rents to read the works of a certain father Lejeune. Now father Lejeune had been a disciple of father Quesnel. This affection for the productions of a Jansenist was a bad recommendation to the Jesuits; but they had advanced too far to retire without shame. What was of all things the most important to them was to find food for superstition and the blessed Labre answered that purpose as well as any one else.

His credit was still more hurt by a rumour, that when solicited to receive extreme unction at the hour of death, he had made answer that it was not necessary. But what injured it more than all was the report made of him by the vicar of his parish, who affirmed that, notwithstanding his entreaties, Labre would never consent to come to his church to receive the sacrament at Easter, and that his abstinence did not deserve to be so highly extolled, since it was well known that he often went to eat and drink at a neighbouring public-house, where nobody had been much edified by his frugality. It was also discovered that his only confessor at Rome was the priest who declared himself the depositary of his prophecies, and who was notorious for his attachment to the Jesuits. In a short time, the latter were the only partisans he had at Rome; but that was a great deal. Their most active agent was an Ex Jesuit of the name of Zaccaria, whom Pius VI, honoured with a share of his confidence. It was he who was charged to compose the life of Benediet Labre, in two volumes; and to furnish a list of the pretended miracles. The pope,

who never resisted with firmness the solicitations of the Jesuitical party, suffered himself to be persuaded to give a bookseller the exclusive privilege of printing the history of the venerable's life, and all the writings relative to his beatification. The congregation dei Riti was already engaged in that important task; and was anxious to abridge the customary formalities.

All these intrigues, and all these efforts, did not, however, produce the intended effect. The blessed Labre was in vogue in those countries only where the Jesuits had a party. In Spain and Portugal his sanctity and his miracles were objects of derision. In France, a few prelates alone endeavoured to bring him into fashion; but in Rome, in that centre of religious mummery, he found for some time abundance of panegyrists, and even of imitators. It was by no means uncommon to meet devotees in the streets of that city begging like him; ragged, and motionless like him; and like him expecting alms from the passengers, but soliciting none.

Great pains continued to be taken to collect, upon the spot and elsewhere, every particular relative to his life. The most singular one is that to which amateurs are indebted for his much revered portrait. A French painter, of the name of Bley, who was at Rome in 1777, and who had it in contemplation to paint a picture of the calling of St. Peter met at the corner of a street a young beggar with a little red beard. He looked at him; and thought that his head might serve as a model for that of Christ. "Will y I you come to my lodgings, and be painted?" said he to him in Italian. The beggar refused in a surly manner, and in an accent by which the painter knew him to be a foreigner.... "Are you a Frenchman ?"...." Yes sir."...." In that case you have it in your power to render a service to one of your countrymen. I wish to introduce the head of our Saviour in a picture I am painting, and am at a loss for a model. You would answer my purpose. Pray do me the favour to follow me."....The painters entreaties, joined to the word countryman, overcame the beggar's reluctance...." With all my heart," said he, "but upon condition that you do not keep me long."...." A single morning will suffice." Upon this they walked on; and upon their arrival at the artist's the beggar became as mo

tionless as a statue. This was a part which he had been long accustomed to play. When the sitting was over a reward was offered him; but he obstinately refused it, and retired. The painter heard no more of him.

As he was not dissatisfied with his sketch, he preserved it in a port folio, which he left at Lyons, in a journey that he made thither in 1782. During passion-week in 1783, a report was spread in Rome that a young French beggar, who enjoyed a high reputation for sanctity, was dead: that his body was exposed to public view, and attracted a prodigious crowd; and that miracles were ascribed to him. The painter had not curiosity enough to go and see him. He had something else to do. After the interment of the beggar, the concourse round his tomb, and the miraculous result, were the same. One day a model*, who was often employed by the artist, spoke to him of the dead man, whom he had attentively surveyed. From the description he gave of him, the painter recollected his French acquaintance, sent to Lyons for his drawing, and ere long found his apartments crowded by the curious and the deyout. All of them recognised the features of the venerable Labre. To satisfy the impatience of the public, he put his sketch into the hands of an Italian engraver, by whose means the portrait of the holy man was speedily dispersed all over the country.

This violent enthusiasm was not, however, of long duration. Before the year 1783 had elapsed, the venerable Labre, was a little less spoken of; and the fame of his miracles was already upon the decline. All those ridiculous scenes which, in France, had been acted at the grave of Paris, the deacon, were rehearsed round his tomb.....

Model is the name given at Rome to the males and females who hire themselves to such artists as wish to study the human form after the life.

The lame repaired thither to seek a cure: and notwithstanding their implicit faith, and the mummery of the priests, returned as lame as they went. No matter; his miracles were already numerous and incontestible; and what inference could be drawn from a few abortive cures. It was the fault of the sick, and not that of the physician. The congregation dei Riti was not the less busy in the beatification of the pious beggar; but it was a work of time. It was necessary to collect information in all the places which the candidate had inhabited. It was necessary to have the most authentic testimonies. It was necessary to observe a number of slow and minute formalities; such, in short, as made it impossible for fraud to procure, for one of the profane, the reward that was reserved for the elect alone. It was necessary above all to have money; for the church of Rome afforded nothing gratuitously. This was one of the most scandalous remains of those superstitious times, when she imposed a tribute upon every species of folly. On some future day, indeed, it will scarcely be believed that she dared to disfigure those brilliant apotheoses, which she borrowed from the pagans, to such a degree as to put up to auction the seats she had to dispose of in the celestial court, and to knock them down, not to men known by their splendid virtues, by some great service rendered to their country, or at least by some illustrious crime, productive of a change in the condition of mankind; but most frequently to vile and indolent wretches, who ought at least to have been condemned to that obscurity to which they had devoted themselves.

The contributions, however, of credulity increased sufficiently in a few years for the congregation dei Kiti, to accelerate the first triumph of the venerable Labre. He was beatified in the course of the year 1792, when the country which had given him birth was already rescued from the clutches of superstition.

Labre was then enrolled in the number of the blessed. There remained a still greater victory for him to obtain; that which was to procure him his insertion in the calender of saints, in other words, his cannonisation. But the ascent to this highest degree of celestial honours was difficult and tedious. There were a multitude of obstacles to be overcome. It was necessary that a cen

HUDSON, NOV. 22.

On Wednesday morning 23 waggons arrived in this city from New-Lebanon, loaded with provisions, &c. with three hundred dollars in specie, as a donation from the small company of Believers, (vulgarly called Shakers) of NewLebanon and Hancock, to the corporation of New-York, for the relief of the poor of that city. While we record with pleasure such. an instance of liberality, we forbear expressing our feelings on the occasion. The deed speaks for itself; and every person acquainted with the unostentatious character of the

generous donors, must be sensible that it was not done for praise sake. But we have strong motives for mentioning such a deed. We wish to shew the proud rich man an example worthy of his imitation. Therefore, if he has ears to hear let him "go and do likewise."

The above mentioned donation, we understand, consisted of the following articles :-

300 Dollars, specie*,
953 lb. Pork,
1951 lb. Beef,

1744 lb. Mutton,
1185 lb. Rye Flour,

52 Bushels Rye,

* Exclusive of 26 dollars 50 cents, intended for the payment of expense of freighting the articles from this place to New York.

VOL. I....No. IV.

34 do. Carrots,

2 do. Beets,

2 do. Dryed Apples, 24 do. Beans,

179 do. Potatos,

Crossed the Philadelphia Middle Ferry Bridge, in one week ending 27th November, 1803.

124 Pleasure carriages,
329 Chairs,

527 Heavy loaded waggons,

91 Empty waggons, 237 Light market waggons, 517 Loaded carts, In all 6004 horses. Taken from the account kept by the toll gatherer.

ELIZABETH-TOWN, NOV. 28. Some seamen, on board the British frigate that lays at the quaantine ground in York Bay, lately concerted the following stratagem to make their escape :It was agreed, at a certain hour of the night, that the best swimmer among the number, should fall overboard, and drift down with the tide as fast as he could, crying help! help! and the others were to stand ready to man the boat to pick him up, but by the by, they took care to let him get a good distance from the ship before they reached him, and then shaped their course for Long Island, where they landed in safety, and made their escape. The gunner happening to

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jump into the boat with them, and after picking up the man, discovered thei. ntention, attempted to hail the sl.,, upon which they threw him down, gagged him, and when they got to the shore, pushed him and the boat adrift.

On Monday night of the 24th ult. the following prisoners broke out of the Portland gaol: Richard Flood, Samuel Thompson, Charles Cane, Stephen Hawkins, and George Peters.

On Monday night, a house at Beverly, occupied by Mr. A. Stone's family, and three other families, was destroyed by fire The pro

A Dwarf is exhibiting at Baltimore, who is stated to be twentyfour years old, and only thirty inches high. He is said to possess all the faculties of the mind, and to be conversant and well informed on most subjects; was born in Mecklenburgh county, Virginia.

On the night of the 27th of October last, a certain Mr. James Howard in conjunction with myself, were travelling down the Ohio river, with a number of negroes, bound to the Natchez; unfortunate ly some of the negro men meditated the sanguine intention of murdering us as we were lying asleep, and accordingly attempted to carry their object into execution; one of them with an axe and another with a loaded whip, terminated the life of the said Mr. Howard; I fortunately got overboard, receiving a stroke on my wrist, and swam ashore. The fellows were all caught and committed to jail in Kenawha county, two of whom have received sentence of death, the others have been ordered to be hired out, and will be detained until the friends of Mr. Howard come forward.

Staten Island, Woodbridge, Pis cataway, September 27th, 1803. About 9 o'clock P. M. an earthquake was heard and felt in those parts. The sound seemed to proceed from the west or north-west, and to pass off to the east or south east: It very sensibly shook the houses for the space of half a mi

nute or more.

NEW INVENTION.

Jedediah T. Turner, of Cazenovia, in the state of New York, has obtained a patent for the invention of a THRESHING MACHINE, upon entirely new, and very plain principles, calculated for the threshing all kinds of grain, from wheat to beans, peas, and corn. The wind or water, and the operation machine is turned by horses, oxen, is performed by whipping, so that smutty grain is not broken, as is the case with many other modes of threshing; it will thresh from 50 to 150 bushels per day, and clean it at the same time. The expense of building the machine, will not generally exceed 40 or 50 dollars. The Patentee intends selling the patent right on the most reasonable

termis.

NEW YORK, SEPT. 8. On Sunday afternoon, between the hours of 4 and 5 o'clock, as a beautiful female child of the late Mr. Samuel Levy, aged something more than four years, was standing at the corner of Broad and Friend-streets, a chair drove furiously out of Friend-street, and before the infant could get out of its way, the wheel passed over its body, and in consequence of the bruises it received, died about 9 o'clock the same evening. It may be recollected that Mr. Levy was drowned on his passage last year, from New-York to Albany, having been knocked overboard by the

Mr. John Bacon, of Colchester, New-London county, Connecticut, at his decease some time ago, left property to the amount of thirty thousand dollars, to be appropriated as a fund for the erection and support of an academy. This academy has been built, and was opened on Tuesday the 1st instant, for the reception of students, under the direction of John Adams, A. M. late of Plainfield Academy, principal. The building is of brick, 75 feet by 34, and three stories high, in a pleasant and eligible situation, on the new turnpike road from New-London to Hartford, in a neighbourhood where living is cheap, and the society respectable.