Star.
London, England, 1827-12-27 00:00:00

BRUCE AND THE SPIDER.

It was probably about this time that an incident took
place, which, although it rests only on tradition in the
families of the name of Bruce, is rendered probable by
the manners of the times. After receiving the fast un-
pleasing intellig nce from Scotland, Bruce was lying
one morning on his wretched bed, and deliberating
with himself whether he had not better resign all
thoughts of • again attempting to make
.good his
Tight to the Scottish Crown, and, dismissing. his
followers, transport himself and his brothers to the
Holy Land, and spend the rest of his life in fight-
ing against the Saracens : by -which he thought, per-
haps. be might deserve the forgiveness of Heaven for
the great sin of stabbing Comps in the church of Duni-
fries. But then, on the otharhand, he thought it would
be both criminal and cowardly to give up his attempts
to restore freedom to Scutland, while there yet re-
mained the least chance of his being successful in an
undertaking, which, rightly considered,was much more
his duty than to drive the infidels out of Palestine,
though the soperstit ion of the age might think other wise.
While he was divided betwixt these rslections, and
doubtful of what he should do. Bever was looking
upward to the to•t of the cabin in which he lay,
and his eye was attracted by -a spider, which, hang-
ing at the end of a long thread of his own spinning.
was endeavouring, as is the fash;om of that creature,
to swing himself from one b-am in tl e roof to ano-
ther, for the purpose of fixing the line un which
he meant to stretch his web. T.e insecj made the
attempt again and. again without ►uccess; and at
length. Mime counted that it had tried to carry its
point sivtimes, and been as o'ten unable to do it. It
,came into his head that he had himself fought just six
battles/4%0w the English and their allies, and that the
poor sersevering spider was exactly in the same situa-
tion with himself, having made as,many trials, and been
as often disappointed in what it aimed at. " Now,"
thought Brute, " as I have no means of knowing what
is best to be done, 1 will be guided by the luck which
shall attend this spider. If the insect shall make
another effort to fix its thread, and shall be successful,
I will venture a seventh time to try my fortune in Scot-
land ; but if the spider shall tail, I will go to the wars in
l'Alestine, and never return to my native country again."
,While Bruce was forming this resolution, the spider
made another exertion.with all the force it could
muster, and fairly succeeded in fastening its thread to
the brani which it had so often in v :in attempted to
reach. Bruce seeing the success of the spider, resolved
to try his own fortune; and as he never before gained
a victory, so he never afterwards sustained any consi-
derable check or defeat. I have often met with people
of the muse of Bruce, so completely persuaded of the
truth. of ibis story, that they would pen on any, ac-
count kill o.spider, because it was such an insect which
had shown the example of persevetence, and 'given a
signal of good luck, to their great namesake."

Saturday last, a grave being opened in Sc. Stephen's
church yard (Bury St. Edmonds) for the interment of
a person on tl4 following day, it was discovered that
previous-thereto *caving-in bad taken place, which on
such occasions. frequently happens, and that a large
quantity of loose•mould,•which had fallen in from the
'sides, must necessarily be iernoved before the time of
the...funeral. AVliil‘t the sezton was so employed,
it being about one o'clock, his attention was suddenly
arrested by a faint meianing 'sound issuing from the
earth beneath, like a person in distress. This caused
a temporary suspension uf his labour. After listen-
ing some time, and thinking I e"might possibly be
mistaken, he was about to continue his work, when
another awful groan, sonless liat louder than the first,
again excited his alarm, especially as the remaining par.
of the mould began to be iii motion, and a living body
visibly presented itself to his ast..nished• observation.
There was now nd time to be lost; he pulled down the
short ladder and scampered out in, the utmost terror
and consternation. but soon returned with another person
to be an eye witness ef the fact, when they discovered
that tbe living body was not that of a human creature.
but a middiing size dog that had fallen in before this
Cal thly avalanche had taken place. The poor animalbeing
handed out and thus rescued from his petilous situation,
and the superincumbent body of eat th by whit he had
been over whelmeJ, and from which he never could have
extricated himself, be gravely shook off the mould from
Isis outward. habiliments, wagged his tail, and rushed
nut of the church-yard and down the Gun-lane with
the Utmost -precipitation. it has since been discovered
that the poor creature (now in perfect health) belongs to
a person at the White 'Horse in the Haymarket..--
Stfolh Herald.

Betaken eight and'nine'o'ctoek on Sanday eventne
'lse nrighhoutimod at Hatton Wall was thrown into the
sEn.osi rontusidii 'ad terror by ;r loll() and tersific es-
olosiorr,. which f.uced the glass frogs.the windows, and
sealed the most se* lOUS fears in the minds of the iiiha•
bitants. 14 a few seconds it was ascertained that the
report proceeded from the interior of 'the Prince of
Orange sti e.vaults,.vihicli in an instant *as enveloped
In utter darkness, and filled with a den* smoke. As
won as lights, could be procured, the interior of the
bar presented a scene of indescribable confusion—fslrs.
De ghton, the landlady. being in a eta* of insensi-
bility from the force of the shock, the windows and
blinds shivered in „splinters, the flooring raised several
nches, and covered_ with fragments of bi,plen decanters,
*males, and glades. At this moment a,"yeung man
rushed up stairs from the cellar in a state of partial
suffocation, and begged some person would hasten to
he assistance of the landlord, of whose fate he was
luite ignotart. Two or thite individuals cautiously
Jescended, and, after some xearch, found Mr..Deightran •
extended on the ground; wl,ich had been forced up
around him, apparently lifeless. He was instantly taken
op stairs and medical assistance procured, and in a few
seconds symptoms of returning animation became
vi.ible, he hiving fortunately received only a contu-
sion in tl e tOreheAd and a lacerated nose.,. His ac•
count of this extraordinary transaction ir4 that having
some business in the ale cellar, he Trent down, accom-
panied by a fiiend (the person who gave the alarm). and
was examining an ale cask, when suddenly he felt the
ground shake beneath his feet, and in an instant he was
thrown across the cellar, and with the violence of the
shock became deptived of all sense. His companion,
Mr. Brand, was twice knocked down in endeavouring
to escape by the stairs, and has completely lost
:his
hearing on one side. A person, who Was at the bar at
the moment, received so severe a shock; that he still lies'
dangerously ill. Three clocks in the house were also'
instantly stopped by the violence of the concussion ; and
a fine grate At some distance was forced front its setting.
On examining:the cellar the grotind wee ascertained to
have been forced up several feet, full butts were forced
from their stations, a portion of the wall. thrown down,
and a most fetid .vapour pervading the whole cellar;
hut no immediate season could be assigned for the ac-
cident, which was fortunately atteodedmith no fatal
consequences. The premises were on Tuesday inspected
by the Superintendant of the City Gas'Works, in Dorset-
street, Salisbury-square, and in his trpihiiim the accident
could not base been caused by the gas, :of which there
was no appearance of escape, and wbich.aeted as usual
on being re-lighted. On the other band, the cellar was
in constant use, therefore no reason can exist for sup-
posing it to have arisen from the evaporation of pent up
vapours. A lighted candle had also beew in the cellar
nearly the whole of the afternoon. The shock was felt
at a considerable distance.

Mr. Wi,slter, the Governor of Hot temcinger La se gaol.
on Monday evening, received a reprieve for Willifiss
Giles, who was convicted at the last Surrey Assizes on
a charge of coining, and was to have suffered on Mon,
day neat.

Much damage has of late been dons!, along the
eastern coast of Suffolk, from Aldborengh to Lowe-
stoffe, in consequence of an unusuallyhigh tide, accurst-
, paaied by aviolentgale of wind. At Easton farm,
toll four acres of land, the property of Sir Thomas
Gooch, Bart. and a pan . of, it with a growing cinp-of
turnips, were carried into the sea. So violent have been
the attacks of the watery eiemeni on this :pet, they
during the occupation of the present tenant. more than
40acreshavebe n taken away by tl:e same means. The
inhabitants of the town i.f 5 uthwold, situated et, the
coast, about a mile to the louth.viest.frion•E4>loll Cliff
(tor many years_part the favouiite summer resort of
much company), west at the sane time throw's into
great consternation and alarm. The av tubing
menclossly against the Granbill—die favomite walk aid
most fashionable pan of the toast—a. great part of it
was washed away. and so undermined that large Masses
of the hill fell down. A public walk,- cslled the Ladies
Walk. is enti:ely destroyed ;•and sirious apprehensions
are entertained for the safety of many valuable houses
near the sea, should them be a recurrence pf a similar
visitation.

FAIR BON MoT.—At an elegant ptivae ball lately,
a rather dvubtful apology was received hoar a tientle-
man, stating a reason for his non-attes,dante that he hid
unfortunately sprained his ancle. A Lady in the
company immediately arc sled that it was a loot accuse.

Within this List week it hat been dheovered, guilt
although the Lite Rev. ARTHUR Youtro had made his
will, yet lie left England without ezecutinuit. Hii
si ter. Misc YOUNG, iiutwithstanding, math to her, ho-
nour. has declare ter Eked and penitive determination
to carry every part of the ii.structions in her brother's
unsigned will into effect.

The Malacca Observer and Chinese Obi*Wet( Ass
13th of March, contains part of a lour/WO' Mis
GRAY, who proceeded on a mercantile' iii tics •
across the country from ICI.Cca IsOlffsbriegp Ind
back again. His course lay. tinwrMierivr fklieriart.
ing, Braugh, and Pahang ; aril as this rotate is li'tilry
if at all, known to. European grographt, •we select
~.-
the most prominent entries from the cocclusion cf
the journal (tr.e early portion not having teethed us.
After paddling down the Pahang for a Jay and a night,
Mr. GRAY reached the village of Pahang, on tfrie Mot nin,r
of the 15a His journal says--'Jan. 16. Mettlie Fiajah
of Pahang, by whom I was well recervel • I requested
permission to proceed to the gold mines, to dispose
'of my, goods, whit!) he telused io grant, fur the
following reasons :-1. It being very troublerome,
and not to be performed in less than forty dais' hard
pulling. 2. Bring a stranger and a European. some
:unforeseen acci lents might occur, and my disposing ,of
my goods to the natives in the interior might cause
trouble. lam informed by the merchants that they
have discovered a tin mine near the rivet Lappa, at ibe-
distance of two days' pulling from the settiement• of
Pahang: it is expected to turn out favoutably, and
to be opened in the dry season by .about eight hun.
dyed Malays, besides a number of Chinese.... Having
transacted his business, sold opium foe gold dust,
derMr. Gray set out on his return on .anuary
223, but his course being against the streams; his pro.
gress (with a sail as well as padJles) was comparatively
.low. On the 233 he mentions—" During • the night
we were alarmed by the elephants,. which were nut a
gunshot from the boats. *.• 40.: • The ;..fur-
[nation which I receiyed•scor ceraing.thelold wines is,
thagrotn,the mouth of the steer Berugh to the village
tys is nee* kQ aryl hard pulling: end from
thence to the 'mines, one.month'p.pOliiog..'44 the
village *here the trade in gold is coiled éri. !•P'isli is
very cheap' up the fiver: • iksr tiro asap iik• orPkiwe
of as 'Minh as *a* serseieet for ten men;friSau a sort
,f men termed Oranrlititen, or men of tin *clads.'

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INEADFUL PLOSION.
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