J4 'v.. ^- J?< MflS^" , r. ■ — D ip ^BB -:> j^l 1^^ HP^^lHjIJK^ Mi ilBSfj ijtr m m ;^'. >c 0. %^'^ Jt> , 1^ ^. :^\ J THE LIBRARY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES n THE PIRATE. BY J. H. DUCKETT. HIC ILLIC STBAGES ET TRISTIA FUNERA SPARGIT. HonOon : rUBLISHED BY BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY; MC'laCHLAN and STEWART, EDINBURGH ; AND J. SLOWAN, NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE. 1821. NEWCASTLE ((FON TTNE . PRINTKD BY EDWARD WALKER, PILGRIM -S.TKFjrt^ ■PR It was in passin^v over some of the most mountain- ous and romantic parts of Switzerland, (where the snow, falhng at all seasons of the year, creates those immense fields of ice, or glaciers, which, raising their ^ lofty summits above the clouds, form precipices of the most terrific and stupendous appearance; on which the nimble Chamois is never seen to bound, and where the mountain shrub is never seen to flourish,) that these beautiful lines of Lord Byron, in his Ode to Time, occurred to my recollection : — One scene even thou canst not deform ; " The limit of thy slotli or speed, When future vanderers bear the storm Which we shall sleep too sound to heed. And I can smile to think how weak, Thine efforts shortly shall be shewn ; When all the vengeance thou canst wreak, " Must fall upon — a nameless stone," VI Yea, it appeared to me, that a " nameless stone," or very probably no stone at all, except the riven rock that had bounded from its foundation of past ages, should, in a short time, cover me. Yet I felt myself most agreeably surprised at the sight of those beautiful corruscations of the glittering ice, which, reflecting back the rays of the sun in a thousand va- ried colours, present the most splendid appearance the eye can behold. To see those wonders of the creation shooting their tall spires into many a fan- tastic shape ; at one time assuming the appearance of turreted castles, pyramids, and domed edifices — at another, presenting the view of unbounded forests, interspersed with cottages. The terror I felt at my perilous situation was great, traversing over paths hanging betwixt heaven and earth, expecting that every step I proceeded would plunge me into gulfs, to the bottom of which the eye could not reach. This situation, so novel, and apparently so dangerous, for awhile contracted my power of thinking, and all my ideas were absorbed in one only thought, that of a Vll conclusion to my journey sooner than I couki expect, and indeed sooner than I could wish. I was not suffered to remain long in this vacuity of reverie, for the clouds began to gather in a fleecy canopy over our heads, and gave the necessity of looking around for a shelter from the impending storm. The wind was hoarsely roaring amongst the icy rocks, and driving full in our faces a sleet more piercing than can be easily described. There was no object that presented itself to our longing sight that could for a moment protect us from the inclemency of the weather. Our mules, that had travelled se- veral leagues, and patiently endured their tedious jour- ney without making one false step, began to flag, and our guides could give us no hope of a speetly end to our day's route, except the one already mentioned. The sun had been long declining in the west, and the snow, which now fell in large flakes, exhibited one of the most dreary prospects I ever beheld. The endea- vours of our guides to elevate their spirits by humming o'er some funeral dirge, or whistling some plaintive Vlll air, produced an opposite effect upon us. One of them, however, had frequent recourse to a bottle of old Nantz brandy, which all our desires to the con- trary could not prevent, and the dangers with which he was surrounded had no effect upon his mind what- ever. He continued to pour in the liquid fire, " to " keep," as he said, " the cold out," until he became literally intoxicated. It was here that I witnessed a scene of horror which no pen can describe : as he was endeavouring to dismount, to give a little ease to his mule, his foot slipped, and in a moment he was pre- cipitated down a gulf more than fifty fathoms deep ! His body rolling over and over in its descent, dashed against the protruding points of the rocks. I shudder at the recollection even now, what I did then, I shall leave to the idea of my readers to imagine. One scream from the suffering wretch was all we heard, and he was launched for ever into that eternity we all dread to meet ; hurried into the presence of that Be- ing, concerning whom we can form no just concep- tion, with all his unrepented sins upon his head. IX Our remaining guide looked down that abyss into which his comrade had fallen, unconcernedly exclaim- ed " Poor fellow !" and then proceeded. My thoughts lingered witli him who had sunk for ever, all others were excluded, self was forgot, and that scream, ring- ing in my ears, was the only sound I heard for some time. My thoughts reverted to his home, to his wife, and children ; that wife, who would expect her better self, would count the hours till his return, and look for him, who alas ! would never return again. " In vain for him th' officious wife j)repares " The fire fair blazinj;, and the vestments warm ; " In vain his little children, peeping out " -^— — demand their sire " With tears of artless innocence. Alas ! " Nor wife, nor children, more shall he behold " Nor friends, nor sacred home." These meditations were at last broken by a no very unpleasant cause; w^e perceived on turning an angle of the road, a light that apparently came from some hunter's cabin, affording at length a hope of retreat. The cot was not far distant, and the approach to it was by a gentle declivity. The darkness of the night B prevented our seeing those beauties with which it was surrounded, but we were less desirous of beholding the splendour of the romantic scenery around, than of gaining shelter from the night's cold blast. When we reached the much wished-for spot, our fading spirits again revived, and the past dangers were for a while forgot. Our guide knocked at the door, and requested a night's shelter for two weary cavaliers, who were nearly sinking under their fatigue ; he asked not twice — the door was opened by a venerable old man, whose placid and cheerful features bade us a welcome with a more cordial invitation than all the sophisticated compliments of a courtier. A laro-e wood fire was blazing on the hearth, which shed its cheering warmth around, and a table was instantly covered, with a loaf, which, though not of the fairest colour, was however of the sweetest taste, and large basins of goat's milk. The feast was not that of an Epicure, but I truly think that an Epicure, hungry as we were then, would have found a greater relish in this humble fare, than all the pampered luxuries of XI France or Germany could afford him. Our host, with all the garrulity of age, which is commonly to be met with amongst the peasantry, accounted for the non-appearance of the only female who attended him in that lone solitude, by telling us she had retired to rest, and he was unwilling to disturb her at so untime- ly an hour. We thanked him for his civility, and requested him not to apologise for what, to us appear- ed unnecessary, having every thing we could wish for. Our supper being concluded, we were shewn into a room, which for its want of elegance, sufficiently compensated by its order and cleanliness. The furni- ture it contained was a table, four chairs, and a bed, whose Imen was as white as the snow that covered the neighbouring mountains. Against the matted walls hung a few old scriptural prints, and in a recess was placed a shelf, on which lay a few books : curiosity prompting me to examine them, I found they were of the same nature as the prints ; but there was one, a manuscript, or rather some detached leaves, — it was written in a neat legible hand, — which bore on the first B 2 Xll page the title of the Pirate. Too much wearied then to examine them more minutely, I laid them on the table, with the intent of perusing them in the morning, and enquiring of our host the history of their author. That morning arose, but not " with splendour," nor even with " mild serenity," the sky was over- shadowed with clouds, a thick mist was hanging in midway air, and the snow which had fallen during the night, lay thick upon the ground. Our kind host sug- gested the idea of remaining where we were, for that day at least, or should the weather not clear up, a few days longer, if we found our abode comfortable. Stephano, our guide, urged the necessity of proceed- ing ; at the same time telling us, we had passed over the most difficult part of our journey, and the little snow on the ground woidd not at all impede us. We thanked the old man with earnest gratitude for his oflPer, but declined accepting it. Our breakfast was served by a woman, the exact counterpart of our host. After talking for some time on indifferent subjects, I asked him who was the author of the manuscript I Xlll then helil, for I forgot not to bring it out of the room. He told me it was written by a young Englishman of the name of M , who had resided with him some time, and a day or two previous to our arrival had set off with the intention of procuring a passage to Sicily, and supposed as he had left it, he should have no further occasion for it, that I was welcome, if I wished, to take it. I readily accepted the offer, and put the papers in my portmanteau. We again set off, after having recompensed our host for the trouble he had been at, and reached Baden without any thing worthy of further notice occurring. Having no particular business to detain us there any length of time, we proceeded on our passage homewards, and after all the difficulties I had passed, I hailed the chalky cliffs of England with rapture, ren- dered doubly dear by an absence of three years, and the recollection of those dangers I had so luckily escaped. The moment arrived when I could undis- turbedly sit down to peruse the Fragment, which had fallen into my possession in a manner so particular, XIV and shall now transcribe it without alteration or com- ments, as the merits or demerits it possesses will be sufficiently discovered and appreciated by those who will favour it with perusal. Lo, by thy side where Rape, and Murder, stands ; Now give some 'surancc that thou art Revenge, Stab them, or tear them on thy chariot wheels ; And then I'll come, and be thy waggoner, And whirl along with thee about the globes. Provide thee proper palfries, black as jet. To hale thy vengeful waggon swift away, ' And find out Murderers in their guilty caves. Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida. Xljc ^ivatt. ^KTtHNUM SERVANS SUB PECTORE VULNUS. Virgil. JLoNG had thf lliickenin