afked if he had a dog when living: he answered, "She was fond of a little curft yelping cur, that for two years, the time fince the died, came three times a day to beg at her grave." The incident gave me a ferious, though pleafing fenfation, and will, I dare fay, many of your readers. Philofophers, hiftorians, and poets, have; in all ages, recorded the fidelity of this animal. My reading affords me not one more remarkable than the inftance I now fend you. in two or three feet of him. On our moving nearer to him, he ran away. We perused the infcription, and learnt by it, that Sarah GoldSmith lay interred there. An inhabitant foon after croffing the church-yard, curiofity led me to enqnire if he knew any thing remarkable of the perfon who was buried there (pointing to the ftone.) "Yes, Sir, (replied the man) remarkable enough; for I believe the was the biggest woman in the world the weighed eight and twenty ftone, befides the offal." I I am, &c. A Process for preferving the Form and Colour of Plants used in Medicine. WASH a fufficient quantity of fine.fand, fo as perfectly to feparate it from all other fubftances; dry it; pafs it through a sieve to clear it from any grofs particles which would not rife in the washing take an earthen veffel of a proper fize and form, for every plant and flower which you intend to preferve; gather your plants and flowers when they are in a fiate of perfection, and in dry weather, and always with a convenient portion of the ftalk: heat a little of the dry fand prepared as above, and lay it in the bottom of the veffel, fo as equally to cover it; lay the plant or flower upon it, fo as that no part of it may touch the fides of the veffel: fift or fhake in more of the fame fand by little and little upon it, fo that the leaves may be extended by degrees, and without injury, till the plant or flower is covered about two inches thick: put the veffel into a ftove, or hot house, heated by little and little to the 50th degree: let it ftand there a day or two, or perhaps more, according to the thickness and fucculence of the flower or plant; then gently fhake the fand out upon a fheet of paper, and take cut the plant, which you will find in all its beauty, the thape as elegant, and the colour as vivid, as when it grew. Some flowers require certain little operations to preferve the adherence of their petals, particularly the tulip, with respect to which it is neceffary, before it is buried in the fand, to cut the triangular fruit which rifes in the middle of the flower; for the petal will then remain more firmly attached to the ftalk. A Hortus Siccus prepared in this manner would be one of the most beautiful and ufeful curiofities that can be. COMPER H 1 COMPENDIOUS HISTORY OF FRANCE. [Continued.] Charles, if we may give credit to the bulk of the French hiftorians, had no great abilities as a politician, much lefs was he capable of managing affairs in fo perplexed a fituation as they then flood: but he feems to have been fenfible of this, and of fomething more, which was, that he ran a greater hazard in trufting any of his nobility, than in relying on his own parts, flender as they were. It gave him therefore vaft fatisfaction, when he found one Haganon, a gentleman not diftinguished either by birth or fortune, upon whom he could reft the weight of his affairs; and who, though in other refpects he might be deficient, poffeffed two qualities that were truly valuable, fidelity and penetration. Charles, who was an honest and good man, had such an affection for this minifter, that he was hardly ever out of his company, and did not keep even the neceffary appearances for the grandees. An inftance will explain this clearly. Charles being at Aix la Chapelle, Henry, duke of Saxony, afterwards king of Germany, came to pay his refpects to him, and for four days fucceffively miffed of an audience, receiving continually the fame anfwer, "The king is bufy with Haganon," which fo much provoked him, that he took his leave, with this obfervation; "I make no doubt but, in a little time, one of thefe two things will happen, either Haganon will feat himself on the fame throne with Charles, or Charles will become a private gentleman like October, 1763. Haganon." The king being infor med of this, was forced to fend Hervé, archbishop of Rheims, to intreat the duke to return, and to endeavour, when he did return, to efface, by his careffes, the bad effects of his indifcretion, which Henry, who was truly a great prince, eafily overlooked. But, when verified by the event, this fhrewd prediction was univerfally remembred. The Amongst the great lords, of whom the king and his minister were most jealous, were the two Roberts, dukes of Normandy and France. former was his fon-in-law, but had never confummated his marriage; and, by the advice of Haganon, he fent two gentlemen to his court to have an eye on his proceedings. Thefe the dutchefs for a long time concealed; but at length they were discovered, and the duke, without any ceremony, hanged them as spies, which provoked Charles fo much, that they were on the point of coming to a rupture. The other duke Robert, out of pure friendship, as he would have it understood, began hoftilities first, and acted without fcruple against Charles, fending envoys to the duke of Normandy to exprefs his zeal; for which the Norman teftifying much gratitude, they went fomewhat farther, and acquainted him, that their master had great connections with the French nobility, and doubted not, with his and their affiftance, to depofe Charles, and to feat himself upon the throne, which his brother Eudes had formerly occupied. To Ttt this this propofition they received a very unexpected answer. The duke of Normandy told them, that the views of their mafter were extravagant, and that he was equally incapable of fuffering or affifting injuftice; which calmed the inteftine troubles of the kingdom for fome time. But duke Robert, having ftill the fame object in view, and the duke of Normandy being dead, he took advantage of an affembly of the nobility held at Soiffons, and engaged the major part of thofe who were prefent, not only to expoftulate with Charles on the indignity offered to them, by repofing fuch entire confidence. in his minifter, but alfo to give him to understand that they looked upon him as unworthy to be their king, and that they means to confider him no longer in that light. After this they retired; but, through the interpofition of the archbishop of Rheims, and count Hugo, a kind of treaty of pacification was concluded for a year, in confequence of which Haganon was difcarded, at leaft in appearance, and fome of the malcontent lords repaired again to court. However, this infincere compromife did not laft long, as anfwering the intentions of neither party. Richard, duke of Burgundy, a very wife and very worthy prince, who had always adhered to Charles, dying, the malcontents renewed their intrigues; upon which the king, looking upon the former agreement as void, recalled Haganon, and heaped upon him new favours. The difatfected lords magnified this as a direct breach of the convention, and taking arms, forced Laon, where all Haganon's treasures were; and having diftributed thefe amongft their troops, they no longer kept any measures, but, declaring Charles to be weak and incapable of the royal dignity, proclaimed Robert, duke of France, carried him from thence to Rheims, in a kind of triumph, and there the archbishop Hervé fet the crown upon his head, on the last day of June, and died three days after. Charles, in the mean time, collected what ftrength he could, in order to defend his crown, and reduce his enemies, amongst whom was Gilbert, whom he had made duke of Lorrain, tho' moft of the lords in that country ftill adhered to his interest. The duke of Aquitaine, and 922 the lords in that country, were for Charles; but Rodolph, the new duke of Burgundy, having efpoufed the daughter of king Robert, abetted his party with great zeal. Herbert, count of Vermandois, who was a man of parts and power, defcended by the male-line from Charlemagne, and who had always boafted his loyalty to Charles, deferted him to join Robert, who, that he might leave the unfortunate monarch no refource, went in perfon to confer with Henry, king of Germany; and having detached him from the intereits of his competitor, returned, with a full perfuafion, that he should quickly oblige Charles to abandon the kingdom, or, like Charles the Grofs, to accept of a precarious fubfiftence, and lead for the future a private life; the only thing wanting to his own establishment. In order to execute this plan, he affembled an army under the walls of Soiffons, and having the principal part of his lords about him, confulted with them how thefe pur pofes poses might be fooneft effected. In the mean time, Charles having ftill a good body of troops, but perceiving plainly that he could not provide long for their fubfiftence, refolved to make a fudden and defperate effort, and paffing the river Aifne unexpectedly, furprised Robert and his adherents, as they were going to dinner. That prince, who was naturally brave, immediately mounted and put his troops in the beft order he could; but while he encouraged them to do their duty, and carried his own ftandard in his hand, Charles, who was in the firft ranks of his own troops, engaged him, and bore him to the ground with his lance, where he was prefently killed yet his fon Hugo, and Herbert, count of Vermandois, not only restored the battle, but, in the end, beat the king's army, and made themselves matters of his baggage, which left them at liberty to confult how they might beft profecute their affairs, and of whom they should make choice to fupply the place of their late king, the conftitution being now fo totally fubverted, that the nobility were : become hereditary, and the 923 crown elective. This action happened on the 15th of June; and fome fay the fhortness of his reign, others his not being univerfally owned, prevented the name of Robert from being taken into the lift of French kings. The competitors for the fucceffion were Hugo, duke of France, the fon of Robert, by the fifter of Herbert, count of Vermandois; Herbert himself; and Rodolph, duke of Burgundy, who had efpoufed Emma, the daughter of duke Robert, and the fifter of Hugo. The nobility in general, though they admired the courage and the capicity of Herbert, detefted his ingratitude. Hugo feeing the difpute lay between him and Rodolph, left it to the choice of his fifter, who, defirous of being a queen, declared for her husband, and Hugo, as he had promised, procured him to be elected; and accordingly the crown was fet upon his head at Soiffons, on the 13th of July. The few lords that ftill adhered to Charles, either pleafed with the choice of this prince for the fake of novelty, or through fear of being defpoiled of their eftates, began to drop away: fo that, in a fhort time, he was as much aban. doned as Charles the Grofs, his unfortunate coufin, and the victim of other men's ambition. In this fituation, as weak as his enemies reprefented him, he did not fink into defpair; on the contrary, he endeavoured to retire to William, duke of Normandy, who, like his father, knew no king but him who gave him his dutchy; in which, through the vigilance of Rodolph and his party, he was difappointed, which brought him fo low, that he was obliged to apply himself to Henry, king of Germany, and to offer to quit in his favour the claims he had on the kingdom of Lorrain, provided he would grant him his affiftance. Henry, confidering how much he was to be the gainer, and how honourable the enterprize was in itself, determined to undertake it, and began to raise an army for this purpofe. King Rodolph began in his turn to feel great apprehenfions, well knowing that the dukes of Normandy and Aquitaine difapproved his election. Out of this Perplexity Tttz 4 U 4 perplexity he was delivered by Herbert, count of Vermandois, who, dreading the reftitution of Charles, fent deputies to implore his clemency, to affure him of his fidelity, and to defire that he would march fuch forces as he had about him into his country, that he might be the better able to defend it against their common enemies. Charles was the more eafily deceived by thefe deputies, becaufe they were first deceived themfelves, and really believed the count to be in earnest. He marched therefore into Vermandois, with a handful of troops, and was received by count Herbert with all poffible teftimonies of the moft profound respect. At first, however, the king acted with fome precaution; but being at length perfuaded to enter the fortrefs of Chateau-Thierri, Herbert, the very fame night, caufed him to be feized in his bed, and then fent one of his adherents to compliment Rodolph on his having nothing to fear, fince Charles was a prifoner for life. The queen of this unfortunate monarch, whofe name was Egiva, fled with her fon Lewis to the court of her brother in England. Rodolph, having now leifure, turned his arms against William, duke of Aquitaine, who perceiving that he had no affiftance to expect, thought it expedient to make the best terms he could for himfelf; and in order to this, did homage to Rodolph; but it is certain he did this to a conqueror, and not to a king, fubmitting only because he found him924 feif unable to refift. This war was scarce ended, before Rodolph found himfelf embarked in another against the Normans; by which we are not to understand the fubjects of duke William, but a new fwarm of these plunderers from the north, commanded by one Rainold, who fell into Burgundy, and wafted it with fire and fword. The king managed this war but with indifferent fuccefs; and after laying fometime before their entrenchments, was content to let them make their escape. In this ftate of things, the Normans settled in France broke out into hoftilities, on account of fome injuries they had received; and while Rodolph was employed in raifing an army to bring them to reafon, the great lords of Lorrain revolted, and submitted themselves to the king of Germany; which, though Rodolph could not poffibly help, and in his prefent circumftances was as little able to refent, yet it leffened his reputation. For the nobility of France were equally jealous of the power of their kings, and ready to defpife them if they wanted power; and, on the other hand, the lords of Lorrain expected to be better gratified by the German monarch for bringing him a kingdom, than they could be by Rodolph for preferving it; in which they were chiefly governed by duke Gilbert, who was very nearly allied to the German, though he owned his great preferments to Charles, against whom he was one of the first that revolted. A body of Normans having made an irruption into the county of Artois, Rodolph marched against them with his forces; and as he approached them on one fide, Herbert, count of Vermandois, with the whole ftrength of his eftates, advanced on the other, and, by this means, the Normans found themselves befieged |