,,blackwood',s ,,edinburgh ,,magazine 99 99 99 99 99 ,no4 ,,cccxxx4 ,,april1 #ahdc4 ,,vol4 ,,liii4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,contents ,,the ,,practise ,,of ,,agriculture1 ,,poems ,,and ,,ballads ,,of ,,schiller4--,,no4 ,,vii41 ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,shepherds1 ,,the ,,founding ,,of ,,the ,,bell4 ,,by ,,charles ,,mackay1 ,,ammalat ,,bek4 ,a ,,true ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,caucasus ,,from ,,the ,,russian ,,of ,,marlinsky4--,,chapter ,,iii41 ,,occupation ,,of ,,aden1 ,,sonnet1 ,,caleb ,,stukley4 ,,part ,,xiii41 ,,imaginary ,,conversation1 ,,between ,,mr4 ,,walter ,,savage ,,landor ,,and ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,blackwood',s ,,magazine1 ,,the ,,burial ,,march ,,of ,,dundee1 ,,lord ,,ellenborough ,,and ,,the ,,whigs1 99 99 99 99 99 ,,edinburgh3 ,,william ,,blackwood ,,and ,,sons1 #de1 ,,george ,,street2 ,,and #bb1 ,,pall-,,mall1 ,,london4 ,to whom ,communications 7post-paid7 may be addressed4 ,,sold ,,also ,,by ,,all ,,the ,,booksellers ,,in ,,the ,,united ,,kingdom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,printed ,,by ,,ballantyne ,,and ,,hughes1 ,,edinburgh4 ,,blackwood',s ,,edinburgh ,,magazine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,no4 ,,cccxxx4 ,,april1 #ahdc4 ,,vol4 ,,liii4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,practice ,,of ,,agriculture ,skilful practice is applied science4 ,this fact is illustrated in every chapter of the excellent and comprehensive work now before us #a4 ,in a previous article1 7see the number for ,june #ahdb17 we illustrated at some length the connexion which now exists1 and which hereafter must become more intimate1 between practical agriculture and modern science4 ,we showed by what secret and silent steps the progress and gradual diffusion of modern scientific discoveries had imperceptibly led to great improvements in the agriculture of the present century--by what other more open and manifest applications of science it had directly1 and in the eyes of all1 been advanced--to what useful practical discussions the promulgation of scientific opinions had given rise--and to what better practice such discussions had eventually led4 ,above all1 we earnestly solicited the attention of the friends of agriculture to what science seemed not only capable of doing1 but anxious also to effect1 for the further advance of this important art--what new lessons to give1 new suggestions to offer1 and new means of fertility to place in the hands of1 the skilful experimental farmer4 ,it is but a comparatively short time since that article was written1 and yet the spread of sound opinion1 of correct and enlightened views1 and of a just appreciation1 as well of the aids which science is capable of giving to agriculture1 as of the expediency of availing ourselves of all these aids1 which within that period has taken place among practical men1 has really surprised us4 ,nor have we been less delighted by the zeal with which the pursuit of scientific knowledge1 in its relations to agriculture1 has been entered upon in every part of the empire--by the progress which has been made in the acquisition of this knowledge--and by the numerous applications already visible of the important principles and suggestions embodied in the works then before us1 7,,johnston's ,lectures and ,elements of ,agricultural ,chemistry and ,geology47 ,but on this important topic we do not at present dwell4 ,we may have occasion to return to the subject in a future number1 and in the mean time we refer our readers to the remarks contained in our previous article4 ,the truly scientific man--among those1 we mean1 who devote themselves to such studies as are susceptible of important applications to the affairs and pursuits of daily life--the truly scientific man does not despise the practice of any art1 in which he sees the principles he investigates embodied and made useful in promoting the welfare of his fellow-men4 ,he does not even undervalue it--he rather upholds and magnifies its importance1 as the agent or means by which his greatest and best discoveries can be made to subserve their greatest and most beneficent end4 ,in him this may possibly arise from no unusual liberality of mind2 it may spring from a selfish desire to see the principles he has established or made his own carried out to their legitimate extent1 and their value established and acknowledged--for it is the application of a principle that imparts to it its highest value4 ,footnote #a3 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,farm4 ,by ,henry ,stephens4 ,science is to practical skill in the arts of life as the soul is to the body4 ,they are united as faith and works are in concerns of higher moment4 ,as both1 though separately good1 must yet be united in the finished ,christian1 so the perfection of husbandry implies the union of all the lights of existing theoretical knowledge with all the skill of the most improved agricultural practice4 ,though such is the belief of those scientific men who are able and willing to do the most for practical agriculture1 who see most clearly what can be done for it1 and the true line along which agricultural improvement may now most hopefully direct her course--yet with this opinion the greater part of practical men are still far from sympathizing4 ,some voices even--becoming every day more feeble1 however1 and recurring at more distant intervals--continue to be raised against the utility and the applications of science2 as if practice with stationary knowledge were omnipotent in developing the resources of nature2 as if a man1 in a rugged and partially explored country1 could have too much light to guide his steps4 ,in the history of maritime intercourse there was a time when the timid seaman crept from port to port1 feeling his cautious and wary way from headland to headland1 and daring no distant voyage where seas1 and winds1 and rocks1 unknown to him1 increased the dangers of his uncertain life4 ,then a bolder race sprung up--tall ships danced proudly upon the waves1 and many brave hearts manned and guided them2 yet still they rarely ventured from sight of land4 ,men became bewildered still1 perplexed1 and full of fear1 when sea and sky alone presented themselves4 ,but a third period arose--and in the same circumstances1 men not more brave appeared collected1 fearless1 and full of hope4 ,faith in a trembling needle gave confidence to the most timorous1 and neither the rough ,atlantic nor the wide ,pacific could deter the bold adventurer1 or the curious investigator of nature4 ,and yet it was not till this comparatively advanced stage of the nautical art--when man had obtained a faithful guide in his most devious and trackless wanderings--when he was apparently set free from the unsteady dominion of the seas and of the fickle winds--and amid his labyrinthine course could ever and at once turn his face towards his happy and expectant home2--it was not till this period that science began to lend her most useful and most extensive aids1 and that her value in the advancement of the sailor's art began to be justly appreciated4 ,the astronomer forthwith taught him more accurately to observe the heavens1 and compiled laborious tables for his daily use4 ,geography and hydrography obtained higher estimation1 and harbour-engineering and ship-building were elevated into more important separate arts1 chiefly from their applications to his use4 ,nautical schools and nautical surveys1 and lighthouse boards1 with all their attendant scientific researches1 and magnetic observations1 and voyages of discovery all sprung up--at once the causes and the consequences of the advancement of his art towards perfection2 and latest1 though yet far from being the last1 all the new knowledge that belongs to steam-navigation has been incorporated in the vast body of nautical science4 ,the further an art advances1 the more necessary does science become to it4 ,thus it is with agriculture4 ,it cannot be denied that the tillage of the soil1 with almost every other branch of husbandry1 has made large strides among us--that we have more productive and better cultivated provinces1 and more skilful farmers1 than are to be found in any other part of the world in which equal disadvantages of climate prevail4 ,any one will readily satisfy himself of this1 who1 with an agricultural eye1 shall visit the other parts of ,europe to which the same northern sky is common with ourselves4 ,and it is because we have reached this pitch of improvement--at which many think we ought to be content to stop--because we have dismissed our frail and diminutive boats1 and sail now in majestic and decorated ships1 provided with such abundant stores that we need not1 night by night1 to seek the harbour for new supplies--that we begin to feel the want of some directing principle--to look about for some favouring star to guide our wanderings upon the deep4 ,to the tremblirg needle of science we must now turn to point our way4 ,feeble and uncertain it may itself appear--wavering as it directs us--and therefore by many may be depreciated and despised--yet it will surely lead us right if we have faith in its indications4 ,let the practical man then build his ships skilfully and well after the best models1 and of the soundest oak--let their timbers be ,kyanized1 their cables of iron1 their cordage and sails of the most approved make and material--let their sailors be true men and fearless1 and let stores be providently laid in for the voyage2 but let not the trembling needle of science be forgotten2 for though the distant harbour he would gain be well known to him--without the aid of the needle he may never be able to reach it4 ,in thus rigging out his ship--in other words1 in fitting up his farm and doing all for it1 and upon it1 which experience and skilful practice can suggest--he cannot have a better guide than the book now before us4 ,,the ,,book ,,of ,,the ,,farm is not a mere didactic treatise on practical agriculture1 of which we already possess several of deserved reputation2 nor yet a laborious compilation1 systematically arranged1 of every thing which1 in the opinion of the author1 it should interest the farmer to know4 ,of such ,cyclopdias1 that of ,loudon will not soon find a rival4 ,but1 as its name implies1 ,the ,book of the ,farm contains a detail of all the operations1 the more minute as well as the greater1 which the husbandman will be called upon to undertake upon his farm--in the exact order in point of time in which they will successively demand his attention4 ,beginning at the close of the agricultural year1 when the crops are reaped and housed1 and the long winter invites to new and peculiar1 and1 as they may be called1 preparatory labours1 the reader is taught what work in each succeeding month and season should be undertaken--why at that season for what purpose it is to be done-in what way it can best be performed--how at the least cost of money and the smallest waste of time--and how the master may at all times ascertain if his work has been efficiently performed4 ,we confess that we have been much struck with the wide range of practical subjects on which the author gives1 in such a way a to show that he is himself familiar with them1 the most minute directions for the guidance at once of the master farmer himself1 and for the direction of those who are under his orders4 ,we have satisfied ourselves that by carefully examining the contents of this one book1 we should be prepared not merely to pass an examination1 but actually to undertake the office of public examiner in any or all of the several crafts and mysteries of the farm-builder1 the weather-seer1 the hedge-planter1 the ditcher1 the drainer1 the ploughman1 the cattle-feeder1 the stock-buyer1 the drover1 the pig-killer1 the fat cattle seller1 the butcher1 the miller1 and the grieve or general overseer of the farm4 ,we know not what other gentle crafts the still unpublished parts of the work may hereafter teach us2 but so faithfully and so minutely1 in general so clearly1 and with so much apparent enjoyment1 does the author enter into the details of all the above lines of life1 that we have been deceived 7we suppose7 into the persuasion that ,mr4 ,stephens must1 in his lifetime1 have played many parts--that he has himself1 as occasion offered1 or as work fell in his way1 engaged in every one of these as well as of the other varied occupations it falls in his way to describe4 ,how1 otherwise1 for instance1 should he so well understand the duties and habits1 and sympathize with the privations and simple enjoyments of the humble and way-worn drover8-- ,a drover of sheep should always be provided with a dog1 as the numbers and nimbleness of sheep render it impossible for one man to guide a capricious flock along a road subject to many casualties2 not a young dog1 who is apt to work and bark a great deal more than necessary1 much to the annoyance of the sheep--but a knowing cautious tyke4 ,the drover should have a walking stick1 a useful instrument at times in turning a sheep disposed to break off from the rest4 ,a shepherd's plaid he will find to afford comfortable protection to his body from cold and wet1 while the mode in which it is worn leaves his limbs free for motion4 ,he should carry provision with him1 such as bread1 meat1 cheese or butter1 that he may take luncheon or dinner quietly beside his flock1 while resting in a sequestered part of the road2 and he may slake his thirst in the first brook or spring he finds1 or purchase a bottle of ale at a roadside ale-house4 ,though exposed all day to the air1 and even though he feel cold1 he should avoid drinking spirits1 which only produce temporary warmth1 and for a long time after induce chilliess and languor4 ,much rather let him reserve the allowance of spirits he gives himself until the evening1 when he can enjoy it in warm toddy beside a comfortable fire1 before retiring to rest for the night4 --,vol4 ii4 p4 #hi4 ,then how knowingly he treats of the fat upon the sheep3-- ,the formation of fat in a sheep commences in the inside1 the net of fat which envelopes the intestines being first formed4 ,after that1 fat is seen on the outside1 and first upon the end of the rump at the tail head1 which continues to move on along the back1 on both sides of the spine to the bend of the ribs1 to the neck4 ,then it is deposited between the muscles1 parallel with the cellular tissue4 ,meanwhile it is covering the lower round of the ribs1 descending to the flanks until the two sides meet under the belly1 from whence it proceeds to the brisket or breast in front and the shaw behind1 filling up the inside of the arm-pits and thighs4 ,the spaces around the fibres of the muscles are the last to receive a deposition of fat1 but after this has begun1 every other part simultaneously receives its due share1 the back and kidneys receiving the most--so much so that the former literally becomes nicked1 as it is termed2 that is1 the fat is felt through the skin to be divided into two portions4 ,when all this has been accomplished1 the sheep is said to be fat or ripe4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #ic4 ,but the enjoyment of tracing the accumulating fat is not enough for our author--as soon as his sheep is ripe1 he forthwith proceeds to slaughter it2 and though he describes every part of this process accurately1 and with true professional relish1 coolly telling us1 that the operation is unattended with cruelty2 yet we must be content to refer our readers to the passage 7vol4 ii4 p4 #if7 as an illustration of his skill in this interesting branch of farm-surgery4 ,he is really an amiable sheep-operator1 our author--what placid benevolence and hatred of quackery appear in his instructions-- ,learn to slaughter gently1 dress the carcass neatly and cleanly1 in as plain a manner as possible1 and without flourishes4--p4 #afg4 ,but whisky-toddy and fat mutton are not the only things our author relishes4 ,he must have been a farm-servant1 living in a bothy1 at least as long as he drove on the road or practised surgery in the slaughter-house4 ,after describing the farm-servant's wages and mode of living1 he thus expands upon the subject of ,scottish brose3-- ,the oatmeal is usually cooked in one way1 as brose4 ,a pot of water is put on the fire to boil--a task which the men 7in the bothy7 take in turns2 a handful or two of oatmeal is taken out of the small chest with which each man provides himself1 and put into a wooden bowl1 which also is the ploughman's property2 and1 on a hollow being made in the meal1 and sprinkled with salt1 the boiling-water is poured over the meal1 and the mixture receiving a little stirring with a horn-spoon1 and the allowance of milk poured over it1 the brose is ready to be eaten2 and1 as every man makes his own brose1 and knows his own appetite1 he makes just as much as he can consume4 #b ,footnote #b3 ,the fare is simple1 and is as simply made1 but it must be wholesome1 and capable of supplying the loss of substance occasioned by hard labour2 for ,i believe that no class of men can endure more bodily fatigue for ten hours every day1 than those ploughmen of ,scotland who subsist on this brose three times a-day4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #chd4 ,but if the life of the ploughman is familiar to our author1 the work he has to do1 and the mode of doing it well1 and the reason why it should be done one way here1 and another way there1 are no less so4 ,the uninitiated have no idea of the complicated patterns which the ploughman works1 according to the nature of the soil and the season of the year in which he labours4 ,he may be gathering up--crown-and-furrow ploughing--casting1 or yoking1 or coupling ridges--casting ridges with gore furrows--cleaving down ridges with or without gore furrows--ploughing two-out-and-two-in--ploughing in breaks--cross-furrowing--angle-ploughing 1 ribbing1 and drilling--or he may be preparing the land by feering or striking the ridges4-- 7,vol4 i4 p4 #dfd47 ,all these methods of turning up the land are described and illustrated by wood-cuts1 and we are sure quite as effectually done upon paper as if the author had been explaining them upon his own farm1 guiding one of his own best ploughs1 and strengthened by a basin of good brose made from his own meal-chest4 ,but the practical skill of ,mr4 ,stephens is not confined to the lower walks of the agricultural life4 ,the ploughman sometimes qualifies himself to become a steward1 that he may rid himself of the drudgery of working horses4 ,he has then new duties to perform1 which are thus generally described4 ,the duty of the steward or grieve1 as he is called in some parts of ,scotland1 and bailiff in ,england1 consists in receiving general instructions from his master1 the farmer1 which he sees executed by the people under his charge4 ,he exercises a direct control over the ploughmen and field-workers4444 ,it is his duty to enforce the commands of his master1 and to check every deviation from rectitude he may observe in the servants against his interests4 ,it is not generally understood that he has control over the shepherd1 the hedger1 or the cattleman1 who are stewards1 in one sense1 over their respective departments of labour4444 ,he should always deliver the daily allowance of corn to the horses4 ,he should be the first person out of bed in the morning1 and the last in it at night4 ,on most farms1 he sows the seed in spring1 superintends the field-workers in summer1 tends the harvest-field and builds the stacks in autumn1 and thrashes the corn with the mill1 and cleans it with the winnowing-machine in winter4 ,he keeps an account of the workpeople's time1 and of the quantity of grain thrashed1 consumed on the farm1 and delivered to purchasers4--,vol4 i4 p4 #bba4 ,the practical man who reads the above detail of the steward's duties1 will see at once that it must have been written by one of themselves2 and1 by its correctness1 will be able to judge of the full faith which may be placed in the numerous other details upon every branch of practical farming with which the work now before us is so full4 ,we have brought prominently forward the above extracts in relation to the minutiae of the farmer's life--to the detailed practical knowledge which is so valuable to him1 as being those upon which it appeared to us that a writer who was capable of getting up a book at all1 much more such a book as this professes to be1 in reference to the higher branches of the farmers' art1 was most likely to fail4 ,but these parts of the work are written not only knowingly and well1 but with an evident relish for the subject4 ,let us turn1 therefore1 to the more intellectual part of the book1 and see how far this part of the task has been satisfactorily accomplished4 ,the ,book of the ,farm is mainly intended as a manual for the master-farmer1 accompanying him every where1 and at every season of the year1 counselling1 guiding1 and directing him in all his operations4 ,but it has a higher and more useful aim than merely to remind the practical agriculturist of what he already knows4 ,it is fitted1 without other aid1 to teach the beginner nearly every thing which it is necessary for him to know in order to take his place among the most intelligent practical men2 and to teach it precisely at the time1 and in the order1 in which it is most easy1 most useful1 and most interesting for him to learn it4 ,the beginner is supposed by ,mr4 ,stephens to have undergone a previous course of instruction under a practical man1 and to enter upon a farm of his own in the beginning of winter4 ,this farm is a more or less naked and unimproved piece of land1 without a farm-stead or farm-house1 with few hedge-rows1 and wholly undrained4 ,on entering the farm1 also1 he has servants to engage1 stock to buy1 and implements to select4 ,in all these difflculties1 ,the ,book of the ,farm comes to his aid4 ,the most useful1 approved1 and economical form of a farm-steading is pointed out4 ,the structure of barns1 stables1 cow-houses1 piggeries1 liquid-manure tanks1 poultry-yards1 and every other appendage of the farm-house1 and1 finally1 the most fitting construction of the farm-house itself1 according to the size and situation of the farm1 are discussed1 described1 and explained4 ,plans and estimates of every expense are added1 and woodcuts illustrative of every less known suggestion4 ,these are not only sufficient to guide the intelligent young farmer in all the preliminary arrangements for his future comfort and success1 but will1 we are sure1 supply hints to many older heads for the reconstruction or improvement of farm-steadings1 heretofore deemed convenient and complete4 ,the following chapter aids him in the choice of his servants1 and describes distinctly the duties and province of each4 ,and now1 having concluded his domestic arrangements1 #c he must learn to know something of the weather which prevails in the district in which he has settled1 before he can properly plan out or direct the execution of the various labours which are to be undertaken upon his farm during the winter4 ,a chapter of some length1 therefore1 is devoted to the weather in winter1 in which the principles by which the weather is regulated in the different parts of our islands1 and the methods of foreseeing or predicting changes1 are described and illustrated as far as they are known4 ,this is the first of those chapters of ,the ,book of the ,farm which illustrates in a way not to be mistaken1 the truth announced at the head of this article1 that skilful practice is applied science4 ,footnote #c3 ,hesiod considered one other appendage to the homestead indispensable1 to which ,mr4 ,stephens does not allude1 perhaps from feeling himself incompetent to advise4 ,to some it may appear at first sight that our author has indulged in too much detail upon this subject2 but he is not a true practical farmer who says so4 ,the weather has always been a most interesting subject to the agriculturist--he is every day1 in nearly all his movements1 dependant upon it4 ,a week of rain1 or of extraordinary drought1 or of nipping frost1 may disappoint his most sanguine and best founded expectations4 ,his daily comfort1 his yearly profit1 and the general welfare of his family1 all depend upon the weather1 or upon his skill in foreseeing its changes1 and availing himself of every moment which is favourable to his purposes4 ,hence1 with agricultural writers1 from the most early times1 the varied appearances of the clouds1 the nature of the winds1 and the changing aspects of the sun and moon1 and their several significations1 have formed a favourite subject of description and discussion4 ,thus of the sun ,virgil says-- ,sol quoque1 et exoriens et quum se condet in undas1 ,signa dabit2 solem certissima signa sequuntir4 ,et quae mane refert1 et quae surgentibus astris4 ,and then he gives the following prognostics1 as unerring guides to the ,latian farmer3-- ,ille ubi nascentem maculis variaverit ortum1 ,conditus in nubem1 medioque refugerit orbe2 ,suspecti tibi sint imbres4444 ,caeruleus pluviam denuntiat1 igneus ,euros4 ,at si quum referetque diem condit que relatum ,lucidus orbis erit3 frustra terrebere nimbis ,et claro silvas cernes aquilone moveri4 ,mr4 ,stephens recognises similar solar indications in the following rhymes3-- ,if the sun in red should set1 ,the next day surely will be wet2 ,if the sun should set in grey1 ,the next will be a rainy day4 ,and again-- ,an evening red1 or a morning grey1 ,doth betoken a bonnie day2 ,in an evening grey and a morning red1 ,put on your hat1 or ye'll weet your head4 ,in his next edition we recommend to ,mr4 ,stephens's notice the ,border version of the latter3-- ,an evening red and a morning grey1 ,send the shepherd on his way2 ,an evening grey and a morning red ,send the shepherd wet to bed4 ,the most learned meteorologists of the present day believe the moon to influence the weather--the practical farmer is sure of it--and we have known the result of the hay crop1 in adjoining farms1 to be strikingly different1 when upon the one the supposed influence of the time of change was taken into account and acted upon1 while in the other it was neglected4 ,mr4 ,stephens gives as true proverbs-- 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the wane of the moon1 ,a cloudy morning bodes a fair afternoon4 ,and ,new moon's mist ,never dies of thirst4 ,but ,virgil is more specific-- ,ipsa dies alios alio dedit ordine ,luna ,felices operum2 quintam fuge4444 ,septuma post decumam felix et ponere vitem1 ,et prensos domitare boves4 ,and in these warnings he only imitates ,hesiod-- ,greek3 ,pempias de hexaleasthai1 hepei chalepai te chai ainai4 ,and ,greek3 ,maenos de isamenou trischaidecha taen haleasthai1 ,spezmatos azxasthai phuta de henthzepsasthai arisa4 ,but the vague prognostics of old times are not sufficient for the guidance of the skilful and provident farmer of our day4 ,the barometer1 the thermometer1 and even the hygrometer1 should be his companions and guides1 or occasional counsellors4 ,to the description and useful indications of these instruments1 therefore1 a sufficient space is devoted in the book before us4 ,we do not know any other source from which the practical farmer can draw so much meteorological matter specially adapted to his own walk of life1 as from this chapter upon the weather4 ,all this our young farmer is not supposed to sit down and master before he proceeds with the proper business of his new farm2 it will be a subject of study with him in many future months1 and winters too4 ,but after a most judicious recommendation1 to observe and record whatever occurs either new or interesting in his field of labour--without which record he will not be able to contribute1 as he may hereafter do1 to the extension of agricultural knowledge--he is taught next1 in an able chapter upon soils and sub-soils1 to study the nature of his farm more thoroughly2 to ascertain its natural capabilities--the improvements of which it is susceptible--the simplest1 most efficacious1 and most economical means by which this improvement may be effected--and the kind of implements which it will be most prudent in him to purchase for tilling the kind of land of which his farm consists1 or for bringing it into a more fertile condition4 ,this chapter also draws largely1 especially upon geological and chemical science1 and affords another illustration of what1 ,i trust1 ,mr4 ,stephens's book will more and more impress upon our working farmers1 that skilful practice is applied science4 ,we have not room for any extracts1 but when we mention that in the chemical part of it the author has been assisted by ,dr4 ,madden1 readers of the ,quarterly ,journal of ,agriculture will be able to form an estimate of the way in which this chapter has been got up4 ,having now satisfied himself of the nature of his farm as to soil and capabilities1 he sees that new enclosures and shelter will be necessary--that some fields must be subdivided1 others laid out anew--that old hedge-rows must be rooted out or straightened1 and new ones planted in their room4 ,of what all this may be made to accomplish for his farm1 and of how the work itself may be done1 even to the minutest details1 the chapters on enclosures and shelter1 and on planting of farm hedges1 will fully inform him4 ,the benefits of shelter on our elevated lands1 are not half understood4 ,thousands upon thousands of acres are lying in comparative barrenness1 which1 by adequate shelter1 might be converted into productive fields4 ,the increase of mean temperature which results from skilful enclosures1 is estimated at #e to #h ,fahrenheit2 while in regard to the increased money value1 ,mr4 ,thomas ,bishop gives the following testimony3-- ,previous to the division of the common moor of ,methven in ,perthshire1 in #agic1 the venerable ,lord ,lynedoch and ,lord ,methven had each secured their lower slopes of land adjoining the moor with belts of plantation4 ,the year following ,i entered ,lord ,methven's service1 and in #agih planted about sixty acres of the higher moor ground1 valued at #bs4 per acre1 for shelter to eighty or ninety acres set apart for cultivation1 and let in three divisions to six individuals4 ,the progress made in improving the land was very slow for the first fifteen years1 but thereafter went on rapidly1 being aided by the shelter derived from the growth of the plantations2 and the whole has now become fair land1 bearing annually crops of oats1 barley1 peas1 potatoes1 and turnips4 ,in spring #ahch1 exactly forty years from the time of putting down the plantation1 ,i sold four acres of larch and fir 7average growth7 standing therein1 for ,l4#bbj1 which1 with the value of reserved trees and average amount per acre of thinnings sold previously1 gave a return of ,l4#fg per acre4--,vol4 i1 p4 #cfg4 ,we are satisfied that in localities with which we are ourselves acquainted1 there are tens of thousand of acres which1 by the simple protection of sheltering plantations1 would soon be made to exhibit an equal improvement with either the moor of ,methven1 or the lands upon ,shotley ,fell1 which are also referred to in the work before us4 ,at a time when such strenuous endeavours are making to introduce and extend a more efficient drainage among our clay lands1 the more simple amelioration of our cold uplands by judicious plantations1 ought neither to be lost sight of1 nor by those who address themselves to the landlords and cultivators1 be passed by without especial and frequent notice4 ,did space permit1 we could have wished to extract a paragraph or two upon the mode of planting hedges1 and forming ditches1 for the purpose of proving to our readers that ,mr4 ,stephens is as complete a hedger and ditcher1 as we have seen him to be cunning as a drover and a cattle surgeon4 ,but we must refer the reader to the passages in pp4 #cgf and #cgi4 ,even in the planting of thorn hedges he will find that science is not unavailing1 for both mathematics and botany are made by ,mr4 ,stephens to yield their several contributions to the chapters we are now considering4 ,but the fields being divided and the hedges planted1 or while those operations are going on1 a portion of the land must be subjected to the plough4 ,next in order1 therefore1 follows a chapter upon this important instrument1 in which the merits and uses of the several best known--especially of the ,scotch swing-ploughs--are explained and discussed4 ,here our young farmer is taught which variety of plough he ought to select for his land1 why it is to be preferred1 and how it is to be used1 and its movable parts 7plough-irons7 tempered and adjusted1 according to the effect which the workman is desirous of producing4 ,we are quite sure that the writer of such parts of this chapter as refer to the practical use of the plough1 must himself have handled it for many a day in the field4 ,the part of this chapter1 again1 which relates to the theoretical construction--to the history of the successive improvements1 and to the discussion of the relative merits of the numerous varieties of ploughs which have lately been recommended to notice--is drawn up by ,mr4 ,james ,slight1 curator of the museum of the ,highland ,society1 a gentleman whose authority on such subjects stands deservedly high4 ,to this monograph1 as we may call it1 upon the plough1 we may again refer as another illustration of the union between agriculture and science4 ,mechanism perfects the construction of instruments1 chemistry explains the effects which they are the means of producing in the soil--says also to the mechanic1 if you could make them act in such and such a way1 these effects would be more constantly and more fully brought about1 and returns them to the workshop for further improvement4 ,thus each branch of knowledge aids the other1 and suggests to it means of still further benefitting practical agriculture4 ,one of the most interesting1 and not the least important1 of those practical discussions which have arisen since the establishment of the ,royal ,agricultural ,society of ,england1 has been in regard to the relative merits and lightness of draught of the ,scottish swing-ploughs1 and of certain of the wheel-ploughs made and extensively used1 especially in the southern counties4 ,it is admitted1 we believe1 on all hands1 that a less skilful workman will execute as presentable a piece of work with a wheel-plough1 as a more skilful ploughman with a ,scotch swing-plough4 ,this is insisted upon by one party as a great advantage1 while the other attaches no weight to it at all1 saying1 that they find no difficulty in getting good ploughmen to work with the swing-plough1 and therefore it would be no advantage to them to change4 ,still this greater facility in using it is a true economical advantage1 nevertheless2 since that which is difficult to acquire will always be purchased at a dearer rate2 and in an improving district1 it is some gain1 that it is neither necessary to import very skilful ploughmen1 nor to wait till they are produced at home4 ,but it is also conceded1 we believe1 that the swing-plough1 in skilful hands1 is more easily or quickly managed than a wheel-plough2 that it turns more readily1 and when doing the same kind of work1 will go over the ground quicker1 and consequently do more work in a day4 ,theoretically1 this seems undeniable1 though it does not appear to be as yet clearly established in what precise proportion this theoretical acceleration ought to increase the extent of ground gone over by a diligent ploughman in the ten hours of his daily labour4 ,it is said that1 with the wheel-plough1 three-fourths of an acre is an average day's work1 while with a swing-plough1 an acre is the ordinary and easy work of an active man on soil of average tenacity4 ,the pace1 however1 must depend considerably both upon the horses and their driver2 and to whatever extent such a difference may really exist--and opinions differ upon the subject--it is clearly an argument in favour of the swing-plough4 ,but a third and equally important element in the discussion1 is the relative draught of the swing and wheel-ploughs4 ,this element has been lately brought more prominently forward1 in consequence of some interesting experiments1 made first1 we believe1 by ,mr4 ,pusey1 and since repeated by others1 as to the relative draught of different ploughs in the same circumstances1 as measured by the dynamometer4 ,this1 as well as the other parts of this question1 is taken up1 and ably discussed1 by ,mr4 ,slight2 and he has1 we think1 satisfactorily shown1 that no wheel-plough 7or plough with a foot7 can be lighter in draught1 merely because it is wheeled--that1 on the contrary1 its draught must be in some small degree increased1 other things being equal1 7vol4 i4 p4 #dfc47 ,this1 we think1 is probable1 on other grounds besides those stated by ,mr4 ,slight2 yet there appears satisfactory reason for believing1 that some of the wheel-ploughs which have been made the subject of experiment1 have actually been lighter in draught1 when doing the same work1 than any of the swing-ploughs that have been opposed to them4 ,but this does not show that1 in principle1 the swing-plough is not superior to the wheel-plough--it only shows that1 in construction1 it is still capable of great emendations1 and that1 in this respect1 some of the wheel-ploughs have got the start of it4 ,but the ,scotch makers1 who first so greatly improved the plough1 are capable still of competing with their southern rivals2 and from their conjoined exertions1 future ploughmen are destined to receive still further aid4 ,when the ploughs are brought home1 and while the winter ploughing is going on1 an opportunity presents itself for laying out1 and probably1 as the weather permits1 of cutting a portion of the intended drains4 ,upon this important subject1 ,mr4 ,stephens treats with more even than his usual skill4 ,how true is the following passage3-- ,land1 however1 though it does not contain such a superabundance of water as to obstruct arable culture1 may nevertheless1 by its inherent wetness1 prevent or retard the luxuriant growth of useful plants1 as much as decidedly wet land4 ,the truth is1 that deficiency of crops on apparently dry land is frequently attributed to unskilful husbandry1 when it really arises from the baleful influence of concealed stagnant water2 and the want of skill is shown1 not so much in the management of the arable culture of the land1 as in neglecting to remove the true cause of the deficiency of the crop1 namely1 the concealed stagnant water4 ,indeed1 my opinion is1 and its conviction has been forced upon me by long and extensive observation of the state of the soil over a large part of the country--that this is the true cause of most of the bad farming to be seen1 and that not one farm is to be found throughout the kingdom that would not be much the better for draining4 --,vol4 i4 p4 #dhc4 ,draining is now truly regarded as a great national work1 involving considerations of the highest moment1 and bearing upon some of the most vital questions of our national policy4 ,it is a subject1 therefore1 the practical discussion of which is of the greatest importance1 especially in reference to the mode in which it can be most efficiently and most cheaply done4 ,into these points1 ,mr4 ,stephens enters minutely1 and the course he prescribes is1 we think1 full of judgment4 ,he explains the ,elkington mode of draining1 and he gives due praise to the more recent improvements of ,mr4 ,smith of ,deanston4 ,every one knows how difficult it is to persuade our practical men to adopt any new method2 but even after you have satisfied them that the adoption of it will really do good to their farms1 it is almost as difficult to persuade them1 that a partial adoption of the method1 or some alteration of it--as they fancy some improvement of it--will not best suit their land1 or the circumstances in which they are placed4 ,thus1 one thinks1 that a drain in each alternate furrow is enough for his soil--that his drains need not be above twelve767 or eighteen inches deep--or that on his clay1 the use of soles is a needless expense4 ,on all these points1 the book before us gives confident opinions1 with which we entirely coincide4 ,in regard to the depth of drains1 it is shown1 that in order that they may draw1 they should never be shallower than thirty inches1 and should always leave a depth of eighteen inches clear of the draining materials1 in order that the subsoil and trench plough may have full freedom of action1 without risk of injury to the drain2 while of the use of soles he says-- ,i am a strenuous advocate for drainsoles in all cases2 and even when they may really prove of little use1 ,i would rather use too many1 than too few precautions in draining2 because1 even in the most favourable circumstances1 we cannot tell what change may take place beyond our view1 in the interior of a drain1 which we are never again permitted1 and which we have no desire to see4 ,this passage expresses the true principle of safety1 by which1 in the outlay of large sums of money for improvements1 the landowner1 and the holder of an improving lease1 ought to be actuated4 ,though great losses have already been incurred by shallow drains1 and by the rejection of soles1 the practice1 especially in the more backward districts1 still goes on1 and thousands of pounds are still expended upon the principles of a false economy1 in repetition of the same faulty practice4 ,we know of drainings now going on to a great extent1 which will never permit the use of the subsoil plough2 and of the neglect of soles1 upon soils generally of clay1 but here and there with patches of sand1 into which the tiles must inevitably sink4 ,when a person drains his own land1 of course reason is the only constraint by which he can be withheld from doing as he likes with his own2 or where a yearly tenant drains part of his farm at his own expense1 the risk is exclusively his1 and his landlord1 who perhaps refuses to give any effectual aid1 can have no right to dictate as to the mode in which the draining is to be performed2 but when the landlord contributes either directly or indirectly to the expense1 he1 or his agent--if he has one who is skilful enough--should insist upon every thing being done according to the most improved1 which1 in reality1 are also ultimately the most economical principles4 ,while the draining thus proceeds on the best and most economical principles1 the ploughing is supposed to be still in progress4 ,indeed the arrangements for the two operations1 the selection and purchase of the implements for both1 may go on simultaneously4 ,the plough1 indeed1 is sometimes used as a draining implement for making a deep furrow1 in which1 with more or less emendation from the spade1 the tiles or other draining materials may subsequently be laid4 ,but in this case1 the draught is excessive1 and many horses must often be yoked into the same plough1 in order to drag it through the ground4 ,here1 therefore1 the young farmer must learn a new art--the art of harnessing and yoking his horses1 in such a way as to obtain the greatest possible effect1 at the least expense1 or with the smallest waste of animal strength4 ,this is a very important subject for consideration1 and it is one which the author who is best acquainted with the practice1 and with the state of knowledge regarding it1 over a great part of our island1 will feel himself most imperatively called upon to treat of in detail4 ,this is done1 accordingly1 in the chapter upon the ,yoking and ,harnessing of the ,plough1 in which1 by the able assistance of ,mr4 ,slight1 the principles upon which these processes should be conducted1 as well as the simplest1 strongest1 and most economical methods1 in actual practice among the most skilful farmers1 are illustrated and explained4 ,to this follows a chapter upon ,ploughing stubble and lea ground1 in which1 with the aid of his two coadjutors1 the practical and scientific questions involved in the general process of ploughing such land1 are discussed with equal skill and judgment4 ,we have been particularly pleased with the remarks of ,mr4 ,slight upon ploughing-matches1 7,vol4 i4 p4 #fea17 in reference especially to the general disregard among judges1 of the nature of the underground work1 on which so much of the good effects of ploughing in reality depends4 ,they will1 we doubt not1 have their due weight1 at future ploughing-matches1 among those--and we hope they will be many--into whose hands the work before us may come4 ,second in importance to draining only1 are the subjects of subsoil and trench ploughing1 operations which are also to be performed at this season of the year--and a chapter upon which concludes the first volume of ,mr4 ,stephens's work4 ,those who are acquainted with the writings of ,mr4 ,smith of ,deanston1 and with the operations of the ,marquis of ,tweeddale at ,yester1 will duly estimate the importance1 not merely to the young farmer himself1 but to the nation at large1 of proper instruction in regard to these two important operations--in the mode of economically conducting them--in the principles upon which their beneficial action depends--and in the circumstances by which the practical man ought to be regulated in putting the one or the other1 or the one rather than the other1 in operation upon his own land4 ,our limits do not permit us to discuss the relative merits of subsoil and trench ploughing1 which by some writers have unwisely been pitted against each other--as if they were in reality methods of improving the land1 either of which a man may equally adopt in any soil and under all circumstances4 ,but they1 in reality1 agree universally only in this one thing--that neither process will produce a permanently good effect unless the land be previously thorough-drained4 ,but being drained1 the farmer must then exercise a sound discretion1 and ,mr4 ,stephens's book will aid his judgment much in determining which of the two subsequent methods he ought to adopt4 ,the safer plan for the young farmer would be to try one or two acres in each way1 and in his after procedure upon the same kind of land to be regulated by the result of this trial4 ,mr4 ,stephens expresses a decided opinion in favour of trench-ploughing in the following passages3-- ,i have no hesitation in expressing my preference of trench to subsoil ploughing3 and ,i cannot see a single instance1 with the sole exception of turning up a very bad subsoil in large quantity1 in which there is any advantage attending subsoil1 that cannot be enjoyed by trench ploughing3 and for this single drawback of a very bad subsoil1 trenching has the advantage of being performed in perfect safety1 where subsoil ploughing could not be1 without previous drainage4 ,but whilst giving a preference to trench ploughing over subsoil1 ,i am of opinion that it should not be generally attempted under any circumstances1 however favourable1 without previous thorough-draining1 any more than subsoil ploughing2 but when so drained1 there is no mode of management1 in my opinion1 that will render land so soon amenable to the means of putting it in a high degree of fertility as trench ploughing4--,vol4 i4 p4 #ffd4 ,we confess that1 in the first of the above passages1 ,mr4 ,stephens appears to us to assume something of the tone of a partizan1 which has always the effect of lessening the weight of an author's opinion with the intelligent reader who is in search of the truth only4 ,what is advanced as the main advantage of trench-ploughing in the first passage--that it can be safely done without previous draining1 is in the second wholly discarded by the advice1 never to trench-plough without previous draining4 ,at the same time it is confessed1 that in the case of a bad subsoil1 trench-ploughing may do much harm4 ,every practical man in fact knows that bringing up the subsoil in any quantity1 he would in some districts render his fields in a great measure unproductive for years to come4 ,on the other hand1 we believe that the use of the subsoil-plough can never do harm upon drained land4 ,we speak1 of course1 of soils upon which it is already conceded that either the one method or the other ought to be adopted4 ,the utmost evil that can follow in any such case from the use of the subsoil-plough1 is that the expense will be thrown away--the land cannot be rendered more unfruitful by it4 ,subsoiling1 therefore1 is the safer practice4 ,but in reality1 there ought1 as we have already stated1 to be no opposition between the two methods4 ,each has its own special uses for which it can be best employed1 and the skill of the farmer must be exercised in determining whether the circumstances in which he is placed are such as to call specially for the one or for the other instrument4 ,if the subsoil be a rich black mould1 or a continuation of the same alluvial or other fertile soil which forms the surface--it may be turned up at once by the trench-plough without hesitation4 ,or1 if the subsoil be more or less full of lime1 which has sunk from above1 trenching may with equal safety be adopted4 ,but1 if the subsoil be more or less ferruginous--if it be of that yellow unproductive clay which in some cases extends over nearly whole counties--or of that hard1 blue1 stony till which requires the aid of the mattock to work out of the drains--or if it consist of a hard and stony1 more or less impervious bed--in all these cases the use of the subsoil-plough is clearly indicated4 ,in short1 the young farmer can scarcely have a safer rule than this--to subsoil his land first1 whenever there is a doubt of the soundness of the subsoil1 or a fear that by bringing it to the surface1 the fertility of the upper soil will be diminished4 ,it is no reply to this safer practice to say that even ,mr4 ,smith recommends turning up the subsoil afterwards1 and that we have therefore a double expense to incur4 ,for it is known1 that after a time any subsoil so treated may be turned up with safety1 and consequently there is no risk of loss by delaying this deeper ploughing for a few years2 and in regard to the question of expense1 it appears that the cost of both draining and subsoiling are generally repayed by the first two or three crops which succeed each improvement4 ,what more1 then1 can be required8 ,the expense is repaid--the land is1 to a certain extent1 permanently improved--no risk of loss has been incurred1 and there still remains to the improving farmer--improving his own circumstances1 as well as the quality of his land1 by his prudent and skilful measures--there still remains the deeper ploughing1 by which he can gradually bring new soil to the surface1 as he sees it mellow1 and become wholesome1 under the joint influences which the drain and the subsoil-plough have brought to bear upon it4 ,there can1 therefore1 it is clear1 be no universal rule for the use of the two valuable instruments in question1 as each has its own defined sphere of action4 ,this1 we think1 is the common-sense view of the case4 ,but if any one insists upon having a universal rule which shall save him from thinking or observing for himself in all cases1 then we should say--in all cases subsoil1 because it is the safer4 ,with this subject the first volume of ,the ,book of the ,farm is brought to a close2 but winter still continues1 and in other winter-work of scarcely less importance the young farmer has still to be instructed4 ,we have hitherto said nothing of the more expensive and beautiful embellishments of the book1 because the most interesting of them are portraits of celebrated short-horns1 working horses1 sheep1 and pigs--a subject of which the author begins to treat only at the commencement of the second volume4 ,the feeding of stock is one of those parts of the winter's labours1 in improving husbandry1 upon which not only the immediate profit of the farmer1 but the ultimate fertility of his land1 in a great measure depends4 ,the choice of his stock1 and the best mode of treating and tending them1 therefore1 are subjects of the greatest consequence to the young farmer4 ,in the choice of his stock he will be aided at once by the clear descriptions1 and by the portraits so beautifully executed by ,landseer and ,sheriff1 by which the letterpress is accompanied4 ,in the subsequent treatment of them1 and in the mode by which they may be most profitably1 most quickly1 or most economically fed in the winter season1 he will be fully instructed in the succeeding chapters of the book4 ,turnips and other roots are the principal food of cattle in the winter3 a preliminary chapter1 therefore1 is devoted to the drawing and storing of turnips and other roots4 ,had we our article to begin again1 we could devote several pages1 agreeably to ourselves1 and not without interest1 we believe1 or without instruction1 to our reader1 in discussing a few of those points connected with the feeding of cattle1 upon which1 though the means of information are within their reach1 practical men have hitherto permitted themselves to remain wholly ignorant4 ,of these points ,mr4 ,stephens adverts to several1 and suggests the advantage of additional experiments2 but the whole subject requires revision1 and1 under the guidance of persons able to direct1 who are acquainted with all that is yet known1 or has as yet been done either in our own or in foreign countries1 experiments will hereafter1 no doubt1 be made1 by which many new truths1 both theoretically and practically valuable1 are sure to be elucidated4 ,we may advert1 as an illustration1 to the feeding properties of the turnip4 ,it is usual to reckon the value of a crop of turnips by the number of tons per acre which it is found to yield when so many square yards of the produce are weighed4 ,but this may be very fallacious in many ways4 ,if they are white turnips1 for instance1 nine tons of small will contain as much nourishment as ten tons of large--or twenty-seven tons an acre of small turnips will feed as many sheep as thirty tons per acre of large turnips4 ,or if the crop be ,swedes1 the reverse will be the case1 twenty-seven tons of large will feed as much stock as thirty tons of small4--7,vol4 ii41 p4 #bj47 ,mr4 ,stephens points out other fallacies also1 to which we cannot advert4 ,one1 however1 he has passed over1 of equal1 we believe of greater1 consequence than any other--we allude to the variable quantity of water which the turnip grown on different soils in different seasons is found to contain4 ,it is obvious1 that in so far as the roots of the turnip1 the carrot1 and the potatoe1 consist of water1 they can serve the purposes of drink only--they cannot feed the animals to which they are given4 ,now1 the quantity of water in the turnip is so great1 that #ajj tons sometimes contain only nine tons of dry feeding matter--more than nine-tenths of their weight consisting of water4 ,but again1 their constitution is so variable1 that #ajj tons sometimes contain more than twenty tons of dry food--or less than four-fifths of their weight of water4 ,it is possible1 therefore1 that one acre of turnips1 on which only twenty tons are growing1 may feed as many sheep as another on which forty tons are produced4 ,what1 therefore1 can be more uncertain than the feeding value of an acre of turnips as estimated by the weight8 ,how much in the dark are buyers and sellers of this root8 ,what wonder is there1 that different writers should estimate so very differently the weight of turnips which ought to be given for the purpose of sustaining the condition1 or of increasing the weight1 of the several varieties of stock8 ,other roots exhibit similar differences2 and even the potatoe1 while it sometimes contains thirty tons of food in every hundred of raw roots1 at others1 contains no more than twenty--the same weight1 namely1 which exists at times in the turnip4 #d ,footnote #d3 ,for our authority on this subject1 we refer to ,johnston's ,suggestion for ,experiments in ,practical ,agriculture1 ,no4 #aaa4 pp4 #fb and #fd1 of which we have been favoured with an early copy by the author4 ,this latter fact1 shows the very slippery ground on which the assertion rests1 that has lately astonished the weak minds of our ,southern cattle-feeding brethren1 from the mouth of one of their talented but hasty lecturers--that the potatoe contains two or three times the weight of nourishment which exists in the turnip4 ,it is true that some varieties of potatoes contain three times as much as some varieties of turnip--but1 on the other hand1 some turnips contain as much nourishment as an equal weight of potatoes4 ,but no man can tell1 by bare inspection1 as yet1 to which class of turnips1 the more or less watery1 his own may belong--whether that which is apparently the most prolific may not in reality be the least so--whether that mode of manuring his land which gives him the greatest weight of raw roots may not give him the smallest weight of real substantial food for his stock4 ,what a wide field1 therefore1 for experiment8 ,to what useful results might they not be expected to lead8 ,if any of our readers wish to undertake such experiments1 or to learn how they are to be performed1 we refer them to the pamphlet mentioned in the note4 ,in connexion with the chapter on the feeding of sheep1 we could have wished to advert to the advantages of shelter1 in producing the largest weight of meat from a given weight of turnips1 or other food--as illustrated by the experiments of ,mr4 ,childers1 ,lord ,western1 and others2 but we must refer our readers to the passage itself1 7vol4 ii4 p4 #ea17 as we must also to the no less important comparative view of the advantages of feeding cattle in close byres and in open hammels1 7vol4 ii4 p4 #abi17 and to the interesting details regarding the use of raw and steamed food1 contained in the chapter upon the feeding of cattle1 7vol4 ii4 p4 #abj to #adh47 ,but our author is so cunning in the qualities of mutton--which1 as we have already seen1 he can kill so gently1 performing the operation without pain--that we think our readers will enjoy the following passage3-- ,the gigot is the handsomest and most valuable part of the carcass1 and on that account fetches the highest price4 ,it is either a roasting or a boiling piece4 ,of black-faced mutton it makes a fine roast1 and the piece of fat in it called the pope's eye1 is considered a delicate morceau by epicures4 ,a gigot of ,leicester1 ,cheviot1 or ,southdown mutton makes a beautiful 'boiled leg of mutton1' which is prized the more the fatter it is1 as this part of the carcass is never overloaded with fat4 ,the loin is almost always roasted1 the flap of the flank being skewered up1 and it is a juicy piece4 ,for a small family1 the black-faced mutton is preferable2 for a large1 the ,southdown and ,cheviot4 ,many consider this piece of ,leicester mutton roasted as too rich1 and when warm1 this is probably the case2 but a cold roast loin is an excellent summer dish4 ,the back-ribs are divided into two1 and used for very different purposes4 ,the fore-part1 the neck1 is boiled and makes sweet barley-broth1 and the meat1 when well boiled1 or rather the whole pottage simmered for a considerable time beside the fire1 eats tenderly4 ,the back-ribs make an excellent roast2 indeed1 there is not a sweeter or more varied one in the carcass1 having both ribs and shoulder4 ,the shoulder-blade eats best cold1 and the ribs warm4 ,the ribs make excellent chops4 ,the ,leicester and ,southdowns afford the best mutton-chops4 ,the breast is mostly a roasting-piece1 consisting of rib and shoulder1 and is particularly good when cold4 ,when the piece is large1 as of ,southdown or ,cheviot1 the gristly part of the ribs may be divided from the true ribs1 and helped separately4 ,the breast is an excellent piece in black-faced mutton1 and suitable to small families1 the shoulder being eaten cold1 while the ribs and brisket are sweet and juicy when warm4 ,this piece also boils well2 or1 when corned for eight days1 and served with onion sauce1 with mashed turnip in it1 there are few more savoury dishes at a farmer's table4 ,the shoulder is separated before being dressed1 and makes an excellent roast for family use1 and may be eaten warm or cold1 or corned and dressed as the breast mentioned above4 ,the shoulder is best from a large carcass of ,southdown1 ,cheviot1 or ,leicester1 the black-faced being too thin for the purpose2 and it was probably because ,english mutton is usually large that the practice of removing it originated4 ,the neckpiece is partly laid bare by the removal of the shoulder1 the fore-part being fitted for boiling and making into broth1 and the best end for roasting or broiling into chops4 ,on this account this is a good family piece1 and in such request among the tradesmen of ,london that they prefer it to any part of the hind-quarter4--7,vol4 ii4 p4 #ih47 ,nor is he less skilful in the humble food and cooking of the farm-labourer2 indeed1 he seems never satisfied until he fairly exhausts all the useful matter contained in every subject upon which he touches4 ,he not only breeds1 and feeds1 and kills1 and cooks1 but he does the latter with such relish1 that we have several times fancied that we could actually see him eating his own mutton1 beef1 and pork4 ,and1 whether he luxuriates over a roast of the back-ribs of mutton1 so sweet and so varied1 or complains that the hotel-keepers have a trick of seasoning brown-soup1 or rather beef-tea1 with a few joints of tail1 and passing it off for genuine ox-tail soup1--7vol4 ii4 p4 #afi17 or describes the famous fat brose1 for which ,scotland has long been celebrated1 as formed by skimming off the fat when boiling the hough1 pouring it upon oatmeal1 and seasoning with pepper and salt2 or indulges in the humbler brose of the ploughman in his bothy1 he evidently enjoys every thing set before him so much1 that we are sure he must lay on the fat kindly4 ,we should not wonder if he is himself already nicked2 and we cannot more warmly testify our good wishes1 than by expressing a hope1 that1 when he is fully ripe1 the grim surgeon will operate upon him without pain1 and kill him gently4 ,one of ,mr4 ,stephens's humbler dishes is the following3-- ,the only time ,scotch farm-servants indulge in butcher-meat is when a sheep falls1 as it is termed2 that is1 when it is killed before being affected with an unwholesome disease1 and the mutton is sold at a reduced price4 ,shred down the suet small1 removing any flesh or cellular membrane adhering to it2 then mix amongst it intimately #a_/b oz4 of salt and a tea-spoonful of pepper to every pound of suet2 put the mixture into an earthen jar1 and tie up tightly with bladder4 ,one table spoonful of seasoned suet will1 at any time1 make good barley-broth or potato-soup for two persons4 ,the lean of the mutton may be shred down small1 and seasoned in a similar manner1 and used when required2 or it may be corned with salt1 and used as a joint4 --,vol4 ii4 p4 #aje4 ,how much of the natural habits and manners of a country1 and of the circumstances and inner life of the various classes of its inhabitants1 is to be learned from a study of their cookery6 ,reader1 what a mystery hangs over the handling of a fat beast6 ,a feeder approaches a well filled short-horn--he touches it here--he pinches it there--he declares it to have many good points about it2 but pronounces the existence of defects1 where the uninitiated see only beauties4 ,the points of a fat ox1 how mysterious they are1 how difficult to make out6 ,the five points of ,arminianism1 our old vicar used to say1 were nothing to them4 ,but here1 too1 ,mr4 ,stephens is at home4 ,listen to his simple explanation of the whole3 ,the first point usually handled is the end of the rump at the tail-head1 although any fat here is very obvious1 and sometimes attains to an enormous size1 amounting even to deformity4 ,the hook-bone gets a touch1 and when well covered1 is right4444 ,to the hand1 or rather to the points of the fingers of the right hand1 when laid upon the ribs1 the flesh should feel soft and thick and the form be round when all is right1 but if the ribs are flat the flesh will feel hard and thin from want of fat4 ,the skin1 too1 on a rounded rib1 will feel soft and mobile1 the hair deep and mossy1 both indicative of a kindly disposition to lay on flesh4 ,the hand then grasps the flank1 and finds it thick1 when the existence of internal tallow is indicated4444 ,the palm of the hand laid along the line of the back will point out any objectionable hard piece on it1 but if all is soft and pleasant1 then the shoulder-top is good4 ,a hollowness behind the shoulder is a very common occurrence2 but when it is filled up with a layer of fat1 the flesh of all the fore-quarter is thereby rendered very much more valuable4 ,you would scarcely believe that such a difference could exist in the flesh between a lean and a fat shoulder4 ,a high narrow shoulder is frequently attended with a ridged back-bone1 and lowset narrow hooks1 a form which gets the appropriate name of razor-back1 with which will always be found a deficiency of flesh in all the upper part of the animal1 where the best flesh always is4 ,if the shoulder-point is covered1 and feels soft like the point of the hook-bone1 it is good1 and indicates a well filled neck-vein1 which runs from that point to the side of the head4 ,the shoulder-point1 however1 is often bare and prominent4 ,when the neck-vein is so firmly filled up as not to permit the points of the fingers inside of the shoulder-point1 this indicates a well tallowed animal2 as also does the filling up between the brisket and inside of the fore legs1 as well as a full1 projecting1 well covered brisket in front4 ,when the flesh comes down heavy upon the thighs1 making a sort of double thigh1 it is called lyary1 and indicates a tendency of the flesh to grow on the lower instead of the upper part of the body4 ,these are all the points that require touching when the hand is used2 and in a high-conditioned ox1 they may be gone over very rapidly4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #afe4 ,the treatment of horses follows that of cattle1 and this chapter is fitted to be of extensive use among our practical farmers4 ,there are few subjects to which the attention of our small farmers requires more to be drawn than to the treatment of their horses--few in which want of skill causes a more general and constant waste4 ,the economy of prepared food is ably treated of1 and we select the following passage as containing at once sound theoretical and important practical truths3 ,it appears at first sight somewhat surprising that the idea of preparing food for farm-horses should only have been recently acted on2 but ,i have no doubt that the practice of the turf and of the road1 of maintaining horses on large quantities of oats and dry ryegrass hay1 has had a powerful influence in retaining it on farms4 ,but now that a more natural treatment has been adopted by the owners of horses on fast work1 farmers1 having now the example of post-horses standing their work well on prepared food1 should easily be persuaded that1 on slow work1 the same sort of food should have even a more salutary effect on their horses4 ,how prevalent was the notion1 at one time1 that horses could not be expected to do work at all1 unless there was hard meat in them6 ',this is a very silly and erroneous idea1 if we inquire into it1' as ,professor ,dick truly observes1 'for whatever may be the consistency of the food when taken into the stomach1 it must1 before the body can possibly derive any substantial support or benefit from it1 be converted into chyme--a pultacious mass2 and this1 as it passes onward from the stomach into the intestinal canal1 is rendered still more fluid by the admixture of the secretions from the stomach1 the liver1 and the pancreas1 when it becomes of a milky appearance1 and is called chyle4 ,it is then taken into the system by the lacteals1 and in this fluid1 this soft state--and in this state only--mixes with the blood1 and passes through the circulating vessels for the nourishment of the system4' ,actuated by these rational principles1 ,mr4 ,john ,croall1 a large coach-proprietor in ,edinburgh1 now supports his coach horses on #h lb4 of chopped hay and #af lb4 of bruised oats2 so does ,mr4 ,isaac ,scott1 a postmaster1 who gives #aj lb4 or #ab lb4 of chopped hay and #af lb4 of bruised oats1 to large horses3 and to carry the principle still further into practice1 ,captain ,cheyne found his post-horses work well on the following mixture1 the proportions of which are given for each horse every day2 and this constitutes the second of the formul alluded to above4 ,in the day1 #h lb4 of bruised oats4 #c lb4 of bruised beans4 #d lb4 of chopped straw4 ------ #ae lb4 ,at night #bb lb4 of steamed potatoes4 #a-a_/b lb4 of fine barley dust4 #b lb4 of chopped straw4 #b oz4 of salt4 ---------- #be-a_/b lb4 ,estimating the barley-dust at #aj;d4 per stone2 chopped straw1 #f;d4 per stone1 potatoes1 steamed1 at #gs4 #f;d4 per cwt42 and the oats and beans at ordinary prices1 the cost of supper was #f;d41 and for daily food1 #as4 with cooking1 in all #as4 #f;d4 a horse each day4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #aid4 ,the reader will also peruse with interest the following paragraph1 illustrative at once of the habits of the horse1 and of our author's familiarity with the race3-- ,the horse is an intelligent animal1 and seems to delight in the society of man4 ,it is remarked by those who have much to do with blood-horses1 that1 when at liberty1 and seeing two or more people standing conversing together1 they will approach1 and seem1 as it were1 to wish to listen to the conversation4 ,the farm-horse will not do this2 but he is quite obedient to call1 and distinguishes his name readily from that of his companion1 and will not stir when desired to stand until his own name is pronounced4 ,he distinguishes the various sorts of work he is put to1 and will apply his strength and skill in the best way to effect his purpose1 whether in the thrashing-mill1 the cart1 or the plough4 ,he soon acquires a perfect sense of his work4 ,i have seen a horse walk very steadily towards a feering pole1 and halt when his head had reached it4 ,he seems also to have a sense of time4 ,i have heard another neigh almost daily about ten minutes before the time of loosening in the evening1 whether in summer or winter4 ,he is capable of distinguishing the tones of the voice1 whether spoken in anger or otherwise2 and can even distinguish between musical notes4 ,there was a work-horse of my own1 when even at his corn1 would desist eating1 and listen attentively1 with pricked and moving ears and steady eyes1 the instant he heard the note of low ,g sounded1 and would continue to listen as long as it was sustained2 and another1 that was similarly affected by a particular high note4 ,the recognition of the sound of the bugle by a trooper1 and the excitement occasioned in the hunter when the pack give tongue1 are familiar instances of the extraordinary effects of particular sounds on horses4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #baf4 ,we recollect in our younger days1 when we used to drive home from ,penrith market1 our friend would say1 come1 let us give the horse a song--he will go home so briskly with us4 ,and it really was so1 or seemed so at least1 be the principle what it may4 ,pigs and poultry succeed to cattle and horses1 and the author is equally at home in regard to the management of these as of the more valued varieties of stock--as learned in their various breeds1 and as skilful in the methods of fattening1 killing1 and cutting up4 ,how much truth is contained in the following remarks1 and how easily and usefully might the evil be amended3-- ,of all the animals reared on a farm1 there are none so much neglected by the farmer1 both in regard to the selection of their kind1 and their qualifications to fatten1 as all the sorts of domesticated fowls found in the farm-yard4 ,indeed1 the very supposition that he would devote any of his time to the consideration of poultry1 is regarded as a positive affront on his manhood4 ,women1 in his estimation1 may be fit enough for such a charge1 and doubtless they would do it well1 provided they were not begrudged every particle of food bestowed upon those useful creatures4 ,the consequence is what might be expected in the circumstances1 that go to most farm-steads1 and the surprise will be to meet a single fowl of any description in good condition1 that is to say1 in such condition that it may be killed at the instant in a fit state for the table1 which it might be if it had been treated as a fattening animal from its birth4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #bdf4 ,the methods of fattening them are afterwards described2 and for a mode of securing a new-laid egg to breakfast every winter morning1 a luxury which our author enjoyed for as many years as he lived in the country1 we refer the reader to page #bef of the second volume4 ,besides the feeding of stock1 one other in-door labour demands the attention of the farmer1 when the severity of winter weather has put a stop to the ploughing and the draining of his land4 ,his grain crops are to be thrashed out1 and sent to the market or the mill4 ,in this part of his work ,mr4 ,stephens has again availed himself of the valuable assistance of ,mr4 ,slight1 who1 in upwards of #ajj pages of closely printed matter1 has figured and described nearly all the more useful instruments employed in the preparation of the food of cattle1 and in separating the grain of the corn crops4 ,the thrashing machine1 so valuable an addition to the working establishment of a modern farm-steading1 is minutely explained--the varieties in its construction illustrated by wood-cuts--and the respective merits of the different forms of the machine examined and discussed4 ,with the following1 among his other conclusions1 we cordially concur4 ,i cannot view these two machines without feeling impressed with a conviction that both countries would soon feel the advantage of an amalgamation between the two forms of the machine4 ,the drum of the ,scotch thrashing-machine would most certainly be improved by a transfusion from the principles of the ,english machine2 and the latter might be equally improved by the adoption of the manufacturing-like arrangements and general economy of the ,scotch system of thrashing4 ,that such interchange will ere long take place1 ,i am thoroughly convinced2 and as ,i am alike satisfied that the advantages would be mutual1 it is to be hoped that these views will not stand alone4 ,it has not been lost sight of1 that each machine may be said to be suited to the system to which it belongs1 and that here1 where the corn is cut by the sickle1 the machine is adapted to that2 while the same may be said of the other1 where cutting by the scythe is so much practised4 ,notwithstanding all this1 there appears to be good properties in both that either seems to stand in need of4 --,vol4 ii4 p4 #cbi4 ,other scientific1 especially chemical information1 connected with the different varieties of grain1 and the kind and quantity of food they respectively yield1 is incorporated in the chapters upon wheat1 flour1 and oat and bean meal1 to which we can only advert1 as further illustrations of the intimate manner in which science and skilful or enlightened practice are invariably1 necessarily1 and every where interwoven4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now the dreary months of winter are ended--and the labours of the farmer take a new direction4 ,salvitur acris hiems grat vice veris et ,favoni1 99 99 99 99 99 ,ac neque jam stabulis gaudet pecus1 aut arator igni4 ,but we cannot follow ,mr4 ,stephens through the cheerful labours of the coming year4 ,our task is so far ended1 and from the way in which the whole of the long weeks of winter are described1 the reader must judge of ,mr4 ,stephens's ability to lead him safely and surely through the rest of the year4 ,a closing observation or two1 however1 we beg to offer4 ,we look upon a good book on agriculture as something more than a lucky speculation for the publisher1 or a profitable occupation of his time for the author4 ,it is a gain to the community at large1--a new instrument of national wealth4 ,the first honour or praise in reference to every such instrument1 is1 no doubt1 due to the maker or inventor--but he who brings is into general use1 merits also no little approbation4 ,such is our case with respect to the book before us4 ,we shall be glad to learn that our analysis of it contributes to a wider circulation among the practical farmers of the empire1 of the manifold information which the book contains1 not so much for the sake of the author1 as with a view to the common good of the country at large4 ,it is to the more general diffusion of sound agricultural literature among our farmers1 that we look for that more rapid development of the resources of our varied soils which the times so imperatively demand4 ,to gain this end no legitimate means ought to be passed by1 and we have detained our readers so long upon the book before us1 in the hope that they may be induced to lend us their aid also in attaining so desirable an object4 ,we do not consider ,the ,book of the ,farm a perfect work3 the author indulges now and then in loose and careless writing2 and this incorrectness has more frequently struck us in the later portions of the work1 no doubt from the greater haste of composition4 ,he sets out by slighting the aids of science to agriculture2 and yet1 in an early part of his book1 tells the young farmer that he must become acquainted with the agency of electricity before he can understand the variations of the weather1 and ends by making his book1 as we have said1 a running commentary upon the truth we have already several times repeated1 that ,,skilful ,,practice ,,is ,,applied ,,science4 ,these1 and no doubt other faults the book has--as what book is without them8--but as a practical manual for those who wish to be good farmers1 it is the best book we know4 ,it contains more of the practical applications of modern science1 and adverts to more of those interesting questions from which past improvements have sprung1 and from the discussion of which future ameliorations are likely to flow1 than any other of the newer works which have come under our eye4 ,where so many excellences exist1 we are not ill-natured enough to magnify a few defects4 ,the excellence of ,scottish agriculture may be said by some to give rise to the excellent agricultural books which ,scotland1 time after time1 has produced4 ,but it may with equal truth be said1 that the existence of good books1 and their diffusion among a reading population1 are the sources of the agricultural distinction possessed by the northern parts of the island4 ,it is beyond our power1 as individuals1 to convert the entire agricultural population of our islands into a reading body1 but we can avail ourselves of the tendency wherever it exists2 and by writing1 or diffusing1 or aiding to diffuse1 good books1 we can supply ready instruction to such as now wish for it1 and can put it in the way of those in whom other men1 by other means1 are labouring to awaken the dormant desire for knowledge4 ,reader1 do you wish to improve agriculture8 --then buy you a good book1 and place it in the hands of your tenant or your neighbouring farmer2 if he be a reading man1 he will thank you1 and his children may live to bless you2 if he be not a reader1 you may have the gratification of wakening a dormant spirit2 and though you may appear to be casting your bread upon the waters1 yet you shall find it again after many days4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,poems ,,and ,,ballads ,,of ,,schiller4 ,no4 ,,vii4 7,the two following poems1 ,the ,ideal1 and1 ,the ,ideal and ,life1 are essentially distinct in their mode of treatment4 ,the first is simple and tender1 and expresses feelings in which all can sympathize4 ,as a recent and able critic1 in the ,foreign ,quarterly ,review1 has observed1 this poem1 still little known1 contains a regret for the period of youthful faith1 and may take its place among the most charming and pathetic of all those numberless effusions of genius in which individual feeling is but the echo of the universal heart4 ,but the poem on ,the ,ideal and ,life is highly mystical and obscure2-- it is a specimen1 says the critic we have just quoted1 of those poems which were the immediate results of ,schiller's metaphysical studies4 ,here the subject is purely supersensual1 and does not descend to the earth at all4 ,the very tendency of the poem is to recommend a life not in the actual world1 but in the world of appearances #e--that is1 in the aesthetical world4 ,it requires considerable concentration of mind to follow its meaning through the cloud of its dark and gigantic images4 ,schiller desired his friend ,humboldt to read it in perfect stillness1 'and put away from him all that was profane4' ,humboldt1 of course1 admired it prodigiously2 and it is unquestionably full of thought expressed with the power of the highest genius4 ,but1 on the other hand1 its philosophy1 even for a ,poet or ,idealist1 is more than disputable1 and it incurs the very worst fault which a ,poet can commit1 viz4 obscurity of idea as well as expression4 ,when the ,poet sets himself up for the teacher1 he must not forget that the teacher's duty is to be clear2 and the higher the mystery he would expound1 the more pains he should bestow on the simplicity of the elucidation4 ,for the true ,poet does not address philosophical coteries1 but an eternal and universal public4 ,happily this fault is rare in ,schiller1 and more happily still1 his great mind did not long remain a groper amidst the ',realm of ,shadow4' ,the true ,ideal is quite as liable to be lost amidst the maze of metaphysics1 as in the actual thoroughfares of work-day life4 ,a plunge into ,kant may do more harm to a ,poet than a walk through ,fleet ,street4 ,goethe1 than whom no man had ever more studied the elements of the diviner art1 was right as an artist in his dislike to the over-cultivation of the aesthetical4 ,the domain of the ,ideal is the heart1 and through the heart it operates on the soul4 ,it grows feebler and dimmer in proportion as it seeks to rise above human emotion4444 ,longinus does not err1 when he asserts that ,passion 7often erroneously translated ,pathos7 is the best part of the ,sublime47 ,footnote #e3 ,rather1 according to ,aesthetical ,philosophy1 is the actual world to be called the world of appearances1 and the ,ideal the world of substance4 ,,to ,,the ,,ideal4 ,then wilt thou1 with thy fancies holy-- ,wilt thou1 faithless1 fly from me8 ,with thy joy1 thy melancholy1 ,wilt thou thus relentless flee8 ,o ,golden ,time1 ,o ,human ,may1 ,can nothing1 ,fleet ,one1 thee restrain8 ,must thy sweet river glide away ,into the eternal ,ocean-,main8 ,the suns serene are lost and vanish'd ,that wont the path of youth to gild1 ,and all the fair ,ideals banish'd ,from that wild heart they whilome fill'd4 ,gone the divine and sweet believing ,in dreams which ,heaven itself unfurl'd6 ,what godlike shapes have years bereaving ,swept from this real work-day world6 ,as once1 with tearful passion fired1 ,the ,cyprian ,sculptor clasp'd the stone1 ,till the cold cheeks1 delight-inspired1 ,blush'd--to sweet life the marble grown2 ,so ,youth's desire for ,nature6--round ,the ,statue1 so my arms ,i wreathed1 ,till warmth and life in mine it found ,and breath that poets breathe--it breathed4 ,with my own burning thoughts it burn'd2-- ,its silence stirr'd to speech divine2-- ,its lips my glowing kiss return'd2-- ,its heart in beating answer'd mine6 ,how fair was then the flower--the tree6-- ,how silver-sweet the fountain's fall6 ,the soulless had a soul to me6 ,my life its own life lent to all6 ,the ,universe of ,things seem'd swelling ,the panting heart to burst its bound1 ,and wandering ,fancy found a dwelling ,in every shape--thought--deed1 and sound4 ,germ'd in the mystic buds1 reposing1 ,a whole creation slumber'd mute1 ,alas1 when from the buds unclosing1 ,how scant and blighted sprung the fruit6 ,how happy in his dreaming error1 ,his own gay valour for his wing1 ,of not one care as yet in terror1 ,did ,youth upon his journey spring2 ,till floods of balm1 through air's dominion1 ,bore upward to the faintest star-- ,for never aught to that bright pinion ,could dwell too high1 or spread too far4 ,though laden with delight1 how lightly ,the wanderer heavenward still could soar1 ,and aye the ways of life how brightly ,the airy ,pageant danced before6-- ,love1 showering gifts 7life's sweetest7 down1 ,fortune1 with golden garlands gay1 ,and ,fame1 with starbeams for a crown1 ,and ,truth1 whose dwelling is the ,day4 ,ah6 midway soon1 lost evermore1 ,afar the blithe companions stray2 ,in vain their faithless steps explore1 ,as1 one by one1 they glide away4 ,fleet ,fortune was the first escaper-- ,the thirst for wisdom linger'd yet2 ,but doubts with many a gloomy vapour ,the sun-shape of the ,truth beset6 ,the holy crown which ,fame was wreathing1 ,behold6 the mean man's temples wore6 ,and but for one short spring-day breathing1 ,bloom'd ,love--the ,beautiful--no more6 ,and ever stiller yet1 and ever ,the barren path more lonely lay1 ,till waning ,hope could scarcely quiver ,along the darkly widening way4 ,who1 loving1 linger'd yet to guide me1 ,when all her boon companions fled8 ,who stands consoling still beside me1 ,and follows to the ,house of ,dread8 ,thine1 ,friendship6 thine1 the hand so tender-- ,thine the balm dropping on the wound-- ,thy task--the load more light to render1 ,o1 earliest sought and soonest found6 ,and thou1 so pleased with her uniting ,to charm the soul-storm into peace1 ,sweet ,toil6#f in toil itself delighting1 ,that more it labor'd1 less could cease3 ,though but by grains1 thou aid'st the pile ,the vast ,eternity uprears-- ,at least thou strik'st from ,time1 the while1 ,life's debt--the minutes1 days1 and years6#g ,footnote #f3 ,that is to say--the ,poet's occupation--,the ,ideal4 ,footnote #g3 ,though the ,ideal images of youth forsake us--the ,ideal still remains to the ,poet4--,nay1 it is his task and his companion2 unlike the worldly fantasies of fortune--fame1 and love--the fantasies the ,ideal creates are imperishable4 ,while1 as the occupation of his life1 it pays off the debt of time2 as the exalter of life1 it contributes to the building of eternity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,ideal ,,and ,,the ,,actual ,,life4 ,the first title of this ,poem was ,the ,realm of ,shadow4 ,perhaps in the whole range of ,german poetry there exists no poem which presents greater difficulties to the ,english translator4 ,the chief object of the present inadequate version has been to render the sense intelligible as well as the words4 ,the attempt stands in need of all the indulgence which the ,german scholar will readily allow that a much abler translator might reasonably require4 #a ,for ever fair1 for ever calm and bright1 ,life flies on plumage1 zephyr-light1 ,for those who on the ,olympian hill rejoice-- ,moons wane1 and races wither to the tomb1 ,and 'mid the universal ruin1 bloom ,the rosy days of ,gods-- ,with ,man1 the choice1 ,timid and anxious1 hesitates between ,the sense's pleasure and the soul's content2 ,while on celestial brows1 aloft and sheen1 ,the beams of both are blent4 #b ,seek'st thou on earth the life of ,gods to share1 ,safe in the ,realm of ,death8--beware ,to pluck the fruits that glitter to thine eye2 ,content thyself with gazing on their glow-- ,short are the joys ,possession can bestow1 ,and in ,possession sweet ,desire will die4 ',twas not the ninefold chain of waves that bound ,thy daughter1 ,ceres1 to the ,stygian river-- ,she pluck'd the fruit of the unholy ground1 ,and so--was ,hell's for ever6 #c ,the weavers of the web--the ,fates--but sway ,the matter and the things of clay2 ,safe from each change that ,time to matter gives1 ,nature's blest playmate1 free at will to stray ,with ,gods a god1 amidst the fields of ,day1 ,the ,,form1 the ,,archetype1#h serenely lives4 ,would'st thou soar heavenward on its joyous wing8 ,cast from thee1 ,earth1 the bitter and the real1 ,high from this cramp'd and dungeon being1 spring ,into the ,realm of the ,ideal6 ,footnote #h3 ,die ,gestalt--,form1 the ,platonic ,archetype4 #d ,here1 bathed1 ,perfection1 in thy purest ray1 ,free from the clogs and taints of clay1 ,hovers divine the ,archetypal ,man6 ,like those dim phantom ghosts of life that gleam ,and wander voiceless by the ,stygian stream1 ,while yet they stand in fields ,elysian1 ,ere to the flesh the ,immortal ones descend-- ,if doubtful ever in the ,actual life1 ,each contest--here a victory crowns the end ,of every nobler strife4 #e ,not from the strife itself to set thee free1 ,but more to nerve--doth ,victory ,wave her rich garland from the ,ideal clime4 ,whate'er thy wish1 the ,earth has no repose-- ,life still must drag thee onward as it flows1 ,whirling thee down the dancing surge of ,time4 ,but when the courage sinks beneath the dull ,sense of its narrow limits--on the soul1 ,bright from the hill-tops of the ,beautiful1 ,bursts the attaind goal6 #f ,if worth thy while the glory and the strife ,which fire the lists of ,actual ,life-- ,the ardent rush to fortune or to fame1 ,in the hot field where ,strength and ,valour are1 ,and rolls the whirling1 thunder of the car1 ,and the world1 breathless1 eyes the glorious game-- ,then dare and strive--the prize can but belong ,to him whose valour o'er his tribe prevails2 ,in life the victory only crowns the strong-- ,he who is feeble fails4 #g ,but as some stream1 when from its source it gushes1 ,o'er rocks in storm and tumult rushes1 ,and smooths its after course to bright repose1 ,so1 through the ,shadow-,land of ,beauty glides ,the ,life ,ideal--on sweet silver tides ,glassing the day and night star as it flows-- ,here1 contest is the interchange of ,love1 ,here1 rule is but the empire of the ,grace2 ,gone every foe1 ,peace folds her wings above ,the holy1 haunted place4 #h ,when through dead stone to breathe a soul of light1 ,with the dull matter to unite ,the kindling genius1 some great sculptor glows2 ,behold him straining every nerve intent-- ,behold how1 o'er the subject element1 ,the stately ,,thought its march laborious goes4 ,for never1 save to ,toil untiring1 spoke ,the unwilling ,truth from her mysterious well-- ,the statute only to the chisel's stroke ,wakes from its marble cell4 #i ,but onward to the ,sphere of ,beauty--go ,onward1 ,o ,child of ,art6 and1 lo1 ,out of the matter which thy pains control ,the ,statue springs6--not as with labour wrung ,from the hard block1 but as from ,nothing sprung-- ,airy and light--the offspring of the soul6 ,the pangs1 the cares1 the weary toils it cost ,leave not a trace when once the work is done-- ,the artist's human frailty merged and lost ,in art's great victory won6 #aj ,if human ,sin confronts the rigid law ,of perfect ,truth and ,virtue1#i awe ,seizes and saddens thee to see how far ,beyond thy reach1 ,perfection2--if we test ,by the ,ideal of the ,good1 the best1 ,how mean our efforts and our actions are6 ,this space between the ,ideal of man's soul ,and man's achievement1 who hath ever past8 ,an ocean spreads between us and that goal1 ,where anchor ne'er was cast6 #aa ,but fly the boundary of the ,senses--live the ,ideal life free ,thought can give2 ,and1 lo1 the gulf shall vanish1 and the chill ,of the soul's impotent despair be gone6 ,and with divinity thou sharest the throne1 ,let but divinity become thy will6 ,scorn not the ,law--permit its iron band ,the sense 7it cannot chain the soul7 to thrall4 ,let man no more the will of ,jove withstand1 ,and ,jove the bolt lets fall6 #ab ,if1 in the woes of ,actual ,human ,life-- ,if thou could'st see the serpent strife ,which the ,greek ,art has made divine in stone-- ,could'st see the writhing limbs1 the livid cheek1 ,note every pang1 and hearken every shriek ,of some despairing lost ,laocoon1 ,the human nature would thyself subdue ,to share the human woe before thine eye-- ,thy cheek would pale1 and all thy soul be true ,to ,man's great ,sympathy4 #ac ,but in the ,ideal realm1 aloof and far1 ,where the calm ,art's pure dwellers are1 ,lo1 the ,laocoon writhes1 but does not groan4 ,here1 no sharp grief the high emotion knows-- ,here1 suffering's self is made divine1 and shows ,the brave resolve of the firm soul alone3 ,here1 lovely as the rainbow on the dew ,of the spent thunder-cloud1 to ,art is given1 ,gleaming through ,grief's dark veil1 the peaceful blue ,of the sweet ,moral ,heaven4 ,footnote #i3 ,the ,law1 i4e4 the ,kantian ideal of ,truth and ,virtue4 ,this stanza and the next embody1 perhaps with some exaggeration1 the ,kantian doctrine of morality4 #ad ,so1 in the glorious parable1 behold ,how1 bow'd to mortal bonds1 of old ,life's dreary path divine ,alcides trode3 ,the hydra and the lion were his prey1 ,and to restore the friend he loved to day1 ,he went undaunted to the black-brow'd ,god2 ,and all the torments and the labours sore ,wroth ,juno sent--meek majestic ,one1 ,with patient spirit and unquailing1 bore1 ,until the course was run-- #ae ,until the ,god cast down his garb of clay1 ,and rent in hallowing flame away ,the mortal part from the divine--to soar ,to the empyreal air6 ,behold him spring ,blithe in the pride of the unwonted wing1 ,and the dull matter that confined before ,sinks downward1 downward1 downward as a dream6 ,olympian hymns receive the escaping soul1 ,and smiling ,hebe1 from the ambrosial stream1 ,fills for a ,god the bowl6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,favour ,,of ,,the ,,moment4 ,and so we find ourselves once more ,a ring1 though varying yet serene1 ,the wreaths of song we wove of yore ,again we'll weave as fresh and green4 ,but who the ,god to whom we bring ,the earliest tribute song can treasure8 ,him1 first of all the ,gods1 we sing ,whose blessing to ourselves is--pleasure6 ,for boots it on the votive shrine ,that ,ceres life itself bestows ,or liberal ,bacchus gives the wine ,that through the glass in purple glows-- ,if still there come not from the heaven ,the spark that sets the hearth on flame2 ,if to the soul no fire is given1 ,and the sad heart remain the same8 ,sudden as from the clouds must fall1 ,as from the lap of ,god1 our bliss-- ,and still the mightiest lord of all1 ,monarch of ,time1 the ,,moment is6 ,since endless ,nature first began ,whate'er of might the mind hath wrought-- ,whate'er of ,godlike comes from ,man ,springs from one lightning-flash of thought6 ,for years the marble block awaits ,the breath of life1 beneath the soil-- ,a happy thought the work creates1 ,a moment's glance rewards the toil4 ,as suns that weave from out their blaze ,the various colours round them given2 ,as ,iris1 on her arch of rays1 ,hovers1 and vanishes from heaven2 ,so fair1 so fleeting every prize-- ,a lightning flash that shines and fades-- ,the ,moment's brightness gilds the skies ,and round the brightness close the shades4 ,,expectation ,,and ,,fulfilment4 ,o'er ocean with a thousand masts sails on the young man bold-- ,one boat1 hard-rescued from the deep1 draws into port the old6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,the ,,proselyte--,,maker4 ,a little ,earth from out the ,earth1 and ,i ,the ,earth will move--so said the sage divine2 ,out of myself one little moment try ,myself to take2--succeed1 and ,i am thine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,value ,,and ,,worth4 ,if thou hast something1 bring thy goods1 a fair return be thine6-- ,if thou art something--bring thy soul1 and interchange with mine4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,fortune-,,favoured4 #aj ,footnote #aj3 ,the first verses in the original of this poem are placed as a motto on ,goethe's statue at ,weimar4 ,ah6 happy ,he1 upon whose birth each god ,looks down in love1 whose earliest sleep the bright ,idalia cradles1 whose young lips the rod ,of eloquent ,hermes kindles--to whose eyes1 ,scarce waken'd yet1 ,apollo steals in light1 ,while on imperial brows ,jove sets the seal of might4 ,godlike the lot ordain'd for him to share1 ,he wins the garland ere be runs the race2 ,he learns life's wisdom ere he knows life's care1 ,and1 without labour vanquish'd1 smiles the ,grace4 ,great is the man1 ,i grant1 whose strength of mind1 ,self-shapes its objects and subdues the ,fates-- ,virtue subdues the ,fates1 but cannot bind ,the fickle ,happiness1 whose smile awaits ,those who scarce seek it2 nor can courage earn ,what the ,grace showers not from her own free urn6 ,from aught unworthy1 the determined will ,can guard the watchful spirit--there it ends4 ,the all that's glorious from the heaven descends2 ,as some sweet mistress loves us1 freely still ,come the spontaneous gifts of heaven6--,above ,favour rules ,jove1 as it below rules ,love6 ,the ,immortals have their bias6--,kindly they ,see the bright locks of youth enamour'd play1 ,and where the glad one goes1 shed gladness round the way4 ,it is not they who boast the best to see1 ,whose eyes the holy apparitions bless2 ,the stately light of their divinity ,hath oft but shone the brightest on the blind2-- ,and their choice spirit found its calm recess ,in the pure childhood of a simple mind4 ,unask'd they come--delighted to delude ,the expectation of our baffled ,pride2 ,no law can call their free steps to our side4 ,him whom ,he loves1 the ,sire of men and gods1 7,selected from the marvelling multitude17 ,bears on his eagle to his bright abodes2 ,and showers1 with partial hand and lavish1 down ,the minstrel's laurel or the monarch's crown4 ,before the fortune-favour'd son of earth1 ,apollo walks--and1 with his jocund mirth1 ,the heart-enthralling ,smiler of the skies4 ,for him grey ,neptune smooths the pliant wave-- ,harmless the waters for the ship that bore ,the ,caesar and his fortunes to the shore6 ,charm'd1 at his feet the crouching lion lies1 ,to him his back the murmuring dolphin gave2 ,his soul is born a sovereign o'er the strife-- ,the lord of all the ,beautful of ,life2 ,where'er his presence in its calm has trod1 ,it charms--it sways as some diviner god4 ,scorn not the ,fortune-favour'd1 that to him ,the light-won victory by the gods is given1 ,or that1 as ,paris1 from the strife severe1 ,the ,venus draws her darling1--,whom the heaven ,so prospers1 love so watches1 ,i revere6 ,and not the man upon whose eyes1 with dim ,and baleful night1 sits ,fate4 ,the ,dorian lord1 ,august ,achilles1 was not less divine ,that ,vulcan wrought for him the shield and sword-- ,that round the mortal hover'd all the hosts ,of all ,olympus--that his wrath to grace1 ,the best and bravest of the ,grecian race ,fell by the ,trojan steel1 what time the ghosts ,of souls untimely slain fled to the ,stygian coasts4 ,scorn not the ,beautiful--if it be fair1 ,and yet seem useless in thy human sight4 ,as scentless lilies in the loving air1 ,be they delighted--thou in them delight4 ,if without use they shine1 yet still the glow ,may thine own eyes enamour4 ,oh rejoice ,that heaven the gifts of ,song showers down below-- ,that what the muse hath taught him1 the sweet voice ,of the glad minstrel teaches thee6--the soul ,which the god breathes in him1 he can bestow ,in turn upon the listener--if his breast ,the blessing feel1 thy heart is in that blessing blest4 ,the busy mart let ,justice still control1 ,weighing the guerdon to the toil6--,what then8 ,a god alone claims joy--all joy is his1 ,flushing with unsought light the cheeks of men4 ,where is no miracle1 why there no bliss6 ,grow1 change1 and ripen all that mortal be1 ,shapen'd from form to form1 by toiling time2 ,the ,blissful and the ,beautiful are born ,full grown1 and ripen'd from ,eternity-- ,no gradual changes to their glorious prime1 ,no childhood dwarfs them1 and no age has worn4-- ,like ,heaven's1 each earthly ,venus on the sight ,comes1 a dark birth1 from out an endless sea2 ,like the first ,pallas1 in maturest might1 ,arm'd1 from the ,thunderer's brow1 leaps forth each ,thought of ,light4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we have now1 with few exceptions1 translated all the principal poems comprised in the third1 or maturest period of ,schiller's life4 ,we here pass back to the poems of his youth4 ,the contrast in tone1 thought1 and spirit1 between the compositions of the first and the third period1 in the great poet's intellectual career1 is sufficiently striking4 ,in the former1 there is little of that majestic repose of strength so visible in the latter2 but there is infinitely more fire and action--more of that lavish and exuberant energy which characterized the earlier tales of ,lord ,byron1 and redeemed1 in that wonderful master of animated and nervous style1 a certain poverty of conception by a vigour and gusto of execution1 which no ,english poet1 perhaps1 has ever surpassed4 ,in his poems lies the life1 and beats the heart1 of ,schiller4 ,they conduct us through the various stages of his spiritual education1 and indicate each step in the progress4 ,in this division1 effort is no less discernible than power--both in language and thought there is a struggle at something not yet achieved1 and not1 perhaps1 even yet definite and distinct to the poet himself4 ,here may be traced1 though softened by the charm of genius1 7which softens all things17 the splendid errors that belong to a passionate youth1 and that give such distorted grandeur to the giant melodrama of ,the ,robbers4 ,but here are to be traced also1 and in far clearer characters1 the man's strong heart1 essentially human in its sympathies--the thoughtful and earnest intellect1 not yet equally developed with the fancy1 but giving ample promise of all it was destined to receive4 ,in these earlier poems1 extravagance is sufficiently noticeable--yet never the sickly eccentricities of diseased weakness1 but the exuberant overflowings of a young ,titan's strength4 ,there is a distinction1 which our critics do not always notice1 between the extravagance of a great genius1 and the affectation of a pretty poet4 ,,first ,,period ,,hector ,,and ,,ancromache4 #aa ,footnote #aa3 ,this and the following poem are1 with some alterations1 introduced in the play of ,the ,robbers4 ,,andromache4 ,will ,hector leave me for the fatal plain1 ,where1 fierce with vengeance for ,patroclus slain1 ,stalks ,peleus' ruthless son8 ,who1 when thou glidest amid the dark abodes1 ,to hurl the spear and to revere the ,gods1 ,shall teach shine ,orphan ,one8 ,,hector4 ,woman and wife belovd--cease thy tears2 ,my soul is nerved--the war-clang in my ears6 ,be mine in life to stand ,troy's bulwark1 fighting for our hearths--to go1 ,in death1 exulting to the streams below1 ,slain for my fatherland6 ,,andromache4 ,no more ,i hear thy martial footsteps fall-- ,thine arms shall hang1 dull trophies1 on the wall-- ,fallen the stem of ,troy6 ,thou go'st where slow ,cocytus wanders--where ,love sinks in ,lethe1 and the sunless air ,is dark to light and joy6 ,,hector4 ,sinew and thought--yea1 all ,i feel and think ,may in the silent sloth of ,lethe sink1 ,but my love not6 ,hark1 the wild swarm is at the walls6--,i hear6 ,gird on my sword--beloved one1 dry the tear-- ,lethe for love is not6 ,,amalia4 ,fair as an angel from his blessed hall-- ,of every fairest youth the fairest he6 ,heaven-mild his look1 as maybeams when they fall1 ,or shine reflected from a clear blue sea6 ,his kisses--feelings rife with paradise6 ,ev'n as two flames1 one on the other driven-- ,ev'n as two harp-tones their melodious sighs ,blend in some music that seems born of heaven2 ,so rush'd1 mix'd1 melted--life with life united6 ,lips1 cheeks burn'd1 trembled--soul to soul was won6 ,and earth and heaven seem'd chaos1 as delighted ,earth--heaven were blent round the belovd one6 ,now1 he is gone6 vainly and wearily ,groans the full heart1 the yearning sorrow flows-- ,gone6 and all zest of life1 in one long sigh1 ,goes with him where he goes4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,laura4 ,,the ,,mystery ,,of ,,reminiscence4 #ab ,footnote #ab3 ,this most exquisite love-poem is founded on the ,platonic notion1 that souls were united in a pre-existent state1 that love is the yearning of the spirit to reunite with the spirit with which it formerly made one--and which it discovers on earth4 ,the idea has often been made subservient to poetry1 but never with so earnest and elaborate a beauty4 ,who1 and what gave to me the wish to woo thee-- ,still1 lip to lip1 to cling for aye unto thee8 ,who made thy glances to my soul the link-- ,who bade me burn thy very breath to drink-- ,my life in thine to sink8 ,as from the conquerors unresisted glaive1 ,flies1 without strife subdued1 the ready slave-- ,so1 when to life's unguarded fort1 ,i see ,thy gaze draw near and near triumphantly-- ,yields not my soul to thee8 ,why from its lord doth thus my soul depart8-- ,is it because its native home thou art8 ,or were they brothers in the days of yore1 ,twin-bound both souls1 and in the links they bore ,sigh to be bound once more8 ,were once our beings blent and intertwining1 ,and therefore still my heart for thine is pining8 ,knew we the light of some extinguished sun-- ,the joys remote of some bright realm undone1 ,where once our souls were ,,one8 ,yes1 it is so6--,and thou wert bound to me ,in the long-vanish'd ,eld eternally6 ,in the dark troubled tablets which enroll ,the ,past--my ,muse beheld this blessed scroll-- ,one with thy love my soul6 ,oh yes1 ,i learn'd in awe1 when gazing there1 ,how once one bright inseparate life we were1 ,how once1 one glorious essence as a ,god1 ,unmeasured space our chainless footsteps trode-- ,all ,nature our abode6 ,round us1 in waters of delight1 for ever ,voluptuous flow'd the heavenly ,nectar river2 ,we were the master of the seal of things1 ,and where the sunshine bathed ,truth's mountain-springs ,quiver'd our glancing wings4 ,weep for the godlike life we lost afar-- ,weep6--thou and ,i its scatter'd fragments are2 ,and still the unconquer'd yearning we retain-- ,sigh to restore the rapture and the reign1 ,and grow divine again4 ,and therefore came to me the wish to woo thee-- ,still1 lip to lip1 to cling for aye unto thee2 ,this made thy glances to my soul the link-- ,this made me burn thy very breath to drink-- ,my life in thine to sink3 ,and therefore1 as before the conqueror's glaive1 ,flies1 without strife subdued1 the ready slave1 ,so1 when to life's unguarded fort1 ,i see ,thy gaze draw near and near triumphantly-- ,yieldeth my soul to thee6 ,therefore my soul doth from its lord depart1 ,because1 beloved1 its native home thou art2 ,because the twins recall the links they bore1 ,and soul with soul1 in the sweet kiss of yore1 ,meets and unites once more4 ,thou too--,ah1 there thy gaze upon me dwells1 ,and thy young blush the tender answer tells2 ,yes6 with the dear relation still we thrill1 ,both lives--tho' exiles from the homeward hill-- ,one life--all glowing still6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,laura4 7,rapture47 ,laura--above this world methinks ,i fly1 ,and feel the glow of some ,may-lighted sky1 ,when thy looks beam on mine6 ,and my soul drinks a more ethereal air1 ,when mine own shape ,i see reflected there1 ,in those blue eyes of thine6 ,a lyre-sound from the ,paradise afar1 ,a harp-note trembling from some gracious star1 ,seems the wild ear to fill2 ,and my muse feels the ,golden ,shepherd-hours1 ,when from thy lips the silver music pours ,slow1 as against its will4 ,i see the young ,loves flutter on the wing-- ,move the charm'd trees1 as when the ,thracian's string ,wild life to forests gave2 ,swifter the globe's swift circle seems to fly1 ,when in the whirling dance thou glidest by1 ,light as a happy wave4 ,thy looks1 when there love sheds the loving smile1 ,could from the senseless marble life beguile-- ,lend rocks a pulse divine2 ,into a dream my very being dies1 ,i can but read--for ever read--thine eyes-- ,laura1 sweet ,laura1 mine6#ac ,footnote #ac3 ,we confess we cannot admire the sagacity of those who have contended that ,schiller's passion for ,laura was purely ,platonic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,to ,,laura ,,playing4 ,when o'er the chords thy fingers steal1 ,a soulless statue now ,i feel1 ,and now a soul set free6 ,sweet ,sovereign6 ruling over death and life-- ,seizes the heart1 in a voluptuous strife ,as with a thousand strings--the ,,sorcery6#ad ,footnote #ad3 ,the ,sorcery4--,in the original1 ,schiller has an allusion of very questionable taste1 and one which is very obscure to the general reader1 to a conjurer of the name of ,philadelphia who exhibited before ,frederick the ,great4 ,then the vassal airs that woo thee1 ,hush their low breath hearkening to thee4 ,in delight and in devotion1 ,pausing from her whirling motion1 ,nature1 in enchanted calm1 ,silently drinks the floating balm4 ,sorceress1 her heart with thy tone ,chaining--as thine eyes my own6 ,o'er the transport-tumult driven1 ,doth the music gliding swim2 ,from the strings1 as from their heaven1 ,burst the new-born ,seraphim4 ,as when from ,chaos' giant arms set free1 ',mid the ,creation-storm1 exultingly ,sprang sparkling thro' the dark the ,orbs of ,light-- ,so streams the rich tone in melodious might4 ,soft-gliding now1 as when o'er pebbles glancing1 ,the silver wave goes dancing2 ,now with majestic swell1 and strong1 ,as thunder peals in organ-tones along2 ,and now with stormy gush1 ,as down the rock1 in foam1 the whirling torrents rush4 ,to a whisper now ,melts it amorously1 ,like the breeze through the bough ,of the aspen tree2 ,heavily now1 and with a mournful breath1 ,like midnight's wind along those wastes of death1 ,where ,awe the wail of ghosts lamenting hears1 ,and slow ,cocytus trails the stream whose waves are tears4 ,speak1 maiden1 speak6--,oh1 art thou one of those ,spirits more lofty than our region knows8 ,should we in thine the mother-language seek ,souls in ,elysium speak8 ,,flowers4 ,children of ,suns restored to youth1 ,in purfled fields ye dwell1 ,rear'd to delight and joy--in sooth ,kind ,nature loves ye well6 ,broider'd with light the robes ye wear1 ,and liberal ,flora decks ye fair ,in gorgeous-colour'd pride4 ,yet woe--,spring's harmless infants--woe6 ,mourn1 for ye wither while ye glow-- ,mourn for the soul denied6 ,the sky-lark and the nightbird sing ,to you their hymns of love2 ,and ,sylphs that wanton on the wing1 ,embrace your blooms above4 ,woven for ,love's soft pillow were ,the chalice crowns ye flushing bear1 ,by the ,idalian ,queen4 ,yet weep1 soft children of the ,spring1 ,the feelings love alone can bring ,to you denied have been6 ,but me in vain my ,fanny's #ae eyes ,her mother hath forbidden2 ,for in the buds ,i gather1 lies ,love's symbol-language hidden4 ,mute heralds of voluptuous pain1 ,i touch ye--life--speech--heart--ye gain1 ,and soul denied before4 ,and silently your leaves enclose1 ,the mightiest ,god in arch repose1 ,soft-cradled in the core4 ,footnote #ae3 ,literally ,nanny4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,battle4 ,heavy and solemn1 ,a cloudy column1 ,thro' the green plain they marching came6 ,measureless spread1 like a table dread1 ,for the wild grim dice of the iron game4 ,the looks are bent on the shaking ground1 ,and the heart beats loud with a knelling sound2 ,swift by the breasts that must bear the brunt1 ,gallops the ,major along the front-- ,halt6 ,and fetter'd they stand at the stark command1 ,and the warriors1 silent1 halt6 ,proud in the blush of morning glowing1 ,what on the hill-top shines in flowing8 ,see you the ,foeman's banners waving8 ,we see the ,foeman's banners waving6 ,now1 ,god be with you1 woman and child1 ,lustily hark to the music wild-- ,the mighty trump and the mellow fife1 ,nerving the limbs to a stouter life2 ,thrilling they sound with their glorious tone1 ,thrilling they go1 through the marrow and bone4 ,brothers1 ,god grant when this life is o'er1 ,in the life to come that we meet once more6 ,see the smoke how the lightning is cleaving asunder6 ,hark the guns1 peal on peal1 how they boom in their thunder6 ,from host to host1 with kindling sound1 ,the shouting signal circles round1 ,ay1 shout it forth to life or death-- ,freer already breathes the breath6 ,the war is waging1 slaughter raging1 ,and heavy through the reeking pall1 ,the iron ,death-dice fall6 ,nearer they close--foes upon foes ,ready6--,from square to square it goes1 ,down on the knee they sank1 ,and the fire comes sharp from the foremost rank4 ,many a man to the earth it sent1 ,many a gap by the balls is rent-- ,o'er the corpse before springs the hinder-man1 ,that the line may not fail to the fearless van4 ,to the right1 to the left1 and around and around1 ,death whirls in its dance on the bloody ground4 ,the sun goes down on the burning fight1 ,and over the host falls the brooding ,night4 ,brothers1 ,god grant when this life is o'er1 ,in the life to come that we meet once more6 ,the dead men lie bathed in the weltering blood1 ,and the living are blent in the slippery flood1 ,and the feet1 as they reeling and sliding go1 ,stumble still on the corpses that sleep below4 ,what1 ,francis6 ,give ,charlotte my last farewell4 ,wilder the slaughter roars1 fierce and fell4 ,i'll give----,look1 comrades1 beware--beware ,how the bullets behind us are whirring there---- ,i'll give thy ,charlotte thy last farewell1 ,sleep soft6 where death's seeds are the thickest sown1 ,goes the heart which thy silent heart leaves alone4 ,hitherward--thitherward reels the fight1 ,darker and darker comes down the night-- ,brothers1 ,god grant when this life is o'er1 ,in the life to come that we meet once more6 ,hark to the hoofs that galloping go6 ,the ,adjutants flying1-- ,the horsemen press hard on the panting foe1 ,their thunder booms in dying-- ,victory6 ,the terror has seized on the dastards all1 ,and their colours fall4 ,victory6 ,closed is the brunt of the glorious fight4 ,and the day1 like a conqueror1 bursts on the night4 ,trumpet and fife swelling choral along1 ,the triumph already sweeps marching in song4 ,live--brothers--live6--and when this life is o'er1 ,in the life to come may we meet once more6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,last ,,of ,,the ,,shepherds4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,i wish ,i had lived in ,france in #afgb6 ,it was the age of romances in twenty volumes1 and flowing periwigs1 and high-heeled shoes1 and hoops1 and elegance1 and wit1 and rouge1 and literary suppers1 and gallantry1 and devotion4 ,what names are those of ,la ,calprende1 and ,d',urf1 and ,de ,scuderi1 to be the idols and tutelary deities of a circulating library6--and ,sevign1 to conduct the fashionable correspondence of the ,morning ,post6--and ,racine1 to contribute to the unacted drama6--and ladies skipping up the steepest parts of ,parnassus1 with petticoats well tucked up1 to show the beauty of their ankles1 and their hands filled with artificial flowers--almost as good as natural--to show the simplicity of their tastes6 ,i wish ,i had lived in ,france in #afgb2 for in that year ,madame ,deshoulieres1 who had already been voted the tenth muse by all the freeholders of ,pieria1 and whose pastorals were lisped by all the fashionable shepherdesses in ,paris1 left the flowery banks of the ,seine to rejoin her husband4 ,monsieur ,deshoulieres was in ,guyenne2 ,madame ,deshoulieres went into ,dauphin4 ,matrimony seems to be rather hurtful to geographical studies1 but ,madame ,deshoulieres was a poetess2 and in spite of the thirty-eight summers that shaded the lustre of her cheek1 she was beautiful1 and was still in the glow of youth by her grace and her talent1 and--her heart4 ,wherever she moved she left crowds of ,corydons and ,alexises2 but1 luckily for ,m4 ,deshoulieres1 their whole conversation was about sheep4 ,the two ,mesdemoiselles ,deshoulieres1 ,madeleine and ,bribri1 were beautiful girls of seventeen or eighteen1 brought up in all the innocent pastoralism of their mother4 ,they believed in all the poetical descriptions they read in her eclogues4 ,they expected to see shepherds playing on their pipes1 and shepherdesses dancing1 and naiads reclining on the shady banks of clear-running rivers4 ,they were delighted to get out of the prosaic atmosphere of ,paris1 and all the three were overjoyed when they sprang from their carriage1 one evening in ,may1 at the chateau of ,madame d',urtis on the banks of the ,lignon4 ,though there were occasional showers at that season1 the mornings were splendid2 and accordingly the travellers were up almost by daylight1 to tread the grass still trembling 'neath the steps of ,astrea--to see the fountain1 that mirror where the shepherdesses wove wild-flowers into their hair--and to explore the wood1 still vocal with the complaints of ,celadon4 ,in one of their first excursions1 ,madeleine ,deshoulieres1 impatient to see some of the scenes so gracefully described by her mother1 asked if they were really not to encounter a single shepherd on the banks of the ,lignon8 ,madame ,deshoulieres perceived1 at no great distance1 a herdsman and cow-girl playing at chuckfarthing2 and1 after a pause1 replied-- ,behold upon the verdant grass so sweet1 ,the shepherdess is at her shepherd's feet6 ,her arms are bare1 her foot is small and white1 ,the very oxen wonder at the sight2 ,her locks half bound1 half floating in the air1 ,and gown as light as those that satyrs wear4 ,while these lines were given in ,madame ,deshoulieres' inimitable recitative1 the party had come close to the rustic pair4 ,people may well say1 muttered ,madeleine1 that the pictures of ,nature are always best at a distance4 ,can it be possible that this is a shepherdess--a shepherdess of ,lignon8 ,the shepherdess was in reality a poor little peasant girl1 unkempt1 unshorn1 with hands of prodigious size1 a miraculous squint1 and a mouth which probably had a beginning1 but of which it was impossible to say where it might end4 ,the shepherd was worthy of his companion2 and yet there was something in the extravagant stupidity of his fat and florid countenance that was interesting to a ,parisian eye4 ,madame ,deshoulieres1 who was too much occupied with the verses of the great ,d',urf to attend to what was before her1 continued her description-- ,the birds all round her praises ever sing1 ,and 'neath her steps the flowers incessant spring4 ,your occupation here is delightful1 isn't it8 said ,madeleine to the peasant girl4 ,no1 'tain't1 miss--that it ain't4 ,i gets nothink for all ,i does1 and when ,i goes hoam at night ,i gets a good licking to the bargain4 ,and you8 enquired ,madeleine1 turning to the herdsman1 who was slinking off4 ,i'm a little b-b-b-etter off nor hur1 said the man1 stuttering1 for ,i gets board and lodging--dasht if ,i doesn't--but ,i gets bread like a stone1 and s-s-sleeps below a hedge--dasht if ,i doesn't4 ,but where are your sheep1 shepherd8 said ,bribri4 ,hain't a got none1 stuttered the man again1 dasht if ,i has4 ,what6 exclaimed ,madeleine in despair1 am ,i not to see the lovely lambkins bleating and skipping in the meadows on the banks of the ,lignon1 ,o ,celadon8 ,but ,madame ,deshoulieres was too much of a poetess to hear or see what was going on4 ,she thought of nothing but the loves of ,astrea1 and heard nothing but the imaginary songs of contending ,damons4 ,on their return to the chateau1 ,madeleine and ,bribri complained that they had seen neither flock nor shepherdess4 ,and are you anxious to see them8 enquired ,madame ,d',urtis1 with a smile4 ,oh1 very1 exclaimed ,bribri2 we expected to live like shepherdesses when we came here4 ,i have brought every thing a rustic wants4 ,and so have ,i1 continued ,madeleine2 ,i have brought twenty yards of rose-coloured ribands1 and twenty yards of blue1 to ornament my crook and the handsomest of my ewes4 ,well then1 said the ,duchess d',urtis1 good-naturedly1 there are a dozen of sheep feeding at the end of the park4 ,take the key of the gate1 and drive them into the meadows beyond4 ,madeleine and ,bribri were wild with joy1 while their mother was labouring in search of a rhyme1 and did not attend to the real eclogue which was about to be commenced4 ,they scarcely took time to breakfast4--,they dressed themselves coquettishly--so ,madame ,deshoulieres wrote to ,mascaron--they cut with their own hands a crook a-piece in the park--they beautified them with ribands4 ,madeleine was for the blue ribands1 ,bribri for the rose colour4 ,oh1 the gentle shepherdesses6 they spent a whole hour in finding a name they liked4 ,at last1 ,madeleine fixed on ,amaranthe1 ,bribri on ,daphn4 ,i have just seen them gliding among the trees that overshadow the lovely stream4--,poor shepherdesses6 be on your guard against the wolves4 ,at noon that very day ,madeleine and ,bribri1 or rather ,amaranthe and ,daphn1 in grey silk petticoats and satin bodies1 with their beautiful hair in a state of most careful disorder1 and with their crooks in hand1 conducted the twelve sheep out of the park into the meadows4 ,the flock1 which seemed to be very hungry1 were rather troublesome and disobedient4 ,the shepherdesses did all they could to keep them in the proper path4 ,it was a delicious mixture of bleatings1 and laughter1 and baaings1 and pastoral songs4 ,the happy girls inhaled the soul of nature1 as their poetical mamma expressed it4 ,they ran--they threw themselves on the blooming grass--they looked at themselves in the limpid waters of the ,lignon--they gathered lapfulls of primroses4 ,the flock made the best use of their time2 and every now and then a sheep of more observation than the rest1 perceiving they were guarded by such extraordinary shepherdesses1 took half an hour's diversion among the fresh-springing corn4 ,that's one of yours1 said ,amaranthe4 ,no2 'tis yours1 replied ,daphn2 but1 by way of having no difficulties in future1 they resolved to divide the flock1 and ornament one-half with blue collars1 and the other with rose-colour4 ,and they gave a name also to each of the members of their flock1 such as ,meliboeus1 and ,jeannot1 and ,robin1 and ,blanchette4 ,twelve more poetical sheep were never fed on grass before4 ,when the sun began to sink1 the shepherdesses brought back their flocks4 ,madame ,deshoulieres cried with joy4 ,oh1 my dear girls6 she said1 kissing their fair foreheads2 it is you that have composed an eclogue1 and not ,i4 ,nothing is wanting to the picture1 said the ,duchess1 seating herself under the willows of the watering-place1 and admiring the graceful girls4 ,i think we want a dog1 said ,daphn4 ,no2 we are rather in want of a wolf1 whispered the beautiful ,amaranthe--and blushed4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,not far from the ,chateau d',urtis1 the old manor-house of ,langevy raised its pointed turrets above the surrounding woods4 ,there1 in complete isolation from the world1 lived ,monsieur de ,langevy1 his old mother1 and his young son4 ,m4 de ,langevy had struggled against the storms and misfortunes of human life2 he now reposed in the bosom of solitude1 with many a regret over his wife and his youth--his valiant sword and his adventures4 ,his son1 ,hector ,henri de ,langevy1 had studied under the ,jesuits at ,lyons till he was eighteen4 ,accustomed to the indulgent tenderness of his grandmother1 he had returned1 about two years before1 determined to live in his quiet home without troubling himself about the military glories that had inspired his father4 ,m4 de ,langevy1 though he disapproved of the youth's choice1 did not interfere with it1 except that he insisted on his sometimes following the chase1 as the next best occupation to actual war4 ,the chase had few charms for ,hector4 ,it perhaps might have had more1 if he had not been forced to arm himself with an enormous fowling-piece that had belonged to one of his ancestors1 the very sight of which alarmed him a mighty deal more than the game4 ,he was so prodigious a sportsman1 that1 after six months' practice1 he was startled as much as ever by the whirr of a partridge4 ,but don't imagine1 on this account1 that ,hector's time was utterly wasted4 ,he mused and dreamed1 and fancied it would be so pleasant to be in love2 for he was at that golden age--the only golden age the world has ever seen--when the heart passes from vision to vision 7as the bee from flower to flower7--and wanders1 in its dreams of hope1 from earth to heaven1 from sunshine to shade--from warbling groves to sighing maidens4 ,but alas6 the heart of ,hector searched in vain for sighing maidens in the woods of ,langevy4 ,in the chateau1 there was no one but an old housekeeper1 who had probably not sighed for thirty years1 and a chubby scullion-maid--all unworthy of a soul that dreamed romances on the banks of the ,lignon4 ,he counted greatly on a cousin from ,paris1 who had promised them a visit in the spring4 ,in the meantime1 he paced up and down with a gun on his shoulder1 pretending to be a sportsman--happy in his hopes1 happy in the clear sunshine1 happy because he knew no better--as happens to a great many other people in the gay days of their youth1 in this most unjustly condemned and vilipended world4 ,and now you will probably guess what occurred one day he was walking in his usual dreamy state of abstraction1 and as nearly as possible tumbled head foremost into the ,lignon4 ,by dint of marching straight on1 without minding either hedge or ditch1 he found himself1 when he awakened from his reverie1 with his right foot raised1 in the very act of stepping off the bank into the water4 ,he stood stock-still1 in that somewhat unpicturesque attitude--his mouth wide open1 his eyes strained1 and his cheek glowing with all the colours of the rainbow4 ,he had caught a glimpse of our two enchanting shepherdesses on the other side of the stream1 who were watching his movements by stealth4 ,he blushed far redder than he had ever done before1 and hesitated whether he should retreat or advance4 ,to retreat1 he felt1 would look rather awkward3 at the same time1 he thought it would be too great a price to pay for his honour to jump into the river4 ,and1 besides1 even if he got over to the other side1 would he have courage to speak to them8 ,altogether1 ,i think he acted more wisely1 though less chivalrously1 than some might have done in his place4 ,he laid down his gun1 and seated himself on the bank1 and looked at the sheep as they fed on the opposite side4 ,at twenty years of age1 love travels at an amazing pace2 and ,hector felt that he was already over head and ears with one of the fair shepherdesses4 ,he did not stop to examine which of them it was2 it was of no consequence--sufficient for him that he knew he was in love--gone--captivated4 ,if he had been twenty years older1 he would perhaps have admired them both3 it would have been less romantic1 but decidedly more wise4 ,it is not to be denied that ,amaranthe and ,daphn blushed a little1 too1 at this sort of half meeting with ,hector4 ,they hung down their heads in the most captivating manner1 and continued silent for some time4 ,but at last ,amaranthe1 more lively than her sister1 recommenced her chatter4 ,look1 ,bribri1 she said--,daphn ,i mean--he is one of the silvan deities1 or perhaps ,narcissus looking at himself in the water4 ,rather say1 looking at you1 replied ,daphn1 with a blush4 ',tis ,pan hiding himself in the oziers till you are metamorphosed into a flute1 dear ,daphn4 ,not so1 fair sister1 replied ,daphn2 'tis ,endymion in pursuit of the shepherdess ,amaranthe4 ,at his present pace1 the pursuit will last some time4 ,if he weren't quite so rustic1 he would be a captivating shepherd1 with his long brown ringlets4 ,he has not moved for an hour4 ,what if he has taken root like a hamadryad8 ,poor fellow6 said ,daphn1 in the simplest tone in the world2 he looks very dull all by himself4 ,he must come over to us--that's very plain4 ,we will give him a crook and a bouquet of flowers4 ,oh1 just the thing6 exclaimed the innocent ,daphn4 ,we need a shepherd3 and yet1 no1 no--she added1 for she was a little jealous of her sister--'tis a lucky thing there is river between us4 ,i hope he will find a bridge per passa lou riou d'amor4 ,now1 just at that moment ,hector's mind was set on passing the river of ,love4 ,in casting his eyes all round in search of a passage1 he perceived an old willow half thrown across the stream4 ,with a little courage and activity1 it was a graceful and poetical bridge4 ,hector resolved to try it4 ,he rose and went right onward towards the tree2 but1 when he arrived1 he couldn't help reflecting that1 at that season1 the river was immensely deep4 ,he disdained the danger--sprang lightly up the trunk1 and flung himself along one of the branches1 dropping1 happily without any accident1 on the meadow of the ,chateau d',urtis4 ,little more was left for him to do2 and that little he did4 ,he went towards the fair shepherdesses4 ,he tried to overcome his timidity--he overwhelmed the first sheep of the flock with his insidious caresses--and then1 finding himself within a few feet of ,amaranthe--he bowed1 and smiled1 and said1 ,mademoiselle4 ,he was suddenly interrupted by a clear and silvery voice4 ,there are no ,mesdemoiselles here--there are only two shepherdesses1 ,amaranthe and ,daphn4 ,hector had prepared a complimentary speech for a young lady attending a flock of sheep--but he hadn't a word to say to a shepherdess4 ,he bowed again1 and there was a pause4 ,fair ,amaranthe1 he said--and fair ,daphn1 will you permit a mortal to tread these flowery plains8 ,amaranthe received the speech with a smile1 in which a little raillery was mingled4 ,you speak like a true shepherd1 she said4 ,but ,daphn was more good-natured1 and more touched with the politeness of the sportsman4 ,she cast her eyes on the ground and blushed4 ,oh--if you wish to pass through these meadows1 she said--we shall be-- ,we were going to do the honours of our reception room1 continued ,amaranthe1 and offer you a seat on the grass4 ',tis too much happiness to throw myself at your feet1 replied ,hector1 casting himself on one knee4 ,but he had not looked where he knelt1 and he broke ,daphn's crook4 ,oh1 my poor crook6 she said--and sighed4 ,what have ,i done8 cried ,hector4 ,i am distressed at my stupidity--,i will cut you another from the ash grove below4 ,but you loved this crook1 he added--the gift1 perhaps1 of some shepherd--some shepherd8 --no1 some prince2 for you yourselves are princesses--or fairies4 ,we are nothing but simple shepherdesses1 said ,amaranthe4 ,you are nothing but beautiful young ladies from the capital1 said ,hector1 on a visit at the ,chateau d',urtis4 ,heaven be praised--for in my walks ,i shall at least catch glimpses of you at a distance1 if ,i dare not come near4 ,i shall see you glinting among the trees like enchantresses of old4 ,yes1 we are ,parisians1 as you have guessed--but retired for ever from the world and its deceitful joys4 ,amaranthe had uttered the last words in a declamatory tone2 you might have thought them a quotation from her mamma4 ,you complain rather early1 methinks1 replied ,hector1 with a smile2 have you indeed much fault to find with the world8 ,that is our secret1 fair sportsman1 answered ,amaranthe2 but it seems you also live retired--an eremite forlorn4 ,i8 fair ,amaranthe8 ,i have done nothing but dream of the delights of a shepherd's life--though ,i confess ,i had given up all hopes of seeing a good-looking shepherdess--but now ,i shall go back more happily than ever to my day-dreams4 ,ah6 why can't ,i help you to guard your flock8 ,the two young girls did not know what to say to this proposition4 ,daphn at last replied-- ,our flock is very small--and quite ill enough attended to as it is4 ,what joy for me to become ,daphnis--to sing to you1 and gather roses1 and twine them in your hair6 ,let us say no more1 interrupted ,amaranthe1 a little disquieted at the sudden ardour of ,daphnis2 the sun is going down3 we must return to the park4 ,adieu1 she added1 rising to go away4 ,adieu1 ,daphnis6 murmured the tender ,daphn1 confused and blushing4 ,hector did not dare to follow them4 ,he stood for a quarter of an hour with his eyes fixed first on them1 and then on the door of the park4 ,his heart beat violently1 his whole soul pursued the steps of the shepherdesses4 ',adieu1 ,daphnis1' the lovely ,daphn said to me4 ,i hear her sweet voice still6 ,how beautiful she is6 how beautiful they are1 both--,amaranthe is more graceful1 but ,daphn is more winning--bright eyes--white hands6 sweet smiles6 and the delicious dress1 so simple1 yet so captivating6 the white corset that ,i could not venture to look at--the gown of silk that couldn't hide the points of the charming little feet4 ',tis witchery--enchantment--,venus and ,diana--,i shall inevitably go mad4 ,ah1 cousin6 you ought to have come long ago1 and all this might never have occurred4 ,the sun had sunk behind a bed of clouds--the nightingale began its song1 and the fresh green leaves rustled beneath the mild breath of the evening breeze4 ,the bee hummed joyously on its homeward way1 loaded with the sweets of the spring flowers4 ,down in the valley1 the voice of the hinds driving their herds to rest1 increased the rustic concert2 the river rippled on beneath the mysterious shade of old fantastic trees1 and the air was filled with soft noises1 and rich perfumes1 and the voice of birds4 ,there was no room in ,hector's heart for all these natural enjoyments4 ,to-morrow1 he said1 kissing the broken crook--,i will come back again to-morrow4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,early in the following morning1 ,hector wandered along the banks of the ,lignon1 with a fresh-cut crook in his hand4 ,he looked to the door of the ,park d',urtis1 expecting every moment to see the glorious apparitions of the day before4 ,and at stroke of noon1 a lamb rushing through the gate1 careered along the meadow1 and the eleven others ran gayly after it1 amidst a peal of musical laughter from ,amaranthe4 ,daphn did not laugh4 ,the moment she crossed the threshold1 she glanced stealthily towards the river4 ,i thought so1 she murmured2 ,daphnis has come back4 ,and ,daphnis1 in a transport of joy1 was hurrying to the shepherdesses1 when he was suddenly interrupted by ,madame ,deshoulieres and the ,duchess d',urtis4 ,when the sisters had returned1 on the evening before1 ,amaranthe1 to ,daphn's great discomfiture1 had told word for word all that had occurred2 how that a young sportsman had joined them1 and how they had talked and laughed2 and ,madame d',urtis had no doubt1 from the description1 that it was ,hector de ,langevy4 ,amaranthe having added to the story1 that she felt certain1 in spite of ,daphn's declarations to the contrary1 that he would meet them again1 the seniors had determined to watch the result4 ,hector would fain have made his escape2 two ladies he might have faced1 but four6--and two of them above thirty years of age6 ',twas too much2 but his retreat was instantly cut off4 ,he stood at bay1 blushed with all his might1 but saluted the ladies as manfully as if he had been a page4 ,he received three most gracious curtsies in return--only three2 for ,daphn wished to pass on without taking any notice--which he considered a very favourable omen4 ,he did not know how to begin a conversation2 and besides1 he began to get confused2 and his blushing increased to a most alarming extent--and--in short--he held out his crook to ,daphn4 ,as that young shepherdess had no crook of her own1 and did not know how to refuse the one he offered1 she took it1 though her hand trenbled a little1 and looked at ,madame ,deshoulieres4 ,i broke your crook yesterday1 fair ,daphn1 said ,hector1 but it is not lost4 ,i shall make a relic of it--more precious than--than--1 but the bones of the particular saint he was about to name stuck in his throat and he was silent4 ,monsieur de ,langevy1 said ,madam d',urtis kindly1 since you make such a point of aiding these shepherdesses in guarding the flock1 ,i hope in an hour you will accompany them to the castle to lunch4 ,i'll go with them wherever you allow me1 madam1 said ,hector4 7,i wonder if the impudent fellow thought he had the permission of the young ones already47 ,let that be settled then1 said the ,duchess4 ,i shall go and have the butter cooled1 and the curds made--a simple lunch1 as befits the guests4 ,the fare of shepherds6 said ,madame ,deshoulieres1 and immediately set out in search of a rhyme4 ,daphn had walked slowly on1 pressing the crook involuntarily to her heart1 and arrived at the river side1 impelled by a desire for solitude1 without knowing why4 ,there are some mysterious influences to which damsels of seventeen seem particularly subject4 ,a lamb--the gentlest of the flock1 which had become accustomed to her caresses--had followed her like a dog4 ,she passed her small hand lightly over the snowy neck of the favourite1 and looked round to see what the party she had left were doing4 ,she was astonished to see her mother and ,hector conversing1 as if they had been acquainted for ages1 while ,madame d',urtis and ,amaranthe were running a race towards the park4 ,she sat down on the grassy bank1 exactly opposite the oziers where she had seen ,hector the preceding day4 ,when she felt she was quite alone1 she ventured to look at the crook4 ,it was a branch of ash of good size1 ornamented with a rustic bouquet and a bunch of ribands1 not very skilfully tied4 ,daphn was just going to improve the knot1 when she saw a billet hid in the flowers4 ,what should she do8--read it8 ,that were dangerous2 her confessor did not allow such venialities--her mamma would be enraged--some people are so fond of monopolies--and besides1 she might be discovered4 ',twould be better1 then1 not to read it--a much simpler proceeding2 for couldn't she nearly guess what was in it8 ,and what did she care what was in it8 ,not to read it was evidently the safer mode2 and accordingly she--read it through and through1 and blushed and smiled1 and read it through and through again4 ,it was none of your commonplace prosaic epistles--'twas all poetry1 all fire2 her mamma would have been enchanted if the verses had only been addressed to her4 ,here they are3-- ,my sweetest hour1 my happiest day1 ,was in the happy month of ,may6 ,the happy dreams that round me lay ,on that delicious morn of ,may6 ,i saw thee6 loved thee6 ,if my love ,a tribute unrejected be1 ,the happiest day of ,may shall prove ,the happiest of my life to me6 ,it is quite evident that if such an open declaration had been made in plain prose1 ,daphn would have been angry2 but in verse1 'twas nothing but a poetical license4 ,instead1 therefore1 of tearing it in pieces1 and throwing it into the water1 she folded it carefully up1 and placed it in the pretty corset of white satin1 which seems the natural escritoire of a shepherdess in her teens4 ,scarcely had she closed the drawer1 and double locked it1 when she saw at her side--,hector and ,madame ,deshoulieres4 ,my poor child1 said the poetess1 how thoughtful you seem on ,lignon's flowery side--forgetful of your sheep-- ',that o'er the meadows negligently stray6' ,monsieur de ,langevy1 as you have given her a crook1 methinks you ought to aid her in her duties in watching the flock4 ,as for myself1 ,i must be off to finish a letter to my bishop4 ',from ,lignon's famous banks ,what can ,i find to say8 ,the breezes freshly springing1 ,make me--and nature--gay4 ,when ,celadon would weep2 ,his lost ,astrea fair1 ,to ,lignon he would creep1 ,but oh6 this joyous air ,would force to skip and leap ,a dragon in despair6'--c4 c4 ,madame ,deshoulieres had no prudish notions1 you will perceive1 about a flirtation--provided it was carried on with the airs and graces of the ,hotel ,rambouillet4 ,she merely1 therefore1 interposed a word here and there1 to show that she was present4 ,daphne1 who scarcely said a word to ,hector1 took good care to answer every time her mamma spoke to her4 ,to be sure1 it detracts a little from this filial merit1 that she did not know what she said4 ,but if all parties were pleased1 ,i don't see what possible right anybody else has to find fault4 ,the shepherdess ,daphn1 or rather ,bribri ,deshoulieres1 as we have seen1 was beautiful1 and simple1 and tender--beautiful from the admirable sweetness of her expression--simple1 as young girls are simple3 that is to say1 with a small spice of mischief to relieve the insipidity--and tender1 with a smile that seems to open the heart as well as the lips4 ,what struck people in her expression at first1 was a shade of sadness over her features--a fatal presentiment1 as it were1 that added infinitely to her charm4 ,her sister was more beautiful1 perhaps--had richer roses on her cheek1 and more of what is called manner altogether--but if ,amaranthe pleased the eyes1 ,daphn captivated the heart2 and as the eyes are evidently subordinate to the heart1 ,daphne carried the day4 ,hector accordingly1 on the first burst of his admiration1 had seen nothing but ,amaranthe2 but when he had left the sisters1 it was astonishing how exclusively he thought of ,daphn4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,the castle clock sounded the hour of luncheon4 ,hector offered his arm to ,madame ,deshoulieres2 ,daphn called her flock4 ,they entered the park1 and were joined by the ,duchess d',urtis and ,amaranthe4 ,the collation was magnificent4 ,first course1 an omelette au jambon1 entre cakes1 and fresh butter2 second course1 a superb cream cheese4 ,dessert1 a trifle and preserves4 ,all these interesting details are embalmed in the poetic correspondence of ,madame ,deshoulieres1 in which every dish was duly chronicled for the edification of her friends4 ,at nightfall--for ,hector lingered as long as he could--the young shepherd quitted the party with great regret2 but there was no time to lose1 for he had two leagues to go1 and there was no moon1 and the roads were still broken into immense ruts by the equinoctial rains4 ,on the following day1 ,hector returned to the ,chateau d',urtis through the meadow4 ,when he arrived near the willow that served for his bridge across the river1 he was surprised to see neither shepherdess nor flock in the field4 ,he tripped across the tree1 lamenting the bad omen2 but scarcely had he reached the other side when he saw some sheep straggling here and there4 ,he rushed towards them1 amazed at not seeing either ,amaranthe or ,daphn2 and what was his enchantment when1 on advancing a little further1 he perceived his adored shepherdess by the margin of the ,lignon1 which at that point formed a pretty little cascade4 ,the tender ,daphn had thrown her beautiful arm round one of the young willows in flower1 and1 trusting to its support1 leaned gracefully over the waterfall1 in the shadow of its odoriferous leaves4 ,she had allowed her soul to wander in one of those delicious reveries1 of which the thread--broken and renewed a thousand times--is the work of the joy which hopes1 and the sadness which fears4 ,she was not aware of ,hector's approach4 ,when she saw him1 she started1 as if waking from a dream4 ,you are all alone1 said ,hector1 drawing near4 ,she hurriedly told him that her sister would soon join her4 ,the two lovers kept silence for some time1 looking timidly at each other1 not venturing to speak1 as if they feared the sound of their own voices in the solitude4 ,there seems a sadness1 said ,hector at length1 but his voice trembled as he spoke--there seems a sadness on your brow8 ',tis true1 replied ,daphn4 ,mamma has heard from ,monsieur ,deshoulieres4 ,he is going to pass through ,avignon soon1 and we are going away to see him on his passage4 ,going away6 cried ,hector1 turning pale4 ,yes6 and ,i felt myself so happy1 said ,daphn1 mournfully1 in these meadows with my sheep1 that ,i loved so well4 ,when ,daphn spoke of her sheep1 she looked at ,hector4 ,but why should you go8 ,madame ,deshoulieres could return for you here -- ,and take me away when ,i had been longer here--my grief would only be greater4 ,no--,i must go now or stay always4 ,on hearing these words ,hector fell on one knee1 seized her hand and kissed it1 and1 looking up with eyes overflowing with love1 said-- ,yes--always6 always6--you know that ,i love you1 ,daphn--,i wish to tell you how ,i will adore you all my life long4 ,daphn yielded to her heart--and let him kiss her hand without resistance4 ,but alas6 she said1 ,i can't be always guarding a flock4 ,what will the poor shepherdess do8 ,am ,i not your shepherd8 your ,daphnis8 cried ,hector1 as if inspired--trust to me1 ,daphn--to my heart--to my soul6 ,this hand shall never be separated from yours3 we shall live the same life--in the sane sunshine--in the same shadow--in the same hovel--in the same palace2 but with you1 dearest ,daphn1 the humblest hut would be a palace4 ,listen1 my dearest ,daphn3 at a short distance from here there is a cottage--the ,cottage of the ,vines--that belongs to the sister of my nurse1 where we can live in love and happiness--no eye to watch and no tongue to wound us4 ,never6 never6 said ,daphn4 ,she snatched her hands from those of her lover1 retreated a few paces1 and began to cry4 ,hector went up to her2 he spoke of his affection--he besought her with tears in his eyes--he was so eloquent and so sincere1 that poor ,daphn was unable to resist1 for any length of time1 those bewildering shocks of first love to which the wisest of us yield3 she said1 all pale and trembling-- ,well--yes--,i trust myself to you--and heaven4 ,i am not to blame--is it my fault that ,i love you so8 ,a tender embrace followed these words4 ,evening was now come2 the sun1 sinking behind the clouds on the horizon1 cast but a feeble light2 the little herdsman was driving home his oxen and his flock of turkeys1 whose gabbling disturbed the solemnity of the closing day4 ,the flock belonging to the castle turned naturally towards the watering-place4 ,look at my poor sheep1 said ,daphn1 throwing back the curls which by some means had fallen over her forehead--look at my poor sheep3 they are pointing out the road ,i ought to go4 ,on the contrary1 replied ,hector1 the ungrateful wretches are going off very contentedly without you4 ,but ,i am terrified1 rejoined ,daphn3 how can ,i leave my mother in this way8 ,she will die of grief6 ,she will write a poem on it2 and that will be all4 ,i will write to her that ,i was unable to resist my inclination for a monastic life1 and that ,i have gone1 without giving her notice1 to the nunnery of ,st4 ,marie that we were speaking of last night4 ,so said the pure and candid ,bribri1 hitting in a moment on the ingenious device2 so true it is1 that at the bottom of all hearts--even the most amiable--there is some small spark of mischief ready to explode when we least expect it4 ,yes--dearest1 cried ,hector1 delighted at the thought1 you will write to her you have gone into the convent2 she will go on to ,avignon2 we shall remain together beneath these cloudless skies1 in this lovely country1 happy as the birds1 and free as the winds of the hill6 ,daphn thought she heard some brilliant quotation from her mother1 and perhaps was1 on that account1 the more easily led by ,hector4 ,after walking half an hour1 with many a glance by the way1 and many a smile1 they arrived in front of the ,cottage of the ,vines--the good old woman was hoeing peas in her garden--she had left her house to the protection of an old grey cat1 that was sleeping in the doorway4 ,daphn was enraptured with the cottage4 ,it was beautifully retired1 and was approached by a little grass walk bordered by elder-trees2 and all was closed in by a pretty orchard1 in which luxuriant vines clambered up the fine old pear-trees1 and formed in festoons between the branching elms4 ,the ,lignon formed a graceful curve and nearly encircled the paddock4 ,at all events1 said ,daphn1 if ,i am wretched here1 my tears will fall into the stream ,i love4 ,but you will have no time to weep1 replied ,hector1 pressing her hand1 all our days will be happy here6 ,look at that window half hidden in vine-leaves2 'tis there you will inhale the fragrance of the garden every morning when you awake2 look at that pretty bower with the honeysuckle screen1 'tis there we will sit every evening1 and talk over the joys of the day4 ,our life will be bright and beautiful as a sunbeam among roses6 ,they had gone inside the cottage4 ,it had certainly no great resemblance to a palace2 but under these worn rafters--within these simple walls--by the side of that rustic chimney--poverty itself would be delightful1 in its tidiness and simplicity1 if shared with one you loved4 ,daphn was a little disconcerted at first by the rough uneven floor1 and by the smell of the evening meal--the toasted cheese1 and the little oven where the loaf was baking2 but1 thanks to love--the enchanter1 who has the power of transforming to what shape he likes1 and can shed his magic splendours over any thing--,daphn found the cottage charming1 and she was pleased with the floor1 and the toasted cheese1 and the oven6 ,the good old woman1 on coming in from the garden1 was astonished at the sight of ,hector and ,daphn4 ,what a pretty sister you have1 ,monsieur ,hector6 she said4 ,listen to me1 ,babet--since your daughter married1 nobody has used the little room up stairs4 ,this young lady will occupy it for a few days2 but you must keep it a secret from all the world--you understand4 ,don't be afraid1 ,master ,hector--,i am delighted to have so pretty a tenant for my daughter's room4 ,the bed is rather small1 but it is white and clean1 and the sheets are fresh bleached4 ,they smell of the daisies yet4 ,you will sup with me1 my fair young lady8 continued ,babet1 turning to ,daphn2 my dishes are only pewter1 but there is such a flavour in my simple fare--my vegetables and fruits--,i can't account for it1 except it be the blessing of heaven4 ,babet spread a tablecloth like snow1 and laid some dishes of fruit upon the table4 ,hector took a tender farewell of ,daphn1 and kissed her hand at least a dozen times4 ,at last he tore himself away1 with a promise that he would be with her at daybreak next morning4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,daphn hardly slept all night in her chamber4 ,she was disturbed by many thoughts1 and became alarmed at the step she had taken4 ,at earliest dawn she threw open her window4 ,the first sun-rays1 reflected on a thousand dewdrops on the trees2 the chirping of the birds1 which already began their matin song2 the joyous voice of the cock1 which crowed in a most satisfactory and majestic manner in the paddock of her hostess2 all these sights and sounds1 to which she was so little accustomed1 restored her serenity of mind once more4 ,she dwelt more on the attractions of her love--so adventurous1 so romantic4 ,love's ways1 like those of wickedness1 are strewed at first with roses1 and ,daphn was only at the entrance of the path4 ,while she was repelling from her heart the miserable fancies that had crowded on her at night1 she all of a sudden perceived ,hector by the whitethorn hedge4 ,welcome6 welcome6 she cried1 you come to me with the sun4 ,how lovely you are this morning6 said ,hector to her1 with a look of admiration which there needed no physiognomist to discover was profoundly real4 ,she looked at herself when he spoke1 and perceived she was but half dressed4 ,she threw herself on the foot of her bed4 ,what am ,i to do8 she thought1 ,i can't always wear a silk petticoat and a corset of white satin8 ,she dressed herself notwithstanding1 as last night1 trusting to fate for the morrow4 ,hector had brought her writing materials1 and she composed a tender adieu to her mamma4 ,admirably done6 cried ,hector2 ,i have a peasant here who will carry it to ,madame ,deshoulieres--as for me1 ,i shall go as usual to the ,park d',urtis at noon4 ,when they see me they will have no suspicion4 ,your mamma goes away this evening1 so that after to-day we shall have nothing to fear4 ,the lovers breakfasted in the spirits which only youth and love can furnish4 ,daphn had herself gone to the fountain with the broken pitcher of the cottage4 ,you perceive1 ,hector1 she said1 on seating herself at the table1 that ,i have all the qualifications of a peasant girl4 ,and all the gracefulness of a duchess1 added the youth4 ,at one o'clock ,hector had found his way to the meadow4 ,nobody was there4 ,he opened the gate of the park1 and before he had gone far was met by ,madame ,deshoulieres4 ,my daughter6 she cried in an agitated voice2 ,you have not seen my daughter8 ,i was in hopes of seeing her here1 replied ,hector1 with a start of well-acted surprise4 ,she is gone off1 resumed the mother2 gone off1 like a silly creature1 to some convent1 disguised as a shepherdess--the foolish1 senseless girl6--and ,i am obliged to depart this very day1 so that it is impossible to follow her4 ,hector continued to enact astonishment--he even offered his services to reclaim the fugitive--and1 in short1 exhibited such sorrow and disappointment1 that the habitual quickness of ,madame ,deshoulieres was deceived4 ,the ,duchess1 ,amaranthe1 and the mamma all thanked him for his sympathy2 and he at last took his leave1 with no doubt in his mind1 that he was a consummate actor1 and qualified for any plot whatever4 ,he went back to ,daphn1 who had sunk into despondency once more1 and consoled her by painting a brilliant picture of their future happiness4 ,but on the following day he came later than before--he seemed dull and listless--and embraced his shepherdess with evident constraint4 ,things like these never escape the observations of shepherdesses1 gentle or simple4 ,do you know1 ,hector1 that you are not by any means too gallant8--,a shepherd of proper sentiments would waken his sweetheart every morning with the sound of his pipe4 ,he would gather flowers for her before the dew was gone1 and fill her basket with fruits4 ,he would carve her initials on the bark of the tree beneath the window1 as her name is written on his heart4 ,but you6 you come at nearly noon--and leave me to attend to myself4 ',twas ,i1 you inattentive ,daphnis1 who gathered all these fruits and flowers4 ,don't you see how the room is improved8 ,hyacinths in the window1 roses on the mantelpiece1 and violets every where--ah6 what a time you were in coming6 ,they went out into the garden1 where the good old ,babet was at breakfast1 with her cat and the bees4 ,come hither1 continued ,daphn1 look at this little corner so beautifully worked--'tis my own garden--,i have raked and weeded it all4 ,there is not much planted in it yet1 but what a charming place it is for vines6--and the hedge1 how sweet and flourishing6 ,but what is the matter with you1 ,hector8 ,you seem absent--sad4 ,oh6 nothing1 ,daphn1 nothing indeed--,i only love you more and more every hour2 that's all4 ,well1 that isn't a thing to be sad about--said ,daphn1 with a smile that would have dispelled any grief less deeply settled than that of her young companion4 ,he parted from ,daphn soon2 without letting her into the cause of his disquiet4 ,but as there is no reason why the secret should be kept any longer1 let us tell what was going on at the ,chateau de ,langevy4 ,his cousin ,clotilde had arrived the evening before1 with an old aunt1 to remain for the whole spring6 ,monsieur de ,langevy1 who was not addicted to circumlocution in his mode of talk1 told his son point-blank1 that his cousin was a pretty girl1 and what was more1 a considerable heiress--so that it was his duty--his1 ,hector de ,langevy--the owner of a great name and a very small fortune1 to marry the said cousin--or if not1 he must stand the consequences4 ,hector1 at the first intimation1 had revolted indignantly against the inhuman proposal1 and made many inaudible vows of undying constancy to his innocent and trusting ,daphne2 but by degrees1 there is no denying that--without thinking of the fortune--he found various attractions in his cousin4 ,she was beautiful1 graceful1 winning4 ,she took his arm quite unceremoniously4 ,she had the most captivating small-talk in the world4 ,in short1 if it had not been for ,daphn1 he would have been in love with her at once4 ,as he was obliged1 of course1 to escort his cousin in her walks--or break with her altogether--he did not go for two whole days to the ,cottage of the ,vines4 ,on the third day ,clotilde begged him to take her to the banks of the ,lignon1 and as the request was made in presence of his father1 he dared not refuse4 ,he contented himself--by way of a relief to his conscience--with breathing a sigh to ,daphn4 ,the straightest road from the ,chteau de ,langevy to the ,lignon1 led past the ,cottage of the ,vines--but ,hector had no wish to go the straightest road4 ,he took a detour of nearly two miles1 and led her almost to the ,park ,d',urtis4 ,while ,clotilde amused herself by gathering the blossoms1 and turning aside the pendent boughs of the willows that hung over the celebrated stream4 ,hector looked over the scene of his first meeting with the shepherdesses1 and sighed--perhaps without knowing exactly wherefore4 ,he was suddenly startled by a scream--,clotilde1 in stretching too far forward1 had missed her footing1 and fallen upon the bank2 she was within an inch of rolling into the river4 ,hector rushed to her1 raised her gently up1 and begging her to lean her head upon his shoulder1 assisted her up the bank4 ,she's like a naiad surprised by a shepherd--he thought--and it is not improbable that at that moment he pressed his lips pretty close to the pale cheek that rested almost in his breast4 ,when he lifted up his head1 he perceived1 half hidden among the willows1 on the other side of the river--,daphn6 ,she had wandered to see once more the cradle of her love1 to tread the meadow where1 two days only before--could it be only two days8--she had been so happy4 ,what did she see8 ,what did she hear8 ,as her only reply to the kiss to which she had so unfortunately been a witness1 she broke her crook in an excess of indignation4 ,but it was too much to bear4 ,she fell upon the bank1 and uttered a plaintive cry4 ,at that cry--at sight of his poor ,daphn fainting upon the grass1 he rushed like a madman across the stream1 buoyant with love and despair4 ,he ran to his insensate shepherdess1 regardless of the exclamations of the fair ,clotilde1 and raised her in his trembling arms4 ,daphn1 ,daphn1 he cried1 open your eyes4 ,i love nobody but you--nobody but you4 ,he embraced her tenderly2 he wept--and spoke to her as if she heard3 ,daphn opened her eyes for a moment with a look of misery--and shut them again--and shuddered4 ,no1 no6 she said--'tis over6 ,you are no longer ,daphnis1 and ,i ,daphn no more--leave me1 leave me alone--to die6 ,my life6 my love6 my darling ,daphn6 ,i love you--,i swear it to you from my heart4 ,i do not desert you3 you are the only one ,i care for6 ,in the meantime ,clotilde had approached the touching scene4 ',pon my word1 sir6 very well--she said--am ,i to return to the ,chateau by myself8 ,go1 sir1 go6 said ,daphn1 pushing him away1 ,you are waited for1 you are called4 ,but1 ,daphn--but1 fair cousin-- ,i won't listen to you--my daydream is past--speak of it no more1 said ,daphn4 ,do you know1 cousin1 said ,clotilde1 with a malicious sneer1 that this rural surprise is quite enchanting6 ,i am greatly obliged to you for getting it up for my amusement4 ,you did not prepare me for so exquisite a scene2 ,i conclude it is from the last chapter of the ,astrea4 ,ah6 cousin1 said ,hector1 ,i will overtake you in a moment--,i will tell you all1 and then ,i don't think you'll laugh at us4 ,excuse me1 sir1 cried ,daphn1 in a tone of disdainful anger-- let that history be for ever a secret4 ,i do not wish people to laugh at the weakness of my heart4 ,farewell1 sir1 let every thing be forgotten--buried6 ,large tears rolled down the poor girl's cheek4 ,no1 ,daphn1 no6--,i never will leave you4 ,i declare it before heaven and earth1 ,i will conduct my cousin to the ,chateau1 and in an hour ,i will be with you to dry your tears1 and to ask pardon of you on my knees4 ,moreover1 ,i am not to blame1 ,i call my cousin to witness4 ,is it not true1 ,clotilde1 that ,i don't love you8 ',pon my word1 cousin1 you have certainly told me you loved me2 but as men generally say the contrary of what is the fact1 ,i am willing to believe you don't4 ,but ,i beg you'll not incommode yourself on my account2 ,i can find my way to the ,chateau perfectly well alone4 ,she walked away1 hiding her chagrin under the most easy and careless air in the world4 ,i must run after her1 said ,hector1 or she will tell every thing to my father4 ,adieu ,daphn2 in two hours ,i shall be at the ,cottage of the ,vines1 and more in love than ever4 ,adieu1 then1 murmured ,daphn in a dying voice2 adieu1 she repeated on seeing him retire2 adieu6--as for me1 in two hours1 ,i shall not be at the ,cottage of ,vines4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,she returned to the cottage of old ,babet4 ,on seeing the little chamber she had taken so much pains to ornament with flowers and blossoms1 she sank her head upon her bosom4 ,poor roses6 she murmured--little ,i thought when ,i gathered you1 that my heart would be the first to wither6 ,the poor old woman came in to her4 ,what6 crying8 she said-- do people weep at eighteen8 ,daphn threw herself into ,babet's arms1 and sobbed4 ,he has deceived me--left me for his cousin4 ,i must go4 ,you will tell him that he has behaved cruelly1 that ,i am----but no6--tell him that ,i forgive him4 ,daphn loved ,hector with all her heart1 and with all her soul4 ,there never was an affection so blind1 or a girl so innocent4 ,before leaving ,paris1 she had had various visions of what might happen in the country--how she might meet some graceful cavalier beside the wall of some romantic castle1 who would fling himself on his knees before her1 like a hero of romance4 ,and this dream1 so cherished in ,paris1 was nearly realized on the banks of the ,lignon4 ,hector was exactly the sort of youth she had fancied1 and the interest became greater from their enacting the parts of shepherdess and shepherd4 ,she had been strengthened in this1 her first love1 by the former illusions of her imagination2 and without one thought of evil1 she had lost her common sense1 and had followed her lover instead of attending to her mamma4 ,oh1 young damsels1 who are fond of pastorals1 and can dream of young cavaliers and ancient castles6--who hear1 on one side1 the soft whisperings of a lover1 and on the other1 the sensible remarks of your mother6--need ,i tell you which of the two to choose8 ,if you are still in doubt1 read to the end of this story1 and you will hesitate no longer4 ,hector rejoined his cousin1 but during their walk home1 neither of them ventured to allude to the incident in the meadow4 ,hector augured well from the silence of ,clotilde--he hoped she would not speak of his secret at the chateau4 ,vain hope6 the moment she found an opportunity1 it all came out6 ,that evening1 ,m4 de ,langevy saw her more pensive than usual1 and asked her the cause4 ,oh1 nothing1 she said1 and sighed4 ,the uncle persisted in trying to find it out4 ,what is the matter1 my dear ,clotilde8 he said4 ,has your pilgrimage to the banks of the ,lignon disappointed you8 ,yes1 uncle4 ,has my son---but where is ,hector8 ,he has gone on the pilgrimage again4 ,what the devil is he doing there8 ,he has his reasons1 of course1 said ,clotilde4 ,indeed6--,do you know what they are8 enquired the father4 ,not the least in the world--only-- ,only what8 ,i hate these only's--out with it all6 ,my dear uncle1 ,i've told you ,i know nothing about it--only ,i have seen his shepherdess4 ,his shepherdess8 ,you're laughing1 ,clotilde4 ,do you believe in shepherdesses at this time of day8 ,yes1 uncle--for ,i tell you ,i saw his shepherdess fall down in a faint on the side of the ,lignon4 ,the deuce you did8 ,a shepherdess6--,hector in love with a shepherdess6 ,yes1 uncle2 but a very pretty one1 ,i assure you1 in silk petticoat and corset of white satin4 ,the father was petrified4 ,what is the meaning of all this8 ,it must be a very curious story4 ,bring me my fowling-piece and game-bag4 ,do you think1 my dear ,clotilde1 that infernal boy has returned to his shepherdess8 ,yes1 uncle4 ,well--has the shepherdess any sheep8 ,no1 uncle4 ,the devil6 that looks more serious4 ,you went past the withy bed8 ,yes1 uncle2 but ,i fancy the gentle shepherdess is nearer the village4 ,very good1 grumbled the old ,baron1 with a tone of voice that made it difficult to believe he saw much good in it4 ,silk petticoats and satin corsets6 ,i wonder where the rascal finds money for such fineries for his shepherdess4 ,he went straight on to the ,cottage of the ,vines1 in hopes that ,babet would know something of ,hector's proceedings4 ,he found the old woman in her porch1 resting from the labours of the day4 ,how do you do1 ,babet8 said the old ,baron1 softening his voice like any sucking dove4 ,anything new going on8 ,nothing new1 your honour1 replied ,babet1 attempting to rise4 ,sit still1 said the ,baron1 putting his hand kindly on the old lady's shoulder2 here's a seat for me on this basket of rushes4 ,at this moment ,m4 de ,langevy heard the upstairs casement closed4 ,oho6 he thought1 ,i've hit upon it at once--this is the cage where these turtles bill and coo4 ,have you seen my son this week1 ,babet8 he said aloud4 ,oh1 ,i see him often1 your honour2 he often comes sporting into my paddock4 ,sporting in your preserves1 ,babet--a pretty sort of game4 ,oh1 very good game1 your honour2 this very day he sent me a beautiful hare4 ,i did not know what to do with it2 but at last ,i put it on the spit4 ,the hare wasn't all for you1 perhaps4 ,but1 listen to me1 ,babet--,i know the whole business--my son is in love with some shepherdess or other--and ,i don't think she is far from here4 ,i don't understand you1 sir1 said the old lady--a true confidante1 though seventy years of age4 ,you understand me so perfectly1 said the ,baron1 that you are evidently ashamed of your behaviour4 ,but do not be uneasy1 there is no great harm in it--a mere childish frolic--only tell me where the girl is8 ,ah1 your honour1 cried ,babet1 who saw there was no use for further pretence--she's an angel--she is--a perfect angel6 ,where does the angel come from1 ,babet8 enquired the ,baron1 she has not come fresh from heaven1 has she8 ,i know nothing more about her1 your honour2 but ,i pray morning and night that you may have no one else for a daughter4 ,we shall see--the two lovers are above1 are not they8 ,why should ,i conceal it8 ,yes1 your honour1 you may go up stairs at once4 ,an innocent love like theirs never bolts the door4 ,when the ,baron was half-way up the stair1 he stopped short1 on seeing the two lovers sitting close to each other1 the one weeping1 and the other trying to console her4 ,there was such an air of infantine candour about them both1 and both seemed so miserable1 that the hard heart of sixty-three was nearly touched4 ,very well6--he said1 and walked into the room4 ,daphn uttered a scream of terror1 and her tears redoubled4 ,there is nothing to cry about1 said ,m4 de ,langevy2 but as for you1 young man1 you must let me into the secret1 if you please4 ,i have nothing to tell you1 said ,hector1 in a determined tone4 ,daphn1 who had leant for support on his shoulder1 fell senseless on her chair4 ,father1 said ,hector1 bending over her1 you perceive that this is no place for you4 ,nor for you1 either1 said the old man in a rage4 ,what do you mean by such folly8 ,go home this instant1 sir1 or you shall never enter my door again4 ,but ,hector made no reply4 ,his whole attention was bestowed on ,daphn4 ,i ask you again1 sir1 said the father1 still more angry at his son's neglect4 ,think well on what you do4 ,i have thought1 sir1 replied ,hector1 raising the head of the still senseless ,daphn4 ,you may shut your door for ever4 ,none of your impudence1 jackanapes4 ,will you come home with me now1 or stay here8 ,if ,i go with you1 sir1 said ,hector1 it will be to show my respect to you as my father1 but ,i must tell you that ,i love ,mademoiselle ,deshoulieres1 and no one else4 ,we are engaged1 and only death shall part us4 ,deshoulieres--,deshoulieres1 said the ,baron1 ,i've heard that name before4 ,i knew a ,colonel ,deshoulieres in the campaigns of ,flanders2 a gallant fellow1 with a beautiful wife1 a number of wounds1 many medals1 but not a sou4 ,are you coming1 sir8 ,daphn motioned him to go1 and ,hector followed his father in silence4 ,he was not without hopes of gaining his permission to love his poor ,daphn as much as he chose4 ,m4 de ,langevy bowed to her as he went out of the room2 and wishing ,babet a good appetite as he passed the kitchen door1 commenced a sermon for the edification of poor ,hector1 which lasted all the way4 ,the only attention ,hector paid to it was to turn round at every pause1 and take a look at the little casement window4 ,when ,daphn saw him disappear among the woods at the side of the road1 she sighed2 and while the tears rolled down her cheek1 she said1 ,adieu1 adieu6 ,i shall never see him more6 ,she looked sadly round the little apartment--now so desolate2 she gathered one of the roses that clustered round the window1 and scattered the leaves one by one1 and watched them as they were wafted away by the breeze4 ,even so will ,i do with my love1 said the poetical shepherdess2 ,i will scatter it on the winds of death4 ,adieu1 she said1 embracing poor old ,babet2 ,i am going back to the place ,i left so sillily4 ,if you see ,hector again1 tell him ,i loved him2 but that he must forget me1 as ,i forget the world1 and myself4 ,as she said these words1 she grew pale and staggered1 but she recovered by an effort1 and walked away on the path that led to the ,chateau d',urtis4 ,when she came to the meadow1 she saw at her feet the crook she had broken in the morning4 ,she lifted it1 and took it with her as the only memorial of ,hector4 ,the sun was sinking slowly1 and ,daphn knelt down and said a prayer1 pressing the crook to her bosom--poor ,daphn6 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,she did not find her mother at the chateau3 ,madame d',urtis was overjoyed to see her4 ,well1 my lost sheep1 she said1 you have come back again to the fold4 ,yes1 said ,daphn1 sadly2 ,i am come back never to stray again4 ,see1 here is my broken crook1 and ,daphnis will never come to cut me another4 ,she told every thing to ,madame d',urtis4 ,the ,duchess did not know whether to laugh or scold2 so she got over the difficulty by alternately doing both4 ,in the ,chateau de ,langevy1 ,hector continued firm in the presence of his father1 and even of his cousin4 ,he told them every thing exactly as it occurred2 and spoke so enthusiastically and so sincerely1 that the old ,baron was somewhat softened4 ,clotilde herself was touched1 and pled in ,hector's behalf4 ,but the old ,baron was firm1 and his only answer was1 ,in eight days he will forget all about her4 ,i am astonished1 ,clotilde1 to see you reason so absurdly4 ,oh1 my dear uncle6 said ,clotilde1 ,i believe that those who reason the worst on such a subject are the most reasonable4 ,i tell you again1 in a week he will have changed his divinity--you know that very well2 or ,i don't see the use of your having such beautiful eyes4 ,be sure of this1 uncle1 replied ,clotilde1 in a more serious voice1 ,hector will never love me1 and besides1 she added1 relapsing into gaiety once more1 ,i don't like to succeed to another2 ,i agree with ,mademoiselle de ,scuderi1 that1 in love1 those queens are the happiest who create kingdoms for themselves in undiscovered lands4 ,you read romances1 ,clotilde1 so ,i shall argue with you no longer about the phantom you call love4 ,hector took his father on the weak side4 ,if ,i marry ,mademioiselle ,deshoulieres1 he said1 ,i shall march forward in the glorious career of arms2 you have opened the way for me1 and ,i cannot fail of success under the instruction of the brave ,deshoulieres1 whom ,louvois honours with his friendship4 ,m4 de ,langevy put an end to the conversation by saying he would consider--which seemed already a great step gained in favour of the lovers4 ,on the next day's dawn1 ,hector was at the ,cottage of the ,vines4 ,alas1 alas6 said the old woman1 throwing open the window1 the dear young lady is gone6 ,gone6--you let her go6--but ,i will find her4 ,hector ran to the ,chateau d',urtis4 ,when he entered the park1 he felt he was too late1 for he saw a carriage hurrying down the opposite avenue4 ,he rang the bell1 and was shown in to the ,duchess4 ',tis you1 ,monsieur de ,langevy1 she said1 sadly2 you come to see ,mademoiselle ,deshoulieres4 ,think of her no more1 for all is at an end between you4 ,on this earth you will meet no more1 for in an hour she will have left the world4 ,she is gone1 with her maid1 to the ,convent of ,val ,chrtien4 ,gone6 cried ,hector1 nearly fainting4 ,she has left a farewell for you in this letter4 ,hector took the letter which the ,duchess held to him1 and grew deadly pale as he read these lines3-- ,farewell1 then6 ',tis no longer ,daphn who writes to you1 but a broken-hearted girl1 who is to devote her life to praying for the unhappy4 ,i retire from the world with resignation4 ,i make no complaint3 my two days' dream of happiness is gone4 ,it was a delicious eclogue--pure1 sincere1 and tender2 but it is past--,adieu6 ,hector kissed the letter1 and turned to the ,duchess4 ,have you a horse1 madam8 he said4 ,what would you do with it8 ,i would overtake ,mademoiselle ,deshoulieres4 ,you might overtake her1 but you couldn't turn her4 ,for mercy's sake1 madam1 a horse6 ,take pity on my misery4 ,the ,duchess ordered a horse to be saddled1 for she had opposed ,daphn's design4 ,go1 she said1 and ,heaven guide you both6 ,he started at full gallop3 he overtook the carriage in half an hour4 ,daphn1 you must go no further6 he said1 holding out his hand to the melancholy girl4 ',tis you6 cried ,daphn1 with a look of surprise and joy--soon succeeded by deeper grief than ever4 ,yes1 'tis ,i6 ,i1 continued the youth1 who love you as my ,daphn1 my wife1 for my father has listened at last to reason1 and agrees to all4 ,but ,i also have listened to reason1 and you know where ,i am going4 ,leave me3 you are rich--,i am poor3 you love me to-day--who can say if you will love me to-morrow8 ,we began a delightful dream1 let us not spoil it by a bad ending4 ,let our dream continue unbroken in its freshness and romance4 ,our crooks are both broken2 they have killed two of our sheep2 they have cut down the willows in the meadow4 ,you perceive that our bright day is over4 ,the lady ,i saw yesterday should be your wife4 ,marry her1 then2 and if ever1 in your hours of happiness1 you wander on the banks of the ,lignon1 my shade will appear to you4 ,but then it shall be with a smile6 ,daphn6 ,daphn6 ,i love you6 ,i will never leave you6 ,i will live or die with you6 99 99 99 99 99 ,it was fifty years after that day1 that one evening1 during a brilliant supper in the ,rue ,st4 ,dominique1 ,gentil ,bernard1 who was the life of the company1 announced the death of an original1 who had ordered a broken stick to be buried along with him4 ,he is ,monsieur de ,langevy1 said ,fontenelle4 ,he was forced against his inclination to marry the dashing ,clotilde de ,langevy1 who eloped so shamefully with one of the ,mousquetaires4 ,m4 de ,langevy had been desperately attached to ,bribri ,deshoulieres1 and this broken stick was a crook they had cut during their courtship on the banks of the ,lignon4 ,the ,last ,shepherd is dead1 gentlemen--we must go to his funeral4 ,and what became of ,bribri ,deshoulieres8 asked a lady of the party4 ,i have been told she died very young in a convent in the south1 replied ,fontenelle2 and the odd thing is1 that1 when they were burying her1 they found a crook attached to her horse-hair tunic4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,founding ,,of ,,the ,,bell4 ,,written ,,for ,,music4 ,,by ,,charles ,,mackay4 ,hark6 how the furnace pants and roars6 ,hark6 how the molten metal pours1 ,as1 bursting from its iron doors1 ,it glitters in the sun6 ,now through the ready mould it flows1 ,seething and hissing as it goes1 ,and filling every crevice up ,as the red vintage fills the cup3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,unswathe him now4 ,take off each stay ,that binds him to his couch of clay1 ,and let him struggle into day2 ,let chain and pulley run1 ,with yielding crank and steady rope1 ,until he rise from rim to cope1 ,in rounded beauty1 ribb'd in strength1 ,without a flaw in all his length3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,the clapper on his giant side ,shall ring no peal for blushing bride1 ,for birth1 or death1 or new-year-tide1 ,or festival begun6 ,a nation's joy alone shall be ,the signal for his revelry2 ,and for a nation's woes alone ,his melancholy tongue shall moan3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,borne on the gale1 deep-toned and clear1 ,his long loud summons shall we hear1 ,when statesmen to their country dear ,their mortal race have run2 ,when mighty monarchs yield their breath1 ,and patriots sleep the sleep of death1 ,then shall he raise his voice of gloom1 ,and peal a requiem o'er their tomb3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,should foemen lift their haughty hand1 ,and dare invade us where we stand1 ,fast by the altars of our land ,we'll gather every one2 ,and he shall ring the loud alarm1 ,to call the multitudes to arm1 ,from distant field and forest brown1 ,and teeming alleys of the town3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,and as the solemn boom they hear1 ,old men shall grasp the idle spear1 ,laid by to rust for many a year1 ,and to the struggle run2 ,young men shall leave their toils or books1 ,or turn to swords their pruninghooks2 ,and maids have sweetest smiles for those ,who battle with their country's foes3 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,and when the cannon's iron throat ,shall bear the news to dells remote1 ,and trumpet-blast resound the note1 ,that victory is won2 ,while down the wind the banner drops1 ,and bonfires blaze on mountain-tops1 ,his sides shall glow with fierce delight1 ,and ring glad peals from morn to night2 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,but of such themes forbear to tell4 ,may never ,war awake this bell ,to sound the tocsin or the knell6 ,hush'd be the alarum gun6 ,sheath'd be the sword6 and may his voice ,call up the nations to rejoice ,that ,war his tatter'd flag has furl'd1 ,and vanish'd from a wiser world6 ,hurra6 the work is done6 ,still may he ring when struggles cease1 ,still may he ring for joy's increase1 ,for progress in the arts of peace1 ,and friendly trophies won6 ,when rival nations join their hands1 ,when plenty crowns the happy lands1 ,when knowledge gives new blessings birth1 ,and freedom reigns o'er all the earth6 ,hurra6 the work is done6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,ammal,t ,,bek4 ,a ,,true ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,caucasus4 ,,from ,,the ,,russian ,,of ,,marl,,nski4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,it was daybreak when ,ammalt came to himself4 ,slowly1 one by one1 his thoughts reassembled in his mind1 and flitted to and fro as in a mist1 in consequence of his extreme weakness4 ,he felt no pain at all in his body1 and his sensations were even agreeable2 life seemed to have lost its bitterness1 and death its terror3 in this condition he would have listened with equal indifference to the announcement of his recovery1 or of his inevitable death4 ,he had no wish to utter a word1 or to stir a finger4 ,this half sleep1 however1 did not continue long4 ,at midday1 after the visit of the physician1 when the attendants had gone to perform the rites of noon-tide prayer1 when their sleepy voices were still1 and nought but the cry of the mullah resounded from afar1 ,ammalt listened to a soft and cautious step upon the carpets of the chamber4 ,he raised his heavy eyelids1 and between their lashes appeared1 approaching his bed1 a fair1 black-eyed girl1 dressed in an orange-coloured sartchka1 an arkhalokh of cloth of gold with two rows of enamelled buttons1 and her long hair falling upon her shoulders4 ,gently she fanned his face1 and so pityingly looked at his wound that all his nerves thrilled4 ,then she softly poured some medicine into a cup1 and--he could see no more--his eyelids sank like lead--he only caught with his ear the rustling of her silken dress1 like the sound of a parting angel's wings1 and all was still again4 ,whenever his weak senses strove to discover the meaning of this fair apparition1 it was so mingled with the uncertain dreams of fever1 that his first thought--his first word--when he awoke1 was1 ',tis a dream6 ,but it was no dream4 ,this beautiful girl was the daughter of the ,sultan ,akhmet ,khan1 and sixteen years old4 ,among all the mountaineers1 in general1 the unmarried women enjoy a great freedom of intercourse with the other sex1 without regard to the law of ,mahomet4 ,the favourite daughter of the ,khan was even more independent than usual4 ,by her side alone he forgot his cares and disappointments2 by her side alone his eye met a smile1 and his heart a gleam of gayety4 ,when the elders of ,avr discussed in a circle the affairs of their mountain politics1 or gave their judgment on right or wrong2 when1 surrounded by his household1 he related stories of past forays1 or planned fresh expeditions1 she would fly to him like a swallow1 bringing hope and spring into his soul4 ,fortunate was the culprit during whose trial the ,khna came to her father6 ,the lifted dagger was arrested in the air2 and not seldom would the ,khan1 when looking upon her1 defer projects of danger and blood1 lest he should be parted from his darling daughter4 ,every thing was permitted1 every thing was accessible1 to her4 ,to refuse her any thing never entered into the mind of the ,khan2 and suspicion of any thing unworthy her sex and rank1 was as far from his thoughts as from his daughter's heart4 ,but who among those who surrounded the ,khan1 could have inspired her with tender feelings8 ,to bend her thoughts--to lower her sentiments to any man inferior to her in birth1 would have been an unheard-of disgrace in the daughter of the humblest retainer2 how much more1 then1 in the child of a khan1 imbued from her very cradle with the pride of ancestry6--this pride1 like a sheet of ice1 separating her heart from the society of those she saw4 ,as yet no guest of her father had ever been of equal birth to hers2 at least1 her heart had never asked the question4 ,it is probable1 that her age--of careless1 passionless youth--was the cause of this2 perhaps the hour of love had already struck1 and the heart of the inexperienced girl was fluttering in her bosom4 ,she was hurrying to clasp her father in her embrace1 when she had beheld a handsome youth falling like a corpse at her feet4 ,her first feeling was terror2 but when her father related how and wherefore ,ammalt was his guest1 when the village doctor declared that his wound was not dangerous1 a tender sympathy for the stranger filled her whole being4 ,all night there flitted before her the blood-stained guest1 and she met the morning-beam1 for the first time1 less rosy than itself4 ,for the first time she had recourse to artifice3 in order to look on the stranger1 she entered his room as though to salute her father1 and afterwards she slipped in there at mid-day4 ,an unaccountable1 resistless curiosity impelled her to gaze on ,ammalt4 ,never1 in her childhood1 had she so eagerly longed for a plaything2 never1 at her present age1 had she so vehemently wished for a new dress or a glittering ornament1 as she desired to meet the eye of the guest2 and when at length1 in the evening1 she encountered his languid1 yet expressive gaze1 she could not remove her look from the black eyes of ,ammalt1 which were intently fixed on her4 ,they seemed to say--,hide not thyself2 star of my soul6 as they drank health and consolation from her glances4 ,she knew not what was passing within her2 she could not distinguish whether she was on the earth1 or floating in the air2 changing colours flitted on her face4 ,at length she ventured1 in a trembling voice1 to ask him about his health4 ,one must be a ,tartar--who accounts it a sin and an offence to speak a word to a strange woman1 who never sees any thing female but the veil and the eye-brows--to conceive how deeply agitated was the ardent ,bek1 by the looks and words of the beautiful girl addressed so tenderly to him4 ,a soft flame ran through his heart1 notwithstanding his weakness4 ,oh1 ,i am very well1 now1 he answered1 endeavouring to rise2 so well1 that ,i am ready to die1 ,seltanetta4 ,allah sakhla-sn6 7,god protect you67 she replied4 ,live1 live long6 ,would you not regret life8 ,at a sweet moment sweet is death1 ,seltanetta6 ,but if ,i live a hundred years1 a more delightful moment than this can never be found6 ,seltanetta did not understand the words of the stranger2 but she understood his look--she understood the expression of his voice4 ,she blushed yet more deeply2 and1 making a sign with her hand that he should repose1 disappeared from the chamber4 ,among the mountaineers there are many very skilful surgeons1 chiefly in cases of wounds and fractures2 but ,ammalt1 more than by herb or plaster1 was cured by the presence of the charming mountain-maid4 ,with the agreeable hope of seeing her in his dreams1 he fell asleep1 and awoke with joy1 knowing that he should meet her in reality4 ,his strength rapidly returned1 and with his strength grew his attachment to ,seltanetta4 ,ammalt was married2 but1 as it often happens in the ,east1 only from motives of interest4 ,he had never seen his bride before his marriage1 and afterwards found no attraction in her which could awake his sleeping heart4 ,in course of time1 his wife became blind2 and this circumstance loosened still more a tie founded on ,asiatic customs rather than affection4 ,family disagreements with his father-in-law and uncle1 the ,shamkhl1 still further separated the young couple1 and they were seldom together4 ,was it strange1 under the circumstances1 that a young man1 ardent by nature1 self-willed by nature1 should be inspired with a new love8 ,to be with her was his highest happiness--to await her arrival his most delightful occupation4 ,he ever felt a tremor when he heard her voice3 each accent1 like a ray of the sun1 penetrated his soul4 ,this feeling resembled pain1 but a pain so delicious1 that he would have prolonged it for ages4 ,little by little the acquaintance between the young people grew into friendship--they were almost continually together4 ,the ,khan frequently departed to the interior of ,avr for business of government or military arrangements1 leaving his guest to the care of his wife1 a quiet1 silent woman4 ,he was not blind to the inclination of ,ammalt for his daughter1 and in secret rejoiced at it2 it flattered his ambition1 and forwarded his military views2 a connexion with a ,bek possessing the right to the ,shamkhalt would place in his hands a thousand means of injuring the ,russians4 ,the ,khnsha1 occupied in her household affairs1 not infrequently left ,ammalt for hours together in her apartments--as he was a relation2 and ,seltanetta1 with two or three of her personal attendants1 seated on cushions1 and engaged in needlework1 would not remark how the hours flew by1 conversing with the guest1 and listening to his talk4 ,sometimes ,ammalt would sit long1 long1 reclining at the feet of his ,seltanetta1 without uttering a word1 and gazing at her dark1 absorbing eyes2 or enjoying the mountain prospect from her window1 which opened towards the north1 on the rugged banks and windings of the roaring ,ouzn1 over which hung the castle of the ,khan4 ,by the side of this being1 innocent as a child1 ,ammalt forgot the desires which she as yet knew not2 and1 dissolving in a joy1 strange1 incomprehensible to himself1 he thought not of the past nor of the future2 he thought of nothing--he could only feel2 and indolently1 without taking the cup from his lips1 he drained his draught of bliss1 drop by drop4 ,thus passed a year4 ,the ,avartzes are a free people1 neither acknowledging nor suffering any power above them4 ,every ,avartz calls himself an ,ouzdn2 and if he possesses a yezer1 7prisoner1 slave17 he considers himself a great man4 ,poor1 and consequently brave to extravagance1 excellent marksmen with the rifle1 they fight well on foot2 they ride on horseback only in their plundering expeditions1 and even then but a few of them4 ,their horses are small1 but singularly strong2 their language is divided into a multitude of dialects1 but is essentially ,lezghin for the ,avrtzi themselves are of the ,lezghin stock4 ,they retain traces of the ,christian faith1 for it is not #abj years that they have worshipped ,mahomet1 and even now they are but cool ,moslems2 they drink brandy1 they drink booz1 #af and occasionally wine made of grapes1 but most ordinarily a sort of boiled wine1 called among them djpa4 ,the truth of an ,avartz's word has passed into a proverb among the mountains4 ,at home1 they are peaceful1 hospitable1 and benevolent2 they do not conceal their wives and daughters2 for their guest they are ready to die1 and to revenge to the end of the generation4 ,revenge1 among them1 is sacred2 plundering1 glory2 and they are often forced by necessity to brigandize4 ,footnote #af3 ,a species of drink used by the ,tartars1 produced by fermenting oats4 ,passing over the summit of ,atla and ,tkhezeruk1 across the crests of ,tourpi-,tou1 in ,kakhtia1 beyond the river ,alazn1 they find employment at a very low price2 occasionally remaining two or three days together without work1 and then1 at an agreement among themselves1 they rush like famished wolves1 by night1 into the neighbouring villages1 and1 if they succeed1 drive away the cattle1 carry off the women1 make prisoners1 and will often perish in an unequal combat4 ,their invasions into the ,russian limits ceased from the time when ,azlan ,khan retained possession of the defiles which lead into his territories from ,avr4 ,but the village of ,khounzkh1 or ,avr1 at the eastern extremity of the ,avr country1 has ever remained the heritage of the khans1 and their command there is law4 ,besides1 though he has the right to order his nokers to cut to pieces with their kinjls #ag any inhabitant of ,khounzkh1 nay1 any passer-by1 the ,khan cannot lay any tax or impost upon the people1 and must content himself with the revenues arising from his flocks1 and the fields cultivated by his karavshes 7slaves17 or yezers 7prisoners47 ,footnote #ag3 ,dagger or poniard4 ,these weapons are of various forms1 and generally much more formidable than would be suggested to an ,european by the name dagger4 ,the kinjl is used with wonderful force and dexterity by the mountaineers1 whose national weapon it may be said to be2 it is sometimes employed even as a missile4 ,it is worn suspended in a slanting direction in the girdle1 not on the side1 but in front of the body4 ,without1 however1 taking any direct imposts1 the khans do not abstain from exacting dues1 sanctified rather by force than custom4 ,for the ,khan to take from their home a young man or a girl--to command a waggon with oxen or buffaloes to transport his goods--to force labourers to work in his fields1 or to go as messengers1 c41 is an affair of every day4 ,the inhabitants of ,khounzkh are not more wealthy than the rest of their countrymen2 their houses are clean1 and1 for the most part1 have two stories1 the men are well made1 the women handsome1 chiefly because the greater number of them are ,georgian prisoners4 ,in ,avr1 they study the ,arabic language1 and the style of their educated men is in consequence very flowery4 ,the ,harm of the ,khan is always crowded with guests and petitioners1 who1 after the ,asiatic manner1 dare not present themselves without a present--be it but a dozen of eggs4 ,the ,khan's nokers1 on the number and bravery of whom he depends for his power1 fill from morning to night his courts and chambers1 always with loaded pistols in their belt1 and daggers at their waist4 ,the favourite ,ouzdns and guests1 ,tchetchentzes or ,tartars1 generally present themselves every morning to salute the ,khan1 whence they depart in a crowd to the ,khnsha1 sometimes passing the whole day in banqueting in separate chambers1 regaling even during the ,khan's absence4 ,one day there came into the company an ,ouzdn of ,avr1 who related the news that an immense tiger had been seen not far off1 and that two of their best shots had fallen victims to its fierceness4 ,this has so frightened our hunters1 he said1 that nobody likes to attempt the adventure a third time4 ,i will try my luck1 cried ,ammalt1 burning with impatience to show his prowess before the mountaineers4 ,only put me on the trail of the beast6 ,a broad-shouldered ,avartz measured with his eye our bold ,bek from head to foot1 and said with a smile3 ,a tiger is not like a boar of ,daghestn1 ,ammalt6 ,his trail sometimes leads to death6 ,do you think1 answered he haughtily1 that on that slippery path my head would turn1 or my hand tremble8 ,i invite you not to help me3 ,i invite you but to witness my combat with the tiger4 ,i hope you will then allow1 that if the heart of an ,avartz is firm as the granite of his mountains1 the heart of a ,daghestnetz is tenpered like his famous boult4 #ah ,do you consent8 ,footnote #ah3 ,a species of highly tempered steel1 manufactured1 and much prized1 by the ,tartars4 ,the ,avartz was caught4 ,to have refused would have been shameful3 so1 clearing up his face1 he stretched out his hand to ,ammalt4 ,i will willingly go with you1 he replied4 ,let us not delay--let us swear in the mosque1 and go to the fight together6 ,allah will judge whether we are to bring back his skin for a housing1 or whether he is to devour us4 ,it is not in accordance with ,asiatic manners1 much less with ,asiatic customs1 to bid farewell to the women when departing for a long or even an unlimited period4 ,this privilege belongs only to relations1 and it is but rarely that it is granted to a guest4 ,ammalt1 therefore1 glanced with a sigh at the window of ,seltanetta1 and went with lingering steps to the mosque4 ,there1 already awaited him the elders of the village1 and a crowd of curious idlers4 ,by an ancient custom of ,avr1 the hunters were obliged to swear upon the ,koran1 that they would not desert one another1 either in the combat with the beast or in the chase2 that they would not quit each other when wounded2 if fate willed that the animal should attack them1 that they would defend each other to the last1 and die side by side1 careless of life2 and that in any case they would not return without the animal's skin2 that he who betrayed this oath1 should be hurled from the rocks1 as a coward and traitor4 ,the moollah armed them1 the companions embraced1 and they set out on their journey amid the acclamations of the whole crowd4 ,both1 or neither6 they cried after them4 ,we will slay him1 or die6 answered the hunters4 ,a day had passed4 ,a second had sunk below the snowy summits4 ,the old men had wearied their eyes in gazing from their roofs along the road4 ,the boys had gone far on the hills that crested the village1 to meet the hunters--but no tidings of them4 ,throughout all ,khounzkh1 at every fireside1 either from interest or idleness1 they were talking of this2 but above all1 ,seltanetta was sad4 ,at every voice in the courtyard1 at every sound on the staircase1 all her blood flew to her face1 and her heart beat with anxiety4 ,she would start up1 and run to the window or the door2 and then1 disappointed for the twentieth time1 with downcast eyes would return slowly to her needlework1 which1 for the first time1 appeared tiresome and endless4 ,at last1 succeeding doubt1 fear laid its icy hand upon the maiden's heart4 ,she demanded of her father1 her brothers1 the guests1 whether the wounds given by a tiger were dangerous8--was this animal far from the villages8 ,and ever and anon1 having counted the moments1 she would wring her hands1 and cry1 ,they have perished6 and silently bowed her head on her agitated breast1 while large tears flowed down her fair face4 ,on the third day1 it was clear that the fears of all were not idle4 ,the ,ouzdn1 ,ammalt's companion to the chase1 crawled with difficulty1 alone1 into ,khounzkh4 ,his coat was torn by the claws of some wild beast2 he himself was as pale as death from exhaustion1 hunger1 and fatigue4 ,young and old surrounded him with eager curiosity2 and having refreshed himself with a cup of milk and a piece of tchourek1 #ai he related as follows3--,on the same day that we left this place1 we found the track of the tiger4 ,we discovered him asleep among the thick hazels--may ,allah keep me from them6 ,footnote #ai3 ,tchourek1 a kind of bread4 ,drawing lots1 it fell to my chance to fire3 ,i crept gently up1 and aiming well1 ,i fired--but for my sorrow1 the beast was sleeping with his face covered by his paw2 and the ball1 piercing the paw1 hit him in the neck4 ,aroused by the report and by the pain1 the tiger gave a roar1 and with a couple of bounds1 dashed at me before ,i had time to draw my dagger3 with one leap1 he hurled me on the ground1 trode on me with his hind feet1 and ,i only know that at this moment there resounded a cry1 and the shot of ,ammalt1 and afterwards a deafening and tremendous roar4 ,crushed by the weight1 ,i lost sense and memory1 and how long ,i lay in this fainting fit1 ,i know not4 ,when ,i opened my eyes all was still around me1 a small rain was falling from a thick mist 444 was it evening or morning8 ,my gun1 covered with rust1 lay beside me1 ,ammalt's not far off1 broken in two2 here and there the stones were stained with blood 444 but whose8 ,the tiger's or ,ammalt's8 ,how can ,i tell8 ,broken twigs lay around 444 the brute must have broken them in his mad boundings4 ,i called on my comrade as loudly as ,i could4 ,no answer4 ,i sat down1 and shouted again 444 but in vain4 ,neither animal nor bird passed by4 ,many times did ,i endeavour to find traces of ,ammalt1 either to discover him alive1 or to die upon his corpse--that ,i might avenge on the beast the death of the brave man2 but ,i had no strength4 ,i wept bitterly3 why have ,i perished both in life and honour6 ,i determined to await the hour of death in the wilderness2 but hunger conquered me4 ,alas6 thought ,i1 let me carry to ,khounzkh the news that ,ammalt has perished2 let me at least die among my own people6 ,behold me1 then2 ,i have crept hither like a serpent4 ,brethren1 my head is before you3 judge me as ,allah inclines your hearts4 ,sentence me to life2 ,i will live1 remembering your justice3 condemn me to death2 your will be done6 ,i will die innocent1 ,allah is my witness3 ,i did what ,i could6 ,a murmur arose among the people1 as they listened to the new comer4 ,some excused1 others condemned1 though all regretted him4 ,every one must take care of himself1 said some of the accusers3 who can say that he did not fly8 ,he has no wound1 and1 therefore1 no proof 444 but that he has abandoned his comrade is most certain4 ,not only abandoned1 but perhaps betrayed him1 said others--they talked not as friends together6 ,the ,khan's nokers went further3 they suspected that the ,ouzdn had killed ,ammalt out of jealousy3 he looked too lovingly on the ,khan's daughter1 but the ,khan's daughter found one far his superior in ,ammalt4 ,sultan ,akhmet ,khan1 learning what the people were assembling about in the street1 rode up to the crowd4 ,coward6 he cried with mingled anger and contempt to the ,ouzdn3 you are a disgrace to the name of ,avartz4 ,now every ,tartar may say1 that we let wild beasts devour our guests1 and that we know not how to defend them6 ,at least we know how to avenge him3 you have sworn upon the ,koran1 after the ancient usage of ,avr1 never to abandon your comrade in distress1 and if he fall1 not to return home without the skin of the beast 444 thou hast broken thine oath 444 but we will not break our law3 perish6 ,three days shall be allowed thee to prepare thy soul2 but then--if ,ammalt be not found1 thou shalt be cast from the rock4 ,you shall answer for his head with your own6 he added1 turning to his nokers1 pulling his cap over his eyes and directing his horse towards his home4 ,thirty mountaineers rushed in different directions from ,khounzkh1 to search for at least the remains of the ,bek of ,bouinki4 ,among the mountaineers it is considered a sacred duty to bury with honour their kinsmen and comrades1 and they will sometimes1 like the heroes of ,homer1 rush into the thickest of the battle to drag from the hands of the ,russians the body of a companion1 and will fall in dozens round the corpse rather than abandon it4 ,the unfortunate ,ouzdn was conducted to the stable of the ,khan2 a place frequently used as a prison4 ,the people1 discussing what had happened1 separated sadly1 but without complaining1 for the sentence of the ,khan was in accordance with their customs4 ,the melancholy news soon reached ,seltanetta1 and though they tried to soften it1 it struck terribly a maiden who loved so deeply4 ,nevertheless1 contrary to their expectation1 she appeared tranquil2 she neither wept nor complained1 but she smiled no more1 and uttered not a word4 ,her mother spoke to her2 she heard her not4 ,a spark from her father's pipe burned her dress2 she saw it not4 ,the cold wind blew upon her bosom2 she felt it not4 ,all her feelings seemed to retire into her heart to torture her2 but that heart was hidden from the view1 and nothing was reflected in her proud features4 ,the ,khan's daughter was struggling with the girl3 it was easy to see which would yield first4 ,but this secret struggle seemed to choke ,seltanetta3 she longed to fly from the sight of man1 and give the reins to her sorrow4 ,o heaven6 she thought2 having lost him1 may ,i not weep for him8 ,all gaze on me1 to mock me and watch my every tear1 to make sport for their malignant tongues4 ,the sorrows of others amuse them1 ,sekina1 she added1 to her maid2 let us go and walk on the bank of the ,ouzn4 ,at the distance of three agtcha #bj from ,khounzkh1 towards the west1 are the ruins of an ancient ,christian monastery1 a lonely monument of the forgotten faith of the aborigines4 ,footnote #bj3 ,agtcha1 seven versts1 a measure for riding--for the pedestrian1 the agtcha is four versts4 ,the hand of time1 as if in veneration1 has not touched the church itself1 and even the fanaticism of the people has spared the sanctuary of their ancestors4 ,it stood entire amid the ruined cells and falling wall4 ,the dome1 with its high pointed roof of stone1 was already darkened by the breath of ages3 ivy covered with its tendrils the narrow windows1 and trees were growing in the crevices of the stones4 ,within1 soft moss spread its verdant carpet1 and in the sultriness a moist freshness breathed there1 nourished by a fountain1 which1 having pierced the wall1 fell tinkling behind the stone altar1 and1 dividing into silver ever-murmuring threads of pure water1 filtered among the pavement stones1 and crept meandering away4 ,a solitary ray slanting through the window1 flitted over the trembling verdure1 and smiled on the gloomy wall1 like a child on its grandame's knee4 ,thither ,seltanetta directed her steps3 there she rested from the looks which so tormented her3 all around was so still1 so soft1 so happy2 and all augmented but the more her sadness3 the light trembling on the wall1 the twittering of the swallows1 the murmur of the fountain1 melted into tears the load that weighed upon her breast1 and her sorrow dissolved into lamentation3 ,sekina went to pluck the pears which grew in abundance round the church2 and ,seltanetta could freely yield to nature4 ,but sudden1 raising her head1 she uttered an exclamation of surprise6 before her stood a well-made ,avartz1 stained with blood and mire4 ,does not your heart1 do not your eyes1 ,o ,seltanetta1 recognize your favourite8 ,no1 but with a second glance she knew ,ammalt2 and forgetting all but her joy1 she threw herself on his neck1 embraced it with her arms1 and long1 long1 gazed fixedly on the much-loved face2 and the fire of confidence1 the fire of ecstasy1 glimmered through the still falling tears4 ,could then the impassioned ,ammalt contain his rapture8 ,he clung like a bee to the rosy lips of ,seltanetta2 he had heard enough for his happiness2 he was now at the summit of bliss2 the lovers had not yet said a word of their love1 but they already understood each other4 ,and dost thou then1 angel1 added ,ammalt1 when ,seltanetta1 ashamed of the kiss1 withdrew from his embrace3 dost thou love me8 ,allah protect me6 replied the innocent girl1 lowering her eyelashes1 but not her eyes3 ,love6 that is a terrible word4 ,last year1 going into the street1 ,i saw them pelting a girl with stones3 terrified ,i rushed hone1 but nowhere could ,i hide myself3 the bloody image of the sinner was everywhere before me1 and her groan yet rings unceasingly in my ears4 ,when ,i asked why they had so inhumanly put to death that unhappy creature1 they answered1 that she loved a certain youth6 ,no1 dearest1 it was not because she loved one1 but that she loved not one alone--because she betrayed some one1 it may be1 that they killed her4 ,what means 'betrayed1' ,ammalt8 ,i understand it not4 ,oh1 ,god grant that you may never learn what it is to betray2 that you may never forget me for another6 ,ah1 ,ammalt1 within these four days ,i have learned how bitter to me was separation6 ,for a long time ,i have not seen my brothers ,noutsl and ,sorkha1 and ,i meet them with pleasure2 but without them ,i do not grieve3 without you ,i wish not to live6 ,for thee ,i am ready to die1 my morning-star3 to thee ,i give my soul--not only life1 my beloved6 ,the sound of footsteps interrupted the lovers' talk3 it was ,seltanetta's attendant4 ,all three went to congratulate the ,khan1 who was consoled1 and unaffectedly delighted4 ,ammalt related in a few words how the affair had occurred4 ,hardly had ,i remarked that my comrade had fallen when ,i fired at the beast1 flying1 with a ball which broke his jaw4 ,the monster with a terrific roar began to whirl round1 to leap1 to roll1 sometimes darting towards me1 and then again1 tormented by the agony1 bounding aside4 ,at this moment1 striking him with the butt of my gun on the skull1 ,i broke it4 ,i pursued him a long time as soon as he betook himself to flight1 following him by his bloody track3 the day began to fail1 and when ,i plunged my dagger into the throat of the fallen tiger1 dark night had fallen upon the earth4 ,would ,i or not1 ,i was compelled to pass the night with the rocks for a bed-chamber1 and the wolves and jackals for companions4 ,the morning was dark and rainy2 the clouds around my head poured their waters on me like a river4 ,at ten paces before my face nothing could be seen4 ,without a view of the sun1 ignorant of the country1 in vain ,i wandered round and round3 weariness and hunger overwhelmed me4 ,a partridge which ,i shot with my pistol restored my strength for a while2 but ,i could not find my way out of my rocky grave4 ,in the evening the only sounds ,i could hear were the murmur of water falling from a cliff1 or the whistling of the eagles' wings as they flew through the clouds2 but at night the audacious jackals raised1 three paces off1 their lamentable song4 ,this morning the sun rose brightly1 and ,i myself arose more cheerful1 and directed my steps towards the east4 ,i shortly afterwards heard a cry and a shot3 it was your messengers4 ,overcome by heat1 ,i went to drink the pure water of the fountain by the old mosque1 and there ,i met ,seltanetta4 ,thanks be to you1 and glory to ,god6 ,glory to ,god1 and honour to you6 exclaimed the ,sultan1 embracing him4 ,but your courage has nearly cost us your life1 and even that of your comrade4 ,if you had delayed a day1 he would have been obliged to dance the ,szghinka in the air4 ,you have returned just in time4 ,djemboul't1 a famous cavalier of ,little ,kabrda1 has sent to invite you to a foray against the ,russians4 ,i would willingly buy beforehand your glory2 as much as you won in your last battle4 ,the time is short2 tomorrow's sun must see you ready4 ,this news was by no means unwelcome to ,ammalt3 he decided instantly2 answering1 that he would go with pleasure4 ,he felt sure that a distinguished reputation as a cavalier would ensure him future success4 ,but ,seltanetta turned pale--bowing her head like a flower1 when she heard of this new and more cruel separation4 ,her look1 as it dwelt upon ,ammalt1 showed painful apprehension--the pain of prophetic sorrow4 ,allah6 she mournfully exclaimed3 more forays1 more slaughter4 ,when will blood cease to be shed in the mountains8 ,when the mountain torrents run milk1 and the sugar-canes wave on the snowy peaks6 said the ,khan4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,wildly beautiful is the resounding ,trek in the mountains of ,daril4 ,there1 like a genie1 borrowing his strength from heaven1 he wrestles with ,nature4 ,there bright and shining as steel1 cutting through the overshadowing cliff1 he gleams among the rocks4 ,there1 blackening with rage1 he bellows and bounds like a wild beast1 among the imprisoning cliffs3 he bursts1 overthrows1 and rolls afar their broken fragments4 ,on a stormy night1 when the belated traveller1 enveloped in his furry borka1 gazing fearfully around him1 travels along the bank which hangs over the torrent of ,trek1 all is terror such as only a vivid imagination can conceive4 ,with slow steps he winds along1 the rain-torrents stream around his feet1 and tumble upon his head from the rocks which frown above and threaten his destruction4 ,suddenly the lightning flashes before his eyes--with horror he beholds but a black cloud above him1 below a yawning gulf1 beside him crags1 and before him the roaring ,trek4 ,at one moment he sees its wild and troubled waves raging like infernal spirits chased by the archangel's brand4 ,after them1 with a shout as of laughter1 roll the huge stones4 ,in another moment1 the blinding flash is gone1 and he is plunged once more in the dark ocean of night3 then bursts the thunder-crash1 jarring the foundations of the rocks1 as though a thousand mountains were dashed against each other1 so deafeningly do the echoes repeat the bellow of the heavens4 ,then a long-protracted growl1 as of massive oaks plucked up by their roots1 or the crash of bursting rocks1 or the yell of the ,titans as they were hurled headlong into the abyss2 it mingles with the war of the blast1 and the blast swells to a hurricane1 and the rain pours down in torrents4 ,and again the lightning blinds him1 and again the thunder1 answering from afar to the splinter-crash1 deafens him4 ,the terrified steed rears1 starts backward--the rider utters a short prayer4 ,but after this how softly smiles the morning--morn1 in whose light ,trek glides1 and ripples1 and murmurs6 ,the clouds1 like a torn veil whirling on the breeze1 appear and vanish fitfully among the icy peaks4 ,the sunbeams discover jagged profiles of the summits on the opposing mountain wall4 ,the rocks glitter freshly from the rain4 ,the mountain-torrents leap through the morning mist2 and the mists themselves creep winding through the cliffs1 even as the smoke from a cottage chimney1 then twine themselves like a turban round some ancient tower1 while ,trek ripples on among the stones1 curling as a tired hound who seeks a resting-place4 ,in the ,caucasus1 it must be confessed1 there are no waters in which the mountains can worthily reflect themselves--those giants of creation4 ,there are no gentle rivers1 no vast lakes2 but ,trek receives in his stream the tribute of a thousand streamlets4 ,beneath the further ,caucasus1 where the mountains melt into the plain1 he seems to flow calmly and gently1 he wanders on in huge curves1 depositing the pebbles he has brought down from the hills4 ,further on1 bending to the north-west1 the stream is still strong1 but less noisy1 as though wearied with its fierce strugglings4 ,at length1 embraced by the narrow gorge of ,cape ,m4 loi 7,little ,kabrdi17 the river1 like a good ,moslem1 bending religiously to the east1 and peacefully spreading over the hated shore1 gliding sometimes over beds of stone1 sometimes over banks of clay1 falls1 by ,kizlr1 into the basin of the ,caspian4 ,there alone does it deign to bear boats upon its waters1 and1 like a labourer1 turn the huge wheels of floating mills4 ,on its right bank1 among hillocks and thickets1 are scattered the villages 7aole7 of the ,kabardnetzes1 a tribe which we confound under one name with the ,tcherkss1 7,circassians17 who dwell beyond the ,koubn1 and with the ,tchetchentzes much lower by the sea4 ,these villages on the bank are peaceful only in name1 for in reality they are the haunts of brigands1 who acknowledge the ,russian government only as far as it suits their interest1 capturing1 as ,russian subjects1 from the mountaineers1 the plunder they seize in the ,russian frontier4 ,enjoying free passage on all sides1 they inform those of the same religion and the same way of thinking1 of the movement of our troops1 and the condition of our fortresses2 conceal them among themselves when they are assembling for an incursion1 buy their plunder at their return1 furnish them with ,russian salt and powder1 and not rarely take themselves a part1 secret or open1 in their forays4 ,it is exceedingly irritating to see1 even in full view of these mountaineers1 nations hostile to us boldly swim over the ,trek1 two1 three1 or five men at a time1 and in broad day set to work to rob2 it being useless to pursue them1 as their dress has nothing to distinguish them from the friendly tribes4 ,on the opposite bank1 though apparently quite peaceable1 and employing this as their excuse1 they fall1 when in force1 upon travellers1 carry off cattle and men when off their guard1 slaughter them without mercy1 or sell them into slavery at a distance4 ,to say the truth1 their natural position1 between two powerful neighbours1 of necessity compels them to have recourse to these stratagems4 ,knowing that the ,russians will not pass to the other side of the river to protect them from the revenge of the mountaineers1 who melt away like snow at the approach of a strong force1 they easily and habitually1 as well as from inevitable circumstances1 ally themselves to people of their own blood1 while they affect to pay deference to the ,russians1 whom they fear4 ,indeed1 there exists among them certain persons really devoted to the ,russians1 but the greater number will betray even their own countrymen for a bribe4 ,in general1 the morality of these peaceful allies of ours is completely corrupted2 they have lost the courage of an independent people1 and have acquired all the vices of half-civilization4 ,among them an oath is a jest2 treachery1 their glory2 even hospitality1 a trade4 ,each of them is ready to engage himself to the ,russians in the morning1 as a kounk 7friend71 and at night to guide a brigand to rob his new friend4 ,the left bank of the ,trek is covered with flourishing stantzas #ba of the ,kazks of the ,line1 the descendants of the famous ,zaporjetzes4 ,among them is here and there a ,christian village4 ,these ,kazks are distinguished from the mountaineers only by their unshaven heads3 their tools1 dress1 harness1 manners--all are of the mountains4 ,they like the almost ceaseless war with the mountaineers2 it is not a battle1 but a trial of arms1 in which each party desires to gain glory by his superiority in strength1 valour1 and address4 ,two ,kazks would not fear to encounter four mountain horsemen1 and with equal numbers they are invariably victors4 ,lastly1 they speak the ,tartar language2 they are connected with the mountaineers by friendship and alliance1 their women being mutually carried off into captivity2 but in the field they are inflexible enemies4 ,as it is not forbidden to make incursions on the mountain side of the ,trek1 the brigands frequently betake themselves thither by swimming the river1 for the chase of various kinds of game4 ,the mountain brigands1 in their turn1 frequently swim over the ,trek at night1 or cross it on bourdochs1 7skins blown up17 hide themselves in the reeds1 or under a projection of the bank1 thence gliding through the thickets to the road1 to carry off an unsuspecting traveller1 or to seize a woman1 as she is raking the hay4 ,it sometimes happens that they will pass a day or two in the vineyards by the village1 awaiting a favourable opportunity to fall upon it unexpectedly2 and hence the ,kazk of the ,line never stirs over his threshold without his dagger1 nor goes into the field without his gun at his back3 he ploughs and sows completely armed4 ,footnote #ba3 ,villages of ,kazks4 ,for some time past1 the mountaineers had fallen in considerable numbers only on ,christian villages1 for in the stantzas the resistance had cost them very dear4 ,for the plundering of houses2 they approached boldly yet cunningly the ,russian frontier1 and on such occasions they frequently escaped a battle4 ,the bravest ,ouzdns desire to meet with these affairs that they may acquire fame1 which they value even more than plunder4 ,in the autumn of the year #ahai1 the ,kabardnetzes and ,tchetchentzes1 encouraged by the absence of the commander-in-chief1 assembled to the number of #aejj men to make an attack upon one of the villages beyond the ,trek1 to seize it1 carry off prisoners1 and take the droves of horses4 ,the leader of the ,kabardnetzes was the ,prince 7,knizek7 ,djenboult4 ,ammalt ,bek1 who had arrived with a letter from ,sultan ,akhmet ,khan1 was received with delight4 ,they did not1 indeed1 assign him the command of any division2 but this arose from the circumstance that with them there is no order of battle or gradation of command2 an active horse and individual courage secures the most distinguished place in action4 ,at first they deliberate how best to begin the attack--how to repel the enemy2 but afterwards they pay no attention to plan or order1 and chance decides the affair4 ,having sent messengers to summon the neighbouring ,ouzdns1 ,djemboult fixed on a place of assembling2 and immediately1 on a signal agreed on1 from every height spread the cry1 ,ghari1 ghari6 7alarm17 and in one hour the ,tchetchentzes and ,kabardnetzes were assembling from all sides4 ,to avoid treason1 no one but the leader knew where the night-camp was to be1 from which they where to cross the river4 ,they were divided into small bands1 and were to go by almost invisible paths to the peaceful village1 where they were to conceal themselves till night4 ,by twilight1 all the divisions were already mustered4 ,as they arrived1 they were received by their countrymen with frank embraces2 but ,djemboult1 not trusting to this1 guarded the village with sentinels1 and proclaimed to the inhabitants1 that whoever attempted to desert to the ,russians should be cut in pieces4 ,the greater part of the ,ouzdns took up their quarters in the sklas of their kounks or relations2 but ,djemboult and ,ammalt1 with the best of the cavaliers1 slept in the open air round a fire1 when they had refreshed their jaded horses4 ,djemboult1 wrapped in his borka1 was considering1 with folded arms1 the plan of the expedition2 but the thoughts of ,ammalt were far from the battle-field3 they were flying1 eagle-winged1 to the mountains of ,avar1 and bitterly1 bitterly did he feel his separation4 ,the sound of an instrument1 the mountain balalika1 7kanous17 accompanying a slow air1 recalled him from his reverie1 and a ,kabardnetz sung an ancient song4 ,on ,kazbk the clouds are meeting1 like the mountain eagle-flock2 up to them1 along the rock1 ,dash the wild ,ouzdns retreating2 ,onward faster1 faster fleeting1 ,routed by the ,russian brood4 ,foameth all their track with blood4 ,fast behind the regiments yelling1 ,lance and bayonet raging hot1 ,and the seed of death their shot4 ,on the mail the sabre dwelling ,gallop1 steed6 for far thy dwelling-- ,see6 they fall--but distant still ,is the forest of the hill6 ,russian shot our hearts is rending1 ,falls the ,mullah on his knee1 ,to the ,lord of ,light bows he1 ,to the ,prophet he is bending3 ,like a shaft his prayer ascending1 ,upward flies to ,allah's throne-- ,il-,allh6 ,o save thine own6 ,ah1 despair6--,what crash like thunder6 ,lo6 a sign from heaven above6 ,lo6 the forest seems to move ,crashes1 murmurs1 bursts asunder6 ,lower1 nearer1 wonder6 wonder6 ,safe once more the ,moslem bold ,in their forest mountain-hold6 ,so it was in old times1 said ,djemboult1 with a smile1 when our old men trusted more to prayer1 and ,god oftener listened to them2 but now1 my friends1 there is a better hope--your valour6 ,our omens are in the scabbards of our shoshkas1 7sabres17 and we must show that we are not ashamed of them4 ,harkye1 ,ammalt1 he continued1 twisting his mustache1 ,i will not conceal from you that the affair may be warm4 ,i have just heard that ,colonel ,k---- has collected his division2 but where he is1 or how many troops he has1 nobody knows4 ,the more ,russians there are the better1 replied ,ammalt1 quietly2 the fewer mistakes will be made4 ,and the heavier will be the plunder4 ,i care not for that4 ,i seek revenge and glory4 ,glory is a good bird1 when she lays a golden egg2 but he that returns with his torks 7straps behind the saddle7 empty1 is ashamed to appear before his wife4 ,winter is near1 and we must provide our households at the expense of the ,russians1 that we may feast our friends and allies4 ,choose your station1 ,ammalt ,bek4 ,do you prefer to advance in front to carry off the flocks1 or will you remain with me in the rear8 ,i and the ,abrks will march at a foot's pace to restrain the pursuers4 ,that is what ,i also intend4 ,i will be where the greatest peril is4 ,but what are the ,abrks1 ,djemboult8 ,it is not easy to explain4 ,you sometimes see several of our boldest cavaliers take an oath1 binding them for two or three years1 or as long as they like1 never to mingle in games or gayeties1 never to spare their lives in battle1 to give no quarter1 never to pardon the least offence in a brother or a friend1 to seize the goods of others without fear or scruple--in a word1 to be the foes of all mankind1 strangers in their family1 men whom any person may slay if he can2 in the village they are dangerous neighbours1 and in meeting them you must keep your hand on the trigger2 but in war one can trust them4 #bb ,for what motive1 or reason1 can the ,ouzdens make such an engagement8 ,some simply to show their courage1 others from poverty1 a third class from some misfortune4 ,see1 for instance1 yonder tall ,kabardnetz2 he has sworn to be an ,abrk for five years1 since his mistress died of the small-pox4 ,since that year it would be as well to make acquaintance with a tiger as with him4 ,he has already been wounded three times for blood-vengeance2 but he cares not for that4 ,strange custom6 ,how will he return from the life of an ,abrk to a peaceable existence8 ,what is there strange in this8 ,the past glides from him as water from the wild-duck4 ,his neighbours will be delighted when he has finished his term of brigandage4 ,and he1 after putting off ,abrtchestva 7,abrkism7 as a serpent sheds his skin1 will become gentle as a lamb4 ,among us1 none but the avenger of blood remembers yesterday4 ,but the night is darkening4 ,the mists are spreading over ,trek4 ,it is time for the work4 ,djemboult whistled1 and his whistle was repeated to all the outposts of the camp4 ,in a moment the whole band was assembled4 ,several ,ouzdns joined from the neighbouring friendly villages4 ,after a short discussion as to the passage of the river1 the band moved in silence to the bank4 ,ammalt ,bek could not but admire the stillness1 not only of the riders1 but of their horses2 not one of them neighed or snorted1 and they seemed to place their feet on the ground with caution4 ,they marched like a voiceless cloud1 and soon they reached the bank of ,trek1 which1 making a winding at this spot1 formed a promontory1 and from it to the opposite shore1 extended a pebbly shoal4 ,the water over this bank was shallow and fordable2 nevertheless1 a part of the detachment left the shore higher up1 in order to swim past the ,kazks1 and1 diverting their attention from the principal passage1 to cover the fording party4 ,those who had confidence in their horses1 leaped unhesitatingly from the bank1 while others tied to each fore-foot of their steeds a pair of small skins1 inflated with air like bladders2 the current bore them on1 and each landed wherever he found a convenient spot4 ,the impenetrable veil of mist concealed all these movements4 ,it must be remarked1 that along the whole line of the river is a chain of mayks 7watch-towers7 and a cordon of sentinels3 on all the hills and elevated spots are placed look-outs4 ,on passing before them in the daytime1 may be seen on each hillock a pole1 surmounted with a small barrel4 ,this is filled with pitch and straw1 and is ready to be lighted on the first alarm4 ,to this pole is generally tied a ,kazk's horse1 and by his side a sentinel4 ,in the night1 these sentinels are doubled2 but in spite of the precautions1 the ,tcherkss1 concealed by the fog1 and clothed in their borka1 sometimes pass through the line in small bodies1 as water glides through a sieve4 ,the same thing happened on this occasion3 perfectly acquainted with the country1 the ,belds1 7guides7 peaceable ,tcherkss1 led each party1 and in profound silence avoided the hillocks4 ,footnote #bb3 ,this is exactly the ,berserkir of the ancient ,northmen4 ,examples of this frantic courage are not rare among the ,asiatics4 ,in two places only had the brigands1 to break through the line of watch-fires which might have betrayed them1 resolved to kill the sentinels4 ,against one picket1 ,djemboult proceeded himself1 and he ordered another ,bek to creep up the bank1 pass round to the rear of the picket1 count a hundred1 and then to strike fire with a flint and steel several times4 ,it was said and done4 ,just lifting his head above the edge of the bank1 ,djemboult saw a ,kazk slumbering with the match in his hand1 and holding his horse by the bridle4 ,as soon as the clicking struck his ear1 the sentinel started1 and turned an anxious look on the river4 ,fearing that the sentinel did not remark him1 ,djemboult threw up his cap1 and again crouched down behind the bank4 ,accursed duck6 said the ,dontz2 for this night is a carnival4 ,they squatter away like the witches of ,keff4 ,at this moment1 the sparks appeared on the opposite side1 and drew his attention3 ',tis the wolves1 thought he3 sometimes their eyes glitter brightly6 ,but the sparks reappearing1 he was stupefied1 remembering stories that the ,tchetchentzes sometimes use this kind of signal to regulate the movements of their march4 ,this moment of suspense and irresolution was the moment of his destruction2 a dagger #bc1 directed by a strong arm1 whistled through the air1 and the ,kazk1 transfixed1 fell without a groan to the earth4 ,his comrade was sabred in his sleep1 and the pole with the tub was torn down1 and was thrown into the river4 ,all then rapidly assembled at the given signal1 and dashed in a moment on the village which they had determined to attack4 ,the blow was successfully1 that is1 quite unexpectedly1 struck4 ,such of the peasants as had time to arm1 were killed after a desperate resistance3 the others hid themselves or fled4 ,besides the plunder1 a number of men and women was the reward of their boldness4 ,the ,kabardnetzes broke into the houses1 carrying off all that was most valuable1 indeed every thing that came to hand3 but they did not set fire to the houses1 nor did they tread down the corn1 nor break the vines3 ,why touch the gift of ,god1 and the labour of man8 said they2 and this rule of a mountain robber1 who shrinks at no crime1 is a virtue which the most civilized nations might envy4 ,in an hour1 all was over for the inhabitants1 but not for the brigands4 ,the alarm spread along the line1 and the mayks soon began to glimmer through the fog like the stars of morning1 while the call to arms resounded in every direction4 ,in this interval1 a party of the more experienced among the brigands had gone round the troop of horses which was grazing far in the steppe4 ,the herdsman was seized1 and with cries1 and firing their guns1 they charged at the horses from the land side4 ,the animals started1 threw mane and tail into the air1 and dashed headlong on the track of a ,tcherkss mounted on a superb steed1 who had remained on the bank of the river to guide the frightened herd4 ,like a skilful pilot1 well acquainted1 even in a fog1 with all the dangers of the desert sea1 the ,tcherkss flew on before the horses1 wound his way among the posts1 and at last1 having chosen a spot where the bank was most precipitous1 leaped headlong into the ,trek4 ,the whole herd followed him3 nothing could be seen but the foam that flew into the air4 ,daybreak appeared2 the fog began to separate1 and discovered a picture at once magnificent and terrible4 ,the principal band of forayers dragged the prisoners after it--some were at the stirrup1 others behind the saddle1 with their arms tied at their backs4 ,tears1 and groans1 and cries of despair were stifled by the threats and frantic cries of joy of the victors4 ,loaded with plunder1 impeded by the flocks and horned cattle1 they advanced slowly towards the ,trek4 ,the princes and best cavaliers1 in mail-coats and casques glittering like water1 galloped around the dense mass1 as lightning flashes round a livid cloud4 ,in the distance1 were galloping up from every point the ,kazks of the ,line2 they ambushed behind the shrubs and straggling oak-trees1 and soon began an irregular fire with the brigands who were sent against them4 ,footnote #bc3 ,the ,tartars and ,circassians possess extraordinary dexterity in the use of their national weapon--the kinjl1 or poniard4 ,these are sometimes of great size and weight1 and when thrown by a skilful hand1 will fly a considerable distance1 and with the most singular accuracy of aim4 ,in the meantime1 the foremost had driven across the river a portion of the flocks1 when a cloud of dust1 and the tramp of cavalry1 announced the approaching storm4 ,about six hundred mountaineers1 commanded by ,djemboult and ,ammalt1 turned their horses to repulse the attack1 and give time to the rest to escape by the river4 ,without order1 but with wild cries and shouts1 they dashed forward to meet the ,kazks2 but not a single gun was taken from its belt1 not a single shshka glimmered in the air3 a ,tcherkss waits till the last moment before he seizes his weapons4 ,and thus1 having galloped to the distance of twenty paces1 they levelled their guns1 fired at full speed1 threw their fire-arms over their backs1 #bd and drew their shshkas2 but the ,kazks of the ,line having replied with a volley1 began to fly1 and the mountaineers1 heated by the chase1 fell into a stratagem which they often employ themselves4 ,the ,kazks had led them up to the chasseurs of the brave forty-third regiment1 who were concealed at the edge of the forest4 ,suddenly1 as if the little squares had started out of the earth1 the bayonets were leveled1 and the fire poured on them1 taking them in flank4 ,it was in vain that the mountaineers1 dismounting from their horses1 essayed to occupy the underwood1 and attack the ,russians from the rear2 the artillery came up1 and decided the affair4 ,the experienced ,colonel ,kortsarff1 the dread of the ,tchetchentz1 the man whose bravery they feared1 and whose honesty and disinterestedness they respected1 directed the movements of the troops1 and success could not be doubtful4 ,the cannon dispersed the crowds of brigands1 and their grape flew after the flying4 ,the defeat was terrible2 two guns1 dashing at a gallop to the promontory1 not far from which the ,tcherkss were throwing themselves into the river1 enfiladed the stream2 with a rushing sound1 the shot flew over the foaming waves1 and at each fire some of the horses might be seen to turn over with their feet in the air1 drowning their riders4 ,it was sad to see how the wounded clutched at the tails and bridles of the horses of their companions1 sinking them without saving themselves--how the exhausted struggled against the scarped bank1 endeavouring to clamber up1 fell back1 and were borne away and engulfed by the furious current4 ,the corpses of the slain were whirled away1 mingled with the dying and streaks of blood curled and writhed like serpents on the foam4 ,the smoke floated far along the ,trek1 far in the distance1 and the snowy peaks of ,caucasus1 crowned with mist1 bounded the field of battle4 ,djemboult and ,ammalt ,bek fought desperately--twenty times did they rush to the attack1 twenty times were they repulsed2 wearied1 but not conquered1 with a hundred brigands they swam the river1 dismounted1 attached their horses to each other by the bridle1 and began a warm fire from the other side of the river1 to cover their surviving comrades4 ,intent upon this1 they remarked1 too late1 that the ,kazks were passing the river above them2 with a shout of joy1 the ,russians leaped upon the bank1 and surrounded them in a moment4 ,their fate was inevitable4 ,well1 ,djemboult1 said the ,bek to the ,kabardnetz1 our lot is finished4 ,do you what you will2 but for me1 ,i will not render myself a prisoner alive4 ',tis better to die by a ball than by a shameful cord6 ,do you think1 answered ,djemboult1 that my arms were made for a chain6 ,allah keep me from such a blot3 the ,russians may take my body1 but not my soul4 ,never1 never6 ,brethren1 comrades6 he cried to the others2 fortune has betrayed us1 but the steel will not4 ,let us sell our lives dearly to the ,giaour4 ,the victor is not he who keeps the field1 but he who has the glory2 and the glory is his who prefers death to slavery6 ,let us die1 let us die2 but let us die gloriously1 cried all1 piercing with their daggers the sides of their horses1 that the enemy might not take them1 and then piling up the dead bodies of their steeds1 they lay down behind the heap1 preparing to meet the attack with lead and steel4 ,well aware of the obstinate resistance they were about to encounter1 the ,kazks stopped1 and made ready for the charge4 ,the shot from the opposite bank sometimes fell in the midst of the brave mountaineers1 sometimes a grenade exploded1 covering them with earth and fragments2 but they showed no confusion1 they started not1 nor blenched2 and1 after the custom of their country1 began to sing1 with a melancholy1 yet threatening voice1 the death-song1 replying alternately stanza for stanza4 ,footnote #bd3 ,the oriental nations carry their guns at their backs1 supported by a strap passing across the breast4 ,,death-,,song4 ,,chorus4 ,fame to us1 death to you1 ,alla-ha1 ,alla-hu66 ,,semichorus4 ,weep1 ,o ye maidens1 on mountain and valley1 ,lift the dirge for the sons of the brave2 ,we have fired our last bullet1 have made our last rally1 ,and ,caucasus gives us a grave4 ,here the soft pipe no more shall invite us to slumber --,the thunder our lullaby sings2 ,our eyes not the maiden's dark tresses shall cumber1 ,them the raven shall shade with his wings6 ,forget1 ,o my children1 your father's stern duty-- ,no more shall he bring ye the ,muscovite booty6 ,,second ,,semichorus4 ,weep not1 ,o ye maidens2 your sisters in splendour1 ,the ,houris1 they bend from the sky1 ,they fix on the brave their sun-glance deep and tender1 ,and to ,paradise bear him on high6 ,in your feast-cup1 my brethren1 forget not our story2 ,the death of the ,free is the noblest of glory6 ,,first ,,semichorus4 ,roar1 winter torrent1 and sullenly dash6 ,but where is the brave one--the swift lightning-flash8 ,soft star of my soul1 my mother1 ,sleep1 the fire let ashes smother2 ,gaze no more1 shine eyes are weary1 ,sit not by the threshold stone2 ,gaze not through the night-fog dreary1 ,eat thine evening meal alone1 ,seek him not1 ,o mother1 weeping1 ,by the cliff and by the ford3 ,on a bed of dust he's sleeping-- ,broken is both heart and sword6 ,,second ,,semichorus4 ,mother1 weep not6 with thy love burning3 ,this heart of mine beats full and free1 ,and to lion-blood is turning ,that soft milks ,i drew from thee2 ,and our liberty from danger ,thy brave son has guarded well2 ,battling with the ,christian stranger1 ,call'd by ,azrael1 he fell2 ,from my blood fresh odours breathing ,fadeless flowers shall drink the dew2 ,to my children fame bequeathing1 ,brethren1 and revenge to you6 ,,chorus4 ,pray1 my brethren1 ere we part2 ,clutch the steel with hate and wrath6 ,break it in the ,russian's heart-- ,o'er corpses lies the brave man's path6 ,fame to us1 death to you1 ,alla-ha1 ,alla-hu6 ,struck by a certain involuntary awe1 the ,chasseurs and ,kazks listened in silence to the stern sounds of this song2 but at last a loud hurrah #be resounded from both sides4 ,the ,teherkss1 with a shout1 fired their guns for the last time1 and breaking them against the stones1 they threw themselves1 dagger in hand1 upon the ,russians4 ,the ,abrks1 in order that their line might not be broken1 bound themselves to each other with their girdles1 and hurled themselves into the mle4 ,quarter was neither asked nor given3 all fell before the bayonets of the ,russians4 ,forward6 follow me1 ,ammalt ,bek1 cried ,djemboulat1 with fury1 rushing into the combat which was to be his last--,forward6 for us death is liberty4 ,but ,anmalt heard not his call2 a blow from a musket on the back of the head stretched him on the earth1 already sown with corpses1 and covered with blood4 ,footnote #be3 ,hurrah means strike in the ,tartar language4 ,,chapter4 ,v4 ,,letter ,,from ,,colonel ,,verhoffsky ,,to ,,his ,,betrothed4 ,from ,derbnd to ,smolnsk4 ,october1 #ahai4 ,two months--how easy to say it6--two centuries have past1 dearest ,maria1 while your letter was creeping to me4 ,twice has the moon made her journey round the earth4 ,you cannot imagine1 dearest1 how dreary is this idle objectless life to me2 with nothing to employ me--not even correspondence4 ,i go out1 ,i meet the ,kazk #bf with a secret trembling of heart3 with what joy1 with what exstacy do ,i kiss the lines traced by a pure hand1 inspired by a pure heart--yours1 my ,maria6 ,with a greedy rapture my eyes devour the letter3 then ,i am happy--,i am wild with joy4 ,but hardly have ,i reclosed it when unquiet thoughts again begin to haunt me4 ,all this is well1 ,i think2 but all this is past1 and ,i desire to know the present4 ,is she well8 ,does she love me yet8 ,oh6 will the happy time come soon--soon--when neither time nor distance can divide us8 ,when the expression of our love will be no longer chilled by the cold medium of the post6 ,pardon1 pardon1 dearest1 these black thoughts of absence4 ,when heart is--with heart1 the lover trusts in all2 in separation he doubts all4 ,you command--for such to me is your wish--that ,i should describe my life to you1 day by day1 hour by hour4 ,oh1 what sad and tiresome annals mine would be1 were ,i to obey you6 ,you know well1 traitress1 that ,i live not without you4 ,my existence--'tis but the trace of a shadow on the desert sand4 ,my duty alone1 which wearies at least1 if it cannot amuse me1 helps me to get rid of the time4 ,thrown in a climate ruinous to health1 in society which stifles the soul1 ,i cannot find among my companions a single person who can sympathise with me4 ,nor do ,i find among the ,asiatics any who can understand my thoughts4 ,all that surrounds me is either so savage or so limited1 that it excites sadness and discontent4 ,sooner will you obtain fire by striking ice on stone1 than interest from such an existence4 ,but your wish to me is sacred2 and ,i will present you1 in brief1 with my last week4 ,it was more varied than usual4 ,footnote #bf3 ,the ,kazks are employed in the ,russian army frequently as couriers4 ,i have told you in one of my letters1 if ,i remember1 that we are returning from the campaign of ,akosh1 with the commander-in-chief4 ,we have done our work2 ,shah ,ali ,khan has fled into ,persia2 we have burned a number of villages1 hay1 and corn2 and we have eaten the sheep of the rebels1 when we were hungry4 ,when the snow had driven the insurgents from their mountain-fastnesses1 they yielded and presented hostages4 ,we then marched to the ,fort of ,bornaya1 #bg and from this station our detachment was ordered into winter quarters4 ,of this division my regiment forms a part1 and our head-quarters are at ,derbnd4 ,footnote #bg3 ,stormy4 ,the other day1 the general1 who was about to depart on another campaign on the ,line1 came to take leave of us1 and thus there was a larger company than usual to meet our adored commander4 ,alexi ,petrvitch came from his tent1 to join us at tea4 ,who is not acquainted with his face1 from the portraits8 ,but they cannot be said to know ,yermloff at all1 who judge of him only by a lifeless image4 ,never was there a face gifted with such nobility of expression as his6 ,gazing on those features1 chiselled in the noble outline of the antique1 you are involuntarily carried back to the times of ,roman grandeur4 ,the poet was in the right1 when he said of him3-- ,on the ,koubn--fly1 ,tartar fleet6 ,the avenger's falchion gleameth2 ,his breath--the grapeshot's iron sleet1 ,his voice--the thunder seemeth6 ,around his forehead stern and pale ,the fates of war are playing4444 ,he looks--and victory doth quail1 ,that gesture proud obeying6 ,you should witness his coolness in the hour of battle--you should admire him at a conference3 at one time overwhelming the ,teberkss with the flowing orientalisms of the ,asiatic1 at another embarrassing their artifices with a single remark4 ,in vain do they conceal their thoughts in the most secret folds of their hearts2 his eye follows them1 disentangles and unrolls them like worms1 and guesses twenty years beforehand their deeds and their intentions4 ,then1 again1 to see him talking frankly and like a friend with his brave soldiers1 or passing with dignity round the circle of the tchinbniks #bh sent from the capital into ,georgia4 ,it is curious to observe how all those whose conscience is not pure1 tremble1 blush1 turn pale1 when he fixes on them his slow and penetrating glance2 you seem to see the roubles of past bribes gliding before the eyes of the guilty man1 and his villanies come rushing on his memory4 ,you see the pictures of arrest1 trial1 judgment1 sentence1 and punishment1 his imagination paints1 anticipating the future4 ,no man knows so well how to distinguish merit by a single glance1 a single smile--to reward gallantry with a word1 coming from1 and going to1 the heart4 ,god grant us many years to serve with such a commander6 ,footnote #bh3 ,literally1 a person possessing rank1 used here to signify an employ of ,government in a civil capacity--all of whom possess some definite precedence or class 7tchin7 in the state4 ,but if it be thus interesting to observe him on duty1 how delightful to associate with him in society--a society to which every one distinguished for rank1 bravery1 or intellect1 has free access3 here rank is forgotten1 formality is banished2 every one talks and acts as he pleases1 simply because those only who think and act as they ought1 form the society4 ,alexi ,petrvitch jokes with all like a comrade1 and at the same time teaches like a father4 ,as usual1 during tea1 one of his adjutants read aloud2 it was the account of ,napoleon's ,campaign in ,italy--that poem of the ,art of ,war1 as the commander-in-chief called it4 ,the company1 of course1 expressed their wonder1 their admiration1 their different opinions and criticisms4 ,the remarks of ,alexi ,petrvitch were lucid1 and of admirable truth4 ,then began our gymnastic sports1 leaping1 running1 leaping over the fire1 and trials of strength of various kinds4 ,the evening and the view were both magnificent3 the camp was pitched on the side of ,tarki2 over it hangs the fortress of ,bornaya1 behind which the sun was sinking4 ,sheltered by a cliff was the house of the ,shamkhl1 then the town on a steep declivity1 surrounded by the camp1 and to the east the immeasurable steppe of the ,caspian sea4 ,tartar ,beks1 ,circassian ,princes1 ,kazks from the various rivers of gigantic ,russia1 hostages from different mountains1 mingled with the officers4 ,uniforms1 tchoukhs1 coats of chain-mail1 were picturesquely mingled2 singing and music rang through the camp1 and the soldiers1 with their caps jauntily cocked on one side1 were walking in crowds at a distance4 ,the scene was delightful2 it charmed by its picturesque variety and the force and freshness of military life4 ,captain ,bekvitch was boasting that he could strike off the head of a buffalo with one blow of a kinjl2 #bi and two of those clumsy animals were immediately brought4 ,footnote #bi3 ,it is absurd to observe the incredulity of ,europeans as to the possibility of cutting off a head with the kinjl3 it is necessary to live only one week in the ,east to be quite convinced of the possibility of the feat4 ,in a practiced hand the kinjl is a substitute for the hatchet1 the bayonet1 and the sabre4 ,bets were laid2 all were disputing and doubting4 ,the ,captain1 with a smile1 seized with his left hand a huge dagger1 and in an instant an immense head fell at the feet of the astonished spectators1 whose surprise was instantly succeeded by a desire to do the same3 they hacked and hewed1 but all in vain4 ,many of the strongest men among the ,russians and ,asiatics made unsuccessful attempts to perform the feat1 but to do this strength alone was not sufficient4 ,you are children--children6 cried the commander-in-chief3 and he rose from table1 calling for his sword--a blade which never struck twice1 as he told us4 ,an immense heavy sabre was brought him1 and ,alexi ,petrvitch1 though confident in his strength1 yet1 like ,ulysses in the ,odyssey1 anointing the bow which no one else could bend1 first felt the edge1 waved the weapon thrice in the air1 and at length addressed himself to the feat4 ,the betters had hardly time to strike hands when the buffalo's head bounded at their feet on the earth4 ,so swift and sure was the blow1 that the trunk stood for some instants on its legs1 and then gently1 softly1 sank down4 ,a cry of astonishment arose from all3 ,alexi ,petrvitch quietly looked whether his sabre was notched--for the weapon had cost him many thousands of roubles1 and presented it as a keepsake to ,captain ,bekvitch4 ,we were still whispering among ourselves when there appeared before the commander-in-chief an officer of the ,kazks of the ,line1 with a message from ,colonel ,kortsreff1 who was stationed on the frontier4 ,when he had received the report1 the countenance of ,alexi ,petrvitch brightenened--,kortsreff has gloriously trounced the mountaineers6 said he4 ,these rascals have made a plundering expedition beyond the ,trek2 they have passed far within the ,line1 and have plundered a village--but they have lost not only the cattle they had taken1 but fallen a sacrifice to their own fool-hardiness4 ,having minutely questioned ,yesoal respecting the details of the affair1 he ordered the prisoners whom they had taken1 wounded or recovering1 to be brought before him4 ,five were led into the presence of the commander-in-chief4 ,a cloud passed over his countenance as he beheld them2 his brow contracted1 his eyes sparkled4 ,villains6 said he to the ,ouzdns2 you have thrice sworn not to plunder2 and thrice have you broken your oath4 ,what is it that you seek8 ,lands8 ,flocks8 ,means to defend the one or the other8 ,but no6 you are willing to accept presents from the ,russians as allies1 and at the same time to guide the ,tcherkss to plunder our villages1 and to plunder along with them4 ,hang them6 said he sternly2 hang them up by their own thievish arkus 7girdles76 ,let them draw lots3 the fourth shall be spared--let him go and tell his countrymen that ,i am coming to teach them to keep faith1 and keep the peace1 as ,i will have it4 ,the ,ouzdns were conducted away4 ,there remained one ,tartar bek1 whom we had not remarked4 ,this was a young man of twenty-five1 of unusual beauty1 graceful as the ,belvidere ,apollo4 ,he bowed slightly to the commander-in chief as he approached him1 raised his cap1 and again resumed his proud indifferent expression2 unshaken resignation to his fate was written on his features4 ,the commander-in-chief fixed his stern eye upon his face1 but the young man neither changed countenance nor quivered an eyelash4 ,ammalt ,bek1 said ,alexi ,petrvitch1 after a pause1 do you remember that you are a ,russian subject8 that the ,russian laws are above you8 ,it would have been impossible to forget that1 replied the ,bek3 if ,i had found in those laws a protection for my rights1 ,i should not now stand before you a prisoner4 ,ungrateful boy6 cried the commander-in-chief2 your father--you yourself1 have been the enemy of the ,russians4 ,had it been during the ,persian domination of your race1 not even the ashes would have remained2 but our ,emperor was generous1 and instead of punishing you he gave you lands4 ,and how did you repay his kindness8 ,by secret plot and open revolt6 ,this is not all3 you received and sheltered in your house a sworn foe to ,russia2 you permitted him1 before your eyes1 traitorously to slaughter a ,russian officer4 ,in spite of all this1 had you brought me a submissive head1 ,i would have pardoned you1 on account of your youth and the customs of your nation4 ,but you fled to the mountains1 and with ,suleiman ,akhmet ,khan you committed violence within the ,russian bounds2 you were beaten1 and again you make an incursion with ,djemboult4 ,you cannot but know what fate awaits you4 ,i do1 coldly answered ,ammalt ,bek3 ,i shall be shot4 ,no6 a bullet is too honourable a death for a brigand1 cried the angry general3 a cart with the shafts turned up--a cord round your neck--that is the fitting reward4 ,it is all one how a man dies1 replied ,ammalt1 provided he dies speedily4 ,i ask one favour3 do not let me be tormented with a trial3 that is thrice death4 ,thou deservest a hundred deaths1 audacious6 but ,i promise you4 ,be it so3 to-morrow thou shalt die4 ,assemble a court-martial1 continued the commander-in-chief1 turning to his staff3 the fact is clear1 the proof is before your eyes1 and let all be finished at one sitting1 before my departure4 ,he waved his hand1 and the condemned prisoner was removed4 ,the fate of this fine young man touched us all4 ,every body was whispering about him2 every body pitying him2 the more1 that there appeared no means of saving him4 ,every one knew well the necessity of punishing this double treason1 and the inflexibility of ,alexi ,petrvitch in matters of this publicity3 and1 therefore1 no one dared to intercede for the unfortunate culprit4 ,the commander-in-chief was unusually thoughtful for the remainder of the evening1 and the party separated early4 ,i determined to speak a word for him--,perhaps1 ,i thought1 ,i may obtain some commutation of the sentence4 ,i opened one of the curtains of the tent1 and advanced softly into the presence of ,alexi ,petrvitch4 ,he was sitting alone1 resting both arms on a table2 before him lay a despatch for the ,emperor1 half finished1 and which he was writing without any previous copy4 ,alexi ,petrvitch knew me as an officer of the suite1 and we had been acquainted since the battle of ,kulm4 ,at that time he had been very kind to me1 and therefore my visit was not surprising to him4 ,i see--,i see1 ,evstfii ,ivnovitch1 you have a design upon my heart6 ,in general you come in as if you were marching up to a battery1 but now you hardly walk on tip-toe4 ,this is not for nothing4 ,i am sure you are come with a request about ,ammalt4 ,you have guessed it1 said ,i to ,alexi ,petrvitch1 not knowing how to begin4 ,sit down1 then1 and let us talk it over1 he replied4 ,then1 after a silence of a couple of minutes1 he continued1 kindly1 ,i know that a report goes about respecting me1 that ,i treat the lives of men as a plaything--their blood as water4 ,the most cruel tyrants have hidden their bloodthirstiness under a mask of benevolence4 ,they feared a reputation for cruelty1 though they feared not to commit deeds of cruelty2 but ,i--,i have intentionally clothed myself with this sort of character1 and purposely dressed my name in terror4 ,i desire1 and it is my duty to desire1 that my name should protect our frontier more effectually than lines and fortresses--that a single word of mine should be1 to the ,asiatics1 more certain1 more inevitable1 than death4 ,the ,european may be reasoned with3 he is influenced by conscience1 touched by kindness1 attached by pardon1 won by benefits2 but to the ,asiatic all this is an infallible proof of weakness2 and to him ,i--even from motives of philanthropy--have shown myself unmitigably severe4 ,a single execution preserves a hundred ,russians from destruction1 and deters a thousand ,mussulmans from treason4 ,evstfii ,ivnovitch1 many will not believe my words1 because each conceals the cruelty of his nature1 and his secret revengefulness1 under excuses of necessity--each says1 with a pretence of feeling1 ',really ,i wish from my heart to pardon1 but be judges yourselves--can ,i8 ,what1 after this1 are laws--what is the general welfare8' ,all this ,i never say2 in my eyes no tear is seen when ,i sign a sentence of death3 but my heart bleeds4 ,alexi ,petrvitch was touched2 he walked agitatedly several times up and down the tent2 then seated himself1 and continued--,never1 in spite of all this1 never has it been so difficult to me to punish as this day4 ,he who1 like me1 has lived much among the ,asiatics1 ceases to trust in ,lavater1 and places no more confidence in a handsome face than in a letter of recommendation2 but the look1 the expression1 the demeanour of this ,ammalt1 have produced on me an unusual impression4 ,i am sorry for him4 ,a generous heart1 said ,i1 is a better oracle than reason4 ,the heart of a conscientious man1 my dear friend1 ought to be under the command of reason4 ,i certainly can pardon ,ammalt1 but ,i ought to punish him4 ,daghestn is still filled with the enemies of ,russia1 notwithstanding their assurances of submission2 even ,tarki is ready to revolt at the first movement in the mountains3 we must rivet their chains by punishment1 and show the ,tartars that no birth can screen the guilty--that all are equal in the sight of the ,russian law4 ,if ,i pardon ,ammalt1 all his relations will begin to boast that ,yermloff is afraid of the ,shamkhl4 ,i remarked1 that indulgence shown to so extensive a clan would have a good effect on the country--in particular the ,shamkhl4 ,the ,shamkhal is an ,asiatic1 interrupted ,alexi ,petrvitch2 he would be delighted that this heir to the ,shamkhalt should be sent to the ,elysian fields4 ,besides1 ,i care very little to guess or gratify the wishes of his kinsmen4 ,i saw that the commander-in-chief began to waver1 and ,i urged him more pressingly4 ,let me serve for three years1 said ,i2 do not give me leave of absence this year--only have mercy on this young man4 ,he is young1 and ,russia may find in him a faithful servant4 ,generosity is never thrown away4 ,alexi ,petrvitch shook his head4 ,i have made many ungrateful1 said he1 already2 but be it so4 ,i pardon him1 and not by halves--that is not my way4 ,i thank you for having helped me to be merciful1 not to say weak4 ,only remember my words3 ,you wish to take him to yourself--do not trust him2 do not warm a serpent in your bosom4 ,i was so delighted with my success1 that1 hastily quitting the commander-in-chief1 ,i ran to the tent in which ,ammalt ,bek was confined4 ,three sentinels were guarding him2 a lantern was burning in the midst4 ,i entered2 the prisoner was lying wrapped up in his borka1 and tears were sparkling on his face4 ,he did not hear my entrance1 so profoundly was he buried in thought4 ,to whom is it pleasant to part with life8 ,i was rejoiced that ,i brought comfort to him at so melancholy a moment4 ,ammalt1 said ,i1 ,allah is great1 and the ,sardr is merciful2 he has granted you your life6 ,the delighted prisoner started up1 and endeavoured to reply1 but the breath was stifled in his breast4 ,immediately1 however1 a shade of gloom covered his features4 ,life6 he exclaimed2 ,i understand this generosity6 ,to consign a man to a breathless dungeon1 without light or air--to send him to eternal winter1 to a night never illumined by a star--to bury him alive in the bowels of the earth--to take from him not only the power to act1 not only the means of life1 but even the privilege of telling his kinsmen of his sad lot--to deny him not only the right to complain1 but even the power of murmuring his sorrow to the wind4 ,and this you call life6 this unceasing torment you boast of as rare generosity6 ,tell the ,general that ,i want not--that ,i scorn--such a life4 ,you are mistaken1 ,ammalt1 ,i cried2 you are fully pardoned3 remain what you were1 the master of your actions and possessions4 ,there is your sword4 ,the commander-in-chief is sure that in future you will unsheathe it only for the ,russians4 ,i offer you one condition2 come and live with me till the report of your actions has died away4 ,you shall be to be as a friend1 as a brother4 ,this struck the ,asiatic4 ,tears shone in his eyes4 ,the ,russians have conquered me1 he said3 pardon me1 colonel1 that ,i thought ill of all of you4 ,from henceforth ,i am a faithful servant of the ,russian ,tsar--a faithful friend to the ,russians1 soul and sword4 ,my sword1 my sword6 he cried1 gazing fixedly on his costly blade2 let these tears wash from thee the ,russian blood and the ,tartar naphtha6 #cj ,when and how can ,i reward you1 with my service1 for liberty and life8 ,footnote #cj3 ,the ,tartars1 to preserve their weapons1 and to produce a black colour on them1 smoke the metal1 and then rub it with naphtha4 ,i am sure1 my dear ,maria1 that you will keep me1 for this1 one of your sweetest kisses4 ,ever1 ever1 when feeling or acting generously1 ,i console myself with the thought1 ,my ,maria will praise me for this6 ,but when is this to happen1 my darling8 ,fate is but a stepmother to us4 ,your mourning is prolonged1 and the commander-in-chief has decidedly refused me leave of absence2 nor am ,i much displeased1 annoying as it is3 my regiment is in a bad state of discipline--indeed1 as bad as can be imagined2 besides1 ,i am charged with the construction of new barracks and the colonization of a married company4 ,if ,i were absent for a month1 every thing would go wrong4 ,if ,i remain1 what a sacrifice of my heart6 ,here we have been at ,derbnd three days4 ,ammalt lives with me3 he is silent1 sad1 and savage2 but his fear is interesting1 nevertheless4 ,he speaks ,russian very well1 and ,i have commenced teaching him to read and write4 ,his intelligence is unusually great4 ,in time1 ,i hope to make him a most charming ,tartar4 7,the conclusion of the letter has no reference to our story47 ,fragment of another letter from ,colonel ,verhffsky to his fiance1 written six months after the preceding4 ,from ,derbnd to ,smolnsk4 ,your favourite ,ammalt1 my dearest ,maria1 will soon be quite ,russianized4 ,the ,tartar ,beks1 in general1 think the first step of civilization consists in the use of the unlawful wine and pork4 ,i1 on the contrary1 have begun by re-educating the mind of ,ammalt4 ,i show him1 ,i prove to him1 what is bad in the customs of his nation1 and what is good in those of ours2 ,i explain to him universal and eternal truths4 ,i read with him1 ,i accustom him to write1 and ,i remark with pleasure that he takes the deepest interest in composition4 ,i may say1 indeed1 that he is passionately fond of it2 for with him every wish1 every desire1 every caprice1 is a passion--an ardent and impatient passion4 ,it is difficult for a ,european to imagine1 and still more difficult to understand1 the inflammability of the unruly1 or rather unbridled1 passions of an ,asiatic1 with whom the will alone has been1 since childhood1 the only limit to his desires4 ,our passions are like domestic animals2 or1 if they are wild beasts1 they are tamed1 and taught to dance upon the rope of the conveniences1 with a ring through their nostrils and their claws cut3 in the ,east they are free as the lion and the tiger4 ,it is curious to observe1 on the countenance of ,ammalt1 the blush with which his features are covered at the least contradiction2 the fire with which he is filled at any dispute2 but as soon as he finds that he is in the wrong1 he turns pale1 and seems ready to weep4 ,i am in the wrong1 says he2 pardon me3 takhsirumdam ghitch1 7blot out my fault27 forget that ,i am wrong1 and that you have pardoned me4 ,he has a good heart1 but a heart always ready to be set on fire1 either by a ray of the sun or by a spark of hell4 ,nature has gifted him with all that is necessary to render him a man1 as well in his moral as physical constitution2 but national prejudices1 and the want of education1 have done all that is possible to disfigure and to corrupt these natural qualities4 ,his mind is a mixture of all sorts of inconsistencies1 of the most absurd ideas1 and of the soundest thoughts3 sometimes he seizes instantly abstract propositions when they are presented to him in a simple form1 and again he will obstinately oppose the plainest and most evident truths3 because the former are quite new to him1 and the latter are obscured by previous prejudices and impressions4 ,i begin to fancy that it is easier to build a new edifice than to reconstruct an old one4 ,but how happens it that ,ammalt is melancholy and absent8 ,he makes great progress in every thing that does not require an attentive and continuous reflection1 and a gradual development2 but when the matter involves remote consequences1 his mind resembles a short fire-arm1 which sends its charge quickly1 direct1 and strongly1 but not to any distance4 ,is this a defect of his mind8 or is it that his attention is entirely occupied with something else8 444 ,for a man of twenty-three1 however1 it is easy to imagine the cause4 ,sometimes he appears to be listening attentively to what ,i am telling him2 but when ,i ask for his answer1 he seems all abroad4 ,sometimes ,i find the tears flowing from his eyes3 ,i address him--he neither hears nor sees me4 ,last night he was restless in his sleep1 and ,i heard the word seltant--seltant1 7power1 power17 frequently escape him4 ,is it possible that the love of power can so torment a young heart8 ,no1 no6 another passion agitates1 troubles the soul of ,ammalt4 ,is it for me to doubt of the symptoms of love's divine disease8 ,he is in love--he is passionately in love2 but with whom8 ,oh1 ,i will know6 ,friendship is as curious as a woman4 ,,occupation ,,of ,,aden4 ,it is only by a naval power1 says ,gibbon1 that the reduction of ,yemen can be successfully attempted--a remark1 by the way1 which more than one of the ancients had made before him4 ,all the comparatively fertile districts in the south of ,arabia1 in fact1 are even more completely insulated by the deserts and barren mountains of the interior on one side1 than by the sea on the other--inasmuch as easier access would be gained by an invader1 even by the dangerous and difficult navigation of the ,red ,sea1 than by a march through a region where the means of subsistence do not exist1 and where the ,bedoweens1 by choking or concealing the wells1 might in a moment cut off even the scanty supply of water which the country affords4 ,this mode of passive resistance was well understood and practised by them as early as the time of lius ,gallus1 the first ,roman general who conceived the hope of rifling the virgin treasures popularly believed to be buried in the inaccessible hoards of the princes of ,arabia1 whose realms were long looked upon--perhaps on the principle of omne ignotum pro magnifico--as a sort of indefinite and mysterious ,el ,dorado4 #ca ,footnote #ca3 ,intactis opulentior thesauris ,arabum4 --,horat4 ,od4 iii4 #bd4 ,pliny 7,hist4 ,nat4 vi4 #cb7 more soberly endeavours to prove the enormous accumulation of wealth which must have taken place in ,arabia1 from the constant influx of the precious metals for the purchase of their spices and other commodities1 while they bought none of the productions of other countries in return4 ,these golden dreams speedily vanished as the country became more extensively known3 and though the ,arab tribes of the desert between ,syria and the ,euphrates acknowledged a nominal subjection to ,rome1 the intercourse of the ,imperial ,city with ,yemen1 or ,arabia ,felix1 was confined to the trade which was carried on over the ,red ,sea from ,egypt1 and which became the channel through which not only the spices of ,arabia1 but the rich products of ,india1 and even the slaves #cb and ivory of ,eastern ,africa1 were supplied to the markets of ,italy4 ,at the present day1 almost the whole of the south coast of ,arabia fronting the ,indian ,ocean1 nearly from the head of the ,persian ,gulf to the ,straits of ,bab-el-,mandeb1 as well as the eastern coast of ,africa1 from ,cape ,guardafui to the entrance of the ,mozambique ,channel a seaboard approaching #djjj miles in length--is more or less subject to the ,sultan of ,muscat1 #cc a prince whose power is almost wholly maritime1 and whose dominions nowhere extend more than thirty or forty miles inland3 while our own recent acquisition of ,aden1 a detached point with which our communication can be maintained only by restraining the command of the sea1 has for the first time given an ,european power 7excepting the ,turks1 whose possessions in ,arabia always depended on ,egypt7 a locus standi on the shores of ,yemen4 ,footnote #cb3 ,this part of ,africa is noticed by ,arrian as famous for the excellent quality of the slaves brought from ,greek3 ta doulicha chreissota1and it still retains its pre-eminence4 ,the tribes in this quarter are far superior both in personal appearance and intellect to the negroes of ,guinea4 ,footnote #cc3 ,we have seen it somewhere stated that the ,sultan has also attempted1 by means of his navy1 to exercise authority on the shores of ,beloochistan2 which would bring him into contact with our own outposts at ,soumeeani1 c41 near the mouth of the ,indus4 ,the process by which we obtained this footing in ,arabia was strictly in accordance with the maxims of policy adopted by the then rulers of ,british ,india1 and which they were at the same time engaged in carrying out1 on a far more extended scale1 in ,affghanistan4 ,in both cases--perhaps from a benevolent anxiety to accommodate our diplomacy to the primitive ideas of those with whom we had to deal-- the good old rule ,sufficeth them1 the simple plan ,that they should take who have the power1 ,and they should keep who can-- was assumed as the basis of our proceedings3 and though the brilliant success which for a time attended our philanthropic exertions in the cause of good order and civilization beyond the ,indus1 so completely threw into the shade the minor glories of ,aden1 that this latter achievement attracted scarcely any public attention at the time of its occurrence1 its merits are quite sufficient to entitle it to a more detailed notice than it has hitherto received in the pages of ,maga4 ,nor can a more opportune juncture be found than the present1 when the late events in ,cabul have apparently had a marvellous effect in opening the eyes of our statesmen1 both in ,india and ,england1 to the moral and political delinquency of the system we have so long pursued--of taking the previous owner's consent for granted1 whenever it suited our views to possess ourselves of a fortress1 island1 or tract of territory1 belonging to any nation not sufficiently civilized to have had representatives at the ,congress of ,vienna4 ,whether our repentance is to be carried the length of universal restitution1 remains to be seen2 if so1 it is to be hoped that the circumstances of the capture of ,aden will be duly borne in mind4 ,but before we proceed to detail the steps by which the ,british colours came to be hoisted at this remote angle of ,arabia1 it will be well to give some account of the place itself and its previous history2 since we suspect that the majority of newspaper politicians1 unless the intelligence of its capture chanced to catch their eye in the columns of the ,times1 are to this day ignorant that such a fortress is numbered among the possessions of the ,british crown4 ,the harbour of ,aden1 then1 lies on the south coast of ,yemen1 as nearly as possible in #ab #de' ,n4 latitude1 and #de #aj' ,e4 longitude2 somewhat more than #ajj miles east of ,cape ,bab-el-,mandeb1 at the entrance of the ,red ,sea2 and about #aej miles by sea1 or #abj by land1 from ,mokha1 #cd the nearest port within the ,straits4 ,the town was built on the eastern side of a high rocky peninsula1 about four miles in length from ,e4 to ,w41 by two miles and a half ,n4 and ,s4--which was probably1 at no very remote period1 an island1 but is now joined to the mainland by a long low sandy isthmus1 #ce on each side of which1 to the east and west1 a harbour is formed between the peninsula and the mainland4 ,the ,east ,bay1 immediately opposite the town1 though of comparatively small extent1 is protected by the rocky islet of ,seerah1 rising seaward to the height of from #djj to #fjj feet1 and affords excellent anchorage at all times1 except during the north-east monsoon3 but the ,western or ,black ,bay1 completely landlocked and sheltered in great part of its extent by the high ground of its peninsula1 7which rises to an elevation of nearly #ahjj feet17 runs up inland a distance of seven miles from the headland of ,jibel-,hassan1 7which protects its mouth on the west17 to the junction of the isthmus with the main1 and presents at all times a secure and magnificent harbour1 four miles wide at the entrance1 and perfectly free from rocks1 shoals1 and all impediments to ingress or egress4 ,such are the natural advantages of ,aden3 and whoever--says ,wellsted--might have been the founder1 the site was happily selected1 and well calculated by its imposing appearance not only to display the splendour of its edifices1 but also1 uniting strength with ornament1 to sustain the character which it subsequently bore1 as the port and bulwark of ,arabia ,felix4 ,footnote #ce3 ,this isthmus is said by ,lieutenant ,wellsted to be about #bjj yards in breadth3 perhaps a misprint for #abjj1 as a writer in the ,united ,service ,journal1 ,may #ahdj1 calls it #acej yards2 and1 according to the plan in the papers laid before ,parliament1 it would appear to be rather more than half a mile at the narrowest part1 where it is crossed by the ,turkish wall4 ,from the almost impregnable strength of its situation1 and the excellence of its harbour1 which affords almost the only secure shelter for shipping near the junction of the ,red ,sea and the ,indian ,ocean1 ,aden has been1 both in ancient and modern times1 a place of note and importance as a central point for the commerce carried on with the ,east by way of ,egypt4 ,it was known to the ancients as the ,arabian emporium1 and ,abulfeda1 in the fourteenth century1 describes it1 in his ,geography1 as a city on the sea-shore1 within the district of ,abiyan2 with a safe and capacious port1 much frequented by ships from ,india and ,china1 and by merchants and men of wealth1 not only from those countries1 but from ,abyssinia1 the ,hedjaz1 c42 adding1 however1 that it is dry and burnt up by the sun1 and so totally destitute of pasture and water1 that one of the gates is named ,bab-el-,sakiyyin1 or ,gate of the ,water-carriers1 for fresh water must be brought from a distance4 ,in somewhat later times1 when the ,portuguese began to effect settlements on the coasts of ,guzerat and ,malabar1 and to attack the ,mohammedan commerce in the ,indian ,seas1 the port of ,aden 7when1 with the rest of ,yemen1 then paid a nominal allegiance to the ,egyptian monarchy7 became the principal rendezvous for the armaments equipped by the ,circassian ,sultans of ,cairo in the ,red ,sea1 in aid of their ,moslem brethren1 then oppressed by those whom the ,sheikh ,zein-ed-deen emphatically denounces as a race of unclean ,frank interlopers--may the curse of ,allah rest upon them and all infidels6 ,it was1 in consequence1 more than once attacked by the famous ,alboquerque1 7who1 in #aeac1 lost #bjjj men before it17 and his successor ,lope ,soarez1 but the ,portuguese never succeeded in occupying it2 and the ,mamluke empire was overthrown1 in #aeag1 by the arms of the ,ottoman ,sultan1 ,selim ,i4 ,the new masters of ,egypt1 however1 speedily adopted the policy of the rulers whom they had supplanted2 and not contented with the limited suzeraint over the ,arab chiefs of ,yemen1 exercised by the ,circassian monarchs1 determined on bringing that country under the direct control of the ,porte1 as a point d'appui for the operations to be undertaken in the ,indian ,ocean4 ,with this view1 the eunuch1 ,soliman-,pasha1 who was sent in command of a formidible squadron from ,suez1 in #aech1 to attempt the recapture of ,dui1 #cf in ,guzerat1 from the ,portuguese1 received instructions to make himself in the first place master of ,aden1 to the possession of which the ,turks might reasonable lay claim as a dependency of their newly-acquired realm of ,egypt2 the seizure1 however1 was effected by means of base treachery4 ,the prince1 ,sheikh-,amer1 of the race of the ,beni-,teher1 was summoned on board the admiral's galley1 and accepted the invitation without suspicion2 but he was instantly placed in confinement1 and shortly afterwards publicly hanged at the yard-arm2 while the ,pasha1 landing his troops1 took possession of ,aden in the name of ,soliman the ,magnificent4 ,it was not1 however1 till #aefh1 that the final reduction of ,yemen was accomplished1 when ,aden and other towns1 which had fallen into the hands of an ,arab chief named ,moutaher1 were recaptured by a powerful army sent from ,egypt2 the whole province was formally divided into sandjaks or districts1 and the seat of the beglerbeg1 or supreme pasha1 fixed at ,sana4 ,footnote #cf3 ,the warfare of the ,ottomans in ,india is a curious episode in their history1 which has attracted but little notice from ,european writers4 ,the ,soliman-,pasha above mentioned 7called by the ,indian historians ,soliman-,khan ,roomi1 or the ,turk1 and by the ,portuguese ,solimanus ,peloponnesiacus7 bore a distinguished part in those affairs2 but this expedition against ,diu was the last in which he was engaged4 ,the kingdom of ,guzerat was1 at that time1 in great confusion after the death of its king1 ,bahadur ,shah1 who had been treacherously killed in an affray with the ,portuguese in #aecf2 and it would appear probable that the ,turks1 if they had succeeded against ,diu1 meditated taking possession of the country4 ,the domination of the ,turks in ,yemen did not continue much more than sixty years after this latter epoch2 the constant revolts of the ,arab tribes1 and the feuds of the ,turkish military chiefs1 whose distance from the seat of government placed them beyond the control of the ,porte1 combined in rendering it an unprofitable possession4 ,the ,indian trade1 moreover1 was permanently diverted to the route by the ,cape2 and any political schemes which the ,porte might at one time have entertained in regard to ,india1 had been extinguished by the reunion1 under the ,mogul sway1 of the various shattered sovereignties of ,hindostan4 ,in #afcc1 #cg the ,turkish troops were finally withdrawn from the province1 which then fell under the rule of the still existing dynasty of the ,imams of ,sana1 who claim descent from ,mohammed4 ,but the ruins even now remaining of the fortifications and publick works constructed in ,aden by the ,ottomans during their tenure of the place1 are on a scale which not only proves how fully they were aware of the importance of the position1 but gives a high idea of the energy with which their resources were administered during the palmy days of their power1 when such vast labour and outlay were expended on the security of an isolated stronghold at the furthest extremity of their empire4 ,the defences of the town1 even in their present state1 are the most striking evidence now existing of the science and skill of the ,turkish engineers in former times2 and1 when they were entire1 ,aden must have been another ,gibraltar4 ,the lines taken for the works1 says a late observer1 evince great judgment1 a good flanking fire being every where obtained2 no one place which could possibly admit of being fortified has been omitted1 and we could not do better than tread in the steps of our predecessors4 ,the profile is tremendous4 ,a supply of water 7of which the peninsula had been wholly destitute7 was secured1 not only by constructing numerous tanks within the walls1 and by boring numerous wells through the solid rock to a depth of upwards of #bjj feet1 #ch but by carrying an aqueduct into the town from a spring eight miles in the country1 the reservoir at the end of which was defended by a redoubt mounted with artillery4 ,the outposts were not less carefully strengthened than the body of the place--a rampart with bastions 7called1 in the reports of the garrison1 the ,turkish ,wall7 was carried along some high ground on the isthmus from sea to sea1 to guard against an attack on the land side--the lofty rocky islet of ,seerah1 immediately off the town1 was covered with watchtowers and batteries--and several of those enormous guns1 with the effect of which the ,english became practically acquainted at the passage of the ,dardanelles in #ahjg1 were mounted on the summit of the precipices1 to command the seaward approach2 and1 when ,lieutenant ,wellsted was at ,aden1 those huge pieces of ordnance was lying neglected on the beach2 and he asked ,sultan ,mahassan why he did not cut them up for the sake of the metal1 which is said to contain a considerable intermixture of silver2 but he replied1 with more feeling than could have been anticipated1 that he was unwilling to deprive ,aden of the only remaining sign of its former greatness and strength4 ,several of them have been sent to ,england since the capture of the place1 measuring from fifteen to eighteen and a half feet in length2 they are covered with ornaments and inscriptions1 stating them to have been cast in the reign of ,soliman the son of ,selim-,khan1 7,soliman the ,magnificent47 ,footnote #cg3 ,captain ,haines1 in the ,report upon ,aden1 appended to the ,parliamentary papers published on the subject1 erroneously places this even in #agcj1 the year in or about which1 according to ,niebuhr1 the ,sheikh of ,aden made himself independent of ,sana4 ,footnote #ch3 ,no part of the coast of ,arabia is celebrated for the goodness of its water1 with the single exception of ,aden4 ,the wells there are #cjj in number1 cut mostly though the rock1 444 and the tanks were found in good order1 coated inside and out with excellant chunam1 7stucco17 and merely requiring cleaning out to be again serviceable4 ,at the time of its evacuation by the ,turks1 ,aden is said1 notwithstanding the decay of its ,indian trade1 to have contained from #bj1jjj to #cj1jjj inhabitants2 and the lofty minarets which1 a few years since1 still towered above the ruins of the mosques to which they had formerly been attached1 as well as the extensive burying-grounds1 in which the turbaned headstones peculiar to the ,turks are even yet conspicuous1 bear testimony1 not less than the extent and magnitude of the ruinous fortifications1 to the population and splendour of the town under the ,ottomans4--7,see ,,wellsted',s ,arabia1 vol4 ii1 chap4 #ai47 ,from the time1 however1 of its return into the hands of its former owners1 its decline was rapid4 ,niebuhr1 who visited it in the latter part of the last century1 says1 that it had but little trade1 as its ,sheikh #ci 7who had long since shaken off his dependence on the ,iman of ,sana7 was not on good terms with his neighbors2 and1 though ,sir ,home ,popham concluded a commercial treaty with the uncle and predecessor of the present ,sultan ,mahassan1 no steps appear to have been taken in consequence of this arrangement4 ,footnote #ci3 ,the town would appear to have passed into the hands of another tribe since ,niebuhr's time1 as he gives the ,sheikh the surname of ,el-,foddeli 7,futhali17 the present chief being of the ,abdalli tribe4 ,in #ahce1 according to ,wellsted1 the inhabitants of this once flourishing emporium did not exceed #hjj1 the only industrious class among whom were the ,jews1 who numbered from #bej to #cjj4 ,the remainder were the descendants of ,arabs1 ,sumaulis1 7a tribe of the ,african coast17 and the offspring of slaves1 who dwelt in wretched huts1 or rather tents1 on the ruins of the former city4 ,not more than twenty families are now engaged in mercantile pursuits1 the rest gaining a miserable existence either by supplying the ,hadj boats with wood and water1 or by fishing4 ,the chief1 ,sultan ,mahassan1 did not even reside in ,aden1 but in a town called ,lahedj1 about eighteen miles distant1 where he kept the treasures which his uncle1 who was a brave and politic ruler1 had succeeded in amassing4 ,he reputation for wealth1 however1 and the inadequacy of his means for defending it1 drew on him the hostility of the more warlike tribes in the vicinity2 and in #ahcf ,aden was sacked by the ,futhalis1 who not only carried off booty to the value of #cj1jjj dollars1 7principally the property of the ,banians and the ,sumauli merchants in the port17 but compelled the ,sultan to agree to an annual payment of #cfj dollars2 while two other tribes1 the ,yaffaees and the ,houshibees1 took the opportunity to exhort from him a tribute of half that amount4 ,there can be no doubt but that1 if the ,arabs had been left to themselves1 this state of things would have ended in all the contending parties being speedily swallowed up in the dominions of ,mohammed ,ali1 ,pasha of ,egypt2 who1 under pretence of re-asserting the ancient rights of the ,porte to the sovereignty of ,yemen1 had already occupied ,mokha and ,taaz1 and was waging war with the tribes in the neighbouring coffee country1 whom he had exasperated by the treacherous murder of ,sheikh ,hussein1 one of their chiefs1 who1 having been inveigled by the ,egyptian commander into a personal conference1 was shot dead1 like the ,mamlukes at ,cairo1 in the tent of audience4 ,aden1 in the natural course of things1 would have been the next step2 but an unforeseen intervention deprived him of his prey4 ,since the establishment of the overland communication with ,india through ,egypt1 and the steam navigation of the ,red ,sea1 the want had been sensibly felt of an intermediate station between ,suez and ,bombay1 which might serve both as a coal depot1 and1 in case of necessity1 as a harbour of shelter4 ,the position of ,aden1 almost exactly halfway1 would naturally have pointed it out as the sought-for haven1 even had its harbour been less admirably adapted than it is1 from its facility of entrance and depth of water close to the shore1 for steamers to run straight in1 receive their fuel and water from the quay1 and proceed on their voyage without loss of time2 while the roadstead of ,mokha1 #dj the only other station which could possibly be made available for the purpose1 is at all times open and insecure1 and in certain points of the wind1 particularly when it blows from the south through the straits of ,bab-el-,mandeb1 communication with the shore is absolutely impracticable4 ,it was clear1 therefore1 that the proposed depot1 if carried into effect at all1 must be fixed at ,aden2 and there can be little doubt that its occupation was contemplated by the ,indian government from the time of the visit of the surveying ships to the ,red ,sea4 ,a pretext was now all that was sought for1 and this was not long wanted4 ,it was reported to the ,bombay ,administration in ,october #ahcf1 by ,captain ,haines1 7then in command of the ,palinurus at ,makullah7 that great insecurity to navigation prevailed on both the ,african and ,indian shores1 at the entrance of the ,red ,sea2 and one particular instance was adduced1 in which the crew of a ,muscat vessel1 wrecked on the coast near ,aden1 were subjected to such inordinate extortion by ,sultan ,mahassan1 that the master1 in anger or despair1 burned his vessel4 ,the ,bombay government could only give general instructions1 that in case of any outrage being offered to a vessel under ,british colours1 redress should be peremptorily demanded4 ,but long before these instructions were issued1 and1 indeed1 before the intelligence which elicited them had reached ,bombay1 a case1 such as they had supposed1 had really occurred4--7,corresponderce relating to ,aden1 printed in ,may #ahci1 by order of the ,house of ,commons1 ,no4 #di1 p4 #ch47 ,footnote #dj3 ,a vessel will lie 7at ,mokha7 with a whole chain on end1 topgallant masts struck1 and yards braced by1 without being able to communicate with the shore2 while at the same time in ,aden harbour she will lie within a few yards of the shore1 in perfectly smooth water1 with the bight of her chain cable scarcely taught4--,,captain ,,haines',s ,report4 ,an ,indian ship called the ,derya-,dowlut1 7,fortune of the ,sea17 the property of a lady of the family of the ,nawab of ,madras1 but sailing under ,british colours1 was wrecked on the coast near ,aden1 ,february #bj1 #ahcg1 when on her voyage from ,calcutta to ,jiddah1 with a cargo valued at two lacs of rupees1 7,l4#bj1jjj47 ,it would appear1 from the depositions of the survivors1 that the loss of the ship was intentional on the part of the supercargo and nakhoda1 7or sailing-master17 the latter of whom1 however1 was drowned1 with several of the crew1 in attempting to get on shore in the boat4 ,the passengers--who had been denied help both by the officers who had deserted them1 and by the ,arabs who crowded down to the beach--with difficulty reached the land1 when they were stripped1 plundered1 and ill-treated by the ,bedoweens1 but at last escaped without any personal injury1 and made their way in miserable plight to ,aden1 where they were relieved and clothed by a ,sheikh1 the hereditary guardian of the tomb of ,sheikh ,idris1 the guardian saint of the town4 ,the stranded ship1 meanwhile1 after being cleared of as much of her cargo and stores as could be saved1 was burned by direction of the supercargo1 who shortly afterwards took his departure to ,jiddah1 carrying with him one-third of the rescued property1 and leaving the remainder as a waif to the ,sultan of ,aden4 ,after he was gone1 the ,sultan made an offer to the agent #da of the ship to restore the goods which had fallen to his share on a payment of ten per cent for salvage2 but this was declined1 on the ground that after such a length of time the things on board must have been almost all lost2 that he did not require them1 nor had he money to pay for them4 ,the ,sultan1 however1 still refused to allow him to leave ,aden till he had given him written acquittance of all claims on account of the ship2 a document was accordingly signed1 as he says1 under compulsion1 to the effect that he made no claim against the ,sultan1 but with a full reservation of his claim for redress from the supercargo1 who had wrecked the ship and embezzled the goods saved from her4 ,the agent and several of the crew1 after undergoing great hardships1 at last reached ,mokha1 and laid their complaint before the commanders of the ,company's cruisers ,coote and ,palinurus4 ,the latter vessel1 under the command of ,captain ,haines1 immediately repaired to ,aden to demand redress for the injuries thus inflicted on ,english subjects1 while a formal report of the case was made to the ,government at ,bombay4 ,the ,sultan at first attempted to deny that he possessed any of the goods in question1 and afterwards alleged that they had been given to him voluntarily by the supercargo2 but finding all his subterfuges unavailing1 he at length gave up merchandize and stores to the amount of nearly #hjjj dollars1 besides a bond at a year's date for #daia dollars more1 in satisfaction for the goods which had been previously sold or made away with1 as well as for the insults offered to the passengers4 ,footnote #da3 ,this person1 ,syud ,nooradeen1 had been captain of the vessel at the outset of the voyage2 but had been deposed from the responsible command by an order purporting to come from the merchant who had freighted the ship1 but which is now said to have been forged by the supercargo4 ,here1 in ordinary cases1 the matter might have rested2 for though the conduct of this ,arab chief would certainly have been indefensible in a civilized country1 the worst charge that can be considered as fairly proved against him is that of being a receiver of stolen goods1 as the price of his connivance at the appropriation of the rest by the supercargo--since with the wreck of the ship1 whether premeditated or not1 he had certainly nothing to do--and the outrages committed by the wild ,bedoweens on the beach can scarcely be laid to his charge4 ,a far more atrocious insult to the ,british flag in #ahbf1 when a brig from the ,mauritius had been piratically seized at ,berbera1 7a port on the ,african coast1 just outside the ,straits of ,bab-el-,mandeb17 and part of her crew murdered1 had been expiated by the submission of the offenders1 and the repayment of the value of the plunder by yearly instalments1 7see ,,wellsted',s ,arabia1 vol4 ii4 chap4 #ah27--whereas1 in the present case1 restitution1 however reluctant1 had been prompt and complete4 ,but so eager were the authorities in ,india to possess themselves of the place on any terms1 that even while the above-mentioned negotiation was pending1 a minute was drawn up 7,sept4 #bh7 by the ,governor of ,bombay1 and transmitted to the ,governor-general at ,calcutta1 in which1 after stating that the establishment of a monthly communication by steam with the ,red ,sea1 and the formation of a flotilla of armed steamers1 renders it absolutely necessary that we should have a station of our own on the coast of ,arabia1 as we already have on the ,persian ,gulf --alluding to the seizure of the island of ,karrack--and noticing the insult which has been offered to the ,british flag by the ,sultan of ,aden1 requests permission to take possession of ,cape ,aden4 #db ,the ,governor-general1 however1 in his reply1 7,oct4 #af17 appears scarcely of opinion that so strong a measure is warranted by the provocation1 and suggests that satisfaction should1 in the first instance1 be demanded of the ,sultan4 ,if it be granted1 some amicable arrangement may be made with him for the occupation of this port as a depot for coals1 and harbour for shelter4 ,if it be refused1 then further measures may be considered4 #dc ,footnote #db3 ,correspondence1 ,no4 #af4 ,footnote #dc3 ,ibid4 ,no4 #ai4 ,but notwithstanding the qualified terms of the ,governor-general's reply1 it appears to have been regarded by the ,bombay government as equivalent to a full permission #dd for the prosecution of the object on which they had fixed their views3 for by the despatch of ,captain ,haines from ,aden1 7dated ,jan4 #bj1 #ahch17 we find that no sooner had he completed the first duty on which he was sent1 7the recovery of the cargo of the ,derya-,dowlet17 than he addressed a letter 7,jan4 #aa7 to the ,sultan1 to the effect that he was empowered by ,government to form a treaty with the ,sultan for the purchase of ,aden1 with the land and points surrounding it1 c4 c4--that he felt assured that the ,sultan would1 in his wisdom1 readily foresee the advantages which would accrue to his country from having such an intimate connecting link with the ,british--and enclosing a rough draft of the terms on which it was proposed that the transfer should be effected4 ,the ,sultan appears to have been considerably taken aback at this unexpected proposition1 which1 it should be observed1 was not put forward as part of the atonement required for the affair of the ,derya-,dowlut--as for this1 7in the words of ,captain ,haines17 satisfaction has been given by you1 and our friendship is as before4 ,a lengthened correspondence ensued1 at the rate of a letter or two daily1 till the end of ,january--in which the ,sultan1 with all the tortuous tact of an ,asiatic1 endeavoured1 without expressly pledging himself on the main point1 to stipulate in the first instance for assistance1 in the shape of artillery and ammunition1 against the hostile tribes in the neighbourhood1 and other advantages for himself and his family1 particularly for the retention of their jurisdiction over the ,arab residents in ,aden3 and he at last quitted ,aden for ,lahedj1 without absolutely concluding any thing1 but having authorized a merchant of the former place1 named ,reshid-,ebn-,abdallah1 to act as his agent4 ,footnote #dd3 ,the ,government of ,india did not1 indeed1 in express words authorize us to negotiate with the ,sultan for a cession to us of the post and harbour3 but they desired us to obtain the occupation of the port as a coal depot1 and that of the harbour as a place of shelter4 ,these words far exceed the mere establishment of a coal depot under the auspices of the ,sultan1 and in fact1 could not in any practical sense1 or to any beneficial purpose1 be fulfilled1 except by our obtaining the occupation of that port and harbour as a matter not of sufferance but of right4--,minute by the ,governor of ,bombay1 ,no4 #di4 ,still every thing appeared in a fair way for adjustment2 the principal difficulty remaining to be settled being the annual sum to be paid as an equivalent for the port-dues of ,aden4 ,the ,sultan's commissioner at first rated this source of revenue at the exorbitant sum of #ej1jjj dollars6--but it was at last agreed that it should be commuted for a yearly stipend of #hgjh1 a mode of payment preferred by the ,sultan to the receipt of a gross sum1 lest the rapacity of his neighbours should be excited against him by so sudden an accession of wealth3 while the amount thus fixed was believed even to exceed the actual amount of the customs4 ,the ,sultan meanwhile1 though evading the formal execution of the deed of transfer1 constantly wrote from ,lahedj that the ,english were at liberty to begin building in ,aden as soon as they pleased--adding on more than one occasion--if the ,turks or any other people should come and take away the whole country by strength from me1 the blame will not rest on my shoulders4 ,on the #bgth1 however1 ,sultan ,hamed1 the eldest son and heir-apparent of ,sultan ,mahassan1 arrived at ,aden from ,lahedj1 accompanied by a synd or descendant of the prophet1 named ,hussein1 who was represented as having come as a witness to the transaction2 and ,captain ,haines was invited on shore to meet them4 ,while he was preparing1 however1 to repair to the place of meeting1 he received a private intimation through the merchant already mentioned1 ,reshid-,ebn-,abdallih1 to the effect that the ,arab chiefs had determined on seizing his person at the interview1 in order to possess themselves of the papers connected with the proposed transfer of ,aden1 7to which ,sultan ,hamed had from the first been strongly opposed17 and in particular of the bond for #daia dollars which had been given in satisfaction for the balance of the goods in the ,derya-,dowlut4 ,how far this imputed treachery was really meditated1 there can be1 of course1 no means of precisely ascertaining2 and the minute of the governor of ,bombay 7,correspondence1 ,no4 #di17 seems to consider it doubtful2 #de but ,captain ,haines acted as if fully convinced of the correctness of the intelligence which he had received2 and after reproaching ,sultan ,hamed with his intended perfidy1 returned first to ,mokha1 and afterwards 7in ,february7 to ,bombay1 carrying with him the letter in which the old ,sultan was alleged to have given his consent to the cession1 but leaving the recovered goods at ,aden in charge of a ,banyan--a tolerably strong proof1 by the way1 that the ,sultan1 notwithstanding the bad faith laid to his charge1 was not considered likely to appropriate them afresh4 ,footnote #de3 ,i am not1 however1 disposed to treat the matter as one of much importance4 ,we have no knowledge of it but from report1 and all concerned in it will solemnly deny the truth of the information4 ,the unsuccessful issue of this mission pretty clearly proved1 that notwithstanding the dread of the ,british power entertained by the ,abdalli chiefs1 their reluctance to part with their town would not be easily overcome by peaceable means3 while the ,governor-general 7then busily engaged at ,simla in forwarding the preparations for the ill-fated invasion of ,affghanistan7 still declined1 in despite of a renewed application from ,bombay to give any special sanction to ulterior measures--a question on which--in the words of the despatch--her ,majesty's ,government is rather called upon to pronounce judgment1 than the supreme government of ,india4 ,the authorities at ,bombay1 however1 were not to be thus diverted from the attainment of their favourite object2 and in a despatch of ,september #g1 #ahch1 to the ,secret ,committee1 7,corresp4 ,no4 #ei17 they announce that1 on reconsideration1 they have resolved to adopt immediate measures for attempting to obtain peaceable possession of ,aden1 without waiting for the previous instructions of the ,governor-general of ,india3 but as the steamer ,berenice will leave ,bombay on the #hth inst41 7the next day17 we have not time to enter into a detail of the reasons which have induced us to come to the above resolution4 ,a notification similar to the above had been forwarded two days previously to ,lord ,auckland at ,simla2 and a laconic reply was received 7,oct4 #d7 from ,sir ,william ,macnaghten1 simply to the effect that his lordship was glad to find that1 at the present crisis of our affairs1 the governor 7of ,bombay7 in council has resolved to resort to no other than peaceful means for the attainment of the object in view4 ,in the latter part of ,october1 accordingly1 ,captain ,haines once more reached ,aden in the ,coote1 with a small party of ,bombay sepoys on board as his escort2 but the aspect of affairs was by no means favourable4 ,the old ,sultan ,mahassan1 worn out with age and infirmities1 had resigned the management of affairs almost entirely to his fiery son ,hamed1 who1 encouraged not only by his success in baffling the former attempt1 but by the smallness of the force which had accompanied the ,british commissioner1 #df openly set him at defiance1 declaring that he himself1 and not his father1 was now the ,sultan of the ,bedoweens3 that his father was but an imbecile old man2 and that any promise which might have been extorted from him could not be regarded as of any avail3 and1 in short1 that the place should not be given up upon any terms4 ,in pursuance of this denunciation1 all supplies1 even of wood and water1 were refused to the ship2 the ,banyan in charge of the ,derya-,dowlut's cargo was prohibited from giving up the goods to the ,english2 and though the interchange of letters was kept up as briskly as before1 the resolution of ,sultan ,hamed was not to be shaken by this torrent of diplomacy3 and he constantly adhered to his first expressed position--,i wish much to be friends1 and that amity was between us1 but you must not speak or write about the land of ,aden again4 ,the ,english agent1 however1 persisted in speaking of the transfer as already legally concluded1 and out of the power of ,hamed to repudiate or annul3 while1 in order to give greater stringency to his remonstrances1 he gave orders for the detention of the date-boats and other vessels which arrived off ,aden1 hoping to starve the ,sultan into submission1 by thus at once stopping his provisions1 and cutting off his receipt of port dues4 ,the blockade does not seem to have been very effectual3 and an overture from the ,futhali chief to aid with his tribe in an attack on the ,abdallis1 was of course declined by ,captain ,haines4 ,footnote #df3 ,their first exclamation was1 ',are the ,english so poor that they can only afford to send one vessel8 and is she only come to talk8 ,why did they not send her before8 ,had they sent their men and vessels1 we would have given up2 but until they do1 they shall never have the place4'--,,captain ,,haines',s ,despatch1 ,nov4 #f1 7,no4 #fa47 ,the apparently interminable cross fire of protocols #dg 7in which both ,captain ,haines and his employers appear to have luxuriated to a degree which would have gladdened the heart of ,lord ,palmerston himself7 was now1 however1 on the point of being brought to a close4 ,on the #bjth of ,november1 one of the ,coote's boats1 while engaged in overhauling an ,arab vessel near the shore1 was fired at by the ,bedoweens on the beach1 and hostilities were carried on during several days1 but with little damage on either side4 ,in most cases1 it would have been considered that blockading a port1 and intercepting its supplies of provisions constituted a sufficiently legitimate ground of warfare to justify these reprisals3 but ,captain ,haines1 it appears1 thought otherwise1 as he stigmatizes it as a shameful and cowardly attack1 and becomes urgent with the ,bombay government for a reinforcement which might enable him to assume offensive operations with effect4 ,her ,majesty's ships ,volage1 #bh1 and ,cruiser1 #af gun-brig1 which had been employed in some operations about the mouth of the ,indus1 were accordingly ordered on this service1 and sailed from ,bombay ,december #bi1 accompanied by two transports conveying about #hjj troops--,europeans1 sepoys1 and artillerymen--under the command-in-chief of ,major ,baillie1 #bdth ,bombay native infantry4 ,the ,abdalli chiefs1 on the other hand1 made an effort to induce the ,sultan of the ,futhalis1 7with whom they held a conference during the first days of #ahci1 at the tomb of ,sheikh ,othman near ,aden1 on the occasion of the payment of the annual tribute above referred to17 to make common cause with them against the intruders who were endeavouring to establish themselves in the country2 but the negotiation wholly failed1 and the two parties separated on not very amicable terms4 ,footnote #dg3 ,it is worthy of remark1 that in a note of ,december #ast1 7,corresp4 ,no4 #ha17 from the ,governor of ,bombay to the ,sultan1 the ill treatment of the passengers of the ,derya-,dowlut is again advanced as the ground of offence1 as an atonement for which the cession of ,aden is indispensable2 though for this1 ample satisfaction had been admitted long since to have been given4 ,it appears that the determination of the ,abdallis to hold out had been materially strengthened by the intelligence which they received from ,india1 7where many ,arabs from this part of ,yemen and the neighbouring country of ,hadramout are serving as mercenaries to the native princes17 of the manifold distractions which beset the ,anglo-,indian government1 and the armaments in course of equipment for ,affghanistan1 ,scinde1 the ,persian ,gulf1 c41 and which confirmed them in the belief that no more troops could be spared from ,bombay for an attack on ,aden4 ,the stoppage of provisions by sea1 however1 and the threatened hostilities of the ,futhalis1 caused severe distress among the inhabitants of the town2 and dissensions arose among the chiefs themselves1 as to the proportions in which 7in the event of an amicable settlement7 the annual payment of #hgjj dollars should be divided among them--it being determined that ,sultan ,mahassan should not have it all4 ,an attempt was now made by the synds to effect a reconciliation2 but though abundance of notes were once more interchanged1 #dh and the old ,sultan came down from ,lahedj to offer his mediation1 all demands for the main object1 the cession of the place1 were rejected or evaded4 ,the negotiation consequently came to nothing1 and hostilities were resumed with more energy than before1 the artillery of ,aden being directed 7as was reported7 by an ,european ,turk2 till1 on the #afth of ,january1 the flotilla from ,bombay1 under the command of ,captain ,smith1 ,r4,n41 anchored in ,western ,bay4 ,footnote #dh3 ,in this correspondence1 the phrase of--,if you will land and enter the town1 ,i will be upon your head1 is more than once addressed by ,sultan ,hamed to ,captain ,haines and seems to have been understood as a menace2 but we have been informed that it rather implies1 ,i will be answerable for your safety--your head shall be in my charge4 ,a peremptory requisition was now sent on shore for the immediate surrender of the town2 but the answer of the ,sultan was still evasive1 and1 as the troops had only a few days' water on board1 an immediate landing was decided upon4 ,on the morning of the #aith1 accordingly1 the ,coote1 ,cruiser1 ,volage1 and the ,company's armed schooner ,mahi1 weighed and stood in shore1 opening a heavy fire on the island of ,seerah and the batteries on the mainland1 to cover the disembarkation4 ,the ,arabs at first stood to their guns with great determination1 but their artillery was1 of course1 speedily silenced or dismounted by the superior weight and rapidity of the ,english fire2 and though the troops were galled while in the boats by matchlocks from the shore1 both the town and the island of ,seerah were carried by storm without much difficulty4 ,the loss of the assailants was no more than fifteen killed and wounded--that of the ,arabs more than ten times that number1 including a nephew of the ,sultan and a chief of the ,houshibee tribe1 who fought gallantly1 and received a mortal wound2 considerable bloodshed was also occasioned by the desperate resistance made by the prisoners taken on ,seerah in the attempt to disarm them1 during which the greater part of them cut their way through their captors and got clear off4 ,most of the inhabitants fled into the interior during the assault1 but speedily returned on hearing of the discipline and good order preserved by the conquerors2 and the old ,sultan1 on being informed of the capture of the place1 sent an apologetic letter 7,jan4 #ba7 to ,captain ,haines1 in which he threw all the blame on his son ,hamed1 and expressed an earnest wish for a reconciliation4 ,little difficulty was now experienced in conducting the negotiations1 and during the first days of ,february articles of pacification were signed both with the ,abdallis and the other tribes in the neighbourhood4 ,to secure the good-will of the ,futhali chief1 the annual payment which he had received from ,aden of #cfj dollars1 was still guaranteed to him1 as were the #hgjj dollars per annum to the ,sultan of ,lahedj1 whose bond for #daia dollars was further remitted as a token of good-will4 ,such were the circumstances under which ,aden became part of the colonial empire of ,great ,britain--and the details of which we have taken1 almost entirely1 from the official accounts published by order of ,government4 ,in whatever point of view we consider the transaction1 we think it can scarcely be denied that it reflects little credit on the national character for even-handed justice and fair dealing4 ,even if the tact and savoir faire1 which ,captain ,haines must be admitted to have displayed in an eminent degree in the execution of his instructions1 had succeeded in intimidating the ,arabs into surrendering the place without resistance1 such a proceeding would have amounted to nothing more or less than the appropriation of the territory of a tribe not strong enough to defend themselves1 simply because it was situated conveniently for the purposes of our own navigation3 and the open force by which the scheme was ultimately carried into effect1 imparts to this act of usurpation a character of violence still more to be regretted4 ,the originally-alleged provocation1 the affair of the ,derya-,dowlut1 is not for a moment tenable as warranting such extreme measures3--since not only was the participation of the parties on whom the whole responsibility was thrown1 at all events extremely venial2 but satisfaction had been given1 and had been admitted to have been given1 before the subject of the cession of the place was broached3--and the ,sultan constantly denied that his alleged consent to the transfer1 on which the subsequent hostilities were grounded1 had ever been intended to be so construed4 ,it is evident1 moreover1 that the ,arabs would gladly have yielded to any amicable arrangement short of the absolute cession of the town1 which they regarded as disgraceful3 --the erection of a factory1 which might have been fortified so as to give us the virtual command of the place and the harbour1 would probably have met with no opposition3--and even if ,aden had fallen1 as it seemed on the point of doing1 into the hands of the ,pasha of ,egypt1 there can be little doubt that the ,viceroy would have shown himself equally ready to facilitate our intercourse with ,india1 in his ,arabian as in his ,egyptian harbours4 ,at all events1 it is evident that the desired object of obtaining a station and coal depot for the ,indian steamers1 might easily have been secured in various ways1 without running even the risk of bringing on the ,british name the imputation of unnecessary violence and oppression4 ,aden1 however1 was now1 whether for right or wrong1 under the ,british flag2 but the hostile dispositions of the ,arabs1 notwithstanding the treaties entered into1 were still far from subdued2 and the cupidity of these semi-barbarous tribes was still further excited by the lavish expenditure of the new garrison1 and by the exaggerated reports of vast treasures said to be brought from ,india for the repairs of the works4 ,among the advantages anticipated by ,captain ,haines in his official report from the possession of the town1 especial stress is laid on its vicinity to the coffee and gum districts1 and the certainty1 that when it was under the settled rule of ,british law1 the traffic in these rich products1 as well as in the gold-dust1 ivory1 and frankincense of the ,african coast1 would once more centre in its long-neglected harbour4 ,but it was speedily found that the insecurity of communication with the interior opposed a serious obstacle to the realization of these prospects--the ,european residents and the troops were confined within the ,turkish wall--and though the extreme heat of the climate 7which during summer averaged #ij of ,fahrenheit in the shade within a stone house7 did not prove so injurious as had been expected to ,european constitutions1 it was found1 singularly enough1 to exercise a most pernicious influence on the sepoys1 who sickened and died in alarming numbers4 ,aden at this period is compared1 in a letter quoted in the ,asiatic ,journal1 to the crater of ,etna enlarged1 and covered with gravestones and the remains of stone huts2 provisions were scarce1 and vegetables scarcely procurable4 ,by degrees1 however1 some symptoms of reviving trade appeared and by the end of #ahci the population had increased to #aejj souls4 ,the smouldering rancour with which the ,arabs had all along regarded the ,frank intruders upon their soil1 had by this time broken out into open hostility2 and1 after some minor acts of violence1 an attack was made on the night of ,november #ith on the ,turkish wall across the isthmus1 7which had been additionally strengthened by redoubts and some guns17 by a body of #djjj men1 collected from the ,abdallis1 the ,futhalis1 and the other tribes in the neighbourhood4 ,the assailants were of course repulsed1 but not without a severe conflict1 in which the ,arabs engaged the defenders hand to hand with the most determined valour--so highly had their hopes of plunder been stimulated by the rumours of ,english wealth4 ,this daring attempt 7which the ,pasha of ,egypt was by some suspected to have had some share in instigating7 at once placed the occupants of ,aden in a state of open warfare with all their ,arab neighbours2 and the subsidies hitherto paid to the ,futhali chief and the old ,sultan of ,lahedj were consequently stopped--while ,l4#ajj1jjj were voted by the ,bombay government for repairing the fortifications1 and engineers were sent from ,india to put the place in an efficient state of defence4 ,these regular ramparts1 however1 even when completed1 can never be relied on as a security against the guerilla attacks of these daring marauders1 who can wade through the sea at low water round the flanks of the ,turkish wall1 and scramble over precipices to get in the rear of the outposts--and accordingly1 during #ahdj1 the garrison had to withstand two more desperate attempts 7,may #bj1 and ,july #d17 to surprise the place1 both of which were beaten off after some hard fighting1 though in one instance the attacking party succeeded in carrying off a considerable amount of plunder from the encampment near the ,turkish wall4 ,since that period1 it has been found necessary gradually to raise the strength of the garrison from #hjj to #djjj men1 one-fourth of whom are always ,european soldiers--and though no attack in force has lately been made by the ,arabs1 the necessity of being constantly on the alert against their covert approaches1 renders the duties of the garrison harassing to the last degree4 ,though a considerable trade now exists with the ,african coast1 scarcely any commercial intercourse has yet been established with the interior of ,arabia1 7notwithstanding the friendly dispositions evinced by the ,iman of ,sana17 the road being barred by the hostile tribes--and a further impediment to improvement is found in the dissensions of the civil and military authorities of the place itself1 who1 pent up in a narrow space under a broiling sun1 seem to employ their energies in endless squabbles with each other4 ,whatever may be the ultimate fate of this colony1 it must be allowed1 to quote the candid admission of a writer in the ,united ,service ,journal1 that at present we are not occupying a very proud position in ,arabia--though considering the means by which we obtained our footing in that peninsula1 our position is perhaps as good as we deserve4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,sonnet ,,by ,,the ,,author ,,op ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,burke1 ,,of ,,goldsmith1 ,c41 ,,on ,,viewing ,,my ,,mother',s ,,picture4 ,how warms the heart when dwelling on that face1 ,those lips that mine a thousand times have prest1 ,the swelling source that nurture gav'st her race1 ,where found my infant head its downiest rest6 ,how in those features aim to trace my own1 ,cast in a softer mould my being see2 ,recall the voice that sooth'd my helpless moan1 ,the thoughts that sprang for scarcely aught save me2 ,that shaped and formed me2 gave me to the day1 ,bade in her breast absorbing love arise2 ,o'er me a ceaseless tender care display1 ,for weak all else to thee maternal ties6 ,this debt of love but ,one may claim2 no other ,such self-devotion boasts1 save thee1 my ,mother6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,caleb ,,stukely4 ,,part ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,fugitive4 ,the tongue has nothing to say when the soul hath spoken all6 ,what need of words in the passionate and early intercourse of love6 ,there is no oral language that can satisfy or meet the requisitions of the stricken heart4 ,speech1 the worldling and the false--oftener the dark veil than the bright mirror of man's thoughts--is banished from the spot consecrated to purity1 unselfishness1 and truth4 ,the lovely and beloved ,ellen learnt1 before a syllable escaped my lips1 the secret which those lips would never have disclosed4 ,her innocent and conscious cheek acknowledged instantly her quick perception1 and with maiden modesty she turned aside--not angrily1 but timorous as a bird1 upon whose leafy covert the heavy fowler's foot has trod too harshly and too suddenly4 ,i thought of nothing then but the pain ,i had inflicted1 and was sensible of no feeling but that of shame and sorrow for my fault4 ,we walked on in silence4 ,our road brought us to the point in the village at which ,i had met ,miss ,fairman and her father1 when1 for the first time1 we became companions in our evening walk4 ,we retraced the path which then we took1 and the hallowed spot grew lovelier as we followed it4 ,i could not choose but tell how deeply and indelibly the scene of beauty had become imprinted on my heart4 ,to you1 ,miss ,fairman1 ,i began1 and to others who were born and nurtured in this valley1 this is a common sight4 ,to me it is a land of enchantment1 and the impression that it brings must affect my future being4 ,i am sure1 whatever may be my lot1 that ,i shall be a happier man for what ,i now behold4 ,it is well1 said my companion1 that you did not make the acquaintance of our hills during the bleak winter1 when their charms were hidden in the snow1 and they had nothing better to offer their worshipper than rain and sleet and nipping winds4 ,they would have lost your praise then4 ,do you think so8 ,imprisoned as ,i have been1 and kept a stranger to the noblest works of ,providence1 my enjoyment is excessive1 and ,i dare scarcely trust myself to feel it as ,i would4 ,i could gaze on yonder sweet hillock1 with its wild-flowers and its own blue patch of sky1 until ,i wept4 ,yes1 this is a lovely scene in truth6 exclaimed ,miss ,fairman pensively4 ,do you remember1 ,miss ,fairman1 our first spring walk8 ,for an hour we went on1 and that little green clump1 as it appears from here1 was not for a moment out of my sight4 ,my eyes were riveted upon it1 and ,i watched the clouds shifting across it1 changing its hue1 now darkening1 now lighting it up1 until it became fixed in my remembrance1 never to depart from it4 ,we have many fair visions around us1 but that is to me the fairest4 ,it is connected with our evening walk4 ,neither can be forgotten whilst ,i live4 ,it was well that we reached the parsonage gate before another word was spoken4 ,in spite of the firmest of resolutions1 the smallest self-indulgence brought me to the very verge of transgression4 ,in the evening ,i sat alone1 and began a letter to the minister4 ,i wrote a few lines expressive of my gratitude and deep sense of obligation4 ,they did not read well1 and ,i destroyed them4 ,i recommenced4 ,i reproached myself for presumption and temerity1 and confessed that ,i had taken advantage of his confidence by attempting to gain the affections of his only child4 ,i regretted the fault1 and desired to be dismissed4 ,the terms which ,i employed1 on reperusal1 looked too harsh1 and did not certainly do justice to the motives by which throughout ,i had been actuated2 for1 however violent had been my passion1 principle had still protected and restrained me4 ,i had not coldly and deliberately betrayed myself4 ,the second writing1 not more satisfactory than the first1 was1 in its turn1 expunged4 ,i attempted a third epistle1 and failed4 ,then ,i put down the pen and considered4 ,i pondered until ,i concluded that ,i had ever been too hasty and too violent4 ,miss ,fairman would certainly take no notice of what had happened1 and if ,i were guarded--silent--and determined for the future1 all would still be well4 ,it was madness to indulge a passion which could only lead to my expulsion from the parsonage1 and end in misery4 ,had ,i found it so easy to obtain a home and quiet1 that both were to be so recklessly and shamefully abandoned8 ,surely it was time to dwell soberly and seriously upon the affairs of life4 ,i had numbered years and undergone trial sufficient to be acquainted with true policy and the line of duty4 ,both bade me instantly reject the new solicitation1 and pursue1 with singleness of purpose1 the occupation which fortune had mercifully vouchsafed to me4 ,all this was specious and most just1 and sounded well to the understanding that was not less able to look temperately and calmly upon the argument in consequence of the previous overflow of feeling4 ,reason is never so plausible and prevailing as when it takes the place of gratified passion4 ,never are we so firmly resolved upon good1 as in the moment that follows instantly the doing of evil4 ,never is conscience louder in her complaints than when she rises from a temporary overthrow4 ,i had discovered every thing to ,miss ,fairman4 ,i had fatally committed myself4 ,there was no doubt of this2 and nothing was left for present consolation but sapient resolutions for the future4 ,virtuous and fixed they looked in my silent chamber and in the silent hour of night4 ,morning had yet to dawn1 and they had yet to contend with the thousand incitements which our desires are ever setting up to battle with our better judgment4 ,i did not write to ,mr4 ,fairman1 but ,i rose from my seat much comforted1 and softened my midnight pillow with the best intentions4 ,fancy might have suggested to me1 on the following morning1 that the eyes of ,miss ,fairnan had been visited but little by sleep1 and that her face was far more pallid than usual1 if her parent had not remarked1 with much anxiety1 when she took her place amongst us1 that she was looking most weary and unwell4 ,like the sudden emanation that crimsons all the east1 the beautiful and earliest blush of morning1 came the driven blood into the maiden's cheek1 telling of discovery and shame4 ,nothing she said in answer1 but diligently pursued her occupation4 ,i could perceive that the fair hand trembled1 and that the gentle bosom was disquieted4 ,i could tell why downwards bent the head1 and with what new emotions the artless spirit had become acquainted4 ,instantly ,i saw the mischief which my rashness had occasioned1 and felt how deeply had fallen the first accents of love into the poor heart of the secluded one4 ,what had ,i done by the short1 indistinct1 most inconsiderate avowal1 and how was it possible now to avert its consequences8 ,every tender and uneasy glance that ,mr4 ,fairman cast upon his cherished daughter1 passed like a sting to me1 and roused the bitterest self-reproach4 ,i could have calmed his groundless fears1 had ,i been bold enough to risk his righteous indignation4 ,the frankness and cordiality which had ever marked my intercourse with ,miss ,fairman1 were from this hour suspended4 ,could it be otherwise with one so innocent1 so truthful1 and so meek6 ,anger she had none1 but apprehension and conceptions strange1 such as disturb the awakened soul of woman1 ere the storm of passion comes to overcharge it4 ,i slunk from the apartment and the first meal of the day1 like a man guilty of a heinous fault4 ,i pleaded illness1 and did not rejoin my friends4 ,i knew not what to do1 and ,i passed a day in long and feverish doubt4 ,evening arrived4 ,my pupils were dismissed1 and once more ,i sat in my own silent room lost in anxious meditation4 ,suddenly an unusual knock at the door roused me1 and brought me to my feet4 ,i requested the visitor to enter1 and ,mr4 ,fairman himself walked slowly in4 ,he was pale and care-worn and he looked1 as ,i imagined1 sternly upon me4 ,all is known6 was my first thought1 and my throat swelled with agitation4 ,i presented a chair to the incumbent2 and when he sat down and turned his wan face upon me1 ,i felt that my own cheek was no less blanched than his4 ,i awaited his rebuke in breathless suspense4 ,you are indeed ill1 ,stukely1 commenced ,mr4 ,fairman1 gazing earnestly4 ,i was not aware of this1 or ,i would have seen you before4 ,you have overworked yourself with the boys4 ,you shall be relieved to-morrow4 ,i will take charge of them myself4 ,you should not have persevered when you found your strength unequal to the task4 ,a little repose will1 ,i trust1 restore you4 ,with every animating syllable1 the affrighted blood returned again1 and ,i gained confidence4 ,his tones assured me that he was still in ignorance4 ,a load was taken from me4 ,i shall be better in the morning1 sir1 ,i answered4 ,do not think seriously of the slightest indisposition4 ,i am better now4 ,i am rejoiced to hear it1 answered the incumbent4 ,i am full of alarm and wretchedness to-day4 ,did you observe my daughter this morning1 ,stukely8 ,yes1 sir1 ,i faltered4 ,you did at breakfast1 but you have not seen her since4 ,i wish you had4 ,i am sick at heart4 ,is she unwell1 sir8 ,do you know what consumption is8 ,have you ever watched its fearful progress8 ,never4 ,i thought you might have done so4 ,it is a fearful disease1 and leaves hardly a family untouched4 ,did she not look ill8--you can tell me that1 at least4 ,not quite so well1 perhaps1 as ,i have seen her1 sir2 but ,i should hope-- ,eh--what1 not very ill1 then8 ,well1 that is strange1 for ,i was frightened by her4 ,what can it be8 ,i wish that ,mayhew had called in4 ,every ailment fills me with terror4 ,i always think of her dear mother4 ,three months before her death1 she sat with me1 as we do here together1 well and strong1 and thanking ,providence for health and strength4 ,she withered1 as it might be from that hour1 and1 as ,i tell you1 three short months of havoc brought her to the grave4 ,was she young1 sir8 ,a few years older than my child--but that is nothing4 ,did you say you did not think her looks this morning indicated any symptoms8 ,oh--no6 ,i recollect4 ,you never saw the malady at work4 ,well1 certainly she does not cough as her poor mother did4 ,did it look like languor1 think you8 ,the loss of rest might-- ,yes1 it might1 and perhaps it is nothing worse4 ,i know ,mayhew thinks lightly of these temporary shadows2 but ,i do not believe he has ever seen her so thoroughly feeble and depressed as she appears to-day4 ,she is very pale1 but ,i was glad to find her face free from all flush whatever4 ,that is comforting4 ,let us hope the best4 ,how do the boys advance8 ,what opinion have you formed of the lad ,charlton8 ,he is a dull1 good-hearted boy1 sir4 ,willing to learn1 with little ability to help him on4 ,most difficult of treatment4 ,his tears lie near the surface4 ,at times it seems that the simplest terms are beyond his understanding1 and then the gentlest reproof opens the flood-gate1 and submerges his faculties for the day4 ,be tender and cautious1 ,stukely1 with that child4 ,he is a sapling that will not bear the rough wind4 ,let him learn what he will--rest assured1 it is all he can4 ,his eagerness to learn will never fall short of your's to teach4 ,he must be kindly encouraged1 not frowned upon in his reverses2 for who fights so hard against them1 or deplores them more deeply than himself8 ,poor1 weak child1 he is his own chastiser4 ,i will take care1 sir4 ,have you seen this coming on1 ,stukely8 ,with ,charlton1 sir8 ,no4 ,miss ,fairman's indisposition4 ,for many weeks she has certainly improved in health4 ,i have remarked it1 and ,i was taken by surprise this morning4 ,i should be easier had ,mayhew seen her4 ,let me fetch him in the morning1 sir4 ,his presence will relieve you4 ,i will start early--and bring him with me4 ,well1 if you are better1 but certainly not otherwise4 ,i confess ,i should be pleased to talk with him4 ,but do not rise too early4 ,get your breakfast first4 ,i will take the boys until you come back4 ,this had been the object of the anxious father's visit4 ,as soon as ,i had undertaken to meet his wish1 he became more tranquil4 ,my mission was to be kept a secret4 ,the reason why a servant had not been employed1 was the fear of causing alarm in the beloved patient4 ,before ,mr4 ,fairman left me1 ,i was more than half persuaded that ,i myself had mistaken the cause of his daughter's suffering2 so agreeable is it1 even against conviction1 to discharge ourselves of blame4 ,the residence of ,dr4 ,mayhew was about four miles distant from our village4 ,it was a fine brick house1 as old as the oaks which stood before it1 conferring upon a few acres of grass land the right to be regarded as a park4 ,the interior of the house was as substantial as the outside2 both were as solid as the good doctor himself4 ,he was a man of independent property1 a member of the ,university of ,oxford1 and a great stickler for old observances4 ,he received a fee from every man who was able to pay him for his services2 and the poor might always receive at his door1 at the cost of application only1 medical advice and physic1 and a few commodities much more acceptable than either4 ,he kept a good establishment1 in the most interesting portion of which dwelt three decaying creatures1 the youngest fourscore years of age and more4 ,they were an entail from his grandfather1 and had faithfully served that ancestor for many years as coachman1 housekeeper1 and butler4 ,the father of ,dr4 ,mayhew had availed himself of their integrity and experience until ,time robbed them of the latter1 and rendered the former a useless ornament2 and dying1 he bequeathed them1 with the house and lands1 to their present friend and patron4 ,there they sat in their own hall1 royal servants every one1 hanging to life by one small thread1 which when it breaks for one must break for all4 ,they had little interest in the present world1 to which the daily visit of the doctor1 and that alone1 connected them4 ,he never failed to pay it4 ,unconscious of all else1 they never failed to look for it4 ,the village clock struck eleven as ,i walked up the avenue that conducted to the house4 ,the day was intensely hot1 and at that early hour the fierce fire of the sun had rendered the atmosphere sweltry and oppressive4 ,i knocked many times before ,i could obtain admittance1 and1 at last1 the door was opened by a ragged urchin about twelve years of age1 looking more like the son of a thief or a gypsy than a juvenile member of the decent household4 ,is ,dr4 ,mayhew at home8 ,i asked4 ,oh1 ,i don't know6 he answered surlily2 you had better come and see2 and therewith he turned upon his heel1 and tramped heavily down the kitchen stairs4 ,for a few seconds ,i remained where ,i was4 ,at length1 hearing no voices in the house1 and finding that no one was likely to come to me1 ,i followed him4 ,at the bottom of the stairs was a long passage leading to the offices4 ,it was very dark1 or it was rendered so to me who had just left the glare of noonday4 ,at the end of it1 however1 a small lamp glimmered1 and under its feeble help ,i advanced4 ,arriving at its extremity1 ,i was stopped by the hum of many voices that proceeded from a chamber on the right4 ,here ,i knocked immediately4 ,the voice of ,dr4 ,mayhew desired me to enter4 ,the door was opened the moment afterwards1 and then ,i beheld the doctor himself and every servant of the house assembled in a crowd4 ,the little boy who had given me admission was in the group2 and in the very centre of all1 sitting upright in a chair1 was the strangest apparition of a man that ,i have ever gazed upon1 before or since4 ,the object that attracted1 and at the same time repelled1 my notice1 was a creature whose age no living man could possibly determine4 ,he was at least six feet high1 with raven hair1 and a complexion sallow as the sear leaf4 ,look at his figure1 then mark the absence of a single wrinkle1 and you judge him for a youth4 ,observe again3 look at the emaciated face2 note the jet-black eye1 deeply-sunken1 and void of all fire and life2 the crushed1 the vacant1 and forlorn expression2 the aquiline nose1 prominent as an eagle's1 from which the parchment skin is drawn as rigidly as though it were a dead man's skin1 bloodless and inert4 ,the wear and tear1 the buffeting and misery of seventy years are there4 ,seventy6--yea1 twice seventy years of mortal agony and suffering could hardly leave a deeper impress4 ,he is strangely clad4 ,he is in rags4 ,the remnants of fine clothes are dropping from his shrunken body4 ,his hand is white and small4 ,upon the largest finger he wears a ring--once1 no doubt1 before his hand had shrivelled up--the property and ornament of the smallest4 ,it is a sparkling diamond1 and it glistens as his own black eye should1 if it be true that he is old only in mental misery and pain4 ,there is no sign of thought or feeling in his look4 ,his eye falls on no one1 but seems to pass beyond the lookers-on1 and to rest on space4 ,the company are far more agitated4 ,a few minutes before my arrival the strange object had been found1 with the boy whom ,i had first seen1 wandering in the garden4 ,he was apprehended for a thief1 brought into the house1 and not until ,dr4 ,mayhew had been summoned1 had it been suspected that the poor creature was an idiot4 ,commiseration then took the place of anger quickly1 and all was anxiety and desire to know whence he had come1 who he might be1 and what his business was4 ,he could not speak for himself1 and the answers of the boy had been unsatisfactory and vague4 ,when ,i entered the room1 the doctor gave me a slight recognition1 and proceeded at once to a further examination of the stripling4 ,where did you pick him up1 ,sir8 enquired the ,doctor4 ,mother sent me out a-begging with him1 answered the gypsy boy4 ,who is your mother8 ,mabel4 ,mabel what8 ,mabel nothing4 ,where does she live1 then8 ,she doesn't live nowhere4 ,she's a tramper4 ,where is she now8 ,how can ,i tell8 ,we shall pick up somewhere4 ,let me go1 and take ,silly ,billy with me4 ,i shall get such a licking if ,i don't4 ,is his name ,billy8 ,no1 ,silly ,billy1 all then chaps as is fools are called ,silly ,billy4 ,you know that1 don't you8 ,oh1 ,i say1 do let's go now1 there's good fellows6 ,wait a moment1 boy--not so fast4 ,how long have you been acquainted with this unfortunate8 ,what1 ,silly ,billy8 ,oh1 we ain't very old friends6 ,i only see'd him yesterday4 ,he came up quite unawares to our camp whilst we were grubbing4 ,he seemed very hungry1 so mother gave him summut1 and made him up a bed--and she means to have him4 ,so she sent me out this morning a-begging with him1 and told me she'd break every gallows bone ,i'd got1 if ,i did not bring him back safe4 ,i say1 now ,i have told all1 let us go--there's a good gentleman6 ,i'm quite glad he is going to live with us4 ,it's so lucky to have a ,silly ,billy4 ,how is it1 you young rascal1 you didn't tell me all this before8 ,what do you mean by it8 ,why1 it isn't no business of your'n4 ,let us go1 will you8 ,strange1 said ,doctor ,mayhew1 turning to his butler--,strange1 that they should leave that ring upon his finger--valuable as it looks4 ,oh1 you try it on1 that's all6 ,catch mother leaving that there1 if she could get it off4 ,she tried hard enough1 ,i can tell you and ,i thought he'd just have bitten her hand off4 ,wasn't he savage neither1 oh cry6 ,she won't try at it again in a hurry4 ,she says it serves her right1 for no luck comes of robbing a ,silly ,billy4 ,the servants1 who betrayed a few minutes before great anxiety and apprehension1 were perfectly overcome by this humorous sally1 and burst1 with on accord1 into the loudest laughter4 ,the generally jocose doctor1 however1 looked particularly serious1 and kept his eye upon the poor idiot with an expression of deep pity4 ,will he not speak8 he asked1 still marking his unhappy countenance bereft of every sign of sensibility4 ,he won't say not nuffin1 said the boy1 in a tone which he hoped would settle the business2 ,you have no right to keep us4 ,let us go4 ,leave me with these persons1 said the ,doctor1 turning to the servants4 ,we will see if the tongue of this wretched be really tied4 ,go1 all of you4 ,in an instant the room was left to ,doctor ,mayhew and myself--the idiot and his keeper4 ,what is your name1 my man8 enquired the physician in a soothing tone4 ,do not be frightened4 ,nobody will hurt you here4 ,we are all your very good friends4 ,tell me now1 what is your name8 ,the questioner took the poor fellow at the same time by the hand1 and pressed it kindly4 ,the latter then looked round the room with a vacant stare1 and sighed profoundly4 ,tell me your name1 continued the ,doctor1 encouraged by the movement4 ,the lips of the afflicted man unclosed4 ,his brick-red tongue attempted to moisten them4 ,fixing his expressionless eyes upon the doctor1 he answered1 in a hollow voice1 ,belton4 ,well1 ,i never6 exclaimed the boy4 ,them ,silly ,billies is the deceitfulest chaps as is4 ,he made out to mother that he couldn't speak a word4 ,take care what you are about1 boy1 said ,doctor ,mayhew sternly4 ,i tell you that ,i suspect you4 ,turning to the idiot1 he proceeded4 ,and where do you come from8 ,the lips opened again1 and the same hollow voice again answered1 ,belton4 ,yes1 ,i understand--that is your name--but whither do you wish to go8 ,belton1 said the man4 ,strange6 ejaculated the ,doctor4 ,how old are you8 ,belton1 repeated the simple creature1 more earnestly than ever4 ,i am puzzled1 exclaimed ,mr4 ,mayhew1 releasing the hand of the idiot1 and standing for a few seconds in suspense4 ,however1 he continued1 upon one thing ,i am resolved4 ,the man shall be left here1 and in my care4 ,i will be responsible for his safety until something is done for him4 ,we shall certainly get intelligence4 ,he has escaped from an asylum--,i have not the slightest doubt of it--and we shall be able1 after a few days1 to restore him4 ,as for you1 sir1 he added1 addressing the young gypsy1 make the best of your way to your mother1 and be thankful that you have come so well off--fly4 ,the boy began to remonstrate1 upon which the doctor began to talk of the cage and the horsepond4 ,the former then evinced his good sense by listening to reason1 and by selecting1 as many a wiser man has done before him--the smaller of two necessary evils4 ,he departed1 not expressing himself in the most elegant terms that might have been applied to a leave-taking4 ,the benevolent physician soon made arrangements for the comfort of his charge4 ,he was immediately placed in a bath1 supplied with food1 and dressed in decent clothing4 ,he submitted at once to his treatment1 and permitted his attendant to do what he would with him1 taking1 all the while1 especial care to feel the diamond ring safe and secure under the palm of his own hand4 ,a room was given to him and ,robin1 the gardener's son1 who was forthwith installed his guardian1 with strict directions not to leave the patient for an instant by himself4 ,when ,dr4 ,mayhew had seen every thing that could be done properly executed1 he turned cheerfully to me1 and bade me follow him to his library4 ,his clothes have been good1 muttered the doctor to himself1 as he sat down4 ,diamond ring6 ,he is a gentleman1 or has been one4 ,curious business6 ,well1 we shall have him advertised all round the country in a day or two4 ,meanwhile here he is1 and will be safe4 ,that trouble is over4 ,now1 ,stukely1 what brings you so early8 ,any thing wrong at home8 ,fairman in the dumps again2 fidgety and restless1 eh8 ,i told my errand4 ,ah1 ,i thought so6 ,there's nothing the matter there1 sir4 ,she is well enough now1 and will continue so1 if her father doesn't frighten her into sickness1 which he may do4 ,i tell you what1 ,i must get little puss a husband1 and take her from him4 ,that will save her4 ,i have my eye upon a handsome fellow--,hollo1 sir1 what's the matter with you6 ,just look at your face in that glass4 ,it is as red as fire4 ,the weather1 sir1 is-- ,oh1 is it8 ,you mean to say1 then1 that you are acquainted with the influences of the weather4 ,that is just the thing1 for you can help me to a few facts for the little treatise on climate which ,i have got now in hand4 ,well1 go on1 my friend4 ,you were saying that the weather is--is what8 ,it is very hot1 sir1 ,i answered1 dreadfully annoyed4 ,well1 so it is2 that's very true but not original4 ,i have heard the same remark at least six times this morning4 ,i say1 ,master ,stukely1 you haven't been casting sheep's-eyes in that sweet quarter1 have you8 ,haven't1 perhaps1 been giving the young lady instruction as well as the boys--eh8 ,i do not understand1 sir1 ,i struggled to say with coolness4 ,oh1 very well6 answered ,dr4 ,mayhew dryly4 ,that's very unfortunate too1 for1 continued he1 taking out his watch1 ,i haven't time to explain myself just now4 ,i have an appointment four miles away in half an hour's time4 ,i am late as it is4 ,williams will get you some lunch4 ,tell ,fairman ,i shall see him before night4 ,make yourself perfectly at home1 and don't hurry4 ,but excuse me2 this affair has made me quite behindhand4 ,the ,doctor took a few papers and a book from the table1 and before ,i had time to reply1 vanished1 much to my relief and satisfaction4 ,my journey homeward was not a happy one4 ,i felt alarm and agitation1 and the beautiful scenery failed to remove or temper them4 ,my heart's dear secret had been once more discovered4 ,rumour could not omit to convey it speedily to the minister himself4 ,in two directions the flame had now power to advance and spread2 and if the old villager remained faithful1 what reason had ,i to hope that ,dr4 ,mayhew would not immediately expose me--yes1 must not regard it as his business and duty so to do8 ,yet one thing was certain4 ,the secret1 such as it had become1 might1 for all practical purposes1 be known to the whole world1 for unquestionably the shallowest observer was at present able to detect it4 ,the old woman in the village1 aged and ignorant as she was1 had been skilful enough to discover it when ,i spoke4 ,the doctor had gathered it from my looks even before ,i uttered a syllable4 ,what was to hinder the incumbent from reading the tale on my forehead the moment that ,i again stood in his presence8 ,reaching the parsonage1 ,i proceeded at once to the drawing-room1 where ,i expected to see the minister4 ,no one was in the room1 but a chair was drawn to the table1 and the implements of drawing were before it4 ,could ,i not guess who had been the recent tenant of that happy chair--who had been busy there8 ,forgetful of every thing but her1 ,i stood for a time in silent adoration of the absent one2 then ,i ventured to approach and gaze upon her handiwork4 ,i shook with joy1 with ravishment1 and ecstasy1 when ,i beheld it4 ,what was not made known to me in that one hasty look6 ,what golden dreams did not engage1 what blissful triumph did not elevate1 what passionate delight did not overflow my aching heart6 ,oh1 it was true--and the blessed intelligence came to me with a power and a reality that no language could contain--,,she ,,loved ,,me6 she1 the beloved1 the good1 the innocent1 and pure6 ,before me was the scene--the dearest to me in life--through which we had so recently walked together1 and upon which she knew ,i doated1 for the sake of her whose presence had given it light and hallowed it4 ,why had she brought it on the paper8 ,why this particular scene1 and that fair hillock1 but for the sake of him who worshipped them--but that the mysterious and communicable fire had touched her soul1 and melted it8 ,i trembled with my happiness4 ,there was a spot upon the paper--a tear--one sacred drop from the immaculate fount4 ,why had it been shed8 ,in joy or pain--for whom--and wherefore8 ,the paper was still moist--the tear still warm4 ,happiest and most unfortunate of my race1 ,i pressed it to my lips1 and kissed it passionately4 ,miss ,fairman entered at that moment4 ,she looked pale and ill4 ,this was not a season for consideration4 ,before ,i could speak1 ,i saw her tottering1 and about to fall4 ,i rushed to her and held her in my arms4 ,she strove for recovery1 and set herself at liberty2 but she wept aloud as she did so1 and covered her face with her hands4 ,i fell upon my knees1 and implored her to forgive me4 ,i have been rash and cruel1 ,miss ,fairman1 but extend to me your pardon1 and ,i will go for ever1 and disturb your peace no more4 ,do not despise me1 or believe that ,i have deliberately interfered with your happiness1 and destroyed my own for ever4 ,do not hate me when ,i shall see you no more4 ,leave me1 ,mr4 ,stukely1 ,i entreat1 sobbed ,miss ,fairman1 weeping amain4 ,her hand fell4 ,i was inflamed with passion1 and ,i became indifferent to the claims of duty1 which were drowned in the louder clamours of love4 ,i seized that hand and held it firm4 ,it needed not1 for the lady sought not to withdraw it4 ,i am not indifferent to you1 dearest ,miss ,fairman1 ,i exclaimed2 you do not hate me--you do not despise me--,i am sure you do not4 ,that drawing has revealed to me all that ,i wish or care to know4 ,i would rather die this moment possessed of that knowledge1 than live a monarch without it4 ,leave me1 leave me1 ,i implore you1 faltered ,miss ,fairman4 ,yes1 dearest lady1 ,i must--,i shall leave you4 ,i can stay no longer here4 ,life is valueless now4 ,i have permitted a raging fire to consume me4 ,i have indulged1 madly and fearfully indulged1 in error4 ,i have struggled against the temptation4 ,heaven has willed that ,i should not escape it4 ,i have learnt that you love me--come what may1 ,i am content4 ,if you regard me1 ,mr4 ,stukely1 pity me1 and go1 now4 ,i beg1 ,i entreat you to leave me4 ,i raised the quivering hand1 and kissed it ardently4 ,i resigned it1 and departed4 ,my whole youth was a succession of inconsiderate yieldings to passion1 and of hasty visitings of remorse4 ,it is not a matter of surprise that ,i hated myself for every word that ,i had spoken as soon as ,i was again master of my conduct4 ,it was my nature to fall into error against conviction and my cool reason1 and to experience speedily the reaction that succeeds the commission of exorbitant crimes4 ,in proportion to the facility with which ,i erred1 was the extravagance and exaggeration with which ,i viewed my faults4 ,during the predominance of a passion1 death1 surrounded by its terrors1 would not have frighted me or driven me back--would not have received my passing notice2 whilst it lasted it prevailed4 ,so1 afterwards1 when all was calm and over1 a crushing sense of wrong and guilt magnified the smallest offence1 until it grew into a bugbear to scare me night and day4 ,leaving ,miss ,fairman1 ,i rushed into the garden1 preparatory to running away from the parsonage altogether4 ,this1 in the height of remorseful excitement1 presented itself to my mind forcibly as the necessary and only available step to adopt2 but this soon came to be regarded as open to numerous and powerful objections4 ,it seemed impossible that the incumbent could be kept any longer in ignorance of the affair2 and it was better--oh6 how much better--for comfort and peace of mind that he should not be4 ,in a few hours ,dr4 ,mayhew would arrive1 and his shrewd eye would immediately penetrate to the very seat of his patient's disquietude4 ,the discovery would be communicated to her father--and what would he think of me8--what would become of me8 ,i grew as agitated as though the doctor were at that moment seated with the minister--and revealing to his astounded listener the history of my deceit and black ingratitude4 ,the feeling was not to be borne2 and in order to cast it off1 ,i determined myself to be the messenger of the tale1 and to stand the brunt of his first surprise and indignation4 ,with the earliest conception of the idea1 ,i ran to put it into execution4 ,nor did ,i stop until ,i reached the door of his study1 when the difficulty of introducing at once so delicate a business1 and the importance of a little quiet preparation1 suggested themselves1 and made me hesitate4 ,it was however1 but for a moment for self-possession4 ,i would argue with myself no longer4 ,the few hours that intervened before the arrival of the doctor were my own and if ,i permitted them to pass away1 my opportunity was gone for ever1 and every claim upon the kindness and forgiveness of my patron lost4 ,i would confess my affection1 and offer him the only reparation in my power--to quit his roof1 and carry the passion with me for my punishment and torment4 ,mr4 ,fairman was alone4 ,the pupils were playing on the lawn upon which the window of the study opened4 ,there they ran1 and leaped1 and shouted1 all feeling and enjoyment1 without an atom of the leaden care of life to press upon the light elastic soul2 and there stood ,i1 young enough to be a playmate brother1 separated from them and their hearts' joyousness by the deep broad line which1 once traversed1 may never be recovered1 ground to the earth by suffering1 trial1 and disappointment2 darkness and discouragement without2 misery and self-upbraiding robbing me of peace within4 ,my eyes caught but a glimpse of the laughing boys before they settled on the minister1 and summoned me to my ungracious task--and it was a glimpse of a bright and beautiful world1 with which ,i had nothing in common1 of which ,i had known something1 it might be ages since--but whose glory had departed even from the memory4 ,is he here8 enquired the incumbent4 ,doctor ,mahew could not accompany me1 sir1 ,i answered1 but he will shortly come4 ,thank you1 ,stukely1 thank you4 ,i have good news for you4 ,i can afford you time to recruit and be yourself again4 ,the lads return home on ,monday next2 you shall have a month's holiday1 and you shall spend it as you will--with us1 or elsewhere4 ,if your health will be improved by travelling1 ,i shall be happy to provide you with the means4 ,i cannot afford to lose your services4 ,you must not get ill4 ,you are very kind1 sir1 ,i replied--kinder than ,i deserve4 ,that is a matter of opinion1 ,stukely4 ,i do not think so4 ,you have served me faithfully and well4 ,i consult my own interest in rewarding you and taking care of yours4 ,yes1 sir--but-- ,well1 never mind now4 ,we will not argue on whose side the obligation lies4 ,it is perhaps well that we should both of us think as we do4 ,it is likely that we shall both perform our duty more strictly if we strike the balance against ourselves4 ,go and refresh yourself4 ,you look tired and worn4 ,get a glass of wine1 and cheer up4 ,have you seen ,miss ,fairman8 ,it is concerning her1 sir1 ,i answered1 trembling in every joint1 that ,i desire particularly to speak to you4 ,good heaven6 exclaimed the incumbent1 starting from his chair1 what do you mean8 ,what is the matter8 ,what has happened8 ,why do you tremble1 ,stukely1 and look so ghastly pale8 ,what has happened since the morning8 ,what ails her8 ,go on4 ,speak4 ,tell me at once4 ,my poor child--what of her8 ,calm yourself1 ,i implore you1 sir4 ,miss ,fairman is quite well4 ,nothing has happened4 ,do not distress yourself4 ,i have done very wrong to speak so indiscreetly4 ,pardon me1 sir4 ,i should have known better4 ,she is well4 ,mr4 ,fairman paced the room in perturbation1 and held his hand upon his heart to allay its heavy throbs4 ,this is very wrong1 he said--very impious4 ,i have thought of nothing else this day--and this is the consequence4 ,i have dwelt upon the probability of calamity1 until ,i have persuaded myself of its actual presence--looked for woe1 until ,i have created it4 ,this is not the patience and resignation which ,i teach2 for shame1 for shame6--go to thy closet1 worm--repent and pray4 ,mr4 ,fairman resumed his seat1 and hid his face for a time in his hands4 ,at length he spoke again4 ,proceed1 ,stukely4 ,i am calm now4 ,the thoughts and fears in which it was most sinfull to indulge1 and which accumulated in this most anxious breast1 are dissipated4 ,what would you say8 ,i can listen as ,i ought4 ,i am glad1 sir1 that the boys revisit their homes on ,monday1 and that a month1 at least1 will elapse before their return to you4 ,in that interval1 you will have an opportunity of providing them with a teacher worthier your regard and confidence2 and1 if ,i leave you at once1 you will not be put to inconvenience4 ,i do not understand you4 ,i must resign my office1 sir1 ,i said with trepidation4 ,resign8 ,wherefore8 ,what have ,i said or done8 ,let me beg your attention1 sir1 whilst ,i attempt to explain my motives1 and to do justice to myself and you4 ,i mentioned the name of ,miss ,fairman4 ,you did4 ,ha6 ,go on1 sir4 ,you cannot blame me1 ,mr4 ,fairman1 if ,i tell you that1 in common with every one whose happiness it is to be acquainted with that lady1 ,i have not been insensible to the qualities which render her so worthy of your love1 so deserving the esteem--,i stopped4 ,i am listening1 sir--proceed4 ,i know not how to tell you1 sir1 in what language to express the growth of an attachment which has taken root in this poor heart1 increased and strengthened against every effort which ,i have made to crush it4 ,sir6 uttered the incumbent in great amazement4 ,do not be angry1 ,mr4 ,fairman1 until you have heard all4 ,i confess that ,i have been imprudent and rash1 that ,i have foolishly permitted a passion to take possession of my heart1 instead of manfully resisting its inroads2 but if ,i have been weak1 do not believe that ,i have been wicked4 ,speak plainly1 ,stukely4 ,what am ,i to understand by this8 ,that ,i have dared1 sir1 to indulge a fond1 a hopeless love1 inspired by the gentlest and most innocent of her sex--that ,i have striven1 and striven1 to forget and flee from it--that ,i have failed--that ,i come to confess the fault1 to ask your pardon1 and depart4 ,tell me one thing1 asked the incumbent quickly4 ,have you communicated your sentiments to ,miss ,fairman8 ,i have1 sir4 ,is her illness connected with that declaration8--,you do not answer4 ,stukely1 ,i am deceived in you4 ,i mistrust and doubt you4 ,you have murdered my poor child4 ,mr4 ,fairman1 do not1 ,i entreat-- ,heaven have mercy upon me for my wild uncrucified temper4 ,i will use no harsh terms4 ,i retract that expression1 young man4 ,i am sorry that ,i used it4 ,let me know what more you have to say4 ,the tears came to my eyes1 and blinded them4 ,i did not answer4 ,be seated1 ,stukely1 continued the minister1 in a kinder tone2 compose yourself4 ,i am to blame for using such a term4 ,forgive me for it--,i did not mean all that it conveyed4 ,but you know how fragile and how delicate a plant is that4 ,you should have thought of her and me before you gratified a passion as wild as it is idle4 ,now1 tell me every thing4 ,conceal and disguise nothing4 ,i will listen to your calmly1 and ,i will be indulgent4 ,the past is not to be recalled4 ,aid me in the future1 if you are generous and just4 ,i related all that had passed between ,miss ,fairman and myself--all that had taken place in my own turbulent soul--the battlings of the will and judgment1 the determination to overcome temptation1 and the sudden and violent yielding to it4 ,faithful to his command1 ,i concealed nothing1 and1 at the close of all1 ,i signified my readiness1 my wish1 and my intention to depart4 ,forgive me1 sir1 at parting1 said ,i1 and you shall hear no more of the disturber of your peace4 ,i do not wish that1 ,stukely4 ,i am indebted to you for the candour with which you have spoken1 and the proper view which you take of your position4 ,i wish to hear of you1 and to serve you--and ,i will do it4 ,i agree with you1 that you must leave us now--yes1 and at once2 and1 as you say1 without another interview4 ,but ,i will not turn you into the world1 lad1 without some provision for the present1 and good hopes for the future4 ,i owe you much4 ,yes--very much4 ,when ,i consider how differently you might behave1 how very seriously you might interfere with my happiness--as ,mr4 ,fairman spoke1 he opened the drawer of a table1 and drew a checque-book from it--,i feel that you ought not to be a loser by your honesty4 ,i do not offer you this as a reward for that honesty--far from it--,i would only indemnify you--and this is my duty4 ,mr4 ,fairman placed a draft for a hundred pounds in my hand4 ,pardon me1 sir1 said ,i1 replacing it on his table4 ,i can take no money4 ,millions could not indemnify me for all that ,i resign4 ,judge charitably1 and think kindly of me1 sir--and ,i am paid4 ,honour is priceless4 ,well1 but when you get to ,london8-- ,i am not altogether friendless4 ,my salary is yet untouched1 and will supply my wants until ,i find employment4 ,which you shall not be long without1 believe me1 ,stukely1 if ,i have power to get it you--and ,i think ,i have4 ,you will tell me where ,i may address my letters4 ,i will not desert you4 ,you shall not repent this4 ,i do not1 sir2 and ,i believe ,i never shall4 ,i propose to leave the parsonage to-night1 sir4 ,no1 to-morrow1 we must have some talk4 ,you need not see her4 ,i could not let you go to-night4 ,you shall depart to-morrow1 and ,i rely upon your good sense and honourable feelings to avoid another meeting4 ,it could only increase the mischief that has already taken place1 and answer no good purpose4 ,you must be aware of this4 ,i am1 sir4 ,you shall have no reason to complain4 ,i am sure of it1 ,stukely4 ,you had better see about your preparations4 ,john will help you in any way you wish4 ,make use of him4 ,there must be many little things to do4 ,there can be no impropriety1 ,stukely1 in your accepting the whole of your year's salary4 ,you are entitled to that4 ,i am sorry to lose you--very--but there's no help for it4 ,i will come to your room this evening1 and have some further conversation4 ,leave me now4 ,the incumbent was evidently much excited4 ,love for his child1 and apprehension for her safety1 were feelings that were1 perhaps1 too prominent and apparent in the good and faithful minister of heaven2 they betrayed him at times into a self-forgetfulness1 and a warmth of expression1 of which he repented heartily as soon as they occurred4 ,originally of a violent and wayward disposition1 it had cost the continual exercise and the prayers of a life1 to acquire evenness of temper and gentleness of deportment1 neither of which1 in truth1 was easily1 if ever disturbed1 if not by the amiable infirmity above alluded to4 ,he was the best of men2 but to the best1 immunity from the natural weakness of mortality is not to be vouchsafed4 ,mr4 ,fairman was the last person whom ,i saw that night4 ,he remained with me until ,i retired to rest4 ,he was the first person whom ,i saw on the following morning4 ,i do not believe that he did not rely upon the word which ,i had pledged to him4 ,i did not suppose that he suspected my resolution1 but ,i an convinced that he was most restless and unhappy1 from the moment that ,i revealed my passion to him1 until that which saw me safely deposited at the foot of the hill1 on my way to the village4 ,so long as ,i remained in his house1 he could only see danger for his daughter2 and with my disappearance he counted upon her recovery and peace4 ,the incumbent was himself my companion from the parsonage4 ,the servant had already carried my trunk to the inn4 ,at the bottom of the hill1 ,mr4 ,fairman stopped and extended his hand4 ,fare-you-well1 ,stukely1 said he1 with emotion4 ,once more1 ,i am obliged to you4 ,i will never forget your conduct2 you shall hear from me4 ,since the conversation of the preceding day1 the incumbent had not mentioned the name of his daughter4 ,i had not spoken of her4 ,i felt it impossible to part without a word4 ,what did ,doctor ,mayhew say8 ,i asked4 ,she is a little better1 and will be soon quite well1 we trust4 ,that is good news4 ,is she composed8 ,yes--she is better4 ,one question more1 sir4 ,does she know of my departure8 ,she does not--but she will1 of course4 ,do not speak unkindly of me to her1 sir4 ,i should be sorry if she thought ill-- ,she will respect you1 ,stukely1 for the part which you have acted4 ,she must do so4 ,you will respect yourself4 ,i had nothing more to say1 ,i returned his warm pressure1 and bade him farewell4 ,god bless you1 lad1 and prosper you6 ,we may meet again in a happier season2 but if we do not1 receive a father's thanks and gratitude4 ,you have behaved nobly4 ,i feel it--believe me4 ,manly and generous tears rushed to the eyes of my venerable friend1 and he could not speak4 ,once more he grasped my hand fervently1 and in the saddest silence that ,i have ever known we separated4 ,there was gloom around my heart1 which the bright sun in heaven1 that gladdened all the land1 could not penetrate or disperse2 but it gave way before a touch of true affection1 which came to me as a last memorial of the beloved scene on which ,i lingered4 ,i had hardly parted from the minister1 before ,i perceived walking before me1 at the distance of a few yards1 the youngest of the lads who had been my pupils4 ,at the request of the minister1 ,i had neither taken leave of them nor informed any one of my departure4 ,the lad whom ,i now saw was a fine spirited boy1 who had strongly attached himself to me1 and shown great aptitude1 as well as deep desire1 for knowledge4 ,he knew very little when ,i came to him1 but great pains had enabled him to advance rapidly4 ,the interest which he manifested1 called forth in me a corresponding disposition to assist him2 and the grateful boy1 altogether overlooking his own exertions1 had over and over again expressed himself in the warmest terms of thankfulness for my instruction1 to which he insisted he owed all that he had acquired4 ,he was in his eleventh year1 and his heart was as kind and generous as his intellect was vigorous and clear4 ,i came up to him1 and found him plucking the wild-flowers from the grass as he wandered slowly along4 ,i looked at him as ,i passed1 and found him weeping4 ,alfred6 ,i exclaimed1 ,what do you here so early8 ,the boy burst into a fresh flow of tears1 and threw himself passionately into my arms4 ,he sobbed piteously1 and at length said-- ,do not go1 sir--do not leave me6 ,you have been so kind to me4 ,pray1 stop4 ,what is the matter ,alfred8 ,john has told me you are going1 sir4 ,he has just taken your box down4 ,oh1 ,mr4 ,stukely1 stay for my sake6 ,i won't give you so much trouble as ,i used to do4 ,i'll learn my lessons better--but don't go1 pray1 sir4 ,you will have another teacher1 ,alfred1 who will become as good a friend as ,i am4 ,i cannot stay4 ,return to the parsonage--there's a dear boy4 ,oh1 if you must go1 let me walk with you a little1 sir6 ,let me take your hand4 ,i shall be back in time for breakfast--pray1 don't refuse me that1 sir8 ,i complied with his request4 ,he grasped my palm in both his hands1 and held it there1 as though he would not part with it again4 ,he gave me the flowers which he had gathered1 and begged me to keep them for his sake4 ,he repeated every kind thing which ,i had done for him1 not one of which he would forget1 and all the names and dates which he had got by heart1 to please his tutor4 ,he told me that it would make him wretched1 to get up to-morrow1 and remember that ,i was gone2 and that he loved me better than any body1 for no one had been so indulgent1 and had taken such pains to make him a good boy4 ,before we reached the village1 his volubility had changed the tears to smiles4 ,as we reached it1 ,john appeared on his return homeward4 ,i gave the boy into his charge1 and the cloud lowered again1 and the shower fell heavier than ever4 ,i turned at the point at which the hills became shut out1 and there stood the boy fastened to the spot at which ,i had left him4 ,at the door of the inn1 ,i was surprised to find my luggage in the custody of ,dr4 ,mayhew's gardener4 ,as soon as he perceived me1 he advanced a few steps with the box1 and placed note in my hand4 ,it was addressed to me at the parsonage1 and politely requested me to wait upon the physician at my earliest convenience4 ,no mention was made of the object of my visit1 or of the doctor's knowledge of my altered state4 ,the document was as short as it might be1 and as courteous4 ,having read it1 ,i turned to the gardener1 or to where he had stood a moment before1 with the view of questioning that gentleman2 but to my great astonishment1 ,i perceived him about a hundred yards before me1 walking as fast as his load permitted him towards his master's residence4 ,i called loudly after him1 but my voice only acted as a spur1 and increased his pace4 ,my natural impulse was to follow him1 and ,i obeyed it4 ,dr4 ,mayhew received me with a very cunning smile and a facetious observation4 ,well1 ,master ,stukely1 this hot weather has been playing the deuce with us all4 ,only think of little puss being attacked with your complaint1 the very day you were here suffering so much from it1 and my getting a touch myself4 ,i smiled4 ,yes1 sir1 it is very easy to laugh at the troubles of other men1 but ,i can tell you this is a very disagreeable epidemic4 ,severe times these for maids and bachelors4 ,i shall settle in life now1 sooner than ,i intended4 ,i have fallen in love with puss my self4 ,i did not smile4 ,to be sure1 ,i am old enough to be her father1 but so much the better for her4 ,no man should marry till fifty4 ,your young fellows of twenty don't know their own mind--don't understand what love means--all blaze and flash1 blue fire and sky-rocket--out in a minute4 ,eh1 what do you say1 ,stukely8 ,are you aware1 sir1 that ,i have left the parsonage8 ,to be sure ,i am2 and a pretty kettle of fish you have made of it4 ,instead of treating love as a quiet and respectable undertaking1 as ,i mean to treat it--instead of simmering your love down to a gentlemanly respect and esteem1 as ,i mean to simmer it--and waiting patiently for the natural consequences of things1 as ,i mean to wait--you must1 like a boy as you are1 have it all out in a minute1 set the whole house by the ears1 and throw yourself out of it without rhyme or reason1 or profit to any body4 ,now1 sit down1 and tell me what you mean to do with yourself8 ,i intend to go to ,london1 sir4 ,does your father live there8 ,i have no father1 sir4 ,well--your mother8 ,she is dead1 too4 ,i have one friend there--,i shall go to him until ,i find occupation4 ,you naughty boy6 ,how ,i should like to whip you6 ,what right had you to give away so good a chance as you have had8 ,you have committed a sin1 sir--yes1 you may look--you have1 and a very grievous one4 ,i speak as ,i think4 ,you have been flying in the face of ,providence1 and doing worse than hiding the talent which was bestowed upon you for improvement4 ,do you think ,i should have behaved so at your age8 ,do you think any man in the last generation out of a madhouse would have done it8 ,here's your march of education6 ,i bowed to ,doctor ,mayhew1 and wished him good-morning4 ,no1 thank you1 sir1 answered the physician1 if ,i didn't mean to say a little more to you1 ,i shouldn't have spoken so much already4 ,we must talk these matters over quietly4 ,you may as well stay a few days with your friend in the country as run off directly to the gentleman in ,london4 ,besides1 now ,i have made my mind up so suddenly to get married1 ,i don't know soon ,i may be called upon to undergo the operation--,i beg the lady's pardon--the awful ceremony4 ,i shall want a bride's-man1 and you wouldn't make a bad one by any means4 ,the physician rang the bell1 and ,williams the butler--a personage in black1 short and stout1 and exceedingly well fed1 as his sleek face showed--entered the apartment4 ,will you see1 ,williams1 that ,mr4 ,stukely's portmanteau is taken to his room--bed quite aired--sheets all right1 eh8 ,both baked1 sir1 replied ,williams with a deferential but expressive smile1 which became his face remarkably well4 ,then let us have lunch1 ,williams1 and a bottle of the sherry8 ,a look accompanied the request1 which was not lost upon the butler4 ,he made a profound obeisance1 and retired4 ,at lunch the doctor continued his theme1 and represented my conduct as most blameable and improper4 ,he insisted that ,i ought to be severely punished1 and made to feel that a boy is not to indulge every foolish feeling that rises1 just as he thinks proper1 but1 like an inconsistent judge1 he concluded the whole of a very powerful and angry summing up1 by pronouncing upon me the verdict of an acquittal--inasmuch as he told me to make myself as comfortable as ,i could in his house1 and to enjoy myself thoroughly in it for the next fortnight to come1 at the very least4 ,it may have been that1 in considering my faults as those of the degenerate age in which ,i lived--which age1 however1 be it known1 lived afterwards to recover its character1 and to be held up as a model of propriety and virtue to the succeeding generation--the merciful doctor was willing to merge my chastisement in that which he bestowed daily upon the unfortunate object of his contempt and pity1 or possibly he desired to inflict no punishment at all1 but simply to perform a duty incumbent upon his years and station4 ,be this as it may1 certain it is that with the luncheon ended all upbraiding and rebuke1 and commenced an unreservedness of intercourse--the basis of a generous friendship1 which increased and strengthened day by day1 and ended only with the noble-hearted doctor's life--nor then in its effects upon my character and fortune4 ,it was on the night of the day on which ,i had arrived1 that ,doctor ,mayhew and ,i were sitting in his sanctum2 composedly and happily as men sit whom care has given over for a moment to the profound and stilly influences of the home and hearth4 ,one topic of conversation had given place easily to another1 and there seemed at length little to be said on any subject whatever1 when the case of the idiot1 which my own troubles had temporarily dismissed from my mind1 suddenly occurred to me1 and afforded us motive for the prolongation of a discourse1 which neither seemed desirous to bring to a close4 ,what have you done with the poor fellow8 ,i enquired4 ,nothing1 replied the physician4 ,we have fed him well1 and his food has done him good4 ,he is a hundred per cent better than when he came2 but he is still surly and tongue-tied4 ,he says nothing4 ,he is not known in the neighbourhood4 ,i have directed hand-bills to be circulated1 and placards to be posted in the villages4 ,if he is not owned within a week1 he must be given to the parish-officers4 ,i can't help thinking that he is a runaway lunatic1 and a gentleman by birth4 ,did you notice his delicate white hand1 that diamond ring1 and the picture they found tied round his neck8 ,what picture1 sir8 ,did ,i not tell you of it8 ,the portrait of a lovely female--an old attachment1 ,i suppose1 that turned his brain1 although ,i fancy sometimes that it is his mother or sister1 for there is certainly a resemblance to himself in it4 ,the picture is set in gold4 ,when ,robin first discovered it1 the agony of the stricken wretch was most deplorable4 ,he was afraid that the man would remove it1 and he screamed and implored like a true maniac4 ,when he found that he might keep it1 he evinced the maddest pleasure1 and beckoned his keeper to notice and admire it4 ,he pointed to the eyes1 and then groaned and wept himself2 until ,robin was frightened out of his wits1 and was on the point of throwing up his office altogether4 ,do you think the man may recover his reason8 ,i have no hope of it4 ,it is a case of confirmed fatuity ,i believe4 ,if you like to see him again1 you shall accompany me to-morrow when ,i visit him4 ,what a strange life is this1 ,stukely6 ,what a strange history may be that of this poor fellow whom ,providence has cast at our door6 ,well1 poor wretch1 we'll do the best we can for him4 ,if we cannot reach his mind1 we may improve his body1 and he will be then perhaps quite as happy as the wisest of us4 ,the clock struck twelve as ,doctor ,mayhew spoke4 ,it startled and surprised us both4 ,in a few minutes we separated and retired to our several beds4 ,when ,i saw the idiot on the following day1 ,i could perceive a marked improvement in his appearance4 ,the deadly pallor of his countenance had departed2 and although no healthy colour had taken its place1 the living blood seemed again in motion1 restoring expression to those wan and withered features4 ,his coal-black eye had recovered the faintest power of speculation1 and the presence of a stranger was now sufficient to call it into action4 ,he was clean and properly attired1 and he sat--apart from his keeper--conscious of existence4 ,there was good ground1 in the absence of all positive proof1 for the supposition of the doctor4 ,a common observer would have pronounced him well-born at a glance4 ,smitten as he was1 and unhinged by his sad affliction1 there remained still sufficient of the external forms to conduct to such an inference4 ,gracefulness still hovered about the human ruin1 discernible in the most aimless of imbecility's weak movements1 and the limbs were not those of one accustomed to the drudgery of life4 ,a melancholy creature truly did he look1 as ,i gazed upon him for a second time4 ,he had carried his chair to a corner of the room1 and there he sat1 his face half-hidden1 resting upon his breast1 his knee drawn up and pressed tightly by his clasped hands--those very hands1 small and marble-white1 forming a ghastful contrast to the raven hair that fell thickly on his back4 ,he had not spoken since he rose4 ,indeed1 since his first appearance1 he had said nothing but the unintelligible word which he had uttered four times in my presence1 and which ,dr4 ,mayhew now believed to be the name of the lady whose portrait he wore4 ,that he could speak was certain1 and his silence was therefore the effect of obstinacy or of absolute weakness of intellect1 which forbade the smallest mental effort4 ,i approached him1 and addressed him in accents of kindness4 ,he raised his head slowly1 and looked piteously upon me1 but in a moment again he resumed his original position4 ,for the space of a week ,i visited the afflicted man dally1 remaining with him perhaps a couple of hours at each interview4 ,no clue had been discovered to his history1 and the worthy physician had fixed upon one day after another as that upon which he would relieve himself of his trust2 but the day arrived only to find him unwilling to keep his word4 ,the poor object himself had improved rapidly in personal appearance1 and1 as far as could be ascertained from his gestures and indistinct expressions1 was sensible of his protector's charity1 and thankful for it4 ,he now attempted to give to his keeper the feeble aid he could afford him2 he partook of his food with less avidity1 he seemed aware of what was taking place around him4 ,on one occasion ,i brought his dinner to him1 and sat by whilst it was served to him4 ,he stared at me as though he had immediate perception of something unusual4 ,it was on the same day that1 whilst trifling with a piece of broken glass1 he cut his hand4 ,i closed the wound with an adhesive plaster1 and bound it up4 ,it was the remembrance of this act that gained for me the affection of the creature1 in whom all actions seemed dried up and dead4 ,when1 on the day that succeeded to this incident1 ,robin1 as was his custom1 placed before the idiot his substantial meal1 the latter turned away from it offended1 and would not taste it4 ,i was sent for4 ,the eyes of the imbecile glistened when ,i entered the apartment1 and he beckoned me to him4 ,i sat at his side1 as ,i had done on the day before1 and he then1 with a smile of triumph1 took his food on his knees1 and soon devoured it4 ,when he had finished1 and ,robin had retired with the tray and implements1 the poor fellow made me draw my chair still nearer to his own4 ,he placed his hand upon my knee in great delight1 patted it1 and then the wound which ,i had dressed4 ,there was perfect folly in the mode in which he fondled this1 and yet a reasonableness which the heart could not fail to detect and contemplate with emotion4 ,first1 he gently stroked it1 then placed his head upon it in utmost tenderness1 then hugged it in his arm and rocked it as a child1 then kissed it often with short quick kisses that could scarce be heard2 courting my observation with every change of action1 making it apparent how much he loved1 what care he could bestow1 upon the hand which had won the notice and regard of his new friend and benefactor4 ,this over1 he pointed to his breast1 dallied for a time1 and then drew from it the picture which he so jealously carried there4 ,he pressed it between his hands1 sighed heavily from his care-crazed heart1 and strove to tell his meaning in words which would not flow1 in which he knew not how to breathe the bubble-thought that danced about his brain4 ,closer than ever he approached me1 and1 with an air which he intended for one of confidence and great regard1 he invited me to look upon his treasure4 ,i did so1 and1 to my astonishment and terror--gazed upon the portrait of the unhappy ,,emma ,,harrington4 ,gracious ,god6 what thoughts came rushing into my mind6 ,it was impossible to err4 ,i1 who had passionately dwelt upon those lineaments in all the fondness of a devoted love1 until the form became my heart's companion by day and night--,i1 who had watched the teardrops falling from those eyes1 in which the limner had not failed to fix the natural sorrow that was a part of them--watched and hung upon them in distress and agony--,i1 surely ,i1 could not mistake the faithful likeness4 ,who1 then1 was he that wore it8 ,who was this1 now standing at my side1 to turn to whom again became immediately--sickness--horror6 ,who could it be but him1 the miserable parricide--the outcast--the unhappy brother--the desperately wicked son6 ,there was no other in the world to whom the departed penitent could be dear2 and he--oh1 was it difficult to suppose that merciful ,heaven1 merciful to the guiltiest1 had placed between his conscience and his horrible offence a cloud that made all dim--had rendered his understanding powerless to comprehend a crime which reason must have punished and aggravated endlessly ,my judgment was prostrated by what ,i learned so suddenly and fearfully4 ,the discovery had been miraculous4 ,what should ,i do8 ,how proceed8 ,how had the youth got here8 ,what had been his history since his flight8 ,whither was he wandering8 ,did he know the fate of his poor sister8 ,how had he lived8 ,these questions1 and others1 crowded into my mind one after another1 and ,i trembled with the violent rapidity of thought4 ,the figure of the unhappy girl presented itself--her words vibrated on my ears--her last dying accents2 and ,i felt that to me was consigned the wretched object of her solicitude and love--that to me ,providence had directed the miserable man2 yes1 if only that he who had shared in the family guilt1 might behold and profit by the living witness of the household wreck4 ,half forgetful of the presence of the brother1 and remembering nothing well but her and her most pitiable tale1 oppressed by a hundred recollections1 ,i pronounced her name4 ,poor1 poor1 much-tried ,emma6 ,i ejaculated1 gazing still upon her image4 ,the idiot leaped from my side at the word1 and clapped his hands1 and laughed and shrieked4 ,he ran to me again1 and seized my palm1 and pressed it to his lips4 ,his excitement was unbounded4 ,he could only point to the picture1 endeavour to repeat the word which ,i had spoken1 and direct his finger to my lips beseechingly1 as though he prayed to hear the sound again4 ,alarmed already at what ,i had done1 and dreading the consequences of a disclosure1 because ignorant of the effect it would produce upon the idiot1 ,i checked myself immediately1 and spake no more4 ,robin returned4 ,i contrived to subdue by degrees the sudden ebullition1 and having succeeded1 ,i restored the criminal to his keeper1 and departed4 ,it was however1 necessary that ,i should act in some way1 possessed of the information which had so strangely come to me4 ,i desired to be alone to collect myself1 and to determine quietly4 ,i retired to my bedroom1 endeavoured to think composedly1 and to mark out the line of duty4 ,it was a fruitless undertaking4 ,my mind would rest on nothing but the tragedy in which this miserable creature held so sad a part1 and his unlooked-for resuscitation here--here1 under the roof which sheltered his sister's paramour4 ,whether to keep the secret hidden in my bosom1 or to communicate it to the physician1 was my duty1 ,i could not settle now4 ,it had been a parting injunction of my friend ,thompson to sleep upon all matters of difficulty1 and to avoid rashness above all things4 ,alas6 ,i had not profited by his counsel1 nor1 in my own case1 recurred to it1 even for a moment2 but it was different now4 ,the fate1 perhaps the life1 of another was involved in my decision2 and not to act upon the good advice1 not to be temperate and cautious1 would be sinful in the extreme4 ,what1 had she been alive1 would the sister have required--entreated at my hands8 ,and now1 if the freed spirit of the injured one looked down upon the world1 what would it expect from him to whom had been committed the forlorn and stricken wanderer8 ,what if not justice1 charity1 and mercy8 ,and he shall have it6 ,i exclaimed4 ,i will act on his behalf4 ,i will be cool and calm4 ,i will do nothing until tomorrow1 when the excitement of this hour shall have passed away1 and reason resumed its proper influence and rule4 ,i rose1 contented with my conclusion1 and walked to the window1 which overlooked the pleasure-garden of the house4 ,robin and his patient were there2 the former sitting on a garden chair1 and reposing comfortably after his meal1 heedless of the doings of his charge4 ,the latter stood immediately below the window1 gazing upwards1 with the portrait as before pressed between his marble hands4 ,he perceived me1 and screamed in triumph and delight4 ,the keeper started up2 ,i vanished instantly4 ,he surely could not have known the situation of my room--could not have waited there and watched for my appearance4 ,it was impossible4 ,yes1 ,i said so1 and ,i attempted to console myself with the assurance2 but my blood curdled with a new conviction that arose and clung to me1 and would not be cast off--the certainty that1 by the utterance of one word1 ,i had1 for good or ill1 linked to my future destiny the reasonless and wretched being1 who stood and shrieked beneath the casement long after ,i was gone4 ,i joined my friend1 the doctor1 as usual in the evening1 and learnt from him the news of the day4 ,he had visited his patient at the parsonage1 and he spoke favourably of her case4 ,although she had been told of my absence1 she was still not aware that ,i had quitted the house for ever4 ,her father thought she was less unquiet1 and believed that in a few days all would be forgotten1 and she would be herself again4 ,doctor ,mayhew assured me that nothing could be kinder than the manner in which the incumbent spoke of me1 and that it was impossible for any man to feel a favour more deeply than he appeared to appreciate the consideration which ,i had shown for him4 ,the doctor had been silent as to my actual presence in the vicinity1 which1 he believed1 to have mentioned1 would have been to fill the anxious father's heart with alarms and fears1 which1 groundless as they were1 might be productive of no little mischief4 ,i acquiesced in the propriety of his silence1 and thanked him for his prudence4 ,whilst my friend was speaking1 ,i heard a quick and heavy footstep on the stairs1 which1 causing me to start upon the instant1 and hurling sickness to my heart1 clearly told1 had doubt existed1 how strongly apprehension had fixed itself upon me1 and how certainly and inextricably ,i had become connected with the object of my dark and irresistible conceptions4 ,i had no longer an ear for ,doctor ,mayhew1 but the sense followed the footstep until it reached the topmost stair--passed along the passage--and stopped--suddenly at our door4 ,almost before it stopped1 the door was knocked at violently--quickly--loudly4 ,before an answer could be given1 the door itself was opened1 and ,robin rushed in--scared4 ,what is the matter8 ,i exclaimed1 jumping up1 and dreading to hear him tell what ,i felt must come--another tale of horror--another crime--what less than self-destruction8 ,he's gone1 sir--he's gone6 roared the fellow1 white as death1 and shaking like an aspen4 ,gone--how--who8 enquired the doctor4 ,the madman1 sir1 answered ,robin1 opening his mouth1 and raising his eyebrows1 to exhibit his own praiseworthy astonishment at the fact4 ,go on1 man1 said the doctor4 ,what have you to say further8 ,how did it happen8 ,quick6 ,i don't know1 sir4 ,i eat something for dinner as disagreed4 ,i have been as sleepy as an owl ever since4 ,we was together in his room1 and ,i just sot down for a minute to think what it could be as ,i had eaten1 when ,i dozed off directly--and when ,i opened my eyes again1 not quite a minute arterwards1 ,i couldn't find him nowheres--and nobody can't neither1 and we've been searching the house for the last half hour4 ,foolish fellow--how long was this ago8 ,about an hour1 sir4 ,the doctor said not another word1 but taking a candle from the table1 quitted the room1 and hurried down stairs4 ,i followed him1 and ,robin1 almost frightened out of his wits1 trod upon my heel and rubbed against my coat1 in his eagerness not to be left behind me4 ,the establishment was1 as it is said1 at sixes and sevens4 ,all was disorder and confusion1 and hustling into the most remote corner of the common room4 ,mr4 ,williams especially was very much unsettled4 ,he stood in the rear of every body else1 and looked deathly white4 ,it was he who ejaculated something upon the sudden entrance of his master1 and was the cause of all the other ejaculations which followed quickly from every member of the household4 ,doctor ,mayhew commanded order1 and was not long in bringing it about4 ,the house was searched immediately ,wherever it was supposed that the idiot might hide himself1 diligent enquiry was made2 cupboards1 holes1 corners1 and cellars4 ,it was in vain4 ,he certainly had escaped4 ,the gardens and paddocks1 and fields adjacent were scoured1 and with like success4 ,there was no doubt of it--the idiot was gone--who could tell whither8 ,after two hours' unprofitable labour1 ,doctor ,mayhew was again in his library1 very much disturbed in mind1 and reproaching himself bitterly for his procrastination4 ,had ,i acted1 said he1 upon my first determination1 this would never have happened1 and my part in the business would have been faithfully performed4 ,as it is1 if any mischief should come to that man1 ,i shall never cease to blame myself1 and to be considered the immediate cause of it4 ,i made no reply4 ,i could say nothing4 ,his escape occurring so soon after my identification of the unfortunate creature1 had bewildered and confounded me4 ,i could not guess at the motive of his flight1 nor conceive a purpose to which it was likely the roused maniac would aspire2 but ,i was satisfied--yes1 too satisfied1 for to think of it was to chill and freeze the heart's warm blood--that the revelation of the day and his removal were in close connexion4 ,alas1 ,i dared not speak1 although my fears distracted me whilst ,i continued dumb6 ,arrangements were at last made for watching both within and without the house during the night--messengers were dispatched to the contiguous villages1 and all that could be done for the recovery of the runaway was attempted4 ,it was already past twelve o'clock when ,dr4 ,mayhew insisted upon my retiring to rest4 ,i did not oppose his wish4 ,he was ill at ease1 and angry with himself4 ,maintaining the silence which ,i had kept during the evening1 ,i gave him my hand1 and took my leave4 ,i thought ,i should have dropped dead in the room when1 lost in a deep reverie1 ,i opened my chamber-door1 and discovered1 sitting at the table1 the very man himself4 ,there the idiot sat1 portrait in hand1 encountering me with a look of unutterable sorrowfulness4 ,he must have hid himself amongst the folds of the curtains1 for this room1 as well as the rest1 was looked into1 and its cupboards investigated4 ,i recoiled with sudden terror1 and retreated1 but the wretch clasped his hands in agony1 and implored me in gestures which could not be mistaken1 to remain4 ,i recovered1 gained confidence1 and forbore4 ,what do you desire with me8 ,i asked quickly4 ,can you speak8 ,do you understand me8 ,the unhappy man dropped on his knees1 and took my hand--cried like a beaten child--sobbed and groaned4 ,he raised the likeness of his sister to my eyes1 and then ,i saw the fire sparkling in his own lustrous orb1 and the supplication bursting from it1 that was not to be resisted4 ,he pointed to his mouth1 compelled an inarticulate sound1 and looked at me again1 to assure me that he had spoken all his faculties permitted him4 ,he waited for any answer4 ,melted with pity for the bruised soul before me1 ,i could no longer deny him the gratification he besought4 ,emma6 ,i ejaculated2 ,emma ,harrington6 ,he wept aloud1 and kissed my hand1 and put my arm upon his breast1 and caressed it with his own weak head4 ,i permitted the affectionate creature to display his childish gratitude1 and then1 taking him by the wrist1 ,i withdrew him from the room4 ,an infant could not have been more docile with its nurse4 ,in another moment he was again in custody4 ,it was in vain that ,i strove to fall asleep1 and to forget the circumstances of the day--in vain that ,i endeavored to carry out the resolution which ,i had taken to my pillow4 ,gladly would ,i have expelled all thought of the idiot from my mind1 and risen on the morrow1 prepared by rest and sweet suspension of mental labour for profitable deliberation4 ,sound as was the advice of my friend1 and anxious as ,i was to follow it1 obedience rested not with me1 and was impossible4 ,should ,i make known the history of the man8 ,should ,i discover his crime8 ,this was the question that haunted my repose1 and knocked at my ears until my labouring brain ached in its confusion4 ,what might be the effect of a disclosure upon the future existence of the desolate creature1 should he ever recover his reason8 ,must he not suffer the extreme penalty of the law8 ,it was dreadful to think that his life should be forfeited through1 and only through1 my agency4 ,there were reasons again equally weighty1 why ,i should not conceal the facts which were in my possession4 ,how ,i should have determined at length1 ,i know not1 if an argument--founded on selfishness had not stepped in and turned the balance in favour of the idiot4 ,alas1 how easy is it to decide when self-interest interposes with its intelligence and aid6 ,neither ,mr4 ,fairman nor ,doctor ,mayhew knew of my connexion with the unfortunate ,emma ,harrington4 ,to expose the brother would be to commit myself4 ,i was not yet prepared to acknowledge to the father of ,miss ,fairman1 or to his friend1 the relation that ,i had borne to that poor girl4 ,and why not8 ,if to divulge the secret were an act of justice1 why should ,i hesitate to do it on account of the incumbent1 with whom ,i had broken off all intercourse for ever8 ,ah1 did ,i in truth believe that our separation had been final8 ,or did ,i harbour1 perhaps against reason and conviction1 a hope1 a thought of future reconciliation1 a shadowy yet not weak belief that all might yet end happily1 and that fortune still might favour love6 ,with such faint hope1 and such belief1 ,i must have bribed myself to silence1 for ,i left my couch resolved to keep my secret close4 ,doctor ,mayhew was deep in the contemplation of a map when ,i joined him at the breakfast-table4 ,he did not take his eyes from it when ,i entered the apartment1 and he continued his investigations some time after ,i had taken my seat4 ,he raised his head at last1 and looked hard at me1 apparently without perceiving me1 and then he resumed his occupation without having spoken a syllable3 after a further study of five or ten minutes1 he shook his head1 and pressed his lips1 and frowned1 and stroked his chin1 as though he was just arriving at the borders of a notable and great discovery4 ,it will be strange indeed6 he muttered to himself4 ,how can we find it out8 ,i did not break the thread of cogitation4 ,well1 continued ,doctor ,maybew1 he must leave this house1 at all events4 ,i will run the risk of losing him no longer4 ,i will write this morning to the overseer4 ,yet ,i should like to know--really--it may be1 after all1 the case4 ,stukely1 lad1 look here4 ,what county is this8 he continued1 placing his finger on the map4 ,somerset was written in the corner of it1 and accordingly ,i answered4 ,very well1 replied the doctor4 ,now1 look here4 ,read this4 ,what do these letters spell8 ,he pointed to some small characters1 which formed evidently the name of a village that stood upon the banks of a river of some magnitude4 ,i spelt them as he desired1 and pronounced1 certainly to my own surprise1 the word--,belton4 ,just so4 ,well1 what do you say to that8 ,i think ,i have hit it4 ,that's the fellow's home4 ,i never thought of that before1 and ,i shouldn't now1 if ,i hadn't had occasion for the road-book4 ,it was the first thing that caught my eye4 ,now--how can we find it out8 ,it is difficult6 said ,i4 ,it is likely enough1 you see4 ,what should bring him so far westward1 if he hadn't some object8 ,he was either wandering from or to his home1 depend upon it1 when the gypsies found him4 ,if ,belton be his home1 his frequent repetition of the word was natural enough4 ,eh1 don't you see it8 ,certainly1 said ,i4 ,very well2 then1 what's to be done8 ,i cannot tell1 ,i answered4 ,the doctor rung the bell4 ,is ,robin up yet8 he asked1 when ,williams came in to answer it4 ,he is1 sir4 ,and the man8 ,both1 sir4 ,they have just done breakfast4 ,very well1 ,williams1 you may go4 ,now1 follow me1 ,stukely1 continued the physician1 the moment that the butler had departed4 ,i'll do it now4 ,i am a physiognomist1 and ,i'll tell you in the twinkling of an eye if we are right1 ,you mark him well1 and so will ,i4 ,the doctor seized his map and road book1 and before ,i could speak was out of the room4 ,when ,i overtook him1 he had already reached the idiot1 and dismissed ,robin4 ,my friend commenced his operations by placing the map and book upon the table1 and closely scanning the countenance of his patient1 in order to detect and fix the smallest alteration of expression in the coming examination4 ,he might have spared himself the trouble4 ,the idiot had no eye for him4 ,when ,i appeared he ran to me1 and manifested the most extravagant delight4 ,he grasped my hand1 and drew me to his chair1 and there detained me4 ,he did not introduce his treasure1 but ,i could not fail to perceive that he intended to repeat the scene of the previous day1 as soon as we were again alone4 ,i did not wish to afford him opportunity1 and ,i gladly complied with the physician's request when he called upon me to interrogate the idiot1 in the terms he should employ4 ,he had already himself applied to the youth1 but neither for himself nor his questions could he obtain the slightest notice4 ,the eye1 the heart1 and1 such as it was1 the mind of the idiot1 were upon his sister's friend4 ,ask him1 ,stukely1 began the doctor1 if he has ever been in ,somerset8 ,i did so1 and1 in truth1 the word roused from their long slumber1 or we believed they did1 recollections that argued well for the physician's theory4 ,the idiot raised his brow1 and smiled4 ,the doctor referred to his map1 and said1 whispering as before1 ,mention the river ,parret4 ,i could not doubt that the name had been familiar to the unhappy man4 ,he strove to speak1 and could not1 but he nodded his head affirmatively and quickly1 and the expression of his features corroborated the strong testimony4 ,now--,belton8 added the doctor4 ,i repeated the word1 and then the agony of supplication which ,i had witnessed once before1 was re-enacted1 and the shrill and incoherent cries burst from his afflicted breast4 ,i am satisfied6 exclaimed the doctor1 shutting his book4 ,he shall leave my house for ,belton this very afternoon4 ,and so he did1 ,in an hour1 arrangements were in progress for his departure1 and ,i was his guardian and companion4 ,robin1 as soon as ,dr4 ,mayhew's intention was known1 refused to have any thing more to say1 either inside the house or out of it1 to the devil incarnate1 as he was pleased to call the miserable man4 ,if his place depended upon his taking charge of him1 he was ready to resign it4 ,there was not another man whom the physician seemed disposed to trust1 and in his difficulty he glanced at me4 ,i understood his meaning4 ,he proceeded to express his surprise and pleasure at finding an attachment so strong towards me on the part of the idiot4 ,it was remarkable1 he said--very6 ,and what a pity it was that he hadn't cultivated the same regard for somebody else4 ,a short journey then1 to ,somerset1 would have been the easiest thing in the world4 ,nothing but to pop into the coach1 to go to an inn on arriving in ,belton1 and to make enquiries1 which1 no doubt1 would be satisfactorily answered in less than no time4 ,yes1 really1 it was a hundred pities6 ,the doctor looked at me again1 and then ,i had already determined to meet the request he was not bold to ask4 ,i believed1 equally with the physician1 from the conduct and expressions of young ,harrington1 that the riddle of his present condition waited for explanation in the village1 whose name seemed like a load upon his heart1 and constituted the whole of his discourse since he had arrived amongst us4 ,it was there he yearned to be4 ,it was necessary only to mention the word to throw him into an agitation1 which it took hours entirely to dissipate4 ,yes1 for a reason well known to him and hidden from us all1 his object1 his only object as it appeared1 was to be removed1 and to be conducted thither4 ,i had but one reason for rejecting the otherwise well sustained hypothesis of my friend4 ,during my whole intercourse with ,emma1 ,i had never heard her speak of ,somerset or ,belton1 and in her narrative no allusion was made either to the shire or village4 ,in what way1 then1 could it be so intimately connected with her brother--whence was the origin of the hold which this one word had taken of his shattered brain8 ,i could not guess4 ,but1 on the other hand1 it was true that ,i was ignorant of his history subsequently to the fearful death of his most sinful father4 ,how could ,i tell what new events had arisen1 what fresh relations might have sprung up1 to attach and bind him to one particular spot of ground8 ,urged by curiosity to discover all that yet remained to know of his career1 and more by a natural and strong desire to serve the youth--not to desert him in the hour of his extremity--,i resolved1 with the first hint of the doctor1 to become myself the fellow traveller of his protg4 ,i told him so1 and the doctor shook me by the hand1 and thanked me heartily4 ,that very evening we were on our road1 for our preparations were not extensive4 ,my instructions were to carry him direct to ,belton1 to ascertain1 if possible1 from his movements the extent of his acquaintance with the village1 and to present him at all places of resort1 in the hope of having him identified4 ,two days were granted for our stay4 ,if he should be unknown1 we were then to return1 and ,doctor ,mayhew would at once resign him to the parish4 ,these were his words at parting4 ,we had no opposition in the idiot4 ,his happiness was perfect whilst ,i remained with him4 ,he followed me eagerly whithersoever ,i went1 and was willing to be led1 so long as ,i continued guide4 ,i took my seat in the coach1 and he placed himself at my side1 trembling with joyousness1 and laughing convulsively4 ,once seated1 he grasped my hand as usual1 and did not1 through the livelong night1 relinquish it altogether4 ,a hundred affectionate indications escaped him1 and in the hour of darkness and of quiet1 it would have been easy to suppose that an innocent child was nestling near me1 homeward bound1 and1 in the fulness of its expectant bliss1 lavish of its young heartfelt endearments4 ,yes1 it would have been1 but for other thoughts1 blacker than the night itself--how much more fearful6--which rendered every sign of fondness a hollow1 cold1 and dismal mockery4 ,innocence6 ,alas1 poor parricide6 ,in the morning the sun streamed into the coach1 of which we were the only inside passengers4 ,dancing and playing came the light1 now here1 now there1 skipping along the seat1 and settling nowhere--cheerful visitant1 and to the idiot something more1 for he gazed upon it1 and followed its fairy motion1 lost in wonder and delight4 ,he looked from the coach-window1 and beheld the far-spreading fields of beauty with an eye awakened from long lethargy and inaction4 ,he could not gaze enough4 ,and the voice of nature made giddy the sense of hearing that drank intoxication from the notes of birds1 the gurgling of a brook1 the rustling of a thousand leaves4 ,his feeble powers1 taken by surprise1 were vanquished by the summer's loveliness4 ,once1 when our coach stopped1 a peasant girl approached us with a nosegay1 which she entreated me to buy4 ,my fellow-traveller was impatient to obtain it4 ,i gave it to him1 and1 for an hour1 all was neglected for the toy4 ,he touched the flowers one by one1 viewed them attentively and lovingly1 as we do children whom we have known1 and watched1 and loved from infancy--now caressing this1 now smiling upon that4 ,what recollections did they summon in the mind of the destitute and almost mindless creature8 ,what pictures rose there8--pictures that may never be excluded from the soul of man1 however dim may burn the intellectual light4 ,his had been no happy boyhood1 yet1 in the wilderness of his existence1 there must have been vouchsafed to him in mercy the few green spots that serve to attach to earth the most afflicted and forlorn of her sad children4 ,how natural for the glimpses to revisit the broken heart1 thus employed1 thus roused and animated by the light of heaven1 rendering all things beautiful and glad6 ,as we approached the village1 my companion ceased to regard his many-coloured friends with the same exclusive attention and unmixed delight4 ,his spirits sank--his joy fled4 ,clouds gathered across his brow2 he withdrew his hand from mine1 and he sat for an hour1 brooding4 ,he held the neglected nosegay before him1 and plucked the pretty leaves one by one--not conscious1 ,i am sure1 of what he did4 ,in a short time1 every flower was destroyed1 and lay in its fragments before him4 ,then1 as if stung by remorse for the cruel act1 or shaken by the heavy thoughts that pressed upon his brain1 he covered his pallid face1 and groaned bitterly4 ,what were those thoughts8 ,how connected with the resting-place towards which we were hastening rapidly8 ,my own anxiety became intense4 ,the village of ,belton1 situated near the mouth1 and at the broadest part of the river ,parret1 consisted of one long narrow street1 and a few houses scattered here and there on the small eminences which sheltered it4 ,the adjacent country was of the same character as that which we had quitted--less luxuriant1 perhaps1 but still rich and striking4 ,we arrived at mid-day4 ,i determined to alight at the inn at which the coach put up1 and to make my first enquiries there4 ,from the moment that we rattled along the stones that formed the entrance to the village1 an unfavourable alteration took place in my companion4 ,he grew excited and impatient2 and his lips quivered1 and his eyes sparkled1 as ,i had never seen them before4 ,i was satisfied that we had reached the object of his long desire1 and that in a few minutes the mysterious relation in which he stood to the place would be ascertained4 ,he ,,must be known1 ,i continued to repeat to myself2 the first eye that falls on him1 will recognize him instantly4 ,we reached the inn2 we alighted4 ,the landlord and the ostler came to the coach door1 and received us with extreme civility1 and the former assisted the idiot in his eager endeavour to reach the ground--,i watched the action1 expecting him to start1 to speak1 to claim acquaintance--and having completed the polite intention1 he stood smiling and scraping4 ,i looked at him1 then at the idiot1 and saw at once that they were strangers4 ,a dozen idlers stood about the door4 ,i waited for a recognition3 none came4 ,seated in the parlour of the inn1 ,i asked to see the landlady4 ,the sight of the idiot caused as little emotion in her1 as it had produced in her husband4 ,i ordered dinner for him4 ,whilst it was preparing1 ,i engaged the landlord in conversation at the door4 ,i did not wish to speak before young ,harrington4 ,i dared not leave him4 ,i enquired1 first1 if the face of the idiot were familiar to him4 ,i received for answer1 that the man had never seen him in his life before1 nor had his wife4 ,do you know the name of ,harrington8 said ,i4 ,no--never heard on it1 was the reply4 ,fitzjones1 perhaps8 ,many ,joneses hereabouts1 sir1 said the landlord1 but none of that there ,christian name4 ,the excitement of the idiot did not abate4 ,he would not touch his food nor sit quietly1 but he walked swiftly up and down the room1 breathing heavily1 and trembling with increasing agitation4 ,he urged me in his own peculiar way to leave the house and walk abroad4 ,he pointed to the road and strove to speak4 ,the attempt was fruitless1 and he paced the room again1 wringing his hands and sighing sorrowfully4 ,at length ,i yielded to his request1 and we were again in the village1 ,i following whithersoever he led me4 ,he ran through the street1 like a madman as he was1 bringing upon him the eyes of every one1 and outstripping me speedily4 ,he stopped for a moment to collect himself--looked round as though he had lost his way1 and knew not whither to proceed2 then bounded off again1 the hunted deer not quicker in his flight1 and instantly was out of sight4 ,without the smallest hope of seeing him again1 ,i pursued the fugitive1 and1 as well as ,i could guess it1 continued in his track4 ,for half a mile ,i traced his steps1 and then ,i lost them4 ,his last footmark was at the closed gate of a good-sized dwelling house4 ,the roof and highest windows only of the habitation were to be discerned from the path1 and these denoted the residence of a wealthy man4 ,he could have no business here--no object4 ,he must have passed1 thought ,i1 upon the other side4 ,i was about to cross the road1 when ,i perceived1 at the distance of a few yards1 a man labouring in a field4 ,i accosted him1 and asked if he had seen the idiot4 ,no--he had not4 ,he was sure that nobody had passed by him for hours4 ,he must have seen the man if he had come that way4 ,whose house is that8 ,i asked1 not knowing why ,i asked the question4 ,what8 that8 said he1 pointing to the gate4 ,oh1 that's ,squire ,temple's4 ,the name dropped like a knife upon my heart4 ,i could not speak4 ,i must have fallen to the earth1 if the man1 seeing me grow pale as death1 had not started to his feet1 and intercepted me4 ,i trembled with a hundred apprehensions4 ,my throat was dry with fright1 and ,i thought ,i should have choked4 ,what follows was like a hideous dream4 ,the gate was opened suddenly4 ,,james ,,temple issued from it1 and passed me like an arrow4 ,he was appalled and terrorstricken4 ,behind him--within six feet--almost upon him1 yelling fearfully1 was the brother of the girl he had betrayed and ruined--his friend and schoolfellow1 the miserable ,frederick ,harrington4 ,i could perceive that he held aloft1 high over his head1 the portrait of his sister4 ,it was all ,i saw and could distinguish4 ,both shot by me4 ,i called to the labourer to follow2 and fast as my feet could carry me1 ,i went on4 ,temple fell4 ,harrington was down with him4 ,i reached the spot4 ,the hand of the idiot was on the chest of the seducer1 and the picture was thrust in agony before his shuddering eyes4 ,there was a struggle--the idiot was cast away--and ,temple was once more dashing onward4 ,on1 on6--after him6 shrieked the idiot4 ,they reached the river's edge4 ,what now--what now8 ,i exclaimed1 beholding them from afar1 bewildered and amazed4 ,the water does not restrain the scared spirit of the pursued4 ,he rushes on1 leaps in1 and trusts to the swift current4 ,so also the pursuer1 who1 with one long1 loud exclamation of triumph1 still with his treasure in his grasp1 springs vehemently forward1 and sinks1 once and for ever4 ,and the betrayer beats his way onward1 aimless and exhausted1 but still he nears the shore4 ,shall he reach it8 ,never6 99 99 99 99 99 ,,imaginary ,,conversation1 ,,between ,,mr4 ,,walter ,,savage ,,landor ,,and ,,the ,,editor ,,of ,,blackwood',s ,,magazine4 ,to ,christopher ,north1 ,esq4 ,,sir1--,mr4 ,walter ,savage ,landor has become a contributor to ,blackwood's ,magazine6 ,i stared at the announcement1 and it will presently be seen why4 ,there is nothing extraordinary in the apparition of another and another of this garrulous sexagenarian's ,imaginary ,conversations4 ,they come like shadows1 so depart4 ,the thing1 we know1 is neither new nor rare1 ,but wonder how the devil it got there4 ,many of your readers1 ignorant or forgetful1 may have asked1 ,who is ,mr4 ,landor8 ,we have never heard of any remarkable person of that name1 or bearing a similar one1 except the two brothers ,lander1 the explorers of the ,niger4 ,mr4 ,walter ,savage would answer1 ,not to know me argues yourself unknown4 ,he was very angry with ,lord ,byron for designating him as a ,mr4 ,landor4 ,he thought it should have been the4 ,you ought to have forewarned such readers that the ,mr4 ,landor1 now your ,walter ,savage1 is the learned author of an epic poem called ,gebir1 composed originally in ,egyptian hieroglyphics1 then translated by him into ,latin1 and thence done into ,english blank verse by the same hand4 ,it is a work of rare occurrence even in the ,english character1 and is said to be deeply abstruse4 ,some extracts from it have been buried in1 or have helped to bury1 critical reviews4 ,a copy of the ,anglo-,gebir is1 however1 extant in the ,british ,museum1 and is said to have so puzzled the few philologists who have examined it1 that they have declared none but a sphinx1 and that an ,egyptian one1 could unriddle it4 ,i would suggest that some ,maga of the gypsies should be called in to interpret4 ,our vagrant fortune-tellers are reputed to be of ,egyptian origin1 and to hold converse among themselves in a very strange and curious oriental tongue called ,gibberish1 which word1 no doubt1 is a derivative from ,gebir4 ,of the existence of the mysterious epic1 the public were made aware many years ago by the first publication of ,mr4 ,leigh ,hunt's ,feast of the ,poets1 where it was mentioned in a note as a thing containing one good passage about a shell1 while in the text the author of ,gebir was called a gander1 and ,mr4 ,southey rallied by ,apollo for his simplicity in proposing that the company should drink the gabbler's health4 ,that pleasantry has disappeared from ,mr4 ,hunt's poem1 though ,mr4 ,landor has by no means left off gabbling4 ,mr4 ,hunt is a kindly-natured man as well as a wit1 and no doubt perceived that he had been more prophetic than he intended--,mr4 ,landor having1 in addition to verses uncounted unless on his own fingers1 favoured the world with five thick octavo volumes of dialogues4 ,from the four first ,i have culled a few specimens2 the fifth ,i have not read4 ,it is rumoured that a sixth is in the press1 with a dedication in the issimo style1 to ,lord ,john ,russell1 ,mr4 ,landor's lantern having at last enabled him to detect one honest man in the ,imperial ,parliament4 ,lord ,john1 it seems1 in the ,house of ,commons lately quoted something from him about a ,chinese mandarin's opinion of the ,english2 and ,mr4 ,landor is so delighted that he intends to take the ,russells under his protection for ever1 and not only them1 but every thing within the range of their interests4 ,not a cast horse1 attached to a ,woburn sand-cart1 shall henceforth crawl towards ,bedford and ,tavistock ,squares1 but the grateful ,walter shall swear he is a ,bucephalus4 ,you1 ,mr4 ,north1 have placed the cart before the horse1 in allowing ,mr4 ,landor's dialogue between ,porson and ,southey precedence of the following between ,mr4 ,landor and yourself4 ,you may object that it is a feigned colloquy1 in which an unauthorized use is made of your name4 ,true2 but all ,mr4 ,landor's colloquies are likewise feigned2 and none is more fictitious than one that has appeared in your pages1 wherein ,southey's name is used in a manner not only unauthorized1 but at which he would have sickened4 ,you and ,i must differ more widely in our notions of fair play than ,i hope and believe we do1 if you refuse to one whose purpose is neither unjust nor ungenerous1 as much license in your columns as you have accorded to ,mr4 ,landor1 when it was his whim1 without the smallest provocation1 to throw obloquy on the venerated author of the ,excursion4 ,i am1 ,sir1 your faithful servant1 ,,edward ,,quillinan4 99 99 99 99 99 ,landor4--,good-morning1 ,mr4 ,north1 ,i hope you are well4 ,north4--,i thank you1 sir4--,be seated4 ,landor4--,i have called to enquire whether you have considered my proposal1 and are willing to accept my aid4 ,north4--,i am almost afraid to trust you1 sir4 ,you treat the ,muses like nine-pins4 ,neither gods nor men find favour in your sight4 ,if ,homer and ,virgil crossed your path1 you would throw stones at them4 ,landor4--,the poems attributed to ,homer1 were probably1 in part at least1 translations4 ,he is a better poet than ,hesiod1 who has1 indeed1 but little merit6#di ,virgil has no originality4 ,his epic poem is a mere echo of the ,iliad1 softened down in tone for the polite ears of ,augustus and his courtiers4 ,virgil is inferior to ,tasso4 ,tasso's characters are more vivid and distinct than ,virgil's1 and greatly more interesting4 ,virgil wants genius4 ,mezentius is the most heroical and pious of all the characters in the ,aeneid4 ,the ,aeneid1 ,i affirm1 is the most misshapen of epics1 an epic of episodes4#ej ,there are a few good passages in it4 ,i must repeat one for the sake of proposing an improvement4 ,quinetiam hyberno moliris sidere classem1 ,et mediis properas aquilonibus ire per altum 444 ,crudelis6 quod si non arva aliena domosque ,ignotas peteres1 et ,troja antiqua maneret1 ,troja per undosum peteretur classibus aequor8 ,if hybernum were substituted for undosum1 how incomparably more beautiful would the sentence be for this energetic repetition8 #ea ,north4--,i admire your modesty1 ,mr4 ,landor1 in quoting ,virgil only to improve him2 but your alteration is not an improvement4 ,dido1 having just complained of her lover for putting out to sea under a wintry star1 would have uttered but a graceless iteration had she in the same breath added--if ,troy yet stood1 must even ,troy be sought through a wintry sea8 ,undosum is the right epithet2 it paints to the eye the danger of the voyage1 and adds force to her complaint4 ,landor4 ,pshaw6 ,you ,scotchmen are no scholars4 ,let me proceed4 ,virgil has no nature4 ,and1 by the way1 his translator ,dryden1 too1 is greatly overrated4 ,north44--,glorious ,john8 ,landor4--,glorious fiddlestick6 ,it is insufferable that a rhymer should be called glorious1 whose only claim to notice is a clever drinking song4 ,north4--,a drinking song8 ,landor4 ,yes1 the thing termed an ,ode for ,st4 ,cecilia's ,day4 ,north4--,hegh1 sir1 indeed6 ,well1 let us go on with the ,ancients1 and dispatch them first4 ,to revert to the ,greeks1 from whom ,virgil's imitation of the ,iliad drew us aside1 favour me with your opinion of ,plato4 ,footnote #dh3 ,see ,mr4 ,landor's ,imaginary ,conversations4--,vol4 i4 p4 #dd1 and ii4 p4 #cbb1 note4 ,footnote #ej3 ,vol4 i p4 #bfi1 #bgj4 ,footnote #ea3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #cjj4 ,landor4--,plato is disingenuous and malicious4 ,i fancy ,i have detected him in more than one dark passage1 a dagger in his hand and a bitter sneer on his countenance4#eb ,he stole 7from the ,eyptian priests and other sources7 every idea his voluminous books convey4 #ec ,plato was a thief4 ,north4--,taffy was a ,welshman1 ,taffy was a thief4 ,landor4--,do you mean to insinuate that my dialogues are stolen from ,plato's8 ,north4--,certainly not1 ,mr4 ,landor2 there is not the remotest resemblance between them4 ,lucian and ,christopher ,north are your models4 ,what do you think of ,aristotle8 ,landor4--,in ,plato we find only arbours and grottoes1 with moss and shell work all misplaced4 ,aristotle has built a solider edifice1 but has built it across the road4 ,we must throw it down again4 #ed ,north4--,so much for philosophy4 ,what have you to say to ,xenophon as an historian8 ,landor4--,he is not inelegant1 but he is unimpassioned and affected2 #ee and he has not even preserved the coarse features of nations and of ages in his ,cyropaedia4#ef ,north4--,the dunce6 ,but what of the ,anabasis8 ,landor4--,you may set ,xenophon down as a writer of graceful mediocrity4#eg ,north4--,herodotus8 ,landor4--,if ,i blame ,herodotus1 whom can ,i commend8 ,his view of history was nevertheless like that of the ,asiatics1 and there can be little to instruct and please us in the actions and speeches of barbarians4#eh ,north4--,which of the ,greek tragedians do you patronise8 ,landor4--,aeschylus is not altogether unworthy of his reputation2 he is sometimes grand1 but oftener flighty and obscure4#ei ,north4--,what say you of ,sophocles8 ,landor4--,he is not so good as his master1 though the ,athenians thought otherwise4 ,he is1 however1 occasionally sublime4 ,north4--,what of ,euripides8 #fj ,landor4--,he came further down into common life than ,sophocles1 and he further down than ,aeschylus3 one would have expected the reverse4 ,euripides has but little dramatic power4 ,his dialogue is sometimes dull and heavy2 the construction of his fable infirm and inartificial1 and if in the chorus he assumes another form1 and becomes a more elevated poet1 he is still at a loss to make it serve the interests of the piece4 ,he appears to have written principally for the purpose of inculcating political and moral axioms4 ,the dogmas1 like valets de place1 serve any master1 and run to any quarter4 ,even when new1 they are nevertheless miserably flat and idle4 ,north4--,aristophanes ridiculed him4 ,landor4--,yes1 ,aristophanes had1 however1 but little true wit4 #fa ,north4--,that was lucky for ,euripides4 ,landor4-,a more skilful archer would have pierced him through bone and marrow1 and saved him from the dogs of ,archelaus4 ,north4--,that story is probably an allegory1 signifying that ,euripides was after all worried out of life by the curs of criticism in his old age4 ,landor4--,as our ,keats was in his youth1 eh1 ,mr4 ,north8 ,a worse fate than that of ,aeschylus1 who had his skull cracked by a tortoise dropt by an eagle that mistook his bald head for a stone4 ,north4--,another fable of his inventive countrymen4 ,he died of brain-fever1 followed by paralysis1 the effect of drunkenness4 ,he was a jolly old toper3 ,i am sorry for him4 ,you just now said that ,aristophanes wanted wit4 ,what foolish fellows then the ,athenians must have been1 in the very meridian of their literature1 to be so delighted with what they mistook for wit as to decree him a crown of olive6 ,he has been styled the ,prince of ,old ,comedy too4 ,how do you like ,menander8 ,footnote #eb3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bih4 ,footnote #ec3 ,vol4 iii p4 #ead4 ,footnote #ed3 ,vol4 iv4 p #hj4 ,footnote #ee3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bcc4 ,footnote #ef3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #cca4 ,footnote #eg3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ce4 ,footnote #eh3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ccb4 ,footnote #ei3 ,vol4 i4 pp4 #bii1 #bih1 #big4 ,footnote #fj3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bih4 ,footnote #fa3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ab4 ,landor4--,we have not much of him1 unless in ,terence4 #fb ,the characters on which ,menander raised his glory were trivial and contemptible4 ,footnote #fb3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #e4 ,at p4 #fth1 ,mr4 ,landor produces some verses of his own in the manner of ,menander1 fathers them on ,andrew ,marvel1 and makes ,milton praise them6 ,north4--,now that you have demolished the ,greeks1 let us go back to ,rome1 and have another touch at the ,latins4 ,from ,menander to ,terence is an easy jump4 ,how do you esteem ,terence8 ,landor4--,every one knows that he is rather an expert translator from the ,greek than an original writer4 ,there is more pith in ,plautus4 ,north4--,you like ,plautus1 then1 and endure ,terence8 ,landor4--,i tolerate both as men of some talents2 but comedy is1 at the best1 only a low style of literature2 and the production of such trifling stuff is work for the minor geniuses4 ,i have never composed a comedy4 ,north4--,i see3 farewell to the sock1 then4 ,is ,horace worth his salt8 ,landor4--,there must be some salt in ,horace1 or he would not have kept so well4 #fc ,he was a shrewd observer and an easy versifier2 but1 like all the pusillanimous1 he was malignant4 ,footnote #fc3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bdi4 ,north4--,seneca8 ,landor4--,he was1 like our own ,bacon1 hard-hearted and hypocritical1 #fd as to his literary merits1 ,caligula1 the excellent emperor and critic1 7who made sundry efforts to extirpate the writings of ,homer and ,virgil17 #fe spoke justly and admirably when he compared the sentences of ,seneca to lime without sand4 ,footnote #fd3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #ca4 ,footnote #fe3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bgd4 ,north4--,perhaps1 after all1 you prefer the moderns8 ,landor4--,i have not said that4 ,north4--,you think well of ,spenser8 ,landor4--,as ,i do of opium3 he sends me to bed #ff4 ,footnote #ff3 ,thee1 gentle ,spenser fondly led1 ,but me he mostly sent to bed4--,,landor4 ,north4--,you concede the greatness of ,milton8 ,landor4--,yes1 when he is great2 but his ,satan is often a thing to be thrown out of the way among the rods and fools' caps of the nursery #fg4 ,footnote #fg3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #cja4 ,he has sometimes written very contemptibly2 his lines on ,hobbes1 the carrier1 for example1 and his versions of ,psalms4 #fh ,milton was never so great a regicide as when he smote ,king ,david4 ,footnote #fh3 ,blackwood4 ,north4--,you like1 at least1 his hatred of kings8 ,landor4--,that is somewhat after my own heart1 ,i own2 but he does not go far enough in his hatred of them4 ,north4--,you do8 ,landor4--,i despise and abominate them4 ,how many of them1 do you think1 could name their real fathers8 #fi ,footnote #fi3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #fa4 ,north4--,but1 surely1 ,charles was a martyr8 ,landor4--,if so1 what were those who sold #gj him8 ,footnote #gj3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #bhc4 ,ha1 ha1 ha6 ,you a ,scotchman1 too6 ,however1 ,charles was not a martyr4 ,he was justly punished4 ,to a consistent republican1 the diadem should designate the victim3 all who wear it1 all who offer it1 all who bow to it1 should perish4 ,rewards should be offered for the heads of those monsters1 as for the wolves1 the kites1 and the vipers4 ,a true republican can hold no milder doctrine of polity1 than that all nations1 all cities1 all communities1 should enter into one great hunt1 like that of the ancient ,scythians at the approach of winter1 and should follow up the kingly power unrelentingly to its perdition4 #ga ,true republicans can see no reason why they should not send an executioner to release a king from the prison-house of his crimes1 #gb with his family to attend him4 ,footnote #ga3 ,vol4 iv4 #ejg4 ,footnote #gb3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #gc4 ,in my ,dialogues1 ,i have put such sentiments into the mouth of ,diogenes1 that cynic of sterling stamp1 and of ,aeschines1 that incorruptible orator1 as suitable to the maxims of their government4 #gc ,to my readers1 ,i leave the application of them to nearer interests4 ,footnote #gc3 ,mr4 ,landor1 with whom the ,cynic is a singular favourite1 says1 p4 #dfa1 vol4 iii41 that ,diogenes was not expelled from ,sinope for having counterfeited money2 that he only marked false men4 ,aeschines was accused of having been bribed by ,philip of ,macedon4 ,north4--,but you would not yourself1 in your individual character1 and in deliberate earnestness1 apply them to modern times and monarchies8 ,landor4--,why not8 ,look at my ,dialogue with ,de ,lille4 #gd ,what have ,i said of ,louis the ,fourteenth1 the great exemplar of kingship1 and of the treatment that he ought to have received from the ,english8 ,deprived of all he had acquired by his treachery and violence1 unless the nation that brought him upon his knees had permitted two traitors1 ,harley and ,st4 ,john1 to second the views of a weak woman1 and to obstruct those of policy and of ,england1 he had been carted to condign punishment in the ,place de ,grve or at ,tyburn4 ,such examples are much wanted1 and1 as they can rarely be given1 should never be omitted4#ge ,footnote #gd3 ,vol4 i4 ,footnote #ge3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bha4--,landor4 ,north4--,the ,sans-culottes and ,poissardes of the last ,french revolution but three1 would have raised you by acclamation to the dignity of ,decollator of the royal family of ,france for that brave sentiment4 ,but you were not at ,paris1 ,i suppose1 during the reign of the guillotine1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,landor4--,i was not1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,but as to the king whose plethory was cured by that sharp remedy1 he1 ,louis the ,sixteenth1 was only dragged to a fate which1 if he had not experienced it1 he would be acknowledged to have deserved4 #gf ,footnote #gf3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bfg4 ,this truculent sentiment the ,dialogist imputes to a ,spanish liberal4 ,he cannot fairly complain that it is here restored to its owner4 ,it is exactly in accordance with the sentence quoted above in italics--a judgment pronounced by ,mr4 ,landor in person4 --,vol4 i4 p4 #bha4 ,it also conforms to his philosophy of regicide1 as expounded in various parts of his writings4 ,in his preface to the first volume of his ,imaginary ,conversations1 he claims exemption1 though somewhat sarcastically1 from responsibility for the notions expressed by his interlocutors4 ,an author1 in a style which has all the freedom of the dramatic form1 without its restraints1 should especially abstain from making his work the vehicle of crotchets1 prejudices1 and passions peculiar to himself1 or unworthy of the characters speaking4 ,this form of composition1 ,mr4 ,landor says1 among other advantages1 is recommended by the protection it gives from the hostility all novelty 7unless it be vicious7 excites4 ,prudent consideration1 but indiscreet parenthesis4 ,north4--,i believe one ,englishman1 a martyr to liberty1 has said something like that before4 ,landor4--,who1 pray8 ,north4--,the butcher ,ings4 ,landor4--,ah1 ,i was not aware of it6 ,ings was a fine fellow4 ,north4--,your republic will never do here1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,landor4--,i shall believe that a king is better than a republic when ,i find that a single tooth in a head is better than a set4 #gg ,footnote #gg3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #ca4 ,north4--,it would be as good logic in a monarchy-man to say1 ,i shall believe that a republic is better than a king when ,i am convinced that six noses on a face would be better than one4 ,landor4--,in this age of the march of intellect1 when a pillar of fire is guiding us out of the wilderness of error1 you ,tories lag behind1 and are lost in darkness1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,only the first person in the kingdom should be unenlightened and void1 as only the first page in a book should be a blank one4 ,it is when it is torn out that we come at once to the letters4 #gh ,footnote #gh3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #dje4 ,north4--,well1 now that you have torn out the first page of the ,court ,guide1 we come to the ,peers1 ,i suppose4 ,landor4--,the peerage is the park-paling of despotism1 arranged to keep in creatures tame and wild for luxury and diversion1 and to keep out the people4 ,kings are to peerages what poles are to rope-dancers1 enabling then to play their tricks with greater confidence and security above the heads of the people4 ,the wisest and the most independent of the ,english ,parliaments declared the thing useless4 #gi ,peers are usually persons of pride without dignity1 of lofty pretensions with low propensities4 ,they invariably bear towards one another a constrained familiarity or frigid courtesy1 while to their huntsmen and their prickers1 their chaplains and their cooks1 7or indeed any other man's17 they display unequivocal signs of ingenuous cordiality4 ,footnote #gi3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #djj4 ,how many do you imagine of our nobility are not bastards or sons of bastards8 #hj ,footnote #hj3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #bgc4 ,north4--,you have now settled the ,peers4 ,the ,baronets come next in order4 ,landor4--,baronets are prouder than any thing we see on this side of the ,dardanelles1 excepting the proctors of universities1 and the vergers of cathedrals2 and their pride is kept in eternal agitation1 both from what is above them and what is below4 ,gentlemen of any standing 7like ,walter ,savage ,landor1 of ,warwick ,castle1 and ,lantony ,abbey in ,wales17 are apt to investigate their claims a little too minutely1 and nobility has neither bench nor joint-stool for them in the vestibule4 ,during the whole course of your life1 have you ever seen one among this1 our ,king ,james's breed of curs1 that either did not curl himself up and lie snug and warm in the lowest company1 #ha or slaver and whimper in fretful quest of the highest4 ,footnote #ha3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #djj4 ,north4--,but you allow the ,english people to be a great people4 ,landor4--,i allow them to be a nation of great fools4 #hb ,in ,england1 if you write dwarf on the back of a giant1 he will go for a dwarf4 ,footnote #hb3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ace4 ,north4--,i perceive2 some wag has been chalking your back in that fashion4 ,why don't you label your breast with the word giant8 ,perhaps you would then pass for one4 ,landor4--,i have so labelled it1 but in vain4 ,north4--,yet we have seen some great men1 besides yourself1 ,mr4 ,landor1 in our own day4 ,some great military commanders1 for example2 and1 as a particular instance1 ,wellington4 ,landor4--,it cannot be dissembled that all the victories of the ,english1 in the last fifty years1 have been gained by the high courage and steady discipline of the soldier1 #hc and the most remarkable where the prudence and skill of the commander were altogether wanting4 ,footnote #hc3 ,vol4 ii4 p #bad4 ,north4--,ay1 that was a terrible mistake at ,waterloo4 ,yet you will allow ,wellington to have been something of a general1 if not in ,india1 at least in ,spain4 ,landor4--,suppose him1 or any distinguished general of the ,english1 to have been placed where ,murillo was placed in ,america1 ,mina in ,spain2 then inform me what would have been your hopes8 #hd ,the illustrious ,mina1 #he of all the generals who have appeared in our age1 has displayed the greatest genius1 and the greatest constancy4 ,that exalted personage1 the admiration of ,europe1 accomplished the most arduous and memorable work that any one mortal ever brought to its termination4 ,footnote #hd3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bad4 ,footnote #he3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #c4 ,ded4 to ,mina4--,wilson4 ,north4--,we have had some distinguished statesmen at the helm in our time1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,landor4--,not one4 ,north4--,mr4 ,pitt4 ,landor4--,your pilot that weathered the storm4 ,ha1 ha6 ,he was the most insidious republican that ,england ever produced4 ,north4--,you should like him if he was a ,republican4 ,landor4--,but he was a debaser of the people as well as of the peerage4 ,by the most wasteful prodigality both in finance and war1 he was enabled to distribute more wealth among his friends and partisans than has been squandered by the uncontrolled profusion of ,french monarchs from the first ,louis to the last4 #hf ,yet he was more short-sighted than the meanest insect that can see an inch before it4 ,you should have added those equally enlightened and prudent leaders of our ,parliament1 ,lord ,castlereagh and his successors4 ,pitt1 indeed6 whose requisites for a successful minister were three--to speak like an honest man1 to act like a scoundrel1 and to be indifferent which he is called4 ,but you have forgotten my dialogue between him and that wretched fellow ,canning4 #hg ,i have there given ,pitt his quietus4 ,as to ,castlereagh and ,canning1 ,i have crushed them to powder1 spit upon them1 kneaded them into dough again2 and pulverized them once more4 ,canning is the man who deserted his party1 supplanted his patrons1 and abandoned every principle he protested he would uphold4 #hh ,castlereagh is the statesman who was found richer one day1 by a million of zecchins1 than he was the day before1 and this from having signed a treaty6 ,the only life he ever personally aimed at was the vilest in existence1 and none complains that he succeeded in his attempt4 #hi ,i forgot3 he aimed at another so like it1 7you remember his duel with ,canning17 that it is a pity it did not form a part of it4 ,footnote #hf3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bdj1 #bda1 #bdb4 ,footnote #hg3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ff4 ,footnote #hh3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #acd4 ,footnote #hi3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #agb1 and that there should be no mistake as to the person indicated1 ,lord ,castlereagh is again accused by name at p4 #ahg4 ,the same charge occurs also in the dialogue between ,aristotle and ,calisthenes6 p #ccd1 #cce1 #ccf2 where ,prince ,metternich1 7,metanyctius17 the briber1 is himself represented as a traitor to his country4 ,aristotle is the teller of this cock-and-bull story6 ,north4--,horrible6 most horrible6 ,landor4--,hear ,epicurus and ,leontion and ,ternissa discuss the merits of ,castlereagh and ,canning4 ,north4--,epicurus6 ,what1 the philosopher who flourished some centuries before the ,christian era8 ,landor4--,the same4 ,he flourishes still for my purposes4 ,north4--,and who are ,leontion and ,ternissa8 ,landor4--,two of his female pupils4 ,north4--,oh1 two of his misses6 ,and how come they and their master1 who lived above #bjjj years before the birth of ,canning and ,castlereagh1 to know any thing about them8 ,landor4--,i do not stand at trifles of congruity4 ,canning is the very man who has taken especial care that no strong box among us shall be without a chink at the bottom2 the very man who asked and received a gratuity 7you remember the ,lisbon job7 #ij from the colleague he had betrayed1 belied1 and thrown a stone at1 for having proved him in the great market-place a betrayer and a liar4 ,epicurus describes ,canning as a fugitive slave1 a writer of epigrams on walls1 and of songs on the grease of platters1 who attempted to cut the throat of a fellow in the same household1 #ia who was soon afterward more successful in doing it himself4 ,footnote #ij3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #aid4 ,footnote #ia3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #aid4 ,north4--,horrible1 most horrible mockery6 ,but even that is not new4 ,it is but ,byron's brutal scoff repeated--,carotid-artery-cutting ,castlereagh4 ,landor4--,you ,tories affect to be so squeamish4 ,epicurus goes on to show ,canning's ignorance of ,english4 ,north4--,epicurus6 ,why not ,william ,cobbett8 ,landor4--,the ,athenian philosopher introduces the trial of ,george the ,fourth's wife1 and describes her as a drunken old woman1 the companion of soldiers and sailors1 and lower and viler men4 ,one whose eyes1 as much as can be seen of them1 are streaky fat floating in semi-liquid rheum4 ,north4--,and this is the language of ,epicurus to his female pupils6 ,he was ever such a beast4 ,landor4--,you are delicate4 ,he goes on to allude to ,canning's having called her the pride1 the life1 the ornament of society1 7you know he did so call her in the ,house of ,commons1 according to the newspaper reports2 it is true he was speaking of what she had been many years previously2 before her departure from ,england47 #ib ,epicurus says triumphantly that the words1 if used at all1 should have been placed thus--the ornament1 pride1 and life2 for hardly a ,boeotian bullock-driver would have wedged in life between pride and ornament4 ,footnote #ib3 ,vol4 iv4 p4 #aid1 #aie4--,pericles and ,sophocles also prattle about ,queen ,caroline6 vol4 #b1 p4 #ajf1 #ajg4--;,in another place the judgment and style of ,johnson being under sentence1 the ,doctor's judgment is alike in all things1 that is1 unsound and incorrect2 and as to style1 a sentence of ,johnson is like a pair of breeches1 an article of dress1 divided into two parts1 equal in length1 breadth1 and substance1 with a protuberance before and behind4 ,the contour of ,mr4 ,landor's figure can hardly be so graceful as that of the ,pythian ,apollo1 if his dress-breeches are made in this fashion1 and his ,florentine tailor never fails to fit him4--,see vol4 i4 p4 #bif1 and p4 #ahe1 note4 ,north4--,what dignified and important criticism6 and how appropriate from the lips of ,epicurus6 ,but why were you1 ,mr4 ,landor1 so rancorous against that miserable ,queen ,caroline8 ,you have half choked ,sir ,robert ,wilson1 one of her champions1 and the marshal of her coffin's royal progress through ,london1 with a reeking panegyric in your dedication to him #ic of a volume of your ,talks4 ,footnote #ic3 ,vol4 iii4 ,landor4--,i mistook ,wilson for an uncompromising ,radical4 ,as to his and ,canning's nobled ,queen1 ,i confess ,i owed her a grudge for disrespect to me at ,como long before4 ,north4--,how8 ,were you personally acquainted with her8 ,landor4--,not at all3 ,she was not aware that there was such a man as ,walter ,savage ,landor upon earth1 or she would have taken care that ,i should not be stopt by her porter at the lodge-gate1 when ,i took a fancy to pry into the beauties of her pleasure-ground4 ,north4--,then her disrespect to you was not only by deputy1 but even without her cognisance8 ,landor4--,just so4 ,north4--,and that was the offence for which you assailed her with such a violent invective after her death8 ,landor4--,oh no6 it might possibly have sharpened it a little2 but ,i felt it my duty1 as a censor of morals1 to mark my reprobation of her having grown fat and wrinkled in her old age4 ,it was necessary for me to correct the flattering picture drawn of her by that caitiff ,canning4 ,you know the contempt of ,demosthenes for ,canning4 ,north4--,demosthenes1 too6 ,landor4--,yes1 in my dialogue between him and ,eubulides1 he delineates ,canning as a clumsy and vulgar man4 ,north4--,every one knows that he was a man of remarkably fine person and pleasing manners4 ,landor4--,never mind that--,a vulgar and clumsy man1 a market-place demagogue1 lifted on a honey-barrel by grocers and slave-merchants1 with a dense crowd around him1 who listen in rapture because his jargon is unintelligible4 #id ,demosthenes1 you know1 was a ,liverpool electioneering agent1 so he knew all about ,canning and his tricks1 and his abstraction of ,l4#ad1jjj sterling from the public treasury to defray the expenses of his shameful flight to ,lesbos1 that is ,lisbon4#ie ,footnote #id3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bde4 ,footnote #ie3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bdg4 ,this charge against ,canning is repeated at ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ahf1 #ahg1 and again at ,vol4 iv4 p4 #aic4 ,north4--,has ,england produced no honest men of eminence1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,landor4--,very few2 ,i can1 however1 name two--,archbishop ,boulter and ,philip ,savage4 #if ,i am not certain that ,i should ever have thought of recording their merits1 if their connexion with my own family had not often reminded me of them2 we do not always bear in mind very retentively what is due to others1 unless there is something at home to stimulate the recollection4 ,boulter1 ,primate of ,ireland1 saved that kingdom from pestilence and famine in #agbi by supplying the poor with bread1 medicines1 attendance1 and every possible comfort and accommodation4 ,again1 in #agdj and #agda1 no fewer than #bej1jjj persons were fed1 twice a-day1 principally at his expense4 ,boulter was certainly the most disinterested1 the most humane1 the most beneficent1 and after this it is little to say1 the most enlightened and learned man that ever guided the counsels of a kingdom4#ig ,mr4 ,philip ,savage1 ,chancellor of the ,exchequer1 married his wife's sister1 of his own name1 but very distantly related4 ,this minister was so irreproachable1 that even ,swift could find no fault with him4 #ig ,he kept a groom in livery1 and two saddle-horses4 ,footnote #if3 ,also ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ib4 ,footnote #ig3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ia1 #ib1 note4 ,north4--,is it possible8 ,and these great men were of your family1 ,mr4 ,landor6 ,landor4--,i have told you so1 sir--,philip was one of my ,savage ancestors1 #ih and he and ,boulter married sisters1 who were also ,savages4 ,footnote #ih3 ,vol4 iii4 p4 #ib1 note4 ,north4--,you have lived a good while in ,italy8 ,you like the ,italians1 ,i believe8 ,landor4--,i despise and abominate the ,italians2 and ,i have taken some pains to show it in various ways4 ,during my long residence at ,florence ,i was the only ,englishman there1 ,i believe1 who never went to court1 leaving it to my hatter1 who was a very honest man1 and my breeches-maker1 who never failed to fit me4 #ii ,the ,italians were always--far exceeding all other nations--parsimonious and avaricious1 the ,tuscans beyond all other ,italians1 the ,florentines beyond all other ,tuscans4 #ajj ,footnote #ii3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #ahe4 ,footnote #ajj3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bai4 ,north4--,but even ,saul was softened by music3 surely that of ,italy must have sometimes soothed you8 ,landor4--,opera was1 among the ,romans1 labour1 as operae pretium1 c4 ,it now signifies the most contemptible of performances1 the vilest office of the feet and tongue4 #aja ,footnote #aja3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bab4 ,north4--,but the sculptors1 the painters1 the architects of ,italy8 ,you smile disdainfully1 ,mr4 ,landor6 ,landor4--,i do2 their sculpture and painting have been employed on most ignoble objects--on scourgers and hangmen1 on beggarly enthusiasts and base impostors4 ,look at the two masterpieces of the pencil2 the ,transfiguration of ,raphael1 and the ,st4 ,jerome of ,correggio2 #ajb can any thing be more incongruous1 any thing more contrary to truth and history8 ,footnote #ajb3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #aji1 note4 ,north4--,there have been able ,italian writers both in verse and prose8 ,landor4--,in verse not many1 in prose hardly any4 ,north4--,boccaccio8 ,landor4--,he is entertaining4 ,north4--,machiavelli8 ,landor4--,a coarse comedian4 #ajc ,footnote #ajc3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #beb4 ,north4--,you honour ,ariosto8 ,landor4--,i do not4 ,ariosto is a plagiary1 the most so of all poets4 #ajd ,ariosto is negligent2 his plan inartificial1 defective1 bad4 ,footnote #ajd3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bij4 ,north4--,you protect ,tasso8 ,landor4--,i do1 especially against his ,french detractors4 ,north4--,but you esteem the ,french8 ,landor4--,i despise and abominate the ,french4 ,north4--,and their literature6 ,landor4--,and their literature4 ,as to their poets1 bad as ,ariosto is1 divide the ,orlando into three parts1 and take the worst of them1 and although it may contain a large portion of extremely vile poetry1 it will contain more of good than the whole ,french language4 #aje ,footnote #aje3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bij4 ,north4--,is ,boileau so very contemptible8 ,landor4--,beneath contempt4 ,he is a grub4 #ajf ,footnote #ajf3 ,see ,mr4 ,landor's ,polite ,conversation with ,de ,lille1 ,vol4 i4 and ,note at the end1 p4 #cji1 #caj4 ,north4--,racine8 ,landor4--,diffuse1 feeble1 and1 like ,boileau1 meanly thievish4 ,the most admired verse of ,racine is stolen1 #ajg so is almost every other that is of any value4 ,footnote #ajg3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bic1 #bid4 ,north4--,but ,voltaire1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,landor4--,voltaire1 sir1 was a man of abilities1 and author of many passable epigrams1 besides those which are contained in his tragedies and heroics1 #ajh though1 like ,parisian lackeys1 they are usually the smartest when out of place4 ,i tell you ,i detest and abominate every thing ,french4 #aji ,footnote #ajh3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #bed4 ,footnote #aji3 ,we1 however1 find ,mr4 ,landor giving the ,french credit for their proceedings in one remarkable instance1 and it is so seldom that we catch him in good-humour with any thing1 that we will not miss an opportunity of exhibiting him in an amiable light4 ,this champion of the liberties of the world1 who has cracked his lungs in endeavouring1 on the shores of ,italy1 to echo the lament of ,byron over ,greece1 and who denounced the powers of ,europe for suffering the ,duke d',angoulme to assist his cousin ,ferdinand in retaking the ,trocadero1 yet approves of ,french proceedings in ,spain on a previous occasion4 ,admiring reader6 you shall hear ,sir ,oracle himself again3-- ,the laws and institutions introduced by the ,french into ,spain were excellent1 and the king 7,joseph ,bonaparte67 was liberal1 affable1 sensible1 and humane4 ,poor ,trelawney1 the friend of ,byron1 is made to talk thus6 ,both ,trelawney and ,odysseus the noble ,greek1 to whom he addresses himself1 were more likely to participate in the indignation of a high-minded ,spaniard1 so vividly expressed by a high-minded ,englishman in the following sonnet3-- ,we can endure that he should waste our lands1 ,despoil our temples1 and1 by sword and flame1 ,return us to the dust from which we came2 ,such food a tyrant's appetite demands3 ,and we can brook the thought1 that by his hands ,spain may be overpower'd1 and he possess1 ,for his delight1 a solemn wilderness1 ,where all the brave lie dead4 ,but1 when of bands ,that he will break for us he dares to speak1 ,of benefits1 and of a future day ,when our enlighten'd minds shall bless his sway-- ,then the strain'd heart of fortitude proves weak2 ,our groans1 our blushes1 our pale cheeks declare ,that he has power to inflict what we lack strength to bear4 ,north4--,well1 ,mr4 ,landor1 we have rambled over much ground2 we have journeyed from ,dan to ,beersheba1 and found all barren4 ,let us return home4 ,landor4--,before we do so1 let me observe1 that among several noted ,italians whom you have not glanced at1 there is one whom ,i revere--,alfieri4 ,he was the greatest man of his time in ,europe1 though not acknowleged or known to be so2 #aaj and he well knew his station as a writer and as a man4 ,had he found in the world five equal to himself1 he would have walked out of it not to be jostled4 #aaa ,footnote #aaj3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #bda4 ,footnote #aaa3 ,vol4 ii4 p4 #beh4 ,north4--,he would have been sillier1 then1 than the flatulent frog in the fable4 ,yet ,alfieri's was1 indeed1 no ordinary mind1 and he would have been a greater poet than he was1 had he been a better man4 ,i admire his ,bruto ,primo as much as you do1 and ,i am glad to hear you give your suffrage so heartily in favour of any one4 ,landor4--,sir1 ,i admire the man as much as ,i do the poet4 ,it is not every one who can measure his height2 ,i can4 ,north4--,pop6 there you go6 you have got out of the bottle again1 and are swelling and vapouring up to the clouds4 ,do lower yourself to my humble stature1 7,i am six feet four in my slippers47 ,alfieri reminds me of ,byron4 ,what of him8 ,landor4--,a sweeper of the ,haram4 #aab ,a sweeper of the ,haram is equally in false costume whether assuming the wreath of ,musaeus or wearing the bonnet of a captain of ,suliotes4 ,i ought to have been chosen a leader of the ,greeks4 ,i would have led them against the turbaned ,turk to victory1 armed not with muskets or swords but with bows and arrows1 and mailed not in steel cuirasses or chain armour but in cork caps and cork shirts4 ,nothing is so cool to the head as cork1 and by the use of cork armour the soldier who cannot swim has all the advantage of him who can4 ,at the head of my swimming archers ,i would have astonished the admirers of ,leander and ,byron in the ,dardanelles1 and ,i would have proved myself a ,duck worth two of the gallant ,english admiral who tried in vain to force that passage4 ,the ,sultan should have beheld us in ,stamboul1 and we would have fluttered his dovecote within the ,capi--- ,footnote #aab3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #cja4--,vol4 ii4 p4 #bbb1 #bbc4 ,north4--,i will not tempt you further4 ,let us proceed to business4 ,to what am ,i indebted for the honour of this visit1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,landor4--,i sent you the manuscript of a new ,imaginary ,conversation between ,porsou and ,southey4 ,north4--,a sort of abnegation of your former one4 ,for what purpose did you send it to me8 ,landor4--,for your perusal4 ,have you read it8 ,north4--,i have1 and ,i do not find it altogether new4 ,landor4--,how8 ,north4--,i have seen some part of it in print before4 ,landor4--,where8 ,north4--,in a production of your own4 ,landor4--,impossible6 ,north4--,in a rhymed lampoon printed in ,london in #ahcf4 ,it is called ,a ,satire on ,satirists1 and ,admonition to ,detractors4 ,do you know such a thing8 ,landor4--7,aside4 ,unlucky6 some good-natured friend has sent him that suppressed pamphlet47 ,yes1 ,mr4 ,north2 a poetical manifesto of mine with that title was printed but not published4 ,north4--,no1 only privately distributed among friends4 ,it contained some reflections on ,wordsworth4 ,landor4--,it did4 ,north4--,why did you suppress it8 ,landor4--,because ,i was ashamed of it4 ,byron and others had anticipated me4 ,i had produced nothing either new or true to damage ,wordsworth4 ,north4--,yet you have now1 in this article that you offer me1 reproduced the same stale gibes4 ,landor4--,but ,i have kept them in salt for six years3 they will now have more flavour4 ,i have added some spice1 too4 ,north4--,which you found wrapt up in old leaves of the ,edinburgh ,review4 ,landor4--,not the whole of it2 a part was given to me by acquaintances of the poet4 ,north4--,eavesdroppers about ,rydal ,mount and ,trinity ,lodge4 ,it was hardly worth your acceptance4 ,landor4--,then you refuse my article4 ,north4--,it is a rare article1 ,mr4 ,landor--a brave caricature of many persons and things2 but1 before ,i consent to frame it in ebony1 we must come to some understanding about other parts of the suppressed pamphlet4 ,here it is4 ,i find that in this atrabilarious effusion you have treated ourselves very scurvily4 ,at page #i ,i see1 ,sooner shall ,tuscan ,vallambrosa lack wood1 ,than ,britain1 ,grub street1 ,billingsgate1 and ,blackwood4 ,then there is a note at page #aj3 ,who can account for the eulogies of ,blackwood on ,sotheby's ,homer as compared with ,pope's and ,cowper's8 ,eulogy is not reported to be the side he lies upon1 in general4 ,on the same page1 and the next1 you say of ,us1 high ,churchmen and high ,tories1 ,beneath the battlements of ,holyrood ,there never squatted a more sordid brood ,than that which now1 across the clotted perch1 ,crookens the claw and screams for ,court and ,church4 ,then again at page #ab1 ,look behind you1 look6 ,there issues from the ,treasury1 dull and dry as ,the leaves in winter1 ,gifford and ,matthias4 ,brighter and braver ,peter ,pindar started1 ,and ranged around him all the lighter-hearted1 ,when ,peter ,pindar sank into decline1 ,up from his hole sprang ,peter ,porcupine ,all which is nothing to ,us1 but what does it lead to8 ,him ,w 444 son follow'd-- ,why those dots1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,him ,w 444 son follow'd1 of congenial quill1 ,as near the dirt and no less prone to ill4 ,walcot1 of ,english heart1 had ,english pen1 ,buffoon he might be1 but for hire was none2 ,nor plumed and mounted in ,professor's chair ,offer'd to grin for wages at a fair4 ,the rest is too foul-mouthed for repetition4 ,you are a man of nasty ideas1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,you append a note1 in which1 without any authority but common rumour1 you exhibit the learned ,professor as an important contributor to ,blackwood1 especially in those graces of delicate wit so attractive to his subcribers4 ,you declare1 too1 that we fight under cover1 and only for spite and pay2 that honester and wiser satirists were brave1 that-- ,their courteous soldiership1 outshining ours1 ,mounted the engine and took aim from towers2 ,but that ,from putrid ditches we more safely fight1 ,and push our zig-zag parallels by night4 ,again1 at page #ai-- ,the ,gentleman's1 the ,lady's we have seen1 ,now blusters forth the ,blackguard's ,magazine2 ,and 7,heaven from joint-stock companies protect us67 ,dustman and nightman issue their prospectus4 ,landor 7who has sate listening1 with a broad grin1 while ,mr4 ,north was getting rather red in the face47--,really1 ,mr4 ,north1 considering that you have followed the trade of a currier for the last thirty years1 you are remarkably sensitive to any little experiment on your own skin4 ,put what has my unpublished satire to do with our present affair8 ,north4--,the answer to that question ,i will borrow from the satire itself1 as you choose to term your scurrilous lampoon4 ,our present affair1 then1 is to consider whether ,walter ,savage ,landor1 ,imaginary ,conversation writer1 in rushlight emulation of the wax-candles that illumine our ,noctes1 shall be raised1 as he aspires1 to the dignity of ,fellow of the ,blackwood ,society4 ,in the note at page #ac of the said lampoon1 you state that ,lord ,byron declared that no gentleman could write in ,blackwood2 and you ask1 ,has this assertion been ever disproved by experiment8 ,now1 ,mr4 ,landor1 as you have thus adopted and often re-echoed ,lord ,byron's opinion1 that no gentleman could write in ,blackwood1 and yet wish to enrol yourself among our writers1 what is the inference8 ,landor4 ,that ,i confess myself no gentleman1 you would infer4 ,i make no such confession4 ,i would disprove ,byron's assertion1 by making the experiment4 ,north4 ,you do us too much honour4 ,yet reflect1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,after the character you have given us1 would you verily seek to be of our fraternity8 ,you who have denounced us so grandiloquently--you who claim credit for lofty and disinterested principles of action8 ,recollect that you have represented us as the worthy men who have turned into ridicule ,lamb1 ,keats1 ,hazlitt1 ,coleridge--7diverse metals curiously graduated67--all in short1 who1 recently dead1 are now dividing among them the admiration of their country4 ,whatever could lessen their estimation2 whatever could injure their fortune2 whatever could make their poverty more bitter2 whatever could tend to cast down their aspirations after fame2 whatever had a tendency to drive them to the grave which now has opened to them1 was incessantly brought into action against them by us zealots for religion and laws4 ,a more deliberate1 a more torturing murder1 never was committed1 than the murder of ,keats4 ,the chief perpetrator of his murder knew beforehand that he could not be hanged for it4 ,these are your words1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,landor4--,i do not deny them4 ,north4--,and in regard to the taste of the common public for ,blackwood's ,cordials1 you have said that1 to those who are habituated to the gin-shop1 the dram is sustenance1 and they feel themselves both uncomfortable and empty without the hot excitement4 ,blackwood's is really a gin-palace4 ,landor4--,all this ,i have both said and printed1 and the last sentence you have just read from my satire is preceded by one that you have not read4 ,an exposure of the impudence and falsehood of ,blackwood's ,magazine is not likely to injure its character1 or diminish the number of its subscribers2 and in this sentence you have the secret of my desire to become a contributor to ,blackwood4 ,i want a popular vehicle to convey my censures to the world1 especially on ,wordsworth4 ,i do not pretend to have any love for you and your brotherhood1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,but ,i dislike you less than ,i do ,wordsworth2 and ,i frankly own to you1 that the fame of that man is a perpetual blister to my self-love4 ,north4--,your habitual contemplation of his merits has confused you into a notion that they are your own1 and you think him an usurper of the laurel crown that is yours by the divine right of genius4 ,what an unhappy monomania6 ,still1 your application for redress to us is unaccountable4 ,you should know that we ,black ,foresters1 lawless as you may suppose us1 are ,wordsworth's liegemen4 ,he is our intellectual ,chief4 ,we call him the ,general6 ,we are ever busy in promoting his fame4 ,landor4--,you are always blowing hot and cold on it1 and have done so for years past4 ,one month you place him among the stars1 the next as low as the daisies4 ,north4--,and rightly too2 for both are the better for his presence4 ,landor4--,but you alternately worship and insult him1 as some people do their wooden idols4 ,north4--,if you must learn the truth1 then1 he has been to us1 in one sense1 nothing better than an unfeeling wooden idol4 ,some of us have been provoked by his indifference to our powers of annoyance1 and his ingratitude in not repaying eulogy in kind4 ,we have among ourselves a gander or two1 7no offence1 ,mr4 ,landor17 that1 forgetting they are webfooted1 pretend to a perch on the tall bay-tree of ,apollo1 and1 though heavy of wing1 are angry with ,wordsworth for not encouraging their awkward flights4 ,they1 like you1 accuse him of jealousy1 forsooth6 ,that is the reason that they are now gabbling at his knees1 now hissing at his heels4 ,moreover1 our caprices are not unuseful to our interests4 ,we alternately pique and soothe readers by them1 and so keep our customers4 ,as day is partitioned between light and darkness1 so has the public taste as to ,wordsworth been divided between his reverers and the followers of the ,jeffrey heresy4 ,after a lengthened winter1 ,wordsworth's glory is now in the long summer days2 all good judgments that lay torpid have been awakened1 and the light prevails against the darkness4 ,but as bats and owls1 the haters of light1 are ever most restless in the season when nights are shortest1 so are purblind egotists most uneasy when their dusky range is contracted by the near approach and sustained ascendancy of genius4 ,we now put up a screen for the weak-sighted1 now withdraw it from stronger eyes2 thus we plague and please all parties4 ,landor4--,except ,wordsworth1 whose eyelids are too tender to endure his own lustre reflected and doubled on the focus of your burnished brass4 ,he dreads the fate of ,milton1 blasted with excess of light4 ,north4 ,thank you1 sir2 that is an ingenious way of accounting for ,wordsworth's neglect of our luminous pages4 ,yet it rather sounds like irony1 coming from ,mr4 ,walter ,savage ,landor to the editor of ,the 7,not ,gentleman's7 ,magazine4 ,landor4--,pshaw6 still harping on my ,satire4 ,north4--,in that ,satire you have charged ,wordsworth with having talked of ,southey's poetry as not worth five shillings a ream4 ,so long as you refrained from publishing this invidious imputation1 even those few among ,wordsworth's friends who knew that you had printed it1 7,southey himself among the number17 might think it discreet to leave the calumny unregarded4 ,but ,i observe that you have renewed it1 in a somewhat aggravated form1 in the ,article that you now wish me to publish4 ,you here allege that ,wordsworth represented ,southey as an author1 all whose poetry was not worth five shillings4 ,you and ,i both know that ,wordsworth would not deign to notice such an accusation4 ,through good and evil report1 the brave man persevered in his ascent to the mountain-top1 without ever even turning round to look upon the rabble that was hooting him from its base2 and he is not likely now to heed such a charge as this4 ,but his friends may now ask1 on what authority it is published8 ,was it to you1 ,mr4 ,walter ,landor1 whom ,southey 7in his strange affection for the name of ,wat7 had honoured with so much kindness--to you whose matin chirpings he had so generously encouraged1 7as he did ,john ,jones's mellower song17--was it to you that ,wordsworth delivered so injurious a judgment on the works of your patron8 ,if so1 what was your reply8 #aac ,footnote #aac3 ,i lagg'd2 he 7,southey7 call'd me2 urgent to prolong ,my matin chirpings into mellower song4--,,landon4 ,landor4--,whether it was expressed to myself or not1 is of little consequence2 it has been studiously repeated1 and even printed by others as well as by me4 ,north4--,by whom8 ,landor4--,that1 too1 is of no importance to the fact4 ,north4--,i am thoroughly convinced that it is no fact1 and that ,wordsworth never uttered any thing like such an opinion in the sense that you report it4 ,he and ,southey have been constant neighbours and intimate friends for forty years2 there has never been the slightest interruption to their friendship4 ,every one that knows ,wordsworth is aware of his frank and fearless openness in conversation4 ,he has been beset for the last half century1 not only by genuine admirers1 but by the curious and idle of all ranks and of many nations1 and sometimes by envious and designing listeners1 who have misrepresented and distorted his casual expressions4 ,instances of negligent and infelicitous composition are numerous in ,southey1 as in most voluminous authors4 ,suppose some particular passage of this kind to have been under discussion1 and ,mr4 ,wordsworth to have exclaimed1 ,i would not give five shillings a ream for such poetry as that4 ,southey himself would only smile1 7he had probably heard ,wordsworth express himself to the same effect a hundred times72 but some insidious hearer catches at the phrase1 and reports it as ,wordsworth's sweeping denunciation of all the poetry that his friend has ever written1 in defiance of all the evidence to the contrary to be met with1 not only in ,wordsworth's every-day conversation1 but in his published works4 ,there is no man for whose genius ,mr4 ,wordsworth has more steadily or consistently testified his admiration than for ,southey's2 there is none for whom1 and for whose character1 he has evinced more affection and respect4 ,you and ,i1 who have both read his works1 and walked and talked with the ,old ,man of the ,mountain1 know that perfectly well4 ,you have perhaps been under his roof1 at ,rydal ,mount8 ,i have2 and over his dining-room fireplace ,i observed1 as hundreds of his visitors must have done1 five portraits--,chaucer's1 ,bacon's1 ,spenser's1 ,shakspeare's1 and ,milton's1 in one line4 ,on the same line is a bust on the right of these1 and a portrait on the left2 and there are no other ornaments on that wall of the apartment4 ,that bust and that portrait are both of ,southey1 the man whom you pretend he has so undervalued6 ,by the bye1 no one has been more ardent in praise of ,wordsworth than yourself4 ,landor4--,you allude to the first dialogue between ,southey and ,porson1 in ,vol4 i4 of my ,imaginary ,conversations4 ,north4--,not to that only1 though in that dialogue there are sentiments much at variance with those which you would now give out as ,porson's4 ,for example1 remember what ,porson there says of the ,laodamia4 ,landor4--,the most fervid expression in commendation of it is printed as ,porson's improperly1 as the whole context shows4 ,it should have been ,southey's4 ,north4--,so1 ,i perceive1 you say in this new dialogue2 and such a mode of attempting to turn your back on yourself1 to borrow a phrase from your friend ,lord ,castlereagh's rhetoric1 will be pronounced1 even by those who do not care a bawbee about the debate1 as not only ludicrous1 but pitiably shabby4 ,keep your seat1 ,mr4 ,landor1 and keep your temper for once in your life4 ,let us examine into this pretended mistake in your former dialogue about ,laodamia4 ,well1 as you are up1 do me the favour1 sir1 to mount the ladder1 and take down from yon top shelf the first volume of your ,conversations4 ,up in the corner1 on the left hand1 next the ceiling4 ,you see ,i have given you a high place4 ,landor4--,here is the book1 ,mr4 ,north2 it is covered with dust and cobwebs4 ,north4--,the fate of classics1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,they are above the reach of the housemaid1 except when she brings the ,turk's ,head to bear upon them4 ,now1 let us turn to the list of errata in this first volume4 ,we are directed to turn to page #eb1 line #d1 and for sugar-bakers1 read sugar-bakers' wives4 ,i turn to the page1 and find the error corrected by yourself2 as are all the press errors in these volumes1 which were presented by you to a friend4 ,i bought the whole set for an old song at a sale4 ,you see that the omitted word wives is carefully supplied by yourself1 in your own handwriting1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,on the same page1 only five lines below this correction1 is the identical passage that you would now transfer from ,porson to ,southey4 ,why did you not affix ,porson's name to the passage then1 when you were so vigilantly perfecting the very page8 ,why does no such correction appear even in the printed list of errata8 ,let us read the passage4 ,a current of rich and bright thoughts runs throughout the poem4 #aad ,pindar himself would not1 on that subject1 have braced one into more nerve and freshness1 nor ,euripides have inspired into it more tenderness and passion4 ,footnote #aad3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #eb4 ,landor4--,mr4 ,north1 ,i repeat that that sentence should have been printed as ,southey's1 not ,porson's4 ,north4--,yet it is quite consistent with a preceding sentence which you can by no ingenuity of after-thought withdraw from ,porson2 for the whole context forbids the possibility of its transition4 ,what does ,porson there testify of the ,laodamia8 ,that it is a composition such as ,sophocles might have exulted to own6--and a part of one of its stanzas might have been heard with shouts of rapture in the ,elysium the poet describes4 #aae ,footnote #aae3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #ea4 ,few persons will think that ,mr4 ,landor's drift1 which is obvious enough1 could be favoured if these passages could be all shuffled over to ,mr4 ,southey4 ,it would be unwise and inconsistent in ,mr4 ,landor of all men to intimate that ,southey's judgment in poetry was inferior to ,porson's2 for ,southey has been so singular as to laud some of ,mr4 ,landor's1 and ,mr4 ,landor has been so grateful as to proclaim ,southey the sole critic of modern times who has shown a delicate perception in poetry4 ,it is rash1 too1 in him to insinuate that ,southey's opinion could be influenced by his friendship2 for he1 the most amiable of men1 was nevertheless a friend of ,mr4 ,lander also4 ,but the only object of this argument is to show how mal-adroitly ,mr4 ,landor plays at thimblerig4 ,he lets us see him shift the pea4 ,as for the praise and censure contained in his dialogues1 we have no doubt that any one concerned willingly makes him a present of both4 ,it is but returning bad money to ,diogenes4 ,it is all ,mr4 ,landor's2 and1 lest there should be any doubt about the matter1 he has taken care to tell us that he has not inserted in his dialogues a single sentence written by1 or recorded of1 the persons who are supposed to hold them4--,see ,vol4 i4 p4 #if1 end of note4 ,these expressions are at least as fervid as those which you would reclaim from ,porson1 now that1 like a pettifogging practitioner1 you want to retain him as counsel against the most illustrious of ,southey's friends--the individual of whom in this same dialogue you cause ,southey to ask1 ,what man ever existed who spent a more retired1 a more inoffensive1 a more virtuous life1 than ,wordsworth1 or who has adorned it with nobler studies8--and what does ,porson answer8 ,i believe so2 ,i have always heard it2 and those who attack him with virulence or with levity are men of no morality and no reflection4 #aaf ,thus you print ,wordsworth's praise in rubric1 and fix it on the walls1 and then knock your head against them4 ,you must have a hard skull1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,footnote #aaf3 ,vol4 i4 p4 #dj4 ,landor4--,be civil1 ,mr4 ,north1 or ,i will brain you4 ,north4--,pooh1 pooh1 man6 all your ,welsh puddles1 which you call pools1 wouldn't hold my brains4 ,to return to your proffered article1 there is one very ingenious illustration in it4 ,diamonds sparkle the most brilliantly on heads stricken by the palsy4 ,landor4--,yes2 ,i flatter myself that ,i have there struck out a new and beautiful1 though somewhat melancholy thought4 ,north4--,new6 ,my good man1 it isn't yours2 you have purloined those diamonds4 ,landor4--,from whom8 ,north4--,from the very poet you would disparage--,wordsworth4 ,diamonds dart their brightest lustre ,from the palsy-shaken head4 ,those lines have been in print above twenty years4 ,landor4--,an untoward coincidence of idea between us4 ,north4--,both original1 no doubt2 only1 as ,puff says in the ,critic1 one of you thought of it the first1 that's all4 ,but how busy would ,wordsworth be1 and how we should laugh at him for his pains1 if he were to set about reclaiming the thousands of ideas that have been pilfered from him1 and have been made the staple of volumes of poems1 sermons1 and philosophical treatises without end6 ,he makes no stir about such larcenies4 ,and what a coil have you made about that eternal sea-shell1 which you say he stole from you1 and which1 we know1 is the true and trivial cause of your hostility towards him6 ,landor4--,surely ,i am an ill-used man1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,my poetry1 if not worth five shillings1 nor thanks1 nor acknowledgment1 was yet worth borrowing and putting on4 ,i1 the author of ,gebir1 ,mr4 ,north1 --do you mark me8 ,north4--,yes2 the author of ,gebir and ,gebirus2 think of that1 ,st4 ,crispin and ,crispanus6 ,sing me the fates of ,gebir1 and the ,nymph ,who challenged ,tamar to a wrestling match1 ,and on the issue pledged her precious shell4 ,above her knees she drew the robe succinct2 ,above her breast1 and just below her arms4 ',she1 rushing at him1 closed1 and floor'd him flat4 ,and carried off the prize1 a bleating sheep2 ,the sheep she carried easy as a cloak1 ,and left the loser blubbering from his fall1 ,and for his vanish'd mutton4 ,nymph divine6 ,i cannot wait describing how she came2 ,my glance first lighted on her nimble feet2 ,her feet resembled those long shells explored ,by him who1 to befriend his steed's dim sight1 ,would blow the pungent powder in his eye4' #aag ,is that receipt for horse eye-powder to be found in ,white's ,farriery1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,footnote #aag3 ,the lines within inverted commas1 are ,mr4 ,landor's1 without alteration4 ,landor4--,perhaps not1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,will you cease your fooling1 and allow me to proceed8 ,i1 the author of ,gebir1 never lamented when ,i believed it lost4 ,the ,,ms4 was mislaid at my grandmother's1 and lay undiscovered for four years4 ,i saw it neglected2 and never complained4 ,southey and ,forster have since given it a place whence men of lower stature are in vain on tiptoe to take it down4 ,it would have been honester and more decorous if the writer of certain verses had mentioned from what bar he took his wine4 #aah ,now keep your ears open1 ,mr4 ,north2 ,i will read my verses first1 and then ,wordsworth's4 ,here they are4 ,i always carry a copy of them both in my pocket4 ,listen6 ,footnote #aah3 ,mr4 ,landor's printed complaint1 verbatim1 from his ,satire on ,satirists4 ,north4--,list1 oh list6 ,i am all attention1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,landor 7reads47-- ,but ,i have sinuous shells of pearly hue ,within1 and they that lustre have imbibed ,in the sun's palace-porch1 where1 when unyoked1 ,his chariot-wheel stands midway in the wave4 ,shake one1 and it awakens--then apply ,its polish'd lip to your attentive ear1 ,and it remembers its august abodes1 ,and murmurs as the ocean murmurs there4 ,these are lines for you1 sir6 ,they are mine4 ,what do you think of them8 ,north4--,i think very well of them2 they remind one of ,coleridge's ,eolian ,harp4 ,they are very pretty lines1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,i have written some worse myself4 ,landor--,so has ,wordsworth4 ,attend to the echo in the ,excursion4 ,i have seen ,a curious child1 who dwelt upon a tract ,of inland ground1 applying to his ear ,the convolutions of a smooth-lipp'd shell1 ,to which1 in silence hush'd1 his very soul ,listen'd intensely1 and his countenance soon ,brighten'd with joy2 for1 murmuring from within1 ,were heard sonorous cadences1 whereby1 ,to his belief1 the monitor express'd ,mysterious union with its native sea4 ,north4--,there is certainly much resemblance between the two passages2 and1 so far as you have recited ,wordsworth's1 his is not superior to yours2 which very likely1 too1 suggested it2 though that is by no means a sure deduction1 for the thought itself is as common as the sea-shell you describe1 and1 in all probability1 at least as old as the ,deluge4 ,landor4--,it is but justice to add1 that this passage has been the most admired of any in ,mr4 ,wordsworth's great poem4 #aai ,footnote #aai3 ,from ,mr4 ,landor1 verbatim4 ,north4--,hout1 tout1 man6 ,the author of the ,excursion could afford to spare you a thousand finer passages1 and he would seem none the poorer4 ,as to the imputed plagiarism1 ,wordsworth would no doubt have avowed it had he been conscious that it was one1 and that you could attach so much importance to the honour of having reminded him of a secret in conchology1 known to every old nurse in the country1 as well as to every boy or girl that ever found a shell on the shore1 or was tall enough to reach one off a cottage parlour mantelpiece2 but which he could apply to a sublime and reverent purpose1 never dreamed of by them or you4 ,it is in the application of the familiar image1 that we recognise the master-hand of the poet4 ,he does not stop when he has described the toy1 and the effect of air within it4 ,the lute in ,hamlet's hands is not more philosophically dealt with4 ,there is a pearl within ,wordsworth's shell1 which is not to be found in your's1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,he goes on3-- ,even such a shell the universe itself ,is to the ear of ,faith2 and there are times1 ,i doubt not1 when to you it cloth impart ,authentic tidings of invisible things-- ,of ebb and flow1 and ever-during power1 ,and central peace subsisting at the heart ,of endless agitation4 ,these are the lines of a poet1 who not only stoops to pick up a shell now and then1 as he saunters along the sea-shore1 but who is accustomed to climb to the promontory above1 and to look upon the ocean of things3-- ,from those imaginative heights that yield ,far-stretching views into eternity4 ,do not look so fierce again1 ,mr4 ,landor4 ,you who are so censorious of self-complacency in others1 and indeed of all other people's faults1 real or imagined1 should endure to have your vanity rebuked4 ,landor4--,i have no vanity4 ,i am too proud to be vain4 ,north4--,proud of what8 ,landor4--,of something beyond the comprehension of a ,scotchman1 ,mr4 ,north--proud of my genius4 ,north4--,are you so very great a genius1 ,mr4 ,landor8 ,landor4--,i am4 ,almighty ,homer is twice far above ,troy and her towers1 ,olympus and ,jupiter4 ,first1 when ,priam bends before ,achilles1 and a second time1 when the shade of ,agamemnon speaks among the dead4 ,that awful spectre1 called up by genius in after-time1 shook the ,athenian stage4 ,that scene was ever before me2 father and daughter were ever in my sight2 ,i felt their looks1 their words1 and again ,i gave them form and utterance2 and1 with proud humility1 ,i say it-- ,i am tragedian in this scene alone4 ,station the ,greek and ,briton side by side ,and if derision be deserved--deride4 ,surely there can be no fairer method of overturning an offensive reputation1 from which the scaffolding is not yet taken down1 than by placing against it the best passages1 and most nearly parallel1 in the subject1 from schylus and ,sophocles4 ,to this labour the whole body of the ,scotch critics and poets are invited1 and1 moreover1 to add the ornaments of translation4 #abj ,footnote #abj3 ,this strange rhapsody is verily ,mr4 ,landor's4 ,it is extracted from his ,satire on the ,satirists4 ,north4--,so you are not only a match for schylus and ,sophocles1 but on a par with almighty ,homer when he is far above ,olympus and ,jove4 ,oh6 ho6 ho6 ,as you have long since recorded that modest opinion of yourself in print1 and not been lodged in ,bedlam for it1 ,i will not now take upon myself to send for a straight-waistcoat4 ,landor4--,is this the treatment ,i receive fron the ,editor of ,blackwood's ,magazine1 in return for my condescension in offering him my assistance8 ,give me back my manuscript1 sir4 ,i was indeed a fool to come hither4 ,i see how it is4 ,you ,scotchmen are all alike4 ,we consider no part of ,god's creation so cringing1 so insatiable1 so ungrateful as the ,scotch3 nevertheless1 we see them hang together by the claws1 like bats2 and they bite and scratch you to the bone if you attempt to put an ,englishman in the midst of them4 #aba ,but you shall answer for this usage1 ,mr4 ,north3 you shall suffer for it4 ,these two fingers have more power than all your malice1 sir1 even if you had the two ,houses of ,parliament to back you4 ,a pen6 ,you shall live for it4 #abb ,footnote #aba3 ,imaginary ,conversations1 vol4 iv1 p4 #bhc4 ,footnote #abb3 ,ibid4 vol4 i4 p4 #abf4 ,north4--,fair and softly1 ,mr4 ,landor2 ,i have not rejected your article yet4 ,i am going to be generous4 ,notwithstanding all your abuse of ,blackwood and his countrymen1 ,i consent to exhibit you to the world as a ,contributor to ,blackwood's ,magazine1 and1 in the teeth of all your recorded admiration of ,wordsworth1 ,i will allow you to prove yourself towards him a more formidable critic than ,wakley1 and a candidate for immortality with ,lauder4 ,do you rue8 ,landor4--,not at all4 ,i have past the ,rubicon4 ,north4--,is that a pun8 ,it is worthy of ,plato4 ,mr4 ,landor1 you have been a friend of ,wordsworth4 ,but1 as he says-- ,what is friendship8 ,do not trust her1 ,nor the vows which she has made2 ,diamonds dart their brightest lustre ,from the palsy-shaken head4 ,landor4--,i have never professed friendship for him4 ,north4--,you have professed something more1 then4 ,let me read a short poem to you1 or at least a portion of it4 ,it is an ,ode to ,wordsworth4 ,o ,,wordsworth6 ,that other men should work for me ,in the rich mines of poesy1 ,pleases me better than the toil ,of smoothing1 under harden'd hand1 ,with attic emery and oil1 ,the shining point for wisdom's wand1 ,like those ,,thou temperest 'mid the rills ,descending from thy native hills4 ,he who would build his fame up high1 ,the rule and plummet must apply1 ,nor say--,i'll do what ,i have plann'd1 ,before he try if loam or sand ,be still remaining in the place ,delved for each polish'd pillar's base4 ,with skilful eye and fit device ,,thou raisest every edifice3 ,whether in shelter'd vale it stand1 ,or overlook the ,dardan strand1 ,amid those cypresses that mourn ,laodamia's love forlorn4 ,four of the brightest intellects that ever adorned any age or country4 are then named1 and a fifth who1 though not equal to the least of them1 is not unworthy of their company2 and what follows8 ,i wish them every joy above ,that highly blessd spirits prove1 ,save one1 and that too shall be theirs1 ,but after many rolling years1 ,,when ',,mid ,,their ,,light ,,thy ,,light ,,appears4 ,here are ,chaucer1 ,shakspeare1 ,milton1 ,spenser1 ,dryden too1 all in bliss above1 yet not to be perfectly blest till the arrival of ,wordsworth among them6 ,who wrote that1 ,mr4 ,landor8 #abc ,footnote #abc3 ,whom ,mr4 ,l41 who is the most capricious as well as the most arrogant of censors1 sometimes takes into favour4 ,landor4--,i did1 ,mr4 ,north4 ,north4--,sir1 ,i accept your article4 ,it shall be published in ,blackwood's ,magazine4 ,good-morning1 sir4 ,landor4--,good-day1 sir4 ,let me request your particular attention to the correction of the press4 7,landor retires47 ,north4--,he is gone6 ,incomparable ,savage6 ,i cannot more effectually retaliate upon him for all his invectives against us than by admitting his gossiping trash into the ,magazine4 ,no part of the dialogue will be mistaken for ,southey's2 nor even for ,porson's inspirations from the brandy-bottle4 ,all the honour due to the author will be exclusively ,mr4 ,walter ,savage ,landor's2 and1 as it is certainly not worth five shillings1 no one will think it worth borrowing or putting on4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,burial ,,march ,,of ,,dundee4 ,sound the fife1 and raise the slogan--let the pibroch shake the air ,with its wild triumphal music1 worthy of the freight we bear2 ,let the ancient hills of ,scotland hear once more the battle song ,swell within their glens and valleys as the clansmen march along4 ,never1 from the field of combat1 never from the deadly fray1 ,was a nobler trophy carried than we bring with us to-day3 ,never1 since the valiant ,douglas in his dauntless bosom bore ,good ,king ,robert's heart--the priceless--to our dear ,redeemer's shore6 ,lo6 we bring with us the hero--,lo6 we bring the conquering ,graeme1 ,crown'd as best beseems a victor from the altar of his fame2 ,fresh and bleeding from the battle whence his spirit took its flight ,midst the crashing charge of squadrons1 and the thunder of the fight6 ,strike1 ,i say1 the notes of triumph1 as we march o'er moor and lea1 ,is there any here will venture to bewail our dead ,dundee8 ,let the widows of the traitors weep until their eyes are dim2 ,wail ye may indeed for ,scotland--let none dare to mourn for him6 ,see1 above his glorious body lies the royal banner's fold-- ,see1 his valiant blood is mingled with its crimson and its gold-- ,see how calm he looks and stately1 like a warrior on his shield1 ,waiting till the flush of morning breaks upon the battle field4 ,see--,o never more1 my comrades6 shall we see that falcon eye ,kindle with its inward lightning1 as the hour of fight drew nigh2 ,never shall we hear the voice that1 clearer than the trumpet's call1 ,bade us strike for ,king and ,country1 bade us win the field or fall6 ,on the heights of ,killiecrankie yester-morn our army lay3 ,slowly rose the mist in columns from the river's broken way1 ,hoarsely roar'd the swollen torrent1 and the pass was wrapp'd in gloom ,when the clansmen rose together from their lair among the broom4 ,then we belted on our tartans1 and our bonnets down we drew1 ,and we felt our broadswords' edges1 and we proved them to be true1 ,and we pray'd the prayer of soldiers1 and we cried the gathering cry1 ,and we clasp'd the hands of kinsmen1 and we swore to do or die6 ,then our leader rode before us on his war-horse black as night-- ,well the ,cameronian rebels knew that charger in the fight6-- ,and a cry of exultation from the bearded warriors rose1 ,for we loved the house of ,claver'se1 and we thought of good ,montrose4 ,but he raised his hand for silence--,soldiers1 ,i have sworn a vow2 ,ere the evening star shall glisten on ,schehallion's lofty brow1 ,either we shall rest in triumph1 or another of the ,graemes ,shall have died in battle harness for his country and ,king ,james6 ,think upon the ,royal ,martyr--think of what his race endure-- ,think on him whom butchers murder'd on the field of ,magus ,muir2-- ,by his sacred blood ,i charge ye--by the ruin'd hearth and shrine-- ,by the blighted hopes of ,scotland--by your injuries and mine-- ,strike this day as if the anvil lay beneath your blows the while1 ,be they ,covenanting traitors1 or the brood of false ,argyle6 ,strike6 and drive the trembling rebels backwards o'er the stormy ,forth2 ,let them tell their pale ,convention how they fared within the ,north4 ,let them tell that ,highland honour is not to be bought nor sold1 ,that we scorn their ,prince's anger1 as we loathe his foreign gold4 ,strike6 and when the fight is over1 if ye look in vain for me1 ,where the dead are lying thickest1 search for him who was ,dundee6 ,loudly then the hills re-echo'd with our answer to his call1 ,but a deeper echo sounded in the bosoms of us all4 ,for the lands of wide ,breadalbane1 not a man who heard him speak ,would that day have left the battle4 ,burning eye and flushing cheek ,told the clansmen's fierce emotion1 and they harder drew their breath1 ,for their souls were strong within them1 stronger than the grasp of death4 ,soon we heard a challenge-trumpet sounding in the pass below1 ,and the distant tramp of horses1 and the voices of the foe2 ,down we crouch'd amid the bracken1 till the ,lowland ranks drew near1 ,panting like the hounds in summer when they scent the stately deer4 ,from the dark defile emerging1 next we saw the squadrons come1 ,leslie's foot and ,leven's troopers marching to the tuck of drum2 ,through the scatter'd wood of birches1 o'er the broken ground and heath1 ,wound the long battalion slowly till they gain'd the field beneath1 ,then we bounded from our covert4--,judge how look'd the ,saxons then1 ,when they saw the rugged mountain start to life with armed men6 ,like a tempest down the ridges swept the hurricane of steel1 ,rose the slogan of ,macdonald--flash'd the broadsword of ,lochiel6 ,vainly sped the withering volley 'mongst the foremost of our band1 ,on we pour'd until we met them1 foot to foot1 and hand to hand4 ,horse and man went down like drift-wood1 when the floods are black at ,yule1 ,and their carcasses are whirling in the ,garry's deepest pool4 ,horse and man went down before us--living foe there tarried none ,on the field of ,killiecrankie1 when that stubborn fight was done6 ,and the evening star was shining on ,schehallion's distant head1 ,when we wiped our bloody broadswords and return'd to count the dead4 ,there we found him1 gash'd and gory1 stretch'd upon the cumber'd plain1 ,as he told us where to seek him1 in the thickest of the slain4 ,and a smile was on his visage1 for within his dying ear ,peal'd the joyful note of triumph and the clansmen's clamorous cheer2 ,so1 amidst the battle's thunder1 shot1 and steel1 and scorching flame1 ,in the glory of his manhood pass'd the spirit of the ,graeme6 ,open wide the vaults of ,athol1 where the bones of heroes rest-- ,open wide the hallow'd portals to receive another guest6 ,last of ,scots1 and last of freemen--last of all that dauntless race1 ,who would rather die unsullied than outlive the land's disgrace6 ,o thou lion-hearted warrior6 reck not of the after-time1 ,honour may be deem'd dishonour1 loyalty be called a crime4 ,sleep in peace with kindred ashes of the noble and the true1 ,hands that never fail'd their country1 hearts that never baseness knew4 ,sleep1 and till the latest trumpet wakes the dead from earth and sea1 ,scotland shall not boast a braver chieftain than our own ,dundee6 ,w4,e4,a4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,lord ,,ellenborough ,,and ,,the ,,whigs4 ,the period of a single year but just elapsed has exhibited in the neighbourhood of the ,indus events of the most memorable and momentous kind4 ,disasters the most disgraceful have been endured--victories the most brilliant have been achieved4 ,the policy and the fortunes of a mighty empire under one governor1 have been wholly reversed under another4 ,safety and security have been substituted for danger and dismay--a strong and dignified peace for a weak and aggressive war4 ,these changes have been coincident with a great revolution in domestic politics4 ,under ,whig auspices those evils had arisen which their successors have now redressed4 ,under the administration of ,whigs1 that flood of calamity was opened up which has been arrested without their aid2 but which could not have continued its threatened course without the most perilous consequences to the country1 and the heaviest burden of responsibility on the authors of the mischief4 ,in such circumstances it might have been expected--if manly courage or common decency were to be looked for in such a quarter--that on these ,eastern questions the ,whig party should this session have followed one or other of two courses3 either that they should have taken a bold line of opposition1 and vindicated their own ,indian policy1 while they attacked that of their successors3 or that they should have preserved a prudent silence on subjects where they could say nothing in their own praise1 and have only lifted up their voice to join the general acclamations of the country for successes in which1 though not achieved by themselves1 they had the best reason to rejoice1 as shielding them from the ignominy and punishment which1 in an opposite event1 would have been poured out by public indignation on the heads of the original wrongdoers4 ,a strong or an honest party would have chosen one or other of these lines4 ,but the ,whigs are neither strong nor honest2 and they have accordingly1 in the late ,indian discussions in ,parlament1 pursued a course of policy in which it is difficult to say whether feebleness or fraud be the more conspicuous4 ,they have not ventured to vindicate their own conduct in invading the ,affghan country3 they have not dared to dispute the wisdom of their successors in retiring from it1 when the object of a just retribution was accomplished4 ,but while driven from these points--while forced to acknowledge the ability and judgment with which the present ,governor-,general has applied the forces of the empire to retrieve our honour and reputation in the ,east--while unable to point to a single practical measure as either improperly taken1 or improperly omitted by him1 the ,whigs could not refrain1 on some pretext or other1 from marring the general joy by the discordant hissings of an impotent envy4 ,experiencing in an unparalleled degree both the indulgence of a generous nation1 who are willing to forget the past in the enjoyment of the present1 and the forbearance of high-minded opponents1 who could easily have triumphed in the exposure of their disastrous blunders1 the ,whigs have made a characteristic return1 by rancorously assailing the man whom the public views as its benefactor1 with captious criticisms on the terms of a proclamation1 or hypocritical objections to the transmission of a trophy4 ,with that cunning which the faction have often shown in the use of apparent opportunities1 they gained the reluctant concurrence of a few upright men1 of whose peculiar scruples they contrived to avail themselves1 but with an ignorance of the true ,english character1 for which they are equally distinguished1 they overshot the mark1 and stand convicted of a design to make a verbal misconstruction the pretence for persecuting an absent man1 and to convert honest prejudices into an unconscious instrument of oppression4 ,they have thus earned a large allowance of general contempt1 and they have nowhere1 perhaps1 excited a stronger feeling of disgust than in the minds of those who thought themselves compelled1 by a rigid conscience1 to give a seeming concurrence to their proceedings4 ,in judging of the conduct and position of ,lord ,ellenborough1 it were gross ingratitude and injustice to forget the nature of the calamities with which ,india was assailed and threatened at the commencement of his goverment4 ,in the second week of ,march #ahdb1 the overland mail from the ,east conveyed intelligence to our shores which struck the nation to the very heart1 and spread one universal feeling of grief and dismay1 approaching for a time as near to a feeling of despondency as ,english breasts can be taught to know4 ,let us describe the effect in the words of an impartial observer writing at the time3-- ,no such disastrous news has for many years reached this country as that which has arrived from ,india4 ',the progress of our arms' was carried merrily on1 till our flag was set beside that of our puppet1 ,shah ,soojah1 in ,cabul2 but there the progress has abruptly terminated in the total engulfing of 'our arms4' ,yes1 ,sir ,william ,macnaghten had just written home to declare our supremacy established1 when all ,cabul rose beneath his feet4 ,sir ,alex4 ,burnes was the first swallowed in the earthquake of arms2 next ,sir ,william himself1 governor of ,bombay1 and representative of the power of ,england in ,north-,western ,india1 was destroyed1 and his mutilated remains were made the object of ignominious ribaldry2 and at length1 if very general rumour is to be believed1 the ,english army of occupation has been literally expunged4 ,corunna1 ,walcheren1 all the reverses that have chequered our military career1 baffle the memory to find a parallel to the utter defeat which1 in the eyes of the barbarians of the ,indian frontier1 has crushed our power4--,spectator1 p4 #bdb4 ,these were the feelings that possessed this country1 and which wrung1 even from the ,whigs1 with every wish to palliate them1 an acknowledgment of the heavy disasters which had befallen us4 ,pressed with the weight of these convictions1 ,mr4 ,macaulay1 in a debate on the ,income-tax1 in ,april #ahdb1 after cannily disclaiming any responsibility for the ,affghan invasion1 as having been effected before he joined the ,government1 was driven to deplore these military reverses as the greatest disaster that had ever befallen us3 and added1 somewhat incongruously3-- ,he did not anticipate1 if we acted with vigour1 the least danger to our empire2 though it must always be remembered that a great ,mahometan success could not but fall like a spark upon tinder1 and act on the freemasonry of ,islamism from ,morocco to ,coromandel4 ,what1 then1 must have been the feeling in ,india1 in the very focus of this calamitous visitation8 ,lord ,auckland's despatches1 now made public1 will tell us what he felt4 ,that he contemplated from the first the total and instant evacuation of ,affghanistan1 without attempting a blow for the vindication of our honour1 or the release of the prisoners1 is past all dispute1 from documents under his own hand4 ,whether he is to be blamed for this resolution1 or for the state of matters which rendered it necessary1 is not here the question4 ,but the fact is remarkable1 as throwing further light on the effrontery of the ,whigs4 ,lord ,palmerston1 in last ,august1 twitted the ,ministry with ,lord ,ellenborough's supposed intention to retire from beyond the ,indus1 and congratulated the country on the frustration of that intention1 as having saved us from the eternal disgrace4 ,he was answered by the ,prime ,minister at the time in terms that might have been a warning1 and that are now no longer a mystery4 ,the noble lord presumed much on my forbearance1 in what he said with respect to the ,affghan war3 and ,i will not be betrayed by any language of his to forget what ,i owe to the public service in replying to him4 ,it is easy to say1 why don't you move troops to ,candahar2 and why don't you move troops somewhere else8 ,the noble lord finds no difficulty in this2 but does he recollect that #bf1jjj camels1 carrying the baggage of the troops in ,affghanistan1 were sacrificed before they reached it8 ,the noble lord says1 ',who contemplated the abandonment of ,affghanistan8' ,i could tell the noble lord4 ,beware1 ,i say2 let the noble lord beware of indiscriminate reflections upon those in office4 ,it is now known who contemplated the abandonment of ,affghanistan1 without a struggle to punish the perfidy of the ,affghans1 to avenge the insults to our honour1 or to redress the wrongs of our countrymen4 ,lord ,auckland resolved on this course1 without even an aspiration after any thing better than a safe retreat4 ,nor is such a resolution to be wondered at when the state of our military preparations is considered4 ,a letter from ,sir ,jasper ,nicolls1 of #bdth ,january #ahdb1 to the statements in which we see no contradiction in the ,blue ,book1 exhibits at once the condition of our resources1 and the feelings of the head of the ,indian army4 ,after ,i had dispatched my letter to your ,lordship in ,council1 ,i received the note1 of which ,i transmit a copy herewith1 from the ,adjutant-,general1 and ,i had a second discussion with ,mr4 ,clerk on the subject of holding our ground at ,jellalabad against any ,affghan power or force1 in view to retrieving our position at ,cabul1 by advancing upon it1 at the fit season1 simultaneously from ,candahar to ,jellalabad4 ,having thus regained our position1 and the influence which such proof of power must give1 not only in ,affghanistan but amongst all the neighbouring states1 we should withdraw with dignity and undiminished honour4 ,admitting the undeniable force of this argument1 ,i am greatly inclined to doubt that we have at present either army or funds sufficient to renew this contest4 ,money may1 perhaps1 be attainable1 but soldiers are not1 without leaving ,india bare4 ,shortly before ,i left ,calcutta1 there were at least #cc1jjj men in our pay in ,affghanistan and ,scinde1 including ,shah ,soojah's troops1 but not the rabble attached to his person4 ,how insufficient that number has been to awe the barbarous and at first disunited tribes of ,affghanistan and ,scinde1 our numerous conflicts1 our late reverses1 and our heavy losses fully prove4 ,i admit that a blind confidence in persons around the late envoy--a total want of forethought and foresight on his part--unaccountable indecision at first1 followed by cessions which1 day by day1 rendered our force more helpless--inactivity1 perhaps1 on some occasions--have led to these reverses2 but we must not overlook the effects of climate1 the difficulty of communication1 the distance from our frontier1 and the fanatical zeal of our opponents4 ,no doubt your lordship can cause an army to force its way to ,cabul1 if you think our name and predominance in ,india cannot otherwise be supported2 but our means are utterly insufficient to insure our dominion over that country4 ,if this be granted1 the questions for your lordship's decision are--whether we shall retake ,cabul1 to assert our paramount power2 and whether1 if we subsequently retire1 our subjects and neighbours will not attribute our withdrawal even then1 to conscious inability to hold the country4 ,in the same spirit the ,commander-in-chief1 in the beginning of ,february transmitted to ,general ,pollock1 with the acquiescence of lord ,auckland1 to whom he communicated his letter1 the following explanation of the views of ,government3-- ,you may deem it perfectly certain that ,government will not do more than detach this brigade1 and this in view to support ,major-,general ,sale1 either at ,jellalabad for a few weeks1 or to aid his retreat2 very probably also to strengthen the ,sikhs at ,peshawar for some time4 ,it is not intended to collect a force for the reconquest of ,cabul4 ,you will convey the preceding paragraph1 if you safely can1 to the ,major-,general4 ,such being the desponding views of the authorities stationed on the spot1 what must have been the anxiety of the new ,governor-,general on his arrival in ,india1 when this scene of disaster suddenly opened upon him with a succession of still further calamities in its train8 ,we cannot better describe his position than in the words of ,sir ,robert ,peel1 in his speech on the ,whig motion for censure-- ,the moment he set foot in ,madras1 what intelligence met him6--the day he arrived at ,benares1 what a succession of events took place1 calculated to disturb the firmest mind1 and to infuse apprehensions into the breast of the boldest man6 ,it has been said the cry in ,england was1 ',what next8' ,that was a question which ,lord ,ellenborough had to put to himself for four or five days after his arrival4 ,he lands at ,madras on the #aeth of ,february1 presuming at the time that his predecessor had secured the admirable position so frequently spoken of in ,affghanistan4 ,he lands at ,madras1 after a four months' voyage1 in necessary ignorance of all that had occurred in that interval of time1 and to his astonishment he hears of the insurrection at ,cabul4 ,he receives tidings that ,sir ,william ,macnaghten and ,sir ,alexander ,burnes1 the envoy and representative of the ,british ,government1 had been murdered2 that the city was in a state of insurrection1 and that doubts were entertained as to the security of the ,british army4 ,what next8 ,he arrives at ,calcutta1 and there hears of the orders of his predecessor to hasten the evacuation of ,affghanistan1 for the noble reason of inflicting as little discredit as possible upon the ,british powers4 ,he repairs to ,benares1 and there he hears the tremendous news that not only you had lost power in ,affghanistan1 but that you had so depressed the spirits and shaken the confidence of the native army1 that ,general ,pollock gives this melancholy account in a letter to ,captain ,m',gregor3 --',it must no doubt appear to you and ,sale most extraordinary1 that1 with the force ,i have here1 ,i do not at once move on2 ,god knows it has been my anxious wish to do so1 but ,i have been helpless4 ,i came on ahead to ,peshawar to arrange for an advance1 but was saluted with a report of #aijj sick1 and a bad feeling among the ,sepoys4 ,i visited the hospitals1 and endeavoured to encourage by talking to them1 but they had no heart4 ,on the #ast instant the feeling on the part of the ,sepoys broke out1 and ,i had the mortification of knowing that the ,hindoos of four out of five native corps refused to advance4 ,i immediately took measures to sift the evil1 and gradually reaction has taken place1 in the belief that ,i will wait for the reinforcements4 ,this has caused me the utmost anxiety on your account2 your situation is never out of my thoughts2 but having told you what ,i have1 you and ,sale will at once see that necessity has kept me here4 ,i verily believe1 if ,i were to attempt to move on now without the reinforcement1 that the four regiments implicated would1 as far as the ,hindoos are concerned1 stand fast4 ,the case1 therefore1 now stands thus--whether ,i am to attempt1 with my present materials1 to advance1 and risk the appearance of disaffection or cowardice1 which in such a case could not again be got over1 or wait the arrival of a reinforcement1 which will make all sure--this is the real state of the case4 ,if ,i attempted now1 ,i might risk you altogether2 but if you can hold out1 the reinforcements would make your relief as certain as any earthly thing can be4' ,what next8 ,on the #agth of ,april1 ,lord ,ellenborough hears of the failure of ,general ,england to force the ,kojuck ,pass4 ,on the #aith of ,april he hears that ,ghuznee has fallen4 ,and what next8 ,this was a question which1 ,i repeat1 ,lord ,ellenborough had from day to day to put to himself4 ,but what next8 ,lord ,ellenborough had to contemplate the retirement of the ,british force from ,afghanistan4 ,this was due to the safety of the ,british army1 after the proof that the king you had set upon the throne had no root in the affections of the people1 and that the army in possession of ,affghanistan was separated from supplies by a distance of #fjj miles4 ,finding this state of things1 ,lord ,ellenborough thought he had no alternative but to bring the troops within the borders of ,british protection4 ,for that difficult operation your policy1 and not that of ,lord ,ellenborough1 is responsible4 ,those who involved the country in an expedition of this kind1 ought justly to be responsible for its retirement4 ,it is needless to detail the difficulties in which the armies of ,general ,pollock and ,general ,nott were then placed4 ,despondency and desertion prevailed among the native troops1 so as to render any advance in the utmost degree hazardous1 even if they had been capable of moving4 ,but of the means even of retrograde motion they were utterly destitute4 ,the explanations given in ,parliament on the vote of thanks to the army and the ,governor-,general1 establish beyond a doubt the absence of all means of carriage till the indefatigable exertions of ,lord ,ellenborough supplied them with every thing that was needed4 ,the ,whigs affect to disparage these arrangements as belonging to the vulgar department of a ,commissary-,general2 and we may therefore infer that ,lord ,ellenborough's predecessor would have deemed such a task beneath his dignity1 and left it to some delegate1 who might have performed or neglected his duty1 as accident might direct4 ,had that been the case1 the chances are at least equal1 that ,lord ,auckland would have been as well and as successfully served in this branch of military administration as he had already been in the occupation of ,cabul1 and that further failures and reverses would have hung the tenure of our ,indian empire on the cast of a die4 ,the evacuation of ,affghanistan at the earliest possible period1 was dictated both by the proceedings of ,lord ,auckland1 by the condition of ,india1 and by the peaceful policy of a ,conservative ,government4 ,but the mode in which it should be accomplished1 and the demonstrations of ,british power which should attend it1 were necessarily questions depending entirely upon military considerations2 and for several months it seemed impossible that our armies could be put in a state of moral and physical strength1 such as could justify the risk of any forward or devious movement of importance4 ,the indefatigable zeal and admirable arrangements1 however1 of the ,governor-,general1 his personal presence near the scene of exertion1 the concentration of a large and imposing force on the ,sutlej1 giving courage and security to the troops in the field1 and the undaunted spirit of ,british officers1 succeeded at last in giving1 an altered and more encouraging complexion to the aspect of our affairs4 ,in one of the first statements of his views1 ,lord ,ellenborough had significantly said1 7#aeth ,march #ahdb37-- ,we are fully sensible of the advantages which would be derived from the re-occupation of ,cabul1 the scene of our great disaster and of so much crime1 even for week--of the means which it might afford of recovering the prisoners1 of the gratification which it would give to the army1 and of the effect which it would have upon our enemies4 ,our withdrawal might then be made to rest upon an official declaration of the grounds upon which we retired1 as solemn as that which accompanied our advance2 and we should retire as a conquering1 and not as a defeated1 power4 ,but it was only in ,july that the ,governor-,general was in a condition to suggest the practical accomplishment of this desirable object1 incidentally to our retirement from a country which we should never have entered4 ,on the #dth ,july is dated the admirable despatch to ,general ,nott1 which1 in the opinion of the ,duke of ,wellington1 was all that could have been wished for1 and which we cannot help transferring to our columns3-- ,you will have learnt from ,mr4 ,maddock's letters of the #acth ,may and #ast of ,june1 that it was not expected that your movement towards the ,indus could be made till ,october1 regard being had to the health and efficiency of your army4 ,you appear to have been able to give a sufficient equipment to the force you recently despatched to ,kelat-i-,ghilzie1 under ,colonel ,wymer2 and since his return1 you will have received1 as ,i infer from a private letter addressed by ,major ,outram to ,captain ,durand1 my private secretary1 a further supply of #cjjj camels4 ,i have now1 therefore1 reason to suppose1 for the first time1 that you have the means of moving a very large proportion of your army1 with ample equipment for any service4 ,there has been no deficiency of provisions at ,candahar at any time2 and1 immediately after the harvest1 you will have an abundant supply4 ,nothing has occurred to induce me to change my first opinion1 that the measure1 commanded by considerations of political and military prudence1 is to bring back the armies now in ,affghanistan at the earliest period at which their retirement can be effected1 consistently with the health and efficiency of the troops1 into positions wherein they may have easy and certain communication with ,india2 and to this extent1 the instructions you have received remain unaltered4 ,but the improved position of your army1 with sufficient means of carriage for as large a force as it is necessary to move in ,affghanistan1 induced me now to leave to your option the line by which you shall withdraw your troops from that country4 ,i must desire1 however1 that1 in forming your decision upon this most important question1 you will attend to the following considerations3-- ,in the direction of ,quetta and ,sukkur1 there is no enemy to oppose you2 at each place occupied by detachments1 you will find provisions3 and probably1 as you descend the passes1 you will have increased means of carriage4 ,the operation is one admitting of no doubt as to its success4 ,if you determine upon moving upon ,ghuznee1 ,cabul1 and ,jellalabad1 you will require1 for the transport of provisions1 a much larger amount of carriage1 and you will be practically without communications from the time of your leaving ,candahar4 ,dependent entirely upon the courage of your army1 and upon your own ability in direction it1 ,i should not have any doubt as to the success of the operations2 but whether you will be able to obtain provisions for your troops during the whole march1 and forage for your animals1 may be a matter of reasonable doubt4 ,yet upon this your success will turn4 ,you must remember that it was not the superior courage of the ,affghans1 but want1 and the inclemency of the season1 which led to the destruction of the army at ,cabul2 and you must feel1 as ,i do1 that the loss of another army1 from whatever cause it might arise1 might be fatal to our government in ,india4 ,i do not undervalue the account which our government in ,india would receive from the successful execution by your army of a march through ,ghuznee and ,cabul1 over the scenes of our late disasters4 ,i know all the effect with it would have upon the minds of our soldiers1 of our allies1 of our enemies in ,asia1 and of our countrymen1 and of all foreign nations in ,europe4 ,it is an object of just ambition1 which no one more than myself would rejoice to see effected2 but ,i see that failure in the attempt is certain and irretrievable ruin2 and ,i would endeavour to inspire you with the necessary caution1 and make you feel that1 great as are the objects to be obtained by success1 the risk is great also4 ,if you determine upon moving by ,ghuznee1 and entirely give up your communication by ,quetta1 ,i should suggest that you should take with you only the most efficient troops and men you have1 securing the retreat of the remainder upon ,killa1 ,abdoola1 and ,quetta4 ,you will in such case1 consider it to be entirely a question to be decided by yourself1 according to circumstances1 whether you shall destroy or not the fortifications of ,candahar2 but1 before you set out upon your adventurous march1 do not fail to make the retirement of the force you leave behind you perfectly secure1 and give such instructions as you deem necessary for the ultimate retirement of the troops in ,scinde1 upon ,sukkur4 ,you will recollect that what you will have to make is a successful march2 that that march must not be delayed by any hazardous operations against ,ghuznee or ,cabul2 that you should carefully calculate the time required to enable you to reach ,jellalabad in the first week in ,october1 so as to form the rearguard of ,major-,general ,pollock's army4 ,if you should be enabled by coup-de-main to get possession of ,ghuznee and ,cabul1 you will act as you see fit1 and leave decisive proofs of the power of the ,british army1 without impeaching its humanity4 ,you will bring away from the tomb of ,mahmood of ,ghuznee1 his club1 which hangs over it2 and you will bring away the gates of his tomb1 which are the gates of the ,temple of ,somnauth4 ,these will be the just trophies of your successful march4 ,you will not fail to disguise your intention of moving1 and to acquaint ,major-,general ,pollock with your plans as soon as you have formed them4 ,a copy of this letter will be forwarded to ,major-,general ,pollock to-day2 and he will be instructed1 by a forward movement1 to facilitate your advance2 but he will probably not deem it necessary to move any troops actually to ,cabul1 where your force will be amply sufficient to beat any thing the ,affghans can oppose to it4 ,the operations1 however1 of the two armies must be combined upon their approach1 so as to effect1 with the least possible loss1 the occupation of ,cabul1 and keep open the communications between ,cabul and ,peshawar4 ,one apprehension upon my mind is1 that1 in the event of your deciding upon moving on ,jellalabad1 by ,ghuznee and ,cabul1 the accumulation of so great a force as that of your army1 combined with ,major-,general ,pollock's1 in the narrow valley of the ,cabul river1 may produce material difficulties in the matter of provisions and forage2 but every effort will be made from ,india to diminish that difficulty1 should you adopt that line of retirement4 ,this letter remains absolutely secret4 ,i have1 c4 ,,ellenborough4 ,a paltry attempt was made in ,parliament by ,lord ,john ,russell to represent this despatch as intended to defraud ,general ,nott of his military trophies in the event of success1 and to relieve the ,governor-,general of responsibility in the event of failure4 ,no such base construction can be put upon it4 ,lord ,ellenborough was doing his own duty as a civil minister1 and leaving ,general ,nott to do his as a military commander4 ,a military responsibility lay on ,general ,nott1 from which no ruler could relieve him2 but the military glory was his also1 if he felt himself justified in choosing the path of honour that was opened to him4 ,who grudges the triumphs that ,general ,nott and his companions-in-arms have achieved8 ,not certainly ,lord ,ellenborough or his friends4 ,let the distinctions which have been heaped on the ,indian army and its leaders answer that question4 ,but is their military merit a reason for denying to the man1 under whose administration these victories were won1 the high honour of having done all which a civil governor could do1 to direct and assist the armies of his country8 ,let each receive the praise of his own merits1 and we doubt not that military men1 wherever1 at least1 they have experienced the reverse1 will be the first to appreciate and commend1 in ,lord ,ellenborough's administration1 that active sympathy and assistance which are so essential to military efficiency and success4 ,it is said that the despatch of the #dth of ,july is qualified by heavy cautions4 ,and should it not have been so8 ,in addressing a ,british officer with a field of exertion before him1 so glorious in a military1 so hazardous in a political view1 it is surely not the spur1 but the curb1 that a civilian was called on to apply4 ,the courage of such a commander required nothing to fan the flame3 ,the danger1 if any1 was rather that he would rashly seize the opportunity afforded him1 than that he would timidly resign it2 and if he was not prepared to adopt the bolder course1 in the face of all the hazards which attended it1 it was best that the enterprize should not be undertaken at all4 ,but ,lord ,ellenborough knew his man4 ,in appointing ,general ,nott1 in ,march1 to the command of all the troops1 and entrusting him with the control of all the agents in ,lower ,affghanistan1 the ,governor and ,council had desired him to rely upon our constant support1 and upon our placing the most favourable interpretation upon all the measures he may deem it necessary to adopt in the execution of our orders4 ,and in now giving him the option of retiring by ,cabul1 ,lord ,ellenborough was assured that the ,general needed no other encouragement to avail himself of it1 than the feeling that all counter-considerations had been stated and duly weighed4 ,every preparation was immediately made to support ,general ,nott in his adventurous enterprize2 and ,lord ,ellenborough writes to ,general ,pollock3-- ,i am in hopes that ,major-,general ,nott will to-day be in possession of my letter of the #dth instant1 and that you will1 very soon after you receive this letter1 be made acquainted with the ,major-,general's intentions4 ,my expectation is1 that ,major-,general ,nott will feel himself sufficiently strong1 and be sufficiently provided with carriage1 to march upon ,ghuznee and ,cabul4 ,the result was such as had been looked for4 ,the combined operation of the two armies placed the ,affghans at our mercy1 and terminated1 by the ample vindication of our honour1 and the restoration of our imprisoned friends1 our inauspicious connexion with these barbarians1 who had retaliated so cruelly the aggression we had made upon them4 ,it may be safely conjectured1 that if these final triumphs had been achieved under the direction of ,lord ,auckland1 even though merely retrieving the errors of his former policy1 we should never have heard an end of the eulogiums pronounced upon him4 ,lord ,john ,russell would have crowed and clapped his wings in the moment of victory4 ,lord ,palmerston would have blustered more brazenly than ever4 ,mr4 ,macaulay would have aired the whole stores of his panegyrical vocabulary2 and ,sir ,john ,hobhouse would not have gone abroad4 ,but1 under whatever ,government achieved1 these results would have filled the minds of patriotic men with unmingled gratitude to all who had contributed to their accomplishment4 ,india had been in danger1 and was safe4 ,the ,british arms had been stained by defeat1 and were again glancing brightly in the light of victory4 ,our countrymen and countrywomen had been almost hopeless captives1 and were now restored to freedom and their friends4 ,in such a scene and season of rejoicing1 we might have thought that none but a ,whig of the very oldest school of all1 could have entertained any feelings but those of generous sympathy and unrepining satisfaction4 ,but limits cannot easily be put to human perverseness4 ,the party whose policy had caused the evils from which we and they have been delivered1 felt nothing but intense hatred to him who had been most prominent in that deliverance2 and1 heedless of the good that he had done1 they fastened on what seemed to their malignant and microscopic vision some specks that chequered his otherwise unblemished administration of affairs4 ,the idea of discussing in ,parliament1 as we have lately witnessed1 the literary style of a ,government state paper at a crisis so momentous1 implies a levity that would be hateful if it were not ludicrous4 ,but there is something peculiarly laughable in the pedantry of such criticism4 ,when other men are thinking of what has been done1 the reviewers and poetasters of the ,whig ,opposition can think only of what has been said4 ,the facts that are before them have no value in their eyes2 they see nothing but the phraseology4 ,from men who had themselves done nothing but what was mischievous1 this is perhaps natural4 ,they are content1 possibly1 if they have never said a foolish thing1 to have never done a wise one2 though we are doubtful if a taunt about simplicity of composition1 either comes well from the noble leader of the ,whigs1 or his friends1 when we remember some of their old achievements in addressing their supporters4 ,but in the peculiar position of the ,whigs1 with ignominy and impeachment suspended over their heads for their ,affghan errors1 we think that such a course is as becoming as if a condemned criminal were to carp at the literary composition of his own reprieve4 ,the tactics of the ,whigs in their move against ,lord ,ellenborough1 had all the craft of conscious weakness4 ,first1 they postponed their motion from time to time1 till they were rescued by their opponents from ,mr4 ,roebuck's assault upon them4 ,then they arranged their attack for the same night in both ,houses of ,parliament1 lest explanations in any high quarter in the one might damage a future discussion in the other2 and lastly1 though thus acting by simultaneous and concerted movements in both1 they framed their motions differently in each place2 and in the ,commons1 where they had some dream of better success1 confined themselves to the religious question under the letter on the ,somnauth gates1 omitting the ,simla proclamation of the #ast ,october1 which they knew neither ,conservative nor ,radical would join them to condemn4 ,with regard to the ,somnauth gates1 a pettier piece of hypercriticism1 and a more palpable exhibition of hypocrisy1 were never witnessed on a public question4 ,two things on this point are as plain as day4 #a4 ,that in retiring from the ,affghan country1 we were called upon to do so as much as possible in the light of triumphant victors1 bearing every mark of military prowess and superiority that could readily be assumed1 and inflicting as heavy a blow1 and as severe a discouragement on our perfidious enemies1 as humanity would permit4 #b4 ,that1 the ,affghan trophies of ,mahmoud's success were treasured up by his nation as an assurance of continued ascendancy over their ,hindoo neighbours2 and that1 in particular1 the redelivery to ,india of these very gates of ,somnauth1 were1 in negotiations of recent date1 demanded by ,runjeet ,singh as an inestimable boon1 and deprecated by ,shah ,soojah as a degrading humiliation4 ,keeping in view these undeniable circumstances1 it is clear that the seizure of these ,somnauth gates was appropriately ordered as a palpable and permanent demonstration of conquest1 and one eminently calculated to encourage the ,indian army1 and to depress their enemies4 ,that these gates were connected with the religion of the country1 is of no relevancy in this matter4 ,every thing relating to ,hindoo grandeur is more or less interwoven with religion2 but we must take things as they are4 ,we are the rulers of ,hindostan2 where the vast preponderance of our subjects and soldiers are ,hindoos4 ,we wish them to be ,christians1 but they are not so yet2 and1 until they become ,christianized1 we cannot hope or wish that they should forget the only faith which they have to raise them above the earth they tread4 ,their religion is corrupted to the core2 but in its primitive type1 after which its worshippers will sometimes even yet aspire1 it is not destitute of a high spirituality that would seek to assimilate and unite men's souls to the ,great ,being1 whom they reverence as the maker1 maintainer1 and changer of the universe4 ,hindooism is more fantastic1 and less pleasingly endeared to us1 than the paganism of ,greece1 but it is scarcely more lax or licentious2 yet if ,fortune1 in its caprices1 had ordained our ,indian subjects to be heathen ,greeks1 with a ,whig ,governor-,general bringing them back in triumph to their homes1 ,lord ,palmerston1 who now1 in a mingled rant of mythology1 and methodism1 talks of ,dii and ,jupiter hostis1 would himself have penned a paragraph about the restored temple of ,mars or ,venus1 and would have held up the scruples of ,sir ,robert ,inglis and ,mr4 ,plumptre to classical ridicule4 ,but it is plain that here no religious triumph was1 or could have been1 contemplated by ,lord ,ellenborough4 ,on this point we need no other evidence than that of ,joseph ,hume1 who1 combining the properties of ,balaam and his ass1 often brays out a blessing when he intends a curse4 ,he tells us that-- ,a ,hindoo of high caste1 now in this country1 the ,vakeel of the ,rajah of ,sattara1 had written to him a letter1 in which he stated-- ,it appears to me that the restoration of the gates of ,somnauth could have no reference either to the support or degradation of any religious faith4 ,to restore the gates to their original purpose is impracticable by the tenets of the ,hindoo religion4 ,their doctrine is1 that any thing1 when in contact with a dead body1 or any thing belonging to it1 whether tomb or garment1 is utterly contaminated and unfit for religious purposes4 ,in my opinion1 therefore1 the proclamation must have been intended to gratify the feelings of the ,hindoo portion of our army1 by removing a stain which the western portion of ,india had long felt oppressive4 ,in fact1 he believed that the ,governor-,general1 by this means1 conciliated the feelings of the ,hindoo soldiery in their return from those scenes of death and disaster in which they had behaved so well1 and where thousands of their fellow-countrymen had fallen4 ,i hope that this intention of ,lord ,ellenborough to conciliate the princes of ,india will extend to my unfortunate master4' ,this letter was from 7we believe7 ,rumgoo ,baffagee1 ,vakeel of the ,rajah of ,sattara1 and he thought it was so important1 that he had sent for the ,vakeel1 whom he found a most intelligent man2 and from his conversation he 7,mr4 ,hume7 was satisfied that1 so far from being applied to the ,hindoo population exclusively1 it was utterly impossible that the gates could be used for the religious purposes to which the ,governor-,general seemed to have destined them4 ,he had satisfied him 7,mr4 ,hume7 that the object of the proclamation was merely to bring back to ,western ,india those gates1 the absence of which in ,afghanistan had long been felt as an opprobrium4 ,he hoped therefore1 that those religious sects who had most unnecessarily take the alarm on this score1 would be appeased4 ,so far from the proclamation being an exclusive one1 no single sentence was there in it which could be read after the address to 'all the princes and chiefs1 and people of ,india1' as applicable to any one4 ,but it is said that such a trophy may give offence to ,mahommedans2 and ,mr4 ,mangles tells us1 that the ,mohommedan population sympathize strongly with the ,affghans1 and revere the memory of ,mahmoud4 ,if that be the case1 it would have been difficult to bring any trophy home1 or to imprint any mark of the superiority of our arms1 without displeasing this sect4 ,but1 in that view1 who are the parties responsible for thus placing our essential interests1 and the safety of ,india generally1 in contrast with the feelings of ,mohommedan subjects8 ,those certainly who1 regardless of all justice1 made a wanton aggression on a ,mahommedan power4 ,those certainly who1 regardless of all prudence1 gave occasion to the ,affghan massacre and captivity of ,british and ,indian soldiers2 and1 by a great ,mahommedan success1 kindled a spark which was ready to set the freemasonry of ,islamism on fire from ,morocco to ,coromandel4 ,if we have been placed in a false position1 as regards our ,mahommedan subjects1 we have to blame the ,whigs1 whose wanton and unwise measures created this collision of interests1 and not ,lord ,ellenborough1 who has adopted measures the most natural and the most humane1 to reestablish the ascendancy and the reputation of ,english and ,indian power4 ,the proclamation of ,simla needs no vindication4 ,it has satisfied every one but the ,whigs1 who can never forget and never forgive it4 ,it is poor pretence to say1 that it denounces in an indecorous manner the errors of the previous governor4 ,it does no such thing4 ,it speaks1 indeed1 of errors1 but only conscious culpability would have taken the allusion to itself4 ,there were errors1 and grievous ones4 ,the ,whigs themselves must say that2 and they have not been slow to shift to the shoulders of military officers the results that most people think they should bear themselves4 ,the proclamation of ,lord ,ellenborough seems to us to have been framed with a punctilious desire to reconcile in the eyes of ,india his own policy with that which had been avowed by his predecessor1 and to ascribe the change of plans to a change of circumstances1 and not of principles4 ,we speak here of the avowed policy of his predecessor2 for ,lord ,auckland1 at least1 pretended that he had no aggressive or hostile views against the ,affghans1 and no desire for a permanent occupation of their country4 ,the real designs of the ,whig ,government are a different thing2 and with these1 as avowed by ,lord ,palmerston in ,parliament1 the intentions of ,lord ,ellenborough were wholly irreconcilable4 ,let us listen here to one who knows the subject4 ,the ,duke of ,wellington tells us the errors that ,lord ,ellenborough alludes to as occasioning our military disasters1 and he shows us where those errors lay3-- ,there is not a word in this proclamation that is not strictly true4 ,but ,i do not blame the noble lord opposite1 the late ,governor-,general of ,india2 yet ,i cannot help looking at the enormous errors which have been committed from the commencement of these transactions in which these disasters originated1 down to the last retreat from ,cabul--,i say1 looking at all this1 ,i still must blame1 not the late ,governor-,general1 but the gentlemen who acted under him4 ,in the first place1 ,i attribute the error to the gentleman who fell a victim to his own want of judgment4 ,the army unfortunately was partly ,english and partly ,hindoo--not ,affghans1 but ,hindoos4 ,what was the consequence8 ,to maintain the whole system of the government1 including the collection of the revenue1 devolved upon that army4 ,all the details of the government were carried on through the agency of that ,english and ,hindoo army1 and eventually it became necessary to support that army with some troops in the service of the ,company4 ,now1 the gentleman who was responsible for this ought to have known that there was one rule1 the violation of which any one acquainted with the government of ,india knew nothing could justify1 and that was1 the employment of the ,company's ,european troops in the collection of the revenue4 ,that rule is invariably laid down1 and is invariably observed4 ,that1 as your lordships must plainly see1 is one of the errors that has been committed4 ,there is another point to which ,i wish to call your attention2 it is this1 that the country never had been occupied by an army as it ought to have been occupied4 ,with the north no practicable communication was maintained--no practicable communications were kept up between ,shikarpore1 ,candahar1 and ,ghuznee4 ,the passes were held only through the agency of banditti4 ,i do not blame the noble lord1 but ,i blame the gentleman to whom the army was entrusted4 ,he seemed never to have looked at what had been done by former commanders in similar circumstances4 ,any officer who has the command of an army ought to feel it to be his first duty to keep up a communication with his own country4 ,if such communication had been maintained1 those disasters never would have befallen us--they could not have happened4 ,this was one of the errors committed2 but ,i do not say that the noble lord opposite is answerable for that error4 ,not only was no communication kept up with the north1 but none was kept up with the south4 ,neither the ,kojuck nor the ,bolan pass was kept open4 ,can that1 my lords1 be called a military communication8 ,could such a state of things exist8 ,why1 was not this another error--a gross error8 ,the noble lord opposite 7,lord ,auckland7 had no more to do with this than ,i have4 ,sir ,w4 ,macnaghten1 the gentleman who perished1 could not have been ignorant of what was done in other places4 ,he must have read the history of the ,spanish war1 and he must have recollected how the ,french conducted themselves in a similar situation2 how they fortified the passes1 and secured their communications4 ,but he was not an officer2 the gentleman at the head of the army in ,affghanistan was not an officer--that was another error4 ,that such errors existed is undeniable4 ,lord ,auckland says there were errors3-- ,with regard to the errors of the campaign1 he conceived they rested with the military commanders1 not with ,sir ,w4 ,macnaghten2 and if errors had been committed by ,sir ,william1 they must be shared between him and the more direct military commanders4 ,lord ,john ,russell said1-- ,i have heard causes given1 and upon very high authority1 for these disasters2 ,i have heard it stated that very great errors were committed--that those errors consisted partly in not keeping up a communication by the straightest road between ,cabul and ,peshawar4 ,this may be just2 these may be errors1 but they are errors not necessary or in any way connected with the policy of entering into ,affghanistan4 ,i may mention another circumstance--that the expedition into ,affghanistan was undertaken under ,lord ,keane1 who was shortly after succeeded by ,sir ,w4 ,cotton2 he came home1 and was succeeded by ,general ,elphinstone1 who1 from the time of assuming the command1 never appears to have been in the state of vigorous health necessary for such a position4 ,are not these circumstances to be taken into account8 ,if my ,lord ,auckland had had at his disposal any of those illustrious men who had honoured the ,british army in later days--if such a man as ,lord ,keane had remained in ,cabul--my persuasion is1 you would never have heard of such a disaster as that which took place at ,cabul4 ,we shall leave the ,whigs to settle the question with their subordinates1 as to the precise degree of blame which each of the parties shall bear4 ,but there is seldom blame with the servants without blame in the master2 and it is one of ,lord ,ellenborough's just titles to our praise1 that he has been ably served by the officers whom he so ably supported4 ,if our ,affghan disasters were imputable to gross errors in detail1 was it not right to denounce the cause8 ,it would have been a melancholy thing if we had been thus betrayed and circumvented without errors in our own servants4 ,if ,british troops had been thus cut off1 notwithstanding the use of every prudent precaution1 the disasters would then have gone far to put in question the invincibility of our military power4 ,it was necessary to declare1 that by individual and special mal-arrangement1 this unparalleled disaster had arisen2 so that none of our enemies should thence derive a hope to crush us again1 until at least the incompetent officials of a confiding ,whig ,government should give them another such opportunity4 ,the proclamation of ,simla had another purpose--that of announcing the future policy of the ,government1 and repudiating those designs of aggression and aggrandizement which there was too good ground for imputing to us1 and which could not fail to inspire distrust and suspicion in the minds even of friendly neighbours4 ,on this point nothing can be added to the admirable exposition of ,lord ,fitzgerald in the late debate3-- ,but there were other circumstances which compelled the ,governor-,general of ,india2 he meant1 which made it his duty to proclaim the motives of the policy of the ,government2 and why8 --because a different policy had been proclaimed by his predecessor2 and when it became necessary to withdraw from ,affghanistan1 it was necessary to show that this was not a retreat4 ,we were compelled to show that we were not shrinking from setting up a king1 because we could not sustain him there4 ,he said it was the duty of the ,governor-,general to make that known to the ,indian public4 ,he would not attempt to shelter ,lord ,ellenborough in this respect1 by saying--'it was prudent1' or1 'it did no harm3'--he maintained it was his duty4 ,what had been the language of the late ,ministers of the ,crown1 in the last session of ,parliament8 ,and these debates1 as the noble ,earl had well said1 'went forth to ,india2' the discussions in that ,house went forth to the ,indian public4 ,he found one ,minister of the ,crown saying--',he should like to see the ,minister1 or the ,governor of ,india1 who would dare to withdraw from the position we occupied in ,affghanistan4' 7,hear1 hear47 ,he found another noble lord1 in another place1 stating1 'they took credit for the whole of that measure1 and he trusted that at no time would that position in ,affghanistan be abandoned4' ,these were views of public policy which went forth to ,india1 and it was not inconvenient nor unjust that those who administered the government of ,india on different principles should proclaim their views4 ,the noble earl opposite1 knew that at that period it was not intended altogether to confine the operations of the army to the westward of the ,indus4 ,it was very well to say1 that it was unwise and impolitic1 and calculated to destroy the unanimity which was so essential to the ,government of ,india1 to issue public information as to the reasons for the withdrawal of an army1 although its advance was heralded by a declaration on all these points1 because the withdrawal of an army was supposed to terminate the operations2 but in the eyes of ,india and ,asia1 if the declaration of the noble earl1 dated from ,simla on the same day of the same month of a preceding year1 had remained as a record of ,british policy after that declaration had been followed by a campaign1 brilliant at its commencement1 but as delusive as brilliant1 and terminated by a most awful tragedy1 and by the greatest disaster that ever befell the ,british forces--was it unbecoming in a ,governor-,general to state1 that the views and policy of the ,government of ,india had changed1 and that the ,government no longer wished to interfere in the policy of ,affghanistan1 its motives for so doing having passed away on finding that the king1 represented to be so popular1 was unpopular8 ,but there was another circumstance which called for ,lord ,ellenborough's declaration1 namely1 the necessity of allaying the apprehensions and fears of other states2 and it was ,lord ,ellenborough's duty to do this4 ,had the ,sikhs no apprehensions with respect to our intentions on ,lahore8 ,the most serious apprehensions had been stated by the ,durbar of ,lahore to our political agent there1 ,mr4 ,clark1 and had been represented by him to the ,government of ,india4--,other states also had entertained apprehensions of the intentions and motives of the ,indian ,government1 and he had yet to learn that it was a fault in a ,governor-,general to allay these apprehensions of native states1 even if no precedent could be found for such a proceeding4 ,after the policy of the ,indian ,government which had been proclaimed1 it became ,lord ,ellenborough's duty to take the step he had done4 ,this1 however1 is the true gravamen of the quarrel of the ,whigs with ,lord ,ellenborough4 ,he has thrown overboard their aggressive policy--that policy which ,lord ,auckland1 indeed1 had not in words avowed in ,india1 but which his friends at home had openly declared and gloried in4 ,it was necessary for ,lord ,ellenborough1 by a frank declaration of his intentions1 to exclude the prevalent suspicion--nay1 the universal belief--of those projects of encroachment which the ,whig ,government had countenanced4 ,this was the unkindest cut of all4 ,ill-weaved ambition6 how much art thou shrunk6 ,it was hard that their ,affghan laurels--the only wreaths of victory that the ,whigs had ever won--should have already withered on their brow4 ,it was hard that their disasters should have been retrieved under the sway of a political opponent4 ,but it was intolerable that the plans of conquest which they had fondly cherished1 and tried to press upon the country1 should be virtually denounced amid the universal approbation of all good men at home and abroad2 that the solitary achievement of their administration in military affairs1 should be recorded in the page of history1 only to be condemned as an act of injustice1 inexcusably undertaken1 and incompetently executed3 and relinquished by their successors in the very hour of triumph1 with a wise self-denial which no one will suspect that a ,whig could have ever practised4 ,the cloven foot has here too plainly been revealed4 ,it is not this phrase or that procession in particular that has displeased the ,whigs4 ,it is the abandonment of a policy which they dared not proclaim in ,india1 and which they could not justify in ,england4 ,they are always hankering after it still4 ,mr4 ,vernon ,smith3 ,considered it most absurd for any ,governor ,general to declare publicly that our ,indian empire had reached the limits which nature had assigned to it4 ,why1 what were the limits which nature had assigned to our ,indian empire8 ,in early days1 the ,mahratta ditch was said to be its natural limit2 and why was the ,sutlej or the ,indus to be more the boundary of our empire than the ,himalayas8 ,even ,lord ,john ,russell1 who now acknowledges the wisdom of surrendering ,affghanistan1 declares1 in almost so many words1 that his party have shrunk from a general vote of censure because they could not properly put it1 and have chosen this ,act as not the worst1 but the most convenient to attack4 ,what the other errors of ,lord ,ellenborough are1 or whether there are any1 except the exploded story of the incivility to ,mr4 ,amos1 is nowhere definitely1 discoverable in their discussions1 and is not likely for some time to assume a greater degree of consistency than vague ,whig calumnies and general ,whig dissatisfaction4 ,let them come to something definite1 and see how they will fare4 ,if1 as their old friend ,lord ,brougham said1 revelling in defeat1 and intoxicated with failure1 they know not when they have had enough--if they desire a contest on some other issue--let them name their day and abide the result4 ,in conclusion1 we would only observe1 what a contrast the conduct of the ,whig party towards ,lord ,ellenborough exhibits to that of their opponents towards ,lord ,auckland6 ,the ex ,governor-,general is not absent1 but here to defend himself2 and every one sees how much room there is for assailing his measures4 ,their calamitous result would of itself go far to support the charge of imprudence1 or something worse4 ,but not a word has been said against him that could be avoided2 and even those statements that necessarily reflect upon his discretion1 have been extorted from the ,conservative party1 in reply to the attacks which ,lord ,auckland's friends have made upon his successor4 ,the ,english people admire fair play as much as they appreciate the value of practical benefits4 ,they see the false pretences on which an absent man has now been assailed by disappointed opponents2 they feel the generosity that has saved his rival from retaliation4 ,they know the state of ,indian affairs when ,lord ,ellenborough assumed his office1 and they can estimate the position into which they have now been brought under his vigorous management4 ,they agree with him in the pacific principles which he has avowed1 and look forward to a continued career of useful services1 in which the resources of that great empire will be more than ever developed under his control1 and the power of the ,british name perpetuated by a wise1 an upright1 and a fearless ,administration4