: NICOLAS PEDROSA. 7 " exercised by a wife) yet could I not forbear to smite my beast for her obstinacy, and the rather " because I was summoned in the way of my profession, as I have already made known to your " most merciful ears, upon a certain crying occasion, which would not admit of a moment's delay." "Recollect yourself, Nicolas," said his Excellen. cy the inquisidor general, "was there nothing else " you did, save smiting your beast?" "I take " saint Nicolas de Tolentino to witness," replied he, " that I know of no other crime, for which I can be " responsible at this righteous tribunal, save smiting " my unruly beast " "Take notice, brethren," exelaimed the inquisidor, "this unholy wretch holds " trampling over friars to be no crime." " Pardon me, holy father," replied Nicolas, “I "hold it for the worst of crimes, and therefore wil" lingly surrender my refractory mule to be dealt " with as you see fit, and if you impale her alive it " will not be more than she deserves." "Your " wits are too nimble, Nicolas," cried the judge; " have a care they do not run away with your discre"tion: Recollect the blasphemes you uttered in the "hearing of those pious people." " I hum" bly pray your excellency," answered the prisoner, "to recollect that anger is a short madness, and I "hope allowances will be made by your holy coun"cil for words spoke in haste to a rebellous mule: "The prophet Balaam was thrown off his guard with "a simple ass, and what is an ass compared to a "mule? If your excellency had seen the lovely "creature that was screaming in agony till I came to " her relief, and how fine a boy I ushered into the "world, which would have been lost but for my as"sistance, I am sure I should not be condemned for " a few hasty words spoke in passion. "Sarrah!" cried one of the puisny judges, "res"pect the decency of the court." "Produce the " contents of this fellow's pockets before the court," said the president, "lay them on the table." " Monster," resumed the aforesaid puisny judge, taking up the forceps, "what is the use of this dia"bolical machine ?" "Please your reves "ence," replied Pedrosa, "aptum est ad extrahendo "fatus."" Unnatural wretch," again exclaimed the judge, " you have murdered the mother." "The mother of God forbid!" exclaimed Pedrosa, "I believe I have a proof in my pocket that will ac" quit me of that charge;" and so saying, he tendered the letter we have before måde mention of: The secretary took it, and by command of the court read as follows: Senor Don Manuel de Herrera, When this letter, which I send by Nicolas Pedrosa, shall reach your hands, you shall know that I am safely delivered of a lovely boy after a dangerous labour, in consideration of which I pray you to pay to the said Nicolas Pedrosa the sum of twenty gold pistoles, which sum his excellency "Hold," cried the inquisidor general, starting hastily from his seat, and snatching away the letter, "there is more in this than meets the eye: break up "the court; I must take an examination of this pris"oner in private." As soon as the room was cleared the inquisidor general beckoning to the prisoner to follow him, retired into a private closet, where, throwing himself carelessly into an arm chair, he turned a gracious countenance upon the poor affrighted accoucheur, and bidding him sit down upon a low stool by his side, thus accosted him- Take " heart, senor Pedrosa, your imprisonment is not " likely to be very tedious, for I have a commission "you must execute without loss of time: you have "too much consideration for yourself to betray a "trust, the violation of which must involve you in " inevitable ruin, and can in no degree attaint my 66 "character, which is far enough beyond the reach of " malice: be attentive, therefore, to my orders; ex"ecute them punctually, and keep my secret as you tender your own life: dost thou know the name and condition of the lady, whom thou hast deliv"ered?" Nicolas assured him he did not, and his excellency proceeded as follows-"Then I tell thee, "Nicolas, it is the illustrious Donna Leonora de "Casafonda; her husband is the president of Quito, " and daily expected with the next arrivals from the "South Seas; now, though measures have been taken " for detaining him at the port, wherever he shall " land, till he shall receive further orders, yet you "must be sensible Donna Leonora's situation is some"what delicate: it will be your business to take the "speediest measures for her recovery, but as it seems " she has had a dangerous and painful labour, this may be a work of more time than could be wish" ed, unless some medicines more efficacious than common are administered: art thou acquainted "with any-such, friend Nicolas ?" - "So please "your excellency," quoth Nicolas, my processes " have been tolerably successful; I have bandages and " cataplasms with oils and conserves, that I have no "cause to complain of; they will restore Nature to "it's proper state in all decent time." - " Thou "talkest like a fool, friend Nicolas," interrupting him, said the inquisidor; "what tellest thou me of "thy swathings and swadlings? quick work must be " wrought by quick medicines: hast thou none such in th thy botica? I'll answer for it thou hast not; "therefore, look you, sirrah, here is a little vial compounded by a famous chymist; see that you " mix it in the next apozem you administer to Donna Leonora; it is the most capital sedative in nature; give her the whole of it, and let her husband "return when he will, depend upon it he will make " no discoveries from her."- "Humph!" quoth 66 ! Nicolas within himself, "well said, inquisidor He took the vial with all possible respect, and wa not wanting in professions of the most inviolable t delity and secrecy-" No more words friend Ni "las," quoth the inquisidor, " upon that score; " do not believe thee one jot the more for all th " promises, my dependance is upon thy fears an "not thy faith; I fancy thou hast seen enough "this place not to be willing to return to it once for "all." Having so said, he rang a bell, and ordered Nicolas to be forthwith liberated, bidding the mes senger return his clothes instantly to him with all that belonged to him, and having slipt a purse into his hand well filled with doubloons, he bade him be gone about his business, and not see his face again till he had executed his commands. Nicolas boulted out of the porch without taking leave of the altar, and never checked his speed till he found himself fairly housed under shelter of his own be loved brass basin.-" Aha!" quoth Nicolas, "my "lord inquisidor, I see the king is not likely to gain "a subject more by your intrigues: a pretty job you " have set me about; and so, when I have put the "poor lady to rest with your damned sedative, my " tongue must be stopt next to prevent its blabbing: "but I'll shew you I was not born in Andalusia for nothing." Nicolas now opened a secret drawer, and took out a few pieces of money, which in fact was his whole stock of cash in the world; he loaded and primed his pistols, and carefully lodged them in the housers of his saddle, he buckled to his side his trusty spada, and hastened to caparison his mule. "Ah, thou imp of the old one," quoth he, as he entered the stable; "art not ashame to look me in the "face? But come, hussey, thou owest me a good " turn, methinks, stand by me this once, and be "friends for ever! thou art in good case, and if " thou wilt put thy best foot foremost, like a faith ful beast, thou shalt not want for barley by the way." The bargain was soon struck between icolas and his mule, he mounted her in the happy oment, and pointing his course towards the bridge Toledo, which proudly strides with half a dozen fhy arches over a stream scarce three feet wide, he und himself as completely in a desart in half a ile's riding, as if he had been dropt in the centre Arabia Petræa. As Nicolas's journey was not a ur of curiosity, he did not amuse himself with a eep at Toledo, or Talavera, or even Merida by the ay; for the same reason he took a circumbendibus ound the frontier town of Badajoz, and crossing a ttle brook, refreshed his mule with the last draught f Spanish water, and instantly congratulated himself pon entering the territory of Portugal. quoth he, patting the neck of his mule, "thou shalt have a supper this night of the best sieve-meat that Estramadura can furnish: we are now in a country where the scattered flock of Israel fold thick and "fare well." He now began to chaunt the song of Solomon, and gently ambled on in the joy of his heart. "Brava!" When Nicolas at length reached the city of Lisbon, he hugged himself in his good fortune; still he recollected that the inquisition has long arms, and he was yet in a place of no perfect security. Our adventurer had in early life acted as assistant surgeon in a Spanish frigate bound to Buenos Ayres, and being captured by a British man of war and carried into Jamaica, had very quietly passed some years in that place as journeyman apothecary, in which time he had acquired a tolerable acquaintance with the English language: no sooner then did ic discover the British ensign flying on the poop of an English frigate then lying in the Tagus, than he eagerly caught the opportunity of paying a visit to the surgeon, and finding he was in want of a mate, offered himself and was entered in that capacity for |