England with arms in their hands." We fuppofe they mean the volunteers! How little do thefe drivellers know of the defence of a country! Fifty thousand mercenary troops would be far preferable to a whole nation of volunteers. As to the fyftem of blocking up the enemy's ports, none but fapfculls would ever have thought of it. Whatever may be our opinion of Bonaparte, on this fubject (and indeed on moft others) his reafoning is invulnerable. Why do they not let him come out? why do they not fuffer him to land, and give him battle fairly in the field ? Had Mr. and. Lord &c. &c. been in office, they would have fuffered him to have landed long ago, they would not have fculked, and counteracted craft by policy: but cunning is always the vice of low minds. It may fuit the narrow policy of the Addingtons, the Hawkesburys, the St. Vincents, thofe underlings in office, to coop and pen the enemy up in his ports; men of more liberal minds would have let him come out, and do his worft.-They would have fcorned to take even a fingle gun-boat before the grand question was decided.

and

But where indeed fhould fuch men get their knowledge of ftate affairs? Not furely in the Speaker's chair, in the Houfe of Commons. Not on the continent, and in vifiting the different courts of Europe. Not in ftudying the laws, or fighting the battles of their country!-No, thefe will only make nincompoops and drivellers. It is at Brookes's, Newmarket, in Duke's Place; it is among fharpers, black-legs, and fwindlers only, that human nature is to be ftudied; nor can any man be fit to manage the affairs of a nation till he has totally ruined his

own.

at

If the public are fo funk in ftupidity as not to understand these things; as not to unite with one heart and voice to drive these nincompoops from the

helm,

helm, let them look at all our great fatefmen and orators of the prefent age-Where have they ftudied? Why, in the beft of all fchools-at the fafhionable clubs, and the faro-table! and we will venture to predict, that until we can get a miniftry from the fame honourable fources, Great Britain never will be refpectable in the eyes of foreign courts.

SIR,

THE ST. JAMES'S PARK GHOST.

[From the Oracle.]

IN fome of the newfpapers of the prefent week I have feen accounts of a Ghost, which is stated at different times to have infefted St. James's Park. The whole account at prefent refts upon fuch doubtful evidence, that I conceive the ftatement of an actual witness of this terrific being will not be uninterefting to the public.

I have the honour to be a private in his Majefty's foot guards; and in that capacity I was placed as fentinel, on the 13th of this month, at the gate leading to the Treafury from the Park, clofe to the back door which opens into the garden of the Minister's houfe in Downing Street.

It was about twelve o'clock at night, Sir, that I was firft vifited by the tremendous appearance to which I have adverted, and which I cannot think of but with fentiments of horror. Juft, Sir, as the clock of the Horfe Guards ftruck the hour, as I was leaning against the iron railing which runs between the Treafury gateway and Mr. Ad-n's private door, ftriving to while away the dreary moments which were to elapfe before the welcome relief came round, having placed my mufket upon the ground near me, with my foraging cap drawn over my ears, and my pipe in my mouth, I faw, to my furprife, the door leading to

Mr.

Mr. Ad-n's houfe flowly turn upon its hinges, and a tall figure ftalk out-without a head!

Aftonishment and horror chained up my faculties: I fcarcely dared to look at the tremendous phantom, much lefs did I prefume to fpeak to it. The figure, however, which iffued from the door within three. feet of me, moved flowly to the Canal; and the moon fhining bright at the moment, I was enabled, when I recovered the use of my faculties and reafon, to gaze upon it and mark its form.

Those who have hitherto described the ghost have ftated it to be the appearance of a woman without a head. Sir, without a head it certainly appeared, but it was not a woman. It was dreffed in male attire, in a coat of a blue colour, white waistcoat, black fatin breeches, filk ftockings, fhoes and buckles. In one hand it bore a light, which in mortal grafp would have been called a hand candlestick; in the other a large paper folded up in the fhape of a letter, upon which, by the light of the moon, I faw a fuperfcription To the Right Hon. Henry Ad-n, &c. &c. Downing Street." Head, as I before faid, it had none; but upon its fhoulders a huge cocked hat was placed, and out of the coat pockets many papers tied up with red tape peeped out, marked with the fame infeription as that which the phantom bore in its hand.

As it paffed near me, Sir, I heard the most piteous moanings, fuch as I fhould have thought could only have proceeded from one in pain, accompanied by rumblings and explofions, fuch as I can only compare to distant thunder, or the long roll of the drum for parade. Having plucked up fome little courage, I followed this awful appearance, which bent its vifionary fteps towards the iron rails which terminate the Canal at the bottom of the Parade.-Upon its arrival there it ftopped; and the founds of pain, the rumblings,

and

and explosions, increased with redoubled violence. I almoft tremble, Sir, when I relate what I faw, with mingled fentiments of horror, of fhame, and aftonishment; upon the veracity of a guardsman I declare, I faw this imaginary being perform functions close to the aforefaid rails, which I had always conceived belonged to mortals only, fuch as I never thought neceffary for difembodied fpirits, fuch as I never could have believed the pure nature of ghofts could have required. Disturbed, offended, frightened, aftonished, and difgufted, I retreated to my poft, and foon after the figure returned. The only change I difcovered in its progrefs and appearance, was, that its ftep was lighter; its pace was quicker; no moanings, no rumblings, no explofions, accompanied its march; and the paper directed directed To the Right Hon. Henry Adn, &c. &c. Downing Street," was no longer feen in its hand. Thus apparently difencumbered, it paffed through the door into the garden, and disappeared. I immediately called to the fentry pofted next to me, who, at my requeft, fummoned the fergeant upon guard, to whom I related what I had seen; I fhewed him the fpot from whence the phantom iffued, the place to which it bent its fteps, the point at which it stopped, and from whence it returned. The next morning, when the guard was relieved, I told the fame ftory, at my fergeant's defire, to my of ficer, who, after viewing the fpot, heard my tale, burst out a-laughing in my face, and told me I had only feen Mr. Ad--n in a fit of the gripes. With all due fubmiffion, Sir, to my officer, I cannot conceive how Mr. Ad-n could appear without a head; ftill lefs can I account for fome of my brother-foldiers fwearing that this figure bore the appearance of a woman: however this may be, Sir, whether it was Mr. Adn or an old woman, I am ready to take my oath that the figure which came out of the Mi

nifter's

nifter's house, in Downing Street, was without a

I

SIR,

REMARKS ON THE FOREGOING.

[From the fame.]

WAS much furprised, and even hurt, at the account published in your paper of Wednesday, touching the new vifion lately feen near the Treasury, in St. James's Park. The mereft novice in demonology would read in every line of that account, the delufion of a very common mind on the ordinary appearance of a very common mortal. This, Sir, brings the whole of my favourite ftudy into difrepute. Can any thing be more vulgar and ridiculous than the whole track and deportment of the being then in contemplation? The time and occafion of its making its appearance, the place it chofe, the object it had in view, all, all, Sir, denote that there was nothing fpiritual in or about it. The letter of the honeft guardfman I have read over and over again, turned it in every point of view, and placed it in every light; but I can make nothing of it, either to his advantage, or in favour of the fuppofed phantom of which he speaks. Depend upon it, Sir, that poor being had nothing fupernatural in its compofition: obferve, it carried a candle when the moon fhone, and had papers in its pocket, of which it could make no ufe. This is more like the foolish conduct of a brainless mortal than the terrific