the curtain rose, on the eventful night, the house

was crowded to an overflow.

The business of the evening was proceeded with, but in dumb show, for every one was anxiously expecting to see the great "Lion" of the stage. It was curious to observe the countenances of the spectators. Though pressed almost to suffocation, the animation that each face exhibited was excessive. All the professors of music in London were present; and it was easy to discover, by their uneasiness and their constrained manner, what were their apprehensions.

At length, the wished-for moment arrived; the first piece was concluded, and the stage was prepared for the reception of the professor.

After a profound silence of several minutes, during which a pin might have been heard to drop, Squintinini presented himself at the left wing of the stage.

His awkward gait, and eccentric appearance

filled every one with astonishment ;-still not a breath was heard.

The Signor now advanced towards the lamps, and bowed respectfully towards the company;oh! what a bow! Then followed a tremendous burst of applause, which was continued for at least five minutes,-the Signor, meantime, placing himself in his studied attitude, and bowing most gracefully!

The reason for this early applause does not appear-but it is an English peculiarity.

The Signor now prepared for action, and drawing his violin from under his arm, proceeded to adjust it to his shoulder.

What were the feelings of the musical professors and the spectators in general, may be conceived, but cannot be expressed. The instrument had but ONE string!

The professors smiled in derision, and this was a signal for those in their immediate neighbour

hood to express some signs of disapprobation, which quickly began to spread through the whole house; but, when the Signor had drawn his bow, for the first time, across the string, the sound which followed was so electrical, or rather magical, that the house rose en masse and gave six distinct rounds of applause.

Now did his ugliness begin to be forgotten, and his unsightly appearance not only to be tolerated, but even to be praised as a proof of genius! But when the Signor had gone through all his favourite airs, and convinced the public of the extent of his capabilities, the applause which he drew down was beyond all precedent. In return, he merely bowed, without once looking up, and placing his violin (in which some thought they perceived an unearthly face) under his arm, he shuffled off, as he came on, to the tune of "2007. per night!"

*

*

*

It is needless to say that after this exhibition,

he made his own terms; and that he contrived, in few months, to carry out of

the

space of a very

the country upwards of a million of money.

Little did his admirers suppose that his fiddle contained the soul of a shapeless devil, to whose father he had sold himself for a

CONSIDER

ATION!"-But he is gone, and may his avarice

THE COBBLER OF MUNICH.

It is now about three hundred years since there resided in the capital of Bavaria one Winken Plaus, a mender of decayed shoes, and stationed in a very inferior grade, even of that despised trade. He occupied a little stall, which reared its unpretending front before the blank wall of an old church, and was, at the period of which I am going to speak (qu. write?), about fifty years of age, with a countenance in which habitual good temper and dry humour were plainly discernible. Of short stature, and with a person terribly deformed; clothed in attire