RUPERT'S MARCH.

[WALTER THORNBURY, born 1828. Originally intended for an artist, but discarded the pencil for the pen, with which he has achieved distinction as poet, essayist, and novelist.]

SAYING, NOT MEANING.

55

IX.

Pistolet crack flashed bright on our track,
And even the foam of the water turned black.
They were twenty to one, our poor rapier to gun,
But we charged up the bank, and we lost only one.
So I saved the old flag, though it was but a rag,
And the sword in my hand was snapped off to a
jagg.

X.

The water was churned as we wheeled and we turned,

And the dry brake, to scare out the vermin, we
burned;

We gave our halloo, and our trumpet we blew ;
Of all their stout fifty we left them but two;

XV.

Does Baxter say right, that a bodice laced tight
Should never be seen by the sun or the light?
Like stars from a wood, shine under that hood
Eyes that are sparkling, though pious and good.
Surely this waist was by Providence placed,
By a true lover's arm to be often embraced.

XVI.

Down on your knees, you villains in frieze;
A draught to King Charles, or a swing from those
trees.

Blow off this stiff lock, for 'tis useless to knock,
The ladies will pardon the noise and the shock;
From this bright dewy cheek, might I venture to
speak,

With a mock and a laugh, won their banner and I could kiss off the tears, though she wept for a week.

staff,

Fire the old mill on the brow of the hill;
Break down the plank that runs over the rill:

We came o'er the downs, through village and Bar the town gate-if the burghers debate,
towns,

In spite of the sneers, and the curses, and frowns,
Drowning their psalms and stilling their qualms,
With a clatter and rattle of scabbards and arms,
Down the long street, with a trample of feet,
For the echo of hoofs to a Cavalier's sweet.

XIII.

See, black on each roof, at the sound of our hoof,
The Puritans gather, but keep them aloof;
Their muskets are long and they aim at a throng,
But woe to the weak when they challenge the
strong!

Butt-end to the door-one hammer more,

Our pike-men rush in and the struggle is o'er.

XIV.

Storm through the gate, batter the plate,
Cram the red crucible into the grate,
Saddle-bags fill, Bob, Jenkin, and Will,

And spice the staved wine that runs out like a rill;
That maiden shall ride all to-day by my side,
Those ribbons are fitting a Cavalier's bride.

Shoot some to death-for the villains must wait.
Rip up the lead from the roofing o'erhead,
And melt it for bullets, or we shall be sped.

XIX.

Now look to your buff, for steel is the stuff
To slash your brown jerkins with crimson enough.
There burst a flash: I heard their drums crash-
To horse! Now for race over moorland and plash.
Ere the stars glimmer out we will wake with a shout
The true men of York, who will welcome our rout.

SAYING, NOT MEANING.

[WILLIAM BASIL WAKE, one of the contributors to Hone's "Every-Day Book."]

Two gentlemen their appetite had fed,
When, opening his toothpick-case, one said→→
"It was not until lately that I knew
That anchovies on terra-firma grew."

"Grow!" cried the other; "yes, they grow, indeed,
Like other fish, but not upon the land.
You might as well say grapes grow on a reed,
Or in the Strand."

[FRANÇOIS LE VAILLANT, born at Paramaribo, Guiana, 1753. Died 1824. Naturalist and traveller.] "AN animal," says M. Le Vaillant, "which often rendered me essential services, whose presence has frequently interrupted or banished from my memory the most bitter and harassing reflections, whose simple and touching affection even seemed, on some occasions, to anticipate my wishes, and whose playful tricks were a perfect antidote to ennui, was a monkey of the species so common at the Cape, and so well known by the name of 'Bavian.' It was very familiar, and attached itself particularly to me. I conferred upon it the office of my taster-general, and when we met with any fruits or roots unknown to my Hottentots, we never ventured to eat them till they had been presented to, and pronounced upon by, Kees. If he ate, we fed upon them; if he refused to eat them, we did so likewise. The baboon has this quality 8-VOL. I.

in particular, which distinguishes him from the lower animals, and approximates him more nearly to man: he has received from Nature equal portions of curiosity and gluttony; he tastes everything you give him; without necessity he touches whatever comes in his way. But in Kees I valued a still more precious quality. He was a most trusty guardian. Night or day, it mattered not, the most distant approach of danger roused him to instant watchfulness; and his cries and gestures invariably warned us of any unusual occurrence long before my dogs got scent of it. Indeed, these otherwise faithful guardians became so habituated to his voice, and depended so implicitly upon his instinct, that they became utterly careless of their own duty, and, i .stead of watching our encampment, went to sleep in full confidence. But no

sooner had he given the alarm than the whole pack were up and on the alert, flying to defend the quarter from which his motions directed them to expect the threatened danger. . . . I often took him out with me on my hunting and shooting excursions. On the way he amused himself by climbing the trees in search of gum, of which he was passionately fond. Sometimes he would discover the honeycombs which the wild bees deposit in the hollows of decayed trees; but when neither gum nor honey were to be found, and he began to be pressed by hunger, an exhibition of the most comic and amusing nature took place. In default of more dainty fare, he would search for roots, and, above all, for a particular kind, which the Hottentots call 'kameroo,' which he greatly admired, and which, unfortunately for him, I had myself found so refreshing and agreeable, that I often contested the possession of the prize with him.

of sight. This had no effect upon the dog, who, to do him justice, possessed a most praiseworthy firmness of character, and an obstinacy which would have done honour to a logician; but with Kees it was a different matter. He saw the distance increasing without any better chance of overcoming his adversary's resolution than at first. Then commenced a most ludicrous and amusing scene. Kees would alight, and both follow the caravan at full speed; but the dog, always distrusting the finesse of the monkey, would adroitly allow him to pass on a little before him, for fear of a surprise, and never for a moment taking his eye off him. In other respects he had gained a complete ascendancy over the whole pack, which he undoubtedly owed to the superiority of his instinct, for among animals, as among men, cunning and address are frequently more than a match for physical force. It was only at mealtimes, however, that Kees ever showed any illnature towards the dogs; when any of them approached him on that important occasion, the administration of a sound box on the car warned him to keep at a more respectful distance, and it is singular that none of the pack ever disputed the point or resented the affront.

"Like all monkeys, he was incorrigibly addicted to petty larceny, and had he been an Englishman, would have been long since tried at the Old Bailey, and transported to Botany Bay; but being a freeborn Africandar-for such is the name by which the Cape colonists delight to be called-he committed his depredations with impunity, or only fled for an hour or two to the woods to escape immediate chastisement, always, however, taking good care to return by nightfall. Never but on one occa

"This put him upon his mettle, and developed all his talents for ruse and deception. When he discovered the kameroo at any distance from me, he commenced devouring it, without even waiting to peel it according to his usual custom, his eyes all the while eagerly fixed upon my motions, and he generally managed matters so adroitly as to have finished the banquet before I reached him. Occasionally, however, I would arrive too soon for him; he would then break the root and cram it into his cheek-pouches, from which I have often taken it without his displaying either malice or resentment at what he must have considered as an act of great injustice. To pluck up the roots, he resorted to a most ingenious method, which greatly amused me. Seizing the tuft of leaves with his teeth, he dug about and loosened the root with hission did he absent himself during the night. It fingers, and by then drawing his head gently backwards he commonly managed to extract it without breaking; but when this method failed, he would seize the tuft as before, and as close to the root as possible, and then, suddenly turning a somersault, he would throw himself head over heels, and the kameroo rarely failed to follow.

"On these little expeditions, when he felt himself fatigued, it was most ludicrous to see him mounting upon the back of one of my dogs, which he would thus compel to carry him for hours together. One of the pack, however, was more than a match for him, even at his own weapons-cunning and finesse. As soon as this animal found Kecs upon his shoulders, instead of trying to shake him off or dispute the point, which he knew by experience to be useless, he would make a dead halt, and, with great resignation and gravity, stand as immovable as a statue, whilst our whole train passed by and proceeded on their jou ney. Thus the two would continue, mutually trying to tire out one another's patience, till we were nearly out

was near dinner-time, and I had just prepared some fricasseed beans on my plate, when suddenly the cry of a bird which I had not before heard called off my attention, and I seized my gun and set off in pursuit of it. I had not been more than a quarter of an hour absent, when I returned with my bird in my hand; but Kees and my dinner had both disappeared in the meantime, though I had severely chastised him for stealing my supper on the previous evening. I concluded, however, that, as usual, he would return on the approach of night, when he fancied that the affair would be forgotten, and so thought no more of it. But for once I was mistaken in him; evening came without any appearance of Kees, nor had any of my Hottentots seen him on the following morning, and I began to fear that I had lost him for good. I really began seriously to feel the loss of his amusing qualities and watchfulness, when, on the third day after his disappearance, one of my people brought the welcome intelligence that he had encountered him in the neighbouring wood, but