other to two candidates ;-n'importe, as you made the offer to both, it is a clear proof that you have no preference for either; therefore it is no coalition. If the world won't believe you, let your committee fwear the fame thing; the deuce is in it if this won't do, at least amongst the faints. With refpect to your conduct when in the house, it was my intention to lay down certain principles, but as it is likely you have laid down your principles already, I thall conclude with a few defultory hints for general reference. As the readieft way to convince, is to be unintelligible, we will fuppofe you have taken up your fubject, an Indian one for inftance-you must first here lay in a flock of terms, talk much of the Zenana, and of the Fagheers, for its fupport; fet all the ladies crying for the fate of the poor Bhow Begum, fwear he was robbed, ravifhed, and murdered then to complete your climax, introduce Munny Begum, fwears that he was robbed allo-the devil's in it if they won't believe that. As to the mifapplication of your terms, there are but few can find it out; you may therefore, give us Per gunnah for Perwannah, or Zemindar for Zemindarry, as we often fay prebend for prebendary. You muft defcribe the petty Rajah whose cause you efpoufe, as a pattern of piety and virtue, even though you fhould confefs that he has five hunred wives, and, for ftate purpofes, had murdered half of his children; or with refpect to fome other, enlarge upon his parental affection, though you are at the fame time obliged to confefs that he had not a child except thofe he bought ready made! it is impoffible any man could be guilty of fuch crimes,' will argue impoffible that any man could bring fuch charges if they were not true.' The more dating your charge, or the more it flies in the face of common fense, the more credit you will be likely to gain with the bulk of manAnd, who, instead of faying it is Though economy is not one of your private virtues, be careful to let it be one of your public profeffi ons; let it thunder in the ear of the minifter, until it. is re-echoed in the diftant murmurs of the people-until fome friend, whom you with to oblige, comes to afk from the nation, a fecond payment, (for an illand. perhaps) for what he has already fold for more than its real worth, thenchanging the tragic for the comic mafs, give a laughing fpeech to the houfe to fave your confiftency, and give a good humoured vote for the grant, though even in coincidence with the minifter. Let this minifter be your confiant object of attack whilst you are out, but fhould he be inclined to take you in, you have only, whilft changing fides, to fhift your opera glafs, and thould imagine you too good an actor to require a prompter to point out to you O. P. or P. S. But the important moment arrives death, or fome other lucky chance clears the courfe, and your friends walk in for the plate. Now begins your harveft: econo. my and reform are to be forgotten, whilft your waking dreams and nightly flumbers are haunted by finecures, reverfions, contracts, bonuses, and turtle feafls. Invite all your friends to a holiday féte, let it laft as long as Jonah was in the whale's belly, and though you have no officers of the n wy, yet you may have fome offic.rs of the fleet to grace the gala. If this paffage is too obfcure, the prompter's book for the good-natured man, may, perhaps, explain the difficulty. 2. If you can find time from thofe ferious avocations to attend to the affairs of the nation, you may ftep down for once to the houfe, just to quiz the ex-paity, by crying realt mear meat in this, you are to measure their feelings by your own, and to judge of their chagrin by your own fuperabundant fatisfaction. Whatever you had oppofed as wrong when cut, may be right when in, and fould any meafure have been peculiarly the object of cenfure, you may venture to double it, as the odium must fall on thofe who first invented it. As practice, or rather example, is more useful than precept, I ball jutt recommend to you to fully fome flaming characters of the prefent day;-he who runs may read, and with fuch glowing examples before you, further hints must be needlefs. I thall, therefore, fit down after moving an amendment, though I am free to confefs, that although a friend to ratio nal reform. I never expect to fee it among the elected, until there is a reform amongst the citors. Whilst bribery, coruption, private intereft, and overbearing impudence, mark the conduct of every petty borough during the election contell, is it to be expected that men of real feeling and nice honour will fep forward to encounter the hydra No! they will moft certainly leave it to the political mountebank, to fhut his little hour upon the huftings with unblushing front, and bellow forth his oft told tale of patriotifim and reform. A Prdefirian Tour through France, Germany, Holland. Switzerland and Denmark. Fiinen during the Year 1805, 6, and 7. Hamburgh, May 23, 1805. MY return is defferred. Notwith flanding the defire I muit feel, dearest A-, of re be-holding, after an abfene of ten years, the fpot where the earbest and happiel part of my life had been fpent, I have been induced to abandon the fulfilment of my with es for some time longer. I advanced as far as Kith, where I intended to spend only a few days, and then to con tinue my journey to Hufum, when : vilit to profeffor B-, the day at my arrival, induced me to enter in an engagement, which will preti, į retain me three years more on ha Continent. His preffing folicitaties and the advantageous offers he m me on the part of count B—, de fon of minifter B-, have induced me to accompany this young noblems: in a tour he intends to make thr Germany and other parts of Europe The conditions are too advantageous to be rejected; and if you will at to this circumftance a kind of con tutional, or rather, national preda tion for wandering, you will be a quainted with my inducements to e: new peregrination.-The chardo of my companion is, at the fame time, fo conformable to my on, that it was impoffible for me to nit the temptation. We undertook our journey on foot and this young nableman, who will one day poes a princely fortune, had already ceemined on this mode of traveling, before I communicated my opin as to its utility and pleafure: kuom ing my fentiments on that head, you will find no difficulty in believing t that this was another very strong s citement to my acquiefcence. T character of my pupil is, in likemanner, fo amiable; he poffelles fu various and useful endowments; 14 deare of inftruction is fo ardent; has fo much refinement of taste, wa fuch folidity of understanding, that f expect more benefit from his intet courfe, than he can poffibly acquie from mine. In fact your tha.! notwithstanding his experience, year and excurfions, ftands in more a folute need of a guide, than t youthful companion.. This is ore of the frolics common in our bett poflible worlds; and if we had 17 other to complain of, the opinica the majority of its inhabitants w coincide, in this one refpect at kal. ith the fentiments of Leibnitz, a tragical example of the vengeance ope, the immortal Panglofs, and with which integrity and merit were her illuftrious optimists. However then perfecuted. the all-directing goddess, Fortune, ho, be it faid without arrogance or preciation, has more influence on e refolves of diftinguished mortals, an they will willingly admit, has nt me once more in queft of adntures; I intend to tranfmit you a ithful account, if I have leifure or him to examine. A total revolution, in every branch of the adminiftration, has fince occurred; partly through the patriotic exertions of Bernstorff, and partly through the extraordinary occurrences of our time, I never, indeed, remember any circumftance which afforded me higher gratification than the enthufiaftic veneration with which every c'afs of inhabitants pronounced the name of that departed ftatefmar. Several years have elapfed fince his death; but I never heard the Danes fpeak without the ftrongest marks of feeling and gratitude of his fervices. I have frequently heard them exclaim, in confequence of fome fuppofed grievances they laboured under: Ah, if Bernstorff were alive, this would not have taken place l' Whilst the count was making the ceffary arrangements for his deparre, I employed the time in an exrfion into Schleburg and Jutland. n extraordinary transformation has ken place, during the last twenty ears, in all the Danith provinces. his amelioration is univerfally afibed by the natives to the late count ernstorff, father of the prefent inifter for foreign affairs. When at diflinguished statesman was plac- Whatever degree of merit fhould I at the head of the adminiftration, be attributed to that minifter, and e country was in a flate of difor- however just the veneration may be anization and mifery, not to be ima which the inhabitants exprefs for his ined. The court was continually memory, the revolution confiderably gaged in fome wild and impracti- contributed to the fortunate change able project relative to the army, which has taken place in this country. nances and internal economy; The annihilation of the French, hilft the courtiers rendered every Dutch, and Spanish commerce has, lea of reformation extravagant, in by making the Danes the carriers of onfequence of their rapacity and ig- the produce of those several countries, orance. The unavoidable diforder introduced a degree of opulence the finances, together with the among the middling and lower claffes, weakness and vanity of the govern- and a proportionate degree of indement, contributed to enrich a fwarm pendance and amelioration. This of adventuring projectors from other has removed that exceffive inequality, ountries. The facility, with which which existed between these claffes dventurers obtained the firft offices and the order of the nobility; and the n the ftate give rife to a proverbial latter would now be laughed at, if xpreffion, that if a fellow were good they attempted to enforce their forar nothing elfe, he would be quali- mer infolent pretentions and exclufive ed for a Danith counfellor, and privileges.-They have the good make his fortune in Copenhagen. fenfe, however, to accommodate Under fuch circumflances, you will themfelves freely, and with grace, to Form fome idea of the kind of patri- this unavoidable change: and feveral otifm which prevailed. Unceafing of them are remarkable for their cabals, intrigues, and revolutions, merit and popularity. gitated the minittry; and the fate The Danes are, nevertheless, far of the unfortunate Struenfee affords behind their neighbours in civilization November, 1858. 4 S and and induftry. They are, in general, Selma, Fingal the renowned (Fingal, a heavy, melancholy people; and who was to the foes of his people, entertain a truly ridiculous opinion of like the rushing of a hundred ftreams; the refources of their government but when the day of ftrife was over, and country,-Their manners are was mild as the tear of pity, which unfocial and ungraceful; and their trembles in the eye of beauty :) fpread amufements imprefs one with no very the generous feaft, and his race floufavourable notion of their moral rithed around him like the youth:ful and intellectual refinement. The oaks around the monarch of the harthness and diffonance of their wood. Thou waft here Office, Janguage perfectly correfpond with chief of a thousand bards, and friend the vulgarity of their deportment and of my foul; and Ofcar, hero of the uncouthiness of their appearance. youth, whofe eager glance fough The horrid oaths with which they the downcaft eyes of Malvina, soft animate their converfation, and their beam of beauty; and the heroes of exceffive vociferation, render their Fingal fhone near her, like the grea intercourse the most naufeous I have fparkling ftars, round the queen of witneffed. Their brutal indulgence night. The bards raised the joy of in the ufe of fpirituous liquors, and grief, or fent back the foul to the their addiction to play, are marked deeds of other times. Sweet was and difgufting traits in their charac- their fong, but thine, oh! Offian! ter; and, after all the obfervations I excelled them all. You fang the have been able to make, they are the deeds of heroes, the ftrife of glory. Jaft people with whom I would chufe The glow of valour Aufhed the cheeks to fpend my life.-More on the fame of the heroes, their hands fougia fubject in my next.-I am, &c. their fwords, and half drew them from their fides they arofe from their TA The Death of Offian. An attempt at feats, and reached towards their boy an Imitation of Offiun. fhields. But then thy fong was of love; of a ftar of beauty which had fhone, but fome ftorm had darkened its bright face; tears filled our eyes, and their flowing extinguished the flame of glory. Then you fang the joys of love, of two young hearts, burning with one pure flame. The eyes of Ofcar and Malvina met, and fpoke: the lovers fighed, foft as the gale of the evening of fummer, when Tweets load its breath. Thy voice trembled, oh! Offian, as you fang, for your thoughts were of Everallin. The fon of Marni arofe troubled y from his feat, and fighing, deeply as the wind in the cave of the rock, he left the hall, for his memory return. ed to the form of the lovely, to the faded bloffom of Oithona. Pleafant ce were thofe days; they float on the foul like the blaft of the evening of autumn, when it moans among the withered leaves, and sleep fleals foft love were Oha Doft thou delight in fongs ?OSSIAN. CHEARFUL were the fteps of the traveller over the heath, though the wind of the ftorm whistled in his lofty plumes, and the red lightning played on his boffy fhield. He hummed the fong of the deeds of the days that were paffed, as he thook the cold rain from his hair. Many were the years that had rolled away on the rapid courfe of time, fince the traveller had feen the walls of Selma, and his heart bounded as he drew near them-but his fteps echo lonely and hollow in the halls of Fingal, and the heart of the traveller faddens at the found, as the clouds of the fhower darken the bright face of the fun of the fpring. Traveller-Where dwell the mighty now? Why am I here alone? When laft I trod thy courts, ch hoots then · o'er the eyes of the thoughtful. against the king of the world, My t where are ye now? Daughter deeds fhall not float away on the Morven, where are the mighty? breeze of to-day, like the deeds of nt they the bounding roes? or mix the feeble and unknown, for Offian, y in the field of war? Tell me, chief of bards, Offian, friend of my iden, for this arm falls not lightly foul, fhall fing their praife; and my the focs of Selma's heroes. name fhall be familiar to the fons of Maiden.The fons of the feeble other times.' But thou haft failed, w poffefs the lands of the renowned, fweet voice, and thy found is no ngal, king of fpears, reigns in his more; thou art a beam which fhone y hall. Ofcar hunts the roe amidst brightly, but the inifts of eve have clouds of Heaven, and Malvina extinguished thy brightnefs. And mes on the gale that wafts pleasure thou, oh! Offian, who gave the the hearts of love. Offian alone deeds of heroes to the fons of the ng of bards, ftands like an oak future, who fhall fing thy praife? hich a hundred ftorms had battered Shall the ftones, with their moffy vain. When the morning beamed, heads, which tell to the hunter, led him (for though his foul fhines here lies Offian, king of fpears,' ith the light of the fong, his eyes be the only voice to bear thy name e dark) to where the moffy bank to other times? Oh no. For les by the foftly gliding ftream, be when the ftranger thall hear thy eath the spreading arms of the migh- fongs of Fingal and of his heroes, oak. There its the bard, and he fhall afk who it was fung the gs the fongs of other times. deeds of the mighty? Who, but Traveller.-Hark! I hear his Offian, voice of Cona. He fhall arp, it brings to my memory the hum thy fongs as he travels o'er the ys that are paft. Yonder fits the heath, and fay,Then fweet was hief of the fields of old, and leans that voice.' He fhall tell to the fons pon his harp-but 'tis not he that of his ftrength, who best fang the uches its flings, it is the paffing prowess of warriors, and the fong of the maid of love and the name of Offian fhall be dear to the hero, as the fhout of battle, and loved by the kind of heart as the tear of pity or the finile of beauty. C precze. Maiden. Perhaps Malvina floats on that breeze, and gives foft notes o the harp of the bard; for dear was he voice of Cona to Malvina, and dear the found of his harp.-But fee The hero fleeps-ah! no 'tis death British Theatrical Journal. is foul has joined the mighty in their airy halls-the oak is blafted by the ightning of the ftorm! 6 DRURY-LANE, SEPTEMBER 29, Traveller.-And art thou fallen, AFTER the comedy of The Wonmightiest tree of the defert? The der, a new operatic farce was perraveller paffed, and faw thee in thy formed, intituled The Fortune-telbeauty-thy leafy head towered ler; The principal Dramatis Perbove thy neighbours, blooming one of which were as follows:--were thy branches, and lovely thy hoots which furrounded thee, but hou art fallen, and foon fhall thy place be bare. I was dear to thee, Ohan, in the days of my youth; and I faid to myfelf when I was in the land of frangers, and fought Lordly, mr. Wewitzer; Joe, mr. Bannifter; Charles, mr. Smith; Frances, mr. Powel; Trigger, mr. Matthews; Edward, mr. Gibbon. Lady Worthland, mrs. Mountain; Margery, mrs. Bland. PLOT. |
