66 fons, in the number of whom was Colonel Gordon; a captain of his regiment confirmed the account of the Hottentots, and affured me it was an event which happened very frequently." My teftimony," added he, ought to have the more weight, as I had once nearly become myself a victim to this fafcination. While in garrifon at Ceylon, and amusing my. self, like you, in hunting in a marfh, I was, in the course of my fport, fuddenly feized with a convulfive and involuntary trembling, different from any thing I had ever experienced, and at the fame time was ftrongly at tracted, and in spite of myself, to a particular fpot of the marsh. Directing my eyes to this spot, I beheld, with feelings of horror, a ferpent of an enormous fize, whofe look inftantly pierced me. Having, however, not yet loft all power of motion, I embraced the opportunity before it was too late, and faluted the reptile with the contents of my fuzee. The report was a talifman that broke the charm. All at once, as if by a mi. racle, my convulfion ceafed; I felt myself able to fly; and the only inconvenience of this extraordinary adventure was a cold fweat, which was doubtless the effect of my fear and of the violent agitation my fenfes had undergone. left; that among these people nobody doubted this power in certain fpecies of ferpents, of fascinating both animals and men; and that the tradition was founded upon long experience, and the many misfortunes they are continually witneffing. Here again let it be remembered, that I am only the hiftorian, and that I take upon me neither to validate nor explain these reports. With refpect to the two inftances I have adduced, and of which I am at once the recorder and the evidence, they will probably be regarded by many of my readers, as the pure effect of that extreme and involuntary terror which every animal experiences by inftinct, at fight of an enemy that has power over its life; and they will allege, perhaps, in fupport of this fuppofition, the example of the setter, who retains in their place a partridge or a hare, by the mere circumstance of his prefence and look. To this I reply, that if a partridge or a hare remain quiet before the dog, it is not so much from a fudden impulfe of fear as from deliberate cunning. While close upon the ground they imagine themfelves to be concealed from the enemy. What confirms this conjecture is, that if the dog approaches near enough to feize upon his prey, the bird inftantly takes wing, and the bare fcampers away. It will certainly not be denied me, that it is fear which makes them fly. Such is the powerful effect of inftinct in every animal at the appearance of danger. But why do not the hare and partridge, at fight of the dog, remain fixed and motionlefs with terror, like the fhrike and the moufe in prefence of the ferpent? Why fhould fear give to the former new ftrength, while the others die on the fpot, under all the increasing symptoms of agony, and without the power of efcaping, as if retained by fome invincible force? The rat does not remain ftationary upon the apE 2 Such was the account given me by this officer. I do not pretend to vouch for its truth; but the ftory of the mouse, as well as of the fhrike, I aver to be fact. I will add also, that fince my return to France, having had occafion to talk with Blanchot upon the fubject, (an officer who fucceeded Boufflers in the government of Senegal,) he affured me, with confidence, that, both at Goree and in Senegal, the opinion was univerfal; that in afcending the river of that name, as far even as Galam, three hundred leagues from its mouth, it equally prevailed among the Moors, at the right, and the negroes at the proach proach of the cat, but haftens away fpectators that the imagination had the moment he perceives her. May not then the look and presence of a ferpent, and the nature of the corpufcles that emanate from its body, produce a very different effect from the emanation and look of the cat? nothing to do in producing this effect, he had placed a dog as a link be tween two of the perfons compofing the chain, who held him, one by the right, and the other by the left foot. At the inftant of contact the animal gave a loud cry; and the pain, which was the caufe of this cry, proved, beyond difpute, that that of the rest of the party was not lefs real. How few are our opportunities of obferving Nature? Let us ftudy her more clofely, and we fhall perhaps find, that he has many particular Reasoning phyfically upon this fublaws of which we are yet ignorant.- ject, I acknowledge, that a confider. Before the discovery of electricity, able difference ought to be made behad an author ventured to affert that tween an effect visibly produced by there exifled fish, which, tho' fmall the immediate action of a body, and in themselves, could give to a num- another effect operated without any ber of perfons at once fo violent a apparent contact, any visible medium fhock, as to make them feel confider- like that of the ferpent upon the aniable pain in all the articulations of mals in question. But who will afthe body, the affertion would have firm that, in prefence of its prey, the been regarded as the most abfurd fa- ferpent does not act phyfically upon ble. This fuppofed fable, however, it? Perhaps this death-dealing quais become an indifputable truth.lity belongs only to fome particular Without fpeaking of the torpedo, forts of ferpent. Perhaps it is not with which every body is acquainted, I fhall content myfelf with citing in proof of this fact, the beef-aal, or electrical eel of Surinam. I had for many years an opportunity, of obferving this fpecies of fish; as my father, for the purpose of experiment, kept one continually in his houfe. Upon touching a fringed fort of membrane, fituate under the belly, and extend ing the whole length of the body, I have always obferved a very violent fhock immediately follow. My father was defirous of afcertaining, if the fhock would be diminished by being communicated to a number of individuals at once; and, for this purpose, he collected together about ten perfons, who formed a chain by the junction of hands. No fooner had they touched the membrane of the eel, than they felt themselves equally ftruck at the fame moment. Nor was this all.-To convince the enjoyed by them, unless at particular feafons, and in certain countries. The ancients have defcribed the balilifk as killing with its look. This is certainly a fable: but is it not a fable, abfurd as it may appear, that origi nally had fome truth for its foundation? No doubt, in remote periods, circumftances may have been obferved fimilar to thofe of my shrike and my moufe; or, perhaps, even to that related by the captain. Hence they might have concluded that a ferpent, impregnable himself, and always conqueror, fince he could kill by a look, could be no other than the king of his race. From his royalty they would naturally have called him Bafilifk; and as a fovereign must have fome particular fign to atteft his preeminence, the poets, who often exaggerate by withing to adorn nature, may have added the wings, the feet, and the crown. PIC PICTURE OF PARIS AT THE CLOSE OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. From Wraxall's Hiftory of France. THE of Ron) ~HE following picture of Paris magnificence of that age was from the permanent conveniences and ele. gant luxuries of fucceeding ones.— The French metropolis, at the clofe of Henry the Third's reign, was divided into fixteen wards or quarters, and was principally built on the northern bank of the Seine, and in the island of " Notre Dame." It had not yet made any confiderable progrefs to the fouth of the river, where the "Fauxbourg St Ger"main" is now fituated. Strong walls, flanked with large towers, furrounded the city; and the keys of the gates were depofited in the hands of the municipal magistrates, who took efpecial care that they fhould be carefully fhut every evening. The citizens were regularly enrolled, difciplined, and accustomed to the ufe and exercife of arms; they elected their own military officers; had their places of assembling, their banners, and their watch words. If not formidable from their skill, they were ftill refpectable from their numbers. In general, the ftreets were so narrow, that it was eafy to leap from the tops of the houfes on one fide, to thofe on the other; and it was a common paftime, during the carnival, for the young nobility to divert themfelves by this hazardous amusement. That the principal streets were paved, is undoubted; fince we find that, at the preparations made for celebrating the unfortunate tournament in which Henry the Second was killed by Montgomery, in June 1559, the Atreet Saint Antoine" was unpaved, converted into lifts, and adorned with theatres and triumphal arches. 37 adduced, but the dirt and mth were Other proofs of this fact might be notwithstanding fuch, as to render all paffage exceedingly difficult, and to contribute, in an eminent degree, to the peftilential and malignant diftempers, by which the capital was frequently defolated. In 1583, Montjofieu, a man of talents, and peculiarly skilled in mechanics, undertook the execution of a plan which he had formed, for cleansing the streets; but the expence fo much exceeded the eftimate made by him, that in endeavouring to accomplish it, he confiderably impaired his own private fortune, At all the corners, were fixed heavy chains, commonly fastened and fealed; but, which could be, at the shortest warning, ftretched across; and by the addition of barrels filled with earth, they formed a barricado infurmountable to infantry or cavalry. Henry the Third experienced the formidable nature of these barriers, at the infurrection of the Parifians, in May, 1588. The private houses were conftructed with falley ports, which rendered them more tenable and defenfible against an armed force. On the other hand, the Baftile might be regarded at once, as the citadel of Paris, and as a prison of state. It was ftrong; and the treachery alone of Tetu, who commanded in it, produced its furrender to the duke of Guife, immediately after the king's flight from the metropolis. Ornano had offered to maintain it, against all the forces of the league. The Louvre itself was rather a fortress than a palace. It was compofed of towers conftructed in the Gothic tafte, surrounded with a wide and deep ditch, across which the entrance lay through vaft gates, conftantly guarded by archers. The palace of the Tuilleries was built by Catharine de' Medici, and was the first building beyond the Alps on the models of ancient Greece. The Pont Neuf was built by Charles IX.; he wanted to have, called it Pont aux Pleurs, from his favourite Quelus being killed on that day it was begun. The ferocity of the age, and particularly the cruelties exercifed between the Catholics and Protef tants, almost exceed belief; and it is a most melancholy proof of the perverfion of the human mind, that their zeal for religion, which was carried almoft to frenzy, did not seem to have the smallest influence in purifying their morals. PICTURE OF THE EFFEMINATE HENRY III. From the Same. THE hat decorated with feathers, and precious ftones, worn by Francis the First, was converted into a bonnet, or cap, by Henry the Second and his two fucceffors. Henry the Third fubftituted in its place, the Italian "toque," or turban; not only as a more effeminate ornament, but in the view of more effectually concealing his want of hair. It was composed of velvet, adorned with jewels, and fastened or bound over one ear, leaving the other expofed, in which was hung a pearl or diamond. When Sully was fent by the king of Navarre, in 1587, to treat with that infatuated and diffolute prince, he was presented by Villeroy to him, at St. Maur, near Paris. "I found him," fays Sully, in his clofet, a fword by his fide, a fhort cloak on his shoulders, his little turban on his head; and about his neck, in form of a scarf, was hung a basket, fuch as the venders of cheese use, in which there were two or three little dogs, not larger than my fift." He did not blufh, to appear commonly in the streets of his own capital, playing with a "Bilboquet." The fashion became general: Joyeufe and Epernon imitated their mafter; and in a short time, all the gentlemen, pages, and even domeftics, were seen every where, in public, with the fame appendage. It must be owned, that if rebellion was ever venial, it might plead fome excufe, when provoked by fuch profufion, folly, and abufe of power. De Thou himself affures us, that the king expended above twelve thousand pounds annually, in the fingle article of little dogs; befides the fums confumed on monkeys, parroquets, and other animals, The ball given by him to the English ambaffadors, in 1585, cost him ten thousand crowns, Two years afterwards, at Epernon's nuptials, he danced in public, with every indication of mirth, while, at his waist hung a large chaplet of ivory fkulls. Like Heliogabalus, he affected the ornaments and dress of a woman, The accounts given us by Dion and Herodian, of the indecent appearance of the Syrian Emperor of Rome, were realized by the French monarch. In 1577, he commonly frequented public entertainments, in a female attire; his doublet open, and his bofom bare; with a necklace of pearls, and three little capes, as they were then worn by the ladies of the court. Watches were not common till the latter end of the fixteenth century, and were worn hanging about the neck. The chief articles of furniture were beds, tapestry, and carpets; but while thefe were of the richest richest and most sumptuous materials, fed in the time of Henry III. and it was esteemed a cover for licentioufnefs. The magnificence and variety of the diverfions of that age is perhaps nearly equal to any that fucceeded it. chairs were not known; they fat round the room on coffers or benches. Among the minuter circumstances of manners, it may be amufing to the ladies to know, that the pad was u A NARRATIVE OF AN EXCURSION AMONG THE GLACIERS OR ICY MOUNTAINS OF THE SAVOY. From Owen's Travels into different parts of Europe. HE Glacier de Boifons is the first to which ftrangers are generally introduced. It makes fcarcely any figure from the valley, ftanding among many others of much greater magnitude. Being feverally furnished with a long stick pointed with iron, we ascended with ease the lower part of the mountain, which was covered with turf and not very fteep; but the approach towards the ice was difficult, and the fticks were eminently useful. Previous to our arrival upon the level with the Merde-glace, we were ftopped by the guides in order to view the magnificent profpect before us. It prefented a range of pyramids of the pureft complexion, and of the boldest forms: we were filled with astonishment at a fpectacle which blended fo perfectly the grand and the beautiful. Arrived at the fummit of the mountain, we entered upon the Glacier, but found great difficulty in keeping our feet. The fun had gloffed the furface, and rendered it almoft impoffible to tread with any degree of fecurity. In paffing amongst these frozen tracts, we came to many wide chafms and gulphs of a formidable depth. We threw down flakes of ice or ftones, whofe fall returned a tremendous found. It was curious to obferve upon the highest parts many masses of stone ready to precipitate; and upon the mountains in def cending wefaw fome of dreadful bulk, which had at different times been tumbled from the fummit of the Gla cier. Pierre Balmat, our principal guide, related to us, that he was witnefs to the fall of one of the largest of these; and that it was attended with the most tremendous circumflances. Indeed it appears extraor dinary that men fhould be found to inhabit regions, where they are continually expofed to thefe impending dangers. All the way as we defcended, we obferved the ruins of trees, whofe trunks had been split afunder, or their roots torn from the ground, by the violence of these avalanches. We had fuffered but little fatigue by the whole of this expedition; the ice afforded us water of the most refreshing coolness, and ftrawberries abounded upon mountain over which we paffed on leaving the ice. Evening was now advancing: we re-entered our chara-bancs, and fhortly arrived at the priory of Chamouni. the Pierre Balmat undertook all the neceffary arrangements for the bufinefs of Montanvert, which we were next to undertake: and the following morning, after an early mafs, came to announce that all was in readiness. We were but four who refolved on this expedition; and we began to afcend the mountain, having Pierre Balmat at our head, and another guide bringing up the rear, each charged with their portion of luggage, provifion, &c. The firft league, or hour as it is called, was rugged, but not fteep. It is fo much of the way as is ufually made by the |