t the time of the American war, a gentleman (a mere youth) entered the
army, and saw some little service. One day, during an engagement, he
was, in the hurry and confusion of it, knocked down; and a soldier,
setting his foot upon his chest in passing over him, hurt him so
exceedingly that he became senseless; upon recovering, he found himself
still stretched on the ground, and a singular, looking female stood
beside him, who, as he opened his eyes, exclaimed in an ill-boding
voice, "Ay, young man, mark my words: _that_ hurt will be the
death of you in your forty-second year." He immediately recognised in
this old raven one of those _soothsayers_ who usually followed the
army, and gained a livelihood by their oracular powers. Mr. L. certainly
did _mark_ her words, inasmuch as returning to England, he quitted
the army, entered the church, and amongst other red-coat reminiscences,
used frequently to mention (and mention but to ridicule) the American
soothsayer's prediction. Nevertheless, true it is, that he did die in
his forty-second year, and of a disease in his _chest_ too,
although he had never suffered from the hurt beyond the period at which
he received it.

_Imagination._

The measles (it is pretty well known to all voyagers) is at St. Helena a
hideous and fatal disorder, although generally mild at the Cape, which
is about a fortnight's sail from the former island: every ship,
therefore, from the Cape, upon touching at St. Helena, undergoes
examination, and, if the measles are known to be prevalent at the former
place, is put into quarantine, and no officer, however urgent his
business may be, allowed to land without making oath or affidavit that
he has not been on shore at the Cape, or approached an infected person.
Some years since, a naval officer, acquainted with the then governor of
St. Helena, General P----n, was invited to dine with him, and met at
dinner another officer from another vessel, who, it is to be presumed,
had eluded undergoing the usual precautionary measures, and was perhaps
ignorant of their existence, since he mentioned, during the repast, that
the measles were prevailing at Cape Town, and admitted that he had
entered it. Now, he had just arrived at St. Helena, and though he
expressly stated that he had not gone near any infected person, poor
Mrs. P----, uttering a shriek, fled from the table, exclaiming that she
knew she should have the measles; in fact, she immediately fell sick of
that