his knee-pan shattered. Soon after, an Indian came running down, in order to scalp the former, which the latter perceiving, made shift to crawl to a musket, which lay near him, and which not having been discharged, he took aim with it, and shot the savage. The like danger then threatened him by the approach of another Indian; him he wounded with the bayonet, but, as he still persisted, he was forced in a manner to pin him to the ground. At last a grenadier came back to the captain, in order to carry him off the field; which, however, he refused in these words: Thou art a brave fellow; but your kindness will be lost on me. I am mortally wounded, and the bayonet or the scalping knife would be now a mercy; but go yonder to Ensign Peyton, and carry him off, he may live. The soldier obeyed, took up the ensign, and brought him off through a severe fire, by which they were both slightly wounded,

I shall make no reflections on this story, but leave your readers to compare it with the following remarkable one, in Cæsar's Commentaries.

"In one of the legions were two brave centurions, F. Pulfio, and L. Varenus, who were perpetually disputing the superiority, and jealously solicitous which should have the preference. Now when the intrenchments were vigorously attacked, Pulfio cries out, Why do you hesitate, Varenus? or what better opportunity can you wish to try your courage? This, this is the day that shall end our dispute. Saying this, he rushed out of the camp, and attacked that body of the enemy which seemed to be the strongest. Nor did Varenus stay behind, but knowing that his character was now at stake, followed at a little distance. Pulfio launched his javelin at the enemy, and killed one that was rushing upon him from the front rank. His body they protected with their shields, and immediately threw all their darts, nor gave him any opportunity to retreat. Pulfio's shield was pierced, and a dart was lodged in his belt. This accident turned his scabbard, and delayed him in his attempt to draw his sword. Being thus embarrassed, the enemy closed upon him, but his antagonist Varenus now came to his relief, and suc coured him in his distress. Immediately they all turu upon him, concluding that Pulfio was pierced by the dart. Varenus defended himself dexterously with his sword, fighting hand to hand; and having killed one, the other gave way: but as he eagerly pursued, the ground being shelving he fell down; here again Pulfio in return assisted him, and both of them having made great slaughter, came back in safety, and with high renown, to the fortification. Thus, in VOL. III.

their dispute, fortune was so impartial, that each of these antagonists protected and saved the other, nor could any one tell which of them deserved to have the preference." Česar

de Bell. Gall. V. 43.

1759, Oct.

A. B.

XXXIII. Remarkable Anecdote from Plot's History of Oxfordshire. SOON after the murder of King Charles I. a commission was appointed to survey the king's house at Woodstock, with the manor, park, woods, and other demesnes to that manor belonging; and one Collins, under a feigned name, hired himself as secretary to the commissioners, who, upon the 13th of October, 1649, met, and took up their residence in the king's own rooms. own rooms. His majesty's bed-chamber they made their kitchen, the council-hall their pantry, and the presence-chamber was the place where they sat for the dispatch of business. His majesty's dining-room they made their wood-yard, and stored it with the wood of the famous royal oak from the High Park, which, that nothing might be left with the name of king about it, they had dug up by the roots, and split and bundled up into fagots for their firing. Things being thus prepared, they sat on the 16th of the same month for the dispatch of business, and in the midst of their first debate, there entered a large black dog (as they thought) which made a dreadful howling, overturned two or three of their chairs, and then crept under a bed and vanished; this gave them the greater surprise as the doors were kept constantly locked, so that no real dog could get in or out. The next day their surprise was increased, when sitting at dinner in a lower room, they heard plainly the noise of persons walking over their heads, though they well knew the doors were all locked, and there could be nobody there; presently after they heard also all the wood of the king's oak brought by parcels from the dining-room, and thrown with great violence into the presence-chamber; as also all the chairs, stools, tables, and other furniture, forcibly hurled about the room; their own papers of the minutes of their transactions torn, and the ink-glass broken. When all this noise had some time ceased, Giles Sharp, their secretary, proposed to enter first into these rooms; and in presence of the commissioners, of whom he received the key, he opened the doors, and found the wood spread about the room, the chairs

tossed about and broken, the papers torn, the ink-glass broken (as has been said) but not the least track of any human creature, nor the least reason to suspect one, as the doors were all fast, and the keys in the custody of the commissioners. It was therefore unanimously agreed, that the power who did this mischief, must have entered the room at the key-hole. The night following, Sharp, the secretary, with two of the commissioners' servants, as they were in bed in the same room, which room was contiguous to that where the commissioners lay, had their beds' feet lifted up so much higher than their heads that they expected to have their necks broken, and then they were let fall at once with so much violence as shook the whole house, and more than ever terrified the commissioners. On the night of the 19th, as all were in bed in the same room for greater safety, and lights burning by them, the candles in an instant went out with a sulphureous smell, and that moment many trenchers of wood were hurried about the room, which next morning were found to be the same their honours had eaten on the day before, which were all removed from the pantry, though not a lock was found opened in the whole house. The next night they fared still worse, the candles went out as before, the curtains of their honours' beds were rattled to and fro with great violence, their honours received many cruel blows and bruises by eight great pewter dishes and a number of wooden trenchers being thrown on their beds, which being heaved off, were heard rolling about the room, though in the morning none of these were to be seen. This night likewise they were alarmed with the tumbling down of oaken billets about their beds, and other frightful noises, but all was clear in the morning, as if no such thing had happened. The next night the keeper of the king's house and his dog lay in the commissioners' room, and then they had no disturbance. But on the night of the 22d, though the dog lay in the room as before, yet the candles went out, a number of brick-bats fell from the chimney into the room, the dog howled piteously, their bed-clothes were all stripped off, and their terror increased. On the 24th they thought all the wood of the king's oak was violently thrown down by their bed-sides, they counted 64 billets that fell, and some hit and shook the beds in which they lay; but in the morning none were found there, nor had the door been opened where the billet-wood was kept. The next night the candles were put out, the curtains rattled, and a dreadful crack like thunder was heard, and one of the servants running to see if his master were not killed, found three dozen trenchers

aid smoothly under the quilt by him; but all this was nothing to what succeeded afterwards. The 29th, about midnight, the candles went out, something walked majestically through the room, and opened and shut the windows; great stones were thrown violently into the room, some of which fell on the beds, others on the floor; and about a quarter after one, a noise was heard as of forty cannon discharged together, and again repeated at about eight minutes' distance. This alarmed and raised all the neighbourhood, who coming into their honours' room gathered up the great stones, fourscore in number, and laid them by in the corner of a field, where in Dr. Plot's time, who reports this story, they were to be seen. This noise, like the discharge of cannon, was heard through all the country for 16 miles round. During these noises, which were heard in both rooms together, the commissioners and their servants gave one another over for lost, and cried out for help; and Giles Sharp, snatching up a sword, had well nigh killed one of their honours, mistak ing him for the spirit, as he came in his shirt from his own room to theirs. While they were together the noise was continued, and part of the tiling of the house was stript off, and all the windows of an upper room were taken away with it. On the 30th, at midnight, something walked into the chamber treading like a bear, it walked many times about, then threw the warming pan violently about the floor; at the same time a large quantity of broken glass, accompanied with great stones and horses bones came pouring into the room with uncommon force; these were all found in the morning to the astonishment and terror of the commissioners, who were yet determined to go on with their business. But on the first of November the most dreadful scene of all ensued; candles in every part of the room were lighted up, and a great fire made; at midnight, the candles all yet burning, a noise like the burst of a cannon was heard in the room, and. the burning billets were tossed about by it even into their honours' beds, who called Giles and his companions to their relief, otherwise the house had been burnt to the ground.. About an hour after the candles went out as usual, the crack as of many cannon was heard, and many pailsful of green stinking water were thrown upon their honours' beds; great. stones were also thrown in as before, the bed curtains and bedsteads torn and broken, the windows shattered, and the whole neighbourhood alarmed with the most dreadful noises; nay, the very rabbit-stealers that were abroad that night in the warren were so terrified, that they fled for fear, and left their ferrets behind them. One of their honours this night

spoke, and, in the name of God, asked what it was, and why it disturbed them so? No answer was given to this, but the noise ceased for awhile, when the spirit came again, and as they all agreed, brought with it seven devils worse than itself. One of the servants now lighted a large candle, and set it in the door-way, between the two chambers, to see what passed, and as he watched it, he plainly saw a hoof striking the candle and candlestick into the middle of the room, and afterwards making three scrapes over the snuff, scraped it out. Upon this the same person was so bold as to draw a sword, but he had scarcely got it out when he felt another invisible hand had hold of it too, and pulled with him for it, and at length prevailing, struck him so violently on the head with the pummel, that he fell down for dead with the blow. At this instant was heard another burst like the discharge of the broadside of a ship of war, and at about a minute or two's distance each, no less than 19 more such; these shook the house so violently, that they expected every moment it would fall upon their heads. The neighbours on this, as has been said, being all alarmed, flocked to the house in great numbers, and all joined in prayer and psalm singing, during which the noise still continued in the other rooms, and the discharge of cantions was heard as from without, though no visible agent was seen to discharge them. But what was the most alarming of all, and put an end to their proceedings effectually, happened the next day as they were all at dinner, when, a paper in which they had signed mutual agreement to reserve a part of the premises out of the general survey, and afterwards to share it equally amongst them (which paper they had hid for the present, under the earth in a pot in one corner of the room, and in which an orangetree grew) was consumed in a wonderful manner, by the earth's taking fire with which the pot was filled, and burning violently with a blue fume and an intolerable stench, so that they were all driven out of the house, to which they could never be again prevailed upon to return.

This wonderful contrivance was all the invention of the memorable Joseph Collins, of Oxford, otherwise called Funny Joe, who having hired himself for secretary, under the name of Giles Sharp, by knowing the private traps be longing to the house, and the help of pulvis fulminans, and other chemical preparations, and letting his fellow-servants into the scheme, carried on the deceit, without discovery to the very last, insomuch that the late Dr. Plot, in his Natural History, relates the whole for fact, and concludes in this grave manner, "That though tricks have been often played