less than that further consummation they heard of, under the teeth of the Thafurs.

"Mercy towards the Turks was considered, by the contemporary clergy, to whom we owe all accounts of the crusades, as so great a weakness, that perhaps fewer instances of it are on record than really took place; for we seldom find any mention of clemency to an infidel, without blame being attached to it. Thus, the promise of Tancred to save the Turks on the roof of the Temple, is highly censured, as well as the act of the Count of Toulouse, in granting their lives to some 500 wretches who had taken refuge in the tower of David.

"One deed of this kind is told of Baldwin I., more as in its consequences it saved the king's person, than as any thing praiseworthy in itself. Passing along one day on horseback, after his troops had been employed in wasting the country, Baldwin is said to have met with an Arabian woman, who had been taken in labour by the way. He covered her with his own cloak, ordered her to be protected by his attendants, and having left her with two skins of water, and two female camels, he pursued his march. The chances of the desultory warfare of those times soon brought back her husband to the spot, and his gratitude was the more ardent, as the benefit he had received was unusual and unexpected. After the fatal day of Ramula, while Baldwin, with but fifty companions, besieged in the ill-fortified castle of that place, was dreaming of nothing but how to sell his life dearly, a single Arab approached the gates in the dead of the night, and demanded to speak with the king. He was, in consequence, brought to Baldwin's presence, where he recalled to his mind the kindness once shown to the Arab woman, his wife; and then offered to lead him safely through the lines of the enemy. The fate of Palestine at that moment hung upon Baldwin's life, and, trusting himself in the hands of the Arab, he was faithfully conducted to his own camp, where he appeared,' says William of Tyre, like the morning star breaking through the clouds.'

"Superstition, which, in that age, was at its height in Europe, was, of course, not unknown in Palestine; and all sorts of visions were seen. Battles, according to the Monkish accounts, were won by relics and prayers, more than by swords and lances. A part of the Holy Cross was said to be found in Jerusalem, a thousand more martyrs were dug up than ever were buried, and we find one of the bishops, ferens in pyride lac Sanctæ Mariæ Virginis. Ghosts of saints, too, were seen on every occasion, and the Devil himself, in more than one instance, appeared to the crusaders, tempting them, with consummate art, to all kinds of crimes. The evil spirit, however, often-indeed generally-found himself cheated by his victims in the end, who, by repentance, gifts to the church, and fanatical observances, easily found means to swear the seal from off their bond.'"

We are glad that a man of so well-cultivated a mind, and of information so extensive, should have taken up his residence among us; and we trust that, whether he reverts to the more flowery paths of imaginative literature, or continues his researches in the graver walk of history, he will have no cause to regret his intercourse with the fervid spirits and warm hearts of this our northern land.

Memorabilia Curliana Mabenensia. Edinburgh: Henry Constable. Dumfries: John Sinclair. 8vo. Pp. 111. 1831.

(Unpublished.)

We open this book with a feeling of the most profound melancholy. January has not yet elapsed; but that moist open weather, more beloved by huntsmen than by curlers, has set in, apparently with a dogged resolution of remaining. We peruse the records of curling with much the same emotion that we should devour the biography of a lately lost, and warmly beloved friend. The ice is gone we saw the last of it,-attenuated as in a consumption, honeycombed like an old cannon,-on Mon. day. The ice is gone; and May with her flowers and merry songs; June and July with their cool trouting streams, o'erhung with green wood; Autumn with her red-lipped fruitage,"

66

"Blushing through the mist and dew,"

must intervene ere 66 'we two meet again." What estrangement may not have taken place in our affection e'er then! We may be a shivering rheumatic monster, trembling at its rough, though friendly, embrace; we may be an aldermanic rotundity, beneath whose tread its brittle substance may shrink like woman's delicate and maiden love beneath rudeness and disrespect.

But a truce to vain repining, and let us look at the work before us. We know it to be compiled by a curler, and the son of a curler; by one of whom no less an authority than the Ettrick Shepherd has pronounced that he "plays a good stane." The truth is, that he was early initiated into all the mysteries of this noble game. While yet in short-clothes did his venerable father expound to him the mysteries of “inwicking," "chuckling up the port," "lying in the bosom of the winner," "kittling," and coming under his grannie's wing." Through a long and active discharge of his parochial duties, he found the chief amusements of his leisure hours in the cultivation of his curling talents. And now, retired to the "chimney neuk of eild," the old boy finds delight in fighting "all his battles o'er again."

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Curling is essentially a clerical game. Independent of our venerable friend, is there not Somerville of Currie, alike master of the gun and the curling-stone? Is there not the venerable individual who has so long presided over our University, the father of the Highlands? Nor is it only among modern clergymen that we find this inclination. On consulting the pages of our erudite author, we find a Bishop of Orkney was accused early in the seventeenth century of carrying his love of the sport so far as to forget, in his ardour, the sanctity of the Sabbath." This was rather too much, but, as the clown says, abusus non tollit usum. It is exactly the amusement in which a clergyman ought to relax, with all his flock around him. Steadied by his crampits on the slippery board, his presence adds a grace, and gives a gentle sobered hilarity to the high flow of spirits excited by the hollow roaring of the stones as they fly along the ice, the keen air, and the merry faces all around. It is well and justly said by one of the author's correspondents a reverend too

"In curling, I daresay, you must have often remarked, that among those who are truly embued with the spirit of the game, there exists a degree of punctilio and etiquette, even among the commonest artizans, which would reflect credit upon many in a far superior station; and though it is confessedly somewhat of a boisterous game, yet I can honestly aver, to the best of my recollection, I never heard an oath or an indecent expression All ranks are there mixed made use of upon the ice. together-the lower seem anxious to prove themselves not unworthy of the society of their superiors-and the latter are aware that they would have just cause to be ashamed, were they to yield to the former in those points which are essential in constituting a true gentleman. Had this not been the case, and had I found that I could not have indulged myself in this exhilarating sport without compromising the clerical character, great though the sacrifice would have been, I certainly would have suppressed my ardour as a curler." This is true magnanimity!

Curling is a game of considerable antiquity. Our author endeavours to make out that it is as old as Ossian. We confess that we do not think that he has altogether succeeded. The passage which he quotes runs thus:"Fly, son of Morven, fly! Amid the circle of stones; Swaran bends at the stone of might!" This is extremely vague, and is, if any thing, more descriptive of a game now relegated, along with tales of hobgoblins, to the juvenile portion of the community, and known to the vulgar under the designation of " Duck." But the question is happily rendered immaterial, for on the 20th of Dec. last, a curling-stone was dug out of the foundation of the old house of Loig, in Strathallan, having the date 1611 deeply engraven upon it. Now, all the world knows

that the poems of Ossian were composed in the latter half of the eighteenth century; and consequently the game of curling, whether mentioned in them or not, is older than they are.

The origin of the game is indeed, as Gibbon would say, "lost amid the clouds of antiquity;" which, being interpreted, means in a Scotch mist. Camden mentions it so early as 1607. But the stone already mentioned as bearing a date only four years later, is highly finished. There are, however, certain "piltycocks," or "kuting-stanes," at present in the possession of the Duddingstone Curling Society, which were some years ago fished out of the Loch of Linlithgow. The extremely rude workmanship of these earliest specimens of the curling-stone, bespeak an era long anterior to that which could produce such a fine specimen of art as the Strathallan stone. Now there are two facts mentioned by our author, which, taken in connexion with these, are of great importance:-1st, That the technical language of the game is unsubdued Teutonic; and 2d, That it is but little known to the north of the Forth-we believe not at all among our Celtic population. It only remains to add, (a circumstance for which we are likewise indebted to our erudite author,) that Kilian, in his Dictionary, renders Kluyten Kalluyten (evidently the same with the Scotch kuting) by-ludere massis sive globis glaciatis, certare discis in equore glaciato. There cannot be a doubt-as the Lord Advocate is accustomed to say when winding up a case in which he has been forced to plead in the face of law, equity, and justice-there cannot be adoubt that curling was imported into this country by our Saxon ancestors at their first advent.

The difference betwixt the first rude dawnings of the game and its present advanced state, is immense; but we are reluctantly obliged to pass them over uncelebrated, referring our readers simply to the ample chronicle of the author of Curliana. There he will find described the skating-curlers upon the late Duke of Atholl's plan-and interesting notices of Carnie's and Somerville's artificial rinks. We cannot, however, refrain from lamenting the indications contained in the two last-mentioned inventions that Curling has passed its high and palmy state, and is on the eve of degenerating into one of hyper-refinement. All artificial substitutes for a broad loch, and a yarddeep frost, degrade curling. The great beauty of the game is, that in playing at it, we conquer him who hath conquered vegetable life-laugh in John Frost's face-pluck his frosty beard-and play with his innocuous weapons. It is even proposed by our degenerate Sybarites to invent a substitute for ice, and curl in the dog-days. Would it not be better to play billiards at once? Curling owes one half its charms to the rarity of its occurrence.

But it is high time that we were giving our readers some notion of the book we have been-or ought to have been -criticising. The truth is, that this is no easy task. The learned author seems to have laboured under the embarras des richesses-to have been rather at a loss how to arrange his materials. The first chapter is entitled, " Preliminary;" the second, "Historical;" the third, "Descriptive;" the fourth," Initiatory;" the fifth, "Panegyrical." Then follows an interlude, entitled " Bonspielana." The eighth chapter (for, from some unaccountable aversion on the part of the author to the mystic number seven, there is none having that numeral prefixed) is Mechanical; the ninth treats of artificial rinks; the tenth is again an interlude, into which the compiler, in order to bring up his lee-way, has interwoven all his odds and ends, snatches of knowledge and reverend saws. The eleventh contains the constitution of the Curling Court. The twelfth is "poetical" -being a collection of curling songs. An appendix is added, containing the Rules of the Lochmaben Curling Society, a list of the Curling Clubs in Scotland, toasts and sentiments, sayings, a glossary of technicalities, &c. &c. &c. The author pours out the treasures of a redundant knowledge respecting every thing he professes to treat of. He has done for curling what Hawker has for shooting,

or Pierce Egan for the art pugilistic. How gratifying must it be to this carum et venerabile caput, to reflect that' his name will now last for ever upon the ice, and that the field of his glory and happiness during life shall remain that of his authority, long after he has been deposited in his own churchyard, and his parish knows him no more! We already see in fancy's eye the " Memorabilia Curliana" bound up by the elders of his parish along with that selection of the author's sermons, which he keeps so carefully treasured up for posthumous publication, and consulted with equal reverence. The good old man is reluctant to come forward as an author, and nothing but a conviction of the importance of curling, and the necessity of giving to the world those finishing and happy touches which only his own master-hand could bestow, has induced him to publish the present work during his lifetime, instead of leaving it, like his less vitally essential theological discourses, to the care of his heirs.

We have borne willing testimony to the merits of this work its revered author must not take it amiss if we advert to its one defect-the unmeasured and unjustifiable terms in which he speaks of a certain learned professor, an esteemed correspondent of our own. The trifling nature of their dispute, the length of time that has elapsed since its occurrence, might have moderated his language, even although his own better feelings had not interfered to soften that asperity in which clergymen and ladies, not having, like other mortals, the fear of pistols before their eyes, occasionally indulge. We trust that when the work now before us reaches the second edition, which its author so confidently anticipates, and we so devoutly wish to see, this blemish will be obliterated. And now, with best wishes for his success, we take our leave of him.

The Correspondence of the Right Honourable Sir John Sinclair, Baronet; with Reminiscences of the most distinguished Characters who have appeared in Great Britain, and in Foreign Countries, during the last fifty years. 2 vols. 8vo. London. Colburn and Bentley. 1831.

(Unpublished.-Second Notice.)

We now proceed to redeem our promise to present our readers with a few more extracts from this interesting work. They may be considered as good as manuscript, as we possess the only copy yet in the hands of the reviewers. As our space is limited, we must reluctantly pass over a good many of the Parts into which Sir John has divided his book, without any quotations from them. We may mention, however, that his Military Correspondence embraces, among others, Marshal Romanzow, Marshal Blucher, and Marshal Macdonald; that among his Clerical Correspondents we find the names of Dr Moore, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Richard Watson, Bishop of Llandaff, Dean Tucker, Dr Priestley, the Rev. Dr Hill, the Rev. Dr Davidson, and the Rev. John Logan; that his Agricultural, Statistical, and Medical Correspondence and Reminiscences are, of course, extensive and valuable as is his Financial, Commercial, and Political Correspondence, none of which departments, however, come under our more immediate care. From the Political Reminiscences, nevertheless, we take with pleasure the following

CURIOUS PARLIAMENTARY ANECDOTE.

"A motion had been made in Parliament for an enquiry into the conduct of Captain Lake, of the Navy, who was accused of having left a seaman, called Robert Jeffrey, on a desert island in the West Indies, where, it was said, he had actually perished; and Captain Lake was therefore considered guilty of his murder. Mr Archibald Lee, a gentleman attached to the American Embassy, had requested me to procure him permission to hear the debates in the House; and we were sitting under the gallery together, when this motion was brought on. Mr Lee expressed his astonishment, that the time of the House should be taken up about

such a business, since he had actually received a letter, by the last packet from America, stating that Robert Jeffrey was alive and safe at New York. I was much struck with so singular a circumstance, thus accidentally communicated to me; and having every reason to confide in the truth of the information given me, I thought it right to mention it to the House, to prevent any measure being hastily taken on the supposition that Robert Jeffrey was dead.

"It is astonishing the noise which this circumstance occasioned. The truth of my information was disputed in some of the anti-ministerial papers. I received anonymous letters reprobating me as the associate of murderers, and threatening me with vengeance; and Mr Whitbread wrote me, to say, I should be glad if you would take the trouble to inform me of the name of the gentleman, upon whose authority you stated, in the House of Commons, that Jeffrey was alive, and at New York; and how soon he is expected to return to England, as I have received information of a very different complexion. Your immediate answer is requested.' Captain Lake's friends also applied to me, requesting to be informed, on what authority I had asserted a fact of such importance to their relation.

"Nor was this all. I likewise received a letter from Benjamin Coad, near Liskard, in Cornwall, who had married Jeffrey's mother, in which he says, I observe by the newspapers, that you stated in the House of Commons, that there were letters in London, containing the intelligence that Robert Jeffrey, my son-in-law, was alive, and in New York. It would give the greatest satisfaction to myself, and his afflicted mother, if you would condescend to give as much information as you have obtained respecting him, as we have had no sort of intelligence of him since he was put on shore on that desert island.'

"Owing to the pressure of some official business, Mr Lee had gone to Paris, two or three days after the debate in the House of Commons, so that it was impossible for me to give any particular information to the persons demanding it, until his return. In the interim, most fortunately, I received intelligence from Cornwall, that Jeffrey had actually arrived in England, and had been recognised by his relations in Cornwall. He and his mother came to London, for the purpose of raising benefactions for the injuries he complained of; but, by the liberality of the Lake family, any application for public benevolence was rendered unnecessary, and any farther disagreeable discussions in Parliament, on so unpleasant a subject, were prevented."

The Literary and Miscellaneous Correspondence and Reminiscences, which conclude the first volume, are very interesting; and could hardly fail to be otherwise, when we find that they refer to such men as Dr Adam Smith, Malthus, Godwin, Dr Gillies, Sir Joseph Banks, Arthur Young, Dr Darwin, Dr Jenner, Dr Adam Ferguson, Sir Humphrey Davy, Dr Black, Professors Playfair and Dugald Stewart, John Home, and many others. On the important subject of health and longevity-a subject

to which our author has devoted his attention with so much success-we are sure the two following letters will be read with pleasure:

HEALTH AND LONGEVITY.

Dr Adam Ferguson to Sir John Sinclair.

"Hallyards, near Peebles, October 24, 1803. "My Dear Sir,-I have a kind hint on the back of a letter from Sir John Macpherson, franked by you, that the answer might go through your hands also. I accordingly take the benefit of this hint, and the rather, that it gives me an opportunity, without attempting an adequate return to the great dispatch with which you honoured me too many months ago, to deprecate your contempt of me for having so long failed in that matter. This failure at least may inform you, that I am, in fact, superannuated, and so far one of your pets, which you wish to preserve as long as possible. It is to be hoped, that some of them are of more use than I am, otherwise you may e'en let them go in course. Here are three of us born the same year, viz. 1723. There is little difference in our appearance, only that I am the least weatherbeaten of the three. I have had the advantage of exemption from toil, and they, till of late, have had the advantage of sobriety. But there is another twelve years older than we are, having been born in 1712 A peasant of this parish. His sobriety you need not doubt. The world, for aught he has seen of it, may not be twelve miles

broad or long; but he has been distinguished through life for vivacity, is veridic, open spoken, and quoted for bons mots. He was of a good aspect and stature, but is now blind, and much shrunk; goes through all his usual haunts without any assistance or guide; is even offended at being offered any. I see as well as you do of a dark night,' he said to me: and why may not I find my way as well as you do? They tell me I have lived long, but it is just a gliff.' I have often thought to get our minister to answer all your queries respecting this person, but you know the consequence of procrastination after fourscore. I have the honour to be, my dear sir, your obedient humble servant, "ADAM FERGUSON."*

Sir John Sinclair's Answer to Dr Ferguson.

"My Dear Sir,-I received much pleasure from your obliging letter to me, and from the perusal of your interesting communication to Sir John Macpherson. It contained a number of very important political observations. I am happy to find that you preserve good health, and retain such vigour of mind and powers of reflection. I wish that I had many such pets. Remember Ulysses's prescription to his father Laertes:

Warm baths, good food, soft sleep, and generous wine, These are the rights of age, and should be thine.' "As I continue to collect as much information as possible regarding longevity, I should be glad to have the questions on that subject answered regarding the old man in your neighbourhood. At Sir John Macpherson's desire, I beg to send you the enclosed; and I remain, with sincere regard and esteem, your faithful and obedient servant.”

We shall next extract some interesting notices of, and correspondence with,

EDMUND KEAN, ESQ., THE CELEBRATED ACTOR.

"Mr Kean performed the character of Macbeth, on the Edinburgh stage, in October 1819, and it was one of the most perfect specimens of acting I had ever witnessed. Several of my friends being of the same opinion, we resolved to present him with a sword, as a proof of the high idea we entertained of his theatrical abilities. The intention was communicated to Mr Kean in the following let

ter:

"Sir,-Some of your friends in this city became extremely desirous of presenting you with a mark of the high estimation which they entertain for your talents as an actor, more especially having witnessed the very superior beth. After considering the subject, it was at last resolved manner in which you performed the character of Macto present you with A Sword of State,' to be worn, when you appear upon the stage in that tragedy, as The crowned King of Scotland.' I have much pleasure in sending you the sword, which is prepared by some of our ablest artists, for the purpose of being transmitted to you. It is of the true Highland make,' and ornamented with some of the most valuable precious stones that Scotland produces. Macbeth' is, on the whole, the greatest effort of dramatic genius the world has yet produced; and none has hitherto attempted to represent the Scottish tyrant, who has done, or could possibly do, more justice to that character, than the gentleman to whom I have now the honour of addressing myself.

The presentation of this sword reminds me of two particulars.

"1. The swords, in ancient times, were large and weighty, and the scabbards broad at the point. Hence, in Shakspeare, Hotspur describes himself, (Part I. Henry IV. Act 1, Scene 3,) 'leaning upon his sword;' that is to say, resting upon it in the scabbard. The sword also was not carried in belts attached to the person, (which, with a large and heavy sword, would have been too cumbersome,) but was either held in the right hand, or carried in the left arm, the elbow being bent for that purpose. In battle, when the sword was drawn, the scabbard was thrown away, to imply,

It is to be observed in this letter from this respectable author, that though the sense is unexceptionable, yet that the spelling is deficient; and it has been remarked in various instances, that whilst the spiritual part of the mind remains unimpaired, the mechanical part of it, if I may be allowed that expression, falls off, and dimiEarl of Mansfield could hardly spell at all for some time before he nishes in point of strength or force. It is said that the celebrated died. Spelling depends much upon memory, which is impaired by disease or age.

as that phrase denotes, that the combat was to terminate with the death of one of the parties.

"2. There is reason to believe, that Shakspeare collected materials for The Tragedy of Macbeth,' on the spot where many of the transactions took place. It is recorded in Guthrie's History of Scotland, that Queen Elizabeth sent some English actors to the court of her successor, James, which was then held at Perth; and it is supposed that Shakspeare was one of the number. This idea receives strong confirmation by the following striking circumstance. The Castle of Dunsinane is situated about seven or eight miles from Perth. When I examined, some years ago, the remains of that castle, and the scenes in its neighbourhood, I found, that the traditions of the country people were identically the same as the story represented in Shakspeare. There was but one exception. The tradition is, that Macbeth' endeavoured to escape, when he found the castle no longer tenable. Being pursued by Macduff, he ran up an adjoining hill, but instead of being slain in single combat by Macduff-which Shakspeare preferred, as being a more interesting dramatic incident-the country people said, that, in despair, he threw himself over a precipice; at the bottom of which, there still remains The Giant's grave,' where it is supposed that Macheth' was buried. When you next visit Scotland, it would be interesting to take an early opportunity of examining these classic scenes. "With my best wishes that you may long continue an ornament to the British theatre, I remain, sir, your very obedient servant,

(Signed)

"133, George Street, Edinburgh, 16th November, 1819.

"JOHN SINCLAIR.

"Edmund Kean, Esq. Clarges Street, London. "In Mr Kean's answer, which is subjoined, there are some just remarks on the hazardous profession of an actor. " November 27, 1819.

"Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, announcing the transmission of a valuable sword, which you teach me to receive as a token of the flattering estimation in which my professional exertions, in the northern capital, are held by yourself, and a portion of that public, to whose fostering indulgence I am already bound in lasting gratitude. To those unknown patrons, in whose name you have been pleased, in such gratifying terms, to address me, I beg you will convey the assurance, that their kindness has not been lavished where it is not duly appreciated and deeply felt. I am happy in the conviction, that I shall only do justice to their intentions, in receiving this sword, as at once a record of national liberality, and Scottish patronage of the stage.

May I not recognise as this their object, in their selection of the distinguished pen which has honoured me with the communication, as well as the costume of the present itself, which you are pleased to inform me is strictly national, both in its character and ornaments.

"Permit me to add, sir, that my own feelings could know no higher gratification, than to be instructed in the belief, that I may have been the fortunate instrument of increasing the number of the patrons of our art; the difficulties of which may, in some measure, be appreciated, by the rarity and instability of success, and in which we but too sensibly feel how necessary is public protection, to encourage and sustain us, even in our least chequered and unclouded career. I have the honour to be, sir, with grateful respects, your very obliged servant, (Signed)

"Edmund Kean. "Right Honourable Sir John Sinclair, Bart. "When our intention was first intimated to Mr Kean, he said, That the approbation of the Edinburgh audience he had ever rated as one of the proudest feathers in his dramatic plume, and the testimony proposed he would treasure with the most zealous regard and gratitude.''

In the Christmas Number of the Journal we gave from the volume now before us a narrative, which we entitled, "A Romance in Real Life." The following still more remarkable story, which seems at the same time to be sufficiently authenticated, might well come under a simi

lar denomination :

CHARLES FRASER FRIZELL, ESQ., OF HARCOURT STREET, DUBLIN.

"One of the most extraordinary characters I ever met with was Mr Fraser Frizell, an Irish barrister. He was much devoted to enquiries regarding education, the state of

6

"Father O'Leary and Captain M Carty were walking together through the streets of St Omers, when they came to a house, at the door of which a man was bawling, in the French language, Walk in, gentlemen, and see the greatest curiosity ever heard of, a Russian bear who can speak, and dance, and sing, and in every respect is as intelligent as a human being.' Father O'Leary wished to walk on, but Captain M'Carty insisted on their going in to see so great a curiosity. Upon their entering the apartment where the exhibition was to be seen, they saw at the bottom of a long room, a great cage, in which a huge bear was reposing. Upon their approaching the cage, the keeper, with a long stick, began to beat the animal, in order to rouse him. Upon his getting up he commenced speaking some gibberish, which the two visitors immediately knew to be Irish. The keeper then said in French, Come, Mr Bear, give these gentlemen a song;' and, to their utter astonishment, he sung an Irish ditty. Father O'Leary immediately said in Irish, How come you to speak the Irish language?' The astonishment of the bear, at hearing himself addressed in his native tongue, may easily be conceived. He said, Gentlemen, my name is Darby O'Sullivan. I was born in the county of Kerry. When men were raised for the navy, I became a volunteer, and was put on board a ship of war. We sailed to the coast of Armoric, (Brittany,) and a boat was sent ashore to procure some water and provisions. The people, where we landed, spoke a kind of Irish, and I thought I would be better off among them than on board a ship, where we were not very kindly treated. I ran, therefore, into the country, and came to a little town, where they were very kind to me. I found the cider better than the cider of Kerry, and took my fill of it. I then walked into the country, and I lay down to sleep, and when I awoke, I found myself transformed into a bear.'

"The keeper was not at all satisfied with what was going forward, and said to the company who had assembled, 'Gentlemen, you must now be satisfied of the truth of what I asserted. This bear, in many respects, resembles a human being; but he is tired,-we must leave him to his repose.' Upon which Captain M'Carty drew his sword, and seizing the man by the collar, he said, 'You have been playing some tricks with a countryman of mine, which shall not go unpunished. Instantly open the door of the cage to let him out, otherwise this sword will be buried in your body.' The keeper, much terrified, admitted that it was a man in a bear's skin, and gave the following account of the circumstance:

Α

"My partner and I were exhibiting, in a town in France, a real Russian bear, when he unfortunately became sick, and died. We had the skin taken off, and buried the body; and then resolved to take a walk into the country, to consider what we could do to remedy our misfortune. short way from the town, we observed a man, lying in a ditch, quite drunk. It accidentally occurred to us, that it would be possible to sew the bear's skin over the man, in the state in which he then was, and to persuade him, when he became sober, that he had been converted into a bear, as a punishment for his drunkenness. We set about it without a moment's delay; and by means of blows, and showing him his figure in a glass, we convinced him that the transformation had actually taken place. The man believes himself to be a bear. He is perfectly reconciled to his fate; and to make him again a man, would do him no good, and would ruin us.'

66

Captain M Carty immediately replied, This must not be suffered. I will not permit a countryman of mine to be treated so inhumanly.' 'Scissars were immediately procu