evidence was given on the trial, that we are at a loss which side to credit.. The men on shore said that his lordship proposed stopping for a fortnight, and that no signal was made for sailing. The reverse of this was sworn by others of the crew, and we leave the reader to form his own opinion. The abandoned men, however, appeared to have suffered great hardship; and at Scio, when accompanied by the British consul to the Pylades, his lordship refused to receive any of them except four, who were useful in the management of the vessel. Some of the men returned to their duty, and were tried by a courtmartial. From Constantinople the marquis wrote to Captain Sprainger, stating that he found he had some of his men on board, and that he was determined to send them on shore the first opportunity; that, if the business was brought into a Court, he would do the best to defend himself; and that, at the worst, he had an ample fortune, and could pay the fines. Tired with travelling, his lordship returned home, and soon after his arrival in England he was indicted for enticing British seamen from their duty. The trial came on at the Old Bailey, December 16th, 1812, when, after a protracted inquiry, his lordship was found guilty, and sentenced to pay a fine of five thousand pounds, and be imprisoned four months in Newgate. On this case it is unnecessary for us to make any observation. Unfortunately, in the folly and indiscretion of youth, this young nobleman was betrayed into a forgetfulness of what he owed to his country and to himself, and descended from those pure principles which high rank ought to generate. He had perverted the great advantages which he possessed to draw his inferiors from their duty, and thereby expose them to ignominy and punishment, as well as serving, in a slight degree, to weaken the defence of the kingdom. However, it is a source of consolation, that his lordship's aberration from duty afforded another instance of the impartiality of British laws, which have a like punishment for similar offences for the high and the low, Perhaps it is not the least curious particular attending this case, that his lordship's mother, the dowager Marchioness of Sligo, soon after her son's trial, was married to Sir William Scott, the judge who passed sentence on the youthful marquis. ANECDOTES, WITTICISMS, &c. It is a trite remark, that our fortune frequently depends on the most trifling incidents. But for such an occurrence, Jean Van Amstel, a celebrated Dutch commander, would have lived a ploughman, and died unknown. When he was very young his father, a farmer at Schynnel, returning home one evening from work, ordered him to lead his horse to the field, with a strick charge to go slowly, as the horse was tired. No sooner was he out of his father's sight, than he mounted and set off at full gallop. When he came to the field, he found that the horse was lame, Dreading his father's anger, he durst not return home, but went in the night to Bois-le-duc, and in the morning took shipping for Amsterdam. On his arrival there, to conceal himself, he assumed the name of Van Amstel, by which he was ever afterwards known, and entered as a cabin-boy on board a ship of war. By his merit and good conduct he raised himself gradually to the rank of captain, and had the command of a vessel in the fleet of the celebrated Ruyter. Arrived thus at a situation far beyond what the most sanguine wishes of his humble parents could have aspired to, when his ship was laid up for the winter, he obtained leave of absence, and visited the place of his birth. The surprise of the old people, who were both living, at the sight of their son, long given over for lost, may be easily conceived. On the top of their cottage he planted his besom, which the Dutch at that time wore at their mast-heads, as an emblem of their having cleared the Mediterranean of the pirates, by whom it was infested. In the Spring he rejoined Ruyter's squadron, and fell gloriously in a most obstinate engagement, fighting for his country. An Irish officer in battle happening to bow, a cannon-ball passed over his head, and took off the head of a sailor who stood behind him. "You see," said he, "that a man never loses by politeness." If, as the old saying goes, the third time be the charm, the hero of the following paragraph most certainly bore a charmed life:-In the year 1827, there was living in a village in the neighbourhood of Paisley, a man who had been three times married, each of his wives' names were the same, he had three children by each, and each lived with him three years. between each marriage three years; has three children living, the third by each wife, and their birth-days are within three days of each other, His last wife has been dead three years, and he expects to be married again in three months! ile was a widower Before the reduction of Montreal in 1760, Colonel Sir James Stacpoole Malone, an Irish officer, having volunteered upon a dangerous service, went to the head of his regiment, and asked for a hundred men of courage to turn out and join him in the enterprise. Three times did he proclaim this request, but no answer was given. Afraid of their cowardice, he called out a fourth time, "Gentlemen, I am afraid you don't understand me." "Perfectly well," said one in the rank, “but what do you mean by a hundred men of courage! We all lay claim to that title; fix upon your men therefore, without this distinction, and they will follow you.". Colonel Malone, charmed with this delicate sense of honor, apologised for, his error, chose his men and immediately set off to put his plan into execution; but unfortunately they were all cut off, including the colonel, except eleven men. When Lord Nelson was before Bastia in Corsica, he was astonished at what General Dundas could have seen to have made a retreat necessary, and remarked that a thousand men could certainly take Bastia, For," said he, 46 with five hundred, and my ship Agamemnon, I would attempt it. My seamen are now what British seamen ought to be, almost invincible: they really mind shot no more than peas." He Clerical Courage.-In 1745, the Lion man-of-war, of 64 guns, Captain Butt, fell in with two French ships of superior force, which, after a desperate engagement, she compelled to sheer off. After the conflict, Captain Butt confined his captain of marines for cowardice. had called upon him several times during the action, but he could not be found. At last some of the midshipmen pulled him out from a bundle of hay, with one of his corporals. by him. The Rev. Mr. Leach, chaplain of the ship, when the captain of marines deserted his post, bravely put himself at the head of the company, rallied them thrice on the poop of the ship, and encouraged them to behave like Englishmen, till at length he was shot dead on the spot. An honest Jack tar would be coached up to town from Deptford; but thought it very unbecoming in him, who had just been paid off and had plenty of money, not to have a whole coach to himself, took the whole of the seats, mounting himself at the same time upon the top. The coach was about to set off, when a gentleman appeared, who was holding an altercation with the coachman about the absurdity of his insisting that the seats were all taken, and not a person in the coach. Jack overhearing high words, thought, as he had paid full freight, he had a right to interfere, and therefore inquired what was the matter. Being told that the gentleman was much disappointed in not getting a seat, he replied, "Oh, you lubber, stow him away in the hold! but he shall not come upon deck." When Sir Cloudesley Shovel was a boy in the navy, under the patronage of Sir John Narborough, upon hearing the admiral express an earnest wish that some papers might be conveyed to the captain of a ship then engaged in action at a considerable distance, he with great resolution undertook to swim through the line of the enemy's fire with the despatches in his mouth; and this service he actually performed, to the entire satisfaction of the admiral, and the astonishment of all who were witnesses of his courage. A Definiton.-A Scotch political economist being asked the meaning of metaphysics, explained it as follows: "When the party who listens dinna ken what the party who speaks means, and the party who speaks dinna ken what he means himself that is metaphysics." to go down to the steward's room for a can of small beer. Teague perceiving that preparations were then making for sailing immediately, refused to go, saying, "Arrah, my honey, and so while I am after going into the cellar to fetch drink for you, the ship will be after sailing and leave me behind." A party of sailors, who had been in the battle of Trafalgar, were afterwards met in Plymouth-Dock by one of their acquaintances. "So, Ben," said one of them, 66 'you have lost brave Nelson-The dear fellow he is gone to heaven, I hope."-"Gone to heaven!" replied Ben, "to be sure he iswhat the hell could stop him?" A Great Strike.—One evening, a captain of a trading vessel, pas sing through St. John-street, "half seas over," popped his head into a tailor's workshop, exclaiming, "What's o'clock, my hearty?" The knight of the shears, who was a bit of a wag, lifting up his sleeveboard, and giving the fellow a good whack on his nob, bawled out. "It has just struck ONE!" The son of Neptune, thinking it might have been a repeater, quietly walked off. up Repartee. An honest Jack, amusing himself with a book in his watch below, happened to stumble upon the word repartee, which to him was a complete stopper, or in other words, brought him all standing; nor could any of his messmates at all explain the meaning of it; so away went Jack to the forecastle to ask the boatswain (who is generally looked upon by the sailors as a scholar) to solve the difficulty." What is it you wants to know? (says Pipes) repartee? let me (giving his quid an extra turn in his mouth)— repartee-why, if I calls you a rascal, and then you calls me a damned rascal, that would be a repartee." see IMPRESSING A SEAMAN. "What! tear the father from his children dear, IT does, indeed; and, long, too long, has it been permitted to do so: but recent events induce us to hope for better things. We do not remember an appointment of a public functionary which gave more general satisfaction, than that of his Royal Highness the Duke of Clarence to be Lord High Admiral of England! The officers, that is to say, the poor friendless officers of the royal navy, saw, or thought they saw, in that appointment, an earnest of their merit being duly appreciated, and impartially rewarded; nor was this by any means an irrational expectation on their part, seeing that the Duke of Clarence is not likely to have a host of high-blooded, though needy dependants to provide for, at the expense of the best [No. 5. interests of his country. Oh! no: the safety, honour, and welfare of Old England, must be the paramount objects of his Royal Highness's solicitude. And great as was, and still is, the satisfaction evinced by the officers of the Royal Navy at the appointment of his Royal Highness, it neither was, nor is greater than that evinced by the Jolly Tars; those brave fellows, to whose courage and intrepidity alone, the gallant and immortal Howe solely attributed the glorious, though terrible victory "Achieved off Ushant in the morn, Ninety-four, first of June." Aye, those brave fellows fondly imagine that their interest will not be overlooked by his Royal High ness, but that he will endeavour to avert the necessity of having recourse to the horrible system of impressment, than which, a system more repugnant to humanity and justice never disgraced any country, having the slightest pretension to civilization and freedom. Take, we beseech thee, reader, another look at the cut; take, we beseech thee, another look at the motto, and then say whether any thing short of the most imperious necessity; whether any thing short of a threatened invasion, or of an actual blockading of our ports by an enemy, can justify the having recourse to so cruel, so revolting a practice! Look at the poor fellow! about to darken the door of his once-happy cottage, from which he has been absent perhaps a year or two; see how he is torn from the embraces of his faithful wife, debarred the heart-thrilling gratification of the joyous welcome of his little prattlers who were about to "Climb his knees the envied kiss to share." See how the piercing invocation of wife and children are answered by a reference to that " Grave of Hope, the Parish Poor House!!!" Look, we say, at the horrifying but faithful description of a scene thousands upon thousands of times exhibited in England, and then say whether it be not high time that measures were adopted to prevent the recurrence of such scenes, the like of which, find a parallel only in the most barbarous and uncivilized states. How is it, we ask, that Englishmen, so prone to boast about the matchless freedom of their country, how is it that English seamen are the only seamen in the world that are subjected to the soulappalling practice of Impressment ? What was the reason, that notwithstanding the constant pay, the certain provision in the event of being maimed, disabled, or worn out in the service, the chance of prize money, and the long service pensions; what was the reason, that notwith standing all these advantages, the royal naval service should have been avoided, shunned, nay, absolutely dreaded, as though it were a pest house, or a nest of scorpions? It could not have been because the seamen dreaded a conflict with the enemies of their country. Oh! no; for, "Though fore and aft the blood-stain'd deck, Should lifeless trunks appear; Or should the vessel float a wreck, Besides, see how readily they flocked |