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my promife, and would fain make me his wedded bride. But I laughed and fneered at him, as heedlefs girls often ferve their fweethearts. Thy wife, faid I, I cannot be; my bed has room but for one, and thou haft neither roof nor hearth; get thy felf first fome fterling crowns, and then come and alk again The poor young man's heart fhrunk within him at this fpeech. Ah! Clara, said he, fighing deeply, while the tears ftood in his eyes, does thy heart luft after wealth and riches? then thou art no longer a fincere and tender girl. Didft thou not ftrike the bargain in my hand the time thou fworest to be true to me? aud what had I more than that felf-fame hand to maintain thee? whence comes thy pride and fcorn? Ah! Clara, I understand thee. Some richer rival has ftolen away thy heart from me. Is it thus thou repayer me, faithlefs girl? For these three years have I lived in hopes that this good hour would come. I counted every hour till the moment I fet out to fetch thee home. How light and nimble did love and joy make my feet as I croffed the mountains! and now doft thou fcorn me? He begged and prayed, but I ftuck by my refolution. My heart does not fcorn thee, Benedick, I only withhold my hand for the prefent. Go abroad, get money and pelf, then come back, and I will share my bed with thee with all my heart. Well then, replied he, much chagrined, if fuch be thy refolution, I will go into the wide world, where I will run, leap, beg, fteal, fave, fcrape, and hoard; and never fhalt thou fee me again till I have the trash by which I am to buy thee. Farewell! I go: adieu !-In this manner did I torture my Benedick. He went away in great vexa tion; then his good angel forfook him, fo he did a deed that was not right, and which his heart furely abhorred.'

At this recital the venerable person shook his head in great apparent concern; and after a confiderable pause exclaimed, with a thoughtful countenance," Surprising this!" He then turned towards the young woman: “But why," said he, " doft thou fiil the lonely wood with thy lamentation, which can neither help thee nor thy fweatheart."

"I was on my way to Hirschberg; as I was going along forrow fell heavy upon my heart, fo Iftopped under this tree.'

"And what wilt thou do at Hirsch berg?"

I will caft myself at the judge's feet, fill the streets with my outcries, and invite the daughters of the town to help me to entreat for mercy. The magiftrates may take Fity upon the innocent, and spare his life : but if I do not fucceed in faving my love from a fhameful death, I will cheerfully fuffer with him."

The fprite was fo moved at this fpeech,

that he renounced all thoughts of vengeance from that moment, and determined to restore her guiltlefs fweetheart to the inconfolable damfel. "Dry up thy tears," faid he, in a fympathifing voice, " and let thy forrow país away. Thy lover fhall be as free as the birds of the air before the fun goes to reit. Liften and he attentive.-Tomorrow, at the first crowing of the cock, when thou heareft a tapping at thy window, make hafte, open the chamber-door, for it will be Benedick that knocks. care thou dost not make him mad again by thy caprice. Know alfo that it was not he who committed the crime of which thou fupposest him guilty; nor can any blame be impated to thee, for he did not fuffer him→ felf to be inftigated by thy capricioufnefs to this foul crime."

Take

The girl, in aftonishment at this infor mation, looked her comforter full in the face and not being able to difcern the wrinkle of fcorn or deceit, fhe placed confidence in his words; her clouded brow clear ed up, and in a tone of doubting gladness fhe returned," Good Sir, if you be not mocking me, and it be even as you fay, you must either be a feer, or my fweetheart's good angel, fince you know every thing sọ exactly."

66 no,

"His good angel!" returned the Gnome, a good deal difconcerted at the idea; in truth that I am not! but his good angel I will be, as thou shalt find. I am a burgher of Hirschberg, when the poor criminal was condemned I fat at council; but his innocence has fince been brought to light fear not for his fafety,I will go and take off his fetters, for I have much authority in the town. Be of good cheer therefore, and return home in peace." The damfel arofe, and obeyed, though fear and hope ftili ftruggled in her foul.

During the three days of refpite, the reverend father Greyfrock had wreitled hard to bring the delinquent into an orthodox frame of mind: he was anxious to snatch his foul from the jaws of heil, to which, in his opinion, it had been pledged from the hour of his birth: for honeft Benedick was an ignorant layman; he understood better by half how to handle the needle and fheers than the rotary. He perpetually confound, ea the Salutation and the Lord's Prayer; and of the Belief he knew not a fyliable.-

he zealous monk was at incredible pains before he could teach him the latter-the talk requin two full days. When he made him repeat, and the memory of the poor finner did not play him falfe, a thought of earthly things, and an half-uttered figh, "Ah, poor Clara!" would come across the leffon in the middle. In religious policy, the holy brother altercfore found it advifeable to make hell piping hot for the lot

fheep;

fheep; and fo well did he fucceed in the fiery representation, that Benedick broke out into a deadly cold sweat, and to the pious joy of his missionary, Clara in his anguish was clean obliterated from his thoughts. But the idea of hellish torments that hung over his head purfued him inceffantly-goat footed devils with huge horns, busy thrusting ftark-naked fquadrons of damned fouls into the monftrous crater of the infernal volcano with long poles and hooks, continually danced before his eyes! The zealous friar himself was a little touched with his fpiritual pupil's mental horrors; and he thought it no violation of ecclefiaftical prudence, to drop the curtain over the infernal fçene and diabolical performers: he however heated the fmelting furnaces of Purgatory fo much the hotter; and poor Benedick was but little comforted by the exchange.

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Thy crime," faid he, " my son, is indeed grievous; do not however defpair, the flames of purgatory will purify thee from the ftain. Oh! well is thee, and happy is it for thee that thy offence was not committed against a true believer; for then thou wouldest be forced to remain for a thoufand years up to the neck in the boiling brimftone pool. But as thou haft only robbed a perverfe and rejected Jew, an hundred years will make thee as bright as refined filver; and I will say so many maffes for thy foul, that thou shall not fink below the waift in the unextinguishable lava.”

Now although Benedick was perfectly confcious of his innocence, yet had he fuch firm faith in the power of his confeffor's key to bind and unbind, that he placed no dependance upon the re-hearing of his caufe in the world to come; and fear of the rack deterred him from the thought of appealing in this world. He therefore had no refource but in fupplication: he fued for mercy at the hands of his fpiritual Rhadamanthus, and endeavoured to negotiate away as much of the torments of purgatory as poffible. By thefe entreaties the rigid penitentiary was propitiated fo as to fink him only knee-deep in the fire bath: and thus the affair refted, for in fpite of all his lamentations, the priest refufed to abate an hair's breadth

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At that inftant a fcheme exactly fuited to his tafte fuggefted itself. He flipped after the friar into the monaftery, took a gown out of the spiritual wardrobe, and proceeded in the fimilitude of brother Greyfrock to the prison, which was respectfully opened to him by the keeper.

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"The good of thy precious foul," faid he to the prifoner," has brought me back, tho' I had but juft quitted thee. If thou haft any thing lying on thy conscience, unfold it, that I may comfort thee." "My reverend father," replied Benedick, my confcience does not give me any uneafinefs: but the thought of your purgatory fqueezes my heart together, as though it was fet between the thumbfcrews." Friend Number-Nip had very imperfect and confufed notions of the doctrines of the church; therefore he might easily be excufed his mal-a-propos question, "How fo?" "Alas!" replied Benedick, "think of wading fo long in the fiery pool, up to the knees: Alas! father, the very idea diftracts Why, fool!" returned NumberNip, " then if thou thinkeft the bath tog warm for thee, keep out of it." Benedick, confounded at this reply, ftared the priest fo hard in the face, that he concluded he had made fome egregious blunder; so he cut the converfation fhort" Well, well, we will talk of this hereafter but doft thou ever think of Clara? doft thou ftill love her enough to make her thy bride? If thou haft any commands to her before thy departure hence, entrust them to me." Benedick was ftill more confounded at his fweetheart's name; the thoughts of Clara, which he had confcientiously been labouring to ftifle, revived with fo much vehemence, efpecially when the question was about his farewell meffage, that he began to fob and blubber aloud, without being able to utter a single fyllable in reply. This heart-breaking fcene affected the compaffionate priest so much, that he refolved to finish it abruptly: "Poor Benedick," faid he, " appeafe thy forrow, and content thyfelf, thou fhalt not die; I have learned that thou art innocent of the robbery, and that thou haft not defiled thy confcience with any crime: I am therefore come to break thy bonds, and release thee out of prifon." Then drawing a key out of his pocket-"Let us fee if it will fit." The experiment fucceeded: the unfettered Benedick ftood at liberty before him, the irons fell from his hands and feet. Then the benevolent priest exchanged clothes with him, and faid, "Go quietly out, imitate the reverend pace of a monk as thou paffest by the fentinel and along the streets; but when thou haft paffed Weichbild, gird thy loins tight, and ftep brifkly forward to the moun tains; and fee thou do not ftop to fetch breath till thou ftand before Clara's door in Liebenaw. There tap gently at the win

dow:

dow: thy Clara is waiting for thee with anxious expectation."

The good Benedick, conceiving all that paffed to be a dream, rubbed his eyes, twitched his arms and legs, in order to be fatisfied whether he was awake: when he was convinced there was no illufion, he dropped down at his deliverer's feet, and clafped his knees, trying to ftammer out his thanks; but fuch was his extacy of joy that his tongue refused its office. The benevolent priest at length thruft him out by main force, and gave him moreover a cruft of bread and a black pudding to eat by the way. The emancipated convic croffed the threshold of the terrible manfion with trembling knees, and walked on under lively apprehenfions of being detected: but his reverend gown diffufed fuch a favoury smell of piety, that the fentinels were incapable of winding the delinquency it covered.

During these transactions Clara was fitting alone in her chamber, hearkening to every breath of wind, and looking out at the tread of every foot that paffed. She often imagined fomething ftirred at the window-shutter, or that the ring at the door jingled; fhe leaped up twenty times, and looked with a palpitating heart through the latch-hole-but it was fancy. The neighbouring cocks were already fhaking their feathers, and uttering their firft cry to proclaim the dawning day. The bell at the monaftery had begun to ring for mattins, but to her the found was of a paffing bell. The watchman had blown his horn the last time, and called the fnoring bake-house maids to their early tafk. Clara's lamp burned dim for want of oil, her apprehenfions were increafing every inftant, fo that the overlooked the favourable omen, that appeared in the fhape of a rofe at the glimmering wick. She was feated on her bed-fide, weeping and fighing bitterly, Benedick, Benedick! ah, what a forrowful day for thee and me is now dawning!"-She ran precipitately to the window; but, alas! the ky towards Hirschberg was blood red : dark clouds hung over the horizon, like fo many fhrouds and tatters of crape. Her fpirits fhrunk back at this ominous profpect; the fell down helpless on the floor, and a deadly filence prevailed around her.

F

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Then there came three gentle taps against her window, juft as if it hailed. A thrill of joy ran along her frame at this found-up the fprung, uttering a loud cry; then a voice whifpered through the latch-hole, Sweetheart! Clara! My love! art thou awake? She darted like an arrow to the door : Ah! Benedick, is it thee or thy ghoft?" But feeing father Greyfrock enter inftead of Benedick, fhe funk backwards, and fwooned away in despair. Benedick flung his faithful arm around her; and the kifs of love, the fovereign remedy against all hysterical fits, foon brought her to her fenfes.

As foon as the dumb scene of wonder, and the firft glad effufions of the heart, were over, Benedick related his wonderful deliverance out of the dreary dungeon: but his tongue clave to the roof of his mouth from thirft and weariness. Clara went to fetch him a draught of fresh water: and when he had quenched his thirst, he felt hungry. She had nothing to offer him but falt and bread, the panacea of lovers, with which our faithful pair had haftily vowed to live content all the days of their lives. But Benedick, in fpite of his vow, bethought him of his pig's pudding. As he drew it out of his pocket, he fecretly wondered at its prodigious weight, for it was heavier than a horfe fhoe: as he broke it afunder, behold!-a fhower of gold tumbled out; whereupon a fhuddering fit came upon Clara; fhe feared it was a relick of the Jew's plunder, and began to fufpect Benedict was not fo clear as the reverend burgher had reprefented him on the mountain. But the guilelefs journeyman protefted that it was not fo And probably,' he faid, the pious friar had secretly lent him the fum for a marriage portion.'

Clara believed his words. Then

gratefully bleffed their generous benefactor. They quitted their native town, and journeyed to Prague; where Benedict lived long and happy with Clara, his wife, as a re putable tradesman, and was bleffed with a numerous progeny. The horror of the gallows was fo deeply impreffed upon his mind, that he never wronged his cuftomers, ftrictly forbearing to cabbage a fhred, contrary to the eftablished cuftom of his brethren of the goofe.

Poetry.

FRIENDSHIP, an ODE, by Dr Johnson. RIENDSHIP, peculiar boon of heav'n, The noble mind's delight and pride, To men and angels only given,

To all the lower world deny'd. While love, unknown among the bleft,

Parent of thousand wild defires, The favage and the human breaft Torments alike with raging fires.

With bright, but oft destructive, gleam,
Alike o'er all his lightnings fly;
Thy lambent glories only beam

Around the fav'rites of the sky.
Thy gentle flows of guiltless joys

Ön fools and villains ne'er defcend;
In vain for thee the tyrant fighs,

And hugs a flatterer for a friend.

Directress

Directrefs of the brave and juft,

O guide us through life's darksome way ! And let the tortures of miftruft

On selfish bofoms only prey.
Nor fhall thine ardours ceafe to glow,
When fouls to blifsful climes remove:
What rais'd our virtue here below,
Shall aid our happiness above.

COMMEMORATION SONG.
'ER the vine cover'd hills and gay re-
gions of France

O'ER

See the day-ftar of Liberty rise; Thro' the clouds of detraction, unwearied, advance,

And hold its new course thro' the skies. An effulgence fo mild, with a luftre fo bright,

All Europe, with wonder, furveys; And from defarts of darkness, and dungeons of night,

Contends for a fhare of the blaze.

Let Burke, like a bát, from its splendor retire,

A fplendor too strong for his eyes; Let pedants, and fools his effufions admire, Intrapt in his cobwebs, like flies; Shall Phrenzy, and Sophiftry, hope to pre

vail

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Peace and Friendship, its precepts impart s And wherever the footsteps of Man fhall be found,

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May he bind the decree on his heart.

O D E,

BY PETER PINDAR, ESQ.

MAN

AN may be happy, if he will:"
I've faid it often, and I think fo
ftill;

Doctrine to make the Million ftare!
Know then, each mortal is an actual Jove;
Can brew what weather he fhall most ap-
prove,

Or wind, or calm, or foul, or fair.

But here's the mischief-Man's an afs, i fay:

Too fond of thunder, lightning, storm, and rain,

He hides the charming, chearful ray
That fpreads & fmile o'er hill and plain!
Dark, he must court the fcull, and spade,
and fhroud-

The mistress of his foul must be a Cloud! Who told him that he must be curs'd on earth?

The God of Nature?-No fuch thing. Heav'n whifper'd him the moment of his birth,

"Don't cry, my lad, but dance and fing; "Don't be too wife, and be an apeIn colours let thy foul be dreft, not 66 crape.

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"Thou haft full leave to tread upon a ❝thorn.

Yet fome there are, of men I think the worit,

Poor imps! unhappy if they can't be curs'd;
For ever brooding over Mis'ry's eggs,
As tho' Life's pleasure were a deadly fin;
Moufing forever for a gin

To catch their happineffes by the legs.

Ev'n at a dinner, fome will be unblefs'd, However good the viands, and well drefs'd; They always come to table with a scowl, Squint with a face of verjuice o'er each difh,

Fault the poor flesh, and quarrel with the fish,

Curfe cook and wife, and, loathing, eat and growl.

A cart load, lo! their ftomachs steal,
Yet fwear they cannot make a meal.
I like not the blue-devil-hunting crew!
I hate to drop the discontented jaw!
O let me Nature's fimple finile pursue,
And pick ev'a pleafure from a ftraw!

THE

Monthly Register

For JULY 1791.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

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OR a confiderable time the Sieur

FBouille had been foliciting the

King to quit Paris, where he fancied that imaginary dangers furrounded him with terror and difquiet, and he promised him in the departments where he commanded a public force, a peace and liberty of which he affected to believe he was deprived in the capital. The King refifted long at length he yielded and from that moment preparations were made for his departure.

On the 11th of June, the King, ac companied by the Queen 'alone, went at five o'clock to the houfe of Madame Rochereuil, one of the ladies in her fervice whofe apartment communicated to a corridor by a staircase, and by a staircase alfo to the apartment of M. de Villequier. The Queen, after examining this apart ment, and its communication with others, told Madame de Rochereuil, that the meant to employ her as one of the ladies of her bedchamber.

The King then defired to be conducted to the apartment of M. de Villequier, the door of which opened to the Prince's Court. He called for the key of this door. Madame de Rochereuil anfwered, that fince the departure of M. Villequier the door was always open, and the door at the bottom of the ftaircafe, leading to the antichamber, only was shut.

On the 13th the King ordered the Sieur Renard, Inspector of the Buildings, to cause the key of the door of M. de Villequier's anti-chamber, and the key of the door of the little ftaircase leading from the apartments of Madame de Rochereuil, to be brought to him; which was done.

K VOL. XIV. No. 79.

On the 17th the Sieur Dumoutier, for merly of the Body Guard, walking in ed by a perfon unknown, who defired the garden of the Thuilleries, was accofthim to follow him to receive the King's orders. He followed this perfon, who

introduced him to the King, chamber.

The King ordered him to tell the Sieurs Mildan and Valiory, two of his former companions, to provide themselves with couriers dreffes of a yellow colour. The King then directed him to walk on the quay of the Pont-Royal, and that there a perfon would make himself known tɔ him, and communicate his further or ders. The Sieur Dumoutier, after speaking to his two companions of the King's orders, did with them as he was directed, by a p rfon alfo unknown.

On the 20th the Sieur Vallory went on horfeback to Bondy, to bespeak pofhorfes for the King. The Sieur Dumoutier went the fame day to the gate of St Martin, where there was a berlin with four horfes. The Sieur de Maldan repaired to the Court of the Palace, at eleven at night, on the 20th, and was conducted into a closet, where he was fhut up till midnight. A carriage with two horfes drew up at eleven o'clock in the Prince's Court. A chaife from the hotel of Count Ferfen, Colonel of the Royal Swedish Regiment, one of the principal agents in this enterprize, waited on the quay of Voltaire, at the extremity of the Pont-Royal. No change was made in the economy of the Royal household, the usual orders were given, and all retired to bed at the ufual hour.

At half an hour paft eleven, the Queen went into her daughter's chamber, and ordered the Lady of her Bedchamber to drefs Madame Royale and conduct her to the Dauphin's apartment. Madame de Tourzel, who had received orders from the king in the courfe of the day,

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