34 evidence of the existence of the Author of the Christian religion, but for some mys terious purposes in the dispensations of Providence, which we cannot fathom, or pretend to explain. But although we may not be prepared with sufficient faith to believe that governments can mould the wayward will of man into any form they please, and direct his conduct as easily as the wheels of a cotton mill, we are far from denying that governments ought to pay attention to the education, training, and instruction, not only of children, but also of the grown up population, or of persons of all ages. We have also some instances of this training under the governments of states completely answering the purpose for which it was intended. Such was that of the republics of ancient Greece, when every free citizen was instructed, under the direction of the public magistrate, in gymnastic exercises, and in music. By gymnastic exercises, it was intended to harden his body, to sharpen his courage, and to prepare him for the fatigues and dangers of war; and certainly the Greek militia was, by all accounts, one of the best that ever was in the world. By the other part, music, it was proposed to humanize the mind, to soften the temper, and dispose it for performing all the social and moral duties of public and pri vate life. In modern times, the attention of the government to the education and training of the individuals of a state, seems still more necessary and incumbent a duty, and perhaps in no state are these duties so incumbent as in that of England and Ireland; and perhaps in no country have these duties of the government hitherto been so much neglected and despised. "The employment of by far the greater part of those who live by labour, that is, of the great body of the people *, comes to be confined to a very few simple operations, frequently to one or two. But the understandings of the greater part of men are necessarily formed by their ordinary employments. The man whose whole life is spent in performing a few simple operations, of which the effects are always the same, or very nearly the same, has no occasion to exert his understanding, or exercise his invention, in finding out expedients for removing difficulties that never occur. He naturally loses, there By the last returns under the populationact, the poor or working-classes of Great Britain and Ireland have been found to exceed twelve millions of persons, or nearly three-fourths of the population of the British Islands. Remarks on Mr Owen's Plan of Education. Divesting Mr Owen's Essays of much • Wealth of Nations, Vol. 3. p. 195. [October 11, 1817. poverty, without crime, and without punishment: and all this, he contends, is easily practicable, not only without any loss or disadvantage to the capitalists employing an aggregated population, but which, instead of a return of five, ten, or fifteen per cent. for the capital so expended, would often occasion a return of fifty, and, in many cases, a hundred per cent. These positions Mr Owen supports, not on doubtful disputation, but on an experience of twenty years, on a population of between two and three thousand individuals, employed in the cotton mills at New Lanark, in Scotland, and he has boldly come forward with the public-spirited offers of assisting the government and the public to induce similar effectual mauagement throughout the whole of the manufacturing population of the united kingdom. As we consider that propositions of equal importance have seldom or ever been brought before the public with so impressive a title to general attention and examination, we are inclined to believe that we cannot devote a part of this Journal to a purpose more acceptable to many of our readers, and so likely to aid the purposes of the benevolent author, as to enter into some farther inquiry into this interesting subject. nt? Conto0. Lord Selkirk's New Settlement in America. THE Earl of Selkirk, in 1811, obtained from the Hudson's Bay Company the grant of a large tract of land in North America, possessed by them in virtue of their charter, and immediately began his plan of colonizing it. A situation on the banks of the Red River, about 40 or 50 miles from its entrance into Lake Winipic, was chosen for a settlement; and Lord Selkirk appointed Mr Miles Macdonell to superintend the colony. That gentleman had also been made Governor of the district of Ossiniboia (in which the Red River was situated) by the Hudson's Bay Company. In the autumn of 1812, Mr M. Macdonell went with a small party to erect houses and prepare every thing for the settlers who were to follow. There were several additions to their number, and in September 1814, the settlers and labourers, chiefly from Scotland, altogether amounted to 200. From the commencement of the colony to the spring of 1815, nothing of importance occurred to interrupt the progress of the infant colony; the difficulties, unavoidable at the com October 11, 1817.] mencement of such an establishment, were got over. The land was very fer. tile, and, though there was plenty of wood near, it did not, like most of the land in North America, require clearing. The rivers abounded with fish, the plains with buffaloe, and the woods with elk, deer, and game. The neighbouring Indians (the Sautoux) were friendly from the first. Some attempts had indeed been made in the spring of 1813, by the clerks and interpreters of the fur traders of Montreal (the North West Company) to instigate the natives against the settlers, by telling them that they would he deprived of their hunting grounds, and that if the colony was once firmly established, they would be made slaves of by the settlers. Mr Miles Macdonell, however, did away the unfavourable impressions that had been made, and obtained the continuance of their friendship. After that, the settlers appeared confident of their safety and contented with their situation. At the commencement of the settlement (named Kildonan,) some light field-pieces had been sent up by Lord Selkirk, and in the summer of 1814, a quantity of arms and ammunition was received, which had been furnished by Government for the defence of the colony. Lord Selkirk's New Settlement in America. The North West Company, a powerful body of traders at Montreal, had regarded the colonists from the commencement as interfering with their trading interests, and they directly denied the right both of Lord Selkirk and the Hudson's Bay Company to the land granted. This dispute gave rise to the hostilities which afterwards took place. Mr Duncan Cameron, one of the acting partners of the North West Company, arrived at the end of August, 1814, at a trading port belonging to that Company, situated at the Forks, about half a mile from the Red River settlement. He began by ingratiating himself with the settlers, and in order to persuade them to desert, promised them a free passage to Canada, lands, &c.; and continually alarmed them with reports that the Indians were coming to attack them. These means were effectual. Several settlers joined him during the winter, and even some labourers and contracted servants were persuaded to quit the settlement before the expiration of their contracts. The half breeds, a race of men, the illegitimate progeny of the Canadians by Indian women, were instigated to harass the settlers by driving the buffaloe from the plains, and in every other way pos 55 A sible. In the absence of Mr Miles Mac-ders of Cuthbert Grant, Thomas M'Kay, donell, Mr Cameron sent to seize the Roderick M'Kenzie, and P. Bostonois, field-pieces, on account, as he said, of clerks and interpreters of the North West their having been employed to disturb Company, and were all made prisoners. the peace of his Majesty's subjects. Af- About the end of May, the whole party, ter this seizure, more of the settlers de- with Mr Alexander M'Donell, a North serted, taking with them their arms, im- West partner, went down the river in plements of agriculture, &c.; and on their boats, and part of them, with Cuththe return of Mr Miles Macdonell, a bert Grant, took one of the Hudson's warrant, which had some time before Bay Company's forts, called Brandon been issued against him by Mr Norman House, and after distributing the furs M'Leod, one of the North West Com- and provisions in it among the Canadians pany, was attempted to be carried into and half-breeds, about 70 of them, on execution; and, after some time, Mr horesback and armed, proceeded towards Miles Macdonell, to put an end to the the Red River. On the 19th June, they hostilities then going on between the two were observed by Governor Semple and parties, surrendered himself, and was his people approaching the settlement.. carried down to Montreal to be tried; Governor Semple, ordering 20 men to but no trial took place, as the charges follow him, advanced toward them. against him were found to be illegal. Canadian, of the name of Boucher, adAfter his departure, frequent skirmishes vancing, and using insulting language to took place, until the remaining settlers, the Governor, his horse's bridle was laid about 60, embraced an offer of the Sau- hold of by Mr Semple, Boucher jumped toux Indians, and were conducted by from his horse, and a shot was instantly them down the River to Lake Winipic, fired by one of Grant's people, which where they remained at a trading post, killed Mr Holt, and then another, which called Jack River House. The day wounded Mr Semple. He cried out to subsequent to their leaving it, all the his men to take care of themselves; but buildings at the settlement were burnt instead of that, they pressed round him down by the agents of the North West to ascertain what had happened. While Company, and it was thus destroyed for thus collected, the half-breeds fired a the first time. volley among them, and then rushing forward, butchered Mr Semple, and most of his followers. The remaining settlers at Kildonan, naturally alarmed at these horrid proceedings, surrendered the fort and all their property, on condition of being allowed to go down the river. On the second day from their embarkation, they met a strong party of boats, commanded by Mr Norman M'Leod, who ordered them all on shore to take their examinations; and after detaining some by warrants, and some by subpoenas, the rest were suffered to proceed towards Hudson's Bay. Thus was the colony broken up a second time. The old settlers remained a short time at Jack River House, and were then joined by Mr Colin Robertson, an agent of the Hudson's Bay Company, who, together with some emigrants chiefly from the Highlands of Scotland, making about 200 in all, conducted them to the River Pembina in the winter; but the next spring removed them to their for mer situation on the Red River. Mr Cameron beginning to molest them directly they came back, Mr Colin Ro bertson seized his fort or trading post, and recovered two field pieces and 30 stand of arms, which had been taken a way from the Red River settlers the year before; but on Mr Cameron's promising to behave peaceably, gave it up to him again. Before these latter proceedings reached the ears of Lord Selkirk, he had collected a body of men to reinforce the settlers, composed of the unemployed solMr Semple, who had been appointed diers of the disbanded regiments of De Governor of all their trading ports by Meuron, Watteville, and the Glengary the Hudson's Bay Company, arrived at Fencibles, amounting to upwards of 100 the Red River in March 1816. In April, persons. On reaching the Falls of St he sent Mr Pambrun to the river Qui Mary, between Lakes Huron and SupeAppelle, who found a number of the half-rior, Lord Selkirk learnt the fate of his breeds collected there; and as he was settlement, and the tragic death of Mr proceeding down the river with twenty. Semple; and finding also that several of five men, in five boats, laden with a quan- his settlers had been carried prisoners to tity of furs and 600 bags of dried provi- Fort William, the chief trading post of sion, he was attacked by a body of Cana- the North West Company, he immediatedians. and half- breeds, under the orly changed his route, resolving to go to 56 that place and demand their release. On his reaching the fort, some of his people were directly liberated, but they had all been kept in rigorous confinement. The information which they gave his Lord ship with respect to the occurrences at the colony, induced him, in his capacity of magistrate, to arrest Mr M'Gillivray, the partner and principal agent of the North West Company in Canada, and several others. Some resistance being made on serving the warrants, Lord Selkirk's followers forced their way into the fort, took possession of it, apprehended the agents of the Company, secured the papers, &c. and then sent the parties off to Montreal for trial. These particulars are taken from a pamphlet recently published, under the title of "Statement respecting the Earl of Selkirk's Settlement upon the Red River," &c. Since its publication, we learn by accounts from Canada, that Lord Selkirk has again proceeded to re-estabfish his colony, but with what success we know not. Prosperity and Adversity, AN ALLEGORY. Successus ad perniciem multos devocat. Phædr. THERE once existed a country, which has now no place in any of our modern maps, or systems of geography; nay, travellers even dispute as to the quarter of the globe in with it was situated. As the names of none of its rulers have de scended to our times, antiquaries have, perhaps, on no very plausible grounds, maintained, that it must have been a republic; but be this as it may, of all its records, it has left, like the garden of Eden, but one story to preserve it from oblivion. The name of this country was Fortune; as to its climate, it was anomalous; one region of it enjoyed perpetual spring, and a cloudless sky; the zephyrs were loaded with the perfume of roses; the eye was fascinated by landscapes of perennial verdure, and the ear enchanted with unceasing melody. All the senses of man were gratified; and sorrow could scarce ly find a habitation. The other region was a complete counterpart of all this; and, though only separated by a range of mountains, it was subject to tremendous storms and earthquakes. The sun was shrouded with ever brooding tempests. The face of the earth presented but a barren wilderness; and "the waters filled the traveller's Prosperity and Adversity: an Allegory. [October 11, 1817. tread in the sands." Yet notwithstand- | passion, the disciple of ambition, and the ing all this, and in scorn of the arguments prey of anger-yet the dupe of artifice alike of Grahame and Malthus, it was and design. far more populous than the neighbouring region. Of this remarkable country we perhaps never would have heard, but for the following relation :— In the desolate region, which was named Adversity, lived an old man named Care, who was married to Patience, (by the bye, a female relation of his own.) Some pedantic antiquaries will have it, that she was a daughter of Job; but for this romantic opinion no authentic data are given. Contentment was the only child of this aged couple. When he arrived at man's estate, his father would not allow him to remain at home; and, contrary to his own importunities, and the solicitations of his mother, he was obliged to set out for the region of Prosperity, where some of his relations resided; but he was not unacquainted with the singular fatality, that the inhabitants of that region generally forget all who are in the other, whether related by the ties of consanguinity, or the obligations of gratitude. All his neighbours knew his worth, and were sorry for his loss. All his friends knew his virtues, and wept at his departure. He stretched forward with a heavy heart, but a silent tongue; and ascended the mountains of Difficulty, which separated the two regions. When he gained the summit, bis eye was enchanted, and his breast delighted with the prospect before him all that he could wish-nay, more than he had ever conceived, was there; and he wandered forward, amid streams that murmured sweeter than the Oxus; cedars taller than those of Lebanon; and amid the melody of birds, that surpassed the nightingale in song, and the bird of paradise in plumage. The character that has vice for its foundation, is like the house built on the sea-shore-when the wind beats and the billows rage, it must fall. It was even so with him. He became despicable in the eyes of the good; and, by the wise, he was weighed in the balance, and found wanting. He was stripped of his employments, and deprived of the keys of trust, and the seals of secrecy. He could not remain in a country, which, in his chagrin, he thought had been so unjust and ungrateful to him; and he wandered involuntarily towards the mountains of Difficulty. The view awakened all the sensations of sorrow and disappointment in his bosom. He recollected with what different emotions, and what delightful feelings, that prospect had opened on his view, when his hopes were the hopes of virtuous emulation, and his heart was unimbittered by the pangs of remorse.— The change was obvious; and he was conscious of it. He felt that he himself was alone to blame; the truth burst upon his view; and he wept aloud in the bitterness of his heart. Pensively ascending the side of the hill, he fixed his eye on the ground, and strayed on, absorbed in painful reflection. Raising his eye, he perceived an aged figure seated on a stone; on nearer approach he discovered him to be a Dervise, and made the accustomed obeisance. Rising up, the Dervise abruptly accosted him in these words: "My name is Experience; and I know thee well. In thy better, at least thy purer days, even in the days of thy adversity, thy name was Contentment. But thou hast now lost all title to that honourable appellation.Having settled among the inhabitants, Thou art returning to the region of thy he retained for some time his former ha- birth, with the lesson engraven on thy bits and his former virtues; but the lus-heart-that wealth is inferior to wisdom, tre of wealth gradually began to dazzle and that power cannot purchase happihis eyes. His ear being never dunned ness. May your example teach your by the importunate solicitations of Pover neighbours to repine not, nor murmur at ty, he forgot the comparative comforts of the dispensations of Providence! May his own situation. He dismissed Bene- they learn, that champing the bit, will volence from his presence; Justice with- not free the horse from the bridle; and drew from his company; Gratitude awoke that struggling galls the sore it cannot her still, small voice, unheard; and he heal! Depart in peace; and from your shut his ear to the warnings of Sincerity. case may they learn, that the smiles of Fortune are more to be dreaded than her frowns; that if Prosperity has more sources of pleasure, it has also more allurements to vice; and that the mind, in every state, contented and resigned, is the most pure and pleasing in the eyes of its Creator!" As a complete change was made in his conduct, so was there also in his companions. He listened with avidity to the words of praise, and swallowed the baits of adulation. He became the slave of Southey's Thalaba the Destroyer. October 11, 1817.] FINE ARTS. Fine Arts.-Miscellaneous Repository: There should be only one row of large windows, at least in the principal front, which, by conveying the distinct idea of one apartment, points out 57 the reply. The jest was instantly seen, they shook hands, and instead of voting against the facetious orator, the lawyer exerted himself Proposal for Establishing an Academy of the building to be devoted to a public purpose. warmly in promoting his election. the Fine Arts at Edinburgh. SIR, TO THE EDITOR. In perusing your last Number, I observed, with that degree of satisfaction which every admirer of the fine arts must feel, when I learned that there is such a fine collection of casts in the academy; and it is a matter of no small regret, that such a benefit to the arts should be so little known, but I hope it will soon attain more publicity and ready access to the public. I shall now lay before you a few hints for the formation of an institution on a more extensive scale. An academy ought to be established in this But in order to give it a sufficient elevation for a second storey in the interior, pannels or patterns may be placed over the windows; it would add greatly to the beauty of the structure, if the funds would admit, of the said pannels, but especially the frieze of the entablature and tympanum of the pediment, to be encircled with appropriate sculptured devices. In the interior ar rangement, the first floor to consist of a lobby, lecture-rooms, a hall, and a library. The second floor to be lighted entirely from the top, and consist of two large rooms, the one to contain the collection of casts, paintings, &c. the property of the Institution; the other set aside for the annual exhibition. The basement storey to contain accommodation for a keeper; for, in order to give the flight of steps a proper elevation, it would be raised to an adequate height. I have thus endeavoured to lay down city somewhat on the principle of that at Som- the chief features of an establishment, erset-house; to have solely for its object the which, there is the most sanguine expecpromotion of the fine arts, and to be denotations to think, that if it were once minated "The Royal Scottish Academy of the Fine Arts." The first department of the institution, to consist of a school or academy, provided with professors of drawing, painting, sculpture, and architecture. The second department, of a society compo. sed of amateurs and professional men, to meet frequently for reading essays and the free dis. cussion of every subject relating to the arts. The third department, of a collection of casts, drawings, paintings, engravings, &c.; also a library chiefly composed of books relating to the fine arts, and an annual exhibition of works of the artists-premiums to be given for the best specimens in each department. A question will now occur, by what means funds are to be provided for such an institution? A subscription to be opened, and the subscribers to be divided into different classes, according to the sums they subscribe; the benefit to arise to those who subscribe a large sum, to be a greater number of admission tickets, votes in the election of trustees, professors, &c.: the board of trustees for manufactures, &c. would probably be induced, not only to give their patronage, support, and pecuniary aid, but also to conjoin their present academy and collection of casts. Another source of revenue might arise from the sale of tickets admitting the public to visit the collection of casts and annual exhibition. The fees paid by students would of course belong to the profes sorg. I shall now conclude with a few observations regarding the design of the building to be erected for this establishment. The object of it being the promotion of the arts, the edifice should have a corresponding effect, as an example of pure and classical taste, and of course taken from celebrated remains of antiquity. Keeping this in view, there can be no hesitation in fixing upon the Parthenon, one of the finest ornaments of the Athenian Acropolis, and so justly admired for its beauty, grandeur, and simplicity. The front of the (proposed) edifice should therefore be adorned with a magnificent portico, consisting of a double row of columns, (raised upon a flight of colossal steps), taken from, and scrupulously proportioned to the aforesaid celebrated temple. brought before the public, that it would meet with success, open a new era in the history of the arts, and, as your Magazine justly observes, "be the means of disseminating the principles of sound art over the country in general, and providing one of the most elegant and rational enjoy ments of which a cultivated mind is susceptible." C. A. 66 MISCELLANEOUS REPOSITORY. Mr Sheridan.-As Mr Sheridan was coming up to town in one of the public coaches, for the purpose of canvassing Westminster, at the time when Paull was his opponent, he found himself in company with two Westminster electors. In the course of conversation, one of them asked the other to whom he meant to give his vote? When his friend replied, "To Paull, certainly; for though I think him but a shabby sort of fellow, I would vote for any one rather than that rascal Sheridan !”—“ Do you know, Mr Sheridan ?" asked the stranger." Not I, Sir," answered the gentleman; nor should I wish to know him." The conversation dropped here; but when the party alighted to breakfast, Sheridan called aside the other gentleman, and said-" Pray who is that very agreeable friend of your's? He is one of the pleasantest fellows I ever met with, and I should be glad to know his name."-" His name is Mr T- -; he is an eminent lawyer, and resides in Lincoln's inn-fields.”—Breakfast over, the party resumed their seats in the coach; soon after which, She ridan turned the discourse to the law." It is," said he, "a fine profession. Men may rise from it to the highest eminence in the state; and it gives vast scope to the display of talent; many of the most virtuous and noble characters recorded in our history have been lawyers. I am sorry, however, to add, that some of the greatest rascals have also been lawyers; but of all the rascals of lawyers I ever heard of, the greatest is one T, who lives in Lincoln'sinn-fields.”—“ I am Mr T," said the gentleman." And I am Mr Sheridan," was Sir Francis Burdett.-Cobbett, having now settled in America, has resumed his political speculations, which are still printed in London. In his last he makes an attack upon Sir Francis, his former friend. The character of the baronet's oratory is thus summed up: "It has always been the passion of Sir Francis Burdett to be at head, and not only at the head, but to have no degrees of approach towards him, and especially in the capacity of Speech-maker, a talent beneath notice, when compared with the great and solid powers of mind which he possesses. To hear him by the side of his breakfast table; to hear the fine and consequent reasoning, the profound remarks, and the simple and strong language that comes from his lips; and, in a few hours afterwards, to find all this, as it were, wholly forgotten, and to hear him labouring till he is out of breath, in the utterance of sentences two minutes long, each containing in its belly two or three parentheses, and each of these two or three little ones, one within another as Swift calls it," like a nest of pill-boxes," while the sentence closes, at last, without any memory being able to collect its ideas into any rational point or conclusion, and leaving no other impression upon the minds of his hearers, than that which is produced by declamatory rant; to hear him thus, in these two different situations, is enough to make any sensible man avoid the rock of misguided ambition. parting for the island of Elba, he met, in the Bonaparte. When the ex-emperor was de south of France, with one of his ancient companions in arms, who blamed him much for his not having killed himself the moment of his "Your remark abdication. Napoleon replied, on my conduct is not consonant with common sense. Have you never heard of a Roman named Marius ?"-The other said he had."Observe," continued he:" had Marius killed himself at Monturna, he would not have been seven times consul." The soldier might have enquired of the ex-emperor, if he had ever heard of an island in the Atlantic called St Helena? As a body of troops passed in review before Bonaparte at the Carousal, his horse became so unruly, that his hat fell in his exertions to restrain it. A young soldier, who happened to be near him, picked up the hat, and presented it to him. Thank you, Captain," said Napoleon." In what regiment, sire ?" said the young man; with which answer Bonaparte was so much pleased, that he presented him in a few days with the brevet rank of captain in the imperial guard. Dr Franklin.—It is a memorable proof of the force which the patriotism of this philosopher acquired during the American war, that a letter is to be found, in which he then addresses one who was, a few months before, among the number of his dearest and most intimate friends, but who had then become a steady supporter in parliament of Lord North's measures. "Philadelphia, July 5, 1775. "Mr STRAHAN-You are a member of parlia ment, and one of that majority which has doomed my country to destruction. You have begun to burn our towns, and murder our people.Look upon your hands! They are stained with the blood of your relations! You and I were long friends! You are now my enemy-and am your's, B. FRANKLIN," 58 Miscellaneous Repository. [October 11, 1817. assembly, the farmer very gravely justified, by opake pasteboard, lined with paper, and not an candle was extinguished: her mother stationed By whilst the goggles were applied. One part of the performance was so truly astonishing, that I should almost hesitate to relate it, if those two gentleman had not been present to vouch for the truth. I had furnished myself with a set of stained landscape glasses, usually termed Claude Lorrain glasses. They were seven in number, contained in a frame. She ascertained the precise shade of each correctly; one glass, however, appeared to embarrass her, and after considerable scrutiny, she said it was not black, nor dark blue, nor dark brown; but she thought it was a very deep crimson. We did not know whether her conjecture was correct or not, as we could not ourselves ascertain the shade. reflected light it appeared to us to be perfectly black; nor was the flame of the fire, which was stirred for the occasion, visible through it in the faintest degree. We had abandoned all expec tation of determining this point, when the sun suddenly emerged from behind the clouds; and by that test, and that alone, were we enabled to discover that she was correct, as we could just discern the solar image of a very deep crimson. It has been said, and with some plausibility, that this must have been a bold guess on her part; if not, it will puzzle our physiologists to explain how a person reputed to be blind, with an opake bandage also over her eyes, could depletely intercepted it. Miss M'Avoy sat in the clare the colour of a glass, which persons in full farthest part of the room, with her back towards enjoyment of their eye-sight, and without any the grate, in such a situation that I could barely such obstacles, could not discern by any other discern even the leaves of the book which lay light than that of the meridian sun! At this open before her; the title of which she proceed meeting, we were informed that Miss M'Avoy ed to read with complete success, with the ex- had recently found out that this extraordinary ception of one very minute word. I then pre-faculty was not confined to her fingers; and that she could also distinguish the colour of an object which was brought into contact with the back of her hands. This was immediately made the subject of experiment by Mr Nichol, who successively applied several objects which he had with him to that part of the hand; in placing which he used so much precaution, that I could not see them myself, although my eyes were fixed upon his hands. She was completely successful also upon this occasion. Balfour of Burley.-The name of this remarkable person, who bore so conspicuous a part in the unhappy scenes of bigotry and tyranny, which Scotland displayed towards the close of the reign of Charles II, must be familiar to every class of readers, since the appearance of "Tales of my Landlord." By that work, and the dis. cussions to which it has given rise, Burley has been drawn from obscurity, and held up as a person eminently entitled to respect or reprobation, according to the opposite views which are still taken of the cause in which he was engaged. Balfour, who was born in Perth, or Fife shire, about the year 1640, seems to have joined pretty early with the party which opposed episcopacy, for it is stated, that he deserted the church, and followed after field conventi cles, long previous to archbishop Sharp's murder, and was reputed one of the most furious zealots, and stoutest champions, of the fanatic party in Fife, for which he was denounced and ,intercommuned." In the year 1677 he was attacked by a party of eight or nine horse, sent out to apprehend him in his own house at Kin-jection was offered to my proposal, and the loch. With the assistance of some friends he routed these troopers. It is added, that, anticipating the attack, he had previously removed his wife and children. The next traces we find of him are in desperate consultations with his accomplices, respecting the castigation of one Bailie Carmichael, who was brought over from Edinburgh by Sharp, and made sheriff-depute of Fife, under Rothes, for the purpose of enforcing the grievous penalties enacted against the presbyterians. After the murder of the Archbishop, in which Burley was one of the chief agents, he rambled about with his friends for some days, and then joined the insurgents at Drumclog. There he behaved with great gallantry, and is made the hero of a ballad delight afforded by the fire, we must have com. scriptive of that skirmish, which is to be found in the Border Minstrelsy on disarming one of the Duke of Hamilton's servants who had been in the action, he desired him to tell his mas. ter he would retain, till meeting, the pistols which he had taken from him. Afterwards, when the Duke asked his man what he was like? he told him he was a little man, squint-sented to her a small piece of smooth writing eyed, and of a very fierce aspect: the Duke said, he knew who it was, and withal prayed that he might never sec his face, for if he should, he was sure he would not live long. At the af. fair of Bothwell bridge, Burley displayed his wonted courage; and received a wound, which occasioned him to exclaim, "the Devil cut off his hands that gave it." He soon after fled to Holland, where he was not very cordially received by his fellow-refugees, being debarred. from the sacrament of the Lord's Supper. He resided chiefly with his uncle John Hay, who became an eminent bookseller in Holland. When the Prince of Orange embarked for England, Burley received a commission as a cavalry officer, but died on the passage. His property had been confiscated and given to Lord Lindores. After the revolution the act of attainder was reversed; and his son David, who was served heir, commenced a prosecution against Lord Lindores for his intromissions with the estate.Ed. Mug. French Reform.-At the commencement of the French revolution, when every man was bringing forward his plan for the good of his country, one of the deputies (a farmer) proposed the suppression of pigeons, rabbits, and monks. This whimsical mode of classing his grievances, which had excited a laugh in the paper, which was ruled with horizontal faint blue Mr Kinderwood of London, respecting a malady which he considers as a peculiar form of the St Vitus's dance. It appears, however, to a writer in the Edinburgh Magazine, that it may more properly be considered as a form of tarantism, or of that peculiar disease supposed to be produced by the bite of the tarantula. To the same class probably belongs, he adds, the louping (teaping) disease to which the inhabitants of the county of Forfar are liable. Alice Whitworth, a married woman, aged 22, residing near Oldham, on the 21st February 1815, consulted Mr Wood on a case of severe pains shooting through the right side of her head. She was relieved by an opiate lineament; but on the 24th was affected by a violent agitation of the muscles, which was succeeded |