fourteen years old, my father persuaded a rich old farmer in the neighbourhood to take me into his family as a servant. In this situation I was under-strapper to a large family for four years, and grew every day more and more tired of my constant drudgery. Often, with tears in my eyes, did I beg my father to take me home again, but in vain : for he was afraid of shewing the least discontent towards so rich and powerful a neighbour. But the hour of deliverance was not so far off as I thought.

"One day, while I was sitting npon a gate at the bottom of the farm-yard, and considering by what means I could manage to get away from so disagreeable a situation, an old woman, bent with age and covered with rags, came up to me, and offered to tell my fortune for sixpence. I had but one; my curiosity was great, and I gave it to her. She told me a number of fine things, and amongst others, that I should visit foreign conntries; which indeed is the only circumstance that ever has or is likely to come true. She then enquired whether I liked my place at the farmer's? I told her how disagreeable it was; and she offered to make my fortune for me, if I would leave my master's service, and meet her that night in the neighbouring forest at a particular hour. Without any hesitation I promised to followed her advice, and she went away.

"As soon as the appointed hour arrived, I set out with my oaken staff, a small wallet containing a few necessaries, and some money which I had the precaution to steal from my mistress. I met the old woman on the borders of the forest. She ordered me to follow her in silence. I obeyed, and in this manner we proceeded nearly two miles.

"At length we came to a deep recess in the bosom of the forest, where I perceived about a dozen ill-looking men, and women round a large fire. Overcome with fear, I was on the point of running back, when the old woman seized my hand, and led me forward into the midst of the assembly. I soon found that they were a company of those useful members of society, who make it their employment to disencumber their neighbours from any of those superfluities which fortune often showers down in such profusion upon her favourites. In a word they were as clever a society of gypsies, as any young fellow of good expectations ever attached himself to.

"But not to detain you longer than is necessary with useless descriptions, let it suffice to say, that I was initiated into all their arts; liked their mode of life, and surpassed them all in the execution of various stratagems, by which I have managed to cheat people out of their money with unexampled success. My first attempt was in the character of a poor boy, who had been unfortunately shipwrecked in the northern seas. With a sorrowful countenance I related my unheard-of sufferings, jumbled together the most dreadful circumstances that my imagination

could suggest, and was delighted to perceive with what ease the story was swallowed by every person whom I addressed.

I

"To whatever apprehensions I might at first have given way, they entirely vanished before the success of this hazardous enterprize. It was treated with the greatest generosity by several gentlemen, to whom I related my miserable condition, and I returned to my associates with more than twenty guineas in my pocket. Thus encouraged, I prepared for another expedition, which was attended with greater success than even the first. sallied forth with the old woman who had first persuaded me to leave my master's: and dressing myself as a young country wench, went boldly into the house of every gentleman within the country. I said that I was the old woman's daughter; that we had lived for many years in the north of Wales; that our cottage had been suddenly burnt to the ground, and we had narrrowly escaped with our lives, and were now endeavouring to get a little money to enable us to proceed to London, where my mother's sister was living. To this piteous account we both added a sufficent quantity of tears, which so awakened the charity of our hearers, that in a short time we might have bought a cottage in North Wales, and lived very comfortably on the produce of our labour -but we chose rather to return to our companions.

"In this manner have I lived in different parts of the kingdom near twenty years. I have played every character in the least calculated to open the hand of charity; and I have been under every disguise, and executed every stratagem that cunning could invent to cheat unguarded credulity. I have preached to the elect in a tub at Gloucester; have frequently been moved by the spirit at a Quaker's meeting; have sat whole hours in the synagogue to pick my neighbour's pockets; and have sold holy-water, nails from the cross, the hair of St. Christopher, and the blood of St Swithen, to several worthy Roman Catholics, who believed that I had just returned from a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Still more remarkable have been my escapes from the hands of justice; and I should certainly never have fallen into the present misfortune, had I not forgotten my usual prudence, and joined a gang of pickpockets when in liquor. As it is, I must take a journey to Botany Bay; and if I should ever return, will, by the blessing of fortune, retire upon what I have earned by a life of successful roguery.

REMARKABLE ANECDOTE OF A SHEEP.

The following extrordinary instance of sagacity and maternal affection in an ewe, is related by Mr. Collet, of Evesham, in the Monthly Magazine for December, 1808 :—

Walking with a lady through some meadows between two villages, of the names of Upper and Lower Slaughter, in the county of Gloucester, the path lay within about one hundred yards of a small brook. Many ewes and lambs were in the meadows we were about half-way over it when an ewe came up to us and bleated very loudly, looking up in my face; and then ran off towards the brook. I could not help remarking this extraordinary behaviour; but our attention was particularly roused when she repeated it; and, bleating louder, seemed to wish for something in particular; she then ran off as before, in the same direction, repeatedly looking behind her, till she reached the brook, where she stood still. After standing to look at her some time, we continued our walk, and had nearly reached the gate that led into the next meadow, when she came running after us the third time, and seemed yet more earnest, if possible, than before. I then determined to endeavour to discover the motive for such singular behaviour. I followed the ewe towards the brook; seeing me advance, she ran as fast as she was able, looking behind her several times. When we came to the brook, she peeped over the edge of a hillock, looked into the water, looked up in my face, and pleaded with the most significant voice I ever heard from a quadruped. Judge of my surprise, when, on looking into the stream, I saw her lamb standing close under the hillock, with the water nearly over its back. I instantly drew it out, when the fond mother began to lick and give it suck, and, looking up to me, uttered several sounds very different from those she had uttered before, and evidently expressing thanks and pleasure. I needed not those thanks; for I never performed oue action in my life that gave me more unmixed pleasure; nor did ever a brute appear more grateful.

SELICO-A TALE.

(Translated from the French of M. Florian.)

If one would believe what some philosophers assert, that this world is governed by two powers, one who gives us the little good we enjoy, and the other all the evil which abounds, we should be induced to think that in Africa this doctrine had its foundation. No land produces so many poisons, venomous reptiles, or wild beasts. The little that we know of the history of Morocco, of the negroes of Andia, of the Jaggas, and other districts along the coast to the country of the Hottentots, appears very much to resemble the histories of lions, panthers and serpents, so worthy to partake of this burnt-up land with its cannibal kings who carry to market the flesh of their prisoners. In the midst however of these sanguinary monsters and disgusting horrors, (some who sell their children, others who eat their prisoners) natural equity and justice, real virtue, constancy in pain, and a contempt of death, are sometimes to be found. These examples, rare as they may be, are sufficient to interest us in these degraded beings, and to remind us they are men. Thus in the most barren desert, a few green plants, which console the distressed traveller, remind him that he is still upon the earth.

In the kingdom of Juida, on the coast of Guinea, beyond the cape of three points, and not far from the city of Sabi, in the year 1727, lived the widow Darina. She was the mother of three sons whom she had nursed with a tenderness fortunately very common in nature, but not so in these climates, where children are looked upon as objects of commerce, and sold by their unnatural parents. The eldest was called Guberi, the second Teloné, the younger Selico. All of them had good dispositions and adored their mother, who now aged and infirm, only existed by their attentions and care. The riches of this family were comprised in a hut, which they inhabited together, and a small field near it which supplied them with maize. Every morning one of the brothers alternately went a hunting, cultivated the field, or attended their mother. At night they met together, the hunter brought his partridges, his parrots, or his comb of honey, the farmer his herbs and roots,

and he who remained at home had the repast ready prepared; they supped all four together, contending with each other for the pleasure of waiting on their mother; and afterwards laying themselves down on straw, slept in quiet till the return of day.

Selico, the youngest of the brothers, went often to Sabi to carry the earliest fruits as offerings of his poor family to the temple of the deity; this deity, as is well known, was a huge serpent, of the sort called fetiches, which have no venom, and who devour others which are venomous; they are so much revered in Juida, that any person killing one would be thought guilty of a great crime: therefore this species of snake is increased to a prodigious degree; and, being sacred, they are found in quantities in every town or village, where they eat familiarly from the plates, and even lay their eggs in the beds of the natives, who look upon it as the most fortunate of events, and a certain presage of their well-doing.

Selico was the handsomest, the best made, and the most amiable of all the negroes of Juida; he had seen, in the temple, Berissa, the daughter of the high priest, who surpassed all her companions in elegant grace and beauty. Selico adored her and was happy in having his love returned. Every Wednesday, sacred to religion and repose and among the negroes, the young lover hastened to the temple, and passed the day with his dear Berissa, conversing with her of his mother, his love, and the happiness they should enjoy when Hymen had united them. Berissa, did not disguise her sentiments, and the aged Faculho, her father, who approved of this union, promised, as he embraced them, that he would soon crown their mutual tenderness.

At length this long wished for epocha came; the day was fixed for the ceremony; the mother of Selico and his two brothers had already prepared the hut for the bride and bridegroom, when the famous Truro Audati, King of Dahomai, whose rapid conquests have been celebrated even in Europe, invaded the kingdom of Andia and exterminated its inhabitants. In advancing at the head of his formidable army, he was stopped by the large river which divides it from Juida, whose king, a pusillanimous and indolent being, governed by his wives and ministers, never thought of opposing any troops to those of of the conqueror; he thought that his gods would defend his country, and ordered all the serpents fetiches to be carried to the banks of the river. The conqueror, surprised and piqued to have only such reptiles to combat, plunged into the river with his troops and soon swam over. The gods, from whom such miracles were expected, were soon cut into pieces, roasted, and devoured by the conquerors. The king of Juida, not thinking any farther effort of avail, fled and hid himself in a neighbouring island. The warriors of Audati spread all over his kingdom, and with fire and sword burnt villages and forests, and massacred all without