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IN the city of Mexico, as we are told by

that famous and much to be depended on hiftorian Father Giardino,there lived a certain gentleman, called Don Cavanilla QuignataLorenzano, who had once followed the profeffion of a fcrivener, but had now betaken himfelf to that honourable and ufeful employment, the affifting of his fellow-creatures with a portion of his own wealth at cent. per cent. intereft, vulgarly denominated ufury. This worshipful perfon, in the fiftieth and fourth year of his age, entered into a contract of matrimony with the virtuous Donna Eftifania Montenella, in the eight and thirtieth year of hers. To this tranfaction he was the rather induced, not more on account of the beauty of her perfon and the qualities of her mind, than becaufe fhe was very rich, and as careful of her money as he was of his. Already had Lorenzano paffed ten good years with his dame in the honorable state of holy matrimony, without however enjoying the comforts of a family of children; for the want of which blefling he comforted himself in public by expreffing his thankfulness to Providence for being thus freed of a multitude of cares, and in private by the thoughts of the great expence he was thus faved; for as the prudent Lorenzano hardly allowed himself the neceffaries of life, wifely confidering that his riches, great as they were, might make to themselves wings and fly away, you may judge whether he would have relifhed the expence attending the feeding, the clothing, and educating a numerous family. He was wife from obfervation; for his father difinherited his elder brother, because he was a thoughtlefs, gay, extravagant youth, and left his fortune to Lorenzano, whofe difpofitions were fimilar to his own. Of this he had many proofs; but one in particular determined him; for, when a favourite dog which was warmly attached to Lorenzano, having grown up with him from his infancy, had become too old to go abroad to find its food in the dunghills or on the streets, he had fhut it out of the houfe, and allowed it to die for want.

When Lorenzano had not occafion to go to market for the purchase of victuals, an expedition which he took perhaps twice amonth, he seldom left the house. When he appeared in the streets the children used to run after him, and a mischievous little rogue would often pick an onion out of his pocket through the holes of his old cloke as he was travelling homeward loaden with vegetables. His coat was fo ancient, and had been fo often patched, that few people in Mexico remembered its original colour; the thrifty Donna Eftifania had exerted her skill on it with fuch fuccefs, that it not only for

tified her good man from the inclemency of the weather, but might have defended him from the effect of a bullet had it been aime ed at him. Of fimilar or fuperior strength were a pair of jack-boots which he conftant ly wore thefe, by frequent accretions of contributory leather to the legs, and of tinplate nailed to the foles, became fo ftrong, that they might well have ferved as buckets to the most frequented well in Mexico. But that he might not be quite borne down with the weight of his apparel, he' uniformly carried in his right hand a thick knobbed stick, which not only ferved him for fupport, but as a defence against the noify curs of the city, which always barked at him as he paffed along. At his left fide he likewife wore a fword, which refembled, as one egg does an◄ other, that of the renowned Sir Hudibras, as friend Butler defcribes it. Notwithftanding this miferable armour and forry apparel, he never forgot to difplay the enfigns of an or der of knighthood conferred on him by a late Viceroy of his Catholic Majefty, for certain fervices rendered to the revenues of the ftate of Mexico, or rather to the emoluments of the faid Viceroy. Certainly the infignia of that celebrated order had never hung on the breaft of a more miferable fubject; but it convinced the people of Mexico, that a dunghill cannot receive luftre even from a dia. mond.

It happened one fine morning in the Spring, that Lorenzano fet out for the fields in the neighbourhood of the city to gather fimples for a peoral draught, more falutary than tea, to his confort; and to regale himfelf with a fresh falad, made luxurious by the thought that he should pay nothing for it. As he paffed fome magnificent country feats without the town, he obferved below a tree an Indian fervant, whom fleep had overtaken, and befide whom lay a pair of delicate new boots, which attracted the eager gaze, and excited the covetous defires of our noble knight. He fpoke and coughed aloud, and when he faw that the fleeper did not awake, he confidered this as a charming opportunity to poflefs himself of a pair of rew boots at no expence. He quickly dineanbered himself of his own old fervants, which he laid down befide the Indian, and having made free with the new ones, he fcampered off with as much celerity as if he had beca running for a wager.

With what joy, when he got home, did he relate in fecret to his fpoufe his fuccefsful trick, and with what rapture did he furvey his well-dreffed feet!

"God knows, faid he to himself, it was a lucky hour when I first thought of going out to gather &mples,"

Next day he went to church, affifted with much devotion at a mafs, and gave a few counterfeit maravedis in charity. But fcarcely had he turned his back on the church, when he felt himself fuddenly feized by the fhoulder, and looking about, faw an Indian fervant in the livery of the Viceroy, crying aloud "this is the thick, this is the thief."

"What do you mean, rafcal?" faid Lorenzano, fomewhat confidently.

"Sennor Caballero, replied the Indian, you have ftolen thefe boots, which belong to the Viceroy. They are a prefent from the king of Quizzimoro, who, to pass the tedious hours, and to drive away melancholy, diverts himself with the making of boots. I will prove it, for the king ftamps under the inftep of all his boots his own mark, which is a golden fun."

At this inftant by chance there was paffing an Alguazil, and Lorenzano was immediately carried before the judge the boots were difcovered to be his Majefty of Quizzimoro's own make, and to be the identical boots that were fent by him to the viceroy The byfianders, well acquainted with the covetous difpofition of Lorenzano, rejoiced to hear him condemned to pay a fine of a thousand doubloons, with cofts of fuit. The Alguazil called a hackney coach, made Lorenzano enter it, mounted after him, and driving to his houfe received from the trembling hands of the petrifed knight the whole money, gave him a difchange for it, and leaving his own old jackboots, laughed in his face, and bid him good morrow.

Ah! merciful God! cried Donna Efifania, tearing, like another Medufa, a handful of hair out of her head, what an infamous rogue have I for a hufband! a thoufand doubloons! I am ruined and undone!

"God knows, faid Lorenzano, with loud lamentation, it was an unlucky hour when I Erft thought of going out to gather fmples."

23

With a look, furious as Othello's, he caft Lis eyes on the jack-boots which the Alguazil had left in the middle of the room, and, Springing up, he threw them both out of the window into the lake.

It happened that about this time two fithermen, his neighbours, who had fpread their net in the morning, were now preparing to draw it, and finding an un fual weight in it," Neighbour, faid one of them, God has been good to us this morning, the net is fo heavy that it is impefible it can be with fish; who knows but we have found a treafure? fome box of money or jewels, or fomething as valuable, is certainly in the net.”— Accordingly they fet to with all their might to haul the net a-fhore; but what was their grief when, inftead of the treasure they had Battered themfelves with finding, they faw

only the monftrous jackboots which had torn more than an hundred holes in their only net. Full of indignation at their miffortune, and chagrined at their disappointed hopes, they took up the boots and threw them in at the window of the difconfolate knight, as he fat ruminating on his late difafter. Unluckily one of them happened to ftrike upon a cabinet containing a magnificent fervice of porcelaine, given to Lorenzano in pawn for a large fum of money, which it brought to the ground with a hideous crash, and the whole contents were shivered

to atoms.

"O thefe curfed jackboots, cried Donna Eftifania; would they and that old villain, who will bring me to a bit of bread, were both at the devil! God, pity me, and for give all my fins."

"Alas! fobbed Lorenzano, miferable man that I am! how unlucky has been the hour that firit led me out to gather fimples."

"Out of the house this inftant, cried Ef tifania, with your vile boots, and let me never fee an atom of them more.'

Lorenzano took up the unfortunate boots, and at night went into his garden, where, by the light of a farthing candle which glim mered through an old broken lantern, he dug a hole, and committed his ill-fated boots to the cold ground.

A neighbour of his, by trade a joiner, had once been employed in mending fome old furniture for our honourable knight, but had been paid fo fcurvily for his labour, that he fill bore the old man a grudge.➡ This man happening to fee Sennor Loren zano fo late at work in his garden, fufpected that fomething unlawful was going on, and therefore he called his neighbours about him.

In the mean time Lorenzano had gone to another fpot, where, without the knowledge of his lady wife, he had concealed a little cafket with fome jewels, to fee if they were ftili fafe, and he found them fo. He fat himfelf down befide the cafket, which he opened, and with fuch fecret joy contemplat ed his hidden treasure, that he almost forgot his late misfortunes.

The following day the joiner waited on-a magiftrate, and related to him what he and his neighbours had feen. It was immedi ately fufpected that Lorenzano had found a treafure; and as by the law of the country every valuable thing found under the earth belongs to his Catholic Majefty, a deputation was forthwith dispatched, headed by the joiner and a notary, to the garden of Lorenzano, who foon dug up the cafket with the jewels.

"You know, I prefume, Sennor, faid the notary, that all treasures in the bowels of the earth belong of right to our liege lord

His Catholic Majefty; and that when they are found they must be delivered up to the council of ftate."

"I know it well, faid Lorenzano, trembling; but this cafket is my own private property."

Your own private property!". "Yes, upon my honest word, it is." Why would you bury it, then, faid the notary, if it were your own private property? no, no, that is but a pretence. Thefe jewels must have been depofited in the earth by fome of the inhabitants at the time of the fiege of the town by Cortez, and our valiant ancestors; it could not be you who buried them."

"By the bleed virgin, faid Lorenzano, they were worn by my own mother."

Do not call the bleffed virgin, faid the notary, to palliate your crime, or to witnefs your impofition; fheis better employed than to vouch for your falfehoods. I hereby feize and confifcate thefe jewels in the name of his Catholic Majesty and of the council of Rate."

"Ah! wretch that I am!" exclaimed Lorenzano." And to punish you, continued the notary, for having attempted to embezzle this treasure, by concealing it, I hereby further decree, that you immediately pay a fine of one thousand doubloons, together with the expences of this deputation."

It was in vain that Lorenzano protested and swore, and raved like one poffeffed: he was obliged to pay the money; and the cafket with the jewels was carried off by the deputation in proper form.

When Donna Eftifania was made acquainted with thefe proceedings, fhe fell into fits, the feized a knife with which the was going to finish her own existence; but reflecting better upon the bufinefs, her rage took another turn, and the vented it on the unhappy Lorenzano with fuch effe, that he retained the marks of it in his fich for many a day.

The poor wretch went out full of anguish into his garden, dug up his jack-boots, and threw them when it was night into the canal that ran through his ftreet. It is well known that canals run through all the streets of Mexico, which are furnished with grates at particular places.

in the morning, nobody in the neighhourhood could get out of their houfe; for the monftrous jack-boots had planted themfelves against the grate of that fireet, like a pair of dragons before an enchanted caftle; and fo prevented the water from paffing, that the whole ftrest was overflowed. The officers of the police immediately went to vifit the grate, and finding the jack-boots of the unhappy Lorenzano choaking it up, they took them out, and proceeded with them to kis house. Sore from the bruifes of yefter

day, Lorenzano could hardly move from his bed; but upon hearing an alarm without, he crawled to the window, and feeing the inundation, his fears gave him a true foreboding of what was to happen.

The waters were no fooner let off than a body of city officers approached his houfe, bearing the jack-boots like trophies on a long pole before them.

"Ah! God pity me! cried Lorenzano, they are bringing back thofe damn'd boots that I last night threw into the kennel."

"Into the kennel did you throw them? faid Eftifania, with a voice not much calculated to footh his forrows, or allay his ap➡ prehenfions: O thou ftupid wretch! dift thou not know how ftrictly it is forbidden to throw any thing there. Certainly the boots have ftopt up the grate and caufe & this overflow of the water. We are undone."

"It is as I feared," fighed Lorenzano." The officers entered the houfe, threw down the jack-boots, and led Lorenza on before the judge.

Here he was accused of contempt of the law, by throwing his jack-boots into the canal, and of preventing the whole inhabitants of the treet from going about their lawful occupations, by the inundation he had occafioned. He was fined in a thoufand doubloons, and ordained to pay damages and expences.

No fooner had he paid the money than he ran to his kitchen, made a fire upon the hearth, and threw in his jackboots. "If the water will not keep you faid he, I will make fire finish you." The boots which had lain all night in the water, were fo wet that they put out the fire when they were thrown into it. "What, faid he, do you defy even the flames? What witches and magicians cannot refift, will you, a pair of infernal jack-boots, think to escape? No, if you were falaraanders, or as beftos itfelf you fhall burn. With the words, he brought all the dry wood he could find, and made fuch a fire, that at last the flanes reached the roof, and fet fire to the houfe. Immediately the cry of fire refounded through the city. Eftifania fainted; and had not Lorenzano thrown a whole pitcher of water about her ears, he would proba bly have given up the ghoft.

In the mean time, the fire was got under without doing any confiderable damage; but Lorenzano for his carele fsnefs, and the alarm he had given to the city, was fined in another thousand doubloons, and to pay all expences. He was obliged to fubmit and pay the money, and a figh and a tear dropt on every piece as he counted it.

"Since the unhappy day that I went to gather fimples

"Hold your tongue, cries Eftifania, sile wretch."

"For

"For God's fake, dear Fanny, replies the Knight, allow me to fpeak, elfe my heart will burft with vexation. Since that unhappy botanicel expedition, misfortunes have fallen thick upon me! thofe infernal boots 4000 doubloons with cofts, and a box of jewels! The boots of my whole family, fince the expulfion of the moors from Granada, never coft half the fum."

"I am the moft miferable of all miferable women, cried Eftifania! Little joy have I had in my married state; but I defire you once for all to take these hateful boots from my fight. Would to God I had never feen either you or them, for you will bring me to beggary."

"I have thrown them, fays Lorenzano, into the lake, into the kennel, into the fire, and I have buried them in the earth. I fhall try if all the elements are in league against me. I fhall hang them out in the free air, that they may rot like a thief on the gallows.

He immediately went and fecured them upon a nail on the wall of his houfe near the window of his own chamber; and when they had hung there feveral days, he congratulated himfelf on his invention, and rejoiced that at left he had got thofe curfed boots difpofed of, that had wrought him fo

much vexation and diftrefs.

In a fhort time, the boots were observed by the boys in the ftreet, who began to divert themselves by throwing ftones at them, and happy was he, who was lucky enough to hit them. The boys were often indeed chaced away by Lorenzano, who did not relifh their port; but the boots were fo excellent a mark, that they foon returned. One day as the Knight was fitting ruminating on his loffes, an unlucky ftone, that had been aimed at the boots, took a wrong direction, and entring the window, ftruck poor Lorenzano on the mouth, and drove out two of the few teeth he had remaining. Smarting with pain, and mad with refentment, he haftily armed himfelf with his knobbed flick, and ran into the street-but the boys, more nimble than he, were foon foon out of his reach, and he was obliged to return into his houfe unrevenged. He concealed himfelf behind the door, however, to be in readinefs to bolt out upon the first attack made on his boots. Some other boys, who did not know of the accident which had juft happened, foon began to take their accustomed diverfion, when fuddenly Lorenzano quitting his hiding place, fallied out to the street, and blind with rage, miftook the objc& of his refentment, and unfortunately ftruck one of the Viceroy's pages, who was accidentally paffing, fuch a blow on the head, that the blood gufhed at ence from his mouth and noftrils.

The boys ran away, and Lorenzano, who faw his mistake, flunk back to his house trembling.

Eftifania, who was looking out of the window when this unhappy qui pro quo took place, grew inftantly frantic, funk into a chair, and fell into a fit. In a little time, a knoking was heard at the door, and Lorenzano judging rightly that it was an officer of juftice who demanded admittance, had not courage to face him, but retreated for protection to the chamber of his wife. Reader, you may have heard of the unhap‐ py Oreftes, who, when flying from the ven geance of his frantic mother found his retreat cut off, and the furies themfelves obftructinghis efcape. Buthad Tifiphone or Megera, or their other fifter whofe name I have forgot, been prefent in their proper perfons, they could not have offered a more horrid fight to the view of the terrified Lorenzano than did the countenance of his own wife. I fhall not attempt to defcribe the fcene that followed. Lorenzano attended, the officer to the prefence of the judge, and was, upon a deliberate invefligation of the whole affair, condemned to pay a fine of a thousand doubloons to the page for the injury he had fuftained, and a thoufand more as a fatisfaction to the public for fo flagrant a breach of the peace.

Scarcely had he crawled home, and paid the money, than his ears were faluted with a dreadful uproar in the street; an hundred women's voices were difcernible that ftruck the heart of our Knight with apprehenfion aud difmay. Eftifania approached the window, and faw a crowd gathered round a woman whom they were carrying into a houfe. This was the wife of an eminent baker in the city, who was paffing by the houfe of Lorenzano at the very moment when, as ill luck would have it, the string that fupported the eventful boots gave way, and down they came upon the head of this good lady, whom they brought along with them to the ground. "O the old hunks, cried the women! must he hang out his boots over the street to murder people as they pafs along-poor Mrs Sefame, he was three weeks gone with child, heaven knows if fhe will get over it. If the old Jew is not well foufed for this, there is neither law nor juftice in Mexico."

Lorenzano found to his coft, that there was no want of either; for he was fined in another thousand doubloons, and the money given to the baker for the injury done to his wife.

"Was ever man fo punished, faid Lorenzano for a pair of old boots! I befeech you faid he to the judge, for the love of God, to rid me of thefe accurfed inftraments of my ruin; they have made me now the poor