humane mind never rested till a new one was substituted, to the crection of which he contributed most amply. These are but one or two of the public benefits which so deeply endeared him to the people of Ross. But higher and nobler deeds are to be mentioned. His care of the poor was incessant. He fed them, clothed them, and cared for them every way, and this not for a time, or to relieve a passing necessity, but for long years-from the time, in truth, when he was in his manhood's pride, to the term when his head was white and hoary.

'Behold the market-place with poor o'erspread,

The Man of Ross divides the weekly bread.'

This was strictly true. Some pious bishop or lord of former times had decreed, that the tolls paid for all corn brought to the Ross market should be the property of the poor, and the grant remained long in force. But the poor, through imperfect management, derived no good from the privilege, until the Man of Ross took the matter under his care, ground the toll-corn, and had it baked into bread at his own house; after which, he distributed it every Saturday with his own hands in front of the market-house. Tradition reports in homely language,' to use the words of a notice of Mr Kyrle, that it would "have done one's heart good to see how cheerful the old gentleman looked-for he was then very old-when engaged in distributing the bread."

The

alms-house' to which Pope refers, was one in reality 'fed' daily by the Man of Ross, since every day saw food taken from his own table to that of the charity. But, to speak the truth, any person who claimed this benevolent being's hospitable assistance received it, and that again and again. To poor girls he often gave marriage-portions, and paid the apprentice-fees for poor orphan boys. At his kitchen fireplace was placed a large wooden block for poor people to sit on, and to the poor, also, a piece of boiled beef, and three pecks of flour in bread, were given every Sunday.

"Him portioned maids, apprenticed orphans blessed,
The young who labour and the poor who rest.'

"Is any sick?' continues Pope, and describes the attention of the Man of Ross to the sick poor; his purse, his medicine-chest, and, what was more, his personal ministerings, being ever ready for their relief. The passage, 'Is there a variance,' &c., has reference to another feature in the life of the subject of our memoir. Averse to all quarrelling, legal or otherwise, he exerted himself to maintain harmony among his neighbours, and for much more than half a century he was arbitrator in all their disputes the chosen judge, in fact, of all civil causes in the district. Perhaps, in this character, his influence was more beneficial than in any other. In closing now our comment upon the text of Pope, we come to the most remarkable point in this whole history. Upon what mines, says the bard, did this mirror of benevolence draw to supply the demands of his boundless charity? No princely or ducal estates were his.

'This man possessed five hundred pounds a year.'

A truly wonderful instance this is, indeed, of the vast amount of good which prudent management may put in the power of those even of limited fortunes. Yet the whole is but another proof that Will and Skill can accomplish all things.

The town which Mr Kyrle so long adorned was justly proud of him during his life, and deeply reverenced his memory, when he was laid in the tomb. The name of the Man of Ross was not bestowed in the first instance by Pope, but was previously the common and popular designation of Mr Kyrle in the country around Ross. The subject of our notice never married. The poor of his district were his children and his family. From them he was removed at the venerable age we have mentioned, and the whole population of Ross and its vicinity followed the remains of the good man to the grave. Numerous as were the eyes that beheld the earth closed over the Man of Ross, perhaps not one individual there could not say: There is the last sight of my benefactor. The day of his death was the 20th

November 1724, and he was laid in the chancel of Ross in Herefordshire. For a long time no other monument marked the place where he lay, than a flat stone with the initials J. K. But in later years a handsome stone has been erected over the body of the Man of Ross. The spot is a hallowed one to the inhabitants, and, indeed, everything connected in the remotest degree with his memory is matter of reverence to the people of the place. One striking proof of this was afforded recently, when the church underwent a repair or renovation of its pews. The community, with one voice, exclaimed against the removal of one portion of John Kyrle's pew. It was left precisely in the position in which it was when occupied by him.

STORY OF MARTIN GUERRE.

MARTIN GUERRE, a native of Biscay, was married in the month of January 1539 to Bertrande de Rols, with whom he lived for many succeeding years at the village of Artigues, in the diocese of Rieux, in Upper Languedoc. The condition of Martin Guerre was that of a small farmer, and the property possessed by him and his wife was very considerable for people of their rank in life. Married at a very early age, they were not blessed with children until the tenth year of their union, when a son was born, to whom was given the name of Sanxi Guerre. Shortly after this event, Martin Guerre had the misfortune to quarrel with his wife's father or uncle, and in consequence, took the resolution of leaving Artigues for a time. He seems to have found a wandering life agreeable to his disposition, as he never shewed himself again at his home for many long years, nor were any tidings of him received all the while by his family.

This unjustifiable conduct of a husband and father led to strange consequences. Upwards of eight years after

Martin Guerre's absence, a man presented himself at Artigues, declared himself to be Martin Guerre, and was at once recognised as such by the four sisters of the absentee, by his uncle, by the parents and relatives of his wife, and by the wife herself. Not the slightest suspicion of imposture was entertained by any one, as the selfnamed Martin Guerre was found perfectly acquainted with a thousand little matters, both domestic and otherwise, which none, it seemed, but the original actor in them could possibly have known. The marks and scars, also, which had characterised Martin Guerre's countenance and person, were all apparent in his representative. Accordingly, the latter was received with joy by the wife and all her connections, and assumed the place which he was supposed to have vacated eight years before. Bertrande de Rols (or Guerre) had in times past shewn the strongest attachment to her husband, and her conduct in his absence was irreproachable. She now lived for three years in perfect concord and happiness with him who personated her husband, and bore two children to him, only one of whom survived for any length of time.

This state of tranquillity first received a shock through an accidental discovery made by Pierre Guerre, the uncle of Martin. A stranger, passing through Artigues, expressed the utmost surprise on hearing it said that Martin Guerre was living with his wife and family, and unhesitatingly declared that there must be imposture in the case, as he himself had recently seen Martin Guerre in Flanders, and had been told by him that he had a wife and child in Languedoc, but did not intend to return home till a certain relation was dead. The stranger moreover stated, that the real Martin Guerre had lost a leg at the battle of St Laurent, before St Quentin. The traveller's statement was heard by Pierre Guerre, and appeared to him so clear and distinct, that he began to entertain suspicions, which speedily spread from him to the relatives of Martin's wife. A number of little circumstances, all tending to strengthen the notion of imposture, were now gradually noticed by the uncle and friends, and at length

they finally became so assured of the justice of their fears, as to adopt the resolution of publicly punishing the villain who had so grossly deceived them. But they found very great difficulty in persuading the wife of Martin Guerre that the man with whom she had lived peacefully for three years was not her true husband. At length, however, the poor woman was brought to something like a conviction of the sad truth, and was induced to take steps for prosecuting the actor in this strange deception, who was taken into custody to wait his trial.

On a day appointed, the prisoner was brought into court, where the chief criminal judge of Rieux sat as president, and where an immense crowd of people had assembled to watch the issue of a case which had already excited the deepest interest. Numerous witnesses were present to support the one or the other side. Out of nearly one hundred and fifty persons examined, between thirty and forty gave evidence in favour of the accused, deposing that they believed him to be the real Martin Guerre, and referring to many circumstantial proofs in support of their belief. On the other hand, a still greater body of witnesses declared their impression that the prisoner was not Martin Guerre. Who the panel really was, was announced by various of these witnesses, but in particular by Carbon Barreau, who recognised the accused as his nephew, by name Arnaud du Tilh, a native of Sagias, in Languedoc. The old man, Carbon Barreau, while acknowledging his nephew, wept for the disgrace he had brought on the family. While such testimonies were given by the witnesses for and against the prisoner, there was a third body of witnesses, more numerous than either of the others, who declared that the resemblance to Martin Guerre puzzled them so much as to render them totally unable to tell whether the accused was that individual or not.

Much weight, comparatively, was of course laid on the evidence given by the relatives of Martin Guerre. Strange to say, these relatives were as much at variance as others. Įlis four sisters unhesitatingly and unequivocally declared