found several forts of poifons contain ed in different boxes.

But the vengeance of heaven not only showed itfelf in her punishment, but in that of Efpernon, whofe family is now utterly extinct.

We are told, that after the death of the King, Efpernon went to Harley, first prefident of Paris, and threatened him with affaffination, if he permitted any thing to be laid to his charge, or that of the Queen, in the trial of Ravaillac. He was always hated by the King, as may be learned from Sully, who likewife defcribes the unaccommodating temper of the Queen, who was inftigated by the Marshal d'Ancre and his wife, by which the King's domeftic happiness was fo much disturbed. These things are alfo confirmed by Mezerai in his history.

There were in the coach with the King when he was killed, the Dukes

of Efpernon and Monthafon, the Marfhal de Lavardin and Roquelaure, the Marquifes de la Force, and Mirabeau.

After the death of this great monarch, his orders were all overturned, his finances diffipated, his faithful fervants difcarded, and his alliances forfaken for new ones: fo that France, which had been, as it were, the miftrefs of Europe, was now governed by the direction of Spain; and the agents of the court of Rome were now the oracles of the regency.

Thus it appears, that both the Queen and the Duke d'Efpernon were accomplices in the murder; their interefts were interwoven to protect themfelves from punishment. And furely guilt cannot be better protected than when it has procured to itfelf the authority of the judge. Pieces Intereffans.

Abdol. W

E were both of us gardeners: myself, before I was raifed to the throne of

Tyre; you, after having quitted the empire of the world.

Diocl. That is, my career terminated more happily than yours.

Abdul. The conqueror of Afia, upon whom crowns feemed to fhower, forced me to accept one. It gave me great uneafinefs to lay afide my fpade to affume the fceptre. I knew that it was much eafier to manage plants than men.

Diocl. I, for my part, learned this truth too late. You were indebted to your penetration alone for a difcovery which I owed entirely to my experience; a mafter whofe leffons are rather of the floweft. But they fay befides, hat you were defcended from the ancient kings of Phoenicia.

Abdel. So Alexander told me. He

was more interested in my genealogy than I was myself.

Diocl. I knew mine better; and I had no reason to be vain of it. My father was a freed-man; of confequence a flave. I wished to mend my birth, and entered into the army. I was only a centurion in Gaul, when a prieitefs of the Druids promised me the empire.

Abdol. And did you find no difficulty in believing the prediction? Diocl. We always believe those

who flatter us.

Abdol. Perhaps ftill more thofe who threaten us. Man is not lefs fufceptible of fear than of hope.

Diocl. I poffeffed the boldness and prefumption which commonly attend ambition. The Gaulish oracle, it is true, was ambiguous, as has been the cuftom of oracles from time immemorial. It promised me the em

pire when I should kill Apar; a word which in our language means a wild boar. From that moment I commenced the most perfevering of hunters. I killed a prodigious number of wild boars, and continued a centurion. At last, a certain Apar having killed the Emperor Numerianus, feated himself on his throne. I flew that Apar, and feated myself on his. Abdol. I fee you were very ambitious of the throne. Had it many charms for you?

Diocl. None; except that I could then make war in my own name, inftead of carrying it on in the name of others. The empire was menaced on all fides: I was victorious whereever I fought but it was impoffible to make war every where at once; in the eat, the weft, the north, the fouth. This is what cannot be accomplished by human genius. I performed a prodigy, however, almoft as improbable.

Abdol. Do, let me hear it. I was always fond of prodigies. I ufed to amufe myself with accounts of them when I worked at my first business.

Diocl. Hear then-I divided what had always been deemed indivifible the fovereign power; the throne; the pleasure of commanding all, fo foothing to our pride; the pleasure of receiving the homage of all, which has ftill more allurements for our vanity: in one word-I took a colleague.

Abdol, This indeed is wonderful. But why this divifion, if you pleafe? When my own hands were not fufficient to labour my garden, I hired day-labourers; but they had no fhare either in the foil or the harvest.

Diocl. Ah, my doubly connected brother! the empire of the Cæfars was an enormous garden indeed.Often has the mercenary feized upon the foil which he was hired only to cultivate or to protect. It was this confideration which prompted both my colleague and myself to fubdivide

the authority we already fhared between us. The world faw with aftonishment two Cæfars feated on the fame throne. They foon reckoned as many more.

Abdol. Good! The garden is now divided into four quarters. It will be taken better care of now, fince it was too extenfive before.

Diocl. My dear Sidonian garden er, my fweet monarch of Tyre! you have felt fomething of a throne. Is it an eafy affair to please those you govern?

Abdol. I got over the affair, for my own part, pretty eafily. I had the happiness to reign over a small nation; but an active, a fober, and induftrious one; of confequence wealthy and fubmiffive; the more upon this account, that I afked but little from them: for the whole government may be reduced to this, Afk little money from the people, and they will not complain of their rulers.

Diocl. The throne, I fee must have pleafed you.

Abdol. I was patient. Diocl. What, did you regret your garden at Sidon?

Abdol. I did: and when, after the death of Alexander, Demetrius Poliorcetes fent me back thither, I returned as a man returns from banishment.

Diocl. You were fent back; while I, on my fide, voluntarily quitted the capital and the throne of the world to regain the little farm of my father. I exhibited to the world the first example of a fovereign who freely divides his authority. I difplayed alfo the first example of an emperor willingly abdicating his crown. I have fince had fome imitators: Amurath among the Turks; Charles V. Chriftina, and Amadee, among the Chriftians. But Amurath refumed the fceptre which he had refigned, and quitted it a fecond time to refume it

again. Charles V. tired himself out in winding up watches and taking them to pieces; Chriftina was a fource of affliction to the facred college; Amadee pined away at Ripaille: I, for my part, merrily planted my cabbages and turnips.

Abdol. I believe it; never was gardener fad but after a fhower of hail. Diocl. I faid to myfelf, while handling my ípade and my rake, The earth is grateful, it will reftore to me more than I give it. I have given much to men; I have even fhared my power with many; I have found nothing but ingratitude.

Diocl. I was folicited more than once, and always without effect, to reafcend the throne. I one day fhowed the deputies of the fenate cabbages excellently planted with my own hand-See, faid I to them, my new fubjects; they answer my cares; they never fhow themselves intractable. In this way I gave birth to a proverb which fubfifts to this day: Muft I go, humouroufly fays a half-pay lieutenant; must I go plant my cabbages? He may be in the right; but I had paid my debt to fociety: I had fought for twenty years the battles of the state, while victory always at

I had fupported the cares, the burden, the pains of government; I furely deferved the fweet, the precious confolation of planting my cabbages in peace.

SIR,

AVING often heard it alledged,

HA

that at the time the famous Spanish Armada was difperfed, one of the veffels came into the frith of Forth, and there found fhelter from the ftorms that had almoft totally fwallowed this prodigious armament, I made feveral enquiries of many people who I thought were beft acquainted with the tradition of this tranfaction; but it was without effect, till lately, when meeting with a manufcript containing the life of Mr. John Melvill, who was minifter of Anftruther in the year 1588, and which was wrote by himself, I found a detail of the very tranfaction which I had been in fearch of. I fhall give it you in his own language; which, though a little uncouth, gives a pic ture of the times.

A. C.

"That winter, the year 1588, the king occupied in commenting of the

Apocalypfe, and in fetting out of fermons thereupon, against the Papifts and Spainzards; and yet by a piece of great overfight the Papifts practised never mair bufilie in this land, and maid greater preparation for receiving of the Spainzards nor that zeir. For a lang tyme the newes of the Spainish navie haid been blazed abroad; and about the lambas tyde of the 1588, this yland haid fund a fearfull effect thereof to the utter fubverfion bathe of kirk and police, giff God had not wonderfullie watched over the fame, and mightilie faughten and defeat that armie be his fauldiars the elements, quwhilk he maid all four maift fercelie to afflict them, till almaift utter confumption. Terrible was the feir, prefshing war the preachings, earnett, zealous, and fervent war the prayers, founding war the fiches and fobbes, and abounding war the tears at that firfl and General Af

fembly

fembly keept at Edinburgh, when the newes war credibilie tauld, fumtymes of their landing at Dunbar, fumtymes at St. Andrais, and in Tay, and now and then at Aberdeen and Cromartie frith; and in verie deid as we know certainlie foon after, the Lord of armies, wha ryddes upon the wings of the wunds, the keeper of his awin Ifrael, was in the mean ty me convoying that monftrous navie about our coafts, and directing their hulks and galiaces to the ylands, rokkes, and fands, wharupon he haid deftinat their wrak and deftruction; for within twa or thrie moneths thereafter, earlie in the morning be brake of day, ane of our bailzies came to my bed-fide, faying, (but not with fray) I have to tell you newes, Sir; there is arrived within our harbrie, this morning, a fhipfull of Spainzards, bot not to giff mercie, bot to afk, and fa fhaws me that the commanders haid landit, and he haid commandit tham to their ship again, till the magiftrates of the town haid advyft; and the Spainzard had humblie obeyit; therefore defiret me to ryfe and hear thair petition. With thaim up I got with diligence, and affembling the honeft men of town, came to the tobbuthe, and after confultation taken to hear them, and what anfwer to make, there prefented us a verie reverend man of big ftature, and grave and ftout countenance, gray-heared, and verie humble like; wha, after mikle and verie low courteffie, bowing down with his face neir the ground, and twitching my fho with his hand, began his harange in the Spainish towng, wharof I understood the fubftance; and being about to answer in Latin, he haiffing onlie a zoung man with him to be his interpreter, began and tauld over again to us in guid English. The fum was, That King Philip his maifter had rigit out a navie and armie to land in England, for juft caufes,

to be advengit of manie intollerable, wrangs quhilk he haid receivit of that nation; but God for thair fins haid been against them; and be ftorme of weather had dryven thair navie by the coaft of England, and him, with a certean of capteans, being the general of twentie hulks, upon ane yll of Scotland called the Fair yll, whar they maid fhipwrack, and whar fa monie as had efchapet the merseless feis and rokkes, haid mair nor fax or feaven ouks fuffered great hunger and cauld, till conducing that bark out of Orkney, they were come as to thair fpecial friends and confederates, to kifs the King's Majefty's hand of Scotland, (and therewith bekkit even to the zeird), and to find relief and comfort thereby to himself, the gen telmen, capteans, and the poore fouldearie, whafe condition was for the prefent mailt miferabile and pitifull. I anfwerit this mikle in fum, That whowbeit neither our friendship, quhilk could not be great, feeing thair King was friends to the graitift enemie of Chrift, the Pope of Rome, and our King and we defyed him, nor zit thair cause against our nibours and speciall friends of England, could procure anie benifit at our hands for thair relief or comfort, nevertheless they fhould know by experience that we war men, and fe maned to human compaffion and Christainess of better religion nor they, which should kyth in the fruits and effect plan contrar to thairs; for whereas our people reforting amang tham in peaceable and law full affairs of merchandise, war violentlei taken and caft in prifen, thair guids and gear confifcat, and thair bodies committed to crewal flaming fyre for the caufe of religion, They fould find nathing among us but Chriftian pitie and warks of mer. cie and almes, leaving to God to work in thair hartes concerning religion as it pleafed him. This being trewlie reported to him be his Frenchman,

with grait reverence he gaiff thanks, and faid, he could not make anfwer for thair kirk and the laws and order thairof; only for himself, that thair war divers Scotchmen who knew him, and to whom he had fhewn courtefei and favver at Calles, and as he fuppofit fince of the fame town of Anftruther. Sa fhow him, that the bailzies granted him lecince with the capteans to go to thair ludging for thair refreshment, bot to nane of thair men to land, till the over lord of the town was advertised, and understand the King's Majelty's mind annent them. Thus with great courtefei he departed. That night the Jord, being advertifed, came; and on the morn, accompanied with a guid number of the gentlemen of the

AT

countrey round about, gaiff the laid general and the capteins prefence, and after the fame fpietches in effect as before, receavit them in his house and interteaned them humeanlie, and fufferit the fouldeirs to come a land and ly all togedder, to the number of thirteen score, for the maift part young berdlefs men, fillie, trauchied, and hungrit, to the quhilk a day or two keall pottage and fish was gifen; for my advyce was conform to the prophet Elizeus his to the King of Ifrael in Samari, Giff them bread and water. The names of the commanders ware Jan Gomes de Medisa general of twenty hulks, Capitan Petricio, Capitan de Legaritto, Capitan de Luffera, Capitan Mauritio, and Seigneur Serrano." [Ed.Mag.

T Croydon affizes, a furgeon was called as a witnefs, for the purpose of proving damages, upon an action of affault. He depofed that he had bled the plaintiff; and being afked upon oath, if bleeding had been neceffary, candidly answered, "we always find it neceffary to do fomething when fent for."