The destroyer came, disguised in wily | eloquence, in lovely flow'ret literature, that blandishments, and effeminate softness, in really they recall to sweet memory the nursethe lustrous colours of the serpent, and led ry-tale of a kind fairy who endowed her her far astray from these evergreen shores, favourite belle with the gift of dropping from where often the passing stranger breathes a her pretty mouth pearls and rubies each futile wish to dwell for ever. The spoiler time she deigned to speak. Thus do the bore her to foreign climes, where I have re- pens of our too-seducing fair, on whose tenmarked her sauntering alone, shunned by der breasts the canker-worm in secret finds her own sex (some of them not her supe- room, drop upon the pure white paper, honriors in purity) or leaning on her betrayer's eyed, luscious, admonitory words encased in arm, become, by earthly laws, her legal pro- gems of rhetoric. tector; and now another Lady Chatelaine, shielded by her own virtues, reigns over this fair domain, while the exiled being, in her brief loveliness, lies interred beneath the greensward in a foreign land. No reverend apostle of God's word was near her couch to call her into communion with a long retrospect of sad remembrances, and thence to look up for mercy to her God, through our blessed Redeemer. No reverend minister was there to see her laid in the bosom of the earth. The British consul read the prayer that consigns dust to dust. A plain slab marks the spot-and he, to whom she sacrificed her fame, and her verdant terrestrial home, survives, an old battered beau, wrestling with those forerunners of death, wrinkles and crows' feet, making ludicrous pretensions to conquest o'er the hearts of females in the halo of youth, and "pis aller," o'er the hearts of decayed gentlewomen in a foreign city. In the distance appeared the summits of the Grampian Hills, bringing back the mind from longer dwelling on the real sorrows of erring mortals of our own times, to the fictitious woes so ably dramatised by the cele. brated author, Home: My name is Norval on the Grampian hills With those intervening hills, the Ochils, the A ferry-boat brought, in addition to our live cargo, a reverend voyager of the Scotch kirk, possessing a high reputation as one of its most eloquent preachers, and whose presence gave full play to the ironical talents of the old satirist, who reminded me of the privileged jesters of olden monarchs, whom no secret pricks of conscience could prevent lavishing their shafts of witty criticism equally on friend and foe. He greeted and conversed with the reverend minister in old acquaintanceship strains; then suddenly turning round to me, the querulous old fellow whispered low in my ears-"Godliness is great gain; yonder middle-aged reverend began life by marrying a woman with twenty thousand pounds, and began his clerical career in Stirling kirk, where he held civil war with the famous librarian of that town, and indeed with all Stirling, plaguing us commercialists to augment church dues -God bless them who help themselves,' says poor Richard.” Still glancing forward on other pleasant dwellings, memory may renew the recollections of similar events equally sad, which the calamitous romance of womanhood uncloses. If the inferior class, instigated by the ambitious cupidity and restless spirit of their more lettered brethren, to murmur at the inequalities of condition, to clamour for the possessions of the opulent and the noble, could peer into their countless mental iniseries, (not always unmerited,) with the sad discords and bitterness of thought that the unrelenting monitor conscience brings to their breasts; if they could only for a few hours feel their ponderous pressure, how many would reject the fearful burden, and return to their thatched cottage to brush at early dawn the morning dew in husbandry labour, or in pursuit of mechanic toils, with better content of heart! Paradoxical as it may appear to the inexperienced in life's motley ways, and in these days of the intellectual development of the female sex; it is yet true, that we are indebted for some of the most flowery and touching appeals to virtue, and more irresistible rebukes, and admonitory lessons, illustrating the tortuous feelings inevitably resulting from a laxity of moral principles, and dereliction from nuptial vows and domestic duties, to the pens of those fascinating females who have swerved from duty's path, to blazon in the courts of Doctors' Commons; and who have the claims of those errors in the annals of gallantry that entitle them, or who are actually enrolled in the archives of Doctors' Commons: but so beautifully dressed in florid│ Tulliallan Castle he next pointed out to To my eager inquiry, "Who was poor Richard?" my jester replied-" Why, that honest fellow Franklin, the American, who has done more to humanise and fraternise mankind than all our fine-named philoso. phers and new-fangled Whigs." At the same moment casting a sneering glance at a house in which the mother of Oliver Cromwell is recorded to have been born, he insinuated that all such patriots as her son, and their patriotism, were certain to amass all honours and profits to themselves—a truism verified in our own times, both abroad and at home. my observation with an inimitable shrug |ject, amidst attendant courtiers, who were and a smile of superciliousness, that I fear inimical to the immolated victim. There, was intended to convey to me the rising con- upon a table in the recess of this historic temptuous thought he felt at the conduct of chamber, now, by strange incongruity, our modern great. This magnificent mansion stands a small statue of the late invader of is occasionally inhabited by its hereditary modern Europe, the adventuring, self-creatLady Chatelaine. ed emperor of the French; the dethroner of This edifice was erected during the inter-old dynasties, the creator of new ones; the vals of repose from his valorous naval ser- murderer, after cool reflection, by his delibvices by the noble admiral, her sire, in the erate fiat, of the last young stem of the princebaronial castellated style of building, in ly Condé race. Such are the accidental unison with his severe unlevelling loyal prin- combinations, the strange coincidences of ciples little foreseeing that his then infan- time and place, with personages and charactine heiress would bring across the Channel, ters connected with the most important to reign over his ancient family territory, a events of remote, and of our own time. French aide-de-camp of the imperial crowned enemy of his nation; however, this her chosen mate has evinced himself a generous and kind landlord, assimilating his French tastes and habitudes with those of Scotia, thus vanquishing the prejudices, and rendering himself beloved by the native tenantry, who at first naturally viewed the handsome Charles with evil opinions. How many localities, within the circuitous territory of Stirling Castle, were the theatres of bloody catastrophes; as likewise of the gorgeous pageants and amorous adventures of royalty! Gazing towards the northern extremity of Gowling Hill, the eye may descry the fatal mound where fell, by the dread headsman's axe, by stern mandate, many an exalted perThe stately tower of Alloa denominates the sonage of Scotia land, in the pride of life little flourishing town, where voluntarily re- and stirring vigour of usefulness, or in the sides, amidst the smoke and various fragrance vigour of his destructive powers-the solar of collieries and distilleries, in comfortless rays, mayhap, glittering o'er the bloody act, vicissitudes of temper, the actual representa-re-vivifying in the victim's heart the lingertive of an inflammable, warlike race of nobles, ing wish to live on, yet awhile, in life's who, during the current of centuries,made their chequered scenes. native monarchs and adversaries to tremble. Immediately after passing Alloa commence the links of Forth, with their loftier banks, partially concealing many interesting margin objects; but below Stirling is discernible an old abbey, which monastic history mentions by the title of "the monastery of Stirling." Its original rich endowments that were consecrated to monastic purposes, and those abuses introduced by the ecclesiastical dignitaries of the church of Rome, are now converted to relieve diseases, and other poor man's miseries, in a vast hospital. While thus reflecting on the past, the sun set in fleeting glory over the amphitheatre of mountains, diffusing warmth and brightness o'er Benlomond, exhibiting its form and magnitude, and emitting gorgeous rays over Benvorlich and Benledi, thus rendering more distinct the multitudinous grandeurs of nature, and cheering the thoughtful beings who are thus permitted to enjoy those marvellous gleams of heavenly glory-such stupendous evidence of Omnipotence. We quitted Stirling, at an early hour of a bright September morn, in an open droschka, On debarking at old historic Stirling, I hurrying forward at a rapid rate through the mounted the abrupt flinty streets, to ruminate Arcadian domain of Home Drummond, within the spacious walls of its stately castle, where grow, in unbounded luxuriance, the whose antiquated towers and strong battle-stately cedars of Lebanon, the mournful cyments stand intact in their old consequen-press, the gloomy pine and various forest tial importance, and in admirable keeping; trees, expanding their branches on all sides, defying the brunt of Time's innovations for thus seeming to riot over the genial soil. centuries to come, as it has rested undevas- Leaving our droschka at the neat cheerful tated through the broils of its country, and village of Doune, we walked to the castle, latterly the assaults of mailed foreign auxil- that stands on a verdant slope, and representiaries, and the wild valour of Highland clans.ing the finest baronial castellated relic extant Those sons of the mountains gathered togeth-in Scotland. We tarried long without and er, forgetting hostile clanship feuds in one common cause, to sustain their native prince, the adventurous chevalier's last enterprise to regain his rightful sceptre from a sister's brow-that royal sister and queen, who, in the latter months of her reign, so anxiously desired to bequeath it back to the hereditary claimant. within its ponderous massive walls, roaming through the roofless spectral chambers, stripped of every decoration, and which renew to memory, even in their present devastated state, many an interesting narrative of the imprudent Mary's happier hours with the inconsiderate, unruly Darnley, when in lovely womanhood, beauteous and fleet as the goddess of the chase, (Diana,) she enjoyed with him in the woods the chase of the elegant stag. In Douglas' room I lingered, long, where royal James, braved to his face by the turbu- | lent, haughty Douglas, (in the sudden impulse of passionate indignation,) the young This castle also reveals the iron-hearted monarch stained his character to posterity Ghlen Dhu's audacious valour, in defending by the murder of his rebellious, noble sub-it against the enemies of the last prince of her royal descendants, in one of the closing mil- I plaisance, with high-born British and foreign itary struggles of the annals of her ill-fated ladies attended by their fair daughters, her dynasty, and which now, by strange adverse dark eyes would lighten up, while, with the circumstances, gives the second title to one anxious intenseness of a youthful bride, of their liege subjects of the noble earldom looking towards the door of her saloon, at of Moray. The conflux of the rivers Teith the hour of ten o'clock, for the accustomed and Ardoch rushing o'er their rocky beds in entrance of her cicesbeo, the late talented awful murmurs, seeming still to re-echo the French painter, Fabre.* Ili-chosen consort to moans and agonies of the wretched valiant a loyal and royal heart! few were their felicaptives in the last party strife, who were en- citous hymeneal hours; in her society he closed within the castle's dread dungeons; found no relaxation from the troubles of high where no light could then enter, save through | birth and high state pretensions in which he a small aperture in the roof, fabricated in was born; his royal consort deigned not to more barbarous times, with the intention to soothe with the sweet breathings of sympaadinit only the scantiest portion of air and thy his blasted prospects; when her royal light necessary to prolong human existence. spouse awakened even the sympathy of his It was from hence that Home, who united in adversaries; when ill fortune had set her himself the several characters of Presbyte- black seal on his destiny; his royal partirian minister, dramatist, poet, historian, and sans annihilated, and himself a wanderer warrior, stanch in the fight with his country- from his hereditary kingdom, his race of men for the support of the Protestant faith, kings unacknowledged, the victims in a great although against his lawful sovereign, from measure of their blind adherence to selfish fear that he would yield to the influence of priestcraft, to the ill-advised councils of Rome the Roman Catholic hierarchy, planned and her Pontiffs. This royal female threw a and effected his almost miraculous escape, wintry chill o'er his exile, which, sapping with that of his companions, from the grim fortress, so nobly defended as it then was by the last adherents of Charles-Edward. The chevalier sleeps in death, and his loyal adherents have also disappeared from the face of the earth. *This artist, Monsieur Fabre, gave all his own fine paintings to his native town, Montpellier, during his life, (where a public gallery has been opened,) and all other valuables in the art that he inherited from Madame d'Albanie, he has also left to that city, where, I believe, he died about two years since. Ninety-two years have sped their rapid course; yet to many English travellers of La Comtesse d'Albany, née Princessc Louise the higher circles, or of Jacobite descent, Maximilienne de Stolberg, daughter of Prince Gusthat last struggle must seem of less remote tavus Adolphus Stolberg Gedorn, a family of most date; for, as I stood beneath the grim castle illustrious and high blood, now fallen to decay. Its walls, there rose to enthusiastic fancy, in all princely privileges and its pomps and pageantries their former freshness, an association of place gone by. This illustrious female was born the 21st and events, and gallant fellowship of that sad day of September, 1732, and was married at Marce. era, with personages in the society of the rator, near Loretto, to Prince Charles Stuart, by century in which we live, that raised most right of descent king of Great Britain, in the year spirit-stirring emotions in my soul. I rested 1752. At the expiration of nine years, she suddenthere in imaginary collision with them; my at Rome, under the protection of the Cardinal Duke ly quitted her royal spouse, and resided a long time existence seemed renewed, remeasuring of York, her brother-in law; after which she retired time; for, scarcely seventeen circling years to France, where she continued to reside until the ago, I frequented the little court of Prince prince her husband's death, that took place in the year Charles-Edward's noble widow*, the Count-1788, when she returned to Italy, where she acquir. ess of Albany; I have contemplated her chilling stern countenance in her hours of dispensing at Florence a splendid pension from the British government. I have seen that noble dame of high German descent, the relict of an unfortunate royal consort, outliving all susceptibility of early royal During a visit to England, I should imagine about alliance; for at her reception, where ambas- the year 1792, the Comtesse was presented to George sadors stood before her in courteous com-III. and to his queen at a private audience, it hav* Such is the existing esprit de parti of the de- ing been previously announced to her by the Lord scendants of the Hanoverian partisans, that since I Princesse de Stolberg; that of Albany being one of Chamberlain that she could only be received as came to Scotland several persons of distinguished the king of England's titles. The king received her birth and instruction have pretended to me a per. fect ignorance of the Chevalier Charles Edward's very graciously, with that wonted benevolence for which George III. was so distinguished, but Queen two marriages-even declaring that they never Charlotte received her very ill. His Majesty afterheard mention of Miss Walkinshawe, or the Count-wards met her at Windsor, and walked with her ess d'Albany, her pension of fifteen hundred a year there above an hour on the terrace. from the British government, and her court at Florence. Neither would they allow that the still often sung ballad was written by Miss Walkin. ease, shawe. O Charley is my darling, my darling, my darling, ed notoriety as the chosen companion of the celebrated poet and dramatist Alfieri-and by her subsequent connection with Fabre, a painter, to whom she bequeathed all her valuable personality. The Comtesse died the 29th of January, 1824. George III. and George IV. allowed her a handsome pension of fifteen hundred a year. In the year 1808 or 1809, when residing at Flor. ence, the French minister at that court sent Madame d'Albany a passport for Paris. As she never thought of going there, she was much surprised, and warmly expostulated with the minister, but his excellency sternly replied,—“ It is the em his mental courage, contributed to plunge the blue bonnet, the ample tartan thrown him into that ignoble propensity to intemper- over their shoulders in negligence, yet falling ance that produces temporary oblivion of accidentally in graceful classic draperies à woes, but leads eventually to a more acute la Romaine. After breakfast we strolled reaction of the memory. These Gothic over the captivating full-dressed villa domain, scenes, which are thus enwrapt in the feuds the property of Mrs. Fairfowl, which is waof other centuries, in gloomy memorials of tered by the lovely flowing Teith; where the mighty dead, the short-lived nuptial joys looking up the long reach of its fertile valley, of a too fascinating queen, and many valiant (so lovely in agricultural cultivation,) the men of each party that have run out their bold crags of Callander appeared in their course with honour, we finally quitted, to primeval ruggedness, and in severe oppositraverse more cheerful landscapes, with the tion to the smiling and entrancing display of intent to gain the pleasant village of Callan- garden culture directed by refined taste. We der, (within the confines of the highlands,) perambulated (each person endeavouring to there to breakfast on highland food. We recall his little fund of classic history) some descended from our droschka amidst some remains of an ancient Roman fortification in hundred flocks of Celtic sheep, their pictur- the contiguous territories of Lady Willoughesque black faces and shaggy woollen coats by d'Eresby, on the banks of the meanderpeculiar to that mountain breed, with their ing stream, where we came in contact with attendants of stalwart shepherds, display- an American family, who were, like ouring Celtic strength of form: accompanied selves, in search of picturesque novelties—a by their handsome and very sagacious dogs, physician, with his little wife, and their too a few herds of the small-sized breed of high- pretty unsophisticated daughters. They were land black beeves roving turbulently amongst straying in a wrong path, and we undertook their meeker mountain kine, all destined for to cicerone them the right way, and if not in the approaching Falkirk fair. that safe and straight one that conducts to heaven, at least we led them to the view of some of heaven's most beauteous creations of sublimity in'nature. "The hill of God" tow This scene was the realisation of highland human life, and of highland animal life; the shepherds, in the perfectness of clanship garb, speaking loud in their Gaelic dialect-ering toward the mansions of the blessed to the height of three hundred feet, hailed our admiration. On leaving Callander, we entered immediately on ground so teeming with poetic lore, and the wonders of the incorporeal world; so varied with novelties of deep historic influence, that the heart becomes inevitably impressed by the extremes of admiration; that subduing, and subdued delight mingled with apprehension, lest while peror's will, and you must go, madame ;"--accordingly the Comtesse set off as quickly as circumstances would permit, and on arriving at Paris she demanded an audience, where this high-born dame, the widow of a royal prince, had no distinction shown her, but was forced to wait her turn of entrance to the presence of a puissant soldier of fortune, with persons of no rank whatever. When admitted, she found the emperor walking to and fro in his saloon, and as he did not desire her to be seat-gazing with intense interest on one point of ed, she had no other alternative than to walk by his view, another of equal or surpassing beauty side, and to stop when he did. He only turned may escape our observation. We paused a about to look fully in her face, bitterly and severely moment at Calantogal Ford, where Rhodereproaching her for having talked of him and ani- rick Dhu was overcome by the gallant Fitzmadverted on his government. She defended herself james. Skirting Loch Vennarcher on the firmly, but respectfully. "Vous avez une pension south, adorned with a lovely green isle, the de la France," said he. The Comtesse coolly re- celebrated Benledi, or "hill of God," conplied, a pension had been granted and stipulated in tinued to view, vested in solemn dark tints. her" contrat de mariage." To which assertion he While driving through a part of the Wood made no observation, but seemed by his manner, of Lamentation, its sad tale of children's during an interval of silence, to expect her to ask him to have it continued; she however made noised in all the plenitude of truth; for here woes, that ancient legend, seemed to be realrequest, nor did she receive anything from France after the revolution. Buonaparte then told her she must remain some time in Paris, and afterwards he would permit her to return to her residence at Florence, recommending her to check all observations made in her presence on his government. During her sejour at Paris, Buonaparte sent her an order for a box at his private theatre, where both the acting and singing were admirable. The ladies were covered with diamonds--the men in splendid uniforms. "The whole appeared to me like magic --like a splendid vision." The Comtesse d'Albany made it a rule every Saturday to burn all notes and letters that she had received during the week, excepting those on private business or from remarkable personages; and this she did, to prevent, after her death, any trash from being published by silly or ill-disposed people, who might become possessed of old papers left in draw. ers.-AUTHORESS. appeared still to exist, in full stirring life, that renowned mischievous Kelpie, who, in his vengeful wrath, seized and carried off upon his back to a watery grave a thoughtless mocking youthful band. We beheld suddenly issue forth from the dark wooded covert (exciting momentary terror in our highland driver for his horse, himself, and human cargo,) a wild being, a horrible distortion of the human features, apparently created in verifying the Scripture's fearful sentence, the displeasure of God, at the same time And the sins of the fathers shall be visited on the children;" and serving also as a salutary admonition to his more fortunate christian brotherhood of their manifold reasons for contentment, their pressing obligation to endure with pious fortitude and humble sub mission each worldly chagrin. What grati-ing month. Our Yankee lasses went through tude should fill our hearts, that we were not the usual sentimentalities of seeking out and created in human ugliness and imbecility, gathering flowery souvenirs, and pieces of like unto this isolated man! Oh! he was in- the bark of certain trees; while their placid deed a very terrific sight to look upon, in little mother culled wild plants, &c., for her keeping with the solitary wild region. He little herbal, and her scientific spouse turned continued to follow us long and far, howling over in silence the pebbles with his staff. like a beast of prey, ravenous of human My naval fox-hunting cavalier shrieked Helgore, destitute of reasoning powers, for heen's name, "Rule Britannia," and "Tally was only susceptible to the cravings of na-ho," to the famed echos. All seemed stirred ture, to the necessity of obtaining a scanty up into some kind of emotion, if they did not pittance through the medium of the commis-all enter precisely into those exalted and reerating feelings or the timid apprehensions fined sentiments that such historic and poetic of his fellow beings : scenes are calculated to excite in the most fastidious, as well as the coldest heart. Scenes over which Sir Walter Scott has spread an everlasting halo, gaining to himself immortal fame, and a crown of imperishable laurel by his historic elucidations and poetic inspirations. (To be continued.) Our thoughts are ever changing; we dwell We arrived at the Trossacks, the most difficult of all the Grampian passes, the wildness of nature in her most fantastic dress; the sun darting obliquely over the vast varieties of alpine vegetation, and again o'er the sombre clustered rocks, partially illuminating the dark indented ravines, rendering their terrific gloom more awful and in more Godlike power to the sense of man. We descended, where all travellers must descend, at the Ardcheanochrochan, the only inn that Lady Willoughby d'Eresby will permit to be established on this her wild territory, in more kindly consideration towards her widowed tenant, than towards her tenants' travelling guests. A TRIP TO RAMSGATE. "Metropolitan Magazine.” MY DEAR MR. EDITOR, HAVING Once favoured both you and my. self with an article on "French and English Watering Places,"* allow me to address you again on the same subject, though in a different style. That the present is the season for generating such effusions-that in giving such vigorous exercise to our bodies we give the same to our brains whether for good or bad-all this I need not mention; nor need I tell you the reason why I have been so long silent; but let me, just before the said season runs away from us, run down with you to Ramsgate for the sake of old acquaintance. I never intended my last sketch to be eiHere we found that we had been closely ther learned, lucubratory, or lachrymose, followed by the Yankee family, who politely because, you know, lucubration means the claimed a continuance of our short term of art of drawing light out of darkness, or acquaintanceship, and thus in good fellow saying a good deal out of nothing; and I ship with our cidevant colonies we jogged on thought both the subject and season were together, treading through the mazy rugged too fertile to require anything like a fertile paths of the gloomy labyrinth where Fitz- imagination to throw them off. A good james' gallant grey steed fell under his gal- deal of business, you know as well as I, lant rider; and where the rougher soldiers may be done in a small way in this age of of the puritanical uncompromising Crom-idea-mongers, and lights of all kinds thrown well were defeated by the undaunted and out-for the press tells us that no man lofty-spirited Highlanders. We were launch-should hide his candle under a bushel; and ed on Loch Katrine, abundantly stored with indeed I am not surprised that authors, like sentimental reminiscences, the clear still water partially obscured by the deep shadows of the craggy base of Benvenue, and then breaking forth in refulgent beauty amid pleasant pastoral land, occasionally adorned with a variety of aged trees and rising coppice-wood. We failed not to land on Helen's enchanting isle, to lament the destruction of her bower by fire, from the cigar of some ruthless unintellectual visiter of the preced antiquaries, should be called phosphorus as well as rag merchants. All this, however, I do not mind. I never intended to be lachrymose on the occasion. I might perhaps have regretted that we were getting rather too fond of these watering-places without benefiting by them; but still I saw, upon the whole, that philanthropy was much * See "Metropolitan" for Nov., 1837. |
