and I implore thee, thou who art generous, After wandering three days in the desert, who never betrayed thy honour, to procure he met another Bedouin, mounted on a my clothes and baggage to be restored.' nimble dromedary, with three camels beaThe Bedouin stimulated by the address of vily laden following him; he sung, and the this discourse, instantly replied, “thou art a | beams of joy sparkled in his eye. crafty fellow, but since thou takest me by my honour-here, take thy effects which the rascally Arab has just brought me. I restore them, go thy way, and take care no other robs thee."

"Whence come you? where are you going? and who are you? were the first questions of the poor fugitive. I come from the vicinity of Bagdad, and I am going to Bassora; I was formerly rich, but A Chief of a tribe related to me the fol-ill luck triumphed over fortuue, and I was lowing trait-An old woman, a widow, and in extreme wretchedness, possessed only 16 ounces of meal for herself and seven children, until the evening of the fol lowing day; she made 8 little cakes; while they were baking, a poor wretch entered, and demanded wherewith to satisfy his hunger; without hesitation she presented him one of the cakes, and in the evening distributed the other seven to her children, concealing from them her act of charity, and passing 48 hours without food. This fact occurred during the stay of the French army in Egypt, and paints the Arab better than any description.

plunged in the abyss of misery, when I resolved to essay the beneficence of the Barmecides; I was told they were not only generous, but recompensed generosity in others; all I possessed was a sabre, I presented it one of the chiefs of that illus trious family, and I accompanied my modest present with a couplet in his praise: he received it without making any reply, he no sooner cast his eyes on me than he left me. Oh vanity of human hopes', cried I to myself, in my sorrow, God confounds the calculations of man, and dispenses prosperity and misfortune at his pleasure!" Before dinner the Barmecide sent for me, and seated nie at his table, night came, I was led to a tent; surprised

dered my frame to sleep: a young slave entered with the morning suu, took me by the hand, and led me a few paces from the tent, and putting the reins of these three camels in my hand, Take these,' said he, and go in peace: such is my master's auswer.'

"When a Bedouin is reduced to poverty, he does not go begging from tent to tent. but, addressing the chief of his tribe, de-at the mauner of my reception, I surren clares his case. The chief instantly convokes the richest of the tribe, and thus addresses them, One of our brethren is in want, if you wish him to die, let me kill him, rather than hunger; if not, you know your duty. It is enough, every one gives according to his means; one gives a camel, another a ewe, another a tent, another corn, &c. &c. so that it frequently happeus that he who was in the morning on the brink of starving, in the evening is richer than any of his benefactors.'

The affecting picture of the Barmecides, who possessed all these heroic virtues, without staining them by any vice, shali conclude our extracts; we regret that the length of the narrative of Almonzer mourning their fate, prevents us from presenting it to our readers, but we shall give a more recent anecdote of a people who were affable and enlightened, and generous as they were rich; the love of the people prepared their ruin, and the hatred of the Court completed it.

"During the time that the Barmecides inhabited the Desert, an Arab became so poor, that after having sold his domestic utensils, and even his tent, for subsistence, he set out without knowing whither to go or what would become of him, wishing, by his disappearance, to conceal his wretchedness from those who had witnessed his prosperity. His wife accompanied him.

Astonished, I wished to fly to this generous mortal and testify my gratitude; the servant stopped me, adding, your wish is vain, my master receives the thanks of no person; such is his custom, for he says, to suffer any one to thank us for a favour, is receiving the recompense of a good ac|tion, from man, instead of waiting for the blessing of the Deity.'

In silence I mounted this dromedary, which was also presented me, and departed. When I had travelled a few miles, leading my camels after me, I stopped to examine their, burtheu: they bear at least 100,000 dinars of precious effects, and three times as much in money, besides a small case; on opening it, I found my sabre with this note, My dear son, thy good intention sufficeth me, I would have offered thee more than my servant has presented thee on my account, but God has not placed them in my hands; peace be with thee."

Encouraged by the success of this Bedouin, the other directed his steps to the Barmecides, and in three days he was tep

times more rich than ever he had been in his life.

These extracts will suffice to give an idea of the merit and interest of this little work. The twenty-four plates which accompany it are from good desigus, and illustrate the manuers, customs, and ceremonies of those tribes, which exhibit human nature in its most debased and its most exalted forms.

De l'Origine et des Progres de la Legislation Francaise; ou Histoire du Droit public et privé de la France, &c.

On the Origin and Progress of French Legislation; or, History of the public and private law of France, from the foundation of the Monarchy to the present time. By M. Bernardi, of the Institute, 1 vol. 8vo. Paris, 1816.

and the Abbé du Bos opened the career of the History of the Public and Private Law of France. The great Montesquieu, the honest Minister D'Argenson, the Abbé Mably, M. Mounier, M. Bonald, and Montlosier followed, and M. Bernardi brings up the rear. Each of these authors had considered the subject under particular views, and, in some measure, with a spirit of system for instance, M. D'Argenson was against hereditary nobility, and M. Mounier the contrary. M. Bernardi, extending his plan to the abstract consideration of Truth, varies considerably in his premises and conclusions, from his predecessors. We all know the amiable character

given by Tacitus of the ancient Germans, but we have not all reflected on the politi cal motives of the Historian. He not only wished to offer a model to corrupted Rome, but also to flatter the Germans, whose friendship and goodwill were necessary, in a superior degree, to the fortune of Rome. Let us now see the character given by M. Bernardi of his ancestors the Franks.

M. Bernardi is one of the few writers of the present age, who, in treating a subject, searches authorities, not to establish this or that particular system, but to discover, and when discovered, to publish truth; Their laws were simply conventions firm in his purpose, he fears not to agreed upon among themselves, to put a combat error and misrepresentation, sort of bridle on the violence of their paswherever he finds it, even in the Prince of sions, and prevent them from effecting the Historians, Tacitus himself. This is a pre- dissolution of their Society, which would cious quality in an Historian;-in all have been inevitable, had they been suffered ages its exercise has been deemed an al- with impunity. The principal bases of most insuperable difficulty, and therefore their laws were concerning crimes, and few have really attempted to surmount it, these the most common among brutal though all profess to do so. Matthew Pa-nations-as murder, robbery, wounds, ris, who wrote in the thirteenth century, may be cited as one of the few among the ancients, and Plowden among the moderus, yet the former of these complains in terms more true than elegant, Dura est enim conditio Historiographorum quia si vera dicant, homines provocant; si fulsa scriptis commendant, Dominus qui veridicos ab adulatoribus sequestrat, non acceptat.—| And Hume, who is any thing but impar tial, affects to excuse himself by the avowal that "no man has arose who has been able to pay an entire regard to truth, and has dared to expose her, without covering or disguise, to the eyes of the prejudiced public." Far from agreeing with the northern Historian, whose doctrine is neither more nor less than au apology for fraud and falsehood, and those too of the worst description, as being destined to perpetuate deception to the remotest ages, we render a pure and willing homage to those whose inflexible souls cling to the altar of Truth, and if they fall, expire at its base.

M. Bernardi treats a subject which has already been frequently attempted, with different degrees of merit. Boulainvilliers

and, in general, all acts of ferocity, and violence. They gave themselves up to the greatest excesses; they fought and killed each other, even in churches, at table, and all other meetings. Their laws were, properly speaking, only a tarif of wounds, with an enumeration of all the parts of the human body, even those they might have dispensed themselves from naming, and of every manner in which each would be injured. Insults of language were also taxed with the same exactness, and we may see which were considered the most offensive."

This, certainly, is no flattering portrait, but it is a just one, of the barba barous hordes who married their sisters, their neices, and even their father's widow. The first Christian Kings, it is true, for bade these incestuous unions, but in vain ; even Charleniague himself found it a task beyond his powers; what indeed was to be effected as to morals, on a people, who valued life less than the gratification of the meanest pleasures, on whom the example of punishment could produce no effect. He called in the aid of the church, which, by degrees instilling into the minds of

Perhaps the most difficult matter to treat was that part of the subject, commencing with the reign of Louis XVI. to the end of the reign of Napoleon, confined as it is, to a moderate sized octavo volume; this part is little more than a nomenclature,

those who never dreamt of an hereafter, |pected, than their ambition made them imthe terrors of eternal perdition, paved piously declare, that God had expressly the way for an improvement of morals. given them power over all Sovereigns. What a melancholy picture does M. Ber-This was the argument made use of by one nardi trace of these times!" We see by of them to an Emperor of Germany, "If the capitularies that frequently the King's St. Peter were here, and ordered you to Messengers were resisted with open force, depose your crown at his feet, would you that the judges either protected culprits, dare to disobey?what then Saint Peter or received bribes, that the people were could command, I, who am his regular oppressed in a thousand ways by the successor, can command; and if obedience Courts. Justice was banished from the be due to him, the like is due to me." judgment seat; on the one hand, were beheld nothing but torrents of blood; on the other, nothing but fraud and deceit. There was no safety for commerce. They were obliged to make the centeniers (Captains of hundreds) swear that they would not rob. Robbery and brigandage were un-and if we are at all inclined to find fault punished; and it was a common expression under Charles the Bold, to say, It was no use to complain to the King, from whom no justice or consolation was to be hoped." In these times the influence of religion was the only safe-guard of liberty and oppressed humanity. It was to the interposition of the Church that we owe the suspension of the private wars and family feuds, undertaken in the first instance to punish those whom no laws could reach, but which soon became so fatal to the people, that, murder, robbery, fire, and sword, spread universal desolation; we may judge of the disorder of those dreadful times by the fact that they were obliged to grant impunity to the murderer of him who had broken the Treve de Dieu.

We would, however, here remark, that the truce of God, as the Pope's Edict was called, which forbade the avenging of priyate quarrels between such and such feasts, and on such and such days in the week, was rather political than religious. It was at the time when Peter the Hermit preached the crusade to the Holy Land. Crusaders were wanted, and the Pope adroitly turned the turbulent spirit of private revenge to a pious indignation against the infidel possessors of the Holy Sepulchre. Mankind at that period were in a state of barbarism; the flame of learning was every where extinct, save in the cloisters, where it burnt with a feeble and uncertain light, but feeble and uncertain as it was, it was kept alive by the Priests, and, it may be said, by the Priests only, for centuries, till a brighter æra arose under Francis I. Would that the thirst of temporal power had not destroyed all the christian virtues of the church, and even cancelled the obligations learning owes to her! Possessed of learning, the Popes were the natural arbiters for deciding the contested rights of Sovereigns, but no sooner did the Popes find their interposition res

with our author, who deserves so well of the public, it is that he has not made a distinct volume of the last half century, which contains more subjects of discussion, yet involved in doubts, and has produced more wonderful events, than history has had to record.

IMPROVEMENT OF RAPE OIL;

Intended to render it equal to Spermaceti Oil, for Illumination.

We knew a Gentleman who employed his leisure time, for many years, in various experiments on the purification of Oils. We do not know, that he had any opportunity of employing sea-water; fnough we know he used water impreguated with salt. Besides this, his oils were constant exposed to the sun and air, by which they acquired (in bladders) a fluidity and transparency greatly to their advantage. The following is part of a communication to the Secretary of the Cork Institution.

I began by washing the oil with spring water; which is effected by agitating the oil violently with a sixth part of the water. This separates the particles of the oil, and commixes those of the water intimately with them. After this operation, it looks like the yolks of eggs beat up. In less than forty-eight hours they separate completely, the oil swimming at top, the water with all feculent and extraneous particles subsiding at the bottom. I improved very much on this, by substituting sea-water in the place of fresh water. I tried whether fresh water impregnated with salt, may not do as well as sea water; but found the light not so bright, and of a reddish cast. The oil which I have washed is rape oil, for which I am charged 4s. 4d. a gallon. I have now made use of it constantly for two months: it gives no bad smell, and when burning close to the spermaceti oil is not to be distinguished.

He

inferior oysters was kept up to 16s. or 18s. per bushel, while those of a superior description were sold as high as 25s. hoped, among other benefits which the new Institution would produce, that it would remove this shameful monopoly. The general principle of the Institution was intended to do great service to the poor fishermen, now out of employ-and, by giving a proper scope to their industry, to remedy that extensive and increasing evil, smuggling-the penalty of which alHe could assure the meeting, that he ways fell on the poor fellows engaged in it. would adopt every means in his power to further the objects of the Institution--not

NATIONAL FISHERIES. We have several times called the attention of the public to proposals in favour of the British Fisheries; and after the communications we have received from the highest authorities, we have wondered that little, or nothing, more was heard about the plans and exertions proposed. Convinced, as we are, that much benefit may accrue to the nation from spirited, and judicious exertions on this subject, we have beheld with extreme regret, a variety of schemes fade away, and issue in disappoint-only by his own personal exertions, but by the efforts of those Gentlemen of the housement. We hope better things of the pre-hold, who held situations in the market. sent; which, we trust, has originated in the right quarter, and will be conducted with associated benevolence and skill. In the meanwhile, the information contained in this article is interesting from its nature, The worthy Alderman said, the object from the particulars it includes, and the of the present meeting was, to second the extent of its views. It is at once instruc-intentions of those Gentlemen, who had tive, and benevolent; and it deserves the attention and patronage of the interior towns of our country, and their public spirited men of understanding and influence. A MEETING

OF THE

SUPPORTERS

OF THE

"Downs Society of Fishermen's Friends.' was held October 1, at the City of London Tavern, Bishopsgate-street, for the purpose of enabling the Society to carry their objects into complete execution.

About two o'clock, the Lord Mayor entered the room, and took the Chair. He expressed his regret, that official business would prevent him from remaining more than a few moments in the situation to which he had been called-still, however, he attended, in order to give his countenance to a measure that appeared likely to be beneficial to mankind-and, in his public capacity of Chief Magistrate, as well as in his private one, as a citizen of London, he would render the plan every assistance in his power. He had read a statement of a sort of combination, on the part of certain oyster-merchants, relative to the oyster-bed off Dover. Those Gentlemen endeavoured to prevent any of the fish taken from that bed to be brought to market-they declared that they would not employ any persons engaged in that fishery-and, by that means, the price of

The Lord Mayor then made his bow and retired.

On the motion of the Lord Gambier, the Chair was taken by Mr. Alderman Atkins.

formed themselves into a laudable Society, at Deal, for relief of the poor fishermen on that coast. From the altered circumstances of the times, those men were undoubtedly prevented from earning that subsistence to which they had been accustomed; and it was necessary that an endeavour should be made to seek out new objects of employ ment for them. If the efforts of this Institution should be the means of altering the system now prevalent in sea-port townswhere smuggling was encouraged by a set of crafty Jews-where persons were enticed, by every artifice, to break the lawsit would be no common advantage to the community as well as to the revenue. Very recently a man of his own name, by engaging in those pursuits, became obnoxious to the laws. He was led from one villainy to another. By seeking to obtain riches in a summary way, he narrowly escaped an ignominious death. He thought the highest praise was due to those Gentle

men who set the Institution on foot at Deal. He certainly wished that the business should be left in the hands of those Gentlemen who had so ably commenced this great work-and he was convinced that every individual would feel extremely happy to contribute all the assistance in his power in support of their praiseworthy

endeavours.

The Secretary then proceeded to read extracts from "the Report of the Committee of the Downs Society of Fishermen's Friends."

"With this deplorable prospect before them, many of the principal inhabitants of Deal, and the neighbouring parishes of "The Society having directed that sixtyWalmer and Ringwould, associated them two barrels of these herrings should be sent, selves in November last, under the deno- in small samples, to the West Indies, in mination expressed in the title of the Re-order to ascertain their quality and fitness port, for the purpose of taking into consideration such means as should appear most expedient for affording relief to any of the boatmen who might desire to avail themselves of their assistance.