A certain alderman, well known in town, 'Twas rumoured had at last resigned his gown; Report was right, denial had been vain, That gown, just like the gentle Desdemona, Had oft been made to turn and turn again And still go on, by its too thrifty owner. At length it had become disgraceful truly; Upon economy no more he stands, But taking off his gown, resigns it duly Into the livery's (that's his footman's) hands. The livery servant looks into the street,— He sees two dealers in old clothes come down; Shouts he, "I will invite them to compete For this now vacant aldermanic gown." They poll against each other; one is willing To give, but not to go beyond, a shilling: The other puts it to the livery's sense, By tendering on the instant thirteen pence. They wrangle, and their offers slowly raise, Till at the self-same figure both remain; The choice the anxious livery dismays, The vacant gown which of them ought to gain. At length it strikes the livery—of the two, The one that wears three hats must be a Jew: Unto the other is the gown decreed, The livery saying he is left no choice,— In fact, he's quite without a voice: He is, indeed! The corporation having laid it down No Jew shall have the aldermanic gown. ANTIPATHIES OF REMARKABLE CHARACTERS. Almost every person who has lived in history has had some particular antipathy. Julius Cæsar couldn't eat a periwinkle, and Alexander always fainted at the sight of a blackbeetle. Chaucer would be unwell for days if he heard the cry of "mackerel!" and Spenser never saw a leg of mutton without shivering all over. Boadicea hated red whiskers: it nearly cost Caractacus his life, because he came into her presence one day with a tremendous pair on. The smell of pickles always sent Cardinal Wolsey into hysterical fits. He called upon Henry the Eighth once while the monarch was lunching off some cold meat, and Wolsey fell down under the table as soon as he smelt there was pickled cabbage in the room. Henry, thinking the cardinal was intoxicated, had him locked up in the Tower immediately. Cleopatra couldn't look at a person with freckles: Antony had all his soldiers who were at all freckled painted black to please her. Napoleon took a violent hatred against any one who didn't take snuff: it is said the cause of his separation from Josephine was because she never would take a pinch from him. Alfred the Great could not bear the taste of suet-dumplings.