DATE DAYS.

DIARY.

CORRESPONDING CHRONOLOGY. 201813.-Fought on this day, the Battle of Bautzen, between the forces of the allies and the French, under Napoleon and Marshal Soult, the latter being successful. The allies were compelled to retreat, though their loss in the conflict was not 80 severe as the French, from the circumstance of their having been strongly posted during the action. The French suffered to, the amount of 15000 men, and the loss of the allies was estimated at about :0,000. By the side of Napoleon was killed his dearest friend Duroc, grand master of the palace, whose death so afflicted the emperor, that he instantly ordered a halt in the midst of pursuit, and remained in front of his tent a prey to the bitterest anguish. He stood by Duroc when he died, and drew up an epitaph himself to be placed over his remains by the pastor of the place, who received 200 Napoleons to erect a mo.. nument to his memory.

21 Our saint was born at Cantalicio in the Ecclesiastical States in 1513. He was remarkable for his piety, and it is related of him that during his last illness he was comforted by a vision of the Virgin, attended with a large company of angels. He died A.D. 1587. Pope Urban VIIIth beatified him in 1625. 22 St. Bobo was a native of Province, where his rame was held in great veneration. He died A.D. 985. 337-Expired on this day the Emperor Constantine, at Achiron, in his 65th year, and 40th of his reign. This emperor was a great benefactor to the Christian church in the West, which religion he evinced a great regard for by building numerous churches, especially a magnificent one at Bethlehem. He also founded Constantinople, and performed many actions which entitle him to the name of great.

23 Our saint, who was a noble virgin of Carthage, was sold for a slave at the sacking of that city by Genseric in 439. She was martyred at Corsica during the governorship of Felix, for refusing to join in the idolatrous sacrifice of a bull, A.D. 439. 1787.-On this day Commodore Phillips sailed from Spithead, with a convoy of ships, to establish a settlement for convicts in New South Wales. 21 ROGATION SUNDAY derives its name from the Latin term rogare, to ask; because, on the three subsequent days, supplications were appointed by Mamertus, bishop of Vienna, in the year 469, to be offered up with fasting to God, as a devout preparative to the feast of the glorious Ascension of our Saviour, and also to request and supplicate the blessing of God upon the fruits of the earth. The Dutch call Rogation Week Cruysweek, Crossweek, because when the priests go in procession, the cross is carried before them. In the Inns of Court, it was called Grass-week, because the fare of that week formerly consisted of sallads, hard eggs, and green sauce, upon some of the days. 25 1796.-On this day, the English forces under the gallant General Abercrombie, took the island of St. Lucia, one of the Windward Caribbee Islands, in the West Indies, from the French. 26 This saint, who was born at Florence, founded the congregation of the Oratory in 1551. He died in 1595. From the holy fathers of this order of the Oratory, began that species of sacred music now termed the Oratorio.

1784.-The commemoration of the great musician Handel, the most magnificent spectacle ever attempted in any nation, which lasted three days, commenced this day at Westminster Abbey, their majesties, most of the first personages in the kingdom, and near 4000 of the public being present,

AGREEABLY to the promise made to our readers, we this week have the pleasure of laying before them an outline of this interesting novel, which gives an animated and faithful picture of the Switzers of that period, and under the pleasing garb of fiction describes with historical precision the restless and turbulent state of that part of Europe in which the scene is laid during the sway of Charles of Burgundy.

In a former number we gave one of the scenes described in the opening of the tale, in which the hero of the piece, young Philipson, and his father, are introduced to the reader. Having been rescued from their perilous situation by the family of the Landamman, who receive them with great hospitality, they remain for some days under the roof of the honourable Swiss, during which time the younger traveller and the beautiful

VOL, III.

Y

Anne of Geierstein become enamoured of each other. This excites the jealousy of Rudolf Donnerhugel, the Landamman's nephew, who has the mortification of beholding a dexterous feat of archery performed by young Philipson, in the presence of Anne and her kinsmen. A meeting takes place by agreement at day break the following morning. The young Englishman, having stolen from his father's side, passes out to encounter his rival.

Having traversed the fields and groves which separated the Landamman's residence from the old castle of Geierstein, he entered the court-yard from the side where the castle overlooked the land; and nearly in the same instant his almost gigantic antagonist, who looked yet more tall and burly by the pale morning light than he had seemed the preceding evening, appeared ascending from the precarious bridge beside the torrent, having reached Geierstein by a different route from that pursued by the Englishman.

"The young champion of Berne had hanging along his back one of those huge

76

two-handed swords, the blade of which measured five feet, and which were wielded with both hands. These were almost universally used by the Swiss: for besides the impression which such weapons were calculated to make upon the array of the German men-at-arms, whose armour was impenetrable to lighter swords, they were also well-calculated to defend mountain passes, where the great bodily strength and agility of those who bore them, enabled the combatants, in spite of their weight and length, to use them with much address and effect. One of these gigantic swords hung around Rudolf Donnerhugel's neck, the point rattling against his heel, and the handle extending itself over his left shoulder, considerably above 'his head. He carried another in his hand.

"Thou art punctual,' he called out to Arthur Philipson, in a voice which was distinctly heard above the roar of the waterfall, which it seemed to rival in sullen force. But I judged thou wouldst come without a two-handed sword. There is my kinsman Ernest's,' he said, throwing on the ground the weapon which he

carried, with the hilt towards the young Englishman. Look, stranger, that thou disgrace it not, for my kinsman will never forgive me if thou dost. Or thou mayst have mine if thou likest it better.'

"The Englishman looked at the weapon, with some surprise, to the use of which he was totally unaccustomed. The challenger,' he said, 'in all countries where honour is known, accepts the arms of the challenged.'

"He who fights on a Swiss mountain, fights with a Swiss brand,' answered Rudolf. Think you our hands are made to handle penknives?'

"Nor are ours made to wield scythes,' said Arthur; and muttered betwixt his teeth, as he looked at the sword, which the Swiss continued to offer him- Usum non habeo, I have not proved the weapon.'

"Do you repent the bargain you have made?' said the Swiss; if so, cry craven, and return in safety. Speak plainly, instead of prattling Latin like a clerk or a shaven monk.'

"No, proud man,' replied the Englishman, "I ask thee no forbearance. I thought but of a combat between a shep

herd and a giant, in which God gave the victory to him who had worse odds of weapons than falls to my lot to-day. I will fight as I stand; my own good sword shall serve my need now, as it has done before.'

"Content!--but blame not me who offered thee equality of weapons,' said the mountaineer. And now hear me. This is a fight for life or death-yon waterfall sounds the alarum for our conflict. -Yes, old bellower,' he continued, look ing back, it is long since thou hast heard the noise of battle;-and look to it ere we begin, stranger, for if you fall, I will commit your body to its waters.'

"And if thou fall'st, proud Swiss,' answered Arthur, as well I trust thy presumption leads to destruction, I will have thee buried in the church at Einsiedlen, where the priests shall sing masses for thy soul-thy two-handed sword shall be displayed above thy grave, and a scroll shall tell the passenger, Here lies a bear's cub of Berne, slain by Arthur the Englishman.'

"The stone is not in Switzerland, rocky as it is,' said Rudolf, scornfully, that shall bear that inscription. Prepare thyself for battle.'

"The Englishman cast a calm and deliberate glance around the scene of action-a court-yard, partly open, partly encumbered with ruins, in less and larger

masses.

"Methinks, said he to himself, a master of his weapon, with the instructions of Bottaferma of Florence in his remembrance, a light heart, a good blade, a firm hand, and a just cause, might make up a worse odds than two feet of steel..

"Thinking thus, and imprinting on his mind as much as the time would permit, every circumstance of the locality around him which promised advantage in the combat, and taking his station in the middle of the court-yard where the ground was entirely clear, he flung his cloak from him, and drew his sword.

"Rudolf had at first believed that his foreign antagonist was an effeminate youth, who would be swept from before him at the first flourish of his tremendous weapon. But the firm and watchful attitude assumed by the young man, reminded the Swiss of the deficiencies of his own unwieldy implement, and made him determine to avoid any precipitation which might give advantage to an enemy who seemed both daring and vigilant. He unsheathed his huge sword, by drawing it over the left shoulder, an operation which required some little time, and might have offered formidable advantage to his antagonist, had Arthur's sense of houour per

mitted him to begin the attack ere it was completed. The Englishman remained firm, however, until the Swiss, displaying his bright brand to the morning sun, made three or four flourishes, as if to prove its weight, and the facility with which he wielded it-then stood firm within sword-stroke of his adversary, grasping his weapon with both hands, and advancing it a little before his body, with the blade pointed straight upwards. The Englishman, on the contrary, carried his sword in one hand, holding it across his face in a horizontal position, so as to be at once ready to strike, thrust or parry.

"Strike, Englishman!' said the Switzer, after they had confronted each other in this manner for about a minute.

"The longest sword should strike first,' said Arthur; and the words had not left his mouth when the Swiss sword rose and descended with a rapidity which, the weight and size of the weapon considered, appeared portentous. No parry, however dexterously interposed, could have baffled the ruinous descent of that dreadful weapon, by which the champion of Berne had hoped at once to begin the battle and end it. But young Philipson had not over-estimated the justice of his own eye, or the activity of his limbs. Ere the blade descended, a sudden spring to one side carried him from beneath its heavy sway, and before the Swiss could again raise his sword aloft, he received a wound though a slight one, upon the left arm.

"Irritated at the failure and at the wound, the Switzer heaved up his sword once more, and availing himself of a strength corresponding to his size, he discharged towards his adversary a succession of blows, downright, athwart, horizontal, and from left to right, with such surprising strength and velocity, that it required all the address of the young Englishman, by parrying, shifting, eluding, or retreating, to evade a storm, of which every individual blow seemed sufficient to cleave a solid rock. The Englishman was compelled to give ground, now backwards, now swerving to the one side or the other, now availing himself of the fragments of the ruins, but watching all the while, with the utmost composure, the moment when the strength of his enraged enemy might become somewhat exhausted, or when by some improvident or furious blow he might again lay himself open to a close attack. The latter of these advantages had nearly occurred, for in the middle of his headlong charge, the Switzer stumbled over a large stone concealed among the long grass, and ere he' could recover himself, received a severe

blow across the head from his antagonist. It lighted upon his bonnet, the lining of which enclosed a small steel cap, so that he escaped unwounded, and springing up renewed the battle with unabated fury, though it seemed to the young Englishman with breath somewhat short, and blows dealt with more caution.

"They were still contending with equal fortune, when a stern voice, rising over the clash of swords, as well as the roar of waters, called out in a commanding voice, On your lives, forbear!'

"The two combatants sunk the points of their swords, not very sorry, perhaps, for the interruption of a strife which must otherwise have had a deadly termination. They looked around, and the Landamman stood before them, with anger frowning on his broad and expressive forehead.

Arthur,' said the elder Philipson, who had come up at the same time with their host, what frenzy is this? Are your duties of so light and heedless a nature, as to give time and place for quarrels and combats with every idle boor who chances to be boastful at once and bull-headed?'

"The young men, whose strife had ceased at the entrance of these unexpected spectators, stood looking at each other, and resting on their swords.

"Rudolf Donner hugel,' said the Landamman, give thy sword to me-to me, the owner of this ground, the master of this family, and magistrate of the canton.'

"And which is more,' answered Rudolf, submissively, to you who are Arnold Biederman, at whose command every native of these mountains draws his sword or sheathes it.' He gave his twohanded sword to the Landamman.

"Now, by my honest word,' said Biederman, it is the same with which thy father Stephen fought so gloriously at Sempach, abreast with the famous De Winkelried! Shame it is, that it should be drawn on a helpless stranger.-And you, young sir,' continued the Swiss, addressing Arthur, while his father said at the same time, Young man, yield up your sword to the Landamman

"It shall not need, sir,' replied the young Englishman, since, for my part, I hold our strife at an end. This gallant

gentleman called me hither on a trial, as Ï conceive, of courage. I can give my unqualified testimony to his gallantry and swordmanship; and as I trust he will say nothing to the shame of my manhood, I think our strife has lasted long enough for the purpose which gave rise to it.'

Too long for me,' said Rudolf, frankly; 'the green sleeve of my doublet, which I wore of that colour in love to the Forest Cantons, is now stained into as dirty a crimson as could have been done by any dyer in Ypres or Ghent. But I heartily forgive the brave stranger who has spoiled my jerkin, and given its master a lesson he will not soon forget. Had all Englishmen been like your guest, worthy kinsman, methinks the mound at Buttisholz had hardly risen so high.'

"Cousin Rudolf,' said the Landam. man, smoothing his brow as his kinsman spoke, I have ever thought thee as generous as thou art hair-brained and quarrelsome; and you, my young guest, may rely, that when a Swiss says the quarrel is over, there is no chance of its being renewed. We are not like the men of the valleys to the eastward, who nurse revenge as if it were a favourite child. And now, join hands, my children, and let us forget this foolish feud.'

"Here is my hand, brave stranger,' said Donnerhugel; thou hast taught me a trick of fence, and when we have broken our fast, we will, by your leave, to the forest, where I will teach you a trick of woodcraft in return. When your foot hath half the experience of your hand, and your eye hath gained a portion of the steadiness of your heart, you will not find many hunters to match you.'

Arthur, with all the ready confidence of youth, readily embraced a proposition so frankly made, and before they reached the house, various subjects of sport were eagerly discussed between them, with as much cordiality as if no disturbance of their concord had taken place."

The Englishmen being desirous of reaching the court of Duke Charles, set. forward on their journey in company with the Landamman and his friends, who are conveying Anne of Geierstein to her father. On their way thither, being denied admittance into the town of Bâle by the citizens, they bivouac in a deserted hall, and parties are formed to patrol in the neighbourhood. The younger Philipson having joined Rudolf Donnerhugel in one of these excursions, the latter narrates the wild and singular legend touching the descent of Anne, which appeared in a preceding number. Finally, the travellers quit the Swiss Pa triarch and his friends, and proceeded