Where many a generous deed of fair re

TOWN

With lasting honour shall her temples

crown.

Lo! where Benevolence her arm extends To calm the pang that Misery's bosom rends,

When want and woe by turns assail the heart,

And fell Disease plants deep her barbed dart, Yon friendly mansion shall the mourner hail,

And soothe his sorrows in the quiet vale
With balms medicinal, till Joy at last
O'er bleeding Memory's wounds her veil
shall cast,

And Health triumphant lead him o'er the plain

Puoyant, to tread his native fields again.

Then on his back they swiftly mount,
Their king no more revere,
Nor make of him the least account,
But loudly croaking there,

In voice resounding 'er the place,
And all with one accord,
An active monarch for their race
Demand of heav'n's high lord.
The angry god, on vengeance bent,
Denounc'd their future woe,
And soon a direful monster sent
To give the fated blow.

Lo from the lake's remotest bed

A hissing voice is heard,
And o'er the waves his horrid head
A water-hydra rear'd.

With crest erect, and flaming eyes,

He circles round the shores,
In ev'ry creek and corner pries,

And half the race devours.
Again they pray ;—but Jove refus'd,
To grant the wish'd relief;
For they, who have his gifts abus'd,
Must bear th' attendant grief.

Kind reader, to this tale give ear,
Which Æsop told before,
And ye may now with profit hear,
As Athens heard of yore.
Let short-eyed mortals cease to grieve
For good yet unpossest,
Live while they may, and still believe,
The present hour the best.
And had proud France allegiance giv'n
To Bourbon's milder sway,
She had not been so sadly driv'n
A Tyrant to obey.

SONNET.

H. W. T.

TO A LADY.

THO' from Schiraz, of Persia, come
The wine in the world the best,
To chear us when languid at home,
Or crown the convivial feast:
Yet France's rich produce we see,
Unless to our country quite blind,
In Britain still equall'd may be,
Nor come an iota behind.
Hence often raw travellers pay

For Perry the price of Champagne,
Nor know, till advanc'd on their way,
That inns are so greedy of gain.
But you of so fertile a brain,

Still good, and inclin'd to be merry,
Send a wine that equals Champagne,
And modestly call it but-PERRY.
So Shiraz may drink her fine wine,
France keep her Champagne out of sight
We too have our liquors divine,

If we knew but to use them aright. Of old, they had chear'd mighty Jove,

Like those from dame Baucis he got, When for shelter, with Hermes he drove,

To her's, and Philemon's old cot. Our first Henrys, and Edward well knew, That the grapes of a true English vine Equall'd those on the continent grew, And yielded as excellent wine. So for Liberty, forward and bold,

Let us shew the nations around,
Our courage can ne'er be controll'd,

Nor find, but with conquest, a bound
With Peace, and with Plenty still blest,
We keep Bonaparte at bay,
Nor mind the tyrannical pest,

While Victory crowns us by 'sea.
Now Emperor of a great realm,

And kings, but like slaves, at his knees He vapeurs, and stings at the helm,

As a bramble set over the trees. Tho' like Jotham's bramble of old,

He devour the cedars around him, Our Navy, that rides uncontroll'd, Shall blow out his fire and confound him And each British Tar will renown

The strength of his grog, beef and beer 'Tis by these that we beat the French down Tis by these that " to glory we steer !" H. W. 2 Edin. 12th Dec. 1807.

So late as the reign of Henry III. th whole south of England was covered wit vines; the grapes of which produced wine that were esteemed excellent, and are n where mentioned as being inferior to foreig wines. See Andrew's History of Gre Britain, and a late number of this magazin

SPAIN.

THE THE events now passing in Spain and Portugal are of such an important nature, as to claim our primary attention this month. We shall first take notice of the dark and foul transactions of the French despot at Bayonne, relative to the Spanish Royal Family, and of the proceedings of the traitorous Junta which the tyrant has seduced from their allegiance to their lawful Sovereign, occurrences which have roused the spirit of the Spanish nation to the most determined resistance of those bonds of slavery so basely and perfidiously preparing for them.

The following very interesting particulars of the interviews between the Royal Family of Spain and Bonaparte, are given in a private letter from Bay.

-onne :

Bayonne, May 8. 1808. This town has seen, with an astonishment from which it has not yet recovered, the conclusion of a business which, in the first instance, presented so favourable an appearance, by the arrival of Ferdinand VII. and what subsequently occurred in the successive sittings up to the memorable Congress of the sth. When the new Sovereign arrived here, he was received at a league distant from Bayonne by the Prince of Neufchatel, the principal Major Domo Duroc, and other personages of the first consequence, who accompanied the King of Spain to the apartments designed for him, leaving at the residence of his Majesty an Imperial guard of honour. Half an hour after, the Emperor Napoleon arrived from his palace of Marrac, accompanied by a numerous suite of personages, to visit Ferdinand VII. who immediately repaired to the gate to receive his Imperial visitor. Napoleon alighted from his horse, threw his arms around his august guest, saluted him, shook him by the hand, and assured him of his sincere friendship. Af. ter this first meeting, Napoleon invited Ferdinand to dine with him at five o' clock, but previously sending to him a July 1808.

state carriage, drawn by most beautiful horses, shewing to him then, and afterwards, every possible attention. So that the three first days after his arrival in Bayonne were days of rejoicing, and the people really believed that it was intended in good earnest to honour and respect the royal visitor.

After this, there were a number of private interviews between Ferdinand and Napoleon; in the first of which, Napoleon offered to him the crown of Etruria, and his niece in marriage.Some of these conferences were held in the presence of the First Minister, M. Zevallos, who distinguished himself upon the occasion, as will be remarked in the Junta of the 5th May, and at these conferences there was much altercation. Subsequently to these, however, Ferdinand was deprived of his carriage and of his guard of honour, remaining only with the Commandant of his private guard, a Jewish officer of the national guard of Bonaparte.

From this moment, the state of things became changed, and Napoleon now ase sumed towards the Prince a different and an angry aspect; intimating to the Noblemen who accompanied Ferdinand, that they should answer with their heads for the security of his person, which produced among them a sudden dejection. The object of these conferences seemed to be that of gaining time for the arrival of Godoy, and of the King and Queen. But, in the mean time, Napoleon intimated to Ferdinand, that the reign of the Bourbons was at an endadding, that his and their interests were at variance, and that the continuance of the sceptre in their hands could no longer conduce to the developement of his plans, and the vast political objects he had in view. Notwithstanding this, however, he pressed Ferdinand to ac cept the kingdom of Etruria, and directed the Grandees to counsel their Prince to accede to his proposal. Ferdinand answered boldly, "I will not accept the crown of Etruria, nor any Crown in the world, whilst nature gives me a right

rightful claim to that of Spain. My only ambition is to render my people hap. py, and I would choose to die in the midst of my faithful Spaniards, though it were my fate to wear the chains of servitude, and to resign whatever would most attach me to life."-Reproaching afterwards Napoleon with having deceived him, in thus inviting him to visit France, he answered, if he had not come voluntarily, he should have made him by force.

On the arrival of Godoy, and the King and Queen, who were received and entertained with the greatest magnificence, the sitting, or congress of the 5th of May, was held, at which Napoleon the First, and Charles the Fourth, presided-present, the Queen Maria Louisa, Don Ferdinand, called Prince of Asturias, the Infant Don Carlos, Godoy, the Grandees of Spain, and the first Minister Zevallos. The Queen, transported with rage, addressed her son Ferdinand-" Traitor and wretch, for years you have been imagining and contriving the death of the King your father; but by the vigilance of the Prince of the Peace, his zeal and loyalty, you have not attained your object; neither you, nor those traitors who have served or co-operated with you in your base de signs. I tell you to your face, that you are my son, and not the son of the King. Yet, without having any other right to the Crown than that which you delive from your mother, you have sought to wrest it from us by force-but I will and consent that the great Napoleon shall be the arbitrator between us, in favour of whom we renounce and cede our right, to the exclusion of our fami ly. I call upon him to punish you and your associates as traitors, and I commit the whole nation to Napoleon." Napoleon put an end to this rage, by saying "No! I give to Ferdinand the Crown of Naples, and to Carios that of Etruria, together with two of my nieces in marriage. Let them say if they will accede to this proposal.' To this the Infant Don Carlos boldly answered-" Emperor, I was not born to be a King, but Infant of Spain." Then addressing his brother-" And you, my brother and King, speak, do not be alarmed, defend your right, you are a Spaniard-your country will be ready to sacrifice its blood for you and its in

dependence. Be not alarmed, but let us go hence, though it were to the scaffold or perpetual imprisonment: For that Providence which directs a faithful nation, shall in due time visit his vengeance upon a faithless Emperor, who can thus disregard his own promise, and lay aside every semblance of right and reason. Ah! Fernando, who robs you of the Crown of Spain?—An ignorant father and infamous mother, and her favourite, Godoy. He, in truth, is the traitor, the plotter of the death of your father, the usurper of the legitimate rights of your family, the author of the calumny, and an apostare in religion. Who countenances these machinations? The tyranny of an Emperor, to whom we look for protection." And he finished by saying, "Napoleon, if L am no longer an Infant of Spain, I was born one!" The Minister, Zevallos, then began to speak; and with a flowing eloquence, apostrophising Godoy, he said, “Infamous man! unworthy the name of a Spaniard; you have sold your Country and your Prince. But the same Emperor who now appears to protect you, has decreed within himself your punishment, and that of the parent King. Do you not behold, traitor, how he is taking advantage every moment of these contentions? Ah! how could you have influenced the minds of these miserable parents towards their children! But your errors, your crimes--you ought to have done your duty towards them, though it were only in return for having saved your life from the fury of the populace. Answer! But I believe it is impossible. 'Tis not so with me, who am a loyal Spaniard, the second person in the nation, and first subject of the King. But Zevallos has religiously fulfilled his duty; and you have always trembled before Zevallos." He continued speaking thus for near an hour and a quarter; so that the Emperor knew not what to answer in refutation of the arguments he advanced. In this predica ment, recurring to his authority, he or dered to be taken from his presence this phenomenon, saying, ""Twas impossible that the earth should subsist a man of so much freedom before the Emperor of the French. But I'll reward you for it." M. Zevallos went out; and M. Gomez spoke afterwards. But it was finally decreed by Napoleon I. and Charles