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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 applause of that virtue, which they could not but revere even in enemies; and they regarded those ropes which they had voluntarily affumed about their necks, as enfigns of greater dignity than that of the British garter. As foon as they had reached the presence, Mauny," fays the monarch, "are these the principal inhabitants of Calais ?”— "They are," fays Mauny; "they are not only the principal men of Calais, they are principal men of France, my Lord, if virtue has any share in the act of ennobling." "Were they delivered peaceably?" fays Edward; "was there no refiftance, 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 Majefty. They are felf-delivered, felf-devoted, and come to offer up their inestimable heads as an ample equivalent for the ransom of thousands.” Edward was fecretly piqued at this reply of Sir Walter ; but he knew the privilege of a British subject, and fuppreffed his refentment. "Experience," fays he, "has ever shown, that lenity only serves to invite people to new crimes. Severity, at times, is indifpenfibly 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 just arrived with a powerful reinforcement of gallant troops. Sir Walter Mauny flew to receive her Majefty, and briefly informed her of the particulars respecting the fix victims.

As foon as the 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, my king. You think you

have sentenced fix of your prifoners to death. No, my Lord, they have sentenced 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 ftage of honour, but a stage of fhame to Edward; a reproach to his conquefts; an indelible difgrace to his name. Let us rather difappoint these haughty burghers, who wish to inveft themselves with glory at our expence. We cannot wholly deprive them of the merit of a facrifice fo nobly intended, but we may cut them fhort of their defires; in the place of that death by which their glory would be confummated, let us bury them under gifts; let us put them to confufion with applaufes. We shall thereby defeat them of that popular opinion, which never fails to attend those who fuffer in the cause of virtue." "I am convinced; you have prevailed. Be it fo," replied Edward: "Prevent the execution; have them inftantly before us." They came; when the Queen, with an afpect and accents diffufing fweetness, thus bespoke them:"Natives of France and inhabitants of Calais, you have put us to a vast expence of blood and treasure in the recovery of our just and natural inheritance: But you have acted up to the best of an erroneous judg ment; and we admire and honour in you that valour and virtue, by which we are fo long kept out of our rightful poffeffions. You noble burghers! you excellent citizens ! though you were tenfold the enemies of our person and our throne, we can feel nothing on our part, fave refpect and affection for you. You have

been fufficiently tefted. We loofe your chains; we fnatch you from the fcaffold; and we thank you for that leffon of humiliation which you teach us, when you fhow us, that excellence is not of blood, of title, or station; that virtue gives a dignity fuperior to that of kings; and that those whom the Almighty informs with fentiments like yours, are justly and eminently raised above all human diftinctions. You are now free to

depart

Yet

depart to your kinsfolk, your countrymen, to all those whofe lives and liberties you have fo nobly redeemed, provided you refufe not the tokens of our efteem. we would rather bind you to ourfelves, by every endearing obligation; and, for this purpose, we offer to you your choice of the gifts and honours which Edward has to bestow. Rivals for fame, but always friends to virtue, we with that England were intitled to call you her fons." "Ah, my country!" exclaimed Pierre, "it is now that I tremble for you. Edward only wins our cities, but Philippa conquers our hearts."

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On betraying private Conversation.

AMONGST all the beauties and excellencies of the

ancient writers, of which I profefs myself an admirer, there are none which strike me with more veneration, than the precepts they have delivered to us for our conduct in fociety. The fables of the poets, and the narrations of the hiftorians, amuse and delight us with their respective qualifications; but we feel ourfelves particularly concerned, when a moral virtue or a focial obligation is fet before us, the practice of which is our indifpenfible duty: And, perhaps, we are more ready to obferve these instructions, or at least acquiefce fooner in the propriety of them, as the authority of the teacher is unquestionable, the addrefs not particularly confined or levelled, and the cenfure confequently lefs dogmatical.

Of all the virtues which the ancients poffeffed, the zeal and fidelity of their friendships appear to me as the highest diftinctions of their characters. Private perfons, and particular affinities amongst them, have been long celebrated and admired; and if we examine their conduct as companions, we fhall find that the rites of their religion were not more facred, more ftrongly ratified, nor more feverely preserved, than their laws of fociety.

The table of friendship, and the altar of facrifice, were equally uncontaminated: The myfteries of Bacchus were enveloped with as many leaves as those of Ceres; and the profanation of either deity excluded the offender from the affemblies of men: The revealer was judged accurfed, and impiety was thought to accompany his steps.

Without inveighing against the practice of the prefent times, or comparing it with that of the past, I shall only remark, that if we cannot meet together upon the honeft principles of social beings, there is reafon to fear

that

that we are placed in the most unfortunate and lamentable æra fince the creation of mankind. It is not the increase of vices infeparable from humanity that alarms us, the riots of the licentious, or the outrages of the profligate; but it is the abfence of that integrity, the neglect of that virtue, the contempt of that honour, which, by connecting individuals, formed fociety, and without which fociety can no longer exist.

Few men are calculated for that close connection, which we diftinguifh by the appellation of friendship; and we well know the difference between a friend and an acquaintance: The acquaintance is in a post of progreffion; and, after having paffed through a course of proper experience, and given fufficient evidence of his merit, takes a new title, and ranks himself higher. He must now be confidered as in a place of confequence; in which all the ornaments of our nature are neceffary to fupport him. But the great requifites, thofe without which all others are ufelefs, are fidelity and taciturnity. He must not only be fuperior to loquacious imbecility, he must be well able to reprefs the attacks of curiofity, and to refift those powerful engines that will be employed against him, wine and refentment. Such are the powers that he must constantly exert, after a trust is repofed in him: `And that he may not overload himself, let him not add to his charge, by his own enquiries; let it be a devolved, not an acquired commiffion.

-They, who mysteries reveal,
Beneath my roof shall never live,

Shall never hoist with me the doubtful sail.

FRANCIS.

There are as few inftigations in this country to a breach of confidence, as fincerity can rejoice under. The betrayer is for ever fhut out from the ways of men, and his discoveries are deemed the effects of malice. We wifely imagine, he must be actuated by other motives than the promulgation of truth; and we receive

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