I always looked upon as a very senible fellow, till he shewed himself fool by taking part with this riiculous woman. I can't pass that, you know, my dear Sagephiz. I must call him out; but I can't very well do it till I raise a few hundreds to pay him an old loan which I had almost forgotten, because, in case the poor fellow fell, it would be a comfort to think that he could not say afterwards, I took a mean advantage in fighting him while I was in his debt."

cursed arts daily put in practice against you by the baker, the brewer, the cheesemonger, the grocer, in short, by all those who supply you with food and drink. Heaven be praised, I have found them out at last, and now I have done with them all!"

"And how do you contrive to exist?"

"Why, as every rational man who does not want to die of slow poison ought to do. I have discarded tea and coffee altogether; These words gave me a clue to I eat only captain's biscuits, which prevent the duel, and I gravely be- it is next to impossible for them to gan to descant on the badness of adulterate. Cheese, porter, pasthe times, and the utter impossi-try, sweetmeats, and a thousand bility of borrowing money, when things more, I am forced to give I was interrupted by the appear- up, because of the poisonous subance of Mr. R——, one of my old-stances which are mixed with them. est friends, who, when I saw him Veal and pork I must not eat, from last only a few weeks ago, was in the manner in which they blow the pe ject health, and remarkably ro- one and feed the other; but then b-looking, but is now as pale as I have plenty of mutton and beef." aghost, and emaciated almost to a But you cannot live upon bisskeleton. Shocked at his appear-cuit, mutton, and beef," cried I, ance, I involuntarily exclaimed, "Good Heavens! my dear friend, how ill you look!"

66

you who are so much of an epi

cure."

66

I was

Speak in the past tense, if you Not at all, not at all," cried please," said my friend: "I must he in a tremulous tone; "I am per-own, that three months ago fectly well." rather addicted to the pleasures of the table; but as soon as my eyes were opened to the state of my health-"

"But you must have been very ill to be thus dreadfully changed in your appearance."

"Why," interrupted I, " to my knowledge, at that time you were perfectly well; you looked—'

"It is very odd how every body harps upon my appearance: I tell you I am very well now, and I have not been ill, only heartily "Pshaw!" cried he, interruptfrightened at discovering that I had ing me in his turn, and in a most just escaped from being poisoned." petulant tone; " no matter how I || "Poisoned!" cried I," by what looked, or how I felt, I tell you I could not be well. I am convinced it is morally impossible for any man, however well he may appear, to be in perfect health, who par

means?"

"Why, by the same means that are used to poison you, and every body else, who is not aware of the

which the people of this metropolis term food and drink. Thank Heaven, I have done with all their poisonous stuffs: biscuit, beef, mutton, and water will satisfy me for the rest of my life."

takes of the villainous compounds vation? As to French wine being unwholesome, only ask my father about that; sure he will tell you, if it is slow poison, it must be the slowest that ever was invented, for he has swallowed from two to five bottles of it every day for the last "But why water?" said I: "sure-fifty years, and now at seventyly a glass of generous wine would five he is as hearty an old buck as be of service in sustaining you un-any in the four provinces." der the new regimen you are pursuing."

"Yes, if I could go to Spain or Portugal to drink it; but you would not have me swallow the sloe-juice which they call port in this country."

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"Indeed, and you are right enough there," said O'Brallaghan; never drink a drop of port as long as you live; stick to claret, my old boy."

"Claret!" repeated he in a dole ful tone; "oh! no: a worthy friend of mine proved the other day to a demonstration, that French wine, even if one could get it genuine, which, by the bye, is scarcely possible, is particularly pernicious to the stomach."

"Why then, if you will only listen to me," said O'Brallaghan, "I will demonstrate plainly enough, that he is a fool; for wouldn't any man in his senses rather be killed at once by slow poison, than live all the days of his life, and be murdered every moment by star

My friend's rhetoric could not convince Mr. R. and each applied to me in full confidence, that I would take his side of the question; but, as is very often the case, I offended both, by proposing a middle course. In the fervour of my desire to prevent the one from drinking himself to death, and the other from destroying his constitution, by passing abruptly to the most severe abstinence from what is termed good-living, I detained them so long, that I found, upon their departure, I should not have the time necessary to consider what advice I ought to give to my correspondents, if I inserted any of their letters in the present number. If, like other great personages, I chose to be mysterious, I might assign secret reasons of high importance for keeping their letters back; but as I scorn all disguises, I have told them truly the cause of the omission, which I shall endeavour to repair next month. S. SAGEPHIZ.

THE GENEROUS FRIENDS.
(From the Spanish).

FROM my infancy I have de- || the Turks having declared war voted myself to arms, and the Spanish nation being at war with no foreign power, I took the opportunity of going into Poland,

against that country. I presented myself to the king, and obtained a rank in the army. As I was only a younger son of a very poor Spa

of wax-candles; and I was thus confirmed in the conception I had formed of the nobility of the lady who had summoned me to her presence. But if this sight confirmed my idea that she was a lady of rank and fortune, how much more

nish family, it was necessary that || lay, and that scarcely had the I should, if possible, signalize my-night begun to advance, before I self in some engagement, by which flew to the place appointed. When I might merit the attention of the I arrived at the spot, I found there commanding officer. I succeeded an old woman, who served me as a so much to his satisfaction, that guide, and conducted me through the king promoted me, and placed a portal into a garden, and from me in a situation to continue in thence into a chamber richly furhis service with honour to myself. nished: here she left me, saying, After a long war, the successful" If you will be kind enough to termination of which is well known, wait, I will inform my mistress." I left the army, and sought the I cast my eyes round the chamber, court; and his majesty, in conse- and discovered a thousand valuable quence of the good report which and inestimable curiosities: the my officers gave of me, was pleas-room was lighted with a profusion ed to bestow a considerable pension upon me. Gratified by the generosity of the king, I lost no time in expressing my acknowledgments. I was suffered to enter into his presence on a few particular occasions, and, by my conduct, I insensibly insinuated my-was I assured of the fact, when she self into his love, and received new appeared before me with an air proofs of his generosity. truly noble, grand, and majestic! Shortly subsequent, I signalized Notwithstanding this, I was disapmyself at a tournament, and sur-pointed in my expectations. passed even my former good fortune, and the whole court applauded me for my valour and dexterity. I returned home greeted by acclamations from all sides, and there found a billet from a lady, whose conquest flattered me more than all the honour and applauses of the day. She informed me, that she earnestly desired to speak with me, and that at night-fall she would meet me at a spot which she named in the billet. The praises I had received at the tournament were almost effaced by the delight of

"Sir," she said, "after having already expressed myself enamoured of your person, it would be useless, and even impertinent, in me to dissimulate the tender sentiments which you have excited in my heart. Do not suppose, that the great applause which has been manifested at court in your behalf has alone inspired this passion; the manner in which you have this day signalized yourself, has only served to urge me with more precipitation to a declaration of my sentiments. I have been already informed of your good services, and the advantageous light in which you have been represented to me, has the more firmly determined me to follow my inclination.-But do

not flatter yourself," she added, "that in me you have made the conquest of a duchess. I am indeed no more than the widow of an officer of the guards, and the only inducement I can present to you, is the preference I give to you over one of the greatest men in the kingdom. The Prince of Radrivil loves me, and has done all in his power to commence a correspondence with me; but I do not love him, and I only allowed his addresses out of vanity"

Be

of short duration. In spite of all the precautions which the lady took to prevent the knowledge of our intimacy coming to the ears of my rival, he at length became acquainted with the fact. A discontented servant gave him the information. Naturally of a generous disposition, but fiery, jealous, and violent in his temper, he became indignant at my audacity. Anger and passion overcame his natural good sense, and governed solely by his rage, he determined to take Although I well knew by this revenge upon me in a manner the discourse, that I was dealing with most disgraceful. One night when one well acquainted with the in- I was in the house of Hortensia, trigues of love, I did not fail to he laid in wait for me at the garacknowledge the delight I felt in den-gate, accompanied by his serthis happy meeting. Madame Hor- vants armed with heavy clubs. As tensia (that being her name) was soon as I came out, they were to in the flower of youth, and I was fall upon me, and to beat me to a enchanted by her overpowering mummy with their blows. beauty. It may be attributed to not too sparing with your clubs," this, that I offered to become the said the prince; said the prince; "kill him with master of that heart which she your blows, and thus I shall obhad refused to a prince. It was tain some recompence for his insoindeed a great triumph for a ba- lent temerity." Scarcely had he chelor and a Spaniard. I threw uttered these words, when I apmyself at the feet of Hortensia, to peared; they all fell upon me, and return thanks for the high honour gave me so many blows, and dealt she had conferred upon me. I them with so much effect, that they said as much as a man impassioned left me stretched upon the ground with love could say, and I believe senseless, and dead to all appearthat I gave her satisfaction by the ance. The servants in the mean lively expressions with which I de-time retired with their master, to clared my fidelity and submission. We parted the best friends in the world, and we agreed that we should see each other when the Prince of Radrivil was unable to visit her: she promised to undertake the charge of informing me exactly of this circumstance. Thus in a moment I was made and became the Adonis to my new Venus.

But the pleasures of this life are

whom this cruel punishment had been a source of pleasure and gratification. In the morning, some persons passed me, who observing that I yet breathed, had the charity to carry me to a surgeon. By good fortune my wounds were found not to be mortal, and I was lucky enough to fall into skilful hands: in the course of less than two months I was perfectly recovered..

At the end of this time, I again || therefore to ascertain the truth of made my appearance at court, his suspicions, he called me one where I followed the same course day into his closet, and thus adas I did previous to this adven- dressed me: "Don Pompeyo, I ture, with this difference, that I have been acquainted with the mistook care not to revisit the house fortune which has befallen you, of Madame Hortensia. This lady, and I confess that I am astonished on her part, was equally desirous at your tranquillity. You certainnever to see me again, as upon this ly dissimulate?"-" Sir," I replied, stipulation she was received into "I am wholly ignorant who is my the favour of the Prince of Rad- aggressor; for I was assaulted in rivil. the night-time by masked men, who were entirely unknown to me, and I know not what method to pursue to console myself in my disgrace." -“No, no,” answered the king; "do not expect to deceive me by this false reply. I am acquainted with the whole affair. The Prince of Radrivil was the man who mortally offended you. You are courageous and a Spaniard, and I well know that these two qualifications will not suffer you to remain unrevenged. Without doubt, you have formed a resolution to revenge yourself, and I command you to inform me of the plan you have marked out to accomplish this purpose. Be assured that you will not repent having confided the secret to me."

As all were acquainted with this adventure, and no one thought me a coward, every body was astonished that I bore the insult with so much serenity and composure. They did not reflect upon the cause of my apparent insensibility. On the one hand, it was observed, that, notwithstanding my valour, the quality of the aggressor restrained me from revenging the insult. Others, with more reason, suspected my silence, and only wondered at the calm deceit which concealed my anger in such a situation. The king thought so also, and knew that I was a man very unlikely to forget an insult, which wounded deeply my honour and my character, without taking an opportunity of revenging myself. In order

(To be continued.)

PARISIAN SKETCHES.

No. IX.

AN ANECDOTE OF OUR OWN TIMES.

Les hommes d'affaires sont-ils plus dangereux qu'utiles? Qui croiroit qu'une pareille question a été résolue affirmativement par ceux-mêmes qui ne peuvent s'en passer.

IT is now about twenty-six or twenty-seven years since M. de Rosanges was obliged to leave France, and take up his abode in a foreign land. A longer residence in his native country would have endangered the life of that

worthy man, who besides, at the time of his flight, flattered himself that his voluntary exile would be but of short duration. Under these circumstances, the preparations for his departure were made with the greatest secrecy. No one