Sunday, December 8, 1811.

The Imperial Academy of Music.-Iphigenia in Aulis, and the Dansomania.

The French Theatre.-Eugenia and the Pretty Farmer's wife. Imperial Comic Opera. Formerly and to day, The Lottery Ticket, The Dress of Grammont.

Theatre of the Empress.-The Project of Wisdom, The Innocent Woman, The Family Picture.

Vaudeville.-Laujon, The Exile of Rochester, The two

Edmons.

Variety. A Mourning of Former Times, The Inhabitant of the Barreus.

Gaiety. Ricket with the Tuft, Joseph Leopold.

The Ambigu Comique.-Clara, The White Pilgrim.

The Gymnastic Games.-The Knights of the Round Table, The White Hermits.

Tivole.-Ball.

Coliscum.-Ball. [Price about 37 cents.]

EPISTOLARY.-FOR THE FORT FOLIO.

[We have been favoured with the following very interesting original letter from Dr. Beattie, to the Rev. Dr. Charles Nesbit, late Principal of the College at Carlisle.]

DEAR SIR,

Peterhead, July 2, 1792.

I CANNOT tell you how much I am gratified by your very kind remembrance of me, and how much I have been entertained by your two excellent letters. Be assured, that though a dilatory writer, I am not conscious of any diminution in my affection for you; that I often think of you; and that, when I meet with any of our common friends, I often speak of you in terms which you would not dislike. For reasons that will occur to yourself, I cannot give a particular detail of the reflections suggested by the very interesting information with which you have favoured me: I shall only say, that it coincides exactly with the

conjectures I had formed, and the intelligence I have received from some others; and that my principles on the subject in question are the same with yours.-You are pleased to speak favourably of the first volume of Elements of Moral Science; the second is now in the hands of the printer: I will endeavour to send you both. What I have said, in the second, on the slavery of the negroes, and on the principles of politics, will not please every body: but I have honestly given the sentiments which I have been teaching and pondering for thirty years and upwards: and they are sentiments, in which, the more I see and hear of this changeable world, I am the more confirmed.—I need not give you any of the public news of this country: you will see all that in the newspapers. Our national prosperity is just now greater than I have ever known it; and nothing is wanting to make us a very happy people, but a right sense of that prosperity, and gratitude to that good Providence who bestows it. But we are evil and unthankful; and too many of us are not only discontented, but turbulent. Both in religion and in politics, we are pestered with foolish theories, the effect of levity and ignorance. If we would read more Greek and Latin and less French, more histories and fewer novels, and if we would speak less and think more, it would be a good thing for us. The theories of the present time often put me in mind of that old sophist (you will remember his name though I do not) who took it upon him to give Hannibal a lecture on the military art. The harangue was much admired by the author, and such of his audience as knew nothing of practical tactics: the Carthaginian bluntly said, that he never before had met with a blockhead so ignorant and so conceited.

You will be glad to hear, that my sister and her son and daughter are in their usual health: my brother-in-law, now in his 86th year, though he has been confined to bed these five years, eats well, and sleeps well, and is perfectly easy, contented and happy. Our old friend Thomson died last winter of a fever. His son, who is in a very thriving way, offered to supply him with as much gin and porter as he could swallow; but the heroic Charles wandered from alehouse to alehouse, and tippled to the end of the chapter.

Of myself I have nothing good to say. That old vertigo in my head (as you have often told me) will never leave me till I am dead. But I have so many other complaints that I cannot expect to be long here. About eighteen months ago I was visited with an affliction, which, though I am entirely resigned to the will of Providence, has broken my heart. My son (whom you will remember) died at that time of a consumption. His illness lasted a year, during which I was always with him. He had every advantage that could be derived from affectionate attendants and able physicians, and every thing was procured for him that the faculty recommended; but all was vain. The king appointed him my assistant in the college five years ago, and an able assistant he was. Indeed to all, who were well acquainted with him, he was the object of admiration and delight. The inscription which I wrote for his tombstone contains his charac ter in brief, and I assure you without any exaggeration. It is in these words:

"Jacobo Hay Beattie, Jacobi filio:-Philosoph. in Acad. Marischal. Professori-Adolescenti,-ea modestia,-ea suavitate morum,-ea benevolentia erga omnes,-ea erga Deum pietate,-ut humanum nihil supra.-In bonis literis,in theologia,-in omni philosophia,-exercitatissimo,-Poetæ insuper,-rebus in levioribus faceto,-in grandioribus sublimi.-Qui placidam animam efflavit xix Novemb. MDCCXC,-annos habens XXII, diesque XIII-Pater moerens hoc marmor posuit."

I have collected and arranged as many of his papers, as will justify every particular of this character; and intend, for the use of my friends, to print sixty or a hundred copies, one of which will be sent to you. It will be either one pretty large volume, or two small ones, and if I live, will be put to the press next winter. The epitaph touches upon the more important parts only of his character; but I will take the liberty to inform you further, that he was an able chemist, botanist, anatomist, profoundly skilled in the theory of music, an excellent performer on the violin and organ, an elegant drawer, a master of Greek and Latin, a proficient in the French tongue, an admirable public speaker, expert in fishing, fowling, and fencing; and such a mechanic, that two years before his death he superintended the building of a very good organ for himself. In wit and humour

he was not inferior to you; and though his piety, modesty and delicacy, were exemplary, he retained, even when he came to be a man, all the cheerfulness and playfulness of a boy. His poems are partly English and partly Latin; for he composed with equal ease in both languages. He foresaw his death long before it came, and met it with true christian meekness and resignation. All this may seem extraordinary; but it is all literally true, as many persons now alive can testify.

I send this under cover to my friend the bishop of London, who will frank it as far as his privilege extends, that is, I suppose, to Falmouth.

With best wishes to Mrs. Nisbet and your family, I ever am,
Dear sir, your affectionate humble servant,

J. BEATTIE.

FOR THE PORT FOLIO.-AMERICAN GALLANTRY.

[As the commencement of the article which in our last number we an. nounced to be permanently appropriated to instances American gallantry, we are fortunate enough to procure the following:-They are extracted from a manuscript work by General Lee which is now in the press; and the anecdotes, which we are permitted to extract, will no doubt increase the desire of the public for its appearance.]

AFTER the battle of B.andywine, Washington advanced to meet the enemy, who after three day's repose on the field of battle directed his route to the upper part of the Schuylkill. Separated by a tempest, the American general exerted himself to replenish the ammunition of his army destroyed by the fall of rain from the insecurity of their cartouch boxes, and artillery tumbrils, while the British general pursued his course across the Schuylkill, directing his route to the American metropolis. Contiguous to the enemy's route, lay some flour stored in mills for the use of the American army, the destruction of which was deemed expedient by the commander in chief. Lieutenant colonel Hamilton (the celebrated Alexander Hamilton) was despatched for that purpose with capt. Lee (Henry Lee afterwards lieu

tenant colonel Lee of the Legion cavalry.) Colonel Hamilton took possession of a flat-bottomed boat to transport himself and his party across the river, should his object in consequence of the near approach of the enemy prove impracticable. A small party of horsemen were detached from the main body in front of the enemy with the order of execution. These mills stood on the bank of the Schuylkill. Two videttes were posted on the summit of a hill which the party were obliged to descend in their route to the mills. The fire of the videttes, announced the appearance of the enemy; and the dragoons were ordered instantly to embark. Of the small party four took possession of the boat, with the lieutenant colonel, the van of the enemy's horse pressing down the hill in pursuance of the two videttes. Captain Lee, with the remaining two, resolved to attempt regaining the bridge rather than to detain the boat. Hamilton was committed to the flood and compelled to struggle against a violent current, increased by recent rains, while Lee relied for safety on the soundness and swiftness of his horse. The attention of the enemy being engaged by his attempt for the bridge, delayed for a few minutes the attack upon the boat, and afforded to Hamilton's party a better chance for escape. The two videttes preceded Lee, as he reached the bridge; and himself with four dragoons safely passed it, although the enemy's front section emptied their carabines and pistols at the distance of ten or twelve paces. Lee's apprehension for the safety of Hamilton continued to increase, as he heard volleys of carabines discharged upon the boat which were only returned by guns singly and occasionally. He trembled for the probable issue; and as soon as the pursuit ended, which did not last long, he despatched a dragoon to the commander in chief, describing with fears and anxiety what had passed, and his sad presage. His letter was scarcely perused by Washington before Hamilton himself appeared, and, ignorant of the contents of the paper in the general's hand, renewed his attention to the ill-boding separation with the probability that his friend Lee had been cut off, inasmuch as instantly after he turned for the bridge, the British horse reached the mill, and commenced their operation upon the boat. Washington with joy relieved his fears, by giving his aid-de-camp the captain's letter.