account is attached, without pictures, a variety of
examples of numerous births, the memorable
one of the lady who had 365 children at once
being, of course, not omitted. "A Famous
Fire-eater" comes next (in Illustration Number
Thirty One), with a very difficult name to
pronounce when once the difficulty of writing it is
overcome: it is that of Mr. "De Hightrehight,
who was born in the Valley of Aunici in Savoy
(French, now) Amongst the Alps that Devides
Italy from Switzerland." This gentleman "Eats
burning Coals of Fire" (he is doing it in the
picture, helping himself with a spoon, and
seems, in defiance of the text, to have burnt
his mouth) "he shews flaming Brimstone and
Swallows it, licks a Red Hot Heater then hoalds
it in his Mouth Between his Teeth and puts it
into a Box of Iron then Takes it out again into
his Mouth with his Teeth and then Dashes it
out into the Chimney, he puts a Coal into his
Mouth and Kindles it upon his Tongue, then
Broils a Little Piece of Beef or other Flech
upon it, as it Lies in his Mouth, and while the
Meat is Broiling he suffers the Coal to be Blown
with a pair of Bellows." Other fire-eating
exploits are also recorded which he exhibited
before countless Kings and Princes. This Swiss
with the hard name was "Twice in the Inquisition
in Italy for a Wizzard once in Piedmont, and
then at Bologna;" but how he got out of the
Inquisitor's hands is not stated. Perhaps the
sons of St. Dominick thought that in the attempt
to burn such a salamander they should have their
labour for their pains.

Number Thirty-Two, described as "A Man
Without Hands or Leggs," is the portrait of
the celebrated Matthew Buckinger, whose history
I have read elsewhere, more to his disadvantage
than J. P. relates it. He was a German, "who
had Married two Wives, one after the Other"
(therefore no bigamist) "he got a Great deal of
Mony, but his Last Wife was a very Perverse
Woman, who Would Spend all his Mony very
Prodigally and Luxuriously, in Nice Eating,
Drinking and Clothes; and would not Permit
him to Eat nor Drink as she did, and did Beat
him Cruelly, which he had Bore very Patiently
but one Day, she having Beat him before
Company that so Provoked him that he flew at her
with such force that he Threw her down; and
did so Beat her with His Stumps that he almost
Killed her, Threatening to treat her in the Same
Manner if she Ever did so Any More; and she
Became Ever after a very Dutifull and Loving
Wife." Matthew Buckinger was full of
accomplishments. "He did with his Stumps
what Many Could not doe with their Hands
and Feet, so well as he, as Playing at Cards,
Dice, Ninepins Shuffel Board, Rollypolly, &c.,
he Plade of Several Musikal Instruments, as
the Trumpet, Hautbois, Flute, Flageolet, Drum,
Kettle-drum, &c." which et cætera probably
means "lute, harp, dulcimer, sackbut," and all
the instruments which constituted the private
band of King Nebuchadnezzar. Matthew
Buckinger did "many other strange things," and
though he was said to have died at Cork in
1722, he was seen by J. P. in London in 1731.

Number Thirty-three is "A Man with very
Flat Leggs," who begged about London streets.
These lower limbs of his were "as flat as an
Inch Board all the Calf of his Leggs Joyned
togather in the Manner of a Taylor's Leggs and
foalded under him but could not be parted nor
Extended." It is a comfort, however, to think
that the flat-legged worthy, who is called "a
very poor man," but is dressed like a courtier,
—had the benefit of "a Good Education."
Number Thirty-Four is "A Skeleton Born of a
Woman." As a recompense for the Woman's
extraordinary sufferings, the parents "Got a
Hansom Lively Hood by it,"—the only lively
attribute pertaining to the prodigy. Number
Thirty-Five is "A Wild and Hairy Irishman,"
whose hirsute proportions, pictorially
represented, far exceed those of John Valerius.
The last on the list of the illustrated series is
''A Woman with a Horn on her Head," whose
name was Elizabeth French, born at Tenterden
"in the Wild of Kent."

I close here my description of the volume of
James Paris Du Plesiss—not at all for lack of
matter but rather because of its excess—for
the next two hundred pages the prodigious
record treating not of what the author himself
saw, but rather of what he had read of. Such,
for instance, as the old who became young,
—vampyres,—"prolifix" women,—women with
"vast grey beards,"—enormous eaters,—people
of extreme old age,—children with inscriptions
in their eyes,—and Dutch women who sang
French perfectly "and understood it not."
One example of what is told here may suffice.
It is the account of "A Mounstrous Devil of a
Woman," of whom J. P. tells us that "In the
Anatomy School in the University of Oxford,
Among other Curiosities, they Show you the
Skeleton of a Woman who had Ten Husbands
Successively, and was Hanged at 36 Years of
Age, for the Murder of Four of them." This
lady certainly made good use of her time. As
appears by a memorandum on the fly-leaf of
this volume, the price set upon it by the author
was one guinea. Here the inscription is: " J.
Paris Du Plessis 1730 £1. 1. 0. Colector of
these Boock, Anno 1733."

At the completion, in March, of
SIR EDWARD BULWER LYTTON'S NEW WORK,
A STRANGE STORY,
Will be commenced
A NEW NOVEL, BY MR. WILKIE COLLINS.

Now Ready, price Fourpence,
TOM TIDDLER's GROUND.
FORMING THE
EXTRA DOUBLE NUMBER
FOR CHRISTMAS.