almost universal consent, made the summit of perfection. Would it not be equally wise-and equally Chinese-to denominate a man a consummate musician, who was not an adept in either composition, or the art of producing effect; but who had a ready knack at naming the notes, whether long or short, and of bestowing learned terms and phrases on the various arrangements of them in bars? To this pitch of alphabet-learning musicians have not yet arrived; but the rising credit of the alphabet or gamut exercise of difficult execution, and, above all, that of the chiroplast and mechanical drilling of Logier, show a rapid advancement towards les modes Chinoises. These, however, are not the most flagrant examples. The contagion rages with the most marked symptoms in Natural History, in which we have manifestly improved on our masters, the Chinese; as they have scarcely yet begun the study. It is among our soi-disant naturalists, indeed, that abecedarian knowledge flourishes in all its glory and magnificence. For he is now esteemed the most profound and celebrated natulist, who is master of his alphabet of names with which he loads his remembrance; and there he stops, and would look upon one who would go farther, who would study facts and utility, as vulgarizing his sublime science of names, by descending to matters, of importance only to the ignorant mob of mankind. That such is the case in Botany, and, in a great measure, in Zoology, any person may satisfy himself, by looking into any of the works lately published, such as Smith's Grammar of Botany, Hooker's Flora Scotica, Lamark's Animaux sans Vertebres, or the long articles, Botany, Entomology, and Mazology, in Brewster's Encyclopædia. In all of these there is absolutely nothing but names, --for the greater part, too, of recent manufacture. This also is Chinese; for as the studies of that nation are confined to the alphabet, it is one of the highest aims of Chinese literary ambition to add new letters to the former catalogue. In this, however, our naturalists have far outdone them. Dr. Leach,-if we mistake not, --has coined more names than would fill a dictionary by themselves. In justice, however, to both the Eastern and Western Chinese, it should be stated, that their alphabet has a meaning, and indicates facts. The letters of the one, and the hornbook names of the other, always stand for something; but it is always something of little importance, or small value, which nobody besides the alphabet-monger cares to know: similar to the antique lore of old Hearne, Who loved to teach what no man loved to Chemistry also, which a few years ago was, though an imperfect, yet still a wonderful science, and full of interesting information, is now becoming every day more lifeless and unintelligible, by the multiplication of names and petty discoveries, which seem to have nothing but their name and their insignificance to recommend them. These are only a few specimens of our progress in imitating the Chinese; a few examples from many in which the alphabet and the names are all and every thing; and the useful facts the sublime speculations, which raise the thoughts to God, and cast down the pride of human aspiringsall these are vulgar;—and those who pursue utility in their researches are looked upon by your man of names, your profound alphabet scholar, as vulgar and low. In a word, every science appears to a thorough-bred Chinese to be quite contemptible, which is not tricked up with a frippery of uncouth and unpronounceable names. We have by us a list of our Chinese philosophers and artists, of which our readers shall by and by have the perusal. FUGITIVE LITERATURE. THE pursuit of pleasure and happiness, like that of moor game, is often replete with livelier delights, than bagging of the prey can afford us. What with shy birds, and luckless shots, the cost of labour and ammunition is very seldom defrayed by flesh and feathers: and, even in the common pursuits of life, at the close of a long and arduous chace, when sipping the sweet, and eating the fat of a favourite object; on balancing accounts, we usually find that the fair fruit of our toil, the banquet of our hopes, has already been enjoyed by anticipation. But when chance administers to our necessities -when a windfall of goodly tidings, or a seasonable supply of what the soul loveth, comes upon us like manna in the wilderness, then it is that we enjoy indeed and indeed. It was my good fortune, the other day, to be overtaken by a smart shower, the very instant an elderly gentleman crossed the street. On mending his pace, to seek shelter from the pattering rain that descended rather more copiously than the man could wish who leaves his umbrella at home, his foot slipt, and down he went, full length. Up came a modern Blood, on his gallant grey, spurring at a furious rate, and certainly would have trampled the fallen pedestrian under foot, had I not sprung forward with a kind of instinctive alacrity, and laid hold of his bridle with both hands. "Prance at leisure, my good lad," quoth I, "and don't ride down your betters." The whisker'd dandy looked exceedingly fierce, saluted me with a volley of fashionable imprecations, and twirled his whip into a position that betokened no good to my shoulders; but on perceiving the decisive measures I was about to adopt, and feeling his collar in a firmer grasp than personal safety was accustomed to, the caloric of his eye began to glimmer, the whip descended in peace to the pummel of his saddle, and he lowered his pennon with becoming resignation, turned him aside, and gracefully cantered away. The truth is, I had hastily put on my best military face, and was proceeding to unhorse him sans ceremonie, when his dandyship so very prudently declined hostilities. On wheeling about to befriend the old man, whose safety I had much at heart, I found him on his legs, bemired and agitated exceedingly. I laid hold of his arm, without hesitation, and hurried him out of harm's way, with a promptitude and celerity that excited the admiration of a gentleman haberdasher, who beheld the whole affair from first to last. This prudent man stood in his own shop door, calmly balancing the profit and loss of a speculation that just then flashed on his mind; to wit, whether the satisfaction administered to his feelings, in delivering a fellow creature from peril, would, or would not, remunerate him for the defilement of his silk stockings, and the spoliation of his glossy shoes; but the affair was settled before he had time to sum up. We approached his house, and he welcomed us in. Soap, towels, and water in abundance, were readily supplied by this good Samaritan; and in a trice our patient might have made his appearance at either church or market. During the process of cleansing his garments, and bringing the old gentleman to himself, I fully recognized a face that had been familiar to me, when a glimpse of Blucher, and a nod from Platoff, fully recompensed the virtuoso for his afternoon's excursion; and I also remembered the anxiety he manifested for pedestrian safety, when his coachman was about to push through the motley multitude that encompassed him on every side. "Now, my good people, have a care-keep clear of the wheels, I beseech you-move on, Joe, and look well to the horse's feet, lest a stray child should happen to pop in the way," was the warning usually given by this good old mana warning that new-dubbed knights would never have troubled their heads to publish- but our philanthropist was a knight of the old school. "What a congregation of fools!" exclaimed a bystander; "I really had no idea that London could furnish such a squad; and here comes old Sir Gideon Moubray; who would everhave dreamt of seeing him in the park?"But to return to our narrative. The baronet assured us both, with great good humour, that he had sustained no personal injury whatever- a declaration that afforded much satisfaction to me; and then proceeded to acknowledge the Samaritan's civility, in a strain of native politeness, that never emanated from any other than a gentle heart." As for you, my brave fellow," continued the knight, one good deed will certainly be noted down this day to the credit of your moral account; namely, the saving of a fellow creature's ribs from being crush'd;" " and the shins of another from pollution," added I, in an under tone: " but there are duties, my good Sir, alike incumbent on you and on me ; and miserable indeed must be the state of that man's feeling, who could deny himself the gratification of fulfilling them. "These topics," replied the baronet, "we can discuss more at our leisure, if you will have the goodness to accompany me home, and accept of pot-luck." The invitation was, indeed, welcome to me; and I freely confess that my whole catalogue of excuses could not even furnish the semblance of a modest denial; so I qualified my compliance, as well as I could, by observing, that though I had intended to visit the British Museum that very afternoon, yet would I not lose the opportunity of enlarging the stock of my acquaintance; and added, by way of rider, that pot-luck, and homely welcome, had allurements too fascinating to be withstood. "The British Museum," observed Sir Gideon," certainly possesses many valuable curiosities; but still we meet with rarities, here and there, whose merits have evidently been overlooked by the foraging parties of that celebrated institution. In my collection, for example, there are many curious specimens of British craft, not to be found in the national store; consisting of literary fragments gathered in certain districts, hitherto deemed barren of instruction and amusement. Their intrinsic value has, indeed, been disputed by the over fastidious; but still the portion of originality they possess, induces a stray connoisseur, now and then, to put on his spectacles; and you, my good Sir,' cluded the baronet, "being a frequenter of museums, will have no objection, con I should think, to put on yours." My reply was neither brief nor otherwise. I politely thanked him for the great kindness he had manifested; and jocosely declared that his soul might safely rest in peace, for I certainly would not fail of rummaging his literary pantry. So we took leave of our gentle haberdasher, with many professions of respect; and he, in return, complimented each of us with his card; obligingly observing, that should any little matter be wanted in his way, he would most cheerfully send it to our respective mansions, on better terms than any other house in town. I had once some thoughts of cantering over a whole sheet of foolscap, in sketching the many jostlings, and by your leaves, and how d'ye dos, that we experienced on our way to the baronet's residence; as also the agreeable politeness of his lady, and her amiable grand-daughter, Mrs. Halliburton; together with a full and faithful memoir of their worthy butler, Mr. Dennis O'Shaughnessy, a grey-haired domestic, who fully verified the old adage, “like master, like man;" but on examining the complexion of the matter more gravely, and well weighing every item thereof in my own mind, pro and con, I very prudently abandoned the idea altogether; and left the vacuum to be furnished in such manner, and with such materials, as the reader's own creative fancy might deem meet. He will, therefore, have the goodness to fill up the blank at his leisure, and attend to the sequel of my narration. On discharging our glasses to the memory of "Auld lang syne," I arose from the old elbow chair, wherein I had so plentifully partaken of the good things of this life, and followed the baronet into his LITERARY MUSEUM; An apartment of very goodly dimensions, elegantly furnished with carpeting of the first manufacture; chairs, tables, sofas, &c.; and the walls thereof hung round with handsome wooden frames, partially gilt; and all of them accommodated with rolls of brown Holland, tightening pulleys, cords, and tassels, complete. knight, as he rolled up one of the "Now, my good friend," quoth the screens, "this piece of literary patch work will abide inspection; better than those of his brother tradesmen never enveloped the goods and chat- -you shall see a specimen presenttels of a confectioner." On exa- ly." So saying, he opened a large mining the frameful of rarities, I drawer, wherein was deposited an certainly did pronounce it one of the immense number of manuscript writgreatest curiosities I had ever beheld. ings, and invited me, in his own free Fragments of letters in various hands, and easy way, to partake of the inand on various subjects, remnants of tellectual treat. I complied, without marriage settlements, wills, memo- hesitation; but O, reader! what were rials, verse, and blank verse, all ar- my emotions when I descried the ranged in admirable order, and care- first-born of my youthful muse, lookfully pasted on canvas, formed at ing me wistfully in the face-the once the strangest medley of style and dear little song that she brought forth subject that ever excited the smile, to commemorate the first of my or summoned the gravity, of a be- loves. Martha Crosby, the sweetest holder, either ancient or modern. In- of all our Nithsdale songsters, took deed, whatever tended to awaken the smiling innocent to Dumfries; merriment, sympathy, amazement and so delighted were the bards of in fine, every native emotion slum- that good town, with the comeliness bering in the breast, was to be met of its complexion, and the simplicity with amongst this wonderful assem- of its dress, that all of them fell in blage of originals. "In the name of love with my little Artless, curled wonder," quoth I, "how came you its hair, flounced its frock, and Lonby all this?" "Why, truly, my dear donized the fashion of its pinafore. fellow," replied the collector, with a In like manner, the pastoral poets of smile," that question has been so Trongray, Glencairn, and Penpont, very frequently propounded for these got a glimpse of its loveliness, and last fifty years, that really I felt the declared individually that my sweet necessity of composing a kind of set little firstling was their own only bespeech for the occasion, and you gotten. In short, the modest fame will therefore have the goodness to of my lisping wanderer spread far refrain from smiling at the formality and wide. Seven parishes contended of a studied reply. Know, then, for the honour of its birth; and seven that all my frames on the left were pitched battles were fought, to supfurnished by a neighbouring confec- port the claims of their respective tioner, through the medium of my bards: the clanking of their oak children, grand-children, and great- sticks will never depart from my megrand-children. Every cake brought mory. I lifted up my voice, and me a morsel of wisdom or folly; and calmly expostulated with the young every ounce of candy a crumb of men on the vanity of their pretensense, or a scrap of nonsense. To sions; but no one amongst the peothe poulterer and cheesemonger, I ple arose, and bore testimony to the stand indebted for my literary trea- justness of my remarks; so they sures on the right; and the barber wagged their heads, and laughed me and tobacconist claim my grateful ac- to scorn. This ungentle treatment knowledgments for those in the front stung me to the soul: I put a shirt and rear; but you will please to ob- in one pocket, a pair of grey worsted serve, that from the crude materials stockings in the other, and, with staff supplied by these gentlemen, I win- in hand, forsook my native glen, to nowed somewhere about ninety and sojourn amongst strangers, where I nine parts of chaff, a task that little have long followed my favourite callminds would boggle at; but patience ing, but with a success that makes me and perseverance is my motto. The residue I carefully examined, re-examined, and classified in the manner you see for the inspection of my friends. But," continued the baronet, "I have lately fallen in with a real leather trunk maker, whose contributions appear to be of a superior quality, and much less mutilated curse the light I first survey'd, And doubly curse the luckless rhyming trade. I am perfectly satisfied as to the identity of my dear song. The family features are very distinguishable, and much of the dress retains its primitive simplicity-besides, Martha's thumb marks are still visible on the margins; so, without farther ceremony, I'll fall-to (in good earnest, and transcribe the contents of that wonderful drawer; giving precedence, as a matter of course, to mine own offspring. THE HILLS O' GALLOWA. The lambs were lowping o'er the lawn; With music wild the woodlands rang, And saftly slade the hours awa, It isna owsen, sheep and kye, The world's drumlie gloom to cheer; But give to me my Julia dear, Ye Powers, wha row this earthen ba', When gloamin danners up the hill, Wi' our gudeman, to bught the yowes, Wi' her I'll trace the mossy rill, That o'er the moorland murmuring rowes; Or tint amang the scroggie knowes My birken pipe I'll sweetly blaw, And sing the streams, the heights, and howes, And when auld Scotland's heathy hills, Where friendship dwells, and freedom reigns, |