The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-06-11 00:00:00, page 2

.. irongthe head of Alexis, and g; v
mg it to my husband, whose royal blood,
adorned with many virtues of which no
bow\ v as ignorant, rendered him wor
^ i> el it. Yt hat he proposed was soon
accomplished ;; so much did the people
' bteem the one and abominate the other,
in the magnificent temple of Saint So
phia, Nicolas was proclaimed empe ror,
and we both ascended the throne-—one
cr°w” l)c-inS placed on botli our heads.
All then w as transport, feasting, and re
joicing.
And now he hold, a white dove ?p
v^ in the temple, living Irani side
;o side, and hearing in her bill an olive
branch, emblematic, no doubt, of that
peace which the mild character of the
newiy proclaimed emperor promised.
My soul was transported by the happy
a c sagi this mysterious circumstance,
immediately 1 saw a black eagle enter,
»> melt dur*eu furiously, i,kf lightning,
;i)0n the innocent dove, made her his
prey, and carried her oft' in his talons,
caw,, was silent, and swooned awav.
- buthful heart felt a presentiment of
i'<m< thing direful, which it did not tm
1 -”-*‘(j’ All sides resounded with
nigs ol panegviic, acclamations of jov,
ee.l dances of festivity. Avouncl me I
b held nothingjbut incense, and testimo
i »ncs of gladness. All Constantinople I
was enlivened by mutual oratulations— '
so bate!ill was the tyrant. Then it was
.. ... iNIin tzulphus, who was bent upon
puiiing tiown and trampling under foot
;v ° emperors,* in one dav, in order un
justly to mount the throne himself, nim
bU byw to advise Alexis to make his
escape, and hide himsi 1! from the furv
\fi people, who had just proclaimed
in the temple a new emperor. Alexis
he u a the name ol the new monarch, and
tienabled. Struck at the same time with
horror by bis own vices, and awed by
t.tut virtue to wlucb be was a stranger,
'!<• ventured, in competition with my
m..band, to dispute iHithcr his merit
nor his title. He wa , bereft of speech,
and had no counsellors. Pale, weak,
'’nit trembling, lie bad almost lost his
'.vises, when i*i u; tzulphus took him by
She hand, with counterfeited friendship
an 1 zeal, and uml r j retcnce of conceal
ing him lrom rage of the mob, shut
him up in a subt■ rrancan prison ; then,
A i°vfy U\c hMe’ Vii* Nico,a» Cmahus,
Abx IVm HWI! to whom, with the like
Teflon of dtltroymg h m a- he m«nif<*A<-(i :0
the others, U ordered poifon to be gi7tr, in
k jl •
throwing off the mask which had dis
guised his w icked design, he ordered
him to be put in manacles and fetters,
stripped him of his royal robes, and
I d> eking himself with them, presented
himself in public, scattering, with both
hands, immense riches around him. In
toxicated with gol-1, aud feeling respect
for the distinctive marks of royalty, the
people at first tolerated him, soon feared
him, and finally adored him. For they
were so well satisfied at finding them
selves no longer under the tyranny of
Alexis, that they had no scruples about
the iniquity of the means which had
freed them.
24. In the mean time, whilst the peo
ple, half mad with all this tumult, con
tinued their rejoicings without knowing
" hat they did, IVIurtzulphus, bv means
ol one of his confidents, informed my
husband, as he was entering into the pa
lace, of the particulars of what passed ;
and told him moreover, that Alexis was
coming at the head oi his faithful troops,
to wrest from his head the tottering
crown, and, as a friend, counselled him
immediately to retire to r. certain safe
castle, w hilst he himself would go and
draw together the knights of the cru
sade, that were yet in the harbour of
Constantinople,* and who, being dis
pleased with Alexis, would r.ot lose so
fair aa opportunity to avenge them
selves.
25. Thus the innocent emperor fell
into the snare which hacl been laid for
him, and lie also became a captive. Oh!
that they had only spared him bis life/
But no! liis virtues rendered him terri
ble even in chains, and Murizulphus
iound that he could only secure himself
in the throne by bis crimes—the only
means whereby to reign without virtue.
In a word, he soon made both prisoners
sulKr deat’n, beginning with I,aac An
gelus, to whom he administered poison.
I ncxampled Monster in malice, he con
trived to dethrone two emperors in one
day, with no other arms but fraud, and
to ascend the throne himself, bv no o
ther merit than his crimes.f Judge,
then, i; I h ive not more reason than the
count to live a melancholy life. She
spoke ; and the animation .she disphr ed,
in addition to the nobleness of her
* Tlu- hii bom makes a very fine appear*
| uicer ind is coi fi Vrrd aa the lirgcfi in thi
world. It is a league in length, and Halt a
league in breadth.
f Wiih his own hand he ftranrdr 1 the Vr' JV
empetor Alcib, in
thoughts, gave such energy to’her^onls
a;, penetrated the very heart of Misano,
whom, whilst inwardly struggling with
his emotions, they beheld lost in sus
pense, without venturing to declare what
his mind suggested.
' ■ ■1-“ ' ■E&nflpttfr
THE JUNKET.
By Richard Hummagir, Esq.
No. ]V
Aw.kmp, how could I but mufe
At what fuch a dream fhould betide ?
Btr loon my ear caupht the glad newt»,
Which fervM my weak th. 't. for a guide—
That Britannia, renown'd o'er the waves
Fot tie Imtred ftie ever has fbown
To the bUck-f.eptred rulers of Haves,
Resolves to have none of her o<wn.
C o V/ p e R ’ s Morning Dream.
W ithout further digression, I now
present to the readers of the Junket
the speech alluded to in the two latter
numbers.—Lord Howick, in the house
ol commons, moved the order of the
flay lor resuming the adjourned debate
on the hill for the Abolition of the A
frican Slave Trade. The order of the
day was read. Lord Howick, in aspeecli
ot considerable length, supported the
hill. Gen. Gascoigne replied to the no
ble Lord. He was followed by
Mr. Roscoe.—As the colleague of
the lion, gentleman who spoke last, and
as one ol the representatives of a place
where the trade, which it is the object of
the present bill to abolish, has been, car
ried on to a greater extent than in any
other place in the kingdom, I cannot, as
I conceive, with propriety give a silent
vote on this occasion. That vote sir,
will lie in favour of the bill now before
the house for the abolition of that trade.
In giving this vote, I shall at least, sa
tisfy my own feelings, and my own con
science. But I trust, sir, that I shall at
the same time perform my^ duty to my
constiuii nts. Tor whatever may be
thought of the jAople of Liverpool, in
other parts of the kingdom, I must beg
leave to inform this house, that thev arc
i by no means unanimous in support of the
j trade in question. On the contrary, a
J great and r sp ctahlc body of the inha
j bit. nts ol I.iverp >ol, are as adverse
to tii slave trade as any other persons
in these realms; and 1 should greatly'
I disappoint their expectations, and th< ir
M idi. if 1 w. r»* not to vote for the a*
1 olition of th.*t trridi . A Iter the length
>t tune <hii which this suhjc r t nas
i been evir idered by tr.c nation a*, larg*.