had once ordered him to attend him to a siege that was carrying on in Flanders. Racine, however, remained at Versailles, and when the King, on his return, expressed his surprise at it, and told him it was by no means a journey of any length: "Very true, Sire," replied the Poet, "we had ordered our campaign dresses, but our tailors made us wait so long, that when they brought them home, the town your Majesty went to besiege had long been taken."

POLITICAL POETRY OF THE IRISH.

"IRISH Songs are abundant, and may be easily procured; but few have been committed to paper. This may be ascribed to two causes : first, being short compositions, they are easily remembered; and, secondly, their treasonable nature. Many of these songs are extremely comic, from a richness of humour delivered with a peculiar quaintness, which it is impossible to convey in translation. Allusions to the Greek and Roman mythology are occasionally introduced with propriety and good taste, but more frequently in the most absurd way. One village bard has described his mistress as looking 'just like Venus or Jove.'