218 Yet now my wand'ring fancy leads, Unlike some cynic bards I own, Who wish to find a cell Within some lonely thicket's gloom, Where they retir'd may dwell. Not from humility, but pride, Sure such disgusts proceed; Benevolence and charity To social duties lead. Grant me, kind Heav'n! among the world But ev'ry worthy friend. Yet still of wealth the sweetest joy Yet no conveniency I'd spare, No pleasure innocence allows My hours amongst my chosen friends Whilst writing, reading, and the muse, Is there, beyond these mild delights, And is the heart by Heav'n design'd For friendship's joys alone? Should love sincere, and friendship strong, Then might the modest virgin sure And in the praise of him I lov'd Should ev'ry voice agree; His mind be generous, just and good, Polite his manners, taste refin'd, Well learn'd in ev'ry art; In ev'ry science that exalts, Instructs, or charms the heart. From vices free, but not from faults, I'd have the man I choose : Myself unnumber'd failings feel, Unnumber'd can excuse. Yet not a lover 'css endow'd, Can e'er my hand receive; And sure without my heart's consent My hand I'll never give. Then hush, my sou', indu'ge no more For discontent alone attends Yet not from discontent arise Too well I know such wishes vain Then may content, by virtue led, DÉLIA. HYMEN, thy torch so sacred light; And chaste desires enhance. Your altars raise, your brows adorn, Come jocund on their way. Ye wanton winds, in breezes play, Their placid peace annoys; Hail, wedlock! ever honour'd rite, Attractive graces shine; How soft the chain, the bond how sweet, Where souls by instinct turn! With honest transport burn. Speak ye who feel its sacred force, FOREIGN NEWS. Constantinople, Feb. 14. ON the 24th of January, an English brig arrived in the Straits of the Darda nelles, when the commandant of the castles informed its captain, that under the present circumstances he could not permit him to pass, without sending for instructions how to act. The captain of the English brig, unwilling to wait, immediately sailed on, and continued his course till his masts were shot away. It was generally thought that this captain was the bearer of dispatches to Mr. Arbuthnot, according to which the Porte would have to choose, between renewing its alliance with England and Russia, or an immediate attack upon Constantinople. Mr. Arbuthnot has written to the English factory, advising them to take measures for their safety. Till the 29th ult. it was uncertain what part the Porte would take, when the English ambassador formally demanded his passports in writing, with leave to dispatch a courier. In the mean while, a French Courier brought advices of the defeat of the Russians in Poland, which the Porte immediately communicated to the English ambassador. On the thirtieth, Mr. Arbuthnot and his countrymen went on board the Endymion frigate. He has since arrived at Tenedos, where he joined the English fleet stationed near the Dardanelles. General Sebastiani has been invested with the order of the crescent, of the first class; and Mr. Franchini and M. Ruffin have received that of the second class. February 18. The Porte is engaged in taking measures to prevent the forcVol. XXXVIII, ing of the passage of the Dardanelles. The works are strengthened, and floating batteries constructed, while the ships of war under the captain Pacha are augmented every day. Batteries are also erecting at the extremities of the Seraglio, upon the Seven Towers, Leander's Tower, and as far as Scutari. Twenty thousand men are already assembled at Gallipoli, to oppose the land-' ing of the English. On the seventh, several of the diplomatic corps received letters from Mr. Arbuthnot, dated on board the admiral's ship, Canopus, off Tenedos, in which he declared, that his only object in leaving Constantinople was to obtain a position where he could carry on his negociation with safety. This negociation continues through the medium of the captain Pacha. A circular note has appeared to-day, which affords little hope of his proposals being accepted by the Ottoman Porte; and we have just learned that the English minister has received his ultimatum, to the following import : The Porte does not think it consistent to enter into negociations with an am bassador who has deserted his post, and has, consequently, determined to transmit the explanations demanded immediately to London.' Feb, 19. The English ambasador, Mr. Arbuthnot, having left Constantinople without taking leave, the Porte cannot but consider his departure as a declaration of war, and has sent off Tartars to Smyrna and other ports, with orders to detain and take possession of all English ships that may be found there. Konigsberg, Feb. 22. The corps of 1 222 general Sidmoratz has effected a junction with general Bennigsen's army. He brought with him about 1400 Prussian and some Russian prisoners, as well as 2 or 300 French by whom they were guarded. Bonaparte's retreat has all the precipitation of a fight, and it is alone owing to the speed of the Cossack horses that so many prisoners are daily made. Within these three days 750 prisoners, several officers, and a quantity of waggons and forage have been brought in. At the sight of the Russians, detachments of French, exhausted by fatigue and famine, throw The Russian addown their arms. vanced guard is already at Liebstadt. The main army is advancing towards the Vistula, and in a short time it will be seen on the other side of that river. Feb. 23. The skirmishes which preceded the retreat of the French army, and the frequent flags of truce sent in by them, gave sufficient indications of In all these skirmishes their design. the bravery of our troops deserves, no- Feb. 25. The pursuit of the enemy On the twenty-first, the Hetman Platow entered Lichstadt with the advanced guard, where he took a large quantity of baggage from the enemy, made several prisoners, and set 200 Russians at liberty. On the same day, general Lestocq attacked Heilsburg with two battalions of grenadiers, where two of the enemy's regiments attempted to defend the place, which was stormed, and the latter driven out with considerable loss. On the twenty-second, major Arnim, with a detachment of cavalry, attacked the town of Bischoffsteen, drove out the enemy, and made several prisoners. He meant at the same time to extend his attack to Seburg, in order to force General Ploss's advanced posts fell soners. According to some accounts, the neighbourhood of Dantzic is entirely cleared. Near Dirschau, there has been a smart action between some of the insurgents and the garrison of Dantzic, in which the latter were totally defeated. Since Sunday, 3000 French cavalry have entered Elbing, and yesterday 2000 infantry were expected. Feb. 26. On the 24th, the head quarters of general Bennigsen were again removed from this city. On the first day they were transferced to Creusburg, and yesterday they were at Zinten; they were following the same tract with the army which is in pursuit of the enemy. Vienna, Feb. 27. General St. Vincent is still at the head-quarters of the Couriers from Emperor Napoleon. him arrive daily, which occasion long conferences, at which the emperor and the archduke Charles assist; but no movement is yet observed among the troops, or the least preparation for war. Habenstein, Feb. 28. The following is the situation of the grand army, according to the last accounts :-The prince of Ponte Corvo cccupies Brauns berg, Elbing, Frauenberg, Holland, and the whole coast up to the mouth of the Passarge, which river covers the van of his army; marshal Soult occupies Liebstadt, Mohrungen, and Liebmuhl; and marshal Ney, Guttstadt, Heilsberg, and Allenstein, at which place he has fixed his head-quarters. Marshal Da voust is at Hollenstein and Gilgenberg, and keeps an attentive eye upon Wirtenburg, Passenheim, Orfelsburg, Willenberg, the sources of the Passarge, the Alle, and the Omcleff; this last river, by the channel of the Narew, empties itself into the Vistula, and the two first run into the Frisch Haff. Mar. shal Massena's corps guards the shores of the Narew. The corps that was under marshal Augereau is incorporated with the rest of the army. The enemy's line extends along Seckburg, Bischofisburg, Bartenstein, and Konigsberg. When the letters were written, from which we have extracted these particulars, the imperial headquarters were at Osterode; but every thing seemed to indicate a general move ment. General Oudinot's division passed through here yesterday, and to-day it is in motion to pass the Passarge, and compel the enemy to retreat. The left wing of the French army have, for three days past, been combating the enemy with manifest advantage; 5000 prisoners, and 11 pieces of cannon, are the fruits of this period. The third corps of the army is approaching Osterode, where the imperial head-quarters have been for these ten days past. Vienna, March 28. The following Jare the demands made by the English of the Porte 1st. That the Porte shall immediately make peace with Russia. adly. She shall deliver her marine into the hands of the English, till the conclusion of a general peace. 3dly. She shail leave the Russians in possession of Moldavia and Wallachia, until the same period. 4thly. As a proof of her pacific intentions, she shall surrender to the English the outworks of Constantinople. Although all these demands have been refused, the negociations still continue. March 30. After the demands which. admiral Duckworth made to the Turkish ministry, all the inhabitants of Constantinople, capable of bearing arms, were armed to the amount of 30,000 men; and the French engineers, which were in the capital, were distributed among the different forts. The English fleet cut off on the sea side all the supplies of provisions for the populous city of Constantinople, which circumstance induces the Ottoman ministry not to break off entirely the negociations with the English. According to the last official accounts from Turkey, of the 3d March, no treaty had yet been concluded between the Porte and the courts of London and Petersburg, but the negociations with the English ambassador, Mr. Arbuthnor, were broken off, and the preparations for defence on the part of the Turks carried on more actively than ever-Why the English fleer sailed back to the Dardanelles-whether, as some suppose, its return was merely to be ascribed to a gale of wind, is not known with certainty. March 31. The following intelligence, of the dare of the 3d March, has been received from Constantinople : ་ On the 28th February, the English endeavoured to make a landing on what is called the Prince's Island, but failed in the attempt. Their loss on this occasion, it is said, was 400 men, killed or wounded, and 200 prisoners. The next day the fleet weighed anchor, and sailed towards the Dardanelles. The preparations for defence at Constantinople, are continued with extraordinary vigour. The French and Spanish ambassadors promote them by their advice and activity. The council of the Grand Signior is likewise permanent. On the evening of the 1st of March, the negociations were broken off, and the English ambassador saited away with the fleet. The English have been disappointed in their expectations of reinforcements from Malta and the Black Sea. The number of Turks who are armed in and about Constantinople, amounts to nearly 100.000. Public order has not been in the least disturbed. The Grand Signior has not shewn the least inclination to leave Constantinople, as had been falsely asserted. Berlin, March 6. Official accounts from the head-quarters at Osterode, dated the 28th of Feb. state, that all accounts concur in estimating the loss of the Russians in the battle of Eylau at 2 generals and 900 officers, partly killed and partly wounded, and at 30,000 men disabled from further service. In the battle of Ostrolenka, on the 16th of February, two Russian generals were killed, and three wounded. HOME NEWS. London, March 24. YESTERDAY morning at nine o'clock, John Maycock was executed on the platform at the top of the new prison in Horsemonger-lane, pursuant to his sentence at the late Kingston as sizes, for the murder of Mrs. Pooley. The same obduracy and insensibility to his fate, which this culprit evinced at the moment of receiving sentence, continued to mark his demeanour till the last moment. Neither the entreaties of the clergyman who attended him, nor the repeated requests of Mr. Ives, the keeper, could induce him to acknowledge his guilt; for he persevered to the last in asserting his innocence, and arraigning the injustice of his sentence. Such were the popular abhorrence and indignation, that shouts proceeded from the multitude on his being launched into eternity. At half past one yesterday morning, a reprieve was received at the prison from the judge who had presided in the criminal court of Kingston, deferring until Thursday the execution of William Duncan, the gardener, who was convicted of the murder of Mr. Chivers, his master. March 26. On Tuesday night, lord Grenville received a letter from his majesty, stating that he would be ready to receive his and his colleagues resignation on the following day, at twelve o'clock. They accordingly attended his majesty yesterday, at the queen's palace, at the above hour, viz. Lord Erskine, lord chancellor; vis count Sidmouth, lord president of the council; lord Holland, lord privy seal; lord Grenville, first lord of the treasury; lord H. Petty, chancellor of the exchequer; earl Spencer, viscount Howick, and Mr. Wyndham, the secretaries of state; carl Moira, master-general of the ordnance; and the hon. T. Grenville, first lord of the admiralty. All of whom had private audiences of his majesty, according to their rank in office, and resigned their seals, except the lord chancellor. The audiences lasted till near two o'clock. At three o'clock his majesty held a private levee, which was attended by The archbishop of Canterbury; the duke of Portland; 'earls Aylesford, Elgin, Selkirk, Westmoreland, Chatham and Camden; viscount Castlereagh; lords Arden, Hawkesbury and Lowther; sir S. Cotterell; Messrs. Sheridan, Falkener, Verney, and Mr. Perceval. The following had the honour of being presented to his majesty, and kissed hands on their several appointments : Earl Westmoreland, upon his being appointed the lord privy seal. The duke of Portland, upon his being appointed first lord of the trea |