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TURKISH JUSTICE AND HUMANITY.

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unjust exactions on the inhabitants, six of the principal ones sent a complaint to the Sultan, demanding redress. A person was despatched from Constantinople to ascertain the truth of the complaint; but the Aga having bribed (1) him by a present of five hundred piastres, he reported that there was no foundation for the complaint, and that it was a conspiracy against the Aga. The petitioners guessed what would be the result of such an inquiry, and endeavoured to escape; three of them succeeded, but the others were taken two of the latter disappeared, and the third was sent into exile to Rasgrad, an excessively cold place.

The officers who conduct the exiles to their destination have a cruel manner of extorting money from them. If the unfortunate man be rich, the janissary who has the care of him selects a hard-trotting horse on which he puts a great wooden (2) saddle, such as is used for carrying burdens.

The exile is placed on this, and his conductor, pretending that his orders are to make great haste, sets off at a rapid pace. This stratagem rarely fails to produce such an effect on the prisoner, that he begs, he supplicates, he offers any recompense to the conductor if he will allow (3) him another saddle. This abominable practice is so common that it is carried on without com. punction, and is considered as a legal perquisite (4). A

(1) To bribe, corrompre, soudoyer.
(2) Wooden, de bois, en bois.

(3) To allow, accorder, permettre.
(4) Perquisites, émoluments, honoraires.

Turk once owned (1) to me that he had, not long before, received five hundred piastres from a Jew of Aleppo for a similar (2) indulgence.

(WALCH's Journey from Constantinople.)

MEMORY,

Memory is, among the faculties of the human mind, that of which we make the most frequent use, or rather that of which the agency is incessant or perpetual.

Memory is the primary or fundamental power, without which there could be no other intellectual operation.

When Voltaire resided at the court of Frederic the Great, an English gentleman arrived at Berlin, who had so extraordinary a memory, that he could repeat a long composition, if once recited to him, without missing (3) a word. The king had the curiosity to try (4) him; and the gentleman exceeded all that had been said of his powers. At this time Voltaire informed his majesty that he had just finished a poem, which, with his permission, he would read to him. The king gave his consent, and immediately formed the resolution of diverting himself at the expense (5) of the poet. He caused the Englishman to be placed behind a screen (6), and desired

(1) To own, avouer, confesser.

(2) Similar, semblable.

(3) To miss, manquer.

(4) To try, essayer, mettre à l'épreuve. (5) At the expense, aux frais.

(6) Screen, paravent.

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him to pay (1) particular attention to what Voltaire was about to read. The author came, and read his poem with great emphasis, in hopes of obtaining the king's warm approbation. But, to his great astonishment, the monarch seemed perfectly indifferent all the time he was reading. When the poem was finished, Voltaire asked his majesty's opinion of it, and received for answer that of late the king observed M. de Voltaire fathered (2) the works of others, and gave them out as his own; that this was the case in the present instance, and therefore he could not but (3) feel greatly displeased at the deception (4) put upon him. The Frenchman was astonished, complained how grievously he was abused (5), and declared himself incapable of such baseness. "Well then," said the king, we will put the matter to the proof. " On this he called the gentleman forward, and desired him to repeat the verses of which M. de Voltaire pretended to be the author. The Englishman, after a little pause, with great composure (6) went through (7) the whole poem, without missing a single word. Now," said the king, "are you not obliged to confess that my accusation is just? "

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Heavens!" exclaimed the poet," what have I done

(1) Les Anglais disent pay attention, et jamais make attention, faire attention.

(2) To father, adopter, s'attribuer.

(3) Could not but, ne pouvait pas s'empêcher de.

(4) Deception, imposture, supercherie.

(5) Abused, maltraité.

(6) Composure, aplomb, sang-froid, présence d'esprit.

(7) To go through, achever, exécuter, faire.

to deserve this wrong? Here must be (1) sorcery employed, to rob me of my reputation, and to drive (2) me to despair." The king laughed heartily, on seeing the poet in such a rage; and having sufficiently sported (3) with his passion (4), he told Voltaire of the artifice which had been employed; and liberally (5) rewarded the Englishman for the amusement he had given.

THE JEWS AT YORK.

When Richard I. ascended the throne, the Jews, to conciliate the royal protection, brought their tributes. Many had hastened from remote parts of England, and appearing at Westminster, the court and the people imagined that they had leagued to bewitch (6) his majesty.

An edict was issued to forbid (7) their presence at the coronation; but several whose curiosity was greater than their prudence, conceived that they might pass unobserved among the crowd, and ventured to insinuate themselves into the abbey. Probably their voice, and their visage alike betrayed them, for they were soon discovered, and attacked. They fled (8) in great consternation, while many were dragged out with little remains

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THE JEWS AT YORK.

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of life. A rumour spread rapidly through the city, that, in honour of the festival, the Jews were to be massacred. The populace, at once eager (1) for royalty and riot, pillaged and burnt their houses and murdered the unfortunate inhabitants. Benedict, a Jew of York, to save his life, received baptism; and returning to that city with his friend Jocenus, the most opulent of the Jews, died of his wounds.

Jocenus and his servants narrated the tragic circumstances to their neighbours; but where they hoped to move sympathy, they only excited rage. The people at York soon gathered (2) to imitate the people at London; and their first assault was on the house of the late Benedict, which, having some strength and magnitude, contained his family and friends, who soon found their graves (3) in its ruins. The alarmed Jews hastened to Jocenus, who conducted them to the governor of York castle, and prevailed on him to afford them an asylum for their persons and effects. In the mean-while, their habitations were levelled (4), and all who were found soon massacred; except a few who, anxious (5) only for their safety (6), received baptism. The castle had sufficient strength for their defence; but a suspicion arising that the governor, who often went out (7), intended

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