of its efficacy. This physician, when between thirty and forty years of age, had, by indulgence in the pleasures of the table, swelled to such a size as to exceed thirty-stone weight. He was obliged to have the whole side of his chariot made open to admit him; and he grew short-breathed, lethargic, nervous, and scorbutic, so that his life became an intolerable burden. In this deplorable condition, after trying in vain all the power of medicine, he resolved to confine himself to a milk and vegetable diet, the good effect of which quickly ap peared. His size was reduced almost to a third, and he recovered his strength, activity, and cheerfulness, with the perfect use of all his faculties.

White Castile soap has been proposed as a remedy to melt down and facilitate the absorption of fat. A very corpulent man took every evening half an ounce dissolved in half a pint of water, and in two years became half a hundred weight lighter. He continued the use of it, and in six years was perfectly cured. The soap operated as a diuretic without any inconvenience. Boerhaave employed acids, crystals of tartar, cream of tartar, and such like purgatives; but Haller relates that vinegar taken for this purpose by a masterbuilder, occasioned incessant vomiting and death, after which the inner coat of the stomach was found indurated to the depth of an inch or more.

Lieutaud recommends acetum scilliticum taken in small doses, with frequent purging and brisk exercise: but it will seldom happen that the patients will be found sufficiently steady to persist in any of these courses; the disorder, from its nature, rendering them irresolute and inattentive to their condition. The

principle use of rules, therefore, must be with a view to prevention; and persons disposed to corpulence should be careful in time to prevent it from becoming an absolute disease, by taking a great deal of exercise, not indulging in sleep, and abridging their meals, especially supper.

Instead, however, of the tedious and partly dangerous means enumerated above, I would recommend to my corpulent readers, nocturnal vigils and meditation. There is no remedy for reducing obesity with more honour than algebra, if the patient only studies it fun-damentally at night and cuts wood by day. This remedy is sympathetic: it operates through the spirits, and removes fat by a+b.

New Monthly Magazine.

LEFT OFF BUSINESS.

"In spite of nature's stubborn plan,

He treads (life's) stage by way of gentleman."

The Rosciad.

SIR CALEB CAXON was an opulent ironmonger. He succeeded his honest father in the business, and carried it on for half a century. His stock in trade was valuable, and his customers numerous and substantial; yet the large capital of which he found himself possessed arose more from his father's perseverance and temperate habits than from any enormous profits, ex

tensive commerce, or lucky hits in the way of business. He never speculated, not even in the funds, but saved and put by, and put by and saved again. He rejected many offers of putting out his money at high interest, and was contented with the receipts from the shop, and the legal interest of his country. He held monopolists and usurers in abhorrence; and often observed, that it was a toss up with such men, whether they were to make a fortune or a bankruptcy. The same principles he taught his son, and the same success attended his exertions.

Old Roger Caxon was florid and corpulent, goodnatured and plain dealing, sober and industrious; so that his neighbour, Mr. Cheshire, a rich cheesemonger and vendor of pork, thought him worthy of his only daughter, to whom he gave fifteen hundred pounds in marriage, which the ironmonger then considered a handsome portion. At Mr. Cheshire's demise Mr. Caxon found a new increase to his capital, arising from the stock sold off, money for the good will from the successor in the cheese, butter, and bacon line, houses in Newgate-street, and cellars and counting-houses, advantageously let, in Elbow-lane, Bride-lane, Petticoat-lanc, yea, and in Amen-corner, the whole forming a valuable property. Instead of living up to his income, leaving off trade, or changing his habits, he never changed a guinea idly, and kept to his stingo as his only treat, or a bowl of punch on high days and holidays. When he paid the debt of nature he left no other debt unpaid, but was " removed from over the way" amidst the regrets and good words of all his neighbours.

Caleb, his only child, was no chicken when the honest citizen took his leave of the shop and of the world together; he had drudged for twenty-four years with the old man, and felt inclined to go on twenty more, being at this time turned of forty. He was single, but not without his sympathies. Dolly Do-allthings, who was housekeeper, cook, butler, and slut, had cast a wicked hazle eye upon him, and he felt that he was under the wand of the enchantress. At the same time she despised the shop-and there was only one little dirty boy, called boots, a scruitures des scruitures of male appearance in the dark premises: Caleb, now the head of the house, soon found that it was a pity to work Dolly so hard, and two assistants were forthwith procured. Dolly began to look more and more captivating, but was so highly puffed that Master Caxon's widow could not help thinking that the girl was getting above herself. The old lady, however, not long surviving, Dolly became governess of domestic concerns, and was on a friendly and familiar footing with Master, from which a little accident arose, natural enough in such cases; but the bells of St. Bride's silenced all slanderous reports, and the neighbours could not misdoubt (the lady's own words) that all's right. Master Caxon now first kept an open shay, and had a lodging at Hackney, where his spouse presented him (at a very early period) with Miss Mariar Caxon. The next year she wished to have fresh hair, so she removed to Islington, where a house was taken; and upon her producing a male heir she prevailed upon my spouse❞ to set up a snuff-coloured coach, with red wheels, and to have an iron-grey livery,

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turned up with orange of a rusty appearance, but not sparingly laced with gold, and with an iron-bound hat, which put the beadle of St. Martin's-le-Strand to the blush.

Notwithstanding all this greatness, Master Caxon laboured on in his counting-house, and kept a severe eye upon the ledger; so that, as money makes money, the age of iron became the age of gold. Ten years of fagging, quill-driving, and attending to the shop, now raised Caleb Caxon, Esq., citizen and ironmonger, to all the civic honours in succession. The Mayoralty was a heavy burden (honours were so thrust upon his plain and homely habits); and but for the senior Sheriff, who was an intelligent man, and used to good company, the worthy high magistrate would never have got through his operate duties, which, however, were very flattering to the Lady Maress (so she used to subscribe her name). At this lucky juncture an address was to be presented; and our late venerable Monarch, who was nothing slack at knight-making, put the sword on the brawny shoulders of the ironmonger, and he with difficulty arose, Sir Caleb, as large as life. He now felt his weighty duties more than ever; and but for his colleague, the Sheriff, an active magistrate and a gentlemanly man, Sir Caleb might have been upon his marrow bones until now. His was, indeed, a friendly lift. On his return home he found Lady Caxon intoxicated with greatness and arrack punch; and, in the delirium of her felicity, she persuaded the Mirror of Knighthood to pack up his wardrobe (the robe or gown not the least essential), and to occupy a house in Bloomsbury; but that being,