Poetry. SIR GUYON. A Romaunt. SIR GUYON was wand'ring at close of the day, When its radiance repos'd on the billow; And bright was the sea-bird that rock'd on the spray, Where the foam curl'd white for its pillow. Not a breeze from the mountains or woodlands had swept O'er the sea-surf, in trembling emotion; And lovely the moon-beam that silently slept On the beautiful breast of the ocean. The night-bird had woke its response from the grove, To welcome the spirit of even, That descended array'd in the emblems of Love, And its veil was the twilight of Heaven. The radiance of night was begemming the sky, While the spirits of millions ascended; And sweet was the lay of the ransom'd on high, From their lyres in extasy blended. Sir Guyon, he paus'd, for a transport of joy Was spread o'er his bosom of sadness, The warm tear of rapture was bright on his eye, He descended, while Guyon in extasy gaz'd, In accents more sweet than the songs of the blest, To wear out the traces of sorrow, The Angel of Mercy Sir Guyon address'd, And told him of life's latest morrow. "Behold in this mirror the wonders of Truth, When allied to Religion and Duty; They flourish immortal: eternal in youth; And deathless the bud of their beauty. Lo! these that you see, rob'd in raiment divine, In garments more white than the billow, Where the beams of the moon on its wide surface shine, And the sea-maid is rock'd on her pillow; Are the thousands who pass'd through the dark ocean flood Of suffering, of death, and of danger, Whose relicts are swaddled and shrouded in blood, Afar in the land of the stranger. Their souls are refin'd from each merciless stain, That passion and pride had engendered, And his heart-strings dilated with glad- Now pure as their God they shall ever re ness. His soul in the dream of Elysium is lapt, In its fine choral pauses and numbers; His thoughts in the visions of angels are wrapt, As they hung o'er his sanctified slumbers. When suddenly burst on his dreaming eye bright, A being in beauty immortal; In his hand was a magical mirror of light, And the keys of Eternity's portal. His face was the sun on the mountain of snow, His wings were the radiance of even; His zone was the colours that blend in the bow, When it spans the dark arches of Heaven. Proceedings of Parliament. HOUSE OF LORDS. Tuesday November 24. THE new parliament was this day open ed by commissioners appointed by his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and on Wednesday the Commons attended with Mr Abbot at their head, who had been chosen Speaker of that House. The Royal approbation of the choice having been given by the Commissioners, the usual privileges, namely, freedom of speech in debate, freedom from arrest for their persons, their servants, and their estates; free access to his Majesty whenever the occasion might require, and that the most favourable construction might be put upon all their acts-were claimed and granted. The Commons then retired from the bar. Thursday and Friday was occupied 'in administering the oaths to the Noble Lords who attended, and on Monday, November 30th, The Prince Regent proceeded in Royal state from Carlton House, and opened the Session of Parliament, in the House of Lords, by the following speech from the throne, the Commons being in attendance :— THE PRINCE REGENT'S SPEECH. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "It is with the deepest concern that I am obliged to announce to you, at the opening of this Parliament, the continuance of his Majesty's lamented indisposition, and the diminution of the hopes which I have most anxiously entertained of his recovery. "The situation of public affairs has induced me to take the earliest opportunity of I am meeting you after the late Elections. persuaded you will cordially participate in the satisfaction which I derive from the improvement of our prospects during the course of the present year. "The valour and intrepidity displayed by his Majesty's forces and those of his allies in the Peninsula, on so many occasions during this campaign, and the consummate skill and judgment with which the operations have been conducted by General the Marquis of Wellington, have led to consequences of the utmost importance to the common cause. "By transferring the war into the interior Dec. 1812. of Spain, and by the glorious and ever-mem orable victory obtained at Salamanca, he has compelled the enemy to raise the siege of Cadiz; and the Southern Provinces of that kingdom have been delivered from the power and arms of France. "Although I cannot but regret that the efforts of the enemy, combined with a view to one great operation, have rendered it necessary to withdraw from the siege of Burgos, and to evacuate Madrid, for the pur pose of concentrating the main body of the Allied Forces; these efforts of the enemy have, nevertheless, been attended with important sacrifices on their part, which must materially contribute to extend the resources and facilitate the exertions of the Spanish nation. ." I am confident I may rely on your determination to continue to afford every aid in support of a contest which has given to the Continent of Europe the example of persevering, and successful resistance to the power of France, and on which not only the independence of the Nations of the Peninsula, but the best interests of his Majesty's dominions essentially depend. "I have great pleasure in communicating to you, that the relations of peace and friendship have been restored between his Majesty and the Courts of St Petersburgh and Stockholm. "I have directed copies of the Treaties to be laid before you. "In a contest for his own Sovereign rights, and for the independence of his dominions, the Emperor of Russia has had to oppose a large proportion of the military power of the French Government, assisted by its Allies, and by the Tributary States dependent upon it. "The resistance which he has opposed to so formidable a combination, cannot fail to excite sentiments of lasting admiration. "By his own magnanimity and perseverance, by the zeal and disinterestedness of all ranks of his subjects, and by the gallantry, firmness, and intrepidity of his forces, the presumptuous expectations of the enemy have been signally disappointed. "The enthusiasm of the Russian nation has increased with the difficulties of the contest, and with the dangers with which they were surrounded. They have submitted to sacrifices of which there are few examples in the history of the world; and I indulge the confident hope, that the determined perseverance of his Imperial Majesty will be crowned with ultimate success; and that this contest, in its result, will have the effect of establishing, upon a foundation never to be shaken, the security and independence of the Russian empire. "The proof of confidence which I have received from his Imperial Majesty, in the measure which he has adopted of sending his fleets to the ports of this country, is in the highest degree gratifying to me; and his Imperial Majesty may most fully rely on my fixed determination to afford him the most cordial support in the great contest in which he is engaged. "I have the satisfaction further to acquaint you, that I have concluded a Treaty with his Sicilian Majesty, supplementary to the Treaties of 1808 and 1809. "As soon as the ratifications shall have been exchanged, I will direct a copy of this Treaty to be laid before you. "My object has been to provide for the more extensive application of the military force of the Sicilian Government to offensive operations; a measure which, combined with the liberal and enlightened principles which happily prevail in the councils of his Sicilian Majesty, is calculated, I trust, to augment his power and resources, and at the same time render them essentially serviceable to the common cause. "The declaration of war by the Government of the United States of America was made under circumstances which might have afforded a reasonable expectation that the amicable relations between the two nations would not long be interrupted. It is with sincere regret that I am obliged to acquaint you, that the conduct and pretensions of that Government have hitherto prevented the conclusion of any pacific arrangement. "Their measures of hostility have been principally directed against the adjoining British provinces, and every effort has been made to seduce the inhabitants of them from their allegiance to his Majesty. "The proofs, however, which I have received of loyalty and attachment from his Majesty's subjects in North America are highly satisfactory. "The attempts of the enemy to invade Upper Canada have not only proved abortive, but by the judicious arrangements of the Governor General, and by the skill and decision with which the military operations have been conducted, the forces of the enemy, assembled for that purpose in one quarter, have been compelled to capitulate, and in another have been completely de feated. "My best efforts are not wanting for the restoration of the relations of peace and amity between the two countries; but, until this object can be attained without sacrificing the maritime rights of Great Britain, I shall rely upon your cordial support in a vigorous prosecution of the war. "Gentlemen of the House of CommeRS, "I have directed the estimates for the services of the ensuing year to be laid before you, and I entertain no doubt of your readiness to furnish such supplies as may enable me to provide for the great interests committed to my charge, and which afford the best prospect of bringing the contest in which his Majesty is engaged to a succesful termination. "My Lords and Gentlemen, "The approaching expiration of the Charter of the East India Company renders it necessary that I should call your early attention to the propriety of providing ef fectually for the future government of the provinces of India. "In considering the variety of interests which are connected with this important subject, I rely on your wisdom for making such an arrangement as may best promote the prosperity of the British possessions in that quarter, and at the same time secure the greatest advantages to the commerce and revenue of his Majesty's dominions. "I have derived great satisfaction from the success of the measures which have been adopted for suppressing the spirit of outrage and insubordination which had appeared in some parts of the country, and from the disposition which has been manifested to take advantage of the indemnity held out to the deluded by the wisdom and benevolence of Parliament. "I trust I shall never have occasion to lament the recurrence of atrocities so repug nant to the British character; and that all his Majesty's subjects will be impressed with the conviction, that the happiness of individuals, and the welfare of the State, equally depend upon a strict obedience to the laws, and an attachment to our excellent constitution. "In the loyalty of his Majesty's people, and in the wisdom of Parliament, I have reason to place the fullest confidence. The same firmness and perseverance which have been manifested on so many and such trying occasions will not, I am persuaded, be wanting, at a time when the eyes of all Europe, and of the world, are are fixed upon you. I can assure you, that, in the exercise of the great trust reposed in me, I have no sentiment so near my heart as the desire to promote, by every means in my power, the real prosperity and lasting happiness of His Majesty's subjects." The Prince Regent then retired; and the Lord Chancellor having taken the woolsack, read the speech, which was again read by the Clerk. Lord Longford then rose to move an Address to His Royal Highness in answer to his most Gracious Speech. His Lordship chiefly adverted to the affairs of Spain, the prosperous state of which he attributed to the able and gallant conduct of Lord Wellington. He said, that, although the people of this country sustained a very enormous taxation, yet, if the horrors and distresses which prevailed throughout every other country of Europe could be kept from our plains by such means, he thought this country had no reason to repine. One of the advantages of the prosperous state of affairs in Spain was, the success of the Emperor of Russia against the hostile aggres sions of Bonaparte, whose force was weakened by his overthrow in the Peninsula. After adverting to the other topics in the Prince Regent's Speech, he concluded by moving an Address, which was, as usual, an echo of the Speech from the Throne. Lord Rolle seconded the address. The Marquis Wellesley did not mean to oppose the address; but wished to state to their Lordships his opinion on the conduct of the war we were carrying on in Spain. That war, he contended, was not conducted on a scale of adequate vigour; and he entered into a variety of statements to shew, that all the brilliant successes of our troops in that quarter had been lost by the neglect of ministers in not sending out reinforcements to enable them to follow up their victories, When Lord Wellington, (the Marquis observed,) advanced in the expectation of powerful co-operation on the other side of the Peninsula, which had been concerted with him in March, when he was before Badajoz, he remained a considerable time on the frontier, expecting that this would prevent the large corps of Suchet from joining with Soult's. Although, however, he knew not of the Sicilian armament being on the coast of Catalonia, he had heard of Suchet having detached a large body of troops to join Joseph, on the 17th of July. He was then obliged to commence, not a feigned, but a real retreat, which he continued on the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and till late on the 22d. Why did he so?-because he was deficient in his supplies of money; it being a matter of public notoriety that hẹ had not 20,000 dollars in the military chest; and he (Marquis W.) believed that the richest brigade in the army had not three dollars. So much was he reduced, that he was obliged to make use of 47,000 dollars which were sent from Cadiz for the express use of Don Carlos Espana's corps. Here, then, was full proof of the insufficiency of the system which Ministers had pursued. The battle of Salamanca, so glorious in itself, was atchieved from no adequacy of means, but in consequence of an error of the enemy; and was that a subject on which to build the future success of the campaign? That victory had produced its effects; but were they permanent ?--With respect to the failure of success at Burgos, he was so far from being disappointed, that he protested he did not know how he (Lord W.) could have taken it, unless by a miracle; for to reduce such a fortress by two 18-pounders, could amount to little less than a miracle. In the month of May, when Ministers knew that he was about to advance into Spain, and that the greater part of the French troops were drawn towards Russia, was it common sense not to have taken every measure, for reinforcing our army? Instead of that, on the 21st of October, he began his retreat from Burgos, and on the 25th he found the enemy con siderably stronger than him, particularly in cavalry; and on the 24th he had only been joined by 1500 guards. Other regiments had been obliged to be sent round from Corunna to Lisbon, from which they could not join him before next campaign. Like all the rest of the system, though, in his conscience, he believed it was done with the best intentions; yet ministers only did a little, not the whole; and they might as well, in fact, do nothing at all. The Sici lian expedition had, instead of taking pos session of Tarragona, or Barcelona, at last, at Alicant, became extinct, as to the operations of the war. As to the effect of Ballasteros's force, in preventing a junction be tween Soult and Suchet, any one who had unfortunately met a Spanish army, as he had done, must know, that there could not be such a joke as the bare idea of such a thing: for, if Ballasteros had attempted such a thing, he would have been annihila ted. He trusted, however, to be able to convince the Prince, the Parliament, and the country, that all our resources ought, for a time, to be employed in endeavouring most vigorously to expel the French from Spain. Russia expected that such would have been the case, when she became prepared to resist the menaces of France; but in this, Ministers had so far deserted the Cause |