one, not less sincerely attached to you, though it be the first time she has so subscribed herself, remains in, RACHEL SABRE. pointment. Adieu for a time, and be lieve, that, although your affectionate Rachel Pringle be gone that way in which she hopes you will soon follow, Before the ladies had time to say a word on the subject, the prudent young clergyman called immediately on Mr Micklewham to read the letter which he had received from the doctor; and which the worthy dominie did without delay, in that rich and full voice with which he is accustomed to teach his scholars elocution by example. The Rev. Z. PRINGLE, D. D. to MR MICKLEWHAM, Schoolmaster and SessionClerk, Garnock. DEAR SIR, I have been much longer of replying to your letter of the 3d of last month, than I ought in civility to have been, but really time, in this town of London, runs at a fast rate, and the day passes before the dark's done. What with Mrs Pringle and her daughter's concernments, anent the marriage to Captain Sabre, and the trouble I felt myself obliged to take in the Queen's affair, I assure you, Mr Micklewham, that its no to be expressed how I have been occupied for the last four weeks. But all things must come to a conclusion in this world; Rachel Pringle is married, and the Queen's wearyful trial is brought to an endupon the subject and motion of the same I offer no opinion, for I made it a point never to read the evidence, being resolved to stand by THE WORD from the first, which is clearly and plainly written in the Queen's favour, and it does not do in a case of conscience to stand on trifles; putting, therefore, out of consideration the fact libelled, and looking both at the head and the tail of the proceeding, I was of a firm persuasion, that all the sculduddery of the business might have been well spared from the eye of the public, which is of itself sufficiently prone to keek and kook, in every possible way, for a glimpse of a black story; and, therefore, I thought it my duty to stand up in all places against the trafficking that was attempted with a divine institution. And I think, when my people read how their prelatic enemies, the bishops, (the heavens defend the poor Church of Scotland from being subjected to the weight of their paws), have been visited with a constipation of the understanding on that point, it must to them be a great satisfaction to know how clear and collected their minister was on this fundamental of VOL. VIII. society. For it has turned out as I said to Mrs Pringle as well as others, it would do, that a sense of grace and religion would be manifested in some high quarter before all was done, by which the devices for an unsanctified repudiation or divorce would be set at nought. As often as I could, deeming it my duty as a minister of the word and gospel, I got into the House of Lords, and heard the trial-and I cannot think how ever it was expected that justice could be done yonder, for although no man could be more attentive than I was, every time I came away I was more confounded than when I wentand when the trial was done, it seemed to me just to be clearing up for a proper beginning-all which is a proof that there was a foul conspiracy-indeed, when I saw Duke Hamilton's daughter, coming out of the coach with the Queen, I never could think after, that a lady of her degree would have countenanced the Queen, had the matter laid to her charge been as it was said. Not but in any circumstance it behoved a lady of that ancient and royal blood, to be seen beside the Queen in such a great historical case as a trial. I hope in the part I have taken my people will be satisfied; but whether they are satisfied or not, my own conscience is content with me. I was in the House of Lords when her Majesty came down for the last time, and saw her handed up the stairs by the usher of the black-rod, a little stumpy man, wonderful particular about the rules of the House, in so much that he was almost angry with me for stopping at the stair head.-The afflicted woman was then in great spirits, and I saw no symptoms of the swelled legs that Lord Lauderdale, that jooking man, 3 A I was not sure that marriage performed according to a human enactment could be a fulfilment of a divine ordinance. I therefore hope that my people will approve what I have done, and in order that there may be a sympathising with me, you will go over to Banker M- -y and get what he will give you, as ordered by me, and distribute it among the poorest of the parish, according to the best of your discretion, my long absence having taken from me the power of judgment in a matter of this sort. I wish indeed for the glad sympathy of my people, for I think that our Saviour turning water into wine at the wedding of Cane, was an example set that we should rejoice and be merry at the fulfilment of one of the great obligations imposed on us as social creatures-and I have ever regarded the unhonoured treatment of a marriage occasion as a thing of evil bodement, betokening heavy hearts and light purses to the lot of the bride and bridegroom. You will hear more from me by and by; in the meantime, all I can say is, that when we have taken our leave of the young folks, who are going to France, it is Mrs Pringle's intent, as well as mine, to turn our horses' heads northward, and make our way with what speed we can, for our own quiet home, among you. So no more at present from your friend and pastor, spoke about, for she skippit up the steps like a lassie. But my heart was wae for her, when all was over, for she came out like an astonished creature, with a wild steadfast look, and a sort of something in the face that was as if the rational spirit had fled away, and she went down to her coach as if she had submitted to be led to a doleful destiny. Then the shouting of the people began, and I saw and shouted too in spite of my decorum, which I marvel at sometimes, thinking it could be nothing less than an involuntary testification of the spirit within me. Anent the marriage of Rachel Pringle, it may be needful in me to state, for the satisfaction of my people, that although by stress of law, we were obligated to conform to the practice of the Episcopalians, by taking out a bishop's licence, and going to their church, and vowing in a pagan fashion before their altars, which are an abomination to the Lord; yet, when the young folk came home, I made them stand up, and be married again before me, according to all regular marriages in our national Church. For this I had two reasons; first, to satisfy myself that there had been a true and real marriage; and, secondly, to remove the doubt of the former ceremony being sufficient; for marriage being of divine appointment, and the English form and ritual being a thing established by Act of Parliament, which is of human ordination, MRS TODD, the mother of Miss Isabella, a respectable widow lady, who had quiescently joined the company, proposed that they should now drink health, happiness, and all manner of prosperity to the young couple, and that nothing might be wanting to secure the favourable auspices of good omens to the toast, she desired Miss Isabella to draw fresh bottles of white and red wine. When all manner of felicity was duly wished in wine to the captain and his lady, the party rose to seek their respective homes. But a bustle at the street-door occasioned a pause. Mrs Todd inquired the matter; and three or four voices at once replied, that an express had come from Garnock for Nanse Swaddle the midwife, Mrs Craig being taken with her pains. "Mr Snodgrass," said Mrs Glibbans, instantly and emphatically, "ye maun let me go with you, and we can spiritualize on the road; for I hae promis't Mrs Craig to be wi' her at the crying, to see the upshot, so I hope you will come awa." Z. PRINGLE. It would be impossible in us to suppose, that Mr Snodgrass had any objections to spiritualize with Mrs Glibbans on the road between Irvine and Garnock ; but notwithstanding her urgency, he excused himself from going with her; however, he recommended her to the special care and protection of Mr Micklewham, who was at that time on his legs to return home. "Oh! Mr Snodgrass," said the lady, looking slyly, as she adjusted her cloak, at him and Miss Isabella, "there will be marrying and giving in marriage till the day of judgment." And with these oracular words, she took her departure. DEAR MR NORTH, HORE CANTABRIGIENSES. No VII. Benet College, Cambridge, 26th December, 1820. your Gogmagogs, that a Cockney, who got into the coach at Stamford, said were "so'r igh as I could not vell imagine." He then burst into a rhapsodical encomium upon Mr Wilkins, to which it would require the pen of a Gurney to do justice. I NEED not inform you that the Adjutant has at length fulfilled his promise of paying me a visit, as I think he told me he had formally announced his intention of doing so, at your last monthly dinner at Ambrose's. He has been, as I predicted he would be, delighted with our Alma Mater, and will give you a flaming account of her charms when he next arrives at the City of Blackwood. He left Cambridge for London this morning-upon business, he said. I am not ashamed to say, that I took leave of him, at the Red Lion, with tears in my eyes. He had made a striking impression upon me. The contrast between the frank and airy, yet sublimely poetical disposition of the Ensign, and our sedate, and somewhat cautious habits, was extremely forcible; and I shall always regard the sight of Odoherty (though he does not belong to the fusileers) as one of the "greenest spots" in my academical life. I intend not to give you a full account of the Ensign's adventures, leaving that to his more potent eloquence at your next Contribution dinner; but I may just mention a few circumstances, concerning which, I know, his extreme modesty will forbid him to speak. It was late on Tuesday when he arrived, as old Nicholls and his tits had been rather lazier than usual, so that nothing could be done that night; but on the following morning after breakfast, (of which it does not become me to speak,) we sallied forth on our excursions. Our first visit was to Downing; and here, for the first time, the soul of the Standard-bearer began to unfold itself. He had heard, it seems, all the stories about the lowness of this admirable structure, and the incongruity of Grecian pillars and gentlemen's housesand he now saw the absurdity of them. "Upon my soul," said he, with great emphasis, pointing to a particular part of the colonnade, "That's capital. That servant of Mr Rose's is no master of the art, I suspect; and as to its lowness,— why, its not so high as Benlomond to be sure, but by St Jingo,* it overtops Leaving Downing, we returned through the market-place, and passing through Waterloo Place, to take a peep at the pictures, went direct to Trinity. But here I must confess the Standard-bearer, for the first time, rather disappointed me. He exhibited none of that poetical emotion which I had fondly hoped a sight of this magnificent college would have drawn from him; on the contrary, he was silent and reserved. The noble extent of the first court, and the beautiful cloister of Neville's, seemed to have no effect upon him. I guessed that he was thinking of the Whiggish propensities of some of its members, and wished to turn his thoughts to a subject more worthy of his meditations. "What," says I, "cannot your mighty mind overlook these puny striplings, and learn to respect a college which has produced a Bentley, a Porson, and a Bloomfield? and is the present illustrious head of their society not even verbo dignus?" To this he gave me no answer, but one of his fine smiles, which, I thought, "withered to a sneer"-perhaps at my bad pun. As we proposed to-day merely to take a general view of some of the Colleges, and as Trinity Walks seemed to be by no means so pleasant to him as your Trinity-Grove, we passed hastily through them, and entered those of St John's. Here his countenance brightened up at once; he excessively admired the three fine old trees that stand opposite the gate by which we entered, and pointing towards the back part of the college in an attitude of inspiration, exclaimed, "Mark but the solemn grandeur of that ancient and religious foundation! Destin'd in every age to be The fountain-head of loyalty, and that boasts even now a Words • This saint does not appear in the Cambridge Calender. worth, the prince of poets, and a Marsh, the champion of churchmen." On this I complimented him on his patriotism, and hinted that it was a proof of his Irish predilections that he so vehemently praised the pigs. But I had like to have rued my joke, for had not a doctor in divinity been passing just at the moment, he certainly would have knocked me down. Resolving to be more cautious in future, I tried to hurry him forward, as it was now past three o'clock, and I wished him to hear the anthem at King's Chapel. But it was all to no purpose:-as we passed through the courts of St John's, he was every moment stopping to eulogize "their monastic, solemn, and majestic appearance, so well according with the abstract idea of a learned and religious society." However, we reached King's before the anthem had commenced, and the Ensign now feasted his eyes and his soul upon that matchless specimen of the lighter Gothic. The majestic elegance of St Paul's, or the sombre magnificence of the Abbey may strike us with a different, but scarcely more pleasing sensation, than the lightness, yet stability, the inimitable workmanship,-and, above all, the glorious unbroken expanse of the inte 1. rior of this lofty temple. As soon as Pratt had struck the first notes, I planted the Standard-bearer on one of the stone seats at the west end, in order that he might hear to the best advantage. There he sat, as motionless as the griffin above him; and, when the last note had died away, he exclaimed, "Tis the abstract of metaphysics'tis ideality personified, by G-." Here I clapped my hand suddenly on his mouth. He appeared much surprised at the liberty I had taken, and cast his eyes rather sternly upon me, but, on looking round him, he immediately recollected himself, and bowed his gratitude with that indescribable frankness and grace, which we literary men may appreciate, but cannot imitate. It being now the hour of dinner, we hastened to Benet, where we found a few friends, whom I had invited to meet the Ensign, already assembled. I say nothing of the dinner, the wine, the company, &c. I leave all that to Morgan. We contrived, however, to consume our time, and various other articles, till nine, when singing was proposed. An ingenious young Freshman being first called on, commenced the following lay, from Fairy Land, with much poetical feeling: O, there is a land where the Fairies reside, A world where no breast, save a lover's, has sigh'd, Where the hours are all sunshine, and life is all bliss, And they dream but of sorrows we suffer in this. 2. Ours is no Whigling, chance-cramm'd for an honour, that's The more shall our Granta exult in his v8. Proof to the gibes and mock, Firmer he roots him the ruder it blow, Lawson the Magistrate, ho! ieroe! 3. upon her, Proudly thy pibroch has shrill'd in the Union, Long shall lament thy feat; Think of thy" Strictures" with fear and with woe, *Shake, when they see again, Tight little Marmaduke We missed the Ensign's stentorian, ho! iero! at the conclusion of this stanza; and on turning round, discovered that he had inadvertently dropped asleep. Mr immediately took out his pencil, and in a few moments produced a striking sketch of his fine countenance, in which he has retained all its characteristic dreaminess and re ho! ieroe! pose. When finished, he intends to present it to the Cambridge Philosophical Society, as a frontispiece to their first volume of Transactions. Thus ended our first day's adventures. The series of occurrences which followed shall be carefully summed by, Dear North, Yours indivisibly, From a true History. ALOYS VON G-was the son of a respectable commoner in the ssian service; and the germs of his promising genius had been early unfolded by a liberal education. When yet very young, but already furnished with well-grounded knowledge, he entered the military service of his sovereign; and, as a young man of great merits and still greater hopes, he could not long remain unknown to such a prince. Gwas in the full fire of his youth; so was the prince. Gwas ardent and enterprizing; the prince, who was of a similar temperament, had a natural affection for characters so constituted. With a rich vein of wit, and a redundancy of knowledge, G had a ready facility in giving animation to social intercourse; every circle in which he mixed, he enlivened by an unfailing festivity of mind; and upon every thing which chance brought before him, he had the art of shedding life and fascination. Graces such as these, and accomplishments which he possessed so eminently himself, the prince could not want discernment to appreciate in another. Every thing which Gundertook, his very sports even, had an air of grandeur. Obstacles could not harm him; nor could any failures triumph over his perseverance. The value of such qualities was further enhanced by an attractive person, the perfect image of blooming health and of |