harp, that it tamed wild beafts and moved even trees and rocks, and that, fince the time of Orpheus, it had never been touched, had a violent defire to try its effects. With this view he bribed the priest who had it in keeping, to give it to him, and hang up one fimilar in its place. Neanthus wifely thought it was not proper to ufe it by day, nor in the city, left he fhould bring the houfes about his cars, but hiding it under his robe, went by night to try it in the environs. Being quite ignorant of mufic, he began feraping upon it at a ftrange rate, but with no fmall pride and fatisfaction, as deeming himself the worthy heir of the mufic of Orpheus. The town dogs, who I fuppofe were all turned loofe into the fireets at night, as is now the cuftom in Turkey, came to the found in crowds. Neanthus in tranfport imagined, now the beafts had come, the other effects would follow, and looked fharp round to fee if a rock or a tree were coming towards him dancing a minuet. Poor man! he was wofully deceived the dogs had only come, thinking the range noife proceeded from a wolf or a wild hog, and enraged by the horid din, tore its unfortunate author to pieces. S.

A Noon-Tide Walk in November.

By J. M. L.

THE cheerless month of November had this year worn more the features of gladnefs than of forrow: the weather indeed was cold; but it also had, to ufe a very comprehensive expreffion of the country I was then in, been very cheerly.

The now comparatively feeble rays of Sol had difperfed the gloom of the morning, when, between eleven and twelve o'clock, I bent my fteps to wards a gentleman's feat at no great distance; in whofe grounds from the fuperior tafte difplayed in laying them out, I frequently chofe my walk: for here found nature in many inftances left to herself, in others affifted by the hand of genius.

As I proceeded to this fpot of per

fection my face was to the fouth, and the fun fhone full upon me. I fancied it even warmer than it was; for, notwithstanding the wind was northerly, by being at my back, I felt none of its force: but nature feemed to feel it, for I vainly liftened to catch the fee. bleft notes of the feathered tribes-they feemed to have forgotten them. Yet I found a penfive pleasure in furveying the furrounding fcenery, exhibiting the finest tints of autumn beautifully blended, from deep green to pale yel low and ruffet brown. To an artist here was an unbounded fource for his pencil; to the reflecting mind, a leffon of deep import. The fcenes fo lately viewed in all the richly-expanded beauty of fummer were now gradually finking into the tomb of time: the thought carried with it a weight, a gloominess, very eafily accounted for ;-the mind felt that fpring would again renovate the now decaying face of nature, that fummer would again deck the plain with all the beauty luxurance can difplay; but might not the mind which now made the reflection ere that time arrived ceafe to feel? might not the heart that warmed it ceafe to beat? might not the form that now paced the earth be then decaying beneath its furface? It was an emotion which the accomplished Helen Maria Williams has juftly defcribed as being fome-what fimilar to that which we feel in bidding farewell to a lively and agreeable companion, whofe prefence had diffufed gladnefs, whofe fmile had been the fignal of pleafure, and whom we are uncertain of beholding again; for, though the period of his return is fixed, who, amid the cafualties of life, can be fecure that, in the interval of abfence, his eye fhall not be closed in darkness, and his heart have loft the fenfation of delight?"

I found my heart foftened by thefe ideas; and I entered the parkgate with a mind ready to receive any impreffion the objects around might infpire. For fome way the path was open, but foon turned through a small gate, where overarching trees in fummer gave a grateful fhade; but now

As I

I proceeded, and a gurgling ftream caught the ear long before it met the eye: it defcended from a broad and clear, but fhallow, pond; on whofe furface floated the fallen leaves down feveral fteps, and then calmly pursued the noiseless tenor' of its way, 'till, by means of art, it gradually expanded, and faluted the eye as a canal, over the further part of which a fimple bridge was thrown. I croffed this and an adjoining meadow, to a rural lane, which led me home by a different way than I came by. Here a circumstance attracted my attention, which at almoft any other time might have been unheeded; a violent fluttering over my head made me look up, and I perceived two robins defcending from a tree, fighting all the way most violently: they came to the ground very near me, nor did my prefence for fome time hinder their contention. Thus, even the very creature which is itself the emblem of innocence is not free from the influence of ftrife!

Shakspeare and Queen Elizabeth. An Original Anecdote.

Mr. EDITOR,

IT is a matter much to be regretted by every admirer of dramatic literature, that we are fo deftitute of information refpecting the lives and characters of fo many of our English poets, particu larly Shakspeare, whofe writings have given, and muft continue to give, fuch exquifite pleasure to every reader endowed with any tafte for poetry or dramatic writing.

Anecdotes of authors and actors, fince his day, having been fo carefully collected and publifhed, do but remind us of the lofs we have fuftained, in not having had handed to us fome account of the private and hiftoric occurrences which, undoubtedly, mult have pretty frongly marked the life of this inimi table writer. And though now near two hundred years fince he retired from the ftage, a time when his merit was not, perhaps held in fuch estimation as it now is, I doubt not but many interefting particulars might yet be collected refpecting him. I am myself in poffeffion of one anecdote, which I shall now prefent you with, hoping every one of your numerous readers, who can favour the world with any other, will cheerfully do the fame, by which means we may hope that fuch particulars (not generally known) may be collected and handed down to pofterity with his works, which we have every reason to expect will be looked upon as the most fubftantial of their nature ever yet of fered to an ingenious world.

It is well known that queen Elizabeth was a great admirer of our immortal Shakspeare, and used frequently (as vas the custom with people of great rank in thofe days) to appear upon the ftage before the audience, and to fit delighted behind the fcenes while the plays of our bard were performed. One evening Shakspeare performed the part of the King, but in what play I do not

perfectly

perfectly recollect to have heard, per haps Henry the Fourth: the audience knew of her majefty's being in the house. She croffed the ftage while Shakspeare was performing his part; and, on receiving the accuftomed greeting from the audience, moved politely to the poet, but he did not notice it! when behind the fcenes, he caught his eye and moved again, but ftill he would not throw off his character to notice her this made her majefty to think of fome means to know whether he would, or not, depart from the dignity of his character, while on the flage. Accordingly, as he was about to make his exit, the fepped before him, dropped her glove, and recroffed the flage, which Shakspeare noticing, took up with these words, fo immediately after finishing his fpeech, that they feemed to belong to it.

And tho' now bent on this high embaffy,

Yet foop we to take up our coufin's glove!'

He then walked off the stage, and prefented the glove to the queen, who was highly pleased with his behaviour, and complimented him on its proprie. ty! Would that our performers of the prefent day were fo attentive to the bufinefs of the scene, and did not, on the flighteft occafion, depart from the dignity of their characters, and thereby injure the effect, to bow to the applaufe of the gallery.

I do not now recollect my authority for the above anecdote, but believe it was handed to me in fuch a manner, that I did not then doubt of its authencity.

I fhall be glad if you will give this paper a place in your valuable mifcellany, and trust that fome of your correfpondents will follow my example, and give to the public any little addition to it in their power.

I am, with refpe&t, yours, &e.
A CONSTANT READER.

Λου. 11, 1895.

My fweet fair Creatures!

I WAS born a fort of a gentleman, for you must know my great grandfather was a parfon-and you know a parfon is always confidered a gentleman

and my great grand-mother was a parfon's wife.-Thefe were my anceftors, as my own father and mother tell me. But my father's father did not like the profeffion of a parfon, fo he chofe the rural life of a farmer; and then my father's mother was a far'mer's wife, and that profeffion defcended to my father; and he is now a bit of a gentleman farmer, and my dear fweet mother a bit of a gentleman farmer's wife-fo all this makes me a little bit of

a

fon of a bit of a gentleman farmer; fo much for my pedigree. And dear cation--and I pafs for a gentleman; mother gave me a little bit of good edufor I am, be affured, a man of tafle and fabion (as the phrafe goes :) for I'll tell you wear my boots black as jet, with cream-coloured tops; or my Heffians, with at least fifty wrinkles in them-and large enough to hold, befide my pretty little leg (though I fay it, that should not fay it,) at least a peck of bran; but they are all the go: I have, too, the large inexpreffibles; one thigh of which is fufficient to hold three the fize of mine: they come below my calf, and button the front of my leg, and reach near my chin-(it's as they wear them.) My waistcoat is of the newest pattern poffible, and made just the tip; my coat of the molt fashionable cut-the fleeves large enough to contain the arms of O'Brian, the famous giant; yet the waist and fkirts fo fhort; that the hind part appears more calculated for a boy jok breeched, and, in fact, fcarcely fuffi cient to hide what they ought to conceal; (they are all the rage.) My hat is what we term a flouch-a large wide brim, and a very low crown; and this

really

really makes me look like a large musk. room: (but it's the tippy.) Thus far, my sweet females! you may fuppofe I am complete; in fact, what is called a complete fellow. But, alas! I am not a perfeil one. I have a want ;-I want a beard, and a more manly countenance. I want dignity. I want courage. I want affurance. I want intrepidity. I want refolution. I want -I want-Yes I want whiskers. O had 1 but the whiskers, then fhould I be the happy man! if any of you fweet little creatures can and will provide a remedy for my wants, hafte, hafte, to relieve one fadly oppreft; for at prefent, although twenty-two years of age, my face is as smooth and fair as my fifter's. As for my dear fweet mother, fhe beats me hollow: fhe has many long hairs on her chin and face, and when the fmiles or pouts they fhine ex actly like the sweet whiskers of a cat. I have began to love a young lady, but dare not tell her of it at prefent; for I know the hates a man without whiskers. I fhave, and pomade my chin and face -yet all to no purpose; and, with all my fathionable drefs, I look exactly like a great girl dreffed up in man's clothes in fact, fome of the young ladies in our town call me the feminine beau. I hope and truft, my dear female friends, you will earnestly confider my misfortune, and inform me, in the next month's magazine, what must do to obtain a large big pair of whiskers.then, O then, I'll tell my love I love her, and am fure the will love me; for fhe often, ah! very often, talks about the sweet whiskers of the captain in our town: If you will, dear ladies! give a receipt, be affured the favour will be confidered a heavenly one. I do affure you I am not an ugly fellow, take me all in all-but I want, and must have, the whiskers.

O fweet whiskers!

My life for the whiskers! With the fond hope of obtaining relief by the kind interference of you,

fair creatures! I conclude in affuring you I am, with the greatest refpe&, The protector of your dear fex, TOMMY SOFTCHIN.

Nov. 1805.

On the Armies engaged in the prefent War. [From the Univerfal Magazine.] WITHOUT defiring or expecting to become, what in all ages has been at once flattering to the ambition of the monarch and destructive to the liberties of the people, viz. a military government, we may pay all due attention to that part of our fecurity, as an independent nation, which is rendered particularly important and interesting at this crifis, by the views and the power of our most formidable enemy.

Every man, of late years, has been taught to look more to the navy and army of Great Britain, than to the fenate, for the falvation of the ftate: not that we are deftitute of patriots in the cabinet; but the conduct of a few leading members in it, who have shewn themselves more attentive to private in tereft than fwayed by public virtue, have fet fo pernicious an example, that the wife and cautious Englishman, eannot repose with confidence in their measures. An experienced minifter would have prevented the neceflity of converting the commercial habits of the kingdom into those of fo warlike a caft. One of the fhrewdeft politicians that ever entered into a British fenate, exclaimed, a fhort time before his death, to that affembly, by your forcing your rivals into a belligerent attitude, you will force our clerks to quit their pens for firelocks. I with," added he, we may live to see them re. turn in peace again to their countinghoufes. All capable of bearing arms are military, or must in time be such ; for had we a peace at this inftant under the fame adminiftration, or, in other words, under the fame fystein of politics, our preparations, or at least our cautions, ruft be continued. We

may,

may, by the valour of our arms, avert the blow of our antagonist again and again; but while he continues to cherish the fame ambitious and holtile defign, we are compelled, nolens volens, to remain on our guard. Thus then are we constrained, at the hazard of changing the difpofition of the people of England, to cherish a military occupation and character, in order to ftem that tide of victory and confequent pretenfions, which aims at more than it would appear at this moment rational to point out. There are thofe who flatter themselves, that the late brilliant victories by fea have left no neceffity to be anxious for the atchievements of the army: fuch perfons are greatly mistaken. Should the foldiers of the Gallic emperor continue to advance in the fame fortunate career against the Ruffian and Auftrian forces, as they have hitherto against thofe of the latter only, their leader may force the cabinet of Vienna into a feparate peace, however unwilling its fovereign may be to ratify it; and those who cannot difcover a train of evils connected with fuch an event, are certainly not gifted. with a perfpicacious fight. They may, perhaps, confole themfelves, at wort, under the reflection that they are not likely to feel its ill effects for a good while to come. Without entering, therefore, into the enquiry, now quite ufelefs, how we have been brought into fo precarious a condition, it behoves us to confider by what means our enemy has been able to overthrow or difcomfit, in the manner we have lately witneffed, troops which have had the reputation of being the beft difciplined, and best commanded of any in Europe.

The military art, like every other, is carried to the greatest perfection by those nations which make it their tu dy and their practice. The power which affails is generally moft confident in his ill; but this confidence does not arife folely from an opinion of the individual bravery of the foldiers compofing fuch an army: the affaulted and the vanquished may have poffelled

and demonftrated an equal share of cou rage; and from this quality they will face again and again the foe, at the hazard of life. The French and the Spaniards too, continue the bloody.. conteft with our tars, after the chance turns greatly against them, and al though they have throughout been confcious of the fuperior force and dexterity of their opponents. In this fpecies of warfare we have nothing to dread, nothing to wish for; but in whatever we may have to do with our adverfary on land, we may with great reafon exprefs our folicitude, and with equal propriety enter into enquiries and difcuffions which are at once applicable to the cafe of our allies and ourselves.

At different periods of time, different nations have triumphed in arms. There was an æra when Spain rode unmolefted on the ocean; another, when France had the fame afcendancy; nay, the navy, of the little-republic of Holland at one period claimed the dominion of the channel, and was not backward in affecting it when difputed. It is, then, at all times ufeful to enquire into the changes of fortune in maritime and military flates; but parcularly at prefent, it is defirable and expedient to difcover the causes which have contributed to aggrandize a neighbouring nation, in a proportion beyond the airy dreams of Louis XIV.

Before I proceed to the more immediate caufe of the fuccefs of the French, in their warfare fince the revolution, it may not be amifs to remind the reader, that, very early in the military history' of Europe, they made a confiderable figure in arms, and were particularly diftinguished for the improvements they evinced in that part of the force denominated the Infantry. For these improvements, they were in a great meafure indebted to the Swifs, to whom they had been oppoled, or by whom they had been joined. Before the commencement of the fixteenth century, the European armies affumed nothing like the appearance which may be compared to that of the prefent day. At

the