306 Original Anecdotes of Rob Roy M'Gregor. The narrow risks he ran in this miserable state, together with his "hairbreadth 'scapes by flood and field," are EVOL 4 knowledging the fairness of this measure, ships and inflictions which common insisted on having back the entire sum minds would have sunk under with he had advanced, interest and principal. dismay. He was deprived of his patriRob Roy had neither the ability nor mony. He was driven from the land the inclination to comply with this un- of his ancestors-sad fate for any Highjust request. In offering the money to lander. His impoverished family was Montrose, he thought that he had done compelled to seek shelter and subsistevery thing that honesty and fair dealing ence in another country, and himself required; and as it had been refused, was proclaimed an outlaw and a rebel. he believed himself to be perfectly justifiable in applying it to his own purposes, and accordingly the money was expended on a vain, but adventurous truly surprising: while his cleverness project, in the year 1715. The Duke, of contrivance, and that ready presence on being apprized of this laid an adju- of mind which he displayed under the dication on M.Gregor's lands, and in a pressure of unexpected emergencies, alshort time, left the unfortunate man and most exceed belief. He has often been his family without the shelter of a house known, with a slight disguise, and with or of a home. a price on his head, to mingle with his enemies, and converse with them, and to act as a guide to those very parties who had been sent out in search of him. On these occasions he invariably led them to an ambush, or facilitated his own escape. This proceeding, cruel and arbitrary as it was, never drew a murmur from the strong mind of M'Gregor. He knew that entreaty was fruitless, and he was superior to the unmanliness of complaint. Indignant at his wrongs, and stung with the thought of impending misery, he calmly buckled on his ar mour, and swore the fellest enmity to Montrose. The fierceness with which he kept up this spirit in all its hostility and deadliness, the wrathful firmness with which he adhered to his purposes of revenge, and the success with which he but too often accomplished them, are known to all who are conversant with the modern history of the Highlands. His opponent was a man of great power and influence in the state, and he availed himself of this advantage in retaliating on Rob Roy; for an armed force had often been employed on the side of Montrose, and often to little purpose. The followers of the freebooter, on the other hand, were few, but they were select, and unalterably attached to their leader, and to his interests. Few as they were, so great was the terror they had struck into the lowland districts in their vicinity, that the Duke of Montrose could seldom or never muster a sufficient number who had courage and confidence to meet them. In the course of this predatory warfare,M'Gregor encountered many hard To the author and origin of his misfortunes, all the fire of M'Gregor's hatred and wrath had been directed as to a focus. His incursons were directed exclusively against the lands of his enemy.* Whole granaries were emptied, • Graham, of Killearn, factor to the Duke of Montrose, had been collecting his rents in a small public house or inn, on the borders of Monteith. This gentleman had imbibed all his master's hostility to the Highland free-booter: and after the business of the day was over, and money collected to a great amount, he loudly declared that the ponderous money-bag should be the property of him who would bring Rob Roy into his presence. M'Gregor, who on occasions of moment and interest to himself, might almost be said to be omnipresent, was near enough to overhear this friendly declaration, and Gillies to take their station, two by two, around the house, as a precaution against any unexpected arrival, and to prevent an escape, if any should be attempted. He then boldly entered the apartment group of tenants, who had just emptied their purses into his. “Well, Killearn," said the fearless free booter, "here I am; the Rob Roy M'Gregor, the greatest enemy your master has on this side of hell. the bag." The factor, who at first stared at M'GreNow I claim the proffered blood-money; produce gor with as much amazement as if he had seen a spectre from the grave, was quite astounded at this demand, and the more so as it came from a person whom he knew it was fruitless to refuse or to resist. with his wonted caution and celerity, he ordered his where the factor was seated in the midst of a Accordingly he began, as well as a faltering voice would allow, to work on the feelings of his upwel VOL. 4.] On the Use of the Preternatural in Works of Fiction. 307 and whole fields were cleared of their M'Gregor. He never refused to procattle" at one fell swoop ;" and for cure redress for the poor man's wrongs, these depredations M'Gregor never and his purse and claymore were ready sought the covert of night. His was at any time to rescue an ill-used peasant never the dark insidious purpose, nor from the power of a hard and overthe cowardly onset. He advanced like bearing proprietor. one who came not to seize his prey, but to claim his right; for he made his appearance in the face of day, and in defiance of numbers: and he appeared to proceed on the conviction that all the property of his adversary was but a sorry equivalent to the wreck of his own family and fortunes, and to the loss of his character as a peaceable and respect Such was the noted Chieftain Rob Roy M'Gregor. His bravery has been a theme to the historian, the novelist, and the poet. That he caused for a time much disorder in his country, cannot be denied; but till the commencement of the feud with Montrose, no man could have led a life more orderly or more honourable. He was unchaned citizen. geable in his friendships. In his resentA stickler to the original meaning of ments he was fierce to an extreme; yet words might be apt to question how it was not the fierceness of a savage, far the name of rebel and outlaw was but of an injured persecuted hero. We applicable to M'Gregor; for he respect- justly condemn him for the greatness of ed and observed all civil regulations so his revenge, but we forget the variety long as he felt and enjoyed their bene- and the extent of his wrongs. Now-afit, and he never supposed himself at days we are apt to dwell on the gloomy liberty to avenge his own wrongs, till and repulsory feature of bis character: the laws of his country procured him and yet even at this more refined stage neither justice nor protection. of society, there are not wanting those who admire that giant spirit of his which so many disasters could not crush, and which so many enemies But with all these characters of revenge, fury, and fearlessness, this man possessed the very milk of humanity and kindness. The helpless and the could never conquer. oppressed ever found a friend -in USE OF THE PRETERNATURAL IN FICTION. From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Sept. 1818. SOME REMARKS ON THE USE OF THE PRE- to be tolerated when they form a part TERNATURAL IN WORKS OF FICTION. of some picture of past ages, during SOME which such things were universally believed. But even in the most enlightened ages, so desirous is the human mind of an outlet by which to escape from the narrow circle of visible things into the come visitor." No whimpering for me," interrupt- unknown and unlimited world, that ed he, striking the table with his fist, "down with the bag." The demand was immediately complied feign all wonders which cannot be provsurely poets should be permitted to with, and the unfortunate factor was compelled on the spot to acknowledge to the tenants the receipt of ed to be impossible and which are not the rents. "One word more," said M'Gregor, contradictory to the spirit of our religand our business is settled for this time." Swear by ion. your eternal soul that you will neither raise an alarm, nor divulge one circumstance that has passed at this interview before the expiration of two hours." -“Now," added he, after the ceremony was over, "I have done with you, valiant factor. If you attempt to break your oath, remember you have a soul to save, and remember, too, that M'Gregor has a dirk, which has seen the light of day through stouter man than Killearn " a Hereupon Rob Roy and his Gillies withdrew, and were in a much shorter time than had been prescri bed, in perfect safety among their fastnesses, To this class belong the re-appearance of the dead, and the struggle of evil beings for an ascendancy over human nature. The eastern talismanic theory of sorcery supposed that superhuman powers were acquired by discovering and taking the advantage of the occult laws of nature to compel the service of spirits; but the notion of a voluntary 308 On the Use of the Preternatural in Works of Fiction. [VOL. 4 assistance lent by wicked angels to known and invisible, but are created wicked men is much more sublime, by the passions of the heart striving and agrees better with the spirit of to embody their own objects. The modern thought. The one is a child- world of spirits is not an object of inish idea founded on the mechanical terest to him for its own sake, and operation of causes which have never when he resorts to it, he does so only been proved to exist; but the other has for the images of what he loved or a moral interest, being conformable to hated on earth. Coleridge has perour knowledge of character and pas- haps the finest superstitious vein of sion. any person alive. The poem of ChrisThat there exists in this country that tabel is the best model extant of the strength of imagination which delights language fit to be employed for such in the feeling of superstitious horror, is subjects. It was the greatest attempt, proved by the practice of our ancient before Walter Scott's poems, to turn dramatists; and of all those authors the language of our ancient ballads to who wrote in the original English spirit account in a modern composition, and down to the end of the last century, when, is perhaps more successful in that repartly from the revival of old ballads, spect than the Lay of the Last Minand partly from the importation of Ger- strel itself. Indeed Christabel may man books, there sprung up an immense be considered as a test by which to number of romances and fictions, the try men's feeling of superstition, and interest of which was founded almost whoever does not perceive the beauty entirely upon apparitions and the mys- of it, may rest assured that the world teries of haunted castles, or prophecies, of spectres is shut against him, and dreams, and presentiments. that he will never see "any thing worse Every sort of machinery of this kind than himself." was put in requisition: till, by the un- To make the marvellous a means of skilfulness of the artists, and the unspar- producing the ludicrous; that is to ing manner in which their resources say, to arrive at new and diverting situwere employed, the superstitious branch ations, by feigning a suspension of of romance writing fell gradually into the laws of nature, has not been much disrepute; and probably among the im- attempted in English literature, and mense number of novels published, there is perhaps rather a cheap species of wit, are now six that represent modern man- since it supposes more fancy than ners, for one that resorts to the old ma- knowledge or penetration. At the chinery of spectres and mysteries. The same time it has its attractions; for greatest poets of the present time, how it gives the mind a pleasing respite ever have not disdained to continue the from the inexorable tyranny of facts, use of it; and indeed some of Scott's and flatters us for a time with the apworks excite the feelings of supersti- pearance of vivid and immoveable natious fear and traditional awe in a de- ture relaxing from its severity, and gree that never has been surpassed. ceasing to present the usual barriers Wordsworth's fictions in this line have to our wishes. The tale of Vathek, exquisite beauty, and may be said to in which these things are well exemrepresent the spontaneous and creative plified, has never been very popular superstition of the human mind, when in this country. It would appear that acted upon by impressive circum- such painted air-bubbles are too childstances. The poems of the Thorn, ish for our taste, and that the marvelLucy Gray, and Hartleap Well, are lous is only relished here when linked instances of this. The poem of the to the higher and more serious feelDanish Boy is a beautiful superfluity ings. Macbeth is deeply and univerof fancy, but is too entirely poetical sally understood; but there is reason to please common readers. Lord By- to suspect that the Midsummer Night's ron's strength lies in a different direc- Dream is more talked of than read, tion; and the spectres which appear and talked of chiefly by persons who in his poetry are not the product of wish to lay claim to an uncommon imagination working upon what is un- share of fancy. VOL. 4.] Welch Fairies-Reform in Newgate. 309 The ancients had their fauns, satyrs, tions, founded on popular superstitions, and nymphs, with which they peopled admit of much greater variety than the more sequestered retreats of na- serious and terrible ones. The objects ture: and whose casual intercourse by which superstitious terror is excited, with mortals supplied a thousand being always obscure and indefinite, beautiful fables. The fairies and mer- present but a limited range to the poet, maids of modern times cannot be com- and should be sparingly used, in order pared with them. To be sure, some to avoid monotony, and prevent the very pretty stories are told of mer- disgust which is always sure to be felt, maids drawing nigh to solitary shores, when they are no longer regarded with under the guidance of tender impul- astonishment. Observation and reses, and making their sentiments known flection can be fed for ever by the into the favoured mortal in the form of a finite variety of particulars and their song; but surely their long fish-tails relations; and the sentiment of love are insufferable, whatever may be possesses the divine privilege of dwellthought of them by the young High- ing upon its objects with increasing landers in the Island of Skye, or the delight; but fear and wonder are shepherds of the Orkneys. The whole transitory movements of the mind, and conception of a mermaid is displeasing, depend for the most part on the suspenand savours of the coarse taste of sion of curiosity. Northern mythology. On the other Upon the whole, romance writers hand, nothing can be more beautiful ought to look jealously after their prithan the ancient conception of wood vileges, and prevent the use of apparinymphs, whose tenderness was by no tions from incurring prescription in means so obtrusive as that of the these latter days of the scoffers, who northern mermaids; so that persons think it no great matter to take the taking a walk in a forest were frequently bread out of the mouths of an hundred shunned by them, and left to find their industrious persons in Grub Street, way home again without ever having a for the sake of shewing themselves second sight of them. The fairy tribe above vulgar prejudices. Surely roof later times is a fiction without in- mance writers are far more numerous terest, and seems hardly capable of than philosophers, and might be well answering any purpose as a species of able to mob any prating son of Epipoetical machinery. curus who attempted to undermine the It is evident that gay and lively fic- credit of their machinery. IN CORNUCOPIA. From the New Monthly Magazine, November, 1818, WELSH FAIRIES. for its extinction in replenished pails, and a motive to perseverance in the promised boon. REFORM IN NEWGATE. The effect wrought by the advice and admonitions of the Ladies' Committee, in reforming the female inmates of our great City prison, is most strongly shown by the following occurrence. N Wales, as in other pastoral districts, the Fairy Tales are not yet erased from the traditional tablet; and age neglects not to inform youth, that if, on retiring to rest, the hearth is made clean, the floor swept, and the pails left full of water, the fairies will come at midnight, continue their revels till day break, sing the well known strain of Torriad y "It was a practice of immemorial Dy'dd or the Dawn, leave a piece of usage, for convicts, on the night precemoney on the hob, and disappear. The ding their departure for Botany Bay, to suggestions of intellect, and the precau- pull down and to break every thing tions of prudence are easily discernible breakable within their part of the prison, under this fiction: a safety from fire in and to go off shouting with the most the neatness of the hearth, a provision hardened effrontery. When the period 310 Cornucopia-Original Anecdotes of Mr. Patten. [VOL. 4 approached for a late clearance, every next visitation, the Archbishop sternly one connected with the prison dreaded asked Mr. P. whether the report was this night of disturbance and devastation. true? To which Patten replied, “I "To the surprise of the oldest turn shall answer your Grace's question by key, no noise was heard, not a window another-Are you fool enough to take was intentionally broken. They took notice of it, if it be true?" an affectionate leave of their compan- When Dr. Secker was enthroned, or ions, and expressed the utmost gratitude soon after, he gave a charge to his to their benefactors; the next day they clergy, and, among other articles, found entered their conveyances without any great fault with the scanty allowance tumult, and their departure, in the tears often paid to curates. Mr. Patten, who that were shed, and the mournful deco- was there (though not summoned, as rum that was observed, resembled a his usual boldness at these meetings funeral procession: and so orderly was occasioned an order for him to be left their behaviour, that it was deemed un- out of the list,) arose from his seat, necessary to send more than half the and bowing to the Archbishop, said, usual escort." with a low voice, "I thank your Grace." After the charge was over, THE ECCENTRIC MR. PATTEN. this troublesome subaltern, bustling The mention which has been made through the crowd, came up to the of that very extraordinary character, metropolitan, who, seeing that he could the Rev. Mr. Patten, may probably not avoid him, began with the usual have risen some curiosity concerning question, "You are, Sir, I apprehend, him; and the reader may not dislike curate of Whitstable?"-"I am so," to hear a few genuine particulars of returned Mr. Patten, "and have rehis life and conversation. He had been ceived the paltry sum of thirty pounds chaplain to a man of war, and had con- per annum from your Grace's predetracted a kind of marine roughness from cessors for doing the duty of a living his voyages; he was of an athletic make, which brings in full three hundred." and had a considerable share of wit and "Don't enlarge, Mr. Patten," said humour, not restrained by any strict the Archbishop.-" No, but I hope ideas of professional propriety. He was your Grace will," rejoined the Curate. during many years curate of Whitstable, It chanced that a substantial farmer at a very small stipend, and used every in Whitstable, who had frequently proSunday to travel in a butcher's cart mised his son to take him in as a partner to do duty at another church. Whit- in his farm, or to leave it him at bis stable lying close to the sea in very death, died, without performing either aguish; so that had he been dismissed, of his promises. His widow, a second it would have been very difficult for the wife, took possession of the premises, Archbishop of Canterbury, to whom the without regarding the representations living belonged, to have provided of the son, who in vain pleaded his another curate at the same low rate; Pat- pretensions to the partnership at least. ten well knew this, and presuming upon Not long after, the widow came to it, was a great plague to every new pri- Patten with a deplorable tale of a mate. He kept a mistress publicly, ghost which haunted her house, outand had that esteem for punch, that houses, &c. dragging chains and ratwhen his sermons were too long, some tling fetters. The curate, who though one shewing him a lemon might at no believer in spirits, was yet sensible any time cause him to bring his dis- that at any rate the affair must turn course to an abrupt conclusion, that he to his pecuniary advantage, put on his might be at liberty to adjourn to the gravest air, and told the woman, "that public-house. what she asked was no trivial matter; When Dr. Wake was Archbishop, that besides a considerable stock of some tale bearer informed his Grace courage, the enterprize demanded deep that Mr. Patten had given a marriage- learning, as the whole form of exorcism certificate, which he had signed by the ought to be spoken in Latin; that intitle of Bishop of Whitstable. At the deed ho was fully master of these requi |