TRANSLATION OF THE EPILOGUE TO THE EUNUCH. As the very appropriate and classical Epilogue, spoken by the Gentlemen of Westminster School, at their late representation of the EUNUCH of TERENCE, and published in our number of Saturday last, has, we doubt not, been read by our numerous friends with the same degree of pleasure that we experienced on its perusal, we cannot refrain from attempting an English translation; in which we have endeavoured to preserve the spirit of the original.-The vain boasting THRASO, cannot fail to remind us of the present BOBADIL of France and the scene described in the Epilogue, is a precise counterpart of the farce exhibited, some time ago, at the Thuilleries; where the GNATHOS and SANGAS of Paris hung upon the knees of the Consul, and, with tears in their eyes, besought him not to risk his precious existence, in an attempt to invade England. GNATHO. Hast thou full orders?-SANG. Yes.-GNA. Remember, pray, SANGA. 'Tis thine t' entreat him, mine the task to pour That flatt'ry, which has gull'd the fool before. Thy gang of thieves, for THRASO I expect. SANGA. I go.-GN. Ho! THRASO.-THR. Is the business plann'd ? PHEDRIA. What means this crowd?—THIS. I think our flashy blade No sense of truth controuls, no treaties bind, In me behold a man, who smiles at death; To gratify revenge I'll part with breath: At any risk, my wounded honour save! Cæsar, or nobody!-PHE. Indeed!-GN. Oh! brave! THRASO. Tho' small my hope of vict'ry, I confess, Long those proud youths the fatal hour shall rue; Oh, mighty THRASO! all in thee combin'd. Stands, proudly eminent, thy peerless name: [To be continued in our next, for want of room in the present Number.] COPY of a LETTER supposed to have been intended for MR. COBBETT, but by mistake directed to the EDITOR OF THE ROYAL STANDARD. SIR, Isle of Sky, Jan. 5, 1804. The inhabitants of this island having been informed by one JAMIE MACPHERSON, a travelling shopkeeper, or what in your part of the world is called a pellar, and who is a rare newsmonger to boot, that various complaints against the MINISTERS of his MAJESTY GEORGE the THIRD, have been made, through the means of your paper, from the wilds of Yorkshire, and the mountains of Wales, that the inhabitants of thos parts did not think they had soldiers and sailors enough sent from London to protect them from the French; and the said JAMIE having also convinced us that it is a most scandalous neglect in his Majesty's ministers not to have sent us at least half a regiment to defend us, and our very important island.; because, as he has plainly made it appear to us, for (JAMIE MACPHERSON is a good scholar, and unstands war and geography, having been amongst the Highlanders at the battle of Preston Pans, and since that on board a man of war) that there is much more danger of the French coming north about to make an attack upon us, unprotected as we are, than that they should be able to get thro' all the fleets that are cruizing about, and those that are stationed off Brest, and at the entrance of St. George's channel, so as to get into the mountains of Wales, to which parts JAMIE says Bonaparte would never think of ordering an army, unless he wished to get rid of it, by sending it into a place where it could be hemmed in by a handful of soldiers, or even by the Welchmen themselves. I say, Sir, in the name of all the inhabitants of the ISLAND OF SKY, that JAMIE, THE PEDLAR, having (though he was once a rebel) convinced us that for the foregoing reasons we have more right to, and more need of a regiment than all Wales put together, who are thus not only able to take care of themselves, but have ships and soldiers too for their defence, we do hereby solemly protest against the scandalous neglect of ministers towards us, and request you to make public this Our PROTESTATION and our unanimous VOTE, that the present ministers be therefore dismissed from his Majesty's councils and confidence. I am, Sir, your humble Servant, SAWNEY SAUNDERS, (Clerk). P.S. JAMIE thinks KING GEORGE ought to build a high wall all round his dominions like the great Chinese wall, which he says he has seen, and then we should all be safe alike! FOREIGN POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE. PARIS. Bonaparte left the capital on the 30th of last month; and it is said he would be absent but a very short time, as on the 6th instant, he was to open the session of the newly organized legislative corps, with a speech from the consular throne. By the recent organization, this body is placed most completely at the command of the Consul. Generally speaking, the measure has met but little opposition from the members themselves, as during the agitation of the question, it was doubtful whether the Potentate would not have dismissed them altogether from their emoluments and employments. Lanjunais seems to have been the only person of whose ridicule and opposition Bonaparte had any serious apprehension; and he was accordingly sent off from Paris, on some pretended mission, a few days previous to the ultimate decision. Sieyes, it was at first supposed, would have made a vigorous resistance to this innovation; but from the frequency of his private interviews with the Consul of late, it is believed that some arrangement on the subject had taken place between them. VIENNA. It is reported at Vienna, that the Ambassador of his Imperial Majesty at Paris, the Count de Cobentzel, has been treated by the First Consul with even greater insult than Lord Whitworth and Count Markoff received from him. These accounts state, that at the instant Bonaparte received the information of the orders sent to the troops in Tyrol to retake Oberhaus, he dispatched Talleyrand to the Ambassador, who accompanied him to the Thuilleries, where, in the presence of his Generals, Senators, and Counsellors of State, he, in an angry and loud tone, demanded, "how "the Emperor of Germany, whose weakened state was proverbial, dared to act in "a hostile manner, without previously explaining to France his motives, and de"manding its mediation or decision?" And without permitting any reply, he added, "that if the Imperial troops had entered the Bavarian territory, and after the sum66 mons of the Elector of Bavaria, did not evacuate it in twenty-four hours, before "twenty-four days, 200,000 Frenchmen should change, at Vienna, the Hereditary "States of Austria into an elective republic." Whether this be true or not, certain it is, that sensations of an extraordinary kind exist at this moment in the Imperial Cabinet, and that a very unusual activity in the war department has reigned since the first commencement of the misunderstanding with Bavaria. These differences, however, having been amicably arranged, and the energy of preparation not in the least abated, the people naturally look for some further object. There is no doubt but that a war with France would be far from unpopular at this moment. The Austrians never were more unanimous in their hatred of the French! And it is a constant subject of hope with all loyal men that a new alliance may speedily be formed with Great Britain. On the other hand, there seems reason to believe that Bonaparte is himself well inclined to recommence hostilities with the Emperor of Germany. Sensible that there are more difficulties than he expected in his intended expedition against this country, he, nevertheless, feels the necessity of employing the troops he has collected somehow or other he must either hazard invasion, or provoke a continental war. In looking around him, therefore, Germany presents the best field for his purpose. Worn down, in a long and unsuccessful war, the Imperial troops alone are in no conditionto stand against his arms. And should Russia unite herself with Austria, he feels himself assured of the co-operation of Prussia. That he would most prefer a single contest with the Imperialists, if he could by any political arrangement keep the other powers at a distance, cannot be doubted. But as the sinister ambition of Frederick William, and his views upon the diadem of the empire, sufficiently satisfy the Consul of an alliance with that monarch, he would not hesitate to give the signal for this renewal of universal war. Bonaparte perceives, after all his speculations, that his Goverument is still a revolutionary one; if therefore, he must be whirled round in spite of himself, he finds his only chance is like Mr. WINDHAM'S DANCER, "to move round so fast as not to appear "to move at all;" or, as the Right Honourable Gentleman would, perhaps, further have explained himself, he feels that, like a foundered horse, the faster he 66 goes, the less liable he is to fall.” HOLLAND. According to the Dutch papers, the First Consul was expected to visit Flushing the first week in January :-and the principal motive assigned in these papers is, that it is done to convince the world he is not apprehensive of being assassinated by the Dutch! The flotilla at that port has been augmented by one hundred gun boats from Rotterdam, which place has thus completed its quota. There has been but little frost in Holland; and, it appears, that the ports were still open. It is said, that, in consequence of the unusually mild and wet weather, much sickness prevails amongst the troops. The Legislative Body, of the Batavian Republic, closed its sittings on the 17th of December-and, previous to its separation, having formed itself into a secret committee, a voluntary LOAN of 7,000,000 of florins, was voted, bearing a half per cent. interest per month. Accounts have been brought, by an American vessel which left the Texel on the first instant, that, at that time, there were assembled at the Helder from fifty to sixty transports, destined to receive troops and horses-but that, when she sailed, there were neither troops, nor horses, nor provisions on board!!! SPAIN. The public are not yet accurately informed as to the contents of the convention concluded with France for their neutrality.-England delays as yet to deelare its intentions with respect to Spain; the great quantity of English merchandize now lying in their ports may possibly be the real cause of this delay. In the mean time, great preparations are carrying on in all the naval departments. Admiral GRAVINA is still at the Escurial; but all Naval Officers, with a very few exceptions, are ordered to repair to their respective stations. The report, from Paris, of an approaching change in the Spanish Ministry, is without foundation. His Excellency, the Prince of Peace, still enjoys the most unlimited confidence of both their Catholic Majesties; as do, also, the Minister of foreign affairs, M. DI CEVALLOs, and the Minister of Finance, Don SOLER, who are both very able statesmen. ST. PETERSBURG. The Emperor has appointed the Chamberlain, Count BUTERLIN, his Envoy Extraordinary to the Court of Rome, in return for the attention of his Holiness, in sending an Ambassador Extraordinary to Petersburg.-Count Cassini, who was at Rome in the character of Chargé d'Affaire, has received orders to remain there as Secretary of Legation. SWITZERLAND. The French have not yet evacuated the Cantons, as was expected. Some of the regiments, the 13th cavalry, and two battalions of the 25th demi-brigade, have actually marched-but the retreat of the 12th regiment of cavalry, and the three battalions of the same brigade, has been countermanded. REPUBLIC OF THE SEVEN ISLES. On the 28th of October, the Legislative Body was installed at Corfu; and thus, under the benevolent guarantee of the Emperor, Alexander I, have the wishes of the inhabitants been accomplished. The session was opened at the palace of Fortezza Vecchia, by the Count Mocenigo, the Emperor's Minister Plenipotentiary. CONSTANTINOPLE. The last advices from this place are more melancholy than any yet received; and the final destruction of this Empire, once the terror of Europe, Asia, and Africa, has, probably, ere this, been accomplished, by a few despicable hordes. An attack has been made upon Constantinople itself, by a body of rebels, aided by a party within. The Janissaries, it is true, resisted the attack with effect, but it is not to their swords so much as to the treasures of the Seraglio, that the City owes its preervation. The retreat of the rebels is known to have been purchased; the very system, therefore, adopted by the Government for its safety, will, most probably, ere long, produce the return of the banditti for fresh plunder; the sacking of the Seraglio, and the deposition, if not murder, of the Grand Signior himself. It is said, that French intrigue was at the bottom of the late attack, and that two Frenchmen had been taken amongst the insurgents, who, notwithstanding their having claimed the protection of General BRUNE, were strangled. How may not the fate of all Europe be involved in the downfall of this empire! CHINA. The leader of the rebels in China is said to be a Frenchman, who has opposed great difficulties in the progress of the Emperor's troops. |