that there is any moral turpitude in their calling; a strong instance of which we saw in an old smuggler, whose son had been shot in a fray with our seamen. The Lieutenant, as noble a being as ever served his country, begged, prayed, nay implored the old man, while the body lay stretched before him, to desist from such courses, or, at least, not to bring up his remaining son to a life so perilous, but it was all in vain; he replied, that if he had twenty sons they should do the same, and the reply was clenched by an oath too horrid for repetition. We speak of facts with which we are well ac quainted, and have only softened them in our recital. It was from these men, who in their little cock-boats bade defiance to all the vigilance of our seventyfour gunships, that Buonaparte gained his intelligence during the war, and their fidelity was always found equal to their courage. But intelligence, it seems, was not the only contraband commodity that they dealt in; they often contrived to smuggle over the French prisoners from this country, and the manner of the traffic was thus: any Frenchman, who wished to rescue his friend or his relation from English captivity, would make a bargain with the smugglers to bring him over, for a certain sum proportioned to the circumstances; and it was seldom that they failed in their purpose; all that they wanted for the business was the name and age of the prisoner to be rescued, together with some token to ensure his confidence. At first Dunkirk was the place allotted to them, but these "genti terribili," as Buonaparte terms them, grew so outrageous at last, and played such wild pranks, that he was forced to make some order for their better behaviour. A little camp was in consequence prepared for them at Gravelines, and certain limits assigned, within which their wanderings were restrained. Here they were often assembled to the number of five hundred. Between this detail and the burning of Moscow, are many curious anecdotes that we are for the present compelled to leave untouched. Napoleon's delineations of contemporary character are admirable: Alexander, the King of Prussia, Moreau, Soult, Pozzo di Borgo, Fouche, Talleyrand, Carnot, Robespierre, Josephine, and a hundred names familiar to history, are sketched with a strong, though rapid hand, and the stamp of truth is on the most of them. The murders of El Arish, and the poisoning at Jaffa, are fully treated; but these and many things of more importance we must pass over, and close our notice of this first volume with Buonaparte's account of the Russian conflagration. I was in the midst of a fine city, provisioned for a year, for in Russia they always lay in provisions for several months before the frost sets in. Stores of all kinds were in plenty. The houses of the inha bitants were well provided, and many had even left their servants to attend upon us. In most of them there was a note left by who took possession to take care of their the proprietor, begging the French officers furniture and other things; that they had left every article necessary for our wants, and hoped to return in a few days, when the emperor Alexander had accommodated matters, at which time they would be happy to see us. Many ladies remained behind. They knew that I had been in Berlin and Vienna with my armies, and that no injury had been done to the inhabitants; and moreover, they expected a speedy peace. We were in hopes of enjoying ourselves in winter quarters, with every prospect of success in the spring. Two days after our arrival, a fire was discovered, which at first was not supposed to be alarming, but to have been caused by the soldiers kindling their fires too near the houses, which were chiefly of wood. I was angry at this, and issued very strict orders on the subject to the commandants of regiments and others. The next day it had advanced, but still not so as to give serious alarm. However, afraid that it might gain upon us, I went out on horseback, and gave every direction lent wind arose, and the fire spread with to extinguish it. The next morning a viothe greatest rapidity. Some hundred miscreants, hired for that purpose, dispersed themselves in different parts of the town, and with matches which they concealed under their cloaks, set fire to as many houses to windward as they could, which was easily done, in consequence of the combustible materials of which they were built. This, together with the violence of the wind, rendered every effort to extin guish the fire ineffectual. I myself narrowly escaped with life. In order to shew of the flames, and had my hair and an example, I ventured into the midst eye-brows singed, and my clothes burnt off my back; but it was in vain, as they had destroyed most of the pumps, of which there were above a thousand; out of all these, I believe that we could only find one that was serviceable, Besides, the wretches that had been hired by Rostopchin ran about in every quarter, disseminating fire with their matches; in which they were but too much assisted by the wind. This terrible conflagration ruined every thing. I was prepared for every thing but this. It was unforeseen, for who would have thought that a nation would have set its capital on fire? The inhabitants themselves, however, did all they could to extinguish it, and several of them perished in their endeavours. They also brought before us numbers of the incendiaries with their matches, as amidst such a popolazzo we never could have discovered them ourselves. I caused about two hundred of these wretches to be shot. Had it not been for this fatal fire, I had every thing my army wanted; excellent winter quarters; stores of all kinds were in plenty; and the next year would have decided it. Alexander would have made peace, or I would have been in Petersburgh." I asked if he thought that he could entirely subdue Russia. "No," replied Napo leon; "but I would have caused Russia to make such a peace as suited the interests of France. I was five days too late in quitting Moscow. Several of the generals," continued he, "were burnt out of their beds. I myself remained in the Kremlin until surrounded with flames. The fire advanced, seized the Chinese and India warehouses, and several stores of oil and spirits, which burst forth in flames and overwhelmed every thing. I then retired to a country house of the Emperor Alexander's, distant about a league from Moscow, and you may figure to yourself the intensity of the fire, when I tell you, that you could scarcely bear your hands upon the walls or the windows on the side next to Moscow, in conse quence of their heated state. It was the spectacle of a sea and billows of fire, a sky and clouds of flame; mountains of red rolling flames, like immense waves of the sea, alternately bursting forth and elevating themselves to skies of fire, and then sink ing into the ocean of flame below. Oh, it was the most grand, the most sublime, and the most terrific sight the world ever beheld !! THE RUSSIAN TRAGEDY. IN the collection of verses published by the University of Oxford, on the Birth of his present Majesty," is a copy attributed to Spence, at that time Regius Professor of Modern History. In 1780, when Mr. Nichols was collecting the scattered pieces of Mr. Spence for insertion in his "Collection of Poems," Bishop Lowth writes to him-"The poem on the Birth of the Prince of Wales was published in the Oxford verses very imperfectly; and, I may add, unwarrantably. Mr. Spence had in troduced, by way of episode, the RUSSIAN TRAGEDY, which was then first in every one's mouth, and was received with universal horror and detestation. The Oxford critics, very rightly and prudently, thought it not fit to be published by the University; they ought, therefore, to have sent it to the author to be reformed, or to have suppressed it entirely. Instead of this, they cut out the whole episode, about one-third of the poem, and which was the principal part in the author's view, and * Gratulatio Solennis Universitatis Oxoniensis ob celsissimum Georgium Fred. Aug. Walliæ Principem Georgio III. et Charlotte Reginæ auspicatissime natum. Oxonii, e Typographeo Clarendoniano, 1762. Folio. Sign. H. For particulars of Spence (who was Professor of Poetry in the University of Oxford, from 1728 to 1738, author of the Polymetis, an Essay on Pope's Odyssey, and, though last, yet by far the most amusing of all his works, of Anecdotes of Pope and his contemporaries) we cannot do better than refer to Nichols's 8vo. Life of Bowyer, and Mr. Singer's Memoir, prefixed to his Edition of Spence's Anecdotes, 8vo. 1820. Mr. S. notices the lines we are about to print, as the concluding copy in the Oxford collection; this, however, is a mistake into which he has been led by an expression of Bishop Lowth's, who, in his letter to Mr. Nichols, alludes to a poem of his own, in the Epicedia on the death of Frederick, Prince of Wales, as "the concluding poem of the collection," a remark that will not apply to what we have here designated The Russian Tragedy. for the introduction of which the whole plan of the poem was formed; and printed the beginning and end, without any connexion or meaning, to the total destruction of the poem. If you print it from the Oxford copy, you must put asterisks in the middle, to show that it is a mere fragment. But this will raise curiosity, and enquiries will be made after the middle part, of which I believe some copies may be found; and the publication of that avowedly by you, will, I think, even now be improper. Pray let me know what you intend as to this matter; and I beg you to do nothing in it without consulting me.' Mr. Nichols followed the suggestion of the Bishop; he printed the poem with asterisks, and added a note, explaining, that certain lines in the original MS. had been omitted by the publishers of the Oxford collection. On transmitting a proof to Dr. Lowth, his Lordship expressed his approbation of this note, adding, " and I think the curious will hardly find out a copy to fill up the blank.”. The Russian transactions alluded to in the poem have now become matters of history, and, after an interval of more than sixty years, may be commented upon in still stronger terms than those used by the writer of the suppressed verses. There can therefore be no impropriety in giving the lines entire, which we do from an authentic copy, and for the first time. The suppressed, and by far the most interesting, portion, is distinguished by inverted commas. Hail to the sacred day, that gives an heir Thrice happy Britain! by th' encircling seas O fairest form of well-built polity, Stands firm by thee, and owns thy guardian care. From sire to son transmitted, shall descend Thro' Brunswic's line; nor know the frequent change, Tyrannic rule unblest. There dark Distrust, Surrounds the desart throne, distain'd with blood "Oh! what avails the vast extended wild "Of empire, stretching from the frozen port "Of black Archangel to the narrow Frith "That eastward severs from Kamskatka's shore "Columbo's new-found world; or what the toils "Of her fam'd monarch, rudely sage, self-taught, "His people's teacher, studious to diffuse "Thro' Russia's savage waste, dark and unform'd, "The cheering rays of mild humanity, "If lawless rule, and rude barbaric sway "Still hold th' imperial throne, to perilous height "Advanced, and tott'ring with excess of pow'r "Precarious? See, the vagrant sceptre strays "From hand to hand, unknowing where to rest. "The son, to empire born, his hopes unripe, "Falls helpless by the father's stern decree. "Nor shall the plighted oath, or sacred chrism, "Or still more sacred Innocence, protect "The cradled majesty. Great Peter's throne “To dark intrigue, and armed violence, "And female faction, lies an open prey. "But lo! the youth, whom rival nations woo'd, "Contending which should serve him, lo! he comes, "Of aspect mild, and heart humane, intent "From thought-debasing vassalage to raise "His people, and to bless the world with peace. "In still suspense the warring kingdoms wait "His high award. But ah! what sudden gloom "Blots the fair scene? I see a Fury rise, "From deepest Hell she rises, fired with dire "Ambition, vengeful hate, and jealous rage, "Remorseless. To horrible acts the daring fiend "Adds tenfold horrors; of th' Imperial Dame "The form assuming, of his throne and bed "High partner, mother of his infant heir, "Dear pledge of mutual love. Impetuous forth "From her lord's gates, from the connubial bow'r "She bursts, and tossing in the tainted air "Alecto's Hell-enkindled torch, inflames * "To wild sedition and rebellious arms "She masks. Yet more, insulting heav'n and earth, With loud lament, and ostentatious grief, "Such tears the ruthless monster of the Nile, But learn, ye Britons, with observance due, But pow'r, obedient to the rein of Law, To Reason, Justice, Faith, true greatness gives, The butt of your ambition; hither aim It is not the least singular circumstance connected with the foregoing lines, that, although originally printed under Spence's name, and expressly alluded to by Bishop Lowth as Spence's production, they have been ascribed to Lowth himself, at that time Bishop of Limerick; who was generally reported to be the real author, and was said to have communicated them to his friend, the Professor of Modern History, for publication among the Oxford verses. Such is the tradition; and we have some reason to believe it well-founded, having seen a memorandum in the hand-writing of a celebrated collector, (a man of learning, one well versed in the literary history of that day, and whose acquaintance with the parties rendered him a very credible witness on such a question,) in which he expressly says they were "written by Dr. Lowth." THE DRAMA. COVENT GARDEN THEATRE. The Law of Java. THE Law of Java is a musical play from the pen of George Colman the younger, and it has very naturally occasioned a considerable interest in the public mind, as coming from the author of the Heir at Law, and the Poor Gentleman. A great name has its disadvantages, for it certainly serves to point out defects and deficiencies with a more inveterate force and truth. The admirers of Miss Mac Tab, the lovers of Dr. Pangloss, the worshippers of Mrs. Brulgruddery, are set a tip-toe in expectation to find objects as attractive in the new work as their first favourites; but not a trace, or a very slight one, of the powers that originated the Brulgrudderys, the Dowlasses, the Ollapods, now remains; and the Law of Java is indeed a disappointment! |