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of horror!-Nicolas felt all the terrors of his condition, but being an Andalufian and like his countrymen of a lively imagination, he began to turn over all the refources of his invention for fome happy fetch, if any fuch might occur, for helping him out of the difmal limbo he was in: He was not long to feek for the caufe of his misfortune; his adventure with the barefooted friars was a ready folution of all difficulties of that nature, had there been any: There was however another thing, which might have troubled a stouter heart than Nicolas'sHe was a jew. This of a certain would have been a ftaggering item in a poor devil's confeffion, but then it was a fecret to all the world but Nicolas, and Nicolas's conscience did not just then urge him to reveal it: He now began to overhaul the inventory of his perfonals about him, and with fome fatisfaction counted three little medals of the bleffed virgin, two Agnus Deis, a Saint Nicolas de Tolentino and a formidable ftring of beads all pendant from his neck and within his fhirt; in his pockets he had a paper of dried figs, a small bundle of fegaras, a cafe of lancets, fquirt and forceps, and two old razors in a leathern envelope; thefe he had delivered one by one to the alguazil, who first arrested him," and let him make the most of them," faid he to himself, "they can never prove me an "Ifraelite by a cafe of razors,"-Upon a closer · rummage however he discovered in a fecret pocket a letter, which the alguazil had overlooked, and which his patient Donna Leonora de Cafafonda had given him in charge to deliver as directed"Well, well," cried he, "let it pafs; there can "be no mystery in this harmless fcrawl; a letter "of advice to fome friend or relation, I'll not

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"break the feal; let the fathers read it, if they "like, 'twill prove the truth of my depofition, and "help out my excufe for the hurry of my "errand, and the unfortunate adventure of my "damned refractory mule."-And now no fooner had the recollection of the wayward mule croffed the brain of poor Nicolas Pedrofa, than he began to blaft her at a furious rate-"The fcratches and "the fcab to boot confound thy fcurvy hide," quoth he," thou afs-begotten baftard, whom

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Noah never let into his ark! The vengeance "take thee for an uncreated barren beaft of promifcuous generation! What devil's crotchet got "into thy capricious noddle, that thou fhouldst "fall in love with that Nazaritifh bell, and run bellowing like Lucifer into the midst of those "barefooted vermin, who are more malicious and more greedy than the locufts of Egypt? Oh! "that I had the art of Simon Magus to conjure thee into this dungeon in my ftead; but I warrant thou art chewing thy barley ftraw "without any pity for thy wretched master,

whom thy jade's tricks have delivered bodily "to the tormentors, to be fport of thefe uncir"cumcifed fons of Dagon." And now the cell door opened, when a favage figure entered carrying a huge parcel of clanking fetters, with a collar of iron, which he put round the neck of poor Pedrofa, telling him with a truly diabolic grin, whilft he was rivetting it on, that it was a proper cravat for the throat of a blafphemer.Jefu Maria," quoth Pedrofa, "is all this fallen. upon me for only cudgelling a reftive mule ?" "Aye," cried the demon," and this is only a "tate of what is to come," at the fame time flipping

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flipping his pincers from the fcrew he was forcing to the head, he caught a piece of flesh in the forceps and wrenched it out of his cheek, laughing at poor Nicolas, whilft he roared aloud with the pain, telling him it was a just reward for the torture he had put him to awhile ago, when he tugged at a tooth, till he broke it in his jaw. "Ah for the "love of Heaven," cried Pedrofa, "have more pity "on me; for the fake of Saint Nicolas de Tolen"tino, my holy patron, be not fo unmerciful to a "poor barber-furgeon, and I will fhave your wor"hip's beard for nothing as long as I have life." One of the meffengers of the auditory now came in, and bade the fellow ftrike off the prifoner's fetters, for that the holy fathers were in council and demanded him for examination. "This is fome"thing extraordinary," quoth the tormentor, "I fhould not have expected it this twelvemonth "to come." Pedrofa's fetters were truck off: fome brandy was applied to ftaunch the bleeding of his cheeks; his hands and face were washed, and a fhort jacket of courfe ticking thrown over him, and the meflenger with an affiftant taking him each under an arm led him into a spacious chamber, where at the head of a long table fate his excellency the inquifidor general with fix of his affeffors, three on each fide the chair of ftate: The alguazil mayor, a fecretary and two notaries with other officers of the holy council were attending in their places.

The prifoner was placed behind a bar at the foot of the table between the meffengers, who brought him in, and having made his obeifance to the awful prefence in the moft fupplicating manner, he was called upon according to the

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ufual form of questions by one of the junior judges to declare his name, parentage, profeffion, age, place of abode, and to answer various interrogatories of the like trifling nature: His excellency the inquifidor general now opened his reverend lips, and in a folemn tone of voice, that penetrated to the heart of the poor trembling prisoner, interrogated him as follows

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"Nicolas Pedrofa, we have liftened to the account you give of yourself, your business "and connections, now tell us for what offence, "or offences, you are here ftanding a prisoner "before us: Examine your own heart, and fpeak the truth from your confcience without

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prevarication or difguife." "May it please "your excellency," replied Pedrofa," with all "due fubmiffion to your holinefs and this reve"rend affembly, my moft equitable judges, I "conceive I ftand here before you for no worse

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a crime, than that of cudgelling a refractory "mule; an animal fo reftive in its nature, (un"der correction of your holinefs be it fpoken) "that although I were bleft with the forbearance "of holy Job, (for like him too I am married "and my patience hath been exercised by a wife)

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yet could I not forbear to fmite my beaft for "her obftinacy, and the rather because I was "fummoned in the way of my profeffion, as I "have already made known to your moft mer

ciful ears upon a certain crying occafion,

"which would not admit of a moment's de"lay."

"Recollect yourfelf, Nicolas," faid his Excellency the inquifidor general, "was there nothing "elfe you did, fave fmiting your beast ?"

"I take

"I take faint Nicolas de Tolentino to wit"nefs," replied he, "that I know of no other "crime, for which I can be refponfible at this

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righteous tribunal, fave fmiting my unruly beast." "Take notice, brethren," exclaimed the inquifidor, "this unholy wretch holds trampling "" over friars to be no crime

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"Pardon me, holy father," replied Nicolas, "I hold it for the worst of crimes, and there"fore willingly furrender my refractory mule to "be dealt with as you fee fit, and if you impale "her alive it will not be more than fhe de" ferves."

"Your wits are too nimble, Nicolas," cried the judge; "have a care they do not run away "with your difcretion: Recollect the blafphe"mies you uttered in the hearing of those pious "people."

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"I humbly pray your excellency," answered the prifoner, to recollect that anger is a "fhort madnefs, and I hope allowance will be made by your holy council for words fpoke "in hafte to a rebellious mule: The prophet "Balaam was thrown off his guard with a fimple "afs, and what is an afs compared to a mule ? "If your excellency had feen the lovely crea"ture that was fcreaming in agony till I came to "her relief, and how fine a boy I ufhered into the "world, which would have been loft but for my "affiftance, I am fure I fhould not be condemned "for a few hafty words fpoke in paffion."

"Sirrah!" cried one of the puifny judges, " ref"pect the decency of the court."

Produce the contents of this fellow's pockets "before the court," faid the prefident, " lay them "on the table."

"Monster,',

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