A gentleman came in one morning and spoke in high commendation of some Arabians and Turks who stood at my right side; he said they would afford fine entertainment on a winter evening.  Upon this recommendation they were all discharged from prison, and taken down stairs.  After they had finished their fund of stories, and had not a word more to say, they were remanded back to prison, and one, who called himself Don Quixotte, was set at liberty.  This man, being extremely witty, afforded fine sport for William, (for that was our proprietor’s name.) Indeed, for more than a fortnight he kept the whole house in what is called good humour.  After Quixotte had concluded his harangues, William chose a “Man of Feeling” for his companion, who wrought upon his passions in a way which pleased him vastly.  William now began to put a higher value upon his prisoners, and to use them much more politely.  Almost daily he held a little chit-chat with one prisoner or another.  Mr. Hume related to him the history of England down to the Revolution, which he interspersed with a number of anecdotes about Germany, France, Italy, and various other kingdoms.  Dr. Robertson then described the state of South America when first discovered, and related the horrid barbarities committed by the Spaniards when they stole it from the natives.  William wept when he heard of their savage treatment of Montezuma.  Rollin next spoke; he related to him the rise and fall of ancient empires; he told him that God was supreme governor among the nations; that he raises up one to great power and splendour, and putteth down another.  He told him, what he did not know before, that God had often revealed to some men events which were to happen hundreds of years afterwards, and directed him to converse with me, and I could fully inform him on that subject.  William resolved to converse with me at a future period, but having heard some of his relations speak rather disrespectfully of me, he was in no hurry.  At length my prison door was unlocked, and I was conducted to his bed-room.

[Illustration:  HISTORY OF A BIBLE.]

My first salutation struck William.  In the beginning, said I, God made the heavens and the earth; and then proceeded to make man, whom he placed in a garden, with permission to eat of every tree that was in it, except one.  I then related the history of Adam, the first man:  how he was urged and prevailed upon by the devil not to mind God’s prohibition, but to eat of the forbidden tree; and how by this abominable act he had plunged himself and posterity into misery.  William not relishing this conversation, closed my mouth, desiring me to say no more at that time.

A few days afterwards he allowed me to talk of the wickedness of the old world:  how God sent Noah to reprove their iniquity, and to threaten the destruction of the whole world, if they did not repent and turn to the Lord; that the world were deaf to his remonstrances; and that God at last desired Noah to build an ark of wood, such as would contain himself and family; for he was soon to destroy the inhabitants of the earth by a deluge of water.  This conversation was rather more relished than the former.