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nevertheless of pleasure. Nay, I will go further in the very

: exposure of the person to the peril of violent and sudden death, cureless wounds, and ghastly laceration, excitement strong, high, and pleasurable, fills and animates the bosom; hope, pride, pa. triotism, and awe, make up this mighty feeling, and lift a man, for such moments, almost above the dignity of his nature.'

Almost lift him into the fiend. Such moments,' it is added,' are more than equal to years of common life. What scenes of common life can those be fit for, then, who have been inured to such frenzied excitation? But the bivouac affords the Writer an occasion for indulging all his powers of description.

• It is a pleasing sight to see a column arrive at its halting ground. The camp is generally marked out, if circumstances allow of it, on the edge of some wood, and near a river or stream. The troops are halted in open columns, arms piled, picquets and guards paraded and posted, and in two minutes, all appear at home. Some fetch large stones to form fire places ;, others hurry off with canteens and kettles for water, while the wood resounds with the blows of the bill-hook. Dispersed, under the more distant trees, you see the officers ; some dressing, some arranging a few boughs to shelter them by night ; others kindling their own fires; while the most active are seen returning from the village, laden with bread, or, from some flock of goats, feeding near us, with a supply of new milk. How often, under some spreading cork-tree, which offered shade, shelter, and fuel, have I taken up my lodging for the night; and here, or hy some gurgling stream, my bosom fanned by whatever air was stirring, made my careless toilet, and sat down with men I both liked and esteemed, to a coarse, but wholesome meal, seasoned by hunger and by cheerfulness. The rude simplicity of this life I found most pleasing:

An enthusiastic admirer of nature, I was glad to move and dwell amid her grandest scenes, remote from cities, and unconnected with what is called society. Her mountains, her forests, and, sometimes her bare and bladeless plains, yielded me à passing home: her rivers, streams, and springs, cooled my brow, and allayed my thirst. The inconvenience of one camp taught me to enjoy the next; and I learned (a strange lesson for the thoughtless) that wood and water, shade and grass, were luxuries. I saw the sun set every evening ; I saw him rise again each morning in all his majesty, and I felt that my very existence was a blessing. Strange, indeed, to observe how soon men, delicately brought up, can inure themselves to any thing. Wrapt in a blanket, or a cloak, the head reclining on a stone or a knapsack, covered by the dews of night, or drenched perhaps by the thunder-shower, sleeps many a youth, to whom the carpetted chamber, the curtained couch, and the bed of down have been from infancy familiar.' pp. 42, 3.

Finally, the Writer seems to admit, that the romantic illu

sions of a youthful and heated fancy have been destroyed by observation and inquiry; but his attachment to the profession of arms' has not deserted him. Confirmed and happy in my choice of it, I now follow it with more silent devotion, more rational hopes, and less obtrusive zeal.'

Such are the illusions which give seduction to a military life, in the first instance, and which, when the romance has passed away from the imagination, leave the understanding the dupe of the habits,-dignifying the trade of homicide with the highsounding names of patriotism, valour, and professional duty. But war is what the private soldier finds it. The soldier's wants,' our young Officer has told us, are all provided for; he is fed and clothed,' &c. He should have said, sometimes. But he was not in the retreat to Corunna.-Let us hear our Highlander.

From the time I entered Spain, I could not say I had ever been unfit for any duty I was called to go on. We had very bad weather after leaving this place, and the roads were very deep. My last pair of shoes were then on my feet, and the badness of the roads made me feel very much on account of my shoes, not knowing how they were to be replaced; and I was sure a prisoner I would be, if ever I came to pad the hoof. The very prospect of want is worse than actual privation. I had around me hundreds in my condition: I had seen hundreds fall victims to what I dreaded. I shudder as I reflect on the groans of the dying, and the curses of the living, who walked on in despair.

But we continued our retreat very rapidly. On New Year's Day morning our provisions were all eaten up. Never shall I forget that New Year's morning-it was of a Sunday too. Men, who on that day had been wont to bless God, imprecated their Maker. Nor did the authors of their calamities lack the widow's curse. Our provisions were done, and how to get more we knew not. My messmates that remained were famishing, and I proposed another foraging party. Great as the risk was, there was no alternative between it and death by starvation. "I will go for one," said I; "will any one go with me?" "I will," said one man; "and I," said another. We soon got ourselves ready, with our bayonets fixed on sticks: we were not an hour out when we fell in with ten pounds of bread, and a pig's skin full of good wine. In this part of the country, the wine is all kept in pigs' skins. We came home to our comrades, and we did not want for the first day of the year 1809; but those that won't fight for their victuals, won't fight for their king.

Next day we entered the mountainous district that lay between us and Corunna. By this time the army was in a wretched condition, from the want of provisions, shoes, and blankets; and insubordination began visibly to shew its capricious front in more brigades than ours. When we got upon the mountainous roads, we found them covered with deep snow, and our march that day was very long and fatiguing.

When we halted, neither barracks nor convents offered us an asylum; the earth was our bed, the sky our covering, and the loud winds sang us to sleep. However, we had a pound of beef a man served out to us that night; but we had neither wood nor water to cook it. There were a few old houses by the way-side-their ancient inmates had fled : in half an hour these houses were in ruins. The next thing was water-it was at a great distance; so we took the snow, and melted as much as cooked our beef. We sat on our canteens and knapsacks by the fires all night, for we could not lie down on the fields of snow.

Next morning we marched before day. I had, during the night, procured a pair of old shoes from a comrade, and they kept my feet off the stones for a few days, but they were very sore and painful, be ing all lacerated the preceding day. It was my turn for duty that morning-I had been warned for the Provost's guard: we were to march in the rear of the whole army. It was far in the day before the march commenced. I had now a full view of the miseries of this army. It was the most shocking sight, to see the road that day after the army had passed. Dead horses, mules, and asses, and waggons, and baggage of all descriptions, lay at every step; and men and women and children, that were not able to keep up with the army, implored our aid, or, in the bitterness of their soul, cursed their hard fate, or lay dying beside the dead, and, in their last moments, seldom breathed a prayer of (for?) forgiveness. So much did their misfortunes annihilate all the feelings of their nobler nature.

We stopped on this ground, on which we offered the French battle, all day. About eight o'clock at night we received orders to put on large fires to make the enemy believe we were still encamped. At nine we commenced our retreat again, and marched all night and next day till two o'clock; we then halted at a small village, wherein there were some stores of rum and blankets. We had had a great deal of rain and sleet that day; but we trudged on in spite of the pitiless plash of the pelting storm. That night our quarters were in the fields; and nothing could be more disagreeable; I was as wet as a drowned rat; every stitch upon me was soaked; and in this poor state I had the mire for my bed. We were served out with an allowance of spirits; a quart among six men; I do believe it saved many a life. Every one got a blanket who chose to carry it; this was an hospital store; the blankets were clean when we got them. There were no provisions of any kind in this store. I took one of the blankets, determined, if I could not get into an hospital, to have something to serve me instead. This was a God-send. We tarried here till about nine o'clock at night, and then took the road again.

I may say this was a constant march; and on this day I was again reduced to my bare feet; not a shoe could I get. The pieces of blanket I tied round my soles soon became shreds: miserable sinner! I was now quite careless about my fate; I heeded not man; I cared not if I fell into the hands of the French; I was harassed out of my very life. Still I continued on the line of march with the regiment for four hours. Sleep at length overcame me, and I would be marching and sleeping, literally walking asleep, till I would come

bump against the man in front of me. I often thought that if I could get a convenient place, I would lie down and take a nap, let the consequences be what they might. By this time there were not 300 men with the regiment out of the 1000 who entered Spain: many had fallen a sacrifice to the hardships of fatigue, hunger, and disease, on the line of march, and many more had been taken or massacred by the French, who pursued us.

As we plodded on, some haystacks presented themselves to our view, and I resolved to repose a little. I was not many minutes down, when I felt so cold and stiff that I could not sleep. I got up again, but my feet were very sore, as if I were walking on a card for wool. I made up to the regiment in the course of an hour: it was like getting to my father's door, to join my comrades

once more.

• We continued our march till eleven o'clock next day, when we reached Britanzes. All that came in of our regiment to this town were 150 men. We had not an officer to carry the colours; all fell behind: but while a man was left, the 42d's colours would be where they were safe. This shews what the retreat to Corunna was. I have not language to express what hardships I endured; and if I were to tell you all the men said of this retreat, you would think I had fabricated libels on the memory of Sir John Moore, the ministry at home

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ground where the attack was expected to be made. Our artillery fired a few shots, and then retreated for want of ammunition. Our flankers were sent out to assist the picquets. The French columns soon formed their line, and advanced, driving the piquets and flankers before them, while their artillery kept up a close cannonade on our line with grape and round shot. A few of the 42d were killed, and some were wounded by the grape shot. We had not then moved one inch in advance or in retreat. Sir John came in front of the 42d. He said, "There is no use in making a long speech; but, 42d, I hope you will do as you have done before." With that he rode off the ground in front of us. Sir John did not mention Egypt; but we understood Egypt was the meaning of his expressions, as Buonaparte's Invincibles were the last the 42d was engaged with. Sir John was about thirty yards in front of the regiment when he addressed us. I heard him distinctly.

I had thought nothing of battle till now; we were within reach of the enemy's shot. There was a kind of fear on me which I think every man is struck with at first. I was never in a great battle before. Some other time I'll tell you more of this.

This ground, on which both the French and British were, was very bad for making an engagement, being very rocky and full of ditches, and a large valley between the two positions. The French army did not advance very rapidly, on account of the badness of the ground. Our colonel gave orders for us to lie on the ground, at the back of the height our position was on; and whenever the French were within a few yards of us, we were to start up and fire our muskets, and then give them the bayonet.

• They came up the hill cheering, as if there were none to oppose them, we being out of their sight: when they came up to the top of the hill, all the word of command that was given was-" Fortysecond, charge." In one moment every man was up with a cheer, and the sound of his musket, and every shot did execution. They were so close upon us that we gave them the bayonet the instant we fired. The confusion that now ensued baffles all my powers even of memory and imagination-pell-mell, ding-dong, ilka man gat his birdie, and many of us skivered pairs, front and rear rank: to the right-about they went, and we after them. I think I see the grizzly fellows now running and jumping, as the Highlanders, laughing, and swearing, and foaming, stuck the pointed steel into their loins. We followed them down to the valley, and stopped not for general or commanding officer; but still on, in the rage and wrath of the Highlanders. When we had driven them in upon their other columns, we ourselves retreated, but not pursued, and took the advantage of a ditch that was in the valley, from which we kept up a constant fire on the enemy till dark.

All the time I was in that ditch I was standing up to the knee in mud. I had a narrow escape here: it was within a hair's breadth. In assisting a man that was wounded to the top of the ditch, we were no sooner upon it than a shower of grape shot was poured upon us, which killed the wounded man and my comrade, who was helping