Page images
PDF
EPUB

times."

Mr. Burke has often been heard to de-
clare, that this was one of the most amus-
ing and delightful days of his whole life.'

was himself the cause: for, in order to turned with a comely beef-steak, enve-days. Our hero 'being of a timid and remedy the errors of his chimney, he had loped in cabbage leaves, crammed into bashful turn, and assisted by a portion of removed the old stove grate from the one pocket; the other was filled with po youthful pride, was incapable of making fire-place into the centre of the room. tatoes; under each arm was a bottle of those advances, and playing off that train where it was sustained by a large old port, procured at Slaughter's Coffee- of theatrical tricks, by which means benedripping pan, by way of a platform, to house; and in each hand a French brick. fits are frequently obtained in the counsave the carpet from ignition; and he had An antique gridiron was placed on the try, and, therefore, he had been less sucbeen occupied for half an hour with the fire, and Mr. Burke performed the office cessful than many of his brethren. His bellows to cheer up the coals to a blaze. of cook; while Barry, as butler, set the landlady, perceiving there was no prosHe was now prevailed on to assist his table, which he covered with a table pect of payment, satisfied herself for the guest in removing the grate to its proper cloth, perfectly geographical; for the trifle already due, by seizing on the remsituation, and the windows being thrown stains of former soups and gravies had gi- nant of our hero's wardrobe; and knowopen, the smoke soon vanished. He now ven it the appearance of a map of the ing she could dispose of her lodgings to proceeded to conduct his guest to see his world. The knives and forks were vete- more advantage during the races, turned pictures in certain apartments on the rans brigaded from different sets, for no him out to the mercy of the winter's higher story, where many exquisite pieces two of them wore the same uniform, in wind, which he endured with all his forwithout frames, stood edgewise on the blades, handles, or shapes. Dame Ursula mer philosophy. He rambled carelessly floor, with their fronts to the walls, to cooked the potatoes in Tipperarian per- about the streets, sometimes quoting pasguard them from injury; and, by the aid fection, and by five o'clock, the hungry sages to himself, both comic and serious, of a sponge and water, their coats of dust friends sat down, like Eneas and Achates, that were analogous to his situation, but were removed, and their beauties deve- to make a hearty meal: after having dis- without forming one determined idea of loped, much to the delight of the guest.patched the "pinguem ferinam," they where he was to rest his houseless head. Having lectured con amore upon the his- whiled away the time till nine o'clock, Towards the close of the evening, he tory and merits of the paintings, his next over their two flaggons "veteris Bacchi," strolled by accident into the lower part of object was to display to his guest the eco- "And jok'd, and laugh'd, and talk'd of former the theatre, which had formerly been an nomy of his bed-room: the walls of this inn, and was then occupied by a person apartment, too, were occupied by framewhose husband had been a serjeant of less pictures, veiled in perennial dust, dragoons, for the purpose of retailing rewhich was likewise sponged off, to freshments, &c. to those who visited the develop their beauties, and display some There is one memoir in this work, theatre. After chatting until it grew late, first-rate gems of the art. In a sort of re- which may be disputed by the editor of the woman hinted to our hero that she cess, between the fire place and the wall, the Lives of Eminent Scotsmen ;' it wished to go to bed, and begged he stood a stump bedstead without curtains, might retire upon which he replied, in and counterpaned by a rug, bearing all is that of Dr. Black, the celebrated the words of Don John, "I was just thinkthe vestiges of long and arduous service, professor of chemistry in the Universi-ing of going home, but that I have no and tinted only by the accumulated soil ty of Glasgow. Dr. Black was born lodging.' The good woman, taking the of half a century, which no scourer's in France, but his father was a native words literally, inquired into the cause, hand had ever prophaned. "That, sir," of Belfast, and descended from a with which he acquainted her without said the artist, "is my bed; I use no cur- Scotch family. Mr. Ryan's reason for disguise. Being the mother of a family, tains, because they are unwholesome, and introducing him among the worthies she felt severely for his distressed situaI breathe more freely, and sleep as sound- of Ireland, if admitted, might author- tion; at that time he did not possess a ly as if I reposed on down, and snored onize him to extend the field very single halfpenny in the world, nor the velvet. But there, my friend," continued means of obtaining one. The poor creahe, pointing to a broad shelf, fixed high widely: he says it would be an act of ture shed tears of regret that she could not above the bed, and fortified on three sides flagrant injustice, not only to the indi-effectually alleviate his misfortune. He by the walls of the recess," that is my vidual, but to posterity, to exclude the endeavoured to assume a careless gaiety; chef-d'œuvre.-'Ecod, I have outdone imperishable name of Black, from the but the woman's unaffected sorrow them at last.". -"Outdone whom?" said trivial circumstance of Ireland not hav- brought the reflection of his own disobeMr. Burke The rats, the d-d rats, ing been the spot of his birth.' We always dience to his mind, and he dropped tears my dear friend,” replied Barry, rubbing thought such a trivial circumstance the sorrow of his parents, whom he had in plenteous libation: in his grief he saw his palms in ecstacy, they beat me out of every other security in the house of great importance in these matters, deserted, to follow what he began to percould not keep any thing for them, in but it appears we were wrong, andadis- ceive a mad career, in despite of the cupboard or closet; they devoured my tinguished individual may be claimed many unanswered remonstrances he had cold meat, and bread and cheese, and by any country. The lives of Burke, received, with a fair promise of forgivebacon but there they are now, you see, Curran, and the Earl of Charlemont, ness and affection, should he return to his all safe and snug, in defiance of all the which are the most laboured in the business. This philanthropic female larats in the parish do less than highly commend his inven- shall conclude, for the present, with an Mr. Burke could not volume, are highly interesting, but we mented that she could not furnish him with tion, and congratulate him on its success. They now descended to the first room; anecdote relating to Andrew Cherry, the Barry, whose only clock was his stomach, actor, and the author of the Soldier's felt it was his dinner hour, but totally for- Daughter,' and other dramatic pieces: got his invitation, until Mr. Burke re- In the town of Athlone, we are told, minded him of it:-"Ods-oh! my dear a circumstance of particular distress atfriend," said he, "I beg your pardon: so tended our hero; but which he bore with I did invite you, and it totally escaped my all the magnanimity that dramatic ardour memory-but if you will sit down here could inspire. The business of the theaand blow the fire, I'll step out and get a tre was suspended for a short time, in concharming beef-steak in a minute." Mr. sequence of the benefits having turned Burke took the bellows to cheer up the out badly the manager was resolved not fire-and Barry his departure, to cater for to waste any more bills, but wait for the the banquet. And, shortly after, he re-races, which were to commence in a few

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

:

a bed, but offered to lend him her hus

band's cloak, and to procure a bundle of
dry hay, that he might sleep in an empty
room in her house. His heart was too!
full to pay his gratitude in words; his..
eyes thanked her; he wept bitterly, ac-
cepted her kind offer, and retired to rest,
The intruding any further on her kind-
ness was painful to him, as she was strug
gling to maintain a numerous offspring.
He therefore carefully avoided the house
at mealtimes, and wandered through the
fields or streets, until he supposed their
repasts were finished; at last, so over-
come by fasting and fatigue, that he could

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

meat, and the mouths which are to eat died with the spit in one hand and the
it, must be ready for each other at the pen in the other, and made himself
same moment.' If any doubt could ex- fully acquainted with the practical part
ist as to the importance of cookery, after of the philosophy of the kitchen. He
the instance we have quoted of the se- has endeavoured to illustrate this most
venfold difficulties attending one of its useful art' of cookery, because he
simplest operations, we might refer to knew not how he could employ some
the highest authorities. We might quote leisure hours more beneficially for
Archestratus; we do not mean the gen-mankind, than to teach them to com-
tleman of that name who was so small
and lean that he could be placed in a
tart-dish without filling it, but-

'Archestratus the bard,

[ocr errors]

bine the utile with the dulce, and to increase their pleasures without impairing their health, or impoverishing their fortune.'

He has considered the art of cookery not merely as a mechanical operation, fit only for working cooks, but, as the analeptic part of the art of

'How best the fickle fabric to support

A healthful mind, the longest to maintain.'
Of mortal man,-in healthful body how

The aim of the author of the Cook's Oracle' is, as he assures us, to render food acceptable to the palate, without being expensive to the purse or offensive to the stomach,-nourishing without being inflammatory, and savoury without being surfeiting; constantly endeavouring to hold the balance even between the agreeable and the wholesome-the epicure and the economist.' The author is not a mere theorist, and he declares that he has not printed one receipt that has not been proved in his own kitchen, which has not been approved by several of the most accoinplished cooks in the kingdom, and has moreover been eaten with unanimous applause by a Committee of Taste, composed of some of the most illustrious gastropholists of this luxurious metro

not rest, he rose from his trooper's cloak
in the dead of the night, and explored the
kitchen, searching the dresser and all its
shelves and drawers, in hopes of finding
something that might satisfy the cravings
of his appetite, but in vain. On his re-
turn to his hay-truss, he accidentally struck
against the kitchen table, the noise of
which he feared might alarm the family;
and, uncertain of the real cause of his
leaving his apartment at that hour, they
might naturally suppose that his purpose
was to rob the house, as a reward for their
hospitality: the idea added to the misery
he then suffered; he trembled, he listen-
Who sang of poultry, venison, and lard'
ed, but all was quiet; and then renewed
his search, (for his hunger overcame his He who was a follower of Epicurus,
fears,) and to his gratification he found a who traverse I land and sea in quest of
large crust of stale bread, which he was the choicest productions for the grati-physic, to teach---
afterwards informed had been used for fication of the palate: who wrote a
rubbing out some spots of white paint
from the very cloak that composed his poem on gastronomy, and deemed it
useless to hold any communication with
bedding; he, however, ate it with avidity,
as he was entering on the fourth day with men who could give no elucidation on
out the least refreshinent, and returned this subject. Need we name Apicius,
heartfelt thanks to Providence, whose who spent a million and-a-half of mo-
omnipotent hand was stretched in the ney in the composition of sauces, and
very critical moment, to save him from finding that he had not above a
the most direful of all possible deaths-plumb* and-a-half left, poisoned him-
starving' (To be continued.)
self for fear of being starved. Shall
we refer to the profusion of Heliogabo-
The Cook's Oracle: containing Re-lus, Lucullus, or Ahasuerus-to Do-
ceipts for Plain Cookery on the most mitian, who assembled the senate to de-
Economical Plan for Private Fami- cide how to dress a turbot, or to the
lies; also, the Art of Composing the Emperor Claudius, who-
most Simple and most highly-finished
Broths, Gravies, Soups, Sauces, and
flavoured Essences, &c. The whole
being the result of actual Experi-sufficient authority for our grave rea-
ments instituted in the Kitchen of ders, we might pass to the philoso-
a Physician. The Third Edition, phers; for, as Shakespeare declared
which is almost entirely re-written. he never found a philosopher who could
12mo. pp. 464. London, 1821. endure the tooth-ach patiently, so our
We really take shame to ourselves for author protests that he has not yet over-polis.'
having suffered a work of such real taken one who did not love a feast. It
merit, on a subject of such vast impor- is not merely as lovers of good eating
tance, as the Cook's Oracle,' to pass and drinking that we are to consider
to a third edition before we noticed it. all who have written in their praise,
We call this an important subject, for but many of them have deigned to en-
although we do not deem eating the pro- lighten the world on the subject, and
per study of mankind, yet without the it is a matter of fact, that the best
practice of it all other studies would soon books of cookery have been written by
be at an end; nor let our good housewives physicians, e. g. Sir Kenelm Digby,
take offence if we deem cookery a pro- Sir Theodore Mayerne, Professor
found art, and one that requires great Bradley, Sir John Hill, whose work,
attention, good taste, and nice discrimi-yclept Mrs. Glasse's Cookery,' has
nation; for, we are assured, there
are not less than seven chances against
even the most simple dish being pre-
sented to the mouth in absolute per-
fection; for instance, a leg of mutton.
1st. The mutton must be good; 2nd.
Must have been kept a good time; 3rd.
Must be roasted by a good fire; 4th.
By a good cook; 5th. Who must be in
a good temper; 6th. With all this felici-
tous combination, you must have good
fuck; and 7th, Good appetite. The

[ocr errors]

'Found the imperial palate tickled
By love of glory less than mushrooms pickled.'
If emperors and princes were not of

[ocr errors]

had more readers than all his other
productions; Dr. Le Cointe, Dr. Hun-
ter; and last, not least, Dr. Kitchiner,
the author of the Cook's Oracle.'
And never since eating first came into
fashion, was there any person who de-
voted his attention so largely or so
successfully to the rationale of good
living as this gentleman. He has stu-

Our city readers know that a plumb is
100,0001-country gentlemen may thank us
for this note.-REV.

We confess we have not the honour of belonging to Dr. Kitchener's Committee of Taste, and it will not be expected that an author in his kitchen (garret) should be able to put in practice the five hundred and seventy-four receipts which the Cook's Oracle' contains; though we cannot deny that we have frequently indulged ourselves with a devilled biscuit,' prepared secundum artem, and have even once or twice ventured on the Devil himself. Our experience of the doctor's cookery extends still farther: we have a friend, a female friend, whom we occasionally visit, who treats our pampered appetite with many tit bits,' which owe their origin to the 'Cook's Oracle,' and so far as our experience can enable us to form a correct opinion, we pro

* A dish made of the gizzard, rump, or legs, of a dressed turkey, capon, or goose, peppered, salted, and broiled. See Receipt No. 538.REV.

nounce them all the very best we have tasted.

Iu noticing the Cook's Oracle,' we shall not follow the author through his directions respecting the odoriferous and califacient repellents of roasting, boiling, frying, and broiling, all of which form distinct chapters, in which they are treated practically and scientifically; nor shall we quote one of the numerous receipts with which the work abounds, but confine ourselves to the introductory part. Notwithstanding the practical skill of the author, he did not venture to offer any observation of his own, till he had read all that he could find written on the subject; and this all extended to not less than two hundred and fifty volumes. These, however, are generally mere transcripts of each other, and could afford little real information to a gentleman of the extensive practical knowledge of our author, who not only tells us how to make good dishes, but how to procure a good appetite to enjoy them. The doctor is an economist as well as an epicure, and condemus all excessive preparation. He says,

It is your second courses-ridiculous variety of wines, liqueurs, ices*, desserts, &c. which are served up to feed the eye-that overcome the stomach, and paralyze digestion, and seduce "children of a larger growth" to sacrifice the health and comfort of several days, for the baby pleasure of tickling their tongue for a few minutes, with trifles and custards!!! &c. &c.

[ocr errors]

Indigestion will sometimes overtake the most experienced epicure; when the

[blocks in formation]

'Turkey rhubarb, finely pulverized,-two drachms.

Syrup, (by weight,) one drachm,

Oil of carraway, ten drops, (minims,)
Made into pills, each of which will contain
three grains of rhubarb.'

course the result of consideration, and the host will place those together who he thinks will harmonize best.

'Le Journal des Dames informs us, that in several fashionable houses in Paris, a new arrangement has been introduced in placing the company at a dinner-table.

"The ladies first take their places, leaving intervals for the gentlemen; after being seated, each is desired to call on a gentleman to sit beside her; and thus the lady of the house is relieved from all empretensions," &c. barrassment of étiquette, as to rank and

'But without doubt, says the journalist, this method has its inconveniences.

"It may happen, that a bashful beauty dare not name the object of her secret wishes, and an acute observer may determine, from a single glance, that the elected is not always the chosen."

adapted to the constitutional peculiarity
The dose of the persuaders must be
of the patient; when you wish to accele-
rate or augment the alvine exoneration,
take two-three-or more, according to
the effect you desire to produce-two
pills will do as much for one person, as
five or six will for another; they will ge-
nerally very regularly perform what you
wish to-day, without interfering with what If the party is large, the founders of
you hope will happen to-morrow; and the feast should sit in the middle of the
are, therefore, as convenient an argutable, instead of at each end; thus they
ment against constipation, as any we are will enjoy the pleasure of attending equal-
acquainted with.
ly to all their friends, and being in some
degree relieved from the occupation of
carving, will have an opportunity of ad-
ministering all those little attentions which
contribute so much to the comfort of their

The most convenient opportunity to introduce them to the stomach,-is early in the morning, when it is unoccupied, and has no particular business of digesan hour before breakfast. Physic must tion, &c. to attend to; i. e. at least half never interrupt the stomach when it is engaged in digesting food.

From two to four persuaders will generally produce one additional motion within twelve hours. They may be taken at any time by the most delicate females, whose constitutions are so often distressed by constipation, and destroyed by the drastic purgatives they take to relieve it.'

Of the duties of the host and his guests, our author says,

It is the most pleasing part of the duty of the master of the feast, (especially

[ocr errors]

guests.

If the guests have any respect for their host, or prefer a well-dressed dinner to one that is spoiled, instead of coming half an hour after, they will take care to make their appearance a quarter of an hour before the time appointed.

The operations of the cook are governed by the clock,-the moment the roasts, &c. are ready, they must go to table, if they are to be eaten in perfection.

An invitation to come at five o'clock, seems to be generally understood to mean six; five precisely, half-past five; and not later than five, (so that dinner may be on

gustatory nerves are in good humour, hun- when the guests are not very numerous,) table within ten minutes after, allowing

assistance as can be offered; and for deli

this for the variation of watches,) fiv:

o'clock exactly.

'Be it known to all loyal subjects of the empire of good living, that the Committee of Taste have unanimously resolved," an invitation to ETA. BETA. PI. must be

seduce the tongue of a "grand gour- troduce them to one another, naming ger and savoury viands will sometimes to take advantage of these moments to inmand" to betray the interests of his sto-them individually, in an audible voice, mach, in spite of his brains. 'On such an unfortunate occasion, and adroitly laying hold of those ties of when the stomach sends forth eructant acquaintanceship or profession which signals of distress, for help, the peristaltic may exist between them. persuaders are as agreeable and effectual of the festive board, to which it is, indeed, fore the banquet-and must be answered This will much augment the pleasures in writing, and sent at least ten days beas indispensable a prelude, as an over- in writing, (as soon as possible after it is cate constitutions, and those that are im-ture to an opera; and the host will thus received,)-within twenty-four hours at paired by age or intemperance, are a valuable panacea. acquire an additional claim to the grati- latest," especially if it be not accepted; tude of his guests. We urge this point then, in addition to the usual complimen more strongly, because, from want of at-tary expressions of thanks, &c. the best tention to it, we have seen, more than possible reasons must be assigned for the would have drawn closely together, pass once, persons whom many kindred ties non-acceptance, as a particular pre-engagement, or severe indisposition, &c.' an entire day without opening their lips to each other, because they were mutually ignorant of each other's names, professions, and pursuits.

I hey derive, and deserve this name, from the peculiar mildness of their operation. One or two very gently increase the action of the principal viscera, help them to do their work a little faster, and enable the stomach to serve, with an ejectment whatever offends it, and move it into the bowels.

[ocr errors]

Thus indigestion is easily and speedily To put an end at once to all ceremony removed, appetite restored, (the mouths as to the order in which the guests are to nutrition is facilitated, and strength of the master of the house adopts the simple of the absorbing vessels being cleansed,) sit, it will save much time and trouble if *Swilling cold soda water immediately and elegant method of placing the name after eating a hearty dinner, is another very un- of each guest in the plate which is intended for him. This proceeding will be of

wholesome custom."

Our author is one who takes due note of time: in his Invitations to Dinuer,' he declares that, in affairs of the mouth, the strictest punctuality is indispensable; the gastronomer ought to be as accurate an observer of time as the astronomer. The least delay produces fatal and irreparable misfortunes.' His Advice to Cooks' is not like Dean Swift's Advice to Ser

vants, but contains much useful and was asked, after the battle of Waterloo, lonel had given them a written acknowmoral instruction; and while he re- if he was not afraid, he replied, "Afraid! ledgment, that this sacrilege was the act commends servants to be dutiful and why I was in a' the battles of the Peninsu- of his own countrymen.' attentive, he urges kindness and li-la!" and having it explained that the berality as no less the duty of their question merely related to a fear of losing employers. the day, he said, “Na, na, I did na fear killed before we had time to win it.”’ that; I was only afraid we shou'd be a' 'Piety respected.-In an action with the French fleet, in 1694-5, Captain Killigrew, on coming up with the French vessel, Content, discovered that the whole of the crew were at prayers. He might have poured in his broadside with great advantage; this, however, he refused to do, saying, "It is beneath the courage of the English nation to surprise their enemies in such a posture." Poor Killigrew

As Dr. Kitchiner has come to the task with qualifications which no previous writer ever possessed, he has produced the best work that has been written on the subject of gastronomy. The 'Cook's Oracle,' in its progress to a third edition, has received justly the praise of nearly all the critics, and we willingly give it the testimony of our approbation.

PERCY ANECDOTES. PART XXIII.

THE last number of this neat little work is devoted to War; a field so extensive and so full of interesting anecdote, that we almost wonder the brothers Percy should limit the subject to a single part. They, however, appear to have been sensible that their unassuming little volume could embrace but a small portion of the disastrous chances, moving accidents,' and hair-breadth escapes in the imminent deadly breach,' and therefore adopt an epigraph as modest as it is appropriate, when they term them Anecdotes of War :

[ocr errors]

fell in the action.'

'Mining-In the siege of Tournay, to the Duke of Marlborough and Prince which, after twenty-one days, surrendered Eugene, mining was resorted to by both the besiegers and the besieged, and the consequences were often dreadful. The English miners often met and fought with those of the enemy; and sometimes the troops, mistaking friends for foes, killed their fellow soldiers; sometimes whole companies entered the mines at the very moment they were ready primed for explosion. They were often inundated with water, suffocated with smoke, or buried alive in the cavities, and left to perish; and on some occasions, whole battalions were blown into the air, and their limos scattered to a distance, like lava from a volcano. One day M. de Surville made a sally, and drove the besiegers from a post they had taken; but being repulsed, In the selection of the anecdotes, the and one hundred and fifty men having taken possession of the lodgement, the editors appear rather to have chosen those which related to remarkable inci- the air, and overturned all the gabions. enemy sprung a mine, blew them all into dents or circumstances of war, than On a subsequent day, an inhabitant of traits of mere heroism, in which, how-Tournay went to the Earl of Albemarle, ever, it is by no means deficient.

"A page of the great book of war Where terror is deck'd so bravely, that the eye With delight has scarce leisure to be afraid.'

The part is most fitly dedicated to the first captain of the age,' the Duke of Wellington, of whom an elegantly engraved portrait is given, though we

and offered to discover one of the principal mines of the citadel, on condition that he would make him head gaoler of all the prisons in Tournay; this was agreed to, dertaken, and the man performed what he had unso that three hundred men have seen likenesses of him which we were posted in the mine, and eight hun. have preferred. The following are ex-dred in the town ditch to support them; tracts:but in the middle of the night, M. de MeDifferent kinds of Fear.-When the griguy sprung two mines, one immediateBritish under Lord Nelson were bearingly under the large mine, in which all the down to attack the combined fleets off three hundred men, before mentioned, Trafalgar the first lieutenant of the Re- were stifled; the other threw up part of, venge, on going to see that all hands were the ditch, and buried a hundred men.'. at their quarters, observed one of the men devoutly kneeling at the side of his gun; so very unusual an attitude in an English sailor, exciting his surprise and curiosity, he went and asked the man if he was afraid?" Afraid !" answered the honest tar, with a countenance expressive of the utmost disdain, "No; I was only praying that the enemy's shot might be distributed in the same proportion as the prize money, the greatest part among the officers."

When the brave Corporal Caithness

[ocr errors]

Respect for the Sanctuaries of the Dead.-When the Swedish army under the command of Charles the Twelfth, was obliged to abandon Courland, and to surrender Mittau to the Russians, after a siege of fifteen days, the conquerors found, on taking possession of the place, that the tombs in the cathedral had been opened, and the remains of their princes scattered about the passages. Apprehensive that this profanation might be im puted to them, they refused to take possession of the temple, until a Swedish co

'Wooden Artillery.-Few narratives of sieges are more entertaining, than that given in the Seir Mutakhereen, of a fort which was defended by the use of wooden artillery, and defended effectually in one of Auringzebe's campaigns in the Deccan. The commandant was nearly unprovided with cannon, having only one or The town was, two defective pieces. however, a great mart for timber. The governor securing both the timber and the carpenters, garnished his ramparts with wooden imitations of cannon; and being fully supplied with most other requisites when the imperial army arrived, put a good face on the business. He did more, too, for he kept the secret within the number of his train, commenced their his own walls; and the enemy, respecting approaches in due form, affording him thus abundance of leisure to mature his plan of defence. Every piece, as soon as fired, became, of course, unserviceable, but he immediately replaced it by a new one. The balls from the imperial batteries were returned with the utmost facility, as, however ponderous these were, our hero was able to supply pieces of any calibre, and send recochet shot, selon les regles, even with more effect than his/ enemy. The labours of the Carron foundry never produced more guns in a year, than this man's ingenuity did in one siege. The enemy, tired out, at last, with the obstinate defence which he made from his batteries, determined to carry the place by escalade in open day. Having failed, however, in some similar enterprises, a neighbouring saint was procured, who was his character, to inspire the soldiers with to head the attack, and by the sanctity of greater zeal in a desperate cause. The holy man was raised on a platform, and carried in the rear of the forlorn hope. The governor's good luck still adhered to him. A shot from a wooden gun, when the escaladers were nearly close to the walls, knocked down the saint, on which the party took to their heels. A delay ensued; the seige was at last raised, and the commandant covered with glory.'

Marlborough.-It appeared from every circumstance of the conduct of the Duke of Marlborough, antecedent to the glorious battle of Blenheim, that he was resolved either to conquer or die on the field; and a short time before the action commenced, he devoted himself with great solemnity to the Almighty Lord and Ruler of Hosts, in presence of his chaplain, and received the sacrament. When the battle was concluded, his grace observed, that he believed he had prayed more that day than all the chaplains in the army.'

Disinterestedness.-On the death of rested Marshal Keith, his brother, the Lord Marshal, wrote to Madame Geoffrin, "You can have no notion to what a vast

treasure I have succeeded by the death of cruelty, that in no country of Europe
my brother. At the head of an immense has the bulk of the nation taken so ac-
army, he had just fevied a contribution tive a part in massacres.
upon Bohemia, and I find seventy du-fore, be sufficient to enumerate some
It will, there
cats in his strong box!"
Just Resentment.-At the time of tak-
of those in which the mass of the po-
ing the castle of Bude, by Soliman, ipulation was concerned, to maintain
1529, the garrison, without defending it-our assertion. The Cottereaux, under
self, offered to capitulate, and obtained Philip II., are represented as laying
the honours of war. As they defiled, the waste first the environs of Bourges,
Turks insulted them, and reproached them and afterwards spreading much far-
with a want of courage. A German sol-ther, flaying alive the priests, violating
dier, unable to bear such a stigma, looked women before their husbands' faces,
on a Janissary with a threatening air, and committing every kind of sacrilege and
said, "What hast thou to reproach me
with? I do not command; I obey." At cruelty to such an extent that the
monarch found it necessary to send an
army to exterminate them and they
Words.-After the battle of Jena, Bo- were exterminated. During the cru-
naparte dined with Wieland, commonly sade against Raymond, Count of Thou-
called the Voltaire of Germany; and louse, sixty thousand Albigenses were
gravely conversed with him concerning massacred, and seven thousand in a
the horrors of war, and the folly of shed church. Simon de Montford, whose
ding blood; and mentioned various pro-humanity the Père Daniel thinks he
jects for the establishment of a perpetual cannot sufficiently eulogize, after the
taking of Lavaur, threw the lady of the
brother, murdered eighty gentlemen,
castle, alive, into a well, hanged her

the same time he drew his sword, and run him through the body.

peace,'

CRUELTIES OF THE FRENCH*.

The massacre in Paris, by order of Marcel, happened about the same time, compagnies, who, one after another, as also the cruelties of the grandes. murdered all who stood in their way, and deluged France with blood. Under Charles VI., the Maillotins massacred at first the tax-gatherers, and afterwards all they met, and reduced Paris to the state of a town taken by storm. To this succeeded dreadful executions, too horrid and too numerous for open day; and many were put in sacks and thrown by night into the Seine. The massacres which took place in Paris, and in France, during the factions of Orleans and Burgundy, certainly surpassed the alternate pro-. scriptions of Marius and Sylla, of Antony and Octavius; though history, which painted the latter as the most" odious and destructive, has had the art to slur over the former; but the capital of Italy never, in the worst of times, profligacy and sanguinary levity, as presented such a scene of thoughtless many that occurred in the reign of Charles VI. In Rome, the nod of Marius was a sentence of death. In Paris, every man of the triumphant faction was a Marius, and murdere. with a look. The historian (Velly), after recounting, in the course of a few pages, more confusion, cruelty, and bloodshed, and giving a more gloomy picture of Paris than ever London afforded, says, with much uaiveté,—I! y avoit eu jusqu'alors peu de sang versé;' and, indeed, in comparison with what followed, he is in the right, for it was after the scenes just mentioned that the worst massacres began. Disgusting as is the picture, we are compelled to delineate it, in order to show that in stating the point we meant to prove, we were neither intemperate nor unjust. The 12th June, 1418, was the memorable day on which the populace broke open the prisons; and forcing those who were confined there, Armagnacs, Bourguignons, debtThe following account is given of ors, criminals, guiltless, all to come the Jacquerie, which began near Beau-out, slew them one by one: the Convais, in the reign of John. The pea- netable, the Chancellor, seven presantry, furious at the ill-treatment they lates, the peers and magistrates of the said they had received from their supe- parliament, with many of less note riors, flew to any arms they could find, were dragged from their dungeons and and laid waste the whole country, mur- massacred. The prison of the Chatedering every person, not nobles only, let alone made some resistance, but it but peasants, who refused to join them. was set on fire, and at length it surTwo hundred castles were burned, and rendered. The people rushed in, and nobles soon retaliated, and were as in-them to precipitate themselves out or their inhabitants massacred. But the either threw the prisoners or compelled discriminate in their vengeance as the the windows, upon pikes which were Jacques had been in provoking it. held below to receive them. In the

THE circumstances which are particu-her companions, and burne! four hun-
larly to be remarked respecting French dred heretics, while the clergy were
cruelty are, that it is wanton, indiscri- singing a hymn to the Holy Ghost.
minate, mixed up with much levity,
The Routiers, in 1185, were as cruel
and that, contrary to the progress of as the Cottereaux in 1183. The Pas-
inhumanity in other European nations, toureaux, under St. Lewis, and during
it has rather increased than diminished the regency of Blanche, committed
as civilization has advanced; for the still greater ravages, and murdered,
massacres of later times have been at with excessive cruelty, all who opposed
least as pitiless and ferocious, as any
them. These same Pastoureaux, who,
that occurred in the most barbarous in France, amounted to more than
periods. This persistency in a vice fifty thousand, and kept the whole
which, more than any other, is correct country in terror and in blood, attempt-
ed by social improvement, forms one ed to get a footing in England, but
of its most characteristic features in they never rose to any height; for they
France; and though it admits of an
were immediately subdued, and the
easy explanation, we must, for the pre-
chiefs punished by the few sectaries
sent, confine ourselves to the fact. We whom they had seduced. Under Phi-
will not dwell upon the monsters which lip IV. Hainault was laid waste, and
that_country produced in early times, the count of that province revenged
as Fredegonde, Brunéhault; or as himself by burning, plundering, and
Chilperic, the Nero of that country, violating all that he could reach; inso-
and Clotaire II. Neither shall we
much, says Velly, that one would have
mention the acts of some of their bad supposed that hordes of Tartars had
sovereigns of later date. It may be combined to ruin Europe.
said that the utmost blame which can
accrue to the people from such acts as
these, is, that they tolerated the rulers
who perpetrated them; and were either
bad, or weak, or foolish enough to sub-
mit to governors who sported with their
lives. To stamp inhumanity as a na-
tional vice, it must be shown to be the
vice of the nation, not of its monarchs;
and this again is a feature of French
Extracted from an admirable article on
English, in the last number of the Quarterly
Review, just published.

the comparative character of the French and

« PreviousContinue »