"How many hast thou?" said the priest. der concern, and the other hand resting on "Six an't please you."-" Thou followest the corpse, sensibly felt a movement within; a very bad trade to procure them bread; it he immediately made his way to the caris the strait road to the gallows."-Then case, and discovered blood trickling from throwing down a piece of silver, left him the wound the needle had made, and, with to get home as well as he could. The rec- eager haste, brought up his bottle of gin, tor went on his way, and reached the house || and applied a part to the temples by rub. of his poor parishioner just in time to give bing very forcibly, and putting some part the dying woman her passport in the between his lips, which made a perceptible Romish form, and pulling out his purse, discovery that there was life remaining. emptied on a table its contents, which Upon which the surgeon was made acamounted to the enormous sum of fifteen || quainted with the event, who immediately sous and a half. This is a striking instance ordered the recovering man to be conveyed of the indigence common amongst the pea- to his birth, and laid upon chests between sants in France, and of the poverty of the blankets; and the proper methods being clergy in several parts of that kingdom.- made use of, he was restored to perfect life, How wretched must he be to whom so and a continued care enabled him to protrifling an assistance is a treasure! How ceed upon the voyage. The joy that this distressing for a liberal mind to have no must have occasioned can only be guessed more to give! at, it cannot to be described.

WONDERFUL ESCAPE OF A SAILOR FROM

BEING BURIED ALIVE.

ANECDOTE OF BEAU NASH, OF BATH.

It was more to some of those peculiarities, which are ever to be seen uppermost in some characters, than to any very great adroitness of manuers that Mr. Nash rose to that consequence he held so long at that

MANY years ago, Commodore Lestock had under his command three 90-gun ships, fitting out at the Nore, to reinforce Admiral Haddoch, iu the Mediterranean. On board one of them the surgeon's mates, on exa-polite receptacle for the genteelest commining the sick birth (the ships' crews pany. One instance of his punctuality to were very sickly at the time), imagined order, which he never would permit to be they found one of the sailors dead; who broken, is as follows:-It was usual at the was ordered to be carried upon deck, and balls for the minuets to be discontinued as Jaid upon the gratings, for the sail-maker soon as the clock struck eleven. It hapto sew up that he might be buried. It pened several years ago, when the Duke happened that the supposed deceased had of Cumberland and the Princess Amelia a messmate who was a townsman, but on were at the rooms, that the clock struck shore at the time, at Chatham, helping to eleven just as the Princess had called anwater the ship; the boat getting along-side, other minuet. Nash said—“That the laws and the sailor on board the ship, upou of Bath were like those of the Medes and hearing of the direful fate of his messmate, Persians; they alter not."-The Princess he went upon the quarter-deck, and be-acquiesced, and it was never known to have sought the Lieutenant to be permitted to been broken through since in any instance. open the hammock, in order to bid a solemn and awful adieu to his dear messmate; which was granted, and having procured a needle and twine, proceeded to open the hammock and uncover the face, and kneeling down saluted it with a pious warmth of ardour. On taking a final leave of a departed dear friend, so natural to the fine feelings implanted in the breast of a British tar, he set about making all safe by sewing up the hammock; in the execution of which he happened to run the needle through the nose of the object of his ten

ANECDOTE OF PIOVANO ARLOTTO.

THIS famous Italian priest, and great traveller, being on the point of embarking on a voyage, was solicited by several of his friends to purchase a variety of things for them in the country he was going to visit. The curate received all their commissions with great politeness, put the memorandums in his pocket-book very carefully, and promised to oblige every friend. At his return they all crowded round him to receive their purchases; but, to their great

1

surprize, he had only executed one single || about them; she would never suffer any commission; this partiality affronting all person to accompany her, but taking a the rest, he made his apology in the follow-loaded gun over her shoulder, with a laning speech:-" Gentlemen, when I set sail, I laid all your memorandums on the gallery of the ship, to peruse them, that I might put them in order to be executed regularly; when, suddenly, a squall arose, which blew them overboard, and it was impossible for me to remember their divers contents."-" However," replied one of them, " you have brought Mr. G- his silks.”—“ Very true," says Piovano; "but the reason is, that he enclosed in his memorandum a number of ducats, the weighted out of bed, and seizing her musket,

of which prevented it from being carried away by the wind with yours, not being so light, so that I had the means of remembering what he ordered.”—A word to the wise is sufficient; it is trouble enough to execute commissions, without adding to it the inconvenience of advancing the money, and raising an account, when the obligation is conferred, not received.

INTREPIDITY OF AN OLD WOMAN.

thorn in her hand, attended by her faithful mastiff, the constant companion of his mistress in those nocturnal visits, would make the whole tour of the gardens. She happened, after her usual round in the gardens, to be disturbed out of her sleep one morning, about three o'clock, by some thieves, who had set a ladder against her chamber window for the purpose of rob. bing her; but she fortunately waking out of her sleep at the time, immediately jump

which she always kept loaded by her bedside, flung open her chamber window, when, to her great astonishment, she discovered one man already advanced very near her chamber window, and the other preparing to ascend the ladder. At that instant she presented her piece at them, and said-" Do I ever turn any of you from my doors without relieving you? Why, then, will you break in upon my peaceful slumbers, and disturb my repose at this late hour? Begone this instant, or I will blow

MRS. WILCOX, aged seventy-eight, who some years ago resided in Little Holland-your brains out."-They retired immediHouse, Kensington, made it her general ately, muttering-"Although we are disrule every night, before going to bed, to go appointed to-night, we will visit you again round her gardens, in order to discover, if soon." possible, whether any thief was lurking

SKETCHES OF PUBLIC CHARACTERS.

ELIZABETH, DUCHESS OF KINGSTON.

THE subject of this sketch was every way entitled to the epithet of illustrious, both from her birth and the high and distin. guished rank she held in society; but if propriety of conduct, and firmness of principle, best entitle woman to be so classed, then Elizabeth Chudleigh could bring little claim; for settled principles she had none. This, however, arose less from viciousness than from ignorance; her mind, to use an expression of Mr. Locke's-" was a mere blank beyond mortality:" self was her idol, and her ruling passion was the acquirement of property. The quantity of diamonds she had amassed were her travelling companions, and she was furnished with a brace of pistols, to defend them at the hazard of her life.

When she married Captain Hervey, afterwards Earl of Bristol, in the chapel belonging to Mr. Merrill's house, she knew the officiating clerk was like Scrub, in the play, one who filled various avocations, and she tried to get her marriage inserted in that book from whence she had before tried to tear it away: for Harvey was become Earl of Bristol, and with rank there was fortune. In her success, however, she laid the ground-work for that evidence which procured her fall.

Re-married, as it were, by her own devices, Miss Chudleigh was thus circumstauced when the Duke of Kingston became her professed admirer. The chains of wedlock, which she had been so industrious in shaking off and putting on, were now most galling. The Duke's attachment

was ardent and sincere; he was the friend as well as the lover: he had every grace requisite in a man of rank, but he was bashful in the extreme. His lady possessed very different qualities; but she had a strong hold of his mind, and the result of it was ruin to herself. The Earl of Bristol had grown weary of his conjugal state, and he heartily desired a change. At first, when sounded on the subject of a divorce, he used the following expression :-" I will see her at the devil before her vanity shall be gratified by being a Duchess."-Afterwards, however, wishing to offer his hand to a lady, he expressed his readiness to annihilate the union between him and Miss Chudleigh: and, by design, Lord Bristol failed in substantiating his marriage. Thus, under conviction of perfect safety, the marriage between his Grace of Kingston and Miss Chudleigh, was publicly solemnized: but to put an end to all her future greatness, in a few years the Duke of Kingston died.

The solemn business of her trial was now pending; in which she was accused, and convicted, of bigamy. She was preparing to leave the kingdom, and she caused ber carriage to be driven about the most public parts of the metropolis, invited a select party to dine at Kingston-House, while, in a hired postchaise, she travelled to Do

She remained, therefore, at the hotel long enough to lend Dessein a thousand pounds, when, being her debtor, he complained of her parsimony, and compelled her to seek another abode.

It was the lot of the Duchess to be continually on the remove; some advices she received from Rome, rendered it requisite for her to visit that city. In the public bank she had deposited her plate, for safety, when she had set out for England; and in her palace she left a renegade Spanish friar and an English girl, which she had carried over to Italy. The girl was handsome, and a certain cardinal was very frequent in his visits at the Duchess's palazzo. The friar smoked the cardinal, and the cardinal was jealous of the friar. The poor girl understood not a word of any language but her mother tongue: the friar knew English enough to caution the girl against the cardinal. Whether or not from real dislike, she left the cardinal to make love to the friar. He having accomplished his end, thought it a pity that any portable moveables should remain useless, and walked off with all he could carry, leaving the poor girl in a state of pregnancy. The Duchess, informed of these events, saw the necessity of instantly repairing to Rome; where, ou her arrival being known, Cardinal Albani waited on her, and to him she communicated the circumstance relative to the friar but the question was, how the property embezzled by him could be reobtained; the sobbing girl could hardly gain one single moment's attention. Her Grace of Kingston only kept vociferating"Where are my candlesticks? What, is all the linen gone? By the living G―d he has stripped my palace!”—The girl, wholly engrossed with her own thriving situation, kept answering—“ Indeed, your Grace, I did not cousent; I was fast asleep," &c. &c. Fatigued in body and in mind, she would "What," replies the Duchess," is all your gladly have sought rest even in the attic nonsense to my property? The diamond story. While she retired, Dessein found buckle of my dear Lord Duke! The devil means to investigate the state of her finan- confound the villain! Go along, you husces; and finding that they were still in a sey; I'll have you punished if you don't state highly flourishing, his features bright- find the rascally friar."-Here a message ened up the next morning, and he declared of condolence arrived from his Holiness the himself the happiest of beings to be able to Pope, and the Duchess immediately changinform her that the company who had oc- ed her style." What I have lost," said cupied the apartments suitable to Mashe to the messenger, "is of considerable dame la Duchesse, were gone to Paris.-"value; but to take advantage of a poor

ver.

Mr. Harding, the Captain of her yacht was there, and he conveyed her, in the first open boat that could be hired, to Calais.

Monsieur Dessein received her with more complaisance than cordiality; he indicated his pity for her by a significant shrug with his shoulders; and though he thought him- || self, as he told her, highly honoured by her Choosing his hotel, he had not one suite of rooms disengaged; a single apartment was all the accommodation in his power!

innocent young creature, is more distress-, sent for a jeweller, who, looking first at the ring, and then at Dr. Schomberg, said, "I hope you will not be offended, Sir, but it is not worth your while to have any thing done; the middle stone is a composition, and the whole did not cost more in Paris, than thirty-six shillings!"—" Is that the case?" said the Doctor; "then I will soon dispose of it."-He then trampled the paltry bauble under foot, and threw its remnants out of the window.

ing to me than all the trifles he has taken. My dearest Lord left me an ample fortune, and I wish to make others happy with it. This unfortunate girl I took from a child, and meant to have provided for her as a mother. I forgive her, poor thing! My most humble and dutiful respects to his Holiness!"-The messenger retired, and the inquest and probability of recovery were instantly resumed: but finding all hopes were vain, she got her plate out of the public bank, returned to Calais, and the robbery of the friar became one of those ordinary tales with which she was often wont to entertain her select parties.

The business in England, in the mean time, was to set aside the will of the late Duke of Kingston. The Duchess found it politic to affect a particular regard for those characters who were capable of rendering her some service. Sir George Haye was at that time Dean of the Arches: Dr. Isaac Schomberg had been cotemporary with Sir George at Merchant Taylors' School. Through life they were attached to each other. The opinion of Sir George, as to the impeachability of the Duke's will, was frequently wanted; and through the intermediation of Dr. Schomberg this was obtained. Sir George Haye, from the first, ridiculed any attempt to set aside the will as futile. Schomberg requested him to dictate a few lines on the subject." I will, Isaac," said Sir George. Let the Duchess desire her common lawyers to attack the rock of Gibraltar.”—Schomberg, on this, caused every consolatory assurance to be transmitted to the Duchess: for which she professed every feeling that gratitude could inspire.

||

Previous to her trial the Duchess had formed a design of visiting Petersburgh. A ship had been built for her, containing every splendid accommodation. There was in it a drawing-room, a dining-parlour, kitchen, and other conveniences. The ship, as may be supposed, attracted general observation: and the Russian Ambassador being given to understand that it had been intended as a conveyance for the Duchess of Kingston on a visit to the Empress, the politeness of courts compelled an acknowledgment that the compliment would be graciously received: but there was something more than the compliment of a visit; her Grace had some pictures of considerable value, which devolved to her on the demise of the Duke. These she had offered as a present to Catherine, who had deigned to accept of them. They arrived safe, and the Empress disposed of them according to her fancy.

Dr.

To convey her Grace to Petersburgh the ship which had been built was ordered to Calais. It arrived there; and Harding, who had commanded her yacht, was considered as Captain. An obstruction, however, arose the American war subsisted. Under what colours could the Duchess sail so as to ensure protection? Cunningham, One morning the Doctor was waited an American marine adventurer, had just on at his apartments in Conduit-street, and taken one of the Holland packets. a gift from the Duchess of Kingston was Franklin, then at Paris, was surrounded by presented him. The token was a ring, a swarm of his countrymen, who only brilliantly encircled, the stone, a deep blue, wished for commissions to rove about the and the words Pour l'Amitié on the stone. Channel. The intention of the Duchess The intrinsic value was never once conto embark could not be kept secret. The sidered by Schomberg; it was the pre- capture of her ship was considered an ensumable tribute of gratitude that affected terprize worthy of adoption; for it was his mind. He wore the ring in almost all supposed that any sum demanded would companies, and named the donor. It hap- be paid for her ransom. Apprised that pened, however, in a short time, that one such an idea prevailed, her Grace applied, of the encircling brilliants dropped out; by letter, to the French minister, soliciting and to have a substitute in its place, hell protection under the colours of France.

THE TRIFLER.-No. I.

"Trifles make the sum of human things.”

TO THE PROPRIETOR OF LA BELLE ASSEM- || proposals inserted, well;-if not, I with