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I took the knife from his girdle, refuming, has this inftrument done much execution."

Who art thou?' he roared in a terrible accent, flinging his pipe on the grafs and ftarting up.'

A murderer like thyfelf-but only a beginner.'

He gazed at me and took up his pipe."

Thou art no inhabitant of thefe diftricts," he refumed, at length.' 'I am : haft thou heard of Wolf, the inn-keeper, at A-?'

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He ftarted up as if frantic, exclaiming in a rapturous accent, Wolf the inn-keeper, who has been punished fo feverely for game-ftealing?"

'That very man I am.

Welcome, comrade, a thousand times welcome!' he exclaimed, thaking me joyfully by the hand, how glad am I that I have found thee at laft, I have been many months in fearch of thee; I know thee very well, know all that thou haft fuffered, and have been longing for thy affiftance this great while.

.' For my affiftance? To what purpbfe?

Every body fpeaks of thee: thou haft many enemies, haft fuffered glaring injuries, haft been entirely ruined and perfecnted with unheard of feverity. He grew warm. They have immured thee in the house of correction, have treated thee like a galley flave at the fortress, have ftripped thee of thy

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fortune, and reduced thee to beggary, because thou haft killed a few paltry deer, which the prince fuffers to prey on our corn, and to rob us of the fruit of our diligence. Is it come to that, brother, that a human being is valued lefs than a human being is valued less than a hare or a boar? Are we not better than the wild beafts of the field? And a fellow like thyself could brook fuch injury.”

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What could I do?"

'That we fhall fee: but pray tell me, whence doft thou come, and on what errand?'

I related my whole hiftory to him, and, without awaiting the end of it he jumped up with joyful impatience, pulling me after him with all his might.

Come along, brother,' he said, now art thou ripe, art the very man I wanted for my purpofe. I fhall reap great honour by introducing thee to our commonwealth. Make hafte and follow me."

'Whither art thou going to conduct

me?'

'Don't ask questions but come and fee; fo faying, he dragged me forcibly after him."

'As we proceeded the foreft grew more and more intricated, impenetrable and gloomy: none of us fpoke a word until I was fuddenly roufed from my apathy by the whiftle of my leader: I looked around and beheld myself at the declivity of a fteep rock, projecting over a deep cavern. A fecond whiftle anfwered from the womb of the rock, and a ladder rofe flowly from the abyss, a thundering voice hallooed from the deep, and the winding cavern echoed to the found. My leader defcended, firft bidding me to wait 'till he should return. I first muft fecure the maftiff which guards the enrance to our abode." he faid, thou art a ftranger, and the ferocious beaft would tear thee to pieces. So faying, he difappeared."

Now I was standing alone before the precipice, and was well aware of it. The imprudence of my leader did not efcape my notice: It would have coft me no more but a refolute effort to pull up the ladder, and I would have been

reftored

reftored to liberty, and effected my efcape without the leaft danger of being overtaken by the inhabitants of the eavern; I cannot but confefs that I had fome temptation to do it: looking down into the abyfs I was ftruck with an obfcure idea of the bottomlefs gulph of hell, from whence there is no redemption to be expected. I began to hudder at the new courfe of life which I was going to commence. A fudden flight only could have faved me. I was half determined to effect my escape, and already ftretching out my hand to pull up the ladder, when fuddenly I fancied to hear a thundering voice as if from the womb of hell, what has a murderer to risk?' and my arm loft its hold, and every power of motion. My doom was fixed, the time of repentance paft, and the murder I had committed was, towering behind me like a moun tain fhutting up for ever my return to the path of virtue."

My leader re-appeared the fame moment, bidding me defcend into the cavern. I had now no other choice left but to fubmit to neceffity, and went down. Having advanced a few fteps under the excavated rock, Our paffage grew larger, and I beheld fome huts at a diftance, and as I approached nearer, a round fpot covered with grafs appeared to my view. About twenty people were fitting round a blazing fire. Here,' my leader exclaimed, here I bring you a new member of our fociety, whofe name is not unknown to you, rife and welcome the celebrated Wolf, of A-,'

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filled with delicious wine wandered from hand to hand, and fpread merriment and joviality around; plenty and concord feemed to reign in that little. fociety, and every one ftrove to ma nifeft his joy at my prefence.'

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I was feated between two females which was the place of honour at table, and having expected to meet with the refufe of their fex, how great was my aftonishment when I found amid this gang. of robbers the most beautiful female figures my eyes ever beheld. Margaret, the eldest and handfomeft of the two, was called Mifs, and could not be much above eighteen; her language was very licentious, and her looks fill more fo. Maria, the youngest, was married, but had run away from a huf band, who had treated her ill; her form. was fuperior to that of my other neighbour, however fhe was pale and of a delicate conftitution, and in the whole lefs ftriking at firft fight than the lively Margaret. They feemed to rival who first fhould kindle my defires; the beautiful Margaret ftrove to difpel my timidity by wanton jokes, however I foon conceived an invincible dislike to that woman, and the modeft Maria fettered my heart for ever.'

You fee, brother, faid the man who had been my conductor to that place, you fee how we live here, and every day paffes like the prefent: Is it not true, comrades? Yes, every day paffes like the prefent,' the whole gang exclaimed.'

If therefore you think you can accuftom yourself to our manner of life, then ftay with us and be our captain: do you confent to it, comrades

An unanimous yes rent the air.”
(To be continued.)

Anecdote of Parfons the Comedian.

THE following is told of that much

regretted and admirable comedian PARSONS. A young law fprig calling on him one day at Lambeth, found him engaged in copying a fmall Wilfon:-Upon my foul,' fays Qui tam, but I like you amazingly fo far as you have gone. Parfons replied, do you think fo my boy? Well you're a young lawyer, and may be a JUDGE.

Thoughts on what are called Varieties, drawing any certain conclufion, till the both in the Animal and Vegetable facts neceffary for giving authenticity to Creation*. any opinion fhall have been fully afcertained.

THE

HE only rule hitherto adopted by naturalifts, to mark the diftinction between a fpecies and a variety, is, that though different fpecies of animals of the fame genus may be brought to breed together, (as the horfe and the afs) yet the animals thus produced, are not prolific; whereas the progeny arif ing from an intermixture of different varieties of the fame fpecies, are themfelves equally prolific as the parents from which they fprang. Adhering to this rule, Dr. Pallas, very properly, calls all the kinds of theep yet known, only varieties of the fame ipecies of animal,

because he has found that the mixed progeny of the whole are prolific.

Naturalifts, however, have not ftopped here. In their defire for fimplification they have gone a step farther, and are now, in general, difpofed to maintain, that all the varieties, properly fo called, have been produced by accidental deviations only from one parent animal, which they believe has originally conftituted the whole of each individual fpecies; they of course endeavour, in most cafes, to fix upon fome one of thefe varieties, as having been the original from which all the others have sprung. In both thefe laft affumptions, however, they feem to go farther than facts hitherto well authenticated can authorize them. They reafon, at beft, only from probabilities, from which no inferences can be adinitted as certain and as there are probabilities, perhaps equally ftrong againft the opinion they have adopted, as for it, the fafeft courfe, in this cafe, would feem to be, at least, to fufpend our opinion for the prefent, and to decline

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NOTE.

*Written by James Anderfon LL. D. and F. R. S. and published by him, as an Appendix to Dr. Pallas' Account of the different Kinds of Sheep found in the Ruffian Dominions, and among the Tartar Hordes of Afia.

Hib. Mag. March, 1796.

Buffon, who is the leaft fcrupulous of all modern naturalifts, has been the moft forward to decide in this, as in many other cafes. He does not fo much as condefcend to admit that there can be a doubt in this cafe; but on all occafions affumes it as a certainty, that all the varieties of one fpecies have been derived from one parent; and boldly raifes, upon that fuppofition, many practical inferences, which, if his theory should prove to be unfounded, might lead to very important errors; so that it is not a matter of idle curiosity to inveftigate this question.

Among the varieties of the fame fpecies of animals, we find very great and striking diverfities in refpect to fize, qualities, appearance, natural instincts, and faculties. Between the largest fized maftiff dog, for example, and the fmalleft lap dog, when both are well fed, and at full growth, the difference is not, I fhould fuppofe, lefs than as ten to one of abfolute weight. The hound, properly fo called, poffeffs the fenfe of fmelling in the highest perfection, fo that he purfues his game invariably by the fcent. The gaze hound, on the other hand, is perfectly deftitute of that fenfe in regard to the difcrimination of game, and purfues it invariably by the eye only; whence his name. The pointer and the spaniel, though both poffeffing the fenfe of smelling, in great perfection, as well as the hound, are endowed with instincts very different; and exercise the sense of

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out proof, that fuch prodigious diverfities fhould all have been the progeny of one common parent.

apt to vary, it might be more eafy for Were thefe diverfities only cafual and us to give faith to the hypothefis; but

Imell each in a way peculiar to its kind. The pointer and the thepherd's dog can be each taught their leffon in their own ftyle with equal facility; but the one can never be brought farther than to act by a fort of mechanical impulfe, fteadily to one point; while the other can be this is not the cafe. Experience has taught to act, in fome measure, like a fully proved, that any one breed may reafoning animal, who is authorized to be kept perfectly uncontaminated for vary his conduct as circumstances re- any length of time, with all its diftincquire; and does fo, accordingly, in tive peculiarities entire, merely by prefome cafes, with a cautious difcretion, venting an intermixture by copulation. that exceeds even fome of the human Nor is this all: it is alfo known, that if race. Some varieties of dogs take to fuch interimixture be permitted, the the water eafily, while others avoid it defcendants will undoubtedly be a mixed with much care. Some only howl, like breed, evidently participating of the the hound; others bark almoft inceff- qualities and appearances of both its antly, as the lap dog; others, like the greyhound, feldom let their voice be heard, and others are entirely mute. This flight fketch ought to be fufficient to make one hesitate in admitting, with

NOTE.

parents. Between a hound and a greyhound, a mongrel breed is obtained which poffeffes the fenfe of fmelling, though in a lefs degree than the one, and the faculty of fleetnefs in a lefs degree than the other of its parents; Of the fagacity of dogs many in- dently indicates, at firft fight, the comand its whole external appearances eviftances might be adduced: but none that pound of the ftock whence it has deI have ever met with can equal the fol- fcended. lowing inftances of the fagacity of a in every other mongrel breed; and The fame thing is obfervable Thepherd's dog; the owner himself after the diftinctive qualities have been having been hanged fome years ago for thus blended together, it does not seem fheep ftealing, the following facts, poffible ever to feparate them, fo as to among others refpecting the dog, were obtain once more a breed from that authenticated by evidence on his trial. progeny, which fhall poffefs the origiWhen the man intended to fteal any nal qualities of either of the parents fheep, he did not do it himself, but pure. detached his dog to perform the bufinefs. effected, by croffing repeatedly with This may be indeed nearly With this view, under pretext of look- a pure individual of the unmixed breed, ing at the sheep, with an intention to purchase them, he went through the flock with his dog at his foot, to whom he fecretly gave a fignal fo as to let him know the individuals he wanted, to the number of perhaps ten or twelve, out of a flock of fome hundreds; he then went away, and from a diftance of feveral miles fent back the dog by himfelf, in the night time, who picked out the individual fheep that had been pointed out to him, feparated them from the flock, and drove them before him by himself, for the diftance of ten or twelve miles, till he came up with his mafter, to whom he delivered up his charge.

through many generations; by which means the qualities which were once equally blended, will become fo unequally mixed, as that one of them fhall not be difcernible; just as an equal mixture of milk and water might, by frequent additions of pure water, have the milk fo much diluted as to be totally imperceptible.

more natural for me to fuppofe, when Now, in this laft cafe, whether is it I fee the two fluids, milk and water, perfectly diftin&t, that these fluids were originally feparate and diftinct things or to believe that both the milk and the water had been the fame thing originally, and by fome wonderful procefs,

of

of which we had feen no example, but much the reverfe, had fpontaneoufly feparated, and in time become two diftinet fluids, both of which we are fure, inevitably to lofe, if ever they fhall be fuffered to mix together again? The production of distinct breeds of animals, is equally contradictory to the whole of the experience we have had in the breeding of domeftic animals. It is eafy for us, when we please, to adulterate any breed, but it totally exceeds our power, after fuch adulteration, to recover the pure breed again.

If, with a view to enlarge our ideas on this head, we go to vegetables; in regard to the varieties of which, philofophers entertain nearly the fame opinions, we fhall find among those that are called varieties very great diverfities, fo as to conftitute feveral diftinct claffes. In one clafs, for example, among which may be ranked the common potatoe, we find that plants, obtained from feeds, are difpofed to fport infinitely; and none of the progeny can ever be expected to be found exactly of the faine kind with the parent ftock; fo that if that ftock be not propagated otherwife than by feeds, it will be loft never to be recovered. Many plants belong to this clafs, as pinks, carnations, &c.

Another clafs of plants, which are equally ftyled varieties, are not liable to fport, or indeed to intermingle at all in breeding, but continue to propagate their own kind by feeds without variation. No man, I believe, ever had a white pea from a gray, or a gray from a white. If white peas perfectly unmixed with gray are fown, it is well known the whole of the produce will be white, and fo of gray. Many plants allo belong to this clafs.

A third clafs, like that of animals, may be raised by feeds either pure and unadulterated, or mixed and of a mongrel breed, at pleasure. Cabbages afford a noted inftance of this fort. White or red cabbages may be reared from feeds without degenerating, for any length of time, if the two kinds be kept at a great distance from each

other; but fhould a white cabbage be allowed to perfect its feeds in the neighbourhood af red cabbages producing feeds at the fame time, a mongreli kind would rife from thefe feeds, which would not be pure white, nor distinct red, but a pale red compounded of the, two. Early and late cabbages, which are very diftinguiflable from each other in feveral refpects, befide earliness, are adulterated in the fame manner. Savoys in like manner may be blended thus allo with cabbages or other greens. In fhort, the peculiarities affecting this clafs of plants, are precifely fimilar to thofe affecting different breeds of dogs, and other animals; fo that when once a mongrel breed has been obtained, there is no recovering the true fort, but by a fresh importation of uncontaminated feeds, though the mongrel fort may be preferred as long as you pleafe by propagating it by itself.

The inference I would draw from thefe facts, (and other claffes of plants might be named) is, that fince we find naturalifts have overlooked fome very obvious peculiarities of plants, which affect thofe diverfities that have been called varieties, they may have, in like manner, overlooked other peculiarities that may occafion ftriking diverfities among animals, which have been called varieties: and as this fubject has never yet been thoroughly inveftigated, it behoves us to be cautious in adouitting general conclufions.

With regard to dogs, which as being well known to every one, are a fit object for illuftration, we fee, that let a finall lap dog, and a large mastiff be fed with the fame food, and tended with the fame care, the one difcovers no fymptoms of increafing in fize or diminishing it more than the other. Let them be carried from one country to another, they equally preferve their original diftinctive qualities, without any farther change than the climate may perhaps produce; which equally feems to affect all the varieties of this animal: never was there adopted an hypothefis more truly abfurd than that of Buffon in this refpect; nor was there ever made fuch Kka a barefaced

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