many of which need not shrink from a comparison with the productions of loftier bards in the same department. Our limits will not admit of extracting more than two or three among those that have struck us most: but justice to the poet requires us to observe, that several others are to be found, not at all inferior in merit to those that we have inserted. "Ah, when this world and I have shaken hands, And all the frowns of this sad life got through, When from pale care and sorrow's dismal rest; To soothe the rankling of each bitter wound, Gall'd by rude Envy's adder-biting jest, And worldly strife;—ah, I am looking round For peace's hermitage, can it be found? Surely that breeze that o'er the blue wave curl'd, Did whisper soft, thy wanderings here How different from the language of the Nor jeers, nor taunts in this still spot are Its calms a balsam to a soul distrest; And where peace smiles, a wilderness is "The spring is gone, the summer-beauty Like setting, sun-beams in their last de- As evening's shadows, lingering on the Gleam dim and dimmer till they cease to The busy bee hath humm'd himself to rest; of spring; Flown is the bird, and empty is the nest? A present shadow of a bright has been. Ah, sad to prove that pleasure's golden springs, Like common fountains, should so quickly '. dry, And be so near allied to vulgar thingsThe joys of this world are but born to die." Several passages in the above extracts are very pleasing, and in no small degree poetical; indeed, they must be confessed to be very superior to any thing that could have been anticipated from the limited resources and defective education of a man like Clare. So far, therefore, he is certainly entitled to praise. But we fear, when every allowance is made, that sober judges will hardly be disposed to assign these poems at the utmost, a place above mediocrity; and the elegant critic of antiquity expressly tells us, "Mediocribus esse poetis, Non di, non homines, non concessere coJumnæ." We cannot but regret, that those who were disposed to serve the author, have not hit upon a better expedient than that of endeavouring to force public patronage in his favour, on the ground of claims which we cannot consider as established, notwithstanding the imposing assertions of an anonymous writer, in an introduction prefixed to the poems, that "Clare has created more never-dying forms in the personification of things inanimate and abstract, and has scattered them more profusely about our paths, than perhaps any poet of the age, but one." Such extravagant commendation could hardly be admitted on the mere ipse dixit, even of a judge of recognised and unquestionable ability: much less can it be acceded to on the ground of unknown authority. siderable.) If I have delayed writing, it was that I might thoroughly ascertain every point of our situation for you to judge of. We are all well satisfied with our new country, and are treated with such liberality, that we feel as if we had always belonged to it. The district is intersected with lofty mountains, with pleasant vallies below them; the forests are replenished with various kinds of animals, some of them troublesome, but none hurtful. On arriving at our destination, Moroqueimado, we found tenements ready prepared for us, very neat and convenient. Our houses may be called the principal in New Friburgh, which is increasing as a settlement. Our lands are rich in vegetable productions; kidney beans and potatoes are in abundance. The whole colony is divided into a hundred families, from fifteen to eighteen individuals each. Every farm or portion of land contains about 750 brasses (each six feet, ten inches) in length, by 300 in breadth. Besides the farms, lands are given to all who apply for them, and as many as they desire. Throughout the whole country the air is very salubrious; we enjoy perfect health, and can easily put up with the great heats, which very seldom exceed 30 degrees. They are also moderated by a gentle, fresh breeze, felt throughout the day. The temperature is never cold, and we have here only two seasons, spring and summer. The quality of the soil is excellent, three degrees more productive than in Switzerland, and requiring infinitely less cultivation. Potatoes, kidney beans, green and dried rice and flesh meat, with coffee, are what we chiefly live upon. Beef, well tasted, is not above 24d.per lb. bread 3d. (five and six sous) but in still greater plenty is hog's flesh, from 1d. to 14d. per pound. We have no great call for wine, which sells at one livre, 10 sous a bottle; but the wines from Madeira, the Canaries and Portugal, are very good, as is also a brandy made of the sugar-cane, and all as cheap as in Switzerland. What has been circulated in the Gazettes of Europe, respecting a mortality prevalent in our establishments, is wholly unfounded. We have had a sort of sickness or disease since our arrival in the New World, But an epidemic, contracted in Holland during our long stay there, was caught by se veral individuals, and whole families have become the victims of it. It was not till after some months residence in the climate of America, that the malady disappeared. It carried off about a fifth part of our number. We cannot too highly extol the truly paternat conduct of the king. Our reception, by his commissaries, on landing at Rio Janeiro, was every way gracious: this was on the 28th of November, 1819. All that was promised on quitting our own country has been scrupulously performed. During the first year of our arrival I touched 6 francs a day, at the rate of 20 sous per head, for my whole family. At present we have only half of that sum, but this tages. is compensated by many other advan According to this detail, which is every way consonant with fact, you will doubtless conclude that our situation is agreeable, and leaves no wish to be gratified. One desideratum only remains to complete my satisfaction, and that is, that you were one of us, to share in our good fortune, which may be truly said to be enviable. Ours is the abode of peace and contentment, with no bad neighbours to disturb us, nor any thing to interrupt our quiet, except sometimes the apes and the parrots. As to the chicanery of law and its litigations, this is a second land of promise. No disputes here for a foot of land, much less an acre. Judges acting without pay, render justice to all indiscriminately whether rich or poor. We have a director and an inspector, both of whom evince the most friendly attentions towards us. To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. SIR, AVING read in your Magazine for September, 1821, the account of the extraordinary phenomenon of a fawn's skull having been found in the solid wood of an ash-tree, I beg leave to suggest the following explanation. It is well known that forty or fifty years ago, when timber was comparatively of little value, tenants were permitted to cut off the tops of ash-trees, for the purpose of fire wood, and that trees so cut, are called pollards; if however, the operation be not repeated, the tree will by means of what are termed its leaders, recover from the injury, the wood forming above the crown, and growing nearly straight as before; but if the pith or heart is exposed to the effects effects of winter, it suffers decay: this decay proceeding downwards produces a hole in the trunk, and it frequently occurs, that from some injury sustained decay also takes place in the outer bark, by which a hole is formed, at times large enough to admit the head of an animal. A hole being thus produced, we may infer that a sheep, a goat, or a fawn, whose tender horns might have been then jutting, forced its head into the aperture-the horns yielding to pressure, were again raised within the hole, rendering it impossible for the animal to extricate itself: but when discovered, no doubt the farmer took off the body by cutting the neck close to the tree. To support this position, we must suppose the hole not to have been above four or five feet at most from the ground, whereas it is asserted to have been nine feet. (Query.) Was the measurement taken from the top of the bank on which the tree grew, or from the general surface of the field, or was there a hedge or any piece of elevated ground, so near that the animal could command the tree? If the animal could not reach her hole, it is more difficult to account for the circumstance; we may, however, I presume, unravel this mysterious and singular case from one of the following causes; first, at the time the animal became entangled, the hole was a few feet lower in the stock of the tree than at present, and that the tree in progress of growth, carried up with it the skull; or, that the head of a stolen and slaughtered animal had been forced into the hole by some depredator, in order to avoid detection; whilst Nature, recovering her tone in the tree, the annual bark closed the opening, and forming around the skull, produced wood of a dark colour, as represented in the engraving accompanying the account. The present explanation, with instances of interesting and similar phenomena, is just published in a work, entitled, Religiosa Philosophia, or, a new theory of the earth. Stonehouse, Sept. 15. W. WELCH. STEPHENSIANA. The late ALEXANDER STEPHENS, Esq. of Park House, Chelsea, devoted an active and well-spent life in the collection of Anecdotes of his contemporaries, and generally entered in a book the collections of the passing day ;—these collections we have purchased, and propose to present a selection from them to our readers. As Editor of the Annual Obituary, and many other biographical works, he may probably have incorporated many of these scraps; but the greater part are unpublished, and all stand alone as cabinet pictures of men and manners, worthy of a place in a literary miscellany. LETTER from LORD NELSON to MR. STEPHENS. 23, Piccadilly, Feb. 10, 1803. Sir, By your letter I believe that you wish to be correct in your history, and therefore desire to be informed of a transaction relative to Naples. I cannot at this moment enter at large on the subject to which you allude, but I shall briefly say, that neither Cardl. Ruffo, Capt. Foote, or any other person had any power vested in them to enter into any treaty with the rebels; that even the paper which they so improperly signed, was not acted upon, as I very happily arrived at Naples, and prevented such an infamous transaction from taking place. I put aside the dishonourable treaty, and sent the rebels *The History of the] War, written by Mr. Stephens. notice of it; therefore when the rebels surrendered they came out of the castles as they ought, without any honours of war, and trusting to the judgment of their sovereign. If you allude to Mrs. Williams's book, I can assure you that nearly all she writes relative to Naples, is either entirely destitute of foundation, or falsely represented. If you wish to have any conversation with me on this subject, I am at home every morning at ten o'clock, and am, Sir, Your most obedient servant, NELSON & BRONTE. LORD NELSON'S Observations on Miss Williams's History of the Neapolitan Revolution. Pages in which are lies.-128, not true-129, not true-130, not true139, Gozzo was part of the territory of the King of Naples-142, not true 143, not true-148, P. Molituno betrayed his trust-170, not true-174, Capt. Foote's capitulation, though not approved, yet most religiously adhered to-178, capitulation not closed, but negociation broke off by Lord Nelson, who would allow the rebels no terms but unconditional submission, and this was regularly notified to the Cardinal, and he desired me to acquaint the rebels of it, and this must have been done from the rebels coming out of the forts as prisoners, and not as soldiers. Sir A. Ball and Sir T. Trowbridge, were Nelson's messengers to the Cardinal 182, 183, not a sentence of truth-201, not a word true about C. Trowbridge; he could receive no orders but from Lord N.-204, a Russian frigate met these vessels, and wished to act contrary to the capitulation, but the English would not suffer it-206, protection not promised, except from murder210, whatever Carraccioli had been, he fought against his King, and it is not pretended that he was in any capitulation. He was tried by a board of Neapolitan officers, found guilty of rebellion, and hanged by order of Lord N., whose dear friend he had been.-Pages from 212 to 221, prove that the parties were rebels, and of course liable to suffer death-221, Circillo, strange to say, would not be saved; he refused Sir William and Lady H-n's entreaty on the quarter-deck of the Foudroyant. When brought up for trial, and asked who he was? answered," in the reign of the tyrant, I was a physician; in the time of the republic, I was a patriot, and now I am a victim." He made his application for mercy too late, or the queen would have begged his forfeited life of the king for the sake of his aged and good mother-22, if what Miss Williams says is true in this page, there would require no other fact to they all deserved death317, Bonaparte would have been sent to Jaffa, not London, to answer for his murder of 4000 Turks, his prisoners. GENERAL WASHINGTON'S FATHER and MR. JEFFERSON. The following particulars 1 had from the Rev. Mr. of in America, who was well acquainted with Governor Jefferson, and had been actually at college with him. My authority for them is so good, that we may rely upon them. Mr. Washington's father was a young Englishman, who had repaired to Ame rica, and studied mathematics in William and Mary College, in the then Colony of Virginia. Towards the latter end of his life, he purchased a tract of land in that portion of the province which constituted what was called the Back Settlements. So they were at that period, but such a difference has taken place, in consequence of the extension of the Indian country, that they now form a part of the interior. To his house and plantations he gave the name of Monticello, or Little Mountain, and there he spent the remainder of his days. Colonel Wakefield says, that the Washington family emigrated from Thorn, in the neighbourhood of Doncaster, in Yorkshire; and I understand that traces of them are preserved in the church-yard, in the monumental form. Young Jefferson was a boy on the demise of his father, whose moral and religious principles, with the arrangements and pursuits he engaged in as a man of business, had rendered him respectable. During a long minority, the neighbourhood becoming more extensive and populous, from numerous families removing thither, his property kept pace with the improvements and advantages resulting therefrom 3-so that on his attaining the age of 21, he was considered as one of the most opulent of the Virginians. It would be a curious speculation to trace the extraordinary effects sometimes produced by education--to discuss the point of doctrine, how far principles early instilled, become prejudices-how far opinions and conduct depend on those who have the charge of tuition-of preparing an exordium -a fit foundation for the great structure, Man. Leaving this induction to the philosopher's judgment, it is sufficient if I state that young Jefferson's tutor happened to be a French Huguenot, who having suffered injuries and insults, grave and pointed, as the victim of arbitrary power, had conceived, the most determined antipathy to kingly government. Placed under this man, whose example and reasonings were more forcible than his authority, the political morals of the youth corresponded with the means of his education, and he became, in doctrine and theory, with scarcely the exception of a feature, a staunch republican. When the unhappy contest took place with our colonies, Mr. Jefferson carried his early principles into practice, de claring claring against the oppressive conduct of the mother country-exhorting and encouraging the insurgents to persevere in their exertions. On the war break ing out, he acted with great energy and spirit, distinguishing himself by his eloquence in popular assemblies, and employing his efforts to propagate his own principles. To mark his disapprobation of the cruelties exercised by the English, he imprisoned a Colonel Hamilton in a common jail-as an event subservient to the purposes of the Lex Talionis. I should have stated previously that, as soon as qualified for that purpose, he was sent to William and Mary College, where he studied mathematics, under Mr. Small, brother of the late Colonel S., and Greek under Mr. On a Scotch Lady of Quality about to bathe in the Sea. Too lovely Scot, what woud'st thou crave From yonder Heaven-directed wave? Not health, the Loves and Graces cry, Hygeia beams in either eye; Not Beauty, for the rose's hue, The rose's sweetness dwells with you. EXTEMPORE, on seeing the new Barracks at Buckingham Honse, in 1802, with the King's Arms above and a long chain dangling below, towards the head of a Centinel. Such are the glories of great George's reign, Below the bayonet, and above the chain! LETTER of ALDERMAN BECKFORD, to the Son of the KING of CORSICA. Fonthill, July 31, 1769. Dear Sir, I am much obliged for your letter of the 28th, and for the good opinion you are pleased to entertain of my public character, far exceeding my deserts. I do most sincerely regret the unhappy fate of the brave Corsicans. I am confident it was in the power of our administration to have prevented this unjust usurpation of the French, without running the risque of a new war. Our commerce in the Mediterranean will suffer severely by this most impolitical conduct of our ministers. You knew my opinion, and the prognostications I have taken the liberty to make public. It will always give me pleasure to see you in Soho Square, on my return to London. I am, Sir, Your most obedient, MONTHLY MAG. No, 360. PAUL JONES. This brave man was the son of Robert Craik, Esq. of Arbiggling, county of Dumfries, about sixteen miles distant from the town of that name. His father died at the advanced age of ninety, in 1796 or 7. Paul was his son by a female servant, and as he did not wish to own him, that task devolved on his gardener, Mr. C—, who had a place in the excise, and late in life came to an estate of about £500 a 2 T year |