The modern city of Athens, which had the old Turkish bazaar, a cafench, and two palm-trees for its nucleus, is certainly not classical. Three things strike a stranger's attention at once, viz. the number of beggars, the number of spirit-shops, and the number of money-changers. Each time one visits the place, the more one is impressed with the idea that one-third of the population live in billiard-rooms and cafés. The population amounts to about fifteen thousand. Accustomed to regard the capital as an index of the national condition, a stranger might be deceived by the aspect of society in the court and diplomatic set, which may be compared to the embroidered veil of the recluse over her stuff gown and mortified neck. Balls every week do not tally with ruined towns, banditti on the plains, and insecurity on the roads. But is not the champagne at the minister's table typical of the kingdom? Otho's ballroom is sixty feet in diameter,' said a lady to us. Can you have a better king?' was the necessary inference.

One scarcely knows whether to call the town on the whole good, bad, or indifferent. Perhaps all three terms are applicable. Taken abstractedly, it is bad-lath and plaster the chief materials-taste and regularity in abeyance. Viewed with a certain allowance for impediments of various descriptions, it is indifferent. But considering the anarchial state of the country and the sort of government, it may be pronounced good." A presentation at Court affords the following sketches.

"On one side of the square resided the king, in a respectable looking dwelling-house; opposite to it was the main guard; by the door, a chained lioness. His Hellenic majesty greeted the arrival of the British squadron in his waters, and admitted the admiral and officers to an audience soon afterwards. Fully arrayed in scarlet and blue, with swords and cockedhats, the latter article an invention of Boreas, one might fancy we made a capital show, walking through the streets, for the Naupliotes. We nearly filled the palace. Duly anti-roomed, and bowed at, and talked to by secretaries and aides-de camp, we had leisure to renew acquaintances and make others, while his majesty went through the form of keeping people waiting."

Mavrocordato, who during the revolution was 66 spare, intellectual, lank-haired, dressed in a thread-bare coat once black," and who now "fat, comely, a well curled wig on, and habited in light. blue and silver,"

"Ushered us into the adjoining room, where stood the young sovereign before a canopied chair, styled a throne, on either side of which hung portraits of his father and mother. Nothing in his goodhumoured countenance bespoke his lineage. Tall and slim, his manners were courteous, too much so for a people who, from previous habits, are inclined to mistake civility for submission. An earnest desire to please appeared his characteristic. Being a minor, the odium of government therefore resting with the regency, it was easy for him to be thought amiable. To us, in the long interview which followed, he made himself particularly so. Unluckily his majesty, notwithstanding rather an ungraceful utterance, which will wear off with age, thought proper to address every person. What he said is of little consequence. The room

was small, reduced to half the size by the said throne; and his majesty, by bowing incessantly à l'Allemande, doing the polite to the principal personages, soon contrived to hem the remainder within the precincts of a window recess. The day was particularly hot. Thence they were extracted one by one, by the secretary, who handed them over to the admiral, who introduced them. At first it was embarrassing to us who were looking on out of the corner; but community of honour soon changed the feeling, and scarcely one could restrain laughter, scarcely the patient, as the admiral continued to repeat, Ce monsieur ci ne parle pas Français, ou trèspeu,' while the king, disappointed in the effect of his speech, reiterated, again and again, his regret at not having made la belle langue Anglaise his peculiar study. He became exceedingly annoyed, and floundered deeper into interrogatories about Portsmouth and London, steam-boats and aldermen, and soon no doubt, wished la belle langue Anglaise with les beux Messieurs Anglais-for we all strutted as beaux as gold lace could make us, on the top of Mount Parnassus. The scene relaxed the rigid lips of Mavrocordato."

We might select many other light and agreeably descriptive passages from these volumes; but the above are sufficient to show, that among the swarm of works which are rendering Greece and Turkey as familiar to Englishmen as France or Italy, Mr. Slade's deserves to occupy a prominent place.

ART. IV. Personal Memoirs and Correspondence of Colonel Charles Shaw, K. T. C. S., &c., Comprising a Narrative of the War in Portugal and Spain, from its Commencement in 1831, to the Dissolution of the British Legion in 1837. 2 vols. 8vo. London: Colburn.

1837.

SELDOM have we read two more exciting volumes than these. The writer of them is an intelligent, enterprising, and stirring character, who from the time that he was able to think and to act for himself, has been concerned in much that could not fail of affording abundant materials for curious and interesting autobiography; and even when the current of his life was common-place, the reader will find that the spirit of the man, and the raciness of his observations relieve the narrative of every thing pertaining to such periods, like dry or tedious writing. A higher value attaches to the most important of Colonel Shaw's adventures and experiences, than the mere excitement of curiosity, and the satisfaction of a morbid desire for stories of hardship, hair-breadth escapes, rapine, and bloodshed. We believe that his narrative is strictly faithful, that whatever he reports concerning facts of which he has been cognizant, his testimony is unimpeachable. What then must the evils and the horrors of a civil war be? Some of our extracts will help to an answer. Nor let it be supposed that the Colonel is a gloomy writer, or that

he loves to dwell on the dark side of things. Quite the reverse; for he exhibits one of the most striking instances we ever witnessed of how completely a tender-hearted, imaginative, generous, and right-minded man is transformed, or, rather, hardened by roughing it as a soldier. Hence his narrative has much in it of that recklessness and callousness which nothing but long experience in the arts, tricks, and exercise of war could possibly induce. He jokes and makes things funny, where in reality, there must have been nothing but topics for wailing and scenes of agony or outrage. The truth is, he writes and feels like a veteran warrior, and forces himself to laugh, when, if he did not do so, he would cry. And what is the result as far as concerns the reflecting reader, but a more dreadful picture, than any attempts at pathetic description could produce. Therefore not only as a stirring narrative, but as a most authentic one forcibly given, and necessarily so, because the record was often extended when the scenes and the events described were scarcely withdrawn from the writer's gaze, we regard the present account of the wars in question in no ordinary light; for we are satisfied that while they engage the attention strongly, they ought to teach permanent lessons, of great moment to the welfare of nations, and the interests of humanity.

than

Colonel Shaws's memoir goes back to his school-days. He was fond of angling, but not of the study of Greek. Lawyers had long vacations; and the longest in the Scottish courts happening to extend over the salmon-fishing season, it may be presumed that law and angling, though somewhat contradictory in the matters of dryness, became associated in the stripling's mind. But the erratic and imaginative taste which true anglers cherish, turned out to be more akin in the case of our author, to the profession of arms, the study of Stair and Erskine. Accordingly he obtained an ensigncy in the gallant fifty-second light infantry, in 1813, and after several months hard drilling, embarked for the continent, and soon got employment in his new line of life under Lord Lynedoch at Bergen-op-zoom and Antwerp. Peace at length having been established, he studied for some time at the military college in Brunswick. He afterwards, having been put upon half-pay, settled in Edinburgh, and commenced business in that city as a wine-merchant; at the same time having a hand in the organization and drilling of a corps of volunteers. Trade, however, seems to have been as distasteful to him as law, and therefore, having sold his business, he undertook a continental tour. From the early part of his volumes, which contains an account of this excursion, we gather a few stray notices, merely observing, that though there be not much that is novel in it, there is a good deal that is pleasantly and vigorously described, and very creditable to the heart and head of the writer; evincing that he has many years ago been a man of

reflection, and one that was sure to turn to good account the fruits of his experience. We quote two distinct passages, to show how well prepared the author was by studies and habit to undertake the hazardous enterprize of a Liberator. One runs thus-" To prevent thirst in hot weather, nothing is better than to take a great quantity of fresh butter with your bread at breakfast. Avoid drinking water as you would poison; in short, drink as little as possible of any thing, and do not give way to the first sensation of thirst." Wetting the legs, he also says, gives relief. The other passage referred to, is quite in keeping with a campaigner's life.

"I arrived late at the village of Corps, situated at the bottom of a mountain, but still having the view of a deep valley below it. Here I entered an inn, where everything appeared most miserable, but still they had a chef. The dinner placed before me was a stew of chamois, and a dish of newly fledged sparrows, which looked so disgusting that they destroyed my appetite. On wishing to pay my bill early the next morning, I could not, as I found all the people of the house were gone to confession. On their return, I asked the landlady for my bill, who, after some consideration, said, thirteen francs. Knowing she had only charged two and a half francs to my fellow-traveller, I was very angry, and asked her if she was not ashamed to cheat so soon after confession? but I saw she was opening a new confession account with me: I therefore threatened to go to the mayor. This had the desired effect; she thanked me for three francs and we parted."

He found that the French only hated and assailed one man more fiercely than Sir Walter Scott, and that was Sir Hudson Lowe. The guardian and the historian, excited their resentment and abuse, as will readily be supposed on account of their treatment of a celebrated personage.

A visit to the famous monastery of La Trappe affords the author an opportunity to display a good deal of his sagacity and other characteristic traits, wherein close observation, plain and straightforward narrative, and racy remarks, not unmingled with a humour that loves to look upon what is broadly ludicrous, even among scenes of a very different complexion, whether sorrowful or frightful, may be detected. But it is when the author embarks in the cause of Donna Maria, that the chief interest of the book begins. In this enterprize he acted the part of recruiting officer, and had at first the rank of captain. An abridgement of the account he gives of the manner in which he evaded the Foreign Enlistment Act, and of the expedition to the Azores, would amuse our readers. But we must hasten forward towards the commencement of the active operations of war, premising that Shaw is an admirable teller of a story, and that few will match him when personating the characters of Irish or Scotch, whether as regards their conduct, their language, or their appearance. Here is an anecdote concerning some of the Irish recruits, who were at first exceedingly troublesome and

opposed to every thing like discipline, but who subsequently became excellent soldiers; many of them, besides, transmitted to their famishing relations at home a portion of their bounty. A man having been brought to a drum-head court-martial, found good use for his natural eloquence, which he addressed especially to his country-man Colonel Hodges-for, much to the offender's astonishment, he was ordered to receive one hundred lashes.

"A sort of innocent cat had been rigged out, and he was tied to the capstan, and his shirt taken off. His address to Hodges amused me much, Sure, your honour, you won't touch a countryman ?-at laste you did not say so in London; then at the first lash, Only think, I am your own townsman;' third lash, O think of flogging one of your father's genteelest tinantry!' still going on, Did Sir R. Peel think he would ever see my bare back, although he tried to put me into jail-but, for God's sake, stop, dear landlord! What will Lord Goderich say to this? he will never allow me to brush his coat.' Still no effect. He then turned round to one of the men, Now, Pat Griffin, you, the Colonel, and I, are all countrymen, use your own smooth tongue.' This had the effect on Hodges; the man was not hurt, and the power of punishment had been thus shown, which was absolutely necessary, as this morning a large reinforcement of Liberty Boys had just arrived from Rye on board the Linnet.”

་

In another part of the work, when speaking of punishments, the author says, that he is inclined to think that their prompt application "prevents much great crime; the only objection to it is, that if you once begin the system, there is a difficulty of keeping it within bounds." A very serious objection surely; and one that he himself did not stickle nicely about. It must be borne in mind, however, that the materials which he and Hodges had to deal with, were not only raw, but confused, and previously vitiated to a great degree. The extract must be longer than our last, which describes how the Scotch Fusileers, who distinguished themselves so highly in Portugal, were first brought under controul. At the time when the account begins, Shaw was a total stranger to his men.

"The Scotch, as soon as landed, were put under my orders; and I was most anxious they should have a fresh start and be able to judge for themselves, without mixing with those who had been accustomed to suffering and to mutiny whenever they wished to carry their point. Don Pedro sent for me, and told me he expected great things of my countrymen. I was most anxious that he should take a view of these Scotch Liberators' before they were disguised as soldiers; but no, he would not; only agreeing that they should have a quarter separate from the English. This was of consequence; and I resolved to make the separation as great as possible, these Scotch being the most knowing fellows I ever encountered. They were not riotous, but they were sullenly methodic;' and it is but justice to give Captain Lawrie credit for the manner he had contrived to prevent mutiny during a long and hazardous voyage from Glasgow.