unhurt. He had been stunned by the blow and fall, but the sabre had scarcely cut through the thick cloth of the garment on which it had taken effect."

"In those gentle passages of arms and tournaments of the Middle Ages," said the Ensign, "in which it was not meant that the combat should be à l'outrance, but merely that some half a dozen knights were expected to be slain, and half as many smothered in their armour in the mêlée, the combatants were forbidden to thrust with the point, and only allowed to strike."

The sword," said the Major, "would, I think, be found a very efficient weapon in the hands of a few trained companies for particular purposes of the infantry. A band of harefoot highlanders, for instance, armed with the claymore, and suddenly let loose at the proper moment, might carry rout and confusion into an enemy's battalion. Such was over and over again the case in the '45, when the highlanders, rushing sword in hand upon the regulars, carried dismay and slaughter wherever they came. Even the dragoon regiments could not for an instant face these wild sworders. Their horses received one tremendous swipe over the nostril, became unmanageable and turned, whilst those discomfited riders, who were not in full flight, were transfixed upon the point."

"Nay," said the General, "I cannot altogether fall into your views, gentlemen, either in regard to fields or fortresses. Nevertheless, I must confess that in early days I can remember that whilst we red coats were oftentimes manoeuvring and forming, and preparing for the assault of some place of strength, Nelson's blue jackets, some how or other, would oftimes get beforehand with us, and cutlass in hand mount the walls (as if they were boarding an enemy's craft), smash up the garrison, and take the place in extraordinary style. Nelson's way of doing business was certainly exceeding good; he detested all parading and shilly shallying. There's the enemy, my lads,' he said, pointing to them. 'Go and lick 'em.' It was always done."

"Before the introduction of cannon," said Squire Rigmarole, "I believe the ancients possessed most curiously contrived engines* for the purposes of siege and battery. The balista possessed terrific power. They were a sort of cross-bow, which threw stones of three hundredweight. The Romans had three hundred catapultæ and forty balistæ at the siege of Jerusalem. The darts from the catapultæ made terrible havoc among the Jews, whilst the stones from the balista battered tower and rampart, and opened regular lanes through the closest and deepest phalanx."

"The ancients," said the Major, "certainly had various and most curious contrivances for their sieges in the absence of gunpowder. It would, I dare say, have considerably surprised our friend the General here, to have beheld a thing like a tortoise, of amazing size, reptile-like, crawling towards the walls of a beleaguered fortress, impenetrable to the bullets of the garrison, and, like the wooden horse of Troy, containing within its womb a whole litter of armed men. Such, however, was the Testudo, a machine consisting of strong timbers, made twelve feet in

*The Germans, according to Cæsar's account, had a method of throwing red hot balls from slings in order to set huts and houses on fire.

height, twenty-five feet wide, and covered with a coat of armour composed of raw hides, and saturated with a preparation which rendered it fireproof*. Half a dozen such affairs as we have here described, were frequently propelled upon rollers to the ditch of the city or fortress besieged, and, spite of the huge stones hurled upon them, the men within filled up the fosse and crossing gained the walls.

"The ram," continued the Major, "was another curious engine; it consisted of an immense beam shod with iron, suspended from its frame by chains, and worked by a hundred men. This was the instrument most feared by the besieged, as it soon made a shaking fever in their walls.' In vain they hurled down fire upon it, threw bags of wool,

'Like feather bed 'twixt castle wall,

And heavy brunt of cannon ball;'

and also made use of another machine which was called the wolf, and which, grappling the ram, sometimes drew it up close to the battlements, and endeavoured to break it. The ram, being well served by men who were under cover, and armed with defensive armour, generally breached the walls to some purpose, and admitted the assailants.

"Moveable towers were also in use in early times, so constructed as to rival the walls they were to be opposed to in height. They often contained battering-rams in the lower apartments, draw-bridges in the upper, and galleries running round them, by which contrivances they battered, boarded, and rained a continual discharge upon the enemy's walls."

There is no question but that the Major would have dilated even more fully upon the extraordinary contrivances of ancient times for the purposes of war, but, upon looking into the punchbowl, he found it was again at low water mark; no siege can well be carried on with success, in the absence of ammunition. And the General, on rising and stepping to the casement, also discovered that (as the Frenchman said) "by Gar, it was to-morrow." The storm also had cleared up, and, "the morn in russet mantle clad," was walking o'er the dew of the glades in the park. A council of war was therefore called upon the propriety of retiring to bed. The Major, however, was of Sir Toby Belches' opinion, namely, "that not to be a-bed at midnight is to be up betimes;" he therefore rang his bell, ordered the coffee to be served, whilst his head keeper was being aroused, and the whole party donned their shooting shoes, and, seizing their Mantons, carried the war into the Muddymoat pre

serves.

*Julius Cæsar used a machine of this sort sixty feet long in one of his sieges.

THE SCLAVONIAN.

BETWEEN the two great stirring cities of the East, Constantinople and Smyrna, overland couriers or expresses are of daily occurrence. Such responsible and trusty engagements are generally confided to a member of the ancient body of Janissaries, rarely known to commit a breach of trust, ever keeping rigidly to their pledge-" even to an infidel they will fulfil their bond." Armed, fearless, persevering, and cautious, they plod on their unerring way to reach their destination, losing not a moment in depositing their papers or money safe into the hands of their employer's constituent; in every act their pride is their rectitude. The course of years, thus faithfully spent, gives to them a deserved influence over the confidence of the mass of the people; so much so, that, when inclined, they could shake the throne of the Sultan to its base. In the frequent times of political commotion, the Janissaries have often shown their importance, and rapidly turned the scales in their favour. The late enlightened Sultan Mahmoud saw with anxious eye the powerful and irresistible ascendancy of this body; determined, and by artifice succeeded, at last, in breaking up their formidable strength; blew up some thousands of their influential and leading chiefs, while reposing in their barracks, and so successfully, that to this day the enfeebled broken corps must at all times bend the knee to the will of the present young Sultan Abdul Medjid. Perchance this curtailment of the boundless hereditary sway of the Janissaries may give repose to the Turkish dominions; for at the best, with them might was right.

In travelling through Turkey, fear not meeting with the Janissary, savage, fierce, and determined as he may seem, armed with holster pistols, yatigan, &c.,-fear him only with love; he will not hurt, will not take advantage, will only meet you on fair terms, while true to his trust, he will defend it. During a residence of years in this singular country, experience taught and proved to me that the barbarian Turk was in his transactions ever faithful and upright-a noble contrast to the wily, cunning, and designing Greek-I need not say in the modern time; for the Greeks even of the ancient days, in the prime of their power and glory, were constantly intriguing, ruining, and undermining the stability of their short-lived but dazzling republic. The willing pen might wander here, and luxuriate 'mid the bewitching classic associations of Greece. The pen must resist, and return to my legitimate tale.

'Twas a summer's early morning, such as can only be seen and appreciated in the East; the perfume of the orange and myrtle blossoms floated gently through the balmy air, the stillness only disturbed by the Bumming of the busy bee. At sunrise, was seen issuing from the town of Brusa a sluggish-looking Janissary wending his way, on horseback, well mounted and armed, the reins thrown carelessly over the neck of his Arabian, while he quietly whiffed his chibouc. This was an overland express to Smyrna; from time to time he rested, and with flint and steel replenished his pipe, while his light and graceful Arab culled the aried supply of wild flowers. He rested-and who would not seek for

rest in that lovely clime? The courier had charge of some thousand piastres in specie, to deposit with a Jew merchant in Smyrna. During the oppressive heat of the noon the Janissary dismounted, and took his siesta under the shade of a fig tree, then remounting, resumed his straggling path. Rapidity of action is at all times inconsistent with the slow stately deportment of the Turk; and a Turkish courier, however pressing the occasion may be, takes his own time, listlessly jogs on in his course, preserving the same half-dreamy, unconscious look till the close of his journey. By a sudden effort he roused himself from his lethargic state, and set spurs to his horse. Why did he speed on so briskly, so ardently? Why did the swift steed throw the arid sand so quickly behind? A burning shiroco wind arose, making the day more hot and sultry still-the refreshing fountain dried up the rider and horse parched with thirst. The Janissary knew his route, and pushed on to reach the ruins of the bath of Diana, famed in ancient times, where at the base of the crumbling classic remains they rested, calmly reflected in the pure and glassy bath.

The extreme of hunger is trying-the extreme of thirst is more so. Under the cooling shade of the sycamore, the welcome draught gave new vigour; a straggling water melon completed the frugal repast of the Janissary; and in the cool of the evening he started in strength renewed. The courier arrived at Smyrna, and rode direct into the premises of the Jew merchant, immediately depositing the bag of gold into the Jew's coffers.

The

This occurred on a Saturday, the Sabbath of the Jews, when ostensibly they will not count or touch money. "Empty the bag of gold into the chest," said the merchant, "I shall count it to-morrow." Janissary did so in the presence of the Jew and his Jewish servant. Along with the many prejudices of the Turk, they still regard the Jews in less esteem even than the Christians.

Ere that night had closed, the Jew's servant, having seen the glittering stream of gold, determined to break open the iron safe, and empty it at the silent hour. So he did, and fled with his stolen treasure to the Merino of Smyrna, the favourite resort of promenade ere the sun hath set, but very solitary afterwards. In the still and stealthy hour, as he hurrried on, he espied two Sclavonians, emptying their boat by twilight Maltese stones seemed to be their principal commodity. The importing of these stones, cut fresh from the rock of Malta, forms a fair traffic in many parts of the Mediterranean. Of a fine grain, and creamy colour, so soft before exposed to the action of the air, they can be easily cut and carved into the most delicate and graceful forms; afterwards, when exposed to the air, the stone becomes almost as hard as flint.

The Jew servant walked up to the two Sclavonian boatmen, mer intent on their work, while their red cap hung loosely drooping over their shoulders. With his bag under his arm, the Jew asked what they would take to row him across the Bay of Smyrna, and land him in the Isle of Scio (a well known isle near to the mouth of that lovely bay). "A hundred piastres," replied the Sclavonians. "Well, I shall give you the pieces before starting," while in paying the sum he foolishly exposed the remaining enticing contents of the bag.

The Sclavonians saw this,-marked it,-rowed him out distant to the mouth of the bay,-then with their stilettoes assassinated him,

securing the remains of the bag; while at the same time dropping his lifeless body into the silent deep, they afterwards slowly returned to the Merino, to empty the remainder of their cargo.

The Jew merchant missed his servant. Ever suspicious, he was soon on the alert, gave notice of the suspected robbery to the Turkish guard. Slovenly as that guard are at best, they seized the two Sclavonian boatmen,-secured one, while the other escaped.

The Austrian Government is, perhaps, the most debased and corrupt known in civilised Europe,-bad at the best,-but the worst, most savage and unprincipled, are their hopeful subjects of Sclavonia. Oh, take Italy, the now degraded Italy!-once the reigning queen of refinement, take her now, from high to low, in every way so corrupt, so contemptible, that the spirits of those of former glorious days would weep and sorrow over the fallen pride of their once matchless land.

The Sclavonian boatman taken, was handed over to the Austrian Consul, placed in chains, to be forwarded by the first opportunity to Trieste, to meet, under the laws of his native land, his doom. Under the laws of the blackest crimes, in Austria, the extreme punishment of the guillotine and gallows are unknown,-the extreme of punishment is the galleys for life. But what a slavish chain-dragging state of life, from morn to night,-perchance worse than death. Strange tenacity withal. We still cling to existence,-frail existence,-even at the worst and most hopeless hour, often as we are told of that better land, where the wicked cease from troubling, and where the weary are at rest. To the last breath we strive to keep from approaching that desirable bourne. Why should we hesitate? Why should we doubt? The way is clear; and faith achieves the victory!

About this period I was desirous, from circumstances, to start for Trieste. Secured my passage on board an Austrian polacre, Il Cæsare. Sailing at daybreak, in order to catch the land-breeze, after being a day at sea, striving to be reconciled to the "floating prison," and struggling against the nauseating attacks of sea-sickness, I got up on deck, and in the limited promenade sought for some little variety. Shortly I observed a lynx-eyed-looking being resting on the gunwale of the ship, intently occupied in rubbing and oiling his stiletto. A heavy shaggy moustache hung over his upper lip, throwing a shadow over an otherwise light, gay, and almost laughing mouth. "A fine morning, Sir," said he, as I was passing, he sheathed his poniard, and immediately got up and walked by my side. The ease of manner, the frankness of speech, even amid the lower classes of these countries, surprise and take unawares the distant chilling caution of an Englishman, and more so that of a Scotsman. With national inquisitiveness, I inquired of the Austrian Captain who my strange and questionable fellow-passenger was.

"Perhaps you may think him strange, Sir," replied the Captain. "That man is a Sclavonian, and an assassin. He was put on board by order of our Consul at Smyrna, chained hand and foot; but from the clumsy shackles of the Turk, he this morning easily knocked them off, and now freely walks the deck, cheerfully lending a hand to the sailors, alternately laughing and smoking his pipe,-while I am ordered to convey him to the care of our authorities at Trieste."

On board of an Austrian merchantman little authority or distinction is preserved. All seem to be and act as commanders,-a confused