its
puissant commander, who, when brought to himself by a sound drubbing, bore
no little resemblance to a "deboshed fish," or bloated sea-monster, caught
upon dry land.

The transportation of the garrison was done to prevent the transmission of
intelligence to New Amsterdam; for much as the cunning Risingh exulted in
his stratagem, yet did he dread the vengeance of the sturdy Peter
Stuyvesant, whose name spread as much terror in the neighborhood as did
whilom that of the unconquerable Scanderbeg among his scurvy enemies the
Turks.

FOOTNOTES:

[48]
"As soon as he rose,
To make him strong and mighty,
He drank by the tale, six pots of ale,
And a quart of aqua vitae."

_Dragon of Wantley._

CHAPTER III.

Whoever first described common fame, or rumor, as belonging to the sager
sex, was a very owl for shrewdness. She has in truth certain feminine
qualities to an astonishing degree, particularly that benevolent anxiety
to take care of the affairs of others, which keeps her continually hunting
after secrets and gadding about proclaiming them. Whatever is done openly
and in the face of the world, she takes but transient notice of; but
whenever a transaction is done in a corner, and attempted to be shrouded
in mystery, then her goddess-ship is at her wits' end to find it out, and
takes a most mischievous and lady-like pleasure in publishing it to the
world.

It is this truly feminine propensity which induces her continually to be
prying into the cabinets of princes, listening at the key-holes of senate
chambers, and peering through chinks and crannies, when our worthy
congress are sitting with closed doors, deliberating between a dozen
excellent modes of ruining the nation. It is this which makes her so
baneful to all wary statesmen and intriguing commanders--such a
stumbling-block to private negotiations and secret expeditions; betraying
them by means and instruments which never would have been thought of by
any but a female head.

Thus it was in the case of the affair of Fort Casimir. No doubt the
cunning Risingh imagined, that, by securing the garrison he should for a
long time prevent the history of its fate from reaching the ears of the
gallant Stuyvesant; but his exploit was blown to the world when he least
expected, and by one of the last beings he would ever have suspected of
enlisting as trumpeter to the wide-mouthed deity.

This wa