kingston onicle nec keck nec populo sed utroque vol 12 s aturday decembeb25 830 wo 2 6 for the chronicle poixts in history eitfllfsfl onstftutfon ficronr i resume the subjects which were under our consideration iu my lust lecture i must make digression to show how wou- derful it is io find such men as hume of peaceful minds and cultivated taleutiso to tally iujiflereot to the popular iuterests of the commuoity what chauce have they forihe security of their property of their lives nod what is of far more importance above all for that freo exercise of thought which is to them abovo all price what chance have they to possess these if not in ihe existence of popular privileges so ciety is to be guarded from theviolencoaod errors of the jew as well as the many and fur ibis end such privileges must be insti tuted and guarded men ef arbitrary aod timid minds can not believo this in like manner foreigners when they are in this country and witness an election at west minster or at brentford have frequently made up their opinion that government will break up in the course of the week laawaft klwn to make such 2nd who were the legislators 3rd what was the general spirit and ha bits of thinking in the commuoity jst then what was the latf from the ex pulsion of the unmans to henry viii bhekstoneslstanri 4th volumes must be read for this mod this should be read by everv one bttrft who were the legislators this is very curious part of our history there was once nn assembly of wise men m sa- pientes what were its powers when dftj it cease how has it happened that we have two houses of parliament such are the subjects to tvhich you should direct your enquiry i must say a word with res pect to tc origiu of these two houses and then concerning the power of king lords and common there tvfia then at this early period a great assembly called the hibicnagcoiots or general council this ty evident it would have been belter for the advocates of the constitution to cnufiue themselves to shew that from such practise no inference should be drawn with respect to what is beneficial at this prescut day here i must again refer you to mr hallams book which is essential you must ob serve that from the time of henry ih the summoning of the commons is almost al ways mentioned this seems decisive of the question on the other hand we have the petitions of the boroughs of st- alban aod barnstable which do not treat this pri vilege as a novelty that is the great point these cameoutooe of them 50 the other 60 years after the time assigned as the first in stitution of the commons by henry iii aod why they should oot set forth the cus toms of old times and the example of the kings predecessor seems difficult to ima gine on the whole however these con siderations are not sufficient to neutralize the question i must now make a slight al lusion to the growth of the prerogative of lords and commons dloime is too much of a panegyrist on our constitution blackstooe is rather a lawyer than a con stitutional writer millar on the whole is my chief authority in these observatioos in process of time we find the wights or nobles grown into the distinction of tho greater and lesser thanes and the regular uwmfr0iutffoqf wihiapmntmeaw ingly william and his successors are oblig- to call theso extraordinary meetings besides the crown was 1 ly ami the latfwr bolyfccjtorally hyde- and win are they tht stir the s stream grew only a cemain number of the latter attended and ra times the rest chose a certain number as representatives and these bcrame the knights of the shire the towns al as they rose in import ance acquired a voice iu the assembly hence to have their commissioners who were to represent them in edward hi time we have tbe kuigltts aud burgesses regularly cited luseosihly these lose tho idea of assembling in their own right and finally they both agree in thiuking them- representatives ouly selves assembled as thisthird estate ia france and othercoun- tries did not survive the first stops taken against it ruosl fortunately for us and for the world it did survive io england this made provision gwr delay aud for different stages in deliberations on important mat ters what good fortune has there beeo then in all this 7 the mouse of commons insensibly acquired ihe exclusive power of taxation and tlvfw coarse instrument tho purse has beeo fche means and the only means by which their existeuce has been preserved to this fcoor we now pass ho the 3rd point which i gave notice of what were the spirit aod habits of thinking that existed in the com munity the feudal sjstcm in icnglaud did not grow up iiusensibly as in other coun tries but was violently forced upon tho na tion by the conqueror at least in its final form no wthi acceleration of tho system which must hav appeared best calculated hay curious reader i can inly joy that to my eye of ignorance they rfpm like honest rushes on the honicv j there is a village doubtless thenr hey came thercvvas a christening andlbeyf a name they are to us like many a firing f the image of a moment and ihrv p like the last cloud that vanished 6k st like the last shape upon the faiih p by lake or stream by ralev field t h they must have lived perchance fl livin sil1 extract from de formh a novel concluded nkvkr perhaps in my existence an existeuce varied by danger by difficulties by passions and by follies ncf id any day seem in drag so heavily toward it conclusion as that which lay frctweeo me and the meeting appointed for lho follow ing night it was not alone hat impa tient expectation which len till moments seem eternities ut l added to this that i had to occupa tion fur every moment lest filfdy regrets bitter with should interpose and miugle what was ever a sweet to destroy liberty altogether in fact su 7 rtfis enf cm tho laws unfortunately are lost tod some general idea of them can only imuuitaj e expected in the maxims of the coromod not transmuted p g h v endeavoured t0 by hereditary right for n aeries of years as fo inera the great charter remain io france most of the norman princes tod are accessible not merely to the loam were usurpers and hence the great conncil m oflhe antiquarian but to the reach of vii continually appealed to from the par- v of lh edu these ireat charters the charter of the forestc ticular situation in whicn these monarchs were placed when the norman kings had destroyed the allodial or independent proprietors of whom tho national assem bly used originally to consist ii became com posed of men dependant oo the crowu now it iright bo desirable that their entire iodopeodance that their stated meetings should cease it might he desirable that the king alnno should have the power of assembling them aod on the other hand it would become highly expedient that the king should he under a necessity of calling them from time to time this delicate llae beeo published by blaclcstone aod this book mutt be read it admits of no substitute or abridgment these were 6rst conceded by john and fixed by ibe tmli if edward on an cup to me m mont verily do i believe thrfr crowded into that one day more emplo many men bestow upon a whoy yw i rode through the whole town r wioessod the bullfight j wrote a lettev ny fa ther god knows what it cocrfj know not and i never knew read to which was like pouring till waler a burning furnace i played off m e mem of en rtes and gradually subltiued w tlhecofch and io the bouse and every body was evi dently at repose before halfpast eleven this was now the longest half hour of alt thought the church clock must have gon wrong and have stopped aud i was con firmed in this idea when hcrtrd the mili- and i was no longer tho trenililinglyfim- passioned hoy that 1 entered her house it is well said she come hither then and she led me towaids what seem ed a heap of cushions covered with a large sheet of lioen for a moment she paused before them with her foot advanced as if about to ronke another step forwards and her eye straining upon ihe motionless pile before her as if it wero some very horrible ohject then suddenly taking the edge of the cloth she threw it bark at ouce dis covering the dead body of a priest welter ing in its gore he seemed to havo been amanof about thirty both by his form and face which was full and unmarked by any lines of ago it was turned to wards me aod had been slightlyconvulsed by the pang of death but still even io the cold meaningless features i thought i could perceive that look of an habitually dissolute mind which stamps itself in uu- etjaceable characters and there was a dark determined scowl still upoa the brow of death which to my fancy spoke of the remorseless violation of the most sacred duties the limbs were contracted aod one of thchauds clooched as if there had been a momentary strugglo before he was mastered to his fate while the other hand was stretched out with all tbe fingers wide extended as while still ttriviog to draw the last few agonizing breaths his gown was gashed on the left side and dripping with gore aod it is probable that the wound it covered went directly to his heart from the great effusion of blood that had taken glace it was h dreadful sight jied after look ing oo it for a few moments in utter nsto- h eternal basis if we ttas succeeded hy another assembly called question was left to be decided by theswords the parliament a it existed after the con- qeet now unfortunately tho records tro lost we only know that burgesses irere summoned from tbe towns by henry 1l then gradually proceeding through tho feigns of edward 1 and edward iii there was at length in this manuer established of our rude oocestors the wightenage mots had always decided npon peace or war but when the assembly became com posed of men dependant upnu the crown these vassals were bound to transmit this authority to their feudal lord and no long er to consider the expediency of such mea- a separate house for tho cemmoos of suresbut only the execution this milure of the kuightsof the shire aud ef the bnrgesses wo have however node- toil and hence you may perceive how toliquarians and lawyers may dispute for ever about the real origin of tbe house of commons without ever coming to a de cision i will endeavour to give you an idea of the general reasoning of writers on this subject first then the wightenage- rnots was like the councils or assemblies ufgermany as we have them represented in tacitus now who were the wights or sepientes did they unite the aristo- eracy aod the people or of what members mt it formed j the question whether ut commons formed a part of the national assembly has heen repeatedly discussed lord littleton in his impartial history is f opinion that the multitude themoblbe commons in short which certaiuly attend ed wero ooly present ns an audience whether the house of commons was in- muiej by henry iii is a question of great difficulty spclmau could obsorve no sum- woes to a burgees before the reign of henry hi- and hurke observes io his a- wdgment of the eoglish history that this ii au iostaoce to shew the absurdity of at- ibreptiog to trace the principles of our pre- uoi constitution to these early times on e whole i thiuk thatsince tbe absence of lie common from the wightcoagemots wut be acknowledged for tbis seems pret- the decision upon peace or war was ac cordingly transmitted to tho crown and with the crown it has for ever remained and any restraint which may counteract the dangerous tendency of this prerogative must arise from causes which have grown up by steps as imperceptible as those by which the power itself was ob- tayied the right of taxation was another privilege of the wighteoagemots and for tunately this was not lost the fact is ea sily accouotcd for the loan of money was easily to be understood by thase barons much raoro so than cnosequences which wore to follow from measures of policy tho king did we find from lime to lime actually apply to his vassals for an aid from towos he received lolls as a reward for his protection from traders customs and as these sources of revenue declined tho other branches of government had ac quired sufficient streogth to preserve the the right of granting a supply and to es tablisb as a law that their coucurrenre was oeecssary before tbo nation would be tax ed i roust direct your attention once more to two points of particular interest tho addition of the burgesses to the na tional assembly and tbe distinction and separation of the two houses we have seen thnlheforo the conquest there were the greatcrand the lesser thanes- the kiug used to cite the formr individu- ipok into these charters we shall perhaps be disappoiutcd and he ready to ask where is tho merit v but here as io other eases we must learu to identify our selves with the persons who arc brought forward and then wo shall learn to respect ihem and to regard this systematic strug- leof the barons as an iostauco of no romoo virtue tho charters shew a rude sketch of a reasonable scheme and this is nltiricih posterity was no doubt left to fiillew thai mphs that is to hear ihcov selves erect arid to walk with their spirit the path mighl ho varied but the posts and the maoilet always to be the same eveo florae seems subdued by tbo merit and effeel of these persevering men before i coflelud i m remind you that neither chafrs nor parliament nor laws are of ifl7 f h vllal s does not exist the country human nature and humflo fairs have nothing to do with schemes of perfection that revive aod presorve tum the ontlines ea 0d he nlled h nob that labour iu ihapt of the original mas ters with sueh iwt and feeliugs men of all offices will ork together in union and friendship prince f ha nohlesand the commons there will be no drawing up in array of on parly against another no hollow grumblings under ground hut all will bo taught to respect each other and themselves tw lowest of the communi ty will learn tosttppofl his right character he will betaucm to know that he has his degradation of jraetwv0 which he will not stoop aod tn 0 which he must aspire these gft ends cannot be effect ed by tbe low ap ignorant but only by those of raoh who h authority over ihffe feow creatures let such everrenwor that it is their bounden duty to attend ml to respect the character and ur of the p and to remember p in hieh they stand to him tt will they employ them selves in a maooost gratifying to their feelings if they hvnen of virtue and most satisfactory to itf uodcrstauding if they be men of genius scltctetl from the von keepsake for 183 ckossil rue fokd cloudy forests hind waters and they sleep as if e piril press their pulses down from the calm bosoto of the wave ess deep up to the mountain with he minht crown still os the mogrtivn ctics of ihe dead save the doll plashihff of he horse tread night round oflhe patrol of tho holy h- therhood pas by the house a usual push ing at every door to see that all wero cine- ed for the night shortly after however the chimes of midnight began and win a beating heart i descended the tairs ha ving previously insured the means of opening the door without noise in a mo ment after the fresh nigbt air blew chill up on my cheek and conveyed a sort of shud der to my heart which j could scarco help feeling as a sinister omen but closiug tbe door as uear as i could without shutting ii entirely i darted- arrow tbe itrcet pushed open ihe little door nod entered as i dirf so the garment of a woman rustled a- gainstme and icnught the same fairioft hand i had held ihe former night ii horned like a living fire and as i held it ia mine itdid oot return oreeo mm tctrf- ble to the pressure but my fingers felt al most scorched with the feverish heat of hers cautiously shutting the door she led me by the hand up a flight of stairs to a small elegant dressingroom wherein on the toi let table was a burning lamp ii shone dimly but with sufficient light to show me that my fair companion though lovely as ever was deadly pale and attributing it lb that agitation which she could not but feel a thousand times more than even i did i attempted to compose her with a multi tude of earesses and vows which she su fered me to lavish upon her nlnioet unno ticed remaining with a mute tongue and wandering eye as if my words had scarcely found their way to the seat of iotellect at length laying her hand upon the hilt of my word with a faint smile sho said what a sword you should never come to see u lady with a sword and unbuckling it with hor own hand she laid it on the table now proceeded she lakiog op the lamp and leaxling ihe way into n splendid room beyond now you must give mo a proof of yfcur love nod but the donrsud- denlybehhid us wilh a quickness which almost made me start- ar whole conduct her whole appear- was strange that she should ap pear agitated was not surprising hut her eye wandered with a fearful sort of wild- oess aud her cheek was so deadly deadly pale that i scarcely ever thought lo aee such a hue in any thing living at the same time tbe hand with which she heldoue of mioe a she led me oo confirmed its grasp with a tighter aod n lighter clasp till every slender burning fiogersecmed im pressing itslf on my flesh hao you a firm heart asked he oi length fixing her eyes upon me nod compressing her full beautiful lips as if io master ber awn sen- satioos i answered that i had and indeed as tbe agitatioeof passinu gave way to oilier feelings called forlh by her siogadar man ner aod behaviour tbe natural unclenching courage of my race returned e my aid venge whose power he ought to have known he came this very night warm from the arms of anoiher and yel dared to talk to me ofpassioo and oflove thiok- ing me still weak enough to yield to him oh with whnj patience i was endued not to lay him then i bade him go forth and never lo approach mo again he became enraged he threatened to betrny me to publish my shame and he is what hois there was a dreadful pause she hnd worked herself up hy the details to a pitch of almost phrenzicd rage and gazing up on the body of him that had wronged her with a nyshed cheek aud flarhing eyes she seemed as if she would havo smote him a- gaiu the story is told cried she at longih and now if you love me as you have sil you must carry him forth aud cast him into ihe great fosso of the city ha you will not you hate me you despise mo then i must speak another language you shall yes you shall or both you and i willjoio him io the grave and drawing a poniard from ber bosom jlns tjlureu between me wufi be door and de you think me so great a cow ard replied i hastily to bo frightened iotn doing what i disapprove by a poniard io the hand of a woman no lady no i continued more kindly believing her as i did to be disordered in mind by theiu- tensity of her feelings i pity you from my hoari i pity you forthe base injuries you havo suffered aod even though i cannot butcoudemu the crime you have commu ted i would do much very much to sooth to calm to heal your wouoded spirit but i spoke long gently kindly to her it reached her heart it touched ihe better feelings of what might have been fine though exquisitively sensitive mind and throwing away the poniard she cast her self at my feel where clasping my kuccs she wepi till her agony of tear became perfectly fearful i did every thing 1 could to iranquilizo her i eutroatcd i persuad ed i reasoned i even caressed there was something so lovely yvt soterrihlein it all her face her form brr agitation tbe sweetness of her voice tbo despairing heartbroken expression of her eyes that in spile of her crime i raised her from my feet 1 held her io my arms aod 1 promis ed to do all that she would have me after a time she began to recover her self and gently disengaging herself from mo she gazed at me with a look of pain ful powerful regret that i never can for get count louis she said you must abhor mc and you have alas learn ed m do so at a inomenl when i have learned lo love you the more your kindoeais has made me weep it was what i needed il has cleared a cloud from my brain and j now find how very very guilty i am do not take me to your arms lam unworthy they should touch me but ly from me aod from this place of horror as speedily as you can for i will not take advantage of tbe generous offer you make to do that which i so uogeoe- rously asked i asked it in madness for i feel that within the last few hours my rea son has not been with me it slept have now wept aod it is awake to all the misery i have brought upon myself go- go leave me i will stay and meet the fate my crime deserves bui oh i cannot bear to think upon the dishonoor and mi sery of my fathers old age aod again sho wept as bitterly as before m again i applied myself to sooth her and imprudently certainly perhaps wrongly insisted upon carrying away the evi dence of her guilt and disposing of it as she at first demanded but iwo short streets lay between the spot where we were and the old boundary of the city over which it was easy to cast the body into the water below at that hour i was not likely to meet with any oue as all the se- her inhabitants of the city were in their first sleep and the guard had made its rouod some time before i told her all this aod expressed my determination not to leave her in such dreadful circumstanc es so that seeing me resolved npon doing what i had proposed the natural horror of death and shame overcame her first regret at the thought of implicating rae and she acquiesced at i approached tho body for the pur pose of taking itio my arms j will own a repulsive feeling of horror gathered about my heart and a slight shudder passed over me she saw ii and casting her beautiful arms rouod my neck held me back with a melaacholy shake of the head saying no no oo but i again expressed myself determined nnd suddenly pressing her burning lips to mine she let me go pardon roe said she it is ihe last i generous ofhuraan away she kneeled slial neinge ever i have most and turnip hoard the plunge of the body aod tho rosk of tho qgitated waters aod a shudder pul ed over me to thiok of thiit cooaigomg the frail taberoacle thai cot long iioeo b enslirioedathifui but immortal spirit to a dark and oamoless grave all tho woak- oeitetof our naioreelidg to tbo rites of at- puliure and m any time i thauld hare fell in so dismissing a dead body to im- mourncd oblivioo that i was violating tbo most sacred prejudices ofour oature bot w hen i thought upon tbe bow aod t ha whereore ray mood felt chill and i dar ed not look back to cce the full completion of that nights dreadful deeds my heart was lightened however that it was now done aod i turoed to proceed home having bad euough of adventure to serve mc for a long while before i went 1 gave au anxious glance arovtid to see whether any one was watching me but all seemed void aod lonely i then darted a way ns fast as i could still concealiog my self in the shadowy sides of the streets aod following thousand uruinn aud iiug wtiwutt ifteft mty 7rth ww cd at length approaching the eircet wherein i lived i looked round carefully on all sides darted up it sprang jprward and pushod open tho door of my lodging at that moment a figure passed me coming the other way it was the chevalier do mootenero and though he evidently saw me he went on without remark i closed tbo door carefully groped my way up to my own chamber aad striking a light ex amiued my doublet to see if i had receiv ed any stains from the gory burden i had carried in spite of every precaution i bad taken it was wet with blood in three pla ces and i had much trouble in washing our the marks though it was itself of murray- coloured cloth somewhat similar in hue difficult it is to tell my feelings while eo- gaged in this employment the horror tbo disgust at each new stain i discovered mingled with the paioful anxiety to efface every trace of blood which my fellow be ing had left then to dispose of the wa- ter whose sanguine colour kept glariog in my eye wherever i turned asifl could sea nothing but it became the question and i was obliged to open the casement and pour it gently over the windowtill with out unclosiog ihejahusirst so as to permit its trickling down the front of thehoose where i knew it must be evaporated before the next morning this took me some time as i did it but by very cautious de grees hut then when it wasdone all ves tiges of the deed io which i had been en gaged was effaced aad to my satisfaction i discovered on examining every part of ray apparel with the most paioful minuteness that all was freo and clear extinguishing my light i uow undress ed and went to bed but of course net to sleep for hours and hours the scenes in which i had that night taken part floated upon tho blank darkness before my eyes and filled me with horrible imaginations a thousand tiroes did i attempt to banish them and give myself up to slumber and a thousand times did they return io new and more horrible shapes till the faint light of tbe morning began to shine broagh ihe openings of ibe blinds when i fell into