unknowingly run into the hands of my feffion, broke up the court, ordering purfuers; I fummoned up all the few the prifoner to be reconducted to bi remains of ftrength, which hunger and dungeon until the day following, when fatigue had left me, in order to come he would hear the continuation of his up with them, but when the frightened adventures. girls perceived me clofe at their heels, they threw down their baskets, and fled with the fwiftnefs of an arrow.' It feemed they had been on their way to the market, their baskets containing fome lumps of butter, two earthen jars with milk, fome fmall cheefes, and two large pieces of coarfe bread. The milk, which was not all run out of the earthen veffels, quenched my thirft, and the bread and cheese I took with me to the caftle to fatisfy the preffing demands of my ftomach." On my arrival in the great hall of the caftle I ftruck fire with the help of a fteel I had in my pocket, and the flint of one of my piftols, and foon was feated by the blazing flame, drying my wet garments and appeafing my hunger. Cafting my looks accidentally on my hands, I faw that they were as black as thofe of a coal-heaver, from the foot of the chimney where I had fheltered myfelf against the firft onfet of my purfuers, and having every reafon to believe that my face muft be of the fame hue, I eafily could account for the fudden flight of the two girls, who, very likely took me for the devil: This idea filenced my My bufinefs not allowing me to flay a day longer, I departed reluctantly at four o'clock in the afternoon: However, before I left N-I obtained the promife of a friend of mine whom I accidently had met, that he would fend me the continuation of the robber's farther confeffion, and four weeks after I received the following letter, which contains every thing you may wish to know. My worthy friend, It is with the fincereft fatisfaction 1 am going to give you a faithful account of the remainder of Wolf's confeffion, and the final iffue of his trial, accord ing to my promise.' You will remember that he clofed the narration of his fingular adventures which he gave on the firft day of his trial, with his reluctant return to the caftle, where he intended to ftay 'till the darkness of night fhould shelter him against the purfuit of his perfecu tors. The great fatigue he had fuf tained on his flight foon clofed his wea ry eyes, and he flept 'till after funfet, when he left the caftle to pursue his way to Frankfort, where he intended to enlift in the Pruffian service.' Directed by the filver rays of the rifing moon he foon found his way to the high road: At the firft well he fell in with he cleaned his footy face and hands and then went brifkly on. Being well stocked with provifions, he determined not to enter any inhabited place before he should be obliged by neceffity to do it, left fome new misfor tunes might crofs his military scheme. With that view he left the high road whenever it led through a village, walked all night long and flept in the day fears of a vifit from the time. Thus he travelled on ward two alarmed villagers tolerably, and the nights without having met with any foothing hand of fleep began to clofe accident, when he, at the clofe of the third day, was obliged to direct his courfe to a fmall hamlet in order to provide himself with provifions: As foon as it was dark he went with fearful fteps to a baker's fhop, to purchase my eyes. Thus far the captain of the robbers had related his extraordinary tale, when the chief justice commending the apparent fincerity of his voluntary con fome 1 fome bread, but great was his terror when he wanted to pay for the fmall loaf of coarfe bread he had bought, and could not find his purfe, which muft have dropt out of his pocket when he dried his garments in the hall of the caftle. Being entirely deftitute of money, he offered one of his piftols, which he took out of his pocket, in lieu of payment. The baker viewed him from tip to toe, and after fome hesitation agreed to the bargain. Unfortunately the houfe of this man had been robbed fome weeks ago by a gang of thieves, and Wolf's favage look, joined with his fingular appearance, rendered him fufpicious to the baker, who, ever fince the robbery had been committed in his houfe, took every ill-looking ftranger for a thief. Prompted by that notion he ordered one of his people to follow Wolf at fome diftance as foon as he had left the house, and went inftantly to the bailiff to inform him of his fufpicions, and the frange bargain he had juft concluded. The magiftrate who had been indefatigable in his researches after the daring robbers, without fucceeding in his endeavours to find them out, foon fell in with his opinion, and ordered fome fout fellows to follow the fufpected robber, and to fecure him by furprife. Wolf, who had meanwhile ftruck again into the foreft, feated himfelf behind fome bufhes by the banks of a rivulet, and began to appeafe the demands of his grumbling ftomach, not obferving that he was followed, when fuddenly four finewy arms feized him from behind. The unexpected furprife, the continual fatigues he had undergone, and the ftrength of his adverfaries rendered it impoffible to difengage himfelf from their powerful grafps, and he was drag. ged before the magiftrate of the Hamlet who demanded his paffport. Having been obliged to leave it behind when his alarmed confcience had drawn upon him his late difafter, he had no other choice left but to pretend being an Auftrian deferter, who wanted to go into the Pruflian fervice. The bailiff miftrufting his veracity, ordered him to be fearched, when a loaded piftol and a Hib. Mag. May, 1796. large knife were found upon him, which increafed the fufpicion of the zealous magifirate, who, without farther ado fent him to the prifon. New apprehenfions of a dreadful nature affailed now the unhappy man. The fear that all his former crimes would be detected filled his defponding foul with black despair, however his lamentable fituation took foon a turn more favourable than he could have expected. A transport of Pruffian recruits paffing through the village in the afternoon, the bailiff ordered him to be delivered to the commanding officer, thinking this to be the most commodious way to rid the country of a fellow whofe whole appearance bore evident marks of his thievifh profeffion, and to fpare himself the trouble of a tedious examination. His fize and the robust make of his limbs rendered him a very acceptable acquifition to the recruiting officer, and he was enrolled as a Pruffian foldier to his unutterable joy. Wolf the robber was now at once appointed to fight the battles of Frederic the Great, and made a folemn vow to fulfil cheerfully the duties of his honourable calling. The tranfport arrived fafe at Magdeburg, and the new foldier was with his companions inftructed in the art of killing lawfully his fellow creatures. The corporal who was appointed to inftruct him in the manual exercife, was famous for his feverity, conforming ftrictly to the military principles of his royal mafter, who, as it is univerfally known, had it laid down as a rule to infpire his martial bands with heroifm by the frequent application of wooden arguments. Wolf who was not in the leaft partial to that fort of reafoning, found it very difficult to brook the bru tality of his drilling mafter, who feem ed to have a particular predilection for him, plying his back fo frequently and fo feverely, that the new foldier was foon rendered but too fenfible of his inftructor's partiality for him. Wolf exerted himself to the utmost of his ability to pleafe the rigorous corporal, and to thelter himfelf againft the frequent heavy fhowers of blows and cuffs, but not being able to attain Ggg bis his end, refentment and hatred began at length to rankle in his heart, his whole flock of patience was exhaufted, and he began to have frequent recourfe to drinking, in order to difpel the gloominefs of mind which haunted him inceffantly, and to drown the recollection of his forlorn fituation. One day as he came half intoxicated to the parade, he acquitted himself fo badly of his tafk, that his military mentor plied his back moft unmercifully. Wolf's anger was roufed, his blood was boiling, and he called his chaflifer a favage beaft, a blood-hound, and many other names of the fame ftamp. The fury of his tyrant being raised to the higheft degree by that language, he in flicted his blows with fo much violence, that Wolf, in a fit of defpair ftruck him to the ground with the but-end of his gun. He was inftantly feized, carried to the prifon, and fentenced by a court-martial to run the gauntlet. The day of execution appeared, the foldiers were drawn up, and his back was bared, when lo! the mark of his ignominy was feen between his thoulders. It being evident by the fign of a gallows, which was between his fhoulders, that he had been under the hands of the common hangman, he was declared unworthy to receive military punishment, and fentenced to work in the fortifications. Confined with the dregs of human kind, and ever in company with the baseft of villains, his weak virtuous refolutions died away by degrees. He once more began to confider himself as the fport of injuftice and barbarous cruelty, his belief in the providence of the benevolent ruler of the world foon gave way to atheiftical principles, and his former defire for doing mifchief returned with redoubled force, when he faw his fincere endeavours to become an useful member of human fociety were thwarted again in a moft cruel manner. He began to think that he was doomed to be a villain, and being driven to defpair by hard labour, and frequent blows, he concerted plans of effecting his escape. One of his fellow prifoners, a moft confummate ruffian, joined with him in devifing means of regaining their liberty, and after many fruitlefs efforts they at length effected their efcape, affifted by an impenetrable fog which covered their flight. As foon as their efcape, was known in the fortrefs, the cannons were fired, and the country roufed. However they happily eluded their purfuers, and reached at the close of day a wood where they refolved to conceal themselves in the tops of the trees until the heat of the purfuit should have abated. In this uncomfortable fituation they remained as long as their fmall stock of provifions lafted, confulting with each other by what means they could beft procure an independent livelihood, and at laft agreed to refort to the Haunt ed Caftle in the Black Foreft, and there to commence robbers. After many fatiguing rambles and alarming fears, they arrived at length at the withed for afylum. Wolf's inventive genius begot the scheme to render that defolated fabric more fecure against the intrufion of unwelcome vifitors, by raifing an idea in the fancy of the neighbouring villagers of its being haunted by evil spirits. In order to accomplish their defign, they fet up a dreadful howling and doleful lamentations whenever they per ceived fome of the villagers near the environs of the caftle. The gloomy appearance of that half decayed fabric, aided by the fuperftition of the credu lous peafantry rendered their artful fchemes fuccessful, and in a fhort time none of the villagers dared to approach their lurking place, from which they fallied out every night difguifed in the fkins of goats, which they had ftolen and fleeced, and committed numberless robberies in the village. Having pro cured a fufficient ftock of money, Wolf's affociate was difpatched to a neigh bouring town to procure fire arms, pow der, and ball, and then they began to prey on the unwary wanderer. To relate the numberlefs robberies they committed before they were joined by new affociates would fwell volumes. As their numbers augmented they became more daring, and extended their de predations many miles over the coun try, try, until after a feries of thirty fuccefsful years, their infernal fociety fuftained a deadly blow, by the nocturnal furprize which delivered them into the power of punishing juftice. Wolf has fince confeffed that they have a great number of hiding places befides the folitary caftle, and that their gang confits of fifty-three ruffians, who are difperfed all over the country. The ufeful information he has given to his judges has enabled them to fecure a great number of inn-keepers and publicans, who were leagued with that infernal fet of ruffians, of whom fix more have been taken up fince you have left me, however the money and the great booty they have hoarded up, has not been detected as yet, and is fuppofed to have been removed on the firft alarm by the rest of the gang. Wolf's life will be spared on account of his faithful confeffion, and the great affiftance he has afforded his judges in putting a final top to the depredations which have been committed for a series of years in the environs of the Black Foreft; he is to be committed for life to the house of correction, where he will have ample scope to reflect on his life paft, and to prepare to meet that eternal Judge, who fooner or later overtakes the wicked in their vile purfuits. Thus I have executed my task as well as it was in my power, and truft you will kindly overlook the defects of my narrative, and always believe me to be with the greateft fincerity, Your affectionate friend, His laft work has alfo drawn forth a number of able and animated replies, and we should not be aftonished, if the various popular focieties in the fifter metropolis were once more to drink his health, and vote him thanks for the inveftigation he has provoked.' Mr. M. fuppofed, with the reft of the world, that Mr. B.'s debts being. paid, and his neceflities provided for by a penfion, he would have quietly refigned himself to the wife difpenfations of providence, and fought refuge in a breviary from all the mortifications to which he had been expofed by a mind debafed, crippled, and ulcerated, event to a gangrene, by the confciousness of verfatile guilt. After fome jocular allufions to the rofary and chaplet' of this lay brother' of the abbé Maury, Mr. Burke's early declaration and ftrenuous efforts against the first attempt of France, to extricate herself from the tyranny of ages, are animadverted on, and his attachment to the profligate popifh clergy, and the fraudulent and blafphemous barter carried on between dead faints and living finners in the huckster's ftall' of Rome, feverely cenfured.. · 'Mr. Burke, who declaims on the wholefome properties of religion, its ufes, objects, and ultimate ends, with all the glow and vivid heat that belongs to. an heart warm even to enthusiasm in the caufe of virtue; Mr. Burke who contends with frantic violence on the neceffity of preferving all the rites, forms, appendages, and multifarious abufes of the Roman catholic religion, as indifpenfably connected with the peace, happiness, and very existence. of civil fociety; Mr. Burke, who would pervert our underftandings and debauch our hearts, by the rich eloquence of his wonderfully well gifted mind, has himfelf taught us to diftruft his fincerity and reject his opinions, not only from: the little regard he has thewn through life for either, but from the indecency of mairing, that inftitutions, known to be us and corrupt in principle as well in practice, fhould be held facred and confecrated to all eternity; that no part of any ecclefiaftical eftablishment is to be approached by un Ggg? hallowed hallowed hands, or even gazed at by profane eyes, and leaft of all, thould their abufes be examined, left thofe who would reform them fhould have lefs of the faint than the finner in them. Good God! my dear fir, if fuch arguments had prevailed in the days of Mary, the proper fovereign for fuch a fubject! Leeds, Birmingham, Manchefter, and all the great trading towns in England would have been crammed with monafteries instead of manufactories: our adventurous feamen, who proudly bring home the rich freights of a tributary world, would have been smoothfaced recollects or bearded capuchins; instead of the various orders of merit with which a juft and difcriminating monarch rewards valour in the field, wisdom in the cabinet, and virtue every where elfe; we should have been infulted with a perpetual view of the fix orders of mendicant friars, with all the floth, vices, and irregularities, that follow in their foul and peftilential train; they alone would have been known to us, and even Mr. Burke, the grofs libel ler of the duke of Bedford, and the ful fome panegyrift of lord Grenville; Mr. Burke, the intrepid champion of a nation's rights at one period of his life, and a penfioned, fervile, and degraded fycophant at another, would perhaps have been a lazy, voluptuous benedictine at Wooburn, or St. Alban's, or a bare-footed carmelite, with a crucifix in one hand and a ftring of beads in the other, levying as at prefent, but in a lefs productive way, contributions on the fons and daughters of industry for his fupport. What is it to the prefent age, and of what confequence can it be to future ages, whether Luther was provoked to quarrel with Leo, because he favoured the Dominicans with the fale of indulgences inftead of the Auguftines? Are we to deny, or to reject the good that refulted from the revolt, because the motive was not abfolutely difinterested? What is it to us, or to our pofterity, that the jealoufy of a monk, and the wild and ungovernable luft of a tyrant, produced thofe greatly beneficial changes in the fifteenth and fixteenth centuries, which history, more ft than Mr. Burke, has dignified with honourable appellation of reform, and which, if he had lived in thofe times and been allowed to carve confifcations for himself, his brothers, and his coufins, he would not perhaps have found fault with !' The author next recurs to the im peachment, accufes his antagonist of the groffeft inconfiftency, and pourtrays him as being a deift in 1756-a whig bordering on jacobinifm in 1770—2 confirmed republican in 1789-whip prefio a furious royalift in 1790-and in 1796 a no lefs furious jacobin.' Thefe charges are fupported, and in fome measure fubftantiated, by means of a variety of extracts from his own works. Mr. M. then objects to the mode in which he has attacked the duke of Bedford. I fhall only obferve, that the duke of Devonshire would not be well pleafed to have his right to the inheritance he holds in Derbyshire tried by the ordeal which his friend has obliquely hinted can alone legalize the tenure. I do not think that the noble lord (earl Fitzwilliam) in voluntary exile in his native land, would feel eafy if the origin of his property in a country, the fceptre of which he no fooner acquired than loft, was to be tried by the fame rule. The duke of Portland to a certainly would object to it; the rapacity of his ancestor, and the prodigality of king William, difputed the prize of fwiftness. Only conceive, fir, a couple of Dutchmen in treblefold breeches, and buttons as broad as turnpike roads, running a race with each other. Nothing in nature could be more abfurd, no farce half fo laughable! Sir, thefe two gentlemen became fo frolick fome at laft, and fo very much enamoured with thefe kind of races, (though neither of them had any thing to pay if they loft) that the legiflature was under the neceffity of interdicting the fport, left thofe who alone paid the lofings, without having any fhare of the fun, and who were fcarce allowed to look on, fhould be ruined!' At the very moment Mr. Burke is reprefenting himfelf as a defolate old man, who had taken his leave of London for ever,' he is faid to be gratify ing his natural malignity of temper, and giving |