king of England ordered all his prisoners, to the number of five thoufand, to be butchered; and the war between England and France was carried on with fo much animofity, as to caufe the eyes of the prisoners taken in battle to be put out by both parties. Vidomar, viscount of Limoges, refusing to deliver a treasure difcovered by a peasant in digging, which was claimed by the fovereign as lord paramount, he affembled a body of troops, and invested the caftle of Chalus, where he understood this curious treasure was lodged, which he intended to take by force, and hang every prifoner. On the fourth day of the siege, as he rode about the place with Marcaddee, to obferve where the affault might be given with the fairest profpect of fuccess, he was fhot in the fhoulder by an arrow from a cross-bow; and the unfkilful furgeon, furgeon, endeavouring to difengage it from the flesh, mangled the part in fuch a manner, that a gangrene enfued. The king, fenfible that his end was approaching, fent for Bertram de Gourdon, who he knew had purposely shot the arrow, and afked him, "Wretch, "what have I ever done you, that you "fhould have thus fought my life?""What have you done me?" replied coolly the prifoner: you killed with 66 your own hands my father, and my two "brothers; and you intended to have hanged me; I am now in your power, "and you may take revenge by inflicting on me your fevereft torments; but I "fhall endure them all with pleafure, "fince that, with mine own hands, I have "rid the world of fuch a nuisance." Struck with the reply, and the horrors of approaching death, Richard ordered Gourdon to be fet at liberty and re warded; but Marcaddee, ruffian-like, instead, feized the unhappy man, flead him alive, and then hanged him. History informs us, that poachers in forests were even under this favage treatment, their bodies being mutilated, and eyes bored out. Whilft modern times exhibit acts of moderation and humanity to the vanquifhed. Witnefs the effort of a CURTIS, who daringly ftepped forth at the late fiege of Gibraltar, through imminent danger, gallantly and humanely to fave the lives even of enemies, who must have perished if not aided at that critical juncture. Thus fings the poet; "Even war, terrific war, has learn'd to wear "The valiant captive meets attentive care, "Humanity, ftill meek, and prompt to fave, "Heals every wound the bleeding conqueft 66 gave; "Bids the worst horrors of the battle ceafe, "And lends Bellona half the charms of peace." Pye's Progrefs of Refinement. It may not be amifs to remark, that Smollett, along with hiftorical characters, feldom fails to describe the personal features. Why he should pay fo much attention to this particular, we can only guefs; probably owing to his profeffion, being bred a furgeon, which might early initiate him to obferve the form of the limbs, mufcular texture, and predominant lines of the countenance; add to this his talent for novel-writing, which he cultivated with good fuccefs, and which urged him to obferve the features as well as faculties of mankind. A genius fuch as his, fpeculative and industrious (for he continued the use of his pen to an advanced period of life), was continually upon apon ́the watch, we may suppose, for objects to fuit his purpose. We may further obferve a strong propenfity to this fubject, from his giving along with his history engraved likeneffes of his different heroes. What we would infer from the above, which may feem too trivial, is, that in our reading we should confider and duly weigh the peculiar qualities, eftablished opinions, and particular aims of the historian, as well as the fubject of his history, and by the exertion of our own judgement, by his manner of stating the fact, to infer caufes and events, not according to bis, but our own conceptions. NOTES HISTORICAL. BUILDINGS. In thefe early times, ftone and brick buildings were very rare, even in the city of London, although neceffary, fince as yet there was no nightly watch. To guard, therefore, against thieves as well as against fire, which laft calamity was |