2l6 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



reftly upon me, laying, " Be fo good as flab me 

 " to the heart; be fo good as ftab me to the heart." 

 The monk, who was my guide, laid to me, " Sir, 

 '' don't be alarmed ; he is a poor captain, v^ho lofb 

 " his reafon, on account of an unmilitary prefer- 

 " ence that palled upon him in his regiment." 



*' This houfe, then," faid I to him, " ferves as 

 *' a receptacle for lunatics :" " Yes," replied he, 

 ** I am Superior of it." He walked me from 

 court to court, and conducted me into a fmall en- 

 clofure, in which were feveral little cells of mafon 

 work, and where we heard perfons talking with a 

 good deal of earnelinefs. There we found a canon 

 in his Qiirt, with his Qioulders quite expofed, con- 

 verfing with a man of a fine figure, who was feated 

 by a fmall table, in front of one of thofe little cells. 

 The monk went up to the poor canon, and, with 

 his full flrength, applied a blow of his fift to the 

 wretch's naked flioulder, ordering him, at the 

 fame time, to turn out. His comrade inftantly 

 took up the monk, and emphatically fajd to him : 

 *' Man of blood, you are guilty of a very cruel 

 " aâ:ion. Do not you fee that this poor creature 

 -** has loft his reafon ?" The monk, ftruck dumb 

 for the moment, bit his lips, and threatened him 

 with his eyes. But the other, without being dif- 

 concerted, faid to him: " I know 1 am your vic- 

 *' rim ; you may do with me whatever you pleafe." 



Then, 



