stance.

from whom he had several times attempted to rob life, inherited all his subAs his birth was a mystery to himself, he lived composed and tranquil with his wife, and never knew that she was his sister.

The eastern historian concludes this narrative by an Arabian proverb: "He that a pit digs for his brother, falls himself into it."

PLAGUES OF EGYPT.

The following dreadful account of the plagues of Egypt, is extracted from Edward Daniel Clark's travels in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The mercury in Fahrenheit's thermometer seemed at this time fixed. It remained at 90° for several days, without the smallest perceptible change. Almost every European suffered an inflammation of the eyes. Many were troubled with cutaneous disorders. The prickly heat was very common. This was attributed to drinking the muddy water of the Nile, the inhabitants having no other. Their mode of purifying it, in a certain degree, is by rubbing the the inside of the water-vessels with bruised almonds: this precipitates a portion of the mud, but it is never quite clear. Many persons were afflicted with sores upon the skin, which were called "Boils of the Nile ;" and dysenterical complaints were universal. A singular species of lizard made its appearance in every chamber, having circular membranes at the extremity of its feet, which gave it such tenacity that it crawled upon panes of glass, or upon the surface of pendent mirrors. This revolting sight was common to every apartment, whether in the houses of the rich or the poor, at the same time, such a plague of flies covered all things over with their swarms, that it was impossible to eat without hiring persons to stand by every table with feathers or flappers, to drive them away. Liquor could not be poured into a glass; the mode of drinking was by keeping the mouth of every bottle covered until the moment it was applied to the lips; and instantly covering it with the palm of the hand, when removing it to offer to any one else. The utmost attention to cleanliness, by a frequent change of every article of wearing apparel, could not repel the attacks of the swarms of vermin which seemed to infest even the air of the place. A gentleman made his appearance, before a party he had invited to dinner, completely covered with lice. The only explanation he could give as to the cause was, that he had sat for a short time in one of the boats upon the canal.

THE SWEDISH REGICIDE.

The Conspiracy of J. Ankarstrom, the Regicide, in Sweden, presents some circumstances of a highly interesting nature. The following account of that singular event is from an authentic source :

Immediately after the king, on the masquerade given at the Opera-house at Stockholm, the night betwixt the 16th and 17th of March,'in the year 1792, had been shot through the back with a pistol by a masque, who after this borrid deed succeeded in concealing himself in the crowd, every necessary step and measure was taken in order to detect the culprit.-Suspicions fell on Ankarstrom in consequence of the depositions made by a gunsmith and a cutler. The former of these having deposed, that the pistols that had been found the ensuing morning at the said place, on the floor, and then exhibited to him as well as the whole body of gunsmiths and cutlers, summoned to give any in

formation they could with respect to these weapons, were the same pistols that he some time ago had repaired for one Captain Ankarstrom, who at the time brought them to him, and fetched them away; and the cutler having deposed, that this was the identical dagger likewise found, and shown to him and others, which he about the same time had made on the requisition of the same Ankarstrom-upon these grounds orders were issued for the immediate apprehension of this with-so-much-reason suspected Ankarstrom, who, when the commander of the guards, that were come to secure his person, acquainted him with his errand, surrendered his person, acknowledged himself guilty, and expressed his regret at not having succeeded to kill the King on the spot -to use his own words, "in liberating the world and his country from such a monster and a tyrant." This free avowal being then reported to the then sitting Regency, further orders were given for an immediate inquest of this affair, and for the trial of Ankarstrom, who with others likewise apprehended on suspicion, grounded on the former's confession, of being more or less concerned in this Regicide, were brought before the High Court of Judicature; which Court, on proceeding to the examination of Ankarstrom, received the following, (and without the least compulsion,) delivered confession, viz. That he, Ankarstrom and Count Horn, after having conceived and established a kind of reciprocal friendship and confidence, had to one another disclosed their minds and sentiments respecting the political situation of the kingdom, with which they were both discontented; and agreed, that an assassination of the King was the only means and expedient for effecting a change in the present government: That Ankarstrom, prompted by personal revenge against the King for an indictment of crimen læsæ Majestatis' carried on in behalf of the crown against him, and in consequence of which the last year had been condemned to twenty years imprisonment, had offered himself to serve as an instrument for this purpose: That, after this, Horn and Ankarstrom conceived a plan for carrying off the King by force, during the night, when sleeping at his villa of Haga, and to conceal him that, in order to explore the situation, and possibility of executing this plan, Horn and Ankarstrom, in the be ginning of January last, walked round and through the park, environs, and woods of Haga; but finding it too well guarded, and consequently too dangerous an enterprize, they entirely relinquished this scheme; That Count Ribbing, who, by his friend Count Horn, was informed not only of all that had proceeded, but likewise of Ankarstrom's intention to assassinate the King, acceeded to this association, and fixed a meeting with these two persons at the estate of Horn, situated at a small distance from Stockholm, called Hufrudstad, where they agreed and resolved as follows: That the King should be assassinated by Ankarstrom, either with pistols or a dagger, at an opportunity when the murderer could find means to hide himself in a great crowd; and for this reason the play or the masquerade was chosen, in preference to any other opportunity. Agreeably to this, Horn and Ankarstrom went to the play the 16th of January, where they had taken places near the box of the King, in order that the murderer, who was provided with two loaded pistols, might find an easy opportunity to fire at the King when he came through the covered walk, which he generally passed going to the play; and that Ankarstrom, after having fired, might run down the back-stairs, and escape. But the King not going this evening through the above-mentioned walk to the play, Ankarstrom found himself thwarted in his design; he resolved therefore to avail himself of the opportunity of the next play, which was to be given two days after, but was this time, by the same event as before, frustrated in his attempt.

Baffled in their sanguine wishes, the conspirators met again, and agreed to try the next opportunity, which was a masquerade, to be given the night between the 19th and 20th of January, where Ankarstrom went; but not finding a sufficient crowd of people there, he also deferred the execution of his criminal intent. The following day Ankarstrom and Ribbing set out for the diet at Gefle, where the former, intended to commit the murder, always carried a pair of charged pistols about him, in hopes to meet the King, as he frequently did, walking incognito. After the diet they returned to Stockholm, and it was again determined to make another trial on the 2d of March, when another masquerade was to be given; by the same reasons as the preceding, the assassin was prevented from the gratification of his purpose. A third masquerade, which was to have been given the 9th, was put off till the 16th, on account of the rigour of the season during these days. Preceding to the masquerade announced for the 16th, the conspirators assembled at the chateau of count of Horn, where Count Ribbing imparted to them, that Liljehorn, Lieutenant-Colonel in the army, and Major in the king's Guards, had been informed by him of the whole, and that he had promised, that the regiment under his command, as well as the battalions of artillery then at Stockholm, and the regiment of the late queen dowager, should assist in case a revolution could be brought about;-that the Count Ribbing also had imparted this secret to General-Major Pechlin, who had likewise promised his assistance in bringing about the intended revolution after the King's death. For these reasons, and that of fear in particular that the secret now imparted to so many might be betrayed, Count Ribbing further urged the necessity of the king's speedy assassination, in which they were all agreed. The next day they met at Count Ribbing's lodgings, where they mentioned to one another the dresses each of them was to wear at the masquerade, and Ribbing promised to engage as many as he could get there, for the sake of enlarging the crowd. Pechlin, whom they met afterwards, promised the same. Every measure was now taken that the attempt should not fail-Ankarstrom, accompanied by Horn, went home to charge his pistols, according to his own confession, with one round ball, one square ditto, eleven small shot, and seven nails. This being performed, they both dressed, and went together to the Opera-House, the former armed with the above-mentioned pistols and a dagger. The king, not being arrived, entered the saloon some time after, holding his grand equerry, Baron Essen, by the arm, and walked forwards to the theatre, where he stopped. Ankarstrom, observing when the King entered the room, slid betwixt him and his company, and followed him at a small distance, and as soon as the King had stopped, chose his station behind a scene, towards which the king turned his back, and discharged one of his pistols so near that the end of it touched the King's domino. Having fired his pistol, and seeing that the King did not fall from the contents, Ankarstrom drew his dagger in order to stab the king, but was seized with a kind of trembling, which made him drop not only the pistol, but also the dagger, on the ground; after which he walked away to conceal himself amongst the crowd, crying that a fire was broke out, in which he was joined by several voices. All now being performed, he sought for an opportunity to rid himself of the other pistol, the contents of which were intended for himself, but his courage failed him, without being perceived. In this he also succeeded before the general search come on; for as soon as the King was wounded the doors were shut, so that nobody could get away, and every body was obliged to unmask, and to be searched, and to write his name before he got out. Ankarstrom, after having undergone this ceremony, went quietly

home, where he stayed the next morning till he was taken into custody. After having, without any compunction soever confessed his crime, and being on several convincing proofs found guilty, he was condemned to the highest and most ignominious punishment of his country, that of standing on the pillory for three days in three different squares, and to be publicly flogged by the scavenger's servants in every square, and after that to be carried out of town, to lose his righ hand cut off by the scavenger, and lastly, to be beheaded by the common executioner, and his body divided into four parts, put upon wheels, to remain till it was destroyed;-the right-hand to be put upon one wheel by itself.

Ankarstrom was a middle-sized man, rather stout, had a broad forehead, black large eye-brows, blue eyes, light hair, an aquiline nose, short but broad, black beard, and a full face. He was always said to have been of a cruel and revengeful disposition; and that in his youth, when getting his education at the University of Upsala, he never was more delighted than when he himself, or any of his friends, had an opportunity to play tricks by which the sufferer was put in bodily pain and torture. He was of an ancient and respected family, that before it was introduced into the house of Nobles, which took place the 13th of April 1678, when it got the name of Ankarstrom, went under the name of Depken. Ankarstrom was a descendant of a younger or later-adopted branch of the above-mentioned family, who, after having finished his education, entered into the military service, and bought a commission of an Ensign in the King's guards, in which capacity he continued for some years, till he fell in love with a young lady of family and some fortune; and whom he, after having sold out of the army, married. As soon as he was married he retired to the country, where he rented an estate belonging to another gentleman, at a small distance from the capital. He was looked upon as a good farmer, but avaricious to such a degree, that he himself, in disguise, went to the market to sell the different products of the estate or farm.

As to the other persons more or less concerned in the above-mentioned Regicide, their names are, Bjelike, Baron; Ehrensward, Baron; Hartmanstorff Major in the Artillery, Jacob Von Engestrom; and several others less

notorious.

Baron Bjelike took poison as soon as he saw the guards arriving to arrest him, and expired a short time after; Horn hanged himself in the arrest; and another also took poison.

Ankarstrom, on the first day of his standing in the pillory, harangued the people, and bore the whipping with great fortitude. The succeeding whippings affected him very much. The Clergyman who attended him declared, that he had contrition for the horrible crime for which he suffered, and felt the keenest pangs of remorse, imploring the pardon of his Sovereign and of the State, and deprecating the vengeance of the Almighty, which he had so justly incurred by the violation of one of the most sacred laws of God and of man.

HUMANITY OF CAPTAIN TYRELL.

In "The Naval and Military Memoirs of Great Britain," by Captain Beatson, the following anecdote is related, which is highly to the honor of the British navy

When Captain Richard Tyrrell was sent by Commodore Moore on a cruize, in quest of some of the enemy's privateers, at anchor in Grand Ance Bay, in the island of Marinico, the immediate object was soon accomplished. But

the village close by was a strong temptation to sailors, flushed with victory, to attack and plunder, and they warmly solicited leave from the Captain to march against it. His answer to their request does him more honor than the most splendid conquest: "Gentlemen," said he, "it is beneath us to render a number of poor people miserable, by destroying their habitations and little conveniences of life: brave Englishmen scorn to distress even their enemies when not in arms against them."-The honest tars, sensible of their worthy leader's observation, acquiesced in his sentiments of humanity, and returned to their ships, without one act of violence against the peaceable and unarmed inhabitants of the village. It is but justice to note, that there are many instances of the same humane, generous, and highly commendable spirit, both in the officers and private men of our fleets and armies.

VARIOUS ANECDOTES OF THE HINDOOS.

The influence of the most regular of climates, which lessons the wants of life, and renders men averse to labour, perhaps also the moderate use of animal food, and abstinence from spirituous liquors, contribute to render the Hindoos the mildest, and probably the most enervated, inhabitants of the globe. That they should possess patience and resignation under calamity, is perhaps not much to be wondered at, as the same causes that tend to damp exertion may produce these qualities; but besides these, we have numberless instances of firmness and active courage that occasion a considerable degree of surprise. The gentle and generally timid Hindoo, while under the influence of religion, or his ideas of duty and honour, will not only meet death with indifference, but embrace it by choice.

An Englishman, while on a hunting party, hastily struck a peon, or foot soldier, for improperly letting loose a greyhound. The peon happened to be a Rajahpout, which is the tribe of Hindoo soldiers. On receiving the blow, he started back with an appearance of horror and amazement, and drew his poinard. But again composing himself, and looking stedfastly at his master, he said, "I am your servant, I have long eaten your bread;"and having pronounced this, he plunged the dagger into his own bosom. In those few words he surely pathetically expressed, "The arm that has been nourished by you, shall not be employed to take away your life: but in sparing yours, I must give up my own, as I cannot survive my dishonor."

Some sepoys in the English service, being condemned to death on account of a mutiny, it was ordered that they should be blown off from cannon in front of the army. Some of the offenders being grenadiers, on seeing others, who were not led forth to suffer before them, they called out: "As we have generally shown the way on services of danger, why should we be denied that distinction now? They walked towards the guns with firmness and composure; requested to be spared the indignity of being tied; and placing their breasts to the muzzles of the cannon, were shot away. Though several had been condemned, the behaviour of these men operated so strong on the feelings of the commanding officer, that the rest were pardoned.

The Rajah of Ongole having been driven from his possessions, after some fruitless attempts, he resolved to make a last effort to recover them. Heaccordingly entered the province at the head of those, who had still accompanied him, and was joined by many of his subjects. The English officer who commanded at Ongole for the Nabob of Arcot, marched to oppose him. They