Some time after this, Voltaire being in London, happened to be at a Nobleman's route with Lord Chesterfield. A lady in company, prodigiously painted, directed her whole difcourfe to Voltaire, and entirely engroffed his converfation. Chefterfield came up, and tapped him on the shoulder, faying, "Sir," take care you are not captivated." My Lord," replied the French wit, "I fcorn to be taken by an English bottom under French colours."

A

REMARKABLE ANECDOTE

RELATING TO

CAMILLA DE TURINGE,

AN ITALIAN LADY.

AMILLA DE TURINGE, a rich and hand

CAM

fome lady of Meffina, deferves to be placed in the rank of illuftrious women. Roland, natu ral brother of Don Pedro, King of Sicily, to whom he had given the command of a fleet to oppose the enterprises of Robert, King of Naples, was defeated at fea, and made prisoner. For want

of

of power, or out of refentment, the King of Sicily did not redeem his brother, whofe ranfom amounted to twelve thousand florins. The handfome Meffinian offered the fum to Roland, on condition that he should efpoufe her. Seeing no other means of escaping from his captivity, he willingly promifed to marry his benefactress, as foon as he arrived at Meffina.

By the payment of the twelve thousand florins, which he immediately received, Roland obtained his liberty, fet fail, arrived, and thought but little of performing his promise, alledging the extreme difparity of their conditions. Camilla, who was determined to have justice, produced the promise figned by himself. The magiftrates, struck at the uneafinefs of the King, and fearing to lose his *confidence, judged with rigour, and condemned Roland to keep his promife. Several of the Lords exhorted, encouraged, and accompanied him to Camilla, whofe houfe was fet out with the utmoft magnificence, and who was dreffed herself in the richest manner. Roland entreated her to forget the injurious resistance he had made, and declared that he was ready. "Stop," replied Camilla, "I am fatisfied: I wished for a husband of royal blood, but you degraded yourfelf from your rank the moment you falfified your

word,

word, and I have fworn never to be your's. I have profecuted you in a court of juftice only to load you with dishonour.-Adieu; offer to fome other female your dishonourable hand; I free you from your promife: keep the price of your ransom, I make you a present of it." Then leaving Roland dumb, and overwhelmed with confufion, she made her way through the astonished crowd, and retired to a convent, on which fhe bestowed the remainder of her fortune.

ANECDOTE

OF THE

FAMOUS NED SHUTER,

THE COMEDIAN.

T is well known that this celebrated Come

Idian, in the very early part of his life, was

tapfter at a public-house in the neighbourhood of Covent-Garden. A gentleman one day ordered him to call a hackney coach, which he accordingly did, and attended the gentleman at his getting in. It fo happened that the gentleman left his gold-headed cane in the coach, and miffing it the next morning, went immediately to the public-house, to enquire of the boy Ned (who D

called

called the coach), whether he could tell the num- · ber. Shuter, who was then no great adept in figures, except in his own way of scoring up a reckoning, immediately replied," It was two pots of porter, a fhillingfworth of punch, and a paper of tobacco." The gentleman upon this was as much at a lofs as ever, till Ned whipped out his chalk, and thus fcored the reckoning-4 4. for two pots of porter, O for a fhillingsworth of punch, and a line across the two pots of porter, for a paper of tobacco, which formed the number 440. The gentleman in confequence recovered his cane; and thinking it a pity fuch acutenefs of genius should be buried in an alehouse, took him away, and put him to school, and thereby enabled him to fhine as the firft comedian of his time !

ANECDOTE

K

OF

KING ΡΕΡΙΝ.

ING PEPIN of France, who flourished in the year 750, was furnamed the Short, from his low ftature, which fome courtiers used

to

to make a subject of ridicule. These freedoms reaching his ears, he determined to establish his authority by fome extraordinary feat; and an opportunity foon presented itself.

In an entertainment which he gave of a fight between a bull and a lion, the latter had got his antagonist under; when Pepin, turning towards his nobility faid, Which of you will dare to go, and part or kill those furious beafts?" The bare proposal set them a fhuddering; nobody made anfwer. "Then I'll be the man," replied the monarch. Upon which, drawing his fabre, he leapt down into the arena, made up to the lion, killed him—and, without delay, discharged fuch a ftroke on the bull, as left his head hanging by the upper part of its neck.

The courtiers

courage and

were equally amazed at fuch ftrength; and the King, with an heroic loftiness, faid to them, "David was a little man; yet he laid low the infolent giant, who had dared to defnif him"