LORD BYRON'S GRECIAN ORPH...
The Times, 1824-07-15T00:00:00

*LoiRD BYRONos GRECitN ORP'bAN.-(From a Corres- pondent.)-During the massacre of the Greeks, by the Turks, at SCi9, a Greek boy, about eight years old, whose parents and kindred were savagely butchered by the infidels, crept instinctively into an oven of his paternal home, to escape the general slnughter. fle remained there two days, without any nutriment whatever, when, at the expiration of the second day, he was providentially discover", senseless and exhausted. The late Lord Byron having been fuUy informed of these singular facts, inmediately received the orphan boy under his protection. The extraordinary history of his preserva- tion, and the sad havoc of his race endeared the child more closely to his sympathy and affection. Hge was constantly with his Lord. ship, to the last moment of his existence. Soon after his Lordship's8 death, the Honourable Leicester Stanhope sent the boy to England, for the advancement of his education ; and recommended him to the protection of the Earl of Harrington. On his arrival in this countr, the Duke and Duchess of Leinster were so mach delighted with the noblenessof hismanner, that they adopted him at theirprotege. lie is resident in L,ondon, with the Leinster familv. He is a perfect Grecian warrior in iminiature: his costume is most in posing. He wears a turban jelick, &c., and on the right side of his belt are lodged apairo?pistols, on his leftadagger. He was in the first coach after the hearse of his illustrious patron, whose name, when even casually mentioned in his presence, produces the most zfsicting recollections in his infant mind. HOW TO FULFIL A P LEDICTION.-ILI the alnals of d-u- plicity never was recorded a more determained instance of impudent fraud on the one hand, and silly confidence on the other, than lately took place in a neighbouring town some eight miles distant. A few days since a Gipsy wo,nan called at the house of an independent gen- tlenian, in his absence, and, after a liEtle preliminary conversation with the servant, wanted to tell her fortune. Now it happened that the girl's mistress had as great a mind to draw the curtains of futu- rity as the girl herself; and overhearing thte Gipsy's preliminary wonders related to the wondering servant, called her in. The Gipey soon found she had got a customer as easy as heart could desire-the lady was all impatience-theGipsy looked atlier hand and shook her head 5 then made Mtraage grinsces, and mutteled to herself; and, after carryiug on tl,e farce tl the lady's expectation was on therack, awfully asked her if she had not some concealed gold in the house. The lady was tlhunderstruck; and with trenmor in her voice, and fear strongly depicted in her countenance, she confessed alhe had got a little hoar(d of lier own, secreted even from her caro sposo. The Gipsy said slie knew it, and requested a piece of gold to be brought froni its lhiding place; a guinea was produced, whicI (all the wlhile " muttering incantations dire") she said she must take with ier ; but that in a week she would retarn with it, when the lady's fate should be propounded. The Gipsy now took her leave, and so awce stricken were her auditors, that it was not till some time after her departure that they began to contemplate the chances of thie gainea's return. Tbe guinea, however, did chance to return, and a bad chance for the lady it turned out to he: for at ille appointed day the Gypsy brought it back, and atter being closeted with the lady, told her that she (the Giisy) must retu n the guinea, which she pro- duced, to Ihe place whence it had been taken. The poor credulotis lady, all her misgivings remnoved at the sight of thie slhining face of lher old friend, went upstairs, and returned with a bau, containing 101 guineas andsomeold gold esins,whiich she delivered to theGypsy, who, untying it, deposited thie guinea among its fellows. She then took the bag, and repeating a great dcd of gibberish, accompanied by correspondling actions, she shook die money violently; and, after going through a variety of evolutions, deposited iii tile bag,with much importauce, a paper, uper. which she infornied the lady her future ersuly wsUN wrHUeu. UaviJg KLeu SL up, sie carcruity reLurnea it to the lady with an injunctioni that she thould replace it in its former situation, and that she should not, on ynn accounit, open it until that day fortnig~ht, when, wonderfal ss it appeared, it woulddiscover that to her which would fill her mind with astonishment; and promising to return at the opening of the bag, and that she would not ask for a reward if her assertions were inot realized, she retired, not, how- ever, till the lady had insisted on her taking half-a-crown, so satis. fied was she with the Gypsy's taith. Now the poor lady'c expecta- tion and curiosity had been wound up to the most tantalizing degree of impatience, and after, with great difficulty, keeping the inJunc- tion for a week, it was not in the nature of woman to forbear longer. The injunction was broken, the bag was openede and the lady's fortune, or rather misfortune, became apparent. The arch de-! ceiver had vanished with the gold; but who can paint the lady's surprise and constermation at finding the bag, the repository of her treasure, filled with halfpence! W e vouch for the verecty of the above story, however incredible it may appear: we have concealed the names of the parties, but consider it a duty to relate the facts as a caution to those, who, by weakly believing in the prediction of fu- ture events, lay themselves open to the arts of the designing._ Soe4harnptoim fferald. Mr. MACREADY.-The lady recently married by this distinguished performer was a Miss Atkins, an actress of considerableI distinction at the Dublin Theatre. As to the inn lately purchased by MIr. Mlacready at larrowgs'e, which led tothestatement that he had abandoned rumoured notions of the church for the bar, was bought myLetely as a profitable investment of his money. It cost 4,0001., and Mr. AlMacready has let it for 401)L a year, for 14 years, so that it may be deemed a tolerably goodinvestiture.-Mornirugpaper. DIARING RoBBsRsE.-Yesterday morning, betweeui the hours of one and two o'clock as - Lawson, Esq., of the East India Docks, was returning home from a party at Westminster, at. tended by a servant boy, he was attacked, near St. Patrick's Charity School, by two fellows, having the appearance of sailors, one of whom struck Mr. Lawson a violent blow on the side of the head, which not only prevented him from makipg any active resistance, but even weakened his cries for help. The boy, however, en seeing his master fall to the ground, roared lustily for the watch, which the fellows apprehending might speedily arrive, determined to silence theboy also, but he being somewshat nimble of foot, soon outstrip. ped his pursuer, sad comtog up with some of the patrol, who had already collected on hearing the outery, they immediately returned to the spot. Alr. Lawson was t;tillprostrate and insensible, and in this state the robbers struck him several heavy blows on tha head, back, and shoulders, with a short thick bludgeon. In the interval -between the first attack and the arrival of the watchmen, the fellows contrived to possess themselves of hlr. Lawson's gold watch and ap- pendage s, a silk purse, containitng seven sovereigns, three halfditto, and sonte silver, together with a pocket-book in which, bowever, there was nothing ot.particalar value, estept a private blll, pay- menlet of 7hich hnt been stopped. The robbers have, for the pre. sent, evade.ddetection.