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As the sweet shower of April which oft journeys by, Is followed by summer's bright ray,

The tears which now shade the pure blue of thine eye, In affection will soon pass away.

ONE GLASS MORE.

STAY, mortal stay! nor heedless thus

Thy sure destruction seal:

Within that cup there lurks a curse,

Which all who drink shall feel:
Disease and death, for ever nigh,
Stand ready at the door,
And eager wait to hear the cry
Of give me " one glass more."
Go, view that prison's gloomy cells-
Their pallid tenants scan:

Gaze-gaze upon these earthly hells,
And ask when they began:

HENRIQUE.

Had these a tongue-Oh, man! thy cheek
The tale would crimson o'er;

Had these a tongue, they'd to thee speak,
And answer, "one glass more.'

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Behold that wretched female form,

An outcast from her home;

Bleach'd in Affliction's blighting storm,

And doom'd in want to roam;

Behold her:-ask that prattler dear

Why mother is so poor?

He'll whisper in thy startled ear,

'Twas FATHER's "one glass more!"

Stay mortal, stay! repent, return!

Reflect upon thy fate;

The poisonous draught indignant spurn-
Spurn, spurn it, ere too late:

Oh, fly the alehouse' horrid din,

Nor linger at the door,

Lest thou, perchance shouldst sip again
The treacherous "one glass more!"

New York.

J. Arliss, Printer, London.

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VILLAGE MINSTREL.

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Classic and Polite Literature.

A RAMBLE TO THE WESTERN HIGHLANDS OF SCOTLAND.

Resumed from page 100.

The following morning I joined my four friends, between the hours of seven and eight, and having partaken of a bowl of milk and a slice of dry bread, we engaged a boat to convey us across the Loch to Rowardenman, an inn at the foot of Ben Lomond. Never shall I forget this short but delightful voyage. After so unpleasant a day as the preceding, we were rejoiced to find the atmosphere tolerably clear. We felt the cheering influence of the morning sun, although the clouds, which were still slumbering on the sides of the surrounding mountains, excluded all sight of the luminary itself. The air was perfectly at rest, and our little boat glided smoothly along the water, whose tranquil surface reflected most minutely the magnificent scenery of the Lake, without the slightest wave to interrupt the reflection. Of every mountain and island, with each tree and rock, which adorned them, we could discern so distinct an image, that, without much stretch of imagination, we might almost have fancied ourselves floating between two similar landscapes; the one rising sublimely above us, whilst the other seemed to rival it in all its charms, beneath our VOL. III.-No. XVI.

R

feet. The motion of our boat, however, soon partially disturbed the serenity of the lake, and rendered the colours only of the reflected object distinguishable. The noise of the mountain torrent, and the splashings of our oars, with the busy hum of human voices, issuing from the village of Luss, were the only sounds which gave life, as it were, to the scene.

We deviated a little from our direct course, that we might visit Inch Tavanah, an island now used by the Duke of Montrose as a deer park. On the top of a hill, in the northern extremity of this isle, we had an excellent view of the other islands, the most remarkable of which were pointed out to us by one of the boatmen, who came on shore with us for that purpose. Near the eastern side we observed a lovely isfand, covered with wood, formerly appropriated by the Macgregor clan, who inhabited that side of the Loch, as a place of interment for their dead. Between this and the spot where we were standing, we saw another with a large farm-house, the abode of a number of lunatics, who are perfectly harmless as long as they remain on the island, where no whiskey is to be procured; but are no sooner allowed to return to the main land than they contrive to obtain this spirit, and under its effects become quite outrageous. Another small island is covered with the ruins of an ancient castle. In these ruins an osprey annually builds her nest, and deposits an egg; which had, this year, been taken away but a few weeks before, by a young English traveller.

Leaving Inch Tavanah, we made immediately across, and were landed in a small creek, about half a mile from the inn. As we were pursuing our way thither, my eye, in glancing over the prospect, which was now slightly varied, recognized a view, of which my brother took a sketch when on a similar tour. The contemplation of the scene itself was sufficient to give rise to many delightful feelings; but this pleasing association, connecting my thoughts with my distant and beloved home, was the source of additional delight, of a still more gratifying nature.

Immediately on our arrival at the inn, we ordered a substantial breakfast. This meal in the Highlands is

considered of the utmost importance. Besides boiled eggs, our table was moreover embellished with a dish of fried eggs and bacon. While enjoying all the good things before us, we had rather an unwelcome specimen of the spirit which animates the natives of the Highlands. Notwithstanding the refreshment we procured, previously to our departure from Luss, our appetites were in most excellent condition when we arrived on the other side the water; and, after we had each eaten two boiled eggs, we thought proper to order some more, not doubting that we should feel rather empty ere we finished our morning's walk, in which it was our intention to include an ascent to the top of Ben Lomond. Two eggs being the general allotment in Scotland, our hostess, who evidently had that morning been much more intimate with her whiskey bottle than such an early hour could warrant, received our order for an additional quantity of eggs as an affront offered to her knowledge of what should and what should not be produced at a breakfast table. Her indignation was immediately fired, and she burst in upon us most furiously enraged, observing, with frequent repetitions, and all due emphasis and actions that she knew how to prepare a breakfast as well as any cook in the kingdom; and, though she did live at the foot of Ben Lomond, she had dressed victuals for noblemen and gentry, and was not to be insulted by a parcel of runaway school boys from Dumbarton. We listened as patiently as we could for some time, but finding it totally impossible to obtain any more eggs from our drunken hostess, we endeavoured to obtain peace, and advised her to leave the apartment that we might enjoy the remainder of the breakfast by ourselves. To this piece of advice she at length attended, to the great satisfaction of her guests.

Between ten and eleven o'clock we sallied forth from the inn, provided with a small bottle of whiskey, and accompanied by a little boy, the son of the innkeeper, for a guide. But, before I proceed farther, I will introduce some lines which every traveller ought to pe ruse when he is about to climb Ben Lomond; on account of the salutary instruction they contain. They are the production of a Mr. Thomas Russel, au

English gentleman, and are still to be seen on a pane of glass in the window of the inn at Tarbert, or the apposite side of the lake:-

"Stranger, if o'er this pane of glass, perchance,
Thy roving eye should cast a careless glance;
If taste for grandeur, and the dread sublime,
Prompt thee Ben Lomond's fearful height to climb;
Here stop, attentive, nor with scorn refuse
The friendly rhymings of a tavern muse.
For thee the muse this rude instruction planned,
Prompted, for thee, her humble poet's hand.
Heed thou the poet, he thy steps shall lead
Safe o'er yon towering hill's aspiring head';
Attentive, then, to this informing lay,
Read what he dictates as he points the way.
"Trust not at first a quick adventurous pace,
Six miles its top points gradual from the base
Up the high rise, with panting haste, I passed,
And gained the long laborious steep at last:
More prudent you, when once you pass the deep,
With cautious steps and slow, ascend the steep.
Oh! stop a while, oft taste the cordial drop,
And rest, oh rest! long, long upon the top!
There hail the breezes, nor with toilsome haste
Down the rough slope thy youthful vigour waste;
So shall thy wondering sight at once survey
Woods, lakes, and mountains, vallies, rocks and sea;
Huge hills, that heaped in crowded order stand,
Stretched o'er the western and the northern land:
Enormous groups! While Ben, who often shrouds
His lofty summit in a veil of clouds,
High o'er the rest, exulting in his state,
In proud pre-eminence sublimely great,
One side, all awful to th' astonished eye,
Presents a rise three hundred fathoms high;
Which swells tremendous on th' affrighted sense,
In all the pomp of dread magnificence.

All this and more thou shalt with wonder see,
And own a faithful monitor in me."

Oct. 3d, 1771.

Our path was for the most part rocky, but not very steep; indeed our guide informed us that, during the summer, ladies frequently ascend on ponies. I suspect, however, that it must have been steeper than we supposed, as we were much fatigued, and very often obliged to rest and taste our whiskey. In these exalted regions this liquor lost much of its pungency, and was peculiarly agreeable even to our southern palates,

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