Which can change all its touches to gold. Is it fortune's high way? nay! I've seen its gay show,

And enjoy'd every scene as I went ;

Is it honour? ah! no! Is it love? ah! no! no!

Such charm is but found in content.

SONG.

The Grave of Burns.

Sweetly the breeze of the evening is swelling,

And solemnly waves the rank grass with a sigh,

That green grows all over the dark narrow dwelling,

Where a stone points the spot, where the poet does lie.

O cold is that heart once wild rapture enjoying,

And dim is the beam of that love-speaking

eye ;

His harp now is silent, and low with him lying,

The chief of the song, now is mixing with clay.

And now from that heart, once with poesy swelling,

The wild flower oft blossoms, then withers

away;

While the tempests of winter, sweep o'er the dark dwelling,

Of the minstrel of nature, now cauld in the clay.

Ever still on thy lone house the daisy shall blossom,

And here oft the wild bird sing nature to

rest;

The thistle proud wave to the breeze o'er thy bosom,

And happy, dear shade, be thy place 'mong the blest.

have been,

Not to know where true happiness lies; She lives in those hearts, which, thro' time's chequer'd scene,

Can the visions of fortune despise. 'Tis the vein where the treasures of peace lie concealed,

And the miner is sure to be blest:

In his short span of life present good is reveal'd,

And the future bestows all the rest.

S. B

And hours, and days, and months, and

As on delighted to she danced;

While rung as if alive the plain,
Each echoing grove, and air above,
From her attendant minstrel strain,
Joy and her handmaid-sister love!
The Summer, with a rosy crown,
Braided her fiery meteor hair,
Strong was her step, her skin was brown,
Her bosom, heat-oppress'd, was bare.
Before her hush'd was Spring's glad strain,
Closed every scene of vernal mirth.
Her left hand held the founts of rain,
Her right hand gave the thunder birth.
Then cheerful Autumn, hale and strong,
Bound round her brows a wreath of corn,
Raised high her labour-cheering song,
And shew'd her plenty-teeming horn.
Shone on her zone, the western star !
Resounded joyful notes around,
That wakened up the Sylvan war,
From huntsman, horn, and baying hound.
Last, Winter, with his ruin blast,
All sadden'd in his frowns appeared,
On's aged head lay snows amass'd,
And rattl'ing shook his icy beard.
Severe and beamless were his eyes,
Most gloomy rose his giant form,
Wild uproar to his mind brought joys,
He rode exultingly the storm!
Banks of the Esk.

SONG.

Air--Logan Water: ON Logan water's bonny braes

J. L.

I spent my happy youthful days;
When hope's sweet tide run warm andhigh,
And all my hours were hours of joy.
Pure limpid stream! still softly flow,
Tho' far from thee and prest with woe,
Tho' far from thee 'mang Scotia's faes,
My heart still wanders on thy braes.

When ruddy morning gilds the east,
And early linnet leaves its nest,
And sweetly carols thro' the slaes,
Its matin song on Logan braes:
Oft have I trod thy margin green,
And gaz'd upon the op'ning scene;
Oft round thy winding valley gay,
And hail'd the sweet approach of day.
And oft, when Phoebus' slanting beam
Shot golden rays across the stream,
I've climb'd the lonely mountain's brow,
And eyed the smooth expanse below.
When shouts of rural mirth and glee,
Resound o'er all the flow'ry lee,
When labours's busy children still
Are free to saunter where they will.

Ah! scenes for ever hid in night,
For ever banished from my sight,
For ever from my country torn,
I live, but only live to mourn.
But oh, my Caledonia dear,
An exile's dying wishes hear,
Who far from thee, and every friend,
His few remaining days must spend.
Long, long be peace and plenty seen,
O'er all thy hills and valleys green.
And long may bright improvement's hand
Make science flourish in thy land.
And should the cruel Gallic foe
E'er aim the loudly-threat'ned blow,
Oh, may he find, in Britain's isle,
A grave to rest from all his toil!
Roslin,
17. Jan. 1810.

}

J. MD.

THE DYING MISER TO HIS GOLD. In imitation of Pope's dying Christian. LOVELY treasure held so fast,

Must, oh! must we part at last!
Heirs, my coffers rifling, prying,
Oh! the dreadful thoughts of dying!
Cease, reflection, kindly cease,
And only let me die in peace!
Hark, methinks, I hear them say,
Hov'ring spirit! quick away!
What is this creates their joys;
Gives them pleasure, me annoys;
Makes them long my death to see,
Tell me, my gold, can it be thee?
In joy the longing groupe appears,-
Assail at once my eyes and ears;
And hot contentions 'gin to spring:
Adieu! adieu! I faint die!
Oh, wealth! thou hast thy misery!
Oh, gold! thou hast thy sting!
Arbroath.

THE TEAR.

W. L

HOUSE OF LORDS.

Friday, Jan. 26.

THE Earl of Liverpool moved the

Thanks of the House to Lord Viscount

Wellington, and the officers and men under his command, for the glorious victory obtained in conjunction with our Spanish al. lies, over the combined armies of France at Talavera. It was by no means without precedent, to move a vote of thanks for a victory followed by a retreat. He instan ced the battle of Maida, in which case the vote of thanks met with the approbation of both Houses of Parliament. The object of that expedition was to relieve two garriwons that were besieged, and to support the Calabrians, who had then risen, in both of which it failed.

The Earl of Suffolk said, it was with great regret that, as a military man, he fund it impossible for him to concur in the motion. He could never assent to the propriety of bestowing the thanks of that louse, except upon occasions of exploits unequivocally glorious and advantageous to the country. He could by no means call that a victory or a triumph, which, to his view, presented nothing but eventual defeat and disgrace; nor could he accept of the boasted capture of a few pieces of can. non as a counterpoise for the loss of a multitude of prisoners, and the whole of our sick and wounded soldiers being left to the mercy of the enemy.

Lord Grosvenor expressed a reluctance in opposing the motion, in which he was actuated by no motive of disesteem for the nable General, but because he did not consider the occasion to be such as could properly call forth so signal a mark of dis

Laction.

Lord Mountjoy was surprised that any person should be found, either within their Lordships walls or without them, who could, for one moment, hesitate to acknowledge the splendour of that glorious victory.

Earl Grey said he must oppose a system which raised Commanders to the rank of heroes, merely for the efforts of rashness. He did not deny that there was, in this case, the appearance of victory; but it did not bear any marks of a great and decisive victory, entitled to the highest honour which that House could render. Two days after the battle, the British army was compelled March 1810.

precipitately to retreat. Instead of the enemy outnumbering us, as was represented to have been, we and our allies outnumb red the enemy. Justice was not rendere. > the Spaniards. When we looked to the Spanish account of the battle, and found 1200 of the Spaniards killed or wounded in it, it was worse than useless to assert that they bore no efficient particip tron I the fate of the day. Not only was me thus offered to those who fough with us, but so precipitate were the retrograde steps of our troops, that Lord Wellington even abandoned the corps under the command of Sir Robert Wilson. Lord Wellington also failed to secure the flank and rear of his army, on the result of the battle of Talavera. Failing in his object, he abandoned his sick to the humanity of their foes, who were advancing on them. Lord Wellington had fought a battle; but it was the least of merits, properly estimating the military character, that of fighting battles. Notwithstanding that he thought Lord Wellington a brave and honourable man, an officer of great spirit, still he was imprudent in his dispositions, and he was now in the most perilous situation. His Lordship concluded by censuring, freely and strongly, the manner in which Minis ters had promulged the news of the battle of Talavera.

Marquis Wellesley said, that, agitated as he felt, by private feelings and public duty, he could not avoid the delivery of his sentiments. Foreign courts had intrusted his noble brother with authority only short of royal; and whatever the noble Earl opposite might think, the Spanish people did not view the victory of Talavera a mean or trivial. When Lord Wellington went out, the enemy was not only in possession of the north of Portugal, but also menaced Lisbon. The steps of his noble brother were able and decisive; he first checked the advances of General Victor. General Cuesta invited Lord Wellington to co-operate with him, at the head of thirtyeight thousand troops, in expelling the corps commanded by Victor. Supposing his noble brother had refused such co-operation, had taken upon himself to suspect the conduct of General Cuesta, the bravery" and patriotism of the Spanish people, and the superintending management of the Spamish Junta. Lord Wellington had, he would

say,

say, acted with judgment as well as with energy; and, acting in that manner, he had saved both Spain and Portugal. As to the hattle of Talavera, it was a fact, but not generally understood as such, that General Venegas was to have taken an assigned position on the 22d; but, owing to some intervention, which he could not explain, that officer's march was suddenly countermanded by the Supreme Junta, and he did not reach his post till the 29th. It was not for him to account for these things; we could not expect Spain to be herself at once, the Cortes must save her.

The Lord Chancellor now put the vote of thanks to Lord Wellington, which was carried without a division; as were also the thanks of the House to the officers and men serving under the command of Lord Wellington, at the battle of Talavera. PROTEST.

The following protest has been entered on the journals of the House of Lords, against the vote of thanks to Lieut.-General Lord Wellington:

DISSENTIENT,

1. Because, in the battle of Talavera, though eminently distinguished by those splendid proofs of discipline and valour which his Majesty's troops have never failed to display, we cannot recognise those unequivocal characteristics of victory which can alone form an adequate title to the thanks of this House; on the contrary, the British army appears to have been improvidently led into a situation, in which the repulse of the enemy, effected with a great loss, produced neither security from a subsequent attack, nor relief from the distress under which our brave troops were suffering; and was immediately followed by the necessity of a precipitate retreat, whereby our wounded were left to fall into the hands of the enemy.

2. Because, by voting the thanks of this House, on such an occasion, we diminish the value of the most honourable reward we have it in our power to confer, whilst we indirectly sanction the propriety of that elevation to the honours of the Peerage, with which his Majesty, without inquiry, was advised to mark his approbation of the Commander of his army in Spain, at a time when his Ministers were informed of the unfortunate consequences which might be expected to follow, and, in fact, did follow that dear-bought success. GREY.

LAUDERDALE,

Monday, January 29.

Colonel Drinkwater attended at the bar of the House, with the 10th and 11th Report of the Commissioners of Military Inquiry.

Wednesday, January 31.

Lord Porchester attended at the bar, with several Members of the House of Commons, to request their Lordships' permission that George Baron Gordon, commonly called the Marquis of Huntley, should be examined at the bar of the House of Commoas, before the committee appointed to enquire into the conduct of the late expedition to the Scheldt.

Thursday, February 1.

Lord Porchester, and several other members of the House of Commons, attended at the bar, and asked their Lordships' permission, that James Earl of Rosslyn be allowed to attend the committee of the House of Commons, appointed to enquire into the conduct and policy of the expedition to the Scheldt.

A motion for the production of papers and correspondence relative to America, was made by Earl Grey, and carried.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

Friday, Jan. 26.

EXPEDITION TO WALCHEREN.

Lord Porchester said, he had to call the attention of the House to no common or trivial subject. He had to speak of great national misfortune; and he came down to that House to claim of their tribunal national punishment against the authors of that misfortune. His first intention had been to institute his inquiry upon the entire system; but in this complicated train of calamities, where nothing was uniform but the folly by which they were occasioned, he would now select but one-one singly sufficient to excite the just indignation of the House, as it had already excited the deep sorrow of the country. He felt that the dignity of the country was connected with its justice, and he should therefore move for a Committee of the whole House to examine into the policy of the late expedition. In passing over the pages of this most melancholy detail, he was at a losswhere to fix his first charge, there was so much similarity of evil-so dark and unvarying a colour of disgrace and disappointment. On every line of our late history, the system, taken as a whole, was so unconnected with wisdom, or principle, or use, that he could hardly exert a power of selection. He was not fond of using severe language. He was willing to exercise the liberal judgment of a member of that great assembly. He would prejudge nothing. But if misfortunes, such as sickened the heart to think of, had been generated by the folly or presumption of Ministers, he

could

could not submit to use the calm and courtly compliments that might suit their ear. They had been eccentric, but their eccentricity was only a more varied folly. It was not like the wandering of those sublime and superior geniuses, which appear to have been sent at intervals to lighten the darkness of the world-those mighty and powerful capacities, whose course was not to be calculated, as it was not to be restrained by the laws that are suited to humbler minds, in their swift and brilliant progress-give a new impulse and vitality to the general system-at once exalting the eye of man by their elevation, and enlightening it by their splendour. But the eccentricity of Ministers had no attribute of mind; it was the restless and wayward wandering of a spirit that scorned to submit to the controul of common sense-the eccentricity of perpetual error-the eccen tricity of a starved, shallow-brained, projecting spirit of expedient and experiment; of expedient, which shewed nothing but the barrenness of their invention; and of experiment, which shewed nothing but the poverty of their knowledge. He would acknowledge, that when he heard the congratulation in the King's speech, on the result of the campaign, he could not have expected to find, that the only nutriment of rejoicing which the Ministers conde. scended to throw before the eager appetite of the country, was the destruction of a basin, the blowing up of a sluice, and the filling up of a dock Splendid fruits of conquest! But if he might not presume to question its value, the national enemy would save him the trouble. The French had already declared that the damage was uiding, and that it might be easily repaired, if policy did not prevent it. Our enemies had the unparallelled insolence to tell his Majesty's Ministers, that their conquests have been worth nothing, or only profitable

to France.

The noble Lord, after commenting at some length on what was the avowed object of the expedition, namely, to assist Austria, and having argued that it had completely failed in that object, entered into a contrast between the manner in which the French armies and those of this coun

try are conducted. The principles that made France victorious were to direct the main force to the main object, and distracting the hostile force, to concentrate their own

How were these maximis followed by our Cabinet? They determined to attack Antwerp, and they began by dividing their force to attack a miserable and useless muggling town. They had yet to learn that Antwerp was a fortified town, and Lord Chatham, with 40,000 men, were

sent out to act the part of spies, and reconnoitre the nakedness of the land. But why had Walcheren been retained until we were forced to give it up by the havock of its climate? Was it to serve as a demonstration of our zeal in favour of Austria? Was it for the ingenious amusement of imposing on the simplicity of Bonaparte? Was it to force him to quit his Was prey it, while Austria was palpitating and writhing under his grasp, to force this flexible and unpurposed man to quit his hold, to release his victim, and come across the continent, to enter into an altercation with us for Walcheren, to contend with an exhausted army, the dreadful precedency of death in the most pestilential climate of the world? He would make no personal objection to Lord Chatham; but without an idea of hurting individual feeling, he must express his surprise at such an appointment. If there ever was a time for inquiry, a time in which was connected our fame with our being, it was the present. The noble Lord concluded with moving for “ a Committee of the whole House, on Monday next, to take into consideration the policy and conduct of the expedition to Walche ren."

Mr Windham Quin seconded the motion. Mr Croker (Secretary to the Admiralty) said, the whole of the noble Lord's reasoning had been founded on a detail of facts, which, as the documents were not before the House, must remain uncontradicted by them, but which, he must take upon him to assert, were either wholly without foundation, or greatly exaggerated. His Majesty had informed the House, that he had not incited Austria to the war; and if this country, before it knew that Austria was engaged in the war-before it knew that the die was cast, and that the fate of Austria was in its own hands, had exhausted its resources by expeditions, he would assert that Ministers would have incurred a much heavier responsibility, than if the failure of the expedition was attributable to them.-As to the observations which had been made on the conduct of the operations, it was a strong symptom of the decline of military feelings in the country, that such a disposition prevailed to depreciate military commanders abroad. Whether they managed so as to preserve their armies, or nobly advanced without regarding minor considerations, to risk every thing where the stake was worth risking, they were alike subjects of calumny and detraction. He did not mean to say that no inquiry was to take place, but that the House should first know what it was to inquire about. If the fault was with Ministers, then parliamentary inquiry would