402 NOTES AND EVENTS OF THE MONTH. 



recently strayed to his farm, which he had penned, and was anxious 

 to find the owner. The poacher asked him how long he had it, its 

 size and colour, and being 1 told, said it was his, and that it had gone 

 off just at the time spoken of. Being thus detected in a lie with a 

 design to defraud, Van Swearington reproached him with it, and 

 told him that he would give him twenty-four hours to leave the 

 neighbourhood, adding that if he remained longer he would prose- 

 cute him. The poacher only laughed at his threats, while the latter 

 went to consult with his neighbours as to what was to be done. At 

 the expiration of twenty-four hours, five or six of them repaired to 

 the poacher's, whom they found perfectly unintimidated. The 

 party, however, proceeded to try him in due form, choosing one of 

 their number, a farmer named Lynch, to be judge. Van Swearing- 

 ton related the offence, which the poacher of course denied. The 

 case was submitted to the judge, who decided that the poacher should 

 be tied up and receive 300 lashes, " well laid on," and then be given 

 twenty-four hours to leave the place, under a penalty of receiving 

 three hundred more if found after that time. The first part of the 

 sentence was inflicted on the spot, with such good intent as to 

 render its repetition unnecessary. The culprit made off as fast as 

 his lacerated limbs would permit him. 



NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. The following is another 

 proof that Fieschi's infernal machine is no new invention : In the 

 year 1789, a watchmaker at Senlis, named Billon, who had been 

 expelled from a company of the Chevaliers de 1'Arquebuse, to 

 which he had belonged, determined upon gratifying his revenge, 

 and took advantage of the occasion of the consecration of the colours 

 of the National Guards in that year. As the procession, of which 

 the Arquebusiers, formed a part, must pass before his house, he 

 arranged a certain number of gun-barrels at his windows, and fired 

 them all off as the company was in front of it. The commander of 

 the company, the commander of the National Guards, and several 

 individuals fell pierced with balls. The outer door of Billon's house, 

 and that of the chamber in which he was, were both barricaded, 

 but were soon forced by M. Aulas da Bruyere, of the Marechausee 

 of Compiegne and Senlis, followed by a lieutenant of the same 

 corps, and a great many of the inhabitants. The lieutenant was, on 

 entering Billon's room, laid dead by a pistol-shot, but M. de la 

 Brueyre seized him, and was dragging him away, when the villain 

 contrived to put a lighted match to a species of infernal machine 

 under the floor, which immediately blew up, carrying with it all the 

 upper part of the house, and burying those who were in it in the 

 ruins. M. de la Bruyere was however taken out alive, though he 

 was deprived of an eye, had one of his knee-pans broken, and had 

 no fewer than twenty-six other wounds in different parts of his 

 body. He was confined to his bed for eight months. He at last 

 recovered, received the insignia of the order of St. Louis, and lived 

 at Senlis till a short time ago. 



