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SIR WALTER SCOTT.

IT is related of Sir Walter Scott, that, not long before his " Lay of the Last Minstrel" made its appearance, while crossing the Frith of Forth in a ferry-boat, with a friend, they proposed to beguile the time, by writing a number of verses on a given subject; and at the end of an hour's poring and hard study, the product of Sir Walter's (then Mr. Scott) fertile brain, adding thereto the labours of his friend, was six lines. "It is plain," said Scott, to his fellowlabourer, then unconscious of his great powers, "that you and I need never think of getting our living by writing poetry,"

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HENRY TEONGE.

AMONG Our English Song-writers, we must not forget to notice the name of this jolly Divine, which, although of some antiquity, has never been inscribed upon the list until the commencement of the present year, when the publication of his "Diary" first made his pretensions known to the world. The character of our worthy Chaplain may easily be collected from this publication-the only memorial of him

VOL. III.

F

which remains, and which is well worthy of the attentive perusal of those who delight to contemplate the manners of the "olden time," of which, especially as relates to "life at sea," it presents a striking picture.

Writing as he did, without any sort of disguise, he exhibits himself, not, indeed, as possessing any very constant sense of religious obligation, but, considering the laxity of the morals of the period in which he lived, and the society in which he moved, as affording a very respectable specimen of a sea-chaplain of that era. He enjoys his punch and his claret, and he revels in the most luxurious description of the good cheer by which he was occasionally surrounded; but he appears to have been constant in the observance of the offices of his calling. His mind appears to have been remarkably acute and vigorous. He diligently observes whatever is new and curious, and brings to the subject a considerable share of book-learning, sometimes, indeed, inaccurate and ill-digested, and frequently mixed up with a very singular portion of superstition, but altogether affording abundant evidence of his talents and acquirements.

His poetical compositions are often very far above those of "the mob of gentlemen who write with ease;" and some of his ballads, making allowance for the bad taste of his age,-the Chlorises and the Amyntas, the Phyllises and the Amaryllises, are in some respects worthy of taking their place amongst the standard compositions of this description.

In support of this observation, we need only adduce the following specimen, the beauty and feeling of which, our readers cannot fail justly to appreciate.

A SONNET,

Composed October the First, over against the East Part of Candia.

O! Ginnee was a bony lasse,

Which maks the world to woonder

How ever it should com to passe

That wee did part a sunder.

The driven snow, the rose so rare,
The glorious sunn above thee,
Can not with my Ginnee compare,
Shee was so woonderous lovely.

Her merry lookes, her forhead high,
Her hayre like golden-wyer,
Her hand and foote, her lipe or eye,
Would set a saint on fyre.

And for to give Ginnee her due,
Thers no ill part about her;

The turtle-dove 's not halfe so true :
Then whoe can live without her ?

King Solomon, where ere he lay,
Did nere imbrace a kinder:
O! why should Ginnee gang a way,
And I be left behind her?

Then will I search each place and roome
From London to Virginny,

From Dover-peere to Scanderoonę,

But I will finde my Ginny.

But Ginny's turned back I feare,
When that I did not mind her;
Then back to England will I steare,
To see where I can find her.

And haveing Ginnee once againe,

If shee'l dee her indeavour,

The world shall never make us twaine-
Weel live and dye together."

GOLDSMITH.

THE frequency with which Islington is mentioned in Goldsmith's writings, has been considered worthy of remark. To this village, it appears, he was very partial; and there he spent much of his time; and there, at one period, he

occupied apartments. It was his custom occasionally to enjoy what he called a shoemaker's holiday, which was a day of great festivity with the Doctor, and was spent in the following in

nocent manner.

Three or four of his intimate friends rendezvoused at his chambers to breakfast, at about ten o'clock in the morning: at eleven, they proceeded by the City Road, and through the fields, to Highbury Barn, to dinner: at about six o'clock in the evening, they adjourned to "White-Conduit House," to drink tea; and concluded the evening by supping at the "Grecian,” or "Temple," Coffee-Houses, or at " The Globe," in Fleet Street.

There was a very good ordinary, of two dishes and pastry, kept at Highbury Barn, at this time, (about fifty years ago,) at ten-pence per head, including a penny to the waiter; and the company generally consisted of literary cha.racters, a few Templars, and some citizens who had left off trade. The whole expenses of this day's fête never exceeded a crown, and oftener from 3s. 6d. to 4s., for which the party obtained good air and exercise, good living, the example of simple manners, and good conversation.

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