The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-10-05


his general attanments were available, either IN
himself producing, or in critcising, an essay IN
prose or IN verse, written by the members IN
turn.
We shall not follow Pringle's academical or
literary history with any degree of minueness.
Suffice it to say that his intercourse with men of
letters became extended, that he accustomed him
self composition in poetry as well as prose, that
he wrote many fugitive pieces and that be-
fore deciding upon profession for life, clerk
ship under his Maesty's Commissioners on the
Public Records of Scotland was obtained by him,
which seems to have superseded the thought OF
any other regular employment. The mechanical
drudgery of such an office as that to which he
had attained, could not, however, be congenial
with the taste of mind like that ofThomas Prin-
gle. Accordingly, we find him filing up any
time which he could command, devoting himself
to the study of English elegant literature, or in
gratifying passionate love of nature and rural
scenery which the environs of Aud Reekie so a.
bundanty offer. At length he became the editor
of newspaper, but first of one and then another
one of them afterwards becoming Blackwood's,
periodical that has since made no small stir. Mel
Their of these occupations proved profitable to
PringIe, nor did his other small publications
bring him much solid pudding" His struggles
and his rritations were disheartening nor did he
behold any thing that was cheering except what
arose from his alliance to an excellent woman the
daughter of Mr.. William Brown, an East Lothi-
an farmer; the advantages OF his marriage resided
owever as it would appear, in her virtues, not In
her purse. His salary under the Record Commits
sioners was unequal to the demands which his stu
alton imposed upon him he was now man of
thirty years of age-and what was he to do? We
find him in 1919 writing thus" have already in
an, hrancoC chonl dare which threaten
nv dav to become heavier, and at last to overwhem
me in hopeless debt. Now this is state of life
the most intolerabe that can be well imagined
and which one must experience fully to estimate.
1t paralyzes the very blood and heart of man ;
and cannot and will rot endure it, while pros
pect remains of eXuicating myself by any exer-
ton or sacrifice that can be made with honor and
good conscience" The memoir proceeds
"The other members of his fathers house were
at this moment suffering in like manner the vicis-
STUDIES of life and it is wonder thatthe thoughts
of man like Pringle, while meditating an escape
for himself from so harrassing situation, should
have been busy, at the same time, with the fate Of
those who were to dear TO him. A plan at length
suggested ITSELF which, as regarded himself, his
fancy painted in bright colors, and which was IT.
resistibly tempting, from the means 1t offered OF
reuniting in one society the scattered members of
the family. This was emigration. Southern At
RIGA was fixed upon as their new country; applca-
ton made, through Scott, to Lord Melville for a
grant Of land for his father and brother; and, with
prompitude which characterized all his opera
tons, the affair was brough to a conclusion, and
the party prepared to cross the ocean in search of
that competence and independence which adverse
circumstances had denied to them at home.
GO 1t may be proper here 10 notice, that | had
two distinct objects in view in emigrating to the
Cape. One of these was to collect again in one
social circle, and establish in rural independence,
my fathers family, which untoward circumstan
ces had broken up and begun to scatter over the
the world. To accomplish this, emigration to a
new colony was indispensable. My father had
been a respectable Roxburgshire farmer; and all
his sons five in number) had been bred to the
same profession, except myself The change of
times, however, and the loss of capital, had COM
pIeely overloaded their prospects in their native
country; and, therefore, when the Government
scheme of colonizing the unoccuped territory at
the Cape was promulgated, called their attention
to that colony, and offered to accompany them,
should they determine to procee there as settlers
After maturely weighing the advantages of the
Cape, as compared with other British colonies
they made their election, and empowered me to
apply on Their behalf to the Colonial Department.
AS it was required by the Government plan that
every party should comprise at leastten adult males
one family related to my wife, and two or three
other respectable individuals, were associated with
US. And thus our little band of twentylour souls
was made consisting of twelve men, including
three farm servants, six women and six children +"
Pringles views with respect to his new situa,
ton were different from those entertained by the
rest of his relatives, who looked to agricultural
pursuits. He trusted to obtain, through the re-
commentator of powerful friends, some colonial
appointment for which his education and habits
might be supposed suitable; and, therefore, in
vested with the direction of most interesting lit
tic band of emigrants, he embarked in February,
1919, for the Cape of Good Hope.
Seldom have we perused any thing more touch
ing and instructive than the account which Mr.
Richie has been enabled to collect of the progress
of this little band after they set foot upon African
soil; but especially of the services the exertions
the disappointnents of the immediate subject of
the Memoir. Happily for vast numbers of man
kind however signaly conducive to the honor of
this country, ought it ever to be pronounced, that
Thomas Pringle the Border farmers son, the lame
but enthusiastic adventurer, was destined tc emf
CRATE, to be unfortunate in another quarter of the
GLOBE and to feel himself obliged to return to his