MADALENA.

by the old lieutenant and Major || the jagged points of shelving shingles Wortesly, to retard the progress of near the coast. Mrs. Gilman recothe flames; but a column of smoke vered a little from the icy chillness bursting forth near the powder-ma- that overspread her body, when the gazine warned them to provide for foaming surges washed over her, and their lives. Colonel Gilman and the the shock of the horrible explosion officers, who were bewildered by hard made all her blood retreat to her drinking, leaped overboard, and one heart. of them, in a transport of phrenzy, drew the captain of the frigate with him. Major Wortesly and the old lieutenant hastily lashed together some spars and planks, to form a raft for the ladies, who, in delirium, continued pouring water upon the boards, without attending to what was passing around them. With much difficulty they were called to a perception of their danger. The raft was launched overboard with great effort; the ladies were lowered upon it from the cabin-window, and suffered themselves to be lashed firmly to the raft, which the lieutenant and Major Wortesly undertook to steer.

They had not gained the shore, when an explosion that seemed to shake the very foundations of the deep, bereft the ladies of recollection. Cries and groans announced that scattered pieces of the exploded frigate had fatally reached many who were swimming for their lives. A splinter mortally wounded the old lieutenant, and in the last convulsions of nature he nearly overset the raft. The ladies were held fast by the cords that bound them to the spars, and by the involuntary grasp by which all will cling to any instrument for safety. Major Wortesly, still master of himself, preserved the raft from being ingulphed, when, by lurid gleams of moonlight, he saw, among billowy chasms in the water, Vol. III. No. XVI.

The first renovation of her faculties discovered to Mrs. Gilman, that she and her companions in misfortune had been cast upon the flinty shore. They were all bound to the raft, and she heard the roaring sea close beside them: dread of being swept into the watery vortex quickened her pulse, and restored a little warmth to her members. It was a feverish glow of terror; but it enabled her to use her hands in groping to loose the cords which confined her to the spars. With the aid of a

knife, which the major chanced to have in his pocket, and with an exertion never before essayed by fingers so delicate, she at length succeeded in setting herself at liberty; and in like manner she extricated her friend. Mrs. Wortesly was restored to sensation, and joined in her friend's endeavours to restore the major to animation. After some time lie attempted to rise; but sunk down immediately, saying, in broken accents, his last hour drew near. His voice failed; yet his wife and Mrs. Gilman continued the application that had restored him, and he again spoke to require a promise of Mrs. Wortesly to preserve her life for the sake of their grandchildren; and besought Mrs. Gilman not to allow her friend to remain in the cold beside his lifeless corpse. He raised his feeble hand to point out to the ladies a light to the north-west; and again entreatD D

ed garments; absorbed in their afflictions, they walked in darkness through ways unknown, and guided only by the light pointed out to them by Major Wortesly. The glimmering ray conducted them to the back window of a large building; and looking through a pane of coarse glass, they saw a candle almost burnt out; but perceived no inhabitant. They went round to an open door. Silence, deathlike and ominous, reigned around. The ladies supposed that the inmates of the house were asleep. The open door fronted that chamber which contained a light; it was visible, as that door was likewise unclosed. They entered, and beheld surgical instruments, bandages, unguents, and phials, strewed on the floor. Several wax candles and dressings for wounds lay on a table. Mrs. Gilman lighted one of the wax candles, as their friendly conductor had nearly wasted to the socket of the candlestick. "Oh! for a little fresh water!" said Mrs. Wortesly.

ing his wife to take care of herself, || night piercing their thin and drenchhis words became inarticulate. Mrs. Wortesly bewailed her loss, and Mrs. Gilman joined in silent tears. They were soon convinced that the gallant spirit had sought a happier sphere, and drew the mortal remains as far from the shore as to be beyond reach of the tide. Mrs. Gilman had perceived the lieutenant's wound must have been mortal: in seeking to chafe his forehead, she found his skull fractured and his neck mangled. She proposed to Mrs. Wortesly to move his body further from the beach; the only testimony they could give of gratitude for his presence of mind in devising and executing the resource to which they were indebted for escape from the frigate. Having performed this last mark of respect for the corpse of the lieutenant, Mrs. Wortesly again embraced her venerable husband, with the most piteous lamentations for her bereavement. Mrs. Gilman allowed her to vent the natural emotions of sorrow, and then reminded her of the promise to preserve herself for the sake of her grandchildren.

"Yes," she exclaimed," my Wortesly, the most excellent, the most beloved, never required of me but the wisest conduct; and I will try to be worthy of such a husband."

Mrs. Gilman quickly lighted another candle, and ran through a long passage to awake the family. She was repeatedly intercepted by French uniforms, torn and bloody. She was exceedingly terrified; but the paleness of Mrs. Wortesly's countenance and her hollow voice were still more alarming, and anxiety to obtain assistance for her overcame all selfish considerations. She proceeded till she reached another open apartment, where a spectacle was presented, branding the Portuguese with the odium of ruthless vindictive cruelty. Men stiffened in their gore heaped the pavement in this lofty hall. "O

Mrs. Gilman was now more feeble than her widowed companion: she was exhausted by severely taxing her strength. A noble enthusiasm inspired Mrs. Wortesly; by the effect of sympathy it was soon imparted, though in an inferior degree, to Mrs. Gilman. They had slippers when they rushed to the deck of the frigate, but these were lost in the sea: yet they felt not the rocks lace-my God," said Mrs. Gilman, "we rating their feet, nor the tempest of are in the house of massacre! Had

I not been a rash girl, what misery, She lay on the ground, and on exa should I have shunned! But can I mining her features and taking her forget Colonel Gilman is perhaps hand, Mrs. Gilman had the direful no more, and my dear friend to all certainty, that life had fled from her appearance dying?" only companion in this abode of horror. She fell on her knees, and, almost in distraction, exclaimed, “ Father of mercies! am I alone in this frightful place? Oh! take, take me to thyself!" Voices reverberating through the edifice overcame Mrs. Gilman's forced intrepidity. She fell, seemingly inanimate, beside Mrs. Wortesly,

Mrs. Gilman banished her regrets and fears with the idea of Mrs. Wortesly's extremity; and looking wildly around, observed a cistern, || with several flaggons ranged on a shelf over it. Plunging one of these in the water, she took it up nearly full, and with desperate courage passing the mangled bodies, made her way speedily to Mrs. Wortesly.

(To be concluded in our next.)

THE LUDICROUS MISTAKE.

his leave of this troublesome world in the winter following. The instant the duke's friend was apprised of it, he posted off for London on the wings of eager expectation, and reached Lincoln's-Inn Fields about two o'clock in the morning.

The King of Spain, about this time, had been seized with a disorder, which some of the English had been

expresses, that he could not survive. Among these the duke was the most credulous, and probably the most anxious.

AT the close of an election in Lewes, in 1775, the Duke of Newcastle was so pleased with the conduct of a casting voter, that he almost fell upon his neck, and kissed him. "My dear friend, I love you dearly; you are the best man in the world; I wish to serve you; what can I do for you?"-" May it please your grace, the exciseman of this town is very old; I would beg to suc-induced to believe, from particular ceed him as soon as he shall die." "Aye that you shall, with all my heart: I wish, for your sake, he were dead and buried now. As soon as he is, fly to me, my dear friend, be it night or day; insist upon seeing me, sleeping or waking. If I am not at court, never rest till you find me: not the sanctum sanctorum, or any place, shall be kept sacred from such a dear worthy good soul as you are; nay, I'll give orders for you to be admitted, though the king and I were closeted together." The voter had swallowed every thing with rapture, and scraping down to the ground, retired to wait in faith for the death of the exciseman. The latter took ter, "Yes-his grace has just gone

On the first moment of receiving this intelligence, he had dispatched couriers to Madrid, who were commanded to return with unusual haste, as soon as ever the death of his Catholic Majesty should have been announced. Ignorant of the hour in which they might arrive, the duke could not retire to rest till he had given directions to his attendants to send any person to his chamber who should desire admittance. When the voter asked if he was at home, he was answered by the por||

to bed; but we are directed to awake || kind promise, and appoint me to suchim the moment you come." "O ceed him."—" You, you blockhead! God bless him! I know the duke told you King of Spain! What family me I should always be welcome, by pretensions can you have? Let us night or by day! Pray shew me up." look at you." By this time the asThe happy voter was scarcely con- tonished duke drew back the curtain, ducted to the door when he rushed and recollected the face of his elecinto the room, and in the transport tioneering friend; but it was seen of his joy cried out, " My lord, he is with anger and disappointment. To dead!"-"That is well, my dear have robbed him of his rest might friend; I am glad of it with all my have been easily forgiven, but to have soul: when did he die?"-" The fed him with a groundless supposimorning before last, an' please your tion that the King of Spain was dead grace."-" Why, so lately? Why, became a matter of resentment. At my worthy good creature, you must length the victim of his passion behave flown; the lightning itself could came an object of his mirth, and not have travelled half so fast as when he felt the ridicule that markyou. Tell me, best of men, how ed the incident, he raised the candishall I reward you?"-" All I ask date for monarchy into a rank more for in this world is, that your grace suited to his desires-he made him would be pleased to remember your an exciseman.

GAELIC RELICS.-No. XI.

CEANEACH MACCEANEACH, PRIMOGENITOR OF THE CLAN MACKENZIE.

RELICS of the bards are extant in poesy, and in the measured prose they sometimes employed, not only in their ouarskals, or new stories, which is the literal sense of that term, but in relating the deeds of heroes; and these have perpetuated the memory of valorous leaders belonging to all the clans. They exhibit the Gael with all their peculiar features of character in full action. Other details are flat and inanimate, compared to such living portraits of heroes and heroines of the olden times. No doubt an early acquaintance with those spirit - stirring records has contributed to kindle "the soul of fire" in their descendants; and we may hope the translations will, at least, have no enervating tendency. The pious and exemplary Dr. Blair often said, that the poems of Ossian should

form a part of every juvenile library, as they were eminently adapted for instilling, not merely the military virtues, but the noblest principles of rectitude and generosity in all conditions of life; and to shew the fair sex, that energy of mind is perfectly compatible with the most enchanting beauty and feminine sensibility. With a very sincere feeling of inferiority in respect to the powers of genius, the translator hopes the merit of exalted sentiment belongs to each of the productions which a feeble hand attempts to invest in a more modern drapery.

The relic now given offers salutary hints to the rulers and people of every land. It consists chiefly of a good-humoured contest between a mainland and island bard, concerning the comparative import..

monuments of this mental art of healing under the most pleasing form. They that took up the volumes to kill time, found their understandings illumined, and their hearts improved.

The origin of the patronymic from which the name of Mackenzie arose, is said to have been a premature exploit of valour performed by the

the preparation of a feast to succeed a hunting match. The Gael were of opinion, that " to yield the sport of their shaggy dogs to a foe" was indelibly disgraceful; and when a gigantic race of freebooters attacked the boys of Kintail, the youthful chieftain, with singular address and courage, disappointed them of a prey. The Fiannachael were adventurers from the far Northern Isles, who took possession of a cave, still accessible in Catthu, or Sutherland, and to this day called Uamor Fraisghail. It is situated in the parish of Tongue; and it is twenty feet wide at the entrance, reaching near half a mile under-ground.

ance of equestrian and maritime exploits. The contest seems to have been intended to amuse a superannuated chief, desponding because of incapacity to head his warriors to "the field of fame." The translator would rejoice to know, that relics of the bards and poets of the early ages, throughout the British dominions, were collected for the press. We are not less Britons than High-young chief while superintending landers; and there are few among the natives of the mountains who are not zealous for the honour of the three kingdoms and their dependencies. The Gael are now acquainted with the sister realms; and though they dearly prize their own wild scenery, they emulate and admire the rich culture and decoration of the south, and they regard the inhabitants as brethren. Woe be to the Gael who could be so illiberal as to mark a line of separation! His countrymen would disclaim him. We hope and believe there are few such narrow-minded beings; and the first personage in the empire has given a gracious pattern of universal conciliation. The translator was induced to give some early characteristics of the clans, because best acquainted with those antiquities. There is one name which will affect every reader of taste and sensibility with the most delightful and home felt associationsthe name of Mackenzie-the elegant monitor of the higher classes, and their imitators, who "ministered to minds diseased" with skill so exquisite, and medicaments so palatable, that the patients mistook, and still mistake, each salutary potion for a sumptuous banquet. "The Man of Feeling," "The Man of the World," "Julia de Roubigne," "The Mirror," and “ Lounger," are imperishable

The eagle of Morven's rocks bends proudly from the sky to behold his feathers waving over the brow of Fingal and his heroes; but loftier was the boast of the dun-sided sons of the forest, when their antlers drove away the fierce rovers of ocean, or laid them in blood on the land of trees. Ceartnach, ancestor of the bard of this song, was foster-father of age and youth, while the chief of Kintail and his men at arms were distant far, reaping the harvest of renown.

"Shall the praise of them that rest beneath their cairns, and the deeds of our own hand, be all our thought and speech?" said the white-haired grandsires of ruddy-cheeked boys,