Foath; to tell you all the events, and sexcess of remorfe which foon followed my crime, would be now too grievous in my weak ftate to relate. Be fatisfied with knowing, that you may abhor me as much as I deteft myfelf;-that the executioner of king Charles I. who appeared under a mafk, was in fact no other than your unworthy, too guilty great grandfather Sir George Stair.'

From 1649 (when Charles I. was beheaded) to 1743 (when the battle Dettingen was fought) there is an interval of 94 years. On fuppofition that fir George Stair was 20 years old when he committed this crime, his age in 1748 must have been 114

years.

The anonymous author of these memoirs adds; that whatever were the emotions of lord Stair at reading the letter, his first care was to look for the freet and the house where he had feen his great grand-father; but finding the houfe empty, he had learnt from the neighbours that it had only been occupied fince eight days; that it was never known by whom; that fince the preceding night the fervants had abandoned it, furnished as it was; that they could not tell of whom the tenant held the house the proprietor being long fince fettled in America.

fentenced to die by the hand of the executioner, and then to be quartered. The judges, unwilling to burden their confciences with the effufion of innocent blood, thought fit to fubmit the cafe to one of the most eminent lawyers of the city. His decifion was as follows:

Being requested to give my opinion refpecting the fentence which the magistrates of this city have a their wildom pronounced on two bull-dogs, I hereby declare, that fuch fentence is perfectly confiftent with juftice and found reafon, fince it. agrees with the ancient laws of Mofes and Solon, and is confirmed and ftrengthened by the opinions of the oldest and most enlightened philofophers, no less than by the fentence pronounced at different times by many European tribunals.

It coincides with the laws of Mofes, in as much as by thefe the ox who had killed a man was condemed to die. If an ox gore a man or a woman that the die, then the ox fhall be furely ftoned, and his fleth thall not be eaten.' xad. xxi. 28. Again, in Genes. ix. 5. Surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every bealt will I require it.'

The judges of Athens, conformably to one of Draco's laws, fentenced the pillar erected in honour of Nicon, a celebrated artift of that ciry, to be thrown into the fea, because it had fallen upon a man and killed him. The divine Plato directs in his code that a horfe or other animal which his killed a man to be put to death, and Pliny, lib. viii. c. 18. informs us, that in purfuance of fimilar law he had feen a great number of lions hanged in Africa. That great and experienced lawyer, Anthony Manories, affures us, that feveral peatants' dogs were fentenced to die, becaule they had devoured a Francifcan friar: and he adds, that he had been him dif confulted on the cafe. Muller even

relates that the Saxons punifled a horse which had been inftrumental in carrying off a woman, not to mention many other fin ilar fentences and adducing the anthorities of great men, which would lead me into tow great lengths. What I have alrea ly advanced is more than fufficient to prove that the magiftrates of the city of have molt juftly condemed the two dogs to an ignominious death by the band of the executioner, fince, without the flighteft motive, or the fmalleft provocation, they devoured a poor helplets infant, that the memory of fo black a deed may be perpetuated among men.'

Weighty as thefe reafons may be, ftill we are of opinion that the lives of thefe four-footed culprits would have beca fpared, had they been allowed to employ council in their defence. Their advocate would, undoubtly have grounded his arguments on Seneca and Ariftotle, the latter of whom exprefly fays, that no animal can either be vittuous or vicious. Had all his arguments failed, he would at least have demanded time for the examination of witnelles, and have proved by them that there was no mallice prepenfe, and that his clients were not the affailants. In this cafe the culprits would perhaps have come off with five year's fervice on board of the gallies; or by means of an appeal to the fovereign he might perhaps have obtained a commutation of the fentence into confinement for a certain time on bread and water.

death with deep penitence and con trition. Ah! no; on their brow fcowled proud defiance, and unthak. en courage was their conductor; with tails erect, and looks wild and bold, they approached. So far from manifefting repentance for their crime, they feemed rather to long for the relics of their bloody feast; a fresh proof of the truth of the pro verb-that chains and prifons do noi produce amendment. And yet at the fight of the culprits all hearts were moved, every eye was fixed upon them, and iù each gliftened a tear. the executioner alone was convulle with laughter. The cruel minifer of vengeance at length brandille the club to give the fatal blow: with force it fell upon the skull of the unhappy dogs, and extended them ha dead upon the ground. The welkin rings with their howls, all the dogs of the city yell refponfive, and the fiery Sirius himfelf barks in the ex panfe of heaven! But their indignant thades already tread the downward path of hell, on their way to that abode which the pious canon im affigned to animals. The tripleheaded Cerberus, who guards tat entrance, efpies them; he growls at the approach of dogs who have del ignominioufly upon the scaffold; his tremendous barking fcates their af frighted manes far away from the thores of S.yx.

They wander about in the thick ets which berder the infernal ftream, and there await the arrival of theit judges and executioner in order crois it with them.”

Count Baldwin of Flander. A Tak.

CHARLES, count of Flanders, had rendered important fervices to the pope, and flik greater to Phip

N ( T E. The canon Cadonici, a Venetian, who afferts that animals have an immortal fo

and that after death they go to hell, where they help to torment the damned.

Augulus,

Auguftus, king of France. eath he nominated that monarch to e the guardian of his only fon, a'dwin. Riches, honour, and power may be inherited, but merit muft e acquired, and talents must be inate. Baldwin, notwithstanding the bravery of his father, notwithflandng the care with which his royal guardian caufed him to be educated, lid very little honour to his deceafed parent, and gave very little fatisfaction to the French monarch; for he had more pride than one recently ennobled, more vanity than a girl, and more impudence than a modern critic. He was not deficient in underftanding: but he made a fool of himself by his vain-glory. He was certainly diftinguished for his valour, but those who allowed him this quality, fo far from praifing him, only lamented that they were obliged to respect fomething in fo intolerable a

man.

Philip Augus was perfectly aware of all this, but he had given his father his word that he would make him his fon-in-law. This promife was irrevocable, and he perhaps thought, that a wife may amend him whom nothing elfe can. In a word, he offered Baldwin the hand of his youngest daughter, Beawix. Beatrix was young, beautiful, acomplished, and the daughter of a powerful monarch, but the had not kingdom for her dowry. Baldwin regarding only what he had not, and t what the poffeffed, refused her hand. The court of Paris highly refented this conduct; the count laughed at the court of Paris, and repaired to his own dominions.

f

a

At his

he called him the crown of chivalry, denominated herfelf the most unfortu nate of princeffes and protested that the had come far, very far from beyond the feas, merely for the purpose of foliciting his aid. Baldwin flood ftill; the beauty of this ftranger delighted his eye, her addrefs flattered his vanity, and the word princess still more powerfully excited his curiofity. He therefore enquired more particularly who he was, whence the came, and what was her errand.

One day when he was hunting in one of his forefts, he met a lady of great beauty, of a majestic figure, and richly dreffed. Her hair was adorned with pearls; precious ftones of ineftimable value encircled her arms, and her neck. With graceful gefture, and moving tone, the fupplicated his affittance:

I am the daughter and fole heirefs! replied the, of one of the most powerful monarchs of Alia.My father long treated me as the most affectionate of parents, but, at length, he wanted to force me to marry, For a confiderable time I refifted his commands, but when refiftance was no longer of any 'avali [ fled, taking with me immence riches; and providing myfelf with a numerous retinue, I embarked for Europe.~ Not far from the coaft of Flanders we were overtaken by a tremendous ftorm; our fhip foundered; out of the whole crew I alone reached the thore upon a plank, and took refuge in this wood. An honeft peafant received me into his cottage, fupplied me with food, dried my garments, and was going to accompany me to your court, when we heard of your intention of hunting in this forest.'

1

This brief narrative contained many improbabilities. The heitels of the powerful Afiatic monarch had forgotten to mention the name of his kingdom. It was fingular that not a creature but herself out of the numerous crew of the veffel had escaped. It was fingular that juft at the time of this tempeft fhe fhould have put on her mott fumptuous appeal; it was ftill more extraordinary that the latter thould not have fultained any injury from the accident; but the moft extraordinary circumftance of all was, that a native of fuch a re mote region of Afia fhould speak the Flemith

Flemish language with fuch fuency and purity.

But fome people fometimes confider certain things true merely on account of their improbability, for they think that in cafe they were fictions, the nairator would have taken care to give them more plaufibility; and none are fo ready as the proud to be lieve a tale, because they fuppofe it immpoffible that any one would attempt to impofe upon them, especially in fo clumfy a manner. No fooner, therefore, did Baldwin hear this ftory about a king's daughter and the heirefs of a great kingdom, than he was inflamed with the defire of poflefling it. The beauteous eyes of the ftranger, her majeftic figure, the grace and cafe of her manner, appeared at once doubly captivating. He already be held in imagination millions of proftrate fubjects; regions embracing half a hemifphere; precious ftones in profufion inexpreffible, thoufands of elephants, and folders innumerable as the fand of the fea. All thefe he beheld depending on the hand of the beauteous Ellore, and that hand his own whenever he pleafed. He therefore invited the fugitive princefs with great cordiality to accompany him to his refidence; and by the way he began to prefs his fuit with the greateft ardour. Eldore had now no occafion to regret vehemently the life fhe had led at her father's court, however magnificent the had defcribed it; here the again found fubje&ts, royal state, and abundance. Baldwin was the most attentive of lovers; her look was equivalent to a command, and a word from her more impreffive than a devine law. Often did the repay thefe attentions with fuch tender glances, with fach flattering acknowledg. ments, as at length left Baldwin no Toom to doubt that he had gained her heart. He therefore affembled his barous and vaffals, communicated to them, what to be fure they had long known, that he had at his court a

great prince's, who was, indeed, an Afiatic, and confequently an idola trefs; but who, he added, combine. fuch an amiable difpofition with the certain expectation of future greatnets, that he was determined to overlock her idolatry and to folicit her hand.

The barons fomewhat furprised at the concluding words of his addrets, would have made objections to the refolution, hut before they had time to recover themselves, Baldwin r from his feat. Love would not per mit him to remain any longer, be flew to his beauteous Eldore, a made her a tender of his hand and his heart.

• Your hand I fee, and the finceri ty of your heart I have no occafion to doubt, replied the with a look at dignity; but, Baldwin, where is the kingdom that authorizes your folicit an alliance with the daugher of a king?"

The confounded prince ftood for fome time fpeechless. It might be fuppofed that fuch an answer wool have offended him, and yet it served only to inflame his defire fill more ftrongly. In his eyes Eldore's charms encreafed with her hautinefs; he was fo tender, fo prefling, fo perfevering, that, at length, he carried his point. He was admitted to the bed of Eldore and the fhared his grandeur.

The happiness of a husband is fail, filled according as the wind of the wife's caprice happens to blow.

Love is moft affuredly the m precious boon beflowed on man but love in the conjugal union us tinctured with intereft is extreme rare. It is only at a high price that a wife in general fells her husband the pleafuies of matrimony. Obinacy, jealousy, infatiable pretentions, compel repayment with ufury; and both the prince and the private indivi dual are in general doomed alike to repent their choice.

Baldwin foon had abundant rea fon for this kind of repentance, te

ever was hufband more completely bject to a wife. It was not inked ith that arbitrary tone, with that ameless and ever-varying caprice, with that irretating obflinacy, that Idore ruled. She knew but too well at fuch conduct would finally be inished with hatred and contempt, d her art therefore confifted in genintreaties, imperceptible and yet folute, oppofition, apparent tinidity, ittering careffes, and thofe dangeris weapons-tears. All the pows of wit, all the charms of convertion, and all the glow of fancy ere hers. By degrees fhe rivetted er chains too firmly to be thaken f, before the affectionate Baldwin onceived the flighteft fufpicion of ay intention of the kind.

It is extraordinary, thought he of n, when he had again faciificed his ill to her withes, it is extraordinary hat an Afiatic thould fo exactly remble our European women in her ifpofitions, and in her defire of fabcling every thing, and efpecially er hufband to her fway! And I, vho once knew not what compliance neant--1, who have been accufomed to fee every word pafs for a command, am now fubfervient to all he caprices of a woman!-Who can orbear being attonithed; and who has more reason to be furprifed at it lian mytelf!

A year had already clapfed fince theit union, and Eldore prefented her Lufband with a lovely boy. A courier had been dispatched to Afia, but he did not come back. A fecond was fent off, and his return was looked for in vain, The hoped for kingdom was continually uppermoft in the thoughts of the count. He meafured, he embellithed, he peopled and enlarged it; he gave it new laws; he enriched it with arts and fciences; he perfuaded his mighty father-in-law to admit him to participation in the throne; and even prevailed on him to elign the fatigues of bufinets, to pats

his declining years in retirement, and to be fatisfied with witnelling the activity and the achievements of his fon. Nething was to fweet and fo flattering to Baldwin as this profpect and thefe reveries. But the not pleafing reverie in the end tires, and the long unaccomplished dreams of his imagination were at length productive of impatience.

Eldere foon remarked this difpofition of his mind. Are you not happy then the would frequently afk him. Not content with the poffeffion of a wife who adores you? For your fake I forget a kingdom which I was born to inherit; and cannot you banith from your thoughts one which you merely hope to ob

tain ?--Do not I-does not the pledge of our love deferve all your tenderness? Why should you fuffer the dreams of ambition inceffantly to difturb your repose? What empire can be fairer than the poffeffion of a heat? What fubjeées can be compared with thofe whom love and nature procure us?'

The countefs feemed to be perfectly in the right. Baldwin, as often as he received this reproof, fell upon his knees and implored her forgivenefs, but yet his eyes were always turned towards Afia; his impatience of the delay became daily more manifeft; in vain he firove to reprefs it; his heart was every moment on his lips.

·

But,' he at length exclaimed, where the d-l is this kingdom? If it is fo very large it cannot be at fuch an exceffive diftance. Its prodigious extent would in that cafe bring it nearer to our part of the world. any rate the capital cannot be at its remoteft corner. Have you made no mistake in your directions relative to the way thither.

At

None,' replied the failing; but it is far very far to it. So mamy mountains and rivers and feas intervene, that our couriers will often 4 R

find