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he conversed at large, and among whom he ob-|" But," said Bergerac, "we call that honorable served the great respect and deference paid by burial.” Honorable," cried they of the moon the old to the young. In justification of this -"the plague clothed in the body of a man!" custom, an admirable ex parte case is made out Presently follows this account of the last days against the claim of old men to superiority of of an inhabitant of the moon, who is mortally wisdom. Bergerac knew that it would give sick :offence; but he said, they who are old have once been young, "therefore by repeating these things I have obliged all men, and only disobliged but half." He saw an old man quit the supper table (it was a supper of steams sent up from the kitchen), and found that he retired to sup apart, being opposed to the wanton cruelty of vegetable diet. He was one who considered it less sinful to massacre a man than to cut and kill a cabbage, because one day the man will live again, but the cabbage has no other life to hope for. By putting to death a cabbage you annihilate it; by killing a man, you only make him change his habitation. The dæmon of Socrates then said to Bergerac :

to his turn whom he loves best, having kissed him, Every one embraces him; and when it comes affectionately leaning upon his bosom, and joining mouth to mouth, with his right hand he sheathes a dagger in his heart. The loving friend parts not his lips from his friend's lips till he finds him expired; and then pulling out the steel, and putting his mouth close to the wound, he sucks his blood, till a second succeeds him, then a third, fourth, and so on all the company.

They then fill the house with enjoyment, and during three or four days, whilst they are tasting the pleasures of love, they feed on nothing but the flesh of the deceased.

I interrupted this discourse (continues Bergerac), saying to him that told me all, that this manner of acting much resembled the ways of some people of our world, and so pursued my walk, which was so long, that when I came back dinner had been ready two hours.

Knowing that in your world the government of health is too much neglected, I will tell you something of the care we here take of our lives. In all houses there is a physiognomist entertained by the public, who in some manner resembles your physicians, save that he prescribes He was asked by his hosts, on being so late, only to the healthful; and judges of the different why he had not ascertained how the time was manner how we are to be treated, only according going. He had endeavored to do so, he reto the proper figure and symmetry of our mem- plied, and had inquired the time of a vast num bers; by the features of the face, the complexion, ber of people, but they did no more than hold the softness of the skin, the agility of the body, up their heads and show their teeth at him. the sound of the voice, and the color, strength, He was informed then that his question had in and hardness of the hair. Did you not just now each case been answered; for, that by turning mind a man of a pretty low stature who eyed you? his face up to the sun, any person in the moon He was the physiognomist of the house; assure could convert his well proportioned nose into yourself that according as he has observed your constitution, he hath diversified the exhalations the gnomon of a sun-dial, and that to such a of your supper. Mark the quilt on which you lie, how distant it is from our couches. Without doubt he judged your constitution to be far different from ours, since he feared that the odor which escapes from these little pipkins that stand under our noses might reach you, or that yours might steam to us. At night the flowers upon which you sleep will be, no doubt, chosen with like circumspection.

dial the teeth served as a convenient row of figures. Bergerac had only in each case to observe upon which tooth the shadow of the nose fell, to get a perfect answer to his question.

At this time Bergerac entertained serious thoughts of a return to earth, by help of his friendly dæmon, from whom he received, as parting gifts, two books-one of them conAnother of Bergerac's ideas concerning tained the Histories of the Sun and of a Spark; wholesomeness arises out of his surprise, one the purpose of the other was to prove that day when out for a walk, at hearing of some everything is true, that black is white, that nomalefactor condemned to die in his bed, and thing is something, and that what is is not, then be put into a hole in the earth, followed without the use of any captious or sophistical by a hundred and fifty men in black, mocking argument. These books were executed after his remains with a burlesque of sorrow. This the manner usual in the moon, so as to address surprised the stranger, who had been accus- themselves to the ears, not to the eyes. Each tomed to believe no end more desirable. In was composed of cunningly contrived machinethe moon, he was told, the dead bodies are all ry, with springs and wheels, so that whosoever burnt, except only those of malefactors, which desired to be informed by it had only to wind are doomed to be crawled over by worms, and it up, and turn the hand to whatever chapter left to the discretion of toads, which feed on he might wish to read. Their books being their cheeks. This happens after they have made in this way, children in the moon can been ignominiously laid in a pit, and had a read as soon as they can speak, and the ma pike's-depth of earth thrown over their mouths.chinery is so small, and enclosed in cases so

elegant one in diamond, another in pearl-ceived a strong odor of brimstone; then he that a traveller may hang books to his ears as fell into the midst of briers on the side of a hill, pendants, and so he who reads may run.

where he was seen presently by shepherds who But inasmuch as this account of Bergerac spoke Italian. Little heed was paid to him by has been communicated by a much less easy these people, but he was barked at violently process, and the reader's eyes may have begun by their dogs, and until he had aired his to grow aweary of the theme, I shall only add clothes he excited a great barking of dogs that the adventurous traveller did safely return wherever he appeared; for those animals, beto earth. At first, as he came down, he could ing used to bay the moon, smelt that he came distinguish the two continents, Europe and Af- from thence. rica; then he observed a volcano, and per

H. M.

SPIRIT WHISPERS.

On the wall the fire-light casteth.
Shadows dark and grim;
In the socket burns the taper
Faintly now and dim;

And the winds without are sighing
A funereal hymn.

I am sitting in my chamber
Silent and alone;
Voices to my spirit whisper
In a sad low tone

Of the days that now are numbered
With the past and gone.

And as back my spirit turneth
To the silent Past,

Shadowing mem'ries round it cluster,
Cluster thick and fast;
And around it as by magic,
A weird spell they cast.

Far away amid the shadows,
In the distant gray,

Are the happy dreams and visions
Of my childhood's day;

And like the golden star-rays shining,
Round my soul they play.

Later years with all their thirstings
Press upon my heart;

All their deep unspoken yearnings,
Up around me start

Like dim spectres, and I cannot
Bid them to depart.

There I see the earnest longings

That my heart could thrill;
Longing for some unknown pleasure
Its dull void to fill;

Pleasures that could calm my spirit
And its rude waves still;

And I see too, strivings after

All things strange and new;
Yearnings deep for all things holy-
For the pure, the true;
Things the earthly veil enshroudeth
From the spirit's view.

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From Chambers's Journal.
THE GREAT CARRAC.

should derive a stronger impulse to honorable
exertion; from the rotten bones of the char-
still existing representatives.
nel-house, a more decided repugnance to their

very

ONE of the most important events recorded in the earlier naval annals of England, is the The expedition which ultimately led to the capture of a large Portuguese ship, named the Madre del Dios, but better known to our ancapture of the carrac, though designed for a cestors by the more familiar appellation of the chivalrous but unfortunate Sir Walter Raleigh. different purpose, was planned by the Great Carrac. We use the word important Its original object was to intercept the silver advisedly, though, as a feat of arms, a distin- ships belonging to the king of Spain, on their guished demonstration of nautical skill and in-homeward passage from Mexico, and to plundomitable valor, the capture of this vessel was der Panama by a spirited land movement merely one among the long series of naval victories that from an early period had attend-well as joins, the two Americas. across the narrow isthmus which separates as It was got ed the auspicious fortunes of the British flag. From the time of King Alfred, the English joint-stock companies of the present day. up on a principle somewhat similar to the had ever claimed the supremacy of, at least, Raleigh embarked his whole fortune in it; Sir the narrow seas; and the defeat and destruction John Hawkins and several merchants of Lonof the Spanish Armada, just four years previous don, joined in the adventure; Queen Elizato the period of which we write, proved to the beth herself became what we would now-aworld that the claim could be well substantiat-days term a shareholder, supplying two ships ed. The importance of this capture, may, with £1500, and granting the authority of her however, be more readily recognized in anoth- Royal Commission. To use a modern phrase, er point of view, when we state that it open- the stock of the company consisted, in all, of ed up to the nation an entirely new branch of 5005 tons of shipping, and £18,000. commerce, and directly led to the establishment of the first East India Company. The valuable productions of the East were at that time almost unknown in England, a few only finding their way hither by the two ships that once a year voyaged from London to the Mediterranean. The carrac, the largest and richest prize that had ever been brought to England, first exhibited the rich treasures of the East to the wondering and greedy eyes of Englishmen, and stimulated the commence-bled to put to sea.

ment of that direct traffic with India which

The fleet under the command of Raleigh, February of 1592; but a long series of westwas fully equipped, and ready to sail in the erly winds confined the ships in Plymouth Harbor till the greater part of their provisions fresh supplies brought on further delays, so were consumed. The necessity for procuring that the May-day merry-makings had passed and gone ere Raleigh, distressed and disgusted by the loss of so much valuable time, was ena

has since formed so important a feature in trial. The very day after the expedition sailHe was destined to experience a still severer British commercial enterprise and political ed, it was overtaken by Sir Martin Frobisher, power. Quaint old Hakluyt, alluding to the bearing the Queen's orders to Raleigh, desircarrac, says: "She first discovered those secret trades and Indian riches which hitherto ing him to give up the command, and return lay strangely hidden and cunningly concealed from us; whereof there was among some few of us, some small and imperfect glimpse only, which now is turned into the broad light of perfect knowledge."

Connected with great historical names, followed by remarkable results, and exhibiting a picture of our early naval adventurers-of ideas and practices so different from those of the present period-the story of the Great Carrac-an important though forgotten episode in the annals of Queen Elizabeth, is not without its peculiar interest-we may say its moral. The history of the past has been compared to a lofty and spacious gallery, the walls of which are embellished with splendid life-size pictures, representing virtuous actions and heroic achievements, while its floor is covered with the vile corruption and repulsive remains of the noisome charnel-house. From the paintings, we

*Portuguese, Carraca.

himself, and trusting to return with a success immediately to England. Eager to distinguish that would excuse his breach of duty, Sir Walter refused to comply with the queen's commands, alleging as a palliation of his disobedi

ence,

that the mariners had no confidence in any other leader.

tic life.

The cause of Raleigh's disgrace and recall was one of the principal events in his romancould be no longer concealed, his marriage The queen had discovered when it with Miss Throckmorton, one of the maids of honor. Elizabeth was highly incensed at the weakness of her attendant, and the boldness of Raleigh in presuming to fall in love and insisted that the whole admiration of her courmarry without the royal consent; for she ever tiers should be concentrated on herself; and if any lady of her court, or officer of her household, dared to infringe upon this regal monopoly of gallantry, the consequence was her most severe displeasure. It is pleasing to

have to relate, that whatever indiscretion Miss | Earl of Cumberland, and engaged, like himThrockmorton may have been guilty of, by self, in the pursuit of purchase. her private marriage, it was fully atoned for in after-life. In all her husband's misfortunes, she was ever an attached and devoted wife, and he always regarded her with the most implicit confidence and respect. In short, she was a woman eminently fitted, by her virtues and abilities, to be the partner of the unfortunate courtier, soldier, and scholar-Sir Walter Raleigh.

It does not appear very clearly that we were actually at war with Portugal at that period. Indeed, Elizabeth was then anxious to enter into an alliance with that nation, to aid her against her great enemy-Spain; but in the olden time it frequently happened that nations were at war in one part of the world, while at peace in another-at war on the sea, while at peace on the land. The pope, in the pleniThe expedition continued on its course, and tude of his power, having divided the world, in the mouth of the Channel met a French presenting India to Portugal, and America to ship returning from Spain to Calais. On Spain, those nations claimed the privilege of board this vessel there was one Davies, an capturing the vessels of any other powers that Englishman, who had escaped from "a long presumed to pass certain very badly-defined and miserable captivity "in Spain. From this boundaries; and the ships of the other powperson, and the captain of the French ship, ers, naturally enough, retaliated by capturing Raleigh learned that delay had been fatal to Spanish and Portuguese vessels wherever they the object of the expedition. The king of met with them. The great and sudden devel Spain hearing of it, had sent orders to Amer-opment of English maritime enterprise in the ica, forbidding the treasure-ships to sail that reign of Elizabeth, may be partly ascribed to year. Notwithstanding this intelligence, Ra- this state of continual warfare with Spain and leigh proceeded till off Cape Finisterre, when, Portugal on the ocean. The high nobility, considering the season too far advanced for the who, in that semi-feudal age, still ruffled with attack on Panama, he divided his fleet into troops of retainers, did not disdain to engage two squadrons, one of which, under the com- in this system of legalized piracy, and found mand of Frobisher, he ordered to cruise off a profitable employment for their needy fol the coast of Spain; the other, under Sir John lowers, by sending them out to capture the Burrowes, to cruise off the Western Islands. rich treasure-ships returning from India and He then returned to England, and was imme- America. Drake, Frobisher, and almost all diately, with Miss Throckmorton, committed our early naval heroes, started in life as the to close confinement in the Tower. retainers of some adventurous noble. Clif

The division commanded by Burrowes con- ford, Earl of Cumberland, was the most celesisted of but three ships-the Foresight, be-brated of the latter class. He commanded his longing to the queen; the Roebuck, to Raleigh; own ships at the defeat of the Armada, and and the Dainty, to Sir J. Hawkins. On reach- distinguished himself so greatly, that Elizabeth ing the island of Flores, Burrowes found there ever after termed him her captain. two small vessels, the Golden Dragon and Pru- The Portuguese, landing his cargo before dence, belonging to one Moore and some mer- their very eyes, was no doubt a galling chant adventurers in London. These vessels sight to the English adventurers, but a rising had arrived the day previous, "on an intend-gale prevented them from approaching the ed purpose to tarry there for purchase," as land. The next morning, however, the wind plunder was quaintly termed in those days. having fallen, they sent in their boats well Burrowes entered into a written agreement manned and armed, but were again disappointwith the commanders of these vessels, "to ed, the Portuguese having set his vessel on have, possess, enjoy, and partake of all such fire. The English boats were, consequently, prizes as should be taken jointly or seve- compelled to return to their vessels without rally" by them or his own ships for a certain period. The day after this "consortment," as it was termed, the reports of cannon were heard booming in the offing; and the admiral, putting to sea, discovered a Portuguese vessel chased by an English squadron. The Portuguese captain, finding his flight intercepted by Burrowes, resolved to run his ship on shore, and destroy her, rather than allow her to be captured by the English. He according did so, and then immediately began removing the On receiving this important intelligence, most valuable part of his cargo. Burrowes, Lord Cumberland's captains agreed to unite on joining the English squadron that had so their forces with Burrowes, and endeavor to unexpectedly made its appearance, found it to capture the Madre del Dios. The ships, un consist of five ships belonging to Clifford, der the command of Burrowes, being now ten

acquiring plunder, but they made two prisoners, Dutchmen, who had served as gunners on board the Portuguese ship. The prisoners would give no information, until threatened with torture; they then acknowledged that the burning vessel was the Santa Craz, a richly laden Indiaman, and that her consort the Madre del Dios, a much larger and richer ship, might be daily expected in the same track.

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