would make him a sufficient compensation for the homeliness of her person. A request so reasonable was readily complied with, and Athelwold was made happy in the possession of his mistress. He employed every pretence how ever, for detaining her in the country, lest his artifice should be discovered. But royal favourites are never without enemies : Edgar was soon informed of the truth; but he resolved, before he should execute vengeance on Athelwold's treachery, to satisfy himself of the full extent of his guilt. For this purpose, he took occasion to visit that part of the country where Elfrida was concealed, telling Athelwold that he meant to pay him a visit, and be introduced to his new-married wife. As Athelwold could not refuse this honour, he only craved leave to go before the king a few hours, that he might the better prepare every thing for his reception. On his arrival, he fell at his wife's feet, confessing what he had done to obtain her charms, and conjuring her to conceal from Edgar, as much as possible, that fatal beauty which had seduced him from his fidelity to his friend and sovereign. Elfrida promised compliance; but, prompted, either by vanity or revenge, she adorned her person with the most exquisite art, and called up all her beauty upon this occasion. The event was answerable to her expectations; she excited at once in the king's bosom the warmest love towards herself, and the most furious desire of vengeance on her husband. Edgar, however, knew how to dissemble these passions; and seducing Athelwold into a wood, on pretence of hunting, he stabbed him with his own hand, and soon after publicly espoused Elfrida. Edgar died in the thirty-third year of his age, and was succeeded by his son Edward, whom he had by his first marriage with the daughter of earl Ordmer. The succession of this young prince, who was only fifteen years of age at his father's death, did not take place without much difficulty and opposition. Elfrida, his step mother, had a son seven years old, whom she attempted to raise to the throne; but the principal nobility, afraid of her imperious temper, were unwilling to enlarge her authority, so that the whole kingdom at length submitted to Edward. This prince lived four years after his accession, and his death was truly memorable and tragical. He was endowed with the most amiable innocence of manners, and as his own intentions were always pure, he was incapable of entertaining any suspicion against others. Though his step-mother had opposed his succession, and had raised a party in favour of her own son, he always shewed her marks of regard; and even expressed, on all occasions, the most tender affection towards his brother. His confidence proved his ruin. Being hunting one day in Dorsetshire, he was led by the chace near Crofe Castle, where Elfrida resided, and took the occasion of paying her a visit unattended by any of his retinue; thereby presenting her with the opportunity, which she so long wished for. While drinking some liquor on horse-back, an assassin approachhim by Elfrida's order, and gave him a stab behind. Finding himself wounded, he put spurs to his horse; but being faint by loss of blood, he fell from the saddle, his foot stuck in the stirrup, and he was dragged along by his unruly horse till he expired. The youth and innocence of this prince, together with his tragical death, begot such compassion among the people, that they believed miracles to be wrought at his tomb; and they gave him the name of martyr, though his murder had no connection with any religious principle or opinion. Elfrida built monasteries, and performed many penances, in order to atone for her guilt; but she could never by all her hypocrisy or remorse, recover the good opinion of the public, though so easily deluded in those ignorant ages. ANECDOTES, &c. SIR JOHN HOLT.-It is related of lord chief justice Holt, who had been very wild in his youth, that being once at the Bench of the Old Bailey, a fellow was tried for a highway robbery, and very narrowly acquitted, whom his lordship recollected to have been one of his early dissipated companions. After the trial was over, curiosity induced him to send for the man in private, in order to enquire the fortune of the contemporaries with whom he was once associated: he, therefore, asked the fellow, what was become of Tom such-a-one, and Will such-a-one, and the rest of the party to which he belonged? When the fellow, fetching a deep sigh, and making a low bow, replied: "Ah! my lord, they are all hanged, except your lordship and myself!" JUSTICE BLENCOWE.-An old man, who had been a hewer of stones for many years, lived to be upwards of ninety, and for some years had daily spoiled the stones instead of rendering them fit for use. Lady Blencowe perceiving it, desired the judge to continue him his eighteen-pence a-day, and let him stay at home. "No, no," says the judge, "let him spoil on; he enjoys a pleasure in thinking he earns his bread at four score years and ten, but if you turn him off, he will die with grief." And that was the case, for when the judge died he was discharged, and followed his humane and considerate master a few days afterwards. M. Lelande dined one day at the house of Recamier, the banker; he was seated between the celebrated beauty, madame Recamier, and madame de Stael, equally distinguished for her wit. Wishing to say something agreeable to the ladies, the astronomer exclaimed, "How happy I am to be thus placed between wit and beauty!" "Yes, M. Leland," sarcastically replied madame de Stael," and without possessing either." Thursdays, reminds us of the mock mayor of a place in the west, who declared, on his election, that he was determined to hold his quarter sessions monthly. THE RETORT PICQUANT.-A plain bluff citizen recently returning from his annual visit to Margate, and not choosing to venture by the hoy, very prudently took his passage on the upper story of a stage coach, and thus humbled himself by exaltation, for nothing so decidedly settles the quality of a traveller with the innkeepers and coach-owners as the price a man chooses to pay for his journey. It is even considered as a high insult to the aristocratical dignity of the inside passengers if any of the living luggage from the top should intrude upon them at meals. In this predicament the honest citizen found himself, when the vehicle stopped for supper at Rochester. The night was cold, his appetite keen; and conscious of the rhino to pay his way, he entered the feeding room, where the inside company were at supper, and began to unmuffle himself for the repast. The guests stared at him as if he had been a rhinoceros. At length a pert young barrister, attired in black, stepped up to him, and with a supercilious air, asked him, Pray are you the coachman?" 66 No,' answered the other: pray are you the guard?" "No, sir," replied the quizzer, "why should you take me for the guard?" "Nay, I ask your pardon," replied the cit, I thought you might have been the guard from the colour of your coat; for I understand several blackguards go with the coaches on this road." A German peasant, newly enlisted in the army, had scarcely arrived at the regiment, when he was sent with others upon a skirmishing party; and approaching a wood from whence the musket balls flew pretty thickly, he stepped out of his rank, and made a sign to the enemy to desist, at the same time exclaiming, "Why, what the devil are you about, don't you see there are people acoming?" ; A game cock, on board lord Rodney's ship, on the famous 12th of April, being, by some accident, loose, took his station on a coil of ropes, on the quarterdeck, near to the admiral, and on firing each broadside he crowed with all his might and main as if he fully comprehended that this was an effort against the enemy, in which he concurred with all his heart. This champion is immortalized, by being painted in Gainsborough's picture of lord Rodney, by whom he was highly valued. ALEXANDER THE GREAT AND PORUS. Alexander the Great, having finally defeated the army of Porus, an Indian prince of great courage and prudence, desired to see him. After much intreaty, Porus consented, and accordingly set forward. Alexander, who had been told of his coming, advanced forward in order to receive him, with some of his train. Being come pretty near, Alexander stopped, purposely to take a view of his stature and noble mien, he being much above the common height, (history says he was seven feet and a half high.) Porus did not seem dejected at his misfortunes, but came up with a resolute countenance, like a valliant war rior, whose courage in defending his dominions ought to acquire him the esteem of the brave prince who had taken him prisoner. Alexander spoke first, and with an august and gracious air, asked him "how he desired to be treated?" "Like a king," replied Porus." "But," continued Alexander, "do you ask nothing more?" "No," replied Porus, "all things are included in that single word." Alexander, struck with his greatness of soul, the magnanimity of which seemed heightened by distress, did not only restore him his kingdom, but annexed other provinces to it, and treated him with the highest testimonies of honour, esteem, and friendship. Porus was faithful to him to his death. It is hard to say whether the victor or the vanquished best deserved praise on this occasion. a AN ENGLISH BULL.-An advertisement in one of the papers begins thus:- "To be let immediately, or sooner, if required." TENDER CONSIDERATION.-Madame du Deffand once told story of a lady, whose dog having bitten a piece out of a gentleman's leg, the dame, in a great fright, cried out, "I hope it won't make my poor dog sick!" FIVE ALLS.-The five alls is a country sign, representing five human figures, each having a motto under it. The first is a king in his regalia; his motto-I govern all the second, a bishop in his pontificals; motto-I pray for all the third, a lawyer in his gown; motto-I plead for all: fourth a soldier in his regimentals, fully accoutred; motto I fight for all: fifth, a poor countryman with his scythe and rake; motto-I pay for all. A friend of Kent asked him to dine with him, at the table d'hote. A dish of vegetables was placed before Kent. A guest opposite him, whom he did not know, took the pepper-box, and saying, "I am extremely fond of this dish, well peppered," emptied the whole contents over it. Kent immediately took out his snuffbox, and emptied it into the dish, saying, " And I am excessively fond of it with snuff." DISCOVERY OF A SECRET.—A learned bishop being one day in company with the celebrated David Garrick, the conversation turned upon the influence of language, of action, of truth, and of representation, on the passions of men. "But how is it," said his lordship, addressing himself to Garrick," that you, who deal in fiction, can so affect your audiences, as to throw them into tears; while we, who declare the most awful and interesting truths, can scarcely produce any effect whatever?" My lord," replied the actor, "here lies the secret. You deliver your truths as if they were fictions; but we deliver our fictions as if they were truths." NATURAL SIMPLICITY.-A lady some time back on a visit to the British Museum, asked the person in attendance, if they had a skull of Oliver Cromwell? Being answered in the negative, "Dear me," said she, that's very strange, they have one at Oxford.' MAGNANIMITY OF A SAVAGE KING.-The Indian brig Matilda, captain Fowler, on a voyage from New South Wales, to the Derwent and Eastern islands, was cut off and plundered on the night of the 10th of April, 1815, while lying at anchor in Duff's Bay, at the island of Roodpoah, one of the Marquesas. Five of the crew, who were Poomatoomen, had previously deserted, and joining with some of the Roodpoah natives, took the opportunity of a dark night, to cut the vessel adrift; when she drove ashore through a heavy surf, and was soon bilged and filled with water. When the natives saw that it was impracticable to get the vessel afloat, they concurred, universally, in the design of putting the whole of the crew to death; which is a constant practice among the different natives towards one another, when their canoes happen to fall upon a strange shore, through stress of weather or any other accident. Fortunately, captain Fowler had formed an intimacy with the chief, or king, of these savages, Nooahetoo, who presided at the horrible tribunal that had devoted the wretched mariners to instant slaughter. He withheld his assent to the murder, but had no hesitation in permitting the plunder of the vessel. The crew was informed by the significant gesticulations that accompanied the vehement debate on the occasion, that their lives were dependant upon the issue. The good chief, who was seated with his son by his side, was opposed by many other chiefs, though of inferior rank; he had besides been called to the supremacy of the island, by the general wish of the people, his dignity not being an hereditary right, but elective, and the people now pressed their solicitations earnestly, peremptorily demanding his assent to the sacrifice. For a length of time he opposed this cruel resolution by force of words; but this not seeming likely to prevail, he adopted a mode, which, while it did honour to his humanity, silenced his people in an insant. Finding that all his expostulations were defeated, upon the principle of undeviating custom, he deliberately took up two ropes that were near him, fixing one round the neck of his son, and the other round his own, he called to the chief next in command, who immediately approached him. The conference was short and decissive; he first pointed to the cord that encircled the neck of his son, and then to the other which he had entwined round his own. "These strangers," said he, "are doomed to death by my chiefs and my people, and it is not fit that I, who am their king, should live to see so vile a deed perpetrated. Let my child and myself be strangled before it is performed; and then it never will be said, that we sanctioned, even with our eye-sight, the destruction of these unoffending people." The magnanimity of such conduct produced, even in the mind of the unenlightened savages, a paroxysm of surprise, mingled with sentiments of admiration. For a moment the people looked wildly on their king, whose person they adored. They saw the obedient chief to whom the order of strangling had been imparted, aghast with horror and amazement at the change which a few moments had produced. The mandate which had proceeded from the king's own lips must be obeyed; and, commanded to perform the dreadful office, he proceeded to obey, when a sudden |