The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-11-05 00:00:00

CUICIOUSLsE.

On the 14th instant. as Joseph Madden, a miner em-
ployed in South Moor Colliery, near kleilonislcy, roomy of
Dunham (the property of John !looter, Esq. of the Her-
mitage), was hewing at a solid stratum of coal, shout six
fret in thickness, and thirteen fathoms (corn the rot-thee of
the earth, he found a fro; enclosed in the solid mass, which
immediately on being liberated from its prison, bran to
exercise the functions of animal life. The recess in the
coal, in which it was found, was exactly fitted to its body,
and bad apparently Ito communication whatever with the
surface of the block. The animal was exactly the colour
of the coal itself ; but uu beiuz.put into a vessel of water,
its sooty coveritig was removed, sod it appeared speckhal
like the test of its species. It continued alive on Satutd. y
sennight, in possess of the injures. The cxistenee of
toads in solid mattes of lustier has (m 91149114 item., prort,i ;
but Ibis it perhaps Ow brat iiistante of the frog. bring' found
to so singular a ►ituattuu, and at swell a depth of the earth.

A sparrow's nest, in which were fire eggs, Ras
takers a few days sg,, by a Isel in therreeigiebout hood
of Nlaidstione ; a Pti,Fular cireum‘etatice est Itli• -0-
vancrd period of the yell-.

ANECDOTES' OF ROB IWY 3,I,6'ILEGVIt.

[From " 7So New Monthly Magrtzine."3

Rob Roy was born towards the close of the seven-
teenth century. His father was 11. Gregor, of
Glengyle, in A rge levliire;sini his mother was of the
ancient anti respectable family of Glenlyon, iu the
county of Perth. He had a small property which
had been iu the possess.tm of his family for seviral
generations, and he lived on it for ii course of years,
sustaining the character of a lenie t i ropri..tor, and
tl pCnetotbie Man. ant In C0111b0.1!“..4.re of a &Ohre
in a cattle-dealing speculation cii hr. enterial
into at the volute, and with the :,ert itershi F. of the
Duke of Montrose, it In111.111derbt:111,!Illg took 1)1 we,
which proved to the latter a source of much tionlole
and annoyance ; mid to the former, the origin (dull
his unsfortuties, as well as of all his faint.
The cane of the quarrel was I.IIIIIIIS this: As
the Duke had entered as partner in the concerti al-
luded to, and as he should have been entitled to his
share of the profits had the scheme proved success-
lul, M'Gregor thought it but fair that lie should
also hear his proportion of the damage. Acrottl-
ingly, after having modem' accurate deduction lentil
the Duke's capital (10,000 inerks) he returned him
the lemainder, giving him, at the same time, a
statemem of his reasons for not refunding the whole.
Montrose, so hr from acknowledging the Gimes.
of ;his measure, insisted on baying buck the entire
he had advanced. interest and principal. Rob
Roy had neither the ability nor the iiichindion to
romply wail this unjust request. 14 ofTeriiig the
money to Minot, ose, lie thought that he had done every
thing that loonesty and fair dealing required ; rod
as It lhail been i.e belseved Ishviself to be
perfectly justifiable iu applying it to his own pur-
poses, mid accordingly the money w,.. espeoiled ou
a vein, lout adventurous project in the year 1715.
The Duke, on being apprized of th,s, laid an o.t-
judication mt 111.(Sregor's lauds, mid in a short
time, left the unfortutiate man soil his family with-
out the shelter of a house or of a holm,

This prueretliog, cruel and arbitrary all it W"
ver drew m intiiinur from the mini of
.11. Gregor. Ile knew th.tt entreaty was, filmiest',
Hod Le was superior to hue unmanliness of com-
plaint. Indignant at his wronr, and siting w •th
the thought of impending misery, he ctlthly
buckled ou his armour, and assure the Idlest tini-
ly to Montrose.
Toe fierceness with which he kept up this spirit
iu al: i a hostility mud deadliness, the wrathful
lirnito.ss with which Itw adhered to Ins pugilist 1 of
revenge, oust the success with which lie but too
often accump!isited them, are known to all who are
conversant v.1:11 the modern history of the High-
lands.

Illy orponco: was a man of great !lower and in.
flotence iu tile st to-, and he Avii)l4,l It:insett of this
kitv:iittage is retaliating on Rub ; for an armed
fin ce had ()foil been tooloployed on the lode of Aloft-
troosc, alit! often to little porionye. The followers
of the free-hooter, on the other hand, were few,
but they were .elect, and unalterably attached to
their leader and to his intercity. Few as they were,
so wrist way the terror they had true k into the
Lute hind diotricoi in their vicinity, that the Duke
of Nleatroye could ieldum or *mica- flinger
1:;:it tit number who had courage and confidence to
meet them.

lii the course of titi• predatory warfare, M'Gregnr
encountered many hardships and inflictions, which
cot-union mind• would have sunk under isith dis-
may. He war deprived of his pat riniony—
lie was driven from the laud of his mica-
tors—sad fate for soy Highlander. His iropoverish-
ed fairly was compelled to ter k ulti her and sub-
sistence in another country, slid liitustlf was pro-
claimed an outlaw and a rebel.
The narrow risks he rim in this niiserelde state,
together will his " hair-breadth 'srapes by flood
stud field," are truly stirprising ; while his clever-
nets of contrivance, and that ready presence of
mind which he displayed unde► the pressure
expteied einergeheies, almost exceed belief. He
has often been knovrat, with • Id:gilt disguise, and
with u price on los head, to mingle with his ene-
mies, and converse with them, alai to act as guide
tho.e very parties who had been *rut out in
arata:ll of Litt. On these occasi 11l is lie invariably
led them it/ all atiVrin.h. or facilitated his owl,
escape.

'fu the instlior and oligiti of his misfortunes, all
the fire of Al‘Gregur's batted and wiails had been
directed as to n hien*. His incursions were directed
exclustvely tigainq the lands of hi+ enemy, AVltuli
granaries were emptied, and whole fields w re cleared
of their cattle " at one fell swoop ;" uud fur thrte
depredations Al• Gregor seem sought the covert el.
slight. Ills was never the (link lip:idiom purpose,

• Graham. of Unlearn, factor in the Duke of Montrose,
hail hero collecting hie reins so a small seiblie-hosise is, Inn
on Ilse borders of Monteith. This Grumman bad imbibed
all his master's y to die II Is and freqs.honff, ; and
lifive the business of the slay was over, mud money cul-
l. situ to a great amount, be loudly deviated that the
ponderous nioney-hrg should he the properly of him who
would Ming Ruts !toy into his presence. All'Gregne, who on
occasions of niorni :It and fetters' to himself, might almost
1w said to be woo +rel.' 111, Was near enough to overhear this
friendly declaration, sin! with his wonted caution and cele-
rity, he ordered his Galin lo take their statism, two by two,
around the house, as a precaution against any nilexprersd
sweival, and to presesit au escape, if any should he at.
templet. lie their boldly entered the apartment where the
factor was seated iss she meat of a group of tenants, whir had
just emptiest ii:sir purses into his. " Well, Killrafil," said
the leafless free.bnoter, " here I am ; the Rusts Roy
31'Gregor, she greatest enemy your master has On 11)10. !ode
of hell. N•w I claim the p.ofiered bloml.tuouty ; pionnee
the bag.". The factor, who at first stared at NMI egur with
as mnch amazement as if he had seen a apes ire frosts the
grave, was quite aatunadell at this demand, and the more so
as it came from a person whom he knew it was fruitless to
refuse or to resist. Aceordiugly he begat,, as well as a fasetter.
ing yoke would allow, to work on tliefrrlus of his unwel-
come visitor.—" No whimssering for sot," interrupted lie,
striking the table wills his fist, "down with the bag." The
demand was immediately complied with, and the unfortunate
factor was compelled ors the spot to acknowledge to the
tenants the receipt of the rents. "One wind mine," said
M'Grecnr, " and our basinras is settled fur this issue.—
swear by ynur 'across! soul that you will Mather raise an
alarm, sloe flimtp one eirrunwanee that hap passed at this
interview before the expiratrou of two hours."—" Now,"
added he, after the ceremony was over, "I have done with
you, valiant factor. If yon attempt to break your oath,
remember you have a soul to save, and remember too, that
M'eaccor Isis disk,wlsich 11..1‘ seen the light of ti.iy through
a stinger mass than Killearn "
Hereupon Ml+ anti his Ganes withdrew. anti were in
a much shorter time thou Ism! been prescribed, In perfect
ear. ty sitsuez thi 4:.istuesats.

iiiir Lite enoardly onset. He advanced like oiia
who canto in,t to arize his prey, but to claim his
right ; for lie made Ina alltraraoce in the face of
day, and !II deliince of numbers; and lie appeared
to im.crt.,l on the conviction that all the property
of his adversary WAN but • sorry •quiv:,lrot to the
wreck of his (two family mid fortunes, anti to the
loss ot• his character as a peaceable and respected
citizeo.

But will) oil these characters of resenqe, fury,
and leatles(ness, this man possessed the very milk
()I' huur:►uity and kindness. The helples) :►ad the
oppressed ever found a fri,mi iu M.C4renr. tie
never refused to procure redress for the poor m:4l!'s
and los purse and clartnnre were reach. •it
any tone to rescue t►n 111-used peinamt from ti►e
power of a hard and orerbe.tring loroprietnr.

Such wos the noted Chirftain, Rob Roy NlCie-1
gor. Ili. 11N-every lots beets a theme to the Isiontion,
the novelist, tottl the port. That he caused for a
tstr.,• much disorder in his country cannot be de-
nt. if; but till the common:elm/tit of the feud with
Montt use, no unto couhl have led a life more or-
dui!, , or t:rbte itoilutiritbir. He was unchangeable
in 1,1- friesol-hips. Its Isis resentments he was fierce
to un eXtiettie ; 3et It Wit 4 not the fierceness of a
savage, hut of injured persecuted hero. We
ly convlvinit him for the greatness of his revenge.
hot we forget the variety and the extent of his
wrongs. Now-a-da3s we are apt to dwell on the
gloomy and repulsory features of his character;
and vet even at flits more refined stage of society
there are not wooing those who admire that giant
spirit of his, hicli po many disa,ters could v. not
crush, and which Po malty enemies could never
conquer.

LITE Rd and Sc.IENTi 7C NOTICES.