the back; and resistance to this there lay an immense load, under shocking treatment is often punished with death, which he seemed to have sunk ; his visage was pallid and meagre ; When, in marching, a poor with looks full of wildness, and slave is exhausted by sickness or eyes fixed on the ground, all exfatigue, and the cruelty of his pressing strong signs of premature usage, he is inhumanly abandoned age, brought on by grief and sufon the high road, to be insulted ferings; raising his head, he by the natives, or trod under foot seemed to become more agitated, by the passengers. They fre- and striking his breast and forequently return from the moun-head several times, deep sighs tains with the blood trickling from seemed to relieve his mind from their limbs, which are, together some internal paroxysm of deswith their whole body, covered pair. "What can be the matter, with scars and bruises. One my friend?" said I, addressing evening, towards dark, I was myself to this unfortunate wretch. called to by a hoarse voice: on Why all these signs of misery drawing nearer, 1 beheld an un-and distress ?" "Poor Chrishappy being stretched on the tians," he replied, "there is no ground, foaming at the mouth, help for them in this world! and and with the blood bursting from their groans are not heard in his nose and eyes. I had scarcely heaven. I was born in Naples, stopt, struck with horror and ap- but what country have I? Noprehension, when, in a faint body assists me; I am forgotten voice, the word "Christian! by all. I was noble, rich, and Christian!" was repeated. "For illustrious in the place of my heaven's sake have pity on my birth; see how wretchedness and sufferings, and terminate an ex-slavery can change the face of istence which I can no longer man. It is now eleven years since "Who are support!" you?" my sufferings began; and during was my reply. "I am a slave," which time I have in vain solicitsaid the poor creature," and weed the assistance of relatives and are all badly treated! An oldak fellow-creatures, but all to no of the militia, who was passing purpose; there being no longer this way, and happening to be any one on whom I can place near me at the time, he exclaimed hope or reliance. To whom, in an angry tone, Dog of a Chris-therefore, can I turn my eyes tian, how dare you stop the road for support? What have I done when one of the faithful passes?' to deserve so much oppression This was followed by a blow and and suffering?" After he had a kick, which threw me down a given vent to his feelings, I did my height of several feet, and has best to recommend patience, releft me in this condition." signation, and hope. I also touched on the promises of eternal reward to those who suffer here below with becoming fortitude. All this was answered with a forced smile, accompanied with a look, which spoke volumes, and On another occasion the situation of a still more unfortunate slave was equally calculated to excite my indignation and sympa thy. He was sorrowfully seated under an old wall: at his feet proved the little use of attempt- Christian dog," is the ordinary ing to console or reconcile man mode of addressing a slave; and to his ill-fated sufferings. While this degrading epithet is invariamournfully withdrawing myself bly accompanied with the most from a scene which could only insulting gesture, occasionally by add to the poignancy of my own personal violence. Whenever a lacerated feelings, without miti- captive is taken ill in Algiers, mogating those of a fellow-creature, tives of self-interest call upon the already oppressed with more than Moorish proprietor for a little inhe could bear the last time of dulgence; but were it not for the turning to the spot, saw him roll- benign charity of Spain, which ing on the ground, and with hea- has established a small fund to vy sighs, lamenting his melancho- support an hospital for the receply fate. tion of Christian slaves, the latAlthough a price is set on each ter when overcome with disease, captive, that the whole may en- would be left to perish in the courage a hope of freedom; yet, streets, and suffering humanity from the peculiar mode in which remain completely unassisted. By their liberation must be effected, means of the above benevolent this hope is almost unavailing. If institution, they may at least hepe after having obtained leave to ex- to die in peace; and in the act of ercise their trade, they acquire abandoning this vale of tears, be any property, they are not al- sustained by the hopes of future lowed to pay it for their ransom. bliss. But the ineffable consolaOffers of this kind have always tions of religion cannot be very been rejected, on the ground of liberally bestowed on these poor the Dey's being legal heir to all people, there being but one the property of his slaves and priest to sooth the bed of sickfrequently, in order to get pos-ness, administer to the wishes of session of it a little sooner, this the dying man, and inspire the fu→ honourable revenue is anticipated gitive spirit with the bright hope by the owner's being despatched. of another and a better world! : Captivity is thus surrounded by The present clergyman, like aggravated cruelties, which seem another Vincenzio de Paoli, with to have no end. Their forlorn a most philanthropic spirit and condition has been very properly truly Christian zeal, devotes all compared to those spirits con- his time to the spiritual relief and demned to inhabit the house of comfort of the sick and infirm, to darkness and despair: who, ac- whom he is an angel of peace cording to a popular writer, are and consolation. But how can a constantly inquiring what hour of single spiritual adviser, however the day it is, and as often receive great his exertions and well disthe terrific reply of eternity! It posed, attend to three thousand is not enough that they should Christians; of whom hundreds groan under excessive labour and, are scattered about the country, multiplied blows; but derision, and have been for years, without abuse, and contempt must be appearing at a place of public added and this species of suf- worship? and in the absence of fering is, if possible, more acutely that necessary duty been doomed felt than the former. "Faithless to hear curses and reprobation heaped on the great Prophet of of no common characters. When Nazareth? It is only ten years the exiles of Siberia passed, they ago, that even the tomb afforded were followed by a sympathetic no shelter to the remains of a look of pity, not unmixed with Christian in this country: the admiration; people, sighing, exrites of sepulture were for a long claimed: "There goes an exile!" time absolutely refused to the bo- As to slavery, you cannot divest dies of Christian captives; and it of a certain opprobrium, and they were often left exposed in servile baseness; which freezes the open air to be devoured by the heart, disgusts the sight, and reptiles and birds of prey. It repels sympathy. There is an was with considerable difficulty unconscious horror created in the that Charles the Fourth of Spain, mind, towards this most unnatuobtained at an enormous price, a ral state of man; and we prosmall space near the sea, which scribe the slave, as the Hindoos has since been the Christian do the member of a cast, who burying-ground; but it is not dis- may have violated the precepts tinguished by any mark to denote of his religion. Even the capthe solemn purpose, nor a fence tive himself, when long accusto defend the sacred precincts tomed to be thus regarded, befrom barbarous intrusion. Thus gins seriously to think his nature do Christians live and die in has experienced a change; and Algiers !!! in that state of mind considers Having endeavoured to com- himself as degraded as he is unmunicate a limited notion of its happy. Chains, while they are physical effects, I ought also to thought disgraceful by the free, make a few remarks on the moral depreciate the wearer in his own tendency of slavery. All agree esteem, until his soul is deprived that loss of liberty is the greatest of all the salutary influence of limisfortune which can possibly be-berty. It is thus, that the cultifall a human being. Without any vated European, when left for of those consolations which gene- any time a prey to his wretched rally accompany other griefs, it fate, is at last persuaded to look does not give rise to any of those upon himself as even inferior to impulses which are calculated to the savages of Africa; and the support the mind in adversity. man who was born free, to direct All our other sorrows awaken his piercing eye and noble front feelings of tenderness and sympa- towards Heaven, sinks to the dethy in generous minds, and in-grading alternative of forgetting spire respect. If not relieved, the original intentions of nature. they are, at least, blest with com- The soul has been often purified miseration. The prisoners who in the crucible of adversity; but have been shut up in the Bastille, in a state of slavery, there is the fortresses of Spandau, Ol- something so abject and forlorn, mutz, Magdeburg, Stetin, and the that it destroys the courage, and Tower of Oblivion in Persia, dis- quenches all the fire of generous pleased the great, and may per- sentiments, depriving its victim haps have deserved incarceration; at once of mind and dignity. Anobut they were regarded with some ther of its evils, and by far the degree of importance, and as men worst, virtue, which teaches us to vanquish every grief, or ren- without being noticed or spoken der them sources of utility, is ge- to by any one. Struck by his nerally weakened, and often alto- singular appearance, the oriental gether extinguished in a mind ha- inquired who that great but unbituated to slavery. Sorrow viti- happy personage might be? He ates the heart where it breaks the to whom the question was put, spirit. The virtues spring from said, that he was a great lord of great and generous souls, while the court, and governor of a disvice is the offspring of meanness. tant province, who had formerReligion too, that column of Hea-ly enjoyed the first place in the ven, to which we cling when all monarch's favour, but that the around us totters, ceases to afford prince had now withdrawn his consolation to the heart that is ul-protection, so that he only expecerated those who are taught to rienced humiliation and disgusts regard themselves as entirely in the palace. Upon this, the abandoned on earth, no longer Persian arose, and disdainfully look to Heaven for support. It cried why do they treat him thus ? is true, while suffering together, Why is his life so embittered? If they they mingle their tears; but have no regard for him, let them friendship, that at least have a little pity on those who are so unfortunate as to be placed under his government! Mysterious cement of the soul! Sweet'ner of life, and solace of society! : To conclude this melancholy subject, of all human sufferers, I is mute, and lost to those who save been taught to believe, the find no pity in their own imme-Christian slaves of Barbary are diate circle. Instead of uniting the greatest: being in that dreadfor mutual support, hatred and ful state, when, according to the envy more frequently intervene sagacious author of Corinna, deep to embitter their distress. The and long-continued sorrow has fortunate man is gay and anima absorbed every pleasurable emoted; his heart smiles in unison tion, leaving behind a sentiment with all around him; his soul is of sadness and despair; a situaserene as a cloudless day but tion in which life seems embithe who has suffered from man's tered by an envenomed dart. inhumanity to man,' or an iro They fall oppressed and cast destiny, feels that the streams of down by the weight of their sufpity are dried up within him;ferings: under the rod which while the flame which animated his heart in better days, is extinguished with his happiness. : mites them, they cannot any longer raise their heads. The gods, says a fine verse of Homer, snatch away all the spirit of those whom they have destined to fall into the wretched condition of slavery. Servitude is indeed a cruel necessity, which breaks and destroys whatever it encom passes. A Persian traveller, who was sitting in the anti-chamber of an European sovereign, observed a person magnificently dressed; but who, notwithstanding the splendour and gold which covered him, appeared immersed in gloomy and sorrowful thoughts: he From a subject like the foregowalked up and down the room, ling, and that long train of melan 358 choly ideas which its considera- The down itself was covered tion is se justly calculated to ex-with sheep, grazing on its wholecite, how highly gratifying it is, some and plentiful pasture. Here to be enabled by a fortunate and and there a shepherd's boy kept happy combination of circumstan- his appointed station, and watched ces, to follow it up by congratu-over the flock committed to his I viewed it as an emblem lating humanity at large, on the care. recent liberation of so many un-of my own situation and employfortunate sufferers; who had for ment. for- For adjoining the bill lay an many years been, as it were, gotten by their European bre extensive parish, wherein many thren. Those warriors, who souls were given me to watch escaped the ravages of disease over and render an account of at or the sword, during the long the day of the great Shepherd's hostility which desolated the ci appearing. The pastoral scene vilized world, found no difficulty before me seemed to be a living in regaining their native homes, parable, illustrative of my own from the remotest corners of the spiritual charge. I felt a prayerearth to which their services ful wish, that the good Shepherd may have led them; but the who gave his life for the sheep, miserable children of Europe, might enable me to be faithful to who had fallen into the hands of my trust. I felt pleasure, also, the Barbary pirates, were de- in thinking, that my young Afritained in the cruellest bondage, were not destined to share that blessing. THE NEGRO SERVANT. can friend was a sheep of another more distant fold, which Christ will yet bring to hear his voice. For there shall be one fold and one shepherd, and all nations shall be brought to acknowledge that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. On the left hand of the hill, as I advanced eastward, and immediately under its declivity, exNOT many days after the first tended a beautiful tract of land, interview with my Negro disci- intersected by a large arm of the ple, which has already been de- sea, which (as the tide was fast scribed in a former number, I went flowing in) formed a broad lake from home on horseback, with or haven of three miles in length. the design of visiting and con- Woods, villages, cottages, and versing with him again at his churches, surrounded it in most master's house, which was situa- pleasing variety of prospect. Beted in a part of the parish near yond this lay a large fleet of ships four miles distant from my own. of war, and not far from it anoThe road which I took lay over ther of merchantmen, both safe a lofty down or hill, which com- at anchor, and covering a tract of mands a prospect of scenery sel- the sea of several miles long. dom equalled for beauty and mag- Beyond this again, I saw the fornificence. It gave birth to silent tifications, dock yards, and exbut instructive meditation. tensive public edifices of a large |