front. We no fooner faw him than we discovered that he was criminal, though then ignorant of the offence; but foon we saw several citizens, their cheeks wet with tears, who bore with folemn fteps, to the foot of the throne of Juftice, the bloody corpfe, that cried for

vengeance.

Obey with me the voice of juftice,that calls all the people to witnefs its awful decrees. It is the day of its triumph, and fatal as it is, we receive it with applaufe. You will not fee a wretch who has been plunged fix months in a dungeon, his eyes dazzled by the light of the Sun, his bones broken by a previous and fecret punishment, more horrible than that he is going to fuffer, advance with hideous and dying looks, towards a fcaffold erected in an obfcure nook. In your time the criminal, judged in the fecresy of a prison, was fometimes broke on the wheel in the filence of the night, at the door of fome fleeping citizen; who waking with terror at the cries of the excruciated wretch, was uncertain whether he was fuffering under the iron bar of an executioner, or the fword of an affaffin. The guilty, far from being dragged alone in a manner that is difgraceful to juftice, is not even fettered. Alas! why fhould he be loaded with chains,who freely delivers himself up to death? Juftice has full power to deprive him of life, but not to charge him with marks of flavery.

We arrived at a fpacious place that furrounded the palace of justice. Along the front of the hall of audience, there ran a large flight of fteps. It was on this kind of amphitheatre that the fenate affembled on public affairs, in the fight of the people; it was under their infpection that it chofe to tranfact the moftimportant affairs of the nation. The numerous body of citizens,there affembled infpired them with fentiments worthy of the auguft concerns committed to their care. The death of a citizen was a calamity to the State. The judges failed not to give their fentence all that folemnity, all that importance, it requir

ed. The order of Advocates were on one fide, ever ready to plead for the innocent, but filent in the cause of the guilty. On the other fide, the Prelate, accompanied by the Pastors, bareheaded, filently invoked the God of mercy, and impreffed a facred awe on the peo ple, who were fpread in crowds over all the place.

The criminal appeared! he was dreffed in a bloody fhirt; he beat his breaft, and fhewed all the marks of a fincere repentance, His vifage, however, expreffed nothing of that dreadful embarraffment fo unbecoming a man who ought to know how to die when neceffity calls, and efpecially when he merits death. They made him pafs by a fort of cage, where they told me the body of the murdered man was expofed; but on coming near to it, he was feized with fuch remorfe, that they suffered him to retire. He approached the Judges,and put one knee to the ground to kifs the facred volume of the law. It was then opened to him, and they read, with a loud voice, the fentence relative to homicide; they placed the book before him that he also might read it: he then fell on his knees, and formally confeffed his guilt.

The head of the Senate, mounting a plat-form that was prepared for him, read his condemnation, with a strong and majestic voice. All the Advocates, who were standing, then fat down, by which they declared that no one of them would undertake his defence.

When the head of the Senate had done reading, he deigned to ftretch out his hand to the crimnal, and raise him up: he then faid, "Nothing now remains for you but to die with firmnefs, and to obtain your pardon of God and of men. We do not hate you, we grieve for you and your memory will not be held in deteftation by us. bey the law with chearfulness, and revere its falutary rigour. Our tears bear witnefs your affliction will take place in our hearts, when juftice fhall have accomplished her fatal decree.

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Death

Death is lefs dreadful than ignominy. Submit to the one to avoid the other. It is ftill in your power to choofe. If you will live you may: but it must be in difgrace, and loaded with our indignation. You will behold the Sun conftantly upbraiding you with having deprived your fellow-being of his genial and brilliant rays; to you they will be hateful, as they will only difcover thofe difdainful looks with which all men regard an affaflin. You will bear about with you every where the load of your remorfe, and the eternal fhame of having refufed to fubmit to that juft law which has condemned you. Do juftice to fociety and condemn your felf."

The criminal bowed his head, by which he declared, that he judged himfelf deferving of death. He immediate ly prepared to fubmit with conftancy, and with that refignation which in our laft moments is fo highly becoming a man. He was no longer regarded as guilty; the body of paftors furrounded him; the prelate, taking off the bloody fhirt, clothed him in a white vestment, which was the token of his reconciliation to mankind, and gave him the kifs of peace. His friends and relations crouded to embrace him: he appeared fatisfied by their careffes, and by being vefted with that garment, which was a proof of the pardon he` received from his country. Thofe teftimonies of friendship took from him the horrors of approaching death. The Prolate, advancing towards the people,

feized that moment to make a nervous and pathetic difcourfe on the danger of paffion. It was fo eloquent, fo juft and affecting, that every heart was filled with admiration and terror. Each one refolved to watch carefully over his temper, and to ftifle thofe feeds of refentment, which increase in a manner unknown to ourselves, and foon produce the moft unbridled paffions.

During this interval, a deputy from the Senate bore the fentence of death to the Monarch, that he might fign it

with his own hand; for no one could be put to death without his confent, as in him refided the power of the fword. That good father would gladly have fpared the life of the criminal; but in that moment he facrificed the earnest defire of his heart to the neceffity of an exemplary justice. The deputy returned. Then again the bells of the city began their funeral tolls, the drums' repeated their mournful march, and thofe deploring founds, meeting in the air with the groans of the numerous people, one would have thought that the city was on the brink of an univerfal deftruction. The friends and relations of the unfortunate man, going to meet his death, gave him the laft embrace. The Prelate invoked,with a loud voice, the forgiveness of the Supreme Being, and the vaulted roof of heaven refounded with the fupplication of the whole people, who cried, with one mighty voice, "O Almighty God, receive his foul! O God of mercy, forgive.him," even as we forgive him!"

They conducted him, with flow fteps, to the cage I have mentioned, ftill furrounded by his friends. Six fufileers, their faces covered with crape, advanced. The head of the Senate gave the fignal, by holding up the book of the law; they fired and the foul difappeared.

Remarkable Inftance of fecret Corref pondence.

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is certain from the best authori ty that when the Marquis of Ormond, who followed the fortune of King Charles II. in his exile, was over in London folliciting the King's affairs, it was remarked that Oliver knew the very day of his arrival and the day of his departure, and was informed every day what steps had been taken, and who he had conferred with the day before: but tho' he iffued out orders to the magiftrates of London, and to all his officers to use their utmost diligence in order to apprehend him, yet

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all

all was to no purpofe; which at that time furprised every body. But when the death of Oliver unhinged the new form of government fome who were in the fecreteft part of Cromwell's affairs, began to think how they might do fuch fervice to the King as to merit his regard; accordingly, Mr Moreland (afterwards Sir Samuel) who had a poft in the fecretary's office, fent an exprefs to his Majefty to inform him, what perfons might be induced to ferve him, and what methods he must take to induce them to it; and what other perfons would never ferve him, what profeffions foever they might make. He made offer of his own fervice to his Majefty; and as an inftance of his fidelity, he advertised his Majefty of a perfon who was much trufted by him, and conftantly betrayed him: that he had received a large penfion from Cromwell, and that he continually gave Thurloe intelligence of all that he knew; but with fo great circumfpection that he was never seen in his prefence; that in his contract he had promised to make fuch discoveries as fhould prevent any danger to the ftate; but that he would never endanger any man's life, nor be produced to give in evidence against any; and this very perfon had difcovered the Marquis of Ormond's being in London,but could not be induced to difcover where his lodging was, only undertook that his journey Thould be ineffectual, and that he fhould quickly return; and then they might take him if they could to which he would not contribute. The gentleman accufed was Sir Richard Willis, who had from the beginning to the end of the war, given teftimony of his fidelity to the King. He was a gen tleman very well bred, and of very good parts, a courage eminently known, and a very good officer; and in truth of fo general a good reputation, that, if the King had profeffed to have har boured any doubt of his honefty, his friends would have thought he had received ill impreffions without ground; and he had given a very late teftimony

of his fincerity by concealing the Marquis of Ormond, who had communicated more with him than with any man in England during his being there. For these reasons, neither the King nor thofe about him could believe this information of Moreland's, but concluded it a contrivance to amuse them; and therefore returned for answer, that the King confeffed himself much fatisfied in the information he had received, acknowledged the great fervice; only frankly declared, that nothing could convince him of the infidelity of that gentleman, but the evidence of his own hand-writing. The meflenger no fooner brought Moreland this letter, than he difpatched another, with all that manifeftation of the truth, that there remained no farther doubt. A great number of letters were fent, whereof the character was well known; and the intelligence communicated was of fuch things as were known to very few be fides the person himself.

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The following epitaphon a tombstone in the burying-ground in Spring Path, over against Port-Royal, in the island of Jamaica, is an inftance of a miraculous deliverance and deferves to be recorded.

HE

[ERE lieth the body of Lewis Galdy, Efq; who died the 22d of September 1739, aged 80; he was born at Montpellier in France, which place he left for his religion *, and settled in this island; where, in the great earthquake in 1692, he was swallowed up, and, by the great Providence of God, by a fecond shock, was thrown out into the fea, where he continued fwimming till he was taken up by a boat and miraculously preferved. He afterwards lived in great reputation, and was univerfally lamented."

preferved, from which it appears that they could not fubfcribe their name. It was ufual for perfons who could not write, to make the fign of the crofs in confirmation of a charter. Several of thefe remain, where kings and perfons of great eminence affix fignum crucis, manu propria,pro ignoratione literarum. From this is derived the phrafe of figning instead of subscribing a paper. In the ninth century, Herbaud Romes Platii, tho' fupreme Judge of the empire by virtue of his office could not subfcribe his name. So late as the fourteenth century, Du Guefclin, conftable of France, the greatest man in the ftate, and one of the greatest men of his age, could neither read nor write. Nor was this ignorance confined to laymen; the greater part of the clergy was not many degrees fuperior to them in fcience. Many dignified ecclefiaftics could not fubfcribe the canons of thofe councils in which they fat as members. One of the queftions appointed by the canons to be put to perfons who were candidates for orders was this, " Whether they could read the gofpels and epiftles, and explain the fenfe of them at leaft literally?" Alfred the Great complained, that from the Humber to the Thames there was not a priest who understood the liturgy in his mothertongue, or who could tranflate the eafieft piece of Latin; and that from the Thames to the fea, the eclefiaftics were ftill more ignorant. The ignorance of the clergy is quaintly defcribed by an author of the dark ages. Potius dediti gula quam Gloje; potius colligunt libras quam legunt libros; libentius intuentur Martham quam Mariam; malunt legere in Salmone quam in Solomone. To the obvious caufes of fuch univerfal ignoranee arifing from the ftate of government and manners, from the feventh to the eleventh century we may add the fcarcity of books, and the difficulty of rendering them more common during that period. The Romans wrote their books either on parchment or on paper made of Egyp

tian papyrus. The latter being the cheapeft, was of course the most commonly used. But after the Saracens conquered Egypt in the feventh century, the communication between that country and the people fettled in Italy, or in other parts of Europe was almost entirely broke off, and the papyrus was no longer in ufe among them. They were obliged, on that account, to write all their books upon parchment; and as the price of that was high,books became extremely rare, and of great value. We may judge of the fcarcity of the materials for writing them from one circumftance. There ftill remain feveral manufcripts of the eight, ninth, and following centuries,wrote on parchment, from which fome former writing had been erafed, in order to fubftitute a new compofition in its place. In this manner, it is probable, that feveral works of the ancients perished. A book of Livy or of Tacitus might be erafed, to make room for the legendary tale of a faint, or the fuperfticious prayers of a miffal. P. de Montfancon affirms, that the greater part of the manufcripts on parchment which he has feen, thofe of an ancient date excepted, are written on parchment, from which fome former treatise had been erafed. As the want of materials for writing is one reafon why fo many of the works of the ancients have perished, it accounts likewife for the fmall num

ber of manufcripts of any kind, previous to the eleventh century, when they began to multiply from a caufe which fhall be mentioned. Many circumftances prove the scarcity of books during these ages, Private perfons feldom poffeffed any books whatever. Even monafteries of confiderable note had only one miffal. Lupus, abbot of Ferriers, in a letter to the pope, A. D. 855. befeeches him to lend him a copy of Cicero de Oratore and Quintilian's Inftitution; "for" fays he," altho' we have parts of those books, there is no complete copy of them in all France." The price of books became fo high,

that

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that perfons of a moderate fortune could not afford to purchase them. The countess of Anjou paid for a copy of the Homilies of Haimon, bishop of Halberstant, two hundred fheep, five quarters of wheat, and the fame quantity of rye and millet. Even fo late as the year 1471, when Louis XI. borrowed the works of Rafis, the Arabian phyfician, from the faculty of medicine in Paris, he not only depofited, as a pledge, a confiderable quantity of plate, but was obliged to procure a nobleman to join with him as furety in a deed, binding himself under a great forefeiture to restore it. Many curious circumstances, with refpect to the extravagant price of books in the middle es, are collected by Gabriel de Naude, to whom I refer fuch of my readers, as deem this fmall branch of literary his tory an object of curiofity. When any perfon made a prefent of a book to a church or a monaftery, in which were the only libraries during these ages, it was deemed a donative of fuch value, that he offered it on the altar pro remedio animæ fuæ, in order to obtain the forgiveness of his fins. In the eleventh century, the art of making paper in the manner now become univerfal, was in vented: by means of that not only the number of manufcripts increafed, but the ftudy of the fciences was wonderfully facilitated. The invention of the art of making paper, and the invention of the art of printing, are two confiderable æras in literary hiftory. It is remarkable,that the former preceded the firft dawning of letters and improvement in knowledge towards the close of the eleventh century, the latter ufhered in the light which spread over Eu rope at the time of the reformation.

and acquainted him that he came by command of the King and council, to bring his unfortunate friend the melancholy news that he muft fuffer death before nine of the clock the fame morning, and that therefore he should immediately begin to prepare himself for that awful event. Upon this meffage, More, without the leaft furprize or emotion, chearfully replied," Mafter Pope, I moft heartily thank you for your good tidings. I have been much bound to the King's highness for the benefit of his honours that he hath most bountifully bestowed upon me; yet I am more bound to his Grace, I affure you, for putting me here, where I have had convenient time and fpace to have remembrance of my end, and so help me God. Moft of all am I bound unto him that it hath pleased his Majefty fo fhortly to rid me out of the miferies of this wicked world." Then Pope fubjoined, that it was the King's pleafure that at the place of execution he fhould not use many words. To this More answered, that he was ready to fubmit to the King's commands; and added; "I befeech you, good Mr Pope, to get the King to fuffer my daughter Margaret to be present at my burial." Pope affured him, that he would ufe his utmost interest with the King for this purpofe; and having now finished his difagreeable commiffion, he folemnly took leave of his dying friend and burst into tears. More perceiving his concern, faid with his ufual compofure, "Quiet yourfelf, good Mr Pope, and be not difcomforted!' for I trust that we fhall one day in heaven fee each other full merrily, where we shall be fure to live and love together in joyful blifs eternally."-But this method of confolating proving ineffectual, More, to divert the melancholy of his friend, and to difmifs him in better spirits, called for a glafs: and applying it as an urinal, he held it up to the light and with the prophetic air of a fagacious phyfician,gravely declared, "This man