THE UNIVERSITY 
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THE 
 
 ANECDOTES OF PATRIOTISM. 
 
 "He who sincerely loves his country, leaves the 
 fragrance of a good name to a hundred ages." 
 
 PEKIN GAZETTE, NOV. 13, 1814, 
 
 LOVE OF COUNTRY. 
 
 Patriotism, or the love of country, is so general, 
 that no spot, even were it a desert, but is remembered 
 with pleasure, provided it is our own. The Cretans 
 called it by a name which indicated a mother's love for 
 her children. The Ethiopian imagines that God 
 made his sands and deserts, while angels only were 
 employed in forming the rest of the globe. The 
 Arabian tribe of Ouadeliu conceive that the sun, 
 moon, and stars, rise only for them. The Maltese, 
 iiisulated on a rock, distinguish their island by the ap- 
 pellation of " The Flower of the World and the 
 Caribbees esteem their country a Paradise, and them- 
 selves alone entitled to the name of man. 
 
 The Abbe de Lille relates of an Indian, who, amid 
 the splendour of Paris, beholding a banana tree in the 
 Jardin des Plantes, bathed it with his tears, and for a 
 
4 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 moment seemed to be transported to his own land. 
 And when an European advised some American 
 Indians to emigrate to another district, " What,'' 
 said they, shall we say to the bones of our fathers 
 arise, and follow us to a foreign country." 
 
 Bosraan relates, that the negroes of the gold coast 
 of Africa are so desirous of being buried in their 
 own country, that if a man die at some distance from 
 it, and his friends are not able to take his entire body 
 to his native spot, they cut off his head, one arm, and 
 one leg; cleanse them, boil them, and then carry 
 them to the desired spot, where they inter them with 
 great solemnity. And the Javanese have such an 
 affection for the place of their nativity, that no ad- 
 vantages can induce the agricultural tribes, in parti- 
 cular, to quit the tombs of their fathers. 
 
 The Norwegians, proud of their barren summits, in- 
 scribe upon their rix dollars, " spirit, loyalty, valour, 
 and whatever is honourable, let the world learn among 
 the rocks of Norway." 
 
 PERICLES. 
 
 When Pericles, the noble Athenian, was on his 
 death bed, and the chief citizens were about him re- 
 hearsing his illustrious services to the republic, and 
 the virtues that in him were so conspicuous ; Pericles, 
 whom they supposed speechless and insensible, over- 
 heard, and thus addressed them: "I wonder that 
 you should so honourably mention those achievements 
 that are common to other generals, and v/hich fortune 
 claims a share in ; and yet omit what I value above 
 them all, viz, that in the whole exercise of mj 
 
PATRIOTISM. v5 
 autliorit;^ in turbulent times, and when I had many 
 great enemies, yet I never gave any. of my fellow 
 citizens cause to put on mourning, either for them- 
 selves or any of their relatives. 
 
 PHOCION. 
 
 The deputies of Philip, King of Macedon, offered 
 a great sum of money in that prince's name to 
 Phocion the Athenian, and entreated him to ac- 
 cept it, if not for himself, at least for his children, 
 who were in circumstances that prevented them from 
 supporting the glory of his name. " If they re- 
 semble me," said Phocion, " the little spot of ground, 
 on the produce of which 1 have hitherto lived, and 
 which has raised me to the glory you mention, will 
 be sufficient to maintain them." Alexander, the son 
 of Philip, afterwards sent him a hundred talents. 
 Phocion enquired what design Alexander had in 
 sending him so large a sum, when he did not remit 
 any thing to the rest of the Athenians ? " It is," 
 said they, " because Alexander looks upon you 
 as the most just and virtuous man." " Let him," 
 replied Phocion, « suffer me still to enjoy that 
 character, and to deserve it." 
 
 PABIUS. 
 
 When Fabius Maximus was created Dictator, it 
 was for the purpose of more effectually carrying on 
 the war against Hannibal, who was gaining great 
 advantages over the Komans at the head of his vic- 
 torious troops in Italy. These advantages having 
 B 3 
 
6 
 
 PERCY ANE€DOT£S. 
 
 been owing to the rash and impetuous conduct of 
 some of those generals who had preceded Fabius 
 in this important command, he was induced, both 
 from the general coolness of his temper, and from 
 the particular circumstances of the campaign, to act a 
 more circumspect part, by prudently avoiding a 
 general engagement. This drew upon him much 
 unjust censure, not only from his enemies at Rome, 
 but from the soldiers of his array, both parties 
 imputing his judicious conduct to a principle of 
 cowardice. The noble answer he returned when these 
 calumnies were reported of him, well deserves to be 
 lemembered. I should be a coward, indeed," re- 
 plied this brave and experienced captain, if I were 
 to be terrified into a change of measures by ground- 
 less clamours and reproaches. That man," added he, 
 " is unfit to be at the head of an army, who is capable 
 ^ of being influenced by the calumnies or caprice of 
 those whom he is appointed to command." 
 
 EPAMINONDAS. 
 
 [Neither bribes nor promises could gain Epami- 
 nondas from the interests of his country, nor would 
 threatenings or danger make him betray its honour. 
 It was this noble ardour for his country, that made 
 him go and fight for it as a private sentinel, when 
 his ungrateful countrymen had been induced, by the 
 prevailing faction, to strip him of all his posts. 
 
 The Persians knowing of what consequence it 
 would be to bring Epaminondas over to their interests, 
 spared no means to effect it ; but were so far from 
 succeeding, that he gave them a very mortifying re- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 7 
 pulse. DIomedon of Cyzicus, in particular, had been 
 sent to offer him a large sum of money, and had even 
 gained over a favourite of his, named Micythus. 
 Epaminondas rejected the offer with the scorn and 
 indignation of a true patriot, saying, that he would 
 never set the wealth of the whole world in compe- 
 tition with the interest of his country. " It is plain " 
 said he to the Persian agent, that you do not know 
 me ; but let me advise you to make the best of your 
 way home, before you attempt to corrupt another 
 Theban." 
 
 The behaviour of Epaminondas to Jason was still 
 more noble. Jason had gone to Thebes to negociate 
 a peace ; and as he did not doubt that Epami- 
 nondas's narrow circumstances would induce him to 
 accept some present, he tried to gain his friend- 
 ship by one so valuable, that it was not likely to 
 be refused by an indigent person. ''This attempt 
 to corrupt me,- said Epaminondas, refusing the bribe, 
 " i resent as the greatest indignity that can be offered 
 to me and shall look upon it in no other view than 
 as a declaration of war; and as I am born a member 
 of this free state, I shall be so far from selling the 
 freedom of voting to my fellow citizens, that I will 
 maintain it with ail my might.'' 
 
 Theanor was soon after despatched to Thebes with 
 presents from Arcesius. When the Thebans debated 
 whether or notthey should be accepted, Epaminondas 
 boldly declared against it ; and addressing himself to 
 Theanor, said, "Jason resented my rejecting the 
 vast presents with which he designed to corrupt me ; 
 and I gave him such an answer as his attempt de- 
 served. Your offers are indeed more honourable, 
 
8 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 and consistent with virtue, and as such we esteem 
 them ; but then they are like phjsic to a man in 
 health. Were you, or any of our allies, who ima- 
 gined us to be at war, and incapable of maintaining 
 it, to send us a supply of men, arms, and provisions, 
 do you expect we should accept of it, when you found 
 us enjoying a profound peace ? The case is much 
 the same. Your generosity has made you look upon 
 us as sinking under the poverty of our condition ; 
 whereas that very poverty, instead of being burthen- 
 some to us, we look upon as our greatest happiness, 
 glory, and delight, and as the most welcome guest 
 that* can come within our walls. The philosophers 
 who sent you here, in that, made the noblest use they 
 could of their wealth, and you may assure^ them, 
 that we highly commend and thank them for it : but 
 tell them, at the same time, that we make the right 
 use of our poverty." Theanor, still desirous to en- 
 gage him to accept something valuable from him, 
 begged that he would take at least as much as would 
 reimburse him for the charges which Polymnus, his 
 father, had been at in the maintenance and funeral 
 obsequies of his late preceptor. Lysis. Epaminondas 
 replied, *'That Lysis had abundantly repaid him, 
 in the pains he took to make him cherish the practice 
 of poverty." In vain did Theanor endeavour to 
 make him sensible of the necessity of acquiring at 
 least an honourable competency ; it only gave the 
 other an opportunity of displaying his talent in 
 praise of his favourite notion of poverty, which he 
 did with such forcible reasoning as left Theanor 
 without reply. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 9 
 
 LYCURGUS. 
 When Lycurgus, by his institutes, had settled the 
 form of the Spartan commonwealth, he declared he 
 would go and consult the Oracle at Delphos, to know 
 whether the system he had established was good for 
 the people ; and in the meantime he exacted a solemn 
 oath from the Spartans, that they should not alter any 
 of these laws until he returned. The Oracle pro- 
 nounced his institution beneficial to the public, of 
 which he gave notice to the king, senate, and people 
 of Sparta; and having done this, he went into a 
 voluntary banishment, from which he would never 
 return, that the Spartans might not be freed from the 
 oath they had taken. Lycurgus died in Crete ; and 
 fearing the Spartans might carry his remains to Sparta, 
 as a pretence for making innovations or alterations in 
 the government, he gave orders, that after his death, 
 his body should be burnt, and the ashes thrown into 
 the sea. 
 
 CINCINNATUS. 
 When Herodotus, taking advantage of the domestic 
 troubles at Rome, possessed himself of the capitol, 
 the Consul Valerius Publicola repulsed him, but fell 
 at the head of his troops. Another consul was now 
 to be elected, and after much deliberation, the choice 
 fell on Cincinnatus ; in consequence of which, the 
 senate sent deputies to him, to invite him to come and 
 take possession of the magistracy. He was then at 
 work in his field, and being his own ploughman, he 
 
10 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 was dressed in a manner suitable to that profession. 
 When he saw the deputies coming towards him, he 
 stopped his oxen, very much surprised at seemg such 
 a number of persons, and not knowing what they 
 could want with him. 
 
 One of the company approached him, and re- 
 quested him to put on a more suitable dress. He 
 went into his hut, and having put on other clothes, 
 he presented himself to those who were waiting for 
 him without doors. They immediately saluted him 
 Consul, and invested him with the purple robe; the 
 lictors ranged themselves before him, ready to obey 
 his orders, and begged him to follow them to Rome. 
 Troubled at this sight, he for some time shed tears m 
 silence. At last recovering himself, he said only 
 these words : My field will not be sown this year 1 
 and then repaired to Rome. 
 
 The conduct of Cincinnatus during his consulship, 
 fully showed what patriotism and greatness of soul 
 had inhabited a poor wretched cottage. 
 vigour and prudence of his measures, he appeased the 
 tumult, and reinstated judiciary proceedings, which 
 had been interrupted during many years. So peace- 
 ful a government could not fail of applause ; and the 
 people, in consequence, expressed their entire satis- 
 faction with it. But what charmed them was, that 
 upon the expiration of his term, he refused to be 
 continued in office, with no less constancy than he 
 had pain at first in accepting it. The senate, in par^ 
 ticular, forgot nothing that might induce him to 
 comply with being continued in the consulship ; but 
 ill their entreaties and solicitations were to no 
 
 purpose. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 11 
 
 No sooner had this great man resigned his office, 
 than domestic troubles again embroiled the state ; and 
 the Roman state were forced to declare, that the com- 
 monwealth required a dictator, Cincinnatiis was imme- 
 diately nominated to the office 5 and the deputies sent 
 to announce it to him, again found him at his plough. 
 He, however, accepted the office, and a second time 
 saved his country. 
 
 Cincinnatus afterwards received the honour of 
 the most splendid triumph that ever adorned any 
 general's success, for having, in the space of six- 
 teen days, during which he had been invested with 
 the dictatorship, saved the Roman camp from the 
 most imminent danger; defeated and cut to pieces the 
 army of the enemy ; taken and plundered one of their 
 finest cities, and left a garrison in it; and, lastly, 
 gratefully repaid the Tusculans, who had sent an army 
 to their assistance. 
 
 Such were a few of the advantages which this great 
 patriot rendered his country. 
 
 Sensible of their obligations, and desirous to con- 
 vince him of their regard and gratitude, the senate made 
 him an offer of as much of the land he had taken 
 from the enemy as he should think proper to accept, 
 with as many slaves and cattle as were necessary to 
 stock it. He returned them his thanks, but would 
 accept of nothing but a crown of gold of a pound 
 weight, decreed him by the army. He had no pas- 
 sion or desire beyond the field he cultivated, and the 
 laborious life he had embraced ; more glorious and 
 contented with his poverty, than others with the em- 
 pire of the world. 
 
12 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 FAITHFUL DEPUTIES. 
 Ptolemy Philadelphus, King of Egypt, having sent 
 to desire the friendship of the Roman people, an em- 
 bassy was despatched from Rome in the following 
 year to return the civility. The ambassadors were 
 Q. Fabius Gurges, Cn. Fabius Pictor, with Numerius, 
 his brother, and Q. Ogulnius. The disinterested air 
 with which they appeared, sufficiently indicated the 
 greatness of their souls. Ptolemy gave them a 
 splendid entertainment, and took that opportunity to 
 present each of them with a crown of gold, which 
 they received because they were unwilling to dis- 
 oblige him by declining the honour he intended them ; 
 but they went the next morning, and placed them on 
 the heads of the king's statues erected in the public 
 parts of the city. The king likewise having tendered 
 them very considerable presents at their audience of 
 leave, they received them as they before accepted of 
 the crowns ; but before they went to the senate, to 
 give an account of their embassy after their arrival at 
 Rome, they deposited ail those presents in the public 
 treasury, and made it evident, by so noble a conduct, 
 that persons of honour ought, when they serve the 
 public, to propose no other advantage to themselves 
 than the honour of acquitting themselves well of 
 their duty. The republic, however, would not suffer 
 itself to be exceeded in generosity of sentiment. 
 The senate and people came to a resolution, that the 
 ambassadors, in consideration of the services they had 
 rendered the state, should receive a sum of money 
 equivalent to what they had deposited in the public 
 treasury. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 13 
 
 PEDARETUS. 
 When Pedaretus, the Spartan, raissed the honour of 
 being elected one of tlie three hundred who held a 
 distinguislied rank in the city, he vventhome extremely 
 well satisfied, saying, he was overjoyed to find that 
 there were three hundred men in Sparta more honour- 
 abJe than himself. 
 
 INTREPID PRIEST. 
 Ill the year 1148, the Venedi having overrun the 
 vvhole provnice of Wagraa, came before the little town 
 of Susie, which at that juncture had not above an 
 hundred men in it. The Venedi troops, consisting of 
 tnree thousand men, set fire to all the avenues, and 
 began to attack the place with the utmost fury • but 
 perceiving by the brave resistance of the townsmen, 
 that they should pay dear for their conquest, they 
 proposed a capitulation, and offered not to touch the 
 lives or hmbs of the inhabitants, on their laying down 
 their arms and quitting this fortress. 
 
 The people in the town were eager to close with 
 these conditions ; when a priest, named Gerlau, thus 
 harangued them. - Countrymen, consider well the 
 consequences of surrendering. Do you imagine such^ 
 submission will save your Jives ? That there is .^ny 
 . faith m these barbarians? Can you be ignorant, that 
 of all foreigners, the Venedi hate the Frisians most ? 
 Our very name they hold in detestation. I conjure 
 you, my triends, by the great Creator of the earth 
 ^vho IS able to protect us ogainst anv numbers I 
 
14 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 conjure you to exert your strength, and renew your 
 efforts. Whilst within this fence, we are masters of 
 our hands, masters of our weapons, and have hopes 
 of savins our lives ; but once disarmed, our fate will 
 be an ianorainious death. Take then your swords, 
 which the enemy would fain get from you without 
 fighting; drench them in their blood; revenge your 
 slaughtered friends and relations ; give these strangers 
 a sample of your courage ; make them feel you are 
 men, and determine to sell your lives as dear as pos- 
 sible." . ^, 
 
 These words he seconded with a suitable action ; 
 for throwing open the gates, he rushed towards the 
 enemy, laid numbers of them at his feet, and though 
 he lost an eye, and was wounded in the body, con- 
 tinued fighting with indefatigable impetuosity ; when 
 the townsmen joined him, and repulsed the enemy, 
 notwithstanding a vast superiority of numbers. 
 
 MAGNA CHARTA. 
 Nothing could be more solemn or impressive than 
 the manner in which Henry III., in the thirty-seventh 
 year of his reign, ratified Magna Charta. The kmg, 
 with all his nobles, the bishops, and chief prelates m 
 their clerical robes and ornaments, with burning 
 candles in their hands, assembled to hear the terrible 
 sentence of excommunication pronounced against 
 those who should infringe the great charter. The 
 candles being lighted, the king gave his to a prelate, 
 saying, it becomes not me, being no priest, to hold 
 this candle ; my heart shall be a greater testimony ; 
 and then laid his hand on his breast, while the sea- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 15 
 
 teuce of excommunication ^vas pronounced. This 
 done, he caused tlie charter of King John, liis father, 
 be openly read. Then having thrown away their 
 candles, which lay smokingontheground, they uttered 
 a soJernn curse against those wlio incurred the sentence; 
 tlie king, >vith a loud voice, exclaiming, " As God 
 me help, I will, as I am a man, a Christian, a kniglit, 
 a king, crowned and anointed, inviolably observe 
 all these things.'' The beh's then rung, and the 
 people shouted for joy. 
 
 Notwithstanding these solemn protestations, the 
 king soon broke his oath ; so that at a Parliament held 
 at London, in the forty-second year of his reign, the 
 barons bound him to release them from their alle- 
 giance, whenever he infringed the charter. 
 
 THE STATES GENERAL OE EORMER 
 TIMES. 
 
 When Philip the Third, King of Spain, sent his 
 ambassador to treat with the states of Holland about 
 their independence, he was showu into an anti- 
 chamber, ^vhere he waited to see the members of the 
 states pass by. He staid for some time, and seeing 
 none but a parcel of plain dressed men with bundles 
 in their hands (which, as many came from distant 
 provinces, contained their linen and provisions), he 
 turned to his interpreter, and asked him when the 
 states would come ? The man replied, that those 
 were the members whom he saw go by. The envoy, on 
 this, wrote to the commanders-in-chief of the Spanish 
 army to advise the king, his master, to make peace as 
 c <2 
 
16 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 soon as possible. In his letter was this remarkable 
 passage : I expected to have seen in the states a 
 splendid appearance; but instead of that, I saw only 
 a parcel of plain dressed men, with sensible faces, 
 who came into council with their provisions in their 
 hands. Their parsimony will ruin the king, my 
 master, in the course of the war, if it be continued, 
 for there is no contending with people, whose nobles 
 can live upon a shilling a day, and will do every thing 
 for the service of the country." The king, struck 
 with this account, agreed to treat with them as an 
 independent state, and to put an end to the war. 
 
 DAKING ENTEKPRTSE. 
 WhenBornholm was obliged to submit to the Swedes, 
 on account of their superiority in the Baltic, Mr. 
 Jens Koefod, and the Rev. Mr. Paul Anker, projected 
 the resolute plan of throwing off the Swedish yoke, 
 and appointed for the accomplishment of their pur- 
 pose, the day on which Prindsenkiold, the Swedish 
 commander, Vas to pass from Fort Hammershuus to 
 Hasle and Roenne, to collect the taxes. Mr. Koefod, 
 on horseback, with five followers, went in search of 
 Prindsen kiold, whom he found at the house of the 
 Burgomaster at Roenne. Mounting a guard before 
 the door, Mr. Koefod, with his little party, entered 
 the house, and declaring themselves to be Danes, 
 ordered Prindsenkiold, as their enemy, to surrender 
 on pain of death. The Swede obeyed ; but having 
 shortly afterwards attempted to escape, a musket shot 
 arrested his progress. 
 
 Having thus commenced the glorious task of res- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 17 
 cuing their country frora a foreign yoke, Mr. Koefod 
 and one of his followers seized two horses belonging 
 to Prindsenkiold, and rode from village to vilTacre 
 to raise men. Citizens, clergy, and peasantry, 
 crowded with arms to the churches, and the next 
 morning made theirappearance before Hammershuus; 
 when the Swedes, dismayed by their formidable ap- 
 pearance, and the loss of their own leader, surren- 
 dered. The inhabitants then took possession of the 
 country, confined their prisoners, and sent to Copen- 
 hagen for a commander-in-chief ; but no one arriving 
 -for some time, Mr. Jens Koefod, with the consent of 
 his countrymen, assumed the office, and discharsed 
 it faithfully. ^ 
 
 A HOTTENTOT -BOY. 
 A Hottentot boy, taken from his cradle, and bred 
 ^ip in the manners of the Prench Colonists, voyaged 
 to India, where he engaged in the trade for many 
 years. In the course of his mercantile transactions 
 iie visited the Cape of Good Hope ; and naturally 
 desirous of seeing the spot in which he was born, as 
 well as of visiting his relatives, he went to their huts. 
 Hethere beheld them clad in sheepskins, and disfigured 
 With oil ; but after staying a short time with them, be- 
 came so attached to the spot, and so charmed with the 
 smnplicity of their lives and manners, that he resolved 
 to quit the society to which he Iiad been accustomed, 
 and to adopt the more barbarous language, manners, 
 and habits of his relatives. With this view, he re- 
 turned to the Cape, and obtaining an audience of the 
 governor, thus addressed him : I liave returned 
 
18 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 from the huts of my relatives, in order to inform you 
 that 1 have resolved to renounce the mode of life you 
 have taught me to embrace. I v^^ill follow the man- 
 ners and religion of ray ancestors, to the day of my 
 death ; I will keep this collar and sword which you 
 have given me, as a mark of my affection : but all the 
 rest of my habiliments and property I shall leave 
 behind me." Saying this, he ran out of the chamber, 
 and was never seen or heard of after. 
 
 THE PERSIANS. 
 
 The mountains near Shiraz in Persia are desolate and 
 dreary ; yet so attached are the Persian shepherds to 
 them, that when the British secretary of embassy was 
 observing their height and sterility, one of them en- 
 quired with an air of exultation, whether his country 
 could boast of any thing like them ? And when 
 Mirza Abul Hassan, the Persian ambassador, was in 
 England, he replied to an argument, relative to the 
 comparative beauty of England and Persia ; It is 
 true, we have not such fine houses, adorned with 
 looking glasses, as you have 5 no carriages, nor are we 
 rich ; but we have better fruit, and we see the sun 
 almost every day.*' 
 
 GREENLANDERS IN DENMARK. 
 
 In the historical introduction to a volume of Hans 
 Egede, is related an account of several Greenlanders 
 who v/ere imported into Denmark. The king desired 
 that particular attention might be paid to them. 
 Milk, cheese, butter, raw flesh, and fish, were served 
 up to them in abundance ; and every thing was done 
 
PATRIOTISM. 19 
 
 that was thought likely to captivate tlieiii, but notliiug 
 was able to divert their melancholy. Their country 
 was ever uppermost in their minds ; and they were 
 observed continually to turn a wistful and desponding 
 look towards the north. Three of them fell sick, and 
 died ; two pined away with regret ; and one of them 
 was observed frequently to shed tears, whenever he 
 saw a child at the breast of its mother. They made 
 several attempts to escape, but without success. At 
 length one of them succeeded, and it is supposed was 
 overwhelmed by the sea in his little boat, as he was 
 - never heard of afterwards. 
 
 NOBLE RECONCILIATIOF. 
 
 Tavo, the Archbishop of Lund, and Iver Axeisen^ 
 an opulent landholder in Schonen, had a very serious 
 quarrel, which they were on the point of deciding by 
 a duel, when Charles Kundsen, King of Sweden, un- 
 expectedly invaded Schonen, at the time that no 
 assistance could be obtained from Denmark, on ac- 
 count of the Sound being nearly covered with ice. 
 The enemy ransacked the country, and advancing 
 rapidly towards Lund, the capital, summoned the 
 archbishop to surrender. Iver Axelsen, seeing his 
 country in danger, instantly forgot all personal enmity 
 in a wish to promote the public good ; and calling 
 upon the archbishop, he said, " The common enemy 
 is at our door, and we cannot hope for any relief from 
 our king. Let us, therefore, now unite ; our own dis- 
 pute should await till a better opportunity presents 
 itself. We will combine our counsel and our strength ; 
 the welfare of our country demands it from us. En- 
 
20 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 deavour to gain an armistice from Charles Kundsen, 
 even if it is but for a few days ; I will in the mean- 
 time collect as many troops as possible. " 
 
 The archbishop, who had bravely defended him- 
 self, and despised the threats of the invader, accepted 
 the proposition of Iver Axelsen. They acted in 
 concert against the enemy, and thereby became 
 strong enough, not only to check his progress, but 
 even to repulse him, 
 
 . VETERAN PATRIOT. 
 When General Tilly, with a numerous army, was 
 preparing to attack Holstein, Christian the Fourth 
 summoned the states of his kingdom to attend at 
 Rendsboorg, to concert measures for the defence of 
 the realm. In this assembly, Geert Rantzau, Stadt- 
 holder of Holstein, rose, and in an eloquent speech, 
 urged the necessity of encountering the enemy before 
 he had reached their frontiers. He recommended to 
 the nobility to lead personally into the field as many 
 troops as they should be able to collect, saying, 
 " Although I am now upwards of sixty-eight years 
 old, and have very indifferent health, yet it is certainly 
 my firm intention to march against the enemy ; and I 
 therefore trust to the patriotism and loyalty of my 
 countrymen, who I doubt not will follow my ex- 
 ample." 
 
 The nobility encouraged by the patriotic ardour of 
 the veteran, followed his example, and Holstein was 
 saved. When Rantzau died, he was attended to the 
 grave by Christian the Fourth, who refused to mount 
 a horse, richly caparisoned for his service, saying. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 21 
 
 Geert Raiitzau often trudged on foot for our sakes, 
 )w let us walk for his." 
 
 LIBERATION OF DRONTHEIM. 
 
 At the peace of Roeskilde, the diocese of Dron- 
 theim was ceded to Sweden, and taken possession of 
 hy Governor Stiernshild. The brave Norwegians, 
 incensed that a haughty conqueror should rule over 
 them, burned with ardour to emancipate themselves, 
 but were restrained from attempting it, by a consider- 
 ation that treaties should be held sacred. 
 
 But scarcely had Charles Gustavus sounded the 
 tocsin of war, than the Norwegians, rushing from 
 their mountains like a tremendous torrent, meditated 
 a dreadful vengeance on their foes. Ten thousand 
 men rose in arms, and took the road to Drontheim. 
 When General Bielke, the commander-in-chief in 
 Norway, heard of this event, he despatched General 
 Reichwein to take the command of those heroes. 
 The whole diocese of Drontheim declared against the' 
 Swedes, and eagerly rallied under the standard of 
 Denmark. 
 
 This intelligence reaching Sweden, a body of 
 troops was ordered to march to the support of Dron- 
 theim ; but the Norwegian peasantry met them on 
 their frontiers, and gave them such a reception, that all 
 hopes of invading Norway were relinquished. Other 
 bodies of peasantry marched against Drontheim, 
 which, as well as the whole diocese, the Swedish 
 governor found himself compelled to surrender. 
 
22 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ^ ROMAN SENATOR. 
 
 The Emperor Vespasian laid his peremptory com- 
 mands on a senator, to give his vote against the inter- 
 ests of his country, and threatened hira with imme- 
 diate death, in case he spoke the least word in favour 
 of the other party. The intrepid patriot, conscious 
 that through his prevailing influence^ there was^ a 
 chance of saving the people of Rome from utter ruin, 
 answered with a smile, Did I ever tell you I was 
 immortal ? my virtue is at my own disposal ; my life 
 I know is 'at yours ; do then what you will, 1 shall do 
 what I ought ; and if I fall in the service of my 
 country, I shall have more triumph in my death, than 
 you in all your laurels." 
 
 BOADICEA. 
 
 " Great Boadicea, glory of thy race, 
 
 Britannia's honour, and thy foe's disgrace; 
 
 In burning fancy 1 behold each fight 
 
 Where female valour warr'd for Albion's right : 
 
 Thy very fall perpetuates thy fame, 
 
 And Suetonius' laurels droop with shame." 
 
 T. DIBDIX. 
 
 Boadicea, Queen of the Iceni, who had been 
 insulted in her person and in her family, took advan- 
 tage of the absence of Suetonius, when he invaded 
 Anglesey, to become the principal mov^r of a most 
 formidable revolt, in order to revenge hei own wrongs, 
 and the grievous oppressions of the people under the 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 23 
 
 Roman yoke. Three "Roman stations were soon laid 
 in ashes, and upwards of seventy thousand of her 
 persecutors slain ; when Boadicea's army, increased 
 to two hundred and thirty thousand, was met by 
 Suetonius, who with all liis exertion could not raise 
 more than ten thousand men. 
 
 With this army, small as it was, he determined on 
 hazarding a battle, and having formed his army, waited 
 the approach of the Britons, who soon appeared, 
 covering the plains with immense numbers. Boadicea, 
 with her daughters, drove in her chariot along the 
 ranks, renewing the detail of Roman injustice, and 
 encouraging her troops in the most animating lan- 
 guage, while Suetonius, on his side, did not neglect to 
 cheer his men by a suitable oration. The Britons 
 came on uttering loud shouts, menaces, and songs of 
 victory. The Romans, closely drawn up, awaited the 
 event in perfect silence, and received the attack of 
 the natives with great firmness ; having then expended 
 all their javelins, with dreadful carnage of the enemy, 
 they rushed forward from all parts at once, obsendng 
 the form of a wedge, the more easily to penetrate 
 such an immense multitude; the first ranks of their 
 opponents were hewn in pieces, but the rest crowding 
 to surround the Romans, a bloody contest ensued. 
 The British war chariots occasioned terrible annoyance 
 to their enemies, until Suetonius ordered his men to 
 direct their blows at the naked bodies of the drivers. 
 The action was long maintained with fury on both 
 sides ; but finally, the superior skill, coolness, and 
 bravery of the Romans, triumphed over the obstinacy " 
 and desperation of the British. Prodigious numbers 
 perished beneath the swords of the legions, or by the 
 
24 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 charges of the cavalry, who trampled aii before them, 
 while the crowds that endeavoured to save tliemselves 
 by flight, met with an insurmountable impediment in 
 their own waggons, which enclosed them in the form of 
 a semicircle. Here the slaughter was terrible ; for 
 mercy, in the circumstances of Suetonius, would have 
 been in the highest degree imprudent. The Romans 
 in the heat of their fury, spared neither age nor sex. 
 Even the beasts of burden struck through with darts, 
 increased the horrors of the scene, and the heaps of 
 dead covered the plains, the fields, and the sur- 
 rounding forests. Upwards of eighty thousand 
 Britons are computed to have perished on this occa- 
 sion ; while of the Romans, four hundred were killed, 
 and scarcely so many wounded. 
 
 The remaining Britons, terrified at this dreadful 
 chastisement, departed into their respective districts ^ 
 and Boadicea perished herself soon after the battle^^ 
 either through chagrin or by poison. 
 
 RECAPTURE. 
 
 Jacob Dannefaer, a young man who had served in 
 the war of 1657 against Sweden, was among the 
 number of Danes who were delivered up to Sweden 
 in pursuance of the treaty of Roeskilde. He was, 
 however, taken notice of by Admiral V^rangel, who 
 forced him into his service. When the peace was 
 suddenly broken by the Swedes, they invaded Zealand, 
 laid siege to Copenhagen, and took Cronborg, where 
 they found an immense booty. This they shipped 
 in a vessel for Sweden j the crew were entirely 
 
PATRIOTISM, 95 
 
 pit;"'''" ^"'^ ^ '■-^ 
 
 The tale of l,is counlr;y's sufferings, excited in 
 Dannefaer a wish to render Denmark a service ll " 
 ever penious the attempt. He consulted vi'tl h s 
 coun rymen on board, and proposed that thej should 
 endeavour to se,ze the vessel ; this was agreed upon 
 
 itZZZ'VT' ""^ P"-''"^^' eicution, it 
 was a.ranged, that as soon as a sufficient number of 
 
 , "'f <^o'"n>ander, while the peasants were to 
 
 . close the hatches. The wished-for moment arriving 
 Dannefaer ordered the captain to surrender but 
 
 through the bo5; 
 
 Dannefaer tnen turned to the raate, whom he cor^ 
 landed to steer for Copenhagen, and stood over hfrn 
 w th a drawn sword, lest he might disobey his orders 
 
 part of the patriotic enterprise; and there being no 
 
 fieasure to Copenhagen, where itwas of great service 
 
 A GOOD COUNSELLOR. 
 In the reign of Richard IL, the several lords and 
 commissioners who had confederated together o t 
 heve their country from tyranny and opLes°ion 
 
 IntelLeT"""/.r- ''"'"^^^ P-^' Highg 
 Sl?CV r king,afa'tim 
 whenbirHugo deLyn(who wasthought to bedcranged) 
 
26 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 was present. The king turned to him, and asked 
 him what he should do with these men ? The old 
 knight answered, with a smiling countenance, ^ i.et 
 us march out and kill every man of them ; and then 
 you will have destroyed the worthiest men and the 
 best subjects in your dominions." 
 
 ROYAL OCCUPATIONS. 
 Alonzo the Fourth, surnamed the Brave, ascended 
 the throne of Portugal in the vigour of his age. Ihe 
 pleasures of the chase engrossed his whole attention ; 
 his confidants and favourites encouraged and allured 
 him to it; his time was spent in the forest, while the 
 affairs of government were neglected, or executed by 
 those whose interest it was to keep their sovereign in 
 ianorance. His presence, at last, being essential at 
 Lisbon, he entered the council with all the impetuosity 
 and fervour of a juvenile sportsman ;. and, with great 
 familiarity and gaiety, entertained his nobles with tlie 
 history of a whole monthspent in huntmg, fishing, and 
 shooting. When he had finished his narrative, a noble- 
 man of the first rank rose up. " Courts and camps, said 
 he " are allowed for kings, not woods and deserts. 
 Even'the affairs of private men suffer, when recreation 
 is preferred to bushiess ; but when the phantasies of 
 pleasure engross the thoughts of a king, a whole 
 nation is consigned to ruin. We came here for other 
 purposes than to hear the exploits of a chase. If 
 vour majesty will attend to the wants, and remove the 
 grievances, of your people, you will find them obe- 
 dient subjects ; if not,"— The king starting with 
 rage, interrupted him : - If not, what ?" " If not, 
 
PATRIOTISM. 27 
 
 resumed tlie nobleman, in a firm and manly tone, 
 ** they will look for another and a better kingT 
 Alonzo, in the highest transports of passion, expressed 
 his resentment, and hastened out of the room. In a 
 little time, however, he returned calm and reconciled. 
 "I perceive/' said he, the truth of what you say ; 
 he who will not execute the duties of a king, cannot 
 long have good subjects. Remember, from this day 
 forward, I am no longer Alonzo the sportsman, but 
 Alonzo, King of Portugal." His majesty kept his 
 resolve with the most rigid observance, and became 
 as a warrior and a politician, the greatest of the 
 Portuguese monarchs. 
 
 CORSICAN YOUTH. 
 During the patriotic war in Corsica, the nephew of 
 a criminal condemned to death, went to General 
 Paoli, in company with a lady of distinction, to solicit 
 the life of his uncle. The nephew's anxiety made 
 him think that the lady did not speak with sufficient 
 force and earnestness. He therefore advanced, and 
 addressing Paoli, said, Sir, is it proper for me to 
 speak as if he felt that it was unlawful he should 
 make such an application. Paoli bade him proceed. 
 ** Sir,'' said he, " may I beg the life of my uncle? 
 If it is granted, his relations will make a gift to the 
 state of a thousand zechins. We will furnish fifty 
 soldiers in pay during the siege of Furiani. We 
 M'ill agree that my uncle shall be banished, and will 
 engage that he shall never return to the island." 
 Paoli knew the nephew to be a man of worth, and 
 replied, " You are acquainted with the circumstances 
 D 2 
 
28 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 of this case, and such is my confidence in you, that 
 if you will say, that giving your uncle a pardon 
 would be just, useful, or honourable for Corsica, I 
 promise you it shall be granted/' Though the affec- 
 tion between relations is exceedingly strong in the 
 Corsicans, the young man turned round, burst into 
 tears, and quitted the general, saying, Non vorrei 
 vendere Tonore della patria per mille zechini." ** I 
 would not have the honour of my country sold for a 
 thousand zechins j" and the uncle suffered. 
 
 GERSDORFF. 
 
 Charles Gustavus, King of S weden, returning from 
 Poland with his victorious troops, entered Holstein, 
 which he soon conquered ; a severe frost had bound 
 the waters, so that he crossed from Jutland to Funen, 
 and thence to Zealand, with the utmost facility. 
 The Danes attempted to stop his rapid progress in 
 vain, and Charles made his appearance before Copen- 
 hagen at the head of his whole arm^^. 
 
 Frederic the Third, King of Denmark, fearing to 
 put the fate of his empire to the hazard of the day, 
 thought it expedient to sue for peace ; and Charles, 
 with some hesitation, consented to a negociation, 
 demanding, however, besides other advantages, that 
 there should be delivered upto him, Schonen, Holland, 
 Bleking, Bahuus, Drontheim, Bornholm, and some 
 domains belonging to Denmark, in the island of 
 Kugen. 
 
 Joachim Gersdorff, one of the deputies on the part 
 of Denmark, fired with indignation at the haughty 
 
PATRIOTISM. 29 
 terms of the enemy, remonstrated with firmness ; but 
 was at length compelled to yield. When this 
 patriot took up the pen to sign the fatal treaty, he 
 turned round and emphatically said, " Vellem me 
 nescire litteras." 
 
 ^ GersdortF displayed equal zeal at the subsequent 
 siege of Copenhagen ; the city being at that time 
 but ill provided with accommodation for the wounded 
 Dutch who had suffered in fighting their passage 
 through the Sound, he generously subscribed four 
 - thousand rix dollars for their relief. 
 
 ANDREW MARVELL. 
 This virtuous patriot represented his native town of 
 Kingston upon Hull, for a period of twenty years; 
 and was the last member of parliament who received 
 pay from his constituents, the sum being four shil- 
 lings a day ! Although he frequently attacked King 
 Charles the Second in his satires, yet the king was 
 very fond of his conversation, and tried every means 
 to win him over to his side, but in vain. His inflex- 
 ible integrity of principle was proof against all temp- 
 tations, either of his own distresses (and he was often 
 reduced to great poverty), or of the large offers made 
 him by the court,which was earnestin the endeavouring 
 to gain a man of his talents and character on their side. 
 ^ The king having had Marvell at the palace one 
 night, when he was most cordially and splendidly 
 entertained, sent the lord treasurer, Danby, the next 
 morning, to find out his lodgings ; which were then 
 up two pair of stairs, in one of the little courts in the 
 Strand. Here he was busily engaged in writing. 
 D 3 
 
 1^ 
 
St) PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 when the treasurer abruptly opened the door upon 
 him. Surprised at seeing ^uch an unexpected visitor, 
 he told his lordship, he had, he believed, mistaken 
 his way ; " Notnow I havefound Mr. Marvel^' replied 
 the Lord Danby: he then assured him he was 
 expressly sent to him from the king, and his message 
 was to know what his majesty could do to serve hira ? 
 "It is not in his majesty's power to serve me, my 
 lord," answered Mr. Marveli, jocularly ; but the lord 
 treasurer making a serious affair of it, he told 
 him that he full well knew the nature of courts, 
 having been in many ; and that whoever is distin- 
 guished by the favour of the prince, is always ex- 
 pected to vote in his interest. Lord Danby told hira, 
 that his majesty, from the just sense he had of his 
 merit alone, desired to know whether there was any 
 place at court he could be pleased with ? Mr. 
 Marveli replied with the utmost steadiness, that he 
 could not with honour accept the offer, since if he 
 did, he must either be ungrateful to the king in voting 
 against him, or false to his country in giving in to 
 the measures of the court : the only favour which he 
 begged therefore of his majesty, was, that he would 
 esteem him as dutiful a subject as any he had, and 
 acting more truly in his proper interest, while thus 
 he refused his offers, than he could possibly do, 
 should he accept them. The lord treasurer finding 
 his solicitations to be quite fruitless, and that no 
 arguments could prevail on him to accept any 
 post under the government, told him the king had 
 ordered him a thousand pounds; which my lord 
 hoped he would receive, 'till he could think what 
 farther to ask of his majesty. But Mr, Marveli con- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 31 
 tinned equallj^ inflexible to this temptation, and 
 rejected the money with the same steadfastness 
 of mind with which he had refused the proffer of a 
 place ; though he was at that instant so straitened 
 for want of cash, that he was obliged, as soon as 
 Lord Danbj took his Jeave, to send to a friend to 
 borrow a guinea ; so far did the love of public good 
 over-rule all sense of private interest in his honest 
 heart. 
 
 REVOLTERS RECLAIMED. 
 When Procopius usurped the imperial purple, 
 Arbetio, a respectable veteran of the great Constantine, 
 who had been distinguished by the honours of the 
 consulship, was persuaded to" leave his retirement, 
 and once more to conduct an army to the iield. In 
 the heat of action, calmly taking off his helmet, he 
 shewed his grey hairs and venerable countenance, and 
 saluting the soldiers of Procopius by the endearing 
 names of children and companions, exhorted them no 
 longer to support the desperate cause of a contempt- 
 ible tyrant; but to follow their old commander, who 
 had so often led them to honour and victory. In the 
 two engagements of Thyatira, and Kaconia, Proco- 
 pius was deserted by his troops ; and after wandering 
 some time among the woods and mountains of Phrygia, 
 he was betrayed by his desponding followers, con- 
 ducted to the imperial camp, and immediately be- 
 headed. 
 
32 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 GEORGE L 
 This illustrious monarch, in answer to a petition of 
 the lord mayor and aldermen of the city of London, 
 on the 6th of November, 1718, said, " I shall be 
 glad, not only for your sakes, but for my own, if any 
 defects which may touch the rights of my good sub- 
 jects are discovered in my time, since that will fur- 
 nish me with the means of giving you, and all my 
 people, an indisputable proof of my tenderness of 
 their privileges." 
 
 EARL OF STAIR. 
 
 The Earl of Stair was as much celebrated for his 
 patriotism, as for his polite accomplishments, gene- 
 rosity, and military talents. When all his offices and 
 honours were taken from him by Sir Robert Walpole, 
 for voting in parliament against the excise scheme, he 
 retired to Scotland, and put his estate into the hands 
 of trustees, to pay bills drawn by him in his magnificent 
 embassy to Paris, which administration had refused to 
 accept; reserving only a hundred pounds a month 
 for himself. During this period, he was often seen 
 holding the plough three or four hours at a time. 
 Yet on receiving visits of ceremony, he could put on 
 the great man and the great style of living, for he 
 was fond of adorning a fine person with a graceful 
 dress ; and two French horns and a French cook had 
 refused to quit his service when he retired.^ 
 
 When the messenger brought the king's letter 
 for him to take the command of the army, he had 
 
PATRIOTISM. 33 
 only ten pounds in the house. He sent expresses for 
 the gentlemen of his own family, shewed the king's 
 letter, and desired them to find money to carry him 
 to London. They asked how much he wanted, and 
 when they should bring it; his answer was, "the 
 more the better, and the sooner the better.'' They 
 brought him three thousand guineas. The circum- 
 stance came to the king's ears, who expressed to his 
 ministers the uneasiness he felt at Lord Stair's dif- 
 ficulties in money matters. One proposed that the 
 king should make him a present of a sum of money 
 when he arrived. Another said. Lord Stair was so 
 high spirited, that if he was offered money, he would 
 run back to his own country, and they should lose 
 their general. A third suggested, that to save his 
 delicacy, the king should give him six commis- 
 sions of cornets to dispose of, which, at that time, 
 sold for a thousand pounds a piece. The king liked 
 this idea best, and gave the commissions blank to 
 Lord Stair, saying, they were intended to pay for his 
 journey and equipage. But in going from court to 
 his own house, he gave all the six away. 
 
 The best princes are apt to forget their obligations 
 to their best subjects, especially when they dare to 
 oppose their high will. The Earl of Stair had spoken 
 and voted, as he thought at least, for the good of his 
 country against the measures of the court and ministry. 
 Queen Caroline, the next time she saw him at court 
 after his obnoxious behaviour in the House of Lords, 
 told his lordship that sh'e was sorry he went out of 
 his proper sphere. " He was a good fellow^ she 
 owned, " but wished he would not da])hle in politics:' 
 "Madam," said the earl, 'Mflhad nor some year 
 
34 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ago meddled in political matters, I should never have 
 
 had the honour to see your majesty at St. James's." 
 
 SUSSEX FISHERMAN. 
 
 Soon after William the Third had been raised to 
 the throne of England, a French ship belonging to 
 the fleet of Admiral Tourville took prisoner an honest 
 Sussex fisherman. The admiral was then preparing 
 to make a descent upon England in favour of King 
 James; and intending to land in Sussex, he was 
 earnest to know how the people of that county stood 
 affected to the government. He ordered the fisher- 
 man upon deck, and began himself to question him 
 how he and his neighbours loved King James, and 
 how the Prince of Orange, or King William as you 
 call him, said the admiral ; and how they were affected 
 to the government. The fisherman stared, and said, 
 " that he never had seen either of the gentlefolks whom 
 his honour was pleased to mention, in his life ; that, 
 mayhap, they were very civil persons ; and he had no 
 ill-will to either ; God bless them both: as to matters 
 of government, how should he know any thing of 
 them, for he could neither read nor write?" The 
 admiral continued to question him, but without effect ; 
 for he found the fellow grossly ignorant of all public 
 transactions. At last, " Come, come," says the ad- 
 miral, " you are a good likely fellow, and as you are 
 so very indifferent about all parties, you can have no 
 objection to carrying a musket in ray ship." " What ! 
 carry a musket to fight against my country !" cried 
 out the fellow ; " indeed, your honour must excuse 
 me ; you shall put me to a thousand deaths before I 
 fight against my country*" 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 35 
 
 SIR GEORGE ROOKE. 
 
 When the brave Sir George Rooke was making his 
 will, some friends who were present expressed their 
 surprise that he had not more to leave. Why," 
 said the worthy man, '* I do not leave much, but 
 what I do leave was honestly acquired, for it never 
 cost a sailor a tear, nor my country a farthing." 
 
 SIR HENRY VANE. 
 
 In the reign of Charles I. the fees of Sir Henry Vane's 
 office as treasurer of the navy, though butfourpence in 
 the pound, by reason of the Dutch war amounted to 
 ^30,000 per annum. Of this circumstance he had 
 the magnanimity to acquaint the parliament; and ob- 
 serving that such profit was a shameful robbery of the 
 public, offered to give up his patent, which he had 
 obtained from Charles I., and to accept in lieu, 
 for an agent he had bred up to the business, a salary 
 of o£200 a year. The parliament readily assented 
 to the proposal ; and as a reward for his public virtue, 
 settled on Sur Henry an annuity of ^1,200. — 
 How many are there to whom, in these critical and 
 trying times, we might well say, " Go ye and do 
 likewise ?" 
 
 JOHN KNOX. 
 
 On one of those occasions when that intrepid 
 reformer, John Knox, took the liberty of lecturing 
 Queen Mary from the pulpit, her majesty indignantly 
 
36 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 exclaimed, What have ye to do with ray marriage ? 
 Or what are you in this commonwealth?" "A 
 subject bom within the same, madam," replied the 
 reformer, piqued by the last question, and the con- 
 temptuous tone in which it was proposed. ** And 
 albeit I be neither earl, lord, nor baron in it, ^^et has 
 God made me (how abject that ever I be in your eyes) 
 a profitable member within the same. Yea, madam, 
 to me it appertains no less to forewarn of such things 
 as may hurt it, if I foresee them, than it doth to any 
 of the nobility ; for both my vocation and conscience 
 require plainness of me. And therefore, madam, to 
 yourself I say that w^hich I speak in public place : 
 whensoever the nobility of this realm shall consent 
 that ye be subject to an unfaithful husband, they do 
 as much as in them iieth to renounce Christ, to banish 
 his truth from them, to betray the freedom of this 
 realm, and perchance it shall in the end do small 
 comfort to yourself." 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE ORDER OF CHRISTIAN 
 CHARITY. 
 
 Henry III. of France passing near the castle of 
 Chamont, stopped and dined there. In the court 
 yard and gardens he was surprised to see several men 
 who wanted either a leg or an arm. " Sire," said the 
 hosty \?illiara Pot, a knight of Rhodes, ** a merchant 
 who thought himself under great obligations to my 
 father, died three years ago ; having none but dis- 
 tant relations, he left me by his will, 600,000 livres; 
 I have appropriated this fund, and the interest of this 
 sum, toi the nourishment and support of fifteen soldiers 
 
PATRIOTISM. 37 
 
 born on my estate, and whom their wounds have dis- 
 abled from serving your majesty.'' This foundation 
 of the Knight of Rhodes, gave Henry III. the idea of 
 an order of christian charity for poor officersand soldiers 
 maimed in war. The troubles which harassed the 
 kingdom, prevented this establishment from being 
 supported ; and it sunk again after the death of Henry 
 the Fourth, who had resumed the design in 1605. 
 The creation of the palace of Mars with magnificence, 
 and on a solid foundation, was reserved for Louis the 
 Fourteenth. 
 
 SOMETHING BETTER THAN POWER. 
 
 The Duke of Wirtemberg dining in company 
 with some sovereign princes and petty German po- 
 tentates, the conversation turned upon their differ- 
 ent forces and powers. After hearing all their pre- 
 tensions, the duke said, " I do not envy any one of 
 you that power which God has given you, but there 
 is one thing of which 1 can boast, which is, that in 
 my little state, I can walk at all hours alone, and in 
 security. I ramble among the woods, I lie down to 
 sleep under some trees unconcerned, for I fear neither 
 the sword of a robber nor of an inj ured subject. Which 
 of the crowned heads of Europe can say the same ?" 
 
 LIBERTY OF CONSCIENCE. 
 James 11. in his Auto-Biography, relates, that " it 
 having been proposed and solicited by the Lord 
 Roberts,^ Lord Ashley Cooper, and others, that by 
 the king's declaration, a toleration should be granted 
 
 E 
 
38 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 to tender coivscieaces, in pursuance of, and grounded 
 on, the declaration at Breda ; it was resolved by bis 
 majesty, in a private council held by hira in the 
 chancellor's (Lord Clarendon's) lodgings at Worcester 
 House, that a declaration to that purpose should be 
 brought into the House of Lords, the Duke of York 
 (afterwards James II.) being also very much for 
 it. But when that business afterwards came to 
 be debated before the Lords, the chancellor spoke 
 violently against it ; and being seconded by the bishops 
 and others of the zealous Church of England men, it 
 was laid aside, which did not a little cool the king's 
 warm heart towards the chancellor." What an in- 
 structive lesson I Had that declaration of liberty of 
 conscience which Charles II. and his brother so 
 earnestly wished for, been adopted, it would have 
 been the commencement of a reform^ which might 
 have saved Clarendon from banishment, and the house 
 of his royal master from downfall. The history of 
 England might not then have been illustrated by a 
 glorious, because necessary, revolution. 
 
 SOBIESKL 
 
 At the time that the treasury of Poland was ex- 
 hausted, the city of Warsaw drained of its last 
 ducat, the provinces laid waste, and every means of 
 raising a supply seemed impracticable, the council, 
 hopeless of devising any expedient for even a tempo- 
 rary succour, met in his majesty's cabinet, to consult 
 about obtaining resources. The debate was as de- 
 sponding as their situation, until Thaddcus Sobieski, 
 who had hitherto been a silent observer, rose fronar 
 
PATRIOTISM. 33 
 his seat. He advanced tovards Suui.L.i, and 
 taking from his neck, and otl.cr parts of his per- 
 son, those magnificent jewels which it was custom- 
 ^ry to wear in the presence of the king, he knelt 
 down, and laying them at the feet of his majesty 
 said, ,n a suppressed voice, •■ These are trifles, hVi 
 such as they are, and all of the like kind which I 
 possess, I beseech yoar majesty to appropriate to U.e 
 public service. 
 
 "Jfoble young man !" cried tlie king, raising hiin 
 from the ground, "you have indeed taught me a 
 lesson ; I accept these jewels with gratitude. Here " 
 said he turning to the treasurer, " put them into the 
 national fund, and let them be followed by my own 
 .v.th my_ plate, which, I desire, may be inUanlJy sen^ 
 to the mint. One half of it the army shall have, the 
 other we must expend in giving some little support to 
 the surviving families of U.e brave men who have 
 tallen in our defence." 
 
 The palatine readily united with his grandjon ki 
 the surrender of all their personal property, for 'the 
 benefit of their country; and, according to their 
 example, the treasury was soon filled with gratuities 
 from the nobles, which enabled the army To march 
 out, newly equipped, and in high spirits. 
 
 SINCERITY. 
 A Corsican gentleman who had been taken nri- 
 soner by the Genoese, was thrown into a dark dun- 
 geon, where he was chained to the gronnd. While 
 he was m this dismal situation, the Genoese sent a 
 
40 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 mess^ige to him, that if he would accept of a com- 
 mission in their service, he might have it No,*' 
 said he, " were I to accept your offer, it would be 
 with a determined purpose to take the first opportunity 
 of returning to the service of my country. But I 
 would not have my countrymen even suspect that 1 
 could be one moment unfaithful.'* 
 
 ALOYS REDING. 
 When the French armies entered Switzerland, at 
 the commencement of the revolution, Aloys Reding 
 resumed the sword in favour of his country, and per- 
 formed many splendid actions. But the armies of 
 his enemies were too numerous, and treachery and 
 cowardice thinned his own ranks. At length the time 
 arrived which was to decide the issue of the contest. 
 Certain death appeared to await the whole band of 
 heroic Swiss, On the sublime heights of Morgarten, 
 Reding appeared at the head of his troops. Mor- 
 garten had been a theatre for the performance of 
 great actions ; and calling to mind the heroic achieve- 
 ments of ancient times, the brave general thus ad- 
 dressed his soldiers. " Comrades and fellow citizens ! 
 the decisive moment is arrived. Surrounded by 
 enemies, and deserted by our friends, it only remains 
 to know if we will courageously imitate the example 
 formerly set by our ancestors among these magni- 
 ficent mountains ; indeed upon the spot on which we 
 now stand. An almost instant death awaits us. If 
 any one fear, let him retire; we will not reproach 
 him ; but let us not impose upon each other at this 
 solemn hour. I would rather have a hundred men 
 
PATRIOTISM. 41 
 firm and steadfast to their duty, than a iarge army 
 which, by flight, might oceasion confusion ; or by 
 precipitous retreat, immolate the brave men who 
 would stUl defend themselves. As to myself, I pro- 
 mise not to abandon you, even in the grea*test danger. 
 Death and no retreat ! If you participate in my re^so- 
 lution, let two men come out of your ranks, and 
 swear to me, in your name, that you will be faithful 
 to your promises." 
 
 When the chieftain had finished his address, his 
 soldiers, who had been leaning on their arms, and 
 listening in reverential silence, instantly hailed its 
 conclusion with loud shouts of " we" will never 
 desert youj" " we will never abandon you;'' we 
 will share your fate, whatever it may be." Two men 
 then moved out of each rank, as Reding had desired; 
 and giving their hands to their chief, confirmed the 
 oath their comrades had taken. This treaty of alli- 
 ance between the chief and his soldiers, was sworn 
 in open day, and in one of the sublimest scenes 
 in all Switzerland 3 a treaty which, as the historian 
 Zochockle observes, bears marks of patriarchal 
 manners worthy the simplicity of the golden age. 
 These brave men fought and bied with the resolution 
 of heroes, and the enthusiasm of patriots ; but fate 
 having for a time decreed the subjugation of their 
 country, they fought therefore in vain. 
 
 KEYS OF PARIS. ^ 
 
 When Louis the Sixteenth, after his momentary 
 reconciliation to his people, went to the Hotel de 
 Viile to receive the keys of Paris, Bailly, the 
 
42 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 new maj/or, addressed his majesty in a speech which 
 coramenced with the following piquant observation : 
 *' Sire, I present your majesty with the keys of the 
 good city of Paris. They are the same which were 
 presented to Henry IV. He reconquered his people, 
 now it is the people who have reconquered their king." 
 
 BODY GUARDS. 
 
 On the 15th of July, 1789, when the unfor- 
 tunate Louis XVI. paid an unexpected visit to the 
 states general of France, the clergy, nobility, and 
 commons, taking hold of each other's hands, formed 
 a semicircle around his majesty, and conducted him 
 to the palace, crying out, "JZ ne luifaut pas d'autres 
 gardes des corps*" 
 
 EMPEROR OF RUSSIA. 
 
 In the memorable war against Russia in 1812, the 
 news of the entrance of the French into Smolensko, 
 arrived during the conferences of the Prince of 
 Sweden with the Emperor of Russia ; and it was 
 there that Alexander contracted the engagement with 
 himself and the Prince Royal, his ally, never to sign 
 a treaty of peace. " Should Petersburg be taken," 
 said he, " I will retire into Siberia. I will there 
 resume our ancient customs ; and like our long-bearded 
 ancestors, we will return anew to conquer the empirCi" 
 " This resolution will liberate Europe,'* exclaimed 
 the Prhice Royal j and his prediction was accom- 
 plished. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 43 
 
 SELF DEVOTION. 
 In the year 1710, the Danish fleet, under the com- 
 mand of Admiral GyJdenlseve, was sent to the 
 i3altic m pursuit of a Swedish fleet ; but in conse- 
 quence of the sudden sickness of his crew, he found 
 It necessary to sail for Kioege Bay, and secure a 
 defensive position. The Swedish admiral having 
 received intelligence of the calamity, hastened to 
 take advantage of it. He appeared off the bay, and 
 engaged, but did not conquer, the fleet. 
 
 During the engagement, one of the Danish line of 
 battle ships, the Danbrog, took Are, nor could all 
 their efforts to extinguish the flames avail. Captain 
 Hvitfeldt saw one ray of hope which, at the moment 
 promised safety to liimseif and his crew; it was io 
 cut his cables and drive ashore ; there was, however 
 danger to be apprehended if the wind should change' 
 that the vessel might drive among the Danish fleet' 
 and thus endanger both the shipping and the town! 
 Ut the two evils, Hvitfeldt chose the least. He eave 
 positive orders that the cables should not be cut : and 
 t^en sent his oflicers among the crew, to ask them if 
 It would not be more glorious to pursue the destruc- 
 tion of the enemy while the Danbrog existed, than 
 by an attempt merely to save themselves, endanger 
 the lives of thousands of their countrymen ? 
 
 The sailors answered the noble proposal of their 
 ga.lant captain by the most cordial cheers. Hvitfeldt 
 h^r^Tl the admiral, to inform 
 
 him of their determination, and to bid their country 
 iarewell. In a few minutes the flames reached the 
 
44 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 magazine, explosion followed, and the whole cres¥ 
 perished in one of the most patriotic acts of self 
 devotion ever recorded. 
 
 DESTRUCTION OF FREDERIKSHALD. 
 
 The town of Frederikshald was attacked by 
 Charles the Twelfth, during his invasion of A'^orway 
 in 1716, and made a most vigorous resistance. The 
 citizens defended the town from street to street, and 
 house to house ; but the superiority of the Swedes 
 prevailed, and the town was taken. 
 
 Although Charles was thus become master of the 
 town, yet the inhabitants refused to acknowledge his 
 authority. Some of them retired to the fort, and 
 others went on board the praam they had constructed, 
 or hid themselves in the mountains. From all 
 quarters a constant fire was kept upon the town, 
 especially from the fort, to expel the enemy. A few 
 hours after the surrender of the town, Charles sent a 
 trumpeter to the fort, to solicit a truce, but he was 
 sent back with the following answer : *'The King oif 
 Sweden being an uninvited guest, it is our duty 
 to send him whence he came." The fidelity with 
 which they kept their promise, was soon evident to 
 Charles ; for when they found it impossible to dislodge 
 the enemy by their cannon, they desperately set fire 
 to the town. The citizens eagerly hastened to fire 
 their own houses, while the enemy in vain sought to 
 extinguish the increasing flames. The scene of horror 
 was considerably augmented by the fire of the artil- 
 lery from the fort and the praam. 
 
 Charles, whom nature had endowed with an invin- 
 
PATIIIOTISM. 45 
 cible spirit, strengthened by a familiarity with danger, 
 stood appalled at this extraordinary spectacle, and 
 left the town that v^ery day. 
 
 EUSTACE ST. PIERKE. 
 When Edward the Third, after the battle of Cressy, 
 laid siege to Calais, the citizens under the command 
 of Count Vienne, the governor, made an admirable 
 defence. Day after day the English effected many 
 a breach, which they expected to storm by break of 
 day ; but when morning appeared, they beheld new 
 ramparts raised nightly, erected out of the ruins which 
 the previous day had made. France had now put 
 her sickle into her second harvest, since Edward, with 
 his victorious army, sat down before the town. The 
 eyes of all Europe were intent on the issue. The 
 English made their approaches and attacks without 
 remission, but the citizens were as obstinate in re- 
 pelling all their efforts. At length famine did more 
 for Edward than arms. After the citizens had de- 
 voured the lean carcasses of their half-starved catde, 
 they tore up old foundations and rubbish, in search 
 of vermin ; they fed on boiled leather and the weeds 
 I of exhausted gardens, and a morsel of damaged corn 
 was accounted matter of luxury. In this extremity 
 they resolved to attempt the enemy's camp. They 
 boldly sallied forth 3 the English joined battle, and 
 after a long and desperate engagement, Count Vienne 
 was taken prisoner ; and the citizens who survived 
 the slaughter retired within their gates. 
 
 The command now devolved on Eustace St. Pierre, 
 the mayor of the town, a man of humble birth, but 
 
46 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 of the most exalted virtue. Eustace soon found liim- 
 self under the necessity of capitulating, and offered 
 to deliver the city up to Edward, with all the wealth 
 and possessions of the citizens, provided they might 
 be permitted to depart with life and liberty-. As 
 Edward had long expected to ascend the throne of 
 France, he was exasperated against these people, 
 whose sole valour had so long defeated his warmest 
 hopes; he, therefore, determined to take an exem- 
 plary revenge. He answered by Sir Walter Mauny, 
 that they all deserved capital punishment, as obstinate 
 traitors to him, their true and lawful sovereign ; 
 that, however, in his wonted clemency, he consented 
 to pardon the bulk of the plebeians, provided they 
 would deliver up to him six of their principal citizens, 
 with halters about their necks, as victims of due 
 atonement for that spirit of rebellion with wliich they 
 had inflamed the common people. All the remains 
 of this desolate city were convened in the great 
 square; and like men arraigned at a tribunal from 
 whence there was no appeal, expected, with throbbing 
 hearts, the sentence of their conqueror. When Sir 
 Walter had declared his message, consternation and 
 dismay were impressed on every face ; each looked 
 upon death as his own inevitable lot; for how should 
 they desire to be saved at the price proposed ? 
 Whom had they to deliver up, save parents, brothers, 
 kindred, or valiant neighbours, who had so often 
 exposed their lives in their defence ? To a long and 
 dead silence, deep sighs and groans succeeded ; till 
 Eustace St. Pierre, ascending a little eminence, thus 
 addressed the assembly : ** My friends and fellow 
 citizens, you see the condition to which we are re- 
 duced ; we must either submit to the terms of our 
 
PATRIOTISM. 47 
 
 t1'nHi/°? t"'"'""" <:<"'q«eror, or yield up our 
 tender mfants, our wives, a„d chaste dauohters to 
 the ferocty of the soldiery. We well kno. ^hat 
 the tyrant intends by his specious offers of mercy. 
 It does not satiate his vengeance to make us merefy 
 miserabie, he would make us criminal; he would 
 n^ake us contemptible; he will grant us life on no 
 condition, save that of being unworthy of it. Look 
 
 persl-Th'o K ' ^""^ - t e 
 
 person, whom you wish to deliver up as the victims 
 
 of your own safety. Which of these would vou 
 
 appomt ,0 the rack, the axe, or the halter? Is thV 
 
 fought fo you, who has not bled for you ? Who 
 ufferf f t'^- f inveterate si^e, harnoJ 
 
 uian death, that you and yours might survive to davs 
 o peace and prosperity ./js it you'r prese ^ rs! £ 
 whom you would destine to destruction ? Yo, S 
 not you cannot do it. Justice, honour, humanky 
 make such a treason impossible. Where then is oS 
 resource Is there any expedient left, where y we 
 may avoid guilt and infamy on one hand, or the d«o! 
 Ration and horrors of a sacked city o^ the otto ' 
 nereis, my friends, there is one expedient left a 
 gracious, an excellent, a god-like expedient! Is h'ere 
 any here to whom virtue is dearer than life ? let him 
 offer himself an oblation for the safety of his people^ 
 
 Powe? who ff °V "r^-^ ^PP""''-" £ 
 
 m,?? T^/' ^ '"'"ersal silence ensued. Each 
 man looked around for the example of that virtue 
 
48 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 raagnaniraity in others, which all wished to approve 
 in theraselves, though they wanted the resolution. 
 At length St. Pierre resumed : 
 
 " It had been base in me, my fellow-citizens, to 
 promote any matter of danger to others, which I 
 myself had not been willing to undergo in my own 
 person. But I held it ungenerous to deprive any 
 man of that preference and estimation, which might 
 attend a first offer on so signal an occasion ; for 1 
 doubt not but there are many here as ready, nay, more 
 zealous for this martyrdom, than I can be, however 
 modesty and the fear of imputed ostentation may 
 withhold them from being foremost in exhibiting their 
 merits. Indeed, the station to which the captivity of 
 Count Vienne has unhappily raised me, imports a right 
 to be the first in giving my life for your sakes. I 
 give it freely, I give it cheerfully : who comes next? 
 " Your son !" exclaimed a youth, not yet come to 
 maturity. " Ah, my child !" cried St. Pierre ; " I 
 am then twice sacrificed. But no, I have rather 
 begotten thee a second time. Thy years are few, but 
 full, my son ; the victim of virtue has reached the 
 utmost purpose and goal of mortality. Who next, 
 ray friends ? This is the hour of heroes." " Your 
 kinsman!" cried John de Aire. " Your kinsman 1" 
 cried James Wissant." Your kinsman !" cried Peter 
 Wissant." Ah 1" exclaimed Sir Walter Mauny, 
 bursting into tears, " why was I not a citizen of 
 Calais ?" . ^ , 
 
 The sixth victim was still wanting, but was quickly 
 supplied by lot, from numbers who were now emu- 
 lous of so ennobling an example. 
 
 The keys of the city were then delivered to Sir 
 
PATRIOTISM. 49 
 Walter. He then took the six prisoners into his 
 custody. He ordered the gates to be opened, and 
 gave charge to his attendants to conduct the remain- 
 ing citizens, with their families, through the camn of 
 the English. ^ 
 
 Before they departed, however, they desired per- 
 mission to take their last adieu of their deliverers. 
 What a parting ! what a scene ! They crowded with 
 their wives and children about St. Pierre and his 
 fellow-prisoners. They embraced, they clung around, 
 they fell prostrate before them. They groaned ; they 
 wept aloud j and the joint clamour of their mourning 
 passed the gates of the city, and was heard through- 
 out the camp. 
 
 At length, St. Pierre and his fellow victims ap« 
 peared under the conduct of Sir Walter and his 
 guard. All the tents of the English were instantly 
 emptied. The soldiers poured from all parts, and 
 arranged themselves on each side to behold, to con- 
 template, to admire this little band of patriots as 
 they passed. They murmured their applause of 
 that virtue which they could not but revere, even in 
 enemies; and they regarded those ropes which they 
 had voluntarily assumed about their necks, as ensigns 
 greater in dignity than that of the British Garter. 
 
 To the eternal honour of Philippa, the Queen of 
 Edward, through her intercession, the lives of these 
 virtuous citizens were spared. [See Anecdotes of 
 Humanity.] 
 
50 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 FAITHFUL PASTOR. 
 
 The town of Njekoebing, doomed to the flames 
 hy Charles Gustavus, King of Sweden, in consequence 
 of the inhabitants being unable to pay the heavy 
 contributions levied upon them, was preserved by 
 the bold and patriotic conduct of the rector, the 
 Rev. Mr. Jessen. 
 
 Sunday was the day appointed by the enemy for 
 carrying into execntion their dreadful purpose ; and the 
 impending danger naturally afforded a most affecting 
 subject for the clergyman's discourse. He expatiated 
 on the miserable fate to which he and his fellow 
 citizens were doomed ; and pointed out tlie only 
 source of consolation in religion. Perceiving some 
 Swedes of rank in the lower part of the church, he 
 raised his voice, and eloquently animadverted on. 
 cruelty and oppression. 
 
 The worthy minister had scarcely entered his house 
 after the service of the morning, when he received a 
 message from Charles Gustavus, who had been at 
 church, signifying his Swedish majesty's intention of 
 dining with hira. The clergyman still retaining 
 sparks of that %varmth with which he had pleaded 
 the cause of his countrymen, instantly returned the 
 following answer : " Sire, my dinner consists in 
 peas-soup and pork ; it is all your majesty's soldiers 
 have left me ; and such fare being too mean for a 
 king, I most humbly beg to decline the honour your 
 majesty most graciously intended me." 
 
 The king, however, would not be refused, aiid sent 
 another messenger, announcing his approach* At 
 
PATRIOTISM. 51 
 table, Mr. lessen turned the conversation on the dis- 
 tressed inhabitants, and exerted all his eloquence to 
 move the Swedish monarch in their behalf, until, at 
 last, the king assured him that he would spare the 
 town. Orders were issued accordingly ; and the more 
 effectually to prevent the inhabitants from sustaining 
 mjury, Charles Gustavus ordered a guard for their 
 protection. 
 
 This act of the patriotic Jessen is recorded by a 
 portrait placed in the town-hall at Nyekoebing. It 
 represents a venerable man, whose expressive features 
 give assurance of the eloquent and persevering zeal 
 with which he succeeded in personally assuaging 
 the anger of a warlike king, and averting a general 
 calamity. 
 
 SIEGE OF COPENHAGEN. 
 
 When Charles Gustavus laid siege a second time 
 to Copenhagen, the city was very ill prepared for de- 
 fence. The fortifications were in many places decayed, 
 there was no supply of provisions, and the garrison 
 scarcely amounted to a thousand men. The sudden 
 attack of the Swedes prevented any reinforcement 
 reaching the city, either by sea or land. Frederick 
 the Third sued for peace ; but the King of Sweden 
 replied, " I will explain the cause of the war when 
 I have conquered Denmark." A general terror now 
 prevailed in the Danish court 3 some members of 
 which entreated the king to consult his own safety, 
 by escaping to Norway or Holland. No,'' said he,' 
 I am resolved to perish or conquer in my onw nest. 
 F 2 
 
52 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 I shall cease to value life, when my kingdom is tram- 
 pled upon by my enemies." 
 
 The king then ordered the drums to beat to arras 
 throughout the city, and issued the following procla- 
 mation. " His majesty confiding in the unanimity and 
 valour of all true Danes and Norwegians, and firmly 
 persuaded that nothing will be left undone by them 
 which can in any degree tend to the delivery of their 
 country, declares to all such persons as may feel re- 
 luctant to partake the dangers of the contest, that they 
 are free to leave the city, while it is yet time, and 
 not to bean incumbrance to those who are determined 
 to stand or fall with our royal self." 
 
 Such a declaration from the king, could not fail 
 to inspire all classes with hope and confidence ; and 
 the brave Frederick soon found in every subject a 
 hero and a patriot. The city, which a few hours 
 before was without troops, suddenly displayed as 
 many warriors as could be furnished with arms. These 
 were divided into four classes, the nobility, the 
 clergy, the citizens, and the soldiery Their hearts 
 beat with patriotic fire, and every individual longed 
 for an opportunity of hurling death and destruction 
 on the enemy. 
 
 The first object was to restore order on the ramparts ; 
 all lent a willing hand to this essential duty; even 
 women rivalled each other in supplying materials. The 
 fortifications being thus repaired, the suburbs were 
 set on fire in the presence of the Swedish army. 
 
 Charles opened his trenches, while his fleet bom- 
 barded the city ; but all in vain. When any part of 
 the town was on fire, the citizens hastened to extinguish 
 it ; and whenever the Swedes shewed an intention of 
 
PATRIOTISM. 53 
 scaling the ramparts, they met with a most vigorous 
 resistance ; the king sharing every danger with his 
 subjects, and by his presence and example encourag- 
 ing them to persevere. Thus the first month of the 
 siege passed amidst a succession of calamities, fears, 
 and expectations ; but the fall of Cronborg, and the 
 delay of the Dutch fleet, which had been long ex- 
 pected, threw a momentary gloom over the city, 
 though an unconquerable spirit still animated every 
 soul. Opulent individuals applied their wealth to the 
 relief of the poor ; while the king sold many of his 
 valuables, and pledged other parts of his property, to 
 obtain money, which he distributed among the neces- 
 sitous. 
 
 When the siege had continued three months, during 
 which no impression wiiatever was made on the 
 city, which proudly mocked the efForts, and defied 
 the rage of the Swedish monarch, the Dutch fleet 
 entered the Sound ; and after fighting its way into 
 port, brought a vast supply of men and provisions to 
 the besieged city. 
 
 The sea was soon after frozen over, and every pre- 
 paration was made by the Swedes for storming the 
 city, which they perpetually harassed. The guards 
 in the city were doubled ; persons were employed 
 in breaking the ice, and every individual was on the 
 alert by day and by night, ready for the impending 
 moment. The men went to work as soon as they 
 were relieved from guard, and mounted guard when 
 they left ofi' work. 
 
 At length the important night arrived. The 
 Swedes commenced the assault with the utmost fury, 
 ^nd continued to storm the town the whole night. A 
 F 3 
 
54 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 few succeeded in scaling the ramparts ; but ihey had 
 to contend with men resolved to bury themselves in 
 the ruins of their city, rather than be subdued. The 
 Swedes, after sustaining a great loss of men, and some 
 of their best officers, were compelled to retreat, nor 
 did they ever attempt to renew the attack. 
 
 A short time before the storming took place, the 
 English ambassador advised Frederick to sue for peace 
 on any terms ; but the king replied, in a dignified 
 tone, " I will beg peace from none ; I am accus- 
 tomed to look danger in the face. Charles may 
 come when he pleases, but he may rest assured he 
 will meet with men who know how to give him a 
 proper reception." He then mounted his horse, and 
 rode about encouraging his brethren in arms, assuring 
 them that he would watch and fight for them to the 
 last. He ke;;.^ his word, for he continued on horse- 
 back during the storming, and was always where 
 the assault was the fiercest. 
 
 SILESIAN GIRL. 
 
 During the seven years' war, the exertions of the 
 Prussians at some critical periods to support the 
 sinking fortunes of their enterprising monarch, were 
 of a nature truly astonishing ; but they were far 
 outdone by the public sacrifices which were volun- 
 tarily made by individuals to repel the invasion of 
 the French in 1813. An anecdote of a Silesian girl 
 is recorded, which serves in a striking manner to 
 shew the general feeling which pervaded the country. 
 Whilst her neighbours and family were contributing 
 in diiferent ways to the expences of the war, she was 
 
PATRIOTISM. 55 
 
 fot sorae time in the greatest distress at her inability 
 to manifest her patriotism, as she possessed nothing 
 \fh\ch she could dispose of for that purpose. At 
 length the idea struck her that her hair, which was 
 of great beauty, and the pride of her parents, might 
 be of sorae value ; and she accordingly set off one 
 morning privately for Breslau, and disposed of her 
 beautiful tresses for a couple of dollars. The hair- 
 dresser, however, with whom she had negociated the 
 bargain, being touched with the girl's conduct, reserved 
 his purchase for the manufacture of bracelets and 
 other ornaments ; and, as the story became public, 
 he in the end sold so many, that he was enabled by 
 this fair maiden's locks alone, to subscribe a hundred 
 <^ollars to the exigences of the state. 
 
 HOME. 
 
 The diet of the Arabian tribes in Persia, is more 
 frugal than that of any other of the inhabitants of 
 that kingdom. It con^sts chiefly of dates. Some 
 years ago, a woman belonging to one of the Arab 
 families setUed at Abusbeker, had gone to England 
 with the children of the British resident at that place. 
 "When she returned, all crowded around her to hear 
 the report of the country she had visited. She 
 described the roads, the carriages, the horses, the 
 wealth and splendour of the cities, and the highly 
 cultivated state of the country. Her audience were 
 full of envy at the condition of Englishmen, and 
 were on the point of retirmg with that impression, 
 when the woman happened to add, that the countrv 
 she had visited only wanted one thing to make it 
 
60 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 deliglitful. " What is that ?" was the enquiry. " It 
 has not a date tree in it,'* said she. " I never ceased 
 to look for one all the time I was there ; but I looked 
 in vain." The sentiments of the Arabs v/ho listened 
 to her, were in an instant changed by this information. 
 It was no longer envy, but pity, which they felt for 
 men wJio were condemned to live in a counliy where 
 there were no date trees. 
 
 " Such is the patriot's boast where'er we roara, 
 His first best country is at home.*' 
 
 BRUTUS. 
 
 Though it perhaps can scarcely be said of Brutus, 
 that he was " the noblest Roman of them all," yet 
 his inflexible regard to justice and to liberty are 
 entitled to the highest admiration ; and perhaps of 
 all the distinguished personages of antiquity, he best 
 deserves to be considered as the model of a virtuous 
 citizen. According to modern manners, when assas- 
 sination under any circumstances is strongly and 
 justly reprobated, the death of Cassar was a crime 
 which no redeeming virtues of Brutus could atone 
 for 'j but tyrannicide was viewed by the Romans in 
 a very different light from what it appears at present ; 
 and it is not by the ideas of our own times, that we 
 are to judge of the heroes of antiquity. It is said, 
 that Brutus was guilty of the highest ingratitude by 
 killing Caesar, who had been his benefactor; but in 
 the opinion of the ancients, this circumstance only ren- 
 dered his act the more glorious; since by disregarding 
 favours to himself, he shewed the greater attachmenf 
 
PATRIOTISM. 57 
 
 to his countr3% How clearly has Shakespeare drawn 
 the line between Brutus' friendship for Caesar, and 
 his love for his country. " If there be any in this 
 assembly, any dear friend of Ceesar's, to him 1 say, 
 that Brutus' love for CiEsar was no less than his. If, 
 then, that friend demand why Brutus rose against 
 C«sar, this is ray answer : Not that I loved Caesar 
 less, but that I loved Rome more." 
 
 The celebrated letter which Brutus wrote to Cicero, 
 on his Jiaving interceded for his pardon with Octavius, 
 perfectly marks his character, and breathes the purest 
 principles of true patriotism. " I have read,'' he says, 
 *' a part of your letter which you sent to Octavius, 
 transmitted to me by Atticus. Your zeal and con- 
 cern for ray safety gave me no new pleasure : for it 
 is not only common, but our daily news, to hear 
 something which you have said or done with your 
 usual fidelity, in the support of my honour and 
 dignity. Yet that same part of your letter affected 
 me with the most sensible grief which my mind could 
 possibly receive. For you compliment him so highly 
 for his services to the republic, and in a strain so 
 suppliant and abject /that — What shall I say? — I 
 am ashamed of the wretched state to which we are 
 reduced — yet it must be said, — ^you recommend my 
 safety to him ; (to which, what death is not prefer- 
 able ?) and plainly shew, that our servitude is not yet 
 abolished, but our master only changed. Recollect 
 your words, and deny them, if you dare, to be the 
 prayers of a slave to his king. There is one things, 
 you say, which is required and expected from him, that 
 he will allow those citizens to live in safety, of whom all 
 honest men, and the people of Rome, think well. But 
 
68 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 what, if he will not allow it ? Shall we be the less 
 safe for that ? It is better not to be safe, than to 
 be made safe by hira. For my part, 1 can never think 
 all the gods so averse to the safety of the Koman 
 people, that Octavias must be entreated for the life of 
 any one citizen ; I will not say for the deliverers of the 
 world. It is a pleasure to talk thus magnificently ; 
 a^^ it becomes me surely to do so to those who 
 ^now not either what to fear for any one, or what to 
 ask of any one. Can you, Cicero, allow Octavius 
 to have this power, and be still a friend to hira ? Or, 
 if you have any value for me, would you wish to 
 see me at Rome, when I must first be recommended 
 to the boy, that he would permit me to be there ? 
 What reason have you to thank him, if you think it 
 necessary to beg of him that he would grant and 
 suffer us to live in safety ? Or is it to be reckoned a 
 kindness, that he chooses to see himself, rather than 
 Antony, in the condition to have such petitions ad- 
 dressed to him ? One may supplicate, indeed, the 
 successor, but never the avenger of another's tyranny, 
 that those who have deserved well of the republic 
 may be safe. It was this weakness and despair, not 
 more blameable, indeed, in you than in all, which first 
 pushed on Caesar to the ambition of reigning 3 and 
 after his death, determined Antony to attempt to 
 seize his place ; and has raised this boy so high, that 
 you judge it necessary to address your prayers to 
 him, for the preservation of men of our rank ; and 
 that we can be saved only by the mercy of one, 
 scarce yet a man. What reason," he continues, " had 
 we to rejoice at Cessar's death, if after it we were still 
 to continue slaves ? Let other people be as indolent as 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 59 
 
 they please ; but, as for me, may the gods deprive me 
 sooner of every thing, than the resolution of not 
 allowing to the heir of him whom I killed, what I 
 did not allow to the man himself ; nor would suffer 
 even in my father, were he living, to have more -power 
 than the lam and the senate. How can you imagine 
 that the rest of you can ever be free under him, 
 without whose leave there is no place for us in that 
 city? Or how is it possible for you, after all, to 
 obtain what you ask ? You beg, that he would allow 
 us to be safe. Shall we then receive safety, think you, 
 when we have received life from him ? But how can 
 we receive it, if we first part with our honour and our 
 liberty ? Do you fancy, that to live at Rome is to be 
 safe ? It is the thing, and not the place, which must 
 secure that to me : for I was never safe while Caesar 
 lived, till I had resolved with myself upon that 
 attempt : nor can I in any place live in exile, as long 
 as I hate slavery and insults above all other evils. 
 Is not this to fall back again into the same state of 
 darkness, when he who has taken upon him the name 
 of the tyrant (though in the cities of Greece, when 
 the tyrants are destroyed, their children also peiish 
 with them) must be entreated, that the avengrers of 
 ty ranny may be safe ? Can I ever wish to see that 
 city, or think it a city, which has not the power even 
 to accept liberty, when offered, and even forced upon 
 it ; but has more dread of the name of their late 
 king, in the person of a boy, than confidence in itself; 
 though it has seen that very king taken off in the 
 utmost height of pcv/er, by the virtue of a few ? Do 
 not recommend me, therefore, any more to jour 
 Caesar ; nor yourself indeed, if you will hearken to 
 
60 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 me. You set a very high value on the few years^ 
 which remain to you at that age, if for the sake of 
 them you can supplicate that boy. But take care^ 
 after all, lest what you have done, and are doing, so 
 laudably against Antony, instead of being applauded 
 as the effect of a great mind, be not charged to the 
 account of your fear. For if you are pleased with 
 Octavius, so as to petition him for our safety, you 
 will be thought not to have disliked a master, but to 
 have wanted a more friendly one* As for myself, may 
 I never return to you, if I ever either supplicate any 
 man, or do not restrain those who are disposed to do 
 it, from supplicating for themselves: or I will remove 
 to a distance from all such who can be slaves, and 
 fancy myself at Rome, wherever I can live free ; 
 and shall pity you, whose fond desire of life neither 
 age nor honours, nor the example of other men's 
 virtue, can moderate. For my part, I shall ever 
 think myself happy, as long as I can please myself 
 with the persuasion, that my piety has been fully 
 requited. For what can be happier than for a man, 
 conscious of virtuous acts, and content with liberty, 
 to despise all human affairs ? Yet I will never yield 
 to those who are fond of yielding, or be conquered 
 by those who are willing to be conquered themselves ; 
 but will first try and attempt every thing, nor ever 
 desist from dragging our city out of slavery. If such 
 fortune attends me as I ought to have, we shall all 
 rejoice : if not, I shall rejoice myself. For how can 
 this life be spent better, than in thoughts and acts 
 which tend to make my countrymen free ? I beg 
 and beseech you, Cicero, not to desert the cause 
 through weariness or diffidence. In repelling present 
 
PATIUOTISM. 61 
 
 evils, have your eye always on the future, lest thev 
 insinuate themselves before you are aware. Conside'r 
 that the fortitude and the courage with which you 
 delivered the republic when consul, and now again 
 when consular, are nothing without constancy and 
 equability. The case of tried virtue, 1 own, is harder 
 than of untried : we require services from it as debts; 
 and, if any thing disappoints us, we blame with re- 
 sentment, as if we had been deceived by it. Where- 
 fore, for Cicero to withstand Antony, though it be a 
 part highly commendable, yet, because such a consul 
 seemed, of course, to promise us such a consular 
 nobody wonders at it. Bat if the same Cicero, in 
 the case of others, should waver at last in that re = 
 solution which he exerted with such firmness and 
 greatness of mind against Antony, he would deprive 
 himself, not only of the hopes of future glory, but 
 forfeit even that which is past: for nothing is%reat 
 m Itself but what flows from the result of our judg- 
 ment; nor does it become any man, more than you 
 to love the republic, and to be the patron of liberty • 
 on the account either of your natural talents, or your 
 tormer acts, or the wishes and expectations of all 
 men. Octavms, therefore, must not be intreated to 
 sutler us to live in safety. Do you rather rouse your- 
 self so far, as to think that city in which you^have 
 acted the noblest part, free and flourishing, as long as 
 there are leaders still to the people to resist the de^ 
 signs of traitors.'^ 
 
 o 
 
62 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 THE BAKNEVELDTS. 
 
 The patriotic zeal of Barneveldt, the celebrated 
 Dutch statesman, inducing him to limit the authority 
 of Maurice, Prince of Orange, the second Stadt- 
 holder of Holland, the partisans of that prince 
 falsely accused him of a design to deliver his country 
 into the hands of the Spanish monarch. On this 
 absurd charge, he was tried by twenty-six commis- 
 sioners deputed from the seven provinces, condemned 
 and beheaded in 1619. His sons, William and 
 Ren6, with a view of revenging the death of their 
 father, formed a conspiracy against the usurper, 
 which was discovered. William fled, but K6ne was 
 taken and condemned to die, which fatal circumstance 
 has immortalized the memory of his mother, of whom 
 the following anecdote is recorded. She solicited a 
 pardon for Kene ; upon which Maurice expressed his 
 surprise, that she should do that for her son which she 
 had refused to do for her husband. To this remark, 
 she reph'ed with indignation, "I would not ask a 
 pardon for my husband, because he was innocent ; 
 I solicit it for my son, because he is guilty." 
 
 LORD WILLIAM RUSSELL. 
 
 A fortunate occurrence gave birth to the wealth, 
 honour, and patriotism of the Bedford family. During 
 the reign of Henry the Seventh, the Archduke of 
 Austria, on his passage from Flanders to Spain, was 
 driven hy a violent storm into Weymouth, where he 
 was hospitably received and princely entertained 
 
TATRIOTISM. 63 
 
 by Sir Thomas Trencliard, whose house was situated 
 upon that coast, until the king should be informed of 
 his arrival. Meanwhile, Mr. Thomas Russell, who 
 lived in that vicinity, because he had travelled abroad, 
 and could speak different languages, was sent for to 
 converse with the duke 5 who was so captivated with 
 his intelligence and manners, that he carried him 
 along with him to court, where he warmly recom- 
 mended him to the king, who instantly made him 
 one of his privy council. By steady steps, and 
 encreasing merit, the ancestors of Lord Russell" 
 added to their fortune and fame. The patriot Wil- 
 liam Russell inherited from his ancestors those reli- 
 gious and political principles which are founded upon 
 a regular execution of our ancient constitutional laws — ' 
 government by parliaments, and trial by juries. Lord 
 Russell was one of those who indicted the Duke of 
 York as a popish recusant, before the grand jury at 
 Westminster ; but before they could give judgment, 
 they were dismissed in an irregular manner. Unmoved 
 by this defeat, Lord Russell rose in his place in the 
 House, and spoke in the following manner : " Mr. 
 Speaker. Sir, seeing by God's providence and his 
 majesty's favour, we are here assembled to deliberate 
 concerning the great affairs of the nation, I humbly 
 conceive that we ought to begin first with that which 
 is of most consequence to our king and country, and 
 to take into consideration how to save the main, before 
 we spend any time about the particulars. Sir, I am 
 of opinion that the life of our king, the safety of our 
 country and the protestant religion, are in great 
 danger from popery ; and that either this parliament 
 must suppress the power and growth of popery, oyg 
 G 2 /'f 
 
PERCY ANECDOfES. 
 
 else that popery will soon destroy not only parliament, 
 but all that is near and dear to ns." His lordship 
 accordingly moved that they should take into consi- 
 deration how to suppress popery, and to prevent a 
 popish successor; and a bill passed the House of 
 Commons to disable James, Duke of York, from 
 inheriting the imperial crown, because he was a papist. 
 This bill Russell carried up to the House of Lords, 
 where it was lost by sixty-three against thirty. On 
 this occasion, Lord Russell is said to have exclaimed 
 with a violence unequal to his nature, ** If my own 
 father had been one of the sixty-three, I should have 
 voted him an enemy to the king and kingdom." 
 
 Upon another occasion, when the king requested a 
 supply. Lord Russell declared, that whenever he 
 should free the house from the danger of a popish 
 successor, and remove from his council and places of 
 trust all those who were in the duke's interest, he 
 should be ready to give all he had in the world ; but 
 till then, a vote of money would only have the elFect 
 of destroying themselves with their own hands, to- 
 gether with the rights and hberties of their country. 
 With equal steadiness, and unabating fortitude, he 
 continued to defend the rights of his country against 
 the unlawful, unconstitutional, and tyrannical measure 
 of government, till he, at last, fell a martyr in the 
 glorious cause of freedom and of his country. 
 
 INNOVATION. 
 
 The celebrated answer of our old barons, when it 
 was proposed to introduce some part of the Roman 
 
PATiUOTISM. 
 
 65 
 
 laws, " Nolumus leges Aiigliae mutare/' is by no 
 means so strongly adverse to innovation, as an insti- 
 tution of Charondas, legislator of Thuriuni, a city 
 of Magna Grecia. Whoever proposed a new law, 
 was obliged to appear in tlie Senate House with a 
 rope about his neck, and remain in that situation 
 during the debate. If the law was approved, he was 
 set at liberty ; but if it was negatived, he was imme- 
 diately strangled. 
 
 sij/gulak oath of allegiance. 
 
 The people of Arragon in the election of their 
 kings used the following form of election : " We, 
 the free-born inhabitants of the ancient kingdom of 
 Arragon, who are equal to you, Don Philip, and some- 
 thing more, elect you to be our king, on condition, 
 that you preserve to us our rights and privileges. 
 If in this you fail, we own you for our king no 
 longer." 
 
 JULIAN THE APOSTATE. 
 
 Julian the Apostate was not insensible of the 
 advantages of freedom. He sincerely abhorred the 
 system of Oriental despotism, which Diocletian, Con- 
 stantine, and the patient habits of four score years, 
 had established in the empire. A motive of super- 
 r stition prevented the execution of the design which 
 Julian had frequently meditated, of relieving his head 
 from the weight of a costly diadem; but he abso- 
 lutely refused the title of Dorainus, or lord, a word 
 G 3 
 
66 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 which was grown so familiar to tlie ears of the Romans, 
 that they no longer remembered its servile and humi- 
 liating origin. The office, or rather the name, of 
 consul, was cherished by a prince who contemplated 
 with reverence the ruins of the republic ; and the 
 same behaviour which had been assumed hy the pru- 
 dence of Augustus, was adopted by Julian from 
 choice and inclination. On the calends of January, 
 at break of day, the new consuls, Mamertinus and 
 Nevitta, hastened to the palace to salute the em- 
 peror. As soon as he was informed of their approach, 
 he leaped from his throne, eagerly advanced to meet 
 them, and compelled the blushing magistrates to 
 receive the demonstrations of his affected humility, 
 From the palace they proceeded to the senate. The 
 emperor on foot marched before their litters ; and the 
 gazing multitude admired the image of ancient time, 
 or secretly blamed a conduct which, in their eyes, 
 degraded the majesty of the purple. 
 
 During the games of the Circus, he had impru- 
 dently, or designedly, performed the manumission of 
 a slave in the presence of the consul. The momcRt 
 he was reminded that he had trespassed on the juris- 
 diction of another magistrate, he condemned himself 
 to pay a fine of ten pounds of gold, and embraced 
 that public occasion of declaring to the world that he 
 was subject, like the rest of his fellow citizens, to the 
 laws, and even to the forms, of the republic. 
 
 The attention of Julian was extended to every 
 province in his empire ; he abolished, by repeated 
 edicts, the unjust and pernicious exemptions which 
 had withdrawn so many idle citizens from the service 
 of their country j and by imposing an equal distri- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 67 
 
 buiion of public duties, he restored the strength, the 
 splendour, or according to the glowing expressiok of 
 Libanus, the soul of the expiring cities of his empire. 
 He relieved the distress, and restored the beauty, of 
 the cities of Epirus and Peloponnesus. Athens 
 acknowledged him for her benefactor; Argos for 
 her deliverer. ' 
 
 Julian sustained adversity with firmness, and pros- 
 perity with moderation. After an interval of one 
 hundred and twenty years from the death of Alex- 
 ander Severus, the Romans beheld an emperor who 
 made no distinction between his duties and his 
 pleasures; who laboured to relieve the distress, and 
 10 revive the spirit of his subjects ; and who endea- 
 voured always to connect authority with merit, and 
 happiness with virtue. Even faction, and religious 
 faction, was constrained to acknowledge the s'upe- 
 riority of his genius, in peace as well as°in war, and 
 to confess with a sigh, that the apostate Julian was a 
 lover of his country, and that he deserved the empire 
 of the world. ^ 
 
 CHIEF JUSTICE REBUKED. 
 A few months before the abdication of James the 
 Second, Lord Chancellor Jeffries, of infamous 
 memorv, went to Arundel, in order to influence an 
 election. He took his residence at the castle, and 
 went on the day of election to the Town Hall, where 
 Mr. Peckham, then Mayor of Arundel, held his 
 court. The mayor, on seeing Jeffries, instantly 
 ordered him to withdraw, and in case of refusal, 
 threatened to commit him. You," said he, " who 
 
68 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ought to be the guardian of our laws, and of our 
 sacred constitution, shall not thus audaciously violate 
 them. This is raj court, and mj jurisdiction is above 
 yours." Jeffries, who was unwilling to perplex the 
 king's affahs further, retired immediately. The next 
 morning he invited Peckham to breakfast with him, 
 which he accepted : but he had the honesty to refase 
 a lucrative situation which the chancellor offered 
 bim. 
 
 IXDEPEXDEXT PATRON. 
 The late Duke of Leinster having a particular 
 
 friendship for a young banker in Dublm, arising from 
 his patriotism and general good character, returned 
 him for one of his boroughs. The banker, on waitmg 
 on his Grace to thank him for the honour, received 
 this truly noble declaration. Sir, I have returned 
 you for this borough because I think you a good 
 private character, and a man fit to serve your country. 
 I have, however, one condition to make with you in 
 return; which is, that in every parliamentary dis- 
 cussion whatever, you never consider yourself in the 
 least connected with me, or my interests." 
 
 GENEROUS LOYALTY, 
 
 After the battle of Ivry, Henry the Fourth of 
 . Prance being very much in want of money, asked 
 one of his most trusty courtiers where lie could pro- 
 cure some. The courtier mentioned a rich merchant's 
 ^-ife, who was a zealous royalist. The monarch, in 
 disguise, immediately accoiupanied his courtier on 
 
PATRIOTISM. 6D 
 his visit to the lady, Madame le Clerc, who received 
 them with great hospitality, and congratulated them 
 on the success of the king's arras. "Alas ! madam," 
 replied the courtier, *♦ to what purpose are all our 
 victories. We are in the greatest distress imaginable. 
 His majesty has no money to pay his troops ; they 
 threaten to revolt, and join the league. Mayenne 
 will triumph at last." "Is it possible ?" exclaimed 
 Madame le Clerc ; " but I hope that will not afflict 
 our sovereign, and that he will find new resources in 
 the loyalty of his subjects." She then quitted the 
 room, but soon returned with several bags of gold, 
 which she presented, saying, "This is all I can do 
 at present. Go and relieve the king from his anxiety ; 
 wish him all the success and happiness lie deserves ; 
 tell him to be confident that he reigns in the hearts of 
 his subjects, and that my hfe and fortune are, and 
 ever will be, at his disposal." 
 
 The king could no longer conceal his incognito. 
 Generous woman,''.: he cried, " my friend has no 
 occasion to go far to tell his majesty the excellence 
 of your heart; here he stands before you, and is a 
 witness to it. Be assured that the fas^our will be 
 indelibly engraved on the heart of your prince." 
 
 From that time, success attended the king - and 
 when he was master of the capital, and safely seated 
 on the throne, he sent for Madame le Clerc, and pre- 
 senting her to a full and brilliant court, said, " You 
 see this lady, who is a true friend of mine. To her 
 I owe all the successes of ray last campaigns.* It was 
 she who lent me money to carry on the war, when the 
 iroops threatened to abandon me." 
 
70 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 SWEDISH MAGISTRATE. 
 
 As soon as intelligence was received in Norway, 
 that the Swedes, under Charles Gustavus, had laid 
 siege to Copenhagen, Lauritz Undahl, a magistrate 
 at Christiana, collected all his cash and valuables, 
 even to his wife's necklace and other diamonds, and 
 sent them to Holland, for the purchase of fire arms ; 
 which, when he obtained, he distributed to a company 
 of artillery raised at his own expense. 
 
 At the conclusion of the war, Frederick the Third 
 offered to reimburse the expences his subjects had in- 
 curred in providing for the defence of the country. 
 The patriotic Undahl would not, however, accept of 
 any recompense. ** I consider it my duty," said he, 
 
 to devote not only my property, but my life, to the 
 service of my country." 
 
 SIEGE OF ORLEANS BY THE HUNS. 
 
 When Orleans was besieged by the Huns, under 
 the command of Attila, in the fifth century, tlie pas- 
 toral diligence of Aniauus, a bishop of primitive 
 sanctity, and consummate prudence, exhausted every 
 art of religious policy to support their courage till 
 the arrival of the expected succours. After an 
 obstinate siege, the walls were shaken by the battering 
 rams ; the IJuns had already occupied the suburbs j 
 and the people who were incapable of bearing arms, 
 lay prostrate in prayer. Anianus, who anxiously 
 counted the days and hours, despatched a trusty 
 messenger to observe from the ramparts the face of 
 
PATRIOTISM. 71 
 the distant country. He returned twice without nnj 
 intelligence that could Inspire hope or comfort ; but 
 in his third report, he mentioned a small cloud, which 
 he had faintly descried at the extremity of the horizon. 
 " It is the aid of God V exclaimed the bishop in a 
 tone of patriotism, joy, and pious confidence ; and 
 the whole multitude repeated after him, "It is the aid 
 of God !" The remote object on which every eye 
 was fixed, became each moment larger and more 
 distinct ; the Roman and Gothic banners were gra- 
 dually perceived ; and soon discovered, in deep array, 
 the impatient squadrons of ^tius and Theodoric, 
 who pressed forwards to the relief of Orleans. On 
 their approach, the king of the Huns raised the siege, 
 and sounded a retreat. 
 
 BRITISH CARPENTER. 
 
 On the surrender of Lord Cornwallis in the revo- 
 lutionary war of America, the crew of the Loyalist, 
 a frigate of twenty-two guns, was immediately con- 
 veyed to the Count de Grasse's fleet. Of that fleet, 
 the Ardent, captured ofr Plymouth, made one, but 
 she was in a very leaky condition. The Count being 
 informed that the carpenter of the Loyalist was a 
 clever fellow, and perfectly acquainted with the 
 chain pump, of which the French were then quite 
 ignorant, ordered him on board the Ville de Paris, 
 and said to him, " Sir, you are to go on board the 
 Ardent directly ; use your utmost skill, and save her 
 from sinking ; for which service, you shall have a 
 premium, and the encouragement due to the carpenter 
 of an equal rate in the British navy. To this I 
 
72 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 pledge my honour ; but if you refuse, you shall hare 
 nothing but bread and water during your captivity." 
 The tar, surprised at being thus addressed in his own 
 language by the French admiral, boldly answered : 
 ** I\oble Count, I am your prisoner ; it is in your 
 power to compel me ; but never let it be said, that a 
 British sailor forgot his duty to his king and country, 
 and entered voluntarily into the service of the enemy. 
 Your promises are no induceraent to me; and youi 
 threats shall not force me to injure my country." 
 To the eternal disgrace of Count de Grasse, he re- 
 warded this noble conduct by wanton severity as long 
 as he had it in his power to inflict it; but on his 
 exchange. Admiral Rodney appointed him carpenter 
 of his own ship, and which the Board of Admiralty 
 confirmed. 
 
 SIR JOHN SPENCER. 
 
 One of the wealthiest of London's lord mayors^ 
 was also the most patriotic. This was Sir John 
 Spencer, who filled the civic chair in 1594. In that 
 year, the government required the Bridge House, or 
 city granary, as a store-house for provisions for the 
 navy • but this was refused by Sir John Spencer, 
 who boldly remonstrating with Lord Burleigh, told 
 them, that in order to provide against a dearth, the 
 Bridge House had been filled with grain from foreign 
 parts for the use of the city, and that therefore " they 
 could with no convenience spare the same." Sir 
 John was then told, that he should hear more to his 
 dislike" for this refusal. He replied, that if they 
 did procure any letters for the Bridge House, " he 
 doubted not but to answer them to their lordships' (of 
 a privy council) good acceptance," 
 
PATRIOTISM. 73 
 When the queen, intending to take the recorder, 
 feir John Crooke, into her service, desired the lord 
 mayor to return her the names of the persons intended 
 to be put in nomination for that office, the citizens, 
 alarmed at so extraordinary a proceeding, and fearing 
 It might affect their privileges, nominated only one 
 person ; and this act was so ably and firmly vindi- 
 cated by Sir John Spencer, that the queen never 
 made the alteration she proposed. 
 
 MR. BAYLY OF EPSOM. 
 
 In 1782, it was proposed in several counties of 
 l^ngland, to raise a subscription in each, sufficient to 
 add a ship of the line to the British navy. Among the 
 contributors to this patriotic measure, was Nathaniel 
 15ajiy, Esq. of Epsom, who sent the sum of one hun- 
 dred guineas, with the following letter, to Mr. Mid- 
 dleton, Esq., the High Sheriff of Suffolk. The letter 
 was dated September 26, 1782. 
 
 Sir, After returning you my thanks for the trouble 
 you are taking to procure an adequate subscription 
 in the county of Suffolk, for the laudable purpose 
 ofaddmgashipof the line to the navy of Great 
 Britain, give me leave to beg that you will subscribe 
 a hundred guineas thereto for me. Having no estate 
 or interest in your county, (more than in common with 
 every Englishman, who may think himself, as I do, 
 deeply interested in every place and part of the Bri' 
 tish empire) is the reason that I did not offer you 
 my mite sooner ; but hearing that the subscription h 
 
 nation .'^^ ^^P^'^^ ^« liberal a 
 
 nation, there may be many persons disposed to con- 
 
74 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 tribute in the same manner, without regard to local 
 interest, particularly in London, and other great cities, 
 which have ever been remarkable for their liberality. 
 So that I doubt not if other subscriptions are set on 
 foot, they will meet with the greatest encouragement 
 in the same way ; for I assure you, sir, and hereby 
 pledge myself to give the same sum, not only to each 
 of the twelve counties you have promised, but to 
 every other county and city in which subscriptions 
 shall be opened for the like good purpose, throughout 
 our three kingdoms. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &C. 
 
 NATHANIEL BAYLY." 
 
 LOYAL SUBSCRIPTIOKS OF 1745. 
 In the rebellion of 1745, a large subscription which 
 was entered into for the support of the government, 
 was filled with unexampled expedition. The Duke 
 of Grafton congratulating his royai master, George the 
 Second, on such an unequivocal proof of the affections 
 of his subjects, his majesty replied, in his broken 
 English, " My good lord, my peoples be my wife ; 
 though they quarrel with me themselves, they will 
 not suffer others to do it." 
 
 HAMPDEN. 
 The name of Hampden is dear to every English 
 patriot ; bis love of country was untainted by sel- 
 fishness; his resistance to authority unstained by 
 crime ; he pleaded and remonstrated against the en- 
 croacliments of power, until pleading and remon- 
 strance were disregarded ; and he only resorted to 
 
PATRIOTISM. 75 
 
 arms when the liberties of his country were so en- 
 dangered, as to render it criminal to remain any 
 longer passive. 
 
 John Hampden was descended from one of the 
 most ancient families in Buckinghamshire. When he 
 had attained his thirtieth year, he was chosen to re- 
 present his native county in parliament; an event 
 which roused to exertion those principles of virtue 
 and patriotism which seemed latent in his character. 
 He was consulted by the ieadmg members of par- 
 liament in all the important points of opposition. 
 It was Hampden's peculiar talent to act powerfully 
 when he seemed most disengaged. He made no 
 public figure, however, till 1636, when he became 
 universally known by a solemn trial at tlie King's 
 Bench, on his refusing to pay the ship-money. He 
 carried himself, as Clarendon tells us, through this 
 whole suit with such singular temper and modesty, ^ 
 that he obtained more credit and advantage by losing 
 it, than the king did service by gaining it. The infa- 
 mous judgment given by the judges on this cause, 
 only roused the nation to a more serious attention 
 to the conduct and views of the court; and encou- 
 raged those men of genius and abilities who laid 
 the grounds for the succeeding revolution, to concert 
 measures how to improve, to an effectual height, the 
 growing discontent. 
 
 From this time Hampden soon grew to be one of 
 the most popular men of the nation, and a leading 
 member in the Long Parliament. The eyes of all 
 men," says Clarendon, were fixed upon him as the 
 pater patri(s ) and the pilot that must steer the vessel 
 through the tempests and rocks which tlireatened it." 
 H 2 
 
76 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 Now that be had engaged in the important scheme 
 of abridging the power of the court, and reform- 
 ing the government of the country, he totally dis- 
 carded the levities of bis youth, and became re- 
 markable for the sobriety and strictness of his 
 manners ; which, still retaining his natural vivacity 
 of temper, he embellished with an affable, cheerful, 
 and polished behaviour in the parliament of 1640, 
 an event which had been long and impatiently ex- 
 pected by the people, and to which the indefatigable 
 industry, activity, and abilities of Hampden had in 
 a good measure conduced. He was one of the 
 chief directors of the anti-court party ; and especially 
 trusted in the business of watching the king's conduct 
 in Scotland, and preventing the Scots being seduced 
 from the interests of liberty, by the cabals and 
 cajolements of the court. His art of directing the 
 understanding and governing the inclinations of men, 
 being such, in all the transactions between the two 
 nations, he was appointed by the parliament one of 
 the commissioners to treat with that people. When 
 the quarrel between the king and the parliament 
 came to hostilities, he accepted the command of a 
 Tegiment of foot under the Earl of Essex, and was 
 one of the first who opened the war, by an action at 
 a place called Brill in Buckinghamshire. As the 
 sagacity and intrepidity of his conduct in the character 
 of a senator, had rendered him so much the object of 
 the king's indignation, as to be one of the six 
 members marked for particular vengeance, so his 
 activity and bravery in the field, and his wise and 
 spirited counsels on the operations of the war, ren- 
 dered him so formidable a rival of Essex, that it was 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 77 
 
 thought, had he lived, his party, who were at this 
 time highly incensed at that generals conduct, 
 would have taken the command from him, and given 
 it to Hampden. 
 
 Clarendon lias drawn the portrait of this eminent 
 personage ; but though marked with those partial 
 lines which distinguish the hand of this historian, it 
 is the testimony of an enemy to virtues possessed 
 only by the foremost rank of men. AH the talents 
 and virtues which render private life useful, amiable, 
 and respectable, were united in Hampden, in the 
 highest degree, with those excellences which guide 
 the jarring opinions of popular counsels to determine 
 points ; and, whilst he penetrated into the most 
 secret designs of other men, he never discovered more 
 of his own inclinations than was necessary to the 
 purpose in hand. In debate, he was so much a 
 master, that, joining the art of Socrates with the 
 graces of Cicero, he fixed his own opinion under the 
 modest guise of desiring to improve by that of 
 others; and, contrary to the nature of disputes, left 
 a pleasing impression, which prejudiced his antagonist 
 in his favour, even when he had not convinced or 
 altered his judgment. His behaviour was so generally 
 uniform, and unaffectedly aflfable, and his conversation 
 so enlivened by his vivacity, so seasoned by his 
 knowledge and understanding, and so well applied 
 to the genius, humour, and prejudices of those he 
 conversed with, that his talents, to gain popularity, 
 were absolute. With qualities of this high nature, 
 he possessed in council penetration and discernment, 
 with a sagacity on which no one could impose, an 
 industry and vigilance which were indefatigable, with 
 
^8 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 •the entire command of his passions and affections, an 
 advantage which gave him a decided' superiority over 
 less regulated minds. Whilst there were any hopes 
 that the administration of the country could be cor- 
 rected, without the entire overthrow of the consti- 
 tution, Hampden chose, before other preferment, the 
 superintendence of the prince's mind, aiming to 
 correct the source from whence the happiness or mis- 
 fortunes of the empire, if the government continued 
 monarchical, must flow : but the aversion which the 
 king discovered to those regulations which were 
 necessary to secure the freedom of the constitution 
 from any future attempt of the crown, with the 
 schemes he had entered on to punish the authors of 
 reformation, and rescind his concessions, determined 
 the conduct of Hampden. Convinced that Charles's 
 affections and understanding were too corrupt to be 
 trusted with power in any degree, he sought the 
 abolition of monarchy, as the only cure to national 
 grievances, warmly opposing all overtures for treaties, 
 as dangerous snares, or any other expedient than con- 
 quest for accommodation. 
 
 This virtuous patriot was shot in the shoulder by a 
 brace of bullets on Chalgrove field in the year 1642, 
 and after lingering six days, expired in exquisite pain. 
 The king on hearing of Hampden being wounded, 
 though he was then in arms against him, immediately 
 sent his own physician to attend him, and expressed his 
 consciousness of his integrity, and the regret he felt 
 at his severe wound. 
 
 In such respect is the memory of Hampden still 
 held by his grateful countrymen, that some years ago 
 4>ne of his descendants being deficient in an amount 
 
PATRIOTISM. 79 
 
 of public money, he was exonerated from the debt 
 due to government by an act of parliament, parti- 
 cularly expressing that it was for the services which his 
 illustrious ancestor had rendered to the country, that 
 this mark of favour was shown to him. 
 
 THE RAT IN THE STATUE. 
 Hoen Thong, the Emperor of China, was sitting 
 one day in the gardens of Pekin with his favourite 
 counsellor Ti Chi. They talked of the long glories 
 of the Chinese empire, from the beginning of the 
 world to the present era ; the excellence of its laAvs, 
 and the wisdom of its government. " Ti Chi," 
 said the emperor, " what is most to be feared in a 
 government r " In my opinion, sire," replied the 
 counsellor, nothing is more to be dreaded than what 
 they call the ' Rat in the Statue.' " The emperor not 
 understanding the allegory, Ti Chi explained it to 
 him. You know, sire," said he, that it is a 
 common practice to erect statues to the genius of 
 the place ; these statues are of wood, hollow within, 
 and painted without. If a rat gets into one of them, 
 one does not know how to get him out. One dares 
 not make use of iire, for fear of burning the wood; 
 one cannot dip it in water, for fear of washing off the 
 colours ; so that the regard one has for the statue, saves 
 the rat that has got into it. Such, sire, are in every 
 government, those who, without virtue or merit, have 
 gained the favour of their prince. They ruin every 
 thing ; one sees it, one laments it, but one does not 
 Know how to remedy it." 
 
80 
 
 PERCY AMECDOTES. 
 
 SIR JEROME BOWES. 
 Sir Jerome Bowes, who was proud of being the 
 guardian of his sovereign's and his country's honour, 
 was sent to Moscow as ambassador from Queen 
 Elizabeth to the Emperor Ian Vasilovich. On entering 
 the presence chamber, he was desired by the emperor 
 to take his seat at ten paces distance, and send to him 
 her majesty's letter and present. Sir Jerome thinking 
 this unreasonable, stept forward towards the emperor, 
 but was intercepted by the chancellor, who wished to 
 take the letters. The ambassador said, that "her 
 majesty had directed no letters to him," and so went 
 forward, anddeliYcred them himself into the emperor's 
 own hands. 
 
 In the course of his mission, Sir Jerome stanaing 
 up boldly for his country, offended the emperor, who 
 with a stern and angry countenance told him, ** that 
 he did not reckon the Queen of England to be his 
 fellow." Sir Jerome disliking such speeches, and 
 unwilling to suffer this autocrat to speak lightly 
 of the honour and greatness of her majesty, boldly 
 told him to his face, " that the queen, his mistress, 
 was as great as any prince in Christendom, equal 
 to him that thought himself the greatest, and well 
 able to defend herself against the malice of any 
 whomsoever." The emperor on this was so enraged, 
 that he declared, " if he were not an ambassador, he 
 would throw him out of doors." Sir Jerome replied 
 coolly, " that he was in his power, but he had a mis- 
 tress who would revenge any injury done to him." The 
 emperor unable to bear it longer, bade him get home j 
 
PATRIOTISM. 81 
 
 when Sir Jerome, *' with no more reverence than such 
 usage required, saluted the emperor and departed." 
 
 No sooner was the ambassador gone, and the 
 emperor's rage somewhat abated, than "he com- 
 mended the ambassador before his council, because 
 he would not endure one ill word to be spoken against 
 his mistress, and therewithal wished himself to have 
 such a servant/' After this, Sir Jerome was treated 
 with such high distinction, and obtained such great 
 privileges for the English nation, that Ian Vasilovich 
 was henceforth named by his enemies, " the English 
 Emperor.'' 
 
 LORENZO DE MEDICI. 
 No man ever died in Florence, or in the whole ex- 
 tent of Italy, with a higher reputation, or was more 
 lamented by his country, than Lorenzo de Medici. 
 Not only his fellow citizens, but all the princes in 
 Italy, were so sensibly affected by his death, that there 
 was not one of them who did not send ambassadors 
 to Florence, to testify their grief, and to condole with 
 the republic on so great a loss. That they had just 
 reasons for these demonstrations of sorrow, was soon 
 fully manifested ; for immediately after his decease, 
 such a flame of discord was kindled, as has preyed 
 upon the vitals of Italy ever since. As a patron of 
 the arts, Lorenzo was as much distinguished as he was 
 for his patriotism. He restored the academy of Pisa 
 founded another at Florence, and formed a noble gal- 
 lery and garden. Well, therefore, did he merit the 
 title of "Lorenzo the Magnificent," 
 
82 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ALEXANDER, THE ROMAN EMPEROR. 
 
 So deeply was the love of his country impressed 
 on the mind of Alexander, the Roman emperor, that 
 he is said never to have given any public office out of 
 favour or friendship; but to have employed such 
 only as were, both by himself and the senate, judged 
 the best qualified for the discharge of the trust 
 reposed in then). He preferred one to the command 
 of the guards, who had retired into the country on 
 purpose to avoid that office, saying, that with him, 
 the declining such honourable employments was the 
 best recommendation to them. He would not suffer 
 any public employments to be sold, saying, "He 
 who buys, must sell in his turn ; and it would be 
 unjust to punish one for selling, after he has been 
 suffered to buy." He never pardoned any crime 
 committed against the public ; but suffered no one to 
 be condemned, till his cause was thoroughly heard, 
 and his affence evidently proved. He was an irre- 
 concilable enemy to such as were convicted of having 
 plundered the provinces, and oppressed the people 
 committed to their care. These he never spared, : 
 though his friends, favourites, and kinsmen; but 
 sentenced them to death, and caused them to be exe- 
 cuted like common malefactors, notwithstanding their 
 quality or former services. 
 
 CORSICA. 
 
 " I defy," said the brave General Paoli, Rome, , 
 Sparta, or Thebes, to show me thirty years of such 
 patriotism as Corsica can boast." This little island 
 
PATRIOTISM. 83 
 
 has experienced more vicissitudes, and been subjected 
 to a greater variety of masters, than any other part 
 of Europe. Different states have held it in subjection 
 by turns, just as their poAver predominated over that 
 of their neighbours. During the prosperity of the 
 Carthaginians, Corsica owned them for its lords ; 
 afterwards it passed successively to the Romans, and 
 to their conquerors, the barbarians from the north ; 
 then to the Saracens ; afterwards to the Pope, who 
 made a transfer of it to the Pisans ; and lastly, it 
 was wrested from them by their more powerful neigh- 
 • hours and competitors, the Genoese ; who, after some 
 severe struggles, attended with varied successes, 
 became, in 1354, its complete and undisputed sove* 
 reigns. 
 
 The despotism of the Genoese, made all the former 
 durance and sufferings of the Corsicans appear light 
 and trivial. The yoke was, however, too formidable 
 to be easily broken; until, unable to bear longer 
 their oppressions, they revolted in formidable numbers 
 in 1729, and obtained several successes over the 
 Genoese. It was in the course of this protracted 
 contest, that Theodore de Newhoff was elected king; 
 but after a short and unhappy reign, he resigned the 
 office. The Corsicans still continued to struggle, 
 under their own patriot leaders, to emancipate their 
 country, when, in 1755, Pascal Paoli, then a student 
 at JVaples, was raised to the chief command. Nothing 
 could be more gratifying to the feelings of Pascal, 
 than this voluntary and striking testimony of the 
 good opinion and attachment of the people among 
 w^hom he had been born ; and, impressed with the 
 generous ambition of serving his country, by asserting 
 
84 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 its liberties, he resolved to comply with the lionour- 
 able proposal which had been made to him. His 
 resolution on this occasion was not the rash impulse of 
 the moment, induced by the prospect, fascinating at 
 all times to the mind of youth, of eminence and fame 5 
 it was the reluctant determination of genuine patriot- 
 ism, in which his diffidence and fear were forcibly 
 overcome by the imperious calls of public duty. Of 
 the greatness of the undertaking in which he was 
 about to embark, and of the difficulties and dangers 
 attending it, he was by no means insensible ; but, 
 considering his abilities, whatever they might be, as 
 the rightful property of his country, he nobly deter- 
 mined to make every necessary sacrifice of a personal 
 nature, to advance as far as he was able, its welfare 
 and prosperity. This resolution was highly pleasing 
 to his venerable father. He viewed with feelings of 
 parental exultation, the obedience of his son to the 
 calls of his oppressed country ; and a ray of patriotic 
 hope beamed in his countenance, when he beheld him 
 about to embark, in all the fire of youth, in the great 
 cause to which he had himself devoted many of the 
 best years of his protracted life. When on the eve 
 of bidding a last adieu to his son, the venerable sire, 
 agitated by a crowd of contending feelings, addressed 
 him in the following affectionate language : " My 
 son, I may possibly never see you more; but in my 
 mind I shall ever be present with you. Your design 
 is a great and a noble one ; and I doubt not but that 
 God will bless you in it. The little which remains to 
 me of life, I will allot to your cause, in offering up 
 niy prayers and supplications to heaven for your 
 protection and prosperity." 
 
PATRIOTISM. 86 
 _ When Paoli landed in the island, all was enthu- 
 siasm and hope. His appearance seemed to verifv 
 every eulogiura which had been passed upon his 
 character, and to realize every expectation which liad 
 been formed upon the report of his talents. His dig- 
 nilied, though modest demeanour, his manly aspect, 
 and general firmness and energy of character, ren- 
 dered more engaging and attractive by his amiable 
 temper, and affable deportment towards all with whom 
 he conversed, warmed all hearts with admiration, and 
 attorded an auspicious earnest of the eminence he 
 was ulfmately to attain. His formal appointment to 
 the chief command, which took place soon after his 
 arrival, was announced to the public in a proclamation 
 of the supreme council, dated at St. Antonio of the 
 White House, July 15, 1755. At the time Paoli 
 vvas invested with the government of the island, the 
 state of lis affairs, and the general condition of its 
 inhabitants were most disorderly and wretched, and 
 required the most prompt exertions of the ereat 
 powers of his genius to regulate and reform them. 
 The Genoese, notwithstanding every exertion to expel 
 them, were still m possession of a great part of the 
 country ; and there was a total want of that discipline 
 and subordmation among the Corsican troops, and of 
 !«t^-T°°^ '""^ confidence among their leaders, so 
 essentially necessary to enable them to act with 
 vigour and effect; and they were almost entirely 
 destitute of the arms, ammunition, and money, requi^ 
 site to prosecute a successful warfare against %o 
 
 tend with ' ^ ^"^ ^""^ 
 
 Paoli was, however, soon enabled to drive the Genoese 
 
86 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 from all the interior districts, and to confine them to the 
 maritime towns. The people under the command of 
 Paoli, had now become tolerably united, and cordially 
 co-operated with the ruling powers. Strong measures 
 were therefore adopted to harass the enemy, and a 
 spirited manifesto was published, inviting the Corsicans 
 to come forward, and to exert their utmost power to 
 emancipate themselves from the bondage under which 
 they had so long groaned. The Genoese became 
 alarmed, well knowing, by dear-bought experience, 
 the courage and intrepidity of the islanders, and 
 beholding, with trepidation and alarm, the encreased 
 energies with which they had been inspired by the 
 wise counsels and animating example of their patriotic 
 leader. The Genoese sought to negociate, but Paoli 
 and his brave associates in arms resolved never to 
 make peace, until the Genoese should recognize the 
 freedom and independence of Corsica. All prospect 
 of negociation being thus broken off, the affairs of 
 the Corsican patriots assumed a most serious aspect* 
 They presented memorials to the sovereigns of 
 Europe, in the hopes that some one would interfere 
 in their behalf ; but 
 
 "Truths would you teach, and save a sinking land^ 
 All hear, none aid you, and few understand;" 
 
 and the Corsicans, instead of support, found that France 
 had agreed by treaty to assist Genoa with six bat- 
 talions, to garrison the towns they still held in Cor- 
 sica. During the four years for which this treaty 
 was to remain in force, Paoli confined his attention 
 principally to such regulations as were necessary to 
 preserve tlie country from being harassed and plun- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 87 
 dered by these auxiliaries; and the only military 
 operation of consequence which took place in this 
 interval, was an attack upon the small island of 
 Capraja, in the vicinity of Corsica, then in the pos- 
 session of the Genoese ; which, after a vigorous 
 assault, was carried by the patriots, in the month of 
 May, 1767. 
 
 When Paoli and his followers were anxiously 
 .waiting the expiration of the term during which the 
 Genoese were to receive the assistance of the French 
 forces sent to the island, an event happened, which 
 threw a dark cloud over this devoted country and its 
 brave defenders, and excited the indignation of every 
 considerate man in Europe. The republic, beholding 
 the unyielding constancy with which the Corsicans 
 maintained their cause, and reflecting upon the im- 
 mense expences of the contest they were carrying on 
 against them, entered into a negociation with the 
 French court to transfer the island ; and actually con- 
 cluded a treaty, whereby they transferred to them 
 all their claims, such as they were, to its possession 
 and sovereignty. As a preliminary step in the rati- 
 fication of this treaty, the towns then garrisoned by 
 the Jrench troops, were to be considered as ceded to 
 France; and the remainder of the island was to be 
 recovered from Paoli by the French themselves, either 
 by negociation or by force. The French minister, 
 the Duke de Choiseul, was certainly very ill-advised 
 in this unfortunate bargain. Notwithstanding the 
 lesson which the fatal experience of the Genoese 
 might have taught him to the contrary, he appears 
 to have thought, that in the hands of France, the 
 conquest or subjugation of the island might be accora^ 
 I 2 
 
88 PERCY ANECfiOTES. 
 
 plished without muck difficulty j and little knowing 
 the firm and determined character of genuine patriot- 
 ism, exerting itself in the defence of all that is dear 
 to man, he made overtures to Paoli to forego any 
 farther opposition, and to suffer the French govern- 
 ment to take quiet possession of their purchased 
 territory. To induce his compliance, it was proposed 
 to him, to recognise his commission as commander-in- 
 chief, and to continue to him that rank and authority, 
 with this only, though indeed essential, difference, 
 that he was to hold it under the supreme authority of 
 the French government. But Paoli was not to be so 
 easily inveigled into the toils of a corrupt court. He 
 rejected its proposal with becoming dignity and spirit, 
 declaring that " the rocks which surrounded him 
 should melt away, ere he would betray a cause which 
 he held in common with the meanest Corsican." 
 Negociations having thus proved ineffectual to corrupt 
 this Timoleon of modern times, the French minister 
 found he must have recourse to more powerful means 
 to force his submission. The war was begun by the 
 French troops already in the island,under the command 
 of the Count de Marbeuf ; but as it was soon per- 
 ceived that this force was too small and insignificant 
 to prosecute any offensive operations of consequence, 
 a reinforcement, consisting of about five thousand 
 men, under the command of the Marquess de 
 Chauvelin, was sent to its assistance. These troops 
 landed at Bastia, flushed with the most sanguine 
 hopes of victory, considering it impossible that so dis- 
 orderly and ill-accoutred an army as that of Paoli 
 appeared to them, could long hold out against so 
 Eiumerous and well disciplined a body as themselves. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 89 
 
 The event, however, proved that they were mistaken. 
 In their first attack, indeed, they proved successful, 
 and forced their enemies to relinquish the entrench- 
 ments which they had formed on the heights of 
 Croce, Maillebois, and St. Antonio ; but being too 
 highly elated with this advantage, they pursued their 
 career with too little circumspection, and fell into a 
 snare, which Paoli, who had withdrawn his troops to 
 the other side of the Guolo, had laid for them. They 
 were suddenly attacked by five or six thousand raen, 
 nnder the command of Clement Paoli, the brother of 
 Pascal, and routed in all directions. Paoli imme- 
 diately proceeded to lay siege to Borgo, a strong 
 position of which the French had obtained possession 
 in their first successes, and which had been entrusted 
 to the command of M. de Lude. Having no artillery, 
 their menaces were regarded as impotent by their 
 enemies, and treated with ridicule. The Corsicans, 
 however, invested the place on the 5th of December, 
 and blockaded DeLude and his troops so completely, 
 as to cut olf all communication between him and the 
 main body, and to deprive him of all supplies of 
 water for himself and his men. At length his situa- 
 tion became so desperate, that M. de Chauvelin con- 
 ceived it to be his duty to risk the safety of his 
 whole army to endeavour to relieve him. Accordingly, 
 an ill-conducted attack was made on the Cor- 
 sicans, which terminated in their complete success. 
 The French forces were driven back with the loss of 
 about three hundred men, and De Lude was obliged 
 to capitulate, with all the infantry, the colours of the 
 xoyal legion, and four pieces of artillery, while the 
 victorious Corsicans had not to lament the loss of 
 I 3 
 
90 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES* 
 
 one man in any part of the engagement. After this 
 signal defeat, in which Paoliand his brave country men 
 covered themselves with glory, M. de Chauvelin 
 retreated in consternation to Bastia, leaving his con- 
 querors in quiet possession of the field they had so 
 nobly won. The French commander soon afterwards 
 returned home in disgrace, and Marbeuf succeeded 
 him pro tempore* A suspension of arms was agreed^ 
 upon between the new commander and Paolij but 
 Dumourier, who served in the French army as adju- 
 tant-general, being at variance with Marbeuf, deter- 
 mined not to remain idle. Under pretence that the 
 Corsicans in opposition to Paoli, were not included 
 in this treaty, he intrigued with several of the prin- 
 cipal families among them, agreed to carry on the war 
 at their head, and actually assaulted the post of Isola 
 Rossa, and took the tower of Giralette by storm. 
 This impotent M^arfare was, however, soon terminated; 
 and the Corsican patriots had leisure to direct their 
 thoughts to operations of greater consequence. Elated 
 by their late successes, and willing to avail themselves 
 of the favourable opportunity which the consternation 
 of their invaders offered for the purpose, they en- 
 tered into a regular and systematic conspiracy, to 
 destroy or utterly to expel them from the island. 
 All the quarters occupied by the French were to be 
 assaulted at one and the same time, and six battalions 
 that wintered in Oletta were to be murdered by their 
 hosts. This massacre did not take place, but the 
 general attack was carried into execution, A bat- 
 talion of the regiment of La Mark was surprised and 
 cut off in the Patrimonio. Reprisals ensued, and the 
 war again broke out with increased Tiolence. 
 
Patriotism. gj 
 favourable as was the termination of this campaien 
 to Paoh and h,s followers, they were too soon con- 
 vmced that their victory had not secured them anv 
 lastmgadvantages. They found that France had sen^ 
 a remforcement of twenty battalions and two legion" 
 under the command of the Count de Vaux, whose 
 m.htary talents and resolution Paoli well W how 
 . to estimate. Desperate as the affairs of the islander^ 
 had now become, they did not despair, but appeared 
 ammated wrth life and vigour, proportioned^ £ 
 e.n,_, and determined to grasp^he darling form 
 of liberty, while hfe or hope remained. To the fo^ 
 aidable armament of their enemies, they opposed a 
 firm undaunted front, tenaciously defending and 
 
 to ttieir foes. These foes were, however, too nume 
 rous and too formidable ; and Paoli and his brave" 
 associates, after prosecuting the struggle for ZZl 
 tinie even when it became hopeless, lere obi led to 
 abandon their country to its unprincipled spoilfrs. 
 .erft. • ^"J^.^°''^l'ofell in one of the des- 
 perate actions against the Genoese, when dvin^ 
 -wrote to Paoli thus: "I salute von Tub 
 xny aged father In two ho™ fshall^elirthe 
 rest who have bravely died for their country." 
 
 PAOLI. 
 
 Pa^!'/°I!-'"r^.''"''^"'" ""^ secretary of General 
 
 have ventured to acquaint you by oL o{ o»X- a 
 ^a. we expect this nV Jse.tleVe Jthod Tot' 
 
9-2 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 embarkation. We are here to the number of five 
 liundred and thirty-seven, entirely surrounded by 
 four thousand of the French army. Our general 
 never showed himself greater than in the midst of his 
 misfortunes ; he animates us by his example, and con- 
 soles us by his discourse continually. Yesterday he 
 ascended a small eminence in the middle of the 
 camp, and delivered the speech which I have inclosed. 
 We are resolved to die with our arms in our hands, if 
 we do not succeed in escaping to some other place, 
 where we hope to wait until a change of chrcum- 
 3tances revives our expectations, and again restores us 
 to our country. 
 
 PAOLl's SPEECH. 
 
 "At length, my brave companions, we are re- 
 duced to the last extremity. That dreadful event, 
 which neither a war of thirty years, the rancorous 
 hatred of the Genoese, nor the forces of different 
 European powers, could bring about, is now produced 
 by the effect of gold alone ! Our unfortunate country- 
 men, deceived and led away by their corrupted chiefs, 
 are even going themselves to embrace those chains 
 which are forging for them 1 Our once happy con- 
 stitution is overthrown ! Most of our friends are 
 either slam or made prisoners ! and for us, who have 
 had the misfortune to see and weep over the ruins of 
 our country, what remains ? IS^othingbut a sad alter- 
 native, death or slavery ! Can any of you, to lengthen 
 out a short life of wretchedness, become slaves to 
 injustice and oppression? Alas! my dear friends, 
 let us reject with scorn that shameful thought. As 
 neither the gold nor the splendid offers of France, 
 
PATRIOTISM. 93 
 have had power to tempt me to dishonour, I irust the 
 success of their arms has not made me contemptible, 
 no h „ ''P"'^"°" having conquered, there is 
 nothing more estimable than a glorious death ! Let 
 
 ^sLn. 'l r^^- in a 
 
 co l, . wa,t for happier times to avenge our 
 country s wrongs, or terminate our honourable career 
 
 Z^IT-^' 'y--^ g'oaousi/:s'Te 
 
 of l-iff*!'' '"f" ''"^^ ^'^^'^"^'^ followers 
 fouoht h- '".^ ""^ ''^^'^ «^ "ight, having 
 
 inn !> ^ °" ^ea shore, where he 
 
 to Lti ^^K ^"'^^''^""^ f-"'^ 
 LeZrn r ^"8''^'' ^«^^<=1 bound to 
 
 f h^r\ ,f ^ All the English ships saluted him with 
 their ar illerj. and displayed their colours ; and thou" 
 
 ramed most violently when he landed, the people of 
 all ranks ran .„ crowds towards the mol^ andCce ted 
 the brave ch,ef with the greatest acclam;tions of joy . 
 
 PATRIOT FATHERS. 
 
 wa!t:ed°L^:;j/rufrv^c^^^ 
 
 commanded hy Gafffri. By altLgLt^to?^ 
 he nurse who had the care of Gaffori's eldest son 
 tl en an mfant. wandering some distance f?o „ the 
 camp was seen by the Genoese, who making a s dd n 
 *ally, seized the nurse and the child, af d carried 
 
94 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 them into the castle. This circumstance cast a great 
 damp over the Corsican army, and the Genoese 
 thought they might demand any terras from Gaffori. 
 while they retained so dear a pledge. When he ad- _ 
 vanced with his cannon against the castle, they held M 
 up his son directly over that part of the wall agamst « 
 which his artillery was levelled. The Corsicans W 
 stopped, and began to draw back; but Gaffori, with ^ 
 the resolution of a Roman, stood at their head, and 
 ordered them to continue their fire. Fortunately his 
 firmness was not broken by losing his child, as it 
 escaped unhurt. 
 
 Gaffori, previous to the revolutionary war under 
 Paoli, was once informed that a band of assassins 
 were coming against him. He went out and met 
 them with serene dignity, and begging that they 
 would hear him, if but for a moment, he gave them 
 so pathetic a picture of the distresses of their country, 
 and roused them to such a degree against the authors 
 of their oppression, that the assassins threw themselves 
 at his feet, implored his forgiveness, and instantly 
 joined his banners. 
 
 In the struggles which Corsica made to shake ott 
 the yoke of the Genoese, two sons of Count Domenico 
 Rivarola were seized, though in a Tuscan vessel with 
 a Bridsh passport, and carried to Genoa. The re- 
 public thought this would certainly prevent the 
 Count from continuing with the patriots. They 
 offered to restore him his possessions, release his two 
 sons, and make him general of the Corsican troops in 
 their service, if he would desert the patriot army. 
 He answered with resolution and magnanimity, 
 " No : my sons they shall be obliged to give me 3 
 
PATRIOTISM. 95 
 and all their other ofFers I consider as nothing in 
 comparison of the just enterprise in whicli I am 
 engaged, and in which I will persevere while I have 
 life." 
 
 REPUBLIC OF SAN MARINO. 
 When Cardinal Alberoni was Legate of Romagna, 
 in 1740, he endeavoured to bring the little republic 
 of San Marino^ which bordered on his government, 
 under the dominion of the Pope. The Cardinal had 
 intrigued so successfully with some of the principal 
 inhabitants, that the da^^ was fixed on which these 
 republicans were to swear allegiance to the sovereign 
 under whose protection they had put themselves. 
 On the day appointed, Alberoni rode up the moun- 
 tain with his suite, and was received at the door of 
 the principal church by the priests, and the chief 
 inhabitants of the place. He was conducted to his 
 seat under a canopy to hear high mass and Te Deum 
 sung; a ceremony usual in all catholic countries on 
 similar occasions. Unluckily, however, for the views 
 of Alberoni, the mass began, as was usual in that re- 
 public, with the word Libertas. This word had such an 
 effect upon the minds of the hearers, who began then 
 for the first time perhaps to recollect that they were 
 about to lose the thing itself, that they fell upon the 
 Cardinal and his attendants, drove them out of the 
 church,^ and made them descend the very steep 
 mountain of Marino with rapidity; after which, the 
 Popes left the inhabitants to their old form of govern- 
 ment. 
 
96 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 THE SMALLEST REPUBLIC. 
 
 Amid the various opinions concerning the different 
 modes of government^ it is not universally known 
 which is the smallest republic in Europe. It is the 
 village of Gerisau in Switzerland , which is situated on 
 the eastern branch of the Lake of Schweitz, at the 
 foot of Mount Kigi. Its territory is only six miles in 
 length and three in breadth ; situated partly on a 
 small neck of land at the edge of the lake, and partly 
 lying upon the rapid declivity of the R-igi. It contains 
 about 1200 inhabitants. They have their general 
 assembly of burgesses, their landamman, their coun- 
 cil of regency, their courts of justice, and their militia; 
 but there is not a single horse in the whole territory 
 of the republic ; as indeed riiay well be supposed, 
 for the only way of arriving at the town is by water, 
 excepting a narrow path down the steep sides of the 
 mountain, which is almost impassable. Gerisau is com- 
 posed entirely of scattered houses and cottages of a very 
 neat and picturesque appearance. Each dwelling is 
 provided with a field or small garden. The inhabi- 
 tants are much employed in preparing silk for the 
 manufactures of Basle. This little republic is under 
 the protection of the four cantons of Lucerne, Uri» 
 Schweitz, and Underwaldew ; and in case of war, 
 furnishes its quota of men. To the ambitious politi- 
 cian, who judges of governments by extent of domi- 
 nion and power, such a diminutive republic, thrown 
 into an obscure corner, and scarcely known out of 
 its own contracted territory, must appear unworthy 
 of notice ; but the smallest spot of earth on which 
 
TATRIOTISM. 97 
 true civil freedom is cultivated and flourishes, cannot 
 fail to interest those who know tlie real value of 
 libertj and independence, and are convinced that 
 political happiness does not consist in great opulence 
 and extensive empire. 
 
 THE BARANGI. 
 Alexius Comnenius meaning to depose Nicephorus 
 Botoniates the Emperor of Constantinople, sent Caesar 
 Ducas in the habit of a monk, to spy how the citv 
 -as defended. He brought word' back, th^ the^ 
 must take heed how they assaulted one' partiS 
 
 femnr I'h T ^T'u"^ ^''"'"^i. and that to 
 
 temp them by bribery was impracticable; "for" 
 says he these battJe-axe men adhering firmly to 
 he rad.tions of their own country, think faith to 
 tlieir leaders, to be their portion of inheritance." 
 itiese i?aro«^i, who were undoubtedly Englishmen 
 are supposed by some writers to have fled thei^ 
 country when they found the Normans prevail. 
 
 ERECTING FORTBESSES. 
 When the Senate of Genoa proposed to build a 
 fortress ,n the middle of the city. i„ order to ensure 
 Its tranquillity, and to protect the life of AndreaDoria 
 
 ^Iltjl <Ji=ti»g"i^hed patrio; 
 
 opposed the measure very violently, saying, "that 
 Genoa could never preserve its liberty by mere ram- 
 parts, and by a garrison ; that it must owe that 
 inestimable blessing to the disinterestedness of the 
 nobles, and the obedience of the people. God 
 
98 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 forbid/' he exclaimed, that to ensure the safety of 
 the remainder of ray life, my country should be ren- 
 dered obnoxious to slavery ! This fortress, which 
 some of you wish to build, will only contribute one 
 day or other to reduce the republic to a state of 
 servitude." 
 
 FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. 
 
 A letter appeared in a newspaper, giving a ludi- 
 crous account of one of the heads of the Bourbon 
 family ; upon which, not only the Spanish ambas- 
 sador, but all the ambassadors belonging to that 
 family, joined in a memorial which was delivered to 
 Lord' Weymouth, insisting upon condign punishment 
 being inflicted upon the printer, and even threatening 
 us as a nation if such satisfaction was refused. To 
 this the secretary of state answered like a man of 
 sense and spirit, that he was surprised the ambassadors 
 could be so ignorant of the constitution of this coun- 
 try, as not to know that it was out of the power of 
 government to punish a printer in the way their ex- 
 cellences desired j that he was sorry for the affront 
 offered to their sovereign ; that the English newspapers 
 took liberties with their own king, and a foreign 
 prince had no great cause to be angry, if he was some- 
 times treated with the same freedom, since the laws 
 of the land were equally the shelter of the offen- 
 ders in both cases. As to the threats, he smiled at 
 them ; but added, that if what the printers had done, 
 could be construed into a libel, the attorney- general 
 should be spoken to, a prosecution commenced, and 
 
PATRIOTISM. 90 
 
 such damages adjuc^g^d, as a jury of Englishmen 
 thought equitable, f 
 
 Prince Masserano, the Spanish ambassador, was 
 greatly enraged at this answer of Lord Weymouth's, 
 and exclaimed, "What, not punish the rascal who has 
 called the King of Spain a fool V " No," said Lord 
 Weymouth, 1 cannot, for these very printers have 
 said the same of our king, who is a sensible man ; and 
 when brought to trial by our course of law, they were 
 acquitted." 
 
 GRAND DUCHESS OF WEIMAR. 
 When the battle of Jena had decided the fate of 
 the North of Germany, the French army, headed by 
 Napoleon, marched on Weimar. The grand duke 
 was at that time absent with the army, and the 
 duchess only remained in the castle, whither, on the 
 approach of the French, the poor deserted women, 
 children, and inhabitants of the town, all flocked for 
 safety. The gates were opened to them, and the 
 grand duchess sheltered and protected them with the 
 kindness of a mother. On Napoleon's entry, he 
 summoned her royal highness to abandon the castle 
 and attend him. She refused, and an order for the 
 pillage of the palace and town was instantly issued. 
 The duchess remained firm, and determined, if pos- 
 sible, to avert this fate from her little capital. Her 
 efforts were crowned with success, and her dignified 
 firmness even induced Napoleon at last to wait on her 
 in person. Her noble deportment and energetic 
 pleadings wrought upon the conqueror, and induced 
 him to withdraw his cruel order. The grand duchess 
 K 2 
 
100 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 undervvent the severest hardships for the accomplish- 
 ment of her admirable purpose ; remaining shut up 
 in the castle, with her helpless subjects, for several 
 days, almost without the bare necessaries of life» 
 
 THE QUAKERS. 
 Notwithstanding that the principles of the Quakers 
 will not allow them to sanction war, much less con- 
 tribute to its support, unless when compelled, yet in 
 the rebellion of 1745, a deputation of this society 
 waited on Sir William Yonge and Lord Ligonier, 
 with an offer to furnish, at their own expense, to the 
 troops employed in his majesty's service during the 
 winter in the north, a supply of woollen waistcoats 
 to be worn under their other clothing. The offer 
 was accepted. 
 
 MR. PITT. 
 
 In the early part of the year 1789, when the 
 nation was in a state of despondency respecting the 
 health of his late venerable majesty, George the 
 Third, and a change in the administration was thought 
 extremely probable, it occurred to several gentlemen 
 of the first respectability in the city of London, that 
 Mr. Pitt, on quitting office, would be in a situation 
 of great embarrassment, not only from some debts 
 which he had unavoidably incurred, but as to the 
 means of liis future subsistence. They felt the strong 
 impression, in which the nation participated, of his 
 great virtues, as well as of his eminent talents ; and 
 they were sensible, in common with the major part 
 
PATRIOTISM, 101 
 of their countrymen, of the value of those services to 
 which his life had been hitherto devoted, particularly 
 to those commercial interests in which they were 
 deeply concerned. Under this impression, a certain 
 number of merchants and ship-owners met, and re- 
 solved to raise the sum of ^100.000, to be pre- 
 sented to him as a free gift— the well-earned reward 
 of his meritorious exertions ; each subscriber engaeinr. 
 never to divulge the name of himself, or of any other 
 person contributing, in order to prevent its being 
 known to any one except themselves, who the con- 
 tributors were. The only exception to this engage- 
 ment of secrecy, was a respectable baronet, who was 
 deputed to learn from a friend of the minister's in 
 what manner the token of esteem and gratitude (as 
 it was expressed) could be presented most acceotablv 
 to Mr. Pitt. ^ ^ 
 
 Highly flattering as the offer was, and seasonable 
 as the act would have been, the friend applied to 
 entertained doubts of Mr. Pitt accepting the prof- 
 fered bounty, and therefore thought it right to apprize 
 him of the intention. This occasioned a long dis- 
 cussion on the subject, which ended in Mr. Pitt 
 expressing a positive and fixed determination to 
 decline the acceptance of this liberal and generous 
 offer; a determination that nothing could shake; for 
 when it was urged that it never could be known to 
 liim who the subscribers were, and that they were 
 men whose fortunes put them out of all probability of 
 ever soliciting the smallest favour from him, his reply 
 was, " that if he should, at any future time of his 
 life, return to office, he should never see a gentleman 
 K 3 
 
102 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 from tlie city without its occurring to iiim that he 
 
 might be one of his subscribers." 
 
 This positive determination was communicated to 
 the baronet before alluded to, which put an end to 
 the measure ; and in a few days after, Mr. Pitt, in 
 conversing about his future plans, remarked, that had 
 he lost his situation in the ministry, he had taken a 
 fixed resolution to return to the bar, and to apply un- 
 remittingly to that profession, in order to extricate 
 himself from his difficulties, and to secure, as far as 
 he should be able, the means of future independence. 
 
 JUDGE :PH1LIP. 
 While the Seahorse man of war, then commanded 
 by Sir Hugh Palliser, was lying in Leith Roads, a 
 man, under indentures as an apprentice, had been 
 engaged as a sailor on board that ship. On a petition 
 from his master, and upon production of the inden- 
 tures. Judge Philip, of the High Court of Admiralty, 
 granted a warrant to bring the man on shore to be 
 examined. A messenger went on board to apprehend 
 him, but was told by Captain Palliser that he consi- 
 dered himself as only subject to the Lords of the 
 Admiralty, and that he would not suffer the man to 
 go on shore. Upon this, the messenger, with his 
 blazon upon his breast, broke his rod of peace, and 
 reported this act of illegal deforcement to the Admi- 
 ralty Court. The Judge Philip then granted a 
 warrant to apprehend Captain Palliser himself, and 
 to commit him to prison. No attempt was made to 
 execute this warrant until the captain came on shore, 
 when he was instantly seized and imprisoned. Next 
 
PATRIOTISM. 103 
 'da3^ he was brought into court, and refused to submit 
 to its jurisdiction, asserting that he held his* com- 
 mission from the Board of Admiralty, to which alone 
 he was responsible for his conduct. He was therefore 
 remanded to prison, where he remained six weeks, 
 until the apprentice was delivered up to his master. 
 When this case was reported by the Earl of Findlater, 
 then Lord High Admiral of Scotland, to Lord Chan- 
 cellor Hardwicke, the latter remarked, that "he was 
 a bold judge who had done this, but that what lie had 
 done was right." 
 
 It is said to this day, by the lovers of good wine 
 5n Scotland, who are not few, that Sir Hugh Palliser 
 obtained a severe revenge against the Scots, on 
 account of the affront he sustained in this affair. 
 Before the union between England and Scotland, 
 Erench wines had been subjected, on their importation 
 into Scotland, to very trifling duties. They were 
 therefore imported in great abundance ; and claret 
 was universally used by persons in easy circumstances. 
 After the treaty of union, and after what is called 
 the Methven treaty with Portugal, by which the Por- 
 tuguese wines obtained a preference in Britain, the 
 French wines being thereby subjected to double 
 duties, the British ministry avoided enforcing the 
 law in Scotland j they had two reasons for this. la 
 the first place, Scotland was considered as a poor 
 country, the revenue from which was of little impor- 
 tance ; and secondly, they did net wish to render the 
 union unpopular, by violently attacking, or attempting 
 to alter, the ancient habits of the people. Accord- 
 ingly they connived at the importation to Scotland 
 of French wines, under the name of Portuguese 
 
104 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 wiijes. It is said, however, with what truth we know 
 not, that Sir Hugh Palliser, on his return to England, 
 represented Scotland as now become a wealthy and 
 luxurious country ; remonstrated with administration 
 against their past conduct, in allowing the revenue to 
 be defrauded annually of a large sum of money ; 
 and threatened, that unless the law was enforced, he 
 would endeavour to bring the subject before the 
 English public. Sir Hugh's remonstrances were 
 favourably listened to, and the collectors of the 
 revenue in Scotland were instructed to enforce the 
 law relative to French wines. This was for some time 
 accomplished with difficulty. The deep bays or 
 friths which run far into the country of Scotland, 
 afforded great opportunities for smuggling, at a time 
 when the British navy did not possess that absolute 
 dominion over the ocean which it has since acquired. 
 When seizures were made, the juries in Exchequer, 
 during a long period, would never confess themselves 
 able to distinguish the taste of French from that of 
 Portuguese wanes. Their verdicts were therefore 
 almost uniformly against the crown. Nor was this 
 spirit absolutely got quit of till the early part of Mr. 
 Pitt's administration, when the duties upon wine were 
 brought under the management of the excise. 
 
 PATRICK HENRY. 
 
 Patrick Henry was the son of Colonel John Henry, 
 a native of Aberdeen in Scctland, and born at Studley, 
 in the county of Hanover and state of Virginia. In 
 his youth he gave no signs of future greatness. No 
 persuasion could induce him either to read or to work *, 
 
PATRIOIISM. 
 b«t he ran wild in the forest, and divided his time 
 fnaZn". ""^ the langour J 
 
 He married at eighteen; he was for some time 
 talffr^' into mercantile mder! 
 
 ^ ?'"/'^'*y^''"^^"^«^^«dhim a bank- 
 rupt and reduced him to a state of wretchedness. 
 He now determined to trj the bar. About this timl 
 he famous contest between the clergy on the one 
 hand and the legislature and the peoplfof Vir! nia o„ 
 . the other concerning the stipends of the former"took 
 place ; and he exhibited such displays of eloquence 
 >n " the parsons' cause," as it wL "tenned a^rew 
 the admiration of all his fellow citizens. His exerUons 
 
 ^ChlZ^Z't'- " ""^^P^"'^^' - i-tantaneou" 
 Sature.'' WeHation of The Orator 
 
 When the question first came to be agitated con 
 cernmg the right of the British parliamen to tT- 
 Amenca, he gave, as has been trul/ remarked «' he 
 first .mpulse to the ball of the revolution." who 
 r'T' '^'^'-g-^hed for intpidlS 
 and decision, hung back, unwilling to submit ve^ 
 afraid to speak out in the language of bold and open 
 defiance. In this hour of despondency.-suspense and 
 sXsTr' """'^ chee'r'the'drro'plg 
 
 ene Is 0? th^A '° 
 
 energies of the Americans to contend for their free 
 
 dom. When the Honse of Burgesses was wSfn 
 
 three days of its expected close, ntnry prodded and 
 
 «^eme of taxing America by the BriUsh parliament. 
 
106 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 In 1774, he appeared in the venerable body of the 
 old continental congress of the United States, when it 
 met for the first time. Henry broke the silence which 
 for awhile overawed the minds of all present, and as he 
 advanced, rose with the magnitude and importance of 
 the subject, to the noblest displays of argument and 
 of eloquence. " This," said he, " is not the time 
 for ceremony, the question before the house is one of 
 awful moment to this country. It is nothing less 
 than freedom or slavery. If we wish to be free, we 
 must fight — I repeat it, sir, we must fight I an appeal 
 to arms and to the God of hosts, is all that is left 
 us.'* " It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. 
 Gentlemen may cry, peace ! peace ! but there is no 
 peace. The war is actually begun. The next gale 
 that sweeps from the north, will bring to our ears the 
 clash of resounding arms ; our brethren are already 
 in the field ! why stand we here idle ? What is it 
 that gentlemen wish ? What would they have ? Is 
 life so dear, and peace so sweet, as to be purchased at 
 the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Almighty 
 God ! I know not what course others may take, but 
 as for me," cried he, with both his arms extended aloft, 
 his brows knit, every feature marked with the resolute 
 purpose of his soul, and his voice swelled to its 
 boldest note of exclamation, '*give me liberty, or 
 give me death!" He took his seat, and the cry " to 
 arms!" seemed to quiver upon every lip, and gleam 
 from every eye. 
 
 Henry lived to witness the glorious issue of that 
 revolution which his genius had set in motion j and, 
 to use his own prophetic language before the com- 
 mencement of the revolution, " to see America take 
 her station amongst the nations of the earth." 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 107 
 
 SAMUEL ADAMS. 
 A meeting was called in Boston, in consequence of 
 some new inroads upon the rights and liberties of the 
 people. Adams, who sat silent, listening to all their 
 violent harangues, at lastrose, and after a few remarks, 
 concluded with saying: Grecian philosopher, 
 
 who was lying asleep upon the grass, was roused by 
 the bite of some animal upon the palm of his hand. 
 He closed his. hand suddenly, as he awoke, and found 
 that he had caught a field mouse. As he was exa- 
 mining the little animal who dared to attack him, it 
 unexpectedly bit him a second time ; he dropped it, and 
 it made its escape. Now, fellow citizens, what think 
 you was the reflection he made upon this trifling cir- 
 cumstance? It was this: that there is no animal, how- 
 ever weak and contemptible, which cannot defend its 
 own liberty, if it will on]y fght for it.'' The cause of 
 American independence owed much to the zeal and 
 intrepidity of this individual. In comparison with the 
 politicians of expediency and intrigue, his love of 
 liberty, his sincerity, his honesty, and his consistency 
 of character, raised him into true dignity. Compared 
 with those who have governed empires and swayed the 
 fate of nations, but whose history is tarnished bv cor- 
 ruption and venality, the memory of this humble patriot 
 is enrolled among the defenders of his country, and 
 repeated with gratitude and respect by the meanest 
 citizen of that state which he contributed to render 
 free. 
 
108 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 BOSCAWEN. 
 
 Adtoiral Boscawen was little infected with the 
 spirit of party which at his time prevailed in the 
 navy, to the injury of the country, and the reproach 
 of the profession. When on his return from some 
 expedition, he found his friends out of place, and 
 another administration appointed, he was asked 
 whether he would continue as a Lord of the Admiralty 
 with them ? he replied very nobly : " The country 
 has a right to the services of its professional men ; 
 and should I be sent again upon any expedition, ray 
 situation at the Admiralty will facilitate the equip- 
 ment of the fleet I am to command.'* 
 
 EARL OF CHATHAM. 
 
 On certain occasions. Lord Chathath not only op- 
 posed the opinions of his brethren in office, but 
 had the courage and integrity to oppose the preju- 
 dices of his sovereign, when he thought them ini- 
 mical to the interests of the country. An instance 
 of this occurred in the case of General Wolfe, when 
 he appointed him to command at the siege of 
 Quebec. Lord Chatham gave to the general, the 
 appointment of all his officers ; and the list which 
 Wolfe presented, included the name of a gentleman 
 who was obnoxious to his sovereign, George the 
 Second, on account of some advice which, as a 
 military man, he had given to his son, the Duke of 
 Cumberland. Lord Ligonier, then commander-in- 
 chief, took the list to the king, who, as was expected,^ 
 
PATRIOTISM. t09 
 
 made some objections to a particular name, and re- 
 fused to sign the commission. Lord Chatham sent 
 him into the closet a second time, with no better suc- 
 cess. Lord Ligonier refused to go in the third time ; 
 at Lord Chatham's suggestion, he was, however, told' 
 that he should lose liis place if he did not j and that, 
 on his presenting the name to his sovereign, he should 
 tell him the peculiar state of the expedition, and that 
 m order to make any general completely responsible 
 for Ins conduct, he should be made, as much as pos- 
 sible, inexcusable, if he did not succeed ; and that in 
 consequence, whatever an officer, who was entrusted 
 with any service of confidence and of consequence 
 required, should, if possible, be complied with. 
 Lord Ligonier went in a third time, and told his 
 sovereign what Lord Chatham had requested him to 
 say. The good sense of the monarch so completely 
 disarmed his prejudice, that he signed the commis- 
 sion as he was desired. 
 
 JOHN LEWIS. 
 During the reign of his late majesty, the footway 
 through Richmond Park to Wimbledon, East Sheen, 
 and Kingston, was shut up by order of the ranger, 
 and no passage allowed without a ticket. Th^'s 
 encroachment would probably have been submitted 
 to but for the patriotic courage of Mr. John Lewis, 
 ot Kichmond, one of those 
 
 — -- " Village Hampdens that with dauntless hieast 
 Ihe httle tyrants of their fields withstood.'^ 
 
 Lewis took a friend witli Inm to the spot ; waited 
 
 L 
 
tlG PERCY ANECD0TES. 
 
 for the opportunity of a carriage passing through; 
 and when the door-keeper was shutting the gates, in- 
 terposed, and offered to go in. "Where is your 
 ticket ?" said the keeper. " What occasion is there 
 for a ticket? any body may pass through here," said 
 Lewis. " Not without a ticket," replied the keeper. 
 " Yes they may, and I will," said Lewis. The 
 keeper resisted, and shut the gate 5 on which Lewis 
 brought his action, which was tried at the Surrey 
 Assizes, before Sir Michael Foster, when Lewis ob- 
 tained a decree in his favour. When the right of the 
 footpath had been established, Lewis was asked 
 whether he would have a door or a step ladder; 
 he chose the latter, but in mere spite, the steps of it 
 were set at such a distance as rendered it almost 
 useless. 
 
 When the same judge happened to go the Home 
 Circuit, Lewis again complained to the court. " My 
 lord," says he, " the^ have left such a space between 
 the steps of the ladder, that children and old men are 
 unable to get up it." " I have observed it myself," 
 said this honest judge, " and I desire, Mr. Lewis, that 
 you will see it so constructed, that not only children 
 and old men, but old women too, may be able to 
 get up." 
 
 A few years afterwards, the king wished to obtain 
 possession of a narrow lane of great length, which 
 separated Richmond and Kew Garden, and led a 
 shorter way from Richmond to Kew and Brentford 
 Ferry. As it was intended to get the consent of the 
 parishioners to the measure, the queen's steward "made 
 a great dinner and invited many," and among the rest, 
 John Lewis. Knowing himself to be somewhat 
 
S'ATRIOTISM. Ill 
 
 obnoxious to the court and its retainers, Lewis at 
 first refused the invitation, but at length determined 
 to go. 
 
 The bottle was freely circulated amidst a profusion 
 of the luxuries of the season. Lewis, however, 
 determined to keep possession of his sober faculties, 
 and was on his guard accordingly. Late in the 
 evening, when most of the company had departed, 
 tlie steward got up, and expatiating on the bene- 
 volence and amiable qualities of the queen, who was 
 lady of the manor, declared how infinitely she would 
 be obliged to the inhabitants of P^ichmond, for giving 
 up the road in question ; but that if it was disa- 
 greeable to a single inhabitant of the place, she did 
 not wish the surrender to be made. "1 am that 
 individual," said Mr. Lewis to the steward; **and 
 with as much respect for her majesty as you or any 
 man can entertain, I do not feel myself at liberty to 
 compliment the queen with the privileges and advan- 
 tages of my townsmen and their posterity. Their 
 rights are sacred ; and neither in our disposal, nor in 
 that of others. We are in our day, the guardians of a 
 trust committed to us by our forefathers ; and we are 
 guilty of infidelity and fraud, if these trusts do not 
 pass unimpaired through our hands into the possession 
 of our children." 
 
 The design was given up at that time ; but an act 
 of parliament a few years after, alienated that right 
 which John Lewis would never have relinquished. 
 
 L 2 
 
✓ 112 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ADxMlRAL RODNEY. 
 
 When Sir George RodneJ' resided in France, to 
 avoid his creditors, his distress became a subject of 
 public notoriety. It had long been suspected by 
 M. de Sartine, the minister of Police, who was no 
 stranger to his merits ; he accordingly communicated 
 his ideas to the Dae de Biron, and persuaded him 
 to make the admiral an offer of the command of the 
 French fleet in the West Indies ; and also to proffer 
 a very liberal supply of money, to enable him to dis- 
 charge his pecuniary embarrassments. 
 
 In order to accomplish this infamous design with 
 greater ease, the duke immediately sent a very civil 
 invitation to Sir George, to spend some weeks at his 
 house 5 which he accepted. One morning, during a 
 walk in the gardens, the duke, with great caution 
 and politeness, sounded the admiral on the subject ; 
 but so far was the ingenuous mind of Sir George from 
 suspecting what so strange a conversation could lead 
 to, that he at length imagined the duke must be de- 
 ranged, and in consequence began to regard him 
 with pity. The duke mistaking Sir George's conduct, 
 came at once to the point, and openly declared to 
 him, " that as the king, his royal master, intended 
 the West Indies shoula become the theatre of the 
 t ^'present war, he was commissioned to make the most 
 unbounded offers to Sir George, if he would quit the 
 English service, and accept the command of a French 
 squadron." 
 
 The brave admiral, with great temper, though much 
 agitated, instantly replied : " My distresses, sir, it is 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 113 
 
 true, iiave driven me from tlie bosom of my country 
 but no temptation \vlialcver can estrange me from lie? 
 service. Had this offer been a voluntary one of your 
 own, I should have deehied it an insult ; but I am 
 glad to learn it proceeds from a source that can do no 
 wrong.'' ^ 
 
 The Due de Biron, struck with the patriotic virtue 
 of the British tar, from that time became his sincere 
 friend, and enabled Sir George to return to his native 
 country, ^dlere he solicited and obtained an important 
 command. 
 
 THE RUSSIANS. 
 
 The last war in Russia incontestibly proved, that 
 extraordinary' efforts of patriotism, under a despotic 
 government, do not always proceed from despotic 
 measures ; and that the system of slavery to which 
 the Russian peasant is subject, is not such as to 
 extinguish all love of his country. 
 
 The Carthaginian matrons have been celebrated 
 for the sacrifice of their hair for the defence of their 
 city, when attacked by the Romans ; the patriotism 
 of all ranks in Russia, during the invasion by the 
 French in 1812, was exhibited in an equal, though 
 more efficient, manner. Voluntary offers of men 
 and money, and of whatever might assist the prose- 
 cution of the war, were presented to the emperor 
 from every quarter, and with an earnestness that 
 would not be d enied. **The grand duchess, his sister, 
 set the example, by offering to raise a regiment on 
 her estates, to combat the po we r ful ad venturer who 
 had solicited her hand. The imperial city of Moscow 
 
PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 magmficently proposed to arm and equip 80,000 
 men. The veteran PlatofF, whose blood had been so 
 often shed in defence of Russia on former occasions, 
 now showed his ardour for the cause in which he was 
 engaged, by promising his daughter and 200,000 
 roubles to the hero wlio should rid the world of the 
 invader ; and frequent instances occurred of youno' 
 men of fortune, who were content to serve as subt 
 alterns m the corps which they had raised, and to 
 yield the command to abler officers. Nor was this 
 enthusiasm confined to the higher orders; the pea- 
 santry flocked from all quarters, to avail themselves 
 of the general permission to enlist in the army. The 
 success of the English in the Peninsula had-reached 
 their ears, and they were often heard to exclaim 
 " What, shall a small state like Portugal succeed in 
 expelling the French, with the assistance of England- 
 and shall Russia not revenge the blood of those who' 
 fell at Eylau and Friedland ?" 
 
 But the most extraordinary instance of activity 
 was shown in the creation of a galley fleet, for the 
 purpose of transporting a body of 15,000 men from 
 Emland to the relief of Riga. Within the short 
 space of six weeks, above a hundred gun boats were 
 built and equipped, and sailed to fulfil the object for 
 which they were intended. 
 
 History does not present to us, replete as it is with 
 scenes of blood and slaughter, any event more 
 strikingly tremendous than the conflagration of 
 Moscow; or any instance of resolution and patriot- 
 ism more strongly exemplified, than in the conduct 
 of the governor and inhabitants of this great city, at 
 this critical period. When Moscow had been laid 
 
 J 
 
PATRIOTISM. 115 
 
 in ashes by an act of noble patriotic devotion, Ros- 
 topchin, the governor, wilii his forces, retreated. His 
 country palace, situated at Voronovo, a short distance 
 from Moscow, was the only asylum which remained 
 to him ; but on the approach of the French, he set 
 fire to it with his own hands, leaving the following 
 letter to the enemy, on the occasion, which strongly 
 marks his character. — " I have for eight years embel- 
 lished this country house, and I have lived happy in 
 it in the bosom of my family. The inhabitants of 
 this estate, to the number of 1720, quit it at your 
 approach ; and I set fire to my house, that it may 
 not be polluted by your presence. Frenchmen, I 
 have abandoned to you my two Moscow houses, 
 worth half a million of roubles ; liere you will only 
 find ashes. 
 
 (Signed) count tedor rostopchin.'" 
 
 His example stimulated the peasants of the neigh- 
 bourhood to unheard of sacrifices ; and they were 
 seen in all directions, on the approach^of the enemy 
 setting fire to the faggots which they had previously 
 placed against their houses. When Bonaparte found 
 that they could not be induced by coercive measures 
 to brmg in forage for his troops, he endeavoured to 
 engage them by promises of payment. In some 
 mstances, the villagers alFected to consent, and then 
 fell upon the parties sent to receive the provision^. 
 Such determined resistance could not fail to provoke 
 the barbarity of the French ; and all the cruelties of 
 wnich the Buccaneers have been accused, were exer- 
 cised against the villagers who fell into their power. 
 
 Several attempts were made to enlist the prisoners 
 
116 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 brouglit in on these occasions into the French service* 
 One intrepid fellow, whose hand had been marked 
 with the name of Napoleon, seized the hatchet which 
 was stuck in his belt, and chopped off his arm, 
 declaring it should never wield a weapon against his 
 country. Twelve of Count Woronzoff's peasants fell 
 into the hands of the French, and Bonaparte gave 
 them their choice, either to enter into liis array, or to 
 be put to death in the course of an hour. They all 
 refused to enter ; and at the expiration of the hour, 
 he repeated his offer, upon which the first four crossed 
 themselves, and submitted to their fate ; after such a 
 proof of the total inefficacy of compulsory measures, 
 the officer, ashamed of the infamous task entrusted to 
 l\im, permitted the rest to escape. 
 
 ANDREA DORIA. 
 Andrea Doria was one of the greatest naval com- 
 manders, and one of the truest patriots, that the 
 republic of Genoa could ever boast. He was in the ser- 
 vice of France ; but when he found that Francis the First 
 had some designs upon the prosperity and freedom of 
 Genoa, by repairing the fortifications, and adding a 
 citadel to the city of Savona, he addressed him in the 
 following letter. " Great prince : he who makes use of 
 the power heaven has put into his hands, to reverse 
 the common order of human affairs, employs it to a 
 very bad purpose. The city of Genoa has always 
 been the capital of Liguiia ; and posterity will not 
 behold without astonishment, that your majest^'^ has 
 deprived it of that advantage without any reason. 
 The Genoese perceive how your projects are likely 
 
PATRIOTISM. 1]7 
 to affect their interests. They entreat you to give 
 them up, and not to suffer the general "good to be 
 sacrificed to the interests of a few of your courtiers. 
 I take the liberty to join ray entreaties to those of 
 my countrymen, and to request this of you, as the 
 reward of the services I have been abli to render 
 France. If circumstances lay your majesty under 
 the necessity of wanting money, 1 will, in addition to 
 the appointments which are due to me from your 
 majesty, present you with four score thousand gold 
 crowns.'' 
 
 Francis returning no answer to this letter, and 
 Doria perceiving that the fortiiications were still going 
 on, told Trivuici, that the republic of Genoa would 
 submit to any thing, .sooner than see Savona torn 
 from their dominions adding, " with respect to 
 myself, I shall sacrifice the friendship of a King of 
 France to the interests of my country. Pray tell this 
 to 3^our sovereign as sooij as you can, and assure him, 
 that it is not a desire of gain which makes me act 
 thus ; it is an honest indignation at observing, that 
 the prayers I made to him in favour of my injured 
 country, which he is taking pains to oppress, do not 
 meet with that attention to which they are entitled/' 
 
 Francis now ordered Doria to be seized in the port 
 of Genoa, and brought prisoner to France ; but he 
 escaped with his vessels, and returned soon after to 
 Genoa. 
 
 The highest ambition of Doria, on returning to his 
 native country, was to deliver it from a foreign yoke, 
 and a favourable opportunity occurred. Afflicted by 
 the pestilence, the city of Genoa was almost deserted 
 by its inhabitants ; the French garrison being neither 
 
riS PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 regularly paid nor recruited, was reduced to ah in- 
 considerable number. Doria's emissaries found that 
 such of the citizens who remained, were alike weary 
 of the French and the imperial yoke, the rigour of which 
 they had alternately experienced ; they were ready 
 to welcome him as their deliverer, and to second all 
 his measures. Things wearing this promising aspect, 
 he sailed towards Genoa ; on his approach, the 
 French gallies retired ; a small body of men which he 
 landed, surprised one of the gates of Genoa in the 
 night time ; the French governor, with his feeble gar- 
 rison, shut himself up in the citadel, and Doria took 
 possession of the town without resistance, or the 
 shedding of blood. Want of provisions soon con- 
 strained Trivulci, the French governor, to capitulate ; 
 the people, eager to abolish this monument of their 
 servitude, ran together with a tumultuous violence, 
 and levelled the citadel with the ground. 
 
 It was now in the power of Doria to have rendered 
 himself the sovereign of his country, which he had 
 liberated fiom oppression. The fame of his former 
 actions, the success of his present attempt, the at- 
 tachment of his ftiendsj the giatitude of his country- 
 men, together wiih the support of the emperor, all 
 conspired to secure him success, and to invite him to 
 a throne. But with a magnanimity of which there are 
 but few examples, he sacrificed all thoughts of aggran- 
 dizing to himself the virtuous satisfaction of esta- 
 blishing liberty in his country. Having assembled 
 the whole body of the people in the court before his 
 palace, he assured them that the happiness of seeing 
 them once more in possession of their freedom, was 
 to him a full reward for all his services j that more 
 
PATRIOTISM. 1J9 
 delighted with the name of citizen than of sovereign, 
 be claimed no pre-eminence or j3ower above his equals p 
 but remitted entirely to them the right of settling 
 what form of government they would now choose to 
 be established among tliem. The people listened 
 to him with admiration and joy. Twelve persons 
 were elected to new model the constitution of the 
 republic. The influence of Doria's virtues and ex- 
 ample communicated itself to his countrymen ; the 
 factions which had long torn and ruined the sta(e, 
 seemed to be fjrgottenj prudent precautions were 
 taken to prevent their reviving ; and the same form 
 of governme;it which has subsisted with little vari- 
 ation since that time in Genoa, was established with 
 universal applause. Doria having soon put an end 
 to the divisions of his fellow citizens, and driven 
 away the foreign enemy which menaced their destruc- 
 tion, he was by public acclamation declared perpetual 
 Doge of the Republic. This distinction he, however, 
 refused, telling tlie people that it was more honour- 
 able for him to be thought worthy of such a distinc- 
 tion by his fellow citizens, than actually to possess 
 it ; that he begged to be permitted to be subservient 
 to the laws of his country, like any other subject of it. 
 The senate, astonished at his noble modesty, and at 
 his attachment to the republic, passed a decree, 
 which declared him The Father and Deliverer of 
 his Country erected a statue to him in the midst 
 of the great square of Genoa ; built for him a 
 palace in the same place, which was to be called by 
 his name ; ordained that lie and his posterity should 
 be exempt from imposts of all kinds ; and that these 
 decrees should be engraven on a plate of brass, 
 
120 PERCY ANFXDOTES. 
 
 appended to the walls of his palace, as a raemoriai 
 of the services he had done his country, and of the 
 gratitude of that coantiy towards hini. 
 
 THE PATRIOTIC BROTHERS. j 
 When the war between the Carthaginians and the 
 inhabitants of Cyrene on the limits of their terri- 
 tories, had reduced both nations very low, they ] 
 agreed that each state should appoint two commis- 
 sioners, who should set out from their respective 
 cities on the same day, and that the spot on which 
 they met should be the boundary of both states. In 
 consequence of this, two brothers, called Philaeni, 
 were sent out from Carthage, who advanced with 
 great celerity ; while those from Cyrene were much 
 slower in their motions. Whether this proceeded 
 from accident, design, or perfidy, is unknown ; but 
 the Cyreneans finding themselves so far outstripped 
 by the Philseni, accused them of breach of faith, 
 asserting that the}^ had set out before the time ap- 
 pointed, and consequently that the terms of the 
 convention were broken. 
 
 The Philseni denied the charge, and desired them 
 to propose some expedient whereby their differences 
 might be accommodated, promising to submit to it, 
 whatever it might be. The Cyreneans then proposed, 
 either that the Philaeni should retire from the place ■ 
 where they then were, or that they should be buried 
 alive upon the spot. With this last condition the 
 brothers immediately complied, and by their death 
 gained a large extent of territory to their countrj^. 
 The Carthaginians ever after celebrated this as a 
 
PATRIOTISM. 121 
 most brave and heroic action; paid them divine 
 honours; and endeavoured to immortalize their names 
 by erecting two altars there, with suitable inscriptions 
 upon them. 
 
 THE FRENCH. 
 
 The invincible attachment which the French bear 
 to their country, is one of the best features in their 
 national character. No distance, no time, no wrongs, 
 can diminish it. Wherever they may be placed, the 
 honour and interests of their country are paramount 
 to all selfish considerations. 
 
 Whatever injuries the French may have sustained, 
 though their property should have been confiscated,' 
 their families butchered, and themselves proscribed, 
 we have seen that the honour of France was still 
 dear to them; insomuch, that for this cause the emi- 
 grants were often known to rejoice at victories which 
 prolonged the time of their exile, and seemed to 
 render it perpetual. 
 
 SIEGE OF NOVOGOROD. 
 At the time that Russia had as many enemies as 
 she could number neighbours, all of whom seemed 
 to strive which could do her the greatest injurv, 
 Charles IX. King of Sweden, laid siege to Novo- 
 gorod. The Swedes got possession of the city 
 through ^the negligence of the inhabitants. A chief 
 of the Strelitz, or shooters, with four of his com- 
 panions and forty Cossacks, nobly sacrificed them- 
 selves in defending the town. The curate of St. 
 
 M 
 
i22 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 Sophia shut himself up in his house with a few friends, 
 who animated by his courage, fired on the enemy, 
 and killed numbers of them; and at last suffered 
 themselves to be burnt in the house, rather than yield, 
 determined that as they could not deliver their 
 country from a foreign yoke, they would nut survive 
 its independence. 
 
 GENERAL PUTNAM. 
 When the intelligence of the battle of Lexington, 
 which took place on the 19th of April, 1775, reached 
 General Putnam, he was engaged in ploughing on 
 his farm at Brooklyn, in Connecticut. He instantly 
 unyoked his cattle, left his plough standing in the 
 unfinished furrow in the midst of the field, and with- 
 out stopping to change his dress, immediately set off 
 for the scene of military transactions in the vicinity 
 of Boston. Upon entering the army, he was appointed 
 to the rank of major-general. On the conclusion of 
 the war. General Washington wrote a letter to General 
 Putnam, in which he warmly expressed the sense he 
 entertained of his services. " The name of Putnam,'* 
 says he, " is not forgotten ; nor will it be, but with 
 that stroke of time which shall obliterate from my 
 mind the remembrance of all those toils and fatigues 
 through which we have struggled for the preservation 
 and establishment of the rights, liberties, and inde- 
 pendence of our country." 
 
 BRAVE CITIZEN. 
 The noble enterprise undertaken by a simple 
 burgess of Nijni Novogorod to save his country, is 
 worthy of the highest praise. This brave patriot^, 
 
PATRIOTISM. 123 
 whose name was Kozma Miniii, was a butcher by 
 trade. He assembled his fellow citizens, and exhorted 
 them to sacrifice their fortunes; sell their houses, 
 clothes, and furniture ; and even to pledge their 
 Mixes and children, if necessary, to raise money for 
 the troops, and to place an intrepid general at their 
 head. His enthusiasm fired all hearts ; money was 
 raised for the troops, the appropriation of which was 
 confided to Minin ; andPojarski, distinguished by his 
 military exploits, was requested to take the command 
 of the troops which they had undertaken to pay. 
 
 At the news of this magnanimous design, the neigh- 
 bouring cities were seized with an equal ambition of 
 sharing in the honour of delivering the empire. Their 
 zeal was crowned with success. As they advanced, 
 the number of the combatants increased ; and Minin 
 and Pojarski, after being victorious in several battles, 
 succeeded in driving out the Poles, reconquered 
 Moscow, and rescued their country. 
 
 THE SULIOTS. 
 
 Patriotism more ardent, or bravery more de- 
 termined, was never displayed by any people, than by 
 the Suliols in resisting the power of Ali Pasha. 
 [See Anecdotes of War.'] One of the most dis- 
 tinguished of the Suliot chiefs, was Captain Tzavella, 
 who under pretence of a negociation, was with fifty 
 of his brave countrymen treacherously ensnared, and 
 all of them bound except three. Two of these 
 snatching up their weapons, fought desperately till 
 they fell covered with wounds ; whilst the other man, 
 
124 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 remarkably swift of foot, made his escape, unhurt 
 by a thousand shots that were fired after him, swam 
 over the river Kahamas, and directing his course to 
 Suh, arrived in time to put his countrymen upon their 
 guard against the insidious enemy. The next day Ali 
 appeared in their district with his whole army, and 
 havmg ordered Captain Tzavella to be brought into 
 his presence, he promised him the most ample rewards 
 upon condition of his procuring the submission of 
 the republic, with the horrible alternative of being 
 iiayed alive, if his fellow-citizens continued obstinate 
 m their opposition. " Release me from my fetters, 
 then,'' said Tzavella, " for my countrymen will never 
 submit whilst I am in your power." " Ali, however, 
 too wary to let his prey escape him thus, demanded 
 what security he would give for his return if his 
 mission should prove unsuccessful ? " My only son 
 Foto, who is a thousand times dearer to me, and more 
 valuable to his country, than my own life." Upon 
 these conditions, Tzavella was released, and an equal 
 number of Albanians and Suliots met at the bottom 
 of the mountain to exchange the prisoners. 
 
 When Tzavella arrived in Suli, he convoked all 
 the other captains in council, and urged them to a 
 vigorous defence. He then sent the following letter 
 to the tyrant. " Ali Pasha, I rejoice that I have de- 
 ceived a deceiver. I am here to defend my country 
 agamst a robber. My son is doomed to death, but I 
 will desperately avenge him before I die. Some 
 Turks, like yourself, will say that I am a merciless 
 father, to sacrifice my child for my own liberation. I 
 answer, that if you had taken the mountain, you 
 would have massacred my son with all the rest of mv 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 family, and ray countrymen. In that case, 1 could 
 not have revenged his death. If we are victorious, 
 1 shall have other children ; my wife is young. If 
 my boy be not willing, young as he is, to sacrifice 
 himself for his country, lie is not worthy to live, or to 
 be acknowledged as a child of mine; nor ought he to 
 be named as a worthy son of Greece, unless he can 
 meet death with fortitude. Advance then, thou 
 traitor, I am impatient for revenge ; I, your sworn 
 enemy, 
 
 CAPTAIN LAMBRO TZAVELLA." 
 
 The Pasha, as it may be supposed, was highly in- 
 dignant at this answer, and the failure of his insidious 
 schemes. He did not, however, put the boy to death, 
 but sent liim to loannina, to be confined there with the 
 rest of liis countrym.eu. On his arrival, he was brought 
 into the presence of Ali's chief minister, Mahomet 
 EfFendi, and his son Vely, who put his constancy to T 
 the proof, by informing him, that they had received the 
 Pasha's orders to roast him alive. " Have you ?" replied 
 the undaunted youth. Then if my father conquers, 
 he will serve you the same." His heroic answer 
 pleased Vely, who is by no means of a cruel dis- 
 position, and Foto was merely sent into confinement 
 at one of the monasteries of the island. 
 
 After a protracted warfare, Ali again proposed a 
 tTUce, and demanded twenty-four Iiostages as a security 
 against the violation of his territory. When these 
 were given up, the deceitful Vizir threw off the mask, 
 imprisonec these unfortunate men, and threatened 
 them with death by torture, unless the republic should 
 surrender unconditionally. To his perfidious pro- 
 posals, the following answer was returned : 
 M 3 
 
123 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 " Vizir AH Pasha, we greet you.— By such teeach- 
 erous conduct you do nothing eise but sully your ot4 
 reputation, and increase our deterniined res ance 
 agamstyou. Know this, that we have alreTdy t t 
 seventeen victims sacrificed in their country's cause ; 
 
 lumber" if" ^'^'^'^ the 
 
 number their memory will live in the breasts of their 
 .ellow citizens. But the republic will not on the 
 
 ZTnTr"'' Henceforward we Lith 
 
 desire, nor wili we entertain any friendship with you • 
 since m al transactions, and on every occasion,^you 
 are a violator of good faith." 
 
 thes!!lL'"t"ri'"''~ °^ ^" exasperated 
 ttie Su hots, that they prohibited all correspondence 
 wi«i him and threw his letters unopened into the fire! 
 
 wh re°:sT;r 1-™=- 
 
 ^vtiere, as it was a custom with the Suliots never to 
 
 eno::r'o d """r"'' found Varmg 
 
 enough to demand them, a stratagem was devis»d ''of 
 this purpose. Being al) sent to the island in th lak: 
 tLm tfaTr°;V" °' ' --ted 
 
 Sul oK '!''P™P°^^'^^3s™''arily accepted by the 
 Suhots, who according to custom, deposited their 
 of the hV" P"^'^''' P' ^%ed f^ h 
 
 ma a re l-^-T^ "-^^ J^owever, named Joto- 
 
 Tat vl? ' «">nk, observed," Whilst my country 
 
 iZTrl^'l"."'^ °P="'°°' b/ entering armed 
 •nto toe temple of God under such circumstances." 
 
 armtcon^' T"" church, they found their 
 
 arms conveyed away, and a party of Albanian sol- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 127 
 
 diers ready to seize and bind tJiera ; the coraraander 
 then approached Fotomara, and desired him to sur- 
 render his weapons. The gallant youtli made a 
 raotion as if he would have sliot the person who 
 raade this request, but in a moment the probable fate 
 of his companions flashed across his mind ; he re- 
 strained himsen, and thus calmly replied : The 
 worthless coward lays down his arms to preserve an 
 ignoble life, the palikar in death alone ; see then how 
 a Suliot lays down his arms.'^ At these words he 
 turned the pistol to his own breast, and fell, shot 
 through the heart. His companions were all kept in 
 close confinement, distributed amongst the difterent 
 convents of the island.'^ 
 
 The treacherous Ali now sought to purchase Suii, 
 for which he offered tvvo thousand purses, with per- 
 mission to settle in any part of his dominions free of 
 taxes. This offer was treated with contempt. 
 
 After the failure of these public proposals, Ali 
 turned all his thouglits to excite individual treachery 
 'within this brave republic. Accordingly, he dis- 
 patched a letter secretly to the valiant Captain Dimo 
 Zerva, promising hira eight hundred purses, with all 
 the honours he could desire, if he would betray the 
 republic. Zerva immediately convened the chiefs, 
 read the letter in their presence, and returned the fol- 
 lowing answer on the spot : 
 
 " I thank you, vizir, for the kind regard you 
 express towards me, but I beseech you notto send the 
 purses, for I should not knov/ how to count them ; 
 and if I did, believe me, that one single pebble 
 belonging to my country, much less that country 
 itself, wonld in my eyes appear too great a return for 
 
^-^O PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 them. Equally vain are the honours you offer to 
 bestow upon me. The honours of a Sufiot lie in his 
 arms. With these I hope to immortalize my name 
 and preserve ray country." 
 
 ANDREW HOFER. 
 
 The name of Andrew Hofer, the brave leader of 
 the Tyrolese, is not only dear to every German, but 
 to every one who admires undaunted courage and 
 genuine patriotism. Hofer was of a phlegmatic dispo- 
 sition, fond of ease and tranquillity, and only to be 
 roused to action by the love of his country. The 
 mention of a victory gained by Austria, or in the 
 cause of his native country ; an allusion to the old 
 times of the Tyrol ; an enthusiastic word in favour of 
 the emj)eror, or the House of Austria, were appeals 
 which had too powerful an effect on the feelings of 
 Hofer ; and he who, according to the testimony of 
 those who attended him, conducted himself in his 
 last moments as " un eroe Christiano e martire intre- 
 pido," was for some time bathed in tears, and unable 
 to utter a word. 
 
 When the French invaded the Tyrol, which had 
 been abandoned by the Austrians, Andrew Hofer 
 roused the slumbering spirit of his countrymen, and 
 offered to lead them against the enemy. He declared 
 that he would accept the office of commander-in-chief 
 if they wished to confer it on him j but if they pre- 
 ferred any other leader, he was prepared to draw his 
 sword as simple commandant of the Passeyr valley, 
 where he was born ; and that in whatever situation 
 it pleased God to place him, he would sacrifice his 
 
TATRIOTJSM. 120 
 life for the cause of his country. This declaration 
 was received with shouts of approbation, and Hofer 
 from tliat luoment became commander-in-chief of the 
 Tyrolese. 
 
 The spirit of Hofer soon ran thrcugii the whole of 
 the Tjrol, and in some of the districts the enthu- 
 siasm was siicli, that the women took an active part 
 in the hostilities, and aided each other to hurl down 
 stones upon the enemy's troops in the narrow defiles. 
 A girl of eighteen, named Josephine Negretti, as- 
 sumed the dress of a man, and was seveiai times in 
 action with the sharp-shooters, carrying a rifle, and 
 using it with considerable dexterity. 
 
 Three times Hofer delivered his country from the 
 Bavarians and the French ; and a grand festival was 
 held at Inspruck, in honour of him. He was ilmt 
 day formally invested with a medal sent to' him by 
 the emperor, in the great church, at the foot of the 
 tomb of Maximilian, by the abbot of Wilna, amidst 
 the acclamations of the people. 
 
 Tragical events now followed ; the Bavarians gained 
 ground in the Tyrol, and their successes were fol- 
 lowed by a treaty of peace between France and 
 Austria. Hofer could not brook the idea of becoming 
 a subject of France, and when he was deserted by ail. 
 his followers, he retired to a place of concealment 
 in the mountains of his native valley, v/here he re- 
 mained for some time undiscovered, in spite of, the 
 active search that was made for him, and the reward 
 that was offered for his head. The place of his con- 
 cealment, in which he remained from the end of 
 November to the end of the month of January fol- 
 lowing, was a solitary Alpine hut, four long leagues 
 
ISO PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 distant from his own lioase, at times inaccessible from 
 the snow which surrounded it ; a few faithful adhe- 
 rents supplied him from time to time witii the food 
 that was necessary for himself and his family, and 
 more than once he v/as visited by confidential mes- 
 sengers from the Emperor of Austria, who used every 
 entreaty to make him quit his abode, and follow them 
 to Austria, assuring him, at the same time, a safe 
 conduct through the enemy's army. But Hofer 
 steadily refused all their offers, and expressed his 
 determination never to abandon either his country or 
 his family. 
 
 At length, the secret of his concealment was made 
 known to the French, who sent a, body of sixteen 
 hundred men to take him prisoner ; and two thou- 
 sand more were ordered to be in readiness to assist 
 them, so fearful were they of some attempt being 
 made to rescue him. It was dark when the French 
 approached his hut, but as soon as Hofer heard the 
 officer enquire for him, he came intrepidly forward, 
 and gave himself up. He was then marched, together 
 withhis wife, his daughter, and his son, who was twelve 
 years old, through Meran to Botzen, amidst the 
 shouts of the French soldiery and the tears of his 
 countr3'^men. 
 
 On his arrival at Mantua, a court martial was 
 immediately held, for the purpose of trying him ; but 
 while it was still sitting, a telegraphic dispatch from 
 Milan ordered him for execution within twenty-four 
 hours, thus putting it out of the power of Austria to 
 interfere in his behalf. 
 
 The fatal morning of his execution now arrived. 
 As the clock struck eleven, the generate sounded, a 
 
PATRIOTISM. 131 
 
 battalion of grenadiers was drawn out, and the officers 
 who were to attend the execution entered his prison. 
 As Hofer came from it, he passed hy the barracks 
 on the Porta Molina, in which the Tyrolese were 
 confined ; all who were there fell on their knees, put 
 up their prayers, and wept aloud. Those who were 
 at large in the citadel, assembled on the road by 
 which he passed ; and, approaching as near as the 
 escort permitted them, threw themselves on the 
 ground and implored his blessings. This Hofer gave 
 them, and then begged their forgiveness for having 
 been the cause of their present misfortunes, assuring 
 them, at the same time, that he felt confident that they 
 would once a^ain return under the dominion of the 
 Emperor Francis, to whom he cried out the last 
 " vivat," with a clear and steady voice. He de- 
 livered to Manifesti, the priest, every thing he pos- 
 sessed, to be distributed amongst his countrymen ; 
 this consisted of 500 florins in Austrian bank notes, 
 his silver snufif-box, and his beautiful rosary ; a few 
 moments before his deatli, he also delivered to his 
 faithful attendant his small silver rosary, which he 
 constantly carried about him. 
 
 On the broad bastion, at a little distance from 
 the Porta Ceresa, the commanding officer halted his 
 men. The grenadiers formed a square open in the 
 rear; twelve men and a corporal stepped forward, 
 while Hofer remained standing in the centre. The 
 drummer then offered him a white handkerchief to 
 bind his eyes, and told him that it was necessary to 
 kneel down ; but Hofer declined the handkerchief, and 
 peremptorily refused to kneel, observing, " that he 
 was used to stand upright before his Creator, and in 
 
132 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 that posture he would deliver up his spirit to him." 
 He cautioned tbe corporal to perform his duty well, at 
 the .lame time presenting him with a piece of twenty 
 kreutzers ; and having uttered a few words by way of 
 farewell, expressive of his unshaken attachment to 
 his native country, he pronounced the word " fire," 
 with a firm voice. His death, like that of Palm, was 
 not instantaneous, for on the first fire he sunk only on 
 his knees ; a merciful shot, however, at last despatched 
 him. The spot on which he fell, is still considered 
 sacred by his countrymen and companions in arras. 
 
 Thus perished in the prime of life, Andrew Hofer, 
 a plain uneducated village inn-keeper, who opposed 
 for some time with success the enormous power of 
 l^jance and Bavaria, with an army of rude undis« 
 j^Gfp^lned peasants. 
 *r " By his companions and countrymen he was re- 
 v,' garded as the hero, the saviour of his country ; and 
 his name is never mentioned in the Tyjol without 
 tears of grateful affection and admiration. 
 
 A simple tomb has been erected to the memory of 
 Hofer on the Brenner, at a short distance from his 
 own habitation ; it contains no other inscription than 
 . his name, and the dates of his birth and death. The 
 record of his actions is left to be transmitted, as it 
 doubtless will be, to the latest posterity, in the popular 
 stories and rude ballads of the Mountaineers, who Jove 
 and revere his name, and consider him as a model 
 of disinterested loyalty and devoted attachment to 
 his native land. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 133 
 
 KORNER. 
 
 When Gerraany was struggling to emancipate her- 
 self from a foreign yoke, Theodore Korner, the young 
 hero whose energetic poems helped so powerfully to 
 kindle a patriotic spirit among his countrymen, could 
 no longer endure the indolent occupations of a poet. 
 He left Vienna in March, 1813, and joined a distin- 
 guished free corps, in which he soon rose to rank, 
 and became the idol of his comrades. He courted 
 danger and death with the cool devotion of heroism ; 
 and his poems perpetually breatiie a quiet foreboding 
 of his approaching fate. He was killed in an en- 
 gagement with the French at Rosenburg, in Mecklen- 
 burg, on the 26th of August, 1813. On the morning 
 of that day, he wrote in his pocket-book, and read to 
 a friend, when the signal for attack was given, his 
 exquisite dialogue with his sword, called The Sword 
 Song.^'^ TheetFectof Korner's spirit-stirring strains, 
 oil the indignant and struggling Germans, was elec- 
 trical. They struck on the soul with all the power 
 of the most inspiring martial music ; and at this day, 
 they are universally loved and admired. They revive 
 the recollections of glory, and penetrate the hearts 
 of the Germans like the notes of the trumpet of 
 victory, or the triumphant din of battle melting in 
 the distance. This youthful hero fell at the age of 
 twenty-two. One of his patriotic songs, entitled. 
 Men and Dastards," was commenced in a bivouac 
 hut on tlie Slecknitz, on the morning of an engage- 
 ment. A single stanza will show what a glorious 
 spirit it breathed. 
 
134 
 
 PEllCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 "The land is roused, the storm breaks loose— 
 What traitor hand now shrinks from its use ? 
 Shame on the paie-fac'd wretch, who cowers 
 In chimney corners and damsel's bowers; 
 Shame on thee, cra'7in recreant sot ! 
 Our German maidens greet thee no£; 
 Our German carols joy thee not; 
 Our German wine inspires thee not ; 
 On in the van ! 
 Man to man ! 
 Whoe'er a faulchion's hilt can span I" 
 
 THE PARGUINOTES. 
 
 The small town of Parga, on the coast of Epirus, 
 which maintained its independence for ages uuder 
 the protection of tlie Venetian republic, and which 
 boldly contested for liberty for six months against the 
 Turks, was by a treaty, in which the British nation 
 was a party, ceded to their most inveterate and 
 deadly enemies. This event took place in 1814 ; 
 stipulations of a favourable kind were made in behalf 
 of the Parguinotes, and it was agreed, that every one 
 who would rather withdraw from his country, than 
 trust to the faithless promises of Ali Pacha, for to him 
 they were then ceded, was to have tlie privilege of 
 retiring, and to have the value of his property paid 
 to him by the Albanian tyrant. 
 
 When the commissioners of Great Britain and the 
 Porte first met to ascertain what portion of the na- 
 tives chose to relinquish their country, or share in its 
 disgrace, they were called one by one with the great- 
 est formality before the two cofnmissioners ; and allg 
 
PATRIOTISM. 135 
 without exception, declared, that rather than submit 
 to the Ottoman authority, they would for ever aban- 
 don their country, were they even to lose all they 
 possessed. They added, that hi quitting the land of 
 their birth, they would disinter and carry away the 
 bones of their forefathers, that they might not have 
 to reproach themselves with having left those sacred 
 relics to the most cruel enemies of their race. 
 
 One of the Parguinotes, named Gianachi Zulla,who 
 was deaf and dumb, being interrogated in his turn as 
 to the course which he proposed to take, and having 
 ascertained what was signified to him, indignantly 
 turned to the Turkish commissioner, and b^' the 
 most energetic and unequivocal gestures, gave him to 
 understand, that he would never remain under the 
 dominion of the Pasha. 
 
 Three years afterwards, the Parguinotes were again 
 assembled, and again expressed their determination 
 not to live under the yoke of the Turks ; at length, in 
 June, 1819, it was determined to enforce the cession; 
 and the British commissioner informed the Pargui- 
 notes, that in conformity with the arrangements with 
 Ali Pasha, a Turkish force was to enter their territory 
 without delay. The Parguinotes having held a con- 
 sultation, sent to inform the commandant, that as 
 such was the determination of the British commis- 
 sioner, they had unanimously resolved, that should 
 one single Turk enter their territory, before all of them 
 should have had a fair opportunity of leaving it, they 
 would put to death their wives and children, and 
 then defend themselves against any force, Christian 
 or Turkish, that should violate the pledge made to 
 N 2 
 
^36 PERCY ANECDOTES. ^ 
 
 them, and tliatthej would fight until one only should 
 survive to tell the story. 
 
 The English commandant perceiving by their pre- 
 parations, that their resolution was irrevocable, 
 despatched General Sir Frederick Adam to expostulate 
 with them. Tiiat officer, on his arrival at Parga, ob- 
 served a large fire in the public square, where the 
 inhabitants had heaped together the bones of their 
 ancestors, collected from the churches and cemeteries. 
 
 Ail the male population stood armed at the doors 
 of their respective dwellings ; the women and children 
 Tvere within awaiting their fate ; a gloomy and 'awful 
 silence prevailed. A few of the primates, with the 
 protopata at their head, received General Adam on 
 his landing, and assured him, that the meditated sacri- 
 fice would be immediately made, unless he could 
 stop the entrance of the Turks, who had already 
 arrived near their frontier, and effectually protect 
 their embarkation and departure^ 
 
 Fortunately, Sir Frederick Adam found means to 
 prevail on the Turkish commandant to halt with his 
 force. The embarkation then commenced, and all 
 the Parguinotes proceeded to Corfu. The Turks on 
 their entrance found Parga a desert ; and the only 
 signal that marked their reception, was the smoke of 
 the funeral pile, in which its late inhabitants had 
 consumed the bones of their forefathers. The unfor- 
 tunate emigrants waited at Corfu as houseless wan- 
 derers, the distribution of the miserable pittance of 
 of 48 per head, which had been awarded to them as 
 a compensation for the loss of their" property, their 
 social endearments, and their country. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 137 
 
 REMONSTRATING. 
 When the lord nia^/or, aldermen, common council; 
 and Jivery of the citj/ of London, framed their cele- 
 brated remonstrance to George III. on the subject of 
 the violation of the conslitution in the case of the 
 Middlesex election, the sheriffs and city remem- 
 brancer were desired to wait upon the king, to know 
 when his majesty would be pleased to receive the 
 same.^ On arriving at the palace, they were told that 
 the king was at dinner. While waiting to know 
 when they might come again, Lord Denbigh came up 
 to the city remembrancer, and asked him whether 
 the remonstrance was signed and sealed, or how it 
 was authenticated ? The remembrancer said that he 
 was a city officer, and that it was no part of his office 
 to give Lord Denbigh an answer to his question. 
 Lord Denbigli then went to Mr. Sheriff Townshend, 
 and asked him whether the business which brought 
 him was not new and singular, and whether the city 
 had ever presented a remonstrance to the king before ? 
 Mr. Townshend answered with a question equally 
 pertinent. Did ever a King of England before turn 
 a deaf ear to the petitions of sixty thousand free- 
 holders, and his back on those who presented them ? 
 A message was then brought out to them, that it was 
 his majesty's pleasure that they should wait on him 
 next day at St. James's. On attending there accord- 
 ingly, they were admitted, after waiting about three 
 hours, into the closet, where Mr. Sheriff Townshend 
 addressed his majesty in the following words : 
 N 3 
 
138 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 "may it please your majesty, 
 
 "By order of the lord mayor, aldermen, and 
 livery of the city of London, in Common Hall as- 
 sembled, we took the earliest opportunitj^, as was our 
 duty, to wait upon your majesty ; but being then 
 prevented by one of your majesty's household, who 
 informed us that it was your majesty's pleasure to 
 receive us this day, we wait on your majesty humbly 
 to know when your majesty will please to be attended 
 with a humble address, remonstrance, and petition." 
 
 His Majesty was pleased to return the following 
 answer : 
 
 " As the case is entirely new, I will take time to 
 consider it, and transmit you an answer by one of 
 my principal secretaries of state." 
 
 On the following evening, the sheriffs received the 
 following letter from Lord Weymouth. 
 
 " GENTLEMEN, " St, JamBs's, Mavch 8. 
 
 " The king commands me to inform you, in conse- 
 quence of the message which you brought yesterday 
 to St. James's, that he is always ready to receive 
 applications from any of his subjects ; but as the 
 present case of address, remonstrance, and petition, 
 seems entirely new, I am commanded to enquire of 
 you in what manner it is authenticated, and what the 
 nature of the assembly was in which this measure 
 was adopted ? When you furnish me with answers to 
 these questions, I shall signify to you his majesty's 
 farther pleasure. 
 
 " I am, gentlemen, your most obedient and iiumble 
 servant, " weymouth." 
 
 " Sheriffs of London." 
 
PATRIOTISM. 13^ 
 Next day, at twenty minutes after twelve, the 
 sheriffs went to St. James's. The remembrancer told 
 Lord Bolingbroke, who was the Icrd in waiting, that 
 the sheriffs of London were attending his majesty's 
 pleasure, and that they required an audience. Soon 
 after, the two secretaries of state, Lord Rochford and 
 Lord Weymouth, came to the sheriffs, and Lord 
 We^^mouth asked them Whether they had received 
 his letter, which was written by his majesty's order?" 
 Sheriffs. " We have." 
 
 Lord Weymouth. His majesty desires to know 
 whether you come in consequence of that letter ; or 
 whether you come on any fresh business ?" 
 
 Sheriffs. " We come in consequence of that 
 letter."* 
 
 Lord Weymouth. " Would it not be more proper 
 to send an answer in writing through me ?" 
 
 Sheriffs. *' We act ministerially as sheriffs of 
 London ; we have a right to an audience, and cannot 
 communicate to any other person than the king, the 
 subject of our message." 
 
 Lord Weymouth. " I do not dispute your right 
 to an audience ; but would it not be better and more 
 accurate to give your message to me in writing ?" 
 
 Sheriffs. " We know the value and consequence 
 of the citizens' right to apply immediately to the 
 king, and not to a third person ; and we do not mean 
 that any of their rights and privileges shall be 
 betrayed by our means." 
 
 The secretaries then withdrew, but after some time 
 returned, when Lord Weymouth said, His majesty 
 understanding that you come ministerially authorized 
 with a message from the city of London, will see yoM 
 as soon as the levee is over," 
 
140 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 As soon as the levee was over, the sherifFs were 
 introduced into the king's closet. The king did not 
 as usual receive thera alone, but Lords Gower, 
 Rochford, and Weymouth were present. Mr. Sheriff 
 Townshend addressed his majesty in these words. 
 
 "may IT PLEASE YOUR MAJESTY, 
 
 ** When we last had the honour to appear before 
 you, your majesty was graciously pleased to promise 
 an answer by one of your majesty's principal secre- 
 taries of state; but we had yesterday questions pro- 
 posed to us by Lord Weymouth. In answer to which, 
 we beg humbly to inform ycur majesty, that the 
 application which we make to ymx majesty, we make 
 as sheriffs of tlie city of London, by the direction of 
 the livery, in Common Hall legally assembled. The 
 address, remonstrance, and petition, to be presented 
 to your majesty by their chief magistrate, is the act 
 of the citizens of London, in their greatest court, 
 and is ordered by them to be properly authenticated 
 as their act." 
 
 His majesty shortly replied, 
 
 *' 1 will consider of the answer you have given me." 
 
 It was afterwards seriously debated in council, 
 whether or no the magistrates of London should be 
 admitted to an audience; but it was in the end 
 thought expedient to yield the point; and Lord 
 Weymouth wrote a letter to the sheriffs, appointing a 
 day for the king's receiving of the remonstrance. The 
 lord mayor, accompanied by several of the aldermen, 
 the sheriffs, one hundred and fifty -three of the com- 
 mon council, a committee of the livery, the common 
 Serjeant, leraembrancer, and other city officers, ac- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 141 
 cordinglj repaired in great state to St. James's, and 
 were received by his majesty seated on the throne. 
 The address, remonstrance, and petition, having been 
 read, his majesty was pleased to read the following 
 answer : 
 
 I shall always be ready to receive the requests 
 and to listen to the complaints of ray subjects ; but 
 it gives me great concern to find that any of them 
 should have been so far misled, as to offer me an ad^ 
 dress and remonstrance, the contents of which I cannot 
 but consider disrespectful to me, injurious to parlia- 
 ment, and irreconcilable to the principles of the 
 constitution. 
 
 " I have ever made the law of the land the rale of 
 my conduct, esteeming it ray chiefest glory to reign 
 over a free people. With this view, I have always 
 been careful, as well to execute faithfully the trust 
 reposed in me, as to avoid even the appearance of 
 invading any of those powers which the constitution 
 has placed in ray hands. It is only by persevering in 
 such a conduct, that I can either discharge ray own 
 duty, or secure to my subjects the free enjoyment of 
 those rights which my family were called to defend ; 
 and while I act upon these principles, I shall have a 
 right to expect, and I am confident 1 shall continue 
 to receive, the steady and affectionate support of ray 
 people." 
 
 The lord mayor (Beckford) replied, that as chief 
 magistrate of London, and also one of its represen- 
 tatives in parliament, he considered himself as its 
 servant, and that he had done no more than his 
 duty. 
 
142 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 The lord mayor and the rest of the deputation then 
 kissed the king's hand and retired. 
 
 The censure which the king passed on the remon- 
 strance, was afterwards fortified by approving ad- 
 dresses from both Houses of Parliament, carried by 
 unusually large majorities ; but the city, nothing 
 daunted, resolved on presenting a second remon- 
 strance, couched in still more energetic terms. ** Your 
 majesty,'* said they, "cannot disapprove that we 
 here assert the clearest principles of the constitution, 
 against the insidious attempt of evil counsellors, to 
 perplex, confound, and shake them. We are deter- 
 mined to abide by those rights and liberties which 
 our forefathers bravely vindicated at the ever memo- 
 rable revolution, and which their sons will ever reso- 
 lutely defend. We, therefore, now renew at the 
 foot of the throne, our claim to the indispensable 
 right of the subject ; a full, free, and unmutilated 
 parliament, legally chosen in all its members ; a right 
 which this House of Commons have manifestly vio- 
 lated, depriving at their will and pleasure, the 
 county of Middlesex of one of its legal represen- 
 tatives, and arbitrarily nominating as a knight of 
 the shire, a person not elected by a majority of 
 the freeholders. A.s the only constitutional means of 
 reparation now left for the injured electors of Great 
 Britain, we implore with most urgent supplications, 
 the dissolution of this present parliament, the removal 
 of evil ministers, and the total extinction of that 
 fatal influence which has caused such national dis- 
 content." 
 
 When this second remonstrance was presented to the 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 143 
 
 king, by the lord mayor, aldermen, &c. bis majesty, 
 seated on the throne, read the following answer: 
 
 **I should have been wanting to the public, as well 
 as to myself, if I had not expressed my dissatisfaction 
 at the late address. 
 
 " My sentiments on that subject continue the same 3 
 and I should ill deserve to be considered as the father 
 of my people, if I could suifer myself to be prevailed 
 upon to make such an use of my prerogative, as I 
 cannot but think inconsistent with the interest, and 
 dangerous to the constitution, of the kingdom." 
 
 The lord mayor (Beckford) then made the following 
 unpremeditated, but noble reply : 
 
 ** MOST GEACIOUS SOVEREIGN, 
 
 "Will your majestj'' be pleased so far to conde- 
 scend, as to permit the mayor of your loyal city of 
 London, to declare in your royal presence, on behalf 
 of his fellow citizens, how nmch the bare appre- 
 hension of your majesty's displeasure would at all 
 times affect their minds ; the declaration of that dis- 
 pleasure, has already filled them with inexpressible 
 anxiety, and with the deepest affliction. Permit me, 
 sire, to assure your majesty, that your majesty has 
 not, in all your dominions, any subjects more faithful, 
 more dutiful, or more affectionate to your majesty's 
 person and family, or more ready to sacrifice their 
 lives and fortunes in the maintenance of the true 
 •honour and dignity of your crown. 
 
 ** We do, therefore, with the greatest humility and 
 submission, most earnestly supplicate your majesty, 
 that you will not dismiss us from your presence, with- 
 
144 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 out expressing a more favourable opinion of jour 
 faithful citizens, and without some comfort, without* 
 some prospect at least of redress. 
 
 " Permit me, sire, farther to observe, that whoever 
 has already dared, or shall hereafter endeavour, by 
 false insinuations and suggestions, to alienate your 
 majesty's affections from your loyal subjects in gene- 
 ral, and from the city of London in particular, and to 
 ^withdraw your confidence in, and regard for, your 
 people, is an enemy to your majesty's person and 
 family, a violator of the public peace, and a be- 
 trayer of our happy constitution, as it was established 
 at the glorious revolution." 
 
 The lord mayor waited near a minute for a reply— 
 for some " more favourable opinion," but none was 
 given. The humility, and the serious firmness, with 
 which the venerable magistrate uttered these words, 
 filled the whole court with admiration and confusion. 
 They saw among the indignant citizens before them, 
 very ditferent countenances than they had expected, 
 from a description by Lord Pomfret, who was pleased 
 to declare in the House of Lords, that " however 
 swaggering and impudent the behaviour of the low 
 citizens might be on their own dunghill, when they 
 came into the royal presence, their heads hung down 
 like bulrushes, and they blinked with their eyes like 
 owls in the sunshine." 
 
 The conduct of the lord mayor on this occasion^ 
 received, as it justly merited, the thanks of his fellow 
 citizens- His reply was ordered to be inserted in the 
 city books ; and afterwards at his death, on a monu- 
 ment erected in the Guildhall to his memory. 
 
 TVhen it is recollected, that the cause far which the 
 
PATillOTl&M. 145 
 
 city of London thus boldly contended in tliese re- 
 monstrances, was that whicli Irimnplied at last in 
 spite of the united efforts of the court, the ministry, 
 and the parliament, and has since been solemnly and 
 universally recognized as the cause of the constitution, 
 and of liberty, it is impossible to appreciate too highly 
 the national importance of the conduct which they 
 pursued. We may well say with Junius, that " the 
 noble spirit of the metropolis, is the life-blood of the 
 state collected at the heart ; from that point it circu- 
 lates with health and vigour through every artery of 
 the constitution or with Wilkes, the hero of the con- 
 test, that " English history does not give a stronger 
 instance of the uprightness of our countrymen, nor 
 an example of any body of men more untainted by 
 corruption, more uninfluenced by every consider- 
 ation of fear or interest, and more calm, yet deter^ 
 mined in a great cause/"' 
 
 MARSHAL BOUFFLERS. 
 A few days previous to the battle of Malplaquet, 
 It was publicly talked of at Versailles, that a very 
 important battle would soon take place between the 
 French army commanded by Marshal Villars, and the 
 allied army under Prince Eugene and Marlborough. 
 Louis XIV. who for some years had met with many 
 mortifying repulses, seemed to be very uneasy about 
 the event. Marshal Boufflers, in order to quiet in 
 some degree the perturbation of his sovereign's mind, 
 offered, though a senior officer to Villars, to go and 
 serve under him, sacrificing all personal consider- 
 ations, to the glory of his country. His proposal 
 
146 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 was accepted, and he repaired to the camp. On his 
 arrival, a very singular coRtest took place between 
 the tv,o commanders. Villars desired to have 
 Boufflers for bis leader ; but the latter persisted in 
 yielding him all the glory, while he shared the 
 danger. No event in the life of Boufflers ever con- 
 tributed more to render his name illustrious. 
 
 Marshal Villars, who commanded the left win.g at 
 the battle, being obliged to retire on account of a 
 wound he had received, Marshal Boufflers charged 
 the enemy six times after this accident; but finding 
 they had made themselves master of a wood through 
 which they penetrated into the centre of the French 
 army, he yielded them the field of battle, and made 
 a retreat in such good order, that the allies declined 
 pursuin him. 
 
 THE EARL OF EFFINGHAM- 
 
 When the unhappy contest broke out between 
 Britain and her American colonies, the Earl of 
 Effingham, who had then the command of the 22nd 
 regiment, was one of those who thought and declared. 
 in his place in parliament, that the colonies only 
 contended for that freedom,which was their birthright. 
 The 22nd being one of the regiments which was 
 afterwards destined to attempt by force of arms to 
 reduce the Americans to obedience, his lordship had 
 no other alternative, but either to resign his command, 
 or take the field against his principles. The choice 
 could not be for a moment doubtful. His lordship 
 sent in his resignation, accompanied by the following 
 letter : 
 
PATKIOTISM. 
 
 147 
 
 ** To Lord Barrington, Secretary of War, 
 "My lord, I beg the favour of your lordship to 
 lay before his majesty the peculiar embarrassment of 
 my present situation. Your lordship is no stranger 
 to the conduct 1 have observed in the unhappy con- 
 test with our American colonies. The king is too 
 just, and too generous, not to believe that the votes 
 I have given in parliament, have been given ac- 
 cording to the dictates of my conscience. Whether 
 I have erred or not, the course of public events 
 must determine ; in the meantime, if 1 were capable 
 of such duplicity, as to be any way concerned in 
 enforcing those weapons of which I have so publicly 
 and so solemnly expressed my disapprobation, I 
 should ill deserve what I am most ambitious of ob- 
 taining — the esteem and favourable opinion of my 
 sovereign. My request, therefore, to your lordship, is 
 this ; that after having laid these circumstances before 
 tlie king, you will assure his majesty, that he has not 
 a subject who is more ready than I am with the ut- 
 most cheerfulness to sacrifice ray life and fortune in 
 snpport of the safety, honour, and dignity of his 
 -majesty's crown and person. But the very same 
 principles which have inspired me with these un- 
 alterable sentiments of duty and aiFection to his 
 majesty, will not suffer me to be instrumental in de- 
 priving any part of his people of those liberties which 
 form the best security of their fidelity and obedience 
 to his government. As 1 cannot, without reproach 
 to my own conscience, consent to bear arms against 
 my fellow subjects in America, in what to my weak 
 discernment is not a clear cau^e, and as it seems now 
 o % 
 
148 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 to be Unaliy resoived that tite 22nd regiment is to 
 go upon American service, 1 desire your lordship to 
 laj me in the most dutiful manner at his maje.sty's 
 feet, and. humbly beg that I may be permitted to 
 retire. Your lordship will also be so obliging as to 
 entreat, that as I waive what the custom of the service 
 would entitle me to, the right of selling what I bought, 
 I may be allowed to retain my rank in the army, 
 that whenever the enemy, or the ambition of foreign 
 powers, should require it, I may be enabled to serve 
 his majesty and my country in that way in which 
 alone I can expect to serve him with any degree of 
 elFect. 
 
 Your lordship will easily conceive the regret and 
 mortification I feel at being necessitated to quit the 
 military profession, which has been that of my ancestors 
 during many generations ; to which I have been bred 
 almost from my infancy ; to which I have devoted the 
 study of my life ; and to perfect myself in which, I have 
 sought instruction and service in whatever part of 
 the world they could be formed. 
 
 I have delayed this to the last moment, lest any 
 wrong construction should be given to a conduct 
 which is inflnenced only by the purest motives. I 
 complain of nothing. I love my profession, and should 
 think it highly blameable to quit any course of life 
 in which 1 might be useful to the public, so long as 
 my constitutional principle, and my notions of 
 honour, permitted me to continue in it. 
 
 " I have the honour to be, with much respect, your 
 lordship's most obedient and most humble servant, 
 
 " EFFINGHAM.*' 
 
 The king was so well convinced of the conscicn- 
 
PATRIOTISM. ^ 14f> 
 
 t\oiis motives from which Lord EtHngham acted, that 
 bis majesty, while he regretted the loss of his services, 
 was pleased to declare that he should not lose the 
 benefit of his rank upon any future occasion. 
 
 In a subsequent debate in the House of Lords, his 
 lordship alluding to his resignation, thus feelinglv 
 expressed himself: " Ever since I was of an age to 
 have any ambition at all, my highest has been to sare 
 my country in a military capacity. If there was 
 on earth an event dreaded, it was to see this country 
 so situated, as to make that profession incompatible 
 with my duty as a citizen. 
 
 " That period is in my opinion arrived ; and I have 
 thought myself bound to relinquish the hopes I had 
 formed, by a resignation ; which appeared to me the 
 only method of avoiding the guilt of enslaving my 
 country, and embruing my hands in the blood of 
 her sons. 
 
 " When the duties of a soldier and a citizen 
 become inconsistent, I shall always think myself 
 obliged to sink the character of the soldier into that 
 of the citizen, until such time as those duties shall 
 again, by the malice of our real enemies, become 
 united. 
 
 ^ ** It is no small sacrifice that a man makes, who 
 gives up his profession ; but it is a greater, when a 
 predilection strengthened by habit, has given so strong 
 an attachment to his profession as I feel. I have, 
 however, this consolation, that by making this sacri- 
 fice, I at least give to my country an unequivocal 
 proof of the sincerity of my principles." 
 
 At a public meeting afterwards, of the freeholders 
 of the county of Middlesex, they unanimously voted 
 o 3 
 
150 PERCY" ANECDOTES^ 
 
 their thanks to *' the Eari of Effingham, the citizen 
 and soldier who refused to draw his sword against 
 the rights of his fellow subjects." 
 
 DUKE OF BEDFORD. 
 
 When his Grace the Duke of Bedford negoclated 
 a peace with France, he signed the preliminaries with 
 the French minister, Choiseul, and stipulated no 
 farther for the East India Company than he was ad- 
 vised by the Court of Directors. A gentleman, a 
 Dutch Jew, of great abilities and respectable cha- 
 racter, hearing this, wrote a letter to the duke, in- 
 forming him, that the English East India Company 
 had materially neglected their own interest, as their 
 chief conquests were made subsequent to the period 
 at which they had fixed their claim of sovereignty ; 
 and if these latter conquests were to be restored, an 
 immense annual revenue would necessarily be taken 
 from England. The duke, struck with the force of 
 the fact, yet greatly embarrassed how to act, as pre- 
 liminaries were actually signed, repaired to the 
 French minister, and addressed him thus: "My lord, 
 I have committed a great mistake in signing the pre- 
 liminaries, as the affair of the India possessions must 
 be carried down to the last conquest in Asia." To 
 this Choiseul replied, ** Your Grace astonishes me ; I 
 thought I had been treating with the minister of a 
 great nation, and not with a student in politics, who 
 does not consider the validity of written engage- 
 ments." The duke replied, "Your reproach, my 
 lord, is just; but I will not add treachery to negli- 
 gence, nor deliberately betray ray country because I 
 
PATRIOTISM. 151 
 
 have unaccountably neglected her interests in a single 
 circumstance ; therefore, unless your lordship agrees 
 to cede the latter conquests in India, I shall return 
 home in twelve hours, and submit the fate of my head 
 to arr English parliament/' Choiseul, struck with 
 the intrepidity of the duke, yielded the point, and 
 Britain now enjoys above half a million annually, 
 through the firmness of a man whom it was once 
 even patriotism to calumniate. On the termination 
 of the affair to his satisfaction, his Grace gave the 
 Dutch gentleman the warmest recommendation to the 
 English East India Company, who conferred upon 
 him a pension of ^500 annually, for the important 
 service which he had rendered. 
 
 THE DE WITTS. 
 
 At the age of twenty-five, John de Witt, the second 
 son of Jacob de Witt, burgomaster of Dort, was elected 
 pensionary of Dort, and so distinguished himself by 
 his able conduct, tliat he was soon after made pen- 
 sionary over all Holland. Upon this occasion, when 
 some of his friends reminded him of the hard fate of 
 his predecessor, Bameveldt, he replied, that " human 
 life was liable to trouble and danger, and that he 
 thought it honourable to save his country, which he 
 was resolved to do, whatever returns he might meet 
 with." Finding the war in which Holland was then 
 engaged with England, destructive to the commerce 
 and best interests of the commonwealth, he imme- 
 diately opened a negociation with Cromwell, and 
 concluded a peace on honourable terms. When the 
 usual period of liis ofifice had expired, he was unani- 
 
152 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 mously continued in it, by a resolution of the states ; 
 and on hostilities again breaking out with England, 
 at the restoration, he showed himself not less skilful 
 and brave in the field, than wise and temperate in 
 the cabinet. He was appointed one of the commis- 
 sioners for the direction of the navy, and made such 
 vigorous dispositions, that he had a fleet ready for 
 sea, before the admirals themselves imagined it pos- 
 sible, though naval affairs were quite new to him. 
 After Opdam's defeat and death, it being deemed 
 expedient that a commission of deputies from the 
 states should command the fleet, he was one of three 
 to whom this important trust was confided ; and, in 
 the execution of it, distinguished himself in a very 
 remarkable manner, by his nautical sagacity and in- 
 trepidity. He conducted the fleet out of the Texel 
 at a time when, in the opinion of all naval men, the 
 state of the wind rendered it impossible. In a 
 dreadful storm which they afterwards encountered off 
 Norway, he remained upon deck all the time, and 
 never changed his clothes, nor took any refreshment, 
 but in common with the men ; and when he saw a 
 want of hands, assisted himself, and obliged his 
 oflficers to follow his example. 
 
 In 1667, De Witt finding a favourable conjuncture 
 for executing the great design of the warm republicans 
 of that time, he prevailed on the states to pass an 
 edict, by which the olEce of stadtholder was for ever 
 abolished, and the liberty of Holland, as it was sup- 
 posed, fixed on an everlasting basis. In obedience 
 to this edict, the Prince of Orange, when in 1672 he 
 was elected captain and admiral general, solemnly 
 abjured the stadtholdership. The prince, however, 
 
PATRIOTISM. 153 
 
 had partisans at work, whose intrigues were directed 
 to a very dilFerent end. A tumult was stirred up at 
 Dort, and the people declared they would have the 
 old order of things revived, and that the prince sliould 
 be their stadtholder. The prince came in person to 
 Dort, on the invitation of the inhabitants, and ac- 
 cepted of the office. Most of the other towns and 
 provinces followed the example. The pensionary, 
 unable to contend with this tide of events, begged 
 his^ dismission, and it was granted him. He now 
 retired into private life, and deplored in secret the 
 misfortunes of his country, which, from the highest 
 prosperity, fell, as it were all at once, to the verv 
 brink of ruin. An invasion from the French con- 
 curred with their own intestine divisions to spread 
 every where terror and confusion ; while, to exclude 
 De Witt and his friends from any chance of returning 
 popularity, the Prince of Orange's party were un~ 
 ceasing in their endeavours to heap every possible 
 degree of odium upon them. The mob were insti- 
 gated to pull down a house in which the pensionary 
 was supposed to be lying sick ; an attempt was made 
 to assassinate both him and his brother Cornelius, on 
 the same day, in different places; and the Count de 
 Monthas, who had married their sister, was ordered 
 to be arrested in camp as a traitor, though he had 
 behaved with the greatest courage and integrity. 
 Cornelius was at length accused by one Ticklaer, a 
 barber, of a design of poisoning the prince ; and 
 though his judges could not declare him guilty, he was 
 condemned to exile. But before this sentence could 
 be fulfilled^ his ignominious accuser persuaded the 
 people that he would be rescued out of the prison in 
 
154 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 which he was confined ; on this, they instantly armed 
 and surrounded the place, where it unfortunately hap- 
 pened that the pensionary was on a visit to his brother. 
 The mob broke open the doors, and dragging the 
 unhappy brothers forth, barbarously murdered them. 
 They carried their dead bodies to the gallows, where 
 they hung the pensionary a foot higher than his 
 brother; and after mangling their bodies, cut their 
 clothes in a thousand pieces, and se!it them about 
 the country as trophies of conquest. 
 
 The pensionary was in his forty-seventh year. 
 *' He was," says Hume, " a minister equally eminent 
 for greatness of mind, for capacity, and for integrity." 
 Sir William Temple, who was intimately acquainted 
 with his character, speaks of him, on various occa- 
 sions, in the highest terms of admiration and praise. 
 He observes, that when he was at the head of the 
 government, he differed nothing in his manner of 
 living from an ordinary citizen. When he made 
 visits, he was attended only by a single footman; 
 and on common occasions, he was frequently seen in 
 the streets without any attendant at all. His office 
 for the first ten years brought him in little more than 
 
 300 ; and in the latter part of his life, not above 
 ^700. The states made him an offer of a gift of 
 ^10,000; but he refused it as a bad example in a 
 free government. 
 
 WILLIAM WALLACE. 
 Never perhaps was the fame of any man more 
 cherished b^^ a people, than that of William Wallace 
 k by the Scottish nation. Plis exploits have been 
 
PATRIOTISM. 155 
 for ages the darling theme of all ranks of the people ; 
 and in those parts of the country where his adventures 
 chiefly lay, there is scarcely a lofty rock, high fall of 
 water, lonely cave, or other remarkable object in 
 nature, which is not designated by a name dear to 
 every romantic, youtljful, and patriotic mind. The 
 recorded feats in the life of Wallace, rank him not 
 only among the first patriots of his nation, but among 
 the first of all who have deserved that honourable 
 appeilalion. He made his appearance in the theatre 
 of active life at a most interesting period. A dis- 
 . puted succession to the Scottish crown had been sub- 
 mitted to the decision of Edward the First of England, 
 The office of umpire, gave the English king a fatal 
 ascendancy over the Scottish nobles, and especially 
 over the competitors for the crown. Baliol was pre- 
 ferred, on condition that he would acknowledge the 
 dependence of Scotland upon the English crown; 
 but at last, under the mortification of repeated insults, 
 he resigned the crown altogether into the hands of 
 Edward on the 3rd of July, 1296. All Scotland was 
 now overrun by an English army, and the govern- 
 ment placed in the hands of English deputies, who 
 made it odious to the people by their exactions and 
 oppressions. At this critical moment was the stand- 
 ard of freedom first unfurled by William Wallace, 
 the younger son of a private gentleman, Wallace of 
 Elderslie. To great bodily strength and activity, and 
 a courage which delighted in danger, he united an 
 inventiveness of enterprise, a fertility of resources, 
 and a generous gallantry of manner, well calculated 
 to gain him an authority over the rude and undisci- 
 plined multitude who answered his patriotic call* In 
 
156 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 May, 129? , he began to infest the English quarters, 
 and soon raade his numbers formidable* The first 
 person of note who joined him, was Sir William 
 Douglas. With their united forces, these two allies 
 attempted to surprise Ormesby, the English Justi- 
 ciary, while holding a court at Scoon ; but a preci- 
 pitate flight disappointed them of their expected 
 prey. After this, the patriotic band roved over the 
 whole country, assaulted castles, and slew the 
 English wherever they met with them. Several men 
 of the highest rank now joined the standard of free- 
 dom; among others, Bruce tlie Steward of Scotland, 
 and bis brother, Sir Alexander de Lindsay 
 Andrew Moray of Bothweli; Sir Kichard Lunden 
 and Wishart, Bishop of Glasgow. But unfortunately, 
 they brought more splendour than real strength to 
 the cause. Wallace, though the master spirit of the 
 whole enterprise, was of too humble a rank among 
 the gentlemen of Scotland, to be readily acknow- 
 ledged by them for their chief; and where merit like 
 his was not recognized as the best title to supreme 
 command, it is easy to conceive that the conflict of 
 pretensions must have been endless. All the leaders 
 claimed to be independent of each other ; and to 
 nothing, even of the most obvious advantage, coul(l 
 their common consent be obtained. While the Scot- 
 tish army, thus enfeebled by disease, lay posted 
 near Irvine, a chosen and numerous body of forces 
 which had been sent from England by Edward, ap- 
 proached to give them battle. All the nobles and 
 barons who had joined the party of Wallace, Sir 
 Andrew Moray of Bothwell alone excepted, con- 
 sented to treat with the English j and for themselves 
 
PATRIOTISM. 157 
 and their adherents reade submission to Edward. 
 Wallace and Moray refused to have any concern with 
 the ignoble capitulation ; and collecting together a 
 few faithful companions of their fortunes, retired 
 indignantly towards the north. Under the conduct 
 of these two able leaders, the patriot band soon 
 recruited its numbers ; and when the English ad- 
 vanced to Stirling, was prepared to dispute with them 
 the passage of the Forth. Warren, Earl of Surrey, 
 the English general, imagining that Wallace might 
 still be won over, dispatched two friars to the Scottish 
 camp proffering terras. " Eeturn," said Wallace, 
 " and tell your masters, that we come not here to 
 treat, but to assert our right, and to set Scotland free 
 Let them advance ; they will find us prepared." 
 - He dehes us !" cried the English, and impatiently 
 demanded to be led on. The Scotch were encamped 
 on the opposite side of the river to that occupied by 
 the English ; who to approach them, had to defile 
 over a long narrow wooden bridge. As soon as the 
 van of the English had crossed the bridge, and before 
 they could form themselves in order of battle, Wallace 
 rushed down, and broke them in a moment. Many 
 thousands were slain on the field, or drowned in 
 attempting to recross the river. A general panic 
 instantly seized the main body of the English; they 
 set fire to the bridge, abandoned all their baggage, 
 and did.not cease their flight till they had reached 
 Berwick, which they also speedily evacuated. The 
 loss of the Scots would have been inconsiderable, 
 
 mit^'^.r' ^^'^^^ ^^^^^ Sir Andrew 
 
 Mora^ the gahant and faithful companion of Wallace, 
 c^cotland was thus once more free ; but in conse^ 
 
l58 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 quence of bad seasons and the disorders of war, it 
 suffered severely from famine. With the view of 
 procuring sustenance to his remaining followers, 
 Wallace marched his army into the north of England ; 
 and for upwards of three weeks, the whole of that 
 wide tract of country from Cockermouth and Carlisle, 
 to the gates of Newcastle, was wasted with all the 
 fury of revenge, licence and, rapacity. 
 
 Wallace now assumed the title of Guardian of 
 Scoilnnd, in name of King John, (Baliol) and by the 
 consent of the Scottish Nation. That he was vir- 
 tually so, there can be no doubt; and we ought therefore 
 to be less the scrupulous in enquiring as to the forms 
 ■which attended his investiture with this high dignit3^ 
 With the aid and countenance of only one of all the 
 Scottish barons, the lamented Andrew Moray, and sup- 
 ported by the lower orders of Scottish people alone^ 
 he had freed his country from English thraldom, and 
 restored it to its ancient independence. A service so 
 great and unexampled, gave him a claim to the appel« 
 lation of Scotland's Guardian, which wanted neither 
 form nor solemnity to make it as well founded as any 
 title that ever existed. 
 
 The barons who had stood aloof during the struggle 
 for liberty, now began, as before, to intermeddle with 
 the fruits of the conquest so gloriously achieved. Of 
 Wallace they speed-ily evinced the utmost jealousy. 
 His elevation wounded their pride ; his great services 
 were an unceasing reproach to their inactivity in the 
 public cause. Strife and division were again intro- 
 duced into the Scottish camp, at a time when, more 
 than ever, unanimity was necessary to the establish- 
 ment of the national independence. Edward had 
 
PATRloriSM. 159 
 
 again invaded Scotland with a powerful army, and 
 Wallace had a second time to risk a general battle 
 for Scottish freedom. In the neighbourhood of Falkirk 
 the hostile armies met. Wallace had now around 
 him, a Gumming, a Stewart, a Graham, a MacdutF^ 
 and other names of equal note In Scottish chieftain- 
 ship ; but feebler, through the jealousy and distrust 
 of so many rivals, than when alone with the gallant 
 Moray, he led his countrymen to battle ; victory 
 deserted his plume. The Scots were defeated with 
 great slaughter ; and though for some time after they 
 kept up the war in detached parties, they were no 
 longer able to muster an army in the field. Edward, 
 with his victorious troops, swept the whole country, 
 from the Tweed to the Northern Ocean ; and there 
 was scarcely any place of importance, but owned his 
 sway. 
 
 Yet amid this wreck of the national liberties, 
 Wallace despaired not. He had lived a freeman; 
 and a freeman he resolved to die. All his endeavours 
 to rouse his countrymen, were, however, in vain. 
 The season of resistance was, for the present, past. 
 W^allace perceived that there remained no more hope, 
 and sought out a place of concealment, where eluding 
 the vengeance of Edward, he might silently lament 
 over his fallen country. Nothing now remained in 
 Scotland unconquered, except the castle of Stirling, 
 which was at length 'compelled to surrender. But 
 Wallace still lived ; and while he existed, though 
 without furces, and without an ostensible place of 
 residence, his countrymen were not absolutely with- 
 out hope, nor Edward without fear. Every exertion 
 was made to discover bis retreat; and at length he 
 p % 
 
J 60 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 was betra3^ed into the hands of the English. He was 
 brought to Westminster, and arraigned there as a 
 traitor to Edward, and as having burnt villages, stormed 
 castles, and slaughtered many subjects of England. " I 
 never was a traitor," exclaimed Wallace, indignantly. 
 "What injury I could do to Edward, the enemy of 
 ray liege sovereign and of my country, I have done, 
 and I glory in it." Sentence of death was pronounced 
 against him, and immediately executed, with that 
 studied rigour in the circumstances of the punishment, 
 which while seeking to make impressions of terror, 
 excite pity. His head was placed on a pinnacle at 
 London; and his mangled limbs were distributed over 
 the land. Thus cruelly perished a man whom Edward 
 could never subdue, and whose only crime was an 
 invincible attachment to freedom and independence. 
 
 ROBERT BRUCE. 
 After the death of Wallace, the conquest of Scot- 
 land, which it had taken Edward fifteen years to 
 accomplish, seemed complete ; but the fire of patriot- 
 ism was only smothered, not extinguished. Robert 
 Bruce, the grandson of the competitor of the crown 
 against Baliol, fought in the ranks of the English 
 army at the battle of Falkirk ; and the Scottish histo- 
 rians say, that he encountered Wallace in person in 
 the field, and that Wallace found means, instead of 
 obstinately fighting his antagonist, to form an appoint- 
 ment with him for a future meeting. Bruce is said 
 to have kept his appointment, and to have been 
 urged by the eloquence of Wallace into that path of 
 patriotic ambition, which he afterwards successfully 
 
PATIUOTISM. 161 
 
 pursued. For the present, he was constrauied to 
 return with the victorious Edward to England ; but 
 he lost no time in concerting with some of his coun- 
 trymen at the English court, the means of redressing 
 their country's wrongs, and liberating it from the 
 English yoke. Edward obtained, through treachery, 
 intelligence of the project which was on foot among 
 the Scottish chiefs, and had resolved on committing 
 Bruce to close custody, when a speedy flight saved 
 him from his grasp. All the movements of Bruce 
 were so strictly watched, that no person could venture 
 to confer with him by a letter ; but a friend, who felt 
 interested in his welfare, and was apprised of 
 the resolution of Edward to seize his person, sent 
 him by a servant, under some pretence, a pair 
 of spurs. Bruce penetrated the symbolical meaning 
 of the present, and instantly fled to Scotland, where 
 in a few days he arrived in safety. AVith the aid of 
 his brother, Edward Bruce, of Douglas, and some 
 other chiefs, he succeeded in raising numbers of his 
 countrymen to rally again round the royal banner of 
 "Scotland. His cause for awhile seemed desperate, 
 and there were moments when he was even constrained 
 to consult his safety, by wandering in the mountains, 
 and sheltering in the caves. But adverse fortune 
 only served to add vigour to his determination to set 
 his country free. He was in a short time able, with 
 the flower and strength of Scotland around him, to 
 meet the English king in person at Bannockburn, in 
 the neighbourhood of Stirling, not far from the spot 
 where Wallace had once emancipated his country, 
 by the rout of the forces under the Earl of Surrey. 
 On the eve of this ever memorable battle, Maurice, 
 p 3 
 
162 PERCY ANlLCDoTSiS. 
 
 Abbot of Inch -. ay, celebrated mass in the midst of 
 the Scottish army. He then passed along the front 
 bare-footed, with a crucifix in his hand, and in a few 
 words, exhorted the Scots to fight for their rights 
 and liberty. The Scots fell down upon their knees. 
 Edward perceiving this, cried out, See, they yield, 
 they implore mercy." " They do," answered Um- 
 fraville, one of his commanders, " they do implore 
 mercy, but not from us. On that field they will be 
 victorious or die." On the morning of the battle, 
 while both armies were in view of each other, and 
 eager to engage, Bruce, with a crown above his helmet, 
 and a battle-axe in his hand, ascended an eminence, 
 and haranguing his troops, reminded them of the an- 
 cient bravery and the valiant deeds of their ancestors ; 
 recapitulated the wrongs and indignities they had 
 suffered from the English ; called to their recollection 
 the deeds, and the fall, of the brasre and patriotic 
 W allace ; and earnestly exhorted them to stand firm, 
 and enter the field with the full determination to 
 conquer or die. " Let that determination," he con- 
 cluded, " gather strength with every blow of your 
 arms, and with every fall of your brave companionsc 
 Thus let the rallying word be, ' Scotland's freedom, or 
 ^eath !' To arms 1 to arms ! my dear and brave com- 
 panions." The onset was tremendous ; and long and 
 severe the conflict. Victory declared at last on the 
 side of liberty and right ; and before the sun set, 
 Scotland was free. 
 
 The victory of Bamiockburn put an end to all 
 questions about the right of succession to the crown, 
 and to the divisions, and consequent weakness, which 
 had embarrassed the Scots in their preceding contests. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 1G3 
 The gk)ry of Robert Bruce was complete ; his name 
 was unboundedly popular ; and no candidate for the 
 throne could, for the future, hope to supplant his de- 
 scendants. Accordingly, though the barons retained 
 their turbulence, and the authority of the crown was 
 inadequate to the internal good government of the 
 kingdom ; yet as no dispute existed about the 
 person of the monarch, the throne always formed 
 the rallying point of the national independence to such 
 a degree, as to extinguish all hope of future conquest. 
 
 WASHIXGTOX. 
 "When General Washington, the immortal saviour 
 of his country, had closed his career in the French and 
 Indian war, and had become a member of the house 
 of burgesses, the speaker, Robinson, was directed by 
 a vote of the house, to return their thanks to that 
 gentleman, on behalf of the colony, for the dis- 
 tinguished military services which he had rendered tu 
 his country. As soon as Washington took his seat, 
 Mr. Robinson, in obedience to this order, and follow- 
 ing the impulse of his own generous and grateful 
 heart, discharged the duty with great dignity ; but 
 with such warmth of colouring and strength of expres- 
 sion, as entirely confounded the youns: hero. He rose 
 to express his acknowledgments for the honour : but 
 such was his trepidation and confusion, that he could 
 not give distinct utterance to a single syllable. He 
 blushed, stammered, and trem.bled, for a second; when 
 the speaker relieved him, by a stroke of address that 
 would have done honour to Louis XIV. in his 
 proudest and happiest moments. Sit down, Mr. 
 Washington," said he, with a conciliating smile ; 
 
164 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 ** your modesty is equal to your valour; and that 
 surpasses the power of any language that 1 possess." 
 
 GRATTAN. V 
 
 If the character of an individual were to be esti- 
 mated in proportion to the services he has rendered 
 his native country, there are few names would stand 
 higher on the roll of patriotism, than that of Henry 
 Grattan. In an age when apostacy and dereliction 
 of principle were too often rewarded with wealth 
 and honours, he, though possessing but a slender 
 fortune, remained untainted ; and during the whole 
 of his long parliamentary career, he never compro- 
 mised or forgot the interests of his native Ireland. 
 
 Mr. Grattan first became a member of the Irish 
 Parliament in 1775. Ireland was then in a state of 
 great humiliation, being only considered as a pro- 
 vince. Her legislature was a petty council, inca- 
 pable of originating laws, and her courts of justice 
 subordinate to those of England, and incompetent to 
 a final decision. Destitute of foreign commerce, 
 from which she had been excluded by British mono- 
 poly, her manufacturers were crushed by the weight 
 of British competition, and the industry of the popu- 
 lation checked from want of encouragement. In 
 short, bankruptcy, discontent, and wretchedness, 
 covered the face of Ireland. 
 
 While other politicians were attributing these evils 
 to various causes, and offering temporizing palliatives 
 for their redress, Mr. Grattan traced them to their 
 source ; and no sooner was he seated in the Irish House 
 ©f Commons, than he urged the legislature to com- 
 
PATUIOTISM. 165 
 plain of the restraints on commerce, and declared 
 that nothing but a free trade could save Ireland from 
 ruin. His efforts were seconded by the unanimous 
 Toice of the country ; and such was the effect, that 
 after a little hesitation on the part of the British Par- 
 liament, the commerce of Ireland was partially thrown 
 open. 
 
 Mr. Grattan was now become an object of ado- 
 ration to the people ; his popuhirity seemed to impart 
 new energy to his mind, and he continued to exert 
 himself with indefatigable assiduity in the senate ; 
 and by leading the mind of the public, and even the 
 legislature itself, to the consideration of national 
 rights, he paved the way for that darling measure 
 which he afterwards accomplished. 
 
 Directed by an acute understanding, which could 
 catch the moment propitious to exertion, and pro- 
 portion its zeal to the object, Mr. Grattan by his par- 
 liamentary speeches roused his country to a continued 
 thirst for independence ; until at length he caught as 
 he inspired the sacred flame ; and by one of those 
 extraordinary displays of impassioned eloquence, to 
 which even the eloquent can only rise when a mo- 
 mentous object seems to furnish adequate powers, he 
 obtained the celebrated declaration, that the King, 
 Lords, and Commons of Ireland, and they alone, 
 could make laws to bind Ireland in any case 
 whatsoever. 
 
 No sooner had this important declaration been 
 obtained, than Mr. Bagenal, a member of the House 
 of Commons, gave notice of a motion for voting the 
 sum of o£lOO,000, for the purchasing an estate, and 
 building a suitable mansion, for their illustrious bene- 
 
166 PERCY ANECDOTES, 
 
 factor, Henry Grattan, Esq. and his heirs for ever, in 
 testimony of their gratitude for the unequalled ser- 
 vices he had done for Ireland. ** Far be it from me," 
 said Mr. Bagenal, to compare even the services of 
 a Marlborough to those for which we stand indebted, 
 for we have no deductions to make from our gratitude. 
 The efforts of Mr. Grattan have been so timed, and 
 conducted with so much wisdom, and his appearance 
 was so essential to the establishment of liberty at 
 this most critical juncture, that without superstition, 
 men may well record it amongst the most propitious 
 interpositions of heaven, I am conscious that I may 
 have anticipated men infinitely better qualified to 
 bring such a measure forward ; but one excuse I 
 have— for it is not the impatient wish which every 
 one must feel, to see such a character great and ex- 
 alted—it is not fiom vanity or ambition to distinguish 
 myself, but as I never had any personal acquaintance 
 with our great benefactor, I thought it might come as 
 well from one on whom he could not have any private 
 claim, as from those distinguished individuals who, 
 to the admiration of his talents and his patriotism, 
 add the additional gratification of his personal friend- 
 ship. Virtue, to be sure, is its own reward ; and we 
 know that the consciousness of having done such a 
 service, must render Mr. Grattan the happiest of 
 men ; but has he no claims on us ? shall we be un- 
 grateful ? God forbid 1 Gratitude, national grati- 
 tude, is a virtue which the benefits we have received 
 demand us to exhibit; gratitude is often neglected by 
 individuals, for the want of power; we, I trust, shall 
 never have such another opportunity of exercising 
 ours, and God forbid that we should suffer it to 
 escape us." 
 
PATRIOTISM. 107 
 T sum proposed to be given to Mr. Graftan was 
 ^100,000; but at the express instance of his own 
 particular friends, this sum was reduced to ^50,000, 
 which he accepted as the offering of a grateful people 
 for benefits conferred. 
 
 SAM HOUSE. 
 
 In the A-arious struggles which have taken place for 
 the representation of Westminster in parliament, the 
 advocates of popular rights never found a more 
 ardent or a more disinterested friend, than Sam 
 House, who although a publican, possessed so much 
 influence, and was so persevering in his exertions, that 
 he was more than once the principal cause of returning 
 Mr. Fox to parliament. 
 
 During the memorable contest for Westminster 
 between Fox, Hood, and Wray, Sam, without soli- 
 citation, kept open house; and the friends of Mr. 
 Fox seeing the profusion with which he gave re- 
 freshments to the electors, were afraid that through 
 his uncommon zeal in the cause of freedom, he 
 would injure himself. They, therefore, determined 
 to make him a recompense; but knowing his greatness 
 of soul, the difficulty was to do it in such a manner 
 as not to hurt his feelings. It was agreed that a 
 quantity of beer and spirits should be sent to him, to 
 supply for what he had given away. Mr. Byng and 
 some other friends waited upon Sam, and acquainted 
 him with this resolution. Sam considering it an in- 
 sult to offer him a recompense, with the calmness of 
 a philosopher and an expressive look of disdain, he 
 said, " Gentlemen, mind your own business, and 
 leave me to do as I like." 
 
168 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 EMPRESS MARIA THERESA. 
 The illustrious Maria Theresa had scarcely been 
 invested with the regal purple, when she found her- 
 self encompassed b}^ enemies, each more eager than 
 the rest to devour the possessions bequeathed to her 
 by her ancestors. In this distressing situation, she 
 acted with becoming magnanimity, nor once betrayed 
 the w^eakness or the terrors of a woman. She quitted 
 Vienna, and threw herself into the arms of the Hun- 
 garians. Having assembled the four orders of the 
 state, on the 31st of August, 1741, she appeared 
 amongst them, with her eldest son (afterwards the 
 Emperor Joseph) at her breast, and addressed them 
 in Latin, a language which she perfectly understood j 
 telling them that, " abandoned by her friends, per- 
 secuted by her enemies^ attacked by her nearest rela- 
 tions, she had no other resource left, but to stay iii 
 that kingdom, and commit her person, her children, 
 her sceptre, and her crown, to the care of her faithful 
 subjects." The Palatines, at once softened and in- 
 flamed by this pathetic speech, drawing forth their 
 sabres, exclaimed as one man, Moriamur^pro regina 
 nostra, Maria Thei^esaJ' We will die for our sove- 
 reign, Maria Theresa." Supplied with money from 
 England, Holland, Elanders, and Venice, but prin- 
 cipally supported by her own magnanimity, and the 
 desperate ardour of her troops, she stood out against, 
 and finally triumphed over, the combination against 
 her. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 169 
 
 SCOTTISH LOYALTY IN THE AMERICAN 
 WAR. 
 
 During the unhappy contest with America, the 
 people of Scotland were as remarkable for their stre- 
 nuous support of the measures of government,as tliose 
 of England were for the countenance which they gave 
 to the resistance of the colonists. Both were equally 
 sincere, though not perhaps equally enlightened 
 in their conduct ; but in all patriotic displays, it is 
 by the motive, rather than the event, that their merit 
 ought to be appreciated. The exertions of the Scotch 
 at this period, took their start from what would have 
 sunk the spirit of other nations, the calamity which 
 befel General Burgoyne's army. In that blow, each 
 individual felt his pride personally injured, and with 
 ardour threw the expression of it into action. 
 
 The Duke of Hamilton, representative of the united 
 houses of Hamilton and Douglas, in which last house, 
 by a singularity unparalleled in history, ten heroes 
 succeeded to each other, prepared to go to America, 
 with a regiment of a thousand men raised on his own 
 estate ; and generous as brave, he would not take ad- 
 vantage of his rank, to rise above older officers, but 
 accepted the commission of youngest captain in his 
 own regiment. 
 
 The Duke of Athol raised another regiment of the 
 same number, among the men of Athol ; and besides 
 the king's bounty, gave two guineas to each recruit. 
 But tempering zeal for his country, with humanity 
 for his countrymen, he obliged himself to maintain 
 
 Q 
 
 ■i 
 
170 I'EIICY ANECDOTES. 
 
 the families of the recruits who went from bis estates, 
 if they needed support, and never during his life to 
 raise the rents of such tenants as sent a son or brother 
 to join the royal standard. 
 
 Lord M'Leod, anxious to wash away the treasons 
 of his families with his own blood, raised a regiment 
 of the like number on the estate to the possession of 
 which he was born. Nor did he even ask government 
 to be restored to his estate, as the reward of his ser- 
 vices. The generous followers of a fallen family, 
 vied with each other who should most help to raise 
 it up again, by showing their attachment to their 
 sovereign and to his lordship. 
 
 The inhabitants of Glasgow raised and clothed, at 
 their own expense, a regiment also of a thousand men, 
 against those very Americans at whose mercy a mil- 
 lion of their property lay at the time ; and with an 
 honest confidence in his majesty, left the nomination 
 of their officers to him. They raised a great sum to 
 maintain the family of the recruits in their absence; 
 and they made them and their families freemen of 
 their corporations for ever. 
 
 The city of Edinburgh raised and clothed a regi- 
 ment of the same number. They, indeed, recom- 
 mended a list of officers to the king ; but they did 
 so on this principle, that they thought it would prove 
 a double incitement to the ardour of the officers, to 
 find that the applauding voice of their country, as 
 well as the approbation of their prince, were to beai 
 testimony to their merits. And with this view the 
 most delicate, and even the most scrupulous atten- 
 tion, was shown to the military claims of the indivi- 
 duals who were recommended. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 171 
 
 The families of Argyle, Gordon, Seaforth, and 
 Macdonald, also raised each a regiment of d thousand 
 men on their own estates. 
 
 Smaller towns offered to raise companies at their 
 own expense ; and many corporations within their own 
 estates offered bounty-moncj to soldiers, some to the 
 extent of five guineas a man. 
 
 But amongst just compliments to higher ranks, let 
 not the brave commoners of Scotland be forgot. 
 Many recruits refused to take bounty at all ; and 
 there were soldiers in the Edinburgh and Glasgow 
 regiments, worth one hundred pounds. Whei\ one of 
 them was asked why he left his own business to em- 
 bark in the perils of war ? his Spartan answer was, 
 " Principle !" Tradesmen in Glasgow, worth onlv 
 ^200, subscribed half their fortunes. A club of a 
 hundred common weavers in tliat place, draughted 
 fourteen of their number for recruits, and made up 
 a stock of o£'350, to maintain their families in their 
 absence. One thousand common manufacturers in 
 the same city, collected a thousand guineas ; and the 
 trades, as bodies corporate, subscribed between five 
 and six thousand guineas. Two sixpenny clubs in 
 Edinburgh and Glasgow, collected J^lOO each. The 
 link boys at Edinburgh, about thirty in number, gave 
 thirty guineas. The affluent may sneer at the recital, 
 but they should blush when thej do; for the volun- 
 tary mite of the poor, is a more sure, and far more 
 pleasing proof to a virtuous prince of the affections of 
 his people, than all the incense of the rich. 
 
 When the writers to the signet, by an unanimous 
 vote, gave five hundred guineas to the Edinburgh 
 regiment, they spoke the voice of Scotland, in the 
 Q 2 
 
172 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 following simple, but manly words of their vote : 
 ** That the world may see the unhappy contest is not 
 the cause of a ministry, or any particular number of 
 men ; but the cause of the legislature, animated and 
 supported by the whole body of the nation, as well 
 individuals as communities." 
 
 PATRIOTIC FUND. 
 
 When Britain was threatened with invasion from 
 the French in 1803, the enemy, confident in his 
 mighty preparations, anticipated the conquest of the 
 only power that opposed a barrier to his insatiable 
 ambition, and lured his myriads to the desperate 
 enterprise, by holding out the spoii of rich and happy- 
 England as their sure reward. To repel the proud 
 invader, the whole nation rose in arms. All ranks 
 and classes rallied round the throne, trusting in the 
 aid of Divine Providence, by whose protecting favour 
 this country has so long enjoyed her inestimable 
 civil and religious blessings. Their firmness awed 
 the foe ; and the boasted flotillas that were to spread 
 destiQCtion through the British fieets, and bring 
 devastation to our shores, were seen creeping along 
 their own coast for shelter, or vainly manoeuvring 
 within their harbours. 
 
 The national spirit at this period, was in no small 
 degree stimulated and upheld by the establishment 
 in the city of London of a subscription fund,' which 
 was very appropriately denominated the Patriotic 
 Fund. It was founded with the view of granting 
 honourable badges of distinction to those who sig- 
 nalized themselves in the cause of their country, of 
 
PATRIOTISM. 173 
 
 alleviating the sufferings of those who were wounded, 
 and of providing for the families of those who fell 
 in repelling or annoj^ing an implacable foe. 
 
 The liberality with which this institution was sup- 
 ported, was equal to the public spirit in which it ori- 
 ginated. By a report of the committee for the 
 management of the fund, dated Uth July, 1815, it 
 appears tiiat in twelve years, the subscriptions and 
 accumulation of interest amounted to no less than 
 of 543,450. 18s. lid. ; out of which, gratuities and 
 relief had been distributed to 18,000 individuals, 
 including widows, children, and relatives of persons 
 killed and wounded, and disabled seamen and soldiers. 
 So ample indeed were the funds subscribed, that the 
 committee found it necessary to abstain from any 
 further appeal to the public, confident that should 
 circumstances render it thereafter necessary, they 
 should not appeal in vain ; " but that the spirit and 
 liberality of Britons will always rise equal to the oc- 
 casion, when called upon to relieve the sufferings 
 and reward the valour of those who distinguish them- 
 selves in the defence of their country." 
 
 EARL FITZWILLIAM. 
 Few young noblemen ever entered public life 
 under inore favourable auspices than Earl Fitzwilliam. 
 Inheriting a good fortune from his father, he was 
 also considered as presumptive heir to the large estate 
 of the Marquess of Rockingham ; and as the friend 
 of this nobleman, and the Dukes of Devonshire and 
 Portland, the Earl of Carlisle, and Mr. Fox, he was 
 considered a patriot from his connexions. 
 Q 3 
 
174 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 The paiiiamentary conduct of his lordship justified 
 the expectations that had been formed of him ; and 
 during a period of more than half a century, in which 
 lie has regularly attended in his seat in the House of 
 Peers, it may be boldly affirmed, that be never gave 
 a single vote that could be deemed hostile to the 
 liberties and interests of his country. 
 
 During the great political contest from 1780 to 
 1782, when the nation evinced its anxiety for peace. 
 Earl Fitzwilliam, both by his motions in the House of 
 Peers, and by his active support of the efforts of 
 other noble lords, was greatly instrumental in ter- 
 minating the war. 
 
 In 1795, Earl Fitzwilliam was appointed Lord 
 Lieutenant of Ireland, an event which was hailed 
 with the most enthusiastic joy by the whole population 
 of that country. Confidence in the measures of 
 government, and in the proceedings of the Irish 
 parliament, were inspired by the presence of his 
 lordship, who accepted the office with a determination 
 to make Ireland happy. His lordship, however, soon 
 found, that in order to do this, he must dismiss from 
 offices those men whose situations were the very 
 pivot upon which the executive government revolved. 
 In their room. Earl Fitzwilliam called others to fill 
 the several offices of the state, whose integrity and 
 political virtue were unimpeached. Indeed a cha- 
 racter for public virtue seemed alone to be the quality 
 which governed all his appointments. 
 
 The Irish parliament seconded his lordship's en- 
 deavours to tranquillize the country, and promote the 
 general good of the empire ; but while the country 
 was anticipating the benefits of such an administra- 
 
PATRIOTISM. 175 
 'don, Earl FitEwilliam was recalled. No sooner was 
 this made public, than a panic pervaded the whole 
 kingdom, but more particularly the city of Dublin. 
 The nation again seemed to sink into despondency. 
 
 When Earl Eitzwilliam left Dublin, the houses 
 and shops in every street through which he passed 
 were shut up, and a solemn silence and melancholy 
 mourning marked the event in the Irish metropolis. 
 
 Earl Fitzwilliara's attachment to Ireland did not 
 terminate with his vice-royalty, as he has always been 
 one^ of her sincerest and most constant friends in 
 parliament. During the unfortunate rebellion in that 
 country, his lordship's estates sulFered considerably, 
 yet he refused all compensation either from parliament 
 or from the nation. 
 
 Earl Fitzwilliam has sometimes shared in the ad- 
 ministration, when the Whig party, to which he is 
 attached, has been in power ; but in the whole of his 
 lordship's public life, he has proved himself less a 
 party man than a patriot ; and the sovereign does not 
 possess a more loyal subject, or his country a truer 
 friend, than Earl Fitzwilliam. 
 
 CHINESE EMPERORS. 
 
 The generosity of two Emperors of China, says 
 the^ Abbe Raynal, is much reveied, on account of 
 their preferring the interests of the state to those of 
 their own families ; and excluding their own children 
 from the succession to the throne, to make room for 
 men taken from the plough. Not less'revered is the 
 memory of the husbandmen thus raised to the diadem, 
 
176 
 
 PERCY AM-CUOTES. 
 
 because they sowed the seeds of the happmess and 
 stability of the empire, in the fertile bosom of the 
 earth ; that inexhaustible source of whatever conduces 
 to the nourishment, and conseqaentlv to the increase 
 of mankind. In imitation of these rojal husband- 
 men, the Emperors of China to this day become 
 husbandmen officially. It is one of their public 
 functions to break up the ground in spring ; and the 
 parade and magnificence which accompany this cere- 
 mony, draw tot^ether all the families in the neiohbour- 
 hood of the capital. They flock in crosvds to see 
 their sovereign perform this solemnity in lionour of 
 the first of all arts. It is not, as in the fables of 
 Greece, a god who tends the Hocks of a king ; it is 
 the father of his people, who holding the plough 
 with his own hands, shows his children what are the 
 true riches of the state. In a little time the emperor 
 repairs again to the field which he has ploughed him- 
 self, to sow the seed which is most proper for the 
 ground. The example of the prince is follow^ed in 
 all the provinces ; and at the same seasons the viceroys 
 repeat the same ceremonies in the presence of nume- 
 rous crowds of husbandmen. 
 
PATRIOTISM. 
 
 177 
 
 EMPEROR CHING-TANG. 
 
 In the beginning of the reign of Ching-tang, about 
 the year before Christ, 1747, there happened a 
 drought and famine all over the empire of China, 
 which lasted seven years, no rain having fallen in 
 that long interval of time. The emperor, greatly af- 
 fected with the distress of his country, consulted the 
 college of astronomers, and was told by the president 
 that the wrath of heaven could only be appeased by 
 human blood. 
 
 The pious emperor on hearing this answer, and 
 imputing so dreadful a calamity to his own faults, re- 
 solved to devote himself a victim for the preservation 
 of his people. In order to this, he retired to his 
 palace, and after spending three days in fasting, laid 
 his royal robes aside. He then ordered, the venerable 
 grey hairs which adorned his head to be cut off, his 
 beard to be shaved, and his nails to be pared, sacri- 
 ficing what, in China, is considered as the greatest 
 marks of honour, to the safety of his country. 
 
 Deprived of these marks of honour, bare>^ footed, 
 in the posture of a criminal, and his body sprinkled 
 over with ashes, he appeared in the court before the 
 palace, and lifting up his hands to heaven, entreated 
 the Supreme Being to spare his subjects, and let the 
 whole weight of his just wrath fall on his devoted 
 head. He had scarce done praying, when the sky 
 became covered with clouds, and a general rain 
 followed ; by which the earth was rendered fruitful, 
 and plenty restored all over the empire. 
 
178 
 
 PERCY ANECDOTES. 
 
 Perhaps no prince in the v. orld ever gave a greater 
 instance of paternal love for his countr;y ; nor per- 
 formed a greater act of humiliation and devotion to 
 avert the wrath of the otFended majesty of heaven 
 for the sins of a people, which, through the bad ex- 
 amples of many irreligious and wicked emperors, had 
 rendered their vices and impieties ripe for judgment. 
 These crimes the generous and pious emperor was 
 willing to take upon himself, and to devote his own 
 life as a sacrifice to atone for the transgressions of 
 his people. 
 
" INDEX. 
 
 ANECDOTES OF PATRIOTISM. 
 
 Adams, Samuel 107 
 
 Alexander the Roman ....*.*. 82 
 Baran? 
 
 the 97 
 
 Barneveldt?, the 62 
 
 Bay ley, x-\Ir. of Epsom 73 
 
 150 
 
 22 
 
 Bedford, Duke of 
 
 Boadicea 
 
 Body Guards 
 
 Boscawen 
 
 Bouffler.5, Marshal 
 Bort es, Sir Jerome 
 
 Brave Citizen 
 
 British Carpenter... '71 
 
 Bruce, Robert '*** i^n 
 
 Brutus ** 
 
 Chatham, Earl of 
 
 Cliief Justice rebuked 
 Chinese Emperors 
 
 122 
 
 Ching-Tana:, Kmperor 177 
 
 Christian Charity, order of .. 35 
 
 Cincinnatus o 
 
 Corsica g.^ 
 
 Corsicdu Youth 27 
 
 Darin? Enterprise 16 
 
 Destruction of Fredejikshald 44 
 
 De VVittd, the J5I 
 
 Doria, Andrea ***.' ]]g 
 
 Dronihiem, Liberation of '!! 21 
 
 Effingham, Earl of 146 
 
 Epaniinondas g 
 
 Erecting- Fortresses . ', '.1'.'. 97 
 
 Fabius , 
 
 Faithful 13eputies.'.*!!!,*.'.*ii.*.' ]2 
 
 — Pastor ^0 
 
 Fitzwiiliam, Earl Of 170 
 
 Freedom of the Press.... " 00 
 
 French, the '//l I2J 
 
 Generous Loyaltv ro 
 
 Georsre I.... ^° 
 
 Gersdorff ft 
 
 Good Counsellor '.**.',* 25 
 
 Grattan 154 
 
 Greenianders in Denmark".'.* is 
 
 Hampden 74 
 
 Henry, Patrick .*..'.*.*.*.'.* 104 
 
 Hoter, Andrew 100 
 
 Home 55 
 
 Hottentot Boy, a .*. .'.'.*.'." 17 
 
 Independent Patron 68 
 
 Innovation qa 
 
 1 n trepid Priest W.V.V.V, 13 
 
 Julian the Apostate 65 
 
 Keys of Paris 
 
 Korner 
 
 Knox, John.., 
 
 Lewis, John ] 
 
 Liberty of Conscience '..'.*.'.'.* 
 
 Love of Country 
 
 Loyal Subscriptions of 174.5..' 
 i^ycurgus 
 
 M;igna Charta 14 
 
 Maria Theresa, Empress .... I68 
 
 Marvel!, Andrew oq 
 
 Medici, Lorenzo de .'.'.* 
 
 Noble Reconciliation jg 
 
 Paoli 
 
 Prttriot Fathers .**.*.'*.'.'*.' 
 
 — - Brothers 
 
 Pargninotes, the .. 
 Patriotic Fund j,, 
 
 Pedaretus 
 
 Pericles .'.'.'.*.'.* 
 
 Persians, the ' 
 
 Philip, Judge ".*".'.'. 
 
 Phocion 
 
 Pitt, Mr .'.■.'.';;■"* 100 
 
 Putnam, General J22 
 
 41 
 
 133 
 35 
 
 09 
 S7 
 
 3 
 74 
 
 9 
 
 91 
 
 93 
 120 
 134 
 
 13 
 4 
 18 
 102 
 5 
 
 Quakers, the 
 
 100 
 
 Rat in the statue 7, 
 
 Recapture , [[ 34 
 
11 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 Reding Aloys 40 
 
 Remonstrating.... 137 
 
 Republic of San Marino .... 95 
 
 , smallest.. ,. 96 
 
 Rerolters reclaimed 31 
 
 Rodney, Admiral 112 
 
 Roman Senator 22 
 
 Rooke, Sir George 35 
 
 Royal Occupations 26 
 
 Russell, Lord W 62 
 
 Russia Emperor of ^ 42 
 
 Russians, the 113 
 
 Sam House 167 
 
 Self Devotion 43 
 
 Scottish Loyalty in the Ame- 
 rican War 169 
 
 Siege of Copenhagen........ 51 
 
 — ■ Orleans 70 
 
 Siege of Novogorod ......o. 222 
 
 Sileslan Girl 54 
 
 Sincerity 39 
 
 Singular Oath of Allegiance . 65 
 
 Sobieski 38 
 
 Something better than Power. 37 
 
 Spencer, Sir John, «. 72 
 
 St. Pierre, Eustace de 45 
 
 States General of forraer Times 1 5 
 
 Stair, Earl of 32 
 
 &\iiiots, the.. 123 
 
 Sussex Fisherman 34 
 
 Swedish Magistrate 70 
 
 Vane,-Sir Henry, 35 
 
 Veteran Patriot 20 
 
 Wallace, William 154 
 
 Washington 163 
 
 Weimar, Grand Ducliess of.. 99 
 
 London: Printed by D. Cartwright,9l, Bartholomew Close^_