The scribbler, 27 mai 1824, jeudi 27 mai 1824

Vol.V.] Montreal, Thursday, 27th May, 1824.[JVo.122., ":n" —: Quitta vita vis tolhmt, Meum, Tuvm± H-Ï- PüBliIU3:SvR^JBÙ; , 7 How do those two small words of.Mine and Tïnçf#.All the world’s joy and quiet undermine! -— Uvng*paUp$ -et'trw, Hinc scclusy insidmqm$ :et/md!a modsstia voii.•.Statius.Hence fear, aridiwrath, and envy’s gnawing fire.Rapine, and spoil, and gold’s ungorged desire.Satis commmla 'ûfa/mhm.* Sufficiently accommodating to alU Livy.Poetic justice, with her lifted scale W here, in nice balance, truth with gold she weighs, And solid pudding against empty praise.Pope» Remarks on the Institution of the QUEBEC * LITERARY AND HISTORICAL SOCIETY, - Concluded\ The object I before stated as a desirable one* namely, to publish *‘The Transactions of the Society.,” is more hinted at than expressly promised.It is to be hoped that that will be considered as an essential part ol the public duty of the institua tio„o.Without it, it will be 3.dead letter; a few curious gems, cameos, and rich ores, locked up in the cabinet of a miser.Be the papers communicated, and read at the Society, evei* so few ic 1 130 number, or, perhaps, so little interesting in matter, tbe printing of them in semestral, or annual volumes, or if not sufficiently bulky, in cahiers, (I do not know any English word that expresses the same idea, as this French literary term,) would be not only disseminating that knowledge, information, and instruction, which it is the professed aim of such societies to give to the public, but would be tiie greatest stimulus to many, (provided the illiberal restriction of nothing but members’ pro ductions b^ing admitted, be removed,) for the dévotion of leisure to such pursuits as they see are honoured by the approval of the society.I rather regret that the further extension of the objects of such an establishment has not been hinted at in the address ; and that, if its funds and numbers be increased, the appendages, of the formation of a provincial public library, a museum, a Botanic Garden, (always a favourite idea of mine,) and lectureships for the various brancher of practical science, have not been suggested as desirable to be looked to in the visto of future utility.It may be said, Canada is yet too young for such plans: I will admit the country is too young for their immediate introduction, but not too young to look forward to that progressive state of improvement, which will, at some future period, sanction them; especially when we are told, in the words of the address that;44 We have the advantages of many institutions of learning already existing among us, of many men in the number of our citizens who are entitled to be called learned.” I will not damp the enthusiasm that may ensue from the contemplation of what may arise from such prospects, by expressing any doubts, in th is place, as to the institutions of learning, and the teamed citizens, intended to be alludWi to; but 131 passing on to the next paragraph, will give my cordial assent that “ the beneficial effects to be rationally anticipated from the prosperity of such a society, require no exaggerated description and that “It must strike every one that the objects are more desirable in themselves, inasmuch d# as they combine the propagation of knowledge with the gratification of laudable curiosity.” The close of this paragraph is, however, rather unlucky, for History being part and parcel of Literature, ought not to have been used in illustration of the utile and the duke of Horace.In fact, History, as before said, bears a far too prominent part both in the Address, and in the whole plan.- Towards the close of the Address, the latent cancer that I sadly fear will damp and destroy this promising scion of Canadian honour, shews its poisonous head.“ In a literary point of view,” says the Address, “ it is fair to expect that the formation of this society will introduce a lasting bond of union, and correspondence between men eminent for rank, erudition, and genius.” What in heaven’s name has rank to do with literature, farther than to be honoured and proud of being combined with it?and so may poverty too; and I am more inclined to believe that real propriety and truth would have been better observed had the phrase ran, “ men of poverty, erudition, and genius;” for in this country, more even than in any other I have ever been in, are our men “ eminent for rank,” (always with some exceptions,) still more eminent for ignorance, and narrowmindedness.With respect to the Bye-laws, 1 have nothing particular to observe; they appear to be very judiciously framed for the regulation of the Society, 132 Articles IV.and VII.give indications of some future views of forming both a library and museum.Government City, Jpril 28tk.Mr.Editor, I have little of consequence to inform you of since my last, save that Bobby Bramhletorf s house on the ice has been robbed of a bed, chairs, tables, glasses, kegs, &c.and, to use a common nhrase, the robbers made a clean sweep, leaving the unfortunate Bobby an empty tenement.Bob by, however, has more irons in the fire.There is a large and commodious, house at Point Evil, which, it is said, is his,* and into which he intends moving, with his sisters.He would, no doubt, have had the pleasure of introducing the pretty barmaid as mistress of the mansion, only, unfortunately for him, she happened to get a glimpse or the Scribbler in which his memoirs were announced for publication shortly.She has since rainer declined receiving his addresses, although he is more assiduous than ever in paying them.The mother is mightily chagrined at being in the Scribbler.She says u that Screbbler is a beuk that ought to be bonished oot o’ the kintra— and Maggy lass dmna ye mind what they say • besides Maggy, ye might do waur than” (quoting Sir Ar chy, in Love-a-Ia-mode,) “to snap the Ereeshmam * Some impertinent people say they would like to know how such a house came to be built by Mr.B.alter no more than six years residence in the country, and considering the capacity in which he was when he arrived.But the best way .to satisfy them is to send them to the carpenters, masons, j painters, that were employed, and to the seignior oi the place.mm_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Dunn a ye ken Mag that nane read the Screbbier, but folk that like to" hear their neebor’s characters^ vilified ?” I will not swear that she made use of the last word, yet it was one to the same purport, and might have been it, for she will take good care to tel! any one that she is acquainted with, that she has read 44 an unco number of no-vels,” which may, in some degree, account for her knowing or using such a word.Returning to the estabhshment at Point Evil: this house is to be fitted up for boarders, and as a house of entertainment; and the air being, as the host says, so salubrious, and the prospects delightful, it can not but prove gratifying to those who will favour him with thier custom.But then, he has not been able to obtain a licence; however Bobby’s plan is this—he means to give ice and crackers, or, in his own words, 44 if a friend or any one else calls for a glass of liquor, I’ll charge him so much for the ice, and crackers, and give him the grog for nothing, do you see, ha, ha5 ha !” Mr.Brambleton said, when he saw No.118 of the Scribbler, that if he could but find out who it was that had sent such a communication about him, he would shoot him, if he were to be hung for it next day.Please to give him a hint of the impropriety of being too rash ; but don’t advise him to deny the facts stated, for most of his most intimate friends know them to be undeniable.I will conclude by asking Mrs.F.if she forgets who was so overjoyed last year when two certain young ladies were put in the Scribbler?Does she forget who said, they deserved it for their pride and vanity?And can she call to*remembrance a person that spoke of their being in the Scribbler, with evident exultation?I leave her 134 1 io r#flect on these questions, hoping she will opt give me the trouble of opening the green bag.' SLYBOOTS.On reconsideration I admit the following communication, as exhibiting that sordidness of mind which often accompanies great wealth, and which can not overlook the most trifling breach of the principle of meurn and tuim ; as well as the severity with which the offences of minor and friendless rogues are visited, whilst greater delinquents, or who have, what is called, a friend at court, either escape altogether, or are subjected to most trifling aod inadequate punishments.Besides, altho’ I do not indeed look upon tinsse cases as deserving of so much notice, or wholly approve of what the writer says, it may encourage further communications respecting the proceedings of our courts of law, both criminal and civil, to which too much publicity can not be given, that being the true English constitutional check upon both the Bench and the Bar.L.L.M.Mount Royal, lit May, 1824, Mr.Macculloh, I would beg to draw your and your readers, attention to two sentences pronounced at the quarter sessions held this week, where Patrick Gillispie, and Patrick Ogilvy were respectively found guilty oi petty larceny, and condemned, the former to eight, and the latter to fifteen days, imprisonment.To be aware of the injustice done these men in particular, and the public in general, by the manner in which the laws are administered, you must know the particulars of 135 \ their case.The prisoners, at least the first* (for not having been present at the trial of the other, al» 1 know respecting it is from hearsay,) were engaged in* clearing away the ruins of the eid Mansion-house, amongst which there was a quantity of old iron which probably the persons who were employed after the fire, for the purpose of collecting whatever of any use, might e** main, did not consider worth taking away, and which had escaped the prying searchings always made by the little vagrants of the town, after a conflagration.This iron, thrown aside accordingly, as they met with it, they carried home in the evening, openly, and without any attempt at concealment ; a practice, 1 believe, generally followed by ail workmen in similar situations.* It is perhaps necessary to remaik here that the iron, so often mentioned, consisted chiefly of old nails, arid, on the part of the first prisoner, of four small hinges, which hinges, the king’s counsel, aware of the utter worthlessness of the rest, alone inserted in the indictment.The iron, or at least the quantity collected by the first prisoner, during the time he worked at the Mansion-house, (a period probably of no inconsiderable space,) he sold for the petty sum of two shillings; for which great crime of infinite extent and magnitude, he was torn from the bosom of his family, who depended entirely upon him for their support, thrown into a common gaol, and fed there on bread and water, for God knows, what length oi * This is both wrong in fact, and in principle.Suppose a mass of molten gold or silver had been found in the ruins, would the workmen be justified in appropriating it to them selves.r*pon the plea of sucii a practice prevailing, which however L deny doc* or can prevail in any community ?L.L.Me*. time before his hial: and this, considering the enormity of his crime, compared to which his mental and bodily sufferings, and the deplorable state of his unfortunate family, were no mo e than a grain of sand would be balanced against Mout Etna, our conside»ate magistrates, exercising ail the lenity in their power, consistent with the duty they owe the public,, merely sentenced him to eight days further imprisoment 11 Yours &c.A FRIEND TO THE OPPRESSED, St has been a long while that the following communication has lain under consideration.Although I believe the particular matter it alludes to is gone by, yet, understanding that other instances of sordidness unde- the garb of sanctity and charity have occurred in Montreal, i now give it an insertion, with some amendments.L.L.M.Sir, By allowing the following facts a place in your now noted work, with such amendments as you think proper, you will much oblige Your’s, PIGSTAFF KERWÀL, Montreal, 11 th Jan.A thought struck a certain clergyman in this city called by his honour the Scribbler, Mr.Moral Police, that it would be doing a great favour to the public, and gain great credit and praise to himself to establish a charity school, no matter at whose risk, or to whose damage.Accordingly about two years ago, with some other clerical assistance, they got for charity's sake, the soldiers’ hospital where they established a school, on tho foundation of every one paying what they were* able, even as low as four pence a month—all charity.The first teacher employed was a Mr, Leets, who was engaged for 100/.per annum, but the funds, when subscribed, would not give him more than half, or thereabouts.Mr.L.perceiving the situation to be so different from what he had reason to expect, declined it ; and Mr.Runner from Good lapa was the next incumbent, and was to have the same chance.He was poor and honest, and they got him rigged out with what necessary articles he wanted, and were to have paid the amount for him, but which, when due, they were either unable or unwilling to do= All charity.When Mr.R.saw how matters stood, ar.d that the whole subscription amounted only to about 451.he thought it was high time to give it up.Messieurs Moral Police and Co.then tried their worst at him;—they asked him what was the reason the school was given up?told him he had not much charity m breaking it up; and that he had received about 2/.lOs.more than what would pay him atJ.be rate of 70/.per annum, and as it was all charity, if he did not return the money a prosecution would be the consequence, because it was monnoiepublique, and collected for their use and benefit, requiring him, before he left the room, to set his hand and seal to a bond payable in six months—all chaHty—this mighty sum must be paid and distributed again among the elders, and by the elders to the people.Now, sir, Î would wish to know whether this school was founded on what you may call cold, hypocritical, or logical, charity, for 1 am sure it is not Christian charity, such as my father and mother taught me.Here, Moreover, you see a respectable, * social, good principled, and strictly honest, young man, brought to town, placed in a situation of respect ; but disappointed in his expectations, and because they paid him 21.10s;.more than they thought right, though less than he had been giveft reason to expect, he is obliged to refund it, for tiie sake of charity.But, as i thjnk 1 am as good a lawyer as they are, 1 have advised Mr.R.to make a charge against them adequate to his time and trouble, which he means to do, and as it is, according to their own doctrine—all charity, I trust he will pay them in their own coin.DAMN THE CONSTABLES.Mount Royal, 10th April, 1821.Si libi contigerit capitis matrona pudici, Paucœ ad>eo Cereris vitas contigere dignce.At half-past eight, on Monday night, The sable wings of Nox—“ put out the light ;n And Chaos seem’d to reign!—as at her birth, hen murky darkness shrouded all the earth ; ?And from the eyes of heaven, no twinkling spark Could e’en “ peep thro’ the blanket of thé dark/'—* When Nisus’ lineal son* in wanton sport, Instead of soaring to Appollo’s court, On famed Parnassus, ’rnongst the lovely nine, As he was wont, in revelry divine , * Nisuf Lineal Son.—By turning to the Pantheon we have discovered that, after the conquest of Megara by Minos, (which he won in consequence of Scylla’s cutting from her father’s head, the fatal purple lock, which contained his, and his country’s, safety, for doing which, she was changed to a Lark A Nisus, ns a compensation for his country, was metamorphosed into a Spar-Hawk, who, to this day, it seems, pursues the Larks! (more in love, I think, than in revenge.) “ Printer’s Devil,” Or on the muses’ Heliconian mount, Sip Hippocrene, from their Pegassiait fount—» I say, instead of this immortal sport, To flesh and blood, he paid his amorous court ; And at the altar of a Cyprian queen, Oblations offer’d-—-something too obscene To be related—lehyour fancies till This small hiatus, as your fancies will.— Yet he may feel Erebus’ offspring scorch, Instead of Venus’ son’s celestial torch, Which will not burn at such unhallow’d shrines ; Where Marpmon’s lech’rous offspring undermines Fair virtue’s bulwark, and with damning gold, (For which there’s nought ou earth but may be sold;) Like some ambitious, plodding, engineer, Blows up the fortress—leaves the vestal drear—• Forlorn—perchance devoid of hope—the last Sad refuge, wither’d here, by Fortune’s blast! Which in Pandora’s bos, lay half asleen, Dreaming of future bliss!! when that fatal peep Of Epimethcus, spread, that horde of ills, Which plagues mankind! and—helps the sale of pills Now, that your judgements may be nearly right, It seems essential, here, to offer light.And, by comparison, I will proceed, As best adapted to set-off the deed ; For every circumstance, throughout our lives, Is tried the best by that—and thus men try their wive?When Agamemnon, and the cuckold Greek, With an ummmber’d host, set out to seek A worthless strumpet! who to Troy had fled, And left a Grecian for a Trojan bed ; Which wanton act in this licentious wife, Propell’d Olympus in the martial ttrife ; And all the host of heav’n, to battle sprang ; If half be true, immortal Homer sang : And, as we might suspect, each pious gull Meneiaus join’d ; all others join’d the trull! Bellona lit the torch, and carnage raged, Nine bloody years, as Delphi had presaged, ’Till Death himself was gorged, e’en to the till ; Then Jove, in thunder, said—peace ye ! be still !” Among these quixottes, demi-gods of Greece, Who went to seek—not Jason’s golden fleece-' Was great Achilles, Thetis’ warlike boy; Whose mighty prowess, caused the fall of Troy.Yet more for generous friendship’s god-like charms^ He has been prized, than, dreadful feats in arms; Friendship ! art thou a vision of the mind, Engender’d to seduce, then, vex, mankind?• Or hast thou to some happier region fled, And left us, only traffic in thy stead ?For Jong I’ve sought thee, and, Hill my latest gasp, I’ll seek thee still ! altho’ thou fleest my grasp.— But to return, as Byron says ; forgive Me this, almost a profanation—Live! Live! ! stupendous bard, Hill thou hast hurl’d All vain usurpers from thy rightful throne ; Then add another wonder to the world, And wave in awful state thy wand alone.But to return—to Neptune’s daughter’s son, Who, for three thousand years, has greatly won “Golden opinions”—perhaps in every clime, Where friendship may be hardly thought a crime,— And sympathetic hearts have power to feel, A faint impression of the h'eav’nly seal, Which in the bosom stamp!, Achilles bore, When in his heart, he good Patroclus wore.* Valiant as good—Menolius was his sire, And, feeling something of that warlike fire, That animates a youth’s aspiring breast, When fond anticipations seem possess!, He join’d Achilles—Achilles bid him share, The luscious sweets, that Fortune might prepare; And while for him, fair Dio spread her charms, The beauteous Iphis fill’d Patroclus’ arms.Now for my little hero—who must yield, In 44 broils and feats of arms^” the tented field, To Greek Achilles, or to Trojan Hector, * Hamlet says to Horatio— -Give me that man That is not passion’s slave, and I will wéar hinir* In my heart’s core, aye, in my heart of hearts.Sis I do iheet-—- ê 141 But as a guardian angel—that’s protector-^ Hi s bosom more expands, and will admit A friend to share in one delicious bit! And by this generous act, he puts to shame, Achilles’ friendship, Agamemnon’s fame—• Who in Briseis claim’d the whole contvoul, Tho’ Jove himself, should all his thunders roll— And if His true, what puffing Fame has said— But few, as yet, have nobly shared—a bed— Or queen—or throne !—where each, by turns, might mount ; And sway a sceptre on his own account— But for this—Gods / for a name !—O—recreation, Mv hero’s all—all—accommodation.“BLOW-UP.” REVIEW OF PUBLICATIONS, The Charivari or Canadian Poetics : a'tale, after the manner of BepjX), by L an rice lot Longs ta fly* Montreal, 1824» Jos, Nickless, price Is.8d.pp.49.It is with pleasure Ï hail a poem like this, of considerable merit, which, although! report gives * The title-page of the publication does not exhibit this nom de guerre ; but the advertisements having so announced it.1 have made use of it here.Rumour gives this little piece to a gentleman of the staff corps, to whose name the assumed appellation seems to have been made to assimilate.The gentleman alluded to, has several times, been made to make bis appearance before tire public, in the Scribbler* I never had the honour of his personal acquaintance, but tills poem lets me so much into his character and sentiments, that 1 now feel as if 1 were acquainted with him ; and hence am intuitively persuaded that the pleasantry, in which my correspondeats have occasionally indulged with respect to him, and to which I have given publicity, has acted upon him as tickling does upon the human frame, affording a kind of half-painful, half pleasing, sensation, and occasioning nothing but good will and good humour between the tickler and the ticklee, notwithstanding the apparent struggle between them; it to a British military officer, yet, from its subject, its sentiments, and its scenery, must be consider-ed as a Canadian production.Thë cultivation of the art of poetry, so congenial to the habits of gentlemanly leisure, although it may not make a poet, for Poeta Tiascitur, non ft, yet, will often awaken a latent genius, and at ali times must tend to polish the manners, correct the language, and give a copiousness and elegance of clicdon which can not be acquired by better means.The language of the pulpit, the bar, and of the popular declaimer, is, as it were, cribbed in by the solemnity of divinity, the subtlety of the iawr, and the party-principles of the politician*; but poetry has a freer range, through not only the same paths, but through all the flowery and the thorny, the smooth and the rugged scenes oi life, literature, and science.This successful effort of a devotee of the muses, the first, of any consequence, of Canadian growth, is the more pleasing to me, and the more courts the approbation of my judgement, from the subject being one, which I have myself before treated con amove, and from the sentiments and opinions conveyed throughout the poem, with respect to the Charrivarri, being the same as those I entertain and have expressed.The stanza of Byron has been adopted, and the manner of that poet, attempted to be followed.To have failed in such an attempt can be no dishonour ; and to have, in a great measure, subdued his Pegasus to trot easily in the curbs and trammels that the recurrence of triple rhymes, and the artificial structure of the stanza, required, is no mean praise to the author.That he canters / M3 away at his ease, in many parts of the production, \vill not be denied ; whilst in others, there are evident signs that the head has been scratched to find a rhyme, and the brains tasked to strain after a figure of speech, or to embody an idea out of nothing.The story is extremely simple, perhaps too much so; for after describing the persons, and characters ef the hero and heroine, Baptisto the old bachelor, and Annette the widow, they are forthwith married, and bedded, disturbed by the Charrivarri, and then put to bed again, where “ The future hours repaid the pact’s delay.” From these simple materials, however, Mr.Long* staff, h as contrived to construct one hundred and seventy-nine stanzas, scarcely any of which, (except where, in imitation of his prototype, lord Byron, he indulges in too great a latitude of parenthesis,) tire attention ; and almost all lead into one another, and, in despite of their occasion al erratic nature, dovetail so well together, that when you begin the poem, it is impossible to stop till you come to the close.He fails most in the explanatory and connecting parts of the poem; both in the little that is serious, and the much that is comic, he is, in general, very successful; but most so in the humourous: of all I give specimens.23 “ But pardon, gentle reader, that before ye, This long digression’s laid, and 1 have stoppM From the straight forward sequel of my story, And amongst Cupid’s darts, and mazes popp’d: But as some people like the amatory, And time of some few moments may by lopp’d, î lain would tell ye this, and having done.Plead for your grace—take breath, .and so go on./ 144 24 Baptist a, was a goodly man, at least As the more common meaning of the wor d Admits, to those who stick to law, and priest, And make appearance say, they’ve seldom err'd, And by the rules of honesty increas’d Their worldly weal, and the’ it seems absurd To class the terms, pass’d by the general rule, For the best natur’d soul alive, id csi, a fool.25 ' And none know wherefore, such terms we should class, Save that in humouring mankind’s caprices, .He verified “ the poor man, and his ass,” A fable, which instructs, (as well as pleases,) That ’twere in vain, to stride the motley mass Of minds to satisfy which only teazes, An4 leaves us, when our labour is all done, Far from the goal, as where we first begun, 26 * Twere strange to say so, yet ill’ extreme of good, is much man’s ridicule, as that ol lolly, Unless we tread the step, or suit the mood Of those around-, in mirth, or melancholy, Opinion sneers at this one, for a prude, And that, for being rather free and jolly ; Such different paths do our ideas take, To stamp, the cue a bigot, one, a rake.Now all this* excepting the explanation of what is meant by 44the best natured* soul alive,” is nothing * It will be perceived by the critical reader that I write the participles, and participial adjectives, in poetry, differently, sometimes marking them with an elision or apostrophe, and sometimes not.In this I follow a system, which I think the correct one, namely, that where the final e terminates the original words whence they are derived, I retain the e—best matured, is anfins-tance ; in the text of the poem, It is printed ns I have done it in the quotation, (as, of course, I quote, according to the copy,) with an apostrophe, but nature, having the final e, according to my plan, requires it to be retained, since it can be better read with it than without it, for no one would pronounce it natu-red : but when the original words end with a consonant, such as err, andpa$$t in the same stanza, / 145 but prosing and makeweights.The following stanzas, on the contrary, are replete with poetry, pathos, descriptive elegance and appropriate figures.21 “Or shall 1 hail thee, Love, as minstrels sing, Whose Muse inspir’d by rapture’s glowing powers.Faint all thy blessings with the Iris wing Of Fancy—blooming as th’ immortal bowers, Where Venus’ self reclin’d—fresh as the Spring, And balmy as the breeze that breathes o5er flowers, Fair as the lily, when at morn bedew’d, And fl agrant as the couch with violets strew’d.22 Sweet as the tones which flow from music’s numbers.W hich o’er the waters mellows all its sound, Calm as the zephyr when all nature slumbers, Chaste as Diana’s orb in azure bound, Pure as the vestal, w hom no guilt encumbers, Bright as the vision of some fairy ground, Soft as the sunny radiance of the skies, And as the essense sweet that never dies.’3 43 “ Man, strikes the heart with powers which are his own; The forcible and grand—the firm, and brave, To rouse the multitudes with deed, or tone, To succour and defend, to seek and save ;—- But, woman, should be tenderness alone,- Hers is the sweetness of the summer wave, Which heaves its panting breast, and as it flows, Wins with the loveliness with which it glows.44 Compare lier cheek to the soft blooming rose, Contrast her e3’ebcams to the sapphire’s blaze, Her parted lips, to fruit, on which there glows Crimson’s rich tints—and her sweet smile which plays, then I put the mark of elision, to shew that th^r are not to be read, as dissyllables.I take this opportunity of explaining my mode; because Ï have, by verbal, or rather literal, critic?been accused of inconsistency in this .respect.11 146 To fair Aurora’s beauty, when she throws Her opening blushes on the face of day,— Her bosom,—to the consecrated shine Of Love,—encircled with a charm divine ’¦ Again ; 93