of us, and begins to si for Ome sweet Ome, for the principalest Gent in London to give him sitch a grand Bankwet as he ain't never seen afore, and ain't never likely for to see again. So the LORD MARE, hearing as the French Embassadore was in that werry dellicate sitiwation, arsked about three hundred of the most heminent Gents in all London to come to the Manshun House to meet him, and they all came, as in course they wood do, and that was one of the werry grandest Bankwets as regards silly brated Gests as ewen I ewer had the honner of waiting on.