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Catholic; and though the men were willing enough, the women held out. The wiseworthy council assembled to discuss the measures to be adopted, and one of them, Dr. Melcher, suggested: "Gentlemen, let-let-let us lock 'em up together, and al-al-allow none to come-come out, if they rot in prison, till they agree. I beat my house torment about it yesterday. The deu-deu-deuce take me, she must obey, or I'll kick her out." The result was, that the first ladies of the town were invited to a conference; but, fearing a trap, they came followed by all their female friends. The council were decidedly in a stew, for they were painfully aware that the wives of their bosoms carried heavy bunches of keys, which they knew how to use very efficiently in offence. The ladies, however, growing bolder, the worthy gentlemen were obliged to escape by a back door, leaving their prisoners behind them.

After a while a deputation was sent to the enraged ladies, begging them to come home, and all would be forgiven; if, however, they would only go to church in Easter week, as example to the others, the priest would feel greatly obliged to them. But not an inch would they yield, and the priest was at last compelled to surrender unconditionally. We are happy to state that he was obliged to quit the town the next year, while Dr. Melcher was so badgered by the dames that he went as a soldier, and was most deservedly hanged at Prague.

As may naturally be supposed, the Thirty Years' War was a regular hotbed for rogues of every degree. Among these, we may specially mention the gipsies, who became such a plague at last that they were outlawed. In 1700, among the other game killed during the year, we find a gipsy woman and her child quoted. In Prussia, gallows were erected on the frontier in 1710, on which every gipsy above the age of eighteen was hanged; and we even find, so late as 1748, Frederick the Great reinforcing the same inhuman edict.

During the war the ruffians entered the ranks and corrupted the soldiers; after it, they formed into bands once more. The names of Hans Nickel and Nickel List became the horror of two generations. Their cruelty, their daring exploits, and skill in disappearing, terrified the castle and the cabin. But they were not alone; other bands exercised their talents in incendiarism, and extorted large sums by threats. Among the more harmless vagabonds were many Italian quack-salvers and mountebanks, of whom Garzoni gives a most amusing account in his "Piazza Universale." One passage we will extract as a specimen :

If you see that these deceivers have on their bench a large lump of arsenic, sublimate, or other poison, to test the value of their orvietan, you must know that, in the summer before they visit the town, they have filled their bodies with young shalots floating in vinegar and oil. In winter, however, they stuff themselves with ox-paunch, boiled soft. They do this, that the passages of the body may be occupied by this cold greasy substance, and the sharpness and heat of the poison weakened. Still, they can also make matters certain, by going beforehand to the chemist's shop, generally close to the market, buying a box of arsenic, from which they take some pills and wrap them in paper, asking the apothecary to send them when asked for. When, then, they have praised their wares sufficiently, so that nothing is left but the proof, they send one of the bystanders, so that he may not suspect any fraud, to the apothecary's, to procure the arsenic. He runs off, that there may be no impediment in such a useful job, and calculates on the way that though he has been cheated a thou

sand times before, he cannot be so now, he would mind that. In the mean while he reaches the chemist's, buys the arsenic, and runs back joyfully to the bench, in order to see the marvel. The seller has arranged a quantity of boxes, into one of which he puts the arsenic, and addresses the people a long while before swallowing it, for a man must not press to meet such danger. But he has changed the boxes cleverly, and produces one containing lumps of dough made of sugar, flour, and saffron, just like the arsenic. These he then eats, with strange gestures, as if terribly afraid, and the peasants look on with widelyopened jaws, to see whether he will not burst soon; but he assures them this will not happen, and at length takes a lump of orvietan of the size of a chesnut, and the swelling is immediately reduced. Then, of course, the peasants draw their purses out, and the elixir is sold by the hundred-weight.

The alchemists also played a great part in this hapless period of German history, and their patrons were usually the princes of the land. Still, it was sporting with the lion; for, if the ruler grew tired of excuses, he took his revenge by stringing up the adept. Thus, Count Cajetan was hanged at Cüstrin in a gold dress, and the beams of the gallows were adorned with mica plates.

It is impossible for us to dwell on all the interesting chapters M. Freytag offers us, relieving the gloom of warfare by clever descriptions of marriage ceremonies and festivals, or giving us a glance at the wateringplace life of the middle ages. The last chapter, devoted to the struggles that went on between the Jesuits and Jews, will afford us a final illustration, as it shows that the tricks employed to get hold of little Mortara were in vogue nearly three centuries back.

Samuel Metzel, a Hebrew, and his four children, had been converted, but his wife Rosina was obstinate-so obstinate, that she fled from her husband's roof, in the hope of saving her next infant from the priests. But her hiding-place was detected, and a Christian Jewess, Ludmilla, was sent as a midwife by the padres. So soon as the babe came into the world she christened the child. In vain did the mother rush from her bed to save her child; the police appeared and tried to tear the infant from her. But she pressed it so furiously to her breast that the judge feared lest she might stifle it in her paroxysms, and left her the child for a season, with strict orders that it should not be made a Jew. Some time after the child was handed over to the father, and Rosina herself became a convert, doubtlessly through love of her children.

For

Simon Abeles, a Jew of Prague, was so infuriated by his boy Simon, a lad of ten years, being christened, that he seized and killed him. this the Jesuits took a fearful revenge-no less than six of his accomplices were hanged, while the little convert was buried in a gilt coffin, all the first people of the city joining in the ceremony.

The last chapter of this very curious volume is devoted to a war which broke out through a point of precedence known as the "Wosunger King;" but it need not detain us, the more so as our readers will, we understand, soon have the pleasure of welcoming a translation of these most curious volumes, which is being prepared for press by Colonel Malcolm. We recommend the perusal to them most cordially beforehand, and we feel convinced that they will have no reason to regret following our advice.

THE BELLES OF THE ISLAND.

A COLONIAL SKETCH.

BY MRS. BUSHBY.

IV.

BALLS and other evening parties in the West Indies differ so little from similar entertainments in Britain, that they need not be described; but maroons may claim some little notice. One of these was proposed expressly to gratify Geraldine; and Mr. Montresor's fears lest his daughter should be struck with a coup de soleil, or might suffer from exposure to the dew of evening, being happily overcome by Mrs. Montresor's eloquence, whose prudence was not so strenuous on the score of health as in other matters, a pic-nic party was forthwith arranged.

Geraldine looked forward with much pleasure to an entertainment of a nature so novel to her; nor was she disappointed in its fulfilment, for the weather proved propitious-a fortunate circumstance not always attending marooning parties.

The spot fixed upon for the rendezvous of the marooners was on a little island, or key, situated at about a quarter of a mile from the farthest shore of a narrow promontory, which formed one side of the harbour of St. These keys, which are to be found dotting the sea round many of the islands, are sometimes barren of verdure, presenting only the appearance of a bold, bare rock-like the Sail Rock* off the island of St. Thomas, which takes its name from its striking resemblance to a ship under sail-but sometimes they are thickly covered with low brushwood, with wild, odoriferous plants, and with the native trees of the tropics. The key selected for our maroon was one so abounding in luxuriant vegetation, that it had been found necessary to send over early in the morning part of a gang of negroes to clear a space for the accommodation of the party, who followed, about one o'clock, in boats, with awnings spread to protect them from the noonday sun. The boats steered for a beautiful little cove, where they were run up as high as possible on the sloping beach to effect the more easily the landing of the ladies.

Here, however, a little scene took place. There was no actual danger nor difficulty whatsoever to be encountered, but some people are always determined to see dangers and difficulties where none exist, and some ladies think they are making themselves very interesting by a parade of weakness and fears before the stronger sex. Three or four of the ladies hesitated and tottered, two or three shrieked and fell, and the gentlemen felt themselves called upon to render prompt and efficient assistance to those, at least, who were young and pretty. Mrs. Montresor was amongst the most timid; she had not quite discarded the sin of her youth-affec

*The Sail Rock, not far from the entrance to the harbour of St. Thomas, was actually, during the wars of the earlier part of this century, fired at by an English man-of-war, being mistaken for an enemy's ship.

tation; but she fell in vain, nobody was gallant enough to carry her on shore, for the gentlemen were pressing forward to assist her daughter, who, feeling, and consequently showing, no alarm, sprang lightly from the seat in the boat to the beach without requiring or accepting their eagerly proffered aid.

The ladies from the different boats were at length all assembled on terra firma, without, except in one instance, any accident having arisen from their affected awkwardness. Miss Florence O'Brien was the solitary exception. She had placed herself in a very becoming attitude, with one pretty little foot in the air, while the other rested on an oar that had been carelessly thrown across the boat by one of the negro boatmen. Thus poised, she stood fluttering and uttering little faint shrieks, and secretly exulting on the impression she was no doubt making on captains, ensigns, and civilians, when the exquisite Mr. Fanshawe advanced from the stern of the boat with less than his usual deliberation of movement, and coming suddenly in contact with the oar, pushed it and Florence O'Brien forward together. She lost her balance, and in a moment was precipitated into the water. But she did not fall alone, for, grasping in her descent at what was nearest, she seized the unhappy Fanshawe's leg, and upsetting in her turn his equilibrium, they rolled together into the retiring wave. They were soon rescued, however, from the cold bath they had so unwittingly taken together, and were hurried away to have their garments dried before a fire which had been lighted at a little distance by the negroes in attendance, for the purpose of boiling the fish which the gentlemen were expected to catch during the morning, and which was to be prepared for the subsequent repast.

The whole party gathered round the fire to condole with the sufferers on their misfortune, and congratulate them on their escape from further evil. To Florence, the interest she excited was very consolatory, and she scarcely regretted her late unlooked-for immersion, as she held her wet slender ankle before the fire, leaning the while on the arm of some gallant gentleman, and enjoying the admiration it seemed to excite on those who were standing by. Mr. Fanshawe, also, appeared to derive some consolation, as he stretched forth his manly leg, and caught some of the fair group around glancing at it.

"You may think yourself deuced lucky in having that leg to boast of yet," said Mr. Mackenzie. "A salt-water bath has before now put a man's leg in possession of that unpleasant pirate, a shark."

"Pon my soul, I-I-made up my mind-a-mind to-to come to close quarters with some such foe-when I-I found myself so unexpectedly-in-in the water." And he stroked the cherished leg with looks expressive of pride and satisfaction.

"I dare say you mistook poor Florence's little hand for a shark's great mouth, when she so unceremoniously seized upon you to save herself," said Helen, with a sneer. "It certainly was an exhibition of unusual ferocity on her part."

"I did not know what I was catching at, I assure you," said Florence, poutingly.

"Or you would have made a steadier choice," rejoined Helen. "Ho, ho, ho! So you are not worth catching, Mr. Fanshawe; that's a sad sentence pronounced upon you by the ladies," said, or rather suiMay-VOL. CXIX. NO. CCCCLXXIII.

D

velled, Mr. Orlando Fish, who brought on a violent fit of coughing by laughing at his own wit. Mr. Fanshawe cast one sidelong look of contempt at the unfashionable apparel of the convulsed Mr. Fish, and deigned no further notice of him.

The party now began to disperse, to follow their different plans of amusement for the morning. Some of the gentlemen returned to the boats, and put off for the purpose of fishing; while others joined most of the ladies on a shelling expedition. Mrs. Orlando Fish and a select few preferred spending an hour in botanising. The ladies of New England have a great "notion" of botany, and Mrs. Fish was this day accompanied by a young Bostonian damsel, who had just finished her edu cation at "college."

At length approached the dinner-hour, and the party, tired of fishing, shelling, and botanising, hastened, nothing loth, to the more pleasing labour that awaited them.

The tables were placed in a situation which had the advantage of combining shade with the fresh sea-breeze, on a large flat rock, rising, as it were, but one step above the sloping beach, and from which the loose sand had been carefully swept by the negroes. This low mass of rock, which was almost smooth on its surface, and was many feet in length and width, was half encircled by thick plants and umbrageous trees, rendered still more impervious to the rays of the sun by the wild vines that swung high in waving festoons from tree to tree, and formed a sort of leafy network, filling up the interstices between the branches. On the other side lay the sparkling beach chequered by the slender shoots of the wild potato-vine, with its large bright convolvulus, which seemed to raise its head in freshness, as if greeting the cool wave which was lazily ebbing and flowing around it. Beyond this, the eye looked over a wide expanse of deep blue sea, its monotony-if aught that relates to the beautiful sea can be called monotonous-relieved by the white sail of some distant ship, and the dark outline of some nearer skiff. The sun was still shedding its powerful beams, but under the friendly foliage of the natural arbour they had chosen for their retreat the marooners were sheltered from its blaze. The ladies' bonnets were tied to the branches of the surrounding trees, which also served as pegs whereon to hang the gentlemen's hats. The wines, &c., were none the worse of having been cooled by being buried in the wet sand; and it was amusing to see the servants disinterring them as they were wanted.

When the repast was finished, there being no drawing-room for the ladies to retire to, they and the gentlemen rose from table about the same time, but not until they had all received several admonitory hints from Mr. Orlando Fish that the "doo" was beginning to fall. Setting at nought, however, the dangers of the "doo," the marooners seemed determined on prolonging the pleasures of their rural fête. The ancients of the party talked over their youthful days, pitied the degeneracy of the present generation, and lamented the spirit of innovation that was making such rapid strides over the world. The younger part of the assembly made love, flirted, and admired themselves and their neighbours according to their different vocations. But some of the younger members are entitled to more courteous notice, and these we shall now beg leave to introduce to our readers.

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