For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

An ACCOUNT of the Celebrated COMTE DE CAGLIOSTRO,

AMONG the great variety of perfonages

of different ranks and fexes involved that hitherto mysterious bufinefs of the famous necklace; that extraordinary charac. ter the celebrated Comte de Cagliostro, who has so long perplexed the inquifitive and curious part of mankind, claims immediate attention. We fhail therefore, to gratify our readers' curiofity, give the following account of him, extracted from a memorial published at Paris in his behalf, and since printed in the Hague Gazette. It may not, however, be amifs previously to mention one or two of the many conjectures that have arifen concerning his origin, and in their turns obtained belief. One of thefe fuppofes him to be the fon of the late Grand Master of Malta, PINTO, by a lady of distinction, who about 37 years ago was captured with feveral other young ladies in a Turkish pleasure-boat by a Maltese galley, and on her arrival at Malta had an intrigue with the Grand Mafter. Soon after, by the mediation of the French court, the ladies recovered their liberty, and returned to their parents, where this unfortunate fair-one was delivered of a fon; which fo enraged her father, that he would have destroyed the child, had the not found means to have him conveyed away to a place of fafety, and herself foon after died either by poifon or of a broken heart.

Another fuppofition, which carries rather nore the appearance of truth with it, is, that the Comte is defcended from the Imperial family of CoMNENES, who long reigned independent over the Chriftian empire of Trebifond, but at length became tributary to the Turks. The Comte, it is faid, was born in the capital of that empire, and is the only furvivmg fon of the Prince who about 35 years ago fwayed that precarious fceptre. At that period, the Comte being nearly three years old, a revolution took place, in which the reigning Prince was maffacred by the infurgents, and this his fon, faved by fome trufty friend, was carried to Medina, where the Cherif took him under his protection, and with unparalleled generofity had him brought up in the religion of his parents.---This much for conjecture: let us now hear what the party himfelf days.

"As to the place of my nativity, or who were the parents that gave me birth, I cannot fpeak pofitively. From a variety of circumftances, I have entertained fome doubts, and the reader will probably join in my fufpicions on that head. But I repeat it, that all my researches have only tended to give me fome exalted, but at the fame time vague and incertain notions concerning my fa mily.

"My infant years were paffed in the city of Medina, in Arabia, where I was brought up by the name of Acharat, which name I have constantly borne during my travels in Africa and Afia. I had apartments in the palace of the Mufti Salahaym. I perfectly recollect that I had four perfous immediately about me; a governor, between fifty and fixty years of age, named Althotas, and three fervants; a white one, who was my valet-dechambre, and two blacks, one of whom was conftantly with me night and day.

"My governor always told me, that I was left an orphan at three months old; that my parents were Chriftians, and nobly defcended; but their names, and the place of my nativity, he inviolably concealed from me. Some words which he accidentally let drop, has made me fufpect that I was born at Malta; but this circumstance I have never been able to ascertain.

"Althotas, whose name excites in me the tendereft emotion, treated me with all the affection and care of a father; he took a pleafure in cultivating the difpofition I difcovered for the fciences. He, I may with truth affirm, knew them all, from the moft abftrufe to thofe of mere amufement. In botany and phyfic I made the greatest progress.

"He taught me to worship God, to love and affift my neighbours, and to respect univeríally religion and the laws.

"We both dreffed like muffulmen, and conformed outwardly to the Mahomedan warfhip; but the true religion was engraven in our hearts,

"The Mufti vifited me often, always treated me with great kindness, and feemed to entertain a high regard for my governor. The latter taught me most of the languages of the Eaft.

"I was now in my twelfth year, and became defirous of travelling, The wish to behold the wonders he frequently conversed with me of, grew fu ftrong upon me, that Medina, and the amufements of my age, grew infipid and tasteless.

"Althotas at length informed me, that we were going to begin our travels; a caravan was prepared, and, after taking leave of the Mufti, who was pleased to express his regret at parting with us in the most obliging terms, we fet out.

"On our arrival at Mecca, we alighted at the palace of the Cherif, who is the fovereign of Mecca, and of all Arabia, and always one of the defcendants of Mahomet. I here changed my dress for a more fplendid one than I had hitherto worn. On the third day after our arrival, I was introduced by my. governor to the Cherif, who received me is

"I never faw this prince afterwards. A caravan was exprefsly provided for me, and I bid an eternal adieu to Mecca.

"I began my travels by vifiting Egypt, and its famous pyramids, which exhibit, to a fuperficial obferver nothing more than enor mous maffes of marble and granite. I cultivated the acquaintance of the Minifters of the different temples, who admitted me into places unvifited by, and unknown to common travellers.

The Maltefe Ambaffulor at Versailles has fince the above publication, by order of the Grand Mafter, declared the above affertion, and that of the difpenfation of quirantine, to be fake and groundless.

Malta.

The Chevalier D'Aquino was fo obliging as to accompany me, and fupply my wants during our journey,

"In company with this gentleman I firft vifited Sicily, where he introduced me to the firft people of the country. We next vifited the different Iflands of the Archipelago, and having again croffed the Mediterranean, arrived at Naples, the birth-place of my companion.

"From thence I proceeded alone to Rome, with letters of credit on the banking-house of the Sieur Bellone.

"I determined to remain here incog.; but one morning whilft I was shut up in my apartment, endeavouring to improve myself in the Italian language, the Secretary of Cardinal Orfino was announced, who came to request I would wait on his eminence. I accordingly repaired immediately to his palace. The Cardinal received me with the greatest politenefs, invited me often to his table, and procured me the acquaintance of feveral Cardinals and Roman Princes, particularly the Cardinals York and Ganganelli, afterwards Pope Clement XIV. The Pope Rezzonico, who then filled the Papal Chair, having expreffed a defire of feeing me, I had the honour of repeated conferences with his Holinefs.

"In the year 1770, in my 22d year, fortune procured me the acquaintance of a young lady of quality, Serafina Felichiani: the was hardly out of her infancy; her dawning charms kindled in my bofom a flame, which fixteen years marriage have only ferved to ftrengthen.

"Having neither time nor inclination to write a voluminous work, I fhall only mention those perfons to whom I have been known in my travels thro' all the kingdoms of Europe. Most of them are still in being. I challenge their teftimony aloud.

Let them declare whether ever I was guilty of any action difgraceful to a man of honour. Let them fay if ever I fued for a favour, if ever I cringed for the protection of thofe Sovereigns who were defirous of feeing me; let them, in fhort, declare, whether at any time, or in any place, I had any other object in view than to cure the fi.k, and to relieve the indigent, without fee or reward.”

The Comte here gives a lift of very repectable perfons with whom he says he was acquainted at the different Courts of Europe; and goes on to obferve, that, from a defire of not being known, he frequently affumed different names, fuch as thofe of Comte Starat, Comte Fenix, Marquis D'Anna, &c.

He arrived at Strafburgh on the 19th of September 1780, where, at the carneft folicitations of the inhabitants and the nobility

of Alface, he was prevailed upon to employ his medical abilities for the good of the public. Here he was libelled, he fays, by fome obfcure fcribblers; but the author of a work, entitled "Lettres fur la Suiffe" (to whom he refers the reader), did him juftice, and paid due homage to truth. He then appeals to the Clergy, Military Officers, the Apothecary. who fupplied him with drugs, to the Keepers of the different Gaols in which he relieved a number of poor prifoners, to the Magistrates, and the public at large, to declare, whether he ever gave offence, or was guilty of any action that militated either against the laws, against morality, or religion.

Some little time after his arrival at Strafburg, the Cardinal de Rohan fignified to him that he wished to be acquainted with him. He at first fuppofed the prince to be actuated by mere curiofity, and therefore declined the invitation. But being afterwards informed that he was attacked with an asthma, and wished to confult him, he immediately went to the epifcopal palace, and gave the Cardimal his opinion.

In the year 1781 the Cardinal honoured him with a vifit, to confult him about the Prince de Soubife, who was afflicted with a mortification, and prevailed upon him to ac-. company him to Paris; but on his arrival there, he refufed to vifit the Prince till his Phyficians fhould declare him paft cure; and when the faculty declared him to be on the mending band, perfifted in his refolution of not feeing him, "being unwilling to reap the glory of a cure, which could not be afcribed to me.". -Matchless modesty !

He staid in Paris thirteen days, employed from five in the morning till midnight in vifiting patients; and then returned to Strafburg, where the good he did produced many libels against him, in which he was styled Antichrist--The Wandering Jew- The Man of 1,400 years old, &c. At length, worn-out with ill ufage, he determined on leaving the place, when two letters, one from the Comte de Vergennes, the other from the Marquis de Miromenil, keeper of the Great Seal, to the chief magiftrate of Strasburg, in his behalf, induced him to change his mind.

The tranquility which these minifterial letters procured him was but of fhort duration, and he again determined to quit Strafburg, and retire out of the reach of the malevolence of envy. An account he at this time received of the Chevalier de Aquino being dangerously ill at Naples, haftened his departure for that place, where he arrived only in time to receive the last farewel of his unfortunate friend.

To avoid being importuned to refume the practice of phyfic, he refolved to take a trip

quaintance with the Cardinal de Rohan. Our limits will not permit us now to give the account of the circumstances which tended to involve the Comte in the difgrace of that Prelate; and as it cannot be abridged, we muft therefore poftpone it to a future opportunity. [To be continued]

MONTHLY CATALOGUE OF BOOKS for APRIL 1786.

The Captives, a Tragedy. By Dr. Delap. binfon. 8vo, Cadell. IS. 6d.

Supplement to Lucan's Pharsalia, tranflated
from the Latin of Thomas May, by Edmond
Poulter, M. A. 4to. Cadell.
Is. 6d.

MISCELLANEOUS.

Sacred Dramas tranflated from the French of Madame Comteffe de Genlis. By Thomas Holcroft. 8vo. Robinfon.

Bozzy and Piozzi; or, The British Biographers. A Town Eclogue. By Peter Pindar, Efq. 4to. Kearsley.

The Beauties of Mrs. Siddons, or a Review of her performance of the characters of Belvidera, Zara, Lady Randolph, &c. Stra

MEDICAL.

Treatife on the Venereal Disease. By John Hunter. 4to. Soid by the Author, l. 15. Medical Sketches. By John Moore, M. D. 8vo. Cadell. 5s.

Some Confiderations on the different ways of removing confined and infectious Air, and

the means adopted; with Remarks on the Contagion in Maidstone Gaol. By Thomas Day. 8vo. Wilkie. 6s.

Remarks on the means of obviating the fatal effects of the Bite of a Mad Dog, or other rabid animals. By R. Hamilton, M. D. 8vo. Longman. 45. 6d.

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE.

DESCRIPTION of LUDLOW CASTLE, in SHROPSHIRE. [ILLUSTRATED BY AN ELEGANT ENGRAVED VIEW OF IT.]

SOME idea of this caftle, in which Comus

was acted with great fplendour, and which is now ruinous and perishing, may not be unacceptable to thofe who read Milton with the fond attentions of a lover. It was founded on a ridge of rock overlooking the river Corve, by Roger Montgomery, about the year 1112, in the reign of king Henry the First. But without entering into its more obfcure and early annals, we will rather exhibit the ftate in which it might be fuppofed to fubfift, when Milton's drama was performed. Thomas Churchyard, in a poem called The Worthines of Wales, printed in 1587, has a chapter entitled, "The Caftle of Lud"loe." In one of the state-apartments, he mentions a superb efcocheon in stone of the arms of prince Arthur; and an empalement of St. Andrew's crofs with prince Arthur's arms, painted in the windows of the hall. And in the hall and chambers, he fays, there was a variety of rich workmanship, fuitable to fo magnificent a caftle. In it is a chapel, he adds, "moft trim and coftly, fo bravely wrought, fo fayre and finely framed, &c." About the walls of this chapel were fumptuously painted a great device, a worke most riche and rare," the arms of many kings of England, and of the lords of the cattle, from fir Walter Lacie the firft lord, &c. "The armes of al thefe afore spoken of, are galJantly and cunningly fet out in that chapell. Now is to be rehearsed, that fir Harry Sidney being ford prefident buylt twelve roomes in the fayd caftle, which goodly buildings doth fhewe a great beautie to the fame. He made allo a goodly wardrobe underneath the new parlor, and repayred an old tower called Mortymer's Tower, to keepe the auncient recordes in the fame: and he repayred a fayre roume under the court houfe,--and made a great wall about the wood-yard, and built a muit braue condunt within the inner court: and all the newe buildings over the gate, fir Harry Sidney, in his dayes and government there, made and fet out, to the honour of the queene, and the glorie of the caftle. There are, in a goodly or ftately place, fer out my

lorde earl of Warwicke's arms, the earl of Darbie, the earl of Worcester, the earl of Pembroke, and fir Harry Sidney's armes in like manner; al thefe ftand on the left fide of the [great] chamber. On the other fide, are the armes of Northwales and Southwales, two red lyons and two golden lyons [for] prince Arthur. At the end of the dining chamber, there is a pretty device, how the hedge hog broke his chayne, and came from Ireland to Ludloe. There is in the hall a great grate of iron, [a portcullis] of a huge height." fol. 79. In the hall, or one of the great chambers, Comus was acted. We are told by David Powell the Welch hiftorian, that fir Henry Sidney knight, made lord prefident of Wales in 1564, "repaired the castle of Ludlowe, which is the chiefest house within the Marches, being in great decaie, as the chapel, the courthoufe, and a fayre fountaine, &c. Alfo he erected diuers new buildings within the faid caftell, &c." Hift. of Cambria, edit. 1580. p. 401. 4to. In this caftle, the creation of prince Charles to the Principality of Wales and earldom of Chester, afterwards Charles the First, was kept as a festival, and folemnized with uncommon magnificence, in the year 1616. See a Narrative entitled "The Loue of Wales to their Soneraigne Prince, &c." Lond. 1616. 4to. Many of the exteriour towers ftill remain. But the royal apartments, and other rooms of ftate, are abandoned, defaced, and lie open to the wea ther. It was an extenfive and ftately fabric, Over the stable-doors are the arms of queen Elizabeth, lord Pembroke, &c. Frequent tokens of antient pomp peep out from amidst the rubbish of the mouldering fragments. Prince Arthur, abovementioned, fon of Henry the Seventh, died in 1502, in this caftle, which was the palace of the prince of Wales, appendent to his principality. It was conftantly inhabited by his deputies, styled the Lords Presidents of Wales, till the principa lity-court, a feparate jurifdiction, was dif folved by king William. The cattle was reprefented in one of the font. of Matron's Mak