married to Monsieur des Essarts, a counsellor of parlia ment.-Causes Celebres.

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EXTRAORDINARY SLEEP-WALker.

A YOUNG gentleman going down from London to the west of England, to the house of a worthy gentleman to whom he had the honor to be related, it happened that the gentleman's house at that time was full, by reason of a kinswoman's wedding that had been lately kept there; he therefore told the young gentleman that he was very glad to see him, and that he was very welcome to him; "but." said he, "I know not what I shall do for a lodging for you, for my cousin's marriage has not left me a room free but one, and that is haunted; you shall have a very good bed, and all other accommodation." "Sir," replied the young gentleman, "you will very much oblige me in letting me be there, for I have often coveted to be in a place that was haunted." The gentleman very glad that his kinsman was so well pleased with his accommodation, ordered the chamber to be got ready, and a good fire to be made in it, it being winter. When bed time came, the young gentleman was conducted to his chamber, which, besides a good fire, was furnished with all suitable accommodations. After having recommended himself to the divine protection, he went to bed, where, having kept some time awake and finding no disturbance, he fell asleep; out of which he was awoke about 3 o'clock in the morning, by the opening of the chamber-door and the entrance of somebody with the appearance of a young lady, having a night-dress on her head, and only her night-gown on; but he had not a perfect view of her, for his candle was burnt out; and though there was a fire in the room, it gave not light enough to see her distinctly. On entering the room, this unknown visitant went directly to the chimney, and taking hold of the poker, stirred up the fire, by the flaming light of which the young gentleman was enabled distinctly to discern the appearance of a beautiful young lady-but whether she was flesh and blood, or an airy phantom, he knew not. This lovely appearance, having stood some time before the fire, as if to warm herself, at

last walked two or three times about the room, and then went to the bedside, where having stood a little while, she took up the bed-clothes and went into bed, pulling them carefully over her, and lay very quietly. The young gentleman was a little startled at his unknown bed-fellow, and, upon her approach, lay on the further side of the bed, not knowing whether he had best rise or not. At last, lying very still, he perceived his bed-fellow to breathe; by which, guessing her to be flesh and blood, he drew near to her, and taking her by the hand, found it warm, and that it was no airy phantom, but substantial flesh and blood, and finding that she had a ring on her finger, he took it off unperceived. The lady being all this while asleep, he let her lie without disturbing her. She shortly after flung off the bed-clothes again, and getting up, walked several times about the room, as she had done before; and then going to the door, opened it, went out, and shut it after her. The young gentleman perceiving by this in what manner the room was haunted, rose up and locked the door on the inside, and lay down again and slept till morning; at which time the master of the house came to him to know how he did, and whether he had seen any thing or not? He said that an apparition had appeared to him, but begged the favor that he would not urge him to explain any thing further till the whole family were together. The gentleman complied with his request, telling him that as he was well he was perfectly satisfied. The desire the whole family had to know the issue of this affair made them dress with more expedition than usual, so that there was a general assembly of the ladies and gentlemen before eleven o'clock, not one of them being willing to appear in their dishabille. When they were all got together in the great hall, the young gentleman told them he had one favor to desire of the ladies before he could proceed, which was, to know whether any of them had lost a ring? The lady from whose finger it was taken having missed it, and not knowing how she had lost it, was glad to hear of it again, and readily owned she missed a ring, but whether lost or mislaid, she knew not. The young gentleman asked her if that was it, exhibiting the ring, which she acknowledged to be her's, and with the restoration of which she seemed well pleased.

The young gentleman, turning to the master of the house, then said, "Sir, I can assure you," taking the lady by the hand, "this is the lovely spirit by which your chamber is haunted," and repeated what is above related. No words can express the confusion the young lady seemed to be in at his narration, who declared herself perfectly ignorant of all that had happened, but could not deny it because of the ring, which she perfectly well remembered she had on when she went to bed, and knew not how she had lost it. This relation gave the company a great deal of diversion; for, after all, the father declared, that since his daughter had already gone to bed with his kinsman, it should be his fault if he did not go to bed to his daughter; he being willing to bestow her upon him, and give her a good portion. This generous offer was so advantageous to the young gentleman that he could by no means refuse it; and his late bed-fellow, hearing what her father said, was easily prevailed upon to accept him for a husband.

VOLUNTARY STARVATION.

PROFESSOR HUFFLAND, in one of his Journals, gives a most extraordinary case of a tradesman, who, impelled by a succession of misfortunes, and absolutely destitute of the means of procuring food, retired to a sequestered spot in a forest, and there resolved to starve himself to death. He put this determination in force, September 15, and was found on the 3d of October (eighteen days) still living, although speechless, insensible, and reduced to the last stage of debility. A small quantity of liquid was given him, after which, he expired. By his side were found a pocketbook and pencil, with which he had contrived to keep a daily journal of his state and sufferings, and in which he had persevered till the 29th of September. He begins by giving an account of himself, and states that he was a respectable tradesman, possessing good property, of which he had been deprived by misfortune and villainy, and that he had come to the determination of starving himself to death, not so much with the view of committing suicide, as

because he was unable to procure work; that he had in vain offered himself as a soldier; and was too proud to apply to unfeeling relations. This note is dated on the 10th, which day he had employed in constructing a little hut of bushes and leaves. On the 17th, he complains of suffering much from cold, and in his journal of the 18th, he mentions having suffered from intolerable thirst, to appease which, he had licked the dew from the surrounding vegetables. On the 20th, he found a small piece of coin, and with great difficulty reached an inn, where he purchased a bottle of beer. The beer failed, however, to quench his thirst, and his strength was so reduced, that he took three hours to accomplish the distance, about two miles. On the 22d, he discovered a spring of water, but, though tormented with thirst, the agony which the cold water produced on his stomach excited vomiting and convulsions. The 23d made ten days since he had taken any food but beer and a little water. During that time he had not slept at all. On the 26th, he complains of his feet being dead, and of being distracted by thirst; he was too weak to crawl to the spring, and yet dreadfully susceptible of suffering. The 29th of September was the last day on which he made any memorandum.

THE FORCE OF CONSCIENCE.

A JEWELLER, a man of good character and of consider able wealth, in France, having occasion in the way of bu siness, to travel some distance from the place of his abode, took along with him a servant, in order to take care of his portmanteau. He had along with him some of his best jewels, and a large sum of money, to which his servant was likewise privy. The master having occasion to dismount on the road, the servant watched his opportunity, took a pistol from his master's saddle, and shot him dead on the spot; then rifling him of his jewels and money, and hanging a large stone to his neck, he threw him into the nearest canal. With this booty he made off to a distant part of the country, where he had reason to believe that

neither he nor his master were known. There he began to trade in a low way at first, that his obscurity might screen him from observation; and, in the course of a good many years seemed to rise by the natural progress of business, into wealth and consideration: so that his good fortune appeared at once the effect and reward of his industry and virtue. Of these he counterfeited the appearance so well, that he grew in great credit, and married into a good family, and by laying out his hidden stores discreetly as he saw occasion, and joining to all a universal affability, he was admitted to a share of the government of the town, and rose from one post to another, till at length he was chosen chief magistrate.

In this office he maintained a fair character, and continued to fill it with no small applause, both as a governor and a judge, till one day, as he sat on the bench with some of his brethren, a criminal was brought before them who was accused of having murdered his master. The evidence came out full, the jury brought in their verdict that the prisoner was guilty, and the whole assembly awaited the sentence of the president of the court (which he happened to be that day,) with great suspense. Meanwhile he appeared to be in an unusual disorder and agitation of mind his color changed often; at length he arose from his seat, and coming down from the bench, placed himself by the unfortunate man at the bar, to the no small astonishment of all present. "You see before you," said he, addressing himself to those who had sat on the bench with him, "a striking instance of the just awards of heaven, which this day, after thirty years' concealment, presents to you a true picture of the man just now found guilty." Then he made an ample contession of his guilt, and of all its aggravations, particularly the ingratitude of it to a master who had raised him from the very dust, and reposed a peculiar confidence in him; and told them in what manner he had hitherto screened himself from public justice, and how he had escaped the observations of mankind by the specious mask he had worn.

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"But now," added he, "no sooner did this unhappy prisoner appear before us, charged with the same crime 1 was conscious of myself, than the cruel circumstances of