3. But if we rife yet higher, and confider the fixed ftars as fo many vaft oceans of flame, which are each of them attended with a different fet of planets, and still difcover new firmaments and new lights which are funk farther in those unfathomable depths of ether, so as not to be feen by the largest of our telescopes, we are loft in fuch a labyrinth of funs and worlds, and confounded with the immenfity and magnificence of nature.

OF QUEEN MARY AND THE MARTYRS.

MARY poffeffed few qualities either eftima

ble or amiable. Her perfon was as little engaging as her manner. And, amidst the complication of vices which entered into her compofition, obftinacy, bigotry, violence, cruelty, we fcarcely find any virtue but fincerity; unless we add vigor of mind, a quality which feems to have been inherent in her family.

2. During this queen's reign, perfecution for religion was carried to the most terrible height. The mild counfels of cardinal Pole, who was inclined to toleration, was overruled by Gardner and Booner; and multitudes of all conditions, ages and fexes, were committed to the flames.

3. The perfecutors began with Rogers, prebendary of St. Paul's; a man equally distinguished by his piety and learning; but whofe domeftic fituation, it was hoped, would bring him to compliance.

4. He had a wife, whom he tenderly loved, and ten children; yet did he continue firm in his principles. And fuch was his ferenity after condemnation, that the jailors, it is faid, awaked him from a found fleep, when the hour of his execution approached. He fuffered at Smithfield.

5. Hooper, bilhop of Gloucefter, was condemned at the fame time with Rogers, but was fent to his own diocefs to be punished, in order to ftrike the greater terror into his flock. His conftancy at his death, however, had a very contrary effect.

6. It was a scene of confolation to Hooper to die in their fight, bearing teftimony to that doctrine which he had

formerly

formerly taught among them. And he continued to exhort them, till his tongue, fwollen by the violence of his agony,

denied him utterance.

7. Ferrar, bishop of St. David's, alfo fuffered this terrible punishment in his own diocefs; and Ridley, bishop of London, and Latimer, formerly bifhop of Worcester, two prelates venerable by their years, their learning, and their piety, perifhed together in the fame fire at Oxford, fupporting each other's conftancy by their mutual exhortations.

8. Latimer, when tied to the stake, called to his companion, "Be of good cheer, my brother; we shall this day kindle fuch a flame in England, as I trust in God will never be extinguished."

9. Sanders, a refpectable clergyman, was committed to the flames at Coventry. A pardon was offered him, if he would recant; but he rejected it with difdain, and embraced the ftake, faying, "Welcome, crofs of Chrift! welcome, everlafting life!"

10. Cranmer had lefs courage at firft. Terrified by the profpect of thofe tortures which awaited him, or overcome by the fond love of life, and by the flattery of artful men, who pompously reprefented the dignities to which his character ftill entitled him, if he would merit them by a recantation, he agreed, in an unguarded hour, to fubfcribe to the doctrines of the papal fupremacy, and the real prefence. But the court, no lefs perfidious than cruel, determined that this recantation fhould avail him nothing; that he fhould acknowledge his errors in the church before the people, and afterwards be led to execution.

JI.

12.

Whether Cranmer received fecret intelligence of their defign, or repented of his weakness, or both, is uncertain; but he furprifed the audience by a declaration, very different from what was expected.

13. After explaining his fenfe of what he owed to God and his fovereign, "There is one mifcarriage in my life, faid he, of which, above all others, I feverely repent; and that is, the infincere declaration of faith, to which I had the weaknefs to fubfcribe.

14. But I take this opportunity of atoning for my error, by a fincere and open recantation; and am willing to feal with my blood that doctrine, which I firmly believe to be communicated from heaven."

15. As

15. As his hand, he added, had erred, by betraying his heart, it should first be punished by a fevere, but just doom. He accordingly ftretched it out, as foon as he came to the stake; and without difcovering, either by his looks or motions, the leaft fign of weakness, or even feeling, he held it in the flames till it was entirely confumed. 16. His thoughts, to use the words of an elegant and learned hiftorian, appeared to be totally occupied in reflecting on his former fault; and he called aloud feveral times, This hand has offended! This wicked hand has offended !"

17. When it dropped off, he discovered a ferenity in his countenance, as if fatisfied with facrificing to divine juftice the inftrument of his crime. And when the fire attacked his body, his foul, totally collected within itfelf, feemed fuperior to every external accident, and altogether inacceffible to pain.

STORY OF LOGAN, A MINGO CHIEF.

*IN the spring of the year 1774, a robbery and

murder were committed on an inhabitant of the frontiers of Virginia by two Indians, of the Shawanefe tribe. The neighboring whites, according to their cuftom, undertook to punish this outrage in a fummary way. Colonel Crefap, a man infamous for the many murders he had committed on thofe much injured people, collected a party, and proceeded down the Kanhaway in queft of vengeance.

2. Unfortunately, a canoe of women and children, with one man only, was feen coming from the oppofite fhore, unarmed, and unfufpecting any hoftile attack from the whites. Crefap and his party concealed themfelves on the bank of the river; and the moment the canoe reached the fhore, fingled out their objects, and, at one fire, killed every perfon in it.

3. This happened to be the family of Logan, who had long been diftinguifhed as the friend of the whites. This unworthy return provoked his vengeance. He accordingly fignalized himself in the war which enfued.

4. In the autumn of the fame year, a decifive battle was fought at the mouth of the Great Kanhaway, between the collected forces of the Shawanefe, Mingoes, and Delawares, and a detachment of the Virginia militia. The Indians

were defeated, and fued for peace.

5. Logan, however, difdained to be feen among the fuppliants; but, left the fincerity of a treaty should be distrusted, from which fo diftinguished a chief abfented himself, he fent by a meffenger, the following fpeech, to be delivered to Lord Dunmore.

6. "I appeal to any white man to fay if ever he enter ed Logan's cabin hungry, and he gave him no meat; if ever he came cold and naked, and he clothed him not. During the laft long and bloody war, Logan remained idle in his cabin, an advocate for peace.

7. "Such was my love for the whites, that my countrymen pointed as they paffed by, and faid, Logan is the friend of white men. I had even thought to have lived with you, had it not been for the injuries of one man. Colonel Crefap, the laft fpring, in cold blood, and unprovoked, murdered all the relations of Logan, not even fparing my women and children.

I

8. "There runs not a drop of my blood in the veins of any living creature. This called on me for revenge. have fought it; I have killed many; I have fully glutted my vengeance. For my country, I rejoice at the beams of peace; but do not harbor a thought that mine is the joy of fear. Logan never felt fear. He will not turn on his heel to fave his life. Who is there to mourn for Logan?

Not one."

THE AGED PRISONER, RELEASED FROM THE BASTILE.

NOWHERE elfe on earth, perhaps, has human mifery, by human means, been rendered fo lafting, fo complete, or fo remedilefs as in that defpotic prifon, the Baftile. This the following cafe may fuffice to evince: the particulars of which are tranflated from that elegant and energetic writer, Mr. Mercier.

2. The heinous offence which mérited an imprisonment furpaffing torture, and rendering death a bleffing, was no more than fome unguarded expreffions, implying difrefpect towards the late Gallic monarch, Louis fifteenth.

3. Upon the acceffion of Louis fixteenth to the throne, the minifters then in office, moved by humanity, began their administration with an act of clemency and juftice. They infpected the registers of the Baftile, and fet many prifoners at liberty.

4. Among thofe, there was an old man who had groaned in confinement for forty-feven years, between four thick and cold stone walls. Hardened by adverfity, which Brengthens both the mind and conftitution, when they are not overpowered by it, he had refifted the horrors of his long imprifonment with an invincible and manly spirit.

5. His locks, white, thin, and fcattered, had almost acquired the rigidity of iron; whilft his body, environed for fo long a time by a coffin of stone, had borrowed from it a firm and compact habit. The narrow door of his tomb, turning upon its grating hinges, opened, not as ufual, by halves, and an unknown voice announced his liberty, and bade him depart.

6. Believing this to be a dream, he hesitated; but at length rofe up and walked forth with trembling fteps, amazed at the fpace he traverfed. The ftairs of the prifon, the halls, the court seemed to him vaft, immense, and almost without bounds.

7. He ftopped from time to time, and gazed around like a bewildered traveller. His vifion was with difficulty reconciled to the clear light of day. He contemplated the heavens as a new object. His eyes remained fixed, and he could not even weep.

8. Stupified with the newly acquired power of changing his pofition, his limbs, like his tongue, refufed, in fpite of his efforts, to perform their office. At length he got through the formidable gate.

9. When he felt the motion of the carriage, which was prepared to tranfport him to his former habitation, he fcreamed out, and uttered fome inarticulate founds; and as he could not bear this new movement, he was obliged to defcend. Supported by a benevolent arm, he fought out

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the