viour during life, himself in two thousand pounds, and his fecurities in one thousand pounds each.

If every witness would act in like manner, the fcandalous liberties of counsel would be lefs frequent.. Courier.

SIR,

Paffing this morning through the Treasury paffage that leads into the Park, I picked up a packet which I found to be an open letter, addreffed to the Editor of fome Newspaper; but the name of the paper having been torn off, I could not discover which it was. In this fituation, being your conftant reader, F fend it to you. If it is your property, all is well; if not, you may, I think, fairly take advantage of this accident, which procures you so early and important intelligence. I am, Sir, your humble fervant,

Westminster, Aug. 6, 1793.

MY DEAR FRIEND,

AMBULATOR.

OW I admire your talents! When I compare

H your works with mine, I fee evidently my

own littlenefs: the wonders related by you in your truly Royal Papers, as much exceed mine as the refulgent Sun, rifing in the evening, does the Moon at noon-day. Nevertheless, I will venture to recount to you a fimple and unadorned narrative of an excur-fion I made yesterday; only requefting, that before you infert it in your journal, you will throw a little embellishment over it, in your own inimitable manner.

After having had the honour to breakfast with the Prince of Cobourg, I fet out by his Highness's command in a balloon, to reconnoitre the town and citadel of Lifle from above. Not having the proper guidance of the machine for some time, it foon rose with me to an extraordinary height, not lefs than fifteen miles,. from whence you cannot conceive the beauty of the profpect; it exceeded even your imagination. Having a remarkably good glafs with me, I had a diftinct view of all Europe. In the South of France, I every where faw the Royalifts and the Spaniards killing thousands of rafcally and cowardly Sans-culottes. I faw, in the Mediterranean, Lord Hood capture a large fleet

of the enemy. Looking over to your delicious ifland, I alfo faw a very hot engagement between two noble armies, which furprized me much, as I had not heard that the French had made their projected invafion of England; but I foon found it was only a grand fieldday, and a mock engagement; after which both armies went cordially together, to receive their dinners from cooks dreffed in captains' uniforms.

But what you will more particularly rejoice to hear, I faw Briffot fitting in a dark cell of the Abbey Prifon, with the identical journal on a table before him, which you unluckily quoted without being able to produce your voucher, and could diftinctly read in it every fyllable that you have afferted, and a great deal more. If any one, after this, fhould be hardy enough to queftion your veracity, you have only to make ufe of

my name.

The immediate bufinefs of my miffion, however, obliged me to turn my eyes directly under me. The Allied Army began a furious bombardment of Lifle." Although I was fo high in the air, I could diftinctly hear the fcreams of the women in the town; but this is not at all furprifing, when we confider how much found afcends. Thefe fcreams, however, and the fongs of Ca Ira, were foon drowned by the noise of the cannonading, both of the armies without, and the fortrefs within. In the midft of the fmoke, I could diftinctly perceive 10,000 French lying dead in the ftreets. As a great fcarcity of cannon-balls took place in the garrifon, the troops, with great prefence of mind, cut off the heads of the flain to fupply their place; but thefe being ftill infufficient, a guillotine was fet to work, to prepare heads for that purpose. At this time one of the engineers in the town having difcovered me, placed a 42 pounder perpendicular, and fired it right at me. The fhot took effect, it went right through the balloon, and proceeded on till it ftuck in a star. This I diftinctly faw while I was falling, having fortunately my glass in my hand. It

was

was a lucky circumftance for me, that by this time they had piled up the dead bodies in the town in a heap, which was at least a mile high---as I fell upon them, I was not at all hurt.

I now expected to be made a prifoner, and was congratulating myself that it was no worse, when most fortunately the befiegers forced their way into the town. The Auftrian troops now took an ample revenge on the garrifon. They killed every foul in the place, except one old woman, who was faved as a living witness of the valour of the befiegers. On muftering the troops of the allies, we had the pleafing fatisfaction to find, that the only men killed were, two horse, a trumpet, and a drum.

You will no doubt receive exaggerated accounts of this glorious action; what I have fent you, you may depend on, as I had a better opportunity than any perfon, from my fituation, to fee the whole. And as I fhall fend this exprefs by a pigeon, you may, with great propriety, boast of the fuperiority and priority of your intelligence.

We now only wait the arrival of the Duke of Brunfwick, to march against Paris, which is to be razed to the ground, and all the inhabitants guillotined, a full account of which you will receive in my next. I beg my best refpects to your worthy coadjutors, and I am, my dear Sir, your's very fincerely,

THE BARON MUNCHAUSEN.

THE

A PICTURE OF HIGH LIFE.

THE APPOINTMENT.

HE Honourable Charles Wildflor, to whose gallantry a series of conquefts have given an air of cafe, not rifing to confidence, but not embarraffing its object by timidity, obferved the interefting Caroline, at the Countefs of Crib's rout, held unpleasantly under the eye of her Chaperon. She could not turn without

being watched, nor talk to any one of the beaux that fluttered round her, without having her words liftened to and treasured. Charles faw the fparks of ftifled paffion flashing from her eye. There is nothing, he knew, which fo thoroughly vexes the female heart, as the control that difappoints opportunity. The Chaperon was her husband's fifter, who had by the marriage loft what, to a heart which age had confirmed in youthful avarice, was truly important-the profitable place of fuperintendant of his household; and she had now sunk into the office which fafhion, in this country, prevents even jealoufy from executing for itself-of companion to her fifter-in-law. Charles fancied that he faw Caroline looking wiftfully around the gay circle for a knight fufficiently chevalerefque to relieve her, by bravery or ftratagem, from her bondage; and for such an adventure he felt a prompt alacrity. A quick spirit fuggefted to him, in an instant, the means of an introduction at once unfufpected and recommendatory: he whispered his friend George Driver to brush the old woman, and contrive to diforder her drefs. George fwore an American oath, that he would dock the barridan; and, with a precipitancy that might have betrayed the purpose, he trod on her crape train, and turning fharp round, under the pretence of an apology for the accident, tore the gauze completely out of its gathers.

Charles feized the happy moment of her vexation,, and ingratiated himself in the old woman's favour, by the gentlemanly intereft which he took in her misfortune, and the feverity with which he rebuked George for his clumfiness. He entered into converfation with Caroline; and, while the old woman was venting her spleen on the monster, and putting her drefs into fome order, he candidly whispered Caroline, that, distracted by love, he had contrived the incident, for the purpose of throwing his heart at her feet. A half-formed frown, which fhe was directing against him, was turned into a fiile, on seeing the air of piteous fupplication that he had thrown into his features.

"You

"You are a moft impudent fellow, Mr. Wildflor, to have the confidence to fufpect that fuch conduct should be pleasant to me !”

"I am not fo impudent as to believe that the tenderness of your heart will permit you to fee even juftice inflicted on her, who gives you, if I fufpect right, many irksome moments."

"And pray, Sir," faid Caroline, kindling at the unexpected discovery, "how do you know that she makes my moments irksome?"

"From the means which my paffion has prompted me to use for the fake of difcovery-means which nothing but paffion could justify."

"I beg your pardon, Sir: I did not suspect you to be an eaves-dropper !"

At this moment the old woman returned from the mirror, to which she had gone to adjust her drefs; while Charles felt abashed at the unpromifing outfet of his affair.

"Did you ever," said the old lady, "fee any thing fo fhocking as my accident? I am quite a fright! But I am fure, Mr. Wildflor, I am very much indebted to you for the very kind intereft you took in my misfor tune."

"Yes," faid Caroline, with a malicious fmile, "and you are more indebted to the gallantry of Mr. Wildflor than you are aware."

"What!" exclaims Charles: "Good God! my dear Madam-I entreat you:-pray, think no more of it-Obliged to me!-not at all-not at all." And, turning to Caroline, he whispered-" Why, in the name of Heaven! you will not tell her; will you?" "The gallantry of Mr. Wildflor is proverbial:but how am I further obliged to him?”

"You are not obliged to me at all," faid Charles haftily: "I beg we may go and look at the tables." "Indeed you shall not:-I am determined my fifter fhall hear how much fhe is indebted to you."

Charles