Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-08-14
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST Ii.
An Unusual and Singular fact.

An Unus.tal and Singular fact.
At the celebrated battle of Talayera,
which was fought on all sides with
such sanguinary fury as has seldom
been equalled, a circumstance rather un-
common in the annals 0fmodern warfare
took place. A brook Of running water
crossed the field of battle, and served, In
some measure, as barrier to the en-
of either party. Here, du-
ring short suspension OF arms, were
to be found, Englishmen. Frenchmen, d
Spaniards, supplying the feverish wants
of nature, and losing all luminosity as In
shaking hands across the stream
let as brothers well met. This circum-
stance in the beautiful poem entitled the
). Battles of Talayera." just given to the
public, is thus admirably deiineated
There is brook, that from its source,
High in the rocky hill,
Pours DER the plain its limpid course,
Topay to Teio's monarch force
Itstributary rill; -
Which in the peaceful summer tide,
The swarthy shepherd sits beside,
And lettering pours his rustic song
In cadence, as it rolls along; -,
Carol oflove or pious chaunt,
Ortale of knight and giant gaunt,
And lady captive held;
Or strain, not fabled Of the war,
Where the great champion of Bivar,
The Moorish pagan queil'd.
But now, no shepherd loiters there
He flies with all MS heccy care,
To mountains high and far.
and starts, and brea.hless stops to hear
Borne ON the breeze, and to bis fear
Seeming at every gust more near,
The distant roar OF war,
Now on the streamlet's margin green,
Other than shepherds forms are seen,
And sounds unlike the rustic song,
The troubled current rolls along;
When OF the cooling wave to taste,
From either host the warriors haste
With busy tread and hum;
You would have thought that streamlct
bound
Were listed field, or sacred ground,
Where battle might not come.
So late in adverse contest tried,
So deep in recent carnage dy'd,
To mutual honor they conhde
Their mutual fates; nor shrink
To throw the cap and helm aside,
,As. MINGLED DER the narrow tide,
They bow their heads to drink
Or, natures feverish wants supplied,
unarm'd, unguarded, side by side,
Safe in the soldiers faith and pride,
They rest them on the brink.
lThey speak not-in each others phrase
Unskilp d--but yet the thoughts OF praise,
And reverence to unfold,
The heart has utterance of its own;
And ere the signal trump was blown,
tls,-. And ere the drum had roll'd,
The honest grasp of manly hands,
That common link of distant lands,
That sign which nature understands,
The generous feeling told:
The high and sacred pledge it gave,
That DOtn WCfC ltOSt oiio Jill "SAS Jaw
And something added of regret,
AT parting when solately met
a. And mot developed quitc)
:. So.as dubious hopes of meeting vet,
CAS- heaven their devious paths might set.
a. In friendship or in 6ght.
Du, short the truce that they can keep;
For now the signals shrill, SC. SC.
- ISLANDER.
tyhat mortal but ISLANDER, that serpent, ha'
stung
Whose teeth are sharp arrows, a razor hel
tongue;
The poison of asps her vivid hp loads,
TIE rattle fSaake,, with the spittle oftoads
Hsr throat is an open sepulchre her legs
S;t Matching of yipers and cockatrice eggs;
Her sting is scorpions; like hyena' shell
cry.