ment of which he has approved, has been made after a fashion which does as much as can be done to neutralize its advantages. Those who have read that admirable little morceau, "the Memorial of Thady Brady, &c." will be at no loss to know what we mean. The new version is blotched over by notes and comments, of which it may be truly said, that they "darken counsel by words without knowledge," and the necessary effect of which upon the youthful mind, the cunning Romish prelate knows well must be, that while nothing is elucidated by them, every thing will be rendered uncertain. If the Bible were a means to guide them" out of error, and into the marvellous light of the Gospel," then its use could not be too strongly condemned. But, when it is presented to them in a shape which also insinuates its insufficiency as an authority, and its unfitness as a guide, it is only a practical mode of recommending the infallible Church to the admiration and the confidence of its readers, and does more to discredit the pretensions of those who make the Bible their rule of faith, than their adversaries well know could be done by any direct or legitimate argumentation. Is it any wonder that such a system should be a favourite with Romanists ? Is it any wonder that it should be held in suspicion by all other denominations of Christians? The Protestant members of the Board have excused their acquiescence in the objectionable notes and comments to which we have alluded, upon the ground, that the doubts which they suggest, must, at one period or another, be presented to the minds of the readers; and that it is better for them to anticipate the infidel, than suffer him to choose his own time, which might not be so convenient for refutation. This we hold to be most mischievously unphilosophical, and to proceed from a most deplorable ignorance of the nature of man. No advantage that could be proposed from such a practice, could compensate for impairing the simplicity and the godly sincerity, with which the youthful mind should be taught and encouraged to receive and to reverence the holy Scriptures. It is scarcely extravagant to compare such a course of proceeding to a practice of infusing poison into children's food, in order, by habit, to inure them to it, so that if they chanced to receive it in any larger portions in after life, its deadly effects might be counteracted! What would a wise and prudent parent do? He would first feed the mind of his child with the sincere milk of the Word, and suffer him, as his understanding developed itself, to meet the objections and the difficulties which might present themselves, as he was able to bear them. His first care would be, that the faith of his child should be strong and undoubting in the oracles of God; and he would feel confident that a strength would be thence derived which would enable him, to baffle the arch enemy, and "having withstood all, to stand." Difficulties there are and doubts there must be, in creatures clothed with human infirmity, and upon a subject which transcends the human understanding. They are even as incidental to our mental, as measles, or hooping-cough, or small-pox may be said to be to our corporeal constitution. But a parent who really was concerned for the spiritual well-being of his child, would no more seek to grapple with these formidable enemies to his faith, by anticipating them in the manner proposed, than he would seek to defeat the malignity of the infantile distempers, by accumulating them upon the tender subject, at a period of life when he must, in all probability, sink under their united operation. No. In this arch manoeuvre, Dr. Murray has completely out-generalled his compeers. His has been, if possible, more than "the wisdom of the serpent," and theirs has been, if possible, more than "the simplicity of the dove." But we have already exceeded our limits, and must conclude, leaving, we may truly say, the subject completely unexhausted. When the report of the committee shall have appeared, we may again feel it our duty to solicit the attention of our readers. Meanwhile, let it be the endeavour of every sincere lover of the Established Church, to eschew that baneful spirit of compromise, which seems, we are sorry to write it, to have laid hold of some amongst her members. Let them be well assured, that it is by an unyielding and inflexible adherence to their principles, that they can aloue be successful. By that even their enemies will learn to respect them; without it, their best friends will fall away, and it may be too late when they learn, that the concessions by which they had hoped to purchase peace, have been only fruitful in augmenting discord, until it eventuated in the loss of every thing that was valuable to them as men and as Christians The Twenty-Fourth of February. A TRAGEDY, IN ONE ACT. TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN OF FRIEDRICH LUDWIG ZACHARIAS WERNER. BY THE AUTHOR OF THE ANTHOLOGIA GERMANICA. "Lead us not into temptation."-Luke ix. 4. Who made the heart, 'tis He alone Decisively can try us; He knows each chord, its various tone, Each spring its various bias. Then at the balance let's be mute We ne'er can well adjust it; What's done we partly may compute We know not what's resisted. BURNS. DRAMATIS PERSONE. WALTER KRUTH, a Swiss Landmann. KATHERINE, his wife. KURT, their son, in disguise and unknown. The scene is laid in Schwarrbach House, a lonely inn on the summit of the Ghemmi Alps, in Switzerland, between Kanderstag and Leuk. SCENE I. An inner and an outer room in Waller's house, divided by a partition wall, against which a scythe and a large knife are seen hanging. In the back ground a straw bed and an old arm-chair. Time, night. A lamp is burning on a table in the outer room. A small kitchen-clock strikes the hour of eleven. KATHERINE, (alone at her spinning-wheel.) Eleven o'clock, and Walter not come back yet! He set out hence for Leuk at break of day this morn. God send him home in safety! What a racket The wind keeps up without! The demon blows his horn Of storms as though he'd rend it with each gust, Or fling it at the Ghemmi's summit, just As Walter flung the knife! What darkening thought flits o'er Once more Returns to us the avenging time and tide— In February Walter's father died. Long years have rolled since then, and still that ghastly sight But Walter-God !—he may be lying to-night Crushed underneath some avalanche's tower, And we in this deplorable distress! For now we are breadless, fireless, woodless-our Stone-hearted creditors have all but torn The last rug from our bed! Have we not cause to mourn? Commandment is the fourth !*--And then our son who fled From home and us, while yet a stripling-red With his young sister's blood-he, too, we have heard, is dead! O, were his mother so!-the grave is now her wished-for bed. But let me chase these dismal thoughts. My head Is full of them. I'll sing. A merry lay, 'tis said, Is med'cine to the heart that Grief weighs down like lead. (Sings.)-O! why is thy sword so red, so red, Edward, Edward? * Honor thy father and thy mother; the fifth commandment is reckoned as the fourth in Germany, both by the Lutherans and Roman Catholics. Because I have slain my falcon dead, A hateful song, and ends so foolishly! (A noise is heard at the window.) (She goes to the window.) This lone, lost house upon the Ghemmi brow Nought but wild rocks and glaciers meet the sight. (Sings.) The boor he is poor; the boor is a boor; In his flat hat and his smock frock He has clothing enow, I trow, I trow, With his hat a-cock, And his belted frock, He's one of the old, the good old stock. The boor he is only a boor; His life it is loaded with trouble Christ save us! Was it not this blithe Song Walter sang when he took down the scythe? (A knocking is heard at the door.) A knocking at the door!-and louder !-this Must surely be my husband. Ha! it is. (She hastens to the door and opens it.) SCENE II. Enter Walter, covered from head to foot with flakes of snow; in one hand he carries a staff, and in the other a lantern, in which the light is expiring. KATHERINE. (While she brushes away the snow from his clothes.) Thou heedless loiterer, thou! A pretty hour to come home at ! WALTER. I am drenched through shirt and shoon. Quick, light a fire! KATHERINE. With what? The original of the old song of which these garbled lines misrepresent the first verse, is Scottish, and may be found in Percy's Reliques, vol. i. p. 59. Several versions and perversions of it have appeared in Germany, where it is regarded as a lyrical curiosity. The verse corresponding with the above runs thus: Quhy dois zour brand sae drap wi' bluid, Edward, Edward? Quhy dois zour brand sae drap wi' bluid, O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid, O, I hae killed my hauke sae guid, And I had nae mair bot hee, O. WALTER. Ah, true! Our wood is out-but come, ne'er fret for that! KATHERINE. Shout? WALTER. Ay!-all's over-our life's rudder Is lost the Bailie gave me this, while yet in Leuk a claimant For mercy at his feet I knelt, and begged a month for payment. (Gives her a slip of paper.) KATHERINE. He granted it? WALTER. Read, woman! KATHERINE. Man! thou mak'st me shudder. (Reads.) WHEREAS Walter Kruth, sometime soldier in the Army of the Confederates, and afterwards keeper of that auberge or inn on the Ghemmi Alps, commonly called and known by the name of Schwarrbach, is justly and fairly indebted unto Johann Jugger of Leuk, in the Canton of Valais, farmer, in the sum of three hundred florins, good and lawful money of the Republic; as by a copy of the bill of exchange passed by the said Walter Kruth to the said Johann Jugger hereunto annexed doth appear: AND WHEREAS the said Walter Kruth, though often requested to make payment of the said sum to the said Johann Jugger, hath hitherto refused and still doth refuse to pay the same or any part thereof: WE therefore authorise and command you, the bailies of our bailiwick, or any three of you, to proceed on the morning of to-morrow, the twenty-fifth of February instant, to the said house called Schwarrbach, so that you be there by eight of the clock, and in default of payment of the said sum of three hundred florins, to enter the said house and distrain the goods and chattels thereof, and also to take possession of the fields and grounds, and other the rights, members and appurtenances, of what nature or kind soever, to the said house belonging, or in anywise appertaining, for satisfaction of the said debt and such costs as may have been incurred in the recovering of the same: AND, inasmuch as it hath been notified to us that the proceeds of the sale of said house and lands will not be sufficient to cover the said debt and costs, We further command you, or any three of you, to take into custody the person of the said Walter Kruth, before the hour of nine of the clock on the morning of the said day, and him, the said Walter Kruth, forthwith to lodge in the House of Correction at Leuk, to the end that by manual labour he may satisfy such portion of the said debt of three hundred florins, and the costs attendant thereupon, as shall remain unpaid after the said sale of the house and premises aforesaid. For all which this writ shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge. And herein fail not at your peril. To &c. &c. Given at our Manor-court of Leuk, this 24th day of February, 1804. WILHELM GOTTFRIED SPERLING, Deputy Magistrate and Sub-sheriff of Leuk, in the Canton of Valais. O, God! didst thou not go to Jugger, and beseech WALTER. Did I not go? The leech! Did I leave aught unsaid that might induce him To grant the paltry respite I desired ? No block of stone is harder than his bosom ! Away!" he cried; " I have nought to grant; I am tired Of beggars.-Ere to-morrow's sun be risen Pay me my cash, or else march into prison!" KATHERINE. Didst thou go round to our kinsfolk-to our aunts and cousins? WALTER. Bah, wife! they slammed their house-doors in my face by dozens. Yet these are blood-relations! KATHERINE. WALTER. And a faithful sample Of such the last to help one, and the first to trample ! KATHERINE. The ingrates!-in our better days they feasted at our table. WALTER. Pooh! eaten bread is soon forgotten. To bring aught with thee? KATHERINE. Then thou wert not able WALTER. Nought, excepting this, (Laying half a loaf on the table.) Given me by poor Lame Klaus, who knows what hunger is. To-night 'twill keep us both from starving. To-morrow? KATHERINE. WALTER. And When the serjeants come I have one Resource-let slaves bear on their fronts the brand Of infamy, and trail existence on, Begirt with scorn and ignominy-I Know how to balk Dishonor-and to die! Were not a robbery. Canst thou see the Abyss Of Ruin yawn below thy feet, nor feel A wish to escape it? Would I have thee steal? Thy liberty, life, honor are at stake; And now to rescue all, by borrowing from thy neighbour We could restore in time by dint of labour, WALTER. Degraded woman, hide thy head, ashamed! |