Petition of the Non-commiffionéd Officers and Soldiers of the North Devon Militia to their Major, Sir Thomas Ackland, Bart. and the rest of their Officers, to intercede with the Duke of Richmond for the pardon of Richard Harvey, a Soldier in the faid Regiment, ordered by the fentence of a Line Court-Martial to receive Four Hundred Lashes for Unfoldier-like Bebaviour and Disobedience of Orders;-with the Duke's Answer. "We, the non-commiffioned officers and privates of the North Devon regiment of militia, beg of your Honour, and the rest of the Officers of the regiment, to intercede with the Duke of Richmond to pardon Richard Harvey, who has been tried, and is to be punished to-morrow morning. "We could not prefume to make this requeft, without expreffing, at the fame time, our fenfe of the justice of the fentence, and our extreme forrow that many of us, as well as other foldiers of the line, were concerned in fuch irregular behaviour. But as this is the first time that a line court-martial has been neceffary, we hope that the Duke of Richmond may be induced to pardon this offence; and we promife, that, as far as depends upon us, there fhall be no occafion for any other." [Signed by the ferjeants of the different companies of the 2d Devon regiment, in behalf of their respective companies.] The DUKE of RICHMOND's Anfwer.. "Non-Commiffioned Officers and Privates of the North Devon Regiment, "I am happy to find, by the very proper petition which you have prefented to Sir Thomas Ackland, and the rest of your officers, to intercede with me to pardon the prifoner, Richard Harvey, that you are fenfible of the juftice of the sentence which the court-martial has pronounced upon him ; that you are extremely forry that many of you, as well as other foldiers of the line, were concerned in fuch irregular behaviour; and that as this is the first time that a line court-martial has been neceffary, you promife that, as far as depends upon you, there fhall be no occafion for any other. "The circumstances of this affair, as they have been reprefented to me, are indeed fuch as every one concerned in them ought to be heartily ashamed of. titution, let those who would fo feverely punifh that offence ak themfelves, who are the encouragers of it ?-if it was her being difeafed, whether fome of themselves may not have been the cause of it? But, be her of fences what they may, I ask you, is a helplefs female a fit object for a foldier's vengeance? Nobler fentiments would, I am fure, animate your breafts: you would difmifs her with compaffion, and refolve to avoid fuch bad company in future. But in tumult and confufion meu get eager, they lofe their fenfes, and forget the generofity of their own nature. This unfortunate wretch had into. In the next was a foldier's wife, who taken fhelter in the first tent fhe could get themselves time to enquire into any circumhad lately lain-in;-but, without allowing tances, this mob of foldiers was proceeding alarm a modeft woman in fuch a fituation to pull down the first tent, and greatly to in the next; and, when a ferjeant of the ftood forth to protect her, they infulted, and company to which her husband belonged were proceeding to violence against him. They did more: they prefumed to refift a commiffioned officer, who, in the first inftance, only ordered them to difperfe; but who, upon finding them re-affemble, and fhout contemptuously at him, very properly feized the prifoner, Harvey, who had been a ring-leader in thefe atrocious acts. "But 1 will dwell no longer on a subject, for which those who were concerned in this tranfaction have expreffed contrition and forrow. "Your folicitude for the pardon of your comrade proceeds, I know, from the most honourable motives: a fenfe that many others were perhaps as much or more guilty than he, and that you confider it a reflection upon the honour of your corps, that it fhould be from the regiment that an example is to be made to the whole line. "I am fenfible that others were as guilty as Richard Harvey; and, had it not been for the right way in which they have seen their error, I should have wifhed that all could have been detected; and you may be affured that the numbers, be they ever so great, would not have prevented me from bringing them to punishment. But as it is, I wish not to enquire, or to know, who have been guilty of an offence, for which thofe who have been concerned in it exprefs their forrow, and promise amendment. "An unfortunate prostitute bad, it seems, "I esteem and respect that proper fpirit difeafed feveral men, and, for this offence, of a corps, which fets pride in a good name. a number of foldiers of different corps chofe But remember, foldiers, it is not the punishto take upon themfelves to punith her, by ment, but the crime, that brings on difgrace, carrying her along the line, expofing her to On the prefent occafion, the offence certainly every one's view, and drumming her out of was not peculiar to you; and, therefore, I camp. One moment's reflection, had they can easily understand that you feel mortified allowed themselves time to think, muft, I that the punishment fhould fall on one of am fure, have convinced them, that fnch a you-But, when many are guilty, none has treatment of a poor woman was asanjuft as reason to complain that any are made exam it was ungenerous. If her crime was prof-ples of Richard Harvey was feized as one of the most notorious, and you now fee the folly of endeavouring to stand by him, and refcue him; as by fuch an attemp, fruntless in itself, you only fornifh additional reasons for making an example of him. "I hope you have ever found me, and I trust you will ever find all your fuperior officers, ready to liften to any reasonable complaints you may have to make, and to fee justice done you on all occafions: even when what you conceive to be grievances are merely imaginary; a candid and fair examination of them will in fuch cafes, I know, fatisfy you. You need, therefore, never be afraid of stating, in a proper and refpectful manner, any doubts you may entertain, or any complaints you may have to make. It is only when you forget the character of a foldier, and proceed to riotous and diforderly behaviour, that you can put your felves in the wrong. "Your own officers, who have now, through your major, Sir Thomas Ackland, interested themselves for Richard Harvey, would never have listened to your requeft, but for the conviction you have expreffed of the heinoufnefs of his offence. A foldier will always find his officer his best friend. It is to him you may look up with confidence for affiftance in diftrefs, for care in fickness, for good advice in difficulties, for attention to your families, and for protection when ever you deferve it. But although, from knowing them better, you may very juftly have more affection for the officers of your own corps than for thofe of others, be affured that we are all of one family, and equally defirous of befriending you all: and you must be fenfible, that you owe equal obedience to all officers, whether of your own or of any other corps. "I know the good character this regiment bore in the laft war; I fee the anxious defire it has to preferve it in this; and, although due fubordination must be maintained by feverity when neceffary, nothing can give me more pleasure than to avoid punish ment. "I am therefore happy that I can now with propriety, in confideration of your proper petition and of the recommendation of your officers, remit the punishment ordered on Richard Harvey, on his afking pardon immediately of the officer and ferjeant whom he fo grofsly infulted.” Mr. URBAN, Oa. 21. OBSERVING, in Youly fat laudable charitable inftitution in the county of Suffolk, give me leave to point out to your notice a newly-formed charuy here in London. This charity is yet but in its infancy. I hope to fend you 10. e farther particulars concerning it time enough for infertion in your Maga zine for November; for, I think it only needs to be known, in order to procure the formation of fimilar charities in the country, and to obtain for itfelf adequate fupport in town. Its object is to fupply hofpital patients with thofe neceflaries, or to extend to them thofe aids, which do not come within the provifions of hofpitals in general. When patients are difmiffed cured from an hofpital, they are frequently. without money, and deftitute of proper cloathing; and though, in fact, cured of their maladies, are, for the moft pare, ia fo weak a flate as not to be able imme. diately to betake themselves to their daily labour. Here then this charity which, I fpeak of, fteps in. It takes up thofe poor people at the gate of the hospital, gives them cloaths, allows them pecuniary afliftance, or tends them till they are deemed able once more, without danger of relapse, to earn a livelihood. Many young females, who through fick nefs are obliged to quit their fervices, are of courfe expofed to infinite mifchief at their discharge from an hospital; now, by the well-timed interference of this charity, f ,fuch may be preferved from ruin. Many poor creatures come into the hofpitals of the metropolis from diftant parts of the kingdom; and thefe have frequently no means of returning hon et when rehored to health by paying for their journey into the country, and removing them from the temptations and corruption of London, this charity renders both them and the community infinite fervice. Many diftreffed perfons feek admiffion into an hofpital, whofe very complants, of the pulmonary kind pa ticularly, are of fuch a nature as to incapacit te them for reception as in patients. Such as thefe are unable to work, have oftentimes no place where to lay their head, and with to be received into an hofpital, were it only to die in peace, To the unfortunate of this defcription this new charity extends relief. It pays for their lodgings in country air, gives them thus a chance of recovery, or at least contributes to render their laft days in fome deg ee The families of poor patients frequent. ly languish at home opprefled by all the evils of poverty, while the hands which maintained them are confined in an hofpital. The neceflities of fuch families come within the plan of this charity; and 1 am I am convinced that many a poor fellow's recovery in an hofpital is retarded by the anxiety which he undergoes for their fubfiftence who are dear to him at home. The conductors of this charity take the name of the SAMARITAN SOCIETY, from the confiderate humanity of the Good Samaritan in the parable, who not only adminiftered to the prefent neceffities of the wounded traveller, but provided for his future exigencies: "Take care of him; and whatfoever thou spendeft more, when I come again, I will repay thee." The Society, as yet, confines its attention to the patients of the London Hofpital. A beginning is made; and I hope it is fairly within probability to expect, that, in procefs of time, the patients of other hofpitals may be benefired, either by the Samaritan Society ifelf, or by other focieties formed upon a like excellent plan. I E. R. Mr. URBAN, Settle, Aug. 13. HAVE feen letely feveral differtations upon Swallows in your Magazine. I was much pleafed this Spring in obferving a young White Swallow bred in this neighbourhood, I faw it every day I walked out, for about a month; and, when I miffed feeing it, I was, to my mortification, told, that it had taken its flight into a fhoe-maker's fhop in Settle, where it was caught and killed. W. C. I Mr. URBAN, Sept. 15. HAVE been extremely pleafed to obferve the general good reception which Mr. Cowper's tranflation of Homer's works in blank verfe has met with. I always thought that it was only by fuch a tranflation that a juft conception of the fimple magnificence of the original could be conveyed to the English reader. But it required a perfon of very strong poeti cal powers (fuch as thofe poficffed by Mr. Cowper), and likewife of great and perfevering industry, to accomplith tuch a work. I have always been a great admiter of the original, and, from my fo: dnefs for it, tranflated a few pallages of it in the manner of Mr. Cowper, or with a view of being ftill more literal and faithful to the ideas and expreffions of the original, above forty years ago. Two of thefe paffages I herewith fend you, as, perhaps, fome of your readers may be amufed with fecing the different ways in which the fame original fentiments of the venerable old bard may be expreffed. That of the purfuit of Hector by Achilles feems to be done with Thefe thall have an early place. EDIT. the moft fuccefs. A third paffage, more difficult to tranflate than either of thefe, (as it defcribes only the flaughter of fome of the Trojans by Achilles, in his first attack of them, which contains but little poetical bteauy), was published a few years ago in the 4th volume of Almon's Afylum for Fugitive Pieces. C. H. 08. 15. I Mr. URBAN, WAS muth pleafed with the remarks, p. 781, concerning the British foot-guards. I entirely agree with him, that no fituation in our fervice puts an officer more in the way of being actively employed in his profeffion; and I look with aftonifhment at the brigade, when I fee it under arms, perfectly difciplined, and reflect that thefe men are scattered over the town of London, expofed to every fort of tempta tion, and out of reach of the infpection of their officers. I am very happy to fee, by the papers, that his Majcity has been gracieusly pleafed to grant an allowance for the entertainment of his guard, which used to be fupported at the expence of the Culonel; a very heavy tax this when we confider the fmalinefs of their pay. I am forry it is not in my power to give as accurate a flatement of the officers belonging to the Coldstream and third regiment of guards, engaged in the glorious action at Lincelles, as Miles Emeritus requires. I will not attempt it, for fear of miftakes; I cannot, however, omit a tribute of regret for the lofs, of Colonel Bofville of the Coldstream, as a man and an officer he was beloved by all who knew him. Enfign Bayly of the fame regiment, who carried the colours, being wounded in the right-hand, grafped the ftandard with the left, and proceeded til, Lis strength forfaking him, he dropped. While I extol the bravery of the Guards, let the Line have the merit due to them, which at leaft I will fay nothing can exceed. As a fingle inftance, I must just mention a fpirited reply of an officer in the Weft Indies laft war, to Sir William Medows. Captain G-- of the 55th regiment, being wounded in the eye at the taking of St. Licie, Sir William," paffing by in the heat of action, juft Ropped to regret his misfortnne. "Do not mind me, Sir," fays he, "I have one eye left, with which I hope to fee you beat the French army." Such a fpecch, made by one in excruciating pain, deferves to be recorded. H. Mr. |