whole land liability of the country. In England
only two counties enjoy this privilege, and
the incumbrances, instead of being brought
together in a complete tableau, are scattered
broadcast over the solicitors' oflices of the kingdom.
These "very Irish" proceedings are
sometimes well worthy of imitation.

The commissioner gratifying us with a mere
formal order for sale, we discover that we have
been inviting the Incumbered Nobleman to meet
us before the commission, and make any little
objections that may occur to him against this rather
sudden proceeding: which, indeed, is only
reasonable. Accordingly, if he has anything to
say, he will "come in" on a particular day and
"show cause;" if he has not, he will allow
matters to take their course. The Incumbered
Nobleman makes no sign; so we obtain "an
absolute order" for sale.

The case proceeds vigorously. In a few days
we are surprised at seeing advertisements,
labelled in one corner, "In the matter of the
Estate of the Right Hon. the Earl of Tumbletowers,"
staring at us from every newspaper,
requiring all parties, in severe and stern
language, to take notice that such an order has
been made. Then follows a protracted
intermission, during which, we are informed, that, the
eminent firm is engaged in "making searches"—
that, is, consulting the Incumbrance Dictionary
—drawing out a compact little epitome of
"title," which shall show how it came into the
possession of the Incumbered Nobleman. We
find also that the eminent firm has taken the
mail train down to the estate in question (a
very disturbed district), and has personally
waited on the occupying tenants at their
residences, inquiring from each all particulars as to
the exact nature of their tenancy: a proceeding
naturally received with much mistrust and
suspicion. Some of these poor souls, thinking to
foil the inquisitors whose questions only
concealed some sinister design, shut themselves
up in an artful reticence, and decline furnishing
any information. The Brothers Cody
(Teague and Larry) received many compliments
for their skilful baffling of what were called
the ''Dublin schamers," whom they sent away
wise as they came. But, alas for the Brothers
Cody! The result only was that the estate was
sold, "discharged" of their lease, and the
purchasers not having their names in his rental,
declined to recognise the tenure of the Brothers
Cody.

By-and-by all these labours of the eminent
firm, result most unexpectedly in a handsome
folio volume, elegantly printed, and copiously
illustrated with lithographic plans, vividly-
coloured drawings, sections, and elevations,
together with tabulated columns showing the tenancies,
rents, and acreage—in short, such a
complete topographical picture in one volume—of his
estate as must have astonished the Incumbered
Nobleman himself. Considering that some eight
thousand estates have been sold, it may be
conceived what a valuable library, as illustrating
the country, this sort of literature must be; and
there are painstaking men who have been
provident enough to collect the whole series.

Again have more severe and menacing notices
burst out in newspaper columns, and the general
public is sternly bidden to take notice that on a
particular day, some two or three months off (to
give time for its being properly noised abroad),
will be set up and sold, the several "denominations"
of land, " hereinafter specified," in
eighty-five lots, as in the following-shedule:

SUMMARY OF LOTS.

The space of two months being all but run
out, and copies of the illustrated topographical
memoir having fluttered across the sea to every
noteworthy coffee-house and news-room in the
kingdom, it is presumed that a decent amount
of notoriety has been obtained. Vulgar
agriculturalists, mean-souled graziers, have been
measuring critically those Corinthian meads.
The sacred demesne has been broken up into
convenient "lots" with a horrid profanity to
encourage the growth of "a small proprietary."
The Incumbered Nobleman himself has not yet
realised it. The old protecting spirits from
Heavenly High Chancery, reference, decree to
account, and other angels of protraction, will
still descend, even at fifty-nine minutes past
ten—on the stroke of the eleventh hour—and
interpose.

The fatal morning has at last come round, and
we, the famished baffled long-outraged
mortgagee feel an Indian pleasure in going down
to see this scalping of our enemy. There is
a splendid time coming, and no waiting a little
longer. So we stride through the great hall of
the Incumbered Nobleman's mansion, where my
lord and my lady's chairs used to wait during
those fashionable parties before the Union, and
make straight for the great auction-room.

Judicial auctioneer is sitting afar off, aloft in his
rostrum, knocking down statute acres, roods, and
perches, according to his function, but with a
grave and measured utterance. Some one points
out that this is the third commissioner—or the