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Article ON THE MUTABILITY OF THE TIMES. ← Page 2 of 2 Article ANECDOTES. Page 1 of 3 →
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On The Mutability Of The Times.
I was led into the foregoing reflections by reading a curious little historical anecdote of Elizabeth ' s reign . It seems that great Princess , in a season of profound peace , was alarmed by some reports of an intended invasion by her enemies upon her kingdom ; and that for this purpose many thousand foreigners were interspersed through the City of London to serve as spiesor for other wicked designs .
, On this information , Elizabeth , with her usual prudence , issued out orders to the Lord Mayor , Aldermen , & c . to make the strictest scrutiny through their several wards , and draw out an exact list of the names of all the foreigners residing therein / classed under their respective nations or provinces ; by which the exact number of all foreigners residing in London could be ascertained . The Citizens carefully
obeyed , and in a short time returned the list , from which I have selected the following articles : No , of Spots residing in London - 40 French - 428 Spaniardsand Portuguese - 4 ; Italians - 140 Dutch - - - 2030
Danes - - - 2 This list must appear so very extraordinary in our times , that I , will not deprive your readers of the pleasure of making their own reflections upon it . The thing , indeed , is strange , passing strange ; but the first article is so incredible , that , lost in astonishment , I throw down mj r pen . A SPECULIST :
Anecdotes.
ANECDOTES .
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF TEMERITY IN AN ENGLISH SOLDIER .
GEORGE Haslewood , an English soldier , having been taken , in company with twenty-three Spaniards , by Prince Maurice , it was determined that eig ht of them should be hanged , in requital for a like sentence that had been made by Albert , the Archduke , upon some Hollanders , and that it should be decided by lot on whom the punishment should fall . The Englishman happily drew his
deliverance ; but one Spaniard expressed great reluctance and terror of mind , when he put his hand into the helmet to try his fate , not so much in fear of death , as an antipathy to such an unnatural decision , in which he mig ht make his own hand destroy himself , and be executed for the guilt of others , or acquitted for no innocence of his own . The Englishman consented to take what money he had , and stand the
chance for him . The Judges consented also to this request , as that of a fool or a madman , who deserved not the life he had so providentially obtained . Yet , such his fortune was , that he drew himself sale . When he was asked , why he would put his life in such danger again for the safety of another , and , after such a signal escape , so presumptuousl y hazard it a second time ? Because , said he , 1 thought I had
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Mutability Of The Times.
I was led into the foregoing reflections by reading a curious little historical anecdote of Elizabeth ' s reign . It seems that great Princess , in a season of profound peace , was alarmed by some reports of an intended invasion by her enemies upon her kingdom ; and that for this purpose many thousand foreigners were interspersed through the City of London to serve as spiesor for other wicked designs .
, On this information , Elizabeth , with her usual prudence , issued out orders to the Lord Mayor , Aldermen , & c . to make the strictest scrutiny through their several wards , and draw out an exact list of the names of all the foreigners residing therein / classed under their respective nations or provinces ; by which the exact number of all foreigners residing in London could be ascertained . The Citizens carefully
obeyed , and in a short time returned the list , from which I have selected the following articles : No , of Spots residing in London - 40 French - 428 Spaniardsand Portuguese - 4 ; Italians - 140 Dutch - - - 2030
Danes - - - 2 This list must appear so very extraordinary in our times , that I , will not deprive your readers of the pleasure of making their own reflections upon it . The thing , indeed , is strange , passing strange ; but the first article is so incredible , that , lost in astonishment , I throw down mj r pen . A SPECULIST :
Anecdotes.
ANECDOTES .
REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF TEMERITY IN AN ENGLISH SOLDIER .
GEORGE Haslewood , an English soldier , having been taken , in company with twenty-three Spaniards , by Prince Maurice , it was determined that eig ht of them should be hanged , in requital for a like sentence that had been made by Albert , the Archduke , upon some Hollanders , and that it should be decided by lot on whom the punishment should fall . The Englishman happily drew his
deliverance ; but one Spaniard expressed great reluctance and terror of mind , when he put his hand into the helmet to try his fate , not so much in fear of death , as an antipathy to such an unnatural decision , in which he mig ht make his own hand destroy himself , and be executed for the guilt of others , or acquitted for no innocence of his own . The Englishman consented to take what money he had , and stand the
chance for him . The Judges consented also to this request , as that of a fool or a madman , who deserved not the life he had so providentially obtained . Yet , such his fortune was , that he drew himself sale . When he was asked , why he would put his life in such danger again for the safety of another , and , after such a signal escape , so presumptuousl y hazard it a second time ? Because , said he , 1 thought I had