Mingle together heaven and earth- Love stoops from his high seat to bless the birth, Of nature's prime, She wedded; and, in his embrace, she hears In her prolific years. Therefore with mighty tumult, and great noise, He doth rejoice, And scattereth noxious vapours from the air, Anon, the clouds disperse, and eve serene (By permission of the Author.) WATERLOO. W. M. PRAED. "It was here that the French cavalry charged, and cut to pieces the English squares.”—Narrative of a French Tourist. "Is it true, think you?"- Winter's Tale. AYE, here such valorous deeds were done Aye, here the reddest wreath was won That ever Gallia wore: Since Ariosto's wondrous knight Made all the Pagans dance, There never dawned so bright a day As Waterloo's on France. beyond the boundaries of which he seldom or never peregrinated. But poor Saunders had a thorn in the flesh; and he often used to lament, that "the speerit of grace wasna crouse eneugh within him to owercome the etlin in his craig for the speerit o' maut." Necessity often enforced on him what his self-command never could. On one occasion, when he experienced the power of this most undisputable of all rulers, he seated himself upon a large stone, which marked one of the extremities of his dominion, and racked his invention for some expedient that would procure him "joost the wattin' o' his craig." His attention was arrested by a man on horseback, who emerged, at a short hand gallop, from one of the windings of the road. As they approached Saunders had an opportunity of observing them. We have already hinted that he was somewhat knowing: it did not, however, require much penetration to discover, that the person approaching, who it seems was an Englishman, was very vain of his horse's appearance. Saunders rose. The horse and his rider stopt. 66 "I old say, man," said the latter, can you tell me where's the best stable for my charger in this here place ?" "Atweel can I," said Saunders, touching his hat: "Ah! man, but that's a bonny beast; siccan a carriage!—it's a real bonny head-an' een, they're joost fire itsel'!" "Ah! friend, I see you're a judge of hoss flesh." "Deed an' so may I, for I've been amang them frae my youth upwards." "Ah! then I presume you can direct me to the best stabling." "As I tauld ye afore, there's nane mair fit; there's but ae guid place i' the bit toon ye see forenent ye, an' like a' ither guid things, it's no vera easy come at; for ye ken it's a bittock aff the main road; sae I'll joost hirple on a wee, alang wi' ye, till I can point to it, an' mak it veesable to ye, for fear ye miss it. Man, but he's a real bonny gait !—he walks like a seeventy-four -ye might trundle a kettle-drum atween his hinder feet: there's but ae thing he wants to mak him that there wadna be a horse like him i' the warl'." "Ah! ah! and pray what is that?" "He has a neck," continued Saunders, "as gracefu' as the arch o' a brigg, an' a breast as flet an' as braid as the stern o' a ship; joost ae thing an' there wadna be his like i' the warl'!- -Ou, aye !—there 'tis,—d'ye see yon lum, wi' the auld wife upon it, o'ertappin' a' aroun' it, joost a wee ahint the belfry ?" 66 Why, I don't know what you mean," said the Englishman. "The black thing, whar the reek's comin' frae, on the tap o' the heighest o' thae hooses, man," said Saunders, pointing with his stick. "Oh! you mean the chimney with the smoke vane on it." "Ay, the cheemly,-weel, that's the hoose-ye gang to the right the first street ye come to: there's no a hoose in a' Scotlan' keeps better stablin' for horse, or drink for man." "Thank ye, friend; but what is it that would improve my horse so much? I think you know something of horses." "Deed, as I was sayin', sir, weel may I; for ye ken, I'm an auld sodger; an' the first horse, which was a meer, that I had the keepin' o', was shot from under me, an' the shot that took her life wad hae taen mine, had she no reared up, puir hissey, an' caught it in her ain croon afore it got to mine. The next was a bonny geldin'-he was killed too-an' I hae na strode animal since; for ye ken my leg was taen awa at the same time; an' I can say without fear o' leein', that I grieved mair for my horse than my limb. But a' things are for the best, for tho' he hadna been killed, seeing that I was disabled, I would hae been obligated to gie him up; an' some ane might hae got him that wadna hae been sae kind to him; an' I'm sure that he's comfortable as he is that is, I mean that he's no in misery; for beasts, ye ken, are no accoontable i' the next warl'; an' yet I used to think sometimes, that he had mair sense than mony a puir lump o' humanity I've ken'd; but, sir, I wish I may na be deteenin' ye ower langsome: wi' your leave, sir, I'm unco feared your horse is gettin' ower soon cauld, for he was gay an' warm wi' yon bit gallop ye gied him." "You're right, friend, I'd better be trotting on to the inn. But I'd like to get a little of your information on horses; so if you will follow, we'll discuss the subject over a pot of ale, or a glass of whisky." "That will I-I'm muckle obleeged to you." The prospect of getting the whisky, urged Saunders to make great exertions, by "hirplin'," as he called it, "i' the footsteps of the beast." When fairly seated in the inn, at the "tae side o' a whisky stoup," he told story after story, in order to gain time enough "to see the bottom o'it." He parried the main point of the Englishman's inquiry, until he was near getting into "het water." At last he was obliged to have recourse to his invention; for the fact is, he had spoken sae widely, merely to get the rider o' the beast to the right about face wi' him, with the speerit o' frien'ship atween them," and he had mentioned the ae thing merely to excite his curiosity sufficiently to bring about the desired object. 66 "What could I do?" said Saunders, when afterwards relating the adventure; "there was ae thing that I had guid thocht o' when I spak sae, and sae I tauld nae lee. Noo ye ken I'd rather anger an Englisher than tell a lee; sae the truth maun be out, thocht I. 'But what,' quo' he a wee tart ways, 'is that ae thing?'" "Hae patience a wee, quo' I, an' I took care to hae the handle o' the door in my nieve; what I've said about the beast's nae mair nor truth; he's exceeding comely in every perteecular; he has four as clean limbs as ever marked a sod; joost gie him anither leg, an' there'll no be a horse like him i' the warl'." 129 INCIDENT OF THE FRENCH CAMP. (Supposed to be spoken by one of Napoleon's soldiers.) ROBERT BROWNING. You know, we French stormed Ratisbon: On a little mound, Napoleon Stood on our storming day; Just as perhaps he mused, "My plans Out 'twixt the battery smokes there flew Full galloping; nor bridle drew Until he reached the mound. Then off there flung in smiling joy, And held himself erect By just his horse's mane a boy: You looked twice ere you saw his breast "Well," cried he, "Emperor by God's grace We've got you Ratisbon ! The Marshal's in the market-place And you'll be there anon To see your flag-bird flap his wings Where I, to heart's desire, Perched him!" The Chief's eye flashed; his plans Soared up again like fire. |