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Original Criticisms

ON

The Principal Performers of the Theatres
Royal Drury Lane & Covent Garden.

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to be made concerning this business to herself the possessor of talents which and harmonious voice, are great qualithe full, but it was generally thought we had no idea belonged to her. She fications for this character; Mrs. West that the earl stopped his mouth, and presented us with a picture of the sor- possesses these in an eminent degree, made up the business between them; rows of the virtuous wife, in which and adds to them grace, ease, sprightand the good earl, to make plain to vigour and delicacy were felicitously liness, elegance, and feeling; in the the world the great love he bore to her blended. There was sometimes a re- playful scenes with her husband, she when alive, what a grief the loss of so dundancy of action, but the perform- was highly succesful; indeed, we think virtuous a lady was to his tender heart, ance on the whole inspired universal that few can surpass her in the higher caused (though the thing by these and interest. Her alarm and distraction, on walks of comedy. In Mrs. Beverley, other means was beaten into the heads being delivered to the conspirators, (particularly in the third act,) she is of the principal men of the University were expressed with energy and nature, highly interesting; it is one of those of Oxford) her body to be re-buried in and, in the scene, in which she is de- exquisite touches of pathos, that insiSt. Mary's Church, in Oxford, with serted by Jaffier, she was entitled to nuates itself through the throbbing great pomp and solemnity. It is re- the same praise. The manner in which pulses of every heart, and entirely markable, when Dr. Babington, the she replied to the charge, Would she subdues an auditory. Her Mrs. Haller, earl's chaplain, did preach the funeral have e'er betrayed her Brutus?' 'No.- though much inferior to Mrs. Siddons, sermon, he tript once or twice in his For Brutus trusted her,' was most or Miss O'Neil's, deserves great comspeech, by recommending to their me- just and forcible; her sudden start and mendation, especially in her interview mories that virtuous lady so pitifully exclamation at, How parting, part- with her husband, in which she dismurdered, instead of saying pitifully ing!' the exquisite tenderness of her played workings of a very superior slain. This earl, after all his murders supplications, and the despairing look genius. She plays Portia very elegantand poisonings, was himself poisoned and tone with which she utters, Ohly, and recites the celebrated apostrophe by that which was prepared for others, my poor heart, when wilt thou break!' to mercy, exquisitely. (some say by his wife,) at Cornbury and the rapturous joy, with which It is a glaring act of injustice to this Lodge, before mentioned, though Ba- she turns, on hearing her husband lady, to fix her in such characters as ker, in his Chronicle, would have it at return, and rushes into his arms, Angelina, in Love makes a Man;' Killingworth, Anno 1588. were excellent; and in her mad Pocahontas, or the Indian Princess; scene, she was, if possible, greater. Miss Anagon, in the comedy of WantThe manner in which she repeated the ed a Wife,' &c. &c., and to make her words, For ever,' thrilled the whole the heroine of such melo-dramas as house; nor was the last scene less effec- the Jew of Lubeck,' The Heroine, tive, particularly during the recital or a Daughter's Courage,' and fifty of the death of Jaffier: the frantic others of the same nature, which have vagueness of her attention, the wild- been in themselves too contemptible to ness of her look, the quivering of her run more than two or three nights at lip, and the scream of horror, when the utmost. To our certain knowledge, the light broke in upon her mind, car- she has been put into at least twenty ried tragic horror to its highest pitch. characters which a second-rate actress The dying scene which followed was would have disdained; into feeble likewise terribly faithful. We did not paltry parts, utterly unworthy of her expect, that her Lady Macbeth would unquestionably great talents: be succesful, nor were we in the result, again repeat, that our first tragic acagreeably disappointed. She gave us tress should not appear too frequently, a correct, but very feeble outline of and yet scarcely a night elapses but we the character, merely the declamation see her name in the play-bills, and too of the part correct as to tones and frequently in mediocre characters. attitudes only; she did not enter into Her Jane Shore is extremely affecting; or express the feelings, which belong nothing can exceed her excellence in to the several variations of the charac- the last scene. She is rather too veheter, as it proceeds through its different ment in some parts of Juliet; but, as gradations. We have not, however, a a whole, it is a fine performance; the single actress who can perform Lady acknowledgment of her love, in the first Macbeth, even tolerably; Mrs. West's garden scene, was not only fraught performance therefore, making due al- with fervent feeling, but with that delowance for the difficulty of a faithful licacy of tone and manner, which forms representation, is entitled to a lenient one of its greatest charms. Her deconsideration. She performed Her-spair, when she learned that her husband mione with increased claims to public approbation, and produced some good points in the insignificant character of Tarquinia. In Lady Anne, she was extremely successful, though the part is quite unworthy of her genius. In Lady Townly, she delighted us; an interesting countenance, a fine figure,

No. IX. MRS. W. WEST.
Divine perfection of a woman.'--SHAKESPEARE.

Ir must be confessed that all, but more especially female dramatic talent, is at a very low ebb. Still we have some clever performers among the softer sex; none of them however, in the tragic department at least, possess half the genius or cultivation of the lady before us:-although Mrs. West is much inferior to Miss O'Neil, she undoubt edly possesses much merit; her whole appearance is admirably adapted for tragic expression, and, Her fair large front, and eye sublime, declare absolute rule.'-In this lady, we recol lect a very pretty girl, of the name of Cooke, who performed some years ago, in rather subordinate characters, at Covent Garden; time, however, has considerably improved her powers, and on her appearance at Drury Lane, in Desdemona, we hailed her as a very promising actress. The character has usually been played by any pretty puppet; our heroine, however, raised it to its proper rank, and gave it that interest, which it so justly requires. But if we were much pleased with her in Desdemona, in Belvidera she proved

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is banished, and the cold vacant gaze with which she rose from her grave, were admirable; she exhibited a striking picture of her apprehended terror in the vault of her ancestors, and the highly poetical descriptive speech with which she drinks the friar's opiate, was given with fine theatrical skill.

Original Poetry.

LOVE TOKENS COST MONEY. I'LL not regret the joys I knew,

(Dost thou thyself, I prithee?) Though some of them, and not a few, Were lovely when shared with thee. I'll not regret hope's faded flower,

Nor think on vanished blisses, Nor call to mind joy's fleeting hour

To glad one dark as this is.
What's past I will not praise nor blame,
Nor sigh for what it lost me;
I'll not regret my early flame,

Nor all the pangs it cost me.
I will not ask thy love's return,
And so, my girl, content thee;
The only things I really mourn
Are presents which I sent thee!

J. W. DALBY.

Cordelia is one of the most favourite of youngest of us, seen a finer tragic acall Shakespeare's characters,—a suffer-tress, but we have no one now on the ing daughter, a daughter who sacrifices stage who possesses half her merit; every thing for a father who had used her excellence in several characters has her in the most cruel and unnatural been such, as fully to justify us in availmanner, cannot fail of commanding ing ourselves of the exclamation used our pity, admiration, and love. In the by old Quin, on Mrs. Bellamy's unexfirst scene with the old king, we thought pected success-Thou art a charming her fully equal to Miss O'Neil; we creature, and the true spirit is in thee.' cannot say that she carried this excelW. H. PARRY. lence throughout the whole character: still, there were some exquisite touches, particularly on meeting with Edgar on the heath; her kind solicitude, her affectionate attention to her father on his awakening from his trance, are entitled to the warmest commendation; we confess, on the whole, we were excessively delighted. In the tragedy of 'Bertrain,' she performs the character of Imogen with her accustomed excellence; the part, however, as to ef fect, overdoes itself: the situation in which she is placed by her infidelity, is truly tragic, but the pomp of declamation, and the profusion of ornament, prevent it from producing its proper effect on the feelings; still, at intervals, when nature bursts the fetters of art, and the dialogue assumes an air of simplicity, Mrs. West availed herself of the favourable moments to disclose her powers. The picture which she drew of her despair was highly affecting, and her death admirably managed. In several passages of Adelgitha, she was greeted not only with applause, but with enthusiasm; the pride, disdain, and remorse of the character, she expressed with much force, nor was she deficient in the tender scenes, her first interview with Michael Ducas was excellent,-her relation to her husband of her own story, as that of another, was given with profound feeling,-upon the whole, it was certainly very far superior to the effect of Mrs. Bunn in the same character. We will not be so unjust as to forget her admirably pathetic representation of the sorrows of the tender virtuous Cora, or her inimitable performance of Julia, in the new tragedy of Montalto: her first interview with her husband was replete with affection and tenderness; the attitude in which she placed herself while deprecating Montalto's vague and unreasonable jealousy, and the whole of her concluding scene, were beyond praise.

Our best wishes attend Mrs. West, whom we consider a charming and most improving actress, and an extremely valuable ornament to Drury Lane Theatre. We have all, even the

STANZAS.

CALM was my early morn of life,
As a fair summer sky;
Yet, ere that morn had pass'd away,
Full many a cloud was nigh.
The hopes I treasur'd, long ago,

Have all proved false and vain;
And forms, that once were very dear,
I think of now with pain.
This world of mingled bliss and woe
Has lost its charm for me;
My eye in all its scenes of mirth

No pleasure now can see.

Yet there is one for whose sweet sake
I want and woe would share ;
And ever watch his infant hours

With all a mother's care.

My child! thou dost not know my love;
Twill cost me much to part;
For there is nought can ever tear
Thy image from my heart.
Where'er, in after times, thou art,
Be it on land or sea;
Thy mother's first and warmest prayer
Will ever be for thee.
ELIZA.

TO VIRTUOUS BEAUTY.

I WILL not say how young thy life,
Thy heart, how suited for a wife!
I will not praise thy head of hair,
And cry how fine thine eye-brows are!
How dimples play about thy chin!
How blushing and how fair thy skin!
What odours pass thy teeth of white,
And tender beamings leave thy sight!
But trust th'unbiass'd choice to thee,
If thou wilt love and marry me.

I have not told thee how thy heart
Can sympathise and bear a part
With those who grieve, in woe's distress,
To be so far from happiness;

I have not said that orphans' cries
Can drown the pupils of thine eyes,
That angry words and harsh control
Like sinful thoughts disturb thy soul;
But leave it to thyself to be
A judge if I am worthy thee.
Were I to tell thee, thou art praised;
What strange emotions love has rais'd!
What suitors, letters, strife, and woe,
Hearts of my sex must undergo !

Thou would'st but smile and think me such
As those who vainly say too much ;-
Try me and prove my value, then
Survey me in thy love again;
If, after this, deserving thee,

Sigh thy consent and married be. J. R. P.

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DRURY LANE.-Arne's serious opera of Artaxerxes has been thrice repeated, since our last, to houses crowded to the very ceiling. Warmly as we spoke in praise of the talents of Miss Wilson, yet her subsequent exertions have given us a still higher opinion of her powers. Her first performance developed the compass of her voice, and the skill and taste which she possessed, but it remained for future efforts to display her astonishing powers, and the energetic and delightful variety of her re sources. We never saw an audience so enraptured as those of Saturday and Tuesday nights. Her execution of 'Monster away' proved her to be almost as excellent an actress as a singer, a combination of talent so rare on the stage. In 'The Soldier tir'd,' her musical skill, tasteful decoration, and powerful notes had the amplest range of action, and the performance was perfect throughout. In its highest flight the voice was as clear and fine as if it were making but an ordinary effort; and, what was still more surprising, the lady rushed into this elevated excellence with the utmost rapidity. The song was encored; the pit and galleries standing up, huzzaing, and waving their hats for some minutes. It was called for a third time, but a portion of the audience feeling for the great exertion of the actress, resisted it. The fame of Miss Wilson is now fully established, and we look forward with pleasure to many a happy night in hearing her delightful strains. The next character in which she will appear will be Rosetta, in the opera of Love in a Village.

Miss Wilson, we understand, is not yet eighteen years of age. She has been instructed in elocution and acting by

Mr. Alvey. Her present engagement with Mr. Elliston is extremely liberal; it is 800 guineas for forty nights. We trust that she will long be retained at this theatre, where her first exertions

have been crowned with such success. COVENT GARDEN.-In speaking of vocal performers, we must not forget a great favourite, Miss Stephens, whose return to her engagement we had omitted to notice. She is in excellent health, and her voice possesses all that sweetness and native simplicity, combined with great powers, which first recommended her to so high a rank in the public favour. She has performed the characters of Zelinda, in The Slave, and Diana Vernon, in Rob Roy, with her accustomed excellence; she is, however, much in want of support at this theatre, where there is no eminent male singer.

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We learn with much pleasure, that an attractive novelty is forthcoming at this theatre-a lady to sustain Miss O'Neil's line of acting. Her first pearance will be in the character of Isabella. The name of the young lady is Dance, and report says she is exquisitely beautiful, and possesses great talents. SURRY THEATRE.-Several novelties have been produced here since our last; on Monday, was presented the lively burletta of Figaro, or the Lady and the Page, in which the part of Susan was sustained by a Mrs. Young, with much spirit, her first appearance. in London; and that of Agnes, by Miss Wells, who had never appeared before on any stage: the character is of a very minor description, but enabled her to introduce a song, which she sang with considerable sweetness. On the same evening, a new comic piece, entitled, The Blue Baron, or over the Bridge, was played with great humour; in which Fitzwilliam, Wyatt, and Miss Copeland were the principal performers; their characters, of the broadest farcical description, enabled them to keep the house in perpetual laughter, and the whole performance met with the warmest approbation.

8vo. No. 4. price 4s. 6d. of ZOOLOGICAL ILLUSTRATIONS; or, Original Figures and Descriptions of New, or otherwise interesting Animals, principally from the Classes of Ornithology, Ento

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Shall in remembrance spread around this tale;
She's great, but ne'er shall equal Miss O'Neil.'
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several of the most distinguished clans, ter: He received a captain's comwhich it was difficult to suppress; and mission, from the prince, immedihence that want of union and cordia-ately after the battle of Preston Pans, Memoirs of the Rebellion in 1745 and lity, without which no enterprize can and afterwards raised a company, with 1746. By the Chevalier de John-succeed. But, admitting Charles did which, when completed, he joined the stone, Aid-de-Camp to Lord George not possess those commanding talents, Duke of Perth's regiment. He bore a Murray, General of the Rebel Army, so essential to such an adventure, yet part in all the movements of the reAssistant Aid-de-Camp to Prince it is cruel and in defiance of the evi- bel army; and, after the battle of CulCharles Edward, &c. &c. Contain-dence of facts, to reproach him with a loden, remained for some time in coning a Narrative of the Progress of total want of personal courage. If the cealment in different parts of the north. the Rebellion, from its commencement Pretender had been the coward he is de- He made his escape to England in the to the Battle of Culloden; the Cha-scribed, he would not have quitted the disguise of a Scots pedlar, and, after racters of the principal Persons en- luxurious ease in which he had lived, remaining some time in London, he gaged in it, and Anecdotes respecting (for he was a sensualist,) to undertake went to Holland, thence to Paris, them, and various important Parti- so hazardous an enterprize with such where he obtained a share in the fund culars relating to that Contest, hither- slender means as he did; nor do we set apart by the government for Scots to either unknown or imperfectly un- believe that any talents could, under exiles. Tired of an inactive life, he derstood. Translated from a French all the difficulties he had to encounter, entered the French service, and was MS. originally deposited in the have ensured his success. The love of sent to North America; but, on the Scots' College at Paris. 4to. pp. peace and the tranquillity of nearly conquest of their possessions by the 348. London, 1820. half a century, had consolidated the English, he returned to France, where NOTWITHSTANDING the time that has power of the House of Hanover, and these Memoirs were written shortly afelapsed since the rebellion of 1745, and created a strong attachment to their ter his return. Though in many rethe numerous historical accounts of it cause, while the recollection of the op- spects they are inaccurate, and in all already existing, the narrative of an pressive policy of the Stuarts was too written with very strong prejudices, eye-witness holding a sufficient rank to much cherished to permit their having yet they contain much interesting the events enable him to become acquainted not many partisans in England, Quit- information respecting only with the principal events, but the ting, however, all disquisitions as to and the individuals of that secret springs by which they were oc- what the Pretender could or could not riod. It is by no means our intention casioned, could not even now fail to have done, we come now to speak of to give a history of the rebellion, or to excite considerable interest, if related what he and his followers did, as de- trace its progress, but rather to select fairly and impartially. Such, how-tailed in these Memoirs; but first, a some of the passages in these Memoirs ever, is not the case with the Cheva- word or two of the author. possessing the greatest novelty, or relier de Johnstone, who, perhaps, mor- The Chevalier de Johnstone was lating to events the most interesting. tified at the disastrous result of an en- the only son of James Jobustone, a mer-The character of one of the most disterprise from which he hoped much, chant in Edinburgh, who, by descent tinguished of the rebel leaders, is thus Jays the whole blame on his prince, to and alliance, was connected with some drawn by the author :whom he denies the possession of any of the first houses in Scotland. In Lord George Murray, who had the talents or of a single virtue. The edi- his youth, the Chevalier moved in the charge of all the details of our army, and tor of these Memoirs goes still farther best society in the Scottish capital, who had the sole direction of it, possessin his abuse of the unfortunate Charles, and was very intimate with the well-ed a natural genius for military operaone of the last descendants of an illustri-known Lady Jane Douglas, mother of tions, and was, indeed, a man of surpris ons race, whose misfortunes entitled the present Lord Douglas. Educated ing talents, which, had they been cultivated by the study of military tactics, him at least to pity, if not to respect. in Episcopalian and Jacobite principles, would unquestionably have rendered Rejoicing, as we do, at the result of on the first landing of Prince Charles him one of the greatest generals of the an expedition which lighted up the Edward, he made his escape from Edinage. He was tall and robust, and brave torch of civil war in our isle, and was burgh to Duncrub, the seat of Lord in the highest degree; conducting the intended to dethrone a family much Rollo, near Perth, where he waited the Highlanders in the most heroic manner, endeared to the country by the mild-arrival of the prince in that town, and and always the first to rush sword in hand ness of their sway, we cannot attribute was one of the first low country geninto the midst of the enemy. He used the failure to the illustrious adventurer tlemen who flocked to his standard. to say, when we advanced to the charge, "I do not ask you, my lads, to go before, alone; for, although his numerous He was introduced to the Duke of but merely to follow me," a very enerfollowers were many of them faithful Perth and Lord George Murray, the getic harangue, admirably calculated to unto death, yet it is well known that leaders of the rebel army, and be- excite the ardour of the Highlanders, but considerable jealousies existed among came aide-de-camp to the lat- which would sometimes have had a betE-5

VOL. III.

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ter effect from the mouth of the prince. who had distinguished themselves at would not arrive till the evening, they He slept little, was continually occupied Dettingen and Fontenoy, and who might surrounded him in a tumultuous manner, with all manner of details, and was al- justly be ranked amongst the bravest with the intention of taking him prisoner, together most indefatigable, combin-troops of Europe!' alive or dead. Dickson presented his ing and directing alone all our opera Cæsar is accused of having multi-blunderbuss, which was charged with tions; in a word, he was the only person plied the number of the Britons, to in- slugs, threatening to blow out the brains capable of conducting our army.? of those who first dared to lay hands on In the account of the battle of Pres-crease the glory of having conquered himself or the two who accompanied them, The Chevalier Johnstone does him; and by turning round continually, ton Pans, where the rebel army gained more,-he not only increases the num-facing in all directions, and behaving their first important success, we have ber, but gives them superior powers. like a lion, he soon enlarged the circle, the following anecdote:-Ten men of the bravest troops in Eu- which a crowd of people had formed rope, well armed, taken prisoners by around them. Having continued for some single Highlander, with a sword in one time to manoeuvre in this way, those of the hand and a pistol in another, is rather inhabitants of Manchester who were attoo much for a willing credence. We tached to the house of Stuart, took arms, and flew to the assistance of Dickson, to have already stated, that the chevalier, rescue him from the fury of the mob; so tired of the laborious duties of an aid- that he soon had five or six hundred men de-camp, raised a company of his own; to aid him, who dispersed the crowd in a this, it would seem, was no difficult very short time. Dickson now triumphtask, if we may judge from the followed in his turn; and, putting himself at the ing rapid success in recruiting, when head of his followers, he proudly paraded the rebel army had advanced into Eng- drummer, enlisting for my company all undisturbed the whole day, with his land:

Macgregor's company did great execution with their scythes. They cut the legs of the borses in two; their riders through the middle of their bodies. Macgregor was brave and intrepid, but at the same time altogether whimsical and singular. When advancing to the charge with his company, he received five wounds, two of them from balls, that pierced his body through and through Stretched on the ground, with his head. resting on his hand, he called out to the Highlanders of his company," My lads, I am not dead! by G-I shall see if any one of you does not do his duty." The Highlanders instantly fell on the flanks of the infantry, which being uncovered and exposed from the flight of the cavalry, immediately gave way. Thus, in less than five minutes, we obtained a complete victory, with a terrible carnage on the part of the enemy."

who offered themselves.

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One of my serjeants, named Dickson, On presenting me with a list of one whom I had enlisted from among the pri-hundred and eighty recruits, I was agree soners of war at Gladsmuir, a young ably surprised to find that the whole Scotsman, as brave and intrepid as a lion, amount of his expenses did not exceed and very much attached to my interest, three guineas. This adventure of Dickinformed me, on the 27th, at Preston, son gave rise to many a joke, at the exthat he had been beating up for recruits pense of the town of Manchester, from all day, without getting one; and that he the singular circumstance of its having The affair of this day is, we suspect, was the more chagrined at this, as the been taken by a serjeant, a drummer, strongly exaggerated, particularly so other serjeants had had better success. and a girl. This circumstance may serve far as relates to the conduct of the He, therefore, came to ask my permis- to show the enthusiastic courage of our British troops. We are told that the sion to get a day's march a-head of the army, and the alarm and terror with English lost thirteen hundred killed, army, by setting out immediately for which the English were seized." and fifteen hundred prisoners, and that England, containing forty thousand inhaManchester, a very considerable town of the rebel army had only forty killed bitants, in order to make sure of some reand as many wounded. The follow-cruits before the arrival of the army. I ing anecdotes partake largely of the marvellous:

The chevalier did not derive any advantage from these recruits, as they were transferred to what was called the Manchester regiment, composed entirely of English recruits, but which never exceeded three hundred men. These were all the English who ever declared themselves openly in favour of the Pretender. This fact gives little ground for believing the chevalier right in his conjecture, that had they defeated the Duke of Cumberland at Derby, the army of Finchley would have dispersed of its own accord; and that the rebels would have taken possession of London without the least resistance from the inhabitants, and without exchanging a single shot with the soldiers.

reproved him sharply for entertaining so wild and extravagant a project, which I saw,' says the author, a young exposed him to the danger of being Highlander, about fourteen years of age, taken and hanged, and I ordered him scarcely formed, who was presented to back to his company. Having much the prince as a prodigy, having killed, it confidence in him, I had given him a was said, fourteen of the enemy. The horse, and entrusted him with my portprince asked him if this was true? "Imanteau, that I might always have it with do not know," replied he, "if I killed me. On entering my quarters in the them; but I brought fourteen soldiers to evening, my landlady informed me that the ground with my sword." Another my servant had called and taken away Highlander brought ten soldiers to the my portmanteau and blunderbuss. I imprince, whom he had made prisoners, mediately bethought myself of his exdriving them before him like a flock of travagant project, and his situation gave sheep. This Highlander, from a rash-me much uneasiness. But on our arrival ness without example, having pursued a at Manchester, on the evening of the folparty to some distance from the field of lowing day, the 29th, Dickson brought battle, along the road between the two me about one hundred and eighty reThat the success of the rebel army inclosures, struck down the hindermost cruits, whom he had enlisted for my comwith a blow of his sword, calling, at the pany. created great consternation in London saime time, "down with your arms." 'He had quitted Preston in the even-is certain, but we never before heard The soldiers, terror struck, threw down ing, with his mistress and my drummer; that King George the Second ordertheir arms, without looking behind them, and having marched all night, he arrived ed all his yachts, in which he had em and the Highlander, with a pistol in one next morning at Manchester, which is barked all his most precious effects, to hand, and a sword in the other, made about twenty miles distant from Preston, remain at the Tower quay, in readi them do exactly as he pleased. The rage and immediately began to beat up for reness to sail at a moment's warning.' and despair of these men, on seeing them-cruits" for the yellow haired laddie." 'selves made prisoner by a single indivi- The populace, at first, did not interrupt This assertion is not supported by any dual, may easily be imagined. These, him, conceiving our army to be near the contemporary writer, and yet the fact, however, were the same English soldiers town; but, as soon as they knew that it if true, must have been well known.

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