watching her in her neglect of Divine worship. So I was heedless-the sheet fast-and the boat instantly they bent their steps towards the shore. filling, went down in a moment, head foremost, in twenty fathom water!

Harry Needham had not perhaps had any preconceived intention to keep Margaret from church; but he was very well pleased, that, instead of being with her in a pew there, in a crowd, he was now walking alone with her on the brink of his own element. The tide was coming fast in, hurrying on its beautiful little bright ridges of variegated foam, by short successive encroachments over the smooth hard level shore, and impatient, as it were, to reach the highest line of intermingled sea-weed, silvery sand, and deep-stained or glittering shells. The friends, or lovers-and their short dream was both friendship and love-retreated playfully from every little watery wall that fell in pieces at their feet, and Margaret turned up her sweet face in the sun-light to watch the slow dream-like motion of the sea-mews, who seemed sometimes to be yielding to the breath of the shifting air, and sometimes obeying only some wavering impulse of joy within their own white-plumaged breasts. Or she walked softly behind them, as they alighted on the sand, that she might come near enough to observe that beautifully wild expression that is in the eyes of all winged creatures whose home is on the sea.

"Alas! home church every thing on earth was forgotten-for her soul was filled exclusively with its present joy. She had never before, in all her life, been down at the sea-shore-and she never again was within hearing of its bright, sunny, hollow-sounding and melancholy waves!

"See.' said Harry, with a laugh, the kirks have scaled, as you say here in Scotland-the pier

head is like a wood of bonnets.-Let us go there, and I think I can show them the bonniest face among them a'.' The fresh sea breeze had tinged Margaret's pale face with crimson, and her heart now sent up a sudden blush to deepen and brighten that beauty. They mingled with the cheerful, but calm and decent crowd, and stood together at the end of the pier, looking towards the ship. That is our frigate, Margaret, the Tribune;-she sits like a bird on the water, and sails well, both in calm and storm.' The poor girl looked at the ship with her flags flying, till her eyes filled with tears. If we had a glass, like one my father once had, we might, perhaps, see Laurence.' And for the moment she used the word father' without remembering what and where he was in his misery.There is one of our jigger-rigged boats coming right before the wind.-Why, Margaret, this is the last opportunity you may have of seeing your brother. We may sail to-morrow; nay to-night.' -A sudden wish to go on board the ship seized Margaret's heart. Harry saw the struggle-and wiling her down a flight of steps, in a moment lifted her into the boat, which, with the waves rushing in foam within an inch of the gunwale, went dancing out of harbour, and was soon half-way over to the anchored frigate.

"The accident was seen both from the shore and ship; and a crowd of boats put off to their re But death was beforehand with them all; and when the frigate's boat came to the place, nothing was seen upon the waves. Two of the men, was supposed, had gone to the bottom entangled with ropes or beneath the sail,-in a few moments the grey head of the old steersman was apparent, and he was lifted up with an oar-drowned. A woman's clothes were next descried; and Margaret was taken up with something heavy weighing down the body. It was Harry Needham, who had sunk in trying to save her; and in one of his hands was grasped a tress of her hair that had given way in the desperate struggle. There seemed to be faint symptoms of life in both; but they were utterly insensible. The crew, among which was Laurence Lyndsay, pulled swiftly back to the ship; and the bodies were first of all laid down together side by side in the captain's cabin."-Trials of Margaret Lyndsay, pp. 125-130.

We must conclude with something less desolating-and we can only find it in the account of the poor orphan's reception from an ancient miserly kinsman, to whom, after she had buried all her immediate family, she went like Ruth, in the simple strength of her innocence. After walking all day, she comes at night within sight of his rustic abode.

"With a beating heart, she stopt for a little while at the mouth of the avenue, or lane, that seemed to lead up to the house. It was much overgrown with grass, and there were but few marks of wheels; the hedges on each side were thick and green, but unclipped, and with frequent gaps; something melancholy lay over all about; and the place bad the air of being uninhabited. But still it was beautiful; for it was bathed in the dews of a rich midsummer gloaming, and the clover filled the air with fragrance that revived the heart of the solitary orphan, as she stood, for a few minutes, irresolute, and apprehensive of an unkind reception.

"At last she found heart, and the door of the house being open, Margaret walked in, and stood on the floor of the wide low-roofed kitchen. An old man was sitting, as if half asleep, in a highbacked arm-chair, by the side of the chimneyBefore she had time or courage to speak, her shadow fell upon his eyes, and he looked towards her with strong visible surprise, and, as she thought, with a slight displeasure. Ye hae got off your road, I'm thinking, young woman; what seek you here?' Margaret asked respectfully if she might sit down. Aye, aye, ye may sit down, but we keep nae refreshment here-this is no a publichouse. There's ane a mile west in the Clachan.' "The novelty of her situation, and of all the The old man kept looking upon her, and with a scene around. at first prevented the poor girl from countenance somewhat relaxed from its inhospitathinking deliberately of the great error she had ble austerity. Her appearance did not work as a committed, in thus employing her Sabbath hours charm or a spell, for she was no enchantress in a in a way so very different to what she had been ac-fairy tale; but the tone of her voice, so sweet and cust med; but she soon could not help thinking what she was to say to her mother when she went home, and was obliged to confess that she had not been at church at all, and had paid a visit to her brother on board the ship. It was very sinful in her thus to disobey her own conscience and her mother's will, and the tears came into her eyes.The young sailor thought she was afraid, and only my name is Margaret Lyndsay, and my mother's pressed her closer to him, with a few soothing name was Alice Craig. The old man moved upon words. At that moment a sea-mew came winnow- his chair, as if a blow had struck him, and looked ing its way towards the boat, and one of the sailors long and earnestly into her face. Her features con rising up with a musquet, took aim as it flew over firmed her words. Her countenance possessed that their heads. Margaret suddenly started up, crying, strong power over him that goes down mysteriously Do not kill the pretty bird,' and stumbling, fell through the generations of perishable man, conforward upon the man, who also lost his balance.- necting love with likeness, so that the child wis A flaw of wind struck the mainsail—the helmsman I cradle may be smiling almost with the self-ame

gentle, the serenity of her face, and the meekness of her manner, as she took her seat upon a stool not far from the door, had an effect upon old Daniel Craig, and he bade her come forward, and take a chair farther ben the house.'

"I am an Orphan, and have perhaps but little claim upon you, but I have ventured to come here

expression that belonged to some one of its forefathers mouldered into ashes many hundred years ago. Nae doubt, nae doubt, ye are the daughter o Walter Lyndsay and Alice Craig. Never were twa faces mair unlike than theirs, yet yours is like them baith. Margaret-that is your name-I give-nane that cares for me, but the servant in the you my blessing. Hae you walked far? Mysie's doun at the Rashy-riggs, wi' milk to the calf, but will be in belyve. Come, my bonny bairn, take a shake o' your uncle's hand.'

GENERAL POLITICS.

A GREAT deal that should naturally come under this title has been unavoidably given already, under that of History; and more, I fear, may be detected under still less appropriate denominations. If any unwary readers have been thus unwittingly decoyed into Politics, while intent on more innocent studies, I can only hope that they will now take comfort, from finding how little of this obnoxious commodity has been left to appear in its proper colours; and also from seeing, from the decorous title now assumed, that all intention of engaging them in Party discussions is disclaimed.

I do not think that I was ever a violent or (consciously) uncandid partisan; and at all events, ten years of honest abstinence and entire segregation from party contentions (to say nothing of the sobering effects of threescore antecedent years!), should have pretty much effaced the vestiges of such predilections, and awakened the least considerate to a sense of the exaggerations, and occasional unfairness, which such influences must almost unavoidably impart to political disquisitions. In what I now reprint I have naturally been anxious to se lect what seemed least liable to this objection: and though I cannot flatter myself that a tone of absolute, Judicial impartiality is maintained in all these early productions, I trust that nothing will be found in them that can suggest the idea either of personal animosity, or of an ungenerous feeling towards a public opponent.

To the two first, and most considerable, of the following papers, indeed, I should wish particularly to refer, as fair exponents both of the principles I think I have always maintained, and of the temper in which I was generally disposed to maintain them. In some of the others a more vehement and contentious tone may no doubt be detected. But as they touch upon matters of permanent interest and importance, and advocate opinions which I still think substantially right, I have felt that it would be pusillanimous now to suppress them, from a poor fear of censure, which, if just, I cannot but know that I deserve-or a still poorer distrust of those allowances which I have no reason to think will be withheld from me by the better part of my readers.

(November, 1812.)

Essay on the Practice of the British Government, distinguished from the abstract Theory c which it is supposed to be founded. By GOULD FRANCIS LECKIE. 8vo. London: 1812.* THIS is the most direct attack which we The pamphlet which contains these con have ever seen in English, upon the free constitution of England; or rather upon political liberty in general, and upon our government only in so far as it is free:-and it consists partly in an eager exposition of the inconveniences resulting from parliaments or representative legislatures, and partly in a warm defence and undisguised panegyric of Absolute, or, as the author more elegantly phrases it, of Simple monarchy.

* I used to think that this paper contained a very good defence of our free constitution; and especially the most complete, temperate, and searching vindication of our Hereditary Monarchy that was any where to be met with: And, though it now appears to me rather more elementary and elaborate than was necessary, I am still of opinion that it may be

of use to young politicians,-and suggest cautions and grounds of distrust, to rash discontent and thoughtless presumption.

solatory doctrines, has the further merit of being, without any exception, the worst writ ten, and the worst reasoned, that has ever fallen into our hands; and there is nothing in deed but the extreme importance of the subject, and of the singular complexion of the times in which it appears, that could induce us to take any notice of it. The rubbish that is scattered in our common walks, we merely push aside and disregard; but, when it defiles the approaches to the temple, or is heaped on other rites of expiation, and visited with se the sanctuary itself, it must be cast out with verer penalties. When the season is healthy, we may walk securely among the elements of corruption, and warrantably decline the inglorious labour of sweeping them away but, when the air is tainted and the blood impure, we should look with jealousy upon every speck, and consider that the slightest

I

renassion of our police may spread a pesti-dition, he candidly admits that none of those lence through all the borders of the land. would reach to the root of the evil; which There are two periods, it appears to us, consists entirely, it seems, in our "too great when the promulgation of such doctrines as jealousy of the Crown:" and accordingly proare maintained by this author may be con- ceeds to draw a most seducing picture of his sidered as dangerous, or, at least as of evil favourite Simple monarchy; and indirectly inomen, in a country like this. The one, when deed, but quite unequivocally, to intimate, the friends of arbitrary power are strong and that the only effectual cure for the evils under daring, and advantageously posted; and when, which we now suffer is to be found in the total meditating some serious attack on the liber- abolition of Parliaments, and the conversion ties of the people, they send out their emis- of our constitution into an absolute monarchy: saries and manifestoes, to feel and to prepare or, shortly to "advert," as he expresses himtheir way-the other, when they are sub- self, "to the advantages which a Monarchy, stantially weak, and unfit to maintain a con- such as has been described, has over our flict with their opponents, but where the great boasted British Constitution." These advanbody of the timid and the cautious are alarmed tages, after a good deal of puzzling, he next at the prospect of such a conflict, and half settles to be-First, that the sovereign will be disposed to avert the crisis by supporting "more likely to feel a pride, as well as a zeal, whatever is in actual possession of power. to act a great and good part ;"-secondly, that Whether either of these descriptions may suit the ministers will have more time to attend to the aspect of the present times, we willingly their duties when they have no parliamentary leave it to our readers to determine: But be- contentions to manage;-thirdly, that the pubfore going farther, we think it proper to say, that lic councils will be guided by fixed and steady we impute no corrupt motives to the author principles;-fourthly, that if the Monarch before us; and that there is, on the contrary, should act in an oppressive manner, it will be every appearance of his being conscientious- easier for the people to get the better of him ly persuaded of the advantages of arbitrary than of a whole Parliament, who might act in power, and sincerely eager to reconcile the the same manner;-fifthly, that the heir apminds of his countrymen to the introduction parent might then be allowed to travel in of so great a blessing. The truth indeed foreign countries for the improvement of his seems to be, that having lived so long abroad manners and understanding;-sixthly, and as evidently to have lost, in a great degree, lastly, that there would be no longer any prethe use of his native language, it is not sur-text for a cry against "what is styled backprising that he should have lost along with stair influence!" it, a great number of those feelings, without which it really is not possible to reason, in this country, on the English constitution; and has gradually come, not only to speak, but to feel, like a foreigner, as to many of those things which still constitute both the pride and the happiness of his countrymen. We have no doubt that he would be a very useful and enlightened patriot in Sicily; but we think it was rather harsh in him to venture before the public with his speculations on the English government, with his present stock of information and habits of thinking. Though we do not, however, impute to him any thing worse than these disqualifications, there are persons enough in the country to whom it will be a sufficient recommendation of any work, that it inculcates principles of servility; and who will be abundantly ready to give it every chance of making an impression, which it may derive from their approbation; and indeed we have already heard such testimonies in favour of this slender performance, as seem to impose it upon us as a duty to give some little account of its contents, and some short opinion of its principles.

in a very

The first part of the task may be performed moderate compass; for though the learned author has not always the gift of writing intelligibly, it is impossible for a diligent reader not to see what he would be at; and his doctrine, when once fairly understood, may readily be reduced to a few very simple propositions. After preluding on a variety of minor topics, and suggesting some curious enough remedies for our present unhappy con

Such is the sum of Mr. Leckie's publication; of which, as a curious specimen of the infinite diversity of human opinions and endowments, and of the license of political speculation that is still occasionally indulged in in this country, we have thought it right that some memorial should be preserved-a little more durable than the pamphlet itself seemed likely to afford. But though what we have already said is probably more than enough to settle the opinion of all reasonable persons with regard to the merits of the work, we think we can trace, even in some of the most absurd and presumptuous of its positions, the operation of certain errors, which we have found clouding the views, and infecting the opinions of persons of far sounder understanding; and shall presume, therefore, to offer a few very plain and simple remarks upon some of the points which we think we have most frequently found either misrepresented or misunderstood.

The most important and radical of those, is that which relates to the nature and uses of Monarchy, and the rights and powers of a sovereign; upon which, therefore, we beg leave to begin with a few observations. And here we shall take leave to consider Royalty as being, on the whole, but a Human Institu tion,-originating in a view to the general good, and not to the gratification of the individual upon whom the office is conferred; 01 at least only capable of being justified, or deserving to be retained, where it is found, or believed, to be actually beneficial to the whole society. Now we think that, generally speak