How comes my mistress? like a bridemaid clad, I fain would see her, full of hopes and fears, Hang on my neck with pleasure and with shame; Behold her bright eyes smile, and smile in tears, And hear her falter as she lisps my name : Oh! if the vagrant beauty thus appears, ム Love light thy torch!-I bid adieu to fame!' p. 19. In a volume of miscellaneous poems, there will doubtless prevail a great inequality of merit and there are' defects of style and versification in Mr. Leftley's poetry, which his maturer judgement would have led him to avoid. They are, however, the nobler faults into which Genius alone is found to deviate; and they may be in some measure attributed, perhaps, to his too implicit, or too negligent imitation of the best models. The poems of his Biographer, which are introduced with a modest Preface, though of a very inferior order to those of his friend, are not destitute of merit. The descriptive Sketches' are, perhaps, the best in the collection. We are very sorry to be obliged to particularize that entitled July.' The Pagoda, as exceedingly offensive, from the attempt to throw a veilof sentimental poetry over the loathsome abominations of Hindoo idolatry. As we wish to part with Mr. Linley on friendly terms, we will conclude this article with the following speci men. SEPTEMBER-TO OPPRESSION. Fell tyrant, who to pangs before unknown, Hast doom'd pale misery's child, hence with thy train, That mock th' imploring tear! Thy captives' feeble cries, their dying moan, And, in the pauses of the festive song, That at thy bidding flows, burst on thine ear, Tinging with bloody drops the sparkling bowl Assails, and deeper heaves th' imaginary sigh! Sad wretch! who sometimes through the midnight gloom For calmer sleep court nature's fragrant bowers? Stalks on thy palace top, and mocks thy idle state.' pp. 181-183. Art. XV. 1. A circumstantial Narrative of the Campaign in Russia, embellished with Plans of the Battles of the Moskwa and Malo-Jaroslavitz. Containing a faithful Description of the affecting and interesting Scenes of which the Author was an Eye-Witness. By Eugene Labaume, Captain of Engineers. Translated from the French. 8vo. pp. viii, 412. price 10s. 6d. Leigh, 1815. 2. A faithful Narrative of the Repassing of the Beresina, by the French Army in 1812. By an Eye-Witness. Translated from the French, with Notes, written by an Officer who was with the Russian Army, at the same Period. 8vo. pp. 66. Hatchard, 1815. WE perfectly agree with the writer of the last of these two publications, that it were greatly to be wished that some able and impartial writer would undertake the history of the whole campaign of 1812;' for we have not hitherto seen any work which in the least degree deserves that title. In our own language, indeed, we are without any thing even tolerably decent on this subject. Ker Porter's ranting book is nothing more than a idle compilation from the newspapers and gazettes. This deficiency neither of the writers before us is, in our opinion, qualified to supply; for, independently of the partial nature of their narratives, Labaume is much given to romancing, and the "Eye-Witness" Eye-Witness" we strongly suspect of being addicted to falsifying. The Captain of Engineers, however, seems to aim at giving a correct detail of the principal events of his story, while he allows himself a licence of embellishment in the little episodes only which he occasionally intro duces as auxiliaries to the main narration. But the writer of the pamphlet is obviously a partisan :-all his statements are directed to serve a particular purpose; every thing is discoloured and distorted, and the military talents of Kutusoff and Wittgenstein, are sacrificed most shamelessly to the avowed object of exculpating Admiral Chichagoff. We will not credit the assertion, that the Admiral himself is the Author of the notes; for, although we are not disposed to impute to the writer any more severe charge than that of omission, yet, in our apprehension, even this is of a very serious kind. We can allow much for the real or imaginary feeling of injury, and for the irritability of wounded pride; but these would not vindicate an officer's resolute abstinence from every comment upon assertions grossly claiming for the invaders of his country victory, where they undeniably sustained defeat, and throwing upon his countrymen all the disgrace of discomfiture, where their progress had been marked by labour and perseverance, by skill, intrepidity, and triumph. As we cannot afford any great space for this article, we shall take a very cursory view of the narrative of Labaume, that we may have room for a few remarks on the criticisms of the Eyewitness; and we do this the rather, as the former is less the history of the manœuvres of the whole army, than of those in which the Fourth Corps, commanded by Beauharnois, was principally concerned. Labaume is a spirited and intelligent narrator; his accounts of movements and battles, if not scientific, are clear, animated, and picturesque; the interest of his story never flags, and were it not for the occasional annoyance of an evidently fictitious personage, with long-winded speeches, descriptions, and expostulations, we should have read his work with uninterrupted gratification. We meet with three or four of these gentry in the course of the narrative;-a non-descript monk, a forlorn Muscovite gentleman, who acts the part of a cicerone, and a pithy French tutor, who repeats verbatim the long speeches of the Emperor and Rastopchin. Labaume sets out with a brief survey of the state of Europe, previous to the Russian Campaign; and enumerates the various divisions which were destined to take part in it, amounting in the gross to three hundred thousand infantry, and sixty thousand cavalry, in discipline and equipment superior probably to any other army, even of half that amount which was ever before led to battle. Confident in their numbers and their prowess, and enthusiastically devoted to their leader, this immense body crossed the Niemen on the twenty-third, twenty-fourth, and twenty-fifth of June, 1812, and advanced on Wilna. The Russian troops, inferior in numbers, and injudiciously scattered in position, retired in all directions. The effects of this error in judgement, were felt long after. Bagration, who was cut off from the main army, performed wonders; but he was for a long time prevented from joining the Commander-in-chief— Barclay de Tolly. The account of the battle of Ostrowno is spirited, but not very distinct; it contains, however, a characteristic specimen of the superior decision and promptness of Napoleon's manœuvres, compared with those of other officers of undoubted eminence. The success of the combat was certain ; but we dared not venture to cross the extensive forest before us, on the other side of which were the hills of Witepsk, where we knew the forces of the enemy were encamped. While we were deliberating on the means of effecting that important passage, we heard a great tumult behind us. No one could guess the cause, and uneasiness was added to our curiosity; but when we perceived Napoleon surrounded by a brilliant suite, our fears were dissipated; and the enthusiasm which his presence always excited, made us hope that he would add to the glory of that eventful day. The King of Naples and the Prince hastened to meet him, and informed him of the event of the engagement, and the measures which they had since adopted. But Napoleon, desirous to become more intimately acquainted with every circumstance, quickly proceeded to the most advanced posts of our line, and viewed from an eminence, the position of the enemy, and the nature of the ground. His eye penetrated into the Russian camp. He guessed their plans, and immediately ordered new dispositions, which being executed with precision and rapidity, the army was soon in the middle of the forest. We followed at a quick pace, and reached the hills of Witepsk as the day began to close.' p. 68, 69. The Russians abandoned the position of Witepsk with such admirable order, as to put the French most completely at fault. 'We wandered,' says Labaume, in all directions over an immense plain, without perceiving the faintest trace of his retreat. Not one carriage, not a single dead horse, not even a solitary vehicle, indicated the road which the enemy had taken.' The storming of Smolensko is described from the report of another officer, as the Viceroy's division was not present at that sanguinary conflict. It is well observed, in connexion with this event, that if Napoleon had limited The operations of this campaign to the taking of Riga, the fortifying of Witepsk and Smolensko, and more particularly the organization of Poland, he would, doubtless, in the following spring, have forced the Russians either to subscribe to his conditions, or to run the risk of the almost certain destruction both of Moscow and Petersburg.' But cautious calculation was not suited to the impetuosity of Buonaparte, and he hurried forward on the road to Moseow, until his career was stopped by the village and redoubts of Borodino. His reconnoissance, previous to the celebrated battle of that name, is thus described: Our dragoons, placed as sharp-shooters, announced the approach of Napoleon. Immediately the name of the Emperor passed from mouth to mouth, and every one awaited his arrival with the greatest impatience. He soon made his appearance followed by his principal officers, and took his station on an eminence whence he could easily command the whole camp of the enemy. After having long and attentively regarded their position, and carefully observed all the adjacent country, he began to hum some insignificant tune. He then conversed a moment with the Viceroy; and, mounting his horse, he went to consult the Prince of Eckmuhl.' p. 126, 127. An advanced redoubt was carried, after a bloody contest, by the division of Compan, and The next morning, as Napoleon was reviewing the 61st regiment which had suffered most, he asked the Colonel what he had done with one of his battalions ?' "SIRE," replied he, "it is in the re doubt." Of the tremendous conflict that ensued, we have neither leisure nor inclination to speak. It is described here, as far as it fell under Labaume's observation, with great animation, but with imperfect fidelity. The Russian, and the French accounts of this battle, are completely at variance; and we do not feel ourselves qualified to point out the precise line of truth we imagine, however, that at the close of a hard-fought day, the advantage on the whole was with the French, and that Kutusoff retreated, because he felt his utter inability to renew the contest. On no other ground, indeed, can his retreat be vindicated his troops had fought well, and were not disheartened; many of the strong points of his position were yet unforced, and his loss of men had certainly not exceeded that of the enemy. He retreated, however, and the invaders entered Moscow. The fire which laid this vast city waste, is, by our Author, attributed to Count Rastopchin; and a very picturesque description is given of the burning of the Exchange, where it appears to have commenced, and whence it spread in all directions, until nine tenths of the city were consumed. Embarrassed by the judicious disposition of the Russian armies, kept continually on the alert by the incursions of the Cossacks, and unable to obtain supplies for his troops, Napoleon was at length compelled to break up. A successful attack on the cavalry of Murat, hastened his movements, and on the |