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LETTER VI.

ON THE LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY.

THE love of our country is one of the most noble and most generous of principles. It not unfrequently gets the better even of selflove; for a true patriot is at all times willing, if called upon, to sacrifice his possessions, his dearest interests, his life itself, in his country's service:-and this sentiment is founded in justice; for when men have agreed to live in society, all private attachments ought to yield to the public benefit. The records of antiquity are crowded with glorious examples of devotedness and of sacrifices to this honourable passion.

How noble is the picture of an officer who, having received a musket-ball through the body, says only to his comrades and the soldiers that pressed round him: "My friends," showing them a passage it was necessary to force," that is the path to glory; take no thought of mebut do your duty!"

An aged officer, whose son was wounded

with the same bullet that killed Turenne, exclaimed: "It is not for my son you must weep; but for that great man, and the irreparable loss which your country will sustain in his death.”

SIR PHILIP SIDNEY too, whose name will be an everlasting honour to England, being mortally wounded at the battle of Zutphen, the surgeon of count Hallard, who attended on that officer as well as on his wounded master, told him that he was afraid he could not save the life of sir Philip. "Away!" said the count angrily; "never return to me till you bring news of that man's recovery, whose life is of more value to his country than many such as mine."

COURAGE is undoubtedly the principal virtue of a general; but a man who is entrusted with the destiny of thousands of his fellow-creatures, if he be not influenced by a sincere love for the true interests of his country, will, like Sempronius and Varro, and some generals of our own day, sacrifice his troops wantonly to his ambition, and the desire of a false reputation: true glory

* BUONAPARTE is said to have forced the bridge of Lodi from an impulse of vanity, in front of the Austrian cannon, at the expence of six thousand of his best troops: when at the distance of a few miles he might have forded the river with an inconsiderable loss.

requires virtues of which Sempronius and Varro were destitute.

THE love of our country ought to be the leading motive to excite us to great actions. It was this sentiment that drew Hannibal from the heart of Africa, urged him to undertake the most formidable difficulties in the war against the Romans, and rendered him finally their conqueror. Wherever it prevails in its genuine vigour and extent, it absorbs all sordid and selfish regards; it subdues the love of ease, power, pleasure, and wealth; nay, when the amiable partialities of friendship, gratitude, or even private and domestic affections, come in competition with it, it will teach us to sacrifice all, in. order to maintain the rights, and promote and defend the honour and happiness, of our country.

A SPARTAN lady had five sons in the army, and was hourly in expectation of news from the 'field of battle. A messenger returns from the camp, and with trembling agitation she applies to him for information. "Your five sons," said 66 are slain." "Base slave! did I ask thee "Yet we have gained the victory."

he,

that?"

Thanks to the Gods!" exclaimed the mother:

and she instantly flew to the temple, in order to her thanks.

offer up

AT the siege of St. Lo, in 1574, the commandant of that garrison could not be prevailed upon to surrender it. He mounted the breach, accompanied by his two sons; one a boy of ten, the other of twelve, years of 66 age. My companions!" said he to his soldiers; "in conjunction with your lives and my own, I make a sacrifice to God of what I hold most dear in this world--the lives of my two. children. I would much rather that their blood, pure and without taint, should now be mixed with my own, than that my country should fall into the hands of those tyrants (the Leaguers)." He was soon after killed by a cannon-ball, his children remaining unhurt.

A CORSICAN gentleman, who had been taken prisoner by the Genoese, was thrown into a dungeon, where he was chained to the ground. While he was in this situation, the Genoese sent a message to him,--that if he would accept of a commission in their service, he might have it. "No," said he; were I to embrace your offer, it would be with a determined purpose to take the first opportunity of returning to the service of my country. But I will not accept it: for I

would not have my countrymen even suspect that I could be one moment unfaithful." And he remained in his dungeon*.

THE noblest triumph of patriotism consists in forgetting our private animo ities and resentments; our feelings of unrewarded service, and injured, perhaps insulted, merit; when the good of our country again requires our active exertions.-A long series of calumnies, the suggestions of envy, had deprived the Prussian general Zieten of the confidence of his sovereign, had forced from the presence of Frederic his best and bravest commander. The monarch at length perceived his true interest, and sought to recal Zieten to his station in the army. He employed for this purpose the intervention of one of his

* THERE is a singular anecdote of an officer who could scarcely bring the principle which is the subject of this Letter, into competition with his sense of the honour of his family.-While Louis XIV. besieged Lisle, the count de Brouai, governor of the town, had occasion one day to make some communication to him in his camp. When the messenger was returning, the duke de Charrost, captain of the guards, called out, "Tell Brouai not to follow the example of the governor of Douay, who yielded like a coward." The king turned round laughing, and said, "Charrost, are you mad?”—

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How, sir?" answered he; " Brouai is my cousin."