for who shall draw the line of demarcation between my lord Grizzle and the gold stick? between Mr. Dymock, in Westminster-hall, and his representative “on a real horse” at Covent-garden?--Every day the intercourse of society is becoming more and more easy, and a man of fashion is as little likely to be ceremonious in trifles, as to appear in the costume of sir Charles Grandison, or to take up the quarrels of lord Herbert of Cherbury.[54] [54] New Monthly Magazine. * * * * * INDICATIONS. WRITTEN IN THE FROST. _For the Table Book._ I know that the weather’s severe, by the noses That run between eyes smartly lash’d by the fair; By the coxcombs that muff-led are smiling at roses Got into the cheeks, and got out of the air. By the skates, (slipp’ry fish) for the Serpentine’s Fleet By the rise of the coal; by the shot-birds that fall By the chilly old people that creep to the heat; And the ivy-green branches that creep to the wall. By the chorus of boys sliding over the river, The grumbles of men sliding over the flags; The beggars, poor wretches! half naked, that shiver! The sportsmen, poor horsemen! turn’d out on their nags! By the snow standing over the plant and the fountain; The chilbain-tribes, whose understanding is weak; The wild-ducks of the valley, the drift of the mountain, And, like Niobé, street-plugs all tears from the Creek: And I know, by the icelets from nature’s own shops, By the fagots just cut, and the cutting wind’s tone, That the weather will freeze half the world if it stops, If it goes, it will thaw t’other half to the bone. *, *, P. _Jan 27._ * * * * * ADOPTION. There is a singular system in France relative to the adoption of children. A family who has none, adopts as their own a fine child belonging to a friend, or more generally to some poor person, (for the laws of population in the poor differ from those in the rich;) the adoption is regularly enregistered by the civil authorities, and the child becomes heir-at-law to the property of its new parents, and cannot be disinherited by any subsequent caprice of the parties; they are bound to support it suitably to their rank, and do every thing due to their offspring.[55] [55] New Monthly Magazine. * * * * * A ROYAL SIMILE. “Queen Elizabeth was wont to say, upon the commission of _sales_, that the commissioners used her like _strawberry_-wives, that laid two or three great strawberries at the mouth of their pottle, and all the rest were little ones; so they made her two or three great prices of the first particulars, but fell straightways.”[56] [56] Apophthegms Antiq. Vol. I.--8. [Illustration: ~Blind Hannah.~]