Her

the intruders as prisoners to Pekin. Hence with the affronts she had received. the Russian church and college in that city; design however has never been lost sight of for although it is usually believed that these by the Russian Cabinet, although the ambition were founded in 1728, the truth is that they of Napoleon, the reforms of Sultan Mahmoud, were established for the Russian prisoners and the determined courage of the Circasnearly fifty years earlier, and it was merely sians, have tended to delay its execution. their continuance which was granted by the treaty of Kiakta.

The Opium War, which was planned by the cunning and worked out by the agents of In 1685, Golovin was sent by the Czar to re- Russia, in China and elsewhere, gave her an gain by diplomacy what had been lost by arms, admirable opportunity for sending an embassy but it took him two years to reach the frontiers to Pekin, and for making large professions of of China, and he had to wait two years more friendship, as well as liberal offers of assistance. at Selenginsk for the arrival of the Chinese She induced the Chinese to believe that she envoys, who were to treat with him. When was on the very point of going to war with the latter appeared, they were provided with England; and when Commissioner Lin arrivarguments which were too potent even for ed at Canton, he anxiously inquired" whether Muscovite craft, for their suite consisted of hostilities had not already broken out between 12,000 men, accompanied by a large force of Russia and England."* And the English artillery. The consequence was that Golovin Superintendent, Captain Elliot, was so conwas compelled to cede all claim to the valley vinced of her interference, that he did not of the Amoor, and to accept the rugged and hesitate to attribute to it "the increasing inalmost impassable mountain chain, in some disposition of the Chinese to trade by the seaplaces several hundred miles to the north of shores." But neither her promises nor the it, as the boundary between the two empires. necessities of the Chinese Government were This treaty was signed on the 27th of August, yet sufficient to enable her to obtain permis1689, and down to the year 1852 the Russians, sion to navigate the Amoor, and in spite of in spite of constant efforts, had succeeded in the efforts she had been making to discipline effecting only some insignificant encroach- the wild horsemen of Tartary and Siberia, she ments to the south of the great Yablounoi wisely abstained from seizing upon the prey she had so long coveted, for she was not

range.

It seems scarcely credible to us that a cen- ignorant of the fate of the Nepaulese and tury ago the Chinese were a martial and vic- Sikh invaders of Tibet. torious nation; but it was only in 1750 that The Nepaulese overran Tibet in 1792, and they conquered Zungary, took Kashgar and took Teshoo Loomboo. The Grand Lama, Yarkend, which they keep to this day, who escaped with difficulty, applied to the threatened with subjugation the whole of English for assistance, but met with an immeCentral Asia, and spread terror to the Cas-diate refusal. The Chinese Emperor however pian. Their progress however was stopped was not long in sending aid to the Head of by Achmet, the sovereign of Affghanistan, his Faith and to his peace-loving followers. who marched to the assistance of his brother On the approach of his troops, who were Mussulmans entered into negotiations with marched in haste from the frontiers of Tartary, the invaders, and induced them to retire; but the Nepaulese retreated, carrying with them their lust of conquest was by no means satiat- the accumulated wealth which they had found ed, for in 1758 they invaded Siberia, and in the monasteries. But they were overtaken caused serious apprehensions to the Gov- by the Chinese troops, and, after suffering two ernment of St. Petersburg. Nineteen years severe defeats, escaped into their own country. later, owing to the protection granted by the The Chinese, who were not satisfied with the Chinese Emperor to several hundred thousand chastisement they had inflicted on the invaders, Calmucks, who escaped from their Russian op- forced the frontier post of Coti, and entered pressors by flying from the banks of the Nepaul. The Nepaulese, in their turn, apVolga, in the winter of 1771, and in conse- plied to the English for their aid or good ofquence of the ineffable contempt with which fices. And in consequence of their applithe ambassadors sent to reclaim them were cation, Captain Kirkpatrick, said to be the received, the Empress Catherine determined first Englishman who ever entered Nepaul, to invade China. Her design was to march was sent thither as our ambassador. an army into the valley of the Amoor, at the Chinese refused to listen to his mediation, and same time that she sent ships of war all the received his interference most unfavorably, for way from the Baltic to co-operate with them they could not forget that we had declined all at its mouth. But the distance and the difficulties of transport, or, more probably, unceasing pre-occupations nearer home, frustrated her project, and compelled her to put up

The

See "Captain Bingham's Narrative." † See "Despatch to Lord Palmerston," dated Canton, April 13th, 1839.

aid to the Grand Lama, nor could they be miles, is formed by the junction of two rivers, convinced that we were not now assisting their one of which rises in Mongolia and the other enemies. They therefore continued to follow has its source in the Siberian province of up their success, and it was only when the Irkutsk, at no great distance from the Lake Nepaulese made the most abject submission, of Baikal, the waters of which flow by the undertook to restore all their spoil, promised Yenisei, into the Frozen Ocean. The most to pay tribute, and consented to cede Sikkim, important of its tributaries is the Songari, which lies between Nepaul and Botan and which rises in the mountains to the north of borders on Bengal, that they could be induced Corea, and is almost as noble a river as itself. to retire. The only result of our interference Cannon and stores are already carried down was that the Chinese Government immediately the Amoor by steamboats,* and sent from its put an end to all intercourse between Bengal mouth to the Russian possessions in America; and Tibet. and it may, at no distant day, be one of the The Sikh invasion, which took place shortly great channels of European and Asiatic comafter the close of the Affghan and during the merce, for the water communication between Opium War, was equally disastrous. Their the Baltic and the Caspian has long been army, consisting of 12,000 disciplined troops, complete, and, according to Cottrell, only 400 crossed the mountains from Cashmere, and versts, or 260 miles, of additional canal, will invaded the province of Ladak. They quick- be required to connect the Pacific with the ly took possession of Leh of Lassa, the capital Caspian. of Little Tibet, for they met with scarcely any It is a marvel even in the history of Rusresistance from a people who for ages had re-sian diplomacy and Russian success, that at a quired neither soldiers to defend their country | moment when she is an object of jealousy and nor police to protect their property; and a cause of alarm to every European and whose rulers, the priest of Buddha, were for- Asiatic people, and is actually at war with bidden by their religion to deprive any three great empires, she should have been creature of life. It was not until after the able to secure such an acquisition as the Sikhs had held quiet possession of the country for two years that a Chinese force arrived to expel them; and the invaders were so completely defeated in the first battle, that out of the 12,000 only between two and three hundred stragglers are said to have escaped, by making their way over the higher passes of the Himaleh Mountains, into the territories discover that the course of commerce has of Great Britain or Nepaul.

It is evident that the present great rebellion in China owes much of its importance and success to some foreign agency, but it is not yet certain whether that agency is Russian or American, or both combined. One thing however is clear, namely that Russia is the only power which has yet known how to profit by it; for since its commencement she has obtained, from the embarrassments of the Court of Pekin, a treaty yielding to her the navigation of the Amoor, and she has already converted that permission into absolute possession of the whole course of the river and an enormous tract of country, above 1000 miles in length and in some parts as much as 500 in breadth. But, in addition to the mere extension of territory, she has acquired the exclusive ownership of the Yablounoi Mountains. from which her subjects have already procured large quantities of gold and silver by the rudest methods, and which are said to surpass in mineral wealth anything that has yet been discovered in California or Australia. And, what is to her of far greater importance, she has gained access to the Pacific Ocean, in temperate climate.

a

The Amoor, which has a course of 2240

Amoor, and at the same time so nearly to complete a gigantic system of inland communication, 8000 miles in length, without more than a vague rumor of her design having reached the enlightened and far-seeing nations of the West. Should they suffer her to consolidate this her latest conquest, they will soon

been changed, the balance of power altered, and that the giant, whom they vainly imagined to be still fettered by the Sound and the Bosphorus, has shaken off his chains, and can defy with impunity the navies of England, France, and the United States. But although Russia has made this great advance towards the universal dominion which has been for centuries the aim and object of her craft and her ambition, yet was she never in so dangerous and so critical a position as at this moment. It is true that the war she has provoked has not been the signal for revolt amongst the disaffected millions whom she rules with a rod of iron, that it has only crippled-not destroyed-her commerce. But it has had one effect, the consequences of which may be fatal to her. It has aroused the people of England from their ignorance and their indifference, and if their new-born determination to put a final stop to the aggressions of Russia should find an earnest and faithful

*We heard, two years ago, that twelve steamers built in Sweden were sent by canal to the Caspian, to be taken to pieces on its eastern shore, and to be thence transported by land to the Sea of Aral. These are probably the vessels now navigating the Amoor.

leader in any public man, the whole nation God grant that this opportunity, calculated will rally round him, and give Russia cause to to stimulate the purest patriotism and to satrue the day on which her legions crossed the isfy the noblest ambition, may not be lost for Pruth. England, and that she may find men capable England demands ministers who will oppose of conducting her through the paths of justice the designs of Russia with all their energy and honor, to that success on which depends and intellect. If the Government will only the freedom or the slavery of mankind." carry out heartily the wishes of the nation, the commerce of Russia may be annihilateddisaffection will paralyze her armies-insur- England, and after two years' delay an embassy rection will raise its head within her borders equally unsuccessful in their endeavors to form an has been sent to Teheran. The Affghans have been -and a few months suffice to add to her pre-alliance with us; and the idea of a treaty with sent foes the armies of Germany and Sweden, China has not yet entered into the thoughts of our the hordes of Tartary, the horsemen of Persia, rulers, although the favorable disposition of the and the hosts of the Celestial Empire.*

The Persians have been for a long time past vainly asking for some countenance or support from

Chinese sovereign, caused by the Russian aggression on Manchouria, is proved by the extraordina ry fact that an English consul has taken up his residence at Pekin, a piece of intelligence which reached England by the last Indian mail.

Sir Walter would not, of course, have written in
French to an English friend.-Lit. Gazette.

A curious pamphlet has been published in | forth the alleged facts of the case; but this letter Paris. It announces the recent discovery in that is so full of French idiomatic phrases, that it city, of an unpublished manuscript by Walter cannot have been translated from English, and Scott, consisting of a tale called "Moredun."The story told about the manuscript is this:There lived in Paris, several years ago, a German merchant, who was afflicted with the mania of possessing manuscripts of distinguished modern writers. When Sir Walter visited Paris, to BIBLIOTECA GUATEMALTECA.-A prospectus collect materials for his "History of Napoleon," has been recently issued in the city of Guate the German resolved, coute qui coute, to get a mala, for the publication of some of the valuable manuscript from him. This he found more diffi- ancient MSS., which exist in the archives of the cult than he expected, and his mortification at old Captain-Generaley of Guatemala, together being disappointed was such that he fell ill. At with a number of works of native authors. Many length he met with Mr. William Spencer, a valuable MSS. must exist, scattered amongst the friend of Sir Walter. To this person he com- municipalities. There is one of Gonzalo de Almunicated the desire which possessed him, and varado, brother of the conqueror, and Juarros he consented, either from kindness of heart or refers to histories compiled by the Caziques of for a present of money, to speak to Sir Walter the Pipil (or Nahaul,) Quicke, and Pocoman Inon the subject. Sir Walter thought the demand dians, who had been taught to write in Spanish. too strange to be complied with, and he courte He speaks also of the MSS. of Don Juan Torres, ously but positively refused it. Thereupon the Juan Macario, and Francisco Gomes, descendGerman-manuscript hunter became greatly worse, ants of the Kachiquel kings. Pelaes also menin fact, in danger of death. Spencer told Anne tions various documents which must have the Scott, Sir Walter's daughter, of his position, and highest interest and value to students, and which represented to her what an awful thing it would if their publication does not fall within the combe if the man were to die, in consequence of her petence of private enterprise or that of existing father's refusal to humor his whim. Anne was societies, should be brought out by the governalarmed, and proceeded to pester her father. To ment A tithe of the money annually squanplease her, Sir Walter, after a while, consented dered in quarrels which parody the name of to give the maniac a manuscript-it was "Mo-wars, if spent in this manner, would confer more redun." He probably thought no more of the glory on the State than it has derived from its matter. Time wore on, and the German died.-arms.-Lit. Gazette.

At the sale of his effects the manuscript fell into the hands of a M. Cabany. He carefully preserved it until his death, which took place recently, when it descended to his son; and that son it is who has made its existence and history known to the public. Such is what the newly published pamphlet says;-the reader may be lieve it or not, as he pleases-for ourselves we doubt its truth exceedingly. M. Cabany gives a letter purporting to have been written by Sir Walter Scott to his friend Spencer, which sets

M. Leon Faucher, an eminent French writer on questions of political economy, has just died. Amongst his productions are two large volumes, called Etudes sur l'Angleterre," one of the best and most serious books on our country published in France. M. Faucher played a leading part in political affairs, and was for some time a Cabinet Minister.

PART II.

CHAPTER VII. PERCY.

Percy does not take the trouble to consider anything, but on resents for his sister, very hotly and warmly; and says again, he would not let them make a child of him, if he were she—for it WE have left him pacing up and down in the does not occur to Percy what an extreme imposfore-court of the Grange-much inclined to be sibility that is; nor how unlike to his irritable, rebellious and impatient, though scarcely quite impetuous self- the genius and wildest spirit of certain what he is chafed about. It is moderately the family-is his sister Elizabeth, in her queenly calm this morning out of doors; -a dim, cloudy submission and womanliness, whom no one could day what the villagers call "fresh," at Briar-humiliate, humble as she always is.

ford, which means that the atmosphere has a There is no covering on Percy's head, where great deal of rain in it, and at the smallest provo-the wild locks begin to toss about in the wind as cation would throw a heavy handful right in the he quickens the pace of his musings. This boy, face of the passer-by. At present, only a fresh who begins to be a man, is nineteen only, and chill drop comes now and then in the sweep of has the world before him;- the world before the wind; and the bare trees are visible below, him!- and he spurns it with his young, triumwith many a bend and deprecating courtesy, pro- phant foot, this subject-globe, made to be conpitiating the favor of this well-known and familiar quered. As he hurries to and fro upon this platgale. Against the cold sky though there is in form of his, the old warm family home behind, reality no sky to be seen, but only a pale-black and the level country spreading broad before, tumult of confused clouds relieved against a ho- something mighty and great, called in the vocaburizon, only a little paler and more luminous than lary of fancy, Fate, Fortune, and the World, lies themselves the little tower of Briarford church under the dreamer's eyes. His pace quickens, rises from among its mound of graves. And and this mass of matted hair shakes out its loveyonder are the clustered roofs of the village, the locks on the breeze. Ah, a very different thing tops of stacks and gables, of barns, and low-lying from the everydays which will make life to Percy cottages sending up faint curls of blue smoke, Vivian, as to all other mortal creatures, is the and faint sounds of life awaking into the misty wild, bright prospect on which Percy Vivian heavens. Beyond these, a long extent of pasture-looks abroad. Neither map nor description fields, where some few patient cows graze meekly could convey to any other mind the faintest idea and with discomfort, and the far-away snarl of the of this which appears to him. There are no sea, curling white over the sandbanks, and re-panoramas made of that celestial country; ceding with its heavy leaden tint behind into the cloudy sky; this is all the prospect, and it is not the most comforting or cheerful prospect in the world, even when one knows that the bright breakfast-table and warmer atmosphere of the Grange lie so close behind.

-the view is too aerial and too dazzling for any landscape painter. Every one for himself, and not another, has a chance to look once into the charmed and glimmering vista; and Percy gazes, with his brilliant eyes, into the heart of this enchantment now.

Percy has not grown to his full height yet, and Oh and alas for all those grand futures which will not be gigantic even when he has done so; may be; what halting, worn-out decrepid things his hair rises with a sort of crested fulness from they come forth at the other end of this magnifithat brow of his, where so many lines and puck-cent arch of fancy!-poor, plethoric fortunes of ers are visible already-lines of vivid expression, money, instead of the glorious, generous, canonand quick, mobile, changing thoughtfulness, ized Fortune of Hope; daily burdens, hard, and where no pain is, but only life and energy, viva- petty, and odious, instead of the noble martyrcious and young. All the lines of Percy's face donis and heroisms which were in our dreams; are quick, variable, wavering lines, trembling full but as for Percy Vivian, to-day is only the pres of incipient sunshine and laughter, yet never en-ent to-day of boyhood and youth to him-youth, tirely free of shadow, as of a suspended cloud. and boyhood, and education, all tending onward No one can quite prophesy what sudden revolu--and no succession of mornings and evenings, tion is to come next upon those bright young fea- but a great Ocean of the Future; the World, a tures, where the flying emotion comes and goes, giant Goliah, and not a thronging army of little as the light and shadow passes upon the face of ills and little men, spreads full before the dazzled this broad country round. At present, the ex-vision of the boy about to set out upon his life. pression is only extremely impatient, somewhat fretful and annoyed; though, to tell the truth, Perey's reasons for annoyance are something of a doubtful character. He would be puzzled, himself, to explain them. This only Percy knows: that Elizabeth, his beautiful sister, is extremely likely to be married by-and-by, and quite sure to yield to the arrangements made for her, and to submit to the time imposed, whatever her own inclinations may be. Percy does not pause to consider, that the active part in such negotiations does, after all, belong to the bridegroom; that Elizabeth Vivian would remain Elizabeth Vivian to the end of time, before she would step forward and say what day she would be married. In fact,

The family estates-an imposing title-represent no such very imposing income; and though authorities say that the modern agriculture which Squire Percy despised may make Squire Philip a very much richer man than his father, this increase has all to be realized. In any case, it is a certain fact that the heir will have quite a small enough income to maintain his rank as head of the family; a rank of which the youngest member of it, Sophy herself, is fully more tenacious than Philip. So Percy must make his own fortune, and Perey is extremely well disposed to do this, and would be indignant at the very idea of remaining ignobly at home; has been even heard, indeed, felicitating himself on his second sonship, and exult

ing over his elder brother, who has no better with all its delicate colors of floss silk and Berlin chance all his life than that of being a country wool -the pretty arm-chair, in which Elizabeth squire, whereas it is impossible to predict what sits erect by the table-the low footstool, sacred extraordinary chances lie before Percy. This is to Sophy, are all alike gay with the handiwork of so far well; but it is much easier to decide that the sisters, and rich with embroidered flowers. Percy shall make his fortune, than to decide the And the firelight winks and brightens in the ivory means by which it shall be made and many keys of the open piano, and the mirror reflects a family council, many an "advice" from this pleasant group in the ruddy atmosphere of Colonel Morton and from Uncle Blundell, have home. The smallness, the fancifulness, the glow gone to the decision. Percy himself, if rather and plenitude of simple ornament, are all quite hard to please when a suggestion is made, suitable to the character of the apartment. By still remains somewhat indifferent; he says and by, it is very true, all these will be sober he does not care what his profession is, but it family mothers, at home in nurseries and houseturns out that he does care enough to pronounce keepers rooms. At present they are only young a most unhesitating negative on various proposals ladies; it is their time of budding and holiday; made to him. One, however, which has the ad- and only a hard heart would grudge to them vantage of being opposed at once by Uncle Blun- these natural embellishments of their youth. dell and Colonel Morton, fixes Percy's wandering fancy. Disposed to it from the first, he is bound to it for ever, as soon as he discovers that both the advisers in question unite in disliking the idea. So Percy will be a lawyer-a barrister-a student of the Temple-and never wavers again

in his choice.

Nor are their occupations more substantial than their surroundings; they are all very busy, that is one thing; and this graceful industry looks very becoming, one must confess, however trifling the product may be; for, alas, it is only fancywork "-only the pretty nick-nacks of young la dyism-and perhaps all these young ladies would Perhaps the charm of the desultory, ungovern- all be much better employed in reading or studyed young man's life of which he reads-that life ing, or otherwise improving their minds. But in chambers, enlightened by all that is witty, gay, one thing is certain-neither geology, nor botany, and free, where household trammels are not, nor nor any lighter dilettanti science, made easy for ordinary restraints, but only the high honor and the use of young ladies, could permit that sweet truth, that gospel of manliness which is preached silent thoughtfulness of which Elizabeth's face is by sundry leaders of the youthful mind of these full, or the flow of happy talk which runs out of days-has fully more influence upon Percy, than Sophy's lips, and comes in briefer responses from that quite different aspect of his chosen life. Margaret-not very profound or wise, but very which discloses future Lord Chancellors and Jus-pleasant, as is their occupation and the scene. tices burning the midnight oil in the dim reces. For Elizabeth, whose fingers are accomplished ses of the Temple. But Percy Vivian scorns an in these womanly arts, is free to give her tranquil over-distinctness in his dreams-he neither de-mind to other matters while she labors; and Martermines on reading very hard, nor determines on idling; and if visions of the lighter pursuits, the delights of getting into print, or the graver boy's enthusiasm for authorship ever come to Percy, he keeps them in their sunny mist, and does not bring down the fairy visitants to tangible shape or form only Percy's heart dances, and his cheek glows, when he thinks of his "prospects," and with eagerness he looks to the time approaching when his journey of life is fated to begin.

CHAPTER VIII.-THE YOUNG LADIES' ROOM.

garet, who has done a great deal of similar work, and is pretty well assured and confident in doing this, has her spirit quite at ease in it; and Sophy, who does not aim at absolute perfection, but tries nothing which she cannot achieve, is perfectly unembarrassed in her business; whereas poor Zaidee, toiling hard after a glorious unachievable idea, with eager haste, with pricked fingers, with heart and soul too much absorbed for speech, could not say a word in answer to all this running talk of theirs, if that very word would insure success to this enterprise of her own.

A careless attitude in this moment of inspiration would not become Zaidee; it is well enough A bright fire burns in the fairy grate of the for Sophy yonder, with her little commonplace young ladies' room: everything bright in this piece of embroidery, to sit so lightly on her footlittle favored bower, for none of these young la- stool-very well for grown-up Margaret to recline dies are at all elevated above the pretty things-but Zaidee, whose ambition projects something loved by their class and kind. There are wax which nobody has accomplished before, and whose flowers on the mantel-piece, the joint production vexed fingers and perplexed scissors labor hard of the three sisters; there are two or three paint-on the heels of her ambition,-for Zaidee it is a ed groups of Elizabeth's favorite lilies and roses very different matter; so Zaidee, who always upon the wall; more than one landscape of Mar- stoops, sits erect at the table for once in her life garet's, extremely lofty in intent, but just a little-Zaidee, said to be the greatest idler in the obscure in execution, hangs on the same line; and if Sophy can do nothing with the pencil, Sophy has at least a glowing screen of most elaborate needlework lifting its gilded wand like a gold stick in waiting in the corner, and reaching nearly as high as the pictures. The little couch which Margaret, half reclining, fills with her slender, well-formed person and her work-basket,bright

Grange, labors with such a strain and intensity as no one else is capable of; and now growing pale, and now flushing into sudden excitement, holds her breath, and neither hears nor answers, with, alas, always the same ideal luring her onbut the silk and the needle, the scissors and the fingers so sadly incapable, and the great creation making so very little progress after all.