her oratory, to believe that she could tame the savageness of the mob, and induce them to spare the house which she inhabited, as religiously as the Spartans respected the abode of Pindar, when they sacked the city of Thebes.:

To give this experiment a fair trial, she betook herself to a lower gallery, whence she harangued them in a speech, as neat as her own formal habiliments. Every syllable was distinctly articulated; the double a's were expanded to their full breadth, and she had never been more happy in the strict grammatical use of the subjunctive mood. But the mob, unfortunately, were in the imperative mood; they commanded her to open the doors, and their mandate not being obeyed, they proceeded to pelt her with objectionable missiles, and to batter the principal entrance with the beam of a crane, which they tore down for that purpose. Soon obtaining admittance, by this rough expedient, they rushed into the house with loud cries of triumph, exhibiting the same blind and brutal rage in the work of pillage and demolition, that led them, at a subsequent period, to assault and massacre their best friend, and the last remaining champion of their liberties, the illustrious De Witt.

Such of the costly furniture as could not be conveniently carried off, was broken and destroyed; the rare exotics and rich roots were thrown from the balconies and windows; the museum, with all its curiosities and quaint devices of clock-work and mechanism, was scattered and trampled under foot; the matchless marbles, and exquisite statues of the gallery, were barba

rously cast down and mutilated. In the progress of this work of devastation, a party of the rioters ap=proached a door, before which Miss Vanspaacken was keeping guard. During her long domiciliation with the burgomaster, his generosity had enabled this lady to amass a considerable sum, which he had repeatedly I urged her to lay out in some secure investment; but she knew so much better than any body else the best disposition to make of her property, and, moreover, was so perfectly well acquainted with the insecurity of all the methods recommended to her for its profitable employment, that she preferred hoarding, and suffering it to lie unproductive, to incurring the smallest risk. This over-caution, as is not uncustomary in such cases, defeated its own object: in vain did she assure the marauders that the apartment she was guarding was exclusively her own, and contained not a single article belonging to Mr Beverning; in vain did she endeavour to propitiate their favour by declaring that she had always detested his politics, that she believed him to be guilty, and hoped he would be apprehended and punished. This sordid and ungrateful artifice only exciting their suspicions that there must be some important treasure to conceal, they burst open the door in spite of all her obtestations, and entered the apartment. For some time they discovered nothing to justify their presentiments. A closet, however, still remained unsearched. This also was broken open, and found to contain some female apparel, and an old deal box, of which she voluntarily tendered the key, most solemnly declaring that it contained nothing but some children's

books, which had remained in her possession ever since she kept school. It did indeed exhibit a copious store of well-thumbed Dutch accidences and bescribbled grammars, to the bottom of which the searchers rummaged with some difficulty, but without meeting any thing to reward their pains. They were about to quit the closet, when one of the men attempted to move the box from the wall: its great weight excited his attention; he lifted up one end; a betraying chink from within gave them a clue to the concealed treasure; the books were tumbled out; the false bottom was discovered; and the double ducats, which Miss Vanspaacken had for so many years been dropping in, one by one, congratulating herself all the time on her superior prudence and sagacity, were, in a few minutes, the objects of a general scramble among the very refuse of the population.

At the time that the Justiciary Vanderhoof had extricated Winky Boss from the fury of the mob in the manner we have related, it was his intention to have detained him in safe custody, until he could be examined by the competent authorities; but forgetting, in the agitation of the moment, to give immediate orders for his detention, his prisoner marched through the private dwelling-house, passed out of the front door into another street and, seizing time by the forelock, made the best of his way out of the town, intending to proceed a-foot, and join his master at Maaslandsleys. For the execution of this purpose, however, he arrived too late. De Witt, who was entrusted with the plans

of his friend, had instantly despatched a messenger to apprize him of Boss's arrest, and the sacking of his house; and the burgomaster, who had taken with him. a plentiful supply of gold, lost no time in chartering a small neutral vessel, and sailing for the river Thames. The voyage proved short and prosperous, and in due time he and his daughter were landed at Greenwich Wharf, immediately opposite to the new house then building for the King.

In order that Constantia might enjoy the advantages of female society, Beverning wished to take up his residence in a private family, rather than in a lodginghouse; and with this view it was his first intention to betake himself to his correspondent, Alderman Staunton, in Aldersgate-street; but recollecting that he was in close connexion with the Government, and that his own delicate situation, as a refugee Dutchman, rendered it imperatively necessary to avoid all such society as might lead to a suspicion of his being engaged in political intrigue, and thus obstruct his return and the vindication of his character, he resolved to take up his abode in the vicinity of London, and live in as sequestered a manner as possible. For these objects no place appeared so eligible as the residence of his friend, Elias Ashmole, at South Lambeth. With that curious collector he had long been in habits of intimate correspondence ; and by constantly transmitting to him, for the enlargement of his celebrated museum, a portion of the rarities which were brought by his captains from the remotest parts of the earth, he had laid him under

obligations which he felt with a peculiar satisfaction, and for which he was most eager to testify his gratitude.

He accordingly proceeded with Constantia to Turret House, which was the name of Mr Ashmole's residence, surprising that gentleman not a little by his unexpected appearance, but receiving from him a most cordial and hospitable welcome. At the mo

ment of his arrival he found him in close confabulation with his intimate associates, Sir Jonas Moore, the mathematician, and the celebrated astrologers, William Lilly and John Booker, the object of their conference being to fix a day for the annual astrologers' feast, of which Ashmole was steward, at Painters' Hall. Lilly was decorated with the gold chain and medal he had received from the King of Sweden,2 and

This mansion would hardly be recognized in our days, from the following passage in Evelyn's Diary-« The prospect from a turret is very fine, it being so neere London, and yet not discovering any house about the country.» Vol. 2. p. 427. The turret, whence it took its name, has been pulled down, but the house itself, materially enlarged and embellished, and with all its original grounds re-annexed, is still in existence, and in the occupation of the author's friend, William Heseltine, Esq. to whom he takes this opportunity of offering his acknowledgments, not only for the use, at all times, of his extensive and curious library, but for several suggestions which, he trusts, have improved the interest of the present work.

2 Estimated to be worth above 5ol. and presented to him in the year 1659, on account of his having mentioned that monarch with great respect in his almanack of 1657 and 1658. Lilly might well vaunt the homage with which he had been honoured in that credulous and superstitious age. Besides amassing a fortune by the sale of his prophetical powers, he tells us that he was twice consulted by Mrs Whor