William
Hall is still alive, and there is not a prouder man in Britain's Isle
than he is when he relates the little incident in his life, of which the
present Lord Chancellor of Great Britain forms the
hero.--_Schoolmaster._
* * * * *
O'BRIEN, THE IRISH GIANT.
This extraordinary giant, whose height was nearly nine feet, was born at
Kinsale, in the kingdom of Ireland. His real name was Patrick Cotter; he
was of obscure parentage, and originally laboured as a brick-layer; but
his uncommon size rendered him a mark for the avarice of a showman, who,
for the payment of L50. per annum, obtained the liberty of exhibiting
him for three years in England. Not contented with his bargain, the
chapman attempted to _underlet_ to another speculator, the liberty of
showing him, and poor Cotter resisting this nefarious transaction, was
saddled with a fictitious debt, and thrown into a spunging house in
Bristol. In this situation he was, happily for him, visited in prison by
a gentleman of the city, who, in compassion to his distress, and having
reason to think that he was unjustly detained, very generously became
his bail, and ultimately so far investigated the affair, that he not
only obtained him his liberty, but freed him from all kind of obligation
to serve his task-master any longer.
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