others rise, and dropped my cloak from my shoulders, that I might be ready to stand on the defensive. "We are three to three," said the lesser Highlander, glancing his eyes at our party; "if ye be pretty men, draw!" and, unsheathing his broadsword, he advanced on me. I put myself in a posture of defence, and, aware of the superiority of my weapon, a rapier or small-sword, was little afraid of the issue of the contest. The Bailie behaved with unexpected mettle. As he saw the gigantic Highlander confront him with his weapon drawn, he tugged for a second or two at the hilt of his shabble, as he called it; but finding it loth to quit the sheath, to which it had long been secured by rust and disuse, he seized as a substitute on the red-hot coulter of a plough which had been employed in arranging the fire by way of a poker, and brandished it with such effect, that at the first pass he set the Highlander's plaid on fire, and compelled him to keep a respectful distance till he could get it extinguished. Andrew, on the contrary, who ought to have faced the Lowland champion, had, I grieve to say it, vanished at the very commencement of the fray. But his antagonist, crying, "Fair play! fair play!" seemed courteously disposed to take no share in the scuffle. Thus we commenced our rencontre on fair terms as to numbers. My own aim was to possess myself, if possible, of my antagonist's weapon; but I was deterred from closing for fear of the dirk which he held in his left hand, and used in parrying the thrusts of my rapier. Meantime the Bailie, notwithstanding the success of his first onset, was sorely bested. The weight of his weapon, the corpulence of his person, the very effervescence of his own passions, were rapidly exhausting both his strength and his breath, and he was almost at the mercy of his antagonist, when up started the sleeping Highlander from the floor on which he reclined, with his naked sword and target in his hand, and threw himself between the discomfited magistrate and his assailant, exclaiming, "Her nainsell has eaten the town pread at the Cross o' Glasgow, and py her troth she'll fight for Bailie Sharvie at the Clachan of Aberfoil -tat will she e'en!" And seconding his words with deeds, this unexpected auxiliary made his sword whistle about the ears of his tall countryman, who, nothing abashed, returned his blows with interest. But being both accoutred with round targets made of wood, studded with brass, and covered with leather, with which they readily parried each other's strokes, their combat was attended with much more noise and clatter than serious risk of damage. It appeared, indeed, that there was more of bravado than of serious attempt to do us any injury; for the Lowland gentleman, who, as I mentioned, had stood aside for want of an antagonist when the brawl commenced, was now pleased to act the part of moderator and peace-maker. "Haud your hands-haud your hands-eneugh done-eneugh done!-the quarrel's no mortal. The strange gentlemen have shown themselves men of honour, and gien reasonable satisfaction. I'll stand on mine honour as kittle as ony man, but I hate unnecessary bloodshed." It was not, of course, my wish to protract the fray-my adversary seemed equally disposed to sheath his sword-the Bailie, gasping for breath, might be considered as hors de combat, and our two sword-and-buckler men gave up their contest with as much indifference as they had entered into it. acted as umpire, "let us drink and gree like honest fellows-the house will haud us a'. I propose that this good little gentleman that seems sair for-foughen, as I may say, in this tuilzie, shall send for a tass o' brandy, and I'll pay for another, by way of archilowe,* and then we'll birl our bawbees a' round about, like brethren." "And fa's to pay my new ponnie plaid," said the larger Highlander, "wi' a hole burnt in't ane might put a kail-pat through? Saw ever onybody a decent gentleman fight wi' a firebrand before?" 66 'Let that be nae hinderance," said the Bailie, who had now recovered his breath, and was at once disposed to enjoy the triumph of having be haved with spirit, and avoid the necessity of again resorting to such hard and doubtful arbitrement. "Gin I hae broken the head," he said, “I sall find the plaister. A new plaid sall ye hac, and o' the best--your ain clan-colours, man—an ye will tell me where it can be sent t'ye frac Glasco." "I needna name my clan-I am of a king's clan, as is weel kend," said the Highlander; "but ye may tak a bit o' the plaid-figh! she smells like a singit sheep's head-and that'll learn ye the sett and a gentleman, that's a cousin o' my ain, that carries eggs doun frae Glencroe, will ca' for't about Martimas, an ye will tell her where ye bide. But, honest gentleman, neist time ye fight, an ye hae ony respect for your athversary, let it be wi' your sword, man, since ye wear ane, and no wi' thae het culters and fireprands, like a wild Indian." "Conscience!" replied the Bailie, "every man maun do as he dow-my sword hasna seen the light since Bothwell Brigg, when my father, that's dead and gane, ware it; and I kenna weel if it was forthcoming than either, for the battle was o' the briefest. At ony rate, it's glewed to the scabbard now beyond my power to part them; and, finding that, I e'en grippit at the first thing I could make a fend wi'. I trow my fighting days is done, though I like ill to take the scorn, for a' that. But where's the honest lad that tuik my quarrel on himsell sae frankly?—I'se bestow a gill o' aquavitæ on him, an I suld never ca' for anither." The champion for whom he looked around was, however, no longer to be seen. He had escaped. unobserved by the Bailie, immediately when the brawl was ended, yet not before I had recognised, in his wild features and shaggy red hair, our acquaintance Dougal, the fugitive turnkey of the Glasgow gaol. “And now," said the worthy gentleman who Archilowe, of unknown derivation, signifles a peace-offering, THE THE PLAGUE IN THE FOREST. PLAGUE IN THE FOREST. 351 [JOHN GURNEY ADAMS. Born in the United States in 1767. Educated at Harvard. Died 1849.] TIME was when round the lion's den A peopled city raised its head; "Twas not inhabited by men, But by four-footed beasts instead. The lynx, the leopard and the bear, The tiger and the wolf, were there; The hoof-defended steed; The bull, prepared with horns to gore; The cat with claws, the tusky boar, And all the canine breed. In social compact thus combined, Together dwelt the beasts of prey; Their murderous weapons all resigned, And vowed each other not to slay. Among them Reynard thrust his phiz; Not hoof, nor horn, nor tusk was his, For warfare all unfit: He whispered to the royal dunce, One summer, by some fatal spell (Phoebus was peevish for some scoff'), The plague upon that city fell, And swept the beasts by thousands off. The lion, as became his part, Loved his own people from his heart; His peerage summoned to advise, To soothe Apollo's rage. Quoth Lion: "We are sinners all; Poor innocent! his blood so sweet! "Now, to be candid, I must own The sheep are weak, and I am strong; But when we find ourselves alone, The sheep have never done me wrong. And since I purpose to reveal All my offences, nor conceal One trespass from your view, My appetite is made so keen, That, with the sheep, the time has been I took the shepherd too. President in 1824. "Then let us all our sin confess; Your sentence freely give: And let my people live." The council with applauses rung, To hear the Codrus of the wood; Let us, like subjects true, "But, please your majesty, I deem, That paltry, poltroon, sheepish race; "As for eating, now and then, As well the shepherd as the sheep, How can that braggart breed of men Expect with you the peace to keep? "Tis time their blustering boast to stem, That all the world was made for them, And prove Creation's plan; Teach them, by evidence profuse, That man was made for lions' use, Not lions made for man." And now the noble peers begin, And, cheered with such examples bright, Disclosing each his secret sin, Some midnight murder brought to light. Reynard was counsel for them all— No crime the assembly could appal, But he could botch with paint: Hark! as his honeyed accents roll, Each tiger is a gentle soul, Each bloodhound is a saint. When each had told his tale in turn, The long-eared beast of burden came, And meekly said, "My bowels yearn To make confession of my shame; I passed, not thinking of a crime, "Oh, monster! villain!" Reynard cried; The council with one voice decreed; "What? steal another's grass!" The blackest crime their lives could show Was washed as white as virgin snow: The victim was-the Ass. TO THE DANDELION. [J. R. LOWELL. EAR common flower, that growest beside the way, Fringing the dusty road with harmless gold, First pledge of blithesome May, Which children pluck, and full of pride uphold, High-hearted buccaneers, o'erjoyed that they An Eldorado in the grass have found, Which not the rich earth's ample round May match in wealth-thou art more dear to me See Page 41.] His conquered Sybaris, than I, when first From the dark green thy yellow circles burs. Then think I of deep shadows on the grass- The gleaming rushes lean a thousand ways- move. Than all the prouder summer-blooms My childhood's carliest thoughts are linked with may be. Gold such as thine ne'er drew the Spanish prow Through the primeval hush of Indian seas, Nor wrinkled the lean brow Of age, to rob the lover's heart of ease; "Tis the spring's largess, which she scatters now To rich and poor alike, with lavish hand, Though most hearts never understand To take it at God's value, but pass by The offered wealth with unrewarded eye. Thou art my tropics and mine Italy; To look at thee unlocks a warmer clime; The eyes thou givest me Are in the heart, and heed not space or time: Not in mid June the golden-cuirassed bee Feels a more summer-like, warm ravishment thee; The sight of thee calls back the robin's song, Who, from the dark old tree Beside the door, sang clearly all day long, And I, secure in childish piety, Listened as if I heard an angel sing With news from heaven, which he did bring When birds and flowers and I were happy peers. How like a prodigal doth Nature seem, More sacredly of every human heart, Of heaven, and could some wondrous secret show, Did we but pay the love we owe, And with a child's undoubting wisdom look THE THE UNIVERSITY OF GOTTINGEN. UNIVERSITY OF GOTTINGEN. 353 [The Right Hon. GEORGE CANNING. Born 1770. Educated at Eton. Entered Parliament in 1793, and was Secretary of State in 1796. Died 1827.] WHENE'ER with haggard eyes I view This dungeon that I'm rotting in, I think of those companions true Who studied with me at the U-niversity of Gottingen, -niversity of Gottingen! Weeps, and pulls out a blue kerchief, with which he proceeds to wipe his eyes; gazing tenderly at it, he proceeds Sweet kerchief, checked with heavenly blue, Which once my love sat notting in! Alas! Matilda then was true! At least I thought so at the U-niversity of Gottingen! -niversity of Gottingen. At the repetition of this line Rogers clanks his chains in cadence. Barbs! Barbs! alas, how swift you flew, Her neat post-wagon trotting in! Ye bore Matilda from my view; Forlorn I languished at the U-niversity of Gottingen, -niversity of Gottingen. This faded form! this pallid hue! This blood my veins is clotting in; My years are many--they were few When first I entered at the U-niversity of Gottingen, -niversity of Gottingen. 45-VOL. I. |