forty, who seemed the protector of the kingdom. I trembled at the sight of these things, and cried aloud— It is the voice of God!-What ought I to understand?-When shall all this come to pass ?'-A dead silence prevailed; but on crying out a second time, the young king answered me, saying, This shall not happen in your time, but in the days of the sixth sovereign after you. He shall be of the same age as I appear to be, and this personage sitting beside me, gives you the air of him that shall be the regent and protector of the realm. During the last year of the regency, the country shall be sold by certain young men, but he shall then take up the cause, and, acting in conjunction with the young king, shall establish the throne on a sure footing; and this in such a way, that never was before, or ever afterwards shall be seen in Sweden so great a king. All the Swedes shall be happy under him; the public debts shall be paid; he shall leave many millions in the treasury, and shall not die but at a very advanced age; yet before he is firmly seated on the throne, there shall be an effusion of blood take place unparalleled in his history. You," added he, "who are king of this nation, see this he is advertised of these matters: you have seen all act according to your wisdom." Having said this, the whole vanished, and (adds he) we saw nothing but ourselves and our flambeaus, while the anti-chamber through which we passed, on returning was no longer clothed in black. MAC IAN GHIER, THE ROBBER. Archibald Macdonald, commonly known by the above patronimic, was perhaps the most perfect master of his hazardous profession of any who ever practised it. Archibald was by birth a gentleman, and proprietor of a small estate in Argyleshire, which he however lost in early life. He soon distinguished himself as a cattle-lifter on an extensive scale; and weak as the arm of the law might then have been, he found it advisable to remove further from its influence, and he shifted his residence from his native district of Appin to the remote peninsula of Ardnamurcheon, which was admirably adapted to his purpose, from its geographical position. He obtained a lease of an extensive farm, and he fitted up a large cowhouse, though his whole visible live stock consisted of one filly. His neighbours could not help making remarks on this subject, but he begged of them to have no anxiety on that head, assuring them that his byre would be full ere Christmas; and he was as good as his word. He had trained the filly to suit his purpose, and it was a practice of his to tie other horses to her tail; she then directed her course homeward by unfrequented routes, and always found her way in safety. His expeditions were generally carried on by sea, and he annoyed the most distant of the Hebrides, both to the south and north. He often changed the colour of his boats and sails, and adopted whatever appeared best suited to his immediate purpose. In consequence of this artifice, his depredations were frequently ascribed to others, and sometimes to men of the first distinction in the country, so dexterously did he imitate their Birlings and their insignia. He held his land from Campbell, of Lochnell, into whose favour he had insinuated himself by his knowledge and address. When Lochnell resided at the castle of Mingary, Archibald was often ordered to lie on a mattress in his bedroom, to entertain him at night with the recitation of the poems of Ossian, and with tales. Archibald contrived means to con vert this circumstance to his advantage. He ordered his men to be in readiness, and he that night selected one of his longest poems. As he calculated, Lochnell fell fast asleep before he had finished the recital; the robber slunk out and soon joined his associates. He steered for the island of Mull, where some of his men had been previously sent to execute his orders; he carried off a whole fold of cattle, which he landed safely, and returned to his mattress before Lochnell awoke. When he lay down, he purposely snored so loudly that the sleeping chief was disturbed, and complained of the tremendous noise the fellow made, observing that, fond as he was of poetry, he must deprive himself of it for the future on such conditions. To this Archibald had no objections; his principle object was then accomplished, and taking up the tale where he had stopped when his patron fell asleep, had finished it, and slept soundly to an advanced hour. The cattle were immediately missed, and suspicion fell upon Archibald; but he triumphantly referred to Lochnell for a proof of his innocence, and this he obtained. This gentleman solemnly declared that the robber had never been out of his room during that night, and the charge was of course dropped. A wealthy man who resided in the neighbourhood was noted for his penurious habits, and he had incurred particular odium by refusing a supply of meal to a poor widow in distress. This man had sent a considerable quantity of grain to the mill, which, as usual, he attended himself, and was conveying the meal home at night on horseback. The horses were tied in a string, the halter of one fixed to the tail of another; and the owner led the foremost by a long tether. His road lay through a wood, and Archibald there watched his approach. The night was dark, and the man walked slowly, humming a song: the ground was soft, and the horses having no shoes, (as is still usual in that country,) their tread made no noise. Archibald ordered one of his men to loosen the tether from the head of the front horse, and to hold it; himself occupying the place of the horse, and walking on at the same pace. He thus got possession of the whole. The miser soon arrived at his own door, and called for assistance to deposit his winter store in safety; but, to his astonishment found he had but the halter! Availing himself of the credulity of his countrymen, he pretended to hold frequent intercourse with a spirit or genii, still much distinguished in the west Highland under the appellation of Glastig. This he turned to excellent account, as the stories which his partisans fabricated of the command he had over the Glastig, and the connexion between them terrified the people so much, that few could be prevailed upon to watch their cattle at night, and they thus fell an easy prey to this artful rogue. Archibald's father having died early, his mother afterwards married a second husband, who resided in a neighbouring island. When she died, her son was out of favor with his step-father, and he was refused the privilege of having the disposal of his mother's remains, nor did he think it prudent to appear openly at her funeral. He, however, obtained accurate information of the place where her corpse was lying; in a dark night he made an opening in the thatched roof of the earthen hut, and the walkers being occupied in the feats of athletic exercise usually practised on these occasions, the body being excluded from their sight by a screen which hung across the house, Archibald carried it off like another Æneas. He also got possession of the stock of whisky intended for the occasion, as it lay in the same place, thus discharging the last duties of a pious son with little expense to himself. A fatal event at length occurred which rendered it necessary for the man to retire from trade. He made a descent on one of the small islands on that coast, and had collected the cattle when the proprietor (who had information of the circumstance,) made his appearance to rescue them. Archibald was compelled to give up his prey, but one of the villains who accompanied him, levelled his musket at the gentleman, and laid him dead from the boat. The robber was fully aware of his danger, and with the assistance of a fair wind shaped his course for the main-land. He pushed on with all possible speed, and arrived at Inverary before sunrise the following morning. Having information that Steward of Appin was then in town, he watched his motions, and at an early hour saw him in the street in conversation with the Sheriff of the county. Archibald, who was an old acquaintance, saluted him, and his salute was returned. When Appin parted with the Sheriff, Archibald complained that he had taken no notice of him the preceding day, when he accosted him in the same place. Appin said he was conscious of having seen him, but that he was much hurried at the time, and hoped that he would excuse him. The robber's object was accomplished. Appin had no doubt of the truth of what he said; and on his trial for the murder, an alibi was established in his favour, from this very extraordinary piece of address. Some of his crew were afterwards taken in Ross-shire, and executed there by orders of the Earl of Seaforth, though the actual murderer escaped punishment. Archibald, however, never again plundered on a large scale. He died about the middle of the seventeenth century, and his name still stands unrivalled for cunning and address in his calling. THE DREAM OF BORRERAY. In the fifteenth century, Macdonald, Lord of the Isles, invaded the island of Mull with a large force; and Maclean, the chief of that clan, being taken by surprise, was not prepared to resist his powerful enemy in the field. He therefore retired, and took a very strong position near a place called Leckalee, on the western side of Benmore, the loftiest mountain of that mountainous island. The Lord of the Isles encamped by the sea-side, below the men of Mull. Maclean, of Borreray, was a vassal of Macdonald, and attended his superior on this expedition with all his people. He was a man of great prudence, and stood very high in the esteem of his Lord, who was accustomed to consult him on all important occasions. Every attempt to compromise the feud having failed, the Lord of the Isles announced his resolution to attack the Macleans on the following morning. His men were brave and numerous, but the advantage of the ground which his enemies occupied, gave them every chance of success; and there could be no doubt that the Macdonalds must suffer severe loss, whatever the ultimate result might be. Situated as Borreray was, it did not become him directly to oppose the attack; but availing himself of the credulity and superstition so prevalent in that age, he adopted a more effectual means of preventing the destruction of his mutual friends, and it deserves to be recorded to his honor. On the morning of the intended battle, Borreray was summoned to council at a very early hour, and he appeared extremely dejected. Macdonald observed this, and remarking that it must naturally be distressing to his feelings to be engaged against his own clan, he kindly entreated that Borreray should take charge of a body of men intended for a reserve. The other thanked the Lord of the Isles, but declined the favor, and assured his superior that though he felt much reluctance to spill the blood of his clansmen, that was by no means the chief cause of his sorrow. The Lord of the Isles requested to know what other cause he could have, and Maclean appeared very averse from disclosing it; but he at last informed Macdonald that he had a dream the preceding night, which gave him great alarm. In his sleep he had been visited by a supernatural being which chanted to him some verses, which may be translated as follows: "Thou dark and dismal Leckalee, The fatal fight befals on thee; The race of Gillean shall prevail,- The lofty, towering Carnydhu Shall yield the eagles plenteous food; Ere swords to their black sheaths return, The Red Knight's blood shall stain the burn." These words are much more expressive in the original Gaelic. When Borreray had told this story and recited these lines in the presence of the leaders of the Macdonald's, they all declared their determination not to attack the enemy. Thus Maclean of Borreray, with great satisfaction, effected his judicious and humane purpose; and the Lord of the Isles left Mull without bloodshed. ATTACK OF A FISH. As Mr. John Moffatt, a stout and active young man, was lately crossing the Esk, on his return from his salmon stake-nets, he was closely pursued in the water by a fish of the shark species, which, after slightly biting his legs in above twenty different places, at last got the whole of his left leg transversely within its mouth. In this situation, Moffat seized the point of the fish's upper and lower jaw, and by violent effort extricated himself, and, making two or three rapid springs, got into shallow water. His leg was severely wounded in the place where it was seized across. LOSS OF THE ST. GEORGE AND THE DEFENCE. On the morning of the 24th Dec. 1811, the St. George of 98 guns, and the Defence of 74, were driven ashore near Cape Ryssentien. The crew of the former consisted of 850 men, and of the latter of 550, not including the officers. Half an hour after the Defence touched the ground, the whole went to pieces, and all the crew (excepting five seamen and one marine, who saved themselves by holding pieces of timber) were drowned. Captain Atkins was washed ashore dead; the day after in the afternoon, there was seen from the land some part of the cabin and poop of the St. George, upon which were standing many men. Part of the mast was cut away, and some endeavoured to escape on it, but it was conjectured few were saved, since the waves and the current would drive them from land; some likewise attempted to save themselves by a raft, but perished, and the St. George went down, and only twelve of the crew were saved. CRUEL VENGEANCE OF THE CALIPH HAROUN. HAROUN AL RASCHID, Caliph of Bagdad, mounted the throne in the year of the Hegira, 170. He was the contemporary and the friend of the Emperor Charlemagne, and reigned in peace over the Asiatic tribes, whilst the victorious arms of the latter kept Europe in awe. There was a kind of similarity in the characters of these two celebrated Princes. Both were brave; both men of genius; both lovers of the arts, in times and places where the name even of the arts was almost unknown; both good astronomers for their age, and versed also (as was the custom) in astrology: their inclinations, their virtues, and their vices, bore a strong resemblance. History, however, records a fact, in which their conduct was extremely opposite. It is said that Charlemagne had his daughter married to his secretary, Eginhard, because they had anticipated the rights of wedlock; and Haroun, on the contrary, gave his sister in marriage to his vizier, on the strange condition of his never using the privilege of a husband. The name of the vizier was Giaffer, of the illustrious family of the Barmecides; and for him Haroun felt the highest esteem, and treated him with the greatest friendship. He had also an equal tenderness for Abbassah, his own sister, a young princess, who lived with his women in a part of the palace which no man but himself had access to. Every day he spent a few hours in her company, and afterwards returned to his favorite. But this alternative soon seemed fatiguing to him; he regretted that he could not entertain at once two persons who were equally dear to him. He spoke often to Giaffer of the numerous charms of Abbassah; he also extolled to that princess the extreme merit of Giaffer. Both of them, by this means, had a knowledge of, before they had seen each other, and both fondly desired an interview. The Caliph, who was as desirous to bring them together, did not. delay to procure for them this mutual satisfaction; and, contrary to the custom of the east, he ordered his sister to quit the company of her women, and dine con VOL. II. 87 |