Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

(bareing his breast): here is the hatchet, take it and strike. They answered his harangue with one united voice," we will not, we cannot, we want you here, for if age has taken your strength, it has left your wisdom and experience."

BATTLE OF NAVARINO.

THE sensation created by the late memorable Naval Victory, in the Harbour of Navarino, has made us take a glance at the pages of History, where we find the following curious circumstances relative to the town, and its bay,—where the combined powers of England, France, and Russia, took signal vengeance on the Turks for their late dishonourable conduct. First, we find, according to classic lore, that Navarino, under the ancient name Pylus, was the birth-place of the vener able ad experienced Nestor, who sailed with ninety ships against Troy. Secondly, we find, that the bay was the scene of action as far back as June, 1246, when a fleet was taken in the harbour belonging to the Turks under Selista Bassa, destined for the Seige of Candia; and again we find, that the Venetians who were masters of the

of

town of Navarino by conquest, had it retaken from them by their enemy the Turks in 1499. Thirdly, the day of the month on which the above victory was obtained, namely the twenty first of October, was the anniversary of the battle of Salamis, when the invading army of Xerxes was defeated by the Greeks, and on which the celebrated Greek Trajic poet Euripides was born; and lastly, the attack which has added another laurel to the honour of British valour was made on the eve of the anniversary of the glorious Victory of Trafalgar, which closed the eventful career of our beloved countryman Lord Nelson.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

in his History of America, that he died at Valladolid, on the 20th of May, 1506, making no mention of the place of his interment. And is silent about any Epitaph on his tomb. Another writer speaks as to his being interred in the Cathedral of Seville, where a monument was erected to his memory, with this inscription:

"To Castile and Leon Columbus has given a New World."

Leading us to suppose his information was of a work, by an Old Writer, bearing correct, but on looking into the pages date 1652, containing an account of the City of Seville, the following mention is made of this great navigator, and his Epitaph :

"At this place resteth the body of the New World, with this Epitaph on his Christopher Columbus, the discoverer of

tomb:-

[blocks in formation]

No sycophant he, as true candour must vouch,
Though without any disinclination to Crouch,
To those who were "pleased to be pleased,"
few would bring

More talent for rational mirth; let him sing,
Say, mimic, or blunder, he kept up the ball;
Was severe upon none, unaffected to all:
He pleased by a manner completely his own,
The theatre, festival, cottage, or throne;
Placed high on a sixpenny seat, none so low
But cried "Bravo Mike Kelly!" or next would
To see Michael where rank with philanthropy

you go,

reign'd

You'd find to invite him his king not disdain'd. Though puritan zeal Mike's profession should Such self-esteemed betters than him may

curse,

prove worse;

For tranquil, nay cheerful, to death he resign'd him,

When he left many saints, and more sinners behind him.

Diary and Chronology.

JANUARY the First Month of the Year, is named from Janus the two-faced god, to whom it was sacred, Juno being its tutelar divinity, according to the Romans, the artificers of which country, (Rome,) were desirous on the first day of this month to commence such works as they contemplated the completion of within the course of the Year. According to Verstegan's Restitution of decayed Intelligence, the Saxon's called this month "Wolfmonat," or Wolf-month; from the wolves, the inhabitants of our ancient forests, impelled by hunger and the inclemency of the season, being wont to prowl for food to the terror of human nature. The Saxons also called this month Aefter Yule, from following after Christmas, or Yule-tide.

DATE. DAYS.

Jan. 1.Tues.

DIARY.

New Yrs Day. Circumcision. St. Fulgentius, St. Mochual St. Fanchea (Ir. Saints.) Holliday at the Pub Offices. Sun rises 5m. after 8, sets 55m after 3. High Water at Lond. Brid. Morn. 24m.. aft. 1. Aftn.

48m aft. 1. - 2Wed. St. Macarius, and St Adalard.

Full moon 56m

aft. 5 morn.
Venus an even
star until 27
July
Jup. a morn do
till 29 Aug.
Sun sets 4m.
before 4.

3 Thurs St. Genevievel

4 Fri.

Patroness of
Paris.
St.Anteras.
St. P. Balsam
St. Titus, St
Gregory, St
Rigobert, St
Rumon.
Sun rises 4m.
after 8

5 Sat. Saint Simeon

Stylites.
Sun rises 3m.
after 8-sets
3-before 4

[blocks in formation]

Jan. 1. According to the Romans this day was sacred
to Janus, god of gates and avenues, to Juno,
Jupiter, and Esculapius the god of Physic.
William the Conqueror crowned King at West-
minster, 1067, after the battle of Hastings,
Harold the Danish Monarch being slain.
Sir John Hotham and his son beheaded, 1645.
Norfolk Town, Virginia, United States,
destroyed by the British forces 1776.
Violent Storm in Denmark, which blew down

the steeple of the great church, & numbers of houses, and tore up entire forests, 1515. The Greeks being master of the Morea, threw

off the Turkish Yoke, and declared the
independence of the Greek Nation, 1822.
Union of Great Britain with Ireland, 1801.
St. Macarius of Alexandria, A. D. 394.
2St. Adalard, grandson of Charles Martel.
Born 754, died 827.

Ovid the Latin Poet, born at Sulmo, and died
A. D. 17, ÆT 60 years.

Livy the Historian died the same year.

This day was considered by the Romans an
unfortunate day.

French troops evacuated Koningsburg, 1813.
Dr. John Mason Good, M. D. died 1827.

ÆT 62, author and editor of several works, and principal contributor to the Pantalogia. St. Genevieve, born at Nanterre, 422, and 3 died on this day 512, ÆT 90.

Departure of Lord Castlereagh to the Head
Quarters of the Allied Powers to treat for
Peace, 1814.

St. Rumon, according to Butler, was a Bishop, but when born, and of what nation, 4 is unknown. He is said to have consecrated a Monastery, built by Ordgar, Count or Devon.

Roger Ascham, latin secretary to Queen
Elizabeth, died 1568, ÆT 53.

5 St. Simeon Stylites is noticed by Butler as a
man that astonished the whole Roman
Empire by his Mortifications, he was
buried at Antioch. Great Miracles were
wrought at his sepulture.

The Eve of the Epiphany; in Germany the custom of electing of Kings by the bean. Death of HRH. the Duke of York 1827 ÆT 63 Edward the Confessor died 1066, ÆT 65, the first King of England that touched for the evil

[graphic][merged small]

FROM the recent published Memoirs ofthe Life of the Right Honourable George Canning, which has been ascribed to the pen of Dr. Styles, we give a few extracts. Though considerable care and assiduity has been used in the compilation of these volumes, little more has been done than might have been effected by a recurrence to the public press, from the time Mr. Canning first entered parliament. Feeling confident that most of our readers must be tolerably conversant with the birth, parentage and authorship of this great man, from the many sketches of his life, that were published before, and at the time of his death, we shall confine ourselves to the reverend author's account of the duel, and how occasioned, which took place between Lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning, on the 21st Sept. 1809; the anecdote of Mr. C.'s benevolence; the Epitaph on the Marquis of Anglesea's leg, which we insert for the purpose of correcting the error that has arisen by the jeu d'esprit being attributed to Mr. Canning, when the author of it was a Mr. Gaspey, (a gentleman known to the literary world as the author of several novels, and other able miscellaneous proVOL. I. C

See page 24.

ductions ;) and the character of Mr. Canning, political and literary, as summed up by his biographer.

DUEL OF MR. CANNING, AND LORD
CASTLEREAGH.

"We have now arrived at the period when it is our painful task to record a transaction which reflects no honour on the parties concerned, except that they proceeded to their meditated work of mutual destruction with a cool and determined courage; the one thirsting for revenge, the other most willing to render satisfaction. Good God! the satisfaction of inflicting or receiving the direst injury that one human being can experience from the hands of another! We refer to the duel which took place between Lord Castlereagh, and Mr. Canning.

Duelling is a barbarous relic of other times, and ought long ago to have vanished with wager of battle, to which it is nearly allied, and the other ferocities of a half civilized state. It is little to the credit of our boasted improvement in manners, that the pettiest quarrels are now terminated by a deliberate act of murder, which involves, in many instances, the double guilt of revenge and suicide; or it is avoided by a shuffling meanness, which creeps through 2-SATURDAY, JAN. 19, 1828.

an affront, destitute altogether of that noble magnanimity which either forgives or disdains retaliation, from a sense of conscious rectitude, and the fear of offending Almighty God. We feel, indeed, that on this, and many other points, professed Christians are practical atheists; and that to urge upon them the dictates of Christianity, and the obligation of the divine law, would be only to expose both ourselves and their religion to the utmost derision and contempt. If every instance where the lives of the murderers who meet to consummate a duel are put in jeopardy involves a high degree of moral guilt, this guilt must be deeply aggravated where the parties occupy stations of great responsibility. Parents and husbands live not for themselves only, but for those who depend upon them, and to whose comfort and happiness their continuance in this world seems to be indispensable. When, in addition to these natural relations, there are annexed those which involve the prosperity of nations -when the individuals sustain the weight of empire, and have duties to perform which embrace the entire circles of society, such men are bound by the most sacred considerations to live for that community which has intrusted its interests to their hands. To stake a nation's weal against

a personal affront, and to sacrifice one's country because we have quarrelled with a friend, or provoked an enemy, is a baseness for which nothing can atone.

As to the affair of honour, which had nearly deprived the country in one moment of two members of parliament, and the cabinet of its most important ministers, it seems to us, in the one case, to have been precipitated by blinded rage, and to have been yielded to in the other merely because it was demanded ;-perhaps the severe law of custom left no alternative. In high life, as it is called, if a man is challenged, he must fight. The question, then, to be answered is, whether Lord Castleagh was justified, according to the usage of society, in this particular, in calling out his right honourable antagonist. For our own parts, we are so dull and unapprehensive, that we cannot perceive that the noble lord's honour was at all wounded in the matter of his complaint. That his feelings were irritated, and that, mortified to the quick, he wanted some victim on which to wreak that indignation which he was not then prepared to vent upon himself, we can. easily imagine. But it does not appear to us that his charge of duplicity against his colleague is at all made out. The head and front of Mr. Canning's offending was sim

ply, that instead of communicating immediately to the noble lord what, from a younger man than his lordship, might have been deemed by him an arrogant assumption of superiority, Mr. Canning conferred with the head of the administration on the subject; he tendered his own resignation, which that noble person refused to accept, and he consented to remain in office only on condition that the Duke of Portland, and the elder members of the cabinet, would take upon themselves the delicate task of inducing Lord Castlereagh to exchange the war department for another more suited to his talents, and for which he was better qualified. This the parties to whom the affair was intrusted neglected to do, and by a breach of confidence, on whom chargeable it is not known, Lord Castlereagh was informed that Mr. Canning had demanded his dismission. On this slight and insufficient ground the noble lord immediately wrote to Mr. Canning, in the moment of feverish irritation, and while the failure of the expedition to the Scheldt, like a fiery viper, was gnawing upon his heart. But for the agitation of his mind, his lordship must have perceived, that Mr. Canning had only exercised his right of acting with whom he pleased, and that, in tendering his resignation, in order that he might leave the noble lord in full possession of his power, the responsibility of which he was no longer willing to share with him, he had thrown the onus of his dismission upon his superiors in the cabinet, who, as they had determined to retain Mr. Canning, and to dismiss the minister at war, ought to have charged themselves with the whole transaction, without betraying the confidence, which would not have been reposed in them, had they simply permitted him to retire."

BENEVOLENCE OF MR. CANNING.

"Mr. Canning's whole life bore ample testimony to his benevolence. He was eminently distinguished by the charities of human nature, and was perpetually diffusing happiness around the circle in which he moved. No man could be more alive

to appeals made to his compassion. By his humane interference, he saved the life of one of the Cato-street conspirators. It is said that, being on a visit at his friend's house, Mr. Ellis, now Lord Seaford, at Seaford, in taking one of his early morning walks, he was caught in a very violent squall, when he was invited into the signal house on Beachy Head, occupied by a lieutenant in the navy, where every civility was paid him as a stranger, then wholly unknown to the inmates. Mr. Canning, while taking his homely breakfast under this hospitable roof, amused himself with noticing the younger branches of the

29 66

Mr.

family, which were numerous. Canning said to the veteran, “Why do you not send the boy to sea ?" " How can I afford that?" replied the lieutenant; “I assure you, sir, it is with difficulty I find the means of filling out their jackets; would to God I could send him to sea!" "And then," said Mr. Canning, "of what profession are your daughters, how do they employ themselves?-one, I see, is grown up.' Why, sir, this eldest girl is astonishingly clever at her needle, and I should like to have her sent to some dress-maker's." The stranger guest departed; but in a few days the boy was sent for, fitted out as a midshipman, and is now a lieutenant; the girl was provided with the situation suited to her talents, with a lady in Pall Mall, and is since respectably married. The whole expense was defrayed by their generous morning guest, and the tears of this veteran's family follow him to the grave.”

EPITAPH ON THE MARQUIS OF
ANGLESEA'S LEG.

Here rests-and let no saucy Knave,
Presume to sneer and laugh,

To learn that mouldering in the grave
Is laid a British Calf!

.

For he who writes these lines is sure

That those who read the whole,
Will find such laugh was premature,
For here, too, lies a sole.

And here five little ones repose,
Twin born with other five,
Unheeded by their brother toes,
Who all are now alive.

A leg and foot-to speak more plain-
Rest here, of one commanding,
Who, though his wits he might retain,
Lost half his understanding.

And when the guns, with thunder fraught,
Pour'd bullets thick as hail,
Could only in this way be taught
To give the foe leg bail.
And now in England, just as gay

As in the battle brave,
Goes to the ront, review, or play,

With one foot in the grave.
Fortune in vain here show'd her spite,
For he will still be found,

Should England's sons engage in fight,

Resolved to stand his ground.

But fortune's pardon I must beg:

She meant not to disarm ;
And when she lopp'd the hero's leg,

She did not seek his h-arm;
And but indulged a harmless whim,
Since he could walk with one,

She saw two legs were lost on him

Who never meant to run,

CHARACTER OF MR. CANNING.

It was at the close of his public career, that he became the legislator of experience --not the puny and trammelled experience of a statesman by trade, who trembles at

« AnteriorContinua »