ing his wife to take care of herself, || night piercing their thin and drench

.

ed garments; absorbed in their afflictions, they walked in darkness through ways unknown, and guided only by the light pointed out to them by Major Wortesly. The glimmering ray conducted them to the back window of a large building; and looking through a pane of coarse glass, they saw a candle almost burnt out; but perceived no inhabitant. They went round to an open door. Silence, deathlike and ominous, reigned around. The ladies supposed that the inmates of the house were asleep. The open door fronted that chamber which contained a light; it was visible, as that door was likewise unclosed. They entered, and beheld

guents, and phials, strewed on the floor. Several wax candles and dressings for wounds lay on a table. Mrs. Gilman lighted one of the wax candles, as their friendly conductor had nearly wasted to the socket of the candlestick. "Oh! for a little fresh water!" said Mrs. Wortesly.

his words became inarticulate. Mrs. Wortesly bewailed her loss, and Mrs. Gilman joined in silent tears. They were soon convinced that the gallant spirit had sought a happier sphere, and drew the mortal remains as far from the shore as to be beyond reach of the tide. Mrs. Gilman had perceived the lieutenant's wound must have been mortal: in seeking to chafe his forehead, she found his skull fractured and his neck mangled. She proposed to Mrs. Wortesly to move his body further from the beach; the only testimony they could give of gratitude for his presence of mind in devising and executing the resource to which they were indebted for escape from the frigate. Having per-surgical instruments, bandages, unformed this last mark of respect for the corpse of the lieutenant, Mrs. Wortesly again embraced her venerable husband, with the most piteous lamentations for her bereavement. Mrs. Gilman allowed her to vent the natural emotions of sorrow, and then reminded her of the promise to preserve herself for the sake Mrs. Gilman quickly lighted anoof her grandchildren. ther candle, and ran through a long "Yes," she exclaimed," my Wor-passage to awake the family. She tesly, the most excellent, the most was repeatedly intercepted by French beloved, never required of me but uniforms, torn and bloody. She was the wisest conduct; and I will try to exceedingly terrified; but the palebe worthy of such a husband." ness of Mrs. Wortesly's countenance and her hollow voice were still more alarming, and anxiety to obtain as sistance for her overcame all selfish considerations. She proceeded till she reached another open apartment, where a spectacle was presented, branding the Portuguese with the odium of ruthless vindictive cruelty, Men stiffened in their gore heaped the pavement in this lofty hall. "O my God," said Mrs. Gilman, are in the house of massacre! Had

Mrs. Gilman was now more feeble than her widowed companion: she was exhausted by severely taxing her strength. A noble enthusiasm inspired Mrs. Wortesly; by the effect of sympathy it was soon imparted, though in an inferior degree, to Mrs. Gilman. They had slippers when they rushed to the deck of the frigate, but these were lost in the sea: yet they felt not the rocks lacerating their feet, nor the tempest of

we

I not been a rash girl, what misery should I have shunned! But can I forget Colonel Gilman is perhaps no more, and my dear friend to all appearance dying?"

Mrs. Gilman banished her regrets and fears with the idea of Mrs. Wortesly's extremity; and looking wildly around, observed a cistern, with several flaggons ranged on a shelf over it. Plunging one of these in the water, she took it up nearly full, and with desperate courage passing the mangled bodies, made her way speedily to Mrs. Wortesly.

She lay on the ground, and on examining her features and taking her hand, Mrs. Gilman had the direful certainty, that life had fled from her only companion in this abode of horror. She fell on her knees, and, almost in distraction, exclaimed, "Father of mercies! am I alone in this frightful place? Oh! take, take me to thyself!" Voices reverberating through the edifice overcame Mrs. Gilman's forced intrepidity. She fell, seemingly inanimate, beside Mrs. Wortesly.

(To be concluded in our next.)

THE LUDICROUS MISTAKE.

his leave of this troublesome world in the winter following. The instant the duke's friend was apprised of it, he posted off for London on the wings of eager expectation, and reached Lincoln's-Inn Fields about two o'clock in the morning.

The King of Spain, about this time, had been seized with a disorder, which some of the English had been

AT the close of an election in Lewes, in 1775, the Duke of Newcastle was so pleased with the conduct of a casting voter, that he almost fell upon his neck, and kissed him. "My dear friend, I love you dearly; you are the best man in the world; I wish to serve you; what can I do for you?"-" May it please your grace, the exciseman of this town is very old; I would beg to suc-induced to believe, from particular ceed him as soon as he shall die." expresses, that he could not survive. -"Aye that you shall, with all my Among these the duke was the most heart: I wish, for your sake, he were credulous, and probably the most dead and buried now. As soon as anxious. On the first moment of rehe is, fly to me, my dear friend, be it ceiving this intelligence, he had disnight or day; insist upon seeing me, patched couriers to Madrid, who sleeping or waking. If I am not at were commanded to return with uncourt, never rest till you find me: usual haste, as soon as ever the death not the sanctum sanctorum, or any of his Catholic Majesty should have place, shall be kept sacred from such been announced. Ignorant of the a dear worthy good soul as you are; hour in which they might arrive, the nay, I'll give orders for you to be ad- duke could not retire to rest till he mitted, though the king and I were had given directions to his attendcloseted together." The voter had ants to send any person to his chamswallowed every thing with rapture, ber who should desire admittance. and scraping down to the ground, re- When the voter asked if he was at tired to wait in faith for the death home, he was answered by the porof the exciseman. The latter tookter, "Yes-his grace has just gone

to bed; but we are directed to awake || kind promise, and appoint me to suchim the moment you come."- "Oceed him."- 66 You, you blockhead! God bless him! I know the duke told you King of Spain! What family me I should always be welcome, by pretensions can you have? Let us night or by day! Pray shew me up." look at you." By this time the asThe happy voter was scarcely con- tonished duke drew back the curtain, ducted to the door when he rushed and recollected the face of his elecinto the room, and in the transport tioneering friend; but it was seen of his joy cried out, " My lord, he is with anger and disappointment. To dead!""That is well, my dear have robbed him of his rest might friend; I am glad of it with all my have been easily forgiven, but to have soul; when did he die?"-" The fed him with a groundless supposimorning before last, an' please your tion that the King of Spain was dead grace."-" Why, so lately? Why, became a matter of resentment. At my worthy good creature, you must length the victim of his passion behave flown; the lightning itself could came an object of his mirth, and not have travelled half so fast as when he felt the ridicule that markyou. Tell me, best of men, how ed the incident, he raised the candishall I reward you?"-" All I ask date for monarchy into a rank more for in this world is, that your grace suited to his desires-he made him would be pleased to remember your an exciseman.

GAELIC RELICS.-No. XI.

CEANEACH MACCEANEACH, PRIMOGENITOR OF THE CLAN MACKENZIE.

form a part of every juvenile library, as they were eminently adapted for instilling, not merely the military virtues, but the noblest principles of rectitude and generosity in all conditions of life; and to shew the fair sex, that energy of mind is perfect

RELICS of the bards are extant in poesy, and in the measured prose they sometimes employed, not only in their ouarskals, or new stories, which is the literal sense of that term, but in relating the deeds of heroes; and these have perpetuated the memory of valorous leaders belonging to allly compatible with the most enchantthe clans. They exhibit the Gael with all their peculiar features of character in full action. Other details are flat and inanimate, compared to such living portraits of heroes and heroines of the olden times. No doubt an early acquaintance with those spirit - stirring records has contri- || buted to kindle "the soul of fire" in their descendants; and we may hope the translations will, at least, have no enervating tendency. The pious and exemplary Dr. Blair often said, that the poems of Ossian should

ing beauty and feminine sensibility. With a very sincere feeling of inferiority in respect to the powers of genius, the translator hopes the merit of exalted sentiment belongs to each of the productions which a feeble hand attempts to invest in a more modern drapery.

The relic now given offers salutary hints to the rulers and people of every land. It consists chiefly of a good-humoured contest between a mainland and island bard, concerning the comparative import

ance of equestrian and maritime ex- || monuments of this mental art of healing under the most pleasing form. They that took up the volumes to kill time, found their understandings illumined, and their hearts improved.

ploits. The contest seems to have
been intended to amuse a superan-
nuated chief, desponding because of
incapacity to head his warriors to
"the field of fame." The transla-
tor would rejoice to know, that relics
of the bards and poets of the early
ages, throughout the British domi-
nions, were collected for the press.
We are not less Britons than High-
landers; and there are few among
the natives of the mountains who are
not zealous for the honour of the
three kingdoms and their depen-
dencies. The Gael are now acquaint-
ed with the sister realms; and though
they dearly prize their own wild sce-
nery, they emulate and admire the
rich culture and decoration of the
south, and they regard the inhabit-
ants as brethren. Woe be to the
Gael who could be so illiberal as to
mark a line of separation! His coun-
trymen would disclaim him. We
hope and believe there are few such
narrow-minded beings; and the first
personage in the empire has given
a gracious pattern of universal conci- || mile under-ground.
liation. The translator was induced
to give some early characteristics of
the clans, because best acquainted
with those antiquities. There is one
name which will affect every reader
of taste and sensibility with the most
delightful and homefelt associations-
the name of Mackenzie-the ele-
gant monitor of the higher classes,
and their imitators, who "ministered
to minds diseased" with skill so ex-
quisite, and medicaments so palata-
ble, that the patients mistook, and
still mistake, each salutary potion
for a sumptuous banquet. "The Man
of Feeling," "TheMan of the World,"
"Julia de Roubigne," "The Mirror,"
and " Lounger," are imperishable

The origin of the patronymic from which the name of Mackenzie arose, is said to have been a premature exploit of valour performed by the young chief while superintending the preparation of a feast to succeed a hunting match. The Gael were of opinion, that " to yield the sport of their shaggy dogs to a foe” was indelibly disgraceful; and when a gigantic race of freebooters attacked the boys of Kintail, the youthful chieftain, with singular address and courage, disappointed them of a prey. The Fiannachael were adventurers from the far Northern Isles, who took possession of a cave, still accessible in Catthu, or Sutherland, and to this day called Uamor Fraisghail. It is situated in the parish of Tongue; and it is twenty feet wide at the entrance, reaching near half a

The eagle of Morven's rocks bends proudly from the sky to behold his feathers waving over the brow of Fingal and his heroes; but loftier was the boast of the dun-sided sons of the forest, when their antlers drove away the fierce rovers of ocean, or laid them in blood on the land of trees. Ceartnach, ancestor of the bard of this song, was foster-father of age and youth, while the chief of Kintail and his men at arms were distant far, reaping the harvest of renown..

"Shall the praise of them that rest beneath their cairns, and the deeds of our own hand, be all our thought and speech?" said the white-haired grandsires of ruddy-cheeked boys,

all impatient for that age when the || the young chief in the quick percepglory of battle shall gleam on their towering helmets."