pired in a few hours. The caufe of their I was educated as a gentleman, which death was discovered in the following indeed correfponded beft with my fpirit; for having acquired high and mighty notions, I afpired to every thing noble-I defpifed all thoughts of apprenticeship, and applied my mind to Latin, Greek, &c. inftead of arithmetic or French.

manner. A young woman went to an officer of juftice, to make fome complaints concerning her husband; he defired her to be reconciled, and refufed to proceed against him, upon which the turned away in a rage, muttering that the knew how to be revenged. The magiftrate paid attention to what the faid, and gave orders for her being arrefted; when, upon' ftrict enquiry concerning the meaning of her words, fhe confeffed, that it was her intention to poifon her husband, by purchafing a bottle of vinegar from an old woman, who prepared it for that purpofe. In order to afcertain the truth of this ftory, another woman was fent to the old jade, to demand fome of the fame vinegar, which was fold for about ten-pence a bottle. "What do you want with it?" faid the vender: "Why," (replied the other)" I have a very bad hufband, and I want to get rid of him." Hereupon, the old woman, feventy-two years of age, produced the fatal dofe; upon which he was immediately feized, and conducted to prifon, where the confeffed, that fhe had fold forty-five or forty-fix bottles. Many people were taken up, but as upon further enquiry it was difcovered that feveral of the nobility had been purchafers, the affair was dropt, and the old woman alone fuffered death.

The Life and Adventures of Benjamin
Scribble, Efq. (Written by himself.)

I hope the reader will not think me an Egotift, when I declare that in a fhort time I made a wonderful progrefs in learning by fome means or other too, I cannot fay how, but Peeta nafcitur, non fit-I became remarkable for rhyme infomuch, that I was called the Poet of the School-this did not a little feed my ambition, and a greedy defire for literary fame increafing, I in fome measure neglected thofe ftudies, which are ever effential in the confummation of a poet:inftead of now devoting the ufual time to Virgil or Horace, I was either beginning or finifhing an ode upon hope, folitude, or fome other fine fubject; which, confidering my years, were poffelfed of much brilliancy: notwithftanding, for the want of inftruction and amendment, evinced a deal of puerility and faults; however, with all their defects, they were frequently inferted in magazines and newspapers, Written by Master Scribble,' which fo indulged my ambition, that I ftill proceeded!; and my poor father, not knowing better, encouraged me in the vain purfuit-No fellow in the world could teftify more joy than your humble fervant, every time he read his name in print; and indeed I do not think that I am fingular in thisa thirft for literary honour is at prefent very prevalent, efpecially among ladies;

IT is cuftomary with authors of me this accounts fufficiently for the amazing

moirs, to afcertain both the time and place of their nativity; but as I only mean to treat of matters which are within the bounds of recollection, I must requeft the courteous reader to pardon thofe omiffions, and nothing but facts being confequently ftated, flatter myfelf my hiftory will be deemed more entertaining. Mr. Scribble, my father, was an honeft induftrious man, who having married against the confent of his parents, was therefore obliged by the dint of labour, to fupport a wife and family: he was a clerk to a very reputable compting houfe in Dublin-being the el left of his fons,

increase of novels, which are no doubt given to the publisher for the fake of fame; alfo for thofe rickety brats, that owe their birth either to the parentage or intereft of their Dads.

This paffion, however, became per-. nicious to me upon entering the college; for not having patience to tarry till my abilities were ripe,. I affected the title of author too foon, and while incapable of producing finished pieces, attempted ai at once to write for the ftage: my first humble and modeft efforts, was Tragedy in five acts; wherein, I re lect, there was a speech upon am

fo

cepted, I loft forty pounds by my play,
inftead of gaining any thing by it.
(To be continued.)

Spanish Story.

fomewhat applicable to myfelf; as to
the characters and fable, I can remem-
ber but little of them, the piece being
long ago committed to the flames :------
There were two or three managers at that The Serenade; or, Laura and Alonzo:
time, rivals in Dublin-after produ-
cing another five act piece, fo great was
my ambition, I tried them all alternately;
now and then I received a polite rejecti-
on, at other times an infolent one-
this, to be fure, mortified my pride and
difappointed my views, especially as ta-
king it for granted, it would be accepted'

I apprized all my friends of the fecret, and before there was an occafion, requested their fupport; thus dià I expofe myfelf; for they, not knowing the caprice of managers, attributed my dif appointments to the want of merit; he ever, I was fatisûed within my own mind, that thefe managers waned judgment; accordingly thought on : expedient to prove it: After racking my poor brain, and making numberlefs effays for near two years, on which account I neglected my tutor, became indifferent to my fudy, and omitted three examinations, which fo incenfed my father, that he prohibited my vain and foolish efforts

I thought upon the following plan, which was to propofe a piece to a performer, for his benefitno fooner was this fuggefted, than it was immediately effected-it is needlefs to mention who the performer wasfuffice it o fay, that he not only approved of the piece, but very generously promifed to ay every attention to it; upon this moleft condition, that I would take twenty pound's worth of tickets, which he declared was abfolutely neceffary, for the fake of diftributing them among my friends in order to fupport the playthus my first attempt, in the dramatic way, was performed, which went off with diftinguifhed applauf: but how could it be otherwife, fecing I had fo any friends in the hoafe, not one of whom paid me for their admittance: beufe they thought they did fufficient, by apping and making a noife? I was ated with my faccefs, though in truth I id dear enough for it, and was fo fooh as to make the fame propofal to other performer, for the fake of a reof the piece, which being ac

AWAKE, my love! the pearls of

dew,

That gem thy lover's flowing hair, Shall prove his paffion warm and true, As thou art, Laura, bright and fair,

O'er many a hill, thro' many a field,

Thro' many a glade I bent my way,
Now clofe by gathering fhades conceal'd.
Now guided by the friendly ray.

Thro' fens, where anguifh vapours play,
Blue-gleaming o'er the doubtful foil,
Thro' woods, where ruffians lurking lay,
To rufh thro' blood to impious fpoil.

Nor vapours dark alarm'd my thought,
Nor prowling robbers wak'd my fear,
For here reftoring warmth I fought,

And knew my treature all was here.

Then wake, my love! the corded ftairs

Swift from the op'ning cafement throw,

And pay thy lover's anxious cares,

With joys that lovers only know.

Be fwift, my fair! the tranfient night

For Love's, nor Hymen's rights will flay:

Too foon fhall speed the envious light

To chafe Alonzo far away.

Such was the fong of Alonzo, who tuning the folt guitar beneath the folita ry window of his Laura, in the famed valley of Valclufa, far from the manfion of his obdurate father, claimed, by delightful fealth, thofe conjugal endearments to which, in the privacy of a neighbouring convent, he had lately acquired a title. But the feudal hatred, whofe perpetuity is one of the frequent evils refulting from hereditary, diftinctions, exifting between the families of the youthful pair, prevented the open avowal of their union: nor had Alonzo even deemed it prudent to unfold the tender fecret to young Carlos, the noble brother

of

Too fadly was this truth written in the fate of Alonzo.

Don Carlos, returning from fcenes of. ftealthy love, had found, as he paffed by the fatal bufh, the guitar, too imperfectly concealed.

His jealous fpirit took, inftantly, the alarm; and gloomy fufpicions arofe of his fifter's honour. He drew forth his dagger in the firft fury of his foul, and would have routed the houfe, and ruthed inftantly, fired by vengeance, to her chamber. But a gleam of hope returned to his mind when he thought of I aura's worn, and, calling to recollection the meek deportment of her life, he re