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continued, so as the feast of St. Philip and Jacob and of All saints do not tall, nor any of them doth fall on Saturday or Sunday, and as often as the said feasts do fall, or any of them doth fall on Saturday or Sunday as aforesaid, that then the Monday next after the foresaid feasts, or any of them, and for two days from thence next following to be continued for ever, together with a pie-poudre* court in the said markets and fairs, or in any of them, to be held with all other tolls, liberties, and free customs, profits, advantages, commodities, and emoluments, to the like markets or fairs, or markets aforesaid, after any manner appertaining or belonging, so as the said markets or

fairs be not, nor any of them be the annoyance or hurt of the neighbouring markets or fairs, or any of them; wherefore, we do, will, grant, and firmly command to be enjoyed by us, our heirs and successors, by these presents, that the mayor, sheriffs, burgesses, and commonalty of the said town of Knockfergus and their successors for ever, may have and hold the said markets, and chief markets or fairs in the place in the manner and form aforesaid in the place for ever, with all the liberties and free customs, as also with all profits, revenues, advantages, commodities, and emoluments, after any manner appertain ing or belonging to such like markets, chief markets or fairs, without rendering account or paying any thing to us, our heirs or successors, for the same, so as the foresaid markets, chief markets or fairs, be not, nor any of them be, to the annoyance or hurt of the neighbour markets, chief-mar

Pie-poudre is an old French law phrase, signifying "dusty feet." It is applied to the jurisdiction given by some charters to determine, in a summary manner, causes of complaint, arising in a fair, the examinations, and decisions, on which were to be so speedy before the termination of the fair, that the complainants ap-kets, or fairs. peared with dusty-feet, or without previous preparation.

(To be Concluded in our next.)

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES OF DISTINGUISHED PERSONS.

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ha' it became natural to her. Her father was obliged to remove to England, and her mother remained in France. The want of means of sub. sistance, induced Madame de Launay too look out for a retreat for herself and her little daughter, which she obtained in the Abbey of St. Sauveur, Madame de la Rochefoucault, the Abbess, generously admitted her without any expense. The nuns, having no employment, fall into that lassitude which fastens on the first object of amusement, and they loved Mademoiselle de Launay with that vehemence, which leisure and solitude communicate to sentiments of all kinds. Though only in

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her third year, she said some things which, on account of her age, were thought witticisms. The Abbess was sister to the witty Duke de Rochefoucault, and had herself a great share of that talent; but wit is no preservative against whims, and Mademoiselle de Launay gained her favour by a very trifling incident. "The apartment of the Abbess," says she, was an infirmary of sick dogs. Here lay the lame, and the incurable. None of any beauty were admitted as patients, the lady well knowing that there would be doors enough open for their relief. One day, just as we were sitting down to supper, I happened to tread on the foot of one of these poor creatures. The Abbess reddened with anger, and a kind person next to whom I was placed, whispered to me to ask pardon. Not compre hending that she was the party of fended; I got down from my chair, and went and kneeled before the dog which I had hurt, and, it seems, made my excuse very movingly. This took effect, and placed me high in her favour. The nuns used to divert themselves, in chatting with me. Indeed my understanding was clearer than is usual at such an age. This may be said without vanity, as children, from being accounted prodigies of wit, are known to degenerate into monstrous stupidity."

These happy qualities were culti vated by all the instructions of which her age was capable. She associated with grown up persons, who knew enough to answer all she could ask, and she was perpetually teizing them with questions. Instead of being lulled asleep with tales, her head was furnished with the elements of history, which was so well arranged, that she frequently quoted passages to good purpose. Such aptitude increased the attention of the ladies who interfered in her education.

The Dutchess of Ventadour made

Madame de Launay an offer of being governess to her only daughter, but this kind of life, and especially the inclinations of her pupil being imcompatible with her rigid ideas of devotion, she left the place, and after a year's absence, was joyfully receiv ed at the convent. Mademoiselle de Grieu, one of the nuns, having been appointed to the Priory of St. Lewis at Rouen, took Mademoiselle de Launay with her. She was overjoyed to see new objects; and still more, when she arrived at St. Lewis. The convent of St. Lewis was now a little state where she reigned supreme. The chief care of the Abbess and her sister was to please her. No less than four sisters attended her, and the rovings of her giddy fancy kept them all sufficiently employed. When checked in nothing, we desire a great deal, She loved reading; and, as the convent library consisted only of devo tional books; she every day employed some hours in reading them. She got some romances, which made such impression on her mind, that she did not feel such strong emotion under her own real adventures as she did for those of the ficticious persons there exhibited. She was seriously told to forbear reading those seductive books: and she obeyed so punctually, that though she had stopped in the height of a most striking incident, she would not proceed to the unravelling of it, and withstood many solicitations to read it privately.

In her studies she perceived the inconvenience of not being acquainted with geometry, and immediately began to study it, which afforded her very useful amusement. The convent of St. Lewis was in bad circumstances, at the time of Madame de Grieu's being made Abbess, and a famine, with which France was visited some years after, reduced it to the lowest iniscry. The

nuns became discontented, and cabals were soon formed. The Archbishop of Rouen visited the Abbey, and after hearing the many general complaints, declared that Madame de Grieu must either resign the Abbey, or dismiss Madamoiselle de Launay. "I found no way," says she, "to bear the expectation of such a sentence, but by arresting the agitation of my mind, by an intense application to abstract matters; and I believe by early custom, this so beneficient expedient might be improved to a habit, and thus we may save ourselves a great deal of fruitless disquietude. Malice so on informed me of his grace's determination. The grief of the Abbess and her sister dulled ail sense of my own. At last after a long consultation, the Abbess concluded that she would offer to resign the temporal concerns of her house, producing accounts in proof of her care and rectitude, and live with her sister, her nieces and me on her allowance from her family, without taking a single louis* from her benefice."

Thus some years passed quietly, 'till Mademoiselle de Silly, one of the convent boarders, was sent to visit her father at his seat, in Lower Normandy. Mademoiselle de Launay was seized with the small-pox-she

was

not concerned either for her life, or her face the pain was all, and that did not prevent her from desiring to be removed, that no one might suffer from contagion.

The Abbess, though extremely unwilling to part with her, consented to let her spend some time with Mademoiselle de Silly. She arrived at a very handsome seat, something melancholy and ancient, like its owner. The old Marquis," says she," was averse to expense, and the

A gold coin worth about twenty shil lings.

Marchioness, too devout for much visiting; so that for some time I only saw two or three neighbouring gentlemen of whom I had scarce taken any notice till the Chevalier D'Herb came. After a party at ombre, he went away, promising to return and make some stay. I felt that I wished he might coine again, and on enquiring into the cause, I said to myself that he was a man of wit and agreeable conversation, much to be wished for in such a lonely place on examining what grounds I had for my opinion of his wit, and carefully recollecting what he had said, I found only, Gano, three Matadores, and sans Prendre. At his second visit, when he talked more, this supposed wit vanished. He came frequently, and Mademoiselle de Silly and I judged that one of us had pleased him, but which was not easily discernible. I betted on her side and she on mine; it became a business to both, to discover whose was this conquest; a very slender one indeed; but in solitude objects become inflated, like things put into an exhausted recipient. This contest went no further than pleasantry, yet on hearing that he had formally declared himself, and that it was not for me, I felt a vexation which I did not at

first know what to make of. After spending five or six months at Silly, I returned to the convent after promising to return to Silly the next year.

This the Marchioness was the more desirous of, as she expected her son to spend the summer there, and with some company he would not be so soon tired of the country. He had been one of the prisoners taken at the battle of Hochstet, and brought to England, where, being threatened with symptoms of a pulmonary consumption, he was allowed to return to France on parole.

Card terms.

I met

Mademoiselle D'Epinay, I generally walked home to the convent, Monsieur de Rey, who seldom failed being there, handed me home. In the way was a large square, and in the beginning of our acquaintance, fe constantly kept along the side of it, whereas he now crossed it; whence I concluded his love to be diminished, at least the whole difference of the diagonal to the two sides of the square."

Mademoiselle de Launay was im patient for the time of returning to Silly, though since the torture of anind she had undergone, from the preference given to her old acquaintance there, her love for her was not quite so passionate. Shortly after the young Marquis arrived. He was at first very reserved and spoke little: his books were his companions. When he did speak, his wit and sense appeared, without any design of his to show them. His sister who had seen him more sociable, was offended at his reserve. One day," Mademoiselle de Launay, "walking in a wood, where we imagined ourselves alone, we gave full vent to our indignation; but though unperceived by us, he was so near as to over-hear us. Thus he came to know our undisguised sentiments. On our Return to the house, he said to s that he had heard a

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great deal of ill spoken of him, and not in jest. "Whoever complains of "answered 1, you," cannot be in a jocular humour;" this answer pleased him. "So," replied he, "find in the vale of Auge, what I little expected." He then owned the pleasure with which he had heard our talk, though we had not spared with a joyful reception at the convent, and frequently saw Monsieur de Rey, who still showed a great regard for me, yet from some slight circumstances, I discerned some decrea e in his sentiments, when I vis ted

him. Since that time he thought us worthy of his company, walking, reading, every thing was now in common."

The Marquis de Silly was obliged to go to court sooner than he wished, as he was not tired of being at home where he found, what he had seldom seen in the world, artless sentiments; be also enjoyed solid conversations, which offered new subjects of science to his mind; his ideas were clear and lively, his expressions simple and noble. Noth ing affected, nothing forced ever appeared in his behaviour; he had too much wit to think of showing it; war was his passion, and his attention was fixed on whatever related to it. Ambition was the main-spring of the motions of his soul, and possibly had obscured some of his virtues ; it caused his errors and misfortunes. He had perceived how liable Mademoiselle de Launay was to be in love, and from a fear of giving her an opportunity of explaining her sentiments, he was very cautious of finding her alone; she though firmly determined not to say any thing to him, passionately wished for this meeting, which he so much avoided. She wished to show him how very far she was from forgetting what she owed to herself. This satisfaction at length she had in one of their usual walks. Mademoiselle de Silly excused herself as indisposed: the Marchioness, who in all things consulted her son's amusement, bid Mademoiselle de Launay go withhin.; there was now no receding. They walked to some distance, and he was much more uneasy than she was; he spoke not a word. This little triumph opened her mouth. At first she took notice how delightful the country looked, but this not being far enough from the topics, she was for avoiding, she soared up among the celestial bodies, and ranged through

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the whole system of nature. In this lofty region she firmly kept herself, 'till their return home. The Marquis cured of his disquietude, civilly joined in the conversation; which, though the subject was serious, had been carried on with sprightliness and pleasantry. One advantage she reaped from it was, that he saw she knew how to speak, and to be silent, His departure to court, though it was not to be without a return, gave her a very sensible grief.

In the beginning of winter she returned to the convent, and to give some variety to her thoughts, began to write tales and romances, introducing several pictures of the same original. These tales served instead of confidants, the use of whom she always thought both abject and dan

gerous.

The old Marquis de Silly died, and Mademoiselle de Launay was not reminded of her promise of returning to Silly house. This circumstance provoked her, and to divert her attention she went to visit Mademoiselle de la Ferté, niece to the president of = the parliament of Rouen. Monsieur de la Ferté's house was about four leagues from Silly; it was an old seat of an odd figure, like a gothie R, as many of the ancient seats in Normandy had been built in the shape of the first letter of the owners name. The surrounding country was extremely beautiful and picturesque. Although the situation of her mind was melancholy, she was delighted with her visit; yet she never lost sight of the object which had made her take this journey. Being determined to visit Silly, she prevailed on the Marchioness de Silly to promise to send her carriage to meet her, but she was so eager to go, that she set off in the Caen-stage, leaving Mademoiselle de la Ferté overwhelmed with grief for her departure. She was mortified to find by the

conversation of the passengers that the Marquis de Silly had gone to

Versailles. She was now on the road to see one whom she would not

find, and before she could fix on any plan to adopt, she found herself at St. Pierre sur Dive, where the coach "Here," stopped for the night. says she, "was I at an inn, without acquaintance or relations. had only a little foot-boy. The frightfu ness of the place, and being alore. threw me into a trouble, beyond more considerable incidents of my life, because when they happened they

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less disproportionate to my degree of strength; courage is of very slow growth in aconventual education. When I was a little come to myself, I asked how far it was to Silly house; I was informed I had passed it only by a league, and that from the place I was, no carriage could go thither, and I must either take a horse or go to Caen which was fone leagues further. Had I been told I must get upon a Dromedary, I could not have been more frightened. However, at day-break, I was put upon horse-back, but more like a bundle than a living creature, the foot-boy who had followed me, leading the horse by the bridle. guide lost his way, and we were o birged to leave the horse at a brook ; and the rest of the way I walked amidst a heavy rain, in the Pais D'Auge, so famous for dirty roads. At length I reached Silly-house, all over mud, and such a figure that it was some satisfaction to be in no danger of meeting the Marquis. A thousand excuses were made for not sending me word of the dis appointment, but the Marquis de Silly's departure was so precipitate, as not to admit of moment's delay. I feigned myself pleased, although little cause I had, and soon returned to Monsieur de la Ferté's at Roeux, and from thence to Rouen, where I found every thing as I had left it, except

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