The captain eagerly feized this oppor tunity of difplaying his dexterity. He drew his fabre, and, with the first stroke, cut off a flice half an inch thick, the whole length of the stone. He then formed in it a place to receive the juice of the roaft; and the flice which he had cut off served as a plate for the cabbages. The spectators, who were no lefs apt to be ftruck with admiration, than capable of exciting it, paid the just tribute to the ease and accuracy of the work. no mortal could have diftinguished with the beft telescope, Ah!" faid he, "I fee him; he is not far from this, but he is amusing himfelf with roafting quails; as they fly over his head, he picks their feathers in the air, and eats them. "Do you fee," faid Pretaboire," how this rafcal is engaged on a review day? He roafts quails in the air, that, completely dreffed, they may drop in fhowers into his mouth! And, where is that lazy knave Toujourfdort*, to beat the drum, and oblige every one to come at the fig- In the mean time, Tranchemont, in his nal?" "I perceive him alfo, faid turn, felt a great curiofity to fee a calf Quickfight; "he is afleep under the roafted in a place where he faw no fire, fhade of a broom; the earth feems to nor coal, nor wood to make one. Strongshake with his fnoring, and I cannot con- back acted as turnfpit; and the spit reftceive how you do not hear him from this ed on two large ftones, placed in the midplace." You fee, friends," faid Pre- dle of a very green plot of grafs. "Come, taboire," that we have great need of Soufflefeu," faid Pretaboire," do your difcipline: And how extremely fortunate duty: You are fenfible that there is no we are in having accordingly found a occafion to burn the roaft, we need only chief?-Come, Cut-the-air, fhew us the a gentle and penetrating fire; manage the place where the quail-eater and the fnor- matter properly. Soufflefeu was a man of er are; and let them come with all deeds and not of words; and proportionhafte." ed his hot breath fo nicely, that he seemed not fo much to roaft, as to gild the immense roaft which was turned round before him; fo that the juice run down upon the cabbages, which he fet a-boiling by fome puffs of fire that he sent to them. The Captain appeared highly delighted. with the talents of this cook, and fhewed himself eager to give farther proofs of his own. He obferved, that it was impoffible to have a table in the cell of the dervife, on account of a rock of granite, fix feet high, and of equal thickness, which occupied the whole center. "Stand back a little," faid he to the people who were around him, "I am going to ftrike off, from this little ftone, fome chips which might ftart into your eyes; we muft have a place to prepare our table." At the fame time, he ftruck the rock with his fabre, with fo much exactness, that every piece which he detached from it appeared a table of marble that needed only to be polifhed. What a terrible arm! what a valiant fword!" exclaimed the witneffes of this exploit." Brothers," faid Pretaboire to them, " it is this which muft fhew us the way to glory and to gain.” "You fhall fee," added Pretaboire, "what kind of men these two are. The cook Soufflefeu† fhall give you a fpecimen of what he can do. He could melt a mine of metals in the bowels of the earth. As for Toujourfdort, his talents are pretty moderate; but he has one which is extremely useful to us. When we let him out to the combat, he spreads terror all around. By ftriking his belly, he makes it emit a found like that of forty-drums. He fets up fuch dreadful howlings as could make walls tumble down.' While he was explaining all this to Tranchemont, Tojuourfdort and Souffle feu arrived." Drummer," faid the der. vife to the first, "go and beat the figcal. Soufflefeu, go you and roaft the calf which Strong-back is putting on the fpit." Then turning towards Tranchemont: "My general," faid he to him, it is your part now to fhow these people what you can do: There is the calf on the fpit, and the cabbages cut into fhreds; but we have neither any thing to collect the juice of the roaft, nor a plate in which to drefs the fallad; but, cut off dexterously a whole fhice of the bifcuit which is before my door, and thereby procure the neceffary veffels for holding our fauce and our herbs.” They eagerly cleared the rubbish from the place, which was now freed from this huge ftone, as ugly as it was incommodious. The most beautiful of the pieces *Toujourfdo rt, Sleep-e being being artfully joined together, formed benches around a table, which, with five or fix ftrokes of his fabre, the Captain rendered perfectly fquare, and hollowed out below to make room for their legs. "Never did any companion of our labours," faid Pretaboire, " perform fo neatly that work in which he excelled! Toujourfdort clapped his belly in token of admiration; and his gentle rubbings made the cave re-echo with a dreadful found. Meanwhile the cover was laid Souffle feu brought the roaft. "Wine! wine!" cried Pretaboire, bringing with him a bag of fifty pounds weight of cakes. Strongback went to bring the tuns; but Tranchemont, who dreaded the dervife's thirst, thought it his duty to remind him of his vows: " is your penitence ended? holy man!"-"No," replied Pretaboire, "I muft drink fome cups of honey and water; but I referve a pitcher of wine to wash my mouth." him. (6 They fat down to table, and every one of them did great juftice to the feaft. There was but little converfation; however, from time to time, one of the guefts related an exploit of his own peculiar kind. It was always of the marvellous fort. Towards the middle of the repaft, Pretaboire, having fomewhat blunted the edge of his appetite, caft a look around Brethren," said he, " our number is not complete; Grippenuage* and Groffitout are wanting; however, they had the fignal, for Toujourfdort beat the drum fo as to make it be heard at a dif tance. As the dervise was making this reflection, the two characters made their appearance at the entrance of the cave. "You deserve," faid he," not to have fo much as a cruft to eat. I refpect people of abilities only when they are regufar in their duty; and to-morrow, if you fail in the fervice, you fhall anfwer for it to a more able general than I am: In the mean time, fit down and drink. After dinner you fhall be informed of moft wonderful things. You are in the prefence of a very great mafter, the illuftrious Captain Tranchemont. We have made choice of him for our general, and we are to pass in review before him; as for me, I am exhibiting proofs of my abilities, ss you fhall fee:" Saying this, he fwallowed his pitcher full of wine at one draught. The perfons who were just come in, having nothing to reply, modeftly bowed down, and dinner was ended. "Come, brothers," faid Pretaboire, when the repaft was finished, we must pafs in review, and begin, by making fure of fome difhes for our fupper. Quickfight! Aimwell! Cut-the-air! attend! "Quickfight, I want an hundred pounds of venifon, in four pieces. Obferve the banks of diftant rivers; feek us fome young deer, goats, and an antelope; they must all be tender, and eafily digefted." The performer put himself in the proper pofition; at firft his looks feemed to move along the ground near at hand, and then, imperceptibly, his view was extended to a great diftance, and fkimmed over the world. "Ah! exclaimed he, " I have found what you want behind that little hill, at the diftance of ten leagues." "Aimwell," faid the dervise, " prepare your bow." Aimwell fixed a fake before Quickfight, bent his bow, and fet himself in a proper pofition for fhooting his arrow. At the diftance of ten leagues?" faid he to Quickfight,-" and thirty paces." The arrow flew; Quickfight followed it with his eyes. "The deer is pierced," faid he. "Come, Cut-the-air, put your shoes in a proper ftate, and pick up the game." The order was inftantly executed. Pretaboire repeated the command three times; and in half an hour the four pieces of venison were procured, and brought to Strong-back, who fkinned them, and put them on the fpit. Pretaboire having examined the fack of bread: "How !" faid he, "have we only thirty pounds weight? Quickfight, look out for fome fresh bread."There is an oven full of it at Maffer, which is ftill quite hot," replied he," and the baker has juft turned his back to clean his oven."?" There is a fine opportunity to purchase his bread for nothing: Go, Cut-the air, take the bag, and make the bargain." The order was inftantly obeyed; and the bread was in the cell be fore the baker perceived it. "You fee, General," said the dervise, “ that the butlery is pretty well furnished. Ah! if Strong-back had wings, we might have wine; but we muft not always be dying with thirft. Come, Grippenuage Jay hold of that cloud which is paffing, and force it to fhed its contents on this place; if there are any halftones, fo much the better; for I love exceedingly to drink ice. The cloud was pretty high: Grippenuage took a clue of filk from his poc * Grippenuage, Catch-Cloud. ket, And the loud tempeft fings his birth. Brood the rich germs of vernal life. Knows plenty only springs the juft reward of toil. Then if fell War's tempeftuous found Threaten yon fate-devoted fhore, Yet never o'er his timid head When Fame, when Juftice call to arms. With Titan rage blafpheming try Their impious battle "gainst the Sky, Say, fhall Britannia's generous fons embrace In folds of amity the Harpy race, Or aid the fword that coward Fury rears, Red with the widow's blood, wet with the orphan's tears? But tho' her martial thunders fall Vindictive o'er Oppreffion's haughty creft, Awake to Pity's fuafive call, She spreads her Buckler o'er the fuffering breaft. From feas that roll by Gallia's fouthmoft fteep, From the rich ifles that crown th' Atlantic deep, The plaintive figh, the heartfelt groan Are wafted to her Monarch's throne; Open to Mercy, prompt to fave, His ready navies plow the yielding wave, The ruthless arm of favage license awe, And guard the facred reign of Freedom and of Law. For the Edinburgh Magazine. ODE TO PITY. HAIL, dove-eyed Pity!-facred Pow't, Accept what meed I can bestow! For much to thee I owe. When bow'd to earth with wafting grief, And gave me inftant ease. Proclaim thy heav'n-defcended form; Proclaim thee, lovely Goddefs! near.Thou com'ft to wipe the galling tear, To ftill the raging storm. When boift'rous gufts of paffion reign Thy voice their rage controul: (His half-expiring victim nigh,) The gentle heart where thou dost dwell Nor Nor black Remorfe, nor fullen Fride, But Peace, defcended from above, Ah! may thy dictates never lofe Thine influence ne'er depart. That melts at other's woe, X. THE GOLDFINCH AND LINNET. A GAUDY Goldfinch, pert and gay, With head well plum'd and burnish'd wing, Sitting all alone, But come, my dear, I know you're wife' My ivory bill and jetty creft, He ceas'd-LINNETTA thus reply'd, " "Tis pity, Sir, a youth so sweet, And worse would be the cafe, If meeting one whofe faith was plighted, Whom you were pleas'd to mention, To those small merits, fenfe and truth, And bow'd, and chirp'd, and bow'd again; And then, to give him all his due, And with familiar tone, He thus the dame addreft, As to her fide he closely preft. "I hope, my dear, I don't intrude, What, filent! Ah, thofe looks demure, He fings, Sir, full as well as you, This faid, away fhe fcuds, A SONNET, By Mifs Locke. PENSIVE Wanderer I delight to ftray Forget the bufy tumults of the day, Then if the modeft glow-worm meets my She,who avoids the fun's meridian blaze, While there, delighted, all the Virtues dwell, Surrounding nations his defert approve, The greatest comforts of our life, My horfe was old and broken-winded, I liften'd then to their advice, I next a pony would have bought, Again, to various fyftems yielding, Who ftill would have me, as before, One offer'd me a pretty mare, I'm not a judge, you know, myself, 'Tis thus in chufing of a horfe; THE foote feafon that bud, and bloome fourth bringes, With grene hath cladde the hyll, and eke the vale, The nightingall with fethers new she finges; The turtle too her mate hath told her tale; Somer is come, for every fpray now fpringes, The hart hath hung hys olde head on the pale; The bucke in brake his winter coate he flynges; The fishes flete with newe repayred fcale: The adder all her flough away fhe flynges, The swift swallow pursueth the flyes smalle, The bufy bee her honey how fhe mynges; Winter is worne that was the floures ball. And thus I fee among these pleasant thynges Eche care decayes, and yet my forrow fprynges. A Vore to love faithfully howfoeuer he be rewarded. (From the fame.) SET ET me whereas the fonne doth parch Or where his beams do not dyffolve the yse, nought. THE |