MISCELLANEOUS.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume II, Issue 105, 8 January 1842, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS.

Church Pkws. — If every hassock had a tongue, and might tell the thoughts, reveal the inmost workings of the hearts of those who, iv attitudes of humiliation, kucel upon them 1 Look at this one, this lump of softest wool, covered with cloth of purple : this has borne the bulky mortality of a rich and arrogant man — of one who, every week, confesses himself a miserable sinner, and in that confession prays aloud for grace — whose son is barred the paternal door, for that he has taken a wife, whose only vice was poverty ! Here is another, yet warm from the knees of a domestic tyrant, who comes to church to sacrifice to the humility, the love, and searching tenderness of the Divine example ; and who, returniug home, shall make his wife tremble at his frown, and the little hearts of his children quail at his foot-fall. Take a third : this is part of the pew furniture of a man who lives, and becomes sleek, upon the falsehoods, the little tyrannies of the world, who eats the daily bread of heartless litigation, whose whole life is a lie to every Christian precept j and Judas to Truth, who kisses it only to sell it I Yet , will this man pray, respond in prayer, run through the Creed, and glibly troll the Decalogue— a human clock, wound up on Sundays — and in this pew -will kneel the withered usurer, a most respectable man, and one in parish office, whose heart glows at, the' worldly cunning of Jacob, and wlio, losing the ' spirit in the letter, dotes, above all measure, on the parable of the talents. These come to church to keep up the farce that their worldly brethren, with themselves, agree to act ; they congregate to perform a ceremony, and that over, the week lies fair before them. They come to church deaf adders, and deaf they quit it ; and as the weekly hypocrites come and go, the devil stands iv a porch and counts them. , 'Beau Brummel and "Wales." — The violent intimacy, notwithstanding the great disparity of, rank, lasted for some years ; till at last he risked some freedom of speech with his Royal patron, which brought on a rupture, and the Prince never spoke to him again. The story of " Wales, ring the bell!" was always denied by Brummell; and from his general well-bred manners, it is not likely he would have taken such an unpardonable liberty with the Prince : bu* he had a great talent for ridicule, which he exerted very readily on all around him, and even his Royal master was not spared. There was at that time a gigantic porter at Carlton House, nicknamed Big Ben; and as the Prince was then increasing in size, -Brummell ■ would often designate the master by the appellation of hisservant,. and a certaiu high lady by that of Benina. These and other ill-timed jokes came to the Prinqejjs ears, and were instantly resented. No excifse, was to be made for his indiscretion; but" a^ rancour on , the other side which lasted to the grave, is not to be. palliated. The ludicrous pan f . of -the story; was, that Brummell took the matter ,up in a high tone, and waged open war against Jits Pib'yal ' adversary ; assailing him with ridicule^ in all quarters,, an affecting to, say that he ; ;-)^fi|(£Jiad cut the^co s"*5 "* i nexion.— Raibe's Franbe i mnte"lß'M. ij/" /'»