VA That which comes pure through fuch trying fires, must be real gold. ASSENT, CATHERINE, the daughter of a French peasant, who, at the age of feventeen, and, in the humble capacity of a menial, exhibited a proof of fpontaneous, benevolent intrepidity, which well entitles her to a place in this collection. A common fewer of confiderable depth, having been opened at Noyon, for the purpose of repair, four men paffing by, late in the evening, unfortunately fell in, no precautions having been taken to prevent fo probable an accident. It was almost midnight, before their fituation was known, and, befides the difficulty of procuring affiftance at that unfeasonable hour, every one prefent was intimidated, from expofing himself to fimilar danger, by attempting to rescue thefe unfortunate wretches, who appeared already in a state of fuffocation, from the mephitic vapour. Fearless or ignorant of danger, and irrefiftibly impelled by the cries of their wives and children who furrounded the spot, Catherine Vaffent, a fervant of the town, infifted on being lowered without delay into the noxious opening; and, faftening a cord, with which fhe had furnished herself previous to her descent, round two of their bodies, affifted by those above, fhe restored them to life and their families; but, in defcending a fe'cond time, her breath began to fail, and, after effectually fecuring a cord to the body of a third man, fhe had fufficient prefence of mind though in a fainting condition, to fix the rope firmly to her own hair, which hung in long and luxuriant curls round a full but well-formed neck. Her neighbours, who felt no inclination to imitate her heroifm, had willingly contributed fuch af fiftance as they could afford compatible with fafety, and, in pulling up what they thought the third man's body, were equally furprized and concerned to fee the almost lifeless body of Catherine, fufpended by her hair, and fwinging on the fame cord. Fresh air, with eau de vie, foon reftored this excellent girl; and I know not whether most to admire her generous fortitude in a third time exploring the peftilential cavern, which had almoft proved fatal to her, or to execrate the daftardly meannefs and felfish cowardice of the byeftanders, for not fharing the glorious danger. In confequence of the delay produced by her indifpofition, the fourth man was drawn up a lifelefs and irrecoverable corpfe. Such conduct did not pass unnoticed; a proceffion of the corporation, and a folemn Te Deum were celebrated on the occafion; Catherine received the public thanks of the Duke of Orleans, the Bishop of Noyon, the town magiftrates, and an emblematic medal, with confiderable pecuniary retribution, and a civic crown; to thefe were added, the congratulations of her own heart, that ineftimable reward of a benevolent mind. Ought I to be blamed in declar ing, ing, that I should have concluded this fhort narrative with more pleasure, if the workmen or furveyors, through whofe neglect this accident happened, had themfelves been thrown into the fewer. A baker is occafionally put into a hot oven, when the pernicious adulteration of bread irritates the Emperor of the Muffulmen; the fufpenfion of a few agents and contractors, it is fuppofed, would have a falutary influence in our army and navy; and half a dozen waywardens, furveyors, and poft boys, carelefs and intoxicated, annually breaking their necks, would probably prevent many fatal accidents and untimely deaths to useful members of fociety. VICTO ICTOR AMADEUS, King of Sardinia, and Duke of Savoy, a warrior and a statesman, who, after difentangling the laws of his country from perplexity, and improving her revenues, by public as well as private œconomy, refolved, in the decline of life, to quit his throne. Having fecured to himself a houfehold and an income, which he thought more than equal to all his wants; in a moment of defpondence, caprice, or vexation, which thofe, who have worn a crown are beft able to describe, he figned an act of abdication, and his fon, with the ufual ceremonies, was declared his immedi. ate fucceffor. But Amadeus exhibited a melancholy proof of the difficulty in defcending from the giddy height of a mountain's top, to the vale of private life; with all his attainments, he had neglected to qualify himfelf for that which half the world fo ardently pant after, but which a kind diftribution of Pro vidence has fortunately put out of their reach, a state of abfolute leifure. Those hours which had been agreeably and ufefully occupied by important enterprize, interefting 'difcuffion, or fplendid enjoyment, dragged heavily on in the ftillness of a fequeftered retreat. Let the profeffional and commercial man, exhausted by the conflicts of competition, and inflamed to painful exertion, by the ardor of getting money, who wishes to relax from his fatigues in a country box: let him pause before he signs and feals, and confider the cafe of the royal fufferer I now record. It may teach him a useful leffon, "that the worst importunities, the most embarraffing perplexities of bufinefs, are foftnefs and luxury, compared with the inceffant cravings of vacancy, and the unfatisfactory expedients of idleness ;' or he will find, when it is too late, that occupation is the only preventer of eroding chagrin; that employment is the grand fpecific for abforbing or fuppreffing the anxieties of an active mind, which, for want of its customary avocations, is too often bufied in tormenting itself. The fubject of my prefent article, irritated by the rapid and unfeeling transfer of kindness and attention in those, who, when he was King, had professed themselves the humbleft and most faithful of his fubjects; and inflamed by the folicitations of an ambitious miftrefs, who fighed for the attendance of a court, the pomp and glitter of a drawing room, demanded, in a moment fatal to peace, he un happily happily demanded his crown and fceptre. From the peculiar fituation of European politics, and, probably, from that love of power and preeminence, which reigns triumphant in the most republican breaft of us all, more especially, in the fpring tide of life, his requeft could not be granted. The harshnefs of refufal was foftened by the formal, or the pretended delay, of referring fo momentous an application, and the reply to be given, to the council. They deliberated, but were not likely to forward a proceeding, which, if put in execution, would probably have occafioned their own difmiffion. Perhaps, too, well acquainted with the inclinations of their new fovereign, which, though never directly expreffed, are always understood; they came to a refolution, that, from the restleffness of the unhappy Amadeus, and the intriguing fpirit of his fair favourite, coercive measures were unavoidable; they communicated their opinions to the young King, and he was under the neceffity of imprisoning his father for life! Fatal neceffity! Miferable parent and, in spite of his elevation, unhappy fon! But, before we rafhly decide on the conduct of one or the other, let us not be too fure, after having thrown from us, in a moment of vifionary philosophy, or impatient inquietude, A GOLDEN BAUBLE, which, after we ceafe to grafp it, we find was neceffary to our happinefs; let us not be too fure, that we should not make some attempt to recover it. As fathers, we probably should determine, that a fon, at the imperious call of filial duty, should have refused to a parent no boon in his power to beftow. Those who may be difpofed to charge the fon with a want of filial affection, fhould recollect the fondness for fuch toys, natural at the Prince's age; they should alfo confider, that the vain, inexpedient with of Amadeus, to recover that which he had coolly and unrequested given up, with all legal formality, was in itself, according to the laws of civilized fociety, treafon and injuftice; that in cafe the young Prince had prevailed on himself to make the facrifice, and furrendered his right; it would, in all probability, have been fatal to himself, and highly prejudicial to the peace and intereft of the people he governed. It was, in fhort, one of those fituations, in which no good man, or feeling fon, would ever wish to be placed; and the internal ftruggles and tumultuous emotions excited in the young man's breaft, muft have equalled or furpaffed, in poignancy, the pangs of wounded fenfibility and mortified ambition, felt by his wretched father. Perhaps, after all, the haughty favourite of the old man's heart, whofe name escapes my memory, was alone to blame. There is a period of our lives, when, if we liften not to the voice of reafon and religion, when corrupted by habitual indulgence, and exhauft ed by infirmity, we are too apt to yield ourfelves and our imaginations to the violent impulses, but the impotent imbecility, of our paffions; an odious and defpicable prey to the artifices of female dalliance. Defperate is the condi tion 1 tion of that man, miferable are his friends and relations, who, in his declining dotage, facrifices confiftency, honour, and juftice, on the fmoky, fmothering altar, of unhallowed, ineffectual defire. It would be no bad addition to our ftatutes, were they not already immeafurably long, to fix a period when tottering old age fhould cease to have the power of marrying or difpofing of its property, to the injury of a lawful defcendant. Certain right honourable legacy hunters would probably be difappointed in the illicit objects of their artful attentions; but mifery, diftress, shame, and mortifying ridicule, would be prevented in many a family, deprived of a support to which it was entitled by law and nature; and ruined by hoary decrepitude liftening to the plaufible, but felfifh fuggeftions, of fome fplendid jefuitic declaimer, or faf cinated by the meretricious glances of a mercenary beauty, angling for an old man's heart; an old man indecoroufly affecting, in December, the inconfiftent and exhaufting frolics of May. VIG 7IGNOLES, STEPHEN, commonly called Lahire, the valiant affociate of the brave D'unois, who raised the fiege of Montargs with a comparatively fmall number of men, in the fifteenth century, when France, fo often doomed to popular or regal defpotifm, was alternately ravaged and re-conquered, by the English invaders, the amorous Charles the Seventh, and the martial Maid of Orleans. A fhort article is affigned to this gay and gallant Frenchman, for the purpofe of noticing a fingular prayer, which, on the faith of an old but pleasant French hiftorian, he is faid to have made ufe of, previous to his attacking the English. As Lahire approached the enemy, feeing accidentally a regimental chaplain, he demanded of him abfolution, without delay. " You must first confefs your fins," said the priest. "I cannot fpare time at prefent," replied the captain, "for we are at this moment preparing to attack the besiegers, and as to fins, I hope I have not demeaned myself worse than my neighbours." His requeft being granted, he drew his fword, and, raifing his eyes to heaven, exclaimed, "Deal with me, I befeech thee, O Lord, this day, as I would with thee, if I were God, and thou wert Lahire." He then rushed into the thickeft of the battle, and, with only fix hundred men, flaughtered or put to flight many thoufand foes, unguarded and fecure in the infolence of victory. We are not fufficiently acquainted with the period, to determine of the lively, the characteristic, but irreverend idea of Vignoles was precifely his own, but the thought, natural in a man ambitious of fhowing his gaiety and unconcern in the hour of danger, cannot be comprehended in the fhort lift of thofe things, which have been faid but once; after travelling through many a page in various forms, afcribed to different perfons, but its origin acknowledged by none; it has been feized by an English humourift, who by way of epigram, has put it in the mouth of Martin Elton Brod, a Dut hman, yet a wit. VILLACERFE. VILLACERFE, Madam, a French lady, of noble family, dignified character, and unblemished life, whofe remarkable and tragic death was distinguished by an evennefs of temper and greatness of mind, not ufual in her fex, and equal to the moft renowned heroes of antiquity. The fhort history of this excellent woman, is, I believe, generally known, and will proba bly be recognized by many of my readers, but she is fo ftriking an example of philofophic fuffering, Christian fortitude, generous forbearance, and angelic love, without the leaft poffible alloy of felf. ifhnefs or fenfuality, that the affecting circumstance cannot, in my opinion, be dwelt on too long, or repeated too often. An early, a mutual affection, had taken place between this lady and Monfieur Fefteau, a furgeon of eminence, in Paris, but, from the infurmountable obftacles which in those days (A. D. 1700.) fo ftrictly guarded fuperior rank from intermingling with plebeian blood, all further intercourfe was prevented, than animated civilities, when opportunities offered, and foft but fecret wifhes. The lover would have perished, rather than by a rafh proceeding, degrade the object of his tendereft affections in the eyes of her family and the world; and his mistress, taught by love, the omnipotent leveller of all diftinctions, though fhe felt too powerfully the merit of her admirer, who, in the fcale of unprejudiced reason, far outweighed a thousand fashionable pretenders to frivolous accomplishment and fuperficial attainment; refolved VOL. II. To quit the object of no com mon choice, In mild fubmiffion to ftern duty's voice, The much-lov'd man with all his claims refign, And facrifice delight at duty's fhrine. After fome years passed in what may be called a defeat, rather than a ftruggle of the paffions; after a glorious victory of duty and honor, which furely affords a durable and exalted pleafure, far beyond the gratification of wild wishes and mifguided appetites; Madam Villacerfe, from an indifpofition which confined her to a chamber, but not to her bed, was, by the prefcription of her phyfician, ordered to be bled. Fefteau, as furgeon to the family, was fent for, and his countenance, as he entered the room, ftrongly exhibited the ftate of his mind. After gently touching her pulfe, and a few profeffional queftions, in a low, hefitating voice, he prepared for the operation, by tucking up that part of a loose dress which covered her arm: an interefting bufinefs to a man of fine feelings, who had long laboured with the most ardent attachment to his lovely patient, whofe illness diffufed an irrefiftible foftnefs over her features, and lighted up the embers of an affection, fuppreffed, but never extinguifhed. Preffing the vein, in order to render it more prominent, he was obferved to be feized with a fudden tremor, and to change his colour; this circumstance mentioned to the lady, not without a fear, that it might prevent Hh was his |