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fresh blood may be extracted from veins for a season dried. Stay, listen, and from the lips of the lost prodigal, you may discover why these 'honest Iagos' are so kind."

"You say I went it fast,' said the miserable wretch, with the raquet in his hand. "That I did, and were it to be done again, I would go it still faster. D―n me, I had a comfortable letter this morning from the country, the writer an old pal, and a regular trump, too. He tells me the old girl is booked for kingdom come, and no mistake; for since 1 was before the beaks, last month, for the false pretence affair they couldn't prove, she has never raised her head. Well, in a race to Heaven, I'd back her against the field. I wonder will she drop off the hooks before Epsom day? If she does, won't I take Lou. down in style. Whether she hangs out another month or not, why, in the end, it will be all the same, I'll collar thirty thousand more; mine under father's will, when mother's sodded. That's a comfort. The devil himself can't come between me and the money.""

"And have you any designs upon this affectionate and very interesting young gentleman?" I enquired from Asmodeus with a smile.

"I abjure the reprobate altogether. Heartless ruffian! That dying woman is wearying Heaven with her prayers for the young wretch's reformation, and the last words her parting breath will utter, will be an appeal to the mercy-seat for pardon. Oh! if murder be a crime almost beyond the pale of forgiveness, how will the audit stand of him, who, by worse than Indian cruelty-mental torture-consigned to the grave the being that gave him birth?”

At that moment the bell rang.

"What means that 'loud alarum ?'"

"Not, my young friend, to summon sinful man to pray,' but to the beer-shop, which will now remain open for an hour. Did you wish to study the varied elements of which human character is composed, you could not have selected a more fitting time. Mark ye that attenuated old man, tottering, jug in hand, towards the tap?"

"I do. Oh! what a heart of adamant the wretch must have, who could detain a fellow-being here, from appearances, balanced on the brink of eternity."

"That adamantine personage is himself, and here and elsewhere, for a solitary debt under a hundred pounds, he has remained in durance for a quarter of a century! He has lands, houses, moneys in the funds -more wealth than he himself imagines.'

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"Impossible! incredible!" I exclaimed.

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"A fact I fancy will render you a true believer. For nearly twenty years he suffered himself to be immured in the Fleet; his room, or rather den, being in an underground lobby called the Fair.' All considered him a wretched pauper; but some Jews-and were money at the antipodes, a Jew would nose it-found out the secret of his wealth. On the sabbath he went regularly to church, and that was the day they selected, on which to commit the robbery. They easily succeeded; carried off nearly two thousand sovereigns, and yet left their task half done; for in the same trunk, and folded within the leaves of an old book without a cover, nearly five thousand pounds in bank notes had been deposited. In searching for the gold, they flung a volume richer than the rarest black-letter in existence, carelessly upon the floor; and there, on his return from church, the old man found the larger portion of his treasure."

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"And can burglary be committed within these guarded walls? I asked in some surprise.

"Ay, and name the crime that has not-murder not excepted. I have no time at present, to dip into the darker secrets of the prisonhouse; and with one anecdote more, illustrative of Hebrew audacity, I shall take my leave.

"I need scarcely apprize you, that for the safe keeping of his prisoners, the governor is accountable; and should a debtor effect his escape, he, the keeper, would be liable to his creditors for every shilling under which he had been placed in custody.

"One evening, at twilight, a captive, wrapped in a military cloak, was brought to the lobby of the Fleet prison, and given into custody for a debt verging on two thousand pounds; and, in less than half an hour, two detainers for heavy sums were also lodged in the office against the prisoner. On a sharp but cursory inspection, he appeared to be a foreigner. His dark hair curled over his collar; his whiskers were exuberant; and moustache and imperial, on most extensive scales, left but a trifling portion of his countenance visible. He bore his trouble as befitted man; enquired for the coffee-room; gave grandiloquent orders for the immediate hire of a room; intimated that captivity had not taken away his appetite; and while he dined, the prison should be carefully searched for an apartment, fitted and furnished in every respect, for the reception of a gentleman.

"Presently the hour for strangers to depart was announced by crier and bellman, and the crowd, egressing through the lobby, as usual, was great. All who wished to quit the prison had departed, and a turnkey sought the coffee-room to announce to the captive-bird that a suitable cage had been found for him. But no captive was there ; they said that a foreigner had ordered an expensive dinner; it had been waiting for an hour; and none had come to claim it. Suspicion changed to loud alarm; the prison was diligently searched; the bird had flown; for the blue cloak which wrapped his person, as well as wig, beard, and moustache that had so well concealed his face, were found in a dark corner of the skittle-ground. He had passed the lobby unnoticed in the crowd, and the marshal was fixed for over three thousand pounds.

"Next day, the creditors commenced separate actions for escape, and it was believed that their success must prove certain. But a trifling oversight betrayed the deep-laid plot. The conspiracy was gradually developed, and in the end, the caitif Israelites incurred nothing but loss of money and disgrace. But it was by the mere chapter of accidents that the old marshal escaped unscathed, from one of the best devised plans for wholesale robbery, that ever a Jew devised and executed."

VOL. XXIV.

LL

CHARLES THE FIFTH, EMPEROR OF GERMANY.

HIS VISITS TO ENGLAND. - HIS RETREAT TO A MONASTERY,—AND

DEATH.

BY CHIRURGUS.

"Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or thep itcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.

"Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.

"Vanity of vanities saith the preacher, all is vanity."

THERE is perhaps no period within historical record more interesting than the first half of the sixteenth century: whether we regard the events that occurred or the characters which performed their parts in them, there is ample food afforded for reflection. It was then that the voice of Luther rang like a trumpet-blast throughout Europe, breaking up the fountains of the political and religious deeps, and summoning to his standard the advocates for reformation in the Catholic Church. The learned Erasmus and profound Melanchthon flourished in Germany. Francis I., of magnificent memory, reigned in France. In England Henry VIII., Cardinal Wolsey, Sir Thomas More, and a host of other interesting historical characters then lived; our Elizabeth was in the bloom of her youth, and the bard of Avon about that time first drew breath.

But there was another star in the bright constellation then shining, who was conspicuous above all others for the grandeur of his position, the magnitude of his enterprises, the talent with which they were conducted, and the success by which, for a long series of years, they were attended. The name of the Emperor Charles V. has, moreover, been handed down in the annals of the Protestant faith as one of the most formidable, as well as unflinching opponents with whom that faith had at its dawn to contend. The close of the career of that prince was not less remarkable than the most brilliant occurrences of his life; and it is our intention to devote this paper to a consideration of the concluding events, prefacing them by some curious particulars of two visits paid by him to this country.

The death of the Emperor Maximilian having left the imperial throne of Germany vacant, two candidates presented themselves for the honour of filling it. Of these, one was Francis I. King of France, who had already gained reputation for valour and chivalric bearing in the battle-field, since so celebrated for another desperate fight, the field of Marengo. The other candidate was Charles V. King of Spain. A significant incident had already proved this prince to be of no ordinary mould. At a grand tournament held at Valladolid, Charles entered the lists, though barely in his eighteenth year, and broke three lances against his master of the horse. This feat was loudly applauded; but the youthful knight, whilst he gracefully made his acknowledgments, pointed significantly to the motto "Nondum," (not yet,) on his shield; indicating that he aspired to higher and nobler deeds.

By a majority of the Germanic States, Charles was chosen Emperor, to the great chagrin of Francis, who from that hour regarded his rival with feelings of bitter enmity. The coronation of Charles was celebrated with great pomp at Aix-la-Chapelle, on the 22nd of October, 1520.

*

Francis and Charles, whilst they entertained feelings of hostility against each other, were very desirous of courting the friendship and support of Henry VIII., the youthful King of England. Francis spared neither flattery, presents, nor promises to secure the good offices of Wolsey, then in the height of his power; and authorized him to arrange the formalities of a solemn meeting between the Courts of England and France. Charles regarded these proceedings with a jealous eye, and determined to have an interview with Henry previous to his visit to France. It was intended to have been a surprise, but Henry was informed of it by Wolsey, who was secretly intriguing with both the rivals. Accordingly, when Henry was at Canterbury making preparations for his visit to France, "Newes were brought to the King, that Charles his nephue, elected Emperour of Almanie, would shortlie depart out of Spaine by sea, and come by England to go to Acon, or Aix (a citie of fame and renowne in Germanie, for the ancient residence and sepulchre of Charlemagne), where he received the first crowne. Wherefore the King hearing of this determination of the Emperour, caused great provisions to be made at everie haven for the receiving of his well-beloved nephue and friend; and dailie provisions were made on all sides for these noble meetings of so high princes; and especialie the Queene of England and the Ladie Dowager of France made great cost on the apparell of their ladies and gentlewomen **." Henry and his Court left Greenwich on the 21st of May, and reached Canterbury on the 25th-a rate of travelling rather different from that of the present day. "On the morrow after," says the old chronicle, "the Emperour being on the sea, returninge out of Spaine, arrived with all his navie of ships roiall on the coast of Kent, direct to the port of Hieth, the said daie by noon, where he was saluted by the vice-admiral of England, Sir William Fitzwilliam, with six of the King's great ships well furnished, which laie for the safe gard of passage betwixt Cals and Dover. Towards evening the Emperour departed from his ships and entered into his bote, and coming towards lande, was met and received of the Lord Cardinall of Yorke with such reverence as to so noble a prince appertaineth.

"Thus landed the Emperour Charles the Fifth at Dover, under his cloth of estate of the Blacke Eagle, all spread on rich cloth of gold. He had with him manie noble men, and manie faire ladies of his bloud. When he was come on land, the lord cardinall conducted him to the Castell of Dover, which was prepared for him in the most roiall manner. In the morning the King rode with all hast to the Castell of Dover to welcome the Emperour, and entering into the castell, alighted; of whose coming the Emperour having knowledge, came out of his chamber and met him on the staires, where either of them embraced other in most loving manner, and then the King brought the Emperour to his chamber. On Whitsuntide, earlie in

* Holinshed's Chronicles, vol. ii. p. 853.

the morning, they tooke their horses and rode to the citie of Canterburie, the more to keepe solemne the feast of Pentecost, but speciallie to see the Queene of England, his aunt, was the Emperour his intent, of whom, ye may be sure, he was most joiefullie received and welcomed. Thus the Emperour and his retinue, both of lords and ladies, kept their Whitsuntide with the King and Queene of England in the citie of Canterburie with all joie and solace.* The Emperour yet himself seemed not so much to delight in pastime and pleasure, but that, in respect of his youthful yeares, there appeared in him a great shew of gravitie; for they could by no means bring him to dance amongst the residue of the princes, but onelie was contented to be a looker on: peradventure the sight of the Lady Mary troubled him, whom he had sometime loved, and yet, through fortune's evill hap, might not have her to wife.” t

On the 31st of May the Emperor took his departure from England, and on the same day Henry VIII. crossed from Dover to Calais on way to that memorable interview with Francis I. immortalized as the "Field of the Cloth of Gold."

his

Two years after this, another visit was paid by Charles to the British monarch, the particulars of which are even more interesting than the preceding. Henry at all times fond of display, found in Wolsey a most able coadjutor; and in the present instance their efforts were combined to receive the Emperor on a scale of surpassing magnificence. The old chroniclers love to dwell on these scenes, and the particulars they have handed down to us are full of interest as pourtraying the manners and customs of the age.

"King Henry, hearing that the Emperor would come to Callice, so to pass into England as he went into Spain, appointed the Lord Marquis Dorset to go to Callice, there to receive him, and the cardinal to receive him at Dover. The cardinal, taking his journey thither on the 10th of May (1552), rode through London, accompanied with two earls, six-and-thirty knights, and an hundred gentlemen, eight bishops, ten abbots, thirty chaplains all in velvet and satin, and yeomen seven hundred. The five and twentieth of May being Sunday, the Marquis Dorset, with the Bishop of Chichester, the Lord de la Ware, and divers others, at the water of Graveling received the Emperor, and with all honour brought him to Callice, where he was received with procession by the Lord Berners, lieutenant of the town. On Monday he took shipping at Callice, and landed at Dover; where the cardinal, with three hundred lords, knights, and gentlemen, received him, and in great state brought him to the castle, where he was lodged. On Wednesday, being Ascension Even, the King came to Dover, and there, with great joy and gladness, the Emperor and he met. On Friday in the afternoon they

* The hall of the archiepiscopal palace at Canterbury "was of such a vast amplitude, that once, in the year 1519, it was graced with the presence of the Emperor Charles the V. and King Henry VIII. at the same time; together with his royal consort Queen Katherine, whom (being the said emperor's aunt) he came to England to visit. This hall then contained these most royal persons, and all their numerous attendants, wherein they adjusted matters of state between them, exer, cised their triumphs, and feasted together in a most splendid manner, at the incredible cost and expenses of Warham, then archbishop.”—Strype, Life of Parker, vol. i. p. 347.

+ The Lady Mary here spoken of was the Queen-dowager of France, who was very celebrated for her beauty.

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