husband could adminifter, procured her no eafe: therefore, faid the," the next time he is fent for into the country, I'll feign myself ill of those fits, and fend for you to bring with you fome relick for my relief-I fuppofe, father, you'll not refufe my fummons, and my confidant maid fhall conduct you to my chamber."--Girard applauded her wit, embraced her with fome rapture, and then they parted. Dr. Bernard, who apprehended no ill confequence from h's wife's religious zeal, was fent for next morning, (very opportunely for our lovers,) to a country patient. Scarce was he gone, but Agatha was feized with one of her quondam fits, and in the midst of her attendants, called frequently for fome hoJy relick-fome holy relick of Thomas a Becket. The confidant maid, who "was intrusted with the whole affair, preffed fome one to fetch fome of that faint's relicks from the next convent, and that father Girard, famous for his fanctity, should bring it. They obeyed, told father Girard of the accident, and he, like a holy and pious man, chearfully hafted away with the utmost expedition. Girard arrived, and entered the room where the afflicted lady lay, and with a becoming gravity and well acted fanctimony, approached the bed-fide. Agatha prayed for help from Thomas a Becket. Girard promifed his own af fistance, and that of the faint also; but faid it was neceffary before the relick could have the defired effect, the fhould make her confeffion.-This made every one depart the room, and left our religious lovers to their private ejaculations. The pious father had not long applied the thered relick of Thomas a Becket, before Dr. Bernard, unfortunately returning, was heard coming up stairs. The ghoftly father leaped from the bed, hurried on his gown, &c. but unhappily forgot his breeches, which lay as a ufelefs garment at the bed's-head. The confidant at the stairs head bawled out her thanks to heaven that her lady was recovered: Dr. Bernard entered the room, and began to frown to fee a priest had found the way into his house, and began to fufpect something from his wife's fudden illness-Agatha, with a chearful fmile, and with religious thanks to heaven, told her husband of her dangerous fit, and her miraculous recovery by Thomas a Becket's relick.-The good doctor, deceived by the sham innocence of Agatha, began to correct his jealous thoughts; and father Girard, after fome pious advice, and a few fcriptural texts, wifely withdrew. Father Girard had not gone far before he recovered from his fright; and at his recovery, miffed his breeches : this put him in another full as bad: what could he do? he dared not go back; but on confideration, hoped for the best, that Agatha and the maid would convey them fecretly away, In the mean time, the careful uxorious monfieur Bernard was rejoicing at his wife's recovery, and saying a thousand things to her. In the midst of his fondling, he flung himself on the bed by her, and putting his hand back to take her in his arms, run his arm into the breeches. Surprised at the greasy trow. fers, the known appurtenance of the prieft, he fell into a worse fit than that his wife would have made him believe the had been in. He formed! he swore! he raved! - Amidft this distraction, A. gatha, with a ready wit, and an innocent face, the peculiar attributes of a woman, replied, without the least hefitation, that it was those breeches which had faved her life" 'Tis to them, fays he, that I owe my cure.-O thou miraculous veftment of the divine Thomas a Becket, which has thed a pleafing influence on thy adorer; still may eft thou be the aid of weak woman. -Thefe, adds the, the holy father left with me, to strengthen me, and prevent the return of my fit; in the evening he is to come for them." The readiness of this excuse, and the well-feigned religion of his wife, either deluded honest monsieur Bernard; or elfe, not knowing how to act, he seemed to believe her, and fo it paffed off. Agatha's Agatha's confidant, in the evening, was fent to tell father Girard her mittrefs was entirely recovered, and therefore he fhould come to fetch away the facred relicks: the added to this commiffion, and acquainted her mittrefs's confeffor of all that had paffed. Father Girard knew not how to act, but preffed by the neceffity of the thing, he went to the warden of the convent, the perfon who prefided over them, and was to punish their irregularity of manners, and açquainted him with the whole affair. The warden reproved him for his negligence; for, fays he, Si non cafte, tamen caute; if not chaftely, yet cautioully," is the maxim of our convent: however, fome expedient must be found out to fave the reputation of the order.-Af. ter fome paufes, he ordered the chapelbell to ring, and convened all the brothers of the convent. When they were affembled, he told them of a miracle wrought by the power of Thomas a Becket's breeches, in the houfe of Dr. Bernard; acquainted them with the particulars, and advised to fetch them back to the convent in foleinn proceffion. The whole convent immediately marched out in great order to Dr. Bernard's houfe. The doctor met them at his ftrect-door, and defired to know the meaning of so solemn a visit. The warden, who was at the head of them, answered, they were obliged, by the rules of their order, to fend their relicks to diltreffed people, who defired them, in a private manner, and to fetch them back in a private manner, if through the heinous fins of the perfon, the relick had no effect: but where there was a manifeft miracle, they were to bring them home again with folemnity, and to record the whole in the archives of the convent. Dr. Bernard conducted the warden and father Girard np to his wife's bedchamber. The good lady held out the breeches wrapped up in a clean napkin, which the warden opened, and kiffed the facred relick with a perfonal reverence; then going down, each brother paffed by in their turns, and paid P ETER III. was at Oranienbaum, attended with a fplendid court; the Emprefs was at Peterhoff with a (mall retinue. Prince George of Holftein, the Emperor's uncle, was returned to Peterburgh, with his family, to give fome orders relative to the Emperor's approaching voyage into Germany. The whole city of Peterburgh enjoyed that profound tranquillity, and was wrapped in that filence and repofe, that often precedes great revolutions. All of a fudden the form arofe, and fpread univerfal terror among all ranks and orders. In the midst of this confufion the Empress appeared escorted by a company of guards, who cried conti nually, Long live the Empress Catbar rine! while the brutal multitude, joined in the cry, without knowing or en quiring what it meant. Prince George of Holftein hearing the noife, observ ing the canons placed before the Im perial palace, and feeing all things in confufion, mounted his horfe in order to join the Emperor at Oranienbaum, attended by a single huffar. He was ftopped by a troop of the horse-guards; one of these barbarians pulled him off his horfe, and another had his pistol cocked to shoot him through the head, had not a third, more humane prevented it. He was brought in a wretched carriage carriage to the gate of the palace, where an order was to conduct him to his houfe, and to keep him prifoner there with his whole family. At his return home, he found his houfe plundered, his children robbed and stripped almost naked, and his officers and fervants fhut up in a cellar. In the mean time all the other regiments, with the clergy and colleges, were affembled in the palace by an order from the Emprefs. Astonishment, terror, difcontent, dejection, and malice, were painted in their faces; a manifefto was drawn up to exhort the people to thank heaven for having inspired them with perjury and treafon, and the oaths were taken to Catharine, who, the fame evening, marched with her guards and a train of artillery, to feize the perfon of the Emperor, and difarm his German troops. This prince had paffed the night very quietly at Oranienbaum, and the next morning went to Peterhoff, with an intention to dine with the Emprèís; fome fay, with a defign to fecure her perfon and this is not improbable. Surpifed not to find the Emprefs there, he gueffed at the mystery, tho' all poffible precautions had been taken to cut off all intelligence from him. His first refolution was to oppofe force to force, and to defend himself with his German troops; but by old Munich's advice he repaired to Conftad, where the fleet lay. Here he was told by an officer, that there was no Emperor in Ruffia, and that the reins of government were in the hands of Catharine. It was unluckily but about half an hour before his arrival, that the officer had received orders from the Empress to make the whole garrifon take the oath of allegiance to her alone. The Emperor returned to Oranienbaum, and tho' he had with him 300 huffars and dragoons well mounted, and ready to spend the last drop of their blood in his fervice, though the road to Livonia was open, and a formidable army, in which he could confide, was ready to receive him in Germany, though his retinue was more than fufficient to triumph over all the obstacles he could meet with in his way, yet he furrendered himself to the Emprefs in a manner more humbling and painful to a generous mind, than death itself in its worft form: for nothing can be more inglorious than the abdication of the throne, which he was forced to fign when he fell into the hands of his amiable confort, an abdication which prudence ought to have hindered his enemies to publifh. After this, he was brought to Peterhoff, where he was feparated from his favourite Hudowitz, and his mistress, the countess Woronzof, and was fent from thence to Robfch, an old castle about 18 miles from Petersburgh, where none, even of his menial fervants, were permitted to follow him. As foon as the news of the Emperor's imprisonment reached Peterfburgh, and the people had time to return from their intoxication, repentance, fhame, and difcontent, difcovered themselves in many who had been concerned in this revolution. guards, more particularly, were afhamed of their perfidy, accufed each other of treason, and only wanted a bold leader to fet Peter at liberty, and to restore him to his throne. The Our author mentions no more of the circumftances of the death of this prince than the dreadful cries that were heard from his chamber the day he expired, which intimated the most violent torment. His funeral pomp was such as would rather have fuited an infamous malefactor, than the grandson of Peter the Great, whofe only crime was a want of prudence on certain occafions. A regimental-coat, and four wax-candles, composed the whole of his funeral ftate. Strangers were invited to fee the traitor, as fome of his barbarous and ungrateful subjects, affected to call him; and his body was placed, by four domeftics of the court, in a vault between thofe of the unfortunate princesses, Anne and her daughter. The voice of fame attributes the fudden, painful, and violent death of this unfortunate monarch, to the orders of a certain princess, whom our author de fends fends very weakly, and perhaps not very fincerely, against this horrid charge. He attributes, indeed, this deteftable crime to those who had been employed in dethroning him, and who must naturally have dreaded the effects of his just refentment, had he lived and been lucky enough to have made his peace with the Empress. bably a little nettled, called out," Ben, you have made good use of L'Estrange's translation to-day." "No, Tom, replied Hoadley, I have it not; and I forgot to fend the bed-maker to borrow your's, which I am told, is the only one in college." So early did the emulation between these two great men commence. This circumstance was well remembered by a most worthy country XXXXXXXX{XXXXX clergyman, deceased a few years ago, From the ROYAL MAGAZINE. W Anecdote of Cafimir II. King of Poland. HILE Cafimir was prince of Sandomir, he won at play all the money of one of his nobility, who, incenfed at his ill fortune, ftruck the prince a blow on the ear, in the heat of paffion. He fled immediately from justice; but being pursued and overtaken, was conde:nned to lofe his head; but the generous Cafimir determined otherwife." I am not surprised, faid he, at the gentleman's conduct; for not having it in his power to revenge himfelf on fortune, no wonder he should attack her favourite." After which he revoked the fentence, returned the nobleman his money, and declared that he alone was faulty, as he encouraged by his example a pernicious practice, that might terminate in the sun of hundreds of the people. who was of the fame college, and the fame standing with thefe illuftrious pre lates, and hath often told the story to the writer of this anecdote. 凍凍凍凍凍凍 From the ROYAL MAGAZINE. Conjectures on the Duke of York's arri val in England. T HE fudden and unexpected ar rival of his Royal Highness the ral knots of our coffee-houfe politicians Duke of York, has furnished the fevewith much matter for speculation. for a war, or to dread it, feem to consider Those who have either reason to with it as a certain prognoftic of a speedy rup ture. thrown out, of our not being afraid of Others confider it as a fignal be a menace to create awe in the French a new war, and therefore imagine it to and Spaniards; for, fay they, the best way to preserve peace, is to let our neighbours fee we are not afraid of going to war; while a third fort of pryers into motives, attribute it to another caufe, which is, that of not giving a royal fanction to the fashionable pernicious phrenzy of reforting to Paris. Which of thefe opinions is most right, or leaft wrong, it is not my province to decide; as all I can fay for a certainty is, that the people in general are rejoiced to fee his Royal Highness returned in health and safety, to whom he has ever endeared himfelt greatly by his amiable qualities. It however must be owned, that the fecond affigned motive is founded in a 1 kind of policy, as truly wife as it is really ancient for not to difcover a fear of war, is the best means to preferve peace. But then it follows to be confidered, how far the found of words, without the fight of means, will prove effectual for that purpose, as one of competent ftrength will not regard the blusterings of a puny bully, though he would fear the threats of a stout man. The strongest grounds we have for believing the peace is fecure, are to be found in the plea frequently urged, that the French are in no better a condition for war than ourselves. It must be acknowledged, this argument appears to have weight; but then it remains to be confidered, if they have not resources for retrieval of the powers of offence that can operate much fafter than those we are poffeffed of. . France has certainly a much larger number of fubjects than Great Britain, her recruits of men must therefore be much quicker; and as her government is invested with a more unlimited power over the property of the people, the has therein the means of much fafter reftoring her finances to good order: and when the is provided with men and mo ney for going to war, all part exi ence fhould ferve to convince us, that the will not neglect any opportunity for doing it on any appearance of advantage. What Carthage and Rome were of old, Great Britain and France are at this time; natural jealous rivals, and implacable enemies. Hoftilities are never any more ceafed between the latter than they were between the former, but on the view of renewing them on the firit favourable occafion and as thofe two rival ancient nations could never reft, from rooted enmity, till one was effectually conquered; fo it will prove with thefe modern ones, as may rationally be judged from the moft evident appearances. When Carthage, as a trading and maritime nation, loft the fuperiority at fea, he became fpeedily ruined: when Great Britain does the fante, her de ftruction will approach faft; that an- ' cient example is therefore her beft leffor of true policy. On her refources of naval ftrength her fureft powers of offence and defence moft depend. The ocean is her proper element for contention; and her only means for effectually maintaining it, muft be the good order in which she takes care to keep her finances. Perhaps the greatest defect of the late peace is discoverable in the naval refources that it left to France; and the greatest error that followed thereon, was certainly that of neglecting the important operations in the department of finances, for reducing the national debt; effectual means for which were not, nor are yet wanting, if abilities and integrity were exerted for applying them but our enemies will study to prevent it, as the furelt game of policy in their power to play. to Eliz. Woodville. dutchess of Bedford, had, after her husband's death, fo far: facrificed her ambition to love, that the married Sir Richard Woodville, a private gentle. man, afterwards honoured with the title of lord Rivers, to whom the bore several children, and among the reft, Elizabeth, who was no lefs diftinguished by the beauty and elegance of her perfon, than the amiable difpofitions of her mind. JAQUELINE of Luxembourg, Elizabeth had efpoused Sir John Grey of Groby, by whom he had children; and her husband being flain in the fe cond battle of St. Albans, fighting for the family of Lancaster, and his estate being on that account confifcated, the young widow withdrew to her father's feat of Grafton in Northamptonshire, where flie lived for fome time in privacy and retirement. Edward chancing to hunt in that county, went to pay a visit to the dutch ess |