ing in this conspiracy, they had vilified my character, by raising reports in every way injurious to my fair fame, and calculated to retard my advancement in the University, and even procure my rustication or banish

ment.

That, not succeeding in disturbing the even tenor of my inoffensive life by these means, they had invaded my private apartments whilst I slept, and with arms in their hands, and abusive epithets on their tongues, had forced me to fly for my life, without even giving me time to cover my nakedness.

Not contented with all this, they had wilfully and maliciously excited a tumult, in order to endanger my life, and by false and ridiculous representations to the city magistrates, had compelled these gentlemen to act in a manner ludicrous to their own wisdom, in having seized the goods and chattels of a loyal and true subject, under the absurd pretence of his being the Devil, and also of having committed burglary, in feloniously breaking open doors, chests, boxes, &c.; and, finally, having attempted murder on my person, by firing a pistol at me, when in perfect confidence, I had come to my apartments to try and save my goods from spoliation, compelling me, a second time, to fly over the roofs of the neighbouring houses to preserve my life. Next, I dwelt on the testimonials of my unimpeached University career, the honourable situations which had been voluntarily bestowed on me by the dignitaries of the University, and the general character I had maintained for integrity.

I next put forward the characters and positions of my accusers, a foolish, weak, ignorant, and superstitious old man, whose highest talent consisted in providing for a lodging house; a mischievous, and, as the case proved, a murderously inclined Frenchman, living, no one knew why, at a distance from his native land: numerous silly women, ready to catch at any novelty which might yield them excitement; some briefless barristers, ambitious of a process, and apparently ready to adopt any story how ridiculous soever, which might foment disturbance, and give them a chance of a fee; besides, a number of idle persons, who, having nothing to do, joined in the hue and cry, which, perhaps, one-half of them did not understand, careless of the suffering they were inflicting on an honourable man, whose passiveness to their wanton insults, was assumed as a plea for thus maligning and oppressing him nearly to death.

After this manner, but in much more laboured terms, I drew up the history of my case, which I determined to put into the hands of Rudolph Lugelkopf, one of the cleverest barristers in the city, and a person with whom I had become acquainted, from the circumstance of his having been appointed to deliver the lectures in the School of Law, in the University. I enclosed my statement separately, and sent a note with it, requesting Herr L- to consider that the enclosed was entrusted to him on honour, to be restored in silence, in case he did not choose to undertake the cause.

Great was my joy, whilst writing this statement, to

hear the catchpenny hawkers crying in the street below, "The whole, full, and true account of the marvellous appearance of Beelzebub, in the form of a student of divinity, &c., all for the small charge of two Phennige." This added one more paragraph to my statement of complaint, viz:

"That to such an extent of malignity had these unfounded accusations proceeded, that the very street hawkers had been permitted, if not encouraged, to circulate this unfounded and injurious story, so as to create, in every possible way, a strong prejudice against an individual, whose guilt remained unproved in every particular, and whose innocence only needed a fair, impartial inquiry, to render it as immaculate as ever.”

Having despatched this document, I received an almost immediate answer from the Barrister, expressing a wish to see me as soon as possible.

Afraid of stirring abroad, lest I should be recognized either by friends or enemies, I waited for evening, and then sought the chambers of the lawyer, muffled, so as to defy all possibility of detection, and having proved quite to the satisfaction of Herr Lugelkopf that a good case of defamation was made out, he immediately set his acute mind to work, to look for evidence to sustain it.

Herr L was a curious specimen of the Genus Lawyer; and when in consultation with a client, was in the habit of expressing his thoughts in an interrogative and peculiarly laconic manner: for instance, on the present occasion, when I was running on, on the particuliar hardships of my case, he cut me suddenly short.

"Softly, young man. Proofs of character and respectability? Aye! Provost Herr Von Hornblenderlande, your intimate friend and patron-must see him-let him behind the scenes-old fool, to be sureloves granite, gneiss and fossil cockle shells better than human flesh and blood! You gave him a thunderbolt? Ha, ha, ha; not a word more-faithful!"

Next, we want a traitor in the enemy's camp."

In quick review he ran over the list of my defamers, knocking each aside like nine pins, with the ball of a staggering objection, till he came to the three lawyers.

"Herr Ubel Von Stickatnichts ? Half crown pleader-no conscience-no one believes him-swear with the best pay-won't do!"

"Herr Pomprosy ? fitter for a Pharrer than an advocate! Too slow-break my heart giving him instructions-go wrong at the end, in the vain attempt to make a speech, full of tropes and allegories; but upsettable by a sucking baby! Can't attempt him-impracticable.

"Herr Schmeichler? Son of a Methodist Preacher! Soft, silky, and civil-Learned much from father,—a genuine bass snorer on the nasal organ-Large, respectable looking, very solemn visaged connexion-give him a great many briefs, but no fees-poor as ever— pliable as a rush-do as I bid him-take him up for the nonce-settled!"

Thus, did this eminent gentleman think aloud for my benefit, which saved him all the trouble of entering into long and detailed explanations. Then dismissing

me, with strict directions to keep out of view, till he had arranged every thing, he muffled my cloak about my face, and before I had time to leave the room, he was already deep in some other case, and had cast all thought of mine, on which his line of action was determined, far from him.

This clever man, in common with some, but not many others, possessed, in an extraordinary degree, the faculty of suddenly disengaging his mind from one subject, and as suddenly thinking deeply on another; and this was one of the principal causes of the clearness of mind and preciseness of argument, which he displayed on almost every occasion in which his talents had been called into exercise.

I felt in such high spirits at the certainty of success to my cause, since Herr Lugelkopf had undertaken it, that I found it hard to leave the clear bright moonlight for the little garret, where my friend Nanny had accommodated me with a little closet, and a still smaller bed; but prudence prevailed, and, following implicitly the directions of my lawyer, I retired to sleep, and dreamt that I was digging up treasures with a spade, on which was legibly inscribed "LAW," aided by an athletic workman, whose features, when I regarded them closely, appeared always to assume the remarkable cast, which characterized those of Herr Rudolph Lugelkopf.