he revived. When he recovered from his wounds, he was received into the community and assumed the habit of the order, his lands being forfeited to the king."

Such was the Abbey from its foundation to the Reformation; succeeding Monarchs augmenting its demesnes and revenues by magnificent gifts, and confirming by successive charters the privileges, and immunities enjoyed by the abbot and monks; for although the superior had various country houses and parks, and was a spiritual peer of the highest rank, there yet appears, from many of the rules which have come down to us, one especially, in which no member of the community could absent himself for a night without first obtaining permission from every individual monk in the convent, sufficient reason to believe that the internal government of the house was not altogether monarchical, but that it partook somewhat of the mixed form of the English constitution, and that the commons, if we may so term the brethren of the order, had some voice in the management of its concerns.

Little now remains, except the shell of the refectory, and one or two other large detached buildings more or less entire, parts of the cloisters, and large rock-like fragments of the grey walls, denuded of the cut freestone by which they were coated, some upright, some leaning against each other, and some pitched violently into the earth, as if by a tremendous convulsion of nature. But in the very absence of artificial ornament, in the massiveness and vastness of these remains, there is something singularly impressive and majestic. They have about them much of the hoary grandeur, the wild and naked desolation which characterize Stonehenge. And as the paltry modern buildings which disfigured them are gradually disappearing, there is every reason to hope, from the excellent taste of the present proprietor, that as soon as the excavations which have brought to light so much that is curious and beautiful shall be completed, they may be left to the great artist Nature, so that we may, in a few years, see our once-famous Abbey more august and beautiful than it has been at any period since the days of its pristine magnificence; rescued, as far as is now possible, from the din and bustle of this work-a-day world, and rising like the stately ruins of Netley, or rather like the tall grey cliff of some sylvan solitude, from the fine elastic turf, a natural carpet, the green elder bush and the young ash tree growing amongst the mouldering niches, the ivy and the wall-flower waving from above, and the bright, clear river flowing silently along, adorning and reflecting a acene which is at once a picture and a history.

In the last page or so of this desirable book, there occurs, in the American edition, a rascally misprint, which we cannot conceive to have occurred by accident-if so, the proof reader is undeserving his situation, and ought to be sent to stone picking on some mountain side, or clam-gathering in extreme cold weather. In recounting the various occurrences connected with the ruin of the stately edifice above mentioned, a certain abbot is said to have been quartered between two of his monks. The Massachusetts printer has thought fit to alter the text to "monkeys." This outrage is beyond forgiveness.

THE STRANGER IN CHINA: OR, THE FAN-QUI'S VISIT TO THE CELESTIAL EMPIRE, in 1836-7. By C. Toogood Downing, Member of the Royal College of Surgeons. Two Volumes. Lea and Blanchard.

This work far exceeds in interest any of the publications relative to China, whether emanating from the various scribes who accompanied Lord Macartney in his oft-told embassy, or from the pens of the less fortunate travellers, who are compelled to describe the wonders of the interior of the Celestial Empire, from the scarcely intelligible reports of the natives at the outposts-the ordinances of the "Brother to the Sun and Sister to the Moon," forbidding the admission of any European into the domesticities of the worshippers of Foh. But Dr. Downing has succeeded in reaching the innermost recesses of the penetralia, and, possessing a spirit of observation seldom equalled, and a happy vein of description, he has produced one of the most agreeable and pleasant books of information that it has ever been our lot to peruse. We have absolutely devoured the pages of these volumes with an avidity equaling the rapture of the schoolboy upon his first perusal of Robinson Crusoe, or the delight of the self-resolved sailor-boy who has met with an odd volume of Cook's Voyages. The charm of novelty is upon every page-and yet we cannot for an instant doubt the authenticity of every detail.

Fan-qui" is an appellation applied by the Chinese to all strangers or foreigners visiting their shores; and literally means "foreign devils, imps, or demons." The adventurous navigators who traded with the Chinese made, from their avarice and brutality, but an unfavorable impression-the term Fan-qui was applied in reproach, and has become an approved method of cognition.

We could readily devote several pages to this excellent book, but the imperative calls of other novelties prevent a longer notice. We have marked several highly interesting passages for extraction, but every page presents a favorable claim to notice, and we select at random, the following account of the various articles of food peculiar to the Chinese.

It is very revolting to the feelings of the European upon his first visit to China, to observe the natives preparing to make their meals upon those domestic animals which he has always been accustomed to look upon with a degree of fondness and affection. The dog especially has always been considered the friend and companion of man; the only friend sometimes that is left him, after he has been deserted by the rest of the world. But the craving appetite and calls of hunger will generally overthrow the strongest ties of affection and gratitude. It was thus at the siege of Jerusalem, when the starving mother fed upon the flesh of her own murdered child; and a still more appropriate illustration is given, in that true and faithful sketch from nature, Lord Byron has drawn of the shipwreck of Don Juan, and which is founded upon an actual occurzence. The Chinese of the upper ranks of society are as fastidious and expensive in their food as any people

in the world, while the lower orders are altogether as filthy. This evidently arises from the great scarcity of provisions among so many millions of people, and the necessity, therefore, of sustaining nature by whatever can possibly afford any nourishment. This naturally leads in time to a total loss of discrimination as to the quality of food eaten, and an animal in the market would, therefore, be valued only in proportion to the quantity of flesh upon the bones, without any reference to its flavor, or state of preservation. A gentleman, in walking through the market at Canton one day, observed that a pheasant and a cat were put up for sale at the same price; and you will frequently observe, at the same place, dogs, cats, and rats, sold indiscriminately, according to their weight.

The food of the middle classes in China, consists chiefly of the flesh of ducks and swine. These are the animals which are usually reared, as it is considered that they do not encroach upon the lands, which ought to be cultivated for the use of man alone. Graminivorous animals, such as sheep, oxen, and horses, are very rarely to be seen, except in mountainous districts where the plough cannot possibly be used with advantage; so that the little mutton which is sometimes placed on the tables of the great is procured from Tartary.

The character of the country, in this respect, seems to be totally altered in the latter ages. In the earlier periods of the Chinese monarchy, extensive pasture-grounds surrounded the different capitals for rearing flocks of sheep. and the wool was used in the manufacture of those rich cloths, which now come only from the northern provinces of Shan see and Shen-see. The cause of the change appears to have been the great pressure of the population, which induced the leading men and sages to inculcate the necessity of tilling every portion of ground for their support. As the cultivation proceeded, a struggle took place between the shepherds and the farmers, in which it appears, after a desperate resistance, the former were driven literally off the field, and were obliged to resort to the mountainous districts in order to pursue their unpopular avocation. The whole class, since that period, has continued in disrepute, and at the present time is considered the very lowest and most vile in the country.

Besides these substantial viands, the grand mandarins attach a high importance to certain luxuries, which are perhaps valued, as is frequently the case in our part of the world, by the difficulty of obtaining them. These dishes are supposed to possess peculiarly nutritious and restorative qualities, and are for the most part composed of glutinous substances. Of this nature are the soups made from the nests of the swallow, the hirundo esculenta, and imported in great quantities from the Eastern Islands, under the name of birds' nests. It would appear, that these pretty little animals eat great quantities of a species of gelatinous sea-weed, the sphæro coccus cartilagineus, and when it is sufficiently softened in the stomach, it is returned and used as plaster to cement the dirt and feathers of the nests together.

After importation in their rough state, the birds' nests are purified in immense manufactories built for the purpose, and are then fit for use. The soups are made by boiling them into a jelly with water, and adding among other things, a fish called tre-pang, and a great variety of spices and condiments.

Considerable difference of opinion exists among Europeans, as to the palatableness of this singular compound; some asserting that it is absolutely nauseous and disgusting, while others who have tasted it, maintain that it is very properly ranked among the greatest delicacies which can be brought to table. The Chinese themselves are, however, after all, the only proper judges, as the taste in these matters depends so much upon habit and preconceived opinion, that those things which we should naturally loathe, and the sight of which would turn the stomach, frequently become by these efforts of the mind the sources of the highest gratification. There is nothing particularly disgusting, in my opinion, in these elaborated productions, especially when we consider the pains which are taken to cleanse them from every kind of impurity, so that they may very fairly be ranked with honey and other articles of food which are partly animal and partly vegetable.

There are other articles of general consumption at the tables of the Chinese grandees, which are brought from a considerable distance. Of this kind is the sea slug or holothurion, estimated in the same manner as caviare is in Europe, and which is brought in great quantities from Ceylon and the Mauritius, in addition to the coast of New Holland, and the islands of the Eastern Archipelago. Sharks' fins are imported from India, and are applied to two purposes; the flesh is boiled for soup, while the rough skin is employed as glass-paper by the cabinet-makers. In addition to these exotic curiosities, the flesh of wild horses, bears' paws, and parts of other beasts, are brought in considerable quantities, ready salted, from Tartary, Siam, and Cambodia, and are accounted great delicacies even at the tables of the great.

Having seen the taste of the higher orders in China, who may be supposed well able to please their fancy in the article of diet, we will now observe the bill of fare of the poor; who, impelled by the stimulus of necessity to swallow whatever will allay the craving of their hungry stomachs. The lower orders of the Chi. nese would appear to be almost omnivorous; and, it is certain, that in the article of animal food, there is scarcely any thing which they are seen to refuse.

In all the towns and villages there are dog-butchers, whose business it is to slaughter and expose for sale the carcasses of these intelligent animals.

The Chinese dog is not much esteemed in Europe, where there is a great variety to choose from. It is nearly of the same kind as those which are brought from Kamtschatka, with a sharp face and a thick coat of soft and woolly hair. They make very good house dogs, and are used as such in China, as their voices are sharp and clear. There are, generally, one or two of them on board each of the junks and all craft of a certain magnitude, as they are very convenient animals to take to sea; since they require very little care to be taken of them, and they are always ready in case a deficiency of provisions should oblige their masters to have them served out for chow-chow. They feed chiefly upon fish and rice, and on that account alone require less provision to be made for them than other animals, as they can be sustained upon the refuse of the Chinese sailors, who rarely procure animal food, The butchers in Canton are always obliged to carry a stick or some other weapon with them, as the live animals are apt to attack them in revenge for the murder of their relations. The flesh is hung up in the markets in the same manner as that of the sheep with us, and is sold by weight. The young puppies, esteemed a delicacy in the same way as lambs are in Europe, are brought for sale in cages or baskets, carried on the ends of a bamboo on the shoulders. These little animals are very pretty, with the wool often of a beautiful white color, and if we could reconcile ourselves to the idea of eating their species at all, these would be the first morsels which we should feel inclined to swallow. The young ladies of the Celestial Empire make pets of the handsomer kind of cat, so that they are often to be foun in the houses of the rich. The poorer people cannot afford to keep these expensive luxuries, and therefore their flesh is a general article of consumption. When it is well fed, it is considered even superior

to that of the dogs, and is to be seen, occasionally, upon the tables of the opulent. A small species of wild cat is sometimes caught in the southern provinces, and is brought to market as a great dainty. It is considered game, and none but the rich can afford to eat it.

Rats and mice are confined almost exclusively to the very poorest people. The former are often seen in long rows, skinned and otherwise prepared, and hung up by dozens with a small piece of wood passed across from one hind leg to another. At Whampoa these little animals are eagerly sought after by those in the boats, whenever they are caught on board the ships. Their bite seems to be utterly disregarded, as I have seen a rat fastened with a string tied to the hind leg, to the top of one of the covers of a boat, to form the plaything of a little boy or girl. Whenever the captive wretch had got to the end of the tether, the little urchin has taken it up with the greatest nonchalance by the poll of the neck, and put it into its place again. The way of catching the large water-rat is so peculiarly Chinese that it deserves to be mentioned. These animals live in holes under the excavated banks of streams, and from thence sally forth into the water. The rat-catcher proceeds in the darkness of the night to the spot, and places one of his showy lanterns immediately before the hole. When the rat comes out to see what is the matter, he is so astonished and dazzled with the light that he becomes motionless, and then the Chinaman is enabled to capture him with ease.

Almost every kind of wholesome vegetable is eaten by the Chinese, but the principal food of this kind is rice. In the northern provinces wheat is cultivated to a considerable extent, but the districts to the southward are almost universally covered with paddy. This, then, may be considered the staff of life in the East, and animal food of whatever kind is but a scarce and expensive luxury to the half famished pauper.

The liquid portion of the repast does not present so great a variety as the solid. Tea is the national drink, and is consumed indiscriminately by the poor and the rich. It is always used, even in the most miserable hovel or san-pan, and is served out at every meal with an unsparing hand. The very poorest class of persons, however, in the most distant of the provinces from those wherein the tea-plant is cultivated, are obliged to find a substitute. For this purpose they use the leaves of the fern, which are prepared and sold in the same manner as Bohea and Pekoe. The green teas are never us d by the natives, but are prepared expressly for foreigners. Other drinks there are, equivalent to our beer and wines, made from fermented rice; one of them, sam shu, has been already described. Opium is used in considerable quantities as an exhilarating agent, especially in the southern provinces; and tobacco is smoked almost universally, to produce a calm and tranquil state of mind.

THE MIDDY: OR, SCENES FROM THE LIFE OF EDWARD LASCELLES. Two Volumes. Carey and Hart.

The author of this amusing work is unknown. "Edward Lascelles" first made his appearance in the pages of the Dublin University Magazine. We hail his appearance in his present shape with unequivocal delight; and commend him to the notice of our friends. The major portion of the "scenes" take place upon the water, and we assure our readers that Captains Marryatt, Chamier, and Glascock, the English triumvirate of naval novelists, might individually and collectively be proud of the production of the work before us — 'Selling a Nigger," an article of considerable interest, that appeared in our September number of the present year, was extracted from the Middy before its appearance in this country, and we refer our readers to that paper for an evidence of the worth of the volumes-in addition to the following description of " a ship on fire.”

I had not, however, proceeded far, when I was again interrupted. On this occasion, as if again suddenly startled, Captain Morley sprung hurriedly to his feet. For one instant he remained stationary, in an attitude of absorbed attention; his hand a little raised, as if to command silence; his brows knit, his eyes fixed, and his lips slightly separated. At length, impatiently snuffing the air, he rushed eagerly from the cabin.

I knew Captain Morley to be a man of the very firmest nerve, and greatest promptitude in cases of emergency. Never taken unawares; always prepared for whatever might happen; he was won't to behold the approach of tempest or of battle, how unexpected soever, with the same calm serenity of countenance with which he paced the quarter deck in sunshine and safety.

His conduct on the present occasion, therefore, struck me as the more remarkable. There was a wild expression about his face, and a hurried trepidation in his movements, which I had never before witnessed; a mixture of alarm and anxiety for which I was totally at a loss to account.

I did not, however, remain long to consider the probable causes of his sudden disappearance; but dashing down my book, I followed him hastily out of the cabin.

On reaching the main-deck, the first thing that caught my bewildered sight was the captain's coat lying in the lee scuppers; the very coat he had worn two minutes before in the cabin. I snatched it up, and stood for a moment lost in a maze of wild conjectures. What could have happened? The uniform coat in such a situation, notwithstanding Captain Morley's known punctiliousness in all matters of etiquette! Was it pos sible that that raised look, and apparently causeless trepidation, could have arisen from any mental the very thought of such an event was dreadful.

I looked anxiously around in all directions, in search of some source of explanation, nor was I kept long in suspense. First I heard an indistinct murmur rising forward from the lower deck; then an inarticulate sound; and at last spoken by twenty voices at once, the awful announcement—FIRE!

At sea, and for the first time, who that has heard that cry can ever forget it! It is still ringing like a death knell in my ears; and though many summers have since passed over my head, the events of that night are still as fresh in my memory as if they were the occurrences of yesterday. Many leagues from the nearest point of land; our boats insufficient to carry one-fifth of the crew, and at best totally unfit to live for a day in those seas, if the weather became at all unpropitious; we had nothing to look for but death in one or other of his most appalling forms! It was a fearful alternative!

My first impulse, I know not why, was to rush on deck. I found it almost entirely deserted. On the first

alarm, men and officers had pressed eagerly forward to ascertain the extent of the evil; and, saving the man at the helm, and Mr. Sands, the purser, who was pacing up and down the quarter-deck with a look of deter mined resignation, not an individual was to be seen.

"For God's sake, Mr. Sands." I cried; " where's the fire, sir?"

"In the boatswain's store room, sir. Another hour, and there will not be a man left to tell the tale." "The boatswain's store-room!" I repeated, as the thought flashed across my mind that nothing but a thin bulkhead divided this room from the powder magazine. "The boatswain's store-room! Then no earthly exertion can save us!"

"Of course not, sir," replied Sands; and pointing forward, he directed my attention to a thin column of white smoke that now began to issue from the fore-hatchway.

Uncertain what to do, or which way to turn, I stood and gazed upon this harbinger of our destruction, as it rose slowly up behind the shelter of the booms; and then, caught by the breeze, was carried away in eddies, and dissipated on the face of the waters. The sound of the drum beating to quarters was the first thing that roused me; and in obedience to the summons, I hurried instantly to my station below.

The scene here soon became one of extreme activity. The firemen of the fore-mast guns handed in water from the main deck ports; while those of the after guns cleared the magazine, and got the gunpowder on deck; where it was stowed abaft the mizen-mast, ready to be thrown overboard, in case the fire should obtain the mastery. At the fore hatchway, where he commanded a full view of the main, and a partial one of the lower deck, stood our gallant cominander, without coat or hat; issuing orders and giving directions. Strangways took charge of the men beneath, and directed the play of the engines.

The fire now raged with fury; and at every fresh discharge of water, it sent up thick suffocating gusts of vapory smoke. The different articles in the store-room; ropes, canvas, tarpaulings, and so forth; being of a very combustible nature, gave additional impetus to the flames; and it became a matter of the utmost importance that as many of them as possible should be removed. The perilous and arduous duty of removing these was undertaken by the boatswain himself. With a rope fastened round his waist, and a hatchet in his hand, the gallant Parsons made repeated descents on this perilous mission; and was as often dragged out in a state of total exhaustion and insensibility.

I shall never forget the scene that presented itself to me as I stepped forward to the top of the hatch to deliver an order from the captain. Within the burning store-room, his figure enveloped in dense smoke, but at the same time clearly relieved against the red glare of the flame, stood the gallant Parsons; breaking open the lockers with his hatchet, and tearing down stores of all kinds from the shelves. The heavy stroke of the axe, and the crashing of the breaking boards, mixed strangely with the crackling sound of the fire, and the hissing of the water. Vigorously for a few minutes, did the noble little fellow wield his uplifted hatchet and tear asunder the boards of the lockers. Gradually, however, his stroke became feebler and more feeble; until at length, completely overcome by the scorching heat and suffocating smoke, he reeled, fell, and was dragged insensible on deck.

For two hours did we labor incessantly, but in vain. The fire was gaining so rapidly, that the stream of water from the engines very soon lost almost entirely its effect. As a last resource, therefore, the lower deck was scuttled; and water was brought in buckets, and poured, through the openings, down upon the raging element. At first this appeared to produce a good effect, as the strength of the flame was evidently subdued; and in the hope of extinguishing it entirely by one large volume of water, Strangways ordered the men to fill all their buckets, and pour their contents at the same moment through the deck.

This was accordingly done; but, to the astonishment of every one, a fresh flash of fire, accompanied by a dense volume of smoke, followed the discharge. The men for an instant stood aghast; the empty buckets in their hands. Strangways seemed uncertain how he was next to proceed; and the captain bent over the hatchway above in considerable consternation.

A slight murmur among the men succeeded this momentary pause. It seemed to refer to getting the boats in readiness; and the practised ear of the captain instantly caught its purport. He started, as if struck by lightning.

"Send the carpenter here!" he exclaimed, in a voice almost amounting to a scream; and immediately the carpenter was at his side.

“Go on deck, sir," he cried ; " render every boat unfit for sea! And now, men," he continued; "we shall sink or swim together!"

A single round of hearty cheers followed this declaration; and in a minute all were again busily occupied. Scarcely, however, had the axe been laid to the first boat on the booms, when Strangways called up the hatchway to announce that the fire was nearly extinguished. The last flash of flame and cloud of dense smoke had been the expiring struggle of the devouring element, as the great volume of water fell upon some vital part. By a little active exertion, the firemen in a few minutes succeeded in getting it entirely under; and very soon nothing remained of the conflagration but the vapory smoke which arose from the smouldering

embers.

Such of the stores as were not consumed were now got up on deck; where they were spread out and examined, in case any latent spark might still be lurking among them. All, however, being reported safe, the retreat was beat; the starboard watch set; and an universal silence speedily prevailed, which contrasted strangely with the previous bustle.

THE DRAMATIC WORKS OF SHAKSPEARE. Six Volumes. T. T. Ash and H. F. Anners. It has been elegantly observed that every new edition of the works of the immortal Shakspeare is a fresh evidence of the progress of intellectuality. The bijou instance now before us is one of the most elegant spe. cimens of typography ever presented to the public: the volumes are remarkably petite : not exceeding four inches in length and two and a half in breadth, yet they contain the whole of the thirty-six plays in the original text; and a neat likeness of the bard graces the first volume. This miniature edition forms an admirable addition to the cabinet of a lady; it is also well suited to occupy a small space in the valise of a traveller; and we cannot imagine a more acceptable present to the young.

THE CITY OF THE CZAR: OR, A VISIT TO ST. PETERSBURG IN THE WINTER OF 1829-30. By Thomas Raikes, Esq. Two Volumes. Lea and Blanchard.

We remember to have read a pertinent answer of a shrewd Yankee, located in one of the new and rapidly rising towns in the west, who, when asked the amount of the population in the place of his residence, answered, "Somewhere about five thousand when I left-but I have been away a month, and now, I dare say, it numbers some eight thousand." Russia is almost as rapidly progressing in importance; the land of the Muscovite is assuming a position amongst the nations, which causes the heads of the Holy Alliance to nod with apprehension. Within a few years, the Czar has built a vast fleet of war ships, and trained an enormously large army of well-disciplined warriors, and prepared "the appliances and means to boot" of maintaining an extensive war. The eyes of the European potentates are bent upon his motions, and sage politicians augur strange doings between the rival powers. Under such circumstances, any account of the Russian nation must prove acceptable-but it seems rather strange to publish, now, the remarks made eight or nine years ago, a lapse of considerable importance in the history of the Muscovite nation, which is daily hastening on its onward march. Russia in 1829 is not to be compared with Russia in 1838, any more than the first steamboat that ploughed the waters of the United States is to be rated as a specimen of the craft that now navigates the broad Atlantic in certain safety.

Tom Raikes, a well-known London dandy, and member of various fashionable clubs, has produced an agreeable chit-chat sort of book, but it is now considerably behind the age. The lapse of half a dozen years, in the history of Russia and America is as important as the passage of half a century in the progression of the time-worn lands whose histories tread backwards through the vista of ages-therefore Mr. Raikes' impressions are of little avail; and his descriptions apply to things as they were rather than as they are.

The style of description is easy, and, therefore pleasant, but there is a slight attempt at book-making every now and then, which destroys the general effect. There are too many common-place remarks—too many “road-book” notanda and foreign quotations, to render it a popular work—while its deficiency of material and antiquated date will prevent its being useful as a book of reference. We append a favorable specimen.

A French gentleman, who was formerly employed by his government at Constantinople, and dines frequently at the house of Dubois, told me the following instance of the manner in which justice is administered at that place, by the cadis or inferior magistrates, when debts are claimed from the natives by foreigners. It may give you some idea of Turkish law.

A manufacturer of Carcassonne arrived at Constantinople with a large investment of cloths, which, by a new process, he had rendered peculiarly fit for the Turkish market. An Armenian dealer was highly pleased with the quality, and bought the whole assortment, for which he paid the owner by his note of hand, falling due at a short term. When the period for payment arrived, the French merchant called upon his debtor with the bill, and demanded the settlement; but great was his surprise, when the other declared he had already paid it. How can that be true," said the indignant Frenchman, "when here is your own note, and I should have given it up to you, had it been duly acquitted?

"Your paper is of no consequence," replied the Armenian; "I have paid the amount and can produce my witnesses, which is of more importance than your title." In this dilemma, the unfortunate creditor saw no resource left to him but an application to the French ambassador, who, feeling the inefficacy of his own intervention, recommended the plaintiff to put his case into the hands of one of his interpreters, a man of much shrewdness, who had diligently studied the chicanery of Turkish law, and was well aware of the facilities which it offered to dishonest debtors in their transactions with a foreigner. The dragoman having prepared his measures, counselled the merchant to cite the Armenian before the judge. When all were assembled in court, the Frenchman was asked, what was the ground of his complaint? He answered, the settlement of this bill, which that man pretends to have paid.

"What do you reply to this?" said the eadi to the defendant.

"That I have already paid it."

"And why did you then neglect to retain your signature?"

I did not think it necessary."

"Have you any witnesses?"

"Yes! here they are "

Two men immediately advanced from the crowd, and bore testimony to the payment of the note, mentioning certain details to strengthen their evidence, and particularly the hour and the day when it took place. "You see," said the judge to the Frenchman; " this man owes you nothing."

The affair seemed to be decided, the discomfiture of the plaintiff was complete, when the interpreter, who had hitherto remained silent, thus addressed the judge: "We allow that this man did actually pay the note in the manner and at the time that these worthy persons have asserted; but they omit to state, or probably are not aware, that yielding to the entreaties of this Armenian, who made à merit of his punctuality in the first instance, to obtain a longer accommodation, of which he was in great, want, we returned him the money afterwards as a private loan, for which he allowed us to retain his note as a security; and to prove this, here are our witnesses."

Two other individuals then appeared, who testified broadly to the truth of this last assertion, which the dishonest Armenian, not being prepared to rebut, he was immediately condemned to satisfy the claim, to the great satisfaction of the injured plaintiff.