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his command in a peremptory tone; idle when he could help it, and denied and then advanced towards the woman. himself every indulgence in order to They looked earneftly at each other. provide for the wants of me and the Through her pale and emaciated fea- children. I did my part, too, as well tures he faw fomething like his fmiler; as I was able. But my father's unreand at length, in a faint voice he ad- lenting feverity made me quite heartdreffed her, are you Amelia Cornish? broken; and though my filters two or ' that was my name,' the replied. I three times gave us a little relief in our am your uncle, he cried, clafping her preffing neceffities-for nothing elfe in his arms, and fobbing as if his could have made me afk it in the manheart would break. My uncle' faid ner I did yet they would never perfhe, and fainted. He was juft able to mit me to fee them, and for some time fet her down on the only remaining paft have entirely abandoned us. I chair, and take her child from her. thought heaven had abandoned us too. Two other young children came run The hour of extremeft difirefs was ning up, and began to fcream with ter come, but you have been sent for our ror. Amelia recovered herself. Oh, comfort.' And your comfort, please fir, what a fituation you fee me in God! I will be,' cried the captain with "A fituation, indeed! (faid he) Poor energy. You are my own dear child, forfaken creature! but you have one and your little ones fhall be mine too. friend left!' Dry up your tears-better days, I hope, are approaching.'

He then afked what was become of her hufband. She told him, that hav- Evening was now coming on, and it ing fatigued himself with walking eve- was too late to think of changing lodgry day to a great diftance for a little ings. The captain procured a neighemployment, that fcarcely afforded bour to go out for fome provifions and them bread, he had fallen ill, and was other neceffaries, and then took his now in an hofpital, and that after hav- leave, with a promife of being with ing been obliged to fell most of their his niece early the next morning. Inlittle furniture and clothes for prefent deed, as he propofed going to pay a fubfiftence, their landlord had juft feiz- vifit to her husband fhe was far from ed their only remaining bed for fome withing to detain him longer. He went arrears of rent. The captain immedi- directly from thence to the hospital, ately difcharged the debt, and caufing and having got accefs to the apothecary, the bed to be brought up again, dif begged to be informed of the real ftate miffed the man. He then entered into of his patient Bland. The apothecary a converfation with his niece about the told him that he laboured under a flow events that had befallen her. Alas! fever attended with extreme dejection fir, (faid fhe) I am fenfible I was great- of fpirits but that there were no figns ly to blame in difobeying my father, of urgent danger. 'If you will allow me and leaving his roof as I did; but to fee him (taid the captain) I believe I perhaps fomething might be alledged fhall be able to adminifier a cordial in my excufe-at leaft, years of cala- more effectual,' perhaps, than all your mity and diftrefs may be an expiation. medicines,' He was hewn up to the As to my hufband, however, he has ward where the poor man lay, and never given me the leaft caufe of com- feated by his bedfide. Mr. Bland plaint he has ever been kind and (faid he) I am a ftranger to you, but I good, and what we have fuffered has come to bring you fome news of your been through misfortune and not fault. family.' The fick man roufed himself, To be fure, when we married we did as it were, from a ftupor, and fixed not confider how a family was to be his eyes in filence on the captain. He maintained. His was a poor employ. proceeded- Perhaps you may have ment, and fickness and other accidents heard of an uncle that your wife had foon brought us to a ftate of poverty in the Eaft Indies-he is come home, from which we could never retrieve and-and-I am he.' Upon this he ourfelves. He, poor man! was never eagerly ftretched out his hand, and

taking that of Bland, which was thruft out of the bedclothes to meet it, gave it a cordial flake. The fick man's eyes gliftened he grafped the captain's hand with all his remaining frength, and drawing it to his mouth, kiffed it with fervour. All he could fay, was God bless you!-be kind to poor Amelia! I will-I will-(cried the captain) I will be a father to you all Cheer up-keep up your fpirits-all will be well!' He then, with a kind look and another thake of the hand, wifhed him a good night, and left the poor man lightened at once of half his difeafe.

The captain went home to the cof fee houfe where he lodged, got a light fupper, and went early to bed. After meditating fome time with heartfelt fatisfaction on the work of the day, he fell into a fweet fleep which lafted till day-break. The next morning early he rofe and fallied forth in fearch of furnished lodgings. After fome enquiry, he met with a commodious fet, in a pleafant airy fituation, for which he greed. He then drove to Amelia, and found her and her children neat and clean, and as well dreft as their poor wardrobe would admit. He embraced hem with the utmost affection, and reoiced Amelia's heart with a favourable account of her husband. He then told hem to prepare for a ride with him. The children were overjoyed at the propofal, and they accompanied him town to the coach in high fpirits.Amelia fcarcely knew what to think or xpect. They drove firft to a wareoufe for ready made linen, where the aptain made Amelia furnifh herself vith a complete fet of every thing neeffary for prefent ufe for the children ind herself, not forgetting fome fhirts or her husband. Thence they went to clothes fhop, where the little boy was upplied with a jacket and trowfers, a at and great coat, and the girl with nother great coat and a bonnet-both vere made as happy as happy could be. They were next all furnithed with new hoes. In fhort, they had not proceedd far, before the mother and three hildren were all in complete new habiiments, decent but not fine; while the

old ones were all tied up in a great bundle, and deftined for fome family ftill poorer than they had been.

The captain then drove to the lodgings he had taken, and which he had directed to be put in thorough order. He led Amelia up ftairs, who knew not whither the was going. He brought her into a handfome parlour, and feated her in a chair. This, my dear, faid he, is your houfe. I hope you will let me now and then come and fee you in it. Amelia turned pale and could not fpeak. At length a flood of tears came to her relief, and the fuddenly threw herself at her uncle's feet, and poured out thanks and bleflings in a broken voice. He raifed her, and kindly kiffing her and her children, flipt a purte of gold into her hand, and hurried down ftairs.

He next went to the hofpital, and found Mr. Bland fitting up in bed, and taking fome food with apparent pleafure." He fat down by him. God blefs you fir, (faid Bland) I fee now it is all a reality, and not a dream. Your figure has been haunting me all night, and I have fcarcely been able to fatisfy myself whether I had really feen and fpoke to you, or whether it was a fit of delirium. Yet my fpirits have been lightened, and I have now been eating with a relih I have not experienced for many days paft. But may I afk how is my poor Amelia and my little ones! They are well and happy, my good friend, (faid the captain) and I hope you will foon be fo along with them. The apothecary came up, and felt his patient's pulfe. lucky doctor, indeed, fir, (faid he to captain Cornifh) you have cured the poor man of his tever. His pulfe is as calm as my own. The captain confulted him about the fafety of removing him; and the apothecary thought that there would be no hazard in doing it that very day. The captain waited the arrival of the phyfician, who confirmed the fame opinion. A fedan chair was procured, and full directions being obtained for the future treatment, with the phyfician's promife to look after him, the captain walked before the chair, to the new lodgings. On the

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By Amelia's conftant attention, affifted by proper help, Mr. Bland fhortly recovered; and the whole family lott their fickly emaciated appearance, and became healthy and happy. The kind uncle was never long ablent from them, and was always received with looks of pleafure and gratitude that penetrated his very foul. He obtained for Mr. Bland a good fituation in the exercife of his profeffion, and took Amelia and her children into his fpecial care. As to his other nieces, though he did not entirely break off his connexion with them, but on the contrary, fhewed them occafional marks of the kindness of a relation, yet he could never look upon them with true cordiality. And as they had fo well kept their promife to their father of never treating Amelia as a fifter, while in her afflicted ftate, he took care not to tempt them to break it, now the was in a favoured and profperous condition.

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knock at the door, Amelia looked out texture of French manners. I under of the window, and feeing the chair, ftand by this paffion the union of defire, ran down, and met her uncle and huf- friendship, and tenderness, which is inband in the paffage. The poor man,, flamed by a fingle female, which pre not knowing where he was, and gazing fers her to the rest of her fex, and which wildly around him, was carried up feeks poffeflion as the fupreme or the ftairs and placed upon a good bed, fole happiness of our being. I need while his wife and children affembled not blush at recollecting the object oi, round it. A glafs of wine brought by my choice; and though my love was the people of the house reftored him to difappointed of fuccefs, I am rathe? | his recollection, when a moft tender proud that I was once capable o fcene enfued, which the uncle clofed as feeling fuch a pure and exalted fenti foon as he could, for fear of too much ment. The perfonal attractions of agitating the yet feeble organs of the mad. Sufan Curchod were embellished fick man. by the virtues and talents of the mind. Her fortune was humble, but her family was refpectable. Her mother, a native of France, had prefered her religion to her country. The profeffion of he father did not extinguish the moderation and philofophy of his temper, and he lived content with a small salary and laborious duty, in the obfcure lot of minifter of Craffy, in the mountains that feparate the Pays de Vaud from the country of Burgundy. In the folitude of a fequeftered village he beftowed a liberal and even learned education on his only daughter. She furpaffed his hopes, by her proficiency in the fciences, and languages; and in her fort villes to fome relations at Laufanne, the wis the beauty and erudition of mademofelle Curchod, were the theme of u verfal applaufe. The report of fucha prodigy awakened my curiofity. I fas and loved. I found her learned witho pedantry, lively in converfation, pure fentiment, and elegant in manners; a the firft fudden emotion was fortified by the habits and knowledge of a mont familiar acquaintance. She permite me to make her two or three vifits at her father's houfe. I paffed fome happ? days there in the mountains of Burgu dy; and her parents honourably en couraged the connection. In a calm retirement, the gay vanity of youth no longer fluttered in her botom. She "I hefitate, from the apprehenfion of tened to the voice of Truth and ridicule, when I approach the delicate Paffion, and I might prefume to hope fubject of my early love. By this word that I had made fome impreflion on I do not mean the polite attention, the virtuous heart. At Crafly and Lat gallantry without hope or defign, fanne I indulged my dream of felicity. which has originated in the fpirit of but on my return to England, I fo chivalry, and is interwoven with the difcovered that my father would Let

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Anecdote of the late Mr. Gibbon.

Tis well known, that this celebrated hiftorian wrote a "Life" of himfelf. It is just published. We give the following curious extract from it, by which it appears, that he at one time was on the eve of marrying the celebrated madame Neckar:

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bear of this ftrange alliance, and that without his confent I was myfelf deftitute and helplefs. After a painful ftruggle, I yielded to my fate; I fighed as a lover, I obeyed as a fon my wound was infenfibly healed by time, abfence, and the habits of a new life. My cure was accelerated by a faithful report of the tranquility and cheerfulnefs of the lady herfelf, and my love fubfided into friendship and efteem. The minifter of Craffy foon afterwards died; his ftipend died with him; his daughter retired to Geneva, where, by teaching young ladies, the earned a hard fubfiftence for herself and her mother; but in her loweft diftrefs the maintained a fpotlefs reputation, and a dignified behaviour. A rich banker of Paris, a citizen of Geneva, had the good fortune, and good fenfe, to difcover and poffefs this ineftimable treafure; and in the capital of taste and luxury fhe refifted the temptations of wealth, as he had fuftained the hardships of indigence. The genius of her husband has exalted him to the most confpicuous fiation in Europe. In every change of profperity and difgrace, he has reclined on the bofom of a faithful friend, and mademoiselle Curchod is now the wife of M. Neckar, the minifter, and perhaps the legislator of the French monarchy."

A Sketch of the Hiftory of Sugar, in the
early Times, and through the Middle
Ages: By W. Falconer, M. D.
F. R. S.

THE

HE ufe of fugar is probably of high, though not remote antiquity, as no mention of it is made, as far as I can find, in the facred writings of the Old Testament." The conquefts of Alexander seem to have opened the discovery of it to the western parts of the world.

Nearchus, his admiral, (A. C. 325) found the fugar cane in the Eaft Indies, N O T E.

* Since writing the above, I have obferved that the fweet cane is mentioned in two places of fcripture, and in both as an article of merchandize. It does not feem to have been the produce of Judea, as it is spoken of as coming

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as appears from his account of it, quoted by Sirabo. It is not, however, clear, from what he fays, that any art was ufed in bringing the juice of the cane to the confiftence of fugar.

Theophraftus, who lived not long after (A. C. 303) feems to have had fome knowledge of fugar, at least of the cane from which it was prepared. In enumerating the different kinds of honey, he mentions one that is found in reeds, which must have been meant of. fome of thofe kinds which produce fugar.

Eratofthenes, alfo (A. C. 223) is quoted by Strabo, as fpeaking of the roots of large reeds found in India, which were fweet to the tafte both when raw and when boiled.

The next author, in point of time, that makes mention of fugar, is Varro (A. C. 68) who, in a fragment quoted by Ifidorus, evidently alludes to this fubftance. He defcribes it as a fluid, preffed out from reeds of a large fize, which was fweeter than honey.

Diofcorides (A. C. 35) fpeaking of the different kinds of honey, fays, that there is a kind of it, in a concrete ftate, called faccharon, which is found in reeds in India and Arabia Felix. This, he adds, has the appearance of falt; and like that, is brittle when chewed. It is beneficial to the bowels and ftomach, if taken diffolved in water; and is alfo ufeful in difeafes of the bladder and kidneys. Being fprinkled on the eye, it removes thofe fubftances that obfcure the fight.' The above is the first account I have feen of the medicinal virtues of fugar.

Galen (A. D. 143) appears to have been well acquainted with fugar, which he defcribes nearly as Diofcorides had done, as a kind of honey, called facchar, that came from India and Arabia Felix, and concreted in reeds. He defcribes it as lefs fweet than honey, but NOT 2.

from a far country. Ifaiah, chap. xliii, ver. 24. Jeremiah, chap. vi, ver. 20. It is worthy of remark, that the word fachar fignifies inebriation, which makes it probable, that the juice of the cane had been early ufed for making fome fermented liquor.

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of fimilar qualities, as detergent, defiecative, and digerent. He remarks a difference, however, in that fogar is not like honey, injurious to the ftomach, or productive of thirft.

If the third book of Galen, Upon Medicines that may be easily procured, be genuine, we have reafon to think fugar could not be a fcarce article, as it is there repeatedly afcribed.

Lucan alludes to fugar, in his third book, where he fpeaks of the fweet juices expreffed from reeds, which were drank by the people of India.

Seneca, the philofopher, likewife fpeaks of an oily fweet juice in reeds, which probably was fugar.

Pliny was better acquainted with this fubftance, which he calls by the name of faccaron; and fays, that it was brought from Arabia and India, but the beft from the latter country. He defcribes it as a kind of honey, obtained from recds, of a white colour, refembling gum, and brittle when preffed by the teeth, and found in pieces of the fize of a hazel nut. It was used in me dicine only.

Salmafius, in his Pliniana Exercitationes, fays, that Pliny relates, upon the authority of Juba the hiftorian, that fome reeds grew in the Fortunate Iflands which increased to the fize of trees, and yielded a liquor that was fweet and agreeable to the palate. This plant he concludes to be the fugar cane; but I think the paffage in Pliny, Hift. Nat. lib. vi, cap. 22. fcarcely implies fo much. Hitherto we have had no account of any artificial preparation of fugar, by boiling or otherwife; but there is a paffage in Statius, Sylv. I. vi. 15, that fecms, if the reading be ge. nuine, to allude to the boiling of fugar, and is thought to refer immediately thereto by Stephens in his Thefaurus.

Arrian, in his Periplus of the Red Sea, fpeaks of the honey from reeds, called Jacchar (Exxap) as one of the articles of trade between Ariace and Barygaza, two places of the hither India, and fome of the ports on the Red Sea.

Aelian, in his natural hiftory, fpeaks of a kind of honey, which was preffed

from reeds, that grew among the Prafii a people that lived near the Ganges.

Tertullian alfo fpeaks of fugar, it his book De Judicio Dei,' as a kin of honey procured from canes.

Alexander Aphrodifæus appears have been acquainted with fugar, which was, in his time, regarded as an Indias production. He fays, that what the Indians called fugar, was a concretion of honey, in reeds, refembling grains of falt, of a white colour, and brittle, and poffeffing a detergent and purgative power, like to honey; and which being boiled in the fame manner as honey, is rendered lefs purgative, without impairing its nutritive quality."

Paulus Egineta fpeaks of fugar, as growing, in his time, in Europe, and alfo as brought from Arabia Felix; the latter of which he feems to think less fweet than the fugar produced in Europe, and neither injurious to the ftomach nor caufing thirft, as the European fugar was apt to do.

Achmet, a writer, who according to fome, lived about the year 830, fpeaks familiarly of fugar as common in his time.

Avicenna, the Arab phyfician, fpeaks of fugar as being a produce of reeds; but it appears he meant the fugar called Tabaxir or Tabbarzet, as he calls it by that name.

It does not appear, that any of the abovementioned writers knew of the method of preparing fugar, by boiling down the juice of the reeds to a confiftence. It is alfo thought, the fugar they had was not procured from the fugarcane in ufe at prefent, but from another of a larger fize, called Tabarzet by Avicenna, which is the Arundo Arbor NOT E.

* Some of the writers fay, that it was fo called from the name of a place, Σαχαρ Ταβαρίας, τοπος για καλημένος

pray. Conftantinus a Secretis, MS. quoted from Du Cange Glofs. Græc. The word Tabarzet fignifies white, and is tranflated, by Du Cange, Saccar Album. Herbelot fays, that the Perfians called by that name the hardeft and moft refined fugar. Bibliothéque Orientale, p. 810.

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