VOL. 6.] Young Arthur, a Metrical Romance. We might multiply quotations with out number. Mudame de Genlis' work would furnish an abundance of amusing moral and instructive anecdotes. Sev. eral articles are treated with remarkable talent; the graceful style and turns of high life which characterise the genius of the author are every where observable. We could have wished for a few more 231 historical anecdotes; the book is more remarkable for observation than research; it is more the work of a woman of the world than a woman of learning; a critical and explanatory dictionary of the etiquette of the court of the world, &c. might well have excused a little coquetry of erudition in a female. YOUNG ARTHUR, OR THE CHILD OF MYSTERY. Extracted from the European Magazine. OUR UR public obligations to the highlygifted family of the Dibdins, have long attached an interest to every work connected with their names.As to the manner in which Mr. Dibdin has chosen to tell this story,we must, indeed, beg leave to enter our unqualified dissent; for tho' the plan he has adopted certainly introduces his readers to very many flashes of wit, and brilliancies of imagination, and coruscations of humour, which they would otherwise have missed, yet we do opine, that such interruptions to the progress of the Tale are scarcely redeemed,even by the beauties thus presented, and like the circuitous wanderings of a mountain stream, though they sparkle where they stray, still such deviations are too frequently useless, and such irregularities unpleasing. There are excellencies in this poem that more than compensate for any of those critical objections, which, after all, exist perhaps but in a difference of taste, and certainly may be supported by precedents of very high and potent authority. The following extract is from an allegorical subject, and affords a lesson, Her heart was pure, her mind serene, To guard from the power of the 'witching spe!!, But she had breath'd an accepted prayer To where the powers of goodness dwell. And there as she stray'd she saw a sprite, of mortal form, blooming and bright; And a spirit of air, have legends said, Would woo the love of a mortal maid; Was never known after to appear: And the wind when shrieking was thought to bear The shriek of that spell-bound maid's despair. He saw the maid, and the maid he woo'd, And still as she wander'd the sprite pursued; Still where he stepp'd flow'rs seem'd to spring, Whenever he sung it seem'd to be The floating of heavenly harmony. A lyre in his hand he seem'd to hold, And that maid to the spirit who once gave ear And whenever he spoke birds seem'd to sing; The frame was crystal, the strings were gold; And when he his hand to the lyre address'd, It seem'd a requiem of the blest. our reformers would do well to profit And pair'd with oure virgin air's spirits may be ;by: LEGEND OF THE THE PASSION-FLOWER AND THE SPRITE. A lovely maid, with an air of grace, To that spot by the mild moon's beaming stray'd; Sweet spirit of earth, come, rove with me. Ah, cease thy song, the maiden cried, And hie thee far from me; For thou art bliss by Heaven denied, And I may not rove with thee. I'll build thee a palace in air, love, And rainbows encircle shall there, love, And that root with resplendent stars shall blaze, The floors be celestial blue; And there I'll collect the sun's bright rays, And the beam of the moon which so mildly plays Ah, cease thy song, the maiden cried, I'll build for thee a wond 'rous bower; Shall glow with gems of the brightest sheen. Each leaf shall the clearest emerald be, Rubies shall glow in every rose ; Violets of sapphire thou there shalt see, And crocus, where mellow the topaz glows. There amethysts shall in pinks unite; And the snow drop pure be of orient pearl. And every flower of every hue With diamond drops shall o'ersprinkled be; And they shall sparkle as drops of dew, And the radiance that lights them reflect from thee. Ah! cease thy song, the maiden cried, And will not rove with thee: When thou to light art lost; When thou in pain art toss'd. And they were near a tower, On which, wide-spreading,grew That sparkled with the dew. And off a flower then pluck'd the maid, A type of heavenly love: A short and secret prayer she said For power from above. And with that flower she touch'd the sprite, The dew she o'er him shed: The fiend then lost his borrow'd light, And howling from her fled. And safe with the holy passion flow'r Return'd that maid to her peaceful bow'r: From Blackwood's (Ed.) Magazine. HIPPISLEY'S NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO THE RIVERS ORINOCO AND APURE.* HIS is an extremely comfortable an extremely uncomfortable one to read. It is excellently well printed-and the hand slips smoothly over the wire-wove hot-pressed paper, as over a lady's arm, with or without a glove. Indeed it does one's heart good to dally with so comely an octavo-fat, fair, and forty and we absolutely fell asleep with it in our arms. On awaking from our slumbers, we began to converse a little with our Spanish mistress, but to our speakable mortification found her not only tiresome to a degree, but unhappy ⚫ herself unless she could make us equally so, and acquainted with sad misery, "As the tanned galley-slave is with his oar." un long, in which the gallant Colonel Hip sight in one attitude of distress after another, that our feelings of sympathy are so worn out that we wish either he or we had never been born-and feel at last as if we could not long survive, he his endurance, and we his narration of all the miseries of human life. The gallant colonel was called up to London from his retirement, by several mercantile gentlemen, who promised to come forward with pecuniary resources to any old officers who would embark in the cause of the Spanish American patriotic government, who had for seven years past been fighting hard for freedom from the iron yoke of Ferdinand VII. He immediately waited on Luis Lopez Mendez, the agent from the republic of Venezuela, and had an audience of him in presence of the deputies from Chili, Peru, Mexico, and Santa Fè. In the appendix he gives a copy of the agreement afterwards entered into between him and Mendez, by which he was constituted colonel-commandant of mandant of the British Brigade in South America. the first regiment of Venezuelian Hus But to speak with a gravity more becoming our years and profession, here is a narrative upwards of 500 pages • Narrative of the Expedition to the rivers Orinoco and Apure, in South America, which sailed from England in November 1817, and joined the patriotic forces in Venezuela and Caraccas: by G. Hippisley, Esq. late Colonel of the first Venezuelian Hussars, in the service of the Republic, and Colonel-Com London, J. Murray, Albemarle Street. VOL. 6.] Colonel Hippisley and his Tailor. sars-all the officers whom he had chosen confirmed in the rank which he had given them-pay and aliowance equal to those in the British service guaranteed to them also a remuneration from the Venezuelian government to every man disabled by wounds, or rendered unfit for actual service and a pledge given, that no officer should be removed from bis regiment into any other, without his colonel's concurrence. The private men of the regiment (600) were to be selected from the natives of Spanish America, and disciplined by Colonel Hippisley and his officers ou their arrival at the Caraccas. The pay and allowances of the commissioned officers were to commence from the day (inclusive) of their arrival at the Caraccas, island of Margarita, or any part of the Spanish main-and of the non-commissioned from that of their embarkation on board of the vessel to convey them from England. On their arrival at the Caraccas allowances were to be made for the expenses on the voyage to the colonel-commandant, field-officers, captains, and subalterns, dollars 200 each-and to non-commissioned, &c. dollars 80 each, in addition to the regular pay. Colonel Hippisley, thus "armed and prepared for active exertion," commenced operations, by "visiting the shops of the various tradesmen to be employed in the equipment of my officers, and the regiment in general. I began," says he, "with the saddler ;" and having directed patterns of caps, he finished by "causing a button-mould to be engraved, denominative of my regiment, and emblematic of the service on which I was to lead it." One of the chief defects of this volume is the want of an engraving of the emblematical button, which we doubt not did credit, as well to the colonel's ingenuity in the fine arts, as to his enthusiasm in the cause of liberty. Having, as he thought, put caps, saddles, buttons, &c. in good trim, his next object was to get the "bulk, the sinews, and the thewes of men"-and after considerable exertions, he got together half-pay officers, discharged sergeants of cavalry, and "young gentle2F ATHENEUM VOL. 6. 233 men who had never before held a military commission," to the number of one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, eight captains, sixteen lieutenants, eight cor nets, adjutant, quarter master, two surgeons, two apothecaries, and riding master. Their uniform, which is described, was a very smart and dashing one, contracted for with Messrs. Thompson and Mackintosh for about £40 per officer, which sum, and al! others connected with their outfit, each gentleman promised on his honour to pay before embarkation. Meanwhile other heroes besides our colonel were raising regiments for the same service. Colonel Campbell was completing his corps of riflemen-Macdonald the first regiment of Lancers-and by and by Colonel Hewit commenced the equipment of a second regiment of Lancers-and Colonei Wilson the Second, or Red Hussars of Venezuela. There was now a crying demand for saddlery and shipping and the sufferings of Colonel Hippisley may be said to have begun. And first of all came Messrs. Thompson and Mackintosh, with faces as long as their ell-wands, and declared the utter impossibility of getting the uniforms finished by 20th of August, the day "nominated in the bond." The various patriotic regiments may be said to have been all clashing together-for though they had many colonels they had but one tailor-and the particulars of an arrangement are given, by which breeches seem to have been handed out to the officers according to a principle of proportion which we dare say was quite equitable-but not until the feelings of Colonel Hippisley seem to have been greatly harassed. These details may be said, with or without a pun, to have been uniformly affecting-and the Colonel exhibits throughout them all great magnanimity of character. After rigging out the rifie-corps, Mr. Esdaile, army clothier and tailor, began to show the white feather; and distrusting the guarantee of Don Mendez, Jaid “the fame, favour, and profit, (such are Colonel Hippisley's words) likely to arise from an order so extensive," on the shoulders of Mr. Dooran, who began cutting out and stitching away with all the alacrity of a true tailor. It was now high time to embark, and the Prince, a ship which had been procured by Messrs. Thompson and Mackintosh, was in readiness for their reception. Each officer paid into the hands of a committee, consisting of two captains and two subalterns, the sum of £14, 10s. for laying in wine, spirits, pigs, and poultry, and 10s. per head was farther levied, for the purchase of a tent, to mess in on the shores of Venezuela. The senior surgeon, who possessed that “suaviter in modo which seduces the heart and sometimes the understand ing," was entrusted with the money thus collected—and engaged to get to gether pigs, &c. On inspection, the Prince was found fit for the reception only of sixty men and twenty officers instead of forty-four commissioned offcers and 120 non-commissioned and artillerists. The co onel very promptly disembarked his men "without their breakfast ;" and after much vexation and considerable delay, finally procured the Emerald, formerly a French corvette, and a prime vessel both in accommodation and sailing. But, alas! the old surgeon, so suave in his manners, grand treasurer and caterer to the Venezuelian Hussars, and who had caused one general watering of mouths among the patriots, by the long list of promised dainties to be devoured during the voyage, was nowhere to be found and had actually got himself arrested on a false debt, and confined to a spunginghouse, that he might be safe from his brethren in arms. The pigs and the poultry were discovered to be mere cratures of imagination-and the crock ery the work only of the ancient chirurgeon's brain. Three officers, too, to whom the colonel had become security for the payment of their clothing and saddlery went off by the light of the harvest moon. The second major declined going out-and two captains and several jug or officers resigned. At last the Emerald got under weigh, and made Madeira after 14 days of boisterous weather, during which time the plague raged among the pigs, and confusion among the crockery, to such an extent, there was no bacon to dress, and had there been, scarcely a plate from which to devour it. On their arrival in the Bay of Funchal, they were not only told to keep their distance, but absolutely fired at from the fort. They succeeded, however, next day, in getting some fruit and wines brought on board, that though they had no dinners, they might at least have a dessert-and continued their voyage, passing by Antigua, till they cast anchor off St. Bartholomew, and landed at the town of Gustavia. During the run from Madeira, great insubordination prevailed an board The the junior officers were perpetually quarrelling-and one of them being brought to a court-martial, was found guilty of theft-sentenced to be dismissed the society of his brother officers— and on landing on the Spanish main, to be turned to the right about. At Gustavia the officers appear in uniform, and the soldiers, as might have been expected, prove extremely troublesome and riotous among the the natives. Prince arrives at the island with colonel Wilson and his troops on board, and also the Britannia with colonel Gilmour and the artillery-but all the different colonels, between whom indeed it appears that there was little cordiality before they left England, are all exceeding shy and testy, and indeed behave more like so many big lads for the first time in a ball-room, and quarrelling about the places of their partners, than middle-aged and indeed elderly gentlemen, going to deliver an immense continent from the yoke of oppression. Here a very splendid ball was given by his Excellency the Governor to the patriot officers, at which, we are informed, colonel Wilson and Gilmour, io imitation of a Frenchman who wore orders at his breast, also appeared with dazzling appendages of a like kind, but by whom bestowed, and by what services acquired, the honest colonel Hippisley professes his entire ignorance. On this lieutenant-colonel English, who seems to be a bit of a wag, hinted, that "had we known that the production of a something at the button-hole would have been uniform, the whole of the remaining British officers might have sported a VOL. 6.] Brion, Bermudez and Montillo. doubloon suspended at their bosom. If its appearance there would not have added to their rank and dignity,it would however have added to their credit, and have convinced the good tavernkeepers in Gustavia, that their guests, as far as the doubloons would go, were trust-worthy." From the time of their leaving St. Bartholomew's to the meeting with Admiral Brion's (the patriot admiral,) squadron in the Orinoco, we have nothing but accounts of duels,-mutinies -and desertions-in one of which no less than forty men abandoned the In addition to all these evils, the brackish water of the Orinoco made all the men ill-so that the few men cause. who were left belonging to the expedition were feeble and dispirited, as well as undisciplined, ignorant, and by the ears with each other. The final disastrous issue was at hand. We have now gone over, as rapidly as we could, 200 pages of colonel Hippisley's narrative. We come now to something like a little information concerning persons, of whom one is anxious to hear-the admirals and generals in the patriot cause. ADMIRAL BRION. 235 ra, Colonel Hippisley and Colonel Wil- GEN. BERMUDEZ, AND MONTILLO. "General Bermudez can also assume the appearance of humanity, kindness, and politeness; and I was pleased with him when he got up from table, which I understood he did so early, to give time for the large hall in which he' had dined to be prepared for a ball. The governor of Angustura (general of brigade Montillo) has one of the most prepossessing countenances ever seen. In stature he is about five feet seven inches, stout and well made, clear brown complexion, and dark hair; his eyes, the most brilliant, and perhaps the most although rather small, are black, and soft and playful that ever were seen in the head of man. Montillo is brave to a fault; by birth he is a Caracarian ; he possesses humanity, and harbours not the smallest tincture of jealousy or resentment. He is a great favourite with the general in chief, Bolivar, and is about twenty-seven years of age, experson and appearcessively neat in his ance; but, unfortunately, so addicted he is even rather prepossessing; he to drinking, that he is scarcely known speaks English, and understands it well; to go to his hammock sober at night, and he too frequently commencés his he is as good a Frenchman as he is a Spaniard, and speaks the latter tongue potations soon after mid-day. When he appeared at General Berinudez's, with true Castilian pronunciation." although I had only seen him for a few miautes previously in the street, yet he "His excellency, Luis Brion, admiral of the Venezuelian navy, and of the coast between the river Amazon and the Gulf of Florida, captain-general and commander-in-chief of the naval republic, is a native of the island of Curacoa; in stature about five feet five inches; thin make; his limbs firm, and well put together; rather a round face, much sun-burnt, and pitted with a few marks of small-pox; short black hair, dark penetrating eyes, and good teeth; a jewish cast of countenance, which, however, is rendered more expressive of his real situation by the full mustachio which he wears on his upper lip. In person and manners he displays a good deal of ease, and on a first appearance Proceeding up the river, at Angustu |
