de-camp fell close to his side, and with drooping spirits of the army, and increase their respect and confidence in their prince. Charles now laid siege to Poltowa, and both Swedes and Russians looked forward to the event as that which would decide the fate of Russia. The memora ble battle of Poltowa proved a disastrous one to Charles. In one day, he lost the fruit of nine years' successful war. His army was totally defeated, and he fled, wounded, to Bender, in Turkey, where he remained five years. 'And when he returned home, was his daring spirit subdued?' inquired George. No; he entered with eagerness into war with Saxony, Denmark, and Prussia: and notwithstanding all the vicissitudes he had experienced, his contempt of danger was still the same. One day, a bomb from the enemy fell upon the house, and burst near the window of a room in which the king was dictating to his secretary. The terrified secretary let fall his pen. In the south of Russia, my love. The army was now reduced to such an extremity, that the soldiers were without shoes, and almost without clothes. They frequently wanted bread, and were compelled to throw away all their cannon because they had no horses to convey them. To complete their misfortunes, two thousand of the hardy troops perished in sight of the king, from intense cold. 'Poor Charles!' said Egbert, 'I sup- What is the matter?' said the king, rising pose now he began to despair.' from his chair, calmly; not continue to write?' No, Egbert; his motto seemed to be, 'never despair.' A soldier, one day, came before the king, in the presence of the whole army, and, with much grumbling, showed him a piece of black mouldy bread, made of barley and oats, the only food they then had, and of which they had but a very scanty supply. Charles took the bread, ate it all, and then coolly said to the soldier, It is not very good, but it can be eaten.' This little circumstance contributed more than any thing else to raise the 'why do you 'Ah, sire,' he erickshall, in the month of December, some respects, we certainly must admire ment. He had so inured his body to cold, hunger, and fatigue, my dear, that he could bear almost any thing. Wishing to see how long he could remain without food, he, for five days, neither ate nor drank anything; and then, taking a long ride one morning, he made a very hearty breakfast, without his health being in the slightest degree injured by this experiOne night, during the siege, he went out to inspect the trenches; but he braved danger once too often. As he was leaning on the parapet, a ball from within entered his right temple, and he immediately expired without a groan. Thus died, at the age of thirty-six, Charles the Twelfth of Sweden; after having experienced the greatest prosperity, and the bitterest adversity, without having been enervated by the one, or daunted for one moment by the other. And do you call him a great man?' said Egbert. his character; his dauntless intrepidity, his unwearied perseverance, his astonishing firmness of mind under misfortunes, and his heroism when oppressed by hardship and suffering, are all worthy of our admiration; Charles's principal fault was, that when he had once drawn the sword, he was never willing to return it to the scabbard. His romantic obstinacy in this respect exhausted the resources of his kingdom, which he left in a miserable state, drained of men and money. His career was dazzling; but his country derived no benefit from it. Tell me, George, which do you think most deserved the title of Great; Gustavus Adolphus, who left his kingdom tranquil and prosperous, or Charles the Twelfth, who left it in an impoverished and ruinous state, caused by his enthusiastic love of glory? I should call him an extraordinary, progress. rather than a great man, my love. In Youthful minds, like the pliant wax, are susceptible of the most lasting impressions; and the good or evil bias they then receive, is seldom or ever eradicated. SIR JOHN HOLT. IN February, 1685-6, Sir John Holt, who had been appointed recorder of London the year before, was knighted by king James II., and made king's sergeant in 1686, and resigned his recordership in April, 1687. He was one of the men of the robe chosen by the peers at St. James's to assist them in drawing up the conditions on which William III. was admitted to the throne, and in April, 1689, was raised to the high office of lord chief justice of England. Law and justice were effectually administered when he presided in the King's Bench. In the Banbury election case he told the House of Peers that they ought to respect the law which had made them so great, and that he should disregard their decisions. When the speaker of the House of Commons, with a select number of members, went in person to the Court of King's Bench to demand his reasons, he answered, sit here to administer justice; if you had the whole House of Commons in your belly, I should disregard you; and, if you do not immediately retire, I will commit you, Mr. Speaker, and those with you.' Neither his compeers, nor the houses of parliament separately or collectively, could intimidate him, and Queen Anne was compelled to dissolve the parliament to get rid of the question. ་ I On a mob assembling before a crimping house in Holborn, the guards were called out: Suppose,' said he, the populace will not disperse, what will you do?' 6 'Fire on them,' replied an officer, ' as we have orders,' 'Have you so! then take notice that if one person is killed, and you are tried before me, I will take care that every soldier of your party is hanged.’ Assembling his tipstaves, and a few constables, he explained to the mob the impropriety of their conduct; promised that justice should be done; and the multitude dispersed. A poor decrepid old woman, charged with witchcraft, was on her trial before him. 'She uses a spell,' said the witness. 'Let me see it.' A scrap of parchment was handed to him. 'How came you by this?' 'A young gentleman gave it to me to cure my daughter's ague.' 'Did it cure her ?' 'O yes, my lord, and many others.' 'I am glad of it.-Gentlemen of the jury, when I was young and thoughtless, and out of money, I, and some companions as unthinking as myself, went to this woman's house, then a public one; we had no money to pay our reckoning; I hit upon a stratagem to get off scot free. On seeing her daughter ill, I pretended I had a spell to cure her; I wrote the classic line you see; so that if any one is punishable it is me, not the poor woman the prisoner.' She was acquitted by the jury and rewarded by the chief justice. A REAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN AN ENGLISHMAN AND HIS IRISH SERVANT. you must take a boat; and if you travel by land, either in a chaise or on horse Master. DOES it rain? Terry. No, sir. M. I see the sun shines-Post nubila back:-those that can't afford either one Phœbus. T. The post has not come in yet. M. How long did you live with Mr. T.? T. In troth, sir, I can't tell. I passed my time so pleasantly in his service that I never kept any account of it. I might have lived with him all the days of my life-and a great deal longer if I pleased. M. What made you leave him? T. My young mistress took it into her head to break my heart; for I was obliged to attend her to church, to the play, and wherever she visited. M. Was not your master a proud man? T. The proudest man in the kingdom -he would not do a dirty action for the universe. M, What age are you now? T. I am just the same age of Paddy Lahy he and I were born in a week of each other. M. How old is he? or t'other are obliged to trudge it on foot. M. Which is the plesantest season for travelling? T. Faith, sir, I think that season in which a man has most money in his purse. M. I believe your roads passably good. T. They are all passable, sir-if you pay the turnpike. M. I am told you have an immese number of black cattle. T. Faith, we have, plenty of every color. M. I think it rains too much in Ireland. T. So every one says: but Sir Boyle says, he will bring in an act of parliament in favor of fair weather; and I am sure the poor hay-makers and turf-cutters will bless him for it-God bless him: it was he that first proposed that every quart bottle should hold a quart. M. As you have many fine rivers, I suppose you have abundance of fish. T. The best ever water wet-the first T. I can't tell; nor I don't think he fish in the world, except themselves. can tell himself. Why, master, I won't tell you a lie; if you were at the Boyne, you could get salmon and trout for nothing, and, if you were at Ballyshanny, you'd get them for less. M. Were you born in Dublin? T. No, sir, I might if I had a mind; but I preferred the country. And please God-if I live and do well-I'll be buried in the same parish I was born in. M. You can write I suppose? T. Yes, sir, as fast as a dog can trot. M. Which is the usual mode of travelling in Ireland? M. Were you ever in England? T. No, sir, but I'd like very much to see that fine country. M. Your passage to Liverpool, would not cost more than half a guinea. T. Faith, master, I'd rather walk it, T. Why, sir, if you travel by water, than pay the half of the money. Aurora Borealis. Furnished for this work by LOWELL MASON, Professor in the Boston Academy of Music. shines, Shoot- ing stream with stream com - bines, Brightly gleaming, great, Who did all its beams cre - ate Nev- er changing, # Brightly gleaming, Brightly gleaming, Through the veil of night. dim, now bright. veil of night. life and light. |