BONAPARTE ON BOARD the bellerOPHON.

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mily. It was opened and read: the son and daughter listened with the greatest attention; judge what was their surprise on finding the only legacy their father had bequeathed them was a recipe (1) how to reward ungrateful children.

BONAPARTE ON BOARD THE BELLEROPHON.

When Napoleon surrendered himself to the English, it was his desire to remain and pass the rest of his days peaceably, as he said, in England. The English would have received him with hospitality; but the policy of the government and its engagements with the other powers forming the HOLY ALLIANCE, Would not allow so much lenity to Him who had been so formidable an enemy, and whom, though vanquished, they still seemed to fear.

The strictest orders were therefore given, not to permit him to land on any account whatever. Various methods were adopted by his friends to obtain permission for him to disembark, and one of them would have succeeded but for the rigorous precautions of Admiral Keith. He had received information that a writ of HABEAS CORPUS (2) had been obtained, ordering the body of Napoleon to be produced in the court of King's Bench

(1) A recipe, une recette, une ordonnance de médecin. (2) Habeas corpus, privilége qu'ont les prisonniers en Angleterre de faire évoquer leur cause au tribunal du Banc du roi.

on a certain day. If this document had been served on (delivered to) the person in whose possession Bonaparte was, nothing could have prevented his being taken on shore. It became therefore necessary, in order to prevent all communication with the land, to prepare to put to sea. The signal for sailing was made, and the ship got under weigh (1). Shortly after a boat was seen at some distance, approaching the vessel. Lord Keith avoided the boat, and went in his twelve-oared barge (2) on board another vessel. It was afterwards ascertained that a person in the boat was the bearer of the dreaded Habeas corpus, and that he had been most indefatigable in his endeavours to serve it on the Admiral; but was continually foiled by the precautions of the old sailor.

When the ship was going out of Plymouth sound, two elegantly dressed ladies were seen in a boat which approached the stern as near as the guard boats would permit, and whenever Napoleon presented himself, they saluted him by waving their handkerchiefs.

Lord Keith was so much interested by the conversation of Bonaparte, that he said to one of his officers: "D-n that fellow if he had obtained an interview of the Prince Regent, in half an hour they would have been the best friends in the world. "

READING.

By reading, we enjoy the society of the dead; by con

(1) To get under weigh, lever l'ancre, mettre à la voile. (2) Twelve-oared barge, chaloupe à douze rames.

TURKISH GRATITUDE.

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versation, that of the living; and by contemplation, of ourselves. Reading enriches the memory, conversation polishes the wit, and contemplation improves the judgment. Of these, reading is the most important, because it furnishes both the others.

TURKISH GRATITUDE.

Some Turkish slaves on board a Christian vessel at anchor in the port of Naples, formed a conspiracy, and fixed upon a grand festival for the execution of it. Upon a signal given, they broke their chains, massacred the few officers and sailors in the ship, cut the cables and got under sail. A young Neapolitan nobleman, only ten years of age, was then upon guard. One of the slaves flew towards him with a poniard in his hand, and made a feint (1) of plunging it into his bosom; then seizing the boy, he leaped with him into the sea, and assisted him in swimming. They both happily reached the shore, when the Turk with tears in his eyes, embracing him whom he had just saved, said I am still thy slave, or rather the slave of thy father, my kind patron, who treated me with such humanity: I value my liberty as nothing, since the price of it is the preservation of thy life; thou wouldst have perished if I had appeared anxious to save thee, and I should have had the affliction to see thee massacred by my companions, without being able to wrest (2) thee from their hands.

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PHILOSOPHY.

Lord Bacon, toward the latter end of his life, said, that a little smattering (1) in philosophy would lead a man to atheism; but a thorough insight (2) into it, will lead a man back again to a first cause; and that the first principle of right reason is religion.

A SINGULAR METHOD OF DUELLING.

"that

An apothecary having a dispute with a military officer, received a challenge to meet him the next morning. Esculapius was punctual to the minute; but on arriving at the spot he observed to the officer, that not being accustomed either to sword or pistol, it would be a very unequal combat between him and a military man. "I have no doubt, sir, " said he to the officer, you are a man of too much honour to wish to avail yourself (5) of any undue (4) advantage; therefore I have a proposal to make. In this box are two pills (3): one is composed of the most deadly poison; the other is perfectly harmless choose which of the two you will swallow, and I will immediately swallow the other. The officer was struck with the singularity of the proposition, and not being disposed to risk poisoning

(1) A smattering, une connaissance superficielle.

(2) Thorough insight, connaissance profonde.

(3) To avail oneself of, profiter de.

(4) Undue, injuste.

(5) Pills, pilules.

THE UPAS, OR POISON-TREE.

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himself, he declined swallowing the pill, and the affair was amicably adjusted..

THE UPAS, OR POISON-TREE.

This tree is a native of Java, where it attaints a considerable size, sometimes as much as eighty feet in height, and ten in diameter. It yields (1) in abundance a juice (2) or gum which is a deadly poison, and much esteemed by the natives, who employ it to envenom the points of their arrows and other weapons. The destructive effluvia exhaling from this tree is said to be of so baleful (3) a nature, that neither animal nor vegelable life can long resist its influence. The gum is procured by means of the criminals who are condemned to death.

When sentence is pronounced upon them, they are asked by the judge, whether they will die by the hands of the executioner, or go to the Upas-tree for a box of poison. They frequently choose the latter, because there is not only a chance of saving their lives, but also, in case of return, a certainty of being well rewarded by the monarch. Previous to their departure, they receive proper instructions how to proceed: they are told to go first to the dwelling (4) of a priest who lives on the nearest habitable spot, where they will receive

(1) To yield, donner, produire.

(2) Juice, jus, prononcez dgiouce.

(3) Baleful, funeste.

(4) Dwelling, demeure.