"Psha, psha!" cried the vicar; "for once, at least, Mr. Seymour, let me entreat you to be serious; the subject, sir, is important, and merits your respect. It is from that very hole that I am enabled to identify the coin: yes, major, from that very hole, which you affect to despise, am I enabled to derive its principal claim to antiquity. Are we not expressly informed, that the leathern money of John of France had a little nail of silver driven into it?" "Well, then," continued the major, "what say you to that tell-tale stitch, which I so unfortunately picked out with my penknife?" "Admirable ingenuity! most refined sophistry! provoking perversion!" exclaimed the vicar. "It is really amusing to observe the address with which the prejudiced observer distorts every fact to his own advantage. Why, bless me, sir, that stitch is strong enough to drag fifty such opponents out of the slough of unbelief." "Do explain yourself," said Mr. Seymour. Explain myself! the stitch speaks for itself, sir. Were not these leathern coins strung together in different numbers, to facilitate pay ments? For, you will admit, that it would have been extremely inconvenient to have coined single pieces of leather, of different denominations." The antiquaries had reached the vicarage before the conclusion of their discussion; and, as the reader will probably agree with us in thinking that a question of such grave historical importance, ought not to be decided without due care and deliberation, we shall afford the disputants a reasonable time for their researches, and put an end to the present chapter. THE KITE.-ITS CONSTRUCTION. THE TAIL. AN AUTHOR'S MEDITATIONS AMONG THE CATACOMBS OF PATERNOSTER ROW.-WORKS IN THEIR WINDING SHEETS. - HOW MR. SEYMOUR STRUNG PUNS AS HE STRUNG THE KITE'S TAIL.- THE VICAR'S THE children were summoned into the library, and informed by their father, that he was at leisure to explain the philosophy of the kite; a subject with which Tom had repeatedly expressed some impatience to become acquainted. "It is a beautiful day," exclaimed the boy, joyously; "and there is such a delightful breeze, that I should really call it a complete kite-day." 66 Gently, my fine fellow," replied Mr. Seymour; "the bird must be fledged, ere it can fly. We have not, as yet, any kite; for you know that the one you possess is shattered beyond the possibility of repair.” “True, papa; but could not Robert just step into the village and buy one? I saw several kites in the shop of Peg Robson yesterday." "I do not doubt it, my boy: but the kites which are to be found in the toy-shop are made to sell, rather than to fly; and to raise the wind, for the benefit of the vender, rather than to be raised by it, for the amusement of the purchaser: we must, therefore, construct one for ourselves; and see, I have, accordingly, prepared all the necessary materials for the purpose. I have here, as you perceive, a straight lath of deal, about three quarters of an inch wide, and less than a quarter of an inch thick, and about four feet in length; this is quite ready for forming the back-bone of the kite: and now for the bow. The cooper has complied with my directions, and sent an unbent hoop, as free as possible from knots; you observe that it is about the same length as the lath, but it will be necessary to pare it down a little at each end, in order to make it bend more readily to the required shape." This having been accomplished, Mr. Seymour proceeded to form the framework of the kite in the following manner. He first ascertained the central point of the hoop, by balancing it on his fore finger; he then affixed that point, by means of string, to the lath, at c, about an inch and a half from its upper extremity; a notch was next cut in each end of the hoop, or bow, a d; having fixed the string in the notch a, he drew it through another, e, previously cut in the bottom of the lath, and carried it to the opposite end of the bow d; the skeleton now presented |