had a fon, named Benjamin, poffeffed of much ingenuity and good inclination; but in whom he had never perceived either taite or talents for the occult fciences; he had therefore, he said, advifed him to turn his thoughts towards the church, and had now, he thanked heaven, the fatisfaction to hear him commended as one of the most deferving divines among all the clergy of Toledo: he, therefore, took the liberty, moft humbly, to requeft his grace to bestow, on Don Benjamin, the deanery of Badajoz, which he could not retain together with his bishoprick. "I am very unfortunate, replied the prelate, apparently fomewhat embarraffed; you will, I hope, do me the justice to believe that no thing could give me fo great a pleature as to oblige you, in every request. But, the truth is. I have a coufin, to whom I am heir, an old ecclefiatic, who is good for nothing but to be a dean; and, if I do not below on him this prefer ment, I must embroil myfelf with my family, which would be far from agreeable. But, continued he, in an affectionate manner, will you not accompany me to Bida joz? Can you be fo cruel as to forfake me juft at the moment when it is in my power to be of fervice to you? Be perfuaded, my honoured matter: we will go together; think of nothing but the improvement of your pupil, and leave me to provide for Don Be jamin: nor doubt but, fooner or later, I will do more for him than you expect. A paltry deanery, in the remoteft part of Eftremadura, is not a benefice fuitable to the fon of fuch a man as yourself. proposal, however, was accepted; nor was any feruple made by either of thefe two very intelligent perfons. Don Torribio followed his illuftrious pupil to Badajoz, where he has an elegant apartment af figned him, in the epifcopal palace, and was treated with the utmost refpect, by all the diocefe, as the favourite of his grace, and a kind of grand vicar. "The Canon law would, no doubt, have construed this offer of the prelate's into fimony. The "Under the tuition of fo able a mafter, the bishop of Badajoz made a rapid progrefs, in the occult fciences. At first, he gave himself up to them, with an ardour which might appear exceffive: but this intemperance grew by degrees more moderate; and he purfued them with fo much prudence that his magical ftudies never intefered with the duties of his diocefe. He was well convinced of the truth of a maxim, very important to be remembered by ecclefiatics, whether addicted to forcery or only philofophers and admirers of literature, that it is not fufficient to allift at learned nocturnal meetings, or adorn the mind with the embellishments of human science; but that it is alfo the duty of divines to point out to others the way to heaven, and plant, in the minds of their hearers, wholefome doctrine and chriftian morality. Regulating his conduct by thefe commendable principles, the learned prelate was celebrated throughout Christendom, for his merit and piety; and promoted, when he least expected fuch an honour, to the archbishoprick of Compofiella. "The people and clergy of Badajoz lamented, as may be fuppofed, an event by which they were deprived of fo worthy a paftor; and the canons of the cathedral, to testify their refpect, unanimoufly conferred on him the right of nominating his fucceffor. "Don Torribio did not neglect to alluring an opportunity, to provide for his fon. He requested the bishoprick of the new archbishop, and was refufed with all imaginable politeness. He had, he faid, the greatest veneration for his old mafter, and was both forry and afhamed it was not in his power to grant a thing which appeared fo very a trifle; but, in fact, Don Ferdinand de Lara, conftable of Caftile, had afked this fame bishoprick, for his natural fon; and, though he had never feen that nobleman, he had, he faid, fome fecret, important, and, what was more, very ancient obligations to him. It was, therefore, an indifpenfable duty to prefer an old benefactor to a new one: but that he ought not to be difcouraged at this proof of his juflice, as he might learn, by that, what he had to expect when his turn arrived; which it certainly would the very first opportunity. "This anecdote, concerning the ancient obligations of the archbifhop, the magician had the goodnefs to believe; and rejoiced, as much as he was able, that his interefts were facrificed to thofe of Don Ferdinand. "Nothing, therefore, was thought of but preparations for their departure to Compoftella, where they were now to refide. Though thefe were fcarcely worth the trouble, confidering the short time they were deftined to remain there; for, at the end of a few months, one of the Pope's chamberlain's arrived, who brought the archbishop a Cardinal's cap, with an epiftie, conceived in the most refpectful terms, in which his Holiness invited him to affift, by his counfel, in the government of the Chriftian world; per mitting him, at the fame time, to difpofe of his mitre, in favour of whom he pleased. "Don Torribio was not at Compoftella, when the courier of the holy father arrived. He had been to fee his fon, who ftill continued a priest, in a small parish, at Toledo; but he prefently returned, and was not put to the trouble of asking for the vacant archbishoprick. The prelate ran to meet him with open arms. "My dear matter, faid he, I have two pieces of good news to relate at once. Your difciple is created a cardinal, and your fon fhall-fhortly be advanced to the fame dignity. I had intended, in the mean time, to have bettowed on him the archbishoprick of Com. pobella; but, unfortunately for him, or rather for me, my mother, whom we left at Badajoz, has, during your abfence, written to me a cruel letter, by which all my meatures have been difconcerted. She will not be pacified, unless I appoint for my fucceffor the archdeacon of my fomer church, Don Pablos de Salazar, her intimate friend and confeflor; fhe tells me it will occafion her death if the fhould not be able to obtain preferment for her dear father in God; and I have no doubt but what fhe fays is true. Imagine yourself in my place, my dear mafter. Shall I be the death of my mother? "Don Torribio was not a perfon who would incite or urge his friend to be guilty of parricide: nor did he indulge himfelf in the least refentment against the mother of the prelate. "To fay the truth, however, this mother, he talked of, was a good kind of woman, nearly fuperanuated, who lived quietly with her her cat and maid fervant, and fcarcely knew the name of her confeffor. Was it likely, then, that The had procured Don Pablos his archbishoprick? Was it not far more probable that he was indebted for it to a Gallician lady, his coufin, a young widow, at once devout and handfome, in whofe company his grace the archbishop had frequently been edified, during his refidence at Compoftella? Be it as it may Don Torribio followed his Eminence to Rome. Scarcely had he arrived in that city before the Pope died. It is eafy to imagine the confequence of this event. The Conclave met. All the voices of the facred college were unanimous in favour of the Spanish cardinal. Behold him, therefore, Pope ! "Immediately after the ceremonies of his exaltation, Don Torribio, admitted to a fecret audience, wept with joy, while he kiffed the feet of his dear pupil, whom he faw fill with fo much dignity the pontifical throne. He modeftly reprefented his long and faithful fervices. He reminded his holiness of his promifes: thofe inviolable promifes which he had renewed, before he entered the Conclave. He hinted at the hat which he had quitted, on receiving the tiara; but, inftead of demanding that hat for Don Benjamin, he finished, with most exemplary moderation, by renouncing every ambitious hope. He and his fon, he faid, would both efteem themselves too happy, if his Holinefs would bellow on them, together with his benediction, the fmallet temporal benefit. Such as an annuity for life, futhcient for the few wants of an ecclefiaftic and a philofopher. "During this harangue, the fovereign Pontiff confidered within himself how to difpofe of his preceptor. He reflected that he was no longer very neceffary, that he already knew more of magic than was fufficient for a pope, that it must be highly improper for him to appear at the nocturnal affem. blies of forcerers, and affift at their indecent ceremonies. After weighing every circumftance, his Ho linefs concluded that Don Torribio was, not only a ufelefs but, a troublefome dependent; and, this point decided, he was no longer in doubt what anfwer to return; ac cordingly he replied in the following words, "We have learned, with concern, that, under the pre text of cultivating the occult fciences, you maintain a horrible intercourfe with the spirit of darkness and deceit; wherefore we exhort you, as a father, to expiate your crime by a repentance proportionable to its enormity. Moreover, we enjoin you to depart from the territories of the church, within three days, under pain of being delivered over to the fecular arm, and its mercilefs flames." "Don Torribio, without being difconcerted, immediately repeated aloud the three mylierious words which the reader was defired to remember; and, going to the window, cried out, with all his force, Jacintha, you need fpit but one partridge for my friend, the dean, will not fup here to night. This was a thunderbolt to the imaginary Pope: he immediately recovered from a kind of rance, into which he had been thrown by the three magic words, when they were first pronounced, and perceived that, instead of being in the Vatican, he was ill at Toledo, in the closet of Don Toribio, and faw, by the clock, it was not yet a complete hour fince he first entered that fa al N 3 cabi cabinet, where he had been entertained with fuch pleafant dreams. In that fhort time he had imagined himfelf a Magician, a Bifhop, an Archbishop, a Cardinal, a Pope, and, at lait, found he was only a dupe and a knave. All was illufion, except the proofs he had given of his deceitfulness, and evil heart. He inftantly departed, without fpeaking a word, and, finding his mule, where he had left her, returned to Badajoz, without having made the smallest progrefs in the fublime feience in which he had propofed to become an adept. Interesting PARTICULARS refpecting the DEATH of Captain COOK. [From the Narrative of DAVID SAMWELL, Surgeon of the Discovery.] "T O widen the breach between us, fome of the Indians, in the night, took away the Difcovery's large cutter, which lay fwamped at the buoy of one of her anchors: they had carried her off to quietly, that we did not mifs her till the morning, Sunday, February the fourteenth. Captain Clerke loft no time in waiting upon Captain Cook, to acquaint him with the accident; he returned on board, with orders for the launch and fmail cutter to go, under the command of the fecond lieutenant, and lie off the eaft point of the bay, in order to intercept all canoes that might attempt to get out; and, if he found it neceffary, to fire upon them. At the fame time, the third lieutenant of the Refolution, with the launch and fmall cutter, was fent on the fame fervice, to the oppofite point of the bay; and the mafter was difpatched in the large cutter, in purfuit of a double canoe, already under fail, making the best of her way out of the harbour. He foon came up with her, and by firing a few mu kets, drove her on fhore, and the Indians left her this happened to be the canoe of Omea, a man who bore the title of Orono. He was on board himself, and it would have been fortunate, if our people had fecured him, for his person was held as facred as that of the king. During this time, Captain Cook was preparing to go on fhore himfelf, at the town of Kavaroah, in order to fecure the perfon of Kariopoo, before he thould have time to withdraw himself to another part of the island, out of our reach. This appeared the most effectual ftep that could be taken on the prefent occafion, for the recovery of the boat. It was the measure he had invariably purfued, in fimilar cafes, at other iilands in these feas, and it had always been attended with the defined fuccefs: in fact, it would be difficult to point out any other mode of proceeding on thele emergencies, likely to attain the object in view. We had reason to fuppofe, that the king and his attendants had fied when the alarm was firt given in that cafe, it was Captain Cook's intention to fecure the large canoes which were hauled up on the beach. He left the fhip about feven o'clock, attended by the lieutenant of marines, a ferjeant, corporal, and feven private men: the pinnace's crew were also armed, and under the command of Mr. ufual cuftom; and being ignorant of his intention in coming on fhore, frequently asked him if he wanted any hogs, or other provifions: he told them that he did not, and that his bufinefs was to fee the king. When he arrived at the house, he ordered fome of the Indians to go in, and inform Kaiopoo, that he waited without to fpeak with him. They came out two or three times, and inftead of returning any anfwer from the king, prefented fome pieces of red cloth to him, which made Captain Cook fufpect that he was not in the houfe; he therefore defired the lieutenant of marines to go in. The lieutenant found the old man just awaked from fleep, and feemingly alarmed at the meflage; but he came out without hesitation. Captain Cook took him by the hand, and in a friendly manner, asked him to go on board, to which he very readily confented. Thus far matters appeared in a favourable train, and the natives did not feem much alarmed or apprehenfive of hoftility on our fide; at which Captain Cook expreffed himfelf a little furprized, faying, that as the inhabitans of that town appeared innocent of stealing the cutter, he fhould not moleft them, but that he must get the king on board. Kariopoo fat down bei: his door, and was furrounded by a great crowd: Kanynah and his brother were both very ative in keeping order among them. In a little time, however, the Indians were obferved arming themfelves with long fpears, clubs, and daggers, and putting on thick mats, which they ufe as armour. This hoftile appearance increased, and became more alarming, on the arrival of two men in a canoe, from the oppofite fide of the bay, with the news of a chief, called Kareemoo, having been killed by one of the Discovery's Mr. Roberts. As they rowed towards the fhore, Captain Cook ordered the launch to leave her ftation at the west point of the bay, in order to aflift his own boat. This is a circumflance worthy of notice; for it clearly fhews, that he was not unapprehentive of meeting with refittance from the natives, or unmindful of the neceflary preparation for the faf ty of himfelt and his people. I will venture to fay, that from the appearance of things just at that time, there was not one, befide himself, who judged that fuch precaution was abfolutely requifite: fo little did his conduct on the occation, bear the marks of rafinefs, or a precipitate felf-confidence! He landed, with the marines, at the upper end of the town of Kavaroah: the Indians imme. diately flocked round as ufual, and fhewed him the customary marks of respect, by proftrating themfelves before him. There were no figns of hostilities, or much alarm among them. Captain Cook, however, did not seem willing to trust to appearances; but was particularly attentive to the difpofition of the marines, and to have them kept clear of the crowd. He firit enquired for the king's fons, two youths who were much attached to him, and generally his companions on board. Meffengers being fent for them, they foon came to him, and informing him that their father was afleep, at a house not far from them, he accompanied them thither, and took the marines along with them. As he paffed along, the natives every where proftrated themselves before him, and feemed to have loft no part of that respect they had always fhewn to his perfon. He was joined by feveral chiefs, among whom was Kanynah, and his brother Koohowrocah. They kept the crowd in order, according to their N 4 |