than before, and, coming up with the others, fired their pistols and carabines. The Spaniards that followed the procession, being much incensed thereat, drew their swords, killed two of the French, and dangerously wounded several others. Both parties being thus exasperated, they proceeded so far as to threaten to pull down the Ambassador's house, from which they were hardly withheld by the officers and soldiers, who, in the beginning of the tumult, were sent to protect his Excellency's family from the violence of the multitude. At length, upon the approach of the Queen's guards, and some persons of authority, all things were appeased again. The Ambassador hath been since to make complaint to the Queen hereof, who, having expressed herself much troubled at what had happened, assured him she would take care all imaginable satis¬ faction should be given him in the matter."

THE GULPH OF VENICE AND THE RIVER PO.

The above river flows into the gulph, and, previous to the year 1666, had deposited vast quantities of sand, decayed vegetables, and mud, which at length appearing above the level of the sea, produced an exhalation so very deleterious, that the Senate determined to alter the channel of the river so as to carry the soil where its effects would be less pernicious to Venice. This resolution seems to have been equally rash and

impolitic

impolitic with respect to the probable consequences attending a failure of the necessary barriers to the stream, and the resentment of the injured parties in case any accident occurred.

Two thousand men were employed on this arduous undertaking, in the progress of which the accumulated water forced away every human restraint, and, rushing through part of the territory of Ferrara, levelled nearly sixty houses, drowned one hundred and forty persons, and rendered the surface of the land where it passed a mere desert. The Cardinal Legate of Ferrara, Corsini, represented the unhappy event to the Pope, who was so highly incensed, that he im'mediately summoned the Venetian Ambassador and Cardinal Ottoboni, informing them of his determination to withdraw his troops and galleys then employed in the service of the Republic, and to take immediate measures to restore the Po

to its original channel. Thus terminated this Quixotic exploit,

NEAPOLITAN BANDITTI.

We often hear of very atrocious and dreadful acts committed by public robbers in all parts of Europe; but they are generally cowardly, and the party concerned seldom fails to escape through the precautions of disguise and the hours of darkness in which he makes his attack. Two Neapolitan banditti, who perished in 1669, were exceptions

exceptions to the justice of these observations. They had, on some occasion, irritated each other to the extreme of animosity, and separated; but, happening to meet accidentally in the Carmelites' church at Naples, where devotion or plunder invited them, one observing the other attentive to the officiating priest then celebrating mass, drew his dagger, and gave his enemy two mortal wounds. The dying villain had sufficient strength to seize a musquetoon he had taken into the church with him, and, levelling with precision, the assassin fell dead on the pavement before the Altar,

THE DE WITTS.

There are few who are not acquainted with the tragical fate of the two brothers of that name, The fact has been related in a variety of ways, each expressive of the detestation universally entertained against the ferocious and almost cannibal conduct of the Dutch mob; but those are not decidedly warm from the impression made by the horrid deed, and consequently are deficient in interest when compared with "The true relation of what happened at the Hague on Saturday the 20th of August 1672, as it was written in a letter from thence, and printed in Holland," and afterwards in the British Court Gazette,

It

It will be sufficient for the present occasion merely to observe that the helpless De Witts were under prosecution by the tribunal of the country or Court of Holland, which ought to have had the exclusive cognizance of their political offences; and the publick should have waited for its sentence, and thus prevented an indelible stain upon the character of the Nation.

"I tremble when I take my pen into my hand, to acquaint you with the sad spectacle we have seen here in the Hague on Saturday the 20th instant, in the persons of the Ruwaert van Putten, and the late Pensionary de Witt, the former having that morning received his sentence, by which he was declared incapable of holding any employments in the State, and banished for ever; it thereupon followed, that the Barber, who had accused him, being set at liberty, every where as he passed the streets, told the people that the said Ruwaert was guilty, and deserved a severer sentence than that which was given against him; and it happening that the said Pensionary de Witt, going in his coach to the Port, where the said Ruwaert was prisoner, to fetch away his brother, they were both, as they were coming away, stopped by the watch, who would have discharged their muskets upon them had they not presently retired into the Port again. In the mean time the people, being very much dissatisfied with the aforesaid sentence, and it being

reported

reported that the Bores were coming with no good intention to the Hague, the drums were beat for the bringing the Burghers in arms, which was presently done; they, being in all six companies, posted themselves on the Vyverberg Fuyten Hoft, and before the said Port, where they continued till almost five in the afternoon, about which time they broke open the prison doors, notwithstanding three troops of horse were drawn out to prevent any disorder, whom the Burghers kept off with their pikes, and afterwards forced to retire, and fetch down the said Ruwaert and his brother the late Pensionary; the former being in his night-gown, having been pulled out of bed, and the other in a black velvet coat; who were soon thrown under foot by the people, after having received several wounds, as well by musket shots as otherwise; but this not sufficing, the dead bodies were trampled upon and dragged up and down the streets. First their two fingers, which they had held up at the swearing to the perpetual edict, were cut off, and then their ears, which were taken up by some boys, and presented as a great present to the first person of quality they met; after which they hung the dead bodies by the heels on a gallows, their cloaths being torn all off, and the flesh mangled in a most miserable manner, every one striving to get a piece, which they afterwards sold up and down the town, one joint of a finger for twelve

stivers,