tion. Heaven has destined me to be your deliverer, de→ fender, support, and guide. Every body sleeps; now is the time; let us be gone!"

"It must not be!" said he, after a moment's silence. "Solitude has changed my ideas and my principles. Happiness is but in opinion. Now that I am inured to suffer, why should I fly from my fate? What is there for me to wish in this world? The die is thrown, and this tower must be my tomb!"

"Surely you dream," answered I. "Let us not lose time; the night is advanced: we shall presently have but a moment. Come."

"I am affected," replied he: "but cannot profit by your kindness. Liberty has no charms for my small remains of life. Shall I dishonor my son; or which way has his daughter given me offence, to whom I was never known, by whom I was never seen? This sweet innocent sleeps happily in the arms of her husband, and shall I overwhelm her with infamy? Yet might I but behold her! might I but lock her in these feeble arins, and bedew her bosom with my tears!'Tis in vain! It cannot be! I never must look upon her! Adieu! day begins to break, and we shall be surprised. I will return to my prison."

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"No," said I, stopping him; "I will not suffer it. Slavery has enfeebled your soul; I must inspire you with courage. Let us begone; we will afterwards examine whether it be proper to make the matter public. My house, my friends, my fortune, are at your service. No one shall know who you are; and, since it is necessary, Vildac's crime shall be concealed. What do you fear?"

"Nothing! I am all gratitude! Oh, no! it cannot be ! Here I will remain !"

"Well, act as you please; but if you refuse to fly with me, I will go immediately to the governor of the province, tell him who you are, and return armed with his authority and his power, to wrest you from the barbarity of an inhuman child.”

"Beware what you do! abuse not my confidence. Leave me to perish. You know me not. I am a monster! Day and the blessed sun would sicken at my sight. Infamous I am, and covered with guilt-guilt most horri

ble! Turn your eyes upon that wall; behold these boards sprinkled with blood, a father's blood murdered by his son; by me!-Ha! look! behold! do you not see him! He stretches forth his bleeding arms! he begs for pity! the vital stream flows out! he falls, he groans! Oh, horror! madness! despair!"

The miserable wretch fell convulsed with terror on the floor; and when fear and passion in part subsided, he durst not turn his guilty eyes towards me, where I stood transfixed with horror. As soon as he had the power, he approached the door :-" Farewell," said he, "be innocent, if you would be happy! The wretch who so lately moved your pity, is now become detestable to you as well as to himself: he goes unlamented to the dungeon, whence alive he never shall return!"

I had neither the power to speak or move. The castle was become a place most abominable; and I departed in the morning. I must leave the neighborhood; I cannot bear the sight of Vildac, nor the remembrance of this night.

REMARKABLE CASE OF JOHN JENNINGS, WHO WAS PUT TO DEATH ON PRESUMPTIVE EVIDENCE.

A GENTLEMAN travelling to Hull, was stopped late in the evening, about seven miles short of it, by a single highwayman, with a mask on, who robbed him of a purse containing twenty guineas. The highwayman rode off a different road, full speed, and the gentleman pursued his journey. It, however, growing late, and he being already much affrighted and agitated at what had passed, he rode only two miles farther, and stopped at the Bell Inn, kept by Mr. James Brunell. He went into the kitchen to give directions for his supper, where he related to several persons present his having been robbed; to which he added. this peculiar circumstance, that when he travelled he always gave his gold a particular mark; that every guinea in the purse he was robbed of, was so particularly marked; and that, most probably, the robber, by that means, would be

detected. Supper being ready, he retired. He had not long finished his supper, before Mr. Brunell came into the parlor. After the usual inquiries of the landlord's, of hoping the supper and every thing was of his liking, &c. &c. "Sir," says he, "I understand that you have been robbed, not far from hence, this evening." "I have, Sir." "And that your money was all marked." "It was." "A cir

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cumstance has arisen which leads me to think that I can point out the robber." "Indeed!" "Pray, Sir, what time in the evening was it?" "It was just setting in to be dark." "The time confirms my suspicions!" Mr. Brunell then informed the gentleman that he had a waiter, one John Jennings, who had of late been so very full of money at times, and so very extravagant, that he had many words with him about it, and had determined to part with him on account of his conduct being so very suspicious; that, long before dark that day, he had sent him out to change a guinea for him, and that he had only come back since he (the gentleman) was in the house, saying, he could not get change; and that Jennings being in liquor, he had sent him to bed, resolving to discharge him in the morning. That, at the time he returned him the guinea, he (Mr. Brunell) did not think it was the same which he had given him to get silver for, having perceived a mark upon this, which he was very clear was not upon the other; but that, nevertheless, he should have thought no more of the matter, as Jennings had so frequently gold of his own in his pocket, had he not afterwards heard (for he was not present when the gentleman was in his kitchen relating it) the particu lars of the robbery, and that the guineas which the highwayman had taken were all marked: that, however, a few minutes previously to his having heard this, he had unluckily paid away the guinea which Jennings returned him, to a man who lived some distance off, and was gone; but the circumstances of it struck him so very strongly, that he could not, as an honest man, refrain from giving this information.

Mr. Brunell was thanked for his attention and public spirit. There was the strongest reason for suspecting Jennings; and if, on searching him, any of the marked guineas should be found, as the gentleman could swear to them,

there would then remain no doubt. It was now agreed to go softly up to his room; Jennings was fast asleep; his pockets were searched, and from one of them was drawn forth a purse containing exactly nineteen guineas. Suspicion now became demonstration, for the gentleman declared them to be identically those which he had been robbed of! Assistance was called, Jennings was awaked, dragged out of bed, and charged with the robbery. He denied it firmly, but circumstances were too strong to gain him belief. He was secured that night, and the next day carried before a neighboring justice of the peace. The gentleman and Mr. Brunell deposed the facts on oath; and Jennings having no proofs, nothing but mere assertions of innocence to oppose them, which could not be credited, he was committed to take his trial at the next assizes.

So strong were the circumstances known to be against him, that several of his friends advised him to plead guilty on his trial, and to throw himself on the mercy of the court. This advice he rejected, and, when arraigned, pleaded not guilty. The prosecutor swore to his being robbed; but that it being nearly dark, the highwayman in a mask, and himself greatly terrified, he could not swear to the prisoner's person, though he thought him of much the same stature as the man who robbed him. To the purse and guineas, which were produced in court, he swore-as to the purse positively-and as to the guineas, to the best of his belief, and that they were found in the prisoner's pocket.

The prisoner's master, Mr. Brunell, deposed to the fact, as to the sending of the prisoner to change a guinea, and of his having brought him back a marked one in the room of one he had given him unmarked. He also gave evidence as to the finding of the purse, and the nineteen marked guineas in the prisoner's pocket. And, what consummated the proof, the man to whom Mr. Brunell paid the guinea, produced the same, and gave testimony to the having taken it that night in payment of the prisoner's master. Mr. Brunell gave evidence of his having received of the prisoner that guinea, which he afterwards paid to this last witness. And the prosecutor comparing it with the other nineteen found in the pocket of the prisoner,

swore to its being, to the best of his belief, one of the twenty guineas of which he was robbed by the highwayman.

The judge, on summing up the evidence, remarked to the jury, on all the concurring circumstances against the prisoner: and the jury, on this strong circumstantial evidence, without going out of court, brought in the prisoner guilty. Jennings was executed some little time after at Hull, repeatedly declaring his innocence to the very moment he was turned off. This happened in the year 1742. Within a twelvemonth after, lo! Brunell, Jennings' master, was himself taken up for a robbery done on a guest in his own house; and the fact being proved on his trial, he was convicted, and ordered for execution. The approach of death brought on repentance, and repentance confession. Brunell not only acknowledged the cominitting of many robberies, for some years past, but the very one for which poor Jennings suffered !

The account he gave was, that he arrived at home by a nearer way and swifter riding, sometime before the gentleman got in who had been robbed. That he found a man at home waiting, to whom he owed a little bill, and that, not having quite loose money enough in his pocket, he took out of the purse one guinea, from the twenty he had just got possession of, to make up the sum; which he paid, and the man went his way. Presently came in the robbed gentleman, who, whilst Brunell was gone into the stables, and not knowing of his arrival, told his tale, as before related in the kitchen. The gentleman had scarcely left the kitchen, before Brunell entered it; and being there informed, among other circumstances, of the marked guineas, he was thunder-struck! Having paid one of them away, and not daring to apply for it again, as the affair of the robbery and marked guinea would soon become publicly known,-detection, disgrace, and ruin, appeared inevitable. Turning in his mind every way to escape, the thought of accusing and sacrificing poor Jennings at last struck him. The rest the reader knows.