pleasing, his eyes bright and intelligent, and the whole expression of his face both mild and lively. His voice was soft and melodious; and, as his mind began to develope itself, much quickness and penetration were betrayed. When nearly five years of age, he was unfortunately attacked with a swelling in the jaw, and died on the 3d of February, 1813. Mr. Richardson, who had always treated him with a parental kindness while alive, was sincerely afflicted at his death. Soon after he had been placed with him, he had caused him to be baptised at the parish church of Newington, in the county of Surry; and, on his death, he was buried at Great Marlow, in Buckinghamshire, in a brick vault, which Mr. Richardson caused to be purposely constructed. Mr. Richardson, fearful that the body might be stolen, had previously kept it unburied for the space of three months. In the vestry of the church of Great Marlow hangs a fine painting of this extraordinary natural phenomenon, executed from the life, by Coventry; and presented to the corporation of Buckingham by Mr. Richardson; who finally closed his displays of affectionate regard for a child, which was not originally more recommended to his attention by his curiosity, than he was afterwards endeared to him by disposition and manners, by erecting a monument to his memory at Great Marlow, and placing upon it the following inscription and epitaph : TO THE MEMORY OF GEORGE ALEXANDER GRATTON, From the Carribee Islands, in the West Indies, died Feb 3d, 1813, aged four years and three quarters. This Tomb is erected by his only Friend and Guardian, Mr. John Richardson, of London. Should this plain simple tomb attract thine eye, His parents, born of Afric's sun-burnt race, Deprived of kindred that to him were dear, To bury him his loved companions came, And strewed choice flowers, and lisped his early fame; But he is gone, and dwells in that abode, MORAN, THE VENTRILOQUIST. SOME years ago one Moran, a slater, possessed the faculty of ventriloquism in a very extraordinary degree: from the tops of the houses he could accost travellers in the streets, in a voice that seemed to proceed from the next passenger. Inis man was employed to work at the new episcopal palace, built by Primate Robinson, at Armagh. One morning, a labourer, who wrought about the premises, was terrified by a hollow and dismal voice, that proceeded from a dark cellar in a house that had belonged to the late Thomas Ogle, which his Grace the Primate had given orders to pull down. He was summoned, in a manner that he found it impossible to resist, to descend into the dark terrific vault. Trembling, agitated, and perspiring at every pore, he obeyed the awful mandate. When he was in the cellar, profound silence prevailed for a few minutes. The same voice then solemnly uttered these tremendous words: "I am the spirit of a murderer; to-night I will visit you in the little room of your kitchen, and communicate to you the horrid crimes I have committed. If you regard your life here, or your salvation hereafter, meet me in that room at twelve o'clock." The poor labourer was unable to utter a syllable, and with trembling knees he betook himself to his house, sent for the vicar of his parish, and encouraged by his presence, awaited the approach of the awful hour. Twelve o'clock, however, came, but the spirit came not.-Next morning he was obliged to resume his work; when he came opposite the same spot, the same voice again accosted him, but in a more elevated and angry tone, "Beware how you bring with you the vicar to our interview. This night let me meet you alone, at twelve o'clock, or your destruction will ensue." The wretched labourer, thus beset, as he thought, by preternatural powers, obeyed. At a quarter before twelve o'clock, he was seated at a little table in his room. His apparatus, for defence against the spiritual visitant, was a bible, a sword, and a bottle of whiskey. His pallid lips were alternately applied in ejaculating pious prayers to Heaven, or swallowing exhilarating drams; and his trembling hands now and then grasped, and then dropped the useless steel, as his courage rose and fell. Meanwhile, his wife and daughters stood almost breathless at the outside of the door, counting the tickings of a cuckoo clock. At length, at the first sound of the expected hour, a deep groan was heard in the room, and a noise, which, to their affrighted ears, seem to resemble the fall of a thunderbolt. The poor labourer had dropped down, powerless on the floor. His imagination had overpowered him, and at the first stroke of the clock, he had tumbled on the ground, a senseless lump. All his vital powers were suspended for a long time; and, after their revival, the poor fellow was deprived for a considerable period of the exercise of his understanding; and, if it had not been for the humanity of William Johnson, father to the celebrated architect, of Dublin, he would have perished, a wretched victim to the tricks of Moran, the ventriloquist. HUGH WILLIAMS. On In the year 1664, on the 5th of December, a boat on the Menai, crossing that strait, with eighty-one passengers, was upset, and only one passenger, named Hugh Williams, was saved. the same day, in the year 1785, was upset another boat, containing about sixty persons, and every soul perished, with the exception of one, whose name also was Hugh Williams. And on the 5th of August, 1820, a third boat met the same disaster; but the passengers of this were no more than twenty-five, and, singular to relate, the whole perished with the exception of one, whose name was Hugh Williams.-Bristol Mercury. |