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genious Correfpondents have indeed intimated a wifh to have the quantity of this elegant and correct Letter-Prefs greatly extended, that young minds might the fooner acquire a knowledge of the Hiftory of their country. But as these requests have been few, in comparison to the number of our readers, it was judged expedient to make fuch an increase only as would oblige one party, without offending the other.

BACON's celebrated Life of HENRY the SEVENTH will finish in a fhort time; when, among the fucceeding names which will adorn this department, we fcruple not to announce that of the illuftrious HUME: and when the whole of this part of our plan fhall be complete, the Reader will be poffeffed of a HISTORY of ENGLAND, which no past attempts can equal, nor any future ones excel.

As advocates for truth, it would ill become us to risk even an affertion: fuffice it therefore to fay, that we confider the First Volume as a general, though not an exact, Specimen of our intentions: improvements are yet in contemplation; and feveral, from the commencement, have actually taken place. The fuperiority of the embellish ments given with No XV. will fufficiently manifeft our folicitude to obtain pre-eminence.

THE

OF REMARKABLE

EVENTS, MEMOIRS, AND ANECDOTES.

NUMBER XV.

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FRAGMENTS.

SINGULAR PUNISHMENTS. [Tranflated by the Editor.] HE known influence of ridicule over the minds of men has frequently urged legiflators to the adoption of punishments, which, to fuperficial obfervers, appear prepofterous and abfurd.

The count de Buat, in his Antiquities of France, fays that the ancient inhabitants of that country condemned all who had been degraded, by undergoing a public penance, to wander naked about the country, armed only with a fword. Among the Dacii, too, a man convicted of perjury, was ftripped and compelled to pafs the remainder of his days like a wild beaft; "Since he has forfeited the character of a man," said they, "he ought no longer to wear cloaths.'

The ancient Poles fentenced a calumniator to walk on all-fours, and to bark, for a quarter of an hour, like a dog.

Among the Franks, the punish

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was to walk three times round t market-place, behind the dog, a kiffing his pofteriors during the who time; for ftealing a hawk, the cu prit was fentenced either to pay fine of eight crowns of gold, or expofe his pofteriors to the beak that voracious animal till he had l five ounces of flesh.

An Algerine, caught in the a of thieving, has his right hand in mediately cut off and tied round neck, after which he is placed on a afs with his face to the tail, and l round the town.

An eaftern monarch having p one of his judges to death, for pr varication, caufed his skin to ftuffed with horfe-hair, and co verted into a cushion; and his fo who fucceeded him in his offic was compelled to fit on it whenev he administered justice.

Boemus, in his Mores Gentiur remarks that in thofe Mahometa countries where the customs a ceremonies prefcribed by the Ald ran are rigidly observed, a crimin

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tails, hung round his neck, and after parading the streets for fome time, is then difmiffed on paying a fine.

The punishment of tarring and feathering, practifed by the rebels in America, is by no means a modern invention, as appears from the following law, made by the English and French monarchs, in the year 1189, immediately previous to their embarkation for Palestine: "If any one be convicted of theft, his hair fhall be cut off; boiling pitch fhall be poured on his head, which fhall afterwards be covered with feathers; and in that condition he thall be expofed at the first landing-place.”.

ANECDOTES. [Tranfmitted by T. C. of Faversham.]

1.

HUSSEIN, the fon of Ali, the fixth caliph of the Mufful men, was one day fcalded by a flave, who let a plate of hot foup fall as he was lifting it over his head. Huffein looked at the flave with a fixed and steady eye, but without paffion; when the latter immediately fell at his master's feet, and repeated from the Alcoran, "Paradife is prepared for thofe who preferve their temper, and fubdue their anger"-" I harbour no refentment," replied Huffein; "and who pardon those that have offended them," repeated the flave. "Well, I pardon thee," faid Huffein. "But thofe are efpecially beloved of the Lord who are charitable, and do good," continued the flave, finifhing the verfe he began with quoting. I give thee thy freedom," anfwered Huffein, and with it four

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hundred drachms of filver."

II.

In the year 1715, as Zigand, the great cham of the Calmucs, was hunting, it happened that a flave aukwardly fot an arrow into the

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WITH refpect to courage, the author of L'Apologie de beau Sexe, relates a ftory, which, if true, has feldom been equalled by man. A fervant girl of Lifle, remarkable for her fearless difpofition, laid a wager, that the would go into the charnelhoufe, at midnight, without a light, and bring from thence a dead man's fkull. Accordingly at the time appointed, fhe went; but the perfon with whom he had made the bet, intending to terrify her, had gone before, and hid himself in the place. When he heard her defcend and take up the fkull, he called out, in a hollow, difmal voice, "Leave me my head!" The girl, instead of difcovering any fymptoms of horror or fright, very coolly laid it down, and faid, "Well, there it is, then!" and took up another; upon which the voice again repeated, "Leave me my head!" But the heroic girl, obferving it was the fame voice that had called before, anfwered, in her country dialect, "Nea, nea, friend, yo' connot ha' two yeads!"

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