The Federal mirror — Concord, N.H., 1795-07-03 00:00:00, page 2

=iE==^^
Pleasing Miscellany.
THi & |F^r^^
^anpMA PE RANDAN.
dfal, tfjkt Fifteenth Century.
MADAME deßandan, of the ilkiftrious
house * Miranda, became a widow at
twenty years of age, arid was inconsolable.
What grief was ever like her's, and whose
eyes, to young and TO charming, ever (tied
so many tears for a dead hulbarid! The
whole talk at court was of the mourning of
the young widow. She no longer confuted
her mirror; the defpjfed the decorations of
dress, and vowed to the shade of her husband
that (he would never more use them : ihe
fnuffied herfelfupinahood like-anun; and
yet, in that disadvantageous attire, Madame
de Randan was the loveliest of all the women
of her time.
The Chevalier Bayard, at the age of 50,
had already attained the appellation of Bay -
ard, thedauntlefs and irreproachable. Palice
was proud of having been named with uoi
verfal applause to the command of the army
at Ravenna. These two preu, Chevaliers,
who tided a conspicuous part in the field,
were hardly known at court, and they re
signed to the gentle Bonnivet, and many-oth
ers, the entire possession of court favor, cori
tertt themselves with military fame. Bonni
vet, however, sometimes courted the conver
sation of Paliceand Bayard ; his frigid,foul
came to warm itfelf at the fire, which , ani
mated them when they talked of honor, and
royalty, and deeds of arms. Bonnivet re
layed them with' tales of gallantry, with the
news and anecdotes of the court.' The fair
widow had her turn. " What think typo;',
said he one day to the knights, " of Madame
de Randan " By this hand, said Bayard,
I never saw so fair a dame." " Befhrew me,
added Palice, but itfa too much to weep so
long for the dead." " Don't you know, re
plied Bonnivet,^,!.I have .undertaken to
put a speedy termination to her widowhood ?
^ indeed the fair w ido% let me tell you
in confidence, will not he displeased when I
'attempt to dry her tears." “ Thou art a
vain creature, said Palice," " He is a brag
gart," repined Bayard. ''Very well gen
tlemeri, said BonPiV&, bbferie the end," and
betook hisdeave. -1
What Orange mm>,£&d palice, Wthis
Admiral Bonnivet ! When I confider, repli
ed Bayard, hi, bdravtowr r&a lid, of high
^ank, in to wholechamherhe introduced him
felf by a ftratagem±L am convinced he is en.
terprifing. \
After these short refleaions, the 2 knights
&t for some time silent ; strange thoughts
were palling in their minds, for they were
rboth in love, ft was the firft inftaht ottheir
passion, and that instant is certainly fome
.dimes very embarrassing. .J%lt would be a
meritorious ad, said Palice £ to couch the
.heart of so fair and aQComplifhed a Mill
;.„., Certainly, said Bayard^and highly hooter,
able and they relapsed again into filence^
1 They looked at each other, and ,perceived
that they were rivals,: " Let there, howev
,fo be no difference between us, said Palice.
,Xet us (wear by St. Dennis, that whosoever
flhall be the unfuccefiful lover, shall imme
diately yield without complaint ; and that if
fotydlhall enter the lifts, the difearded can
jdidate shall assist the other, and be his com-
Apanion in, arms. Let ns promile, on the
faith of true knights, to relate our success
without reserve." " I swear, said Bayard,
f They embraced and Separated. r1
, The one took the road on the right hand;
the other that on the left, but both directed
;thrir steps to the hotel of fa,fair widow.—
Bayard had already set his foot within the
threshold of her gate, when he saw Palfce
^oming rf Mgyyl all bis life been above fuf^
.:^ite of refo^^ E^tft^ friend,
^faid he to Police, you are my fesjor ; ,good
night and success to you; I will return to
morrow.. At these worth be retired, arid
Palice was to be announced to the widow.
,_How fall I describe Madame deßandan,
iShe wore a grey robe; her hair was unpow
-4 dered,and concealed beneath an immense
hood which covered her fae. A small ma
chine for weaving silk lace food before her,
and a young girl, who was reading certain
felert pages from the story of Godfrey of Bou
logne, was often interrupted by the widow
w^b many a sigh. This was the Helen for
whom these two brave chevaliers were about
to contend. She acknowledged the honor
of the Captain's visit, but it made her nei
ther more talkative nor more at ease. "You
,feWmft”%? ic ,, 'Woe bright;
#^ra^
,/oxptte) ,^ is tr„, fair lady ± my tandi
jayJbeatt, I lay at yQur&t,% At this the
w^ ow we P' anctestilQ iPa/foe .was as.
fe&ed, and had almdft fhed&ears. The girl,
W#^'fes ht forth the Piaure of M
&f*d&' nd the widow, as her only an
st pointed with her finger to this inferip.
••r^*^^ ^«^wwk,,^ ^fr.-*.^ -,-
ed jhteiu&b retufal, and tool his leave for
t@?ime by declaring that he would never
^cedfelmplorrng Ood to dispose her heart to
forget the dead, and to have pity on the liv
tßtyard-'waiteghis return with a degree ofl
impatience. " Alas !" said Palice; " fhel
was all irilears, the shewed me the portrait
pf her husband, audl have been obliged to
retire, • without hop^!" Bayard knew the
<worth of Palicefr arid did riot flatter himfelf.
" I will however gqto.morrqw, said he, and
you Ihall know the eveut."
The interview between our chevalier and
the widow was not altogether the fame.—
Bayard was younger than Palice, and his
faff,was greater. Fhe beauteous widow
wept ; she mewed.the portrait, but the listen
ed to Bayard ; and when he said to her,
," Madam,l will return," she replied, in a
low voice, " You will do me a great kind.
The chevalier related to Palice the conver
sation faithfully. " You will be the happy
man, said the Captain, ih/did not speak
half so much to me." Palice made another
attempt. The widow was still in tears ; the
pidure was again presented. Bayard return
ed; andwhile Palice was always treated in
the fame way, the Chevalier was making
advances idaily. The fan; widow began to
turn her eyes now and then to her mirror.
There was however no change of dress, no
kind looks ; but the wept no more, and al
ways prolonged theconverfatioaby questions
that demanded long answers, which the Che
valier never gave with fufficient precision. —
" Te|l:me,[ (said foe one day,) ttie story of
your being made prisoner in Milan, by Lu- ;
dovic." I was (said Bayardjat the headof
a party of French; we were met by a party I
of Italians who.attacked us vigorpuily; both
fffies were so animated that the one did not
know they were retreating, nor the other
that they were advancing, till we were at the
gate^ of Milan, where the cry of , urn, turn,
was repeatedly and eagerly uttered. I, who
was TO tent upon vi&ory, was deaf to the cry,
and thoughtfeflly pursued into the heart of
the city. Immediately soldiers ,and citizens
arid the very women attacked me ; but a
brave fellow, Who had always defended him
felf from my strokes, furround'ed'rae with his
party, and took me prisoner. Ludovic had
seen my, behaviour from bis window arid sent
for me. " What brought you hither, Che
valier ?" said be. " The defireof, vidory,”
l answered. "And did you expert to take
Milan alone ?" ^ No, my lord, but I thp't
- I had been followed by ,& comrades."—
Though you had, you could nritHave suc
ceeded." • " They were wiser than I ; they
are free, and lam a prisoner." "What is
the strength of the French army ?" "We
never reckon by numbers ; but 1 can assure
you the soldiers ate all chosen men, before
whom your's will rievefr stand." " That
time will determine ; a, battle Will prove their
valour." —" Would ro God ftw?re to mor-
TO,, and that I were free." " You are free
—1 like your freedom, and yourrourage ; if
yqu-hafe ally jthjng further to ask of me, it
fhatt be granted."=l tell at& feet and fa
fought him to pardon the rudeness of my re
plies. I begged my horse and my arms and
took leave.'' Tha^ ended my adventure at
Milan. 'ltwas easy for Ludovic to give me
back my liberty ; but that which I have loft
With you, itjs jfrtpbffible to recover.
Palice was informed of this long conversa
tion ; for Bayard, faithful to his oath, con
cealed nothing from him. The next yifithe
paid the widow he thought to make his court
by detailing the circumstances of t^ battles
he had fought from Marigriin to Ravenna;
but hislabor was loft ; what intejefted the
fair widow when told ty Bayard, was infipjd
When related bv Palice. This at last he per
ceived . ''T^ honor of this cbfyeft, (said
he) is your's, Chevalier ; I yield arid retire.
-If a third rival appears, behold me your co,- I
panion in arms."
The fair widow grew insensibly enamored
of Bayard f and his conversation, which at
firft was ohly a pleasure, became at last a ne
cessity. She had quitted her gfe,attire, and
had gradually resumed her former dress. One
would have laid that the certainty of being
beloved inspired her with the wish to please.
tee took a fancy to reappear at court, with
ayiew of observing whether she did not ftiß
retain the pre eminence over all tfeheaude^
iteitel :timi<rwas the only man who for
gave the widow her return trithe^rld, apd
the was accordingly always called at court
the lady of the Chevalier: '
Spain having at that time renewed a truce
with France, the ambassadors of that power
were received at Paris with the greatest pomp. ,
The entertainment gifa by Francis corref
ponded with the idea which the Spaniards
entertained of his magnificence. ^The widow
Iwas one of those who were chosen to figure
in the ballets.and ffie was always the mos!
applauded. One of the noble Spaniards who
attended the embassy, became enamoured of
her. But all his serenades, rind other efforts
of gallantry, were fruitlefs ; and; Don Alon
; to foori learnt; thatthe heart;which appear
ed to him impregnable, had a weak fide tettich
istyFop4aitoihfa^ high reputation of
1
¥Qd^^ & x Q'^^ % '^ ±W^ .^
. *•--, d-^ote- r .... jQOfr fr -
cf difficulty and of danger that appeared, but
ftimuiated him the more to tbe attempt.
Don Alonzo accqrdt hgly challenged Bay
ard to fingie con:bat,""^nich the litter did not
iretufe. Judges were appointed- ,and Palice
had^fe gfard of thrifts The news of the
duel was ifoon fpreM./apd *)§ Spaniards,
considering Dbn Alonzo was the champion
of fhiTir country, w&e anxious for his fate ;
while the French made vows for the triumph
of Bayard ; and thus a private quarrel be
came almost a national concern,
1 [% hetotanura.]
ENTERTAINING.
===== & ^
From < late Philadelphia Paper.
an ODD CIRCUMSTANCE;
From drifting ills, what mijebief may arift !
Ht|APPENING, the other day, to
call on a particular friend of
mine, who, just at that instant, was
gone to market, to buy fomethiog for
dinner, I waited until his return, which
was very Toon, with some mutton
chops in his hand. From what fol
lowed, I found that mutton chops
were nor the wife's favourite. A tri
fling dilute arose about the legality of
his buying mutton chops. He infix
ed on his right! to do what he pleafed|
in that refpe& : She, at pofirively in
:fifted'on the contrary. However,
during 'the dispute PCkb other?#
right, the mutton: chopa being puton
a plate, rattle child hapbeniag fo^
fingering them, by indent, dewn
drops plate and mutton chops on the
sandy floor % a favoritecarfas I found)!
being very attentive to the pfovifiqn,
made tree with the meat and ran down
stairs with it,; my friend in great haste
followed the cat ; and in running
down, made an unlucky flip, of about
seven or eight steps, broke his (hint,
and frightened the atom of the door;
just at that instant, a large dog passed
by, and seized cat and mutton chppf;
by this time my friend recovered hitn
fcif, and immediately fjt out alter the
dog, to recover poor Tibby : For,
alas ! the mutton chop# were no more.
The dog happening to have more
speed than my friend, gained ground
apace ; at last, my friend had recourse
toaftone, and with a furious throw,
he miffed the dog, and it went thro'
the doors of a public house; the land
ford immediately came out, seized my
friend by the collar, and iofifted upon
restitution; which toy friend complied
with.—%—He then returned home,
fans mutton chops, fries poor Tibby,
fourteen pence for the window, and a
broken, (bin—(dear marketing 1 tho't.).
However, my friend and his wife re
sumed their usual good humour ; (he
applied vinegar to the wound ; we all
fat down together to partake of what
we could find in the house, had a
,hearty laugh, and were happy that
'trtlrfiidg worse attended this odd cir
cumstance.
from the DARTMOUTH EAGLE.
Froor/fas6c, of lUtyfa. Colon& Spondee.
THE Newspapers and Magazines of a
neighboring State, though they fre
quently. devolve from the Heliconian spring,
thepureft Streams, are often disgraced with
pitiful productions, which can poaft no other
inspiration, than Dulnefs. lit has becomes
fashion among our American verifiers to
copy fertilely images and expressions; which,
however pertinent in Italy or England, are
most ridiculous, when affiliated with defcrip-.
ttoOT of our own he-bred nature. Asthis
rate, nothing is more easy for a pert Colle
glrin, who has read Pope's pa ftorals, than to
fatigue yawning readers^ with 4 or 500 lines
of Ode or Etegy, if he can be allowed the
phrases of «lam,” "Glade," " Awm,"
', PWw^/," and thelike. I coofefs, I neter
was more pleated with poetical propriety,
than at a late Commencement, #! a noted
Seminary in Newbampihire, ^A votary of
the Muse, whose talk for the day was a Po
em, chOTe Tor bis fubje&, a sketch of the
Lindfcape. in the vicinity of his place of ed
ucatiorc Instead of running for rhymes to
:°^#*:
pr^i^ like a Parrot, about dells and din
t ,^'t $ % .V1& '* ''°'¥q': ^£;'^,.„ &.'^? e\™
4
glesy " the Alps and Appetites, and ihe
River Po," he c^re+fT*.. himfelf. with ja
dicioufly deriving his fynages from hat R^'
tile Score house; which was perpetually be
fore him. The effort teas surprising ; an#
not a rustic, who heard
Warble bis native cool —notes mild,
but comprehended and relilhed every lind,
which so faithfully transcribed nature. —[
Those Terjemen who have humility enough it
discerning errors, to drive for amendment, t
earnestly exhort, to clothe their ideas, eve#
in coarse beme-feui, rather than in the frip.
p^ry of foreign garniture. "It offends me
to the foul," to hear a petty poet^fter ring
his changes upon borrowed bells, and, to the
vexation of common sense, cover his papers,
with a lead roll of transatlantic phrases, un
intelligible even to him Iflf. Indeed, if fan
cied Apollo should fit as Judge, I know not
a more terrible penalty which be could inflict
upon these disturbers of Poetical order, than
to rtquire a definition of the terms, they so
lavilhiy employ. ,J am ignorant pf the ne- <,
ceffny of importing, either from France or
England, their exotic images, when„e have
an abundance of native growth. .Cite ex
pressive and piaarefque word Intervalejs as
harmonious 4s Dale, and not a Villager but
would underhand its force. If&
The names of some birds; felefted. from
those muhitudiiious flocks, which chear our
^forefts, perhaps, might fieal as foftly upon
delicate ears; ^Pbilomil, @nd, if employed,
would faveuhe feet a journey ,4 Greece,
and the readerafount in the dictionary.—
Oak and elm, are as good wood t@ supply
poetics fire, as,cypcefs and yew,;ah4,have
this advantage, that they grow within baw
fhot of each Bard. r [ is therefore recom
mended to Poets in general, to enter into a
fort of non- importation agreement, and o
dain-, that, from apd.,fter the 26th day of
August next, every rhymeßefy guilty of vio
lation, should be exiled from the Parlieusof
Parnassus, as an alien, and enemy. =~
i. ■ ■■■■ NI l-f,l,„————.■ ,
, Foreign arid DomettiG.; 1 ,
i,;\ • [Omitted last weefc] ' ' ' l/j
&'.'i'.- —_mt=i
^ ^ From a London paper of May 3. '*
I^O Y ^ Utt ;.',:.• :^
^Burning of the BOYNE Man •, War.
AT 11 o'clock on Friday morning, a fire
broke out on board his majesty's (hip
•Boyne, of 98 guns, which Continued with ir-/
resistible violence tiil frve o'clock, wffen the
magazine blew up.
The cause of this melancholy accident has
not yet been clearly afeertained. The fire
was firft difeovered in the after part of the,
ship, and is supposed to have proceeded from
either a life cartridge from the muskets of
the soldiers, who were exercising with fail|
arms on the windward fide of the flip; hay- j
ing lodged in the< Captain's or Admire# If
cabin, and caught something combuftibfe, I
or from the funnel of the Admiral's cabin
having been on fire, and communicated to
tbedeck. ~ ~,
The flames burst through the poop before
the fire was difeovered.; Fortunately, thel
.§,"* P art °f the powder had been fenten |
more three days ago, & upon the firft alarm|
the cock was turned upon the grand maga
zine. The fore and aft hanging magazines(
contained but very little powder ; the former [
exploded with very little effort.
When the fire broke out there was a frefhl
breeze at S. W. and, it being tide of ebb, thel
mips were riding with their sterns to the I
winds. Within half an hour after the com-|
mencement of the fire, the tops and all the ,
rigging were in a blaze.""
About 12 the tide turned, and the portion
of the ffiips became changed, but it w^then
too late to make any attempt, or even for
boats to get near her. Previous to this how
'"''■ from the number of boats that went
iriftzntly to their assistance, it is hoped that
mbft of the crew were saved, thou, a fr^m !
the rapidity of the flames, it % feared th,at
some must have perifhed.''
All her guns were loaded, and as they be
came heated, they went off, the ffiot falling
amongst the Whipping, arid Tome of them
% reached the ffiore; &~ without, it ishop.
ed, having done any damage. It was up
wards of two h,uh from the firft difcfarge
"tin all the gunshad gone off. About 2 her
cables were burnt, and & went adrift, the
fire blazing through every port hole.'
The fight, though at noon day, was aw
fully grand. The ffiips to leeward of her,
ran down to St Helen's, and ffie drifted flow.
'! !2 !„ eastward, bet mizen mast and top
mast having fallen dowo before & began to
drift,
1 ” About § o'clock the tereck was drifted by
the tide further on the Spit, opposite South
Sea Castle, when the magazine blew up with,
a very greatexplosion. :
This noble ship, which was only five years
old, was completely, manned and rivaled :
;ffi was allo a „Q number of woolen and
children on board, many of whom, horrid to
relate, must have perished. The men jump
fed Overboard, and were mostly taken up by
boats belonging to the fttetf Which had all