k 1 9 i m bfpr i vol x nec bbq nec populo sed thtroque poetry the ephemera a fa b rk a fervent votaryofthe muses can see and hear- whater ho chooses no barrier can confine a jpind that reaves reality and borao by f untftfisfr to bpheres beyond the reach of eves and ears- fray therefore wonder not that i should write the history of a fly one evening as i ranged the vale inhailuag health from every gale waked by the genial breath of spring 1 ten thousand- flies were on the wing theybnzzm around in busy mood and as their words i understood vu use my privilege of course listen to a sage discourse the tall summit of a nettle wc wm erhemera settle looking wise and mighty proud words like those nddreased the croud while i in this great world have been what wondrous changes have i seen the sun did once tho sky illume now sunk in darkness and in gloom tho trees then wore a verdant hue though now theyre whitend oer with dew the lovely rose has veild her head the tulip too her leaves has shed all nature now is dark and dead but ab tis folly to lament the evils we can not prevent vet still my friends excuse my grief forage in talking finds re lid vor are my hearts warm feelings cold though i am nearly four hours old a mighty age for few wc see of ns ephemeras livo to three nt though so short a time we live how much to folly do we give pow many minutes run to waste jn seeking joys we neer can taste how many spend a lengthend life in envy bickerings and strife ififtd cant enjoy the honeyed dew that bangs upon the violet blue because they see another sip ambrosia from the lilys lip 0 listen friends let me advise whom long experience has made wise hi future let us not destroy that happiness we might cujoy but wiser grown our moments spend in living to some better end than seeking vain but here the sage rftaok on a leaf and died of age i tn this remonstrance of the fly much may to haughty man apply he too invents a thousand ways oflott usure than half his days how much does fickle fashion get hew much we waste ourselves to fret and fight and squabble sigh and pant to gio those things we do not want then let us now improve each hour while yet it lies within our power nor like the fly procrastinate till all amendment is to late let anger hatred envy cease and every heart be tuned to peace aetebe content with what weve got 4 murmcr at anothers lot r waste our time like senseless elves in plaguing others and ourselves feat since i talk of wasting time i too should end this idle rhyme liiterature saturday september 20 128 i narrative of a soldier of the seventyfirst regi ment continued soonafter he set sail with the rest of the regiment for south america being engag ed in the unfortunate expedition under ge neral auchmutyof which he gives a full and very striking detail he was in the mean time not at all popular among his fellow- soldiers their ignorance and grossness was incompatible with his acquired know ledge and consequent refinement and they revenged his shyness by calling inm saucy tom and the methodist he met however with a brave highlander fully as ignorant but far more innocent in whose native goodness and affectionate heart he found some solace donald however will be best described by our narrator himself there was one of my fellowsoldiers jfcmald mdonald who seemed to take pleasure in my company we became at tached to each other hecameupio the same smack with myself he was my bedfellow and became my firm friend often would he get himself into alterca tions on my account donald cou4d read and write this was the sum of his edu cation he was innocent and ignorant of the world only 18 years of age and had never been a night from home before he left his fathers house more than myaelt to be a soldier was the height of bis am bition he had come from near inverness to edinburgh on foot with no other inten tion than to enlist in the 71st his father had been a soldier in if and was now li ving at home after being discharged do nald called it his regiment and would not have taken the bounty from any other- he proceeds to describe his voyage the impression made on him by madeira and the cape of good hope and finally then- arrival at maldonado and what he felt in the first action in which he was engaged he says 44 aiter the firing commenced a still stole aver my whole frame a home among the spaniards beiuj like lociaaer no more into his eyes he said most of the macdoo aids of locbabec a ca tholic on leaving the eountry his new friends were must willing to detain him and he was persuaded to stay ljut tho mas found the way to bis heart by singing the tears started 11 no no ml not stay 111 may be return to lochaber no more the good priest was disappointed saying however with a visible pang it is natural i once lovd spain above all other places in the world he gave them his blessing and ten doubloons each at parting they returned to ireland after seventeen months absence be felt his return with a chastened joy and earnestly ejaculated his thanks for preservation through so many dangers shocked at the same time with tho riots and dissipation with wiich the rest testified their joy on the occasion he wrote home a letter and sent the amount of the ten doubloons he received from tiie good priest he received an answer from his brother inclosing his fathers reply to bis first letter which affords such an admi rable specimen of humble worth and good feeling that we are tempted to insert it though our extracts are already exceeding die due limits dear thomas we received your let ter from the isle of wight which gave us much pleasure i do not mean to add to your sorrows by any reflection upon what is past as you are now sensible of your former faults and the cruelty of your desertion let it be a lesson to you in future it bad nearly been our deaths your mother brothers and myself search ed in every quarter that night you left us but it pleased god we should not find yon had we only known you were alive we would have been happy we praise god you are safe aud send you our torgtveness blessing the money you have sent we mean to assist to purchase your discharge if you will leave the army aud come to us again- you say you have made a vow o remain seven years it was rash to do so if you have vowed solemnly write us on receipt of this that i may know what course to pursue your loving parent the brother letter alas contains an affecting account of this good mans death he received your utter two days before his death he was at tho time propped up in bed he opened it him sell ami ashe read his face beamed wwijoy at so tear ran down his cheeks gal i u fortunate boy may cod b ess ind forgve as 1 do ue fcave aw tho letter tored firm determined torpor bordering on insen sibility i heard an old soldier answer to a youth like myself who enquired what he should do during the battle do your duty when mount video was stormed our soldier was left behind with t e party who were to protect the camp shells fell fast among them a young officer running back and forward in confusion an old soldier said with the gravity of a turk 14 you need not hide sir if there is any thing there for you it will find you out the young man on this stood to his duty and never after betrayed symptoms of con fusion they remained here seven months and our young adventurer seems to have been fully awake to all the glories of a tor rid summer in that beautiful country they suffer do inconvenience but from hem wanted for nothing and dwelt amidst such a luxury of fruit and flowers that had it not been for the pangs of wounded cons- cieoce associated with ijre remenibnvdre of his parents he might have been happy he was one of the youths appointed to guard sir samuel auchmuty and thus escaped fatiguing duty he was billetted on a young widow the maria de parides mentioned in his farewell letter who lived with an aged father and who was very kind to him he describes the man ners dress bahits and superstitions of these people in such a manner as none hut an inmate among them could have done with equal accuracy and the impression left on the readers mind of those simple and ignorant but wellmeaning beings is upon the whole favourable the natives by which he seems to mean the indians he describes as brutish in their mauuers and extravagantly inootent our soldier was an object of kindly solici tude to the good people with whom he lived which they shewed in earnest though gentle endeavours to convert him here follows an account of their painful march turough woods and morasses and of that fatal action m which general whitelock with a most unaccountable infatuation or dered them to attack the town of monte video without ammunition and with bay onets only the soldiers murmured and said they were betrayed tho sequel is but too well known thomas and his companions were forced to surrender and conveyed to prison a hundred of them were after wards marched out and condemned to be shot unless they would surrender up a golden crucifix taken from a churcb and suppossed to be concealed among them it was of great value and the ferocious appearance of the spaniards and indians was very terrible the crucifix was found on the ground and they were marched back in aufoty a good jifiesf visited itim in prison and after being convinced that his couversion was hopeless said have done my duty as a priest aud will now do it as a man and daily brought him some comforts without further mentioning reli gion donald the jidus ackules of our soldier was happy caressed and quite at wo xml to my mother aloud while i read it he seemed to pray fervently he then desired roe to write to you as he would dictate this letter was returned to us again i now send it you under cover of this your mother is well and sends you her blessings but wishes you to leave the army and come home the money you sent just now and the five pounds before will pur chase your discharge deeply sorrowing for the consequences of his imprudence thomas embarked for spain with sir arthur wellesley fought at nneira surveyed the beauties of ciotra with the eye of taste and mourned over its fatal convention speaking of the dif ferent conduct of the french and english at vimeira he says in our first charge i found my mind waver a breathless sation came over me the silence sen- over me the silence was ap palling i looked alongst the line it was enough to assurq me the steady deter mined scon i of my companions assured my heart viol m quiithhlutinu- jiu unlike tho noisy advance of the french c the whole account of the campaign in portugal is given with tho force ami vivacity natural to one to whom swh scenes were nw and beheld with fueling firm ness and intelligence the campaign in spain followed hy the retreat under ge neral sir john moore is given with pain ful accuracy v hurry ovr tbe heart- piercing narrative only quoting the follow ing striking pictnre of misery and fortitude the road was one line of bloody foot marks from the soro fept of the men and on its sides lay the dead and the dying human nature could do no more donald mdonald the hardy highlander began to fail lie as well as myself hadlongbeen barefooted and lame he that had en couraged me to proceednow himself lay down to die for two days he had been almost blind and unable from a severe cold to hold up his head he sat down together not a word escaped our lips we looked aroundthen at each other aud closed our eyes we felt there was no hope we would have given in charge a farewell to our friends but who was to carry it there were not far from us here and there- above thirty in the same situation with ourselves there was nothing but groans mingled with execra tions t be heard between the pauses of the wioi i attempted to pray and re commended myself to god but my mind was so confused i coutd not arrange my ideas 1 almost think i was deranged we had not sat half an hour sleep was stealing upon me when i perceived a bustle around me it was an advanced party etf the french uncoucious of the action 1 started upon my feet levelled my i musket wlhvdh 1 fe sistt retained fiwl and formed with the other stragglers the french faced ahout ami left us there were more of them than of us the ac tion and the approach of danger in a shape which wo had it in our power to repel roused our dormant feelings and we joined at castro the sequel of this disastrous march is too well known we shall however ex tract an affecting account of poor donalds blindness which be lamented in the idiom of his native lauguage and of the reception of the shattered remains of our army in england 41 on the morning of the tenth day after our embarkation i was condoling with donvld who was now quite blind 4 will never be a soldier again o thomas i will be nothing but dounlti the bliud man had i been killed if you had left me to die iu spain it would have heeufr better to have lain still in a wreath ol snow man be all my life a blind beggar a burden on my friends oh if it would please god to take my life from me laud a head old england once again was called from mouth to month lo al lurst 4 1 sjh never sec f cotiauo this is the first affair i have ever been in with you shew me what you an do now or never many instances occur of the humanity and good nature of this ex cellent officer told without eulogium in the simplest manner such as his riding away a mile or two and bringing each of liis men half a pound of tobacco when they were dying with fatigue and hunger ludeed our friend thomas deals neither in praise nor censure and never extends his details beyond his personal observation- no man avowedly tehing what he himself saw and felt could he less an egotist ot the same time he gives in the language of a man of cultivated intellect such pic tures of the famine fatigue and extremity of suffering to which a soldiers life is ex posed more particularly during the penin sular warfare as yet none but a private ccutinel could produce these gloomy scenes of suffering are at times relieved by gleams of calm enjoyment when our ardri who were uniformly kind 10 them our country man felt a glow of scottish recollections narni his heart when he found tl e spanish peasantry every oijiht sur rounded by their children repeating the lords prayer and the twenty third psalm the soldiers became at length so accustom ed to the vicissitudes that awaited them that the moment a full meal or a little wine was procured they diuced suug and hurst into the most extravagant fits of merriment though the enemy in superior force were iu sight every ludierousiucidont nicbt except some younger anes or those who are farthest distant from the schule of whom some consideration most be v had all the lave of the year let the hour of ga thering in tho morning be seven oclock and the hour of skailing six and such a learn latin should always prevent tbe rest a pretty space 5 let the scholars gae to breakfast at nine hours and convene again at ten to denner likewise at twelve and return at one afternune so near as may he for whilk purpose there maun be a sandglass to mea sure the hours 6 lei the master pray gravely and reli giously every morning before the scholars at their first meeting and so at even before he dismiss them 7 let a task beprescrived every morn ing to ilka scholar in the lords prayer belief commands graces or catechism according to their ae and progress whilk let them say every morning before tbeyeo- vlwowrtelniicodcd ui- j the scholars he present at the 6ernions on the lords day that they sit round ahout the raastr silent hearkening modestly anil reverently and have in rodiness w hat they have observed to say on ivionouday morn ing at whilk time asalsoou ilka saturday before they goe heme the master souhi spend a he half hour al least opening up to them the grounds of religion 9 they wha learn latin most have a prufe of that whilk they have learned before to say every morning whilk being aceu- hftd lids effect even when in the midst of i rately examined let their lessons iu author fatigue aud danger one instance of this nature oceured when the 71st were ordered to ford a river during a period of wry hot service there was a mill near the ford many of the men went in when passing and helped themselves to quantities of flour the colonel came and- incensed at this breach of discipline threw a handful of flour on each of the culprits that he might mark the milters as he called them for after punishment meanwhile a hen put her head out of his own pocket while he was riding along tbe line to distinguish those whom he had marked the creature looked to one side and then to the other the men began to laugh he looked as tonished and furious at them when the major calmly advued him to kill o hen and there was no more said of the toillers the account of the attack of fueates de honore is hholutely dramatic e can only afford room r the onset the colon e told us oft in three divi- and grammar if they be that far advanced be taucbt and what difficulty occurs in them let it be pointed out to them let the pairts of their lessou whereof they are to be examined be taruld them whether be longing to etymology or syntax in the au thor aud whatever is to tbem obscure in the grammar 10 let them expone their lesson and confer of the pairts thereof among them selves till nine hours when they enter at ten hours let the master hear them ex pone their author and grammar so much of the author as he nviy overtake let it he ex amined at the same time ami what he mis ses let himovermbp at anein theafternoon that when they are to give an account of their lesson there be nae mair to exa- minebut the grammar let them get a theme to turn in latin every day betwixt eleven and twelve hours before noon whilk also let he a common writing hour to the hail schule let the theme he accu- sjons and gave us orders to charge itp three i rately examined either presently after the i- nark mau ii j you difierent streets of the town and force our way without halting to the other side the general taking off his hat said god or wiih you quick march vvi0uiu0i- ed our arms on reaching the gates we gave three cheers and in we went the inhabitants crying live the e and the piper playing johnny cope- indeed the narrative of this humble writer is always clear and rapid i and often animated and glowing it is not inter rupted by wise reflections nor rncumhered with mawkish sentiment ioufineu to the ranks and the limited range- of bis own duties he does not attempt accounts of battles or cliarauers of leaowis it is merely the actions in which the 71st bore a pan auu tne individual feeling of thomas tiie soldier who far from parading either sensibility or superiority of intellect ho nestly shews in the course of his narrative how much his mind was subdued to his condition aud his feelings bluuted by the constant recurrenee of sights and sounds of liorror even his courage seems at last to have sunk into a mere mechanical in- uillerence to outw ard circumstances i his gradual dereliction of the nubler feelings items ever growing upon him so that in the hour of victor itself 4 the pride pomp and circumstance of glorious war that make ambition virtue seem to have lost their power even over his young and ardent mind such is the crushing influence of those perpetual hard ships and privations that force the mind at length to 6eek relief in apathy all this is ill be best explained by bis accouut ol the battle of v aterloo qr rather of the parts his own regiment had in it for he pretends touothiug more wo it contuiued sould learn them the jbrnre of courtesy to be used towards himself in the schule their parents at tame gentlemen eidermen and others of honest fashion abroad he sould put in their moulhs styles of com- pellation suitable to ilk anes place to whom they speak and how to compose i heir coun tenance hands feet wheu ony spoke them and that they be taught to ah n- donall uncivil gestures as shaking of head arms etc 15 and because mony- far jess the ten der youth are unable to abide continual bensad of learning let them have for pie- serving and sharpening their ingiucs s ire recreation on the ordioardays tytediy thursday and saturday in the afternnie for the space of an hour rq the winter or ivoru october to febr two hours the rest of the year but let the master see that they play not ony unlawful or ob scene pastime or such as mavaither reldi- ly defile or rend their clothes or hurt their kirk yard nor ony pain ot it whilk is rfor- mito ium sanctorum a place for naoordiner civil employment let be lndicronsit servjnt fur mourning rather than for playing and sporting whilk sould he kept honestly sepa rate for its awn use 16 and finally as without disci line nae company can be kept in ordersaclt of all unbride youlh therefore it shall 0 necessary that there shnll he in the set i e a common censor wha shall remark all faults delate them to the master of which count shall he taken ance a week and for mare perfyte understanding of the chil drens behaviour there shallbe a clandes tine censor of whom nane shall know hut the master that he may secretly acquaint theme ter with all things and according to the quality of the faults the roaster si il inflict punishment striking snmeon the lufo with a birk wand or pair of taws others on the hips as their faults deserve but none at ony time or in ony case on the head or cheeks and herein csrecially is the mas ter to kvthe his prudence in taking up the several inclinations of his scholars and ap plying himself thereunto commendations allurements fairwordssome little rewards drawing from vice and provoking to vir tue such as may be won thereby and others he moderate severity if that be fund mast convenient for their stubborness and let tiie wise master rather by agrave and an authoritative countenance repress inso lence and gain every one to his duty than hy strokes yet not neglecting the rod when it is needful m o tears aiin it is me mat is the poor a hundred ideas rushed upon my mind and overcame me donald clasped me to his breast our tears flowed jjniuterrupted 41 wc anchored the same day at fly- mouth but were not allowed to land our colonel kept us on board until we got new clothing lpon our landiug the people came round us showing all manner of kindness carrying the lame and leading the blind ve were received into ever house as if we had been their own relations how proud did i feel to beloug to such a people donald however recovered his sight and embarked with others for the alchereu expedition a period of our history never to he recollected without sorrow and shame thomas gives a concise and distinct ac couut of tbe transactions there uothin extenuating and setting down nought in malice here he was eight w eeks confined iu the hospital with the fatal fever of the country- one day he felt with unspeakable delight that he was able to move about holding by the wall he anticipated the feeliug of fresh air and the reviving force of nature with new pleasure he opened the door and the first object that met him on the thrcshhold was his friend donald on the dead barrow newly carried out from tiie hospital he retired in horror and was so imprest by the circumstance that for some time after when a door suddenl opened he started hack with involuntary horror as at some apparition again he embarked with his regiment for i isbou they were commanded by the brave colonel cadogan his first speech to ticn 0 meeting u enemy we quote for i its cottciseneeb and bunpiicny aiy lads m auu he dttwittfu at me httsetuutf at discipline of a parish school is scotland in 1640 jaaxutr 1640 orders to be mibiicrived be mm whu shall have charge of instructing the youth heieafttr at thttik of dundonald tvhereuntil kn shall tic himself under pain of disposition from his ojfict yn ciseoffaifzie after du trial and admonitions 1 the master shall attend at all times when the children are in schnle and not suffer himself to be withdraw u hy drink ing playing or any other avocation z if ony inevitable necessity draw him away a whole day or pain of it he shall not fail to have some other in his absence to tcacii the scholars aud keep tuem iu order 3 if it shall happen that the master have necessary business to withhold him longer nor the space of one day he shall acquaint tie session therewith or at lest the minis ter if the haste of the business cannot ad mit delay till the session meet tlmt he may obtene liberty thereto 4 let the eiildcr in the months of oc tober november dcccnher jannar fe- iiruar nteti i urimtk -in-ns- ma ing of it or when they say their h son lot every days lesson be said before they scail both playdays and othersthat itpre- yhfeuniiyii iiojutup iuiov- 11 because nae certain number of les sons can be appointed to them wha learn scottish to get it being a thing that de pends on the time of the year the number of scholars and their proficiency in res pect whereof some will have mair to say at a lesson and others less whilk will take up time accordingly therefore in this let the master do all that possibly may be and that there be nae neglect therein let tl e minister with the best skilled of the gentlemen every quarter oftbe year at least s a i hy the master of the schule till iu their presence he have hearkened through all the children learning scottish that ac cording to the time spent therein whilk they shall measure with a glass they maj direct the master how many lessons lit may give them in the morning before au afternune whilk their direction the mas ter shall be bund to fulfil as if here it were particularly expressed at whilk time 1- so tbe said minister and gentlemen shell take inspection of the estate of the schult try tbe childrens proficiency and the mas ters diligence and fidelity in fulfilling all the points of his charge and shall make- report to the session that tbe master may be commended and encouraged or rebuk ed and admonished according as the mat ter shall require and if it shall he fund that the master uses ony fraud to elude the trial as that he cause the childer to say longer lessons that day than they use or- dinarilie or ony such that this shall be ane fault meriting removal from his charge 12 for the childrens better profitioglet those who are farther advanced reading scottish whether print or writ each of them have the charge of a young scholar wham he shall make perfyte of his leson gainst the time come be shall he called to say on the negligent pairtys peril whilk of the twa soever it shall be fund to have been and let the elder scholars themselves speer at the master what words they are igno rant of in their awn lesson it being al ways provided that the elder scholars fur- dering of the youuger hinder not himself in his learning 13 let a special care he had of the chil dren writing who are meet for it let the hour named betwixt eleven aud twelve be allotted to that exercise everyday and far- irrto those w base special aim that is le the master make or mend their pens rule their paper set their copies take in spection particularly of every anes writing point out their faults and learn them be ocular demonstration in liis a in practice be fore tliem how to mend the master most lead the hands of young begijincrs- uiitnl over their hciid fcfl fhen- direction aud he going through all for their furderiuce 11 as the master sould he careful and conscientious to teach his scholars gnde burning sae sould he also learn them gude otoners how to carry themselves fashion ably towards all and for ibis purpose a long story ilka thing has anend- scots proverb gony test miss winnm and her whole par- tv should have fallen from- the lower point iiito that frrghtful abyss which drinks up the fall of foyers died of seasickuss n the steamboat among the kicking whvea of loch ness tumbled over the precipice at the dream or at any rate lorpn their midland frit cdsanong the fine stents and more fascinating u oners o the ortb we had our fears dipclled ano otr ap prehensions removed by the rece pt ej a packet this let us know that our wor thy friends have escaped all these daogeis and many more and that they were at the time when it was written living in all tiie glory o highland hospitality will our muchesteemed macdonalo of loch invert who as the fishingseason had nearly clos ed was to take them through the isles in his own yacht and land them at fort pa trick before the equiooxial gales on his way to liverpool thcgond lady be pot written to us herself and she enjoineo ur j ou whom the task devolved to say nothing about the journey as each his kept a journal apart ano miss v wishes that they all should con pare notes before any thing see the light indeed we ate half afraid that a hook is to be the rcsuh a- domed with miss elliots characteristic and faithful sketcbes which the doctor c nteb to admiration but this fear is entrt tou gentle reader aud we set it down just that by so doing we may in goctl time reduce it to no fear at all still the doctor is as rea dy to exhibit favours as medicines and so though in strictohedience to the injunction of miss winram which wc would be the last to advise him to forget he has not touched either upon the rout or the occur rences of the grand tour yet he has ob ligingly sent us an episode with whicl we shall keep our printer going in the men time it seems that though the party had re ceived the most kind aud hospitable atten tion at guisichan and though the good folks there had all uuhnowu to ftiiss winram fortified i er sic of the gig with iuferior and initial pillows yet hy tho timethat they reached the vw ui kiulail she was so much joliethatsho was forced to rest a day at shcal house miss elliot remained with her out ofcour- tcsv and so the doctor and hevneplcw were forced to spend that day by them selves tjievr first attempt was to ciinib mquurourar but as they had no guide they were unsuccessful theiaboiir shar pened their appetite however sp they returned to tsltclhousc am after finish- how much ihg a gilse aud 1 do not uow now n mutton and brand iwhisk is rather a ra rity in that quarter ihey crossed the head of loch luich in coble v tf on of ascending tuluch av not to he again disappoint inquiry for guide the dii house of a heepiaruier ihc intcuti- kesoiviug thiy male t is at o jh