Then taking apart the first pretender, they put the fame questions to him; and to ten or twelve of thofe queftions he answered exactly as his opponent.

The four fifters, and the husbands of the two who were married, were then ordered to appear, together with Pierre Guerre, the brothers of Arnaud du Tilk, and as many as could be found of the former witneffes.

They appeared accordingly, except the brothers of Arnaud du Tilk, who efcaped, that they might not be obliged to give their teftimony against him.

The elder fifter of Martin Guerre was first brought before the commiffioners, and fhewn the two perfons, who both afferted that they were her brother. After a moment's confideration, she burst into tears, and embraced the real Martin Guerre; and, addreffing herself to the Commiffioners, faid, "This is indeed my brother; "I acknowledge that that wicked im"poftor has deceived me." Martin Guerre embraced her, and wept alfo. The three other fifters, in their turns, acknowledged him with tears, and befought his forgiveness of their error.

The hufbands of the married fifters did the fame; and those witnesses, who had fworn moft pofitively that the firft of these men was Martin Guerre, now, on feeing him with the real Martin Guerre, owned they had been in an

error.

Bertrande de Rols, the wife, was then ordered to approach; who no fooner be held her husband, than, wild with confusion and terror, trembling, and in tears, fhe ran to him, embraced him, and implored his pardon for the fault the had committed, in receiving as her hufband an infamous impoftor. She faid, that he had been drawn into fo great an error, by the prepoffeflion of her fifters-in-law; and that the great defire he had to find her husband, had affifted to deceive her; while the knowledge the impoftor poffeffed of the most fecret tranfactions of her life (circumftances which he thought could be, known only to herself and Martin Guerre) had for fome time compleated the deception; but that, when at length fufpicions arofe in her mind, the made every effort to affure herself of the truth; and as foon as she was fully aware of the deceit, had appealed to justice, to deliver her from the impoftar, who had fo cruelly betrayed her

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into a crime fhe muft for ever lamenta crime which had inspired her with fo much horror, that he had inceffantly wifhed for death to put an end to her torments; and that religion only had with-held her from finishing with her own hands a life that was become infupportable.

Her beauty (for fhe is defcribed as being very handsome) and her tears affected every body, except her husband, who, though he appeared fo moved with the tenderness and affection of his fifters, was infenfible of the penitence and humility of his wife, whom he repulfed with rage and indignation, pushed her rudely from him, and bid her not play the hypocrite. He added, that he could fot have been fo long deceived, but pretended to be fo, becaufe fhe preferred the deceiver to her duty and honour; and fiercely told her, that all his misfortunes were owing to her, who could never have iniftaken Arnaud du Tilk for an husband with whom he had lived fo many years; and that though the likeness might have impofed on others, nothing but her attachment to the traitor could have reconciled her to the treafon. The Court interfered, to perfuade Martin Guerre to pardon his wife; but it was a length of time only that abated his feverity towards her.

The impofture being now clearly proved, fentence was given against Arnaud du Tilk, that he fhould be hanged, and his body reduced to afhes. The daughter, however, that he had by Bertrande de Rols, was not to be declared illegitimate, but was, on account of the good faith of the mother, who was ignorant of the impofture, to poflefs whatever had really belonged to Arnaud du Tilk.

The court deliberated, whether Martin Guerre and Bertrande de Rols were not liable to fome punishment; the latter for adultery, and the former for having, by his defertion and neglect of his wife, occafioned it, and for having ferved in the Spanish army. But as the crime committed by the woman was through ignorance, and as the man did not defignedly betray her into it, they were not deemed obje As of public juftice. In regard to the charge against Martin Guerre, that he had ferved against his king, it appeared that he had not voluntarily done fo; but that, having been reduced to fervitude, he had been hired by the Cardi

nal

nal de and afterwards by the Cardinal's brother; whom he had followed into Flanders, and had waited on him at the battle of St Laurent, where, being obliged to fight by the fide of his mafter, he had loft a leg; a lofs that feemed a fufficient punishment of

his crime.

Arnaud du Tilk, being now under condemnation, made a full confeflion of his crimes. He faid, that being a foldier, and returning from the camp in Picardy, he was met by fome of Martin Guerre's intimate friends, by whom he was mistaken for him, and who were not without difficulty undeceived; that he thence conceived the

idea of taking advantage of the refemblance; and that afterwards, making an acquaintance with Martin Guerre himself, he got from him those particulars, that knowledge of the most fecret tranfactions of his life, which had ferved fo effectually to impofe on Bertrande de Rolls, and on the family of Martin Guerre.

Being brought to the place of execution before the houfe of the man he had injured, he there repeated his confeffions, and died penitent; imploring the mercy of God, and asking pardon of Martin Guerre, his wife, and all thofe whom he had offended."

The Lover's Leap.-A Tale.

IR BUMPER was a Baron bold,

As e'er romantic writ enroll'd;
For feats of chivalry renown'd,
And oft Olympic victor crown'd.

In a deep-winding woody vale
His caftle ftood, antique and gray,
Where Winter's ftorm,nor fummer gale
E'er chas'd the hov'ring fogs away.
The dull moat all around

Lies in eternal sleep, Its mould'ring Oaks' are all halfdrown'd,

Its bending willows ever weep. See from the gate Sir Bumper ftride With fair round paunch and ruddy face; And hark! the horn refounding wide Proclaims aloud the jocund chace.

For now the fun has left the main, And gilds the hoary mountain high, Where young Squire Ringwood, and his train,

With clamour feem to rend the sky.
His lazy groom Sir Bumper chides,-
He mounts, and up the hill he rides;
Just as Squire Ringwood, brifk and gay,
Had given the watch-word,-stole away.
'Tis a grim, old, malicious fox,
Heav'n fave you, Sir, from fatal knocks!
For deafen dwith your whoop and hollow,
My mare denies your courfe to follow.
She backward cafts her rolling eye,
And views Sir Bumper's caftle high.

What nymph is that of tempting
bloom,

With all her charms profuse display'd”?

'Tis Lucy in her dreffing-room In Nature's robes alone array'd. Mifs Lucy is Sir Bumper's daughter And lately had Squire Kingwood taught her,

To think herfelf not quite fo well,
And wish for what he could not tell.

Shut fhut,dear girl; oh shut thecafement,

And do not kill us with amazement!
To the window fee her creep,
Hanging o'er the moat fo deep,
There leaning on her arms of fnow
She liftless eyes the pool below,
Surrounded by the frogs

That sputter thro' the muddy bogs
And now the genial feafon warm,
Deep flushes every ripen'd charm.
Her bofom heaves with wild defire,
Her eye-balls dance in lambent fire.
A fubtle trembling, sweet, yet strong,
Glides rapid every nerve along.
“Ah, what a fultry, ftifling morn!"
She cry'd," and heat's not to be borne ;
"Straight will I feek the fecret cave,
"And in the lake my body lave."
Then in a robe of flight attire
She wraps her lovely bofom bare,
And fwift defcending, all unfeen,
She like an arrow fkims the green.
The cowflip and the daify fweet,
Scarce bending to her feather'd feet.

To the Weft there grew a grove, Deep in whofe fequefter'd glades Many a wood-nymph wont to rove And fhield from blights the favour'd fhades.

Clofe

Clofe, fhelter'd in its bofom green
A broad extended lake is feen;
And there a rock, abrupt and riv'n,
Heaves its tow'ring head to Heav'n:
Scoop'd within its oozy fide
Is a cavern deep and wide,
Deem'd of old the ghaftly haunt
Of Elves and Water-Goblins gaunt:
But now 'tis reckon'd a proper place
For maidens of sweet and bashful face,
To come and strip off their tatters,
And take the ben'fit of the waters,
Without fear of fhepherds or fatyrs,
Or any fuch matters.

To this green cave fair Lucy came,
And, on the velvet mofs reclin'd,
The robe that wrapt her tempting frame
She, confcious, blufhing, flow refign'd..
Oh powers of blifs! what charins the
fhew'd!

Charms which no eloquence can tell :

Her cheeks with heav'n's own tincture glow'd;

No bursting rofe e'er bloom'd fo well.

See her raven ringlets flowing,
New contratted power beftowing

On her white and downy fkin;
On her fwelling bofom lying,
Round her charming fhoulders flying,
As an airy mantle thin!
With one quick glance around the
wood,

Another to the rock's high head, She fearless rushes to the flood, And hides her in a liquid bed

Secure fhe fpreads her fhining limbs, Paddles, tumbles, dives, and swims; Each various pofture wanton fhe employs,

And all the humid luxury enjoys.

Meanwhile o'er rough ridges, and torrents, and rocks,

Sir Bumper and Ringwood had follow'd

the fox.

'Twas an old fox, I faid, and he knew ev'ry trick

That was ever practis'd, I think, by Old Nick.

But hard run at laft, he afcends a wild steep,

And over an old wall he makes a nice leap;

There clings in a bush, which bush you must know

Hung o'er a high crag, with deep waters below.

Soon follow'd the pack, and ev'ry bold hound

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Sprung fheer o'er the verge,-plumpt down, and was drown'd.

This precipice Sir Bumper knew,
And with ftrong arms his bridle drew.
His gallant feed, the truth to say,
Was pleas'd this fignal to obey;
After fcouring fuch a tract,
With fuch a woolfack on his back.
Squire Ringwood then had made a
round,

To gain th' advantage of the ground;
And, like a jav'lin newly thrown,
He from the heights came headlong
down.

Right t'ward the wall he pushes on,
O'er which the fox and hounds had
gone.

*

1

The Squire turn'd her to that hand Which was nigheft the land. Round the promontory's base He wond'rous horfemanship displays s --There, my Princefs;-forward, hoy; Tallyho, and,-here, my boy: Till, as beneath the rock so gray, Slow he work'd his wat'ry way, A fudden turn, which close he took, Brought him to a woody nook; Where Lucy, fhelter'd in the fhade, Sports on the waves herself had made. With a fhriek and a fpring the brisk girl in a fright

Fled faft from the fight of this terrible wight

That on the foft element fair'd bolt upright;

With

With locks heavy-ftreaming, and wild rolling eyes,

To the cavern as fleet as Camilla fhe flies,

There thruft in an arm in a fleeve of ter gown,

Behind a dark willow fhe fcuttles her down.

Ringwood at firft was fore amaz'd,

When from the azure flood the flew ; But foon as on her charms he gaz❜d, This goddess of the lake he knew. Now Tallyho refounds again, Impatiently he works the rein, Whipping, fpurring, wriggling, firking, And faft unbuttoning his jerkin. Soon as to the cave he got,

He turn'd his mare into the wood; And nimbly whipping off his coat, Before his charming Lucy tood. Onward, ftripping, he proceeds, Till all his dark and dropping weeds. Reeking in the fun were laid, Then, -Your fervant, Ma'm,he

faid.

Sir Bumper, in the mean time, all forlorn

Lamenting his companion dash'd and M torn,

With all his hounds for ever loft and gone,

Around the hill came lonely ambling on.

Awful in grief to Heav'n he rav'd, Crying, if he might haply find : From death a fingle puppy fav'd,

What ease it would afford his mind; Or fome fragment of Ringwood driv'n to land,

A piece of his skull, or the palm of his hand.

By and bye he meets the mare. -Ah! wild devil, art thou there? Where isRingwood? tell me,where? Sleeps he in the caverns deep, Where the crabs around him creep? Or along the fwelling tide, Peck'd by gor-mews, floats he wide? O thou moft difaftrous mare! Where is Ringwood?tell me, where? Thus mourning wild, he pierc'd the gloomy wood,

And foon upon the lake's green margin ftood.

Thus in our land; and gain immortal praife.

To civilize our firft-fam'd fires began, 'Twas yours to profecute the glorious plan;

They fell'd the deferts with unwearied toil,

Establish'd laws, and till'd the fruitful foil:

'Twas yours to call in each refining art, T'improve the manners and exalt the heart;

To train the rifing race in wisdom's lore, And teach them Virtue's fúmmit to explore..

What land than this can choicer bleffings claim,

Where facred Liberty has fixt her name; Where o'er each field gay Plenty spreads hér ftore,

Free as yon River laves the winding fhore;

Where active Trade pours forth her naval train,

O'er the green bofom of the boundless hain;

Where

The Rev. Mr N. Evans.

Oler heav'n's blue vault, and weftward bends his way;

So Science in the Orient climes began, And, like bright Sol, a western circuit

ran;

From Egypt's fchools to Greece was learning brought,

What Cadmus old, or Palamedes taught; Her form illuftrious Athens did illume, And rais'd the genius of imperial Rome; From Latium's Plains the fought Brittannia's fhore,

And bid her barb'rous fons be rude no

125

And hear the gospel's filver clarion found,

Roufing with heav'nly strains the heathen round;

Methinks I hear the nations fhout aloud, And to the glory-beaming standard croud;

New infpiration fhake each trembling frame,

The PARACLETE pours forth the lambent flame;

In renovating streams on ev'ry foul, While thro' their breafts celeftial transports roll.

Stupendous change! methinks th'effects

appear;

In the dark region facred temples rear Their lofty heads; fair cities ftrike my fight,

And heav'n-taught Science spreads a dazzling light,

O'er the rough fcene, where Error's Court was found,

And red-ey'd flaughter crimson'd all the ground.

O hafte, bleft days! till ignorance flee the ball,

And the bright rays of knowledge lighten all,

'Till in yon wild new feats of fcience rife,

And fuch as you the Arts shall patronize;

For which your names fhall fwell the trump of fame,

And ages yet unborn your worth proclaim.....

Oh! would one ray, beam'd from the Mufe's fhrine,

My breast irradiate with a flame divine! Then would I boldly ftrike the trembling ftring;

And bid the world with Brunswick's praises ring!

Tell how our Seat his bounteous fmiles has known,

And found a patron on Britannia's throne !

Tell how his high example fir'd the Great;

And all their grand munificence relate! Then would the Mufe her flender tri

To

of Philadelphia..