"Proceed, my Seraphina," replied I;—" I follow." thou think, Zamboga, the sentiments 1 bear with regard to yourself are not more worthy of thy merit?-Dost thou think that I "One thing yet remains," replied she, "my would purchase my own life by an act of dis-hurry and confusion had almost banished it bonour?-Ah! no, Zamboga! the soul of from my memory. You have with justice said, Seraphina is unstained by any spot of dis- that a daughter of the house of Medina should grace! The honour of the house of Medina be free from dishonour; I will add yet further, shall never be tarnished whilst in my posses- that she should equally guard against the sussion I should have been unworthy of thee, picion of it.Do you therefore expect me Zamboga, had I consented to a condition like here; I shall return without delay." this; yet hast thou well guessed the purpose of the tyrant! Yes, the soul of Philip is capable of this infamy, and he has proposed this exchange of my honour for your life!" Seraphina here related every thing which had passed between the King and herself. I could not sufficiently admire the courage and address of my mistress. "Thy ingenuity, my Seraphina," exclaimed I, as she concluded, "is equal to thy love; and thy love is that which none but the most generous nind can feel or conceive! Alas! how few are they who are suited to a passion of the dignity of love!—And how vile is that resemblance which is mistaken for its bright original!—Yes, my Seraphina, let us hasten our escape!-Let interposing mountains divide us from our hated persecutor! Yet, alas! his power is equal to his cruelty!-Europe is overspread with his armies.-The Indies, and the greater part of the new world is his own.Alas! can the justice of Heaven thus sleep, whilst a monster like this disgraces the race of which he bears the figure! Had Philip been born in an inferior condition, he is not possessed of that personal merit which would have distinguished him from the lowest of his present subjects!" "Let us not lose time in these complaints," said Seraphina; " Philip is, indeed, a tyrant, and merits the worst which the fancy of a poet could imagine. Let us therefore escape from his hands." Upon this, without adding any thing farther, Seraphina retired from my apartment, and left me in some perplexity what could be the purpose of her departure. My suspence, however, was that of a few minutes; Seraphina returned, and in company with her a monk of the palace. "Don Zamboga," said she, "let this holy father unite us according to the rites of the church; let it not be reported that I have fled with any other but my husband!-The priest, after the performance of the ceremony, will accompany us in our escape. He is equally weary with ourselves of the tyranny of Philip, and will attend us to the furthest extremity of the world to escape it!-You see there are more wretched than ourselves!The oppression of this King is almost as bound. less as the extent of the power which enables him to oppress!Come, Francisco, perform the ceremony of our union." The monk without further delay obeyed; and Seraphina and myself were soon united by the rites of the Church. "Is this happiness real?" said J, as I embraced her; " is a bliss thus transporting, thus unexpected, no illusion of fancy!-Do I embrace my Seraphina as my wife?-Philip, I now defy thee!-Death itself can no longer divide us!-Seraphina, thou art now my own!" (To be continued.) THE SPANISH CHARACTER. THE following observations on the national character of the Spaniards, are extracted from a Spanish Work, written some years ago, entitled Cartas Marruecas, or Moorish Letters, which though it has obtained considerable celebrity in Spain, we believe it has never yet been translated into English: "In Spain there is an incredible variety in the character of the inhabitants of the dif ferent provinces. This Peninsula having been No. XVIII, Vol. II.-N. S. divided for so many ages into different kingdoms, they have always retained a great diversity of laws, customs, dialects, and modes of dress. An Andalusian in nothing resembles a Biscayan; while a native of Catalonia is wholly distinct from a Galician, as those of Valencia from the Asturians, or Montaneses. "The Cantabrians, under which name may be included all who speak the dialect of Biscay, are a people of very simple manners, and A a of great honesty. They were among the "The inhabitants of the province of Asturias value themselves highly upon their descent, and on the glory which their ancestors acquired in the re-conquest of Spain from the Moors. A population too great for the confined and indigent country which it inhabits, occasions numbers to seek employment in Madrid, where they are generally found in the class of inferior servants; so that it has been remarked, that an Asturian gentleman residing in that city, would require to be very careful in examining to see that there were none of his relations amongst his grooms or footmen; or, otherwise, he might some day have the mortification of finding one of his cousins rubbing down his horse, or his uncle blacking his shoes. Notwithstanding this, however, many families of this province live in an elegant and splendid manner, are worthy of the highest respect, and among them are to be found officers of exalted merit, both in the army and navy. "The Galicians, amidst the poverty of their country, are robust and vigorous. They are found dispersed all over Spain, engaged in the most fatiguing labours, which, as they are more profitable, they prefer to those of an easier description. Fer, soldiers, although, perhaps, something inferior in external appearance, they are admirably qualified by their habits of subordination, strength of body, and ability to sustaiu privations and fatigue. "The Castilians, of all the natives of Spain, have shewn themselves most attached to their sovereigns. When the army of Philip V. was completely destroyed in the battle of Saragossa, the province of Soira alone furnished him with another, fresh and numerous, with which he again took the field; and it was it that gained those victories, the result of which was the total destruction of the Asturian party. The natives of this province still retain a certain haughtiness of manner, the remains of their anci ut grandeur, which is now only to be looked for in the ruins of their cities, and in the honour and integrity by which their character is still distinguished. "Estremadura gave birth to the conquerors of the New World, and has always continued to produce many distinguished warriors. Its inhabitants are not much inclined to the cultiva tion of learning, but those of them who have applied themselves to such pursuits have not attained less celebrity in letters than its soldiers have acquired in arms. "The Andalusians, born and brought up in a country, warm, abundant, and delicious, have the character of being somewhat arrogant and assuming; but if this reproach be just, it ought to be attributed to their ardent climate, the powerful influence of which on the moral character is so well known. The ad vantages which nature has so liberally be stowed upon their country make them regard with contempt the poverty of Galicia, the ruggedness of Biscay, and the barrenness of Castile. Their province, however, has at different times given birth to men who have done honour to their country and to human nature, and when we reflect that Trajan and Seneca are to be reckoned among these, we may be inclined in some degree to overlook the vanity of a people whose country has produced such men. In beauty, vivacity, and acuteness, the Andalusian women are superior to all others; they are possessed of great address, together with such a turn for intrigue, that a Moor of rank, who had resided some time in Seville, declared that he considered one of them sufficient to set the whole empire of Morocco in a flame. "The Marcians partake of the character of the Andalusians and Valencians. These last are generally considered as a light and frivolous people; but however general this prejudice may be, it must be observed, that amongst the Valencians of the present century the cultivation of learning and science has been more attended to, and with greater success, than in any other part of attached to their province, and much prejuSpain. "The natives of Catalonia are the most industrious people in the Peninsula Manufactures, fisheries, and commerce are things hardly known to the inhabitants of the other || provinces, when compared with the Catal. niaus. They are not only useful from their industry in peace, but are also of the greatest service in war, forming light troops of most excellent quality. They possess foundries of cannon, manufactories of arms, clothing, and accoutrements for the troops; and warlike stores and provisions of all sorts abound in this province. The country is well cultivated, while its poplation is continully increasing in wealth and numbers; in short, the Catalonians appear to be a people as completely distinct from those of Galicia, Andalusia, or Castile, as if they were inhabitants of another part of the globe. Their disposition, how ever, is rather intractable; and from their applying themselves continually to the advancement of their interest, they have acquired the name of the Jews of Spain. We may predict that this province will continue to flourish while the inhabitants remain as much strangers to luxury as they are at present, and to the folly of ennobling their artiżans, two evils which have always proved destructive of industry in Spain. "The Arragonese are a brave and honourable people, tenacious of their opinions, much diced in favour of their own countrymen. In former times they cultivated the sciences with success, and acquired much glory in arms against the French is Italy, and the Moors in Spain. This province, like the rest of the Peninsula, was anciently very populous; and it is a common tradition among them, that on the marriage of one of their kings, he was attended to Saragossa by ten thousand gentlemen, each one with his servant; the whole twenty thousand mounted on horses of the breed of the province. "The long period during which the dif ferent provinces of this kingdom were divided, and often engaged in war with each othertheir speaking different dialects, and being governed by different laws--naturally induced a certain degree of dislike and animosity between their inhabitants, which, although now much diminished, is not yet wholly eradicated; and if in time of peace this may be regretted as forming an obstacle to that union which should subsist between the different parts of an empire, it is not without its attendant advantage in war, by the mutual emulation which it inspires. An Arragonese regiment will not look with indifference on the glory acquired by one of Castile; and a ship of war, with a crew of Biscayans, will never surrender while another continues to defend herself which is manned with Catalonians." INFERNAL MACHINE. Most of our readers recollect the attempt said to have been made upon the life of Bonaparte by an infernal machine, some years ago. The following is an account of the effects produced by an apparatus of this pature above two centuries ago, at the siege of Antwerp. As the work whence it is extracted is scarce, this account may be acceptable to many of our friends : "Of all the warlike inventions that have ever been contrived, antiquity can produce uone more dreadful than were used by the people of the Netherlands against Philip V. of Spain; and particularly at the siege of Antwerp, which having been besieged some time without success by the Prince of Parma, he at length resolved to lay a bridge over the Scheldt, that runs by the side of that city. The river is two thousand four hundred feet broad, and above sixty feet when the tide is out; yet the Prince, by indefatigable la bour, and driving piles into the bottom, at length performed this wonderful enterprise; only in the midst, where the stream was very rapid and very deep, he was forced to make a floating bridge of boats, which joined the whole together. He likewise built forts or castles on each end, and planked the bridge on each side five feet high, to secure it from the enemy's cannon, and from thence much annoyed the town. "The people of Antwerp finding how prejudicial this would be to them, and that it night endanger the loss of the city, consulted many ways how to destroy it, but none took effect. At last they met with one Frederick Jambel, an excellent engineer, who coming out of Italy into Spain, desired to bave access to the King, to offer his services in the Low Countries, but being slighted and neglected, he left the Court in a rage, threatening, that in a short time the King of Spain should hear ships in the midst of the Scheldt, which hitherto without hurt spit their names as if in sport. of the name of this despised person, not with- and Holland squadrons did the like on the out tears; and coming to Antwerp he had other; therefore the Prince kept strict guard now a fit opportunity of expressing the na- to prevent mischief, which was nearer to him ture and fury of his mind. He was enter- than he expected. When behold from the tained by the besieged, and assured them he city there appeared three ships first, and after would ruin this dangerous bridge; to which them several others, brightly shining with fire purpose he built four ships, with flat bot- in the darkness of the night, and at which the toms and bigh sides, much thicker and camps were alarmed, and a cry given of stronger than ordinary; first, in the keel of arms! arms!and the bridge was soon filled these ships he made a strong brick wall, like with soldiers. The ships came down the river a floor or ground-work, a foot bigh and five in good order, two or three together, as if for broad, through the whole length of the ship; shew only, having their mariners on board then he built wall's on each side about the them, and the flames were so clear, that they foundation, three feet high and as many seemed not to carry fire, but to be burning broad, and having filled the vacancy with themselves, and that fire could sail and be gunpowder, tempered with exquiste art, uu- preserved in the waters. The whole made a known to any but himself, he covered it over glorious shew, if the hearts of the spectators with grave-stones, mill-stones, and other huge had not been filled with terror; for the banks stones. Upon this covering he made another of the river and the castles placed thereon story, vault-wise, of mill-stones, and other shone with continual fires, which, with the vast stones, which, leaning of each other, armed troops along the shore and on the made a ridge like that of an house, so that the bridge, in bright armour, with their swords slaughter might not only be strait forward, drawn and colours displayed, with the galbut on each side. In this upper vault he put lantry of their commanders, made a very agree> iron and marble balls, chains, blocks, nails,able sight, and was heightened by the fiery knives, and whatever else bis mischievous wit could suggest to him to destroy mankind. Lastly, all the space that lay open between the sides of the ships, the wall, and the roof of the mine, be filled up with stones close joined together, and bound down with beams fastened with iron. He covered and secured all these things with a strong plank and brick floor, in the middle whereof be set fire to a pile of wood, that the ships might seem to be set out in that order to burn the bridge, putting under the wood pitch and brimstone, that could not be extinguished before the mine should be fired, with the prepared timber. He framed two ways to fire the mine; in some of the ships he placed matches besmeared with gunpowder, which being laid through the keel, reached to the mine, and of such a length as he had found by experiment would continue lighted until the ships should come to the bridge. In other ships he used clocks to continue with a gentle motion till they arrived at the bridge, and then with a violent meeting of the wheels against a flint, should strike some sparks into the bruised gunpowder there scattered, and inBlame the train, and thence convey the fire into the mouth of the miue. Jambel having finished these four dreadful engines, added thirteen less, which had nothing hurtful but the hatches covered with huge fires. These preparations were observed by the Spaniards, though ignorant of the stratagem, imagining|voured to prevent the danger from this fire-ship, they were providing a fleet in the city to attack the bridge on one side, while the Zealand || "When these ships were within two miles of the bridge, the seamen turned these four that had the mines within their holds directly down the midst of the channel against the bridge, not valuing the small vessels, and setting fire to the matches, presently leaped into the boats to observe the success at a distance. But wanting their pilots, they did not keep one course. Most of the small ones dashed themselves against the machines feuced with sharp spikes, or run aground upon the banks; and of the four that carried destruction in their bowels, one leaking was swallowed up in the midst of the river, vomiting out thunder and smoke; two others by the force of the wind, were driven ashore on the Flanders side; and the last had nearly shared the same fate, being violently driven towards the shore, which, with the sight of the loss of the rest, made the Spaniards triumph and scoff at the folly of their enemies. But the last ship being stronger than the others, broke through all opposition, destroying all the engines and contrivances made to hinder its progress, and came furiously on against the bridge. At this sight the soldiers shouted with terror and fear. The Prince of Parma, himself came thither,when he beard these shouts, and endea by commanding some mariners aboard to die. perse the wood and quench the fire, and others to keep it off with large poles and spikes. He himself stood on the wooden castle on the bridge, and with him several of his chief commanders, and the guard of the place, and amongst them a Spanish Ensign, who either had some knowledge of such engines, or knew that Jambel was excellent in this art, who came to the Prince and earnestly entreated him, that now he had done all that was necessary, he would please to withdraw, and not venture his life whereon every soldier's life, yea, the war itself depended, in so dangerous a place; but being rejected, he still insisted, and throwing bimself on his knees before the Prince, said, 'I most humbly beseech and intreat you, most illustrious Prince, as you value your life, which now see exposed to the utmost hazard, that you would please for this once to take this advice from your servaut." 189 The river Scheldt prodigiously gaping was then seen to discover its bottom, and again swelling above its banks, overdowed the adjacent shores. The motion of the earth was felt nine miles off, and great grave-stones were thrown a mile from the river, and sunk two feet into the ground. But the destruction of men was very deplorable; some the hellish violence of the fire consumed or carried into the air, whence they fell bruised on the earth or into the river; others were stifled with the poisonous smoke; others boiled to death with the scalding waters many slain with the showers of stones; and some of the grave-stones both killed and entombed. The Viscount of Brussels was darted out of his own ship, at a great distance, without hurt. A captain, by this inferual whirlwind, was carried heavily armed out of St. Mary's fort, like chaff in the air, and thrown into the midst of the river, from whence, by swimming, with the loss of his armour he escaped. A young man of the Prince's guard was carried over a great part of the river into the Brabant, a considerable distance, only hurting his shoulders a little when he fell on the ground, and said he seemed like a bullet shot out of a cannon, he felt such a violence forcing him forward. Saying this he modestly plucked him by the garment, and with a kind of commanding air, intreated him to follow him, who interpreting this unusual freedom of the man to proeeed from an higher power, at last consented, and with some others went away. The Prince had hardly entered St. Maria's fort, when the limited hour for the match to fire the mine was come, and all on a sudden this fatal ship exploded, with such a horrid noise, as if the very skies had rent asunder, and heaven and earth come together, or the whole body of the earth had trembled; for the storm of stones, chains, and bullets, being thrown out with thunder and lightning, there followed such a slaughter as cannot be imagined. The castle on which the infernal machine fell, the bridge next to it, with the soldiers, mariners, armour, and arms; all these the furious whirlwind swept away together, tossed in the air, and dispersed as the wind doth leaves of trees. "To conclude, there were 800 slain, and the Prince of Parma was in great danger, though a good distance off, by a great stake, which struck him down, where he lay some time in a france. And indeed the desolation produced by this execrable engine was such as made people say that the author of it fetched this terrible fire, which made the river boil with heat, and those pestiferous mortal vapours, from the infernal pit; and that the thunder and lightning was procured by magic art." THE DANCING-MASTER. FROM THE FRENCH. "My dear friend," said a woman to her husband, a plain honest tradesman, “I very much applaud your wise manner of educating our daughter, let her continue learning to sew well; be it so; let her learn to knit stockings, make shirts; in a word, let her be initiated in all household work, I desire nothing better. I knew nothing more when I had the happiness of pleasing you, but to put in practice those lessons which my mother had given me. did not displease you. Do you recollect, however, that no one could make me dance on our 1 wedding day? That vexed you very much; but I did not chuse then to confess the true reason I knew not one step." "What are you aiming at, my dear wife?" replied the husband, who knew how to unite tenderness with firmness, and who was obliging without being too obsequious. "It is the subject of my daughter I am coming to," replied the wife. "She is an excellent manager, and she must both please and interest by the qualities of her heart and the useful talents she has acquired; but I wish |