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fractured his skull. We love to pause and honour great actions in humble life, because they speak well for human nature. Men of rank and station in society often do gallant deeds, in a manner from necessity. Their conspicucus situation obliges them to do so, or their eagerness for glory urges them on; but an act like this we have mentioned, so desperate, yet so disinterested; done by an obscure, unambitious individual, a poor sailor, can spring from nothing but innate nobleness of soul. We are happy to add that this generous fellow survived, and now receives a pension from go

vernment.

Decatur succeeded in getting with both of his prizes to the squadron, and the next day received the highest commendation, in a general order, from Commodore Preble. When that able officer was superseded in the command of the squadron, he gave the Constitution to Capt. Decatur, who had, some time before, received his commission. From that ship he was removed to the Congress, and returned home in her when peace was concluded with Tripoli. On his return to the United States, he was employed in superintending gun boats, until the affair of the Chesa peake, when he was ordered to supersede Commodore Barron in . the command of that ship, since which period he has had the command of the southern squadron. When the United States was again put in commission, he was removed from the Chesapeake to that frigate.

The foregoing particulars were furnished us by a friend, as materials from which to form a biography; but we were so well pleased with the simplicity, conciseness and modesty of the narration, that we resolved to lay it before our readers with merely a few trivial alterations.

The present war with Great Britain has given Commodore Decatur another opportunity of adding to the laurels he had already won. On the 25th October, 1812, in lat. 29 N. long. 29 30 W. he fell in with his Britannic Majesty's ship Macedonian, mounting 49 carriage guns. This was one of the finest frigates in the British navy, and commanded by Captain John S. Carden,

* It was dated the 16th February, 1864, the day on which he destroyed the Phifadelphia. He also received a vote of thanks and a sword, for that achievement.

one of the ablest officers. She was in prime order, two years old, and but four months out of dock. The enemy being to windward, had the advantage of choosing his own distance; and, supposing the United States to be the Essex, (which only mounts carronades,) kept at first at long shot, and did not at any moment come within the complete effect of the musketry and grape. After the frigates had come to close action the battle was terminated in a very short period, by the enemy's surrender. The whole engagement lasted for an hour and a half, being prolonged by the distance at which the early part of it was fought, and by a heavy swell of the sea. The superior gunnery of the Americans was apparent in this, as in all our other actions. The Macedonian lost her mizen-mast, fore and main top-masts and main yard, and was much cut up in the hull. Her loss was thirty-six killed, and sixty-eight wounded. The damage of the United States was comparatively trivial, four killed and seven wounded; and she suffered so little in her hull and rigging, that she might have continued her cruise, had not Commodore Decatur thought it important to convoy his prize into port. His reception of Captain Carden on board of the United States was truly characteristic. On presenting his sword, Decatur observed that he could not think of taking the sword of an officer who had defended his ship so gallantly, but he should be happy to take him by the hand.

We are sorry to observe that Captain Carden has not been ingenuous in his account of this affair. He mentions that, "after an hour's action the enemy backed and came to the wind, and I was then enabled to bring her to close action." Now, on the contrary, we have it from the very best authority, that the United States was close haled to the wind, and her commander was extremely anxious to come to close quarters. There are other -parts of Capt. Carden's official letter that are exceptionable, but we shall pass them over without comment. It is natural for å proud and gallant mind to writhe under humiliation, and to endeavour to palliate the disgrace of defeat; but a truly magnanimous spirit would scorn to do it at the expense of a brave and generous foe. Capt. Carden must know that he had it in his power to close with the United States whenever he pleased, and that there was no movement on the part of Commodore Decatur to prevent

it. We again repeat, that it is with regret we notice any instance of disingenuousness in an officer whose general character we admire, and whose deportment at all times to our countrymen has been such as to entitle him to their highest good will.

It is not one of the least circumstances of Commodore Decatur's good fortune, or rather good management, that he convoyed his prize, in her shattered condition, across a vast extent of ocean, swarming with foes, and conducted her triumphantly into port; thus placing immediately before the eyes of his countrymen a noble trophy of his own skill, and of national prowess.

Such has been the brilliant career of this naval hero. In pri vate life his fortune has been equally propitious. Honoured by his country, beloved by his friends, and blessed by the affections of an amiable and elegant woman.* He is now in the very prime of life, pleasing in his person, of an intelligent and interesting countenance, and an eye in whose mild and brilliant lustre, spirit, enterprise and urbanity are happily blended. His deport ment is manly and unassuming, and his manners peculiarly gentle and engaging; uniting the polish of the gentleman with the frank simplicity of the sailor. It is with the most perfect delight that we have noticed our naval officers, on returning from the gallaut achievements which are the universal topics of national pride and exultation, sinking at once into unostentatious and quiet citizens. No vainglorious boastings, no puerile gasconades, are ever heard from their lips; of their enemy they always speak with courtesy and respect; of their own exploits, with unaffected modesty and frankness. With the aspiring ardour of truly brave spirits, they pay but little regard to the past; their whole souls seem stretched towards the future. Into such hands we confide, without appre hension or reserve, our national interests and honour; to this handful of gallant worthies is allotted the proud destiny of founding the naval fame of the nation, and of thus having their names inseparably connected with the glory of their country.†

Some years since Commodore Decatur was married to Miss Wheeler, of Nar. folk, a lady celebrated for her accomplishments, and at that time a reigning belle in Virginia.

†The frigates United States and Macedonian are both lying in the port of New.

511

Memoirs of the life of George Frederick Cooke, Esq. late of the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden. By William Dunlap, 2 vols. small 12mo. New-York, D. Longworth.

AMONG the many foibles with which we are gifted by good dame Nature, she has liberally endowed us with one, which, if wicked satirists speak true, is the more peculiar attribute of her own sex; we allude to a prurient curiosity to know the private history of great men. Nothing delights us more than when we can pry into the domestic concerns of those personages who have played distinguished parts before the world; whether mighty potentates of real life, who govern the destinies of nations, or the mimic monarchs who strut with equal vainglory at the head of puissant armies of twenty men, and tyrannise over an empire of some sixty feet square of painted pasteboard. We love to cope with these Proteus beings in their familiar haunts, their social, unbuttoned moments: to see them devested of all the trappings of royalty, and to find, that purple, ermine, diadem, tinsel, gilt leather, and all their other "lendings" once laid aside, they are but "poor, bare, forked animals," like ourselves. In a preceding number of this work, we had a peep behind the scenes of a real sovereign;* in the

York, and are easily compared with each other. They have been measured, and the following are the results:

United States

Macedonian

length of deck

176 feet
166

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Each vessel has 15 ports on a side, on the main deck; the first carries 24 and the latter 18 pounders thereon. The carronades of each, on the quarter deck and forecastle, are of the like calibre; and the only further difference is, that the United States had five more of them. It is false that our frigates carry 44lb. carronades; they have only 32's.

The gallant conduct of Commodore Decatur, in capturing the Macedonian, has been rewarded by numerous tokens of public gratitude. He has received a vote of thanks and medal from congress; a vote of thanks and sword from the state of Virginia; a vote of thanks from Maryland; a vote of thanks and sword from Pennsylvania; a sword from the city of Philadelphia; a vote of thanks from Massachu setts; a vote of thanks from the state of New-York; the freedom of the city of NewYork, and has been elected an honorary member of the Cincinnati Society of that state. Public dinners have been given him, and various other entertainments.

* Vide Review of Memoires de la Princesse de Bareith, Analectic Mag. No. 4.

work before us we are furnished with the private life of a monarch of the stage: the pictures they present are equally gross, ludicrous, and humiliating to human nature-they both form striking contrasts to the parade of public exhibition; though, of the two, we certainly think the private character of George Frederick Cooke by far the most respectable; and we really owe an apology to his mighty shade for having accidentally put him in such bad compa

ny.

We cannot but look back with great good will to this frail, eccentric, but extraordinary being. We recollect many an hour of rational entertainment, furnished by his surprising talents; we consider him as having contributed much towards improving national taste in a distinguished branch of elegant amusement; and we feel very much obliged to him for the great compliment he paid this country, in thinking it worth coming to. We lay some stress on this last reason, because, in fact, it not only speaks well for Mr. Cooke, but it is a promising omen for ourselves. It certainly argued no little degree of enterprise for a man of Mr. Cooke's age, to leave a distinguished situation in England, where he was sure of profit and applause, to tempt the dangers of the sea, and to voyage three thousand miles for the purpose of playing before American audiences. It showed that he had a better idea of the state of society in this country, of the opulence and population of our cities, and the taste of their inhabitants, than, we grieve to say, is generally entertained by his countrymen. We therefore repeat, that we consider Mr. Cooke as having paid our country a great practical compliment in visiting it.

We believe that he was not disappointed in the expectations he had formed. On the contrary, he frequently expressed his surprise at the size and style of our theatres; he was gratified by the numerous and crowded audiences that he attracted, the judicious applause that he received, the kind treatment which, in spite of his failings, he experienced in private life; and, had he possessed common prudence and frugality, he might have reaped a golden barvest from his exertions. Beside these gratifying circumstances that attended his visit, we may mention, as no small one, the excitement produced by playing in a new world, before utter stran gers. This gave new interest to existence; it broke through the

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