the accusation, was brought to me as a bribe to forward it. And if it had been so offered even to Jefferies, he would have thrown it back as I do."

The pleader was answered by a half stifled shout of applause. When he began to speak, his voice was low and hoarse, but as he advanced it became vigorous, and his eyes started from their dark hollows with the earnestness of eloquence. The new judges were touched by his appeal and by the opportunity to gain favour by a popular verdict. Padrig was unanimously acquitted, and the jar of gold, which his unexpected advocate had thrown on the table of the court, was restored to him undiminished. His miserable accuser stole out of the people's reach ; but when he went to thank the public prosecutor for his lenity, he was nowhere to be found. The pleader had never been seen after he left the court; and a few hours having been spent in wonder, the real Serjeant Bellasise arrived, post haste and in great trepidation, declaring that he had been detained by indisposition on the road.

None of the

and they all

judges knew him personally on this circuit, agreed that none but Jefferies himself could have had audacity enough to personate him. Enquiries were made at the village inn, and they were informed that the person who called himself Bellasise had arrived there on horseback alone only a few minutes before the treacherous informer came to seek him. How he went from the town, or which way he travelled, was not very diligently traced by those who had heard his daring defence of an innocent

VOL. I.

GG

man. Ever bold and eccentric, mingling great courage with enormous obstinacy, Jefferies had returned to London, expecting, and truly judging that he would be least sought in the midst of his enemies. But by lingering too long in the street to hear music, of which he was passionately fond, he was discovered, and conveyed to the Tower. There he expiated some of his errors by a long imprisonment, and died with no consolation but the blessing of the poor schoolmaster of St. Davids. He chose the bottle for his executioner; and never had recourse to it without drinking health to the judges of the western assizes in 1689.

THE PRUDENT SQUIRE.

A KNIGHT of renown, named Hugo, had, till his fiftieth year, never been in love but with a bumper. Instead of paying court to the fair, he went in search of tilts and tournaments, from which he always returned victorious. In process of time, however, the beardless boy threw him out of the saddle, and all his disdain was gone.

He saw at last Angelica the fair,

And quite forgot his cough and silver hair ;
Whatever ills his forehead might betide,

Before a month had last she was his bride.

By good luck, Angelica was a modest, well-broughtup girl, who, by her rigid virtue, scared away all the gay butterflies that fluttered round the flower of her beauty. Hugo knew the tried and invincible fidelity of his spouse, and loved her as the apple of his eye. One morning he rode out to pay a visit to a neighbouring brother of the lance. Behind him trotted Conrad his old and trusty squire. When they had made about half the journey, the knight suddenly stopped, and thus began:-"Listen to me, Conrad; a thing has just now come into my head

that vexes me. This is the very day that the Reverend Nicolaus comes to the castle to read mass for my dear Angelica and me. Now I am not very fond of having that young spark of a priest within my walls while I am absent; these fellows dont always remember their vows. Do you ride back as quickly as you can, and tell Angelica, in my name, not to see him till I come home."

Conrad thoughtfully shook his head, and replied,"I beg your pardon, noble knight; but would my lady not decline seeing him, perhaps, of her own accord ??— "Away with your perhaps," proceeded Hugo; "I will be sure of it, by giving her my orders."-" Do you think so?" returned the squire." In my simplicity I think the contrary."Follow but for once the counsel of a faithful servant, and give no orders in a case so ticklish.” -"Ticklish here, ticklish there," cried the knight, fretfully" What crotchets are these you have in your head to day? Do you think it troublesome, perhaps, to ride back a few miles ?"

"Oh! if you speak in that tone,”—said the other,"I have nothing more to say." On that he put spurs to his horse and cantered back to the castle. Angelica saw him riding full speed, and, not without some terror, called from the window; "No misfortune, I trust, has happened to my husband ?"—" No, niy lady," answered Conrad; "The valorous knight is only uneasy lest any misfortune come upon you, if you should take a fancy to ride on the large dog."—I ride? I ride on that ugly bull

dog?" asked Angelica, full of amazement; "I believe you have been making too free with the bottle this morning! It is impossible the knight should have charged you with such a commission to me."

"I assure you he did," answered Conrad, "and his honour did it in these very words; That he knew the bull-dog to be an animal that bit furiously if one attempted to use him as a riding poney, and that, therefore, you should not think of taking such amusement.' "After he had spoken in this manner, he turned about his horse and galloped off again." Am I awake? or am I dreaming?" said Angelica to herself. "That idea of the knight's is so very strange, that I cannot think there is any reality in the whole affair-it must be a phantom of my own brain. What could he mean by such a message ? Is it not enough that I have endeavoured, all along, to learn from his look, every wish of his heart, in order to accomplish it? Have I deserved that he should extend the limits of his authority always farther and farther?— that he should lay upon me arbitrary and capricious commands?-Ah!-I now remark, that it is foolish to be too flexible and submissive! The worm which crawls in the dust is trod upon. No, Sir Knight, it shall not go so far as that neither!-In spite of your teeth, I will ride upon the bull-dog, a fancy which would never have entered my brain, but for your prohibition.”

Here her soliloquy was interrupted by a servant, who came to inform her that Nicolaus was in the antichamber.