, 1840-05-02
MfsceIIaueous.

A CLEsicAL DANCING MAsrER.-The fol-
lowing anecdote of Edward Young, the au-
thor of the Night Thoughts, is told in the
last number Of the London Metropolitan
Magazine
When Young left the university he was
a master of arts, and brought away with
him a vast stock of Greek and Latin. But
the fire Of a fine imagination was not extin.
guished under the heavier acquisition of his
scholastic pursuits /; its uiuidd us AMI enthu,
siasm had survived, and when he began the
world, his heart was new and peculiarly sus-
ceptible to each impression. Thus cnnstitu-
ted, a person will not 60 far without meeting
love on his road ; and Young soon discover
ed it in the charming smile and piquant grace
Of Anna Bowley, to whom he offered a timid
homage, which was accepted without hest.
tatioa. The society in which his lair one
moved. necessarily become the centre of his
universe, and the ladies' that composed it,
possessed in him a most devoted and assidu-
Gus cavalier.
One fine summe evening he escorted them
to the river side, not then 50 thickly built
upon as now. 1t was the middle of sum.
mer, and the hour was that delightful one
when the wings Of the breeze bring GOODNESS
with them to refresh all nature, which
was languid and exhausted by the heat of
one Of those oppressive DAYS which ever
and anon give us a taste of the fervid hours
Of a torrid cline. Bustle and activity
prevailed around the river was instinct
with life and motion. and a thousand boats,
calamity equipped and manned, furrowed its
broad bosom ; a thousand confused sounds
ffoaied in the air and the John Bull of the
olden time seemed to be in the full enjoy
ment of his proverbiaI merriment-that pic
turesque John Bull of the second quarter of
the eighteenth century, in cooked hat and
laced cravat, embroidered and bright colored
coat, knee breeches, and high quartered
shoes.
Young enjoyed the scene with a poets
eve, and found ample materials for the Indul-
gence Of his %satirical turn, when one of the
ladies proposed that they should all 90 to
Vauxhall, as it was a public night. The pro-
position was received with acclamation and
a wherry was soon freighted with the Joyous
company. By way of amusing his fair friends.
Young drew from his pocket a flute, on
which he excelled, and his notes were SO
perfect that a crowd of boats soon gathered
around among others was one filled with
young officers, which pulled hastily up, and
took a station alongside that of the musician.
As Young only played for the qualification Of
his company and himself, he did not choose
TO be made a public spectacle ; SO he soon
ceased, and returned his flute into its case.
One Of the officers took offence at this /; and,
thinking that his game was sure with young
man in a cleygyman's dress, and whose aspect
was anything but martial, he ordered the play
er to produce his flute and begin a new
Young shrugged his shoulder at this piece
ofimpertinence, but took no further notice Of
it; it was followed by threats and curses.
which had no greater effect upon the person
against whom they were directed. The of.
fcer, who was very angry that his orders
were disobeyed, and his menaces desp,sed,
directed his owe to close with the boat
Of the refractory musician, and swore he
would fling him into the Thames unless he
Immediately began playing. The alarm of
the ladies' was intense, and seeing that the
soldier was about putting his threat into exc
c~ution, they entreated Young to yield to
the exigency; but the indignant lutist still
resisted.
Edward ? exclaimed a soft voice at his
side ; will you do nothing to obIige me 2
DO you wish me, Anna, to submit to the
degrading insolence of such a brute
sYes, l do; l beg it, if you have any re-
gard for me-
Young drew out his flute without another
word, and played several gay airs, whilst the
soldier beat time with ostenta-l
ton, a~ppIauded vehemently, and looked
round as if to impress upon the auditors the
idea Of his irresistible importance.
i. The company soon after reached Vaux-
hall, where the parties separated. But al
though Young's exterior was calm, he felt
q deep resentment for the insult TO which he
had been subisotsd in his mistress' prosence.