Α

COLLECTION

OF INTERESTING

ANECDOTES, MEMOIRS, &c.

ANECDOTE

OF

JAMES DUKE OF YORK,

SECOND SON OF CHARLES I.

HE Duke of York, it is faid, one day told the

TH

King his brother, that he had heard fo much of old Milton, he had a great defire to fee him. Charles told the Duke, that he had no objection to his fatisfying his curiofity; and accordingly shortly after, James, having informed himself where Milton lived, went privately to his house. Being introduced to him, and Milton being informed of the rank of his gueft, they converfed together for fome time; but, in the course of their converfation, the Duke asked Milton, "Whether he did not think the lofs of his

"fight was a judgement upon him for what he had "written against the late King his father?" Milton's reply was to this effect: If your Highness thinks that the calamities which befall us here, are indications of the wrath of Heaven, in what manner are

we to account for the fate of the King your father? The displeasure of Heaven muft, upon this fuppofition, have been much greater against him than ' against me; for I have only loft my eyes, but he loft

•

his head.' The Duke was exceedingly nettled at this anfwer, and went away foon after very angry. When he came back to the court, the first thing he faid to the King, was, "Brother, you are greatly to "blame that you don't have that old rogue Milton "hanged."— Why, what's the matter, James?' faid the King, you seem in a heat! what, have you feen Milton?'-"Yes," anfwered the Duke, "I have "feen him." Well,' faid the King, In what • condition did you find him?'-" Condition!" replied the Duke, "why he's old, and very poor.”— Old and poor!' faid the King; well, and he is blind, is he not?'-"Yes," faid the Duke, "blind as a "beetle." Why then you are a fool, James,' replied the King, to want to have him hanged as a punishment: to hang him will be doing him a fer'vice; it will be taking him out of his miferies. No, if he is old, poor, and blind, he is miferable enough in all confcience: let him live.'

INTERESTING

INTERESTING ANECDOTE

OF

PETER THE THIRD OF CASTILE.

A Canon of the cathedral of Seville, affected in

his drefs, particularly in his fhoes, could not

find a workman to his liking. An unfortunate fhoemaker to whom he applied, after quitting many others, having brought him a pair of fhoes not made to please his tafte, the Canon became furious, and feizing one of the tools of the fhoemaker, gave him with it fo many blows on the head, as laid him dead on the floor. The unhappy man left a widow, four daughters, and a fon fourteen years of age, the eldest of the indigent family. They made their complaints to the chapter; the canon was profecuted, and condemned not to appear in the choir for a year.

The young fhoemaker having attained to man's eftate, was scarcely able to get a livelihood; and, overwhelmed with wretchednefs, fat down on the day of a proceffion, at the door of the cathedral of Seville, in the moment the proceffion paffed by. Among the other canons he perceived the murderer of his father. At the fight of this man, filial affection, rage, and defpair, got fo far the better of his reason, that he fell furiously on the priest, and stabbed him to the heart. The young man was feized, convicted of the crime, and immediately condemned to

be quartered alive. Peter, whom we call the cruel,and whom the Spaniards, with more reason, call the lover of justice, was then at Seville. The affair came to his knowledge; and after learning the particulars, he determined to be himself the judge of the young shoemaker. When he proceeded to give judgment, he first annulled the fentence juft pronounced by the clergy; and, after asking the young man what profeffion he was, 1 forbid you, said he, to make fhoes for a year to come.

FATAL EFFECTS

OF

FASHIONABLE LEVITIES.

THE STORY OF FLAVILLA.

Have before remarked, that," to abstain from the appearance of evil," is a precept in that law which has every characteristic of divinity; and I have, in more than one of thefe papers, endeavoured to inforce the practice of it, by an illustration of its excellence and importance.

Circumftances have been admitted as evidences. of guilt, even when death has been the confequence of conviction; and a conduct by which evil is

ftrongly