20 MAY 1871, Page 3

Last week, Friday excepted, has been much more like November

than the May about which poets are accustomed to write such fibs. Heavy snow fell at Wick on Tuesday for twelve consecu- tive hours, there was a fall of snow at Matlock on Wednesday, and all through the week London has been made miserable by Charles Kingsley's favourite wind. " Hard grey weather" may "make hard Englishmen," but peoplein this country are conserva- tive, and like to be hardened at the usual times and seasons, and not frozen alive just as they are beginning to discard great-coats. No wonder Parliament is mutinous. It is not in human nature to keep its temper under an east wind in the middle week of May.