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for the prodigality of its life-blood on the wave-a profession ever willing to fling money to the winds, and only anxious that they should waft through the world its immortal banner crimsoned with the record of a thousand victories! No, no, Gentlemen; notwithstanding the great authority of Mr. Anthony Martin, I cannot readily believe that any man could be found to make the high honour of this noble service a base, mercenary, sullen pander to the prostitution of his youth! The fact is, that increasing ill health, and the improbability of promotion, combined to induce his retirement on half pay. You will find this confirmed by the date of his resignation, which was immediately after the battle of Waterloo, which settled (no matter how) the destinies of Europe. His constitution was declining, his advance. ment was annihilated, and, as a forlorn hope, he bombarded the Widow Wilkins!

"War thoughts had left their places vacant:

In their room came, thronging, soft and amorous desires; All telling him how fair-young Hero was."

He first, Gentlemen, attacked her fortune with herself, through the artillery of the Church, and having failed in that, he now attacks her fortune without herself, through the assistance of the law. However, if I am instructed rightly, he has nobody but himself to blame for his disappointment. Observe, I do not vouch for the authenticity of this fact; but I do certainly assure you, that Mrs. Wilkins was persuaded of it. You know the proverbial frailty of our nature. The gallant Lieutenant was not free from it! Perhaps you imagine that some

younger, or according to his taste, some older fair one, weaned him from the widow. Indeed they did not. He had no heart to lose, and yet (can you solve the para. dox?) his infirmity was LOVE. As the Poet says—

"LOVE-STILL-LOVE."

No, it was not to VENUS, it was to BACCHUS, he sacrificed. With an eastern idolatry he commenced at day light, and so persevering was his piety till the shades of night, that when was not on his knees, he could scarcely be said to be on his legs! When I came to this passage, I could not avoid involuntarily exclaiming, Oh, Peter, Peter, whether it be in liquor or in love

"None but thyself can be thy parallel !"

I see by your smiling, Gentlemen, that you correct my error. I perceive your classic memories recurring to, perhaps, the only prototype to be found in history. I beg his pardon. I should not have overlooked

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the immortal Captain Wattle,

Who was all for love and-a little for the bottle."

Ardent as our fair ones have been announced to be, they do not prefer a flame that is so exclusively spiritual. Widow Wilkins, no doubt, did not choose to be singular. In the words of the bard, and, my Lord, I perceive you excuse my dwelling so much on the authority of the muses, because really on this occasion the minstrel seems to have combined the powers of

poetry with the spirit of prophecy-in the very words of the Bard,

"He asked her, would she marry him-Widow Wilkins answer'd No

Then said he, I'll to the Ocean rock, I'm ready for the slaughter,

Oh!-I'll shoot at my sad image, as its sighing in the

water

Only think of Widow Wilkins, saying-Go Peter-
Go!"

But, Gentlemen, let us try to be serious, and seriously give me leave to ask you, on what grounds does he solicit your verdict? Is it for the loss of his profession? Does he deserve compensation if he abandoned it for such a purpose-if he deserted at once his duty and his country to trepan the weakness of a wealthy dotard? But did he (base as the pretence is,) did he do so? Is there nothing to cast any suspicion on the pretext? nothing in the aspect of public affairs? in the universal peace? in the uncertainty of being put in com. mission? in the downright impossibility of advancement? Nothing to make you suspect that he imputes as a contrivance, what was the manifest result of an accidental contingency? Does he claim on the ground of sacrificed affection? Oh, Gentlemen only fancy what he has lost—if it were but the blessed raptures of the bridal night! Do not suppose I am going to describe it; I shall leave it to the Learned Counsel he has selected to compose his epithalamium. I shall not exhibit the venerable trembler

at once a relic and a relict; with a grace for every

crime, and then terminated in a heartless and disgusting abandonment?

Gentlemen, these are the questions which you will discuss in your Jury-room. I am not afraid of your decision. Remember I ask you for no mitigation of damages. Nothing less than your verdict will satisfy me. By that verdict you will sustain the dignity of your sex-by that verdict you will uphold the honour of the national character-by that verdict you, will assure, not only the immense multitude of both sexes that thus so unusually crowds around you, but the whole rising generation of your country, That MARRIAGE

CAN NEVER BE ATTENDED WITH HONOUR OR BLESSED WITH HAPPINESS, IF IT HAS NOT ITS ORIGIN IN MUTUAL AFFEC

TION. surrender with confidence my case to your decision.

[The damages were laid at 50001. and the Plaintiff's Counsel were, in the end, contented to withdraw a Juror, and let him pay his own Costs.]

A

CHARACTER

OF

NAPOLEON BUONAPARTE,

DOWN TO THE PERIOD OF HIS

EXILE TO EL BA.

HE IS FALLEN!

W may now pause before that splendid prodigy, which towered amongst us like some ancient ruin, whose frown terrified the glance its magnificence attracted.

Grand, gloomy, and peculiar, he sat upon the throne, sceptred hermit, wrapt iu the solitude of his own originality.

A mind bold, independent, and decisive-a will, despotic in its dictates-an energy that distanced expedition and a conscience pliable to every touch of interest, marked the outline of this extraordinary character-the most extraordinary, perhaps, that, in the annals of this world, ever rose, or reigned, or fell.

Flung into life, in the midst of a Revolution, that quickened every energy of a people who acknowledged no superior, he commenced his course, a stran ger by birth, and a scholar by charity!

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