ce at a is he sed to res surprise. In the truth of this declaration ropeladder to let himself down from a he persisted, till he was brought to the window, if he had found the street-door place of execution; when, begging to double-locked; but finding it otherwise, speak with one of the judges, he recanted he left his rope-ladder at the bottom of what he had said against Le Brun and the stairs, where it was found." Madame de Savoniere, and confessed. "That he came to Paris on the Wed-deed of darkness; and all the circumThus was the veil removed from this nesday before the murder was committed. stances which condemned Le Brun, were On the Friday evening he went into the accounted for consistently with his innohouse, and, unperceived, got into one of cence. From the whole story, the reader the lofts, where he lay till Sunday morn will perceive how fallible human reason is, ing, subsisting on apples and bread which when applied to circumstances; and the he had in his pockets; that about eleven humane will agree, that, in such cases, o'clock on Sunday morning, when he even improbabilities ought to be admitted, knew the lady had gone to mass, he stole rather than a man should be condemned; down to her chamber, and the door being who may possibly be innocent. THE WILL. open, he tried to get under her bed; but it being to low, he returned to the loft, pulled off his coat and waistcoat, and returned to the chamber a second time in his shirt; he then got under the bed, where he continued till the afternoon, when Lady Mazel went to church; that circumstances occurred lately in France; The following curious and interesting knowing she would not come back soon, Monsi.ur ***, a gentlemen of handsome he got from under the bed; and being in- fortune, and a bachelor, died rather sudCommoded with his hat, he threw it un- denly, and as no will could be found, three der the bed, and made a cap of a napkin nephews with whom he had held but litwhich lay in a chair, secured the bell tle intercourse) laid claim to the properstrings, and then sat down by the fire; ty, as heirs-at-law. On the first news of where he continued till he heard her his illness, a young man, a distant relation coach drive into the court-yard, when he of the old gentleman and who was entireagain got under the bed, and remained ly dependent on him, had hurried up to there; that Lady Mazel having been in Paris, in order to render him every care bed about an hour, he got from under the and attention in his power. An orphan, bed and demanded her money; she be- brought up and educated by Monsieur ***, gan to cry out, and attempted to ring, he had ever regarded him as a second upon which he stabbed her: and she re- father; and, indeed the latter had always sisting with all her strength, he repeated said it was his intention to provide for him. his stabs till she was dead; that he then He arrived, however, too late to take a took the key of the wardrobe cupboard last farewell of his respected friend ere from the bed's head, opened this cupboard, death had closed his eyes for ever. Findfound the key of the strong box, opened ing himself thus at once blighted in all his it and took out all the gold he could find, werdly prospects, deprived suddenly of to the amount of about six hundred livres; his protector, whose apparent unkindness that he then locked the cupboard and re- and neglect had left him in a forlorn and placed the key at the bed's head; threw destitute situation, it might naturally be his knife into the fire; took his hat from supposed that the bitterness of his feeling under the bed, left the napkin in it; took would have found vent in murmurs of rethe key of the chamber out of the chair, proach; but grief for the loss of one whom and let himself out; went to the loft, he ever cherished in the light of a parent where he pulled off his shirt and cravat; appeared alone to absorb the faculities of and leaving them there, put on his coat this exemplary young man, and he retired and waistcoat, and stole softly down to a distant province to mourn in secret stairs; and finding the street-door only the loss of his only friend. In the mean on the single lock, he opened it, went out, time the nephews take possession of the and left it open: that he had brought a property. A very valuable collection of being t he pictures, forming a part of the personali- THE WOODEN SWORD.-There were ties, are inmediately exposed for sale, two brothers in one regiment, the one a and the names of the most distinguished sergeant, the other a private, and both giv artist figuring upon the catalogue, a vast en very much to liquor. The sergeant concourse of amatres flock together on happened in his cups one night to fall over the occasion. The first day's sale goes his sword, by its getting between his legs, off admirably, realizing immense prices- and had snapped the blade in half; to rethe three nephews, who are present, re- medy which, and till he could convenientjoicing, in the event, with mutual congrat- ly get another put into the hilt, he had subulations and glee, exult in their good for- stituted a wooden one, which, when tune; the second day's sale begins; the placed in the scabbard, could not be dissame success; at length as the attendants covered; but, on his punishing a private are taking down from the wall a picture to for some offence, who was one of the very be put up for the next lot, a small portfo- few that knew of the circumstance; he, in lio falls from behind it to the ground: dis- revenge, told his commanding officer of it, regarded, it is on the point of being who strictly enjoined the soldier to se thrown aside, when, out drops a paper; on crecy, thinking to have a laugh at the ser which the word "Will, &c." written in geant's expense; he therefore told all the very discernable characters, cannot fail officers at the mess-house of the joke, ard of attracting general observation. The promised them a treat. At the evening auctioneer pauses-calls the attention of parade he called the sergeant.-"Where's his audience-and informs them that the your brother, Sir?"—"In the black-hole, auction must be suspended for a while, as your honour," answered the sergeant. he is compelled to call in the proper au- "Take a file of men and fetch him here. thorities to take cognizance of the affair. He brings him forward. The commander The Judge de Paix is sent for-the will proceeds. "You are such an infamous opened and read-when, lo! the young drunken scoundrel, aud you have degra man is therein named sole heir to all ded the regiment for so many years, that the property, and becomes at once posses- I am determined, as no other punishment ed of upwards of 40,000 francs a year, will reform you, to make you an example, besides large personal property; whilst by having your head taken off in front of the avaricious and undeserving nephews, the battalion; therefore kneel! and do you now crest-fallen and dismayed (whose sergeant, draw your sword and cut it off." doleful countenances, in which astonish- The criminal pleaded, but in vain. The ment and disappointment seem struggling sergeant then begged of his honour, that if for the ascendency, would form a subject his brother must die, not to let him be the not unworty the pencil of Hogarth) are executioner. "If you do not instantly obey left to condole with each other on the fail- I'li strike off your head," rejoins he. The ure of their premature rejoicing, their sel- sergeant fell on his knees, and exclaimed, fish triumph. "Pray Heaven, hear my prayes! and be fore I should be the slaughterer of my CURIOUS PARTICULARS RELATING TO MAR- brother, may the blade of my sword turn RIAGE. The intervention of a priest, or into wood? My prayers are heard," cried rather ecclesiastical functionary, was not he, and drew it out, and turned the laugh deemed in Europe indispensable to a mar- against those who came to laugh at him. riage, until the Council of Trent, in 1409. The brothers were both pardoned. The celebrated decree passed in that ses sion, interdicting any marriage otherwise than in the presence of a priest, and at least, two witnesses. Before the time of When, on the death of the Empress Pope Innocent III., (111S,) there was no Catherine, Paul ascended the Russian solemninization of marriage in the church, throne, he went, accompanied only by his but the bridegroom came to the bride's two eldest sons, the Grand Dukes Alexan house, and led her home to his own, which der and Constantine, to the castle in which was all the ceremony then used. Banns state prisoners were confined, released were first directed to be published by Kosciusko, and in the following words did Cannon Hubert Walter, in the year 1200. homage to his virtues"] restore to you your sword, General, asking you to pledge smoothed, the shank well shaven, and your word never more to use it against the the point well and round filed, cauted, Russians." Kosciusko is said to have de- and sharpened." But a more ingenious clined the sword, saying, "I need none, and expeditious manner of making them having now no mother-land;" but pledg- being introduced, such as is now used, ed his word as to the price of his liberty. the statute was repealed three years afThe Czar then inquired whither the releas- ter. ed prisoner would go to which Kosci Notwithstanding there is scarcely a usco firmly replied, "to America, where commodity cheaper than pins, there is I shall find brothers in arms and glorious none that passes through more hands berecollections." fore they come to sale. It is reckoned that no less than twenty-five workmen and the striking of the pin in the paper. are successively employed on each pin, between the drawing of the brass wire, LOVE MATCHES. ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS.-There exist at this time, in possession of the O'Connor family, manuscript rolls of extrenic antiquity, containing the history of a people. who escaped from Gallicia to Ireland. when Sesostris overran Europe. They contain the chronicles, laws, and religion quently pathetic in favour of love matchWhen quite young I used to grow eloof that people, during a period of five es: and not unfrequently asserted very thousand years distinct from the Jewish dogmatically, that any other kind of Greek, and Roman histories, of which matches than those which grew out of these chroniclers had no knowledge. The love, and love alone, were sure to be unmanuscripts in question were buried for happy. I thought I was right, thenmany centuries, and about the beginning I think I was wrong. now. of the seventeenth century were disinter knowledge of human uature, and some A little more red by one of the O'Connors. They are observation, as well as experience in life in the Phoenican character and language, which is the same as the ancient Gælic. has changed my early notions. Love matches,-pure love matches, I meansuch as are all impulse and no reflection, -too frequently prove the worst ones, PINS AND NEEDLES.-Needles, accord- exist the moment it discovers its object to because love is a sentiment that ceases to ing to the History of England, had made be unlovely; and it is too often that those their appearance among the manufac- who are so very susceptible of tender imtures which were sold in Cheapside dur-ressions are not always such as have dising the reign of Mary. A Spanish negro positions well checked and balanced. had made them. but, as he refused to When however, a match of this kind is a discover his art, the nation received little good one, the parties are supremely hap benefit from him. In 1566, however, the manufacture of because feeling may grow painful from py,-though perhaps, a little too much so, needles was again commenced. and di- its very intensity. The best matches, rected by one Elias Grouse, a German. generally are those in which esteem has The first mention of pins that occurs ripened into love-and that love a sober in the English Statute-Book, is found in sentiment,--where estimable qualities an Act of Parliament of Richard the III, have been the prime attractions. Two, A. 1). 1483, prohibiting certain foreign of clear heads, sound judgment, and warm manufactures. Soon after which, the art hearts, drawn together from a consciousof making them appeared to have been ness of mutual worth, will soon find affecintroduced from France. By an Act of tion, pure, sober affection, deepening its Parliament passed in 1543, the mode of channel and widening its boundaries, until their production was regulated in a par- as years glide away, they will grow in ticular manner; the pin was ordered" to feeling and sentiment so wholly be double-headed, and to have the head and indivisible," that even death cannot seddered fast to the shank; to be wel separate them. 1 " one FATHER AND SONS AT THE BATTLE OF BENNINGTON.-Among the most glorious battles, for the American arms, fought during the revolutionary war, was that of a handful of militia men under General Stark. Then it was that the heroic commander made that short, but most efficient speech-coming from his own heart, and going to the hearts of those who had left wives at home-that the day must be won," or Mary Stark's a widow." The heroism displayed by an old man, as recorded in the following anecdote (copied from Thatcher's Journal) would have done honor to the most glorious days of Greece. or Rome. An old man had five sons in the field of battle, and being told he had been unfortunare in one of his sons, replied," What! has misbehaved? did he desert his post, or shrink from the charge?" "No, sir," says the informant. "worse than that -he is among the slain-he fell comending mightily in the cause." "Then I am satisfied," replied the good old man: bring him and Jay him before me, that I may be hold and survey the darling of my soul." On which the corpse was brought in and He then called for a 'laid before him. bowl of water and a napkin, and with his own hands washed the gore and dirt, from his son's corpse, and wiped his gaping wounds, with a complacency, as he himself expressed it, which before he had never felt or experienced. Death falls heavy on that man who is too much kno wn to others, and too little to himself. RULWIR'S LAST WORK-In our last number we commenced the new work, "Leia, or the Siege of Grenada," this is undoubtedly the poorest production that has emanated from the pen of this distinguished writer. His works have hitherto been stamped with originality and tale nt, and have been perused with mingled feelings of pleasure and admiration of the man, whose genius could create so much of the beau tiful, and so adinir: bly blend history and fiction: We cousider the present works in comparison with his others, is as a "nole-hill" to mountains." The London edition came out to this country in "gorgeous livery "-splendidly illustrated, &c. &c.-the reason is obvious!!! We publish it, however, as the work of Bulwer. We shall so arrange it as to present our subscribers with the whole work in five or six Dumbers, the Lond na edition of which, is $5 per copy. For the Philadelphia Visiter. And sweep thy surges to the rock bound shore. White lips now move-with terror dumb-and fear Makes hold hearts tremble-and the pearly tear Oh Ocean!-thou magnificiently grand, Confi'd by nought but the wide universe. QUIRK. "Clen rushen is the name of a river in the Isle of Man" remarkable for the beauty of the scenery upon lits banks, and its numerous cascades. these humble lips dared utter other words than those of love!" "And what wise counsel would they It was in the same chamber, and give me? asked Boabdil, with a smile. pearly at the same hour in which we first" Speak on." 66 pres-cheek presented to the reader Boabdil el Chico, I will obey thee, then, even if it disthat we are again admitted to the pres- please," cried Amine; and she rose, her ence of that ill-starred monarch. He cheek glowing, her eyes sparkling, her was not alone. His favourite slave, A-beautiful form dilated. "I am a daugh mine, reclined upon the ottomans, gazing ter of Grenada; I am the beloved of a with anxious love upon his thoughtful king; I will be true to my birth and to countenance, as he leaned against the my fortunes. Boabdil el Chico, the last glittering wall by the side of the case- of a line of heroes, shake off these gloomy ment, gazing abstractedly on the scene fantasies; these doubts and dreams that below. smother the fire of a great nature and a From afar he heard the shouts of the kingly soul! Awake-arise-rob Grenpopulace at the return of Muza, and bursts ada of her Maza; be thyself her Muza of artillery confirmed the tidings of tri- Trustest thou to magic and to spells? umph which had already been borne to grave them, then, on thy breastplate write them on thy sword. and live no longer the Dreamer of the Alhambra; become the saviour of the people!" his ear. "May the king live for ever!" said Amine timidly; his armies have gone forth to conquer." Boabdil turned and gazed on the in"But without their king," replied Bo-spired and beautiful form before him with abdil, bitterly," and headed by a traitor mingled emotions of surprise and shame. and a foe. I am meshed in the nets of" Out of the mouth of woman cometh an inextricable fate!" my rebuke!" said he, sadly. "It is "Oh!" said the slave with sudden ener- well!? gy, as, clasping her hands, she rose from "Pardon me, pardon me!" said the her couch, "oh, my lord! would that slave, falling humbly at his knees; "but VOL. III.-16-1 |