ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE Off Boulogne. 317 line, one frigate, and fourteen sloops and brigs, insolently present themselves, discharging their disappoint ment from the mouths of their ill-levelled artillery, This empty menace inspired with fresh vigour and enthusiasm the breasts of our loyal hosts. His Imperial Majesty, deaf to the entreaties of our adored Empress, was the first to embark and superintend the ordering and manoeuvring of his flotilla, and, by his illustrious example, to point out to his devoted subjects, the path. to new triumphs. The best spirit animated and invigorated the heroes of Austerlitz and Jena; and those heroes, the soldiers of the Army of England, burning with the most impetuous ardour, with cries of Long live the Emperor and Death to the Carthaginians! hastened on board our vessels. This was indeed a terrible hour for England! The Rear-admiral Baste, the worthy brother in arms of the daring Emeriau, at this moment moving forwards in advance, exchanged a furious broadside with the enemy's van; the air res echoed with the cries and shrieks of the English ranks, and the remainder of the praams and gun-boats, beating courageously up against a foul wind, flew to redouble the blow. The result was no longer dubious; the vain-glorious tyrants of the ocean gave way; ship after ship resigned the conquest; and soon the whole British squadron sought, in an ignominious flight, a momentary safety from French valour, which threat ened to bury them in the waves. This brilliant success called forth tears of joy from the paternal eyes of his Imperial Majesty, who, with the Duke of Elchingen on his right, and the gallant Admiral de Winter on his left, were spectators of the ignoble conduct of the Captain of the English frigate the Nadir. This vessel became a complete wreck; and struck to the terrible prowess of the Commodore de * Probably the Naiad.-E P 3 Poupe. 318 account of the battle off boulogne. Poupe. With an ignominy peculiar only to the most debased of nations, the British Commander soon seized the occasion of a light breeze to haul to windward, and double the Point de Boulogne. The heroic Commodore de Poupe, full of indignation, instantly gave chase, and, though a malignant fog coming on snatched him from our view, there can be no doubt he will have fortunately avoided the Goodwin Sands, and have entered triumphantly, with his treacherous adversary, into Gravelines, or some neighbouring port. The remainder of his Imperial Majesty's flotilla returned, covered with glory, to their anchorage in this port, at six o'clock A. M. "Such, Monseigneur, are the details of this signal victory, which is the triumphal arch leading to the deliverance and repose of bleeding Europe, and which our posterity will feel well inclined to pronounce miraculous and incomprehensible. In the mean time, the loss on our side has been inconceivably trivial; and France, of all her heroes, has only to deplore the wounds of one brave powder-monkey, whom an envious ball has momentarily cut short in his career of glory. It is a pleasing part of my duty to acquaint your Excellency, that his wounds are declared not mortal. " I pray your Excellency to accept the assurances of my high esteem and most profound consider ation. (Signed) "L'AMPOULE, Commanding the Imperial Flotilla of the "Port of Boulogne, on board his Imperial Majesty's Ship Le Menteur, 9 P. M. Sept. 21, 1911." ΤΟ TO THE EDITOR OF THE SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. SIR, THE ancient scroll accompanying this letter, was rescued from the fangs of a tailor, by the accidental circumstance of my being in want of a new pair of pantaloons. Perceiving it bore the marks of antiquity, I greedily snatched it from his hands, hugged it to my bosom, forgot to be measured for my pantaloons, and have remained nearly sanscullotish ever since. I do assure you, Sir, it has puzzled the brain of many a long-headed antiquary. Some are of opinion, that it was dug from the baths lately discovered in Sussex; others, that it is a precious relic, dug up while sinking the pump in Cornhill; and for a considerable time it was doubted, whether it should be offered to the British Museum for 5000l. (as Parliament would soon find the money), or retained in a private. collection; and differences ran so high, that at last it was determined to trace any persons, whose name it referred to, and confer a boon on them and their fa mily. On an attentive perusal, which the legibility of the characters permits to the fullest extent, being evidently written according to the ancient Lawyerians (a tribe almost coeval with time), we come to a passage (see roth verse) stating, that being arrived at a place called a numerical figure, and the pride of Britain;" and as oaks are deservedly the boast and protection of this happy land, the mind was naturally led to contemplate Seven Oaks as the place alluded to in the manuscript. After searching with indefatigable industry, the various itineraries that have been published, I find Greatness, the seat of P. Nouaille, Esq.; and on referring to the scroll we find, that (verse 6th) he tarried in the house of a centurion, who, after a parabolical descrip tion, appears to be Na Ale. This is the nearest and most probable definition to be gathered from my researches. I must be permitted to make a few remarks that strike me on the manuscript in question. Its dirt certainly bespeaks its antiquity; and, the date being apparently in a modern hand, I should not be at all surprised, if it were much older than the reader may conjecture; and I am warranted in this opinion, by the redness of the ink round the writing; observing, that, by the graceful turns of the letters, modern art is set at defiance. The first verse is also very descriptive : supposing the name of the fish to be Shad (or, as Anythingesius writes it," Chad"), which is short and dumpy; and the next clause having no farther reference than to the wick of a candle; consequently, by joining the two words, Chad-Wick would appear to be the name of the hero of the piece. In my very early years I had the honour of knowing a gentleman of that name, a worthy good man; but am ignorant of his fate. How very descriptive of the present day is verse 5th! it shows that our ancestors understood the method of eating and drinking; and also, that the axiom was then in force, "How often do we long for what we can't get!" We even find that powder was then in use; though, by the by, Scripture speaks of it, in Solomon's Song, chapter iii. and verse 6. I think, on the whole, that it is a unique; and from a gentleman of your talents, much pleasure will, no doubt, accrue to the learned world from your very enlightened remarks; and in the hope that I shall soon see them before the public, I remain, Sir, Your most obedient humble servant, HUMPHREY RUSTY THE KITES. THE CHRONICLES OF THE CHAD-WICKITES. 1. Now it came to pass in those days, even in the days of the reign of Egroeg, third King of that name, that a certain man sojourned in the land, and his name was as a fish, and the wick of a candle. 2. And he was a man of good repute, and his merchandise was of many sorts, yea, even of gold and silver, and precious stones, and jewels of great value and he dwelt in the city of Augusta, even on the Hill of Corn. 3. He was short of stature, but comely withal, wearing the hides of bulls on his feet, and the skins of rams on his back, and many were the good things that belonged to him, and the pleasures of his younger days were mighty. 4. And it came to pass, that he journeyed into another country, and took with him both paper and silver, the money that was current therein; yet he nei ther took razors to shave his beard, nor shirts to refresh his body. 5. And as he journeyed, he opened his mouth, and said to his companions, Verily, verily, I say unto you, my bowels yearn for food; and many were the things he thought of; yet his cravings were not satisfied; for the imagination will not fill the belly of man; and eggs on toast, beef that has been salted, yea even fowls that had been roasted by the fire, or sodden with water that is hot, wished he for. 6. And at the end of his journey he came to a fair mansion, and therein dwelt a centurion, whose name was a dread to the labourist at the door of the publi can, being called No Ale. 7. And he received him and his companions, and they fared sumptuously, and were made merry. 8. But by the end of the fourth day, his beard grew |