ed.

We cannot complain, however, that the lesser glories of Lee and Henry, of Hancock and Adams, are not illustrated as they should be, when we remember that no National Monument has yet been erected to the man who was "first in war, first in peace, first in the hearts of his countrymen !"

"Aut insanit homo," &c. &c. say you. I beg pardon, Washington, are all the tributes their worth has receivsir, most humbly-but really the fit was upon me, and despite my efforts to avoid it, I have committed-shall I say poetry?-no! prose run mad. Well, "what is writ is writ," and you must take it for better for worse, if at all. I commenced this paper with the intention to give you a sketch of some of the most interesting relics of antiquity, with which I have met on a tour through the Northern Neck; but having already occupied more space than falls to the lot of such a rambler, I must content myself with condensing my sketches into notes, to the annexed rhymes.

LETTER FROM MALTA.

F. 0.

1st. The mansion alluded to, is Nominy Hall in the county of Westmoreland, the ruined seat of a branch of A Visit to the Church Yards of Malta-Epitaphs-Monument

to Sir H. Hotham-Tombs of deceased Americans.

"The yellow leaves went whispering by,-
Each in its passage seemed to say,
Companion, learn of us to die,-

We go the self-same way."

the Carter family. 'Tis a gloomy old castle of the Udolpho style-dark and grey, abounding with corridors and closets, winding stairs and trap doors. It is almost a ruin. Nothing is left but the Hall itself: the offices, laid out on a grand scale, have long since been levelled with the ground; and the materials of what was once the pride of the Carters, are now to be traced in many a hovel, in the shape of "chimney backs" and hearth stones, or, "patching a wall to expel the winter's flaw." The avenue from the northern gateway, composed of fine old native poplars, still remains. But 'tis said, the people of these parts have a mortal aversion to fine spreading trees; which under the horrible name of "sha-are in accordance with the thoughts of those who someders," they extirpate in the most cruel manner: sometimes by slaying them outright; sometimes by the slow torture of belting, and lastly and most shockingly, by lopping off every limb and branch, leaving the poor tree standing like a maimed beggar on the road side, an object of commiseration to every passer-by. How often have I seen a royal oak-the lapse of ages chronicled in its trunk; the lofty and wide-spread grandeur of which were enough, one would think, to fright the assassin from his purpose-how often have I seen such a tree, destroyed for no offence, save that it stood on the border of some poverty-stricken field, and cast the shade of its branches over some bumpkin's "nubbins." Our noble avenue stands in this dangerous juxtaposition, and we may expect soon to see this last relic of the taste and grandeur of the "Counsellor" Carter, pass away, and the place shall know it no more forever.

2nd. The church of which the ruin is deplored, is Pope's creek church, in the same county. This noble edifice is now reduced to a heap of bricks and mortar. One or two of the arches in the front wall are yet standing, and exhibit a beauty of material and workmanship, seldom equalled now-a-days. It is one of those fine old Episcopal churches, the melancholy ruins of which meet the eye throughout lower Virginia. A few are yet standing in good order, and are used by congregations returning "to the old paths." The spoliation of the others is a lasting stigma upon all who aided in it. The particular church of which we are speaking lies almost in sight of the birthplace of Washington.

As a stranger passes through the narrow gateway,
by which the Protestant dead are carried to their long
homes, he will observe, in the first ground, a small
grove of the evergreen cypress--the trees which, of
all others, have in such places a grave appearance, and
times shun the crowded city to ramble and ruminate
among the tombs of the English fathers of Valletta.
Our only way of entrance was by scaling a wall, which
we, with much difficulty, effected. Landing on a marble
tablet, it unfortunately gave way under our feet, and
lamed one of our party so seriously, that he did not for
weeks recover. Leaving our disabled friend seated on
the broken marble, we entered a narrow pathway,
which skirted around the ground, and through which we
found some difficulty in making our way, encumbered
as it was with the rank weeds of many a long year's
growth. We were all strangers in an English burial
place--and as we leaned over a splendid monument,
which, placed at the head of the principal avenue,
first drew our attention, we noticed, that if there had
been a difference of rank in life, there was none in
death-for here were the remains of a colonel, and in a
line with him was the humble stone which marked the
resting place of his bugler, and of some twenty of the
Seeking the grove of
rank and file of his regiment.
cypresses, we found ourselves within a small enclosure,
in the centre of which stood four small marble tombs,
all of the same size and shape-erected by fond parents
to the memory of their departed infants. A few days
after their birth they were gathered "to smell sweet,
and blossom in the dust," and though of different fami-
lies, they had all died about the self-same time. How
applicable to this melancholy spot are the beautifully
plaintive lines of Mrs. Hemans:

"There have been sweet singing voices
In your walks, that now are still-
There are seats left void in your earthly homes,
Which none again may fill."

3d. The grave of Richard Henry Lee, lies in an open field, as described in the stanzas. The ingratitude of republics is a proverb; and we, as a nation, have done nothing to avert the charge from us. What has America done to reward her warriors and statesmen? What It has been customary with the Levantines for centumonuments commemorate their heroic resistance of ty-ries, on the decease of a relative or friend, to plant near ranny, their sufferings and their triumphs? A few tardy pension acts, and the "leg pieces" in the capitol at

his grave a cypress tree-a custom which we would most willingly see introduced among christian nations.

and religion. This is not a fault in Malta only, for in England it prevails to a much greater degree." Go with what solemn thoughts one may, into these grounds, it is with no little difficulty he will be able to refrain from smiling while reading some of the doggrel lines, which almost at every step will meet his eye. We give the following, which are passable as compositions. The three first are inscriptions to the memory of soldiers of the 80th regiment:

Who, as a traveller, has ever been at Smyrna, and not | Psalms-but many of those which were original "ofvisited those beautifully shaded, secluded, and melan- fended wofully against grammar, taste, common sense choly plats of earth, which border on the classic shores of the ancient Meles?-and who has not admired the site for a burial place, covered, as it now is, with the evergreen cypress and weeping willows, thickly planted among the avenues of the dead? The grave yards of Malta might, from the soil and climate, with but little labor, be made gardens of flowers-while at this day they are but enclosures, as it were, of broken grave stones, half sunken tombs, and dilapidated monuments. There is, however, an excuse for their being in this condition, which we most freely give. Valletta is but a garrison town, and the regiments which are sent from England to this Island remain but two years, and are then ordered to the Ionian Islands-the relatives, (if any there are,) of those who have died within this brief period, immediately leave, the vacancy is filled, and the departed forgotten.

"The king of kings a warrant sealed,

And sent it out by Death-
And charged him to serve the same
Upon my feeble breath."

'Every tear is wiped away,

Sighs no more shall heave his breast,
Night is lost in endless day,

Sorrow in eternal rest."

"Rejoice for a brother deceased-
Our loss is his infinite gain;
A soul's out of prison released,
And freed from its bodily pain."

One of the most chaste and classical monuments which we observed in this ground, was of white marble-and as he whose remains it covered, was one of a nation-so it stood, and towered alone. As we approached, the stars engraven upon it, but.too well told, even before we were sufficiently near to read the inscription, that it was to the memory of a countryman. Some days after our visit, we heard that it was erected by the present Greek consul, Thomas McGill, over the remains of an American missionary, we saw the following lines: H. G. R******, of New York, who died at this Island in October, 1811. The beautiful design is as honorable to the one who planned it, as the monument is worthy, as far as frail marble can make it so, to record the virtues of him who tarries beneath :

"Tarry I here, I but attend on death-
But fly I hence, I fly away from life."

The shaft was, not long since, broken by some idle lads, whom I would name, did not their youth in a measure excuse them. We had it repaired, and it may remain for another score of years, unless overturned by thoughtless boys, or despoiled by older rogues, who at this Island rob the Protestant tombs to sell the broken marble.

On the plain head stone to Mrs. T*****, the wife of

"Thank God, he gives me the victory
Through the hand of Jesus Christ."

From a tablet of black marble, placed over a distinguished poet, we extracted the following beautiful lines, translated from the Italian-as true as they are poetical:

"The past! what is it but a gleam?
Which memory faintly throws;
The future! 'tis the fairy dream,

That hope and fear compose.

The present! is the lightning glance,
That comes and disappears;
Thus life is but a moment's trance,

Of memories, hopes and fears."

While seeking the second ground, which lies in another bastion farther to the south, we hoped that as the When we entered the cemetery, which is now being burials had been more recent, the tombs would not be filled, we could not but be gratified on observing the found so much neglected-we were, however, in error, decided improvement which has been recently made in as every thing we saw but plainly showed, that if the the laying out of this small ground-and of the care hand of Time had been busy, that of mortals had prov- which was taken, by men hired for the purpose, in rolled far more destructive. On entering, encircled as we ing the paths, (beautifully hedged as they are with were with bushes, brambles and weeds, we could not geraniums,) watering the plants, trimming the cypresses, but observe that a different arrangement had been made and guarding the tombs. Several splendid monuments for the laying out of this yard, inasmuch as all the ex-are to be met with in this yard-two of which we will pensive monuments were to the right by themselves-name-that erected to the memory of the late rear while the humbler head stones covered the area and left admiral Sir H. Hotham, who died in 1833, in command of the yard. This may have occurred by chance, although of the English Mediterranean fleet-and the one built by it savors of aristocracy, even in these habitations of the the Hon. Mr. Frere, over his departed wife. dead. Most of the tombs were to the military; while now and then we observed one which had been erected to a traveller, merchant, or officer of the navy.

It would seem that the English, of all people in the world, were most fond of inscriptions and grave-yard epitaphs; we read some which had been well selected from the Bible, and appropriately taken from the

Serving, as the harbor of Valletta has, for the last few years, as winter quarters to the English fleet, this ground is in a measure occupied by those who were in the naval service of their country. From a few inscriptions which we have copied, it would appear that the epitaphs on the tombs of seamen, are as curious as those which were taken from the head stones of soldiers. In

every instance the monuments were placed by the crews | be more than thirty years of age; in person, he is tall, of the ships to which the deceased belonged. We took the following lines from a marble:

On a monument, to a seaman of the Rodney, 80, steadily fixed on his victim, and rolled out his denunfound murdered, was this extract from Job:

This gentleman was a representative from Kentucky, and first took his seat in Congress at the extra session in 1837. During that session he made his debut on the floor of the House, on the sub-treasury bill. It was a masterly effort and established his reputation as a parliamentary orator. It satisfied both parties of the supe-pressive and eloquent. Mr. Wise wants the Shaksriority of his mind, and the rank he was likely to hold in the body to which he belonged. His fame had not preceded him, and his first effort was as unexpected as it was astonishing. Mr. Menefee does not appear to

"Is it not egregiously unjust," says he, speaking of the conduct of the House to him in relation to the duel between Mr. Graves and Mr. Cilley, in which he was concerned as a second, "that any judge should pursue this course? I demand a trial. Come when it may I will expose the guilty. The most guilty were the very busiest in arraigning me-the most hypocritical in the hue and cry after the most innocent in that transaction. Put me on trial, and I will then drag from their seats here, and in the other House, the real culprits-the very wretches who instigated that duel-who wept crocodile tears over the bier of poor Cilley, and who got up excitement, the most loathsome, for no end whatever of religion or morality, but for the vilest of political purposes-wretches, who would have dragged the corpse of the victim of their machinations from Wash

points of his opponent's argument, with great facility, | When Mr. Wise first appeared in the House, some ten and turns them against him with much skill and ability. years ago, it was thought from his voice and manner, He depends mainly upon the native powers of his in-that he was an imitator of John Randolph ; but it was tellect, which has not been very highly cultivated or soon perceived that he was an original, and afterwards disciplined. He has not devoted much of his time, ascertained that he had never seen his supposed model, probably from the necessity of early action, to the ac- the great eccentric of Roanoke. "None but himself quisition of knowledge, but his mind is perhaps more can be his parallel." He stands alone, often unsupvigorous and acute than it would have been, if it had ported, and boldly and manfully breasts the fury of been more polished and enriched with other men's party rage, and treats with scorn the denunciations of thoughts. He thinks for himself, and thinks deeply. the minions of power. He has great nerve as well as His thoughts, though not often magnificent or beautiful, sensibility, and his fearlessness and independence comare nevertheless original and striking. As a satyrist, mand the respect even of those who are opposed to him he has not the delicacy, point and polish of the orator in political opinion and who believe him to be wrong. of Roanoke, but he has more vigor and intensity of Like all men of strong feelings, he is generous as well indignation. He feels deeply, and pours out the over- as brave, and he would as readily weep over the misflowings of his indignation in "words that burn," and fortunes of a prostrate enemy as over those of a bein language which bears the strong coloring of his loved friend. The following short extract from a feelings. Those feelings are lofty, honorable and deli- | speech of his, recently delivered in the House of Recate, but excitable. His soul seems to loathe and presentatives, will give not only an idea of his temper spurn all that is mean or dishonorable in human action. and the nature of his feelings, but of the style of his His hatred of vice and political dishonesty and pro- eloquence : fligacy is innate, and he deals out his denunciations against those he believes to be guilty, whether elevated or humble, with indignant and bitter eloquence. His victim shivers and writhes beneath his lash. He is bold, fearless and independent, and throws out his shafts without regard to the elevated rank which those he aims at may hold in the world. His love of country is intense and ardent, and he looks upon all whose conduct endangers its liberties or tends to cover its character with dishonor, as his enemies, whom it is his duty to expose and denounce. There is, however, the greatest possible difference between Mr. Wise on the floor of the House, and Mr. Wise in the private circle. A stranger would scarcely believe them to be the same individual. While addressing the body of which he is a member, he often seems to be animated by a species of fury, or by some strong and uncontrollable passion-ington to Maine, with his heels to a chariot and his his eyebrows lower, his eyes sparkle with indignation, head upon the flinty rock, if it would have served the and his whole countenance and action indicate the most sinister and infamous designs of a party. He (Mr. Gray violent mental agitation; while surrounded by his of New York) says the Speaker himself has been defriends, and even among strangers, he is mild, affable nounced as a supple tool of the Executive. Yes, the and humorous, producing laughter by his bon mots and Speaker has been told to his face worse than that. jokes, and laughing himself at the jokes, wit or anec- You and I know, Mr. Speaker, what I said: Whenever dotes of others. He has a good deal of the irritability I had been arraigned I would have given the reasons of genius, but it is seldom displayed, except in the hall why I took the Speaker by the arm, as he was leaving of legislation. In the domestic circle, he is kind, tender that chair, and said to him-' You are the petty tool of a and affectionate, and in private, affable and even play- tyrant.' Did I mean merely to insult him? No, no-the ful among those with whom he is intimately acquainted. Speaker was not my man. No, I discharged a high and Since his first appearance among the representatives of solemn duty-I defend the freedom of debate and the the nation, he has undergone a considerable change. forms intended to preserve it. When I found the ExecuHe is, I think, less intemperate and violent in his manner tive presiding every where-when I found the President and feelings, and has more staidness and dignity, but sitting there, (pointing to the chair,) as well as upon the not less energy and vehemence. Every one listens to throne in the White House-overstepping the constituhim with interest, when he addresses the House, be- tional walls of partition between the co-ordinate departcause every one is pleased with excitement. Mr. Wise's ments of the government-encroaching by silent cortalents, ardent feelings and boldness of character have ruption upon the province of this House-I spoke out given him a high rank in the House of Representatives; as Brutus did in Rome, or as Sidney would in England— but he is fortunæ majoris honos, erectus et acer. Though I will speak or die on all such occasions. When I see young, he is an expert and able debater-always pre- the daring or insidious invasion of the freedom and inpared to attack or defend, as the case may require, and dependence of legislation attempted, I will denounce never sparing his opponent, either in the offensive or de- the invader, and denounce the principle of invasion. fensive. He wields the battle axe and mace, and leaves Why? Because I love the government and prefer its the small sword and spear to those whose ardor is less preservation for my children, better than I love any intense or whose indignation is more controllable. Iman who breathes. I forget persons, am heedless of