that fatal moment, were unfortunately overheard, far as we were removed from the family The room we were in had a communication with our private chapel; the monk, who was our family confeffor, had a master-key, which commanded the avenues to that place; he was then before the altar, when my cries reached his ears; he afcended haftily by the private staircafe, and finding the door locked, his terror at my yells adding strength to a colossal form, with one vehement kick he burst open the door, and, befides the tragic fpectacle on the ground, too plainly discovered the damning proofs of our apoftacy.

Vile wretch, cried he as he seized hold of my father's body, unholy villain, circumcifed infidel! I thank my God for having fmote thee with a fudden judgment: Lie there like a dog as thou art, and expect the burial of a dog! This faid, with one furious jerk of his arm he hurled the venerable corpfe of the most benevolent of God's creatures with the utmost violence to the corner of the room: Whilft I tell it my blood curdles; I heard his head dash against the marble floor; I did not dare to turn my eyes to the fpot; the fword, which my father had prefented to my hand and pointed at his own breaft, when he imparted to me his faith, lay naked on

the floor; I grafped it in my hand; nature tugged at my heart; I felt an impulse irrefiftible; I buried it in the bowels of the monk: I thruft it home with fo good a will, that the guard entangled in the cord that was tied about his carcafe; I left my weapon in the body, and the ponderous bigot fell thundering on the paye

ment.

A ready thought, which feemed like inspiration, seized me; I difpofed my father's corpfe in decent order; drew the ring from his finger, on which the symbol of our tribe was engraved in Hebrew characters; I took away thofe fatal tokens, which had betrayed us; there were implements for writing on a table; I wrote the following words on a fcroll of paper-" This "monk fell by my hand; he merited the death "I gave him: Let not my father's memory be "attainted! He is innocent, and died fuddenly "by the will of Heaven and not by the hand of "man.”—This I figned with my name, and affixed to the breaft of the monk; then imprint ing a last kifs upon the hand of my dead father, I went foftly down the fecret ftairs, and paffing. through the chapel efcaped out of the houfe unnoticed by any of the family.

Our house stood at one extremity of the an

tient city of Segovia; I made my way as fast as my feet would tranfport me to the forefts of San Ildephonfo, and there sheltered myself till night came on; by fhort and stealthy journeys, through various perils and almost incredible hardships, I arrived at Barcelona; I made myself known to an English merchant, fettled there, who had long been a correspondent of my father's, and was employed by our family in the exportation of their wool, which is the chief produce of eftates in the great plain of Segovia, so famous for it's fheep: By this gentleman I was supplied with money and neceffaries; he also gave me letters of credit upon his correspondent in London, and took a paffage for me in a very commodious and capital fhip bound to that port, but intermediately to Smyrna, whither she was chartered with a valuable cargo. Ever fince the unhappy event in Segovia it had been my first and conftant wish to take refuge in England; nothing therefore could be more acceptable than these letters of credit and introduction, and being eager to place myself under the protection of a nation, whofe generofity all Europe bears teftimony to, I loft not a moment in embarking on board the British Lion, (for fo the fhip was named) and in this asylum I for the

first time found that repofe of mind and body, which for more than two months I had been a ftranger to.

Here I fortunately made acquaintance with a very worthy and ingenious gentleman, who was going to fettle at Smyrna as physician to the factory, and to the care and humanity of this excellent perfon, under Providence, I am indebted for my recovery from a very dangerous fever, which feized me on the third day after my coming on board: This gentleman refided many years at Smyrna, and practifed there with great fuccess; he afterwards went through a very curious course of travel, and is now happily returned to his native country.

When we arrived at Smyrna I was on my recovery, and yet under the care of my friendly physician; I lodged in the fame house with him, and found great benefit from the air and exercife on fhore: He advised me to remain there for a season, and at the fame time an offer was made to me by the fhip's captain of acting for the merchants in place of their agent, who had died on the paffage. The letters of credit given me at Barcelona, and the security entered into on my account with the house in London, warranted this proposal on his part, and there were

T3.

many

many motives, which prevailed with me for accepting it.

In this ftation I had the good fortune to give fuch fatisfaction to my principals, that during a refidence of more than twenty years I negotiated their bufinefs with uninterrupted fuccefs, and in the courfe of that time fecured a competency for myfelf, and married a very worthy wife, with whom I have lived happily ever fince.

Still my wifhes pointed to this land of freedom and toleration, and here at last I hope I am fet down for life: Such was my prepoffeffion for this country, that I may fay without boafting during twenty years refidence in Smyrna no Englishman ever left my door without the relief he folicited, or appeared to ftand in need of.

I must not omit to tell you that to my infinite comfort it turned out, that my precautions. after the death of the monk were effectual for preventing any mifchief to the head of my family, who ftill preferves his rank, title and eftate unfufpected; and although I was outlawed by name, time hath now wrought fuch a change in my perfon, and the affair hath fo died away in men's memories, that I truft I am in fecurity from any future machinations in that

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