THE (New Mon.) MARCO BOTZARI, THE ACHILLEES OF THE MODERN GREEKS. HE Greeks have just sustained the bitterest loss which has befallen them during the whole of their short, but brilliant contest with the enslavers of their country. Marco Botzari, the Achilles of their cause-the Achilles in all things but his invulnerability-has perished prematurely in the flower of his age and his fame; and has left none behind him that can adequately supply his place. They have still many excellent leaders; but none who unite into one noble whole the various admirable qualities possessed by that distinguished person. The following is extracted from the Morning Chronicle, which purports to give the substance of a letter just received from Missolonghi :-"In the neighbourhood of Valto the Greeks had again assembled in considerable force, made a most determined resistance,and compelled the invaders to take the direction of Carpanesi. The Suliotes, having marched upon this place, and having been joined by other chiefs as they advanced, came up with the barbarians on the evening of the 8th of August; and on the next morning, by one of those daring movements for which this nation of Christians has always been so justly celebrated, they gained a great victory over the Turkish army. During this memorable engagement Marco Botzari placed himself at the head of four hundred of his countrymen, penetrated to the centre of a column of five thousand of the enemy, and by his example infused the greatest confidence into his small but determined phalanx of Suliotes. He was severely wounded in the groin, but concealed his situation until, in the heat of the action, he received a musquet-ball in the head, and instantly fell, &c." "Another account states, that Marco Botzari penetrated to the tent of the Pacha himself, whom he slew, but was wounded by a black servant, faithful to the Pacha, while he was exhibiting the head to his soldiers." As there is, unhappily, no reason to doubt the fact of the death of this distinguished patriot, it may be interesting to our readers, and, what is of even more importance, it may serve the almost sacred cause which he espoused, if we give a slight notice of his public life and character: and we do this the rather, as we have reason to believe that the source from whence we derive our information is the only one at present in this country that is capable of supplying it. MARCO BOTZARI was the son of the celebrated Kitzo Botzari, a member of one of the principal families of Sulei, and a head of his tribe during their long war with the late Ali Pacha. When this war was terminated, by the fall of Sulei into the hands of the Pacha, Kitzo Botzari retired to the Ionian Islands; but Marco, the subject of this notice, remained in Albania, with several other members of his family, and lived for some time in the most entire obscurity. During this period, no circumstances occurring to call forth any peculiar traits of character, nothing was noted of him but that he was a young man of great personal courage, and with high notions of justice and honour. A trifling anecdote will here illustrate his views on the latter points. A particular friend of Marco was playing at cards with two persons who were in the service of Ali Pacha, at the time the latter was at Prevesa; and this friend, in conjunction with one of the other players, had contrived to mark the cards, and thus make a certainty of winning the third. But Marco, who was present, and observed what had been done, openly noticed it; saying, "There is no true victory, my friend, but that which is gained by fair skill and open courage." It was at the time Ali Pacha was reduced to the last extremity, when besieged in Joannina, (in the latter end of the year 1820) that Marco Botzari first began to distinguish himself as a warlike leader of his countrymen, the Suliotes. At this epocha the Suliotes had leagued themselves with Ismael Pacha, the successor of the deposed Ali, in the hope of recovering their country, which the latter had conquered from them. In this league, under the command of his uncle Noto Botzari, chief head of the Suliote tribe, Marco led several bold and successful attacks against the troops of Ali-chasing them to the very gates of the fortress of Joannina. This league, however, was almost immediately broken, on the discovery that Ismael Pacha,-jealous of the Suliotes once more gaining any head in Greece, had actually employed a company of his Albanian troops to take the field in the rear of the little tribe of Sulei, for the purpose, if possible, of extirpating them altogether. On the discovery of this perfidy, the Suliotes made common cause with Ali Pacha against the Turks; and in this league Marco displayed, from time to time, the most conspicuous military talents, and became the terror of all the Pachas, and of the Albanians. On one occasion, in particular, with a little troop of about thirty followers alone, he succeeded in dislodging Hassan Pacha, of Negroponte, from the village of Strivina, in the plain of Arta. And on another occasion, with a very inferior force, he defeated and took prisoner a Bey of Gregaria, at the foot of some mountains near Joannina. Again, when the town of Arta was occupied by the expedition consisting of mixed troops-Greeks and Mahommedan Albanians-who were acting for Ali Pacha, Marco, with a little troop of twenty-five men only, night after night attacked the fortified dwelling of Combotti, which is a place of great strength, and in which was posted the Hasnadar (treasurer) of Chourshid Pacha, and Soultzo Kersea, with 200 men; and not a night passed that the enemy did not lose several men, either by the boldness and suddenness of his attacks, or by his dexterity in picking them out with his musquet through the windows and other accessible points of the place. Twice, also, he set fire to the building; and had nearly succeeded in mining and blowing it up. On the defection of the Mahomedan Albanians, which happened shortly af ter this, he retired with his own countrymen to the mountains of Sulei. At the period now alluded to, the distinguished talents and reputation of Marco Botzari had acquired for him the particular notice of Prince Mavrocordato, and the uses to which he applied the influence which these gave him, immediately cemented a friendship between the two leaders; and at the time that the general rising of the Greeks against their Turkish oppres sors took place, Marco was the first to submit himself to the regular government that was formed, and to use his almost resistless influence with his countrymen to induce them to follow his example. When it is considered that Marco was (unlike his brother Constantine) an entirely uneducated man; in the flower and heat of his youth; at the summit of a well-earned fame; and with unbounded influence over the sentiments and conduct of his countrymen; his thus laying aside all personal and ambitious views, and submitting himself wholly and unconditionally to a new-formed government, seeking and desiring to hold no higher station in it than that of an humble agent in fulfilling its plans for achiev ing the liberties of his country,—evinces a self-devotion and simplicity of character rarely to be met with even under circumstances which might seem more likely to call it forth. When Sulei was invested by a formidable Turkish force, and every avenue of entrance or escape was shut up, Marco, who was there, contrived, with a very few of his countrymen, to effect a passage through the Turkish camp, and to reach Messolongio; where, after having collected more troops, he took up a position at Plaka, and the memorable battle fought on that spot again testified his extraordinary skill, valour, and devotion. He fought sword in hand for a great length of time against a party of Mahomedan Albanians; when, after having killed several of their officers, and been himself severely wounded, he lost his horse and baggage, and was again compelled to retire to Messolongia. When the Suliotes afterwards made terms with their besiegers, he was at Messolongio; and though aware of the critical situation in which they were placed, he did not disapprove of their resolution to submit themselves conditionally to their enemies, yet he refused to follow their example and retire with them, as he might have done with honour, but resolved to remain with Prince Mavrocordato, conscious that if he had left him, he would have lost that most efficient support which he derived from the opinions of his fellow-countrymen as to the state of their cause, and that the edifice of liberty, which seemed to be just rising from its foundation, cemented by the blood of his fellow soldiers, would again fall to pieces and go to nought. He therefore sent away his family to Ancona, to avoid the importunities which they were urging upon him, and linked himself, for better for worse, to the fortunes of Mavrocordato and his suffering country. The most successful, distinguished, and important epoch of Marco's exploits was that which included the siege and storming of Messolongio by the Turks. At this period, when the town was invested on all sides by a Turkish army of fifteen thousand men, he still kept possession of the weak outskirts (for they do not deserve the name of fortifications) in company with his friend Mavrocordato, and with a body of no more than 300 men-both of them determining to perish in the ruins of the town, rather than willingly abandon it. And it may, perhaps, be attributed to this determination, that the cause of Greece at present bears an aspect of hope instead of despair. In this campaign, with the aid of some slight reinforcements, they occasioned the Turks a loss of 3000 men, and finally saved the town. This latter event was effected purely by a piece of personal valour and conduct on the part of Marco Botzari. The Turkish troops had assaulted Messolongio, and actually gained possession of the outposts of the town,-overpowering for a time the chief body of troops under the command of Botzari, and compel ling them to retire to the shore and endeavour to escape in their boats, &c. Marco was compelled to follow them in this extremity; but he determined to make one gallant effort to rally them, which entirely succeeded. While they were retiring precipitately, he rushed in among them, flourishing his sword and shouting Hurra! and gave them to believe that their fellows had repulsed the Turks, and that they were flinging themselves from the walls into the ditch. His troops rallied at these sounds; he again placed himself at their head and led them unexpectedly on the enemy, and the place was finally abandoned by the Turks, leaving behind them an immense booty in artillery, ammunition, and baggage of great value. Botzari was in no instance known to avail himself even of the fair spoils that were taken from the enemy, but suffered them all to be divided among his men, with whom, however, he invariably shared the dangers and hardships of the campaign, being neither armed, attired, or fed in any way different from them. It is also well known that he has often refused large bribes offered him by the enemy, if he would retire into the Ionian Islands. Once, in particular, at Messolongio, 500 purses* were offered him if he would quit the place. The person from whose lips these notices of his life are collected, was informed of the above through an unquestionable channel. : But the most prominent and striking illustration that can be offered of the pure patriotism that actuated Botzari in all his views, is perhaps to be found in the following fact the father of Marco (Kitzo Botzari) was extremely obnoxious to Ali Pacha, on account of his being one of the heads of the Suliote tribes, against which Ali had so long made war. It was mentioned, in the commencement of this paper, that, on the fall of Sulei into the hands of Ali, Kitzo Botzari retired to the Ionian Islands. Shortly after this period, Ali made several underhand attempts on the life of Kitzo, one of which at last succeeded. Having occasion to leave the islands, and come to Arta, he was there privately shot by an agent of Ali. At the time the Greeks first rose on * A purse is 500 Turkish piastres, or about £10 sterling. their oppressors, this agent in the death of Marco's father, (one Capitan Gogo, of Tzumeska) was considered as an important aid to the cause, but he was reluctant to come forward in conjunction with Marco, knowing that the latter was aware of the part he had taken (by the order of Ali) in the death of his father. But Marco voluntarily sought an interview with this person, in which he assured him that this was an epoch at which he had thought it necessary to dismiss from his breast all passions but the love of country; and he urged him to do the same; adding, "It was not you who killed my father, it was Ali." And he actually endeavoured to bring about a marriage between some branches of their respective families, in order to strengthen the bond of union which he wished to exist between them on this occasion. Only one more anecdote will be added, in illustration of the personal coolness and intrepidity of this distinguish ed chieftain. The relater of the foregoing was one day dining at the headquarters of Marco's uncle, at Arta, and after dinner he was walking alone in the town with Marco, when several balls from the Turkish batteries fell at a very short distance from them. While the relater (who is no soldier) was endeavouring to conceal his sense of the danger that seemed to surround them, Marco observed laughingly, and pointing to the balls, "You see these are the only kind of apples the Turks would send us for our dessert." Marco Botzari was, at the period of his death, not more than 30 or 31 years of age, stout, but of low stature, with extremely fine bright black eyes, dark complexion, and a countenance altogether highly animated and expressive. His arms consisted of a musquet, a sabre, and a Turkish knife, and one small pistol of extremely inferior quality. (Mon. Mag.) ODE TO A MOUNTAIN TORRENT. From the German. BY GEORGE OLAUS BORROW. How lovely art thou in thy tresses of foam; And yet the warm blood in my bosom grows chill, When, yelling, thou rollest thee down from thy home, Mid the boom of the echoing forest and hill. The pine-trees are shaken,-they yield to thy shocks, And spread their vast ruin wide over the ground; The rocks fly before thee,-thou siezest the rocks, And whirl'st them like pebbles contemptuously round. The sun-beams have cloth'd thee in glorious dyes, They streak with the tints of the heavenly bow Those hovering columns of vapour that rise Forth from the bubbling cauldron below. But why art thou seeking the ocean's dark brine? If grandeur makes happiness, sure it is found When first from the depths of the rock-girdled mine Thou boundest, and all gives response to thy sound. Then haste not, O Torrrent, to yonder dark sea, For there thou must crouch beneath Slavery's rod; Here thou art lonely, and lovely, and free,Free as an angel, and strong as a god. True, it is pleasant, at eve or at noon, To gaze on the sea, and its far-winding bays, When ting'd with the light of the wandering moon, Or red with the gold of the mid-summer rays; But, Torrent, what is it, what is it,-behold That lustre as nought but a bait and a snare; What is the summer-sun's purple and gold To him who breathes not in pure freedom the air? O pause for a time,-for a short moment stay; Oft-changing winds, with tyrannical sway, Lord there below on the time-serving main! Then haste not, O Torrent, to yonder dark sea, For there thou must crouch beneath Slavery's rod; Here thou art lonely, and lovely, and free,Free as angel, and strong as a god. Τ EDINBURGH AND QUARTERLY REVIEWS. IT is now twenty years ago that the The plan upon which the Edinburgh Review was first given to the public was, at least in one respect, admirably calculated to benefit the community, and seemed indeed to have been rendered absolutely necessary to the improved spirit of the times, and by the great accessions to knowledge which had been made to all classes of the public within the preceding half century. At the period when the Monthly and Critical Reviews were at their zenith, the line of demarcation between the literary world, and the public in general, was by far more distinctly marked than it is at present. Literary men in England were then extremely numerous, but there was no gradation from what was then called literary people to an exceeding low degree of knowledge with which the middle classes of English society were then satisfied, but which would now scarcely satisfy people of a very inferior rank. At that period science and literature, as well as philosophy, were confined to professional persons, or to those whose wealth or rank rendered the cultivation of the mind a matter of ordinary routine and necessity,or to those whose individual superiority of intellect rendered it an object of desire; the rest of the community were satisfied with the degree of education necessary for the common purposes of life, or for gratifying the vacnities of leisure with works of fiction or other light amusement. Reviews at that period were therefore addressed to the literary part of the community, and related, generally speaking, to works of consequence; whilst the great body of the people were left to seek their amusement in the current works of the day, which the reviewers hardly condescended to notice, or noticed briefly in a sort of Appendix. But from the dawn of the American Revolution our countrymen began to press forward into another rank in the scale of social existence. What had hitherto been considered as the lower ranks of society now began to aspire to that education, which had previously been considered as the almost prescriptive right of the higher circles; the public mind became no longer satisfied with the ephemeral novels of a circulating library, but a demand arose for analytical works of criticism at once sound and adapted to well educated, rather than to learned people. The middle and even many of the lower orders of society began to feel an unusual interest in public affairs, and a periodical work which in an erudite, but yet popular manner, should discuss the most material subjects of the day, and enter upon the yet untrodden field of statistical politics, was sure to meet with a considerable degree of public attention and support. The Edinburgh Review, in its plan of adapting its critiques to the taste of the day, did not renounce the design of giving occasional critiques upon abstruse subjects; and many of its articles evinced the most profound erudition as well as a high degree of natural talents; and its numbers were rendered yet more valuable by its constant discussion of subjects of national importance. But unfortunately these latter subjects were always discussed in a spirit of party, rather than in a tone of philosophy; and although that party might embrace the most enlarged and enlightened views, although its feelings and sentiments were in unison with the principles of the constitution and with the most ennobling principles of our nature, yet the union of literature and party politics was in itself injudicious, |