I

"He did go, and has come back attended by this cortège. Since his return he has cured an under officer of dragoons, who was believed to be very ill, and he had only an imaginary fever. It is since then that his reputation has become so great. acknowledge that he carries on things on a great scale, and is a philanthropist of, perhaps, the best class.' We found that our suspicions had been well grounded, Cagliostro was amongst the company at the Cardinal's."

It would be impossible to give an idea of the passion, the madness, with which people pursued this man. It would be incredible to any who had not seen it. He was surrounded, he was beset; happy was that person esteemed on whom his glance fell. Nor was it alone in our province that this infatuation prevailed; the furore was not a whit less intense at Paris. As soon as Cagliostro perceived me, he made a very respectful salute, which I returned without any affectation of haughtiness or condescension. I did not know why the Cardinal attached so much importance to persuading me rather than another, but during the entire time of dinner -there were fifteen persons present -he seemed to think only of me.

"He showed me a large diamond that he wore on his little finger, and on which the Rohan arms were engraved. This ring was worth, at least, twenty thousand francs.

"It is a beautiful gem, Monseigneur; I have been admiring it.' "Well, it was he who made it; made it out of nothing. I was present during the whole operation; my eyes fixed on the crucible. Is not that science, Baroness? People cannot say that he is wheedling or deceiving me. The jeweller and the engraver have estimated the ring at twenty-five thousand livres. You will admit that he would be a strange kind of cheat who would make such presents.""

"I acknowledge that I was struck; M. de Rohan perceived it, and continued, believing himself now sure of victory

"This is not all-he can make gold? and has made in my presence five or six thousand livres in this palace. I shall have more; I shall have more; I shall have a great deal; he will make me the richest prince in Europe! These are not dreams, Madame; they are positive facts. All his prophecies, that have been realised! all the miraculous cures that he has effected! I repeat, that he is a most extraordinary—a most sublime man ; whose knowledge is only equalled by his goodness. What alms he gives! what good he does! That exceeds all power of imagination.'

"What, Monseigneur, has not your Eminence given him anything for that; no promise in writing that may compromise you? Pardon my curiosity, but as you have been so kind as to confide to me this secret, I'

"You are right, Madame; and I can assure you that he has never asked nor received anything from me.'

"Ah! Monseigneur,' cried I, this man must hope to induce you to make extraordinary sacrifices, when

he purchases your confidence at so high a price. In your place I would be on my guard; he may lead you farther than you think."

Cagliostro had hoped, through Madame d'Oberkirch, to have received an introduction to her bosom friend, the Grand Duchess of Wurtemburg; but although dazzled and astonished by his brilliant charlatanry, she was not to be imposed upon.

Amongst others whom curiosity took to the great magician was Talleyrand, who went accompanied by M. de Boufflers. They found him dismissing two poor patients, to whom he had been giving advice without fee or reward. Placing his finger on his lip, he points to "a still and motionless figure seated in one corner of the room. "The figure was that of a female, covered from head to foot with a veil of black crape, so long and ample that it disguised even the form of the fauteuil on which she was seated. take their seats at a table covered with green velvet, on which were placed "mysterious instruments of torture and diabolical volumes." The Count, standing before them, asked, “in solemn and biblical language," the object of their visit. Boufflers, who had been elected spokesman, was overawed; his Parisian wonder-loving soul was overwhelmed with the solemnity of the scene; and breaking through his Parisian manners, he became dumb.

They

The Count, turning to Talleyrand, inquired, in a harsher tone, if he also has come without a subject for consultation. He desired to consult the magic oracle about the health of one who was dear to him. "What is it you wish to know?" asked Cagliostro; and drawing aside the veil, he bent towards the ear of the female, and whispered. "I wish," replied Talleyrand, "to learn the cause of the megraine of my friend, la Marquise de-" "Chut," broke in the Count-"the name is of little

import. What see you? (this in a loud deep tone, addressed to the veiled figure.) "I see a fair, beauteous lady; she is attired in a dress of sea-green Padua silk, her powdered hair is wreathed with rosebuds, and she wears long and splendid eardrops of emerald and topaz.

"Boufflers caught my arm," says Talleyrand, with a smile, for he knew well enough the person for whom I was so anxious, and that there were certain nights on which she wore the emerald and topaz suit, and that this was one of them.

"After some further conversation, the Count gave Talleyrand a phial of colourless liquor which is to cure the megraine of Madame la Marquise, and the two friends were then dismissed. They proceeded to the opera, where they see her exactly as the veiled figure had described. After the opera they adjourned to her hotel, and much amusement was caused by Boufflers' description of their visit. He had recovered from his brief attack of reverence, and exerted all his wit in ridiculing the scene which had so overwhelmed him. The phial is handed about the laughing guests: Boufflers proposes that the remedy shall at once be tried. Then they recollected that they had no instructions how it was to be used. They decided, as least dangerous, to apply it externally.

"Talleyrand poured a small quantity into the hollow of his hand, which he placed as gently as possible upon the forehead of La Marquise, pressing it there, but certainly not with violence, and supporting the back of her head with the hand that was free. She closed her eyes moment of silence, which was broken by a loud convulsive shriek from the Marquise.

. a

"Take away your hand! for God's sake take away your hand,' exclaimed she, in a voice of agony, and starting to her feet, she endeavoured with all her strength to pull my wrist down

wards; but strange to tell not all the efforts of the Marquise, nor those I used myself, could tear my hand from her forehead."

At first the guests took it for a jest, but soon became alarmed, the Marquise fainted, and the Duc d'Argenton succeeded in forcing Talleyrand's hand from her forehead, but it tore away large patches of skin, leaving the imprint of his hand upon her brow in bleeding characters. When the Marquise was pronounced out of danger, the two friends, accompanied by two of De Sartine's myrmidons, returned to the magician, who received them with the greatest coolness and self-possession, allowing them to pry about to their

hearts' content. The large jug from which he had filled the phial still stood in its old place, the contents, taken to a chemist's, were pronounced to be- -pure water.

To all their objurgations he replied "that the liquid was pure and innocent when he placed it in the phial, and if it had grown pernicious it must be owing to the guilty passions or evil sympathies of those who used it.

"The Marquise refused to see Talleyrand again, and carried to the grave, as memorial of this adventure, a long narrow scar which, with all the art of the coiffure, she could not disguise."

of Ireland, even on this very reduced scale, cannot be estimated at less than £300,000 a-year.

The only sum provided under the Irish Church Act to meet this annual charge is a sum of £500,000, which the Temporalities Commissioners are authorised to pay to the Representative Church Body "in lieu of any real or personal property which may consist of or be the produce of property or monies given by private persons out of their own resources, or which may consist of, or be the produce of monies raised by private subscriptions." "But such payment shall be without prejudice to any claim in respect of any particular private endowment which may, within twelve months after such payment, be substantiated against the said sum." (Sec. 29.)

To preserve Ecclesiastical residences for even this reduced number of clergy (to say nothing of the residences which will be required for the Bishops) will need a sum of £200,000, for by the same Act (sec. 27) all Ecclesiastical residences of the bishops and clergy are vested in the Temporalities Commissioners, who are empowered, on the application of the Representative Church Body, to transfer the same to that body "with the garden and curtilage thereto," either (first) "on payment of a sum equal to ten times the amount of the annual value of the site of such Ecclesiastical residence, estimated as land, and of the said garden and curtilage ;" or (secondly), where there is a building-charge af fecting the house, on payment of that charge, or "a sum equal to the value of such Ecclesiastical residence, with the garden and curtilage thereto, taken at ten years' purchase of the annual value, as estimated by the general tenement valuation," which ever may be the smailest.

Estimating then, each of these residences at the low annual value of £20, and multiplying that by the ten years' purchase, at which the

Temporalities Commissioners are authorised to restore them to the Church, the amount will be £200 for each residence; or, as above stated, £200,000 for the whole number.

Any additional portion of the glebe lands which it might be considered desirable to claim, and to purchase under the 28th section of the Irish Church Act, must be paid for by "a sum equal to twenty-one times the annual value of such land, as finally settled by the Commissioners for the purpose of commutation." (Temporalities Commissioners to Secretary of Repre sentative Church Body, July 5, 1871.)

It would thus finally appear that the whole funds for the practical working of the Church of Ireland will have only two foundations whereon to rest-first, the very precarious and almost speculative resources that may arise from commutation; and, secondly, the voluntary support of the members and friends of the Disendowed Church.

Subscriptions may be lodged to the credit of the Church of Ireland Sustentation Fund either at-Messrs. Glyn, Mills, & Co., 67, LombardStreet, E.C.; Messrs. Coutts & Co., 59, Strand, W.C.; Messrs. Herries, Farquhar, & Co., 16, St. James's Street, S. W.; Messrs. Hoare, & Co., 37, Fleet Street, E.C.; Messrs. Dimsdale, Fowler, & Co., 50, Cornhill, E.C.; Messrs. Drummond & Co., 49, Charing Cross, S.W.; Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, & Co., 54, Lombard Street, E.C.; Messrs. Williams, Deacon, & Co., 20, Birchin Lane, E.C.; Messrs. Childs & Co., 1, Fleet Street, E.C.; The Provincial Bank of Ireland, 42, Old Broad Street, E.C.; The National Bank of Ireland, 9 and 10, Charing Cross, S.W. Or may be remitted to the Honorary Secretary, RICHARD NUGENT, Esq., 32, Charing Cross, S.W.