Page images
PDF
EPUB

Bayard, one of the bravest and most | “ belted plaid, hose, and shoon, and accomplished knights of France dur- | badger-skin pouch; with his accouing the reign of Francis I. finding trements of war, the dirk, pistols, himself mortally wounded in battle, broad sword, and target, as for the ordered his attendants to place his field of strife. Thus equipped, he back against a tree, with his sword directed his sons to place him in a in his hand, and died thus facing his chair, since he could no longer stand: .conquering though commiserating at his behest the piper was called in; enemies. The celebrated Rob Roy, Rob Roy called for the " Macgrewho was certainly unacquainted with gors' Gathering,' or war-pibroch; historical or biographical lore, fol- || and with the martial sounds vibratlowing the customs of Celtic anti- ing on his ear, he expired in the year quity, ordered himself to be raised 1736.” Such and so universal were from the bed of death, clad in his ll the usages of knighthood or chivalry.

THE HEROIC MOTHER. - DURING the usurpation of the had other children to perpetuate their - Scottish throne by Edward Baliol, name; and that the beloved objects the castle of Berwick was besieged before them must die either by old by English forces by sea and land. | age or premature fate: they never Being reduced to extremity, the Scots could resign life more honourably held a temporary truce, agreeing than in the performance of duty to that if the garrison should receive their country; and if by giving up no supplies before a certain day, the his trust previous to the termination governor would surrender. The eld of the truce, the governor could est son of Sir Alexander Seton, the prolong their days, what enjoyment governor, had been taken prisoner could they have in life after the faby the English. The youngest was mily honour had suffered an indelible given as a hostage during the truce. stain? She therefore besought her The King of England had sure in- | husband not to purchase a momentelligence that Earl Douglas was at tary respite from sorrow by everlasthand to relieve Berwick, and though ing disgrace. As she spoke thus she the term of truce had not expired, || drew him away from the soul-rending he sent a herald to tell Seton, that if scene, and King Edward ordered he did not give up the place, both both the young men for execution. his sons should be hanged. In vain | If Queen Philippa had been near, did the distracted father remind Ed- or if any courtiers had spoken truth ward that the term of truce was not like the noble-minded Sir Walter elapsed; a gibbet was erected in full | Manney in behalf of the citizens of - view of the garrison, and the gallant Calais, Edward III. of England 'youths led out to execution. What would not have tarnished his warlike a dreadful conflict between natural renown by a deed which, even if the affection and patriotic fidelity ago Scots had been rebellious subjects, nized the heart of Seton! His ten- | as he was pleased to regard them, der feelings were almost predomi- was vengeance against a brave and nant, when his wife, the mother of faithful commander unworthy of a the victims, reminded him that they il royal leader of hosts.

ON THE WRITINGS OF HENRY MACKENZIE. Or all modern writers, there are || ings on indifferent topics. Mackennone whose productions exhibit such | zie did this, but he is no canter. a tone of exquisite moral delicacy, Religion, exhortation, never came and such a refined and elegant sen more impressively or more aptly from sibility, as those of the venerable au- the lips of the pious pastor, than it thor whose name is prefixed to this does from the pen of this accompaper. Imbued with a deep sense of plished writer. The sceptic and the the duties, as well as the blessings, of || scoffer may think otherwise; they pure religion, and duly impressed may ridicule and laugh to scorn the with the advantages of moral and in- impressive adjurations of the author tellectual rectitude, Henry Macken- of “ The Story of La Roche;" but zie devoted his talents to the incul- || there is many a heart which has cation of every virtue which should beat in unison with tbe writer's senbeautify the heart of man, and to timent, and acknowledged his power, the exposure of those vices which his virtue, and his benevolence.tarnish his noble nature, and debase Mackenzie's writings exhibit neither him even to a lower degree of de- intolerant bigotry, nor gloomy fanagradation than that of the “ beasts ticism. He regards the Creator as which perish." And he adopted the the liberal dispenser of mercy and most effectual means of perfecting loving-kindness, and not as the terrihis purpose, by appealing at once to ble and stern avenger of sins that the feelings rather than to the under- have provoked his wrath. He had standing of his readers; for he has none of that pitiless asperity towards clothed virtue in the glittering rai- those who doubted; on the contrary, ment of beauty and holiness, and he even admits, and we use his own cast around vice the hideous garb of words, that “opposers of Christianbrutal cruelty, despair, and death. ity are found among men of virtuHis sentiment is the sentiment of sin- ous lives, as well as among those of cerity and of truth. It springs from a dissipated and licentious character." a desire to do good, from a laudable His opinion of religion is equally wish to improve his fellows; and is calm and unprejudiced: “It is," he not the morbid fruit of a mind teem || says, “ an energy, an inspiration, ing with sensibility. He wrote as he which I would not lose for all the felt, not merely at the moment, but blessings of sense and enjoyments of ever after, and as he wished others the world: yet so far from lessening to feel; and there is not a single page my relish of the pleasures of life, of his writings (we mean, of course, methinks I feel them heighten them his sentimental writings,) that does all. The thought of receiving it not breathe the pure spirit of uni- || from God adds the blessing of senversal benevolence, of delicate feel- timent to that of sensation in every ing, and of sincere and fervent piety. | good thing I possess; and when ca

There is such a word as cant, and lamities overtake me, and I have had one of its uses is to designate the ef- my share, it confers a dignity on my forts (praiseworthy or not) of those affliction, and so lifts me above the whọ mingle religion with their writ- ll world: man I know is but a worm, yet methinks I am then allied to words. Sentiment forms the basis; God!"

and it is sentiment peculiarly bis own, To a mind thus disposed, the beau- elegant, chaste, and natural. It has ties of external nature must prove a none of the glaring extravagance of source of no ordinary enjoyment; | Sterne; because, for the most part, and this, too, not merely as adminis- it is devoted to the delineation of the tering delight to the inere senses, but more common and every-day occuras indications of that unfailing and rences of lifebountiful power which created “ the “ The common thought of mother Earth, sun, the moon, and all the host of Her simplest mirth and tears ;” heaven.” A mind thus influenced | and, besides, it springs from a purer must gaze upon the hills and vales, fount, and from a source less contaand the starry heavens, with a sen- minated by the conceptions of a prusation very, very different from that rient and fickle mind. Sterne was of the hardened sceptic. In the one, || somewhat of a sensualist; Mackenadmiration and wonder and grati- zie is more of a moralist. There is tude would prevail; while the other a considerable portion of pathos in would be tormenting himself by re- || his productions, of pure, unlabourferring all to the laws of nature and ed, natural pathos; and his must be necessity, without one thought of a | a stoical heart indeed that does not creative power, too stupendous and feel some touches of emotion at the magnificent for his limited compre- perusal of the moving scenes which hension. The heart of the believer, Mackenzie has so tenderly portrayas his eye gazes on the beauties be- i ed. Yet, although his works are fore him, is tortured by no misgiv- calculated, and we know of none ings, shaken by no doubts. He views that are more so, to steal from bis all through the medium of a grate- | readers the tear of pity for woes, ful spirit, and feels that there is in- | which are almost too well depicted deed one mighty Being above, who to be fictitious, there is nothing like watches over our wants with the care gloom or querulous sullenness about ful eye of an indulgent parent : them; on the contrary, there is

“And thus, whene'er ! abundance of sprightliness and goodMan feels as man, the earth is beautiful. humour, mingled with a consideraHis blessings sanctify even senseless things, ble portion of playful and well-diAnd the wide world, in cheerful loneliness,

| rected satire. The chapter in “ The Returns to him its joy. The summer air, Whose glittering stillness sleeps within his Man of Feeling descriptive of ra

Man of Feeling" descriptive of Har

ley's visit to Bedlam will afford coStirs with its own delight. The verdant earth, pious examples of the latter. The Like beauty waking from a happy dream,

characteristics we have mentioned, Lies smiling. Each fair cloud to him appears

with a vivid perception of the manA pilgrim travelling to the shrine of peace; ners of the “ world,” constitute the And the wild wave that wantons on the sea, 'I most obvious qualities of MackenA gay though homeless stranger. Ever blest The man who thus beholds the golden chain

zie's style, and the use which he has Linking his soul to outward nature fair, made of them is what might be na. Full of the living God!”

turally expected from one so highly The character of Mackenzie's writ- gifted as their possessor. We shall îngs may be summed up in a few now proceed to make such extracts

[ocr errors]

from his works as will best eluci- || recommendation, wealth. Harley's date our observations; and if the parents died while he was yet a boy, passages we extract be familiar to and left him to the care of a variety our readers, as doubtless they are to of guardians, who, as is usual in many, we shall make no apology for such cases, cared nothing about their bringing to their recollection such a ward. Arrived at man's estate, he pleasing source of former gratifica- began to consider of some means of tion.

increasing the scanty inheritance left We shall begin with “ The Man him by his parents. There were two of Feeling,” the earliest of our au ways of doing this. One of these thor's productions; and a very ex was the prospect of his succeeding cellent example it is of his less ela- an old lady, a distant relation, who borate but polished style: the hero, was known to be possessed of conHarley, is just such a creation as a siderable property. But to obtain sensitive and well-cultivated mind, this it was necessary to pay all the feelingly alive to the neglect of an court and obedience of a slave to unsympathizing world, would delight the possessor, and this Harley could to muse upon and produce. We can never do. Nay, his conduct rather see, from the very first moment of tended to alienate than gain the goodour introduction to Harley, that he will of his kinswoman. He someis no common man; that his inind is times looked grave when the old latoo finely attuned to the perception dy told the jokes of her youth; he of good and evil, to endure the cold, often refused to eat when she presscommon-place, and unfeeling pur- ed him to do so, or was seldom or suits of the matter of fact and mer- never provided with sugar-candy or cenary beings among wbom he liquorice when she was seized with dwelt. He lived, we are told, among 1 a fit of coughing; and, oh! most monmerchants who had got rich by their strous sin of all, he once fell asleep lawful calling abroad, and among while she was describing the compothe sons of stewards who had got sition and virtue of her favourite chorich by their lawful calling at home; || lic-water! The result is easily suspersons so perfectly versed in the pected: she died and left him noceremonial of thousands, tens of thing. thousands, and hundreds of thou- | The other method recommended sands (whose degrees of precedency to him was, an endeavour to get a are plainly demonstrable from the lease of some crown- lands which first page of " The Complete Ac- lay contiguous to his little paternal comptant, or Young Man's best estate, and which, if he was suc,Pocket Companion,") that a bow at cessful, he might relet with consichurch from them to such a man as derable profit to himself. But in Harley would have made the par- order to procure this it was neces-son look back into his sermon for sary that he should repair to Lonsome precept of Christian humility, don; and to London he accordingly so lightly was Harley esteemed by went. It is now that the most interhis illiterate and purse-proud neigh- l esting portion of the tale commenbours, to whom he was superior inces. A complete child in the ways every respect, save in that resistless of the world, unacquainted with any of its tricks and impositions, and reaches London, and after many gifted moreover with an acute and fruitless applications to the “great dangerous sensibility, he set out on man" who had the disposal of the his journey, with the reluctance of crown-lands, and after several sickone who was leaving all that was ening examples of the knavery and dear to him, for a strange and un cruelty of the “world,” he returns known region. Harley had kind to his native vale, with a broken spifriends to part with. He had his rit, and with a perfect disgust of the good aunt Margery, and his father's “ world and the world's ways." The friends, and honest old Peter, and most interesting adventure which one who was dearer to him than all, occurred to him in the metropolis is Miss Walton, the daughter of a gen the meeting with Miss Atkins. We teman who lived in the neighbour-shall relate it in the author's own hood. Miss Walton is just such a words: being as was likely to inspire Harley. He had walked some time along the with every sentiment of pure and ec Strand, amidst a crowd of those wretchstatic love. Beautiful in mind as es who wait the uncertain wages of prowell as in person, she soon captivat- stitution, with ideas of pity, suitable to ed poor Harley, who dared not as

the scene around and the feeling he pospire to the hand of so excellent and

sessed, and had got as far as Somerset

House, when one of them laid hold of wealthy a maiden; and so he went

his arm, and, with a voice tremulous and his way with sad and aching heart.

faint, asked him for a pint of wine, in a His parting with old Peter, the ser

| manner more supplicatory than is usual vant, is exquisitely told. “ Peter

with those whom the infamy of their stood at the door. We have men

profession had deprived of shame. He tioned this faithful fellow formerly: turned round at the demand, and looked Harley's father had taken him up an steadfastly on the person who made it. orphan, and saved him from being She was above the common size, and cast on the parish; and he had ever elegantly formed; her face was thin and since remained in the service of him hollow, and shewed the remains of tarand his son. Harley shook him by nished beauty. Her eyes were black, the hand as he passed, smiling, as if but had little of their lustre left; her he had said, I will not weep.' He cheeks had some paint laid on without sprung hastily into the chaise that art, and productive of no advantage to waited for him. Peter folded up the

her complexion, which exhibited a deadstep. 'My dear master,' said he,

ly paleness in the other parts of her face.

| Harley stood in the attitude of hesitashaking the solitary lock that hung on either side of his head, I have

tion, which she interpreting to her ad

vantage, repeated her request, and en. been told as how London is a sad

deavoured to force a leer of invitation inplace. He was choked with the

to her countenance. He took her arm, thought, and his benediction could

and they walked on to one of those obnot be heard: but it shall be heard, il sequious taverns in the neighbourhood. honest Peter! where these tears will

where the dearness of the wine is a disadd to its energy."

charge in full for the character of the After sundry adventures, which are house. From what impulse he did this, pleasingly related, particularly the we do not mean to inquire; as it has episode of the Old Beggar, Harley ever been against our nature to search for

« PreviousContinue »