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was obliged to sit the whole day without victuals, in the shade of a tree..

7. "The night threatened to be very uncomfortable; for the wind rose, and there was a great appearance of a heavy rain: the wild beasts too were so numerous in the neighbourhood, that I should have been under the necessity of climbing up the tree, and resting among the branches.

8. "About sunset, however, as I was preparing to pass the night in this manner, and had turned my horse loose, that he might graze at liberty, a negro woman, returning from the labours of the field, stopped to observe me; and perceiving that I was weary and dejected, inquired into my situation.

9. "I briefly explained it to her; after which, with looks of great compassion, she took up my saddle and bridle and told me to follow her. Having conducted me into her hut, she lighted a lamp, spread a mat on the floor, and told me I might remain there for the night.

10. "Finding that I was very hungry, she went out to procure me something to eat; and returned in a short time with a very fine fish; which, having caused it to be half broiled upon some embers, she gave me for supper.

11. "The rites of hospitality being thus performed to. wards a stranger in distress, my worthy benefactress (pointing to the mat, and telling me I might sleep there without apprehension) called to the female part of the family, who had stood gazing on me all the while in fixed astonishment, to resume their task of spinning cotton; in which they continued to employ themselves great part of the night.

12. They lightened their labour by songs, one of which was composed extempore; for I was myself the subject of it. It was sung by one of the young women, the rest joined in a sort of chorus. The air was sweet and plaintive, and the words, literally translated, were these.

13. "The winds roared and the rains fell.-The poor white man, faint and weary, came and sat under our tree. He has no mother to bring him milk; no wife to grind his corn. Chorus. Let us pity the white man: no mother has he to bring him milk; no wife to grind his corn.'*

*These simple and pathetic sentiments have been very beau tifully versified and expanded, by the Duchess of Devonshire.

14. "Trifling as these events may appear to the reader, they were to me affecting in the highest degree. I was oppressed by such unexpected kindness; and sleep fled from my eyes. In the morning I presented to my compassionate landlady two of the four brass buttons which remained on my waistcoat; the only recompense it was in my power to make her." PARK'S TRAVELS.

SECTION XVI.

Catharina empress of Russia.

1. CATHARINA ALEXOWNA, born near Derpat, a little city in Livonia, was heir to no other inheritance than the virtues and frugality of her parents. Her father being dead, she lived with her aged mother, in their cottage covered with straw; and both, though very poor, were very contented.

2. Here retired from the gaze of the world, by the labours of her hands, she supported her parent, who was now incapable of supporting herself. While Catharina of this little interesting piece of poetry.

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1. The loud wind roar'd, the rain fell fast;
The white man yielded to the blast.
He sat him down beneath the tree,
For weary, sad, and faint was he:
And ah! no wife or mother's care,
For him the milk or corn prepare.

CHORUS.

The white man shall our pity share.
Alas! no wife or mother's care,
For him the milk or corn prepare.

2. The storm is o'er, the tempest past,
And Mercy's voice, has hush'd the blast;
The wind is heard in whispers low:
The white man far away must go;
But ever in his heart will bear
Remembrance of the negro's care.

CHORUS.

Go, white man, go; but with thee bear
The negro's wish, the negro's prayer.
Remembrance of the negro's care.

spun, the old woman would sit by, and read some book of devotion. When the fatigues of the day were over, both would sit down contentedly by the fire-side and enjoy their frugal ineal.

3. Though Catharina's face and person were models of perfection, yet her whole attention seemed bestowed upon her mind. Her mother taught her to read, and an old Lutheran minister instructed her in the maxims and duties of religion. Nature had furnished her not only with a ready, but a solid turn of thought; not only with a strong, but a right understanding.

4. Her virtues and accomplishments procured her several solicitations of marriage, from the peasants of the country but their offers were refused; for she loved her mother too tenderly to think of a separation.

5. Catharina was fifteen years old when her mother died. She then left her cottage, and went to live with the Lutheran minister, by whom she had been instructed from her childhood. In his house she resided, in quality of governess to his children; at once reconciling in her character unerring prudence with surprising vivacity.

6. The old man, who regarded her as one of his own children, had her instructed in the elegant parts of female education, by the masters who attended the rest of his family. Thus she continued to improve, till he died; by which accident she was reduced to her former poverty.

7. The country of Livonia was at that time wasted by war, and lay in a miserable state of desolation. Those calamities are ever most heavy upon the poor; wherefore Catharina, though possessed of so many accomplishments experienced all the miseries of hopeless indigence. Provisions becoming every day more scarce, and her private stock being entirely exhausted, she resolved at last to travel to Marienburgh, a city of greater plenty.

8. With her scanty wardrobe, packed up in a wallet, she set out on her journey, on foot. She was to walk through a region miserable by nature, but rendered still more hideous by the Swedes and Russians, who, as each happened to become masters, plundered it at discretion: but hunger had taught her to despise the dangers and fatigues of the way.

9. One evening, upon her journey, as she had entered

a cottage by the way-side, to take up her lodging for the night, she was insulted by two Swedish soldiers. They might probably have carried their insults into violence, had not a subaltern officer, accidentally passing by, come in to her assistance.

10. Upon his appearing, the soldiers immediately desisted; but her thankfulness was hardly greater than her surprise, when she instantly recollected, in her deliverer, the son of the Lutheran minister, her former instructor, benefactor, and friend. This was a happy interview for Catharina.

11. The little stock of money she had brought from home was by this time quite exhausted; her clothes were gone, piece by piece, in order to satisfy those who had entertained her in their houses: her generous countryman, therefore, parted with what he could spare, to buy her clothes; furnished her with a horse; and gave her letters of recommendation to a faithful friend of his fa ther's, the superintendant of Marienburgh.

SECTION XVII.:

The same subject continued.

1. THE beautiful stranger was well received at Marienburgh. She was immediately admitted into the superintendant's family, as governess to his two daughters; and, though but seventeen, showed herself capable of instructing her sex, not only in virtue, but in politeness.

2. Such were her good sense and beauty, that her master himself in a short time offered her his hand; which, to his great surprise, she thought proper to refuse. Actuated by a principle of gratitude, she was resolved to marry her deliverer only, though he had lost an arm, and was otherwise disfigured by wounds, received in the service.

3. In order, therefore, to prevent further solicitations from others, as soon as the officer came to town upon duty, she offered him her hand, which he accepted with joy; and their nuptials were accordingly solemnized.

4. But all the lines of her fortune were to be striking. The very day on which they were married, the Russians laid siege to Marienburgh. The unhappy soldier was im

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mediately ordered to an attack, from which he no turned.

5. In the mean time, the siege went on with fury, aggra vated on one side by obstinacy, on the other by revenge. The war between the two northern powers at that time was truly barbarous: the innocent peasant, and the harmless virgin, often shared the fate of the soldier in arms.

6. Marienburgh was taken by assault; and such was the fury of the assailants, that not only the garrison, but almost all the inhabitants, men, women, and children, were put to the sword.

7. At length, when the carnage was pretty well over, Catharina was found hid in an oven. She had hitherto been poor, but free. She was now to conform to her hard fate, and learn what it was to be a slave. In this situation, however, she behaved with piety and humility; and though misfortunes had abated her vivacity, yet she was cheerful.

8. The fame of her merit and resignation reached even prince Menzicoff, the Russian general. He desired to see her; was pleased with her appearance; bought her from the soldier, her master; and placed her under the direction of his own sister. Here she was treated with all the respect which her merit deserved, while her beauty every day improved with her good fortune.

9. She had not been long in this situation, when Peter the Great paying the prince a visit, Catharina happened to come in with some dried fruits, which she served round with peculiar modesty. The mighty monarch saw her, and was struck with her beauty.

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10. He returned the next day; called for the beautiful slave; asked her several questions; and found the charms of her mind superior even to those of her person. He had been forced, when young, to marry from motives of interest; he was now resolved to marry pursuant to his own inclinations. He immediately inquired into the history of the fair Livonian, who was not yet eighteen.

11. He traced her through the vale of obscurity, through the vicissitudes of her fortune; and found her truly great in them all. The meaness of her birth was no obstruction to his design. The uptials were solemnized in private; the prince declaring to his courtiers, that virtue was the properest ladder to a throne.

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