MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

Southland Times, Issue 1564, 16 April 1872, Page 3

MISCELLANEOUS EXTRACTS.

" This is the Princess's birthday," were the first intelligent words spoken by the Prince of Wales after his long delirium. A lady in Brooklyn is known to be so humane that she not even allows her carpet to be beaten ; and was frightfully shocked on heiiring a boy, who was relating a story about a donkey, tell his comrades to cut bis tale short. She actually fainted away when a relative said he had been killing time. Johnson's Dictionary. — When Dr. Johnsou had completed hia Dictionary, which had quite exhausted the patience of Mr Andrew Miller, hia bookseller, the latter^ acknowledged the list she.et, in the following note :— " Andrew Miller sends his compliments to Mr Samuel Johnson, with the money for the last sheet of the copy of the Dictionary, and thanks (rod he has done wirh hi;n." To. this rude note, the doctor returned the following smart answer :-r-" Samuel Johnaoa returns his compliments to Mr Andrew Miller, and is very glad to find (as he does by his note) tlut Andrew Miller has the grace to thank God for anything." After the dictionary was published, the explanation givnn in it of the word Excise, offended the ministers, and it was submitted to Mr Murray, afterwards Lord Mansfield, then Attorney- General, whether it was not a libel. The following is the offensive definition :— " Excise. n. s. (jaccijs, Dutch ; excisum, Latin), a hateful tax. levied upon commodities, and adjudged, not by the common judges of i property, but wretches hired by those to whom Excise is paid." The Attorneyi General sent the following reply :r— " Opinion : I am of opinion that it is -a libel ; but under all the circumstances, I should think it better to give him an opportunity of altering his definition ; in case he don't, threaten him with an information. (Signed) W. Murray. 29£fi~ November, 1755." Time was allowed, for the great philologist to alter his definition ; but Dr Johnson was not to be frightened, and the explanation still continues in his Dictionary.