The event of Ryley's death proved, that the property thus honourably refused, was very considerable.

DEBASING THE COIN.

King Theodoric being advised by his courtiers to debase the coin of the realm, answered, that nothing which bore his image, should ever countenance a falsehood.

HEBRIDEAN HONESTY.

The Highlanders are as remarkable for their integrity, as for their hospitality, and a stranger may travel through their country without being insulted. On these coasts, shipwrecks are frequent; and in all cases, when this happens, every effort is not only made to save the mariners, but their property is secured and preserved, with a degree of care that reflect's the highest honour upon the natives.

During the American war, a ship from Liverpool, which had received considerable damage at sea, put into the harbour of Loch Tarbet, in Harris. As the master found it was not safe to put to sea, without considerable repairs, which could not there be executed, he deemed it necessary to leave the ship and cargo, and proceed to Liverpool, to receive instructions from the owners. All the hands went with him, except one, who was prevailed on to stay in the ship, to take care of her cargo; there she lay for several days, under the care of this single man, without sustaining the smallest loss, either by violence or pilfering.

In the winter of 1785, a vessel, navigated by Da

nish seamen, who were strangers to the coast, having touched on a rock, west of Icolmkil, they were afraid of sinking, and took to their boat; they made for the island, leaving their vessel, with sails set, to drive with the wind and tide. Some of the natives seeing the vessel rolling, without being under proper management, put off to the ship, and finding no person on board, took possession of her, and carried her safe into Loch Scridan in Mull. The mariners seeing their vessel safely moored, went and claimed her, and without hesitation or dispute, obtained full possession, without any salvage, or other charge, being made for taking care of the vessel. The ship and cargo were then entrusted to the farmer of the land adjoining to the port she lay in, who, for a very trifling consideration, insured the whole cargo to the owners, and delivered it over to their order, several months afterwards, entirely complete, and in good order.

About the same time, two large American vessels went ashore, on the island of Islay, one of which contained on board £1000 in specie. As these vessels were not under management, because of the great sickness and lassitude of the crews, the cargoes were taken out, and placed along the shore, in the best way they could; the vessels were then got off, and when the articles of the two cargoes were collected together, nothing was missing, except a barrel of tar, which had dropped overboard.

A more singular instance of Hebridean honesty, occurred in the case of a vessel from Ireland laden with linen yarn, which was stranded in Islay. The weather becoming calm, the cargo was got out; but as it was drenched in salt water, it became necessary

to have the whole well washed in fresh water, to take out the salt. This was done in a river that was close by, and the yarn was spread abroad for many days, along extensive grounds, to dry. Several hundred persons were employed in this work for many weeks, every one of whom had linen yarn at home, so that the prospect of embezzlement without detection, was very great; as a discovery, in these circumstances, would be extremely difficult; yet when the whole was collected together, to the utter astonishment of the master and seamen, a very few hanks only of the yarn were wanting.

THE MARQUESS OF HASTINGS.

Although the Marquess of Hastings was always fond of the public service, it was never for the sake of private gain; on the contrary, his sacrifices to the public interest often injured his fortune. When in the early period of the French revolution, he had a nominal command of English troops and French emigrants at Southampton, his private expenditure exceeded £30,000; yet such was his delicacy and disinterestedness, that he would not accept either pay, emolument, or even patronage.

In the government of India, to which the Marquess of Hastings has since been appointed, the same zeal for the public service, and the same disregard of all personal advantages, has distinguished his government; as a proof of this, it is only necessary to state, that he relinquished, for the public good, the sum of about £100,000, to which he was entitled as prize money during one of his successful military campaigns in India.

EARL OF LIVERPOOL.

It was the candid remark of one of the greatest opponents of the distinguished nobleman to whom these ANECDOTES of INTEGRITY are dedicated, that of all the statesmen who have filled the Premiership of England, no one has maintained that station by less of the usual arts of statesmanship, than his lordship. Deception, evasion, finesse, artifice, are all equally strangers to Lord Liverpool's manner of acting; a circumstance the more remarkable, considering that it is avowedly through court favour that his lordship's family has risen to its present eminence; his course is, in all cases, that which is the most straight forward; and his language as uniformly that which no one can misunderstand, or plausibly misinterpret. He seems to decide and act invariably as his best judgment impels him; and to allow no consideration of what may be lost or gained to certain political interests, by softening a refusal, or qualifying an opinion, to interfere with the distinct and clear expressions of what he feels to be his duty. He is as slow to encourage a fallacious hope, as to escape a hostile threat; while the one with amenity he extinguishes, the other he calmly defies. A baronet, who promises to attain a high rank among the girouettes of his age, once solicited from his lordship the privilege of nominating to an office of some importance, hinting, at the same time, how necessary it was, at that particular juncture, to strengthen the hands of government. His lordship coolly answered, that had the baronet recommended to him any person

as worthy of filling the office, his recommendation would have had every attention paid to it; but that he was greatly mistaken, if he thought the government was to be supported by entrusting the nomination of its officers to speculating politicians, or needy adventurers. The baronet, in his hours of conviviality, protests, that he could forgive the refusal ; but the manner of it, he never will.