Those who in their own situations are, unfortunately, of no consequence, are catching at every opportunity that offers itself to acquire it. Thus the blockhead of fortune flies from the company that would improve him, to be a man of consequence among the vulgar; while the independent citizen gives up the ease and enjoyment which he would find in the company and conversation of his equals, to be mortified by the pride and arrogance of his superiors at the other end of the town, in order to be a man of consequence at his

return.

I remember an anabaptist tailor in the city, who, to make himself a man of consequence, used to boast to his customers, that however silent history had been upon a certain affair, he could affirm upon his credit, that the man in the mask who cut off king Charles's head, was his own grandfather. I knew also a shoeboy at Cambridge, when I was a student at St. John's, who was afterwards transported for picking pockets; but, who, having at his return commenced gamester, and of course made himself company for gentlemen, used always to preface what he had to say with," I remember when I was abroad, or when I was at college." But even a more ridiculous instance than this, is an old gentlewoman who has lately taken a garret at my barber's: this lady (whose father, it seems, was a justice of the quorum) constantly sits three whole hours every evening over a halfpenny roll and a farthing's worth of cheese, because it was the custom of her family, she says, to dine late and sit a long while.

MELANCHOLY AND INTERESTING
NARRATIVE.

On the 12th day of March, 1822, the ship "Wear," Thomas Thompson, master, carrying eleven men, sailed from London for a cargo of ice. Nothing particular occurred until the 28th, when she was struck with a large flaw of ice, about 11 a. m. upon the larboard bow. The men immediately tried the pumps, but she filled so rapidly that they were found to be of no use. Finding themselves thus situated, they proceeded to fix the ice-anchor, which they accomplished. They then began to collect provisions; they got out four bags of bread, each containing one cwt.; several pieces of beef and pork, amounting to nearly 100lbs. ; a box of candles about eighteen inches square, and thirty-six yards of new canvass, together with all the ship's stock of nails; very fortunately they had a sextant; they also saved nine blankets. One of the crew, John Williams, the carpenter, saved a few of his tools, consisting of an axe, a tenant saw, a spoke-shave, a mallet, and a small chisel. The wind blowing rather brisk, the ship broke loose, from the ice, leaving six, who were receiving the stores, on the ice. The remaining five on board immediately endeavoured to get out the boat; but whilst thus engaged, ship went down, about five minutes after twelve, leaving the long-boat floating upside down

the

the water. The captain, mate, and cook, rising again, got on the top of the boat, and, by the help of two studding-sail booms, and two oars, they reach

the ice, and by laying the oars from one piece of ice to another, they reached the other part of the crew. With the canvass and oars they erected a tent, to screen themselves from the wind; and night coming on, they collected what clothes they had saved to sleep on and cover themselves with. In the night the weather becoming much more cold, they were obliged to run about every half-hour, to keep themselves warm. On the 29th, some finding themselves stronger than others, proceeded to lay the booms and oars in order to reach the place where the ship sunk, and collect whatever they could find floating. They They recovered a boat-hook, a rough oar, three main hatches, and the slide of the half-deck hatch; but no remains of the boat were to be seen. They then returned to the others, having been away about four hours; in returning, they found a coil of rope, which the captain had fortunately thrown upon the ice when on deck. The following day (30th) the ice was so open that they found it impossible to get more than fifty yards in any direction. Being thus situated, and thinking that some other vessel might be going on the same errand for ice, they formed a triangle with the oars, and tied four handkerchiefs on the top for a signal. They then began to collect what materials they had to build a boat with, which consisted chiefly of the booms and three hatches; they began by placing the booms parallel to each other, at the distance of two feet four inches, then knocked off the boards from the carlings, and nailing them to the booms, thus

formed the bottom. With the carlings they formed the sides of the boat, and the slide of the half-deck hatch formed the stern; the wood remaining of the booms served for the head or bow; the rough oar was split into two, which formed the gunwale; the canvass was extended twice round the outside, being nailed to the booms at the bottom, and lashed to the gunwale at the top with spun-yarn made from the rope; this occupied them until the 8th of April. About 12 p. m. of this day, when they were all fast asleep on the ice, they were driven out to sea, and were nearly covered with water before they were aware of their increased danger; most of their provisions were washed away, chiefly their bread; whatever continued to float they saved. On the 9th, being provided with a flint and steel, they made a fire of rope, in order that they might melt the candles, to grease the outside of the boat to keep out the water. On the 10th, having finished their boat, which in breadth was two feet four inches, and in length twelve feet six inches, they launched it, and, delighted with the result, they gave three hearty cheers. They all immediately got in, and proceeded through the ice, by the help of their oars, towards Iceland, from which place they were distant about a hundred leagues.

They had not been gone long when they were obliged by the exceedingly thick weather to get upon another piece of ice; they slept there all night, and, on the 11th, proceeded on about 5 a. m. Their provisions being nearly gone, they caught as many seals

as they could; towards 11 p. m. they got upon the ice, and in this manner they proceeeded until the 13th, about 4 p. m. when, finding it impossible to get any further, the ice being so thick and close, they were obliged to stop; they collected what drift wood they could on the ice to make a fire of, and cooked two seals. On the 14th they steered their course towards the Faro Islands, and proceeded, much as usual, till the 17th, when they got into clear water; but the wind being foul, they still kept amongst the ice, catching as many seals as possible. On the 18th, they cooked four seals, filled the candle-box with fresh water, obtained by melting ice, and three bags with ice, with the intent of putting out to sea, should the wind be favourable on the 19th. On this day the wind blew strong, and the boat being very narrow, they were obliged to throw out a bag of ice to keep the boat from upsetting. They continued steering for the Faro Isles until the 22d, when the wind changed to the eastward, on which account, not being able to proceed, the water in the box being used, and the ice in the bags having melted, they judged it better to steer towards Iceland, hoping at the same time to meet with ice, and steered west all the way till the 28th, when they discovered land. They met with no ice, and had then been without water six days: about 5 p. m. it came on thick weather. On the 29th, being much clearer, they found that the wind had shifted to the north-west, and they, having no compass, were steering direct from the land; they then turned, and

On this

kept the bow to sea. day, between 10 and 4 o'clock, they lost three men who died for want of water. Towards 11 a. m. the wind again changed to the eastward, and they continued their course till 11 o'clock a. m. on the 30th, when they reached land. They remained there two days creeping about on their hands and knees (having lost the use of their legs from cold, and their confined posture in the boat), when they were accidentally taken up by some of the inhabitants who were passing in a small boat, and were treated very well. They remained there till the 1st of June, and embarked for Port Rush. The carpenter, cook, and another of them are at this time in the Liverpool infirmary, with frost-bitten feet.

FILIAL VIRTUE OF AN HONEST SOLDIER.

(From Humphry Clinker.)

We set out from Glasgow by the way of Lanerk, the county town of Clydesdale, in the neighbourhood of which, the whole river Clyde, rushing down a steep rock, forms a very noble and stupendous cascade. Next day we were obliged to halt in a small borough, until the carriage, which had received some damage, should be repaired; and here we met with an incident which warmly interested the benevolent spirit of Mr. B. As we stood at the window of an inn that fronted the public prison, a person arrived on horseback, genteelly, though plainly, dressed in a blue frock, with his own hair cut short, and a gold

laced hat upon his head. Alighting, and giving his horse to the landlord, he advanced to an old man who was at work in paving the street, and accosted him in these words-"This is hard work for such an old man as you." So saying, he took the instrument out of his hand, and began to thump the pavement. After a few strokes-" Have you never a son," said he, "to ease you of this labour?" "Yes, and please your honour," replied the senior, "I have three hopeful lads; but at present they are out of the way." "Honour not me," cried the stranger; "it more becomes me to honour your grey hairs. -Where are those sons you talk of?" The ancient paviour said, his eldest son was a captain in the East Indies; and the youngest had lately enlisted as a soldier, in hopes of prospering like his brother. The gentleman desiring to know what was become of the second, he wiped his eyes, and owned he had taken upon him his old father's debts, for which he was now in the prison hard by.

The traveller made three quick steps towards the jail, then turning short-"Tell me," said he, "has that unnatural captain sent you nothing to relieve your distresses ?"

"Call him not unnatural," replied the other; "God's blessing be upon him! he sent me a great deal of money; but I made a bad use of it; I lost it by being security for a gentleman that was my landlord, and was stripped of all I had in the world besides." At that instant, a young man, thrusting out his head and neck between two iron bars in the prison-window, exclaimed-" Father! father! if

my brother William is in life, that's he!" "I am! I am!" cried the stranger, clasping the old man in his arms, and shedding a flood of tears, "I am your son Willy, sure enough!" Before the father, who was quite confounded, could make any return to this tenderness, a decent old woman, bolting out from the door of a poor habitation, cried -"Where is my bairn? where is my dear Willy?" The captain no sooner beheld her, than he quitted his father, and ran into her embrace.

I can assure you, my uncle who saw and heard every thing that passed, was as much moved as any one of the parties concerned in this pathetic recognition.

He sobbed, and wept, and clapped his hands, and hollowed, and, finally, ran down into the street. By this time, the captain had retired with his parents, and all the inhabitants of the place were assembled at the door. Mr. B. nevertheless, pressed through the crowd, and, entering the house-" Captain,” said he, "I beg the favour of your acquaintance: I would have travelled a hundred miles to see this affecting scene; and I shall think myself happy, if you and your parents will dine with me at the public house." The captain thanked him for his kind invitation, which, he said, he would accept with pleasure; but, in the mean time, he could not think of eating or drinking, while his poor brother was in trouble. He forthwith deposited a sum equal to the debt, in the hands of the magistrate, who ventured to set his brother at liberty without farther process; and then the whole family re

paired to the inn with my uncle, attended by the crowd, the individuals of which shook their townsman by the hand, while he returned their caresses without the least sign of pride or affectation.

This honest favourite of fortune, whose name was Brown, told my uncle, that he had been bred a weaver, and, about eighteen years ago, had, from a spirit of idleness and dissipation, inlisted as a soldier in the service of the East India company; that, in the course of duty, he had the good fortune to attract the notice and approbation of lord Clive, who preferred him from one step to another, till he attained the rank of captain and paymaster to the regiment, in which capacities he had honestly amassed above twelve thousand pounds, and, at the peace, resigned his commission.

He

had sent several remittances to his father, who received the first only, consisting of one hundred pounds; the second had fallen into the hands of a bankrupt; and the third had been consigned to a gentleman of Scotland, who died before it arrived; so that it still remained to be accounted for by his executors. He now presented the old man with fifty pounds for his present occasions, over and above bank notes for one hundred, which he had deposited for his brother's release. He brought with him a deed ready executed, by which he settled a perpetuity of fourscore pounds upon his parents, to be inherited by their other two sons after their decease. He promised to purchase a commission for his youngest brother; to take the other as his own part

ner in a manufacture which he intended to set up, to give employment and bread to the industrious; and to give five hundred pounds, by way of dower, to his sister, who had married a farmer in low circumstances. Finally, he gave fifty pounds to the poor of the town where he was born, and feasted all the inhabitants without exception.

My uncle was so charmed with the character of captain Brown, that he drank his health three times successively at dinner. He said, he was proud of his acquaintance; that he was an honour to his country, and had in some measure redeemed human nature from the reproach of pride, selfishness, and ingratitude. For my part, I was as much pleased with the modesty as with the filial virtue of this honest soldier, who assumed no merit from his success, and said very little of his own transactions, though the answers he made to our enquiries were equally sensible and laconic. Mrs. Tabitha behaved very graciously to him until she understood that he was going to make a tender of his hand to a person of low estate, who had been his sweetheart while he worked as a journeyman weaver. Our aunt was no sooner made acquainted with this design, than she starched up her behaviour with a double proportion of reserve; and, when the company broke up, she observed, with a toss of her nose, that Brown was a civil fellow enough, considering the lowness of his origin; but that fortune, though she had mended his circumstances, was incapable of raising his ideas, which were still humble and plebian.