1802. 
and majeftic in his air, above fix feet high, 
and well-proportioned, and his ferene 
countenance was animated by large black 
eyes full of fire. The three cities of 
Zurich, Berne, Lucerne, and the five 
popular cantons had long been divid- 
ed on feveral points, and particularly 
on the acceffion of Fribourg and Soleure 
to the Helvetic Body. Many diets had 
‘been held to no purpofe. One was at 
length fummoned at Stantz, which was 
to be the lait, but the deputies could con- 
clude nothing—the minds of men were 
irritated—the aflembly was to break up 
the next day, and every thing announced 
a divifion which muft have proved fatal 
to the Helvetic Body. uring the night, 
a worthy prieft, who was an intimate 
friend of Nicolas, ran to his hermitage, 
and returned as fpeedily as he was able: 
he went to the deputies, who were pre- 
paring to depart, and with tears conjured 
them ro wait a moment to hear the advice 
of the pious hermit, who was coming 
after him. ‘They were ftruck by this un- 
expected propofal. Happily it touched 
their hearts, and the deputies had al- 
ready repaired to the hall of conference, 
when the hermit appeared. Every one 
rofe at his entrance, and the venerable 
man, ftanding bare-headed in the middle 
of the hall, addreffed the aflembly in thefe 
words :—‘* My dear lords, I come hither 
from my hermitage, I underftand nothing 
of human f{ciences, but God has enlight- 
ened me—Renounce (turning to the depu- 
ties of the towns) particular alliances 
which may give rife to diflentions ;—-and 
you (tothe deputies of the cantons) re- 
member the fervices of Fribourg and So. 
leure, and admit them among you—you 
will one day rejoice in having followed 
my advice. I have likewife heard with 
grief, that, inftead of thanking God for 
your victories, you continually difpute 
about the plunder: henceforth, my dear 
friends, divide the conquered iands accord- 
ing to the number of cantons, and the reft 
according to the number of men. In fine, 
unite in the common bond of love, fide- 
lity, and good order. J fay no more— 
may God be with you!”’ All the depu- 
ties appiauded thefe words, and teftified 
their gratitude to the venerable folitary, 
*s And God by his grace permitted (fays 
a contemporary author) that thefe words 
fhould produce an effeét on men’s hearts; and 
this negociation, which had been entirely 
broken off the fame morning, was all ar- 
ranged and concluded in the courfe of an 
hour ;”’ and the alliance of the ten can- 
tons was a few days after figned, accords 
MONTHLY Mas. No, 94 
Naval Chavaéters in the Reign of Queen Anne. ——- 428 
ing to the advice of the fage Nicolas. 
The cantons all fent him letters expreffive 
of their efteem and gratitude, accompanied 
by prefents, which he employed to deco- 
rate his little chapel. In his anfwer to 
the fenate of Berne he fays, ‘*1 acknow- 
ledge your paternal friendfhip; it gives 
me more joy than your prefents, which I 
fhould not value lefs if they were more 
moderate. May I prove myfelf worthy 
of your good opinion to God and to men.”” 
The hermit Nicolas died in 1487, at the 
age of feventy-fix years, after he had ren= 
dered this important fervice to his coun~ 
try. On the day of his funeral all kinds of 
labour, and even religious exercifes, were 
fufpended ; the priefts, and all the inha- 
bitants of Underwald, uniting to render 
the laft honours to this worthy and excel- 
lent man. 
=e 
NAVAL CHARACTERS IN THE REIGN 
OF QUEEN ANNE.—-DRAWN BY A 
CONTEMPORARY HAND. 
HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE GEORGE 
OF DENMARK, Hujfhand to the Queéty 
and Lord High Admiral of Englana 
S brother to the late King of Denmark, 
and uncle to the prefent ; was chofen by 
King Charles II. to be hufband to his niece 
the Princefs Anne, becaufe, having no da- 
minions of his own to gratify, he would 
have nothing elfe in view but the interefts 
of England. ‘ 
In the reign of King Charles II. know- 
ing little Englith, and being naturally 
modeft, he made no confiderable figure 5 
nor inthe reign of King James, till, the 
increafe of Popery alarming the whole 
nation, he concurred with the reft of the 
Proteftant’ Nobility for the bringing over 
the Prince of Orange, and, with his Prin- 
cefs, left the Court tojoin that party. 
During all King William’s reign he 
never went inte the Adminiftration, yet 
came always to Parliament regularly, and 
often to Court—diverted himfelf with 
hunting, and never openly declared him- 
felf of any party. 
On the Queen’s acceffion to the throne, 
he was made Lord High Admiral of Eng- 
land, and Warden of the Cinque Ports. 
He is a Prince of a familiar, eafy difpo- 
fition—of a good found underftanding, 
but modeft in fhewing it—a great lover 
of the Church of England, the nearer it 
comes to Lutheranifm: this he often 
fhews by his vote in the Houfe of Peers ; 
otherwife he does not much meddle with 
affairs out of his office. 
He is very fat, loves news, his bottle, 
3H and 
