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merit had fo eminently raifed above his birth: fhe loved him, and gave him full accefs to her, fo far as to fuffer him to laugh and fport in her chamber on evenings.

It happened on a winter's night, Eginardus, had fomewhat too long continued his vifit: in the mean time a fnow had fallen which troubled them both; fearing he would be betrayed by his feet at length love made her do an act, very unusual for the daughter of one of the greatest men upon earth; the took the Gentleman upon her fhoulders, and carried him all the length of the court to his chamber. It fell out that Charlemaign watched at his ftudy this night, and hearing a noife, opened the window, and perceived this, at which he could not tell whether he were beft be angry, or to laugh.

The next day in a great affembly of Lords, and in the prefence of his daughter and Eginardus, he asked, what punishment that servant was worthy of, who made ufe of a King's daughter as of a mule, and caufed himfelf to be carried ont her fhoulders in the midst of winter, through fnow and all the sharpness of the feafons. Every one gave his opinion, and condemned that infolent man to death. The Princefs and Secretary changed colour, thinking nothing remained for them but to be flayed alive. But the Emperor looking on his Secretary, with a smooth brow, faid, Eginardus, hadft thou loved the Princefs my daughter, thou oughteft to have come to her father, the difpofer of her liberty thou art worthy of death; but I give thee two lives at the prefent: take thy fair portress in marriage; fear God, and love one another.

MURDER

DISCOVERED.

IN

N the year 1689, there lived in Paris, a woman of fashion, called Lady Mazel. Her house was large, and four stories high. In a fmall room partitioned off from the hall, flept the Valet de chambre, whose name was Le Brun. In the floor up

ope

one pair of ftairs was the Lady's own chamber, which was in the front of the house. The key of this chamber was ufually taken out of the door, and laid on a chair, by the fervant who was last with the Lady, who pulling the door after her, it fhut with a spring, fo that it could not be opened from without. On the second floor flept the Abbe Poulard. On the 27th of November, being Sunday, Le Brun, the Valet, attended his Lady to Church, then went to another himself, and after fupping with a friend, went home cheerful, as he had been all the afternoon.

Lady Mazel fupped with the Abbe Poulard as usual; and about eleven o'clock went to her chamber, where fhe was attended by her maids; and before they left her, Le Brun came to the door to receive his orders for the next day after which one of the maids laid the key of the chamber door on the chair next it; they then went out, and Le Brun following them, fhut the door after him.In the morning he went to market. He then went home and tranfacted his customary business. At eight o'clock he expressed great surprise that his Lady did not get up, as she usually rose at seven. He went to his wife's lodging, which was in the neighbourhood, and told her he was uneafy that his Lady's bell had not rung. He then went home again, and found the fervants in great confternation at hearing nothing of their Lady; and when one faid, he feared she had been seized with an apoplexy, Le Brun faid, It must be fomething worse: my mind mifgives me; for I found the ftreet door open laft night after all the family was in bed but myself.

A fmith being brought, the door was broke open, and Le Brun entering firft, ran to the bed, and after calling feveral times, he drew back the curtains, and faid, O my Lady is murdered! He then ran into the wardrobe, and took up the ftrong box, which being heavy, he faid, She has not been robbed; how is this?

A Surgeon then examined the body, which was covered with no less than fifty wounds. They found in the bed, which

was

was full of blood, a fcrap of a cravat, of coarfe lace, and a napkin made into a night-cap, which was bloody, and had the family mark on it; and from the wounds on the Lady's hands it appeared fhe had ftruggled hard with the murderer, which obliged him to cut the mufcles before he could difengage himself.

The key of the chamber was gone from the feat by the door; but no marks of violence appeared on any of the doors, nor were there any signs of a robbery, as a large sum of money and all the Lady's jewels were found in the strong box.

Le Brun being examined, faid, that after he left the maids on the ftairs, he went down into the kitchen; he laid his hat and the key of the ftreet door on the table, and fitting down by the fire to warm himfelf, he fell asleep; that he flept, as he. thought, about an hour, and going to lock the street door, he found it open; that he locked it, and took the key with him to his chamber.

On trying the bloody night-cap on Le Brun's head, it was found to fit him exactly, whereupon he was committed to prifon. On his trial, it seemed as if the Lady was murdered by some person who was let in by Le Brun, for that purpose. None of the locks were forced, and his own ftory of finding the street door open, were all interpreted as ftrong proofs of his guilt and that he had an accomplice was inferred, because part of the cravat found in the bed was discovered not to be like his; but the maids depofed they had washed such a cravat for one Berry, who had been a footman to the Lady, and was turned away about four months before for robbing her.

Le Brun in his behalf had nothing to oppose to those strong circumftances, but an uniform good character, which he had maintained during twenty-nine years he had ferved his Lady; and that he was generally esteemed a good hufband, a good father, and a good fervant. It was therefore refolved to put him to the torture, which was done with fuch severity on VOL. IX. Feb.uary

Te

February 23, 1690, that he died the week after of the hurts he received, declaring his innocence with his dying breath.

About a month after, notice was fent from the Provost of Sens, that a dealer in horses had lately fet up there, by the name of John Garlet; but his true name was found to be Berry, and that he had been a footman in Paris. In confequence of this he was taken up. On fearching him, a gold watch was found on him, which proved to be Lady Mazel's. Being brought to Paris, a person swore to feeing him go out of Lady Mazel's the night she was killed; and a barber fwore to fhaving him next morning. On obferving his hands very much scratched, Berry faid, he had been killing a cat.

On thefe circumftances he was condemned to be put to the torture. On being tortured, he confeffed, he and Le Brun had undertaken to rob and murder Lady Mazel; but when he was brought to the place of execution, confeffed that he came to Paris on the Wednesday before the murder was committed, and on the Friday evening he went into the house unperceived, got into one of the lofts, where he lay till Sunday morning, fubfifting on apples and bread he had in his pockets; that about eleven o'clock on Sunday morning, when he knew the Lady was gone to mafs, he ftole down to her chamber, and the door being open, got under the bed, where he continued till the afternoon, when Lady Mazel went to Church; that knowing the would not come back foon, he got from under the bed, and made a cap of a napkin which lay in a chair, and then fat down by the fire, till he heard her coach drive into the court-yard, when he again got under the bed, and remained there.

That Lady Mazel having been in bed about an hour, he got from under it, and demanded her money: that fhe began to cry out and attempted to ring, upon which he ftabbed her : and that the refifting with all her ftrength, he repeated his ftabs till she was dead.

That

That he then took the key of the wardrobe-cupboard- from the bed's head, opened this cupboard, found the key of the frong box, opened it, and took out all the gold he could find; that he then locked the cupboard and replaced the key at the bed's head, took his hat from under the bed, and left the napkin in it; took the key of the chamber out of the chair and let himself out, and finding the ftreet door only on the fingle lock, he opened it, went out and left it open.

Thus was the veil removed from this deed of darkness, and all the circumftances which condemned Le Brun, were ac counted for consistently with his innocence. From the whole ftory, the reader will perceive how fallible human reason is. And the humane will agree, that in fuch cafes, even improbabilities ought to be admitted, rather than a man should be condemned who may poffibly be innocent.

LETTER S.

LETTER

CCCXCVI.

[From Mifs. H. B. to the Rev. J. Wesley.]

Rev. Sir,

Wycombe, May 4, 1773.

Find much reason to praife God who loads me with his benefits. I find that profperity and adverfity are much the fame to me my foul being not overmuch grieved at the one; nor lifted up by the other. Death of late feems at a great distance; but in this my will is fo fwallowed up in the will of God, that I cannot chufe either life or death.

The week after Eafter I was informed that a man in this town, whose name is Charles Dean, was thought to be near death; and as he was a very wicked man, I thought I would go and fee him. Accordingly I went and spoke freely to him

concerning

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