Such are but a few of the pleasures and pains of a newspaper. Shenstone says the first part which an ill-natured man examines, is the list of bankrupts, and the bills of mortality; but, to prove that our object is any thing but ill-natured, we have glanced last at the Deaths. The paper over which we have been travelling, wants the Gazette and Parliamentary News, and a Literary feature. The Debates would have enabled us to illustrate the rapid marches of science and intellect in our times, as displayed in the present perfect system of parliamentary reporting. But enough has been said on other points to prove that the _physiognomy_ of a newspaper is a subject of intense interest. In this slight sketch we have neither magnified the crimes, nor sported with the weaknesses; all our aim has been to search out points or pivots upon which the reflective reader may turn; the result will depend on his own frame of mind. There is, however, one little paragraph, one pearl appended to the Police Report which we must detach, viz. the acknowledgment of £2. sent to the Bow Street office poor-box, the _seventh_ contribution of the same amount of a benevolent individual (by the handwriting, a lady) signed "A friend to the unfortunate." Read this ye who gloat over ill-gotten wealth, or abuse good fortune; think of the delights of this divine benefactress--silent and unknown--but, above all, of the exceeding great reward laid up for her in heaven. PHILO. * * * * * CAT AND FIDDLE. (_To the Editor of the Mirror_.) Your correspondent, double X has furnished us with a well written and whimsical derivation of the above ale-house sign, and partly by Roman patriotism and French "lingo," he traces it up to "_l'hostelle du Caton fidelle_." But I presume the article is throughout intended for pure banter--as I do not consider your facetious friend seriously meant that "no two objects in the world have less to do with each other than a cat and violin." How close the connexion is between fiddle and _cat-gut_, seems pretty well evident--for a proof, I therefore refer double X to any _cat-gut scraper_ in his majesty's dominions, from the theatres royal, to Mistress Morgan's two-penny hop at Greenwich Fair. JACOBUS. * * * * * THE ROUE'S INTERPRETATION OF DEATH. (_For the Mirror_.) "Death! who would think that five simple letters, would produce a word with so much terror in it."--_The Rou._ Death! and why should it be That hideous mystery Is with those atoms integral combin'd? Alas! too well--too well, I've prob'd unto the spell In each dark imag'd sound, that lurks entwin'd! Eternity, implied In Death, and long denied Now sacrifices my tortur'd menial gaze! Whilst, with its lurid light Heart-burnings fierce unite And what may quench, the guilty spirit's blaze?