In this connection he introduced the beautiful lines from Milton:-- 'Lift not thy spear against the Muse's bower; The great Emathian conqueror bid spare The house of Pindarus, when temple and tower Went to the ground.' In conclusion, Mr.Tupper related an interesting fact, which in his mind suggested what should be to Americans a pleasing idea--possibly a discovery--as to the origin of the national flag.

On making a pilgrimage just lately to Mount Vernon, he was forcibly struck by the circumstance that the ancient family coat-of-arms of the illustrious Washington consisted of three stars in the upper portion of the shield, and three stripes below; the crest represented an eagle's head, and the motto was singularly appropriate to American history, 'Exitus acta probat.' Mr.
Tupper said he could not but consider this a most interesting coincidence.

He thought the world might well congratulate America upon being the Geographical Apotheosis of that great unspotted character, who, while he yet lived, was prospectively her typical impersonation.
The three stars by a more than tenfold increase have expanded into thirty-three; the glorious Issue has abundantly vindicated every antecedent fact; and your whole emergent eagle, fully plumed, is now long risen from its eyrie and soars sublimely to the sun in heaven." I may venture as an end to all this to quote a bit from my home letter.
"At 6 o'clock, and thereafter till 12, I was the honoured guest at the enclosed splendid banquet.

Our English ambassador sat on one side of the chairman and I on the other; the newspaper will save me all the trouble of a long account; but it was altogether one of the best triumphs I have ever achieved: see the papers.

My dinner was very light, terrapin soup, _pate de foie gras aux truffes_, and sweetbread: with a deluge of iced water, and very little wine.