stitious Popery? Is it the outrage against Mr. Loveday, demonstrating that those Popish Missionaries hold no rights to be sacred, when opposed to their schemes of proselytism, and ultimately of power? Is it the tolerant conduct of our Lancashire Jesuits inserting in the leases of lands which they grant, clauses prohibiting the preaching of Protestant doctrines? We really are at a loss to imagine, what new claim the Church of Rome has acquired to the means of dominion in any part of the United Kingdom. But it is not our intention to enter at present upon a discussion of the Roman Catholic question.

We recommend to the attention of our readers, the letter entitled a Reply to the Rev. Mr. Baynes, as being a complete refutation of that gentleman's effusion against the Archdeacon of Bath; and we advise that reverend advocate of imageworship, of Popes and Popish Councils, and of the cœlibacy of the Clergy, to remain satisfied with the unobtrusive exercise of his functions; and with the conviction of the peculiarly cbaritable and tolerant spirit of himself and his Church; and with the persuasion of the superior chastity and purity, which have ever raised and still raise all the popish priests, monks, friars, Jesuits and all, so much above the rest of mankind. Let him, if he will, be convinced of all this: but if it be his sincere wish (as we doubt not, it is) to serve the interest of Popery in this country, let him take care, not to write letters, and still more, not to publish his letters. By such publications as that of his letter to the Archdeacon of Bath, he will but expose himself and his Church; and provoke discussion which will defeat his object. He may also contribute to excite in the minds of the Laymen of his Communion, a wish to inquire more particularly into the system of their religious teachers. Need we remind him, what the result of such inquiry has generally been?

ART. XI. The Pirate. By the Author of Waverley, &c. &c. Edinburgh. 1822.

IN the advertisement prefixed to this performance, the author has thought proper to narrate a few circumstances connected with the capture of a real pirate, in the year 1725, who had during a considerable period annoyed the more wealthy inhabitants of the Orkney islands. The details stated there are as follows:

"In the month of January, 1724-5, a vessel called the Re venge, bearing twenty large guns and six smaller, commanded b

John Gow, or Goffe, or Smith, came to the Orkney islands, and was discovered to be a pirate, by various acts of insolence and villany committed by the crew. These were for some time submitted to, the inhabitants of these remote islands not possessing arms, nor means of resistance; and so bold was the captain of these banditti that he not only came ashore. and gave dancing parties in the village of Stromness, but before his real character was discovered, engaged the affections and received the troth-plight of a young lady possessed of some property. A patriotic individual, James Fea the younger, of Clestron, formed the plan of securing the buccaneer, which he effected by a mixture of courage and address, in consequence chiefly of Gow's ves-el having gone on shore near the harbour of Calfsound, on the island of Eda, not far distant from a house then inhabited by Mr. Fea. In the various stratagems by which Mr. Fea contrived finally, at the peril of his life, they being well armed and desperate, to make the whole pirates his prisoners; he was much aided by Mr. James Laing the grandfather of the late Malcolm Laing, Esq. the acute and ingenious historian of Scotland, during the seventeenth century."

After mentioning some other circumstances to which we may possibly return hereafter, the novelist insinuates, that the "dates and other particulars of the commonly received story are inaccurate, since they will be found totally irreconcileable with the following veracious narrative compiled from. materials to which he alone has had access."

It happens however, that we have it in our power to prove that the particulars of the commonly received story are perfectly accurate, and of course, that the narrative given by the ingenious author is entirely the offspring of his inventive brain. By the kindness of a friend resident in Orkney, we have been put in possession of several original documents connected with the capture of Gow's ship and crew; and in particular, a memorial presented by Mr. Fea to the Lords of the Treasury; affidavits by the above-mentioned James Laing and a Mr. Scollay, shipmaster in the island of Stromsay; and lastly, a diary or journal of Fea's proceedings, during his stay in London, whilst prosecuting his claims for remuneration in the shape of a sum of money to cover the expences incurred, in securing the vessel and maintaining the prisoners.

The memorial addressed by Fea to the Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury, sets forth the facts of the case in these words: viz.

"That about the 24th of January last, the pyrate ship called the Revenge, of twenty-four great guns and six smaller, John Gow, alias Smith, commander, having come into the road of Carston in the Orkneys, was soon after by intelligence gained from deserters

from her, and by the succeeding pyratical behaviour of the rest of the crew, in (amongst other things) plundering the house of he sheriff depute to the Earl of Morton, and ravishing women, discovered to be a pyrate.

"That on the first discovery of her being so, your memorialist animated with the hopes of the service he might do his Majesty, his country, and all good men, set about engaging the gentlemen at Kirkwall, the capital burgh of those islands, in measures with him for surprising if possible, and seizing the said pyrate where she then lay.

"That the consultations entered into for that purpose having reached the said Gow, by the correspondence his dissimulation of himself had obtained among the country people: and your memorialist having in the mean time found it necessary for a preparation of arms, &c. to go to his own house at Calfsound in the island of Eda, before he could set forward on his proposed expedition; he was immediately followed by an express from his friends, informing him that the said Gow, (who was bred in Orkney, and therefore well skilled in the navigation throughout the islands) had weighed from Carston, and had threatened to sail for the port of Calfsound, there by his ravages, to gratify his revenge on your memorialist.

"That but about ten hours after the receipt of the above express, the said pyrate ship was perceived to approach towards the harbour before your memorialist's house, on such short warning, that he had been able to get but nine or ten of his people about him for the defence of the danger he saw so imminent; and therefore to delude Gow into an opinion that his pyratical purpose was not suspected, and thereby to facilitate the execution of the stratagem your memorialist was now forming to supply the want of strength; your memorialist preferred a letter of seeming friendship to be sent by a boat to meet the said Gow, desiring he would forbear the ceremony of a salutation by his guns, in regard your memorialist's wife was in a bed of sickness, and might be much disturbed or affrighted at so unusual an alarm.

"That whilst that first step was putting in practice, and the ship stretching into the harbour, the strength of the tide, very forcible among those islands, occasioned her refusing the stays, and drove her stern-ways towards the shore of the opposite uninhabited island that faces your memorialist's house, where dropping an anchor under foot in hopes to get another further a-head to warp off on the tide of flood if he could be provided with a boat capable to carry it out; happening to be unappointed with one of their own large enough for that purpose, your memorialist had the happiness to see Providence favour his resolution to encounter so desperate and barbarous an enemy to himself and all honest men.

"That what your memorialist did in consequence of that in staving his own boat, and by ordering immediately all the other boats of the island to be hauled up to a proper distance from the shore, that they might not fall into the hands of Gow to assist his getting off the ship, or to convey himself and crew away; in his first seizing

the boat and five of Gow's men who came on shore armed, to force your memorialist's boat and assistance; by defeating all the arts the said Gow made use of to extricate himself out of the difficulty he was in; by preventing the said Gow and company from blowing up the ship and themselves together, which he found them determined to do, rather than to fall into the hands of justice; and that at last, (getting some more of his friends and people of the country to his aid) by drawing the said Gow and all his crew into his possession, will appear to your Lordships in the certificates hereto annexed, and in Gow's letters, and in your memorialist's answers to them.

"That having got possession of the ship, he put his own brother and 24 hired seamen, with two Custom House Officers on board, in order to guard her and her cargo, which, as your memorialist is informed, is of some value; and besides, provided and entertained men to guard the prisoners till they could be conveyed to the proper place of their confinement, and till his Majesty's pleasure concerning them should be known.

"That whilst your memorialist was thus in possession of the ship and of her crew, his Majesty sloop the Weasle, and soon after the Greyhound in quest of the said pyrate, came into the Orkneys; and Captain Robinson, Commander of the Weasle, having, as he said, orders from the Admiralty, took possession of the ship and cargo, and required from your memorialist the prisoners, but who were afterwards delivered to Captain Solgard, ofthe Greyhound, in number twenty-seven."

The memorial concludes in the usual way, praying indemnification and reward, neither of which did Fea ever receive from Government. We have now before us, as we stated above, a journal kept by that gentleman when in London, where he came immediately after the ship and prisoners were taken out of his hands, as just now described; but as it is not entire, the result of his application to the treasury, is not recorded in it. We are indeed informed, by the author of the Pirate, and we believe truly, that Mr. Fea, so far from receiving any reward from his Majesty's ministers, did not obtain even countenance enough in that quarter to protect him against a variety of sham suits, raised against him by Newgate solicitors, who acted in the name of Gow and others of the pirate crew; and "the various expences, vexatious prosecutions, and other legal consequences in which his gallantry involved him, utterly ruined his fortune and his family; making his memory a notable example to all who shall in future take pirates on their own authority."

The "sham suits" here alluded to, are narrated in the Diary with deep feelings of indignation and astonishment; and, as the style and manner of this record, have something in them extremely characteristic of the writer, as well as of the time in which he lived, we proceed to give a few extracts

from it, following therein the natural order of events. The paper is entitled, "Journall of my Proceedings anent the Pyratt Prise taken by me upon the 17th February, $1725.

"Wednesday the 17th March, I took my departure from Deansound, in Orkney, for London, on the board the Greyhound man of warr, Captt Peter Solgard, commander, to whom, upon the 8th and 9th days of the said month, I delivered the prisoners, being 27 in number, viz.

1 John Gow, alias Smith, Commander,

2 Philabart Joseph Lebyer, Mate,
3 John Bellon, Boatswain,

4 Timothy Murphey, Carpenter.

And so on to the number of 12 petty officers; adding, in a note, 'the prisoners are on board the said ship to be carried to London, in order to tryall,'”

"Wednesday, 24th-Wee arrived att the Bay of thee Nore, and this night Mr. Bell and I went to Shireness, and lodged thero all night.

Thursday, 25th-This day, about ij of the cloack, wee sett out for London, in a passage boat, and att four of the cloack, att noon, we arrived at the Hermitage Bridge, and stayed there in on Mr Scotts that night.

"Fryday, 26th-I went to Mr Thos Lyell's house, in Cecil Street in the Strand, and delivered him the letters I had to him from my Uncle and Ant, and before ever he looked upon these recommendations, I was desired to stay at his house. But rather desireing to be recommended by him to lodgeings, that I might make bold with upon my pocket, he told me, that if I should offer to goe to any house, and not take wellcome to him, I would mightely desoblidge him, wh I was obliged to comply with.

"Saturday, 27th-I come to Mr Lyell's, where I have handsome lodgeings allotted for me and my servant.

Sunday, 28th-I haveing Gott a Suite of new cloathes, from the makeing, which cost me, and haveing gott myselfe in order, I went to company with Mr Lyell, and waited of Collonell Monro, &c. &c.

"Munday, 29th-This morning, about 9 of the cloack, I went with Mr Lyell to Mr Duncan Forbes, and consulted him with 3 guineas to himselfe, and 13th to his servtts, he is to draw a petition to the King in my favours. I dined with Collonell Monro this day, in company with Mr. Jon fforbes of Collen, who made me very much concerned with drinke.”

Under date of Thursday the 8th of April, he says, "I wrote the following letter to the Secretary of the Admiralty, in Behalfe of the Innocent Prisoners." These were a few natives of Orkney, some of whom had been forcibly carried

VOL. XVII. JANUARY, 1822.

H