break

Is broken, and the strife is o'er,

"No tear-drops o'er the cold cheek start, No dark shades o'er the spirit wave; No writhing pang distracts the heart

Of those that moulder in the grave. "Oh for the dreamless rest of those

That in the grave serenely sleepThat feel no more their own wild woes,

That hear no inore their kindred weep!

l'etoile du matin, qu'on appelle Lucifer ou Aurore, et que les deux Anges fut sévérement punir. C'est delà selon Mahomet, que Dieu prit occasion de défendre l' usage du vin aux hommes. Voyez Alcorun."

It is singular, that, though the Koran is here so boldly referred to, there is not a word in it regarding this fable: but this has been pointed out by Voltaire in his Questions," and my object is only to shew, that Mr Moore, without acknowledgment,

66

NEW POEM,

LORD Byron and Thomas Moore have come, like Kean and Young, upon the stage together, in absolute opposition and rivalship: they have chosen the same subject the Angels; the same theatre-the world; and their merits must be tried by the same audience-the public. I do not here mean to pronounce at all upon their respective claims, but merely, in a corner of your Magazine, to point out a coincidence with regard to one of these competitors, which seems to have something in it more than fortuitous. Every body by this time has read "The Loves of the Angels," and every body will not yet have forgotten (whatever they may do hereafter) the story of the first Angel. Let those who bear it in mind, run their eyes over the following short passage from the celebrated French Encyclopédie, under the head" Arot et Marot."

"Ce sont les noms de deux Anges que l'imposteur Mahomet disait avoir été envoyés de Dieu pour enseigner les hommes, et pour leur ordonner de s'abstenir du meurtre, des faux jugemens, et de toute sorte d'exces. Ce faux prophéte ajoute qu'une trés belle femme ayant invité ces deux Anges a manger chez elle leur fit boire du vin, dont etant echauffés, ils la solicitèrent a l'amour qu'elle feignit de consenter à leur passion, à condition qu'ils lui apprendraient auparavant les paroles par le moyen desquelles ils disaient que l'on pouvaient aisément monter au ciel; qu' après avoir su d'eux ce qu'elle leur avoit demandé elle ne voulut plus tenir sa promesse et qu'alors elle fut enlevée au ciel où ayant fait à Dieu le recit de ce qui

of his first Angel's story from this source. As he has prefixed a preface, and subjoined notes, with much learning, from the Fathers, he might have inserted, or at least hinted at the above-quoted passage. It is not necessary to particularize the resemblances. He may have gained his knowledge of the fable from the same source as the Amateurs of the Encyc lopédie, but if so, it cught to have been mentioned.

After all, I am very ready to admit, that the story is the least part of the delicate and polished beauty of Mr Moore's production; but on this very account, he need not have been scrupulous in allowing his obligations for what is really comparitively insignificant.

London, Jan. 5, 1823.

N. J. H. O.

In place of standing behind an old worm-eaten counter, casting rattlesnake eyes at the casual passenger, and gnawing my lip should he or she happen to trip into another shop, here sit I in my elbow-chair, hale and hearty, like Matthew at the receipt of custom. The postman supplies my literary larder with intellectual provision; the smacks from Leith, Berwick, and other respectable seaports, furnish my table with cod, haddies, turbot, and salmon, both pickled and kippered, exclusive of lobsters and Lochfine herrings in abundance; and the inland carrier brings me gecse, turkies, and roasting pigs, galore, without money and

without price. O, Sir, it would do your heart good to see the hams, cheeses, haunches of venison, moor, and other game, that daily arrive at Mrs Vandervrow's from the interior, since our grievous loss was noised abroad, and improve your eyesight very materially, in contemplating the thriving state of our corporeal system. Gude gracious, Sam! is this you?" quoth an old acquaintance, whom I forgathered with, the other day, on 'Change; "preserve us! what a metamorphosis! Winsome Willie himsel' hasna gotten a bonnier Deputy chin, nor a jollier paunch, nor a pair o sturdier stilts, in a' his aught. What the plague ha'c ye done wi' the lang toom clock-case o' a carcase ye brought frae' hame, and the twa leister shanks it striddled on?" Verily, Mr Editor, the compliment was so exceedingly welltimed, that I have ever since felt an Aldermanic spirit stirring within me; and was it not that I have some doubts of my doublet, most assuredly would I set about qualifying myself to fill the chair so very honourably vacated by a very honourable gentleman, the late Jacob Ailshenson, Esq. citizen and cordwainer. I called at his town-house a few days ago, on business, not knowing what had befallen him, and great was my alarm, when I beheld housekeeper, waiting-maid, cook, and scullion, flirting about in their black bombazeens. Mrs Ailshenson, to whom I have the honour of being personally known, came tripping down stairs, and received me very graciously."La, what a stranger!" exclaimed the good lady, as she ushered me into the parlour; "really, Mr Killigrew, you come upon me as one risen from the dead. Bless me, Sam! what, in all the world, has kept you away so long from Portsoken Square? The ladies were quite in the fidgets for your safety, and the gentlemen had all given you up for lost. Gracious me! what an alteration for the better !-never did I see a young fellow so much improved." "Madam,' said I, when her breathing time was come, "adversity hath been upon me with a heavier hand than ever the Philistines laid upon Sampson. Fire, water, and literary thieves, bereaved me of every valuable at one

fell swoop,"" and here I recapitulated all that happened at MillenniumPlace on the night of the great fire, at which Mrs Ailshenson was sorely grieved. I then enumerated the many largesses anonymously sent me by a generous, liberal, and enlightened public, and Mrs Ailshenson's face brightened up. Now," said I, after we had travelled through a forest of lofty subjects, into the shrubbery of small discourse, "there is a question, Madam, I would fain ask, though fearful am I that the answer will give me pain. You are in mourning, Mrs Ailshenson, and have many near and dear relations. Tell me which of them is no more, that I may grieve also, for they were all staunch friends to me." "Relalations!" quoth the shoemaker's wife, with an air of much surprise; "good God, Sam! don't you know what has happened? I verily thought all the town had heard of it. Why, Mr Ailshenson's-gone dead, to be sure, and we're all over head and ears in sorrow for him, poor dear man. died last Lord Mayor's Day of a surfeit."

He

Repletion, Mr Editor, plays the very deuce in our Aldermanic department, on and about the 9th of November annually, notwithstanding the many patent specifics daily marshalling themselves, versus the evil thereof; and my doublet, though a piece of good stuff, and sufficiently capacious to inclose a moderatelysized haggis, is, nevertheless, incapable of holding, in safe custody, one half of the green fat, callipash, turkey, turbot, custard, and so on, that every gentleman, who aspires to the aforesaid Chair, feels himself called upon, as a Christian citizen, to take into keeping, for which causes, and on the other part, I have hitherto declined dining at the Mansion-House, though Mrs Vandervrow hath bothered me, without ceasing, to accept of an Invitation Ticket.

Deary me, Sam," quoth she the other day, as we were busied in the larder making room for three brace of pheasants, five hares, seven turkies, and a fine covey of patridges, eighteen in number, sent us from Norfolk by our Holkham friends,

Lord Mayor's Day.

"what is the meaning of all this childish obstinacy? I cannot conceive how an aspiring young fellow can possibly deny himself the gratification; besides, let me tell you, that nine-tenths of our great men have wriggled themselves into affluence merely by attending City Feasts. Winsome Willie, as you call him, would much sooner be roused from his devotions, before he had mumbled Amen, than arise from my Lord Mayor's table before the cloth was reinoved. You cannot imagine, Sam, how wonderfully good cheer operates on the hearts of men, whose daily study it is to make eat well and drink well sworn brothers, nor conceive the warmth of a lusty citizen's loving kindness, when the heart is satisfied, and the soul agog.—I knew a young chap who made his fortune, merely by helping an alderman, under the rose, to an excellent slice of green fat. But you bogle at the idea of being brought home in swathes like a great child, attended by the Corporation physician. Man alive! suffer not the coward thought to predominate for a moment. What! shudder at the dawn of civil preferment! was ever the like heard tell of? To be sure, you are but a novice at table, and as for carving, good Lord help them who have such a help-mate! for I never beheld a more aukward creature. Apropos-our neighbour, Sir William Dorsal, handles a pair of carvers most delightfully; and as for dispatching roast and boiled, he'll not turn his back on ever a man within the Bills of Mortality. Then there's old Dan Grundiswallow, the nurseryman, who marcheth a leg of mutton to its long home at a downsitting-Nathaniel M'Cassock, our worthy churchwarden, whose soul delighteth itself in fatness-Lawer Skellum, Merchant M'Crone, and divers other Millennium-Place gentlemen, who have returned in triumph from the Mansion-House oftener than they have teeth in their heads. With such a set of bright examples before your eyet, Sam, it is to be hoped that ambition will fire your young mind, for example is before precept, and they who learn young, learn fair. I'll put the house in order this precious moment, and invite them all to a jolly good set-to.”

The faces of some women, Mr Editor, are difficult to read, and none more so than that of my excellent landlady, Mrs Vandervrow. Such was the equivocal manner in which she discoursed, that I could not divine, for the soul of me, whether the woman was in jest or in earnest.

The oddity of her counselling sa-' voured much of fun, and the sobriety of her countenance-not a smirk could I discern-assured me that she was perfectly sincere. Even when a general muster of spits, frying-pans, pots, and kettles took place, and every table utensil meet for a special dinner-party was put in a state of requisition, I felt myself at a loss how to behave-whether to lend a hand, or look on. But time brings forth strange events, and solveth many queer problems. Dinner was on the table this very afternoon at 4 o'clock precisely, and being what we London folk call a game feast, consisted entirely of hares, partridges, pheasants, grouse, and venison, that is to say, the flesh of deer, boiled, baked, and roasted. The company, which was very select, assembled in less than a quarter of an hour thereafter; and when the usual routine of shaking hands, hauling off greatcoats, and enquiring after toothaches, gouts, lumbagos, and rheumatism, was over, the guests drew in their chairs, and Mrs Vandervrow thus addressed them: "I have the honour, my friends, to inform you, that we have made up our minds to dine this day after the manner of Mr Killigrew's native country. When knives are whet, and grace said, he tells me, that the goodinan of the house accosts the company in these words: Leddies and gentlemen, will ye ha'e the gudeness no to be blate. Bear a hand, now, and help yoursel's without ceremony, I beseech ye."" "Conscience, Mem," quoth the merchant, "that's a true tale, an' monie a gude fallow's teeth ha'e mettled themsel's after the telling o't. Here goes towards a revival o' auld use and wont, an' deil tak' the hindmost." Without farther preamble, James M'Crone pounced on his bird. I took shame to myself when I saw the partridge on his plate, and Mrs Vandervrow's eye rebuked me for being behind him in

setting a good example. "Better late mend than ne'er do weel," quoth I to myself, and instantly pronged a grouse, one of the finest creatures, I do believe, that ever was bagged.

Sir William Dorsal made a dash at the covey, being of opinion, I presume, that laird M'Crone's judgment was superior to mine in the choice of good cheer. Dan Grundiswallow paid his respects to a tureen of jugged hare; the rest of the party made free, every man according to his liking; and then, with hearty good will, and abundance of appetite, to work we went, helter skelter. The gnashing of teeth, and the clatter of knives, was truly delightful. In the midst thereof, Mrs Vandervrow tossed up her nose, and gave the bell three lusty tugs, exclaiming, at every pull, "Sally, Sally, Sally!-My God! the girl's playing old Noll with our venison sauce. It's all in the fire, I do declare." Up she arose, and away she went, like unto a woman in a plaguey hurry, but contrived to drop these words in mine ear as she whisked along " Eyes right, Sam!" I took the hint, and certainly beheld the finest display of science, both in cutting and swallowing, that ever was witnessed by mortal eye. Sir William Dorsal sat bolt upright, with a bird on the prongs of his fork, and demolished it so dexterously, that I inly swore there was magic in his knife. Lith and limb sundered bone from its bone, just as though they had parted by mutual consent; and then, when eating time was come, my gracious! what dispatch! He soused his morsel in gravy, dipped it in salt, and no sooner did the limb arrive at his lips-leg or arm, it mattered not which-than, swift as the twirl of a juggler's fist-presto! it disappeared before you could say Jack Robison. As for old Dan Grundiswallow, I positively do aver, that language is altogether incapable of doing justice to the admirable manner in which he went through the spoon exercise. Nothing under the sun could I liken his exertions so very aptly to, as those of a Lancashire Crofter, standing by his dame, some thirty or forty years ago, agreeably to a curious old print now before me, and scooping the blanching element on cotton goods--or an old ferryman

VOL. XII.

in a crazy wherry, laving out the bilge water with his scull-cap; and then, with respect to munching, the doughty veteran, in my opinion, is more than a match for Sir William 'Dorsal himself. Whenever a lump of flesh appeared above the soup in his spoon, my stars! how the majoropening of his face distended! Every muscle was at its post. In bundled the savoury food, and gulp it went! One snack, and three quarters of a twist, did the business. O how I envied his appetite! Nor did Lawer Skellum and Mr M'Cassock sit idly counting their fingers. These gentlemen, being skilful anatomists, seized on a couple of pheasants, and dissected them in a jiffy. This done, they fell to, in good napping earnest, and, with an adroitness peculiar to themselves, contrived to eat with their front teeth, and scranch gristle, &c. where the jaw leverage was most powerful, at one and the same time. Thus, by a singularly ingenious method, were their fore-grinders plentifully supplied with tit-bits in rapid succession, whilst the bones and muscular pieces wagged at the wicks of their mouths like cane-ends about to pass between the rolls or cylinders of a horizontal sugar-mill, if Imay be allowed to use a West Indian simile.

The residue of our friends, I am proud to say, behaved themselves most manfully, with the exception of laird M'Crone, whose deeds were certainly no great things, compared with those of his neighbours. James, poor man, though perfectly capable of stowing away plumb-pudding, cod shoulders, minched collops, and indeed every species of food that requires little or no carving, with the best of them, was, nevertheless, unable to shoot a-head, because of the many obstacles encountered by his knife. He cut his bird longitudinally, transversely, and obliquely, in the hope of falling in with seams or joinings, whereby his weapon might freely enter; but without success; canted it over, and over, and over again, without discovering a single crevice; pared away the fleshy parts, wherever an incision was practicable and, finally, impaled the

• Parody on Sterne.

Ꮮ

skeleton on his fork. In this state of demi-dissection was laird M'Crone's partridge, when Mrs Vandervrow entered the dining-room. "I kenna what to mak' o' this bit beastie, Mem," quoth James, holding up his bird; "it's a' banes thegither." Some women, Mr Editor, would have sympathized with the laird, by chuckling at his dilemma, and very likely have condescended to mend the matter by making it worse; but my landlady is well bred, and kindly dispositioned withal, so much so, that she would not injure the feelings of a kail-worm; consequently, when the old man presented his beastie, Mrs Vande: vrow fell to, and cut it in pieces. Thus supplied with limbs and other appurtenances of the aforesaid partridge, James M'Crone hastened to make good his lee-way; and such was the laird's ardour, that he actually kept neck and girth with my landlady's very best exertions and Mrs Vandervrow is by far the handiest woman I ever met with in the carving line. When her knife was within an ace of demolishing the sixth and last bird of the covey, for laird M'Crone's benefit, incredible as it may seem, the tail of the fifth was wagging be

very

tween his teeth. I have been at some pains in noting down the merchant's creditable feat, purposely to show, that Scotsmen are sufficiently capable of rivalling their southern brethren in the diningroom, as well as in the field, the cabinet, the pulpit, and also at the bar, providing their discipline was equally good and discipline is every thing, as Serjeant Bothwell very justly observed. The first course being disposed of, and not a vestige thereof remaining, save and except a rickle of bancs before every gentleman's plate, Mrs Vandervrow rang for our venison; but just as Sally was withdrawing the spit, a double rat-tat came to the street-door, and in less than half a minute thereafter, the girl tripped up stairs, and audibly whispered from the landingplace, "You're wanted, Sir." Knowing Sally to be a bringer of good tidings, I arose from the table, Mr Editor, with some difficulty, having no less than half a brace of grouse and a hind quarter of hare under my jacket, pretty tolerable picking for

a young beginner,-proceeded downwards, and beheld a sedate, welllooking young man standing at the door-cheek, who presented me with a sealed packet, and I, in return, invited him to partake of our good cheer. He replied, by touching his lips, pointing to the parcel, and motioning with his fingers, in a manner that left no doubt on my mind as to his meaning. I therefore broke it open before Dumbie's face, for such I took him to be, and perused, with visible satisfaction, these singularly well-penned lines, written on a loose slip of paper:

No

"In common with my fellowtownsmen, Mr Killigrew, I grieve for your misfortune. O, Sir, it is a heavy, heavy dispensation indeed, a trial that will put your philosophy to the test. But be of good cheer, and let not your spirit be disquieted. The springs of charity are not dried up, and the waters of loving-kindness glide on as heretofore. sooner was it known in Dumfries that your valuable manuscript legacy was consumed, by the late disastrous fire at Millennium, than meetings of the principal inhabitants took place, the town-council assembled, and various resolutions were put, and carried unanimously, to render you effectual and immediate relief, the which I have no doubt will be transmitted in the course of a post or two. It so happened, that a favourable opportunity presented itself of sending my literary subscription by a private hand-one that I can rely on-andin the humble hope that it will be deemed worthy of acceptance, I readieu. spectfully bid you W. D. "P. S.-These presents will be delivered by my nephew, who visits

London on business. He is instructed neither to enter your door, nor yet to utter a word, lest vanity should tempt him to divulge my name-a piece of ostentation that would slur the philanthropy of a man who prayeth not on the house-tops. You will, therefore, have the goodness to abstain from questioning the young man, whose well-being in this life materially depends on his fidelity to me. Return his salute, and suffer him to depart in peace. Once more adieu. W. D. Nithside, 5th January 1823."