and enlightened entertainment, and is expecting their bland and laudatory smiles, he is a good deal alarmed to descry on every countenance the most unequivocal symptoms of mingled scorn, derision, and disgust. We have all of us seen something like this happen to professed wags. The face of blank discomfiture worn on such critical occasions outlistons Liston. The chuckling, crowing, wing-clapping bird of game, is at once changed into a screeching fugitive dunghill fowl. He bolts out of the pit-his steel-heels are taken off-he is set loose among the adjacent poultry, and cock, hen, and chicken, pursue him en masse through all the lanes blind and clear, till he hides himself in a dunghill, from which, when all is still, and nothing at hand but some pacific female earock, (a year-old fowl scottice) he comes stealing out again with the feathers all standing on end at the back of his head, and after looking pretty cautiously around him for a few minutes, he at last ventures to crow, in a rough, hoarse, agitated scraugh, ludicrously expressive at one and the same time, of courage and of cowardice. So is it with Menippus. The simile is a figure of speech of which I am very fond, and in which I am much mistaken if I do not excel. Here then is another. Whoever has strolled much about, either in town or country, may have seen a pig feeding on offal, filth, and garbage. Such pig no sooner beholds you, even though you be moving quite out of his orbit, than off he sets as if you were chasing him, grunting and squeaking, it would be hard to say whether in fear, in sorrow, or in anger. But however that may be, grunting and squeaking long and loudly. He then wheels suddenly round, and comes cantering along as if he was going to charge, using towards you every insult that his imagination (which is vivid) can suggest. Menippus is just such a pig, and happening to meet Dr Chalmers, he must needs be grunting, and exposing himself with his little red bleared eyes, and twisted tail, and cloven trotters, and pendulous ears, and snivelling snout, in all the offended majesty of bristle and squeak, before that worthy divine, who really has no intention of disturbing him, and is even sorry to see the animal putting himself so much out of his ordinary way on such groundless suspicion of meditated injury. In a pastoral country, on a hot day, one often sees a great fat lazy bullock rise suddenly up from his lair, and set off, to use a homely and familiar expression, as if the devil were chasing him. Some insect has probably stung him in a tender part. There he goes, walloping along with his huge head lumbering about in all directions,bellowing in the most unseemly and unbecoming manner-and his long tufted tail either brandished about like a flail, or fixed in a line perpendicular to the horizon. Meanwhile, all the other beasts of the field remain stock still-till he has circled and intersected the pasture into every possible figure, with every eye fixed upon him. It soon appears, that all this disturbance is solely owing to the minister of the parish having come suddenly upon the vision of the bullock, who suspects him for an enemy, and gazes with consternation on the honest man's cocked hat. By degrees the bullock becomes familiarised with the clerical dress, and lays himself down, with a lengthening groan, once more into his tallowy laziness, and then begins chewing his cud with a face of calm heavy stupidity, altogether irreconcilable with the idea of his former unweildy gambols. Menippus is that bullock,-and Dr Chalmers is that divine. I ought, however, to beg the Bagman's pardon for supposing him to be Menippus. It is not so. The Bagman has lately been too much employed, along with his elegant coadjutors of the Glasgow Chronicle, with political and literary speculations, to have any leisure time for theology. Besides, the prospect of his marriage must keep him busy. I am this moment informed by our minister that Menippus is a Clergyman. Tantæne animis celestibus iræ ? I confess that this intelligence distresses me. I will not review the pamphlet. It is not the first time that I have heard clergymen express a mean and foolish jealousy of Dr Chalmers's splendid reputation. But I did not think that there existed one so base and so blind, as to have been capable of the self-degradation of this pamphlet. Menippus in a manse! Thersites in a pulpit! Punchinello at a sacramental table! But, after all, Mr (I know his name, but I will not expose him) is an object rather of pity than of anger. He has a good manse-a good stipend-what more would he have? -and yet he cannot be happy. His broth is poisoned by the consciousness of his own utter insignificance, and when he sees a great and a good man serving his Maker on earth, like Dr Chalmers, with evangelical singleness of heart and attracting towards him, in his worship of the Creator, the involuntary love and admiration of his creatures his heart fills with gall, and he can have no rest till he discharges it towards that splendid and victorious preacher. Pitiable, indeed, is such a man-and truly would I pity him did his offences stop here. But the wretched thing is not satisfied with the abuse of the living-he must insult the dead. He tries to turn into ridicule the late good, learned, and pious Dr Findlay, professor of divinity in the university of Glasgow. He stands scoffing beside the grave of him whom all hearts loved. The sanctity of death, and the stillness of its narrow house, cannot touch the shrivelled heart of this senseless buffoon, and that his guilt may want no aggravation, he tells us, while the slaver of his impotent malignity is yet drivelling from his lips, that he knew the good old man well, and was under many obligations to him! Know him well he could not. For what can ignorance know of learning-craft of simplicity -folly of wisdom-vice of virtue? Grant, that while a greasy student of divinity, he might have been once in a session admitted to the tea-table of the reverend old man? What could a rude and indecent clown like him know of a learned divine? But "something too much of this." The creature who once, and once only, had sat at the table of Professor Findlay, and could yet vent brutal jests over his grave, must be lost indeed to every sacred feeling of humanity. One word of disrespect from a young to an old man, has something shocking in it,-but when a young man insults the ashes of his gray-headed benefactor, lower he cannot sink in shame and in sin. But, my dear Editor, this is not at all the style in which I usually write, and in good truth it is not like me thus to lose my temper, although perhaps I do well to be angry. The creature has moved my spleen; the fit, however, has gone by, and that Menippus may have no cause to complain of my over-severity (you may show him this letter), I will take leave of him in one more simile. Some years ago when I visited Leyden, I called one beautiful star-light evening on Professor Klopius, who, like Dr Chalmers, loves and excels in the science of astronomy. His fine large telescope was pitched on a small mound in his garden, and directed towards the Evening Star, which the assisted eye beheld shining in steadfast splendour and startling magnitude. The professor, myself, and a friend, alternately enjoyed through his glorious instrument, the divine face of the heavens,-and when we had all feasted our souls, we stood together talking of the wonders of the modern astronomy. At that moment a tame monkey, which the good professor, who is somewhat of a humourist, is very fond of, came hurkling along, with long arms, bent knees, and posteriors almost touching the ground, and clapt his little grim absurd face, with its bleared watering eyes, close to the wrong end of the telescope, and holding up one of his paws to his right ear, as if he was listening to something, there he stood in a truly philosophical attitude,—just such another sort of an astronomer as Menippus. He then withdrew himself from contemplation with an air of profound abstraction, and joining the party with a face of the most original solemnity I ever beheld, began chattering away, for any thing I know to the contrary, about that beautiful Evening Star. We could not chuse but burst into laughter, except the professor, who looked at him with primitive simplicity, and only exclaimed, “Ah, Tom, Tom, so you are pleased to be a wit!" I am yours truly, TIMOTHY TICKLER. Southside, Aug. 8, 1818. OR, THE FATE OF THE BRAUNS. A POEM, IN TWENTY-FOUR CANTOS. BY WILLIAM WASTLE, ESQUIRE, Member of the Dilettanti, Royal, and Antiquarian Societies, and of the Union and Ben 6 6 "Two birds, of that kind called Gerandi, continued Cohotorbe, once lived together upon the shores of the Indian sea. After they had long enjoyed the pleasures of conjugal affection, when it was near the season for laying eggs, said the female to the male, It is time for me to choose a proper place wherein to produce my young ones.' To whom the male replied, This where we now are, is, I think, a very good place. No,' replied the female, this cannot do; for the sea may hereafter swell beyond these bounds, and the waves carry away my eggs.' That can never be,' said the male, nor dares the Angel Ruler of the Sea do me an injury; for if he should, he knows I will certainly call him to an You must never boast,' replied the female, of a thing which you are not able to perform. What comparison is there between you and the prince of the sea? Take my advice; avoid such quarrels: and, if you despise my admonitions, beware you are not ruined by your obstinacy. Remember the misfortune that befell the tortoise." " Pilpay. account. CANTO IV. I. THE traveller, if he has no portmanteau, II. And yet, in weather such as this, Heaven knows, Solemnly waving in the summer air, Streets such as those are not like Prince's Street, Where dirty Dandies dirty Dandies meet, Thro' mists of sand where stalking Misses stare. The streets of Amsterdam are cool and sweet, No stour torments them, no unbroken flare Of impudent obtrusive hot sun-beams, Compelling one to live upon ice-creams. IV. A graceful arch of living moving green V. And then the houses, though of brick they be, And make the parlours cool as garden bowers. VI. Hollandsche madchen! can I pass thee so? Fine crimson slippers deck thy tidy feet; And bright the bracelets on thy arms that meet; In mentioning, on a former occasion, the number of Cantos in this Poem, the word twenty was omitted by an oversight of the printer. The reader will, we doubt not, be gratified by the correction of that mistake. Canto III. for private reasons, is suppressed till October. It is entirely episodical, as the reader will learn from the opening of Canto IV. EDITOR. 1 VII. And Lady Mary Wortley Montague, And cold, and clammy-white, like cod's or ling's. VIII. They want, indeed, the radiance, rich and sunny, To think one can't kiss any thing but Greeks I'm not at all a bigot in that line; I'm very liberal in my admiration; I think one may find something quite divine (Consistency in gout's a botheration) I fall in love, I speak it to my sorrow, With maidens fair to-day, with dark to-morrow. X. The reading public very fiercely blame, Into the pages of this Magazine. Ye bonny lasses! misinterpret not The motives of the bard, your worshipper; I sink your names, but may I go to pot, If therefore be my praise the less sincere. I value not the breeched tribe a groat, But would not with one scruple interfere Of yours for worlds." Fair creatures! to whom Heaven A calm and sinless life with love hath given." XII. Beauties of every shape, of every hue, XIII. She'll hang upon your arm at rout or ball, Find smiles as bright and warm as the sun's ray. XIV. But to return to Holland, and the lasses That make the windows of the Dutch so clear. Ah! Scottish hizzies! dim your window-glasses, And dirty are yourselves, those maidens near: Even English girls their tidiness surpasses,― 'Tis no great boast to vanquish your's I fear ;Ye are good creatures, I'd lay gold upon it, But most confounded filthy-I must own it. XV. And yet not all without thy charms thou art With scarlet hood arranged in graceful plies, With muslin gown, with coat of manky green, With feet, with cuits, unshod, unhosed-but clean. XVI. Pernicious beauties-doomed to captivate The eye of Tam or Saunders, faithless swain. With smooth soft words he'll woo thee to thy fate, Believe him not-his oaths, his vows, are vain: True, he would come with cunning step, and late, I doubt it not; thro' frost, and wind, and rain, Full many a mile he'd come-the lad is stout; But oh! consent not that he chap thee out." XVII. Else, ere the circling year its round shall speed, I prithee, simple damosel, take heed,- Ah! think, fair maiden, think on the Kirk-Session. XVIII. No touch of tender mercy melted ever The iron hearts of that barbaric crew; Yea, though thine eye be fruitful as a river, With grave, stern glance, thy misery they'll view: They'll call thee harlot, strumpet, Godless-liver, Unclean, a castaway, a tainted ewe, A Jesabel, a painted, pranked fool- Chappin out, is the phrase used in many parts of Scotland to denote the slight tirl on the lozen, or tap at the window, given by the nocturnal wooer to his mistress. She instantly throws her cloak about her, and obeys this signal; her sisters lend their assistance to conceal the manœuvre, if concealment appear necessary, but the custom is so common, that few, even of the severest parents, take any offence at their children for complying with it. "Ne'er fash your thumb, gudeman, lie still," Quoth then the lassie's minny, "Ye ken ye chappit out mysel Till I was big wi' Jeanie."--OLD SONG. Mr Wastle has written a very long and perplexing note upon this passage. From certain allusions in it, we have thought it expedient to send it to a certain noble Lord, a member of a certain learned Society, and when we have received his elucidations, Mr Wastle's note may appear with a running commentary. EDITOR. |