ANECDOTE OF A BRAZILIAN SLAVE. 109 offices, to the dignity of Bashaw of Tunis. Since I have enjoyed this post, added he, there is nothing which I find in it so agreeable as the power it gives me of alleviating the misfortunes of those unhappy Christians that are taken prisoners by our corsairs. Whenever a ship arrives which brings with it any of these sufferers, I constantly visit the market, and redeem a certain number of the captives, whom I restore to liberty. And gracious Allah has shewn, that he approves these faint endeavours to discharge the sacred duties of gratitude for my own redemption, by putting it in my power to serve the best and dearest of men. Ten days were Francisco and his son entertained in the house of Hamet, during which time he put in practice every thing within his power to please and interest them; but when he found that they were desirous of returning home, he told them that he would no longer detain them from their country, but that they should embark the next day, in a ship that was setting sail for Venice. Accordingly, on the morrow, he dismissed them with many embraces and much reluctance, and ordered a chosen party of his guards to conduct them on board their vessel. When they arrived there, their joy and admiration were considerably increased on finding that, by the generosity of Hamet, not only the ship which had been taken, but the whole crew were redeemed, and restored to freedom. Francisco and his son embarked, and after a favourable voyage, arrived without accident in their own country, where they lived many years respected and esteemed, continually mindful of the vicissitudes of human affairs, and atten, tive to discharge their duties to their fellow-creatures. ECA ANECDOTE OF A BRAZILIAN SLAVE. (From Turkey's voyage to Bass's Straits.) 6 "Senor D. was a wealthy planter in the district of the mines, and among his numerous slaves was one named Hanno, who had been born on the estate, and whose ingenuity had increased his value much beyond that of his fellows. Scarce had Hanno arrived at that age when every zephyr seems the sigh of love, ere his fondest wishes centered on Zelida, a young female of his own age, and a slave to the same master; in her his partial eye perceived all that was beautiful in person, or amiable in mind; the passion was mutual, it had grown with their growth, and strengthened with their strength; but Hanno, though a slave, possessed the feelings of a man, and his generous soul revolted at the idea of entailing that slavery upon his children, which was the only birth-right he inherited from his fathers. His mind was energetic, and his resolutions immutable; while he fulfilled his daily task, and was distinguished for his diligence. and fidelity, he was enabled, by extra labour and the utmost frugality, to lay by something, without defrauding his master of his time; and at the end of seven years, his savings amounted to the estimated value of a female slave. Time had not altered his passion for Zelida, and they were united by the simple and unartificial bonds of mutual love. The absence of Senor D. for two years prevented the accomplishment of Hanno's first wishes, the purchase of Zelida's freedom, and in that time she had presented him with a boy and a girl. Though slaves from their birth, Hanno was not chagrined, for he had now added to his hoard a sufficient 110 ANECDOTE OF A BRAZILIAN SLAVE. sum to purchase their liberty likewise. On the return of Senor D. Hanno anxiously demanded a compliance of the law, but well aware of his master's sordid avarice, cautiously affirmed that a kind friend was to advance him the money. Senor D. agreed to receive the price, and a day was fixed to execute the deeds before the magistrates. On that day Hanno fled upon the wings of hope to his master's house, while it may be supposed the most heartfelt joy animated his bosom, on the prospect of giving immediate liberty to those his soul doated on. He tendered the gold---it was seized as the stolen property of Senor D. and Hanno being unable to bring forward the supposed lender, was condemned, and the cruelty of his master was exhausted in superintending his punishment. Still bleeding from the scourge, he returned to his hut, which, though the residence of slavery, had till now been cheered by the benign influence of love and hope. He found his wife suckling her infant daughter, while his son, yet unable to walk, was amusing her with his playful gambols upon the bare earth. Without answering Zelida's anxious enquiries, he thus addresses her: To procure you your liberty dearer to me than my own, I have, since the moment of our acquaintance deprived myself of every comfort my state of bondage allows: for that purpose, I have laboured during those permitted hours of relaxation, which my fellows have employed in amusements; I have curtailed my scanty meal of cassadra, I have sold my morsel of tobacco, and I have gone naked amidst the burning heats of summer, and the pinching colds of winter. I had accomplished the object of all my cares, and all my deprivations, and this morning I tendered to your owner the price of your liberty, and that of your children; but when the deed was to be ratified before the magistrate, he seized it as his own, and accusing me of robbery, inflicted the punishment of a crime my soul detests. My efforts to procure your liberty are abortive; the fruits of my industry, like the labours of the silk-worm, are gone to feed the luxury of our tyrant; the blossoms of hope are for ever blighted, and the wretched cup of Hanno's misery is full. Yet a way, a sure but dreadful way remains, to free you, my wife, from the Scourge of tyranny, of the violation of lust, and to rescue you, my children, from the hands of an unfeeling monster, and from a life of unceasing wretchedness.' Then seizing a knife, he plunged it into the bosom of his wife, and while reeking with her blood, buried it into the hearts of his children, When seized and interrogated, he answered with a manly tone of firmness, I killed my wife and children to shorten a miserable existence in bondage, but I spared my own life to shew my brutal tyrant how easy it is to escape from his power, and how little the soul of a negro fears death or torment. I expect to suffer the utmost tortures that your cruelty can devise, but pain I despise thus, (staking his arm on an iron spike, and tearing it through the flesh,) and death I desire, that I may rejoin my wife and children, who have, ere this, a habitation prepared for me in the land of our forefathers, where no cruel white man is permitted to enter.' Even the proud apathy of the Portuguese was roused by this appeal to their feelings; the slave was pardoned and granted his freedom; Senor D. severely fined, and the unworthy magistrate, who seconded his villainy, degraded from his office. THE TWO ROBBERS. BARBAULD. Scene---Alexander the Great in his tent. Guards. A man with a fierce countenance, chained and fettered, brought before him. Alex. WHAT, art thou the Thracian Robber, of whose exploits I have so much? Rob. I am a Thracian, and a soldier. A. A soldier !---a thief, a plunderer, an assassin! the pest of the country ! I could honour thy courage; but I must detest and punish thy crimes. R. What have I done of which you can complain? A. Hast thou not set at defiance my authority; violated the public peace; and passed thy life in injuring the persons and properties of thy fellow-subjects? R. Alexander! I am your captive---I must hear what you please to say, and endure what you please to inflict. But my soul is unconquered; and if I reply to all your reproaches, I will reply like a free man. 4. Speak freely. Far be it from me to take the advantage of my power to silence those with whom I deign to converse. R. I must then answer your question by another. How have you passed your life? A. Like a hero. Ask Fame, and she will tell you. Among the brave, I have been the bravest :---among sovereigns the noblest :---among conquerors, the mightiest. R. And does not Fame speak of me too? Was there ever a bolder captain of a more valiant band?---was there ever---But I scorn to boast. You yourself know that I have not been easily subdued. A. Still what are you but a robber---a base, dishonest robber? R. What is a conqueror? Have not you too gone about the earth like an evil genius, blasting the fair fruits of peace and industry ;---plundering, ravaging, killing, without law, without justice, merely to gratify an insatiable lust for dominion? All that I have done to a single district with a hundred followers, you have done to whole nations with a hundred thousand. If I have stripped individuals, you have ruined kings and princes. If I have burned a few hamlets, you have desolated the most flourishing kingdoms and cities of the earth. What is then the difference, but that as you were born a king, and I a private man, you have been able to become a mightier robber than I? A. But if I have taken like a king, I have given like a king. If I have subverted empires, I have founded greater. I have cherished arts, commerce, and philosophy. R. I, too, have freely given to the poor what I took from the rich. I have established order and discipline among the most ferocious of mankind; and have stretched out my protecting arm over the oppressed. I know, indeed, little of the philosophy you talk of; but I believe neither you nor I shall ever repay to the world the mischiefs we have done it. 4. Leave me-Take off his chains, and use him well. (Exit Robber.) -Are we then so much alike r--. -Alexander to a robber --Let me reflect. PROVIDENCE: OR, THE SHIPWRECK. BARBAULD. T was a dreadful storm. blowing on I rolled tremendous waves on the beach, while the half-sue sea shore, A the entrance of the bay, were enveloped in a mist of white foam. ship appeared in the offing, driving impetuously under her bare poles to land; now tilting aloft on the surging waves, now plunging into the intervening hollows. Presently she rushed among the rocks and there stuck, the billows beating over her deck, and climbing up her shattered rigging. Mercy! mercy!" exclaimed an ancient Solitary, as he viewed from a cliff the dismal scene. It was in vain. The ship fell on her side, and was seen no more. Soon, however, a small dark object appeared coming from the rocks towards the shore; at first dimly described through the foam, then quite plain as it rode on the summit of a wave, then for a time totally lost. It approached, and shewed itself to be a boat, with men in it rowing for their lives. The Solitary hastened down to the beach, and in all the agonizing vicissitudes of hope and fear watched its advance. At length, after the most imminent hazards, the boat was thrown violently on the shore, and the dripping half-dead mariners crawled out to the dry land. "Heaven be praised!" cried the Solitary; "what a providential escape!" And he led the poor men to his cell, where, kindling a good fire, and bringing out his little store of provision, he restored them to health and spirits. "And are you six men the only ones saved?" said he. "That we are!" answered one of them. "Three score and fifteen men, women, and children, were in the ship when she struck. You may think what a clamour and confusion there was: women clinging to their husbands' necks, and children hanging about their clothes, all shrieking, crying, and praying! There was no time to be lost. We got out the small boat in a twinkling; jumped in without staying for our captain, who was fool enough to be minding the passengers; cut the rope, and pushed away just time enough to be clear of the ship as she went down : and here we are all alive and merry!" An oath concluded his speech. The Solitary was shocked, and could not help secretly wishing that it had pleased Providence to have saved some of the innocent passengers, rather than these reprobates. The sailors having got what they could, departed, scarcely thanking their benefactor, and marched up the country. Night came on. They descried a light at some distance, and made up to it. It proceeded from the window of a good-looking house, surrounded with a farm-yard and garden. They knocked at the door, and in a supplicating tone made known their distress, and begged relief. They were admitted, and treated with compassion and hospitality. In the house were the mistress, her children and women-servants, an old man and a boy: the master was abroad. The sailors, sitting round the kitchen fire, whispered to each other that here was an opportunity of making a booty that would amply compensate for the loss of clothes and wages. They settled their plan; and on the old man's coming with logs to the fire, one of them broke his skull with the poker, and laid him dead. Another took up a knife, which had been brought with the loaf and cheese, and running after the boy, who was making his escape out of the house, stabbed him to the heart. The rest locked the doors, and, after tying all the women and children, began to ransack the house. One of the children continuing to make loud exclamations, a fellow went and strangled it. They had nearly finished packing up such of the most valuable things as they could carry off, when the master of the house came home. He was a smuggler as well as a farmer, and had just returned from an expedition, leaving his companions with their goods at a neighbouring public-house. Surprised at finding the doors locked, and at seeing lights moving about in the chambers, he suspected somewhat amiss; and, upon listening, he heard strange voices, and saw some of the sailors through the windows. He hastened back to his companions, and brought them with him just as the robbers opened the door and were coming out with their pillage, having first set fire to the house in order to conceal what they had done. The smuggler and his friends let fly their blunderbusses in the midst of them, and then, rushing forwards, seized the survivors and secured them. Perceiving flames in the house, they ran and extinguished them. The villains were next day led to prison amidst the curses of the neighbourhood. The good Solitary, on hearing of the event, at first exclaimed, "What a wonderful interference of Providence to punish guilt and protect innocence!" Pausing a while, he added, "Yet had Providence thought fit to have drowned these sailors in their passage from the ship, where they left so many better people to perish, the lives of three innocent persons would have been saved, and these wretches would have died without such accumulated guilt and ignominy. On the other hand, had the master of the house been at home, instead of following a lawless and desperate trade, he would perhaps have perished with all his family, and the villains have escaped with their booty. What am I to think of all this?" Thus pensive and perplexed he laid him down to rest, and, after some time spent in gloomy reflections, fell asleep. In his dream he fancied himself seated on the top of a high mountain, where he was accosted by a venerable figure in long white garments, who asked him the cause of the melancholy expressed on his countenance. "It is," said he, "because I am unable to reconcile the decrees of Providence with my ideas of wisdom and justice." "That," replied the stranger," is probably because thy notions of Providence are narrow and Thou seekest it in particular events, and dost not raise thy survey to the great whole. Every occurrence in the universe is providential, because it is the consequence of those laws which divine Wisdom has established as most productive of the general good. But to select individual facts as more directed by the hand of Providence than others, because we think we see a good purpose answered by them, is an infallible erroneous. P |