Viscount of Brussels was darted out of his own ship, at a great distance, without hurt. A captain, by this infernal whirlwind, was carried heavily armed out of St. Mary's fort, like chaff in the air, and thrown into the midst of the river, from whence, by swimming, with the loss of his armour, he escaped. A young man of the prince's guard was carried over a great part of the river into the Brabant, a considerable distance, only hurting his shoulders a little when he fell on the ground, and said he seemed like a bullet shot out of a cannon, he felt such a violence forcing him forward.

To conclude, there were 800 slain, and the Prince of Parma was in great danger, though a good distance off, by a great stake, which struck him down, and he laid for some time insensible. And indeed the desolation produced by this execrable engine was such as made people say that the author of it fetched this terrible fire, which made the river boil with heat, and those pestiferous mortal vapours, from the infernal pit; and that the thunder and lightning was procured by magic art.

STRANGE EFFECT OF JEALOUSY.

Justina was the fairest and most beautiful lady of her time that was to be found in the whole city of Rome; she was married to a rich man, but hairbrained and furious; and he suspected her to have small care of her honour, upon no other ground than that he beheld her so excellent, and so perfectly beautiful. One day, as she stooped down to pull off her sandal, the cruel wretch, seized with a furious fit of jealousy, and discovering her beautiful white neck all open, suddenly drew his sword, and at one blow severed it from her shoulders.

GOD'S VENGEANCE ON FORESTALLERS OF CORN.

In the year 1434, says Matthew Paris, was a great dearth and scarcity of corn throughout the whole kingdom, but more especially in the northern parts of it. For three years after a great mortality raged: multitudes died of pestilence as well as of famine; the great men at that time taking no care to relieve them. Archbishop Walter Grey had then in granaries and elsewhere a stock of corn, which if delivered out, would have supplied the country for five years. But whether they did not offer him price enough, or for some other reasons, he would not part with a grain of it. At length being told that the corn stacks and other ricks would suffer for want of thrashing, being apt to be consumed by mice and other vermin, he ordered that it should be delivered to the husbandmen who dwelt upon his manors, upon condition they should pay him as much new corn for it after harvest. Accordingly some of his officers went to Ripon, where his largest stores were deposited, and coming to a great stack to take it down, they saw the heads of many snakes, adders, toads, and other venomous creatures peeping out at the end of the sheaves. This being told the archbishop, he sent his steward and others of good credit to enquire into the truth of it, who finding it true, would nevertheless force some of the countrymen to mount to the top with ladders, and throw down some of the sheaves. They had no sooner ascended, but a thick black smoke seemed to arise from the midst of the corn, which made such an intolerable stench, that it soon obliged the husbandmen to come down again, "declaring they never smelt any thing like it before.

As they descended, they heard a voice say, "Let the corn alone, for the archbishop and all that belongs to him is the devil's due."

In short, they were obliged to build a wall about the stack, and set it on fire, lest such a number of venomous creatures should get out and infest the whole country.

SANGUINARY MURDER.

A man who resided near the Dry-lands, in New York, having to pay a sum of £800, called on a neighbour, who kept a public house, and mentioned the circumstance, observing, that he had the whole amount at home, except £15, which he wished to borrow. The landlord agreed to lend him the above sum, but stated that he must wait till the next day, as he should go out to collect some debts, when, if he would call, he should have what he wanted. He accordingly went at the appointed time, and having waited the whole evening, was prevailed on by the landlord's wife to stay all night, her husband not having come home, on whose return she promised to call him; he accordingly retired to bed, but was soon disturbed by terrifying dreams, on which he awoke a pedlar, who had taken up his residence in the same room for the night, and informed him that he had dreamed his house was on fire, and his wife and children enveloped in the flames. The pedlar endeavoured to pacify him, but without effect, as he determined on going home immediately; finding he could not prevail on him to return to his bed, and feeling an interest in the dream, he agreed to accompany him, taking with him a pair of pistols well loaded. On approaching the house, they were alarmed (the night being dark) by seeing a bright light in the lower apartment, and on approaching the window, they beheld three men with blackened faces, counting out money on the table. Each of the spectators singled out his man, and shot two of the plunderers dead; the third was met at the door, endeavouring to escape, but, being overcome with conscious guilt, he made very little resistance, and soon shared the fate of his companions. The agitated husband then went into his bed-room, where he found his wife and three young children weltering in their blood, having apparently been murdered in their sleep. On washing the faces of the robbers, they proved to be near neighbours, who were intimately connected with the family.

BURNING A WOMAN FOR SORCERY.

A most heinous and disgraceful circumstance occurred at Onkerzeele, near Grammont, in Flanders, on the 14th of November, 1815. A farmer had a daughter who was taken ill; and a poor woman resided near the farmer, who was reputed to be a witch, because she did not much associate with the villagers. The farmer having had two daughters taken ill suddenly, instantly conceived that the poor old woman bewitched them; and together with some of his family, secured her, and burnt her feet, legs, and thighs on a slow fire, and thus kept cruelly tormenting her for three hours.-When they had nearly satisfied their cruelty, and conceived her at the point of death, they yielded to her prayers for a priest, and sent for one, by which the poor creature was saved from immediate death; but she did not long survive the dreadful tortures she had undergone.

IMPRISONMENT OF BARON DE GERAMB.

The family of Geramb is of French origin, and has long been established at Vienna, where its different members have distinguished themselves in the various employments given them by their sovereign, who had always estimated their worth as it deserved.

One of them, who was chamberlain to Francis II. was entrusted by the emperor with a diplomatic mission of a secret nature, and went, by his orders, to Hamburgh. It was at that period when Bonaparte was at war with Austria. Scarcely had Monsieur de Geramb arrived at the inn, where he purposed staying some time, than he found himself surrounded by the satellites of Napoleon, who had arrived the evening before, and who, disguised as servants, had announced him under another name, saying, that he was only going to change his carriage, as he was to go on in the one they had brought. He was, therefore, soon after his arrival, seized on, and carried off with all his papers, without being able to speak to any one, or make himself known. He was transported to the Chateau de Vincennes, thrown into a dungeon, where he could only see the light of day through a hole made in the roof, and through which he received a scanty portion of food. From that time he had little doubt but that he was shortly destined to become a victim to the atrocious policy of a man into whose power he had fallen in a manner so contrary to the laws of nations. He, therefore, set about preparing himself for instant death. In the meantime his imprisonment was prolonged from day to day, from week to week, and from year to year, without any questions being asked him-without his seeing the face of any human being, except that of the gaoler, who, every twenty-four hours, let down a basket from the height of fifteen feet, and which contained his scanty meal; who inquired of him, every fortnight, if he wanted any thing, and never replied to any question he asked him.

At length, after several years passed away in this frightful solitude, he was much surprised, in the month of April, 1814, to hear several doors opening in the caverns, and even that of his own dungeon. He had no doubt but what the hour of his punishment was arrived, and he was so resigned to his long-expected fate, that he scarce felt any emotion. In the meantime, the gaoler, presenting himself before him, only said, with a harsh voice, "Come out, Sir." However he might feel himself prepared to meet his fate with submission, he thought he ought not to shew too much haste in hurrying on the fatal moment; and he remained quiet, waiting to see how he should be disposed of, while he employed himself in prayer and meditation. Half an hour after the gaoler appeared again, found him on his knees, and cried out, "Well, are you coming out? every body has gone out." Baron de Geramb, not rightly comprehending these words, and becoming more and more astonished, rose up, followed the man, who walked before him with a lamp in his hand, and ascended with difficulty a long flight of stairs. He, at length, arrived in a court, where he saw a number of persons, whose squalid figures and meagre countenances, nevertheless, evinced some great and joyful surprise. They were, like himself, prisoners just relieved from their fetters; and who, by their cries of "Long live the king," felicitated each other, as they mutually embraced, and hailed the return of Louis le Désiré. Among these groups was a venerable bishop, who, extending his hands over one and the other, alternately bestowed on them his blessing and his pious exhortations. The baron threw himself on the bosom of the prelate, and with his eyes suffused in

tears, he said to him, "Ah! Sir, this moment, so sweet to my companions, how cruel is it to me! At an immense distance from my native country, unknown to any one at Paris, having but very slight means of subsistence, I expect death will soon terminate my sorrows: I have no other wish than to make confession of my faults to a minister of our holy religion, and receive that absolution which I hope to see ratified in heaven, as my penitence is sincere: the liberty that is now granted me is a more cruel gift than that death to which I fancied myself destined." "My dear son," said the bishop, pressing the baron to his bosom, and leading him out of the castle, "never despair of the goodness of Providence; he never forsakes those who put their trust in him. If heaven has been pleased to try you thus, it perhaps may recompence you patience and sufferings even in this life; I dare hope, after the religious sentiments you have just manifested, that you are destined to be one of the chief supports of our church." As they uttered these last words they had arrived at the outward gate of the castle, and were interrupted by the clamour of the drum and trumpets. Baron de Geramb turned about, and that moment perceived his brother, who was a Major General in the Austrian service, and was then at the head of a corps of Cuirassiers belonging to the emperor. The two brothers rushed to each others arms, and offered a most affecting scene to the surrounding spectators, as well as the venerable prelate, who seemed to have seen the goodness of the Almighty rewarding the piety of Monsieur de Geramb; which determined him, from that moment, to renounce the vanities of this world, and to enter a monastery of the most rigid order of discipline and austerity.

CURIOUS COINCIDENCES.

In the lives of William and Mary Douglas, who lived at Lanark, in Scotland, there were several very curious coincidences. They were born in the same hour, and brought into the world by the same midwife: they were baptized together at the same font: married in the church of their native village : lived to the age of 100 years without illness: died as they were reposing in the same bed, and were buried under the same font in which they were baptized.

VINDICTIVENESS OF AN ELEPHANT.

An instance of the vindictive spirit of an elephant occurred to some Dutch boors, who travelled in the year 1792 to the eastward of the Cape of Good Hope, in search of the place where the Grosvenor Indiaman was cast away, which is remarkable, and the authenticity of which, Mr. Barrow says, cannot be called in question.-This animal, after having received into its body several large musket balls, crept with difficulty into a large thorny coppice. Conceiving him to be done for, four of the boors rode up to the thicket; when, rushing furiously from his hiding-place, he lashed his proboscis round the body of one of them who was on horseback, dragged him off to the ground, and trod him to death; then driving one of his tusks into his body, threw him to the height of thirty feet into the air; the other boors dismounted, and hid themselves in the thicket. The elephant looking round and perceiving only one horse, began to follow it; but presently turning round, walked up to where the dead body was lying. At this instant the whole party renewed the attack, when, after receiving several bullets, he again retreated

into the thicket, Thinking that they should see no more of him, they began to dig a grave for their unfortunate companion, when the elephant again rushing furiously towards them, drove the whole party away, and remained triumphant over the corpse. At the distance of a hundred paces another bullet was shot into his body, after which they all fired, when, having staggered for some time, he fell to the ground, and was put to death by the Hottentots.

FATAL INTRIGUE.

Marie Catherine Taperet was born at Paris in 1728 of indigent parents, but was decently educated by her grandmother. Her personal charms soon procured her admirers. She gave her hand to an architect, named Lescombat. The young couple resided for some time at the grandmother's; but the sprightly wife, weary of her guardianship, persuaded her husband, by whom she was adored, to take a house for themselves. Here she was at first admitted into the circles of fashion, from which, however, her dissolute manner of living soon excluded her again. Her husband was wholly ignorant of her excesses. By her persuasion he even took into his house a number of young men as pupils, of whom Madame Lescombat formed a gay kind of a court.

One of these pupils, named Mongeot, was favoured by her above the rest, and that in such a particular manner, that her hitherto unsuspecting husband at length opened his eyes to his dishonour, reproved her very severely, and turned Mongeot out of his house. From this moment she vowed the destruction of her tyrant, as she denominated Lescombat. With the aid of tears and caresses she contrived to persuade him of her innocence, and to reconcile him with Mongeot. Scarcely was she again in the arms of her gallant, when she had recourse to the most diabolical arts to prevail upon him to murder her credulous husband. The following letter may serve as a mirror of her black heart:

"Remember your promise, your oath," she writes to Mongeot," to deliver me from my tyrant. To you I transfer the work of revenge. Heavens! how I pant for the moment of liberty! Chuse your time with judgment, and consider that the lives of us both are at stake. But mark! such is my fury, that if you have not courage to perform the deed, I will myself find other means of procuring peace. Yes, I am furious; hell is in my heart, and to nothing is sacred! Ha! if you did but know the heart of an exasperated woman, you would speedily execute my commission. With what transport shall I hear of the death of my husband! with what raptures shall I receive his murderer! How much more amiable than ever will you appear in my eyes! But, alas! you are timid, cowardly, you tremble for your life; you never loved me. O why was it my fate to become acquainted with you! I was living in innocence till you seduced me. Had I yielded to any other, I had long ago been a widow.

"You think to deter me by the representation of a painful and ignominious death by the hand of the executioner. You paint the horrors of the last moments of a murderer. You desire me to suppose myself at the place of execution, and to imagine that I see your blood flowing for my sake. You threaten me with the like fate. You confess that you should not endure the torture, but should accuse me as your accomplice. Never mind: all this you must risk. Concern yourself not about my life; it is hateful to me as long as my husband breathes. I cheerfully sacrifice it, so my revenge be but grati