Author of all good, to slight and reject the use of the gifts and faculties which he had been pleased to dispense; but so it was with the votaries of La Trappe, by the presiding authority of which the skeleton-like stranger was sentenced to do penance by a pilgrimage through England and Ireland for some transgression of the rules of the order. Witness took the monk home, and placed before him the best that could be afforded; but the wretched man would take but little refreshment, and refused to lie down upon any other bed than the hard floor, where he consigned himself once more to sleep, but not until he had fervently prayed for mercy, as was evident from his heavy sighs, uplifted hands, and moving but soundless lips. Next morning, witness ascertained that his guest had left a change of clothes at some publichouse in the neighbourhood of London Bridge, and had been two days looking for the place without finding it. Alderman Cowan said, that the conduct of the persons who had relieved the poor enthusiast was truly noble. Many, he feared, who were in the habit of reviling the Jews, "passed by on the other side."

'Mr Knight said: "Although my wants are but very few, I am so poor that my children would severely feel any further encroachment upon their daily bread; and I caused the poor man to be brought here, to have the assistance of the police to find his little property, that he may continue his pilgrimage, after which he is to go back to Belgium."

'Mr Hobler inquired: “Did you tell him that you were a Jew?"

'Mr Knight answered: "No; I was afraid that, deplorable as his condition was, he would have scorned my aid if I said a word about it. Neither do I wish that he should be informed at all of the fact, lest the knowledge of it might wound prejudices which happily no longer exist in this country."

'Mailey, the policeman, was then directed by Alderman Cowan to inquire in the public-houses in the neighbourhood of London Bridge, whether the monk had deposited

his clothes in any of them. In the course of the day, the officer returned, having succeeded in his search. Wrapped up in the threadbare garment, were some portions of the works of Origen, Kempis, and other eminent writers on the Christian religion; and the features of the poor monk, for the first time, appeared to relax, and something like a gleam of satisfaction was observable for a moment upon his countenance when the books were put into his hands. He then bowed to the alderman, meekly placed his hands upon his breast, shook his benevolent host by the hand, and once more set out upon his pilgrimage.'

Many of our readers must have known the individual of whose character we are now about to give an outline. He was a jeweller for nearly half a century at Banbury, in Oxfordshire, and for the last sixteen years of his life resided in London. For convenience, we shall call him Isaacs. This gentleman of Nature's court-for such he truly was-came to England a poor boy, and commenced active life as a pedler. He married early in his own humble rank, receiving nothing with his wife but a small parcel of metal shirt-buttons. Even while a poor and

struggling man, he began to manifest the extreme benevolence for which he was afterwards remarkable. A relation of his wife had a daughter to marry, but being unable to furnish the promised dowry of ten pounds, and the bridegroom being too poor to do without it, the union was like to have been put off indefinitely, when Isaacs furnished the money, and made the young people happy, his own capital being then probably little more than double of what he thus generously expended. It is worthy of remark, that the little sum was well bestowed in every respect, for it became the nucleus of a fortune now amounting to about half a million. After Isaacs had set up in Banbury, and was taking his place among the respectable citizens of the town, a proposal was made to have a Sunday-evening lecture by subscription in the principal church, for the benefit of those who could not attend divine service during the day. When this scheme

was publicly mentioned, much indifference was manifested by many, and some decided objections were presented by others. At length, one of the individuals who took an interest in the scheme, said, half jocularly: 'Come, let us ask Isaacs what he thinks of it. They accordingly proceeded to the shop where, from morning till night, that worthy creature attended to his little trade, and in brief terms explained their object, and asked his opinion of it. What was their surprise when he instantly headed a paper with his own subscription for two guineas! This occurrence was decisive. Objections were silenced; the indifferent were shamed into liberality; and the lecture was established.

By industry, Isaacs became possessed of sufficient property in the funds to yield him an income of about six hundred a year. He then retired to live at leisure among his friends in London. Next to benevolence, the most remarkable feature of his character was a devotion to the spirit of frugality, accompanied by a contempt, in which he was quite sincere, for all superfluous luxuries. The servant who waited upon himself and his wife, having scarcely complete occupation, he allowed her to take in spinning or sewing on her own account, so that not a moment of her time might be wasted. On finding that she made a more profitable use of her spare hours than was originally calculated upon, he did not scruple to allow her a few more than was strictly convenient to himself, and for some time actually paid from his own pocket a young girl who was brought in to perform a share of her duty.

The whole economy of his moral nature was arranged on the principle of a co-ordinate supremacy of benevolence and frugality. These leading features sometimes came into view simultaneously, and formed circumstances of the most grotesque incongruity. A friend calling upon him one day about four o'clock, being one hour after his usual dinner-time, found him walking through his room with an appearance of elation and cheerfulness, such as he did not commonly exhibit. On the cause

being inquired into, he answered: "Why, I have not dined since yesterday at three o'clock.'

'And why have you not dined?'

'Oh, I was busy all morning in the city, and when I came home rather late, I found the table-cloth withdrawn, and all over; so I contented myself with my tea.'

The source of the old man's joy, was his having tricked himself out of a dinner. Presently, the husband of one of his wife's grand-nieces, who had recently lost all he had in the world, came in, bearing that look which can never be mistaken when borne by a poor man in the presence of a rich. Isaacs called his first visitor into another room. There's poor ,' said he; he has called just now by appointment, to consult me about setting him agoing again. Of course I must give him something. Here,' he added, shewing a fifty pound-note, which he had evidently put into his pocket for the purpose, 'do you think this will be enough from me?'

The poor relative was sent away rejoicing with this munificent gift, which was amply sufficient for making him a man again. We have heard the visitor whom he consulted on this occasion express his conviction, that he had denied himself his dinner that day, simply as an appeasing sacrifice to the spirit of self-denying frugality, on his indulging to so great an extent in the opposite sentiment. Nor was this the most remarkable instance of collision of the two principles. Mr Isaacs, it appears, was self-constituted a kind of guardian and benefactor to several families connected with his wife. Another grandniece of that lady received from him a portion of five hundred pounds, being more than the surplus of one year's income. The marriage being appointed to take place in his house, he invited the intended bridegroom to spend a few days with him. The entertainment was extremely good in every respect, except that a cucumber was brought to table without vinegar or oil. On the deficiency being pointed out to the host, 'O never mind vinegar or oil,' said he testily; these things are all sheer superfluities. Cucumber is best by itself.' And

accordingly the cucumber was allowed to make its appearance for three days at dinner without being touched. The man whose generous heart enabled him to spend five hundred pounds in advancing the interests of a being who had no claim upon him of any kind, could not allow himself to disburse one penny for the purpose of rendering a cucumber palatable!

These anecdotes, we should suppose, may safely be left to work their own effect upon minds in which bad habit has not completely extinguished all generous feeling.

LED YARD THE TRAVELLER.

JOHN LEDYARD, one of the most enterprising of modern travellers, was born in the year 1751, in the province of Connecticut, in North America. He lost his father at an early age, and to his mother, who was left with but scanty means for the education of four children, he was indebted for cares and counsels that made an indelible and most salutary impression on his heart. He received his education partly from her, but chiefly in the grammar-school of Hartford. Being designed for the profession of the law, he pursued the study of that science for some time; with so little relish, however, that his friends yielded to his wish to adopt another career. At the age of nineteen, he proceeded to Dartmouth College, in order to qualify himself to become a missionary among the Indians. At the college he acquired knowledge with ease; manifested more indocility than diligence; and had not been there quite four months, when he suddenly disappeared, without the privity of any one. He is understood to have wandered to the borders of Canada, and among the Six Nations, with whose language and manners he formed an acquaintance, which was afterwards of much service to him, in his intercourse with savages in various parts of the world.