The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1804-05-07 00:00:00

II

PRESENTATION OF COLOURS.
The ',Vest Wilts Regiment of Volunteers, com-
manded by Colonel Penntddocke, received their
colours, and were in:petted on Wednesday last, on
Hitt don Down : Colonel Duke. the ii petting Field
Officer, arrived (al the ground abont eleven o'clock;
the two flank companies marched in front of the
regiment to the front of a mazquee, where Mrs.
Penruddocke presented the colours to the Major,
whom she thus addressed:
W‘th the greatest satisfattion and confidence. Major
I present to you these c,.bur%t may they be crown-
ed with al the success which is die to the jesii,e of your
can..., and to the spirit, patriotism, and loyalty, of the officers
sad privates composing the corps of the West Wiltshire Vo-
lunteers."

To which Major Burlton made the following
reply :

" Madam, I accept, with all the deference, respea, and
gratitude that becomes me, the flattering dtatinaion so re-
gime), conferred. Unused as I sin to public speaking, it is
happy for me that few words are wanting to give impoitaoce to
the present solemnity. Such Cu assemblage of the first conse-
quence, ability, and experience in the county sufficiently
establishes and proclaims to all the world the noble and patriotic
principle of the meeting, which cannot but give the utmost
vigour to the exertions of this regiment if ever called into ac-
tion, and must for eve crown with grateful applause the unto-
mitt•A zeal !..nd aaivity of the generous Twits who have so
strenuou,ly laboured to bring it to effect. Whatever may be
the Anal event of the awful crisis in which the Providence of
Grid ha, placid this nation, the part we have all voluntarily
undertaken will be a never-fatling source of satisfaction to our.
seism. May our laudable endeavours ultimately be blessed
with alt the success they at present so plainly appear to de-
serve "

TO THE ENSIGNS.

" In this confidence, Gentiemeu, I deliver the colours thus
honourably presented law your hands, to whom they properly
belong, nothing doubting but that in every part of your con-
duct you and the whole corps of the West Wiltshire Viduuteere,
nbw aole,oblcd for the first time under arms, will, upon a:I
sceasions that may occur, do ample justice to that sacred trust
which is now, by unanimous consent and approbation, so con-
fidently committed to your charge."

The Rev. W. L. Bowles, the Chaplain of the
Regiment, pronounced this czordittm :

Fortrnen in Arms!

" Upo■ an occasion like the present, when every heart
beats with one sentiment. all language but that of gratu-
lation and applause may seem superfluous; but my situation
amongst you prompts me to address a few words to you at this
interesting conjuncture, to remind you of the God, without
whose aid the banners of defence are I.ft►d up in vain; the
King, who under Divine Providence is the guardian of our
lows and liberties; and your own exalted station at this hours'
Freemen in Arms, prepared to defend that liberty and happiness
which your fathers have purchased with their blood, and which
you, like them, are ready to lay down your lives to ire/Irma to
the latest posterity.
" As the circumstances of this momentous struggle are dif-
ferent from any, in which, as a nation, we base ever been
engaged, so this proud and gratifying spectacle of freemen io
arms, which is displayed from one end of the kingdom to the
other, is as glorious as it is unextmpled.
" ?laced a situation, remote from the havoc which has
overwhelmed, in its career of madness and blood, lest fortunate.
regions, the die of arms is almost unknown to you ; your her
vests have been reaped in security, the smoke of your villages
has ascended in race, and we may truly soy, in the beautiful
language of your Bible, whilst the sound of the storm that
smote other countries has scarce reached us, t the voice of the
turtle is heard in out land.'

" llitbeito you have been thus favoured and thus happy !
but we have heard the menaces of that impious Stuacherib of
our d. y., whose &tuners are still wet with the blood of the
East, wlio hesitated to lift his voice and 2;y, a We will lay
waste your pleasant ;lace•, we wdl enter into your bordcn,
into the Furst of your Carmel.' What shall bt our answer,
amid I ask ? Four hundred thousand swords have been drawn,
by four hundred thousand freeman; whilst looking up to the
A !mighty Ruler of the World, and conscious of the sacredness
of the duty of self-defenee, with one voice they reply—a lie
shall not throw a Witt, nor shoot as arrow hue, saith the

" But while these manly and !dm feelings are recognised in
every breast, let us beware of ton confident a security, which
often pruvris on less dangerous titan that despondence which
enervates and paralism our eirrt:ons—No--lzt it be remem-
bered that the envoy you sie pr,..ar,,d to enmui •er, nsa armies
trained and disciplined, and earning in ther march of con-
quest from city to :ity, front country to country, till they were
arrestcd--by whom ? by a brave band of British soldiem at
Acre, on the border; of those plains, where Saeta and " his
chariots and multitudes," wets discomfited of old. In one part
only of a soldier's cliaraaer 'allow me to say) can yen be sup-
pos,ct to be deficient—in erar.age ?—No—ln loyalty ?—No.--
In affection to your 'lariats land will not reply. Behold
the blades of that ve.7 future haunt, for which you are pre-
pared to fight, against the Spoiler that would tear t
from your partaking infants !---Beliterld the approving snhiredf
your beautiful eountrywomen, around whom ynur manly hearts
and lifted arms form a rampart, that no radian force shall ever
violato ! But yet you cannot too often reflect, that by tuber
dilation and sUsciplum only, vim Can acquire the character, not
of confident strength, ►ut of steady valour ; the teller speeded
animation of the patriotic and invincible soldier.

" linpre sed by these feelings, and submitting to the sys-
tem of regular duty, which distingoislies effeetive force
from intemperate enthusiasm, it were an insult to yeti to
doubt Inge Out, should events call forth your energies in the
struggle of action, you, in co-operauon with the glorious band
of Ent: :h soldiers, who beat back from Acre the tyrant and Its
host, and wrested from their reap in Egypt the standard so
vainly boasted invirseilge, that you, in coeperation with he-
roes like these, will exert yourselves to thee their laurels, and
justly the hope and confidence of your country.