justice and discernment were rewarded by the defeat of Conflans, in 1759. It is said that his majesty, on hearing the news, pulled off his wig, and kicked it about the palace of Kensington for joy, congratulating himself for having been the instrument of so much good fortune to his country.

BASE INGRATITUDE.

In the time of the revolution, a family which had formerly enjoyed a high rank and great opulence in France, retired to live in poverty and obscurity into the country, a little distance from Dijon. Two children belonging to this family had been taken under the protection of relations in more competent circumstances. The eldest son, obliged to serve in the army, left at home only one sister, who by her sole labour supported an infirm father, and a mother become blind with grief and excessive labour. Reduced by degrees to the last distress, the aged mother resolved to go to Dijon, to ask relief of the municipality. She was led thither by her daughter, but, in the interval that passed before she could obtain an audience, she with her daughter were obliged to traverse the streets of Dijon, to beg alms of the compassionate to keep them from absolutely starving. Being admitted to the municipality, the mother unfolded her situation, with that of her husband and child." It is no more than just," said the president, after hearing her story, "to give some relief to this poor woman, and I have no doubt that we shall each of us feel a pleasure in performing our duty in this instance." "Ah, gracious God!" exclaimed the blind woman, "whose voice is that I hear? Do I find our good Benedict here? Ah, I cannot doubt it, it is certainly Benedict himself."

The municipal officer, in fact, who had just spoken, had formerly been groom to the very woman who was now soliciting charity. Finding himself discovered by her, he was silent, lest he should confirm the suppliant in her opinion; but the poor unfortunate woman assuming new courage from this circumstance, and thinking to enforce her claims by a further appeal to this man, said, “Ah! my dear Benedict, have the goodness to speak a word in favour of thy former masters. Call to mind that thou wast received a child by them, and treated with every kindness, and have pity on us now in this moment of our distress." As she spoke these words, the blood rushed into the face of the president, and his eyes rolled with fury. "What is the meaning, my good woman, of this language?" said he, affecting moderation in his voice; " my name is not Benedict." "Ah! forgive me, citizen," replied the poor woman, "if I am mistaken. The unfortunate are always ready to meet with those they have known in better days, and your voice is so like that of our Benedict.-if I had the happiness to have preserved my eyesight, I should have known him any where, by his high chest, his large mouth, his hollow and dark eyes, and his long and skinny fingers." Unfortunate woman! she was drawing the very portrait of the president. Her daughter plucked her by the gown, and the former groom darted at her looks of rage." Good woman!" said he at last, a little recovering himself, " we shall pay attention to your petition; you may retire now."-What had passed did not fail to become the news of the day all over the city of Dijon. The ridicule to which it subjected the municipal officer, inflamed the desire of vengeance, of which he already meditated the means; and to consign to

death the author of the history which he had been so anxious to keep secret from the world, was what he resolved upon. He conveyed to the revolutionary committee a denunciation, declaring the woman pretended to be blind, and for some days past traversing the streets, led by her daughter, to be a counterrevolutionist, formerly a woman of quality, and coming to Dijon expressly to pave the way for the return of royalty. This cruel denunciation had its full effect; the blind woman was arrested, and a very few days afterwards, condemned to die for having conspired to overthrow the republic.

This poor woman heard her sentence with the most perfect fortitude. Her daughter, permitted to attend her, never quitted her for a moment. "My dear child," said the mother, as she prepared to go to the scaffold, "I knew that you would not leave me in this last moment of my life." Profound sighs were the only answer of the daughter. She assumed courage, however, to walk by the side of the cart that conveyed the poor woman to the place of execution, and neither her strength nor resolution failed until this victim of ingratitude ceased to live. She then fainted away, and a few days afterwards fell a prey to her sorrow.

EFFECTS OF FANATICISM.

In the reign of Aurungzebe, the Mogul throne was shaken to its foundation by an insurrection of religious fanatics, headed by an old woman named Bistimia. She possessed a considerable hereditary estate, and had accumulated, by penury, an immense sum of money. Being seized with a fit of enthusiasm, she became on a sudden prodigal of her wealth. Fakeers and sturdy beggars of other descriptions, under pretence of religion, to the number of five thousand, flocked to her castle, and received her bounty. These vagabonds, not satisfied with what the old woman bestowed in charity, armed themselves, and, making predatory excursions into the country, returned with their spoils to the house of their patroness, where they mixed intemperance with devotion. The people, oppressed by these sanctified robbers, rose upon them, but were defeated with great slaughter.

Repeated disasters of the same kind were at length attributed to the power of enchantment; and this ridiculous opinion gaining ground, fear became predominant in the opponents of the fakeers. The banditti. acquiring confidence from their success, burnt and destroyed the country for many miles round, and surrounded the castle of the pretended enchanter with a desert, The rajah of the province (Marwar) marched against them with his native troops, but was defeated; the collectors of the imperial revenue also attacked them, but were forced to give way. A report prevailed, and was eagerly be→ lieved by the multitude, that on a certain day of the moon, the old lady used to cook, in the skull of an enemy, a repast composed of owls, bats, snakes, lizards, human flesh, and other horrid ingredients, which she distributed to her followers. This abominable meal, it was believed by the rabble, had the surprising effect of not only rendering them void of all fear themselves, and inspiring their enemies with terror, but even of making them invisible on the day of battle, when they dealt their deadly blows around them.

Their numbers being now increased to twenty thousand, the motley army, with an old woman at their head, directed their march to the capital. Bistimia was a commander full of cruelty. She covered her route with murder and

devastation, and hid her rear in the smoke of burning villages and towns. Having advanced to Narnoul, about five days' journey from Agra, the collector of the revenue in that place opposed her with a force, and was totally defeated. The affair now became serious, and demanded the attention of the emperor. He found that the minds of the soldiers were tainted with the prejudices of the people, and he thought it necessary to combat Bistimia with her own weapons. Sujait, one of the chief generals, was ordered against the rebels. The emperor, in the presence of the army, delivered to that general, billets written with his own hand, which were said to contain magical incantations. His reputation for sanctity was at least equal to that of Bistimia; and he ordered a billet to be carried on the point of a spear before each squadron, which the soldiers were made to believe would counteract the enchantments of the enemy. The same credulity which induced them to dread the witchcraft of the old woman, gave them confidence in the pretended charm of Aurungzebe.

The insurgents, after their victory at Narnoul, thought of nothing but the empire for their aged leader. Having rioted upon the spoils of the country for some days, they solemnly raised Bistimia to the throne, which gave them a fresh excuse for festivity. In the midst of their intemperate joy, Sujait made his appearance. They fought with the fury of fanatics; but when the idea of supernatural aid was dispelled from the minds of the imperial forces, the fakeers were by no means a match for their swords. It was not a battle, but a confused carnage. A few owed their lives to the clemency of Sujait, the rest met the death which their crimes merited.

Aurungzebe, when he received Sujait after his victory, could not help smiling at the ridicule thrown on his arms by an old woman, at the head of an army of naked mendicants. "I find," said he, "that too much religion among the vulgar, is as dangerous as too little is in a monarch."

THE UNSUSPECTED THIEF UNEXPECTEDLY DETECTED.

After receiving his rents, Lord C. was in the habit of retiring with his steward to his study; and there, after settling his accounts, of depositing the money in his strong box till the next day, when the steward was sent with it to the bank. This man had lived with this lord's father, and was so beloved by the family, that they placed implicit confidence in his integrity and worth, For some time his lordship had, upon inspecting the banker's book, and upon reference to his private account, found that the sum they credited him was always short of that he sent. This being continued, led to severe investigations; but no result that came out satisfied him how the deficiency could happen. Some of his servants came under his displeasure, and they were at various periods dismissed. On one particular rent-day he placed the money in another room, still having for his confidant the old steward, who, of course, joined with his lord in regretting his late losses. On the same night the housemaid went to this room to see that the shutters were safe; and, recollecting that she had to clean it out very early, she thought it not worth while to go to bed, but determined to lay herself down and sleep on the sofa. She did so, and put out the candle. When half asleep, she was aroused by a noise at the door, and she was just going to start up, and ring the bell, thinking it was thieves, when it slowly opened, and in walked the old steward. He looked

cautiously round, and hesitated; but seeing no object, went to the escrutoire where his lord had locked his rents up; after opening the lock, he took out what he pleased, and then re-locking the drawer, was going out, when the reflection of the candle on the servant's clothes caught his eye! He started; but she might be asleep, and his transgressions not witnessed. To be assured of this, he went to the sofa, and flashed the candle backwards and forwards before his eyes. The girl lay still. He put his hand into his pocket, drew out a clasp knife, and opened it. He flashed it before her eyes; the girl lay still. He then put it to her throat, drew it across and across, till she could feel the edge almost cut her. She was now aware that silence could alone save her life; for did she move, he would of course murder her. She had the presence of mind to lay still as death. Satisfied with this terrible trial, that she must be fast asleep, he closed the knife, and walked out of the room. The affrighted girl waited till she heard his footsteps faint away, and then she rushed up to the chamber of her lord, and awakening him, she detailed the whole of the scene, begging his lordship to satisfy himself of the truth. She had no sooner told her story than she fainted. Lord C. hardly credited her; but he arose, leaving Lady C. to take care of the girl; and, after raising up the valet and other servants, proceeded to search for the steward. His apartments being in a different wing of the house, they looked all about, and then cautiously made their way to his room. One of the men climbed up to the window, and saw the old man counting money. He descended, and told this; and then they rushed into the room, and before the villain could hide his prize, they made him prisoner. His lordship identified the bank notes found upon him, and he was, after a severe examination, sent to prison. Afraid of being executed, and dreading to face his injured lord and various other gentlemen who had placed confidence in him, he put an end to his life by cutting his own throat; not before he had left a letter detailing the sums he had purloined, and where his master could find them. Justice being frus trated by his not being made an example of, his lordship was not sorry to be spared accusing his old and hitherto supposed faithful servant, and the whole was hushed up as much as possible.-We now return to the poor girl: after a great deal of care, she recovered so as again to repeat before the steward her evidence; but when she came to that part where she felt the knife touch her throat, the horror of the circumstance threw her into convulsions, and she went mad.

NOBLE DARING OF A BRITISH SAILOR.

When Captain Boscawen was cruizing with a single ship in the Bay of Biscay, he was chased, and near being captured by a French squadron. A rope of great consequence, in the position of the wind, was stranded; it was the fore topmast studding sail tack. A young seaman, who saw the officers anxiously looking at it, without ordering any one out to repair it, seized a stopper, ran aloft, and, at the imminent risk of his life, went out on the boom, and made it fast. Called down on the quarter-deck, the good Captain (afterwards admiral) Boscawen, gently rebuked him for his rashness, and observed, "Had you fallen overboard, I must have hove the ship too, and should probably have been taken in my attempt to save your life.""" I hope, Sir, said the your honour would not have considered my Balfour, " young

life when his majesty's ship was in danger." The excellent captain was delighted and, affected at this manly answer. "Say you so, young man— then we don't part." He immediately took him on the quarter-deck, and advanced him in time to the rank of lieutenant. He was companion of the late Sir John Laforey at the famous cutting-out of the Bienfaisant from the harbour of Louisberg, in the island of Cape Breton, and died a yellow admiral; for his friend Boscawen died, " and other Pharaohs were at the Admiralty who knew not Joseph."

INDIAN CRUELTY.

Among other prisoners which the Hurons had once taken, they got an experienced and long-dreaded chief of the Troquois. On the day that was fixed for torturing him to death, they mounted him on a sort of scaffold, that he might be the better seen, or that they might the better get at him. They attacked him on all sides with fire brands, but he remained unmoved, and was only vexed that one of his fellow-warriors did not shew the firmness that he had expected of him for the honour of his tribe. Having done with this first attack, the men, women, and children, (for women and children are generally the most furious and busy tormentors,) ran upon him with increased rage, as if they would tear him in pieces at once. The Troquois still remained unmoved; and they seemed at a loss to know what to do in order to terrify him, when it occured to one of his tormentors to scalp him. This brought the Troquois senseless to the ground; when, thinking he was dead, they retired. But, after some moments, the flayed wretch took courage again, snatched up a brand, though his hands were already unfleshed and shrunk up by the fire, and challenged them to come forth and meet him. This challenge made them all set up a horrid savage cry. Some took fire-brands, others red-hot irons, or the like implements of torture, and fell upon him in one storm of rage. But the Troquois drove the whole troop of assailants back; and, with the steps that had been raised for getting up to him, made a rampart, behind which he for a long time bade defiance to the astonished Hurons. One false step that he had chanced to make delivered him once more into the hands of his murderers. who, after they had wearied themselves with various modes of torture, threw him into the midst of a large fire, from whence it was thought impossible for him to make his escape.

It was not long however, before he was running with a flaming piece of wood to the village as if he wanted to set it on fire. None had the courage to stop him. At last they threw a great log between his legs, which tripped him up. They now chopped off his hands and feet, rolled him over burning coals, and at last hauled him under the trunk of a tree that was all on fire. The blood he shed almost extinguished the fire, and they very reasonably thought him no longer capable of the least motion. Yet they were once more mistaken. The trunk of the mutilated warrior crept upon the knees and elbows with a threatening mien, and with so much force, as to make those that stood nearest retreat. After some time spent in this last effort, a Huron came up to him, and smote off his head.