amelioration of the manners of the people, nothing like infult proceeded from any quarter. The countenance of Charette was affured, his ftep was firm, and his deportment was calm. On the following day he was tried. He praised Canclaux, Hoche, and General Jacob, who is imprifoned at Nantes. Jacob, he said, always fought well, and ought not to be treated fo. He declared that he never could have thought that the French would have fought fo well, and with fo much courage, particularly the chaffeurs of Caf fel, and Montagne; if the French had not been divided in opinion, the war of La Vendée would have been over, be faid in two months. It was remarked to him that he had caufed the death of a great many perfons. Yes, he replied, omlets are not made without breaking eggs. He was asked whether he knew that Stofflet had been shot. He replied yes, he was a traitor. "I was taken after my troops were defeated;" and in fact two foldiers in difguife went to a pealant's houfe, faying that they had loft their way, that the republicans were pursuing them, and that they did not know what road Charette had taken. The peafant pointed to a wood where he was; the foldiers immediately gave notice to the column which invefted the wood. Charette ran like a hare, and he was at length furprized, leaning upon two foldiers. He offered his girdle, filled with louis, to Travot who arrefted him. Travot replied, that he had conquered him, that he was fatisfied, and bade him keep his louis. "You are," faid Charette, "a brave man, I have nothing more to offer you; I with you had my fabre, fent to me by England, but I have it not; I fent it to Paris to get a fcabbard to it; it is mounted with gold." He was afked, whether, at the time of the pacification, the reprefentatives of the people had not promised him a king? He answered in the negative. He faid that no fuch thing had ever been mentioned, either in their public difcourse or private converfation. Why then had he violated the pacification? Because he understood that the reprefentative Gaudin had put troops in motion for the purpofe of feizing and carrying him off against the faith of the treaty. Had he any correfpondence with the emigrants or with foreign powers. His reply was, that he had received but 15,000 livres from the English; that he had correfponded with them but for the fhort time that they were at the Ifle Dieu; that he had received from them but little of arms or ammunition. He said that he had not continued correfpondence with the emigrants; that he had received only a cypher from the counts d'Entraignes and "d'Artois, with a brevet of lieutenant general from Louis XVIII. Had he any correfpondence with the interior? No! when he wanted arms or ammunition, he fent the peasants to seek them, and confided in their address. When mention was made of the maffacres at Machecoul and elsewhere, under his orders, he replied only by a farcaftic fmile, intimating that he had merely done his duty. He admitted that he had acted as commander in chief, and that he had fought for the eftablishment of monarchy. But he said that, fome days before he was furprized, a general, whom he did not name, had promised him protection, provided he would confent to quit the territory of the republic. This letter, he faid, was in the hands of the Cure of Montmaifon, who he requested fhould be fummoned. This letter, he faid, would either confound his affertions, or prove the truth of what he had advanced. The jury, after hearing his official defender, retired to decide. In the mean time, he chatted with those around him, and related the circumstances of his capture. Being afked, why he did not kill himfelt? He faid, that it was contrary to his principles, and that he always looked on fuicide as an act of cowardice. He heard the fentence read without the leaft emotion, and when he requested leave to fpeak, the deepest filence enfued. He then faid, "he did not Fff2 mean mean to retard, for a fingle inftant, the fate to which he was deftined, but begged it as a favour that the commiffion would, for his fatisfaction, fend in fearch of the letter of which he had already spoken." At five o'clock he was conducted to the Place des Agricultures. Five thoufand men were drawn up in a fquare battalion, and the clergyman Guibert affifted him in his laft moments. He refused to go on his knees or have his eyes bandaged, but prefenting his breaft to the picquet which was drawn up before him, he withdrew his left arm from the fling, and making a fign with his head that he was ready, the foldiers fired, and he dropt dead on the fpot. He was immoderately ambitious, and it is to his ambition that the Vendeans attribute their firft difafters: it was in compliance with the dictates of his ambition that he feparated his corps from the grand Catholic army, commanded by Delbee Beauchamp, of whofe talents he was jealous, and whofe fuperiority he dreaded. This feparation, the want of concert that was the effect of it, procured for the republicans the bloody and glorious day of St. Symphorien, the capture of Chatillon on the 10th of October, 1793, the decifive victory of Cholet, on the 17th, and drove the immenfe wreck of the great army to the right bank of the Loire. In this army there was a corps of 10,000 Bretons commanded by the moft fkilful of the chiefs whom that war has deftroyed, by Beauchamp. That man whofe great talents were fo fatal to the country, refumed the idea conceived fome months before by Cathelineau, of making Britanny on the right bank revolt; and for that purpofe of paffing the Loire with 10,000 Bretons, always victorious when he commanded them, always defeated when he ceafed to command them. The great army was to remain upon the left bank. The plan was executed by the 10,000 Bretons, who forced the paffes; but the great army having been defeated at Cholet, preffed by the republicans, by the garrifon of Mentz; having loft its two chiefs (Delbee being grievoufly, and Beauchamp mortally wounded) finding the road prepared by the 10.000 Bretons croffed the Loire with them. He was, at the commencement of the war, of a brutal and favage ferocity; to threaten a prifo er with fending him to Charette, was to fend him to the feaffold. This ferocious and fanguinary character had become more mild in the fucceeding campaigns, but in the last year it retained all its former cruelty; he caufed to be affaffinated, and he affaffinated in cool blood, and on the flightcft fufpicion both friend and foe. And what appears extraordinary, is, that this man poffeffed, in a fupreme degree, the art of attaching to him those who ferved under him, both officers and privates. In the midft of the greateft dangers he preferved a rare prefence of mind and unalterable tranquility. Enterprifing, indefatigable, and active, he feldom lept in a bed; the fleep that he took was always difturbed, and interrupted by convulfive ftaris, and frequently by loud cries. He never quitted the Bocage. He was incapable of conceiving great plans, but he was the moft fkiltul and courageous of all the partizans. He maintained a winter campaign against 30,000 men, having under him only four or five hundred adventurers. He traverfed with this feeble band, the wreck of the great army that had not paffed the Loire, or that were able to return to La Vendee, after the defeat at Savenay, By dint of active operations he at length was enabled to increafe his corps to fifteen or twenty thoufand men. Charette was no more than thirty-three years of age, and in height about five feet four inches; his hair was dark, his eye-brows black and narrow, his eyes funk, little, and lively, his nofe long and hocked, his mouth large, his chin long, much marked with the fmallpox, a full-breaft, his thighs well made, his legs rather fmall, his voice feeble and effeminate, and his fhape altoge ther handfome. The The courage of Charette was proved in the difficulties of his fituation. It was uniform and fteady, but he was not fufceptible of any lively paffions In the course of the laft war when he was lieutenant of a man of war, and was walking upon deck, an aukward failor fpilt a veffel of boiling pitch upon his feet. The chevalier turned from him without any other obfervation, than "You rascal, you have fcalded me." Like moft chiefs of a party he acquired an immenfe reputation; like them he has been enabled for a time to avail himself of that credit; and like them at laft he perished as a malefactor. Some Particulars respecting the Culems and Manners of Norway. (From Mrs. Wollstonecraft's Travels.; TH HOUGH the king of Denmark be an abfolute monarch, yet the Norwegians appear to enjoy all the bleffings of freedom. Norway may be termed a fifter kingdom; but the people have no viceroy to lord it over them, and fatren his dependants with the fruit of their labour. There are only two counts in the whole country, who have eftates, and exact fome feudal obfervances from their tenantry. All the rest of the country is divided into fmall farms, which belong to the cultivator. It is true, fome few, appertaining to the church, are let; but always on a leafe for life, generally renewed in favour of the eldelt fon, who has this advantage, as well as a right to a double portion of the property. But the value of the farm is ettimated and after his portion is affigned to him, he must be anfwerable for the refidue to the remaining part of the family. Every farmer, for ten years, is obliged to attend annually about twelve days, to learn the military exercife; but it is always at a fmall diftance from his dwelling, and does not lead him into any new habits of life. There are about fix thousand regulars alfo, garrifoned at Chriftiania and Fredericfhall, which are equally referved, with the militia, for the defence of their own country. So that when the prince royal paffed into Sweden, in 1788, he was obliged to requeft, not command, them to accompany him on this expedition. Thefe corps are moftly compofed of the fons of the cottagers, who being labourers on the farms, are allowed a few acres to cultivate for themselves. Thefe men voluntary enlift; but it is only for a limited period, (fix years) at the expiration of which they have the liberty of retiring. The pay is only two pence a day, and bread; ftill, confidering the cheapnefs of the country, it is more than fix-pence in England. The distribution of landed property into fmall farms, produces a degree of equality which I have feldom feen elfewhere; and the rich being all merchants, who are obliged to divide their perfonal fortune among ft their children, the boys always receiving twice as much as the girls, property has not a chance of accumulating till overgrown wealth deftroys the balance of liberty. You will be furprised to hear me talk of liberty; yet the Norwegians appear to me to be the most free community I have ever obferved. The mayor of each town or diftri&t, and the judges in the country, exercise an authority almoft patriarchal. They can do much good, but little harm, as every individual can appeal from their judgment: and as they may always be forced to give a reafon for their conduct, it is generally regulated by prudence, " They have not time to learn to be tyrants, faid a gentleman to me, with whom I difcuffed the fubject. The farmers not fearing to be turned out of their farms, fhould they displease a man in power, and having no vote to be commanded at an election for a mock reprefentative, are a manly race; for not being obliged to fubmit to any debafing tenure, in order to live, or advance themselves in the world, they act with an independant fpirit. I never yet have heard of any thing like domineering, or oppreffion, excepting fuch as has arifen from natural caufes. The freedom the people enjoy may, perhaps, render them a little litigious, and fubject them to the impofitions of cunning practitioners of the law; but the autho There are four in Norway, who might with propriety be termed fheriffs; and, from their fentence, an appeal, by either party, may be made to Copenhagen. zity of office is bounded, and the emo- yet what could be more harmless? : luments of it do not deftroy its utility. would even, I think, be a great advan Last year a man, who had abufed tage to the English, if feats of activity, ! his power, was cafhiered, on the repre- do not include boxing matches, wen fentation of the people to the bailiff of encouraged on a Sunday, as it migh the diftrict. ftop the progrefs of methodifm, and of that fanatical fpirit which appears to be gaining ground. I was furprised when I vifited Yorkshire, in my way to Sweden, to find that fullen narrowness of thinking had made fuch a progrefs fince I was an inhabitant of the country. I could hardly have fuppofed, that fixteen or feventeen years could have produced fuch an alteration for the worfe in the morals of a place; yes, I fay morals; for obfervance of forms, and avoiding of practices, indifferent in themselves, often fupplies the place of that regular attention to duties which are fo natural that they feldom are vauntingly exerci fed, though they are worth all the precepts of the law and the prophets. Be fides, many of thefe deladed people with the beft meaning, actually loft their reafon, and become miserable, the dread of damnation throwing them into a ftate which merits the term: and fill, more, in running after their preachers, expecting to promote their falvation, they difregard their welfare in this world, and neglect the intereft and comfort of their families: fo that in proportion as they attain a reputation for piety, they become idle. Near moft of the towns are commons, on which the cows of all the inhabitants, indifcriminately, are allowed to graze. The poor, to whom a cow is neceffary, are almoft fupported by it. Befides, to render living more eafy, they all go out to fish in their own boats; and fish is their principal food. The lower clafs of people in the towns are in general failors; and the induftrious have ufually little ventures of their own that ferve to render the winter comfortable. The farmers are hofpitable, as well as independent. Offering once to pay for fome coffee I drank when taking fhelter from the rain, I was asked, rather angrily, if a little coffee was worth paying for. They fmoke, and drink drams; but not fo much as formerly. Drunkennefs, often the attendant difgrace of hofpitality, will here, as well as every where elfe, give place to gallantry and refinement of manners; but the change will not be fuddenly produced. The people of every clafs are conftant in their attendance at church; they are very fond of dancing: and the Sunday evenings in Norway, as in catholic countries, are spent in exercifes which exhilirate the fpirits, without vitiating the heart. The reft of labour ought to be gay; and the gladness I have felt in France on a Sunday, or decadi, which I caught from the faces around me, was a fentiment more tru Ariftocracy and fanaticifm feem equally to be gaining ground in England, particularly in the place I have mentioned: I faw very little of either in Norway. The people are regulat in their attendance on public worship; but religion does not interfere with their employments. The German Story. (Concluded from page 300.) SOUGHT fhelter beneath an an 1 religious than all the stupid ftill-ient oak, but, alas! a flash of light nefs which the ftreets of London ever infpired where the fabbath is fo decoToully obferved. I recollect, in the country parts of England, the church wardens ufed to go out, during the fervice, to fee if they could catch any lucklefs wight playing at bowls or kittles; ning which fhivered to atoms a lofty beech tree, not above fifty paces from the fpot where I was flanding, made me foon quit my dangerous afylum. and drove me to an open spot where I was expofed to all the violence of the ftorm: ftorm: I was foon wet to the fkin; my teeth began to chatter, and all my little courage fled on the wings of defpondency.' L I had ftood the fury of the elements two horrid dreadful hours, no found was heard but the fcreech of the owl, the croaking of the raven, the roaring of thunder, and the howling of furious winds: midnight was paft, and the hurricane ftill raged with unabated fury: My wounded confcience brought all my crimes to my recollection, I fancied the day of judgment was near, and was feized with a violent trembling. My tortured foul divined a thoufand horrid thoughts, and I vowed fervently to pursue the fteps of virtue.' My whole frame fhaking with cold I began to run without knowing whither I was directing my courfe, in order to warm my blood, which was almoft chilled, when fuddenly the ground gave way beneath my feet, and I fell into a deep pit. My fall was violent, however I received no other hurt except a few bruifes, my coat being entangled in the roots of a tree about four yards from the bottom of my fub terraneous dungeon: I ftrove to climb up the wall, which appeared to be perpendicular, but all my endeavours were fruitlefs, and the dreadful fpectre of famine ftared me grilly in the face; I fat down upon the damp ground and began to mufe on my forlorn fituation, when a fudden flafh of vivid lightning illuminated my prifon, and difclofed to my eyes a narrow paffage; I groped along the winding paffage with fearful fteps, not knowing whether it would lead me upwards or downwards." I had walked above half an hour and not yet found an outlet the little hope I had to extricate myself from my fubterraneous dungeon began to die away by degrees, and feemed to be entirely fruftrated, when a maffy iron door fuddenly obftructed my way: I exerted all my little remaining ftrength to force it open, however the impenetrable darkness which furrounded me rendered all my labours abortive: The punishment of my crimes feemed to be arrived, and I funk down upon the damp ground in a fit of despair entire ly fpent, and incapable to attempt any farther efforts to open the fatal door; cold drops of fweat bedewed my wearied limbs, and I began, the first time in my life, fervently to pray.' At length a thought ftruck me, that perhaps the flash of the powder would difclofe to me an outlet, if I was to fire a piftol. I haftily took one, out of my pocket and difcharged it; my hope had not deceived me entirely, and I beheld another paffage to the left, which I inftantly purfued with alacrity. 'Ere long I came to a fecond iron door, which however foon yielded to my efforts to open it, and let me into à fpacious vault.' Having groped about half an hour longer I was thrilled with unutterable joy when I discovered, after many fruitlefs refearches, a,narrow ftaircafe, which led me into a roomy hall, faintly illu minated by the rays of the moon, which was peeping through the lofty windows, compofed of ftained glass." Here the robber gave a 'full def cription of the Haunted Castle, on the fkirts of the Black Foreft, which you, my dear friend, know too well to require a repetition of the faithful picture he drew. Having explored every corner of the antient fabric,' he thus continued, without meeting a living foul, I decended into a fpacious court-yard, from whence a lofty gate-way led me into the open fields. The dawn of morn began to break in the east from the purple clouds, and I her the crowing of cocks within a all distance. He only who has been in a fituation like mine can form an idea of the rap ture which rushed on my foul when I perceived myfelf to be fo hear an inhabited fpot." Quickening my tottering fteps f faw two country wenches with baskets on their heads coming from the adjacent village, which feemed to be not above a quarter of a mile diftant: I was juft going to enquire of them the name of the village, when both of them raifed a dreadful fcream, running back as faft as poffible. Being defirous to know, previous to my entrance into the village, where I was; left I might unknowingly |