My Lords and Gentlemen, "AT your fitting down, her Majesty in a gracious letter, recommended to you two things, which the thought moft neceffary for your own quiet and fecurity, as well as for that of her Government; the fettling of the fucceffion in the Proteftant line, and the providing for the fubfiftence of the forces, the funds laft given for that end being then exhaufted. The first of thefe you have not thought fit for your intereft to do at this time. I heartily with you may meet with an opportunity for it more for your advantage at another. The other all of you feemed moft ready and willing to go into, as witness the several motions and refolves made thereanent; but, withal, fhewed ftrong inclinations for an act of fecurity, as abfolutely neceffary. I told you then, as I had done at first, that I had been fully impowered and inftructed, not only as to that, but many other things for your good; but, upon the alteration of circumftances, had not now the liberty to make ufe of thofe powers even as to that, till I had acquainted her Majesty, and knew her mind, which I would do, and ufe my utmolt intereft to procure it favourable; which was the true reafon of your long adjournment, and not what was infinuated by fome, who ought to have known me better, the character I have in the world being, as I hope, above fo mean a reflection. And now, my Lords and Gentlemen, [ can tell you, that, from her Majefty's innate goodness and gracious difpofition towards you, it hath been more easy for me, and fome other of her fervants, to prevail with her, than perhaps was by others expected; fo that you have an act of fecurity fufficient for the ends propofed. And it is hoped, at the fame time, you will perfect that of fupply, which you yourfelves feemed convinced to be abfolutely neceffary at this time, and without which neither the forces can be kept on foot, nor any frigate maintained for guarding our coafts and fecuring our trade; both which now lying before you, I hope you will go prefently about, that, when finished, they may have the royal affent, which I am ready to give. And therefore you may have time to proceed to other business relating to trade, or your other concerns, wherein I fhall be willing to comply with your defires, fo they be within the bounds of my instructions.' [To be continued.] SKETCH of the Character and Death of the Chevalier BAYARD. HE Chevalier Bayard was diftin- lies, and attacked his rear with great fury. the appellation of The Knight without fear, and without reproach." This man, whole prowess in combat, whofe punctilious honour and formal gallantry, bear a nearer refemblance, than any thing recorded in history, to the character ascribed to the Heroes of chivalry, poffeffed all the talents which forn a great General.-Thefe he had many occalions of exerting in the defence of Mezieres. Partly by his valour, partly by his conduct, he protracted the fiege to a great length, and in the end obliged the Imperis alifts to raise it, with infainy and lofs.-Mezieres, at this time of beleging it, in the reign of Francis, King of France, was a place of no confiderable strength, but fo advantageously fituated, that, by getting poffeffion of it, the Imperial army might have penetrated into the heart of Champagne, in which there was fcarce any other town capable of obftructing its progrefs. When the French found themfelves obliged to abandon the Milanefe in 1524, Bonnivet, their General, attempted a retreat into France through the valley of Aoft. Juft as he arrived on the banks of the Seffia, and began to pass that river, Bourbon and P.fcara appeared with the vanguard of the al the while exerting himself with much valour, was wounded fo dangerously as obliged him to quit the field; and the conduct of the rear was committed to the Chevalier Bayard, who, though so much a stranger to the arts of a Court, that he never role to the chief command, was always called, in times of real danger, to the polts of greatest difficulty and importance. He put him! If at the head of the men at arms, and, animating them by his prefence and example to sustain the whole thock of the enemy's troops, he gained time for the rest of his countrymen to make good their retreat. But in this fervice he received a wound which he immediately perceived to be mortal, and, being unable to continue any longer on horfeback, he ordered one of his attendants to place him under a tree, with his face towards the enemy; then, fixing his eyes on the guard of his fword, which he held up instead of a crofs, he addrefled his prayers to God, and in this pofture, which became his character both as a foldier and as a Chriftian, he calmly waited the approach of death. Bourbon, who led the foremost of the enemies troops, found him in this fituation, and expreffed regret and pity at the fight. Pity not not me,' cried the high-fpirited Chevalier, • I die as a man of honour ought, in the difcharge of my duty: 1 hey indeed are objects of pity who fight againft (meaning, Bourbon) their King, their country, and their oaths. The Marquis de Pescara, paffing foon after, manifefted his admiration of Bayard's virtues, and his forrow for his fall, with the generofity of a gallant enemy; and, finding that he culd not be removed with fafety from that spot, ordered a tent to be pitched there, and appointed proper per fons to attend him. He died, notwithftanding their care, as his ancestors for feveral generations had done, in the field of battle, Pefcara ordered his body to be imbalmed, and fent to his relations; and fuch was the refpect paid to military merit in that age, that the Duke of Savoy commanded it to be received with royal honours in all the cities of his dominions: In Dauphiny, Bayard's native country, the people of all ranks came out in a folemn proceffion to meet it. The CANADIAN MAN and WIFE; or, The Memoirs of the Chevalier DE BEAUCHENE. MY felf-love will undoubtedly fuffer by ble how much I deferved his reproaches, I relating here a fuccinct hiftory of my life. It matters not, I must tell all as faithfully as I can. I well deferve to be put to fome fort of fhame. On the other hand, I muft not bury in filence fome laudable actions, which will be but a flight atonement for those I ought to blush at. I am indebted for life to a rich Counfellor of the Parliament of Paris, who, defigning me for the bar, had me educated with that view. But I had fuch an averfion for ftudy, and especially for that of the law, that I learned nothing. My father, perceiving the little inclination I had to fhine in his profeffion, changed his defign. I was committed to the care of an uncle I had at Court, and was provided with a poft in the King's houthold. A fort of propenfity for libertine life involved me in exceffive expences. On account of being the only fon of an opulent man, I had already found means to borrow to the amount of twelve thousand crowns, when I was still under twenty. The place I obtained coft near fifty thousand livres; and this was a new bait for my creditors. Their ufurary purtes were open to me, and I was glad that they difburied. Of a great number of young Gentlemen that found money, as I did, with more cafe than the King, I was the moft confidered and the fooneft ferved. It is true that my creditors made me date and renew my notes, when they pleafed. But, though they took these precautions, I could obferve that they were particularly fond of me, and that they hazarded lefs with others, from whom they often impolitely required fecurity. An inheritance of near two hundred thoufand livres which my father, by his death in a fhort time after, left them and me, for I owed them about half, increafed their hopes and the irregularity of my conduct. My uncle, but in vain, remonftrated to me that I was feeking my ruin, Though fenti had not refolution enough to mend. My felicity, or my ftupidity rather, egged me on to deftruction. I loved wine and good cheer. Twenty parafites devoured me. I played deep, and, tho' I fancied myself to be a dexterous gamefter, I always found myself the dupe and prey of fharpers. Apprifed of my diffipations, my uncle reprimanded me anew, but to no purpose At length, tired of admonishing me, and to fruftrate my expectations of being his heir, he refolved to marry, that he might get an heir worthy of him. It was, however, on this fucceffion, that my creditors depended moft. They confi dered it as a fupplement to my fortune, which was likely in time to be of fervice to them. They knew better than myself what I was worth; for I configned over to them the care of calculating my debts and my income. To complete the picture of my diforders, I thought thofe too prudent and regular who kept miftreffes as fuch. This manner appeared to me too nearly allied to the tirefome uniformity of marriage. In fhort, I lived as debauched a life as one well could, when an event happened which I am now going to relate: I had lately hired a valet de chambre who, having been never in fervice, piqued himself on his great fidelity. He informed me that one of my footmen, in whom I had placed fome confidence, was of a pilfering difpofition, and carried on his thefts in concert with the cook. Jafmine, added he, goes out every night after fupper, and takes away with him fomething to a place I have taken notice of. To be convinced of the truth of the fact, I hid me at night on the ftairs of a houfe, where my valet de chambre affured me the ftolen things were brought. The accused footman came there effectually carrying a bundle, passed by without fecing me, and went up into a garret. I quickly fol lowed ever entering into my views. As to her fa lowed him, Knave,' faid I, prefenting my naked fword to him, is it fo you rob me ?ther, I found the conqueft of him more eafy. The wretch immediately threw himfelf at Whether he was affected by my engaging my knees. Strike, Sir,' faid he, but ways, or that the dread of falling into exyou will deftroy three with the fame blow.' treme indigence did not fuffer him to be inSo faying, he pointed to a young woman, tractable, he yielded to my follicitations whom fear had made motionless, and an old but both of us found it a very hard task to man almost worn out with infirmities. Here feduce the girl. I fay both of tis, for he is nothing, purfued the footman, opening was obliged to have recourfe to fpecious prethe bundle that he still held in his hand, but tences to reduce her to compliance. He afthe fcraps and leavings of your fervants vic fured her that I had given him my word of tuals. So it is I prolong the life of my fa- honour I would publicly marry her, as foor ther, who has only this help to fubfift on. as I poffibly could bring the thing to beari Yet, though thefe leavings are very bad, I which I dared not then do, for fear of dif pay dear for them to your cook, to whom I pleafing an uncle, whofe heir I expected to have given up, for this year paft, my wages. be. Whilft he omitted nothing to obtain a The father, on his fide, cried out mercy; confent to his dishonour, I feconded him by but there was no further occasion to have re- the meafures I had taken for bettering their courfe to fupplication in order to move me, way of life. I hired for them and furnished What I faw was enough to difarm and to an apartment, where I settled them with a infpire me with compaffion. I drew near to fervant-maid. In fine, we fet fo many enthe old man, and asked him, why he did not gines to work, the father and I, that the girl follicit a place in the General Hofpital, ra- ceafed to refift us. ther than remain in fo diftreffed a fituation? 'I would have done fo,' answered he; ut my children oppofed it; the bare name of the place where they fhould be obliged to come and fee me frightened them.' Whilst I spoke in this manner to the old man, his fon was fled, and his daughter had hidden herself. Be of good cheer,' faid I, to the father, I commend what your fon has done, and, far from difcharging him, I will double his wages. To make this promife more effectual, I accompanied it with two or three pistoles, being all the money, gold and filver, I found in my pockets. I intended, as foon as I got home, to difpel Janine's fears, who, not knowing what I had faid to his father, muft have been very uneafy. Unfortunately for him, the valet de chambre, fecing him enter, and believing he fhould give him good advice, defied him to fly away in nafte to efcape juftice, to which I might deliver him up; and this fpeech of his fo troubled the footman's mind, that he difappeared, and was no more heard of. His elopement gave his father great trouble, who fent feveral times his daughter to ny houfe, to inquire if any intelligence had been had of him. Once, having directly addreffed herself to me, though covered with rags, her beauty ftrang ly alarmed me. I was fo finitten with her, that, forge ting the generous motive which had hitherto induced ne to do her good, I propofed conditions to this poor innocent girl, to refcue ber and the author of her birth from wretchednefs. So it was that I made the fentiments of humanis ty inftrumental to aggravate my guilt. The virtuous mall appeared very far from What determined her more than any other confideration to yield to my importunities was, that, judging, from my behaviour to her, I was too honeft a man to deceive her, the fancied my attachment would not end but with my life. In lefs than 8 days the confented to furrender, and the father, well pleafed with his lot, no longer retained any remembrance of his having been wretched, But his fhameful profperity was of short duration. He fell ill and died, recommending to me his daughter. This amiable child gave herself up intirely to the love the had conceived for me, contented with thre efteem and friendship I could not with hold from the true merit I obferved in her. One might fay that her fituation pleafed her, though, after the promises I had made her, he had a right to hope for a better condition. Never was life more retired than her's. I could not prevail upon her to appear at theatrical entertainments, or allun blies of any kind. She even prayed I fhould fee her only in private; very far from the humour of other kept miftrefies, who cannot have lovers of abilities to engage in expences on their account, without erecting for themfelves a kind of trophy of their infamy. Out of pure complaifance to me, the confented to learn to fing and dance; but the employed the better part of her time in reading. Her demeanour, her excellent qualities; ought to have withdrawn me from my debauched life, and fixed me intirely. She never asked any thing of me. It is true, I anticipated her wants and defires. I feldom faw her without making her a pretent of fome jewel. One time I gave her a gold watch D or fnuff-box, another time a diamond ring and necklace; and when it happened I won fifty or fixty piftoles at play, I obliged her to fhare them with me. It is play-money, faid I, if you do not take it, I fhall lofe it tomorrow; I had rather you had it than another. But commonly the would accept nothing, unless I promised her to be more reafonable for a certain number of days, and not to frequent bad company, who were my deftruction. I fhould, in fine, be happy, if I purfued her advice, and that of a fincere friend, whom I fonetimes brought to fup with me at her apartment, and who, on his fide, often exhorted me to reform my conduct. When I engaged in parties of pleafure, and chanced to be two days without fecing her, I threw her into all imaginable diftrefs; and, if I had the leaft indifpofition, the wept bitterly, as if her life was intimate ly connected with mine, I raised in her a multiplicity of other alarms. One day, over-heated with wine, and almost under the King's eye, I made myfelf guilty of a crime which I have not power to explain. I was under a neceffity to difappear, for fear of ending my days on a fcaffold; and, notwithstanding all the in terceffion made for me by the intereft of my uncle and friends, my pardon was not obtained but by the lefs of my poft, and a fine of ten thousand livres for the benefit of the General Hofpital. This affair fet my creditors in motion. They all knew one another; and, having made an estimate of my fortune, their firit refolution was, at their meeting, to lend me no more money, in order not to increase my debts. Having learned, a fortnight or three weeks after, that my uncle was going to be married, they judged from this precipitate marriage, that I was abandoned by him. Their intentions then became public, and they joined the administrators of the General Hofpital. Thefe particulars my friend wrote me an account of in the place of my retreat. He added in his letter, that he had been to see my uncle, who told him, fhewing his marriage articles: Here, Sir, is a proof that I no longer acknowledge for a nephew a profligate whom I would have caused to be arrested immediately, if I knew where he is; and would with pleasure let him die in a dungeon to expiate the ignominy he has brought on our family. My friend, not being able to procure the ten thousand livres I wanted, could not hinder my fortune being feized and fold. Be fides the above fum, I likewife ftood in need of eighty thoufand livres to fatisfy my creditors. At least, so stript as I was, I had not much to fear; and I might, perhaps, have He fent me one in fact, intimating, that he believed her fincere, but that my diftrefs no more required the breathings of tender fighs, and that I ought to be fufficiently embarraffed with myself, without the additional incumbrance of a faithful adventurer. I was of his opinion, and began to forget my dear girl, imagining the fhould no longer think of me. Yet the oftener I read her letter, the more fhe feemed worthy to me of attention. I ftill remember the words it contained. I can live no longer,' faid the, 'without feeing you. If you do not permit me to come to you, I will feek after you in all the frontier towns. It is not fo much for my fatisfaction that I ask this favour, as for your own intereft. The misfortune that keeps us at a distance from one another may have an end. Could I fee you, I might adminifter fome comfort to you. We fometimes receive help where we expect it leaft. Figure to yourfelf my father expiring, and forget not that you fwore to him that you would never abandon me. I have loft all fince I was yours. I have nothing dear to me, but you in the world. What fignifies it to me in what fituation I may find you? It is yourfelf, and not your riches I have at heart.. Think that I belong to you as certainly as if divine and human laws had impofed on me the neceffity of sharing your fortune with you as well as your name. Farewell; F will fet out when you pleafe, and repair immediately to whatever place you dircct.' Before I received this letter, the tiresome life I led in my exile, and money I was foun likely to want, had filled me with the delive of making a fecret tour to Paris. I could not help doing fo, after reading the letter, though it promised me nothing pofitive. Let out as privately as I could from the place 1 was in, and at night came to my friend's houfe, who was furprised to fee me. I hazarded much in reality; but the more unfortunate one is, the lefs danger is dreaded. My friend fent immediately to inform my miftrefs that he had news to acquaint her with. She flew that inftant to his houfe, and, finding me there inftead of a letter the expected, the poor girl was near lofing her fenfes through excels of joy. She did not amufe herfelf in teftifying to me the pleasure the fight of me excited in her. She asked only after my health; and then prayed my friend and me to follow her to her lodgings, telling us we might not, perhaps, be forry to take that trouble. On entering the finall chamber where the lived, for fhe had let out her apartinent to fave fomething, the shewed us a box, which the opened, and in which was a great number of gold pieces and a good many jewels. Sir, faid the, turning to me, all this is your property, and I here reftore it to you.' Intimately affected by this action, I looked at, quite fpeechlefs, not the treasure, but the generous girl that offered it to me. Then, throwing herself into my arms, I fhould be much richer, cried fhe, if I had been as ready at receiving as you was in giving. How I now upbraid myself for my delicacy! Why was not I more covetous? Why had not I in my hands the riches that were taken from you God forbid,' answered, that I should accept what you fo cordially offer me. No, my dear child; you deserve it better than I do, and I would lay down my life to preferve it to you. And I mine,' replied the, to have it in my power to reinftate you in your late fituation. What do I fee and hear?' faid then my friend. How happy muft one be to meet with a reverfe of fortune at this rate? You have loft nothing,' added he, turning to me, being poffeffed of the heart of fo rare a perfon." After a long conflict of tenderness and generofity between my dear girl and me, What think you to do at laft?' faid my friend to us. You either muft,' anfwered fhe, endeavour to appease his creditors with that fum, or he muft take it with him, and retire into fome place of fafety. I fhall die, if he leaves me; but I will not ask him to take me along with him; that would be embarraffing him too much How can you think fo? faid I to her. No, nothing but death can feparate us; this is the juft claim of: fyour friendship for having food the test of my misfortunes.' My friend interrupted us again to tell us he was of opinion I should fecrete myself, whilft he went about to my creditors, and made them offers. I thought it was most advifeable fo to do. He faw them all apart, and foon difpofed them to an accommodation. Thofe, who imagine they will lofe all, are easily induced to compound. In fhort, I faw myself at the eve of being at liberty, when a new misfortune cut us fhort of that laft hope. My friend's footman, fulpecting that there were things of value in the box, found means to come at the key of his mafter's clofet in the night, and carried away the box with him. What a stroke of thunder was this to my friend, when he perceived the next day what had happened? He ran immediately to give information of the theft, and the most diligent and ftrict fearch was made after the vilfain both in town and country. He was taken in a fortnight's time, and hanged before his master's door, after having confessed his crime. This was all the redress and confolation we had; for justice detained the box and its contents. It is no eafy matter to reprefent our distress and vexation, efpecially that of my friend. We ourselves were obliged to confole him. The poor girl, who, in the main, was the only one that had fuftained the lofs, feemed leaft afflicted, and exhorted me to patience. You fee, faid I to her, the refult of your tendernefs. Why do you not abandon me to my evil destiny? You had fomething to live upon; why did you not then forget me?" It was my duty to affift you,' anfwered the; but I can no more do fo but by my care. Let us depart with what money we have remaining. Let us leave a country where our liberty is endangered. You fay nothing to me, purfued the, obferving me loft in thought. You are diftracted, I fee; you have a mind to go from me; but you will not fucceed in the attempt; I will every-where follow you, and be like a fhadow attending on your steps. You made me happy as long as you was so yourself; it is now juft I should bear a part with you in your misfortunes. Well then,' faid I, you fhall fhare them with me, if you can; but do you know to what perils you will expofe yourself by following me? My refolution is taken. I am going to quit France, and even Europe. An old friend of my father has had a private confe rence with me. He counfelled me to pass in to America, and gave me letters of recommendation to get fome employment there. Can you undertake fuch a voyage? Will the climate agree with you? Why should you banifh yourself from your country to encounter with me the dangers of a long navigation ? I know no other danger, replied the, than D 2 that |