vifit, quite en dishabille, and with only one fervant, when he was obliged, from a very heavy shower of rain to ftop at a farm house in the way. The mafter of the houfe was a clergyman, who, to a poor curacy, added the care of a few scholars in the neighbourhood, which, in all, might make his living about 8ol. a year, which was all he had to maintain a wife and fix children. When the Duke alighted, the clergyman, not knowing his rank, begged him to come in and dry himself, which the other accepted, by borrowing a pair of old worsted stockings and flippers of him, and warming himfelf by a good fire. After fome converfation, the Duke obferved an old chefs-board hanging up, and as he was paffionately fond of that game, he afked the clergyman whether he could play? The other told him he could, pretty tolerably; but found it very difficult, in that part of the country, to get an antagonist. I am your man,' fays the Duke. "With all my heart," fays the parfon," and if you'll ftay and eat pot-luck, I'll try if I can't beat you." The day continuing rainy, the Duke accepted his offer; when the parfon played fo much better, that he won every game. This was fo far from fretting the Duke, that he was highly pleafed to meet a man who could give him fuch entertainment at his favourite game. He accordingly enquired into the ftate of

his family affairs, and just taking a memorandum of his addrefs, without difcovering his title, thanked him, and departed. Some months paffed over, and the clergyman never thought any thing of the matter; when, one evening, a footman in laced livery rode up to the door, and presented him with the following billet: "The Duke of Nivernois's compliments wait on the Rev. Mr. —, and, as a remembrance for the good drubbing he gave him at chefs, begs that he would accept of the living of, worth 400l. per annum, and that he will wait on his Grace the Duke of Newcastle on Friday next, to thank him for the fame." The good parfon was fometime before he could imagine it any thing more than a jeft, and was not for going; but as his wife infifted on his trying, he came up to town, and found the contents of the billet literally true, to his unspeakable fatisfaction.

ANECDOTE

OF THE LATE SIR WILLIAM STANHOPE.

THI

HIS gentleman coming out of Drury-lane play-house, with a lady under his arm, was met by a couple of bucks, who took fome liberties, not very acceptable to the lady, or her protector.

Sir William, whofe courage was equal to his gallantry, immediately called upon the gentlemen to answer for their misconduct.

One of the heroes fteps forward, and fays, "Sir, the lady, wearing artificial colour on her cheeks, we looked upon as fair game." game." Sir William's reply, and his fubfequent conduct, did honour to his prowess and plain fincerity.

"Gentlemen," faid he, "I may have miftaken the roses on the lady's cheeks for the ornaments of pure and fimple nature; I fhall be happy, if, by your means, I fhall be cured of my illufion.But I fwear, by God, you fhall never evade me, until I fhall have fully proved the truth or fallacy of your affertion.

to

"Retire with me," continues Sir William, the Rofe Tavern; there the experiment shall be

made."

To the Rofe they repaired-cold and hot water were called for, and applied with a napkin, fmeared with foap and pomatum. Obftinate nature prevailed-the rofes did not fade, but bloomed more in the operation.

The

The bucks were convinced-they begged pardon for their tranfgreffions, and wifhed to depart in peace.

"Not fo," fays Sir William, "You have been fatisfied, and fo will I. The lady has undergone the ordeal, and fhe has come from it pure and unpolluted. My part I have yet to act: you must, on your knees, afk the lady's pardon." They did fo.

"Now, gentlemen," faid Sir William, "do not blush at your paft conduct; the liberty you took was not only justifiable, but even proper, if, at your own risk, you ran the peril of the proof. If I had proved her a pict, the moft odious and perfidious of all impoftors, I fhould, in the language of Othello, have whistled her off, and let her down the wind, a prey to fortune;' but as fhe is pure from that w--fh contagion, I infift on your supping, and drinking a bottle of Burgundy with the offended innocent and her protector."

No

REMARKABLE ANECDOTE

OF

QUEEN ELIZABETH.

OT long after the death of Mary, Queen of Scots, Margaret Lambrum (who had been one of her attendants, became in fome measure defperate, on account of the lofs of a husband, whom the dearly loved; a lofs which had been occafioned by grief, for the melancholy fate of tat un ortunate Princefs; to whofe retinue he had alio belonged) formed a refolution to revenge the death of both upon the perfon of Queen Elizabeth. To accomplish her purpose, fhe dreffed herself in the habit of a man, affumed the name of Anthony Spark, and attended at the Court of Elizabeth with a pair of piftols conftantly concealed about her, one to kill the Queen when an opportunity offered, and one to kill herself if her crime fhould be difcovered. One day, as fhe was pufhing through the crowd in order to get to her Majefty, who was then walking in the garden, she accidentally dropped one of the piftols. This circum. stance being obferved by the guards, fhe was immediately feized, in order to be sent to prifon.The Queen, however, interfered, and defired to examine the culprit firft. She accordingly de

manded