The little troop foon rejoined their general, and, while they fympathised in his affliction, they fhared in his confolation. hail completed their confufion and destruction. O e man had, however. contrived means to deliver his country from the dreadful fcourge which now ravaged it; and conceived that he and his countrymen might arm themfelves with flings, and, with ftones thrown from a distance, overpower the plunderers. Guillarich obferved this man trying his new invention. He faw him ready to acquaint his friends with the ufe and "Ah! dear Bilamich!" faid Raggado, what handfome legs thou houldft have carried about thy neck! Never couldst thou have borne a fofter burden. But we are now forced, like the dervife, to lead a life of penitence; let us, at leaft, keep it up till midnight, that it may be the more meritorious. Thou, Batteniltabour, as I have great con-advantages of it: but, at the very fidence in thy abilities, I charge thee with the care of our repofe till funrife: go take thy round at half a Jeague's distance; beat eighty drums, and when thou perceiveft any impertinently curious perfons approach, found thy trumpet with a firm tone." moment when he opened his mouth to do fo, an arrow from Nadhertavil's bow pierced his throat, and flopped the good advice by the way. General defpair prevailed through the country, and news were conveyed from all quarters to Kallacababalaba, by an hundred arrows; for it was Batteniltabour obeyed, while his in this mode that requefts, comcomrades continued to divert them-plaints, or information of any kind, felves, and to drink away till they all were conveyed. funk under the table. The tyrant affembled his council. An aftrologer of great skill in geomancy was his only counsellor."You fee!" faid the tyrant, "to what condition we are reducednobody can come to difturb us here; but nothing can avert the famine which threatens us. My arms have hitherto combated thofe robbers who infeft my country with fuccefs; but they are now more audacious than ever, and this, no doubt, in It is not every day that weddings happen, at which fo good a meal can fo conveniently be found ready dreffed. On the day following, Raggado's troop made many plundering excurfions on different quarters, and with fo much the more confidence, because under fuch a leader they flattered themselves with the hope of impunity. But they were now obliged to drefs their victuals themselves. They encamp-confequence of receiving an acceffion ed every night under the tent, the fituation of which could not be Known, as it was never pitched and fpread till after it was dark. By day they were frequently obliged to fight, in confequence of meeting with fmall detachments like that which had before prefumed to attack them; but all fucli detachments were always equally cut off. Thofe who efcaped the fword or fire were struck "This is what I have been emmotionless by the voice of Battenilta-ployed upon for fome time," replied bour, the dreadful founds of which the fage." I have conftructed the piercing their ears, ftruck them with horofcope of every one of our eneinconceivable horror. A fhower of mies. Ordinary arms will not avail of ftrength. At their head is a leader who has, alone, deftroyed feveral detachments of my foldiers, whom I had fent out to maintain peace and fecurity through the country, and to collect the taxes. In the reports and complaints is a great deal of the marvellous. Think of fome means, then, by which we may provide for our fecurity." against fagacity, not to follow your advice implicitly." "I tell you before-hand (faid the aftrologer) that you will find thofe arms extraordinary." "No matter; they will be fo much the better against such an enemy; one miraculous expedient must be oppofed to another." Captain Raggado, in the mean time, continued to ravage the plain. Bigftaff, in concert with his fage counfellor, mustered the small army he intended to lead out against the foe. The arms and military engines which they were to use, were fecretly collected, and made ready in the arfenals. When all were prepared, a body of three hundred men, all glittering in fteel, defcended in baf fortrefs, and fpread over the plain. "The enemy! the enemy !" cried Guillarich. "Is he dropping from his mina against them. The endowments, of which they make fo bad an ufe, are all more or lefs magical; but in this art the defect is, that all its manœuvres may be defeated by the flightest means which are directly opposed to them. Thus, I fhall approach Batteniltabour with cotton in my ears, which will fruftrate the power of his drum. I will fpit in Bazzaknar's mouth, and extinguish his fire; Guillarich's talent becomes of little ufe when danger is clofe at hand; fteel will blunt the arrow of Nadhertavil; Karaamek is a courier whofe courfe may easily be stopped; Thalahava's power depends upon a thread which may easily be cut; Ballayah is a cowardly dervife, and can be of no fervice where there is no water to drink; Inafac and Bila-kets, moved by pullies, from the mich cannot be formidable, for they are merely a part of the baggage. But the chief enemy we have to combat is captain Raggado, a man who is ever the fport of the ftars,-rets?" faid Raggado. on whom they have wreaked all "Yes, general: the baskets are their malice,and whom they have emptied yonder, and out of them formed to do all the mifchief poffible, flue three hundred men, with a but never the leaft good. His mind leader to command them.-It is the is prompt and fertile in expedients, tyrant himfelf: I know him by his his foul manly and intrepid, and his ftature; he is taller than common. body of uncommon ftrength: but Ah! what a fingular cafque he wears his aims are always difappointed by on his head! It is neither more nor the extravagance of his own fury; lefs than a great kettle.-His buckler he wields a magic fabre, the edge of is five inches thick: his looks are which not even a diamond could keen and piercing as fire --General! refift; were you to oppofe to it your fhall I pitch Nadhertavil's pike bebrazen mace, it would be broken in fore him, that he may falute this a thousand pieces, and you difarmed. formidable enemy in the left eye His common way is to fend chal-with a complimentary arrow?" lenges: but he has already been "Bold foldier you! (faid Raggainformed, that you would accept no do) look out; but keep your challenge, unlefs on terms difagree-advices to yourself.-My enemy is able to him. However, fir, if you in the plain then, and armed against will please to arm your foldiers as I my attacks, in a ridiculous defenfive fhall propofe, I dare venture to pro- armour - Come, Batteniltabour, mife you fuccefs against him and his call every one to order, and let us whole troop." march out against our enemy." "Come to my arfenal (faid Big- The two armies foon met; Ragftaff), and chufe out what arms yougado took the centre between Batplease, for my foldiers and myself to teniltabour and Bazzaknar. Balput on. I confide too much in your layah and Guillarich were on the Kk 2 right right wing; Karaamek and Nadhertavil occupied the left; Bilamich and Inafac brought up the rear guard; Thalahava rode upon a storm in the air, in order to pour it upon the enemy. Bigftaff, on his fide, drew up his army in a line three men deep. In the foremost rank were foldiers who wore white armour; each man in the fecond rank carried a fyringe; thofe in the third bore each a pair of fciffars; they wore all well-tempered defenfive armour. Raggado faw this triple line drawn out before him, and, confident in his own force, marched boldly out, as he fuppofed, to certain victory. He advanced himself ten pares before his trcop, as if by way of defying his enemy to fingle combat. Bigflaff advanced to meet him; the armies ftood till in fufpenfe, and Kaggado ordered Batteniltabour to found a charge. Only this order was properly executed; for unforeseen events difconcerted all the rest of Raggado's projects, and fruftrated all his efforts. apothecaries and barbers? Dare but to lift against me that mace, than which the, fpit on which thy meat is roafted would better become thee, and be a more fuitable accompaniment to thy cafque and buckler." "Raggado, (replied Bigftaff) thy words are like thy conduct. I come not out against a warrior, but against a butcher. And, if it becomes me to act always nobly, it will equally become thee to perifh ignobly. Though thou dareft me to give the first blow, come on thyself, it thou canft." By Mahomet! I fhall," faid Raggado, and, as he spoke, let fall a blow, which founded like thunder upon the pot on his enemy's head, But when his fabre touched the pot, inftead of penetrating, it rebounded from it with fuch force as to fhake the vigorous arm that wielded it. Raggado, aftonifhed at this unex pected refiftance, attempted to part by one blow the arm and buckler of his antagonist; but the blade of his fcimitar was broken in pieces — Inftead of striking on iron as he had fuppofed it, his magic fabre had been broken upon a pumpion and a mouldy cheese. No fooner did Raggado meet his opponent, and oppofe buckler to buckler, than he thought to dif "Two thoufand fquadrons!" cried charge on Bigftaff's head one of thofe Raggado, moving four fps backdecifive blows by which he had fowards." Hola! Bazzaknar! Set often fignalifed the strength of his this heap in a blaze, raise an inferarm, and the temper of his fabre. nal fire." -But, before he would ftrike, he thus addreffed him over whom he thought himself fure of triumphing- Bazzaknar was about to obey, when an hundred fyringes, directed against his mouth, poured into it a deluge of water, fo that only a thick Bigstaff! (faid he) tyrant of fmoke was emitted. The general, fcullions! art thou not afhamed of thus fruftrated in his hope from this prefuming to appear in the field of hand, called 'I halahava to his aid, battle with a kettie on thy head? who was hovering over the army, Thinkeft thou that thy kitchen bat- with his magazine of thunder and tery can fave thee from falling under hail ready. But now all the fciffars my arm? Or does my evil ftar in the third rank of Bigftaff's army fend thee against me in this ludi-were held up in the air, and emcrous guife that I may gain no ployed to cut the invifible threads, honour from the victory but the fo that they directed the ftorm upon ridiculous one of having triumphed the hoftile army of Raggado. over the prince of cooks? Muft Raggado's brave foldiers fight with The captain thought now, that, by calling in his third refource, he might yet yet make good an honourable retreat. He therefore ordered Batteniltabour to found his drum. But the enemy difcovered no terror at the found; the foldiers' ears were deafened by the cotton ftuffed into them: They inclofed Raggado; the drum continued to beat: the captain's heroes were all confounded and fled; he himself was thus left helpless: and the tyrant of Kallacahabalaba knocked him down with his mace. Batteniltabour burft his belly; Bazzaknar was ftifled with his fmoke; the reft made their efcape to their old holes in the best manner they could. ANECDOTES of GWINN the 1 tumult and buftle of the crowd, a bottle was broke, which contained a large old favourite viper, which had been the only companion of his folitary moments for many months. No language was adequate to the declaration of his defpair at that event: he equally curfed the covetoufnefs of his landlord, and the curiofity of the company; for it fhould be known, that the acclamations, novelty, grandeur, and pageantry of that fuperb fcene, had no attraction for him; nor would he have stirred from his elbow-chair, to have beheld the triumphant entry of the ion of Philip into Babylon. This odd adventure was terminated by a boxingmatch between a gentleman and himfelf in his own chamber, as Mr. Gwinn had taken fome indecent liberty with his opponent's wife, (From Pafquin's Hiftory of the Irish under whofe clothes he infifted the Artifts.) AMES GWINN, painter and ftrayed reptile had taken fhelter. Shortly after this difafter, his hoft removed to the Buffalo Tavern, lowed him, with all his undefcribable moveables, in the night. At this caravanfera the Fates had decreed that his vital thread fhould be bifected; but the means they nfed were unworthy of the end. They corapelled, the feet of his indifcreet countryman Charles Spooner, the engraver, to wander, when tipfy, into the houfe; where, the difcourfe running upon the ingenious reclufe above ftairs, Spooner engaged, for a county of Kildare. I never could afcertain that he had any mafter: he came to London about the year 175. The hiftory of the artifts, perhaps, furnishes nothing more eccentric than the movements of this extraordinary man. In purfuance of a determination he had made, to retire, as much as poffible, from all mortal communication, he took a lodging at an alehoufe called the Three Tuns, in the Broad Sanctuary, Weftminster, where he literally fewager of a dozen bottles of wine, to cluded himself from the world, and devoted all the time he could fpare from that avocation on which the means of his fubfiftence depended, to the ftudy of the occult fciences. His mathematical apparatus was worth feveral hundred pounds: he lodged at this cabaret during the laft coronation, when an accident occurred which rendered him nearly inconfolable. His hoft had erected a fcaffold for fpectators before Mr. Gwinn's window; when, from the bring him down among the company. The mad frolic was attempted; and Spooner had contrived, by mimicking the voice of his watherwoman, to feduce him on the outfide of the door, when he inftantaneoufly feized him, and endeavoured to defcend with him on his shoulders; but a feufle enfued, and both the parties rolled down, when Gwinn difengaged himfelf, and, fcudding up to his den, bolted and locked himself within. In a fortnight after when it can be done by fimply attending to the pathetic tale of their woes? or in what does it confift ? Surely common charity will urge this as a duty, when it can be effect. this bold intrufion, he was found dead in his apartment, partly, it is fuppofed, from his deep chagrin at fuch an infult. His food was uniformly carried by the fervant, and left at his door; and it has freed without guilt. The world, if it quently happened that he has not ate during twenty-four hours. He died about the year 1766. Some of his drawings were very neat and impofing, but not true-he got his livelihood by defigns for the lids of fnuff boxes, which he did for a manufactory at Batterfea, under the direction of fir Stephen Theodore Janion. LETTERS which paffed between From LETTER VII. to could poffibly hear of fuch a com merce, might call it, in a perfon of your diftinction, inconfiftence,-but inconfittence without vice is no crime; and I am confident, though it might be reckoned a pot here, it will affume a very different character in the fight of heaven. O, Frances! what a situation I am doomed to fulfil!-a fituation in which I never can expect even tranquillity, much lefs happinefs; the only with I have, is to pour out my miferies to the attention of one who would hear them with complacence, and yield me one figh of pity :-and this you have the cruelty to deny me. Thrice happy they whom mutual affection hath joined in early wedlock,-whofe thoughts flow in the moft delightful unifon,-and whofe looks are illumined by the tran. fcendant fenfations of reciprocal love,-who never reflect but upon paft joys, and who look forward, with gratitude to their Creator, to many fucceeding days of delight! What a ftate of delicious ferenity muft fuch experience !-But I, CHARLES WALLER FRANCES CROMWELL. ENETRATED with the moft lively fenfe of gratitude for your last favour, permit me, once more, to take up your attention for a few moments. Let me endeavour to prevail upon you to recal the cruel fentence you have paffed, command-born to a different fortune, placed in ing me not to write to you again. It is obfcuring the only ray of comfort that is left to guide me through the misfortunes of this world,-and, after what you have acknowledged, is calmly arming my defperate hand with fuicide,--or, worse, immuring me in the most difmal dungeon that wretchednefs ever beheld: for fuch will be my fituation, if I be compelled to feed upon the bitterness of my miferies, by keeping them to my felf. Befides, my dear Frances, (pardon my calling you fo) where is the cri minality of relieving the diftreffed, a fphere which only adds to my ter, ment, cut off from the confolations of parental kindness,—who have no friend whom I can trust,-who never revolve the past occurrences of my life but I awaken thoughts that rend my bofom with anguish,—and who dare not attempt to fpeculate upon futurity,-envy the haplefs wretch who is chained to the galley, and think his fate the most exalted felicity compared to my own.-Bodily labour is the only evil he has to contend with; it may fatigue, but it gives no anxiety to the mind.-It affords him a relish for his fcanty meal, |