romantic ftories in profe.-" Liften, Gen "let "tlemen," faid one of them;

me crave your attention, ye beauti"ful and virtuous ladies; I have fomething equally affecting and wonderful "to tell you; a frange and ftupendous "adventure, which happened to a gallant "knight."-Perceiving that this did not sufficiently intereft the hearers, he exalted his voice, calling out that his Knight was uno Cavalliero Cristiano. The audience feemed ftill a little fluctuating. He raised his voice a note higher, telling them that this Christian Knight was one of their own victorious countrymen, "un' Eroe Vene"ziano." This fixed them; and he proceeded to relate how the Knight, going to join the Chriftian army, which was on its march to recover the Sepulchre of Chrift from the hands of the infidels, loft his way in a vaft wood, and wandered at length to a caftle, in which a lady of transcendent beauty was kept prisoner by a gigantic Saracen, who having failed in all

his endeavours to gain the heart of this peerless damfel, refolved to gratify his pasfion by force; and had actually begun the horrid attempt, when the fhrieks of this chafte maiden reached the ears of the Venetian hero; who, ever ready to relieve virgins in diftrefs, rufhed into the apartment from whence the cries iffued. The brutal ravisher, alarmed at the noise, quits the ftruggling lady, at the very inftant when her ftrength began to fail; draws his flaming fword; and a dreadful combat begins between him and the Chriftian Knight, who performs miracles of courage and address in refifting the blows of this mighty giant, till his foot unfortunately flipping in the blood which flowed on the pavement, he fell at the feet of the Saracen, who immediately feizing the advantage which chance gave him, raised his fword with all his might, and- Here the orator's hat flew to the ground, open to receive the contributions of the lifteners; and he continued repeating, "raifed VOL. II.

"his

"his fword over the head of the Chriftian

66

Knight"-" raised his bloody, murder"ous brand, to deftroy your noble, va"liant countryman."-But he proceeded no farther in his narrative, till all who feemed interefted in it had thrown fomething into the hat. He then pocketed the money with great gravity, and went on to inform them, that at this critical moment, the Lady, feeing the danger which threatened her deliverer, redoubled her prayers to the Bleffed Mary, who, a virgin herself, is peculiarly attentive and propitious to the prayers of virgins. Juft as the Saracen's fword was defcending on the head of the Venetian, a large bee flew, quick as thought, in at the window, ftung the former very fmartly on the left temple, diverted the blow, and gave the Chriftian Knight time to recover himself. The fight then recommenced with fresh fury; but, after the Virgin Mary had taken fuch a decided part, you may believe it was no match. The infidel foon fell dead at the

feet

He

feet of the Believer. But who do you think this beauteous maiden was, on whofe account the combat had begun? Why no other than the fifter of the Venetian Hero. -This young lady had been ftolen from her father's houfe, while fhe was yet a child, by an Armenian merchant, who dealt in no other goods than women. concealed the child till he found means to carry her to Egypt; where he kept her in bondage, with other young girls, till the age of fifteen, and then fold her to the Saracen. I do not exactly remember whether the recognition between the brother and fifter was made out by means of a mole on the young lady's neck, or by a bracelet on her arm, which, with fome other of her mother's jewels, happened to be in her pocket when she was stolen ; but, in whatever manner this came about, there was the greateft joy on the happy occafion; and the lady joined the army with her brother, and one of the Christian commanders fell in love with her, and their

02

lem;

their nuptials were folemnized at Jerufaand they returned to Venice, and had a very numerous family of the finest children you ever beheld.

At Rome, thofe ftreet-orators fometimes. entertain their audience with interefting paffages of real hiftory. I remember having heard one, in particular, give a full and true account how the bloody heathen emperor Nero fet fire to the city of Rome, and fat at a window of his golden palace, playing on a harp, while the town was in flames. After which the Hiftorian proceeded to relate, how this unnatural emperor murdered his own mother; and he concluded by giving the audience the fatiffaction of hearing a particular detail of all the ignominious circumftances attending the murderer's own death.

This business of ftreet-oratory, while it amufes the populace, and keeps them from lefs innocent and more expenfive paftimes,