tories. They gave him to understand that the name of the place was the Island of Barataria. As soon as he came to the gates, the magistrates came out to receive him, the bells rang, and all the people gave general demonstrations of joy. They then delivered him the keys of the gates, and received him as perpetual Governor of the Island of Barataria.

Next they conducted Sancho to the court of justice, and placed him in the judge's seat, in the hope of deriving great amusement from his answers to the puzzling and intricate questions which they had secretly arranged for propounding to him.

FIRST CASE.

As soon as the Governor had taken his seat, two men came into the court, the one dressed like a country fellow, the other like a tailor, with a pair of shears in his hand. "If it please you, my lord," cried the tailor, "this honest man came to my shop yesterday (for, saving your presence, I am a tailor), and showed me a piece of cloth: 'Sir,' quoth he, 'is there enough of this to make a cap?' Whereupon I measured the stuff, and answered 'Yes.' Now he, thinking doubtless that I had a mind to cabbage some of the cloth, grounding his conceit 3 upon his own knavery, and upon the common ill opinion of tailors, bade me view it again, and see if there was not enough for two. I guessed his drift, and told him there was. Whereupon the old knave, going on to the same tune, bade me look again, and see whether it would not make three; and at last if it would not make five? I was resolved to humour my customer, and said it might; so we struck a bargain. Just now the man is come for his caps, which I gave him; but he refuses to pay me for my work; and now he will have me give him his cloth again, or pay him for it.”

"Is this true, honest man?" said Sancho to the farmer. "Yes, if it please you," answered the fellow; "but pray let him

"With all my heart,"

show the five caps he has made me." cried the tailor; and with that, pulling his hand from under his cloak, he held up five little tiny caps, hanging upon his four fingers and thumb, as upon so many pins. "There," quoth he, "you see the five caps this good gaffer asks for; and, on my conscience, I have not wronged him of the least shred of his cloth; and let any workman be judge."

The sight of the caps, and the oddness of the cause, set the whole court a-laughing. Only Sancho sat gravely considering a while; and then, "Methinks," said he, "this suit1 may be decided without any more ado, with a great deal of equity; and therefore, the judgment of the court is, that the tailor shall lose his making, and the countryman his cloth, and that the caps be given to the poor prisoners; and so let there be an end of the business."

SECOND CASE.

If this sentence provoked the laughter of the whole court, the next no less raised their admiration. For after the Governor's order was executed, two old men appeared before him; one of them with a large cane in his hand, which he used as a staff. 66 My lord," said the other, who had none, "some time ago I lent this man ten gold crowns, to do him a kindness, which money he was to repay me on demand. I did not ask him for it again for a good while, lest it should prove inconvenient. However, perceiving that he took no care to pay me, I have asked him for my due; nay, I have been forced to dun5 him hard for it. But still, he did not only refuse to pay me again, but denied he owed me anything, and said that 'if I lent him so much money, he certainly returned it.' Now, because I have no witnesses of the loan, nor he of the pretended payment, I beseech your lordship to put him to his oath; and if he will swear he has paid me, I will freely forgive him before God and the world."

"What say you to this, old gentleman with the staff?" asked Sancho. "Sir," answered the old man, "I own he lent me the gold; and since he requires my oath, I beg you will be pleased to hold down your rod of justice, that I may swear upon it how I have honestly and truly returned him his money."

Thereupon the governor held down his rod; and in the meantime the defendant gave his cane to the plaintiff to hold, as if it hindered him, while he was to make a cross and swear over the judge's rod. This done, he declared it was true the other had lent him ten crowns, but that he had really returned him the same sum into his own hands. The great Governor, hearing this, asked the creditor' what he had to reply. He made answer that, since his adversary had sworn it, he was satisfied; for he believed him to be a

better Christian than offer to forswears himself, and that perhaps he had forgotten he had been repaid.

Then the defendant took his cane again, and having made a low obeisance to the judge, was immediately leaving the court; which when Sancho perceived, reflecting on the passage of the cane, and admiring the creditor's patience, after he had thought a while he suddenly ordered the old man with the staff to be called back. "Honest man,” said Sancho, "let me look at that cane a little; I have a use for it." "With all my heart, sir," answered the other; "here it is ;" and with that he gave it him. Sancho took it, and giving it to the other old man, There," said he, “go your ways, and Heaven be with you, for now you are paid.” "How so, my lord?" cried the old man; "do you judge this cane to be worth ten gold crowns?" "Certainly," said the Governor, "or else I am the greatest dunce in the world. And now you shall see whether I have not a headpiece fit to govern a whole kingdom, upon a shift."

cane.

This said, he ordered the cane to be broken in open court; which was no sooner done than out dropped the ten crowns. All the spectators were amazed, and began to look on their Governor as a second Solomon. They asked him how he could conjecture that the ten crowns were in the He told them that he had observed how the defendant gave it to the plaintiff to hold while he took his oath, and then swore he had truly returned him the money into his own hands, after which he took his cane again from the plaintiff: this considered, it came into his head that the money was lodged within the reed. From whence may be learned, that though sometimes those that govern are destitute of sense, yet it often pleases God to direct them in their judgment. The two old men went away, the one to his satisfaction, the other with shame and disgrace; and the beholders were astonished; insomuch that the person who was commissioned to register Sancho's words and actions, and observe his behaviour, was not able to determine

whether he should not give him the character of a wise man, instead of that of a fool, which he had been thought to deserve.

THE WAR TRUMPET.

THE trumpet's voice hath roused the land-
Light up the beacon pyre!

A hundred hills have seen the brand,
And waved the sign of fire.

A hundred banners to the breeze

Their gorgeous folds have cast,

And, hark! was that the sound of seas?
A king to war went past.

The chief is arming in his hall,

The peasant by his hearth;

The mourner hears the thrilling call,
And rises from the earth.

The mother on her firstborn son

Looks with a boding eye;

They come not back, though all be won,
Whose young hearts leap so high.

The bard hath ceased his song, and bound

The falchion to his side;

E'en for the marriage altar crowned

The lover quits his bride!

And all this haste, and change, and fear,

By earthly clarion spread!

How will it be when kingdoms hear

The blast that wakes the dead?

MRS. HEMANS.