not be alarmed," faid he, "my fweet friend: I know every thing, and it is for the happinefs of us both. Claudine, and I am a monster. There You are is but one way that I can ceafe to be fo, and tha: depends upon you. I owe you my life, and I wish to owe my honour to you, for it is I who have loft it, not you. Your wound is not dangerous; and as foon as you can go out, you fhall beftow on me the name of husband, and pardon me a crime which I am far from pardoning myfelf. I have long ftrayed from the paths of virtue, Claudine; but they will be the more agreeable when I am reftored to them by you." Imagine the furprife, the joy, the tranfports of Claudine. She would have fpoke, but her tears prevented her. She then perceived little Benjamin, who had been turned out with the reft, and who, anxious about his brother, had foftly opened the door, and thruft in his pretty face to fee what was going forwards. Claudine fhewed him to Mr. Belton, faying, "There is your fon, he will answer you better than I can." He flew; Benjamin covered him with kiffes, and, carrying him to his mother, he paffed the remainder of the night between his wife and his child with a fatisfaction of mind to which he had long been a ftranger. In fifteen days Claudine was well. She had informed Mr. Belton of all that had happened to her. This endeared her to the Englifhman, who was now fonder of her than the firft time he faw her. Claudine, now dreffed as a woman, but with great plainnefs, entered the coach of the Englishman with Benjamin, and all three went ftrait to Salenches to the houfe of the curate. The good man did not at firft know Claudine: but at length recollecting her, he ran to old madam Felix, who was ftill alive, and who almoft died of joy when the beheld Claudine and Benjamin. The next day they fet out for Chamouny, where Mr. Belton, who was a Catholic, wished that the marriage might be publicly folemnized in the parifh-church of Prieure. In the evening the curate of Salenches was fent to demand the hand of his daughter of the terrible M. Simon. The 415 old man received him with great gravi ty, heard him without teftifying any joy, Claudine came to throw herfelf at his and gave his confent in very few words. feet: he allowed her to remain a few feconds, railed her without a smile, and faluted Mr. Belton with great coolness. The good Nanette laughed and cried at the fame time. On the road tohurch, the carried Benjamin on one hell, and held her fifter with the other; the two curates walked before, and old madam Felix behind with M. Simon; all the children of the village followed finging fongs. where the ceremony was performed by In this order they reached the church, the curate of Salenches. Mr. Belton had tables covered on the banks of the Arva, where every ueft was welcome, and the whole village danced during eight days. He bought fome good eftates for old M. Simon, but he refused to accept them. practicable. She accepted of an eftate, Nanette was not fo imand a handfome houfe which Mr. Belton gave her, and is now the richest and the happieft woman in the parish. Mr. and Mrs. Belton went away in about a month, carrying with them the bene dictions of every body. They are now at London, where I understand Benjamin has five or fix brothers and fitters. not fhorten, because I tried to tell it you Such is their hiftory; which I could in the words of the curate, whom I have often heard repeat it. If it has not pleafed you, you will excufe me. him that his tale had interefted me much. I thanked Francis Paccard, affuring I defcended from Montanverd, with my head full of Claudine; and during my Paccard had told it me, without trying return to Geneva I wrote this ftory as to correct the many faults of ftyle which the critics will no doubt discover in it. A curious Advertisement, which lately THEREAS I, Sarah, the Sittinbourne, fometime ago miffed a gold wife of Richard Bean, of ring, and fuppofed it to be fent to Mr. James Green, coal-meter, of Milton, in a pint of flour fold to his houfe; and, As I came out, I saw a man ftanding up for difcovering the faid ring, applied to the knees in clay and mud, labouring myfelf to John Martin, tallow chandler, (a perfon faid to be fkilled in the art or mytery of conjuration,) who, after making feveral trials of his art, declared that Mahetabel, the daughter of James Green, had the ring; whereupon I challenged her, and called her a thief. And whereas I, the faid John Martin, on application as aforefaid, and feveral cautious trials of my fcience, did inform the faid Sarah Bean, that the faid Mahetabel had the ring. Now I, the faid Sarah Bean, declare myfelf heartily forry for my weaknefs, and defire that my error may be forgiven. "And I, the faid Martin, being truly fenfible that by my means the faid Mahetabel was called a thief, do declare myfelf heartily forry for my weaknefs, in impofing firft on myfelf and then on others, and defire the will forgive my folly; and I promife I will never more pretend to exercife the fcience of enchantment, conjuration, fecond-fightednefs, or any fuch crafty fcience. I thought my fkill was good, though it coft me nothing, but now I find it deceitful and vain at the expence of five guineas." Sarah Bean, John Martin. FEW evenings ago, I took a A walk with an acquaintance: the fun had defcended beneath the vifible very affiduoufly, in fo much that I cas of every happiness upon earth, without any alloy of care or anxiety. We do not reflect that the greater our poffeffions are, the greater will be our anxiety and trouble. nours, or, in fact, any fublunary enjoyment, if we are deprived of that moit valuable bleffing? By being inured to labour, our bodies are invigorated, and confequently truly capable of enjoyment Then, we.have a proper relish for food, which though mean, yet to the laborious it has a fuperior relish to that on the luxuriant tales of the great; who, for the want of exercife, and by luxury, are frequentiy racked with the gout and many other excruciating pains; and, of confequence, rendered totally unable to enjoy it, or any thing elfe in life. Now, as a remedy for difcontent, which may arife from a confideration of the difparity of our circumftances in comparison with others, I humbly offer the following confiderations. I fhall begin with thofe in a middle ftation, and defcend in gradation to the loweft ranks of mankind. Firft, then, if any difcontent fhould arife in thofe who move in a middle fphere, I would advise them There are many other advantages to look beneath them, and confider how which the laborious man enjoys, but as many thousands of their fellow-creatures I am afraid this will exceed the bounds who, to all appearance, are as good as of a paper, I fhall pafs on to that themfelves, and who, perhaps with equal race of mankind which, for the fake of opportunities, might have been much diftinétion, I fhall name the moft wretch-' better, are labouring in the moft fervile ed. I would with them to confider, that and mean offices of life; and perhaps after all, fcarce able to procure fuftenance. Let them afk themfelves what claim they have to independence, above fo many thousands of their fellow creatures, who are, at this inftant, labouring in the mines of America; and to whom the refreshing rays of the fun never penetrates. Let them call to mind the numbers who are now traverfing the burning and fandy deferts of Arabia: and who are frequently in danger of being buried for ever in the dreadful tornados. If after this they can murmur, let them but think on the many unfortunate people condemned to perpetual flave ry and yet innocent, in Barbary and Morocco, fcarce able to drag their heavy chains of iron-feparated from their relations, wives, and children for ever. I am of opinion, that if they take thefe ferious truths into confideration, it will fufficient to convince them of their error, and how little they deferve what they enjoy for their groundlefs difcontent. Secondly, people in a low ftation may alledge that they are under the ncceflity of labouring very hard for a livelihood, and confequently deprived of the bleffings of life, which they other wife would enjoy. I would with thefe to confider, that by bodily labour they promote health, which certainly is the most defirable thing we can poffibly poffefs. For of what value to us are riches, hoHib. Mag. Nov. 1792. however miferable their fituation may be, properamus ad unum." Sooner or later we all haften to the fame place, of eternal blifs cr milery. Where then is the diftinction ? After my friend and I left the cottage, in our way home we paffed through the parish church-yard. It was dark all nature feemed hufhed in deep repofe. As I was proceeding flowly along, contemplating on the frailty of man, and his folly in being fo anxious after things which he, at moft, could enjoy but a fhort time, I came near two graves: perhaps, thought I to myfelf, in one of thefe reft the remains of a once haughty and imperious mafter-perhaps in the other his fervant. Which is the mafter's? Is there now any diftinction? Are they not equally food for the worms? my heart finote me at this inftant I could not fupprefs an emotion which arele in my breaft-nor can I now defcribe it. Ggg Suffice Suffice it to fay, I left this difmal fcene, faying to my friend-Shame on mankind. Defcription of a Landlord and his Inn at ters. Y My mother found herself, one evening during our journey, fo much fatigued, that instead of being able to reach Amiens, where we intended to leep that night, we were obliged to ftop at a very fmall village fome leagues diftant. The landlord of the little inn where we alighted, received us with an air of confcious dignity and importance which but ill accorded with the appear. ance of his dwelling. We enquired if he could furnish us with beds: he feemed offended at the question, as implying in it fome doubt, and answered with impatience, Mais, madame, comme à la ville." We found, however, that the walls of the rooms where people were lodged "Comme à la ville," were of bare brick. "What is the name of this place?" faid I to a ruddy cheeked fervant girl who waited upon us. "Madam," faid fhe, C'eft Ser teaux, pour vous obeir.” The mafter of the inn having got the better of the ill humour our firit enquiries had occafioned, affured us we should have an elegant fupper, and that he understood the art of cookery perfectly, having affifted fome years in the kitchen of Madame la princefs de Monaco. He by no means over-rated his talents: the fupper was extremely well dreffed. When we had fupped, he told us that we might confider ourfelves as in perfect fafety under his roof; "for I, ladies," added he in an elevated accent, "am the mayor of the village, and have two national guards every night at my door. I faved the chateau of a perfon who was very odious to his peafants, from being burnt, by haranguing the people, and convincing them of the en ormity of the action; and my fellow. citizens, in gratitude for my fervices on that occafion, unanimoufly chofe me for their mayor. I congratulated monf. le Maire on the happy effects of his eloquence, when 66 he immediately ftepped out of the room, and returned with a national fearf in his hand, and a fierce grenadier's cap, which had been prefented to him as trophies of his patriotifm. I enquired how many national guards there were in the village- No lefs than eighty men," faid he, " and I am their colonel." The honours, dignities, and high offices, civil and military, of our landlord, now crowded fo thick upon us, that we could fcarcely reconcile ourfelves to the trouble we gave him of bringing little moveable frames, for mattreffes, into the room where we had fupped, and which the chief magiftrate arranged with admirable dexterity. Next morning, we found he had thrown afide his white jacket, and was arrayed in the national uniform. When we recollected that our veal cutlets had been dreffed by a colonel, and our mattreffes arranged by a mayor, we felt ourselves fomewhat in the fituation of Don Quixote when queens faddled his horse, and ducheffes held his bridle. We made very low curtfics to our hoft at parting, which he received by clapping his hand on his military cap. Anecdote. THE late Dr. Magrath being called upon to vifit a fick man, afked him as he entered the room, how he did? "O doctor," replied the man in a plaintive tone, "I am dead." The doctor immediately left the room, and reported in the neighbourhood the man was dead. The report was at firft he lieved and circulated; but as foon as the mistake was difcovered, the doctor was afked, "Why he had propagated a falle report?" He replied, that he did it from the beft authority; for he had it from the man's own mouth, Adventures of a Ruffian Gentleman in woman. When a man fays to a woman, I love you, the devil repeats it to her a hundred times: the devil repeated a thousand times to my ear, the tender things which this young angel had faid of me: and, on that fweet perfuafion, I became terribly in love. But I quit ted her in a fhort time, for I found her not only foolish and tire fome, but was alfo obliged to put myself into the hands of a furgeon. When I was again in the world, I related my adventure, and was informed, by way of confolation, that, befides being egregionfly duped, I had been dithonoured by attaching myfelf to a woman who did not belong to any of the theatres. I determined fpeedily to repair that error, and attached myself to a dancer of the opera. She was a young provencal, lively, and gay, and had the finelt leg in Paris. She was fo greedy, I mean of Louis d'ors, that she often made me remember the words of the marefnal de Villars to Louis XIV. -She only required three things, money, money, money. My jealoufy was at length roufed by catching her, when the thought I was engaged in another quarter of the town, in an amorous tete-a-tete with a French officer. I demanded fatisfaction immediately of the military gallant, and he run me through the body, which put me into the hands of the furgeon for three months. I retired again into the beau monde, with a firm refolution to be wiler for the future. Every one affured me, that I was improving amazingly;-that I fhould thine on my return to my own country and that in every rofe we muft expect to find a thorn. Ah! why had not I a friend to inform me that the rofes would fade, while the thorns would remain-Being always behind the fcenes of the opera, temptation again overcome me, and I ventured upon another miftrefs. She fung like an angel. She was at once a Syren and a Circe: fhe had a languifhing eye, afine complexion, an enchanting foftnefs, and an ingenuous air which would have deceived Ulyffes. Her mother had been a dancer, and mifs was brought up in the opera houfe: from her infancy, the receive the friends of her mama, and to be prefent at all their parties. Every thing was in her favour, birth, education, example, precept, experience; and I was in my twentieth year. As the had made it a regular ftudy, the applied herfelf ferioufly, to ruin me. She had attained the laft degree of perfection in the art, which is the art of concealing the art itfelf. All her fineffe was imperceptible. She had, as I have already obferved, only one decided paffion, that of avarice. I gave willingly, because he never demanded any thing, but allowed every thing to appear the effect of my liberality. Her mother, indeed, extolled my generofity; fheeven reduced the four cardinal virtues to that alone; and, and at the beginning of the year, the proved to me that I ought to give her daughter a diamond necklace, for her new-year's gift. A Her demand appeared rather extravagant, it was about thirty thousand francs. My lord -, fhe faid, has given one to his miftrefs, though the had been convicted of infidelities. certain German baron whom I know, added fhe, has ordered one for his miftrefs, though the has few talents or accomplishments to recommend her. She concluded, by obferving, that the honour of Ruffia was concerned in this bufinefs. The laft argument was not to be with flood-I gave the necklace; or rather it was the merchant who made her a prefent of it, as I forgot to pay for it. Care continued a ftranger to me, agreeable to the maxim of my beloved enchantrefs; but at length my father, not being able or willing to fupport my extravagance any longer, ceafed to fupply me with money. Having no other refource, the mafk fell when this intelligence was received, the girl remained, and the Circe became a Megara; a violent fcene fucceeded, and the thut the door forcibly in my face. That the might effectually get rid of me, the prevailed on the jeweller, who had furnished the diamond necklace, to put me in priion. I was accordingly confined in the Fort l'Eveque, from whence I am but juft releafed, after fuffering eight |