"hoot awa, mon; what tauk ye aboot amendments. I am sure the pamphlet need nae blush to be seen by his majesty himsel—and in geud troth I mean to send him a copy or twa of it. And besides our Assembly will rise to-morrow or next day, and I wish each of the members to tak a few copies hame with them. So we must e'en strait-way print the journal off hand as it is."

The journal, of course, was immediately printed. Every eye perused it: and every tongue was loud in its praise. Indeed it was not easy to err on the side of excess; for whoever with candour reads the journal, will readily pronounce it an unique in the history of juvenile productions. It discovers that vigour, and variety of talents, which take up, as it were intuitively, the views belonging to any new subject that presents itself. It is the hasty production of a young man, born in retreats of deepest solitude, in a time of profoundest peace, and brought up to the simple harmless employment of a surveyor, an employment which, more than any other, tends to tranquillize the mind. The verdure and music of the love-breathing spring; the bright fields and harvests of joy-inspiring summer; the faded leaves and mournful silence of autumn, with winter's solemn grandeur; were the scenes in which the youth of Washington was passed. In these he hears the roar of distant war-from these he is sent forth to mark the gathering storm. Instantly he breathes the whole spirit of his new engagement" Old things are done away: all things are become new." The chain and theodolite are forgotten the surveyor is lost in the soldier. His shoulders are young: but they sustain the head of an old engineer. He marks the soil, the timber, the confluence of rivers, the sites for forts. In short, nothing connected with the defence of his country escapes him. He penetrates the characters of the different people around him-the low sensuality of the Indian, ready, for a dram, to lift the tomahawk

the polished subtleties of the European, who can "smile and smile," and yet design the death of the traveller. These important truths present themselves intuitively to his mind; and shine with such lustre in the pages of his journal, as to command the admiration of every unprejudiced reader.

Among the gentlemen in Williamsburgh, who had sense and virtue enough to appreciate the worth of Washington, one of the first was a Mr. Waller. This gentleman, conversing on that subject with Mr. Robertson, speaker of the house of Burgesses, observed, that such services as those rendered by Major Washington, were far too important to be paid off by the light coin of common parlour puffs. "This young man," said he, "has deserved well of his country; and her Representatives in Assembly ought to acknowledge the obligation." That's exactly my own opinion," replied Robertson: "and if you will let me know when the major next visits us, I will make a motion to that effect."

The next day, Washington, not having ever dreamt of the honour intended him, entered the house; and, going up stairs, took his seat in the gallery. The eagle-eyed friendship of Mr. Waller quickly discovered him; and stepping to the chair, whispered it to Mr. Robertson; who instantly arose, and ordering silence, called out: "Gentlemen, it is proposed that the thanks of this house be given to Major Washington, who now sits in the gallery, for the very gallant manner in which he executed the important trust lately reposed in him by his excellency governor Dinwiddie." In a moment the house rose as one man; and turning towards Washington, saluted him with a general bow; and, in very flattering terms, expressed their high sense of his services. Had an earthquake shaken the capitol to the centre, it could hardly have so completely confounded the major! He rose to make his acknowledgments, but, alas; his tongue had forgotten its office. Thrice he essayed to

speak: but thrice, in spite of every effort, his utterance failed him, save faintly to articulate, "Mr. Speaker, Mr. Speaker!" To relieve him from his embarrassment, Mr. Robertson kindly called out, "Major Washington, Major Washington, sit down; your modesty alone is equal to your merit."

CHAPTER VI.

The French and Indian war begins-Washington goes forth to meet the dangers of his country-aims a blow at Fort Du Quesne-fails -gallant defence of Fort Necessity-retires from the service in disgust-pressed into it again by General Braddock-defeat and death of Braddock, and dreadful slaughter of his army.

"WELL, what is to come, will come!" said poor Paddy, when going to the gallows. Even so was come, as would seem, the time that was to come for "kings to go forth to battle." The truth is, numbers of poor tax-ground, and thence uneducated and halfstarved wretches in Britain and France, were become diseased with a mortal cachexy or surcharge of bad humours; such as gambling, swindling, horse stealing, highway robbing, &c. which nothing but the saturnine pills and steel points of Mars could effectually carry off. Thus in all corrupted governments war is considered as a necessary evil. It was no doubt necessary then.

Such was the remote cause. The proximate history, or how the dance begun, we now proceed to relate.

We have just seen that the French, pouring down from the lakes of Canada, thick as autumnal geese, were dashing away on the Ohio, at an alarming rate -multiplying forts-holding talks-and strengthening their alliances with the Indians. And we have seen, that Washington, with letters from governor Dinwiddie, had been out among the parlezvous,

conjuring them by every thing venerable in treaties, or valuable in peace, to desist from such unwarrantable measures. But all to no purpose: for the French commandant, smiling at Washington, as a green horn, and at Dinwiddie as an old fool, continued his operations as vigorously as though he knew not that the country in question made a part of the British empire.

Swift as the broad-winged packets could fly across the deep, the news was carried to England. Its effect there was like that of a stone rudely hurled against a nest of hornets. Instantly, from centre to circumference, all is rage and bustle-the hive resounds with the maddening insects. Dark tumbling from their cells they spread the hasty wing, and shrill whizzing through the air, they rush to find the foe. Just so in the sea-ruling island, from queens house to ale-house, from king to cockney, all were fierce for fight. Even the red-nosed porters where they met, bending under their burdens, would stop in the streets, to talk of England's wrong: and, as they - talked, their fiery snouts were seen to grow more fiery still, and more deformed. Then throwing their packs to the ground, and leaping into the attitude of boxers, with sturdy arms across, and rough black jaws stretched out, they bend forward to the fancied fight! The frog-eating foe, in shirtless ruffles and long lank queue seems to give ground! then rising in their might, with fire-striking eyes they press hard upon him; and coming in, hand and foot, with kick and cuff, and many a hearty curse, they show the giggling crowd, how, damn 'em, they would thump the French.

The news was brought to Britain's king just as he had dispatched his pudding; and sat, right royally amusing himself with a slice of Gloucester and a nip of ale. From the lips of the king down fell the luckless cheese, alas! not grac'd to comfort the stomach of the Lord's anointed; while, crowned

with snowy foam, his nut-brown ale stood untasted beside his plate. Suddenly as he heard the news, the monarch darkened in his place; and answering darkness shrouded all his court.

In silence he rolled his eyes of fire on the floor, and twirled his terrible thumbs! his pages shrunk from his presence; for who could stand before the king of thundering ships, when wrath, in gleams of lightning, flashed from his "dark red eyes?" Starting at length, as from a trance, he swallowed his ale: then clenching his fist, he gave the table a tremendous knock, and cursed the wooden-shoed nation by his God! Swift as he cursed, the dogs of war bounded from their kennels, keen for the chase: and, snuffing the blood of Frenchmen on every gale, they raised a howl of death which reached these peaceful shores. Orders were immediately issued, by the British government, for the colonies to arm and unite in one confederacy. Virginia took the lead; and raised a regiment, to the second command in which she raised her favourite Washington. Colonel Fry, by right of seniority, commanded but on his death, which happened soon after his appointment, Washington succeeded to the command. With this little handful, he bravely pushed out into the wilderness, in quest of the enemy; and at a place called the Little Meadows, came up with a party under one Jumonville. This officer was killed, and all his men taken prisoners.

:

From these prisoners, he obtained undoubted intelligence, that the French troops on the Ohio, consisted of upwards of a thousand regulars, and many hundreds of Indians. But notwithstanding this disheartening intelligence, he still pressed on undauntedly against the enemy, and, at a place called the Great Meadows, built a fort, which he called Fort Necessity.

Soon as the lines of the entrenchments were marked off, and the men about to fall to work, Washington