Grass Valley telegraph., 1853-10-20

country and to the present day. Read it.
There lived some years since within my
neighbourhood, a very grave person. an up
holsterer. who seemed to be man of more
than ordinary application to business He
was very early riser, and was often abroad
two or three hours before any Of his neigh
bours. He had . particular carefulness in
the knitting of his brows, and a kind OF i'm
patience in all his motions, that plainly dis
covered he was always intent on matter OF
Importance. Upon my inquiry into his life
and conversation, 1 found him to be the
greatest news-monger in our quarter; that
he rose before day to read the Postman; and
that be would take two or three turns to the
other end of the town before his neighbours
were up, to see if there were any Dutch
mails come in. He had wife and several
children but was much more inquisitive to
know what passed ia Poland, than in his
own family; and was in greater pain and
anxiety of mind for King Augustus's welfare,
than that of his nearest relations. He looked
extremely thin.in dearth of news and never
enjoyed himself in westerly wind. This
indefatigahle kind of life was the ruin Of his
shop; for about the time that his favourite
prince left the crown of Poland, he broke,
and disappeared.{
This man, and his affairs had been long
out of my mind TIL about three days ago, as
/ was walking in St. James's Park, l heard
somebody at distance hemming after me
and who should itbe but my old neighbour
the upholsterer. saw he was reduced to
extreme poverty, BY certain shabby super
fuities in his dreis for, notwithstanding
that it was very ultry day for the time of
the year he wore loose great coat and a
muff, with long campaign wig out of curl
to which he had addM the ornament of a pair
of black garters lpckled under the knee.
Upon his coming up to me, was going to
inquire into his preent circumstances; but
was prevented, by his asking me, with a
whisper, Whether tie last letters brought
any accounts that ore might rely upon from
Bender?" ! told hin, None that I heard,
Of" and asked him whether he had yet
married his eldest dalghter?r He told me,
"No. But pray. (says he) tell me sincerely.
what are your thoughts of the King of
Sweden?" for though his wife and children
were starving, found his chief concern at
present was for this great monarch. told
him, "That l looked upon him as one of the
first heroes of the ase" "But pray, (says
he,) do you think thsre is any thing in the
story of his wound ~ (and finding me sur
prised at the question: "Nay, (says he,) l
only propose it to you" I answered, "That
I thought there was no reason to doubt Of
it," "But why in the heel. (says he,) more
than any other part of the body?" "Be-
cause (says y the bullet CHANGED to light
there"
This extraordinary dialogue was no soon
er ended, but he began to launch out into
long dissertation upon the affairs of the
north: and, after having spent some time
on them, he told me, he was in a great per-
plexity how to reconcile the Supplement
now examining what the other papers said
upon the same subject. "The daily Courant
(says he) has these words, I'VE have advices
from very good hands, that certain prince
has some matters of great importance under
consideration This is very mysterious
but the Post-boy leaves US more in the dark.
for he tells US, That there are private intima-
tions of measures taken by certain prince.
which time will bring to light Now. the
Postman, (says he,) who uses to be very clear
refers to the same news in these words THE
late conduct of certain prince affords great
matter of speculation This certain Prince.
(says the upholsterer,l whom they are all so
cautious of naming. take to be --."
upon which, though there was nobody near
u.s. he whispered something in my ear, which
did not hear, OF think worth my while to
make him repeat.
We were now got to the upper end of the
Hall, where there were three or four very odd
fellows sitting together on the bench. These
found were all of then politicians, who used
to sun themselves in that place every day
about dinner-time. Observing them to be |
curiosities in their kind, and my friends &C
quaintance sat dowI among them.
The chief politician bf ike bench was great
asserter of paradoxes He told us, with a |
seeming concern. that by some news he had |
lately read from Muscsvy, it appeared to him.
that there was storm gathering in the Black |
Sea, which might in time do hurt to the ma
val forces Of this nation. To this he added |
that, for his p0rt, he tould not wish to see the
Turk driven out of Europe, which be believed
could not but be prsjudicial to our. .woollen
manufactures. He then told US, that he look
ed on those extraordinary revolutions. which
had lately taken place in those parts of the
world, to have risen chiefly from two persons
who were not much talked of; and those says
ne. are Prince Menzikoff and the Duchess Of
Mirandoia. He backed bis assertions with 81
many broken hints, and such show Of depth
md wisdom, thatwe gave ourselves up to his
opinions.
The discourse at length fell upon point
which seldom escapes knot Of true-born
Englishmen, whether in case of religious
war, the Protestants would not be too strong
for the Papists? This we unanimously deter
mined on the Protestant side. One who sat
on my right hand, and. as found by his dis
course, had been in the West Indies assured
Us, that it would be a very easy matter for
the Prntocfopfc b ho