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much, that he swung in the air, and fell back so that he could scarcely keep his hold. When he was safe in the fosse, D'Alèger lowered what was necessary, and then followed, but with this advantage, that Latude held the end of the ladder to prevcut its swinging.

The rope ladder, and the things they were compelled to leave, were preserved in the archives of the Bastille, and were presented to Latude in the year 1789, the day after that fortress was taken by the people.

The night was dark, but it did not rain, and they heard a centinel walking a few paces from them. They were therefore compelled to give up their plan of mounting the parapet, and crossing the Governor's garden. They went to the right, to the wall which separated the fosse of the Bastille from that of the gate St. Antoine, and began to work with iron bars. It is the duty of the Ronde. Major to visit the centinels every half-hour, to see that they are awake, they were consequently often disturbed in their work and slunk down in the water till he had passed. They were once much terrified by seeing a centinel stop upon the parapet just over them, but he had not seen them, and the only inconvenience it occasioned Latude was the being obliged immediately to wash his head and face. At length, after nine hours' excessive labor and continued terror, they worked a hole through the wall, which was four feet and a half thick, and found themselves in the Fosse St. Antoine; and as they proceeded towards the high-road, had the misfortune to fall into the Aqueduct which had ten feet water. They here narrowly escaped being drowned, for their labor had so fatigued them they could scarcely move.Yet at length, as the clocks of the city struck five, they were safe and at liberty. They entered the city, got into a hackney coach, and went to the house of M. Silhouette, an old friend of Latude's. He was unfortunately at Versailles, but they found concealment, and every mark of kindness, from a relation named Dejean.

The mortification of such an escape roused every exertion of the Police in order to discover them. They remained concealed under the care of their kind friends above a month, and then travelling separate, for fear of discovery, quitted Paris in disguise. Latude arrived at Bruxelles, the place he had appointed to meet D'Alègre, without being detected. On inquiring for his friend, they gave him such answers, as convinced him they had been discovered; he ordered his supper, said he had some business in the town, which would not keep him long, and made the best of his way into the country He came to a house, whence a passageboat was going to Anvers, and took his place in it. In this boat he heard the history of his poor friend D'Alègre, who had been

taken up at Bruxelles. Terrified at this, he made some pretence for quitting the boat, and walked till he reached Bergen-op-Zoom. From hence he proceeded to Amsterdam, but his money was all gone, and he was in a starving condition, when the kindness of a stranger relieved him. At Amsterdam he was well received by some relations of his family, and thought himself in a place of safety.

In this he was mistaken: the French ambassador applied for leave to arrest him, and, by a proper application of 217000 livres, obtained that permission-and poor Latude was arrested, loaded with irons, treated with every possible insult and cruelty, and carried back to Paris.

The gaolers of the Bastille received him with malignant joy. They had been punished for his escape, and to prevent all possibility of his doing so again, they ironed his hands and feet, and put him into a dungeon. Even in this horrible situation his active mind found out some amusement; he tamed some of the rats which infested his apartment, and drew consolation from what was at first a torment. He attempted also to train some spiders in the same manner, but without success.

(To be continued.)

INVENTIONS AND DISCOVERIES.

(Continued from page 140.)

The arts of juggling, have served as a most agreeable antidote to superstition, and to that popular belief in miracles, exorcism, conjuration, sorcery, and witchcraft, from which our ancestors suffered so severely; the effects of shadows, electricity, mirrors and the magnet, once powerful instruments in the hands of interested persons, for keeping the vulgar in awe, have been stript of their terrors, and are no longer frightful under their most awful forms.

The ancients were great conjurors. Eunus, a Syriac slave in Sicily, persuaded his fellow slaves, a century and a half before our era, that he held immediate communication with the gods; and, when under divine inspiration, he breathed flames or sparks from the mouth among his companions. The Rabbi Barchochebas, in the reign of Hadrian, by breathing flames, made the credulous Jews believe that he was the looked-for Messiah; and the Emperor Constantine was thrown into great terror, when Valentinian informed him that he had seen one of the body guards in the evening breathing out fire and flames. Some of the

historians pretend that these deceptions were perforined by putting inflammable substances within a nut shell, pierced at both ends. Our own fire-eaters content themselves with rolling a little flax or hemp so as to form a ball about the size of a walnut, which is suffered to burn till nearly consumed; more flax is then tightly rolled round it: the fire will thus remain within for a long time, and sparks may be blown from it without injury, provided the air be inspired, not by the mouth, but through the nostrils.

An Englishman of the name of Richardson, used to chew burning-coals, pour melted lead on his tongue, and swallow melted glass. The skins of the soles of the feet and hands may be rendered so callous as to secure the nerves from injury; and it is not uncommon at the copper-works, for workmen to take melted copper in their horny hands, and throw it against the wall: this, the Professor says, he has seen himself; and he adds, that during the time, a smell was emitted like that of singed horn: he observes further, that the skin may be made callous enough to sustain such an ordeal in various ways, and among others, by frequently moistening it with spirits of vitriol, or by repeatedly rubbing it with oil, which in time will render leather horny. He does not, however, explain by what process the tongue and interior of the mouth may be rendered callous. The trial by ordeal was supposed to be a juggling trick of the priests, employed as best suited their views. After it was abolished, Albertus Magnus, a Dominican monk, pretended to discover the secret, which he said was a paste composed of the sap of the althea, (marsh-mallow,) the slimy seeds of the flea-bane, and the white of an egg, which protected their hands so completely, that they could handle with impunity redhot iron.

We believe, however, that our modern fire-eaters, &c. have a readier way of practising their deceptions, and as Mr. Wery says, of ingrossing the inquisitive people's admiration.' This gen tleman, finding, we suppose, that the English had the most money and the least penetration, (a discovery of great im portance to a juggler,) announces the following wonderful experiences to be performed in the Waur-hall, at Brussels, by Miss Roggers, an American creature-the same who entered an oven heated to 90 degrees, holding in her hands a leg of mutton and eggs, and did not go out, but when the leg of mutton and eggs were entirely baked." This same creature, says Mr Wery, shall wash her arms in acquafortis of 70 degrees, and there shall not appear on them any black or yellow spots; she shall lick up some red-hot iron bars; she shall equally let a red-hot iron bar pass on her bare legs and arms, without feeling the

(The Continued.)

ANECDOTE OF A YOUNG MERCHANT.

When I was at Guzurat, there happened a very strange accident to a young merchant: the case was this. A young Mahometan Persian came with his uncle from Persia to be educated in mercantile affairs. When they came to Guzurat, the young gentleman took a great house, and a number of servants; telling his uncle he liked the place so much, that he would fix his residence there; wherefore he desired him to deliver all the effects which his father had given into his custody, and the next year when his uncle came, he would see the improvements he should make. The Uncle ap proving his kinsman's proposal, readily agreed to his request; and sent a letter to his father, who lived at Ispahan in Persia, and was looked on as the most considerable dealer in that part of the empire, giving him an account of this. The uncle made what returns he thought proper on his own effects, being the most the market afforded, and bought up other merchandize, which he carried to Persia with the first caravan. The kinsman resolved to sell his goods by retail, they fetching double that way, to what they do in the other. He went to all the coffee-houses, and public places, and published himself a retailer of the richest goods of Persia. The news of this soon came to the Mufti, who had two beautiful daughters. These ladies hearing of the great choice this young merchant had, they took an opportunity to come in their coach, being closely veiled, and under the care of two eunuchs. They were conducted into a magnificent parlour, where they according to custom seated themselves on a carpet. The young man being diligent in his way, laid before these ladies so great a variety of all sorts of silks, that they could not tell where to make their choice. Sir, said one of them, you have glutted our sight with so much variety, that we are at a stand, and do not know how to make any choice either to please ourselves, or for your benefit. Lady, said he, let a little time fix your fancy, according to your inclinations; and as you have seen great choice, take some other opportunity to come and please yourselves. In the mean time, please to let me present each of you with a rich piece of silk of my fancy, which if you return again, and do not approve of it, I will not require any thing of you. The ladies were something surprised at his generous offer, and accepted his courtesy with many compliments; and before they took their leave, refreshed themselves with some rose

water, according to custom. During the time of their stay, they were very merry, and would often throw up their veils. This Discovery of the ladies beauty so enflained the heart of our young merchant that he began to be enamoured with it, and to make enquiries who they belonged to. His servant told him, that they were the grand Mufti's daughters, and the only two he had, being very fond of them; and that they were virgins, that as yet had never been pledged to any one. This caused the young Merchant to be still more in love; and the time they were absent, tho' but a few days made him very uneasy till he saw them again. Now both these sisters were equally enamoured with this young merchant, and soon became jealous of one another; which was a passion, before their knowledge of him they never were acquainted with. But they still carried on a sisterly correspondence with each other as usual; tho' the one was a little more crafty than the other, but were so much alike in person that when they were separate they could scarce be distinguished, but by their names. In a short time they returned to our young merchant's and brought money with them to pay for what he had chose for them; which they insisted on. They soon fell into a familiar conversation, when the merchant requested them to partake of a small collation of sweetmeats, and to refresh themselves with a glass or two of the Ispahan water. They readily agreed to this kind offer, and then they pulled off their veils; which discovered so much beauty, that he was almost astonished at the sight. The gaiety of the one, and the gravity of the other, which seemed to make the others mirth the more agreeable, soon passed the time away till it was late at night. The eldest took all opportunities to remark the behaviour of the merchant and her sister, and seemed confirmed in her opinion, that she had gained a conquest over him; on which she resolved to get her out of the way. They took leave, and returned to their father, in all appearance very good friends. But the next day the elder sister took an opportunity of infus ing poison iuto some sherbet, which her sister drank, and died suddenly. The Mufti was much concerned for the loss of his daughter, and the sister pretended great grief for the same. However, she was soon buried, according to the ceremony observed at the funeral of noble virgins in those parts, after a magnificent manner. They kept the time of mourning for forty days, and then the lady came abroad. The merchant living at a distance from them, did not hear of this tragical story for some time.

When the time of the mourning was expired, the sur

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