tended in a fhort time to espouse her publicly. The nuptials were accordingly ceJebrated with an unparalelled pomp and fplendor, and every fubject seemed to fhare the happiness of his fovereign. Malicknazir being thus freed from the anxiety which had fo long preyed upon him, refum. ed the reins of government; commerce began again to flourish; plenty returned to blefs the land; and all murmuring and difcontent amongst the people ceased, du ring the remainder of Malicknazir's life. He lived long and happily with his confort Farzana, whom he loved with the utmost tenderness, and by whom he was equally beloved. At length the angel of death called upon them both in the fame hour; and thus their mutual happiness was complete, for either of them would have thought it worse than death to have furvived the other. SIR LAUNCELOT GREAVES. CHAP. XXII. In which Capt. Crowe is fublimed into the Regions of Aftrology. T HREE whole days had our adventurer profecuted his inquiry about the amiable Aurelia, whom he fought in every place of public and of private entertainment, or refort, without obtaining the least satisfactory intelligence, when he received one evening, from the hands of a porter, who inftantly vanished, the following billet: "If you would learn the particulars of Mifs Darnel's fate, fail not to be in the fields by the Foundling Hofpital, precifely at feven o'clock this evening, when you fhall be met by a person who will give you the fatisfaction you defire, together with his reafon for addreffing you in this myfterious manner.--"Had this intimation concerned any other fubject, perhaps the knight would have deliberated with himself in what manner he should take a hint fo darkly communicated but his eagerness to retrieve the jewel he had loft, divefted him of all his caution; the time of affignation was already at hand; and neither the captain nor his nephew could be found to accompany him, had he [Continued.] been difpofed to make use of their attendance. He therefore, after a moment's hefitation, repaired to the place appointed, in the utmost agitation and anxiety, left the hour fhould be elapfed before his arri val. Crowe was one of thofe defective fpirits, who cannot fubfift for any length of time on their own bottoms. He wanted a familiar prop, upon which he could disburthen his cares, his doubts, and his humours: an humble friend who would endure his caprices, and with whom he could communicate, free of all referve and restraint. Though he loved his nephew's perfon, and admired his parts, he confidered him often as a little petulant jackanapes, who prefumed upon his fuperior understanding; and as for Sir Launcelot, there was fomething in his character that overawed the feaman, and kept him at a difagreeable diftance. He had, in this dilemma, caft his eyes upon Timothy Crabfhaw, and admitted him to a confiderable fhare of familiarity and fellowship. Thefe companions had been employed in fmoaking a focial pipe at an alehouse in the neighbourhood, when the knight made his excurfion; and returning dients were fetched from a publichoufe in the neighbourhood; for the captain was too proud to use his intereft in the knight's family, ef pecially at thefe hours when all the reft of the fervants had retired to their repofe; and he and Timothy drank together until day-break, the converfation turning upon hobgeblins, and God's revenge against murder. The cookmaid lay in a little apartment contiguous to the kitchen; and whether disturbed by thefe horrible tales of apparitions, or titillated by the favoury fteams that iffued from the punch-bowl, fhe made a virtue of neceflity, or appetite, and dreffing herfelf in the dark, fuddenly appeared before them, to the no fmall perturbation of both.. Timothy, in particular, was fo ftartled, that in his endeavours to make an hafty retreat towards the chimney-corner, he overturned the table; the liquor was fpilt, but the bowl was faved by falling on a heap of afhes. Mrs. Cook having reprimanded him for his foolish fear, declared the had got up betimes, in order to scour her faucepans; and the captain. propofed to have the bowl replenifhed, if materials could be procured. This difficulty was overcome by Crabfhaw; and they fat down with their new affociate to The difcufs the fecond edition. knight's fudden difappearing being again brought upon the carpet, their female companion gave it as her opinion, that nothing would be fo likely to bring this affair to light, as going to a cunning man, whom he had lately confuited about a filver fpoon that was mislaid, and who told her all the things that he ever did, and ever would happen to her through the whole courfe of her life. to the house about fupper-time, found Mr. Clarke in waiting. The young lawyer was alarmed when he heard the hour of ten, without feeing our adventurer, who had been used to be extremely regular in his economy; and the captain and he fupped in profound filence. Finding, upon enquiry among the fervants, that the knight went out abruptly, in confequence of having received a billet, Tom began to be visited with the apprehenfion of a duel, and fat the beft part of the night by his uncle, fweating with the expectation of feeing our hero brought home a breathlefs corfe: but no tidings of him arriving, he, about two in the morning, repaired to his own lodging, refolved to publish a defcription of Sir Launcelot in the newspapers, if he should not appear next day. Crowe did not pass the time without uneafinefs. He was extremely concerned at the thought of fome mischief having befallen his friend and patron; and he was terrified with the apprehenfion, that in cafe Sir Launcelot was murdered, his fpirit might come and give him notice of his fate. Now he had an infuperable averfion to all correfpondence with the dead; and taking it for granted, that the fpirit of his departed friend could not appear to him except when he fhould be alone, and a-bed in the dark, he determined to pafs the remainder of the night without going to bed. For this purpofe his first care was to vifit the garret in which Timothy Crabfhaw lay faft afleep, fnoring with his mouth wide open. Him the captain with difficulty roufed, by dint of promifing to regale him with a bowl of rum punch in the kitchen, where the fire, which had been extinguifhed, was foon rekindled. The ingre Her Her two companions pricked up their ears at this intelligence; and Crowe asked if the fpoon had been found? She answered in the affirmative, and said, the cunning man defcribed to a hair the perfon that fhould be her true love, and her wedded husband: that he was a feafaring man; that he was pretty well stricken in years; a little paffionate or fo; and that he went with his fingers clinched like, as it were. The captain began to fweat at this defcription, and mechanically thrust his hands into his pockets, while Crabfhaw, pointing to him, told her he believed he had got the right fow by the ear. Crowe grumbled, that may hap for all that he fhould not be brought up by fuch a grappling neither. Then he asked if this cunning man dealt with the devil, declaring, in that cafe he would keep clear of him: for why? because he must have fold himself to old fcratch; and being a fervant of the devil, how could he be a good fubject to his majefty? Mrs. Cook affured him, the conjurer was a good chriftian; and that he gained all his knowledge by converfing with the ftars and planets. Thus fatisfied, the two friends refolved to confult him as foon as it thould be light; and being directed to the place of his habitation, fet out for it by feven in the morning. They found the house forfaken, and had already reached the end of the lane in their return, when they were accofted by an old woman, who gave them to understand, that if they had occafion for the advice of a fortuneteller, as he did fuppofe they had, from their stopping at the house where Dr. Grubble lived, fhe would conduct them to a perfon of much more eminence in that profeffion; at the fame time she informed them, that the said Grubble had been lately fent to Bridewell; a circumftance which, with all his art, he had not been able to forefee. The captain, without any fcruple, put himself and his companion under convoy of this beldame, who, thro' many windings and turnings, brought them to the door of a ruinous house, standing in a blind alley; which door having opened with a key drawn from her pocket, the introduced them into a parlour, where they faw no other furniture than a naked bench, and fome frightful figures on the bare walls, drawn, or rather fcrawled with charcoal. Here the left them locked in until the should give the doctor notice of their arrival; and they amufed themselves with decyphering these characters and hieroglyphics. The first figure that engaged their attention, was that of a man hanging upon a gibbet, which both confidered as an unfavourable omen, and each endeavoured to avert from his own person. Crabfhaw obferved, that the figure fo fufpended was cloathed in a failor's jacket and trowfers; a truth which the captain could not deny; but on the other hand he affirmed, that the faid figure exhibited the very nofe and chin of Timothy, together with the hump on one shoulder. A warm difpute enfued; and being maintained with much acrimonious altercation, might have diffolved the new-cemented friendship of these two originals, had it not been interrupted by the old fybil, who, coming into the parlour, intimated that the doctor waited for them above. She likewife told them that he he never admitted more than one at a time. This hint occafioned a fresh contest: the captain infifted upon Crabshaw's making fail ahead, in order to look out afore; but Timothy perfifted in refufing this honour, declaring he did not pretend to lead, but he would follow, as in duty bound. The old gentlewoman abridged the ceremony, by leading out Crabfhaw with one hand, and locking up Crowe with the other. The former was dragged up ftairs like a bear to the fake, not without reluctance and terror, which did not at all abate at fight of the conjurer, with whom he was immediately fhut up by his conductress; after he had told him in a whisper, that he must depofit a fhilling in a little black coffin, fupported by a human skull and thigh bones croffed, on a ftool covered with black bays, that stood in one corner of the apartment. The fquire having made this offering with fear and trembling, ventured to furvey the objects around him, which were very well calculated to augment his confufion. He faw divers skeletons hung by the head; the stuffed skin of a young alligator, a calf with two heads, and several fnakes fufpended from the cieling, with the jaws of a fhark, and a ftarved weafle. On another funereal table he beheld two spheres, between which lay a book open, exhibiting outlandish characters, and mathematical diagrams. On one fide stood an ink-ftandishwith paper, and behind this desk appeared the conjurer himself in fable veftments, his head fo overshadowed with hair, that far from contemplating his features, Timothy could diftinguith ncthing but a long white beard, which, 5 for ought he knew, might have belonged to a four-legged goat, as well as to a two-legged aftrologer. This apparition, which the fquire did not eye without manifeft difcompofure, extending a white wand, made certain evolutions over the head of Timothy, and having muttered an ejaculation, commanded him, in a hollow tone, to come forward and declare his name. Crabfhaw thus adjured advanced to the altar; and whether from defign or (which is more probable) from confufion, anfwered "Samuel Crowe." The conjuror taking up the pen, and making a few scratches on the paper, exclaimed in a terrific accent; "How! miscreant! attempt to impofe upon the ftars ?— you look more like a crab than a crow, and was born under the fign of Cancer." The fquire, almost annihilated by this exclamation, f.ll upon his knees, crying, " 1 pray yaw, my lord conjuror's worship, pardon my ignorance, and down't go to baind me oover to the Red Sea like-l'fe a poor Yorkshire tyke, and would no more cheat the ftars than I'd cheat my own vather, as the faying is a must be a good hand at trapping, that catches the ftarns a napping-but as your honour's worthip obferved, my name is Tim Crabfhaw, of the East Ri. ding, groom and fquair to Sir Launcelot Greaves, baron knaight, and arrant knaight, who ran mad for a wench, as your worship's conjuration well knoweth :-the perfon below is captain Crowe; and we coom by Margery Cook's recommendation, to feek after my mafter, who is gone away, or made away, the Lord he knows how and where." Here he was interrupted by the conjurer, G conjurer, who exhorted him to fit down and compofe himself until he fhould caft a figure: then he fcrawled the paper, and waving his wand, repeated abundance of gibberish concerning the number, the names, the houses, and revolutions of the planets, with their conjunctions, oppofitions, figns, circles, cycles, trines, and trigons. When he perceived that this artifice had its proper effect in disturbing the brain of Crabfhaw, he proceeded to tell him from the ftars, that his name was Crabfhaw, or Crabfclaw; that he was born in the Eaft-riding of Yorkshire, of poor, yet honest parents, and had fome skill in horfes; that he ferved a gentleman, whofe name began with the letter which gentleman had run mad for love, and left his family; but whether he would return alive or dead the stars had not yet determined. Poor Timothy was thunderstruck to find the conjurer acquainted with all thefe circumftances, and begged to know if he mought be bauld as to ax a queftion or two about his own fortune. The aftrologer pointing to the little coffin, our fquire understood the hint, and depofited another fhilling. The fage had recourse to his book, erected another scheme, performed once more his airy evolutions with the wand, and having recited ano. ther mystical preamble, expounded the book of fate in these words: "You shall neither die by war nor water, by hunger or by thirft, nor be brought to the grave by old age or diftemper; but, let me fee ay, the stars will have it fo,you fhall be - exalted hah! ay, hanged for horse-steal that is 6811 September 1761. -- - ing."" O, good my lord conjurer! (roared the fquire) I'd as lief give forty fhillings as be hanged.""Peace, firrah! (cried the other) would you contradict or rẻverfe the immutable decrees of fate. Hanging is your destiny; and hanged you shall be and comfort yourfelf with the reflection, that as you are not the first, so neither will you be the last to swing on Tyburn tree." This comfortable affurance compofed the mind of Timothy, and in a great measure reconciled him to the prediction. He now proceeded in a whining tone, to ask whether he fhould fuffer for the first fact? whether it would be for a horfe or a mare? and of what colour ? that he might know when his hour was come.--The conjurer gravely answered, that he would fteal a dappled gelding on a Wednesday; be caft at the Old Baily on a Thursday, and fuffer on a Friday; and he ftrenously recommended it to him, to appear in the cart with a nofegay in one hand, and the Whole Duty of Man in the other." "But if in cafe it fhould be in the winter (faid the fquire) when a nofegay can't be had"..." Why then (replied the conjurer) an orange will do as well." Thefe material points being adjusted to the entire fatisfaction of Timothy, he declared he would bestow another fhilling to know the fortune of an old companion, who truly did not deserve fo much at his hands; but he could not help loving him better than e'er a friend he had in the world. So faying, he dropped a third offering in the coffin, and defired to know the fate of his horfe Gilbert. Nnn The |