t.

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CHAPTER XXXIX.

TRIBUTE OF AFFECTION. (1)

Y heart ftops me to drop the tear of fenfibility, thou great, thou venerable Patriot, Hero, Sage, due to the Majefty of thy departed greatnefs! Retire! the world, and all its vanities, fhut out!-I venerate the character of him, whofe life was glorious in the caufe of virtue, humanity, and his God!

2. Great, Immortal WASHINGTON! Too soon for min, haft thou afcended to glory! Humanity mourns! virtue rejoices in thy worth! Angels fhout, Welcome! great Hero, to thy home!" Thy benevolence embraced mankind thy fervices bleffed the world. Too good for earth, to heaven art fled, and left the world in tears!

d;

3. Weep, generous Nations! weep the sad, the fwift remove of him, whom heaven, indulgent, fent to man: resalied from earth, adorned with bright religion's gems Thou favorite Child of heaven! ftripped of thy mortal form, clad in thy native divinity, haft thou afcended to heaven, there to enjoy the prefence of thy God!

4. Comé, Patriots, Statesmen, Citizens, come! drop the honest tear of fenfibility on the tomb of him whole virtues fhall survive the marble monuments of fame! whofe glories fhalt be revered as long as goodnefs itself fhall be beloved, and innocence and worth by heaven approved!

CHAPTER XL.

LECTURES ON THE HEAD OF A COMICAL FELLOW.

"H

ERE's a head full charged with fun, (fhews the head) a comical half foolish face, what a great many people upon the ftage can put on, and what a great many people, not upon the ftage, can't put off. This man always laughed at what he faid himselt, and he imagined a man of wit muft always be upon the broad grin; and

(1) See Rule V¿ page 17.

whenever he was in company he was always teazing fome one to be merry, faying, Now you Muster what do you call'em? do now say something to make us all laugh; come do now be comical a little.

2. But if there is no other perfon will fpeak, he will threaten to tell you a flory to make you die with laughing, and he will affure you it is the most befteft and the most comicaleft flory that ever you heard all your born days; and he always interlards his narration with, so as i was a faying, fays I, and so as he was a faying, says he; so says be to me, and I to him, and he to me again,-did you ever hear any thing more comical in all your born days? But after he had concluded his narration, not finding any perfon even to smile at what he faid, ftruck with the disappointment, he puts on a fad face himself, and looking round upon the company, he says, it was a good flory when I heard it too; why then, fo, and fo, and so, that's all, that's all, gentle

-men.

CHAPTER XLI.

STORY OF THE SIEGE OF CALAIŞ.

3.E fiege to Calais. He had fortified his camp in fo im

pregnable a manner, that all the efforts of France proved ineffectual to raise the fiege, or throw fuccours into the city. The citizens under count Vienne, their gallant governor, made an admirable defence. France had now put the fickle into her second harveft, fince Edward, with his vie torious army, fat down before the town. The eyes of all Europe were intent on the iffue. At length, famine did more for Edward than arms. After fuffering unheard of calamities, they refolved to attempt the enemy's camp. They boldly fallied forth; the English joined battle; and after a long and defperate engagement, count Vienne was taken prisoner, and the citizens who survived the slaughter, retired within their gates.

2. The command devolving upon Euftace St. Pierre, a man of mean birth, but of exalted virtue, he offered to capitulate with Edward, provided he permitted him to

depart with life and liberty. Edward, to avoid the imputation of cruelty, consented to fpare the bulk of the Plebeians, provided they delivered up to him fix of their principal citizens, with halters about their necks, as victims of due atonement for that fpirit of rebellion with which they had inflamed the vulgar. When his meffenger, Sir Walter Mauny, delivered the terms, confternation and pale difmay were impreffed on every countenance. long and dead filence, deep fighs and groans fucceeded, till Euftace St. Pierre, getting up to a little eminence, thus addreffed the assembly.

To a

3. "My friends, we are brought to great ftraits this day, we must either yield to the terms of our cruel and enfnaring conqueror, or give up our tender infants, our wives and daughters, to the bloody and brutal lufts of the violating foldiers. Is there any expedient left whereby we may avoid the guilt and infamy of delivering up those who have fuffered every mifery with you, on the one hand; or the defolation and horror of a facked city, on the other? There is, my friends; there is one expedient left; a gracious, an excellent, a godlike expedient! Is there any here to whom virtue is dearer than life? Let him offer himself an oblation for the fafety of his people! He shall not fail of a blessed approbation from that Pow er, who offered up his only Son for the falvation of man. kind."

4. He fpoke-but an univerfal filence enfued. Each man looked around for the example of that virtue and magnanimity, which all wished to approve in themselves, though they wanted the resolution. At length St Pierre refumed, "I doubt not but there are many as ready, nay more zealous of this martyrdom than I can be; though the station to which I am raifed, by the captivity of Lord Vienne, imparts a right to be the first in giving my life for your fakes. I give it freely; I give it cheerfully. Who comes next?" "Your fon," exclaimed a youth, not yet come to maturity. "Ah, my child !" cried St. Pierre,

I am then twice facrificed. But, no; I have rather begotten thee a fecond time. Thy years are few, but full, my fon. The victim of virtue has reached the utmoft purpose and goal of mortality. Who next, my friends!

This is the hour of heroes." "Your kinsman," cried John de Aire. "Your kinsman,” cried James Wissant.” "Your kinfman," cried Peter Wiffant.

5. "Ah!' exclaimed Sir Walter Mauny, bursting into tears, "Why was I not a citizen of Calais ?" the sixth victim was ftill wanting, but was quickly supplied by lot, from numbers who were now emulous of fo enobling an example. The keys of the city were then delivered to Sir Walter. He took the fix pifoners into his cuftody; then ordered the gates to be opened, and gave charge to his attendants to conduct the remaining citizens with their families, through the camp of the English. Before they departed, however, they defired permiffion to take their adieu of their deliverers. What a parting! What a fcene! They crowded, with their wives, and children, about St. Pierre and his fellow prifoners. They embraced; they clung around; they fell proftrate before them. They groaned; they wept aloud; and the joint clamor of their mourning paffed the gates of the city, and was heard throughout the English camp. The English by this time were apprized of what paffed within Calais. They heard the voice of lamentation, and they were touched with compaffion. Each of the foldiers prepared a portion of his own victuals to welcome and entertain the half-famished inhabitants; and they loaded them with as much as their prefent weakness was able to bear, in order to fupply them with sustenance by the way.

I.

"A

CHAPTER XLII.

THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED.

T length St. Pierre and his fellow victims appear. ed under the conduct of fir Walter and a guard. All the tents of the English were inftantly emptied. The foldiers poured from all parts, and arranged themfelves on each fide, to behold, to contemplate, to admire, this little band of patriots as they paffed. They bowed down to them on all fides. They murmured their applaufe of bat virtue, which they could not but revere, even in ene

mies; and they regarded thofe ropes which they volun tarily affumed about their necks, as enfigns of greater dignity than that of the British gatter.

2. As foon as they had reached the prefence, "Mauny," fays the Monarch, "are thefe the principal inhab>itants of Calais ?" "They are," fays Mauny; "they are not only the principal men of Calais, but they are the principal men of France, my Lord, if virtue has any fhare in the act of ennob.ing." Were they delivered peaceably," fays Edward? Was there no reliftance, no commotion among the people?" "Not in the leaft, my Lord; the people would all have perished, rather than have delivered the least of these to your Majesty. They are felf-deliver. ed, felf devoted, and come to offer up their inestimable heads, as an ample equivalent for the ranfom of thou. #fands."

3. Edward was fecretly piqued at this reply of fr Waiter; but he knew the priviledge of a British fubject, and suppreffed his refentment. Experience," fays he,

has ever hown, that lenity only ferves to invite people to new crimes. Severity, at times, is indifpenfably neceffary, to compel fubjects to fubmiffion, by punishment and example. "Go," he cried to an officer, "lead these men to execution." At this inftant a found of triumph was heard throughout the camp. The Queen had juft arrived with a powerful reinforcement of gallant troops. Sir Walter Mauny flew to receive her Majefty, and briefly informed her of the particulars refpecting the fix

avictims.

4. As foon as he had been welcomed by Edward and his court, the defired a private audience. My Lord,' faid he, the question I am to enter upon, is not touching the lives of a few mechanics-it refpects the honour of the English nation.; it refpects the glory of my Edward, my husband, and my king. You think you have fentenced fix of your enemies to death. No, my Lord, they have fentenced themselves; and their execution would be the execution of their own orders, not the orders of Edward. The ftage on which they would fuffer, would be to them a stage of honour, but a stage of fhame to Edward; a reproach on his conquests; an indelible difgrace to his name."