to this day, as a people scattered and branded throughout the earth. The individual of whom we now speak had the hooked nose, the bright black eye, the cautious and quick glance in its expression, the raised eyebrow, and the compressed mouth, so marked in the Jew; though the latter feature was but imperfectly seen through the long and flowing beard that fell upon his breast.

The rider who followed this descendant of Israel was a youth of his own people, light, small, and active in his appearance, with as knavish a cast of countenance as any youngster of his tribe who now importunes the passenger to purchase Dutch sealing-wax manufactured in London, rotten black-lead pencils, or oranges with a thick rind and no juice, within the purlieus of the Royal Exchange.

For some time the two riders continued their journey, without other attempts at speech than an occasional ejaculatory address to the animals they bestrode, accompanied by many a good blow bestowed by the younger upon his own beast, which grew tardy as the ascent grew steeper; till the elder rider observing the contest, turned round, and said in a tone of admonition, "Benjamin, dismount; spare the beast such hard blows; dismount I say, and walk thyself up the hill. The ass will be sore laden anon with a grievous burthen; spare him therefore now, that his strength may not fail him in the hour of need; and remember, Benjamin, the merciful man is merciful to his beast.'

"I wish, then," answered Benjamin, somewhat pertly, "that you, Master Levi, would think me a beast, and that I might find some mercy at your hands, for there is not a hireling amongst the Nazarenes that is worked as you work me. All yesterday was I out upon the watch in this wilderness of desolation, to look for what I could not find, till I was drenched to the skin in such a rain, that, but for the bow of the covenant, which rested like the ark on the summit of Brent Tor, I should have thought the flood was come again. And scarcely had I got housed at home, and taken but small food, and smaller rest, when I am turned out again to follow you after a traffic, of which I know little except that it is unlawful, and lies among the Christian dogs."

"Have I not told you Benjamin," said Levi, "that there is a great necessity for these labours, and that they shall be to thy profit, youth, as well as mine. Hold thy peace then, murmurer. But thus it is ever; the ungrateful servant rails against the ruler, even as the children of Israel railed against

Moses as he led them through the wilderness; the water came not at the moment to refresh them, so they thought it would not come at all; patience is the parent of thrift. And unlawful you call this traffic! The law binds us to our own people; but not to the Moabite, the Amorite, or to those who are the enemies of the true God. You say these men we are about to seek are Christian; but I tell you they are no more Christian than Jew. They know of no God but that for which they seek in the very bowels of the earth, and even that they do by stealth, defying the law of their own people, and making a mock of rulers. I tell thee, little Benjamin, they dig, and toil, and sweat, to glut their villany, and would sell their very souls for a handful of gold and silver."

"You have often told me so before," said Benjamin, "and yet they are sought by you as your favoured people."

"You must be cautious how you deal with them," continued Levi, without heeding this interruption, "or even how you speak with them; for they are a desperate race, and would use the very weapon they draw, as David did the sword of Goliah against its master, on the smallest cause of provocation."

"Then why do you send me out alone, as you did yesterday, to look for the chief among them?" said Benjamin. "You promised my father Absalom, when you took me to your service, as he was about departing to sleep with his fathers, that I should be cared for in health, life, and limb, and have rest from my toil in due season."

"And have I not cared for you even as for myself?" answered Levi; "do I not peril my own life more than thine? Have you not rest? Have you not the Sabbath-day, and the feasts of the Passover—of Tabernacles, Trumpets, and New Moons? Are not these rests? And the rests appointed for the children of God? When thou didst drudge in the great city of iniquities, did the flat-caps of London spare thee? Did they not buffet, and spurn, and kick at thee as the wretched Jew boy? as they would at a dog that follows their heels by day, and becomes their watch in the night, with no recompense but to pick the bones that are the offals of their shambles. But dismount, thou foolish churl, and I will do the same, to ease our beasts as they toil up these stony places, and I will shew thee that if thou art wise and faithful, the things that I do shall lead to thy profit as well as mine; for thou art of mine own seed, the son of the first-born of our house, and as I promised to Absalom, so will I do to thee,

who art the fatherless boy of my own brother. Dismount I say, and thou shalt hear all, for the hour is come to trust thee, and that fully."

Little Benjamin, who longed to be acquainted with all the particulars concerning his uncle's mysterious traffic, and whose curiosity had long been excited to desire the communication often promised, and as often delayed, instantly dismounted, and both uncle and nephew leading their asses, that seemed well content to be relieved of their burthen, by the bridle, slowly ascended the steep together, as Levi thus pursued his discourse.

"Benjamin," said he, "thou art young: seventeen summers have scarce passed over thy head, and before I would trust thee, I was willing to prove if thou wast worthy and prudent. And though thou art somewhat given to murmur at thy toils, yet I have found thee faithful-keep a close tongue still, Benjamin, for what I have to say must be for no ear save thine own.

"Master Levi," replied the nephew, "there is little danger of my betraying your counsel, since, should you turn me adrift on the wide world, I have no other prospect but starvation; the London service I did with the fat city Nazarenes in Cheap, having cured me of all desire to serve a people who used me worse than I would use my beast, though he be the most obstinate of his kind that ever bore rider or crook."*

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'My own life has been one of crosses and cares," continued Levi. "In the days of that woman called Mary, sometime Queen of England, who offered, as the idolaters did of old, to Moloch the sacrifices of human blood by fire, I, and many of our race, fled the land. I had lost all my well-earned gains by persecution; and though I fled from the bondage of Egypt, I had still to wander through the wilderness of tribulation, till I found a way to gain a livelihood by the sweat of my brow amongst the workers in the bowels of the earth in Germany. I had a quick eye, Benjamin, a ready wit, and a hand that never turned back from the toil; so that I became skilled in the knowledge of all metals, and of the certain signs and assurances to find them. I throve and did well, till on a time, in the hope of making a good venture, in a more settled course of life, I passed into that country called Flanders, where I grew in riches as merchant, and mighty in esteem with my own people."

* The crook here alluded to is peculiar to Devon. It is formed of wood, and used in the place of panniers. Its appearance is highly picturesque. The load sometimes carried on these crooks is immense.

"And yet you tarried not there, uncle," said Benjamin.

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No," replied Levi, "for envy follows good, even as the shadow does the body that walks before the beams of the great light. Under pretext of persecuting me for my religion, but in reality to find occasion to seize on my wealth, that accursed Duke Alva threw me into prison in the strong-walled city of Tournay. There I should have perished but that I had learnt the art to burrow in the earth, like a fox that makes his passage, unsuspected, beneath these mighty rocks, whilst they stand above unshaken by his cunning. I had secured one implement of my old vocation: and with that I worked me a way, by toiling day and night, and so escaped from my dungeon at a time when a public uproar in the city favoured it. As I journeyed towards the coast, I begged in common charity for sustenance; and when men would have cursed me for a Jew, I told them of Alva's cruelty; and the hatred in which they held that man, caused them, for very spite to him, to throw me a portion from their tables. At length I reached the coast, where, learning that the lady Elizabeth, now Queen of England, being desirous to improve the art of working mines in these western parts, had freely invited over into her country all such as had practised the craft in Germany, with large promises of reward to those who were most skilled, I instantly availed myself of this circumstance, offered my services to her man of business who came to seek the workers, and was accepted. My being a follower of the law of Moses, and not of the law of the Gentiles, was winked at for the sake of my cunning in the art of mining. I came to England, and how think you, Benjamin, I then fared?"

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Why I suppose, uncle," said the youth, " as you were so skilled in the craft, that you gained the recompense of your reward."

"I will tell you what I gained, Benjamin," continued Levi, with considerable warmth of expression, "I gained a cause for cursing-and, whilst I breathe, it shall never cease but I will curse the traitors-I was fawned upon, flattered, paid, pampered, and upheld as a wise man in Israel, a very Solomon in my calling, till they gained from me so much knowledge of my art, that they could enrich themselves ten-fold; and then, simply thinking I had taught them all I knew, they scorned me, accused me of false dealing, when, so help me holy Father Abraham! I had dealt with them as truly for my hire, as Jacob did with Laban when he did seven years' service for Rachel.--But I have vowed a vow unto the God of

Jacob, and I will keep it, to repay upon this people the wrongs they have heaped upon my head."

But for what cause could they so falsely accuse you, uncle?" inquired Benjamin, "what good could it do them so to use you?"

"Some one amongst their own people, who was greatly trusted," continued Levi, "had acted dishonestly; and, in order to screen himself, charged me with the offence. The Jew found ready credit as a thief, and he was made as the scapegoat of the tribe. The sins of the people were laid upon his head. I fled, to save myself from the malice of mine enemies, and for some time took shelter with the bold men who had once been miners, till, for their rebellion against their rulers, they became outlawed by the sentence of their own Stannary courts. These miserable men used me better than my faithless masters, since they did not flatter me to ruin me. They made me bear the burthen of the day; but they gave me the bread I required to supply my wants."

"And why did you leave them, uncle?" said the nephew. "I have not left them," replied Levi, "I have only left to dwell with them. But I am still the broker and the chief agent of their secret traffic-you shall hear my motive. The enemy who I feared would attempt my life to screen his own misdeeds, died, and then we judged it safer, and better for our purposes, that I should openly inhabit the town, since, by appearing not to fear a public inquiry into my way of life, men would be deceived to think it lawful. I dwell therefore in Tavistock, and follow publicly a simple calling, whilst I manage such matters for these people as they could not do for themselves. Before I had been driven from the service of the crown mines, I had long suspected, by sure signs which never fail, that, in a certain spot of this country there was a vein of silver ore,* and having already proved these outlawed miners, I taught them how to work the lode by stealth, shewing them the treasure but in part, and slowly leading them on, as it were piece-meal, to their task, so that they cannot do without me; and as they dare not sell the ore in this country, as by law it pertains to the queen, I, who have the use of many tongues, and a knowledge of the foreign marts, deal for

The silver mines of Devon were once celebrated, and of such profit that they greatly assisted Edward III. to carry on his wars against France. In the time of Elizabeth, several veins were discovered. A splendid cup, weighing 137 ounces, made from the silver of Coomb-martin mines, in the north of Devon, was presented to the City of London by Sir Francis Bulmer.