they had long looked up to the time when the defeat they had incurred should be wiped away by victory, and their beloved earl be revenged. presented him with a most Allan excelled in all the mar tial exercises, and in his amusements loved to wander in the rude and grand scenery, rather than the softer landscape. His mother saw the former prowess of the father rising to perfection in the son, and she imposed her commands on him not to risk the last of her remaining comforts, by engaging with a hostile and inveter ate foe. It was in one of those rambles that; having strayed for some miles over hills covered with heath, and among the bold outlines of natural and rocky scenery, he lost the path which he had traversed, and in vain looked for the objects which had directed him. remained for some time in silent dread, which was soon heightened to a degree of terror not to be endured. He called aloud, and no answer was returned. Having wandered some time, he came to a narrow pass, which he enter-girl, #cd, overcome with fruitless search and fatigue. He had not advanced far, when a chasm in the rock suddenly He cottages, which the earl had observed from the height, and Donald presented his guest to a venerable old man, his father. Allan, after resting himself a while, and partaking of some refreshments, spread by the hand of a charming young departed, the young pea sant walking with him as his guide. In their conversation manliness of idea, and an exerAllan thought he discovered a gy own. corresponding with his ed the castle, and Donald re On their way they saw at a little distance the castle of Balloch, which produced conversation upon the tyranny of its possessor, and the general disposition of the surrounding clans to rise and punish the murderer, if once put into in. surrection. Allan, surprised at the boldness of Donald's expressions, and feeling their importance, could not forbear exclaiming, "O my father, by his villainy didst thou fall!" In an instant the whole truth flashed upon the mind of Donald, and, assured that he beheld the son of the lord whom from his infancy he had been taught to esteem, he sunk at his feet, and embraced his knees with ardour. The young earl raised him from the ground, and, hearing Donald affirm that there were other clans besides his own ready to mained with the earl that night. The following day was the celebration of an annual festival, and Allan would not suf fer his friendly peasant to de part. Merriment resounded through the castle, and in the morning were performed some martial exercises, in which emulation was to be excited by. appropriate rewards. The Countess and her lovely daughter beheld the feats from the castle, and were surprised to see the stranger Donald bear off each prize of chivalry, He afterwards received the palm of victory from the earl, and was seated by him at the feast which followed. At the end of it each guest arose, and seizing his goblet with his left hand, and with his right striking his sword, drank to the memory of their departed lord; and this was followed by drink avenge the wrongs of the lateing to the honour of the son of earl of Glencoe, he clasped his hand but the image of his weeping mother crossed his mind, and he could only assure him then, that the time would come, when he should accept of his services with the gratitude they deserved. It was evening when they reach their late master. Allan knew what was requir ed of him, and he harangued them in favour of war and revenge. The whole assembly then crossed their swords, and swore never to abandon the cause, in which they were en gaged, till their enemy had paid the debt due to justice, and their murdered chief. In the evening the peasantry had free ingress to the festivity of the castle, and as it had been an old custom for the daughter of the chief to dance with the victor of the morning, Matilda and Donald thus became part. ners; and the admiration of the spectators were equally divided between the performances of the graceful and modest pair. She retired in joy to the gallery, and the night concluded with pleasure to all but the earl and Donald. The former burned with filial duty to his father's memory, and resolved, after acquainting Henrietta with his design, to rise and prosecute his cause with arms. The bosom of Donald in vain endeavoured to exclude the charming image of his partner. He arose at the dawn, and departed from the castle with a heart full of love, and eagerly anxious to prepare his friends for the approaching struggle. (To be Continued.) An Irishman seeing a wicked little boy busily employed in throwing stones at the gallows, called out lustily, "Go it! my little fellow, go it! I will be answerable that you'll come to your mark at last!" The SPECULATOR. NUMBER XVIII. Fanum habet in cornu, longe fuge, dummodo risum Excutiat sibi, non hic cuiquam parcet amico. HOR. It is a lamentable fact, that the great majority of mankind are always ready to expose the faults and foibles of others, without paying a strict attention themselves to that rule of conduct, prescribed for our benefit, by laws both moral and divine. 'Tis their chief delight to undermine and blast the reputation of their neighbours; to enumerate their failings, and derogate from their virtues while, alas! how seldom do we see one champion come forward in defence of injured innocence. Yet it is to be hoped (however few) there are some who have a just contempt for the circulators of inviduous falshoods, and would pity those who suffer under the malignant lash of slander and misrepresentation. The most baneful species of calumny proceeds from envy, a passion inherent (I had almost said) in the breast of every created be ing. It is impossible for an envious person to be ■ calm spectator of another's happiness; he cannot look on with delight, and see a fellow creature whom fortune has favoured, walk in a higher sphere than that, in which a beneficent providence has thought proper unjustly charges the party accused; but he conceives, that the condemnation of them in another, will blind the world with respect to his own enormity; and secretly delights himself with the vain supposition, that the curtain of deceit will for ever exclude the pry to place him; and even allowing eye of justice and rectitude ing, that he is upon an equality with the greatest, his restless mind is continually racking it self, to find out some invention, whereby he may destroy the peace of a competitor. In fine, those who are even prostrated by the chilling hand of poverty, possess a certain tranquillity, of which he seeks to deprive them. Envy, as I antecedently remarked, is not confined exclusively within. the bosoms of the great; far from it, for its deadly poison is universally diffused, as well throughout the dwelling of the prince, as the cottage of the peasant; and the only means of gratifying the mind upon which it acts, is to have recourse to detraction; base and despicable descention! How common is it to behold an envious man propagating reports injurious to the character of another, when his own reputation is sullied with the very crimes of which he (perhaps) from viewing the dark and nefarious acts committed by him, under the garb of morality. Mistaken notion! It may, in truth, screen him for a time, long enough perchance to answer his malicious purposes, and heap infamy and ruin on the unhappy victim, marked out to fall a sacrifice on the altar of malignant perversion. But it will not be always thus, the time must come, when conscience will be no longer silenced, and the wrongs he hath done another will revert to himself with redoubled force. The immortal British bard did well, when he compared the loss of gold as nothing to that of a good name: a ruined fortune by industry may be regained; but the lamp of reputation once extinguished, who shall rekindle? If slanderers would take a retrospective view of the unfortunate consequences that have ensued from wilful misrepresentation, and the unlicensed liberty of their poisonous tongues, they would at an immediate glance have represented to them scenes at which humanity ought to shudder. Calumniator! whoever thou art, endeavour to eradicate your predominant passicn; never be industrious to spread malevolent reports to injure the fame of thy brother man; if he offend thee, forgive him, and his faults and errors cover over with the mantle of friendship. Harken not to the mean detailer of characters, for, as Lord Chesterfield very justly remarks, chance of assigning reasons for his conduct, that which would be magnified by the lacerators of reputation into an henious crime, would appear to the greater part of the community an act too trifling for notice. Neither is pleasure an inmate of the bosom wherein the corroding passion of slander and envy have taken up their abode; no, the wretch whose breath carries with it contamination, may feel a transient glow at the sight of fallen virtue, yet he may long snatch at real pleasure, but will never find the object, attainable. Solid “there would be no evil speak-happiness can alone be his, whose great mind scorns to PUN. R. Mr. — was a great calumniator, and a frequenter of other persons' tables. It was said of him, that he never opened his mouth but at another man's expence. |