ence. ruggle between diflrefs and opu Notwithstanding the principals have eir weekly brokers, or agents, they re defirous of feeing two or three mes a year a meeting of their debtrs who make them fo rich, and of eing able to afcertain at once the ifpofitions of their minds, and the egree of confidence they may repofe n their agents. The fame man who generally appears richly dreffed, with gold leaded cane in his hand, a iamond ring on his finger, feldom goes out but in an elegant carriage, ind though he frequents all the places of public amufement, and vitits the frit circles, will, upon a certain day, put on a thread bear coat, an old wig, old fhoes, ftockings that have been mended in different places, let grow his beard, and paint his hair and eye-brows. He then proceeds, thus attired, to fome diftant part of the town, whare he has hired a finall 100m, which exhibits only a forry Led, three broken chairs, a mutilated table and crucifix. There are introduced three or four fcore poiffardes, whom he addreffes in the following words : You fee, my good friends, that I am not richer than yourfelves; you fee the whole of my furniture; that is the bed I fleep in when I come to town; I give you money, though on truft, and rely merely upon your principles of honefty and religion; for you know that I receive no bond, no fecurity, fo that, as you. well know, I have no claim upon you, according to the laws of the country; but is it not right, however, that when I fo generously truft you, I thould have fome fecurity? Come, be fecurity for one another, and fwear upon this crucifix, the image of our divine faviour, that you will never wrong me, but return moft faithfully what I am going to lend you.' In anfwer to this harangue, all the The Ufurer's Prayer. IN one of the fermons of Robert Coifon, the legate of the holy fee, who preached up the crufade in France during the reign of Philip Aguftus, we find the following curious paffage: Will you hear the ufurer's paternofler? Then liften. The ufurer rifes before any perfon in the houfe; he examines whether any of his locks have been broken in the night, he doub'e bolts the doors, wakes his wife and daughter, and drefles himself." I am going to the church," fays he, as he puts on his clothes; "if a customer fhould come in while I am away, run one of you immediately to fetch me, and I will return directly." He fets off, and begins by the way the following prayer : "Our father-O Lord God, look graciously, upon me, and biefs my coming in and my going out, that I may be the richest of all thote in this world who lend upon pledge. Which art in heaven-I am confoundedly vexed that I was not at home when the peafant's wife came to borrow a fum of money. I should have done better better if I had not gone to mafs that day. I am always out of luck's way; and if I but fet a foot in the church I lofe an opportunity of thearing my sheep. It is exactly as if it was contrived for the purpose. It is enough to make one with the priest and their maffes at the devil. Hallowed be thy name-Then I have an idle bagguage of a daughter at home, who will ruin me. I could fwear that the and her mother are both in a plot to rob me, and that they live fumptuously and enjoy themfelves as foon as my back is turned; I have a great 'mind to run home and furprize them. Thy kingdom come-Ah! I recollect that the chevalier who owed me fifty livres, has only paid one half of his debt. I was a curfed fool to take his word of honour; a good pledge is a thousand times better than all words of honor. Thy will be done-I have, to be fure, made alvow to go twice a week to mass, that the bleffing of heaven may reft upon me and my little butinefs, but I have not confidered that the church is at too great a diflance for a perfon of my age, God reward me for my trouble!" The ufurer now enters the church, and kneels down expofed to the view of all. He beats his breaft, heaves deep fighs, and thus continues: Give us this day our daily bread. I fould like to know where my daughter got all the money that I caught her with the other day. Perhaps the clandeftinely lends money upon pledge, and fays nothing to me about it. She will throw it all away on the clumfy fellow whom I lately found with her, and who was fo confufed when he faw me, though my daughter protefted that he was come to borrow of me. And forgive us eur debts as we forgive our debtors The d-d Jews have worn to rob us of our customers and to ruin us; they take a lower intereft than we. Ó gracious God, confider that they cruified thee, and plunge them into the loweft abyfs of hell! Yesterday wh madame Herfant brought me dhe pieces of gold, I forgot to weigh them; now they are mixed among the others, and I must rummage over the whole bag. So much the worse for her i'faith; if I find any light o will carry them to her, and refolue maintain that they are hers. The is nothing to be got by my neighbo for they are envious of me becau they think me rich; I wish the would die, for then I might have others. Lead us not into temptation when fhall I be able to feaft my eye on a beautiful heap of gold and filver Ah! gracious God, I promise the not to touch it, to renounce every dulgence, to ftarve rather than— but did I lock my door properly One, two, three; yes, here are the thre keys! But deliver us from evilWho is this Robert Corfon, that ru about preaching from town to town Is he really fuch a fool as to image that I would go a begging out of for to my neighbour? For ever ander Amen-Our parfon will begin preach and to talk all the money out of our pockets. Your fervant fir, you fha'n't get mine at leaft.” A Hint to Undertakers. MR. EDITOR, I AM a clergyman of the eccle aftical eftablishment, and have di charged fome of the moft laboris duties of the clerical profeffion, wit out obtaining a benefice for a great many years. The exertions requifite in my fitation I willingly make: but must confefs, that contumelious treatme wounds my feelings very acutel About three months ago, there was funeral attended with all the fplen decorations of death—feathers, a long train of mourning coaches, and a de zen private carriages, &c.-ar f church in which I officiate. Whe the compliments made the minister on the The occafion were taken into my Madam, your hufband has ceafed oufe, my wife (who is an admirable to behave like a gentleman, I will manager, and turns every thing to ceafe to treat him as fuch. Pretty good account) declared the fcarf and times! if parfons are not contented atband were perfectly worthlefs; with what is given them. Tell him hat the former contained a great ma- he fhall have nothing at all with our y, but not very venerable marks of next job.' The fon threw the fcaif antiquity, and had, most likely, graced up in the air, and caught it, as it fell, he shoulders of many a mute, and in his hands, crying, Fine filk! exeen ftationary at many a door, for cellent filk! bravo! braviffimo!'the space of a couple of years; and Sir,' faid my wife, I do not think hat the latter was conftituted of fuch you can be any judge of filk, if you very flimfey materials, as to be nearly fav fo.'-He then took up the hatworn to tatters, by being once ap- band- Why,' faid he, this is plied as an appendage to the hat. I mode, this is mode; what would you wrote to the perfon who prefided as have?—Yes,' faid my wife, it conductor of the ceremonies on the is mode, and your mode, but it is melancholy occafion, and he had the very bad mode. There are different very great politene's to return no an- modes of behaviour-a polite and a fwer. My wife, who had formerly brutal mode; there are different purchased articles of upholstery of modes of transacting business-an him, called, and introduced herself by honourable and a fraudulent mode. obferving, that he was an old cuf- What your and your father's mode tomer. A young man, with a pretty is, I leave to your own confcience to countenance, a delicately white hand, decide.' So faying, the left the thop. a filver tongue, and every requifite to exhibit the beauties of a bonnet, or expatiate upon the elegances of a cap as a man-milliner, received her with that fervile cringe and adulatory fawn which the fight of a promifing purchafer of their commodities occa fions a certain fpecies of tradefmen to adopt. Madam,' faid he, I remember you very well-happy to ex- To be fure fuch things are not to be ecute any further commands.' 'At accounted for, but facts prove that prefent, faid the, I am to expoftu- they are very poffible.'. This afferlate with you about the filk which tion was commonly followed by a you gave mr. — At thefe long ftring of circumftances proving words the phyfiognomy and behavi- the exiftence of ghotts, which had our of the youth inflantly changed. occurred either to themfelves or their 'What's the matter with them? friends. Some of these facts are they are very good?' Here they certainly very ftriking, it is therefore are,' replied he, my fervant has with pleafure that I increafe the num brought them.' They were then ber with the following literally true opened. The youth called out Fa- narrative of an adventure which bether Inftandly his fire advanced to fel myfelf while at college. the fcene of action, and on hearing the business to which he was fummoned, put on his hat, affumed a ftern countenance and a magifterial air, and delivered thefe words :- The Apparition. MR. EDITOR, HOW often when I have been in company, and the converfation has turned on the impoffibility of fupernatural appearances, have I heard old and intelligent people observe :— I had already been a year and a half at the univerfity, and had lived during that time in the third ftory of the houfe then rented by profeffor The room belonging to the maid maid fervant who attended me, and Role, the profeffor's pretty nursery maid, was on the fecond floor. One night in the month of December, I came home about eleven o'clock, and in paffing went into the fervants' apartment to light a candle. Here I began to joke with them on their carelefluefs in leaving their door open fo late, and threatened, laughing, to pay them a moon-light vifit before long. Yes,' replied the nurfery maid, you tried to do it laft night, but why did you not come in you were afraid, I fuppofe, because it was fo dark; but we unlocked the door again directly as foon as you were gone.' I affured the girl that the was miftaken, and that I had never made any fuch attempt. Rofe's companion confirmed the girl's ftory, and I perfifted in my affertion, which was ftrictly confiftent with truth. The girls were as much at a 'lofs what to think of the matter as my felf, till my maid took it into her head that the nocturnal vifitor of the preceding night could be no other than the ghost of the old dr. S-, the former poffeffor of the houfe, by whom, the affured me, it was yet haunted. On this fle defcribed him as a tall thin man, in a fcarlet plush coat. with a huge wig, fpindle thanks, and long, withered, fleihiefs hands. At this idea and account I laughed heartily, took my candle, and retired to my apartment, where I drank a few gladies of light wine, and read for a thort time before I went to bed. I know not how long I might have flept when the above mentioned dr. S appeared in the identical drefs which the maid had defcribed; and without ceremony, or uttering a fingle word, feized me with his fkeleton hand below the right breaft. I at tempted to defend myself, and this awakened me. The doctor had vanifhed, but fill I felt his ice cold hand below my breath. I kept ftriking at it, threw of the bed-clothes, talked aloud to convince myfelf that I wa not dreaming, and ftruck with is creafed violence at the hand whi held me fast, but in vain ; I fotela impoffible to difengage myself. " cannot be a dream, cried I, fpring ; out of bed. I ran to the wind and tried to throw it up, but a would not immediately open, I Q3 ed it in pieces with fuch force th noife brought a fhoemaker, whol ed on the oppofite fide of the free, who was ftill at work, to his winke Well done,' cried he, fome fey ftudent or other is pelting awar at the profeffor's windows. I wo not help laughing aloud at the mar conjecture. During all this time! was ftruggling with the deathhand, and striving in vain to reka, myself from its grafp. I looked on of the window to be convinced th I was in the full poffeffion of my la culties, and still feeling the ftrarg hand maintain its hold, I began confider how I should procure a l and difcover the truth of the ma At length it occurred to me to e my right hand, for hitherto I had fought only with my left; and be the icy hand quitted its place! for it was no other than my own. It hal probably lain uncovered, and had grafped my fide in confequence of the cramp, or fome other affection of that kind. Next day I found vifibe traces of this nocturnal apparition a five black marks under my breast.Had I poffeffed more delicate nerves, a little more faith in ghofts, and a timid character, I might cafily, al jumping out of bed, and convincing myfelf that I was awake, have faire ed away, and next day have thewa my five black marks as proof p tive that the kind-hearted doctor Swho took pleafure all his life in doing good, had appeared to me in the cha racter of a perfecuting fpirit. Unimportant as this ftory may le in many refpects, ftill I think it ar furnith a key to the explanation meny accounts of apparitions, for which reason I have tranfmitted it to you to make what use of it you please. Accomplished verfus Dameftic Wives. SIR, I READ with fome pleasure and aftonishment a paper in your maga zine for June, on the comparative merits of literary and domeftic wives. Your correfpondent feems a ftrenuous fupporter of homely comforts, and would doublefs choose his wife, if he be not already married, by her fkill in making apple dumplings, or pickling young cucumbers. Sir, there is a relative merit in every thing, which thould never be over looked; and I was rather furprized at feeing D. attempt to eftablif., as incontroverticle, the fuperiority of a domeftic over a literary wife While I write this fentence, I feel the fort of fenfation which the expreffion lite rary wife,' will excite in the boforms of many of your readers: they, like D. will imagine to themfelves a vain talkative woman, prefuming upon a little fuperficial knowledge, perpetually gabbling about what the does not understand, ani neglecting what the ought to underfland. But there are coxcombs in both texes: and a literary coxcomb in either is de eftable. My bufinefs, however, is not with the filly and impertinent preten der to unpoffed acquirements; and I confider your correspondent as hoving ufed an unfair mode of argument, when he attempts to defignate literary accomplishments in fuch a fneering manuer. His aim, however, being to exalt a plain, goodly, home-keeping feline fort of wife, over a rational and fenfible one, I wonder he did not recur to every foreign aid which his opinion evidently flood in need of. He prefaced his paper with a quotation from Milton: that fame author would have furnithAuguft, 1808. homi ed him with many more grave I do not propofe to examine minutely your correfpondent's paper.. My end will be obtained as a moly by a thorter procefs. I will reafon on the oppofite fide of the queftion, and leave it to your readers to decide whofe arguments ought to preponderate. I have, before, faid there is a relative propriety in every thing. I would not advife a fhoemaker or a butcher to look out for accomplished women: let them obtain what fuits them; and if their wives keep their houfes clean, mend their linen, and rear their families with attention, they can have nothing to with beyond. The happiness of fuch men is confined within the circle of the fenfes. But let us go a step farther: let us imagine a man capable of the pleafures of intellection; capable of fociety; capable of rational communication. He then requires a union of the two characters and, whatever your correfpondent may think, fuch a union is not only poffible, but probable-not only probable but real. It is mere fophiftry that would perfuade us otherwife. It is not enough to fuch a man that his home be decent, and his fire fide comfortable: it is not enough that his dinner be well cooked, and his children cleanly kept: it is not enough that if he be ill, the attend him with folicitude: thefe things, though not uneffential to happiness, vet certainly cannot conftitute it entirely, except it be to a very humble mind are moments when a man wishes to enjoy the pleafures of converfation: not merely that converfation which turns upon topics of domestic economy, but fomething which may intereft the feelings and produce plea3Q There fure: |