rises hard by to the street of the Four Foun- that censorship and index, and those Dominican tains, and which holds the well-known girlish" masters of the Sacred Palace," whose awful face overshadowed with the white turban, who functions are supposed to be those of execution, looks at you so sadly over her white shoulder, hanging, drawing, quartering, and disemboweldoes not disdain to take English gold for its ling volumes, still this truth stands firm and unhighest story, and nothing short of a very round controvertible-any book is to be procured in Rome. sum too. That graceful palace, rising in rich Never was such a bugbear put forward to frighten and elegant details, can be reached only by the children, as this one of restriction in the matter meanest of gateways, such as would do no of reading. There are booksellers' shops and honour to a coach-house; a gateway, morcover, booksellers-not many, but sufficient. There is set awry, and at an acute angle with the main to be found, not on their shelves merely, but building. One month's rent in the Saxon's gold set out in flaming placards on the outside of would do something in the way of amendment, their houses, in conspicuous characters, such O noble Barberini! So too, will you seek dangerous and heretical matter as Monsieur out the Colonna mansion (his who on Palm Guizot's History of Parliamentary Power, such Sunday comes up the altar steps in a purple inflammatory petards as Monsieur Michelet's cape to exercise his family's prerogative and History of France, together with Monsieur wash the pontiff's fingers), and find the tricolor Villemain's Souvenirs, Monsieur Cousin's misof France and the escutcheon of ducal Grammont chievous Philosophy, and Monsieur Mignet's over your head. Pass by the long slate-coloured Historical Compositions. Intelligent librarian, palace in the Corso, which you are told is the when I enter, shows me an army of French Ruspoli Palazzo, and you will find the Ruspoli privates in their limp paper covers, comprising vanished, and one half the house working a lan-all that is newest and best in French literature, guid business as a café. From the other half round the corner, again flutters that tricolor ubiquitous; and the little compact sentry carries arms, as Goyon the magnificent descends from his horse at the door. with all, too, that is newest and questionable: Memoirs of the immortal age of the Louises newly disinterred, light and loose novels, pamphlets and essays. And when, for the sake of experiment, just to humour the thing, though not But here does not the old cry fall upon our without a certain diffidence, I hint at the possiears? See how low an evil government can bility-just the bare possibility-of procuring bring a noble people: degrading the fine bold the frightful and damnable heresy of one About patrician element into a mere lounging vege- (here I drop my voice into a hoarse conspirator table. Yet, without straying into this de- whisper, and glance round with a fearful caubatable ground-always thorny, and covered tion), intelligent librariau answers cheerfully that with brakes and briars there is something to he has not, indeed, such a work on hand, but be said, which lays a fair share of his fallen will procure it in his next fortnightly parcel. state to the account of the noble Roman him- In the humbler establishments where books are self. Because he is interdicted from the brawl vended in an odd companionship with brass of politics, and not suffered to run riot in news- candlesticks, holy pictures, beads, pinchbeck paper columus, is he to settle down with sunken jewellery, and sweetmeats, I see the works of head and folded arms, and become hopelessly Silvio Pellico in a cheap form: likewise the impassive? Are there no other objects upon novels of the tabooed Massimo D'Azeglio, all which a manly nature could expend itself? He the romances of Walter Scott rendered into is rich; and there is nothing to hinder his free Italian, and the exciting tales of lively Alexanprogress into other countries. The police have no instructions to refuse him his passports. So might he go forth and brace his mind with the wholesome currents of northern nations. So goes forth the Russian noble, semi-barbarous, and returns a smooth and enlightened grand seigneur. Has not the Noble Roman horses and dogs, and the broad miles of Campagna prairie, finest riding-grounds in the world? Ias he not whole jungles of forest, where lurks the wild boar, ready to furnish him with sport that shall make him manly and quick of eye, and, above all, healthy? Does he not live and have his being in a world of art ? Is not his very breath charged with the fragrance of pictures, statues, columns, frescoes, and such noble works? der the Elder. I certainly did not observe the adventures of a certain Camellia Lady; but in a Holy City such a person would be clearly out of place. Even the Negro pleadings of Mrs. Harriet Beecher Stowe are to be seen here, with a portrait of the deserving and god. fearing Black, the Avuncular Tom, to face the title. Again, not a day passes but there are some two or three book auctions, when books of every country, clime, and degree, are "knocked down" cheap. Moreover, there are stalls where literature of some sort may be found, from a halfpenny upwards. But the intelligent bookseller before alluded to, tells me that trade is very slack indeed, and that the Noble Roman is his worst customer. There are here old book dens, the most delightful and appetising in the world and-Erebus-like, and perfect catacombs-but very bandits' caves for treasure. You, being bibliomaniac, may come here and grub and dig for hours, and turn up jewels at every stroke. The proprietor of the cave, with that neat spirit of order which reigns, has all his prizes Still, where are no free presses, no glut satiety of books, where reading is cramped and manacled under a load of censorship, index, inquisition, and such like, it is hard for a Noble Roman to find proper aliment for his mind. True. Yet here is a startling truth. With all ticketed and catalogued, so that he can lay his had just gone through a series of the most comhand on the particular jewel wanted in an in-plicated evolutions in a pouring rain; I was in the armoury divesting myself of my soaked uniform and rusted sword, and privately wonder stant. MORE OF THE GRIMGRIBBER RIFLE ing why I had voluntarily exposed myself to so CORPS. OUR NEW CAPTAIN. much inconvenience, when the senior sergeant of the regiment presented himself before me. A pleasant man is Sergeant Piper, with a jolly round rubicund face, a merry black eye, and a nose that attests the goodness of the port wine at the Sternsail and Tiller on the Essex shore: which hotel he makes his summer residence. But dull was his appearance and solemn his expression as he made his military salute, and, merely saying "From the captain, sir," placed in my hands a large square printed paper. It was headed with the royal arms, and ran as follows: GRIMGRIBBER RIFLE CORPS. MONDAY.-Second squad drill at 2 P.M. by En- TUESDAY.-Platoon drill by Ensign Rivers, 2 P.M. WEDNESDAY.-First instruction in musketry, FRIDAY.-Lecture on the dissection of the lock, | SATURDAY.-The regiment will march out for battalion drill on Squash Common. All the officers will attend. Gaiters, if wet, but no great-coats on any account. Ensign Rivers is officer of the week, and any gentleman requiring any information on any point must apply to him. AUTUMN being, according to the almanacks, close at hand, and many members of our corps feeling bound to absent themselves from the neighbourhood of the metropolis and to disport in sylvan or sea-side regions, I see some chance of being enabled to get an evening to myself to chronicle our doings since the earliest stages of our formation. Up to this time, it has been impossible. I thought that when I had mastered the difficulties of drill, my labour would be at an end; that I might once a week lead or rather follow the regiment to our parade-ground; that on the other six days my helmet might have been used as a hive for bees, or any other rustic and pacific receptacle; that our bugler would "sing truce" as soon as the Saturday night cloud had lowered, and would not call us again to arms for the entire space of a week; in fact, that so long as we were well up in our manual and platoon, and could put our men through the ordinary evolutions of company and battalion drill, more would not be required of us. I was mistaken-as I often am, and always to my cost. I dare say that, had we remained as we originally formed ourselves, I could have arranged things with Jack Heatly and his brother, and we should have restricted our military ambition within proper limits; but our corps increased so tremendously, so many fresh recruits came flocking to our standard, that we were obliged to form a second company, who, in their turn, elected their officers, and who chose for their captain a gentleman who, from his punctuality, exactitude, and strict attention to business, seems intended by Nature to supply the I, the present writer, am Ensign Rivers, whose place of the late Duke of Wellington in these name is so frequently mentioned in this abomidominions. He was elected because he was a nable document! I rushed off to Strongbow's pleasant, strong, active young fellow, a good rooms-he lives with his father, the eminent cricketer and oarsman, and such a maniac for dry salter, but has a little outbuilding next the dancing, that he might have been a male stables specially appropriated to his use. As I Wili, or a victim to the bite of the tarantula. neared this pavilion, I heard strange sounds of He was elected, and he thanked us; the next stamping, mingled with thwacking of weapons, day on parade his true character burst forth! and cries of "Ha! ha! had you there!" EnHe made us a speech in which he said he had tering, I found Strongbow stripped to his shirt, observed with regret that the discipline of the and busily engaged in belabouring the Corporal, regiment was not such as could be wished. He who, wooden as ever, solemnly defended himself was aware, he said (glancing at Jack Heatly, with a single-stick. "Hallo!" says Strongbow, who was sitting on a camp-stool smoking a short "come for more orders, Ensign ?" I boil over, pipe)-he was aware that we had been somewhat I object, I appeal-all in vain. "What will loosely looked after, but that we might depend the men say, when they see their officers shirkupon a strict supervision in future." You may ing duty 5 Fruitlessly do I urge that I know be astonished to hear that there were certain men nothing of the musketry instruction, or the diswho applauded this harangue: rash young men section of the lock; he gives me books-enor. who talked about "sticking to the thing" and mous volumes-which he bids me study. For a "having no child's play," but I myself trembled moment I waver in my allegiance, I have a faint in my varnished gaiters. The next day, Jack notion of requesting Her Majesty to be graHeatly took a month's leave of absence and went ciously pleased to accept my resignation of my out of town, and the new captain, De Tite Strong-commission; but better thoughts prevail, and I bow, became our commander-in-chief. I shall go to work. I drill the second squad, I pass a never forget that day! it was a Saturday, and we bright afternoon in the dull lecture-room of the DE TITE STRONGBOW, too bad! Is there no gentleman present who can remember what this is called? Sergeant Fluke. Eh? of course, yes! I can! It's the-the-the nose-cap, of course! (Aside to next neighbour.) Gad! what a good shot! Capt. S. (overjoyed). Very good, very good, Ensign Rivers, ĺ indeed, Sergeant Fluke! Ensign R. You may rely upon my doing no(N.B. This is strictly thing of the sort, sir! correct, as Ensign Rivers knows rather less about it than any one in the room.) Mechanics' Institute, where the map of Europe glares feebly at me from the damp-stained wall, and where the mullioned windows rattle dismally at the tramping of the recruits. Painfully and wearily do I go through the different evolutions, and tight and Gordian-like is the knot into which I once or twice get myself and all the men, and have to summon the stiff corporal to my assist-must trust to your honour not to prompt the ance, amidst furtive grins and whispered hints gentlemen! of "try back." But I did get through it at last, and next day accomplished the platoon drill, with directions, and in a manner that struck the corporal mute with horror. It has been malevolently remarked that the gentlemen who benefited by my instruction have since been recognisable, principally by a habit of invariably carrying their rifles at full cock, and secondly, by the slight omission of neglecting to withdraw their ramrods after loading with blank cartridge: Capt. S. Parts of the stock, I said; the stock a disadvantage which is apt to be unpleasantly and the barrel are two distinct things. felt by their comrades when they are placed as Private J. Miller (the funny man of the Corps "a rear rank standing." But this is mere envy.-aside to his neighbour). Not at a cooper's or a brewer's; there, the barrels constitute the stock! THE FIRST INSTRUCTION IN MUSKETRY. It was so called in the Orders for the week, because it is rather a fine phrase. I believe, however, that the real technical unvarnished name of this performance is "Preliminary Drill for cleaning Arms." A select class attended Captain Strongbow's first instruction lecture on the Wednesday evening, but I shall better be able to give an account of their proceedings by adopting the dramatic form: SCENE-Captain Strongbow's rooms. Evening. Moderator lamp alight in centre. Captain Strongbow at head of table, a Long Enfield rifle, and two very ominous-looking red books by his side. Privales and sergeants of the Corps gathered round him. Ensign Rivers standing immediately behind the Captain, where he has the least chance of being seen by him, and looking doubtfully on. The opening portion of the lecture has already been given. Capt. Strongbow (proceeding). Now, gentlemen, I will once more run through what I have said, before questioning you. Now, gentlemen, the principal parts of the rifle are the stock and the barrel. (He takes up rifle and points to each part as he names it.) The stock is divided into the nose-cap, the upper, middle, and lower bands, the swell, projections, lock-side, head, small, trigger-guard, trigger-plate, trigger, butt, and heel-plate. Once more! (He repeats all the names.) Now, Mr. Lobjoit, what is this called? (Laying his hand on the nose-cap.) Lobjoit (who is a horsy man, and is always wishing we were cavalry). Nose-bag! Capt. S. (disgusted). What do you say, Mr. Pruffle ? Prufle (a slow, middle-aged gentleman, who has entered the force with the sole object of learning how to defend his large family). Night-cap! Capt. S. (more disgusted). Now, Mr. Skull, what is it? Skull (looking blankly at it through his spectacles). 'Pon my soul, I don't know! Capt. S. (profoundly disgusted). Really this is Capt. S. Now, Sergeant Fluke, can you touch any other parts of the stock, and tell me their names? Fluke. Oh, yes, of course! (Glibly.) This is the barrel, and Private Miller's neighbour (derisively). Ho! ho! ain't you funny! Capt. S. Silence, gentlemen, pray! Now, Sergeant Fluke? Fluke. Well, you know, this is the trigger, and this is the butt. Capt. S. Which is the heel of the butt, Mr. Pruffle ? Pruffle (touching the wrong end). This, sir. Capt. S. No, no! that's not the heel, that's the toe! Private Miller. Heel and toe! I say, Pruffle, my pipkin, which is the double shuffle? Capt. S. Mr. Miller, I shall be compelled to call upon you to retire, if you persist in this buffoonery! (Private Miller makes a grimace of preternatural ugliness behind his neighbour's back, hums the Dead March in Saul, and crosses his hands to simulate a handcuffed deserter about to be shot.) Capt. S. Now, then, let us take the barrel. Private Miller. Ah! some of us have taken to that kindly. Capt. S. Taken to what? Miller. To the barrel, sir! Don't mind me! Go on! Capt. S. (touching them). The muzzle, foresight, back or elevating sight, nipple, breech, breech-pin. Component parts of the breechpin: face, tang, and breech nail-hole. What are the component parts of the breech-pin, Mr. Lobjoit? Lobjoit (rapidly). Face, fangs, and breechesnails! Capt. S. (in despair). This is dreadful! I don't know what they'd say to you at Hythe! Miller. He'll never go there, sir, no more shall I. I say, Lobjoit, old boy, fancy their catching us playing at Hythe among the Sikhs. Capt. S. (with dignity). I shall leave you out of the course, Mr. Miller! (Miller feigns to weep, and dry his eyes on the back of his hand.) Now, once more, before I give up. The com ponent parts of the back or elevating sight are the flanges, flap, slider, spring, and bed. Name them, Mr. Skull, ghost of a military swagger, and one, a very old man, hobbled back to the college, whence he returned with his black cloak thrown very much back and a Waterloo medal gleaming on his brave old breast; when drill was over, we gave Skull (yawning). The principal part of the back sight is the spring-bed. Capt. S. (rising in disgust). No more at pre-him a cheer that brought the fire into his dim sent! (Exeunt all but Strongbow, who sits up half the night studying the theory of trajectories.) THE PRESENTATION OF OUR BUGLE. this, we formed on the terrace and saluted the great man, presenting arms to him as he came out. Sir Gregory was greatly touched at this, called it audibly a "dayvlish gratifying mark of 'tention," made us several bows modelled on those of his great friend the late King George the Fourth, and hoped to meet us again. And a few days afterwards it was officially announced that Lady Dulciss intended presenting us with a silver bugle. This it was that caused the new excitement; this it was that brought up the few laggards and caused the many who had hitherto been indefatigable to show even greater attention. It was determined that we should have a great day; it was understood that a select company would come over from The Radishes, Sir Gregory's house; that the neighbourhood generally would attend; and there was to be a tent with a cold collation for the corps, while the officers were invited to a champagne luncheon at the Principal's. Such furbishing up of arms and accoutrements, such worrying of tailors and armourers, such private drill among the men, and such minute inquiries among the officers as to the exact meaning of "recover swords"! eyes and the flush into his withered cheeks. Then Mrs. Principal, a benevolent old lady, and the two Miss Principals, very dashing girls, got in the habit of coming to watch us, and the Miss Principals brought their friends, and We had attended the Wimbledon meeting the friends brought their cavaliers, so that at and the Chiselhurst sham fight, and had covered last we used to exhibit before quite a bevy of ourselves with glory at both, but there was no- spectators. One day, Sir Gregory Dulciss, the thing to look forward to, and the perpetual present representative of the great family, was platoon exercise and theoretical musketry in-at the college on business, and hearing of struction, began to grow monotonous. The attendance of men was a trifle falling off, and I had suggested to Captain Strongbow that he should hurry on the preparation of our butts, and get us out to "judging distances" and firing with ball cartridge as speedily as possible, when we received intimation of an approaching event which brought back all those who were beginning to lapse. When our numbers increased and we grew too large for the Mechanics' Institute or Toddler's-yard, we looked about for some suitable drill-ground; but there was no place to be had and we were in despair, when the Principal of Dulciss's Grimgribber College, hearing of our extremity, came forward in the kindest manner and placed the grounds of that establishment at our disposal. Dulciss's College is not, as you may probably imagine, a scholastic institution for young gentlemen; it is a retreat, a refuge, a harbour for elderly gentlemen who have been broken and buffeted by the tempests of the world: a roadstead where they may ride safely at anchor for the remainder of their lives, comfortably housed and tended, and provided with a small income to supply themselves with necessaries. The only qualifications for candidates are, that they shall have The day arrived, and the hour. Headed by been born in Grimgribber, shall have exceeded our band (their first appearance in publicsixty years of age, and shall be without pecu- rather nervous and shaky, a trifle agitated in niary resources. It is not difficult to find many the trombone, and a thought Punch and Judywho can fulfil these requirements, and the Col-ish about the big drum, but still playing calege is always full; there, slowly pacing up and pitally), we marched through the village and down the shady cloisters, or sitting sunning into the field. The profane vulgar were not themselves on the wormeaten old benches out- allowed to come inside, but they clustered side the porch, are the old fellows constantly to thickly round the gates and swarmed about be seen, wearing their old black cloaks and the palings, like bees. Very good and searching queer shovel hats as decreed by the founder, were the remarks of the boys. "Walk up! walk old Sir Thomas Dulciss, who died two hundred up! just agoin' to begin!" shouts one, as the years ago. Attached to their prettily ter- band passed. "Hooray for the Workus Corpse," raced garden, is a fine open meadow of several says another, in allusion to our neat grey uniacres, but the old collegians rarely stroll so form. "Here's the pauper lunatics with their far, and when, under the permission of the throats cut," says a third, hinting at the red principal, we held our first drill therein, none stripe on our collars. Hallo, Bill," says a of them even came out to look at us, or took boy perched on the gate, "here's your huncle !" the trouble to inquire what we were doing. "I see him," responds Bill, a grimy-faced cyniBut a little later, on a fine spring day, they cal young blacksmith-"I see him, but I never came down in a knot and stood close by watch-takes no notice on him when he's with his Woluning our movements, and as the words of command rang out, two or three of them, evidently old soldiers, straightened their poor bent backs and cocked their shovel hats with the teers!" And we passed on into the field. The white tent glimmered in the sun, and the ground was covered with company. The Dulciss people had brought some great acquaintances with them, country grandees in their carriages, dashing girls on horseback, and three or four young Guards' officers who came to scoff, and remained to prey -upon the luncheon. To pass this lot was the great ordeal. "Keep up, rear rank!" "Steady in the centre!" "Touch to the left, Jenkins; where the deuce are you going to ?" The first and second companies went by splendidly. "Weally, not so bad now, for quill-drivers and mechanics," says young Lithpson of the Bombardiers to Jack Gorget of the Body Guards, mauve. Jack nods approvingly; then, as the third company advances, headed by Tom Exlex, who was in the Spanish service under General Evans and wears his Sebastian medal and San Fernando cross on his breast, Jack says earnestly, though ungrammatically, "Hallo, what's this swell's decorations ?" "Pon my soul I can't say," answers Lithpson; "pwobably some weward for supe-vice, cracking jokes, laughing, and capering with wiour penmanship." But we could afford to laugh even at such bitter sarcasm as this, so well were our evolutions performed, and so heartily were they applauded. Finally, we were drawn up in line, and, amidst the cheers of the populace, Lady Dulciss advanced, followed by a portentous servant bearing the bugle on a cushion. Lady Dulciss is a very fine woman: a a kind, benevolent, motherly-looking lady, and I've no doubt she made an excellent speech. It was intended for the entire regiment, but she delivered it in a confidential tone to Jack Heatly, who stood in front of her, and all we caught was "Britannia," bugle," "Grimgribber," and "call to arms.' Then she presented the bugle gracefully to Jack, who, in his intense nervousness, instantly dropped it, and she and he and Sir Gregory and the portentous footman all struggled for it on the ground. Then the band played "God save the Queen," the people cheered louder than ever, and we broke off and went in to lunch. CHINESE FIGHTING MEN. ALTHOUGH China possesses an enormous army on paper, and a very considerable one in reality, it may be doubted whether, before Admiral Hope's gallant but fatal affair at the mouth of the Peiho river, our arms have ever been fairly encountered by Chinese soldiers. This requires explanation, but the explanation is at hand. Among the other features of that gigantic system of shams which the Celestial Empire has degenerated into, one of the most noteworthy, if not the most prominent, is the army. If the Pekin Gazette is to be believed, the Brother of the Sun and Moon possesses an effective force of three millions and a half of troops! These colossal numbers are sometimes permitted to vary on a sort of sliding scale, but the effective force of China is seldom, if ever, reduced below a nominal amount of three millions. No Army List is published in China-at least, the writer could hear of none, either among the Hong-Kong merchants or the native Cantonese -and it is very difficult to elicit any particulars with reference to this tremendous host: which is supposed to be at this moment mustering somewhere along the line of the Grand Canal to pour down with overwhelming force upon the Fanquis, or English barbarians. And, indeed, if such an army did exist in an effective condition, the fate of our expeditionary force, averaging, as it will, only from fourteen to twenty thousand rank and file, would inspire apprehension at home, even with the largest allowance made for the weight of British valour and discipline. An old, deeply-rooted opinion is prevalent in England that the Chinese are poltroons. This is unjust and erroneous. The Chinese not only possess a passive courage, which bears them up amid frightful tortures and the preliminaries of a cruel death, but they will confront danger with perfect gaiety. Who that has seen the Canton coolies of our Land Transport Seruncouth merriment under the fire of their countrymen, can doubt that a Chinaman may be as devoid of cowardice as any one? The camp followers in India are singularly timid and liable to panics, and in the Sutlej campaigns I have known hundreds of them rush among the very sabres of the Sikh horse in irrational terror. But so cool and light of heart are Chinese transport coolies-carrying their weighty loads by bamboo sling-poles under a smart fire of matchlock balls and cannon-shot-that a body of them, if raised and organised, would prove highly efficient. Yet these are the cousins and brothers of the very enemies who fly with such agile pertinacity before the assaults of our people, and who are routed from strong positions by the mere tramp and hurrahıs of the " foreign devils," as they have been taught to call us. The fact is, there is little danger of defeat: the Chinaman, like other Orientals, is born to obey, and is a good servant to a good master; his courage, his endurance of peril and wounds, are totally conditional on the example set him. With officers of ability and dash to lead him, he can behave very well indeed; but the military mandarins are, for the most part, very sorry officers, and command neither affection nor respect. The vices inherent in any despotism have sapped the personal bravery which they might be supposed to have inherited from their barbaric ancestors, and peculation, timidity, and corruption of every kind, combine to effect the ruin of the army. China is not, and, happily for mankind, has never been, a military nation. Any other nation numbering three hundred millions of citizens would, countless ages ago, have overrun the whole earth; would have carried the Dragon standard to Rome and Athens; and have taught the philosophy of Confucius and the worship of Buddha, from the Hoang-hoto the Thames. The Chinese, fortunately, adopted a policy of exclusion. This has kept their neighbours free, but has weakened their own prowess to an incalculable degree. Although caste is not an institution of China, yet custom has rendered callings hereditary.. Thus the shoemaker is the descendant of shoemakers, the barber a grand |