FEBRUARY 8, 1862.]


F TT IN.


GREECE,-ITS HUMOUROUS HISTORY.
 BY M'ASSA HOYLE.
Illustrated with Sketches taken on the Spot. \\ '~*
 CHAPTER THE SEVENTEENTH.
 THE reflective historian-and the comic
historians as capable of reflectionasthe dullest
old dry-as-dust who ever dragged out the
results of his researches into dozen volumes ;
-we repeat, the reflective historian must
come to the conclusion that in the "old
ancient" times it was more remunerative to
be a downright bad lot than a virtuous and
honourable individual. The great and good
men of the times on which we are trying
to playfully poke some harmless fun, seem to
have been doomed to have their motives misin-
terpreted, while thethorough-pacedscoundrels
of Grecian history appear to have had what
a vulgar modern might term, "the pull." It
is true PYItIHUS came to an untimely end, but
hewaskilled suddenly and in the midst ofglory.
The "tile" which caused his death may bo e'i
considered the first specimen of a "crush
hat" on record. PYn HUS is an instance of
one whose chevaux de battaille did not prove
the hit anticipated. His elephants were un-
wieldly and unmanageable in advancing on
the foe, and Pyunutus, like a young man wloso
tradesmen have ruined him, fell a victim to
his heavy chargers. These ponderous run-
ners proved no match against the Hop-lites,
and, like their descendant who is so often
spoken of as an unwelcome present, they
proved to be the most unmitigated nuisances.
The moral to be derived from a serious study
of the life of PYBuunus is,-whenever you go
into battle, eschew mounting your cavalry
soldiers on unmanageable animals. The
authorities at the Horse Guards are quite wel-
come to this hint, which we trust they will
act upon whenever the British troops are
called upon to chastise an enemy.
 The Achaean league, a confederacy origi-
nally formed by twelve small cities in Pelopo-
nesus to defend their mutual interests and
preserve their common independence, made
itself very formidable in Greece under two
generals, ARATUS and PHILOPaEMEN. ARA-
TUS's head would often ache at being the head
of the Acheans, but he is of sufficient impor-
tance to have a paragraph to himself.
 The town of Sicyon fell under the uncom-
promising thumb of one ABANTIDUS, who ban-
ished and killed every one opposed to him,
and even went farther, and tried to kill his
son, who was saved, however, by his aunt
from the tyr-ant. When ARATUS grew up-
determined upon the liberation of his country, -
and he grew up at such a rate as was seldom
known-he proposed to the kings of Macedonia
and Egypt, and the ex-iles of Greece, that, like CHIIENEY-POT HAT
the bad man in the Octoroon, they should
seize a ppst.
 From one who had escaped from Sicyon, he learnt that the walls
were scaleable, provided some dogs belonging to a gardener could be
kept quiet. They felt their hopes were sufficiently strong to do without
any infusion of bark, or the suspicion of canine whine. Many a lad o'
wax prepared for whacks and carried a ladder, the strongest holding
them steady while the weakest went to the wall. The officer who
was setting the watch failed to discover them, in consequence'of the
wall high. A big dog, however, set up a howl, which awoke another
howl'd dog, who set up another in his kennel, and the inhabitants set
up in their beds, cocks commenced clanticleering, and cock-crow
was as prevalent in Sicyon as was ever Jim Crow in London; the
ladders turned out to be too weak, and a hard-fought night seemed in-
evitable. When forty had scaled the walls, AlA'rus thought they were
strong, and proceeded to seize every hostile mercenary, but mercy
ne'er he denied any one, and their lives he spared. They set fire
to the house of the tyrant, who was greatly irritated, and the confla-


S rIRST WORN,-A GOOD MANY YEARS AGO. MATERNAL LOVE PUTS
ONE (WITHI OTIIEt TILES) ON PYRMIIUS'S HEAD.

 gration was put out. Through the instrumentality of ARATUs, several
 important towns joined the league, amongst them Argos and Athens,
 and addressing the most part of Arcadia with tlhe familiar phrase of
 Jark'ee dear," induced it to join the Achman league, to which, as
 lie let so many in, he may be looked upon as a key 'un. Our readers
 will bear in mind that they are amongst the Dorians. While these
 events were taking place in Greece, the Romans were conducting the
 first Pun-ic war.


 QUESTION FOR TIE MUsICAL.-Is the "Tramp Chorus" out of the
 Begn r's Opera ?
 WliT is a bailiff like a sailor on the ocean ?-Because he's on the
 seize.
 WHATVr do you eat every day that nobody else eats ?--Your dinner.


VOL. I.


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