POLITICAL PUNS.

THE Cavaliers, during Cromwell's usurpation, usually put a crumb of bread into a glass of wine; and, before they drank it, would exclaim, with cautious ambiguity, "God send this crum well down."

A Royalist Divine, during the Protectorate, did not scruple to quibble in the following prayer, which he was accustomed to deliver:

“O Lord, who has put a sword into the hand of thy servant Oliver,--put it into his heart also, to do according to thy word." He would drop his voice at the word also; and, after a significant pause, repeat the concluding sentence in an under tone.

GALLANT OLD AGE

Of Malcolm M' Pherson, aged 70, in the Expedition to Louisburg,

1760.

In a publication of that dayi t is stated, that an old Highland gentleman of seventy years of age, who had accompanied Fraser's regiment as a volunteer, was particularly noticed for the dexterity and force with which he used his broadsword, when his regiment charged the enemy. On two occasions small parties of them were ordered to advance sword in hand, and drive the sharpshooters out of some bushwood on the right, from which they galled the line. This old man's conduct particularly attracted the notice of General Townshend, who sent for him after the engagement, and praising his gallant behaviour, expressed a little surprise at his leaving his native country at such an advanced age, and following the fortune of war; was so struck with the old man's magnanimity, that he took him to England along with him, and introduced him to Mr. Pitt. The minister presented him to the King, who was gra

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ciously pleased to give him a commission, with leave to return home on full pay. This gentleman was Malcolm M'Pherson of Phoiness, in the county of Inverness. A long and ruinous lawsuit, and, as he himself said, a desire of being revenged on the French for their treacherous promises in 1745, made him take the field as a soldier. A near relation of his of the same name, when well advanced in years, (for he had also joined the Rebellion in 1745,) acted nearly in a similar manner. In the year 1770 he formed the resolution of going to India, where he was appointed a cadet, and living to a great age, attained the rank of LieutenantGeneral, and died there in the year 1815, leaving a handsome fortune to his relations in Badenoch.

THE BLACK TRUMPETER.

Ar the battle of Dettingen, one of our most esteemed regiments gave way on the first onset of the enemy, and every man retired, with no small precipitation, a black trumpeter excepted, who kept blowing his trumpet until he was surrounded by the enemy, and taken. After an exchange of prisoners, he returned to England, where he was so much noticed, that the proprietors of both theatres gave him a free benefit. The same regiment, and the same black hero, exhibited at Fontenoy; the former regained their honor, by astonishing acts of bravery;—the latter, in the height of the engagement, turned his white steed suddenly, and left the field. Afterwards, before a court martial, being desired to account for behaviour so very different from that which gained him so much applause, he replied, reproach had made them desperate, which at that time (meaning the time of the engagement) was not his case.

How far this reply may be just we do not say, but his conduct agreed with the general opinion, that few men, however intrepid, have the same proportion of courage at all times.

HEROISM

Of a Private in the 8th Regiment of Light Dragoons.

THE spirited and gallant behaviour of a Private in the above Regiment in the action at Alost in Flanders, in 1794, ought not to be forgotten; he had never before been in action; after he had cut down a French Officer, he was in his turn attacked by one of the Hussars, whom he instantly served the same as he had done his Officer, and completed the business so effectually, that he actually disabled not less than seven of the French, including the Officer; when unfortunately an eighth coming behind him, gave him a dangerous cut in the sword arm upon the elbow, which completely disabled him; he however rode off and escaped without any further injury. It is much to be regretted, that the name of this gallant Hibernian youth should not be handed down to posterity; as an action like this in which he so conspicuously distinguished himself, (although the first he was ever engaged in,) would have done honour to the veteran hero, and deserves the same honourable record.

EXEMPLARY CONDUCT

Of the Fifty-ninth Regiment whilst stationed in France, in 1815.

THIS Corps was always as remarkable for good conduct in garrison as for bravery in the field. During the residence of the Prussians at Montlery, the inhabitants had carefully concealed their plate and other valuable effects, but on the arrival of the 59th, they were observed digging them up without apprehension from the ground where they were buried. The greatest respect and attention were paid both to the officers and men while they remained, and on their departure, the regret of the Mayor and principal Citizens was manifested in a handsome complimentary address, in which it was declared," that a French regiment would not have conducted itself with so much propriety as the 59th."

BARBARITY.

Captain DEBRISAY of the 11th, and afterwards LieutenantColonel of the 63rd Regiment of Foot.

Ar the battle of Rocoux, near Liege, in 1746, this officer being wounded, and lying on the ground among the slain, was run through by a French officer, whose unmanly example was immediately followed by the platoon he commanded, nearly the whole of them planting their bayonets in different parts of his body. Of about thirteen wounds which he received, eight were judged to be mortal: but, to the surprize of every one, he recovered. Being afterwards at table with the Marshal Count- de Saxe, (of whose politeness as an enemy many honorable instances are given) he was strongly solicited by the Marshal to tell him who the officer was that had used him so unlike a soldier, threatning to disgrace him at the head of the regiment; but Debrisay, though well acquainted with his name, the commission he bore, and the corps he served in, most generously declined, contenting himself with letting his Excellency know, that he was not a stranger to his person, but begged to be excused pointing him out. He was afterwards Lieutenant Colonel in the 63rd regiment, and was blown up in the citadel of Martinique, during the siege in 1759.

WATERLOO.

(LIEUTENANT DEARES, TWENTY-EIGHTH REGIMENT.)

A division of the enemy having been repulsed, with the loss of their eagles, Lieutenant Deares of the 28th, hurried away by his enthusiasm, accompanied the cavalry in the pursuit on foot, attacking sword in hand, every Frenchman that came in his way. He had already cut down two, and wounded three others, when being overpowered by a body of infantry, and taken prisoner, he was stripped of all his clothes, except his shirt and trowser, in which state he joined his regiment during the night.

SINGULAR ESCAPE

Of a Soldier in the Guards, during the Campaign in Spain, in Queen Anne's Reign.

(FROM CAPT. CARLETON'S MEMOIRS.)

A Captain of the English guards, marching in order to join the battalion of the guards then under the command of General Windham, with some of his soldiers that had been in the hospital, took up his quarters in a villa; but on his marching out of it next morning, a shot in the back laid that officer dead upon the spot; and, as it had been before concerted, the Spaniards of the place at the same time fell upon the poor weak soldiers, killing several, not even sparing their wives. This was but a prelude to their barbarity; their savage cruelty was only whetted, not glutted. They took the surviving few, hurried and dragged them up a hill, a little without the villa. On the top of this hill there was a hole or opening, somewhat like the mouth of one of our coal-pits; down this they cast several, who, with hideous shrieks and cries, made more hideous by the echoes of the chasm, there lost their lives.

This relation was thus made to the Earl of Peterborough, at his quarters at Campilio, who immediately gave orders to sound to horse. At first we were all surprised, but were soon satisfied that it was to revenge, or rather do justice on, this barbarous action.

As soon as we entered the villa, we found that most of the inhabitants, but especially the most guilty, had withdrawn themselves on our approach. We found, however, many of the dead soldiers' clothes, which had been conveyed into the church, and there hid; and a strong accusation being laid against a person belonging to the church, and full proof made that he had been singularly industrious in the execution of that horrid piece of barbarity on the hill, his Lordship commanded him to be hanged up at the knocker of his door.

After this piece of military justice, we were led up to the fatal pit or hole, down which many had been cast headlong. There we found one poor soldier alive, who, upon his being thrown in, had