The unhappy Trenck, by one of those presentiments which often affect the least superstitious, believed his death was at hand. On the 6th Thermidor, the eve of the day upon which he was condemned and guillotined, he said to Count B, his companion in captivity, while presenting him with a handsome tortoise-shell snuff-box, that was ornamented with an alegorical painting, and with gold points, "My dear Count, accept this pledge of my friendship; it is the last gift I received from the Princess Amelia of Prussia, my benefactress and my friend. I have kept it for a long time; do you preserve it as long as I have, in honor of my memory and hers. None but a friend should be the depository and guardian of such an object.

When the Count made some difficulties in accepting this trinket, he added, "Take it, my dear friend, and look upon it as the legacy of one dying; for they are bent on my destruction, and my head will fall three days hence."

"But, my dear Baron," replied the Count, "we are both under the same accusation; and, if your head falls, mine will fall too."

"My friend, I predict some lucky chance will save you. Your sword is necessary to your country, and you may yet devote many years to it. As for me, my destiny is fixed-I shall die."

Twenty-four hours afterwards, the prediction was accomplished-the head of Baron Trenck fell.

Count B- —, who should have been tried upon the 9th Thermidor, recovered his liberty at the end of three months. He devoutly preserved the legacy of the unhappy Trenck, but to take from the greedy keepers, by whom he was surrounded, the least pretext for depriving him of it, he gave them the

gold chasing of the mysterious box, retaining only the tortoise-shell, ornamented, as we have already said, in a wonderful fashion, and with golden points.

Of course it is scarcely necessary to observe that, with the 9th Thermidor, year II., as, in the ridiculous phraseology of the first French republic, the 27th July, 1794, was termed, these kind of murderous trials ended. On that day fell Robespierre; and on the next, his head with the jaw previously fractured from a pistol shot fired by his own hand, lay severed and bleeding on the revolutionary scaffold.

THE WOMAN-HUSBAND.

Rosalind. Alas, what danger will it be for us,
Maids as we are, to travel forth so far?
Beauty provoketh thieves sooner than gold.
I'll put myself in poor and mean attire,
And, with a kind of umber, smirch my face;
The like do you; so shall we pass along
And never stir assailants.

Celia.

Rosalind.

Were it not better,
Because that I am more than common tall.
That I do suit me all points like a man?
SHAKESPEARE.

ABOUT the year 1734, a young fellow courted one Mary East, and for him she conceived the greatest affection; but he, going upon the highway, was tried for a robbery and transported: this so affected Mary that she resolved ever to remain single. In the same neighborhood was another young woman, who had likewise met with crosses in love, and had determined on the like resolution; being intimate, they communicated their minds to each other, and determined to live together ever after. After consulting on the best method of proceeding, they agreed that one should put on man's apparel, and that they would pass as man and wife in some part where they were not known. The difficulty now was who was to be the man, which was soon decided, by the toss up of a halfpenny, and the lot fell on Mary East, who was then about sixteen years of age, and her partner seventeen. The sum they were then possessed of together was about thirty pounds; with this they set out, and Mary, after purchasing a man's

habit, assumed the name of James How, by which it will be well here to distinguish her. In the progress of their journey, they happened to light on a little public-house at Epping, which was to let; they took it, and lived in it for some time; about this period a quarrel happened between James How and a young gentleman, who assaulted James. James entered an action against him, and obtained damages of £500, which were paid. Possessed of this sum, they sought for a place in a better situation, and took a public-house in Limehouse, where they sojourned many years as man and wife, saving money, in good credit and esteem: they afterwards left this, and removed to the White Horse, at Poplar, which they bought, and after that several more houses.

About the year 1750, one Mrs. Bentley, who lived on Garlick Hill, and was acquainted with James in her younger days knowing in what circumstances she lived, and of her being a woman, thought this a good scheme to build a project on, and accordingly sent to demand ten pounds, at the same time intimating that if she would not forward it, she would discover her. James, fearful of this, complied, and gave the money. It rested here for a considerable time, during which James lived with his supposed wife in good credit, and had served all the parish-offices in Poplar, excepting constable and churchwarden, from the former of which she was excused by a lameness in her hand, occasioned by the quarrel already mentioned; the other she would have had the next year, if the discovery had not happened: she had been several times foreman of juries; though her effeminacy indeed was remarked by most. At Christmas, 1765, Mrs. Bentley sent again with the same demand for ten pounds, and with the like threatening obtained it; flushed with success, and not yet contented, she within a

fortnight after asked for the like sum, which James at that time happened not to have in the house; however, still fearful and cautious of a discovery, she let her have five pounds. The supposed wife of James How now died, and the conscionable Mrs. Bentley thought of some scheme to enlarge her plunder. For this purpose she got two fellows to execute her plan; the one a mulatto, who was to pass for one of Justice Feilding's men, the other to be equipped with a short pocket staff, and to act as constable. In these characters they came to the White Horse, and inquired for Mr. How, who answered to the name; they told her that they came from Justice Fielding to take her into custody for a robbery thirty-four years ago, and moreover that she was a woman. Terrified to the greatest degree on account of her sex, though conscious of her innocence in regard to the robbery, an intimate acquaintance, one Mr. Williams, a pawnbroker, happening to be passing by, she called to him, and told him the business those two men came about, and withal added this declaration to Mr. Williams," I am really a woman, but innocent of their charge." On this sincere confession, he told her she should not be carried to Feilding, but go before her own bench of justices; that he was obliged to just step home, but would be back in five minutes. At his departure, the two fellows threatened James How, but at the same time told her, that if she would give them £100, they would trouble her no more; if not, she would be hanged in sixteen days, and they should have forty pounds a-piece for hanging her. Notwithstanding these threatenings she would not give them the money, waiting with impatience till the return of Mr. Williams; on her denial, they immediately forced her out, and took her near the fields, still using the same threats; adding, with imprecations, "Had