he never admitted more than one at a time. This hint occafioned a fresh conteft: the captain infifted upon Crabshaw's making fail ahead, in order to look out afore; but Timothy perfifted in refusing 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 ftake, 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, supported by a human skull and thigh bones croffed, on a ftool covered with black bays, that ftood 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 feveral 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 ftood an ink-standishwith 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 distinguish nothing 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, answered “ Samuel Crowe." The conjuror taking up the pen, and making a few fcratches on the paper, exclaimed in a terrific accent; "How! mifcreant! attempt to impofe upon the itars ?— 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, "I pray yaw, my lord conjuror's worship, pardon my ignorance, and down't go to baind me oover to the Red Sea like- -I'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 worship obferved, my name is Tim Crabfhaw, of the East Riding, 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,

conjurer, who exhorted him to fit down and compofe himself until he fhould cait a figure: then he fcrawled the paper, and waving his wand, repeated abundance of gibberish concerning the number, the names, the houfes, 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 difturbing the brain of Crabfhaw, he proceeded to tell him from the flars, 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 G, which gentleman had run mad for love, and left his family; but whether he would return alive or dead the ftars 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 another myftical preamble, expounded the book of fate in thefe words: "You fhall 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 ftars will have it fo, -you fhall be exalted hah! ay, hanged for horfe-fteal

that is

---

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 reverfe the immutable decrees of fate. Hanging is your destiny; and hanged you fhall be and comfort yourielf with the reflection, that as you are not the first, so neither will you be the laft to fwing 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 Thurfday, and fuffer on a Friday; and he firenously 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 be ing adjufted to the entire fatisfaction of Timothy, he declared he would beftow another fhilling to know the fortune of an old companion, who truly did not deferve 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. The

Non

his topfails---Smite my eyes! I had rather the Mufti had foundered at fea, with myself and all my generation on board---well fare thy foul, flower of the world! had honeft Sam Crowe been within hail-but what fignifies palavering." Here the tears of unaffected forrow flow ed plentifully down the furrows of the feaman's cheeks :----then his grief giving way to his indignation, "Hark ye, brother conjurer, (faid he) you that can spy foul weather before it comes, damn your eyes! why didn't you give us warning of this here fquall? Blast my limbs! I'll make you give an account of this here damned, horrid, confounded murder, d'ye fee--mayhap you yourfelf was concerned, d'ye fee.---For my own part, brother, I put my truft in God, and fteer by the compass; and I value not your pawwawing, and your conjuration, of a rope's end, d'ye fee."---The conjurer was by no means pleafed, either with the matter, or the manner of this addrefs. He therefore began to foothe the captain's choler, by representing that he did not pretend to omniscience, which was the attribute of God alone;, that human art was fallible and imperfect; and all that it could perform, was to discover certain partial circumitances of any particular object to which its inquiries were directed: that being questioned by the other man, concerning the caufe of his mafter's difappearing, he had exercifed his skill upon the fub

The profpect of this fatisfaction appeafed the refentment, and, in fome measure, mitigated the grief of captain Crowe, who took his leave without much ceremony ; and being joined by Crabfhaw, proceeded with a heavy heart to the houfe of Sir Launcelot, where they found the domeftics at breakfast, without exhibiting the leaft fymptom of concern for their abfent mafter. Crowe had been wife enough to conceal from Crabshaw what he had learned of the knight's fate.

This fatal intelligence he referved for the ear of his nephew, Mr. Clarke, who did not fail to attend him in the forenoon.

As for the fquire, he did nothing but ruminate in rueful filence upon the dappled gelding, the nofegay, and the predicted fate of Gilbert. Him he forthwith visited in the ftable, and faluted with the kifs of peace. Then he bemoaned his fortune with tears, and by the found of his own lamentation, was lulled afleep among the litter.

H

EARKEN, my dear child, and lend an ear to what I shall fay; You must now forget your people, and the house of your Father. I borrow the words of the Holy Spirit to bid you farewel; fince the event of this day I only confider the providence of God, whofe powerful hand has conducted us beyond all human prudence, fpeculation, policy, and even expectation itself; it only belongs to that Divine Wifdom to raise itself above our imaginations, to confound our views by the decrees of its Providence, and to raise its own glory by miracles.

You are now become queen of France, and your condition is the highest in this world: it is the fame of your virtues that has raifed you to this choice. Confider the moft precious jewels of your crown are going to fhine, and to be reprefented in fo clear a light, that the leaft flaw will easily be perceived.

I fhall lay before your eyes three rocks, against which the virtues of the greatest heroes have often split.

The first is a fupreme degree of grandeur, which raifes us up to idol, and makes us forget our humanity, and which renders us odious to man, and difagreeable to God; by which we are fo intoxicated, that we cannot fee the dangers which may fuddenly throw us down. Carry yourself according to the rank which is due to you, till confidering that all your grandeur confifts in the glory of God. Humble yourself by continually remembering how little you are before his eyes, and think that true greatness confifts in the eminence of your fentiments, in nobleness of heart, in the combat of your paffions, and in the conquering of yourself.

The fecond thing is, that profperity may be the more dangerous to you, because it is a thing altogether unknown to you; and having been acquainted with nothing but misfortunes from your birth, let them ferve now as a useful leffon to instruct you not to abuse your prefent good fortune,

nor be so infatuated with it, as to forget that prosperity is fometimes deceitful; and when we give ourselves up intirely to the thoughts of it, we do not keep ourselves in that equal temper of mind, which is fo becoming in perfons of high degree.

The third is flattery; the attempts of which you will find unavoidable, the oppofing them difficult, but the conquest of them fafe and glorious.

Represent yourself, my dear child, as furrounded with a number of people, preffing to make their court to you; there will not be one of these who will not be ready to obey you, to facrifice his life and fortune for your fervice; and yet, perhaps, you will not meet with any who will tell you truth, left, in doing fo, they should displease you, and risque their preferment : thus, though in the midst of persons the moft attached and devoted to your intereft, you are left to yourself, and have nothing to depend upon but your own good sense and reafon. We may eafily avoid the infection which comes from the poifon of fiattery, if we are not prevented by selflove, which is the only thing can give us a relifh of it. You must confider it as an incenfe, which is good for nothing but to make us giddy with its deceitful odour.

You will poffefs the greatest science in the world, if you can judge the true characters of perfons, and can diftinguish real merit. This is the point of the greatest importance. You will no doubt meet with perfons, both in the court and in the kingdom, worthy of your eftcem. It is to fuch you should pay your confideration; it is a recompence to fupport merit, and chaftife vice. You will alfo meet with perfons who will be for recommending themselves by a certain forwardness, fupported by nothing except a paffionate defire of being great; give such to under and, that you know them, and that they are only worthy of your contempt, for they will be incorrigible, fhould you give them the leaft indulgence.

There