main," and surrounded by a grandeur of nature's scenery, the loveliness of which, might have created in the breast of a stoic, a wish to live,—the unhappy youth fell by his own hand a lifeless corpse. Ossian says, "Sweet is the remembrance of other times,” but to me, alas! the recollection of former days awakens in my breast, nothing to dwell upon, but the dreary sorrows of memory;-the companions of my youth have long since sunk into the grave, and are now only remembered in the dark abyss of time, like the fleeting objects of a midnight dream; such is the fate of human existence! poor Cdied in his native land, where, on visiting the unhappy field which contained his remains, I have often, in the silence of grief, mourn'd over his untimely end; the other companions just alluded to, went abroad, never to return; one a surgeon in the army, died in Barbadoes, another perished on the sanguinary plains of Waterloo; the third, Doctor Ross, fell a victim to the climate of India: Inspired with that enterprise so peculiar to his countrymen, Doctor R. left Scotland with a view of settling in Russia, where, as he told me, if success did not crown his efforts, he would offer his services to the Turks ;-after passing a winter at St. Petersburgh, he left that capital, but in place of directing his steps towards the Ottoman empire, he penetrated his way into Asia, where he ultimately became physician to the king of Persia; after a residence there of eighteen months, by a letter which he wrote me from Teheran, I learnt he had been exposed to circumstauces so abhorrent to the feelings of a Briton, that rather than remain in the lucrative situation which he then held, he was resolved to proceed to India, where he hoped to enjoy more happiness, as a subaltern in the British army, than that which he could ever expect whilst holding the dignified position of physician to an Eastern and absolute monarch. Dr. Ross bent his course towards Hindostan, under the guidance of a Caliph, who was, by the orders of the king, to see him safe, at the peril of his head, in Busora, a town on the Red-sea, at which the English have a factory; and so changed was our young traveller, by the Persian costume, that upon his arrival there, his countrymen would scarcely believe he was an European; reaching Calcutta, he met with the protection of His Excellency the Governor-General, the Marquiss of Hastings, who appointed him as surgeon to a regiment of British cavalry, but shortly afterwards he was attached as a man of science to a mission under Colonel Lambton, destined to the court of Persia; whilst travelling, however, to join this appointment, by incautiously exposing himself to the rays of a burning sun, he was struck by a Coup de Soleil, which terminated his existence, at the early age of 22. "Death," as the poet Youug says, pities not the pride of youthful bloom;" Dr. R's enterprising career was, alas! too soon blighted, for, had he lived, the talent with which he was endowed, would probably have rendered his exertions useful to his country. A journal of his travels, the only relic that was transmitted to his mother, by a brother officer, I think of the 17th Light Dragoons, is replete with profound and extensive observation; his epistolary correspondence, breathes throughout, "a philosophy of thought," remarkable for his years; in short, a letter which he wrote me from Moscow, contains reflections, when viewing from the Kremlin, the mournful aspect of that city shortly after its conflagration, that for style aud beauty, may vie with the celcbrated Volney's meditations, amidst the ruins of the ancient Palmyra. NOTE 18, PAGE 30. Dr. Uwins, whose literary contributions to the Science of Medicine, are well known, when alluding to those cases of suicide that do not come under the character of insanity, has remarked, "Certain it is, that no inquisition at all would be much preferable to the slovenly and mere formal way in which inquiries as to sanity or insanity are now conducted, and certain, moreover it is, that in order to form a correct judgment on the questions which these awful events give rise to, physiology and medicine ought to lend their assistance, on the bearings of the separate and several cases." [Treatise on those Diseases of the Brain and Nervous system which are usually considered aud called Mental.] NOTE 19, PAGE 33. Ophelia's madness.-Act 4. Scene 5-HAMLET. Орн. Where is the beauteous Majesty of Denmark? QUEEN. How now, Ophelia? OPH. How should I your true love know, From another one? By his cockle hat and staff, And his sandal shoon. (Singing.) QUEEN. Alas, sweet lady, what imports this song? OPH. Well, God 'ield you! They say the owl was a baker's daughter: Lord, we know what we are, but know not what we may be. God be at your table! KING. Conceit upon her father. OPH. Pray, let us have no words of this; but when they ask you what it means, say you this: Good morrow, 'tis Saint Valentine's day, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine: Then up he rose, and don'd his clothes, KING. Pretty Ophelia ! ОPH. Indeed, without an oath, I'll make an end on't: By Gis, and by Saint Charity, Young men will do't, if they come to’t; By cock, they are to blame. Quoth she, before you tumbled me, You promised me to wed: (He answers.) So would I ha' done, by yonder sun, KING. How long hath she been thus? OPH. I hope all will be well. We must be patient: but I cannot choose but weep, to think, they should lay him i'the cold ground; My brother shall know of it, and so I thank you for your good counsel. Come, my coach! Good night, ladies; good night, sweet ladies; good night, good night. [Exit. NOTE 20, PAGE 42. An author whose writings are well known in the circles of taste and literature, has very justly observed, so much has 66 been well said against war, that it has the air of a plagiarism, when any of its evils are alluded to;" it may nevertheless be here remarked, that the events which have lately engrossed the pages of our newspapers, entitled "Glorious News from China," must have excited in the breasts of all influenced by humanity, the most painful reflections. Who have read the details of the atrocious rapine and wholesale butchery committed on the unoffending Chinese, without experiencing the utmost indig nation? and yet, with these terrible outrages deeply impressed upon our feelings, men calling themselves statesmen, unblushingly claim honour, for the wisdom which has been displayed, in waging the horrors of war upon this innocent people, laying waste their towns with fire and sword, and finally, upon condition that they shall not be further molested, exacting from them an amount of money equal to five millions sterling, a rich booty which it is apprehended will never find its way to that channel, whereby the burden of taxation in this conntry could be diminished: the odious income tax will still be rigidly drawn from the people, though it was levied for the express purpose of defraying the expenses of this unwarrantable invasion. The morality of governments should be tested by the same principles which decide the character of individuals, and until those who direct the destiny of states, are guided by sentiments of a more elevated nature, the history of public events will remain a dark blot in the annals of our country; in short, while legislators are influenced by maxims so demoralising, the masses subjugated to their sway, will continue in the vortex of that ignorance, which engenders all the crime that unhappily prevails around us. It is true, that those lately in authority, brought forward, and apparently sanctioned, the principles of a system of national education, but the stinted and narrow policy by which they were actuated, gave indubitable proof, that little or no sincerity was felt in the measure, the amount granted, being totally inadequate, to carry out with any advantage, this great undertaking; whilst, in the same session of parliament, a vote was obtained for the enormous snm of 70,000l. to build a stable at Windsor! well may we exclaim, O, tempora, O, mores; such doings creating in our minds, the remembrance of all that has been told us of the monster Caligula, who, if history is to be credited, amidst his brutal and idiotic extravagance, built a stable of marble, with a manger of ivory, and ordered his horse to be fed with golden oats. During the Penisular war, a contest, that ultimately led, by his restless and insane ambition, to the overthrow of the late Emperor Napoleon, the officers of the two contending armies, |