"Now behold the three hypocrites, in a narrow prison, condemned to the regimen of the Pauls and the Hilaries, uttering the loudest exclamations against the system of fasting and the commandant. Every day, the purveyor, when he brought them their pitcher of water and portion of bread, demanded whether they had any thing to declare relative to the French officer. For three days they persisted in returning a negative, but at length, the cries, not of their consciences, but of their stomachs, and their weariness of this mode of life, overcame their obstinacy. They begged an interwiew with M. de Cholet, who instantly waited upon them.

"They confessed that a young French officer was confined in the prison of the Holy Office, on account of the impious language he had held respecting the Virgin. Undoubtedly he has acted wrong,' said Mr. de Cholet, but allow the Virgin to avenge herself. Write word to Barcelona to set this gentleman at liberty. In the interim I will keep you as hostages, but I will mitigate your sufferings, and your table shall be less frugally supplied.' The monks immediately wrote word to give liberty to the accursed Frenchman.

"During this interval, vexations, impatience and weariness, took possession of my soul, and made me weary of life. At length the Inquisition, reading their brethren's letter, perceived themselves under the necessity of releasing their prey. One of them came to inform me that, in consideration of my youth, and of my being a native of France, the Holy Office had come to a determination to set me free, but that they required me, for the future, to have more respect for La Madonna, the mother of Jesus Christ. 'Most reverend father,' replied I, the French have always the highest respect for the ladies.' Uttering these words, I rushed towards the door, and, when I got into the street, I felt as if I were raised from the tomb once more to life."

SCHOOL FUND IN NEW-JERSEY.

. The state fund in New-Jersey, for the support of free schools, amounted to ninety-nine thousand four hundred and fourteen dollars.

RETURN OF THE PERSIAN EMBASSY.

(From Morier's Second Journey.*)

THE Persian ambassador, whom I had conducted to England, by Turkey and the Mediterranean, in 1809, and who was known here by the name of Mirza Abul Hassan, to which has since been added the title of Khan, was now to return to his own country. It was settled that he should accompany a British mission to Persia; and preparations were accordingly made for the reception of the two ambassadors, with their respective suits, on board the Lion, 64, capt. Heathcote,—the same ship which, eighteen years before, had carried lord Macartney to China.

A Persian, who had been feasted and exhibited in London for nine months, and had seen all its objects of curiosity, might almost have exclaimed, on his return to Persia, in the words of his countryman in Montesquieu. Jamais homme n'a tant été vû que moi. But a scene of new and distinct adventures was still interposed between him and his home; and he was to complete his probation by passing seven months on the sea,-an element to which he had all the antipathy of his ancestors. It must be remembered, to their honour, that no set of men ever submitted to such a trial with more resignation, or indeed with a better grace, than the ambassador and his suite. They all left London with lively emotions of grief; many of them shed tears as they took leave of their English friends,-who, on their part, appeared to be equally affected. Several would willingly have remained in England; and one in particular, who had been struck with the quiet and security of an Englishman's life, compared to that of a Persian, exclaimed, that he could not wish for a better paradise than Chelsea hospital

* A Second Journey through Persia, Armenia, and Asia Minor, to Constantinople, between the years 1810 and 1816. With a journal of the voyage by the Brazils and Bombay, to the Persian Gulf. Together with an account of the proceedings of his majesty's embassy, under his excellency sir George Ouseley, Bart. K. L. S. By James Morier, Esq. late his majesty's secretary of embassy, and minister plenipotentiary to the court of Persia.

where, for the remainder of his days, he could sit under the trees, do nothing, and drink as much porter as he liked.

The Persian embassy consisted of Mirza Abul Hassan, envoyextraordinary, and of eight servants of different capacities:-Kerbelai Hassan, a nazir or steward, who also acted as cook; Abbas Beg, a scribe; Hussein and Haushim, valets-de-chambre; Mahomed Ali Beg, Mahomed Rakheem Beg, jelowdars or grooms; and Abdallah and Saudik, ferashes or spreaders of carpets.

We passed a fortnight at Rio di Janeiro, in the various employments of public visits and public dinners; and in the examination of the more curious objects in the town and its environs. The place is large, and well built for a colonial town; possessing several handsome churches and large monasteries. It ought, therefore, to afford a much better residence for the prince regent than the mean palace which he at present inhabits. It is not fortified, but has several detached works to protect its harbour; the most considerable of which is the castle of Santa Cruz, at the entrance, and a smaller castle on an island nearer the anchorage abreast of the town. Over the town on an eminence, is a fortification called the citadel; and another on the Isola das Cabros: however, nothing appeared sufficiently formidable to save the town from the dangers of a bombardment from the sea. A great quantity of fruit is produced in the gardens around the city, and much is also brought from the villages. Its oranges are highly esteemed; some of which, containing within them an incipient orange, were sent as a present from the prince regent to the ambassadors. They have all the tropical fruits here: but the mango and the pine-apple are said to be inferior to those of the East-Indies. Meat and poultry are dear; and we had great difficulty in recruiting our sea stock of the latter. Black pigs were to be seen in great abundance; and we observed a race of disgusting-looking dogs,-without hair, with a black skin, long body, long muzzle, short and crooked legs, and a long curling tail,-ranging about through all the filth of the streets, and apparently without masters.

Indeed, after England, we found the filth of St. Sebastian, and its inhabitants, quite disgusting. Even the Persians could exult;

for, with great truth, they said that their towns were clean to what they saw here. It must, however, be allowed, that this is greatly owing to the negro community, who are so much more numerous than the other classes; and who, in certain emergencies, have scarcely a restriction beyond that of the brute creation. Of this we could too well judge, because the Campo di Lampedosa, the large square that was situated before our house, was so constantly infested by them, at all hours of the day, that guards were placed to keep them at a distance.

During the time we were at the Brazils, the slave trade was in its full vigour; and a visit to the slave market impressed us more with the iniquity of this traffic, than any thing that could be said or written on the subject. On each side of the street where the market was held, were large rooms, in which the negroes were kept; and during the day, they were seen in melancholy groupes, waiting to be delivered from the hands of the trader, whose dreadful economy might be traced in their persons, which, at that time, were little better than skeletons. If such were their state on shore, with the advantages of air and space, what must have been their condition on board the ship that brought them hither? It is not unfrequent that slaves escape to the woods; where they are almost as frequently retaken. When this is the case, they have an iron-collar put about their necks, with a long hooked arm extending from it, to impede their progress through the woods, in case they should abscond a second time. Yet, amidst all this misery, it was pleasing to observe the many negroes who frequented the churches; and to see them, in form and profession at least, making part of a christian congregation.

We saw few of the aborigines, for they shun, rather than court, their rulers. Those we saw were of a low stature, of a coppery red colour, with jet-black hair, high cheek-bones, turned up noses, and broad unexpressive faces. The queen of a tribe, said. to be cannibals, that bordered on the Portuguese possessions, was shown to us: her countenance was terrific. She was a prisoner, and attempts were made to humanise her; but hitherto, we were assured, without much success. The proportion of blacks to pure European whites, at St. Sebastian, is as nine to one: they have,

however, so intermarried, that there are complexions to be found of all tints, from downright black to dirty white brown.

ASTROLOGY.-From the same.

It was now near two years since the Persian ambassador had quitted his country; and as it was of great importance that he should set foot upon it under the most favourable auspices, he waited until the astrologers had fixed upon a lucky moment, which was at three hours after sunrise on the following morning, viz. the 3d of March. At that hour he quitted the Lion, with all the honours due to his rank; and when arrived close to the beach, he evinced a feeling that does credit both to his heart and understanding. Owing to the want of a regular landing place, he was obliged to be carried out of the boat on men's shoulders. A number of Persians pressed round him, offering their services; but he refused them, and desired that the English sailors might bear him on shore, saying, by them he had been brought thus far, and by them he would be landed,-a sort of attention well calculated to gain the hearts of the sailors.

Almost every town in Persia has its munajem, or astrologer; and frequently great men have one attached to their person, who regulates all the actions of their lives. It will be seen, during the course of this narrative, of what universal influence this dependence upon the aspect of the heavenly bodies has upon the lives of the Persians,-a custom which can only be accounted for by antiquity. The belief in astrology is not so universal with the Turks, who are greater predestinarians than the Persians; and, consequently take less precautions to avert what futurity might have in store for them.

ASPECT OF PERSIA.-From the same.

It would, perhaps, be impossible to give to an inhabitant of London a correct idea of the first impressions made upon the European stranger on his landing in Persia. Accustomed, as his eye has been, to neatness, cleanliness, and a general appearance of convenience in the exteriors of life, he feels a depression of spirits in beholding the very contrary. Instead of houses with high roofs, well glazed and painted, and in neat rows, he finds them low, flat-roof