A Chinese Tale. coffee-house in the next town, to which he often walked to fhift the fcene, and to pick up a little-news) in the paper, that his uncle died two days before the publication of it: He ftarted at the fight of fo unexpected a paragraph, as if he had felt the electrical fhock, and hurried back to the cottage: He hurried to it more agitated than he had ever been in his life. After a fhort interview with the fole miftrefs of his affections, he took his leave of her, affuring her, in the strongest terms, that he would return to folicit the poffeffion of her hand, if his uncle's will was as favourable to him as he imagined it would be; adding, that he should have preffed her to make him the happieft of men before, had he not thought that his fortune was unequal to her merit.

With these words he departed. On his arrival at his uncle's house his expectations were fully answered. Mr. Dodfwell had left him near fifteen thousand pounds in the funds, and a very genteel landed estate.

With fuch a defirable acquifition Jack was fo highly elated, that he could hardly keep his joy within decent bounds. He wrote a letter immediately to his Harriot, and in that letter folemnly promifed to make her his wife as foon as he had fettled the bufins in which his uncle's death had engaged him. However, before that business was entirely settled, he became quite a new man, and as miferable a man as ever lived.

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The acquifition which he fondly imagined would have compleated his felicity, was indeed the cause of his wretchedness. Avarice took poffeffion of his foul: All his generous emotions were extinguished by that contemptible paffion. He not only ceased to be liberal, he hardly allowed himself the meanest neceflaries of life. His acquaintance, his friends, and even his Harriot were forfaken by him; nor did he feel the flighteft pang of remorfe, while he barely exifted in a selfish folitude, when he heard of the untimely end of the laft, in confequence of his having abandoned her, as the doated on him too much to endure life without him. No longer did he remember what he had often declared with regard to honour and justice. By deferting Mifs Millington, and by the many extortions which he practifed to increase his wealth, he plainly difcovered how little his actions were influenced by the former or the latter. As a fevere maiter, and a grinding landlord, he was abhorred by all who were in any shape dependent on him; and nobody ever mentioned his name without joining the most reproachful epithets to it. How unfortunate was poor Jack's acquifition! and it proved fatal to him. In less than two years, by conftantly withing with a racking anxiety to be richer, and by his exceffive penurioufnefs, he fo much injured both his body and his mind, that he haftened his diffolution. He died an object of horror, and he died univerfally unlamented.

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Extract from Millor's The day being arrived, and the minifter brought before the tribunal, three accufers of principal note appeared from among the number: The first was a carrier, who fupplied the city with fish; he depofed that it was a custom, time immemorial, for carriers to bring their fifh upon a hamper, which being placed on one fide, and balanced by a ftone of equal weight on the other, the load was thus conveyed with ease and safety; but that the prifoner, moved either by a malicious fpirit of innovation, or perhaps bribed by the company of hamper-makers, had obliged all carriers to take down the ftone, and in its place to put up another hamper on the oppofite fide, entirely repugnant to the cuftoms of all antiquity, and those of the kingdom of Yawaqua in particular. The carrier finished, and the whole court began to fhake their heads at the innovating minifter, when the fecond witnefs appeared: He was infpector of the buildings of the city, and accufed the difgraced favourite of having given orders for the demolition of an ancient ruin, which happened only to obftruct the paffage through a principal ftreet of the city. He obferved, that fuch buildings were noble monuments of barbarous antiquity, and contributed finely to fhew, how little their ancestors understood architecture, and for that reason they fhould be held facred, and fuffered gradually to decay. The third and laft witnefs now appeared; this was a widow, who had laudably attempted to burn herself upon her husband's funeral pile: She had only attempted, for the innovating minifter had prevented the execution of her defign, and was infenfible to all

An Extract from MILLOT's Hiftory HIS hiftory is penned with much fpirit, elegance, and perfpicuity. Mr. Hume is the author, whofe fentiments Millot has chiefly adopted. Hence in moft contefts between the king and the people he leans, like a Frenchman, to the fide of monarchy. This is the only material imperfection with which the work can be charged; and we muft obferve that the author

Hiftory of England.

her tears, proteftations, and intreaties. The Queen could have pardoned his two former offences, but this was confidered as fo grofs an injury to the fex, and fo directly contrary to all the cuf toms of antiquity, that it called for immediate juftice. "What!" cries the Queen, "Not fuffer a woman to burn herself when he has a mind! A very pretty minifter, truly; a poor woman cannot go peaceably and throw herfelf into the fire, but he must intermeddle; very fine, indeed! The fex are fo very prettily tutored, no doubt, they must be restrained from entertaining their female friends now and then with a roasted acquaintance ! I fentence the criminal at the bar, for his injurious treatment of the fex, to be banished my prefence for ever.”

Takupi had been hitherto filent, and began to fpeak only to fhew the fincerity of his refignation; "I acknowledge," cried he," my crime, and fince I am to be banished, I beg it may be to fome ruined town, or defolate village in the country I have governed.' His request appearing reafonable, it was immediately complied with, and a courtier had orders to fix upon a place of banishment answering the minifter's description. After fome months fearch, however, the enquiry proved fruitless; neither a defolate village, nor a ruined town, was found in the whole kingdom. "Alas," faid Takupi to the Queen, "How can that country be ill governed which has neither a defolate village, nor a ruined town in it?" The Queen perceived the juftice of his remark, and received the minifter into more than former favour.

of England, tranflated by Mr. Kenrick. has, with regard to the length, hit upon the just medium. For an Abridgement, it is neither too long to be tedious and difguttful, nor too fhort to be dry and uninteresting. The tranflation discovers the hand of a mafter. As a fpecimen, we fhall give his account of the tragical end of Charles the first.

ON

Extra from Millot's Hiftory of England.

ON the report of the commiffioners charged with drawing up the articles of impeachment, the House of Commons declared him guilty of High Treafon, for having made war upon the parliament, and formed a court of juftice, which was invefted with the power of paffing sentence. The Peers, with a proper indignation, rejected the bill. Then on the principle that the origin of all power is in the people, they declared that, "The Commons of England in parliament affembled, being chofen by the people, whom they reprefent, have the fupreme jurifdiction of the nation; and that whatever is judged to be law by the Commons has the force of a law, without the confent of the King or the Peers." Thus the English conftitution was totally reversed by those who pretended to maintain it. The hypocrite, Cromwell, by affecting infpiration, fupported thefe aftonishing ufurpations. "Laftly," faid he "when I would have fpoke of re-establishing his Majefty, I found my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth; and I confidered this preternatural circumftance as an anfwer from Heaven, which rejected that hardened Prince." Charles being conducted to London by one Harrifon, a colonel, the fon of a butcher, and worthy of his birth, appeared before his judges; amongst whom were Brereton, Cromwell, Harrison, and many other knaves, whofe memory will be held in everlasting deteftation.-The Attorney-General faid, in the name of the Commons, that "Charles Stuart, having been admitted King of England with a limited power, being defirous of establishing an unlimited and tyrannical government, hath traiterously and wickedly made war upon the parliament, and upon the nation which it reprefents, and that he is therefore impeached as a traitor, a tyrant, an homicide, and as the avowed and implacable enemy of the Commonwealth." On which the President summoned the King to anfwer. Charles, with a dignity and courage which ill fortune had not abated, answered that he did not acknowledge the authority, nor the jurifdiction of that court; that being by birthright their hereditary king, all

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his fubjects united could have no power to bring him to a trial; that having often expofed his life in defence of the liberty and fundamental laws of the realm, he was ftill ready to feal those precious rights with his blood; that thofe who arrogated the power of be ing his judges were born his subjects, and fubjects of the laws, which declared that the King can do no wrong; but that, without having recourse to that general maxim, he was ready to justify his conduct by the evidence of reafon; and that if he were called upon in another manner, he fhould be defirous of demonftrating to them, and to the whole univerfe, the justice of that war in which he was unfortunately, and contrary to his own inclinations, engaged in his own defence.

This answer had no effect, and the new court continued the process. Charles having been brought up three times, and having as often denied its jurifdiction, the judges, after hearing fome witneffes, who depofed that the King had appeared in arms against the troops of the parliament, pronounced Sentence of Death. France, Holland, and Scotland, in vain attempted to ftop thefe horrid proceedings. Four illuftrious friends of the King, Richmond, Hertford, Southampton, and Lindfey, reprefented to the Commons, that in quality of his counfellors they alone were guilty of the measures imputed to him as crimes; and that they required to fave by their own punishment, that precious life which the Commons were fo much interested to defend. This generous offer poffibly added to the animofity of the court. For the more bad men fee their conduct reproached by the virtue of the good, the more eager they are to confummate their bafe attempts.

During the three days which were allowed the King before his execution, he calmly employed himself on those eternal truths which elevate the foul above the evils of mortality. The Prince of Wales and the Duke of York, his two eldest fons, were fled. The Duke of Gloucefter, their younger brother, about eight years old, being brought to him, he faid, "My child, they are going to cut off your father's

head,

266

Extract from Millet's Hiftory of England.

head, and poffibly they may be in clined to make you king. But beware; you cannot be king, whilft your brothers Charles and James are living. They will cut off your brothers heads when they can get them. They will cut off yours too in the end. There fore I command you not to fuffer them to make you king." The young prince answered with a figh, "They hall fooner cut me in pieces." The fcaffold was erected before the Palace of Whitehall, the mansion of the kings of England. Charles mounted it without weakness. He harangued the people, protested his innocence, but ac knowledged, nevertheless, that his death was just in the eyes of the Supreme Being, and that he was punished for not having oppofed an unjust fentence, (meaning, undoubtedly, that of Strafford;) he generously forgave his enemies, exhorting them and the nation to obedience to his lawful fucceffor. His head was then fevered from his body at one blow. T

Fairfax was abfent during the trial. He attempted, by his influence, to ftop the execution, and at length refolved to fave the King by force. Cromwell and Ireton perfuaded the credulous General to have recourfe to prayer, at a time, they faid, when they ftood fo much in need of fupernatural light. The fanatic Harrison was to join him in calling on the Lord, and he took care to prolong the farce till a perfon came to announce the king's death. Then rifing with the air of a prophet, he affured Fairfax, that the Lord had heard their prayers, and marvelously made known his Holy Will. The nation, too long the dupe of hypocrify, began to awake from its error. As much as it had profecuted Charles, with a blind animofity, fo much it gave itself to affliction for the lofs of that worthy prince. He certainly merited the efteem and affection of his fubjects. Few kings have had fo many virtues, or fo few vices. In times of happier tranquility he would have reigned with glory, and with the confidence of his fubjects; but he wanted that political fagacity, which can adapt itíelf to critical circumftances

and events; and he was led too eafily by counfels inferior to his own.

To give a clearer idea of his genius and fentiments, we shall tranfcribe fome paffages of a letter, wherein he gives the Prince of Wales air account of his laft negotiation with the parlia ment. You fee (faid he) what pains I have taken for peace. Do not be afraid of treading in my fteps. Em ploy all means worthy of you to recover your rights, but prefer pacific measures. Shew the greatness of your mind in triumphing over your ene mies by pardon, rather than by pu nishment. Let my experience teach you not to aim at greater power or prerogative than are neceffary to the well-being of your subjects. Never do it to gratify favourites. Thus whilst you are the common father of your people, to the particular objects of your favour you may be the liberal prince. If you follow thefe counfels, you will be as much exalted in the regal character, as your father is humbled; and your authority will be fo much the more confirmed, as mine has been weakened. For our fubjects have learnt, that victories gained over their prince are but triumphs over themfelves. The English, however infatuated at prefent, are a wife people.In short, if God gives you fuccefs, ufe it with moderation; and always be averfe to revenge. If he restores you on hard terms, keep, nevertheless, your promifes. Those who invade the laws they were bound to defend, will find their triumphs very troublesome; and, depend upon it, that no acquifition can be valuable that is not honeft.”

Charles I. was fond of painting and the fine arts. His economy and the finallnefs of his revenue did not prevent his living with magnificence. He poffeffed twenty-four royal palaces, all of them elegantly and completely furnifhed, infomuch that, when he removed from one to another, he was not obliged to tranfport any thing along with him. Though he was a connoifleur, and loved works of genius, he is reproached for want of generofity to Ben Johnson, the famous

dramatic

Addrefs, Remonftrance, &c. of the Lord-Mayor, &c. of London.

dramatic poet, who, in an infirm and indigent old age, applying to the King for relief, received but a very fmall

A Copy of the OATH which his prefent Majefly took at his Coronation.

The Address of the Lord-Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery, of the City of London, delivered to His Majefty, on Wednesday, July 10. Together with His Majefty's Aufwer.

WE your Majesty's dutiful and upon your Majefty to fuffer your royal