WILL WATC B.

'Norton wild and absurd enough in point of story, this pseudo "Autobiography of a British Officer" is yet superior to Cavendish, as well as to the Port Admiral. It has not so much pretence and

puppy ism as the first, nor has it the revolting impossibilities of the last. But the improvement extends merely to the avoidance of gross faults : the want of coherence of plot—the absence of a be- ginning, a middle, and an end—and the presence of glaring im- probabilities—are as strong as ever. There is, too, a similar inca- pability of skilfully dealing with either the passions or the affections; the same schoolboy display of erudition—or perhaps a greater, it being occasionally stuck into notes. Some of those

affected soliloquies and digressions, A la STERNE, of which Hot.- CROFT was so fond, are obtruded upon the reader; there is some- thing too much of characters and their forced wit; and a total want of what the painters call " keeping." With all these defects, Will Watch is a work of considerable power, and, in detached scenes, of

considerable interest. The author has a sort of heady earnestness and untamed vigour, which carries him boldly on, and hurries the reader with him, especially in scenes of mingled description and action—as a battle, a storm, or a wreck. In such things there is force, strength, and something like truth of painting in the parts, though their successive combination, under the particular circum- stances, may be altogether improbable. The title of" Will Watch" seems to have been adopted from its euphony and popularity ; for Will only plays second fiddle in the piece. The hero is a Captain Arran,—by rights Count Hamilton ; and by better, or at least by older rights, Duke of Hamilton; but the stepmother of his ancestor had destroyed all proofs of the

father's first marriage, and choused the rightful heirs of the title and estates. Being early left an orphan, young Master Arran de- termiaes on sinking the nobleman, and adopting the navy as a profession. He starts from Edinburgh by the Leith smack, on his route to Portsmouth. His object is to visit an old Admiral, a friend of his father, who has promised to start him in life. On the road, or rather on the seas, he foolishly allows himself to be transferred to a strange vessel, which turns out to be a slaver. Here the Cap- tain robs him of his money—some seventy pounds—and his father's watch; whilst a part of the crew make free with his wardrobe. Luckily, they leave him "an edition of SALLUST." On board of this vessel, he meets Will Watch ; who has been trepanned, like himself; and, whilst Will casts about to plan an escape in a nauti- cal way, the embryo Post-Captain studies the Bellum Catilina- rium, to get some hints from the great conspirator, and apply them against Captain Mackay. Fortune, however, prevents the necessity of a Hamiltonian Conspiracy on the high seas. A seventy-four perceives them : a chase—described with great ani- mation—follows : the slavers are on the point of escaping, through the seamanship and exertions of the gentleman who picked Master Arran's pockets, when Will Watch retards their escape by a trick; and eventually they are run down by the King's ship, as, Ma scuttle on board the slaver, the helm is left unmanned.

By a miracle, Will Watch and the student of SALLUST escape. The commander of the seventy-four is a friend of Admiral Fluke's ; and young Arran has his letter about him. The Captain rates him as a Midshipman; and now life in the King's service begins ; varied by some occasional trips on shore—not done in the truest vein, but far less gross than in the Port Admiral. Arran serves under Lord Hood at the taking of Toulon ; and is almost opposed band to hand to Napoleon, at the attack upon the Little Gibraltar. Be joins Sir Sydney Smith as a volunteer in burning the shipping; and saves a young lady and her mother from the Mob,—the former, of course, becoming henceforward the hero- ine. He then serves in the Channel ; and is present at Lord Ifowe's victory, where he is wounded. Mr. Arran afterwards is Introduced to Sir William and Lady Hamilton : the lady recom- mends him to Nelson, the Commodore to the future Earl St. Vincent ; and, to be brief, our adventurer is made Post-Cap. tam before he is twenty. In the mean time, Will Watch has only avoided death (by his friend conniving at his escape) for striking a Lieutenant—the villain of the piece—who was behaving rudely to his sister. This person—Kerslake—is dismissed the tre.rvice, on Arran's evidence, and vows vengeance; which he ac- complishes, sure enough, in a wholesale way. He seduces Fanny Watch ; gets Will, who has turned smuggler,, condemned to death, for some assault with intent to murder; inveigles Cornelia isto his power, and (carries her to Spain. Captain Arran pursues him, in the ship he -commands : trying to cut out Kerslake's schooner, he is taken prisoner; and " the lady and the lover are distressed as nothing human was ever distressed." Mr. K. visits his victim in a dungeon, to persuade the Captain to sign a request for Cornelia to marry her abdueter. This is refused; but Cornelia ending .how matters stand, cousents to immolate herself. The lover is brought forth too** the wedding; the lady states the case to the reds ; swears them 10 ItillAY his escape, in fulfilment of

446 woks

s pEc TiA TQ II S L 1B,R A .R77-17.the pact ; and handing them her ornaments as a retaining fee, stales homuelt in the anus of her Charles. The iutonded bridegroms

ltereilied both at the deed and at the bloody dagger which his rival bad clutched, jumps out at a window ; Captain C. fol- Ion s him ; and they run along a terrace that terminates in a nar-

row slip overhanging the -sea.. The Zanga is disarmed by the aveuger ; who (like Mr. Wa.snacar in Moeclajl) throws down his (1i:14:ger, and " roughs and tumbles –it. The contest is long and peculiar; the Captain, towards the claw, lying across the neck of laud, and Kerslake hanging by his bands over the ocean, tlneat-

ening to drag him gradually down. Had not the former been saved, he never could have written his autobiography : the novel- reader can guess what becomes of the latter.

It be seen from this analysis, that our censure of the plot was not too severe. The work, however, is not unreadable ; for, in the most extravagant scenes, there is a wild power that prevents weariness, though it cannot redeem absurdity. The parts where the distinguished actors on the worlds great stage are intro- duced, are cleverly done: history, anecdote, and local knowledge, are skilfully turned to account,—although the scenes ltave not always a convincing air of truth ; a defect which is increased by the free use of initials, dashes, and other tricks, that are useless as concealment, and have consequently no other effect than to induce a sort of distrustful feeling, an idea of imposition. The humours of the old Admiral, who built his house like a three- decker, and formed his garden in imitation of the quarter-deck, are also bearable. But the forte of the writer is in the passion of action.

Here is part of a scene of this kind. Will Watch, after con- demnation, is rescued by a mob headed by his mother. Escape by sea is rendered impossible, and the smugglers take refuge in an almost inaccessible cave. All proposals save an unconditional surrenikr being rejected by the authorities, an attack on the stronghold is determined on. From an account of this assault the following passages are taken. Captain Arran and his follower are looking on.

" Back ! back a minute; steady !" returned the two or three, who had suc- ceeded in crossing the causeway, but now found their further progress through

the chasm checked by a heap of brushwood and rubbish. " Back ! who cries back ?" demanded the officer ; " Onwards, my men, I say, for your lives ! Hurrah ! onwards, and follow me !" At the same moment, springing on a head, to show them the way, and passing the causeway with great difficulty, " Hey there the pioneers ! pass the word for a pick-axe : pour on, my men, pour on, and try the sides: forward my brave lads, forward with the fascines ! tiers we have the column ; one hearty cheer, boys, and mount away—now then' hurrah !" " Hurrah!" was returned from the rocks above, in such wild tones asbespokes no inanimate echo. This sudden burst from their secret foes, who had let them intrude thus far into their retreat, at once startled the assailants, and was in its effect redoubled by the command which followed—" fire." At that single word, each bush, thorn' break, and cranny, seemed obedient ; and blazing forth far and wide with the fiercest fury, the resounding cliffs around rang shrilly with the ceaseless though intermitting fire. Every angle seemed to contain a little host of foes, screened from the dangers of retaliation, cool in their security, and unerring in their aim ; scarcely a flash was seen upon the heights above, that was not followed by some death-shriek on the rocks below, as three and four at a time, thus released from their agonizing grasp, fell off from the clambering swarms, and left their gory tracks along the sharp chalky edges over which they dashed themselves in their fall. Nor was this all : far better skilled, and more recently practised in the murderous art of war than their opponents, the smugglers had only waited until this little impassable gorge was filled with their opponents, and these beyond the power of a safe retreat, when, at the word thus given, the light masking of some loose branches fell away from the two ship's guns commanding the inside of the pool ; and then, as fast as the troops came up they were mowed down into its crimsoned waters. Soon, alas ! to the narrow causeway of rock was added, on either side of it, a sufficiently spacious one of human corses; aud further behind, on the close column of assault, three guns similarly situated tamimitted even still greater havoc, and made it yet more dangerous to retreat than to advauce. SAM the conduct of the soldiers under this tremendous fire was admirable. " Steady, my boys!" I heard the Colonel shouting in stern but distinct tones; and in another moment he quitted the head of the assaulting column, now stationary between the two fires, and hurried forward to see what was the cause of delay. His eves, however, had scarcely glanced upon the awful sight pre- sented by the little pool, than he seemed horror-stricken at the unexpected car- nage. Da•hing across the causeway, however, without regarding the still in-

cessant and deadly hail, he inspected the removal of the rubb i ish n the chasm for a few minutes; this finished, he ran back to hasten the coming up of the fascines, addressing a few brief sentences of encouragement to his men as he went.

" Now then, forward once more! the way's all clear !" soon shouted the

young officer who took the lead! a Hurrah !" responded the gallant fellows who followed and supported him, and pressing an with furious impetuosity alike over the dying and the dead, they rushed up the cleared chasm like the boiling springs of the Geysers—the more resistless from their long confinement. "Now then, my lads ! now for the smuggling villains! Don't leave as much flesh on their bones as might serve a hungry dog!" shouted the oleo,

cheering each other on, with the utmost rage.

" Ready, below ?" demanded a cool, clear voice, which I well knew to be that of Watch, despite of the bellowing roar that never slackened ; the answer I could not catch, but answer there must have been; since, in mother second, the young smuggler thundered forth "Let go!" In a moment, as if even the very rocks were obedient to his voice, an enormous rugged mass of chalk was seen to move from its elevated site about thirty feet above the pcal ; and tumbling. over and over, leap after leap, made cue final and tremendous plunge right into the little chasm, up which the soldiers were now pressing. A terrific shriek, followed by the rushing back of the men, announced the fall of this dreadful uaissile, even when yet on its way, but this was drowned in the strong concus- sion with whi:h it came to the ground, when the piercing cries and groans that then arose were truly heart-rending. " Down with them; down with every murderons mother's son of them. Give them as good as they thought to bring. more flesh on their bones than (sough to feed a hungry dog !' " screamed a shrill voice, seemingly, wound up almost to cracking, by the frenzy that gave it utterance. I looked up to the quarter whence it came, and there beheld the fifteen or twenty (oldie's whom the rock had not crushed, resisting to the last with their bayonets at a charge, while the smugglers were bearing them eheer over the brow of the rock, by the force of superior strength ; and headed by one whose cocked hat and red coat proclaimed bet to be Mother Wak-h. Her long ducking gun was grasped by the barrel in both hands, and, with it heavy butt dashing from right to left upon the heads of her opponents, her heart and arm seemed to con- tain the strength and fury of a tigress. Thus urged, some turned fairly round and took the frightful leap into the pool of blood below ; others less fortunate, were hurled headlong over ; while a few, and but a very few of the stoutest and hardiest succeeded in making a faint stand.

This is the catastrophe— Fur a moment I thought I could perceive a tall stout figure, surmounted by the cocked hat which marked out the distracted mother, amid the very hottest of the fight that was to decide the destinies of her son. But this might have been thought alone. The apparition flashed before my eyes, and then again Was 1011l. Will, I could distinguish nowhere; though doubtless he must have been present with his men; and while I was yet trying to pick him out from among the Patagouians so busy in the work of slaughter and defence — — — a sudden startling light burst forth over sea and sky, and gave the brief blaze of noon-day to the little bay around ; while almost at the same moment, an awful and tremendous blast issued forth front the rugged mouth of the cavern,' so long lit up by the fire of both parties. Before its terrific breath, was whirled like chaff upon the wind, a mingled mass of many objects—darkling in the fierce and ruddy glow, like missies from the mouth of some vast and overloaded bomb. A long line of light darted upwards above the cliff, like the fire of an extended line, flanking each wing of the cavern. The cave itself—the ramp—the rocks— the very promontory of which they were but parts, seemed instinct with life and motion, as if heaved forward by the last tremendous struggles of its imprisoned Titans, while the very earth trembled beneath us.

"It falls, it falls!" shrieked Royal, utterly bewildered at the dread spec- rule, and folding me in such a suffocating clasp that I could scarcely breathe. The beetling precipice, heaved thus forward from its bed, now tottered for a few brief seconds, as if undecided in its full. A deep arid frightful chasm already yawned behind it ; while the besiegers, who but an instant before were pressing forward in an eager swarm, now, at the imminent risk of life and limb, leaped, dashed, and ran down the steep ramp in the wildest confusion and dismay ! Shrieks the most harrowing that ever pierced the ear of man rose fearfully on high, as the gigantic mass of solid mountain, urged far beyond its poise, came thundering to the sea, with a sight and soiled that mocked the din of armies or the shock of battle. Broken into a thousand fragments by its fall, and sweeping and hurling every thing before it, the shattered cliff roared onward till it met the waves. The furious waters of the last were now dashed on high into one solid jet of foam, and seemed to emulate in height the fallen mound that hail so lung and so lately held them at resistless bay; even the solid ground beneath our feet rose and fell like the sister element that had beat upon its bed for centuries! Echo' after echo now seemed to take up their everlasting note. Full after fall

was heard reverberating along the cliffs, around and above us; and there we

stood in Nomentary apprehension of being added to the dreadful number of the victims, by the concussion shaking down some of the adjacent rocks upon our heads. Slowly, and with a terrible suspense, the no gradually died away into the far distance of either aide; and there lay before us the tremendous ruin we bad just seen wrought ! There perished friend and foe in one vast grave !

The fictitious events of the novel, it will have been seen, are Strange; the real events narrated in the Appendix are stranger, or at least richer—they will certainly be more enduring. The various circumstances connected with the "fracas" between Mr. NEALE, the author of Will Watch, and Captain MARRYAT, the author of Peter Simple, will be embalmed amongst the CURIOSITIES OF LITERATURE; Occupying, we doubt not, a very conspicuous position in the iection devoted to the "Quarrels of Authors." The misplaced grandiloquence of Mr. NEALE—the equally misplaced, though the more polished humour of Captain MARRYAT—renders it a laughable labour, but still a labour, to get at the essentials of this "pretty quarrel ;" and the trutb is not yet ascertainable. We will, however, endeavour to furnish the reader with a succinct view of the leading points of the case, as they stand at present. To bring out the whole in all the luxuriance of the ridicule, would require a Spectator. In November 1831, Mr. NEALE published "Cavendish, by a Patrician." Wishing, as "a young author," to remain unknown; he thought the best way to preserve his secret was to keep it. He accordingly represented himself—and here there was nothing very uncommon—as a friend of the author's ; and all communica- tions were supposed to be made through him. At first the nominis umbra was addressed as "Mr. Cavendish;" but fearing (as he must have been conscious that the work was one of no slight pretensions) " such a superscription might be liable to miscon- struction," he changed the address to " Mr. k'oliaton." Into the questions of publishers and new editions we need not enter. Suffice it to say, that, according to the assertions of Mr. NEALE and Mr. COCHRANE—which the latter gentleman will not only say, but swear, or, as he phrases it, " put upon solemn record"— Captain MARRYAT sought an introduction to the Author of Cavendish. The Captain more than insinuates that he allowed an introduction to" a Patrician." Be this as it may, the great men met, and the Author of Cavendish made "a clean breast" to Captain MAaavArr, under a pledge of "inviolable confidence." Other communications, we are told, took place; time passed on ; the Port-Admiral was written and published (in March 1833); and a notice was inserted in the Metropolitan Magazine, under the head of " Chit-Chat " (an imitation, we imagine, of the " Nodes" of Blackwood, but we are not .sure, as we are not regular readers of the Magazine), in which the work was characterized as "rascally," and, though his name was sup- pressed, some allusions were made to the author*; which,

• This is the passage :

O'S —Now that we are on nacal matters, pray, Mr. Editor, who is the author of that rascally aork called the Part-4dmiral ; who is this patrician at sea, as he styles himself in Carendish f• "Volage—Patrician ! why he must be something more than a patrician; he talks of the blood of Elizabeth trickling throegh his veins. " Editor—His name I do not ku a : I have forgot it. But this patrician was a Master's-Assistant on board of oue f the ships in the Mediterranean, and is now. I believe, an attorney's clerk. so far as they were true, Mr. NEALE says were given in confl. detice to the Captain, but which the latter asserts were di,. coverefl from other quarters. If, however, we understand the conflicting statements rightly, Captain MARRYAT made a per- sonal attack upon Mr. NEALE, through information confidentially furnished by himself', or by information which that confidence enabled him to obtain. This attack was made in August 1833. Mr. NEALE was then absent from London, and did not return for three months; when he was for the first time informed of it by his publishers. A severe illness and medical authority compelled him to absent himself for four months longer. As his reasons for a further silence of about eight months are perhaps more

tic than satisfactory, he had better state them for himself.

" iVith these views, and these feelings, I determined to write to him at the earliest I moment, and until I found that he was guilty. treat him as though he were Innocent. 1 Three months having, however, elapsed without may know ledge of the attack, and four more having intervened without the possibility of my noticing it ; concurring emote. stances convinced me, that I had better further postpone ite relatatiou, until the sp. pearance of my next work. long since commenced, and named gill II otde In additioft to these circumstances, the attack did not seem to me so much levelled as an insult M the geutkman. as it was intended fur no offence against the mithisr. while it was solely as a breach of confidence that it weighed with me for an instant. The bare possibility also of Captain Marryat being the real criminal, did not escape me; and in this case. the delaying proceedings until the publication of Hill Watch, insnatal my possession of a vehicle fur refutation, as entirely under my own command as Urea/drop/titan was under that of Captain Marryat. To have neglected this, would haye been to &lei,, myself of my cm•n weapon, alias I allowed him to retain his. The whole of 11111 Irak% being written. and the last sheets at press, I wrote to Captain Marryat, wader the sig.

nature which bad always been conventionally used between us; ender which Captain Marryat bad always addressed me. and which he knew very well to be ueowdiy as- sumed, without the slightest intention or even possibility of blinding him, to whom my

real name and station 'hail been imparted in confidence and bower. I would infinitely

have preferred aritiug under my cwn name of " Neale:" but I knew, that it' lie bail been guilty of treachery in his Magazine, there could be little doubt of his augmenting

the crime, by addressing my letter under the name of Neale to my publisher.t and thus betraying my secret. Whereas, a-ere he innocent of this treachery. he could feel no hesitation in addressing me under a name that he had often used before."

This letter may be read at large in the " Statement and Cor- respondence," where it occupies something more than two pages. It will be guessed that it is more wordy—it may be said that it is less specific—than letters demanding an explanation usually are. It drew forth the following finished reply from Captain MARRYAT. By an induction Mr. NEALE aims at showing, that the opening paragraph is untrue; and that "it was impossible for him to have written sooner," considering the correspondence going on with the sub-editor. That Awes not written yawningly, seems evident. We know not where stronger proofs of MARRYAT'S literary abilities could be found. Its quiet sarcasm is exquisite ; the composition is made to bring out itself with all the force which the ablest reader could impart to it; and if closely examined, it will be seen that a third party would almost fancy—but for the postscript— that it was addressed to "our mutual friend," and not to the real Author of Cavendish. In other points of view, there is nothing to praise. The spirit smacks too much of the quarter-deck: there seems a disposition to "put down" a troublesome inferior, and that full cavalierly—" Quoit him down, Bardolph, like a shove- groat shilling."

" Brighton, 2•7 October 1834.

" My dear Sir—Notwithstandiug Your earnest wish that I should answer by return of post ; notwithstanding your ' with all possible haste.' outside the letter—fur which strong feeling of interest towards me you must receive my most sincere thanks—I hare hail such a desperate tit of laziness, that I have allowed a whole truck to pass away yawning and wondering how long I shonld be before 1 answered your letter. "Allow me to observe, that you make the author of Cavendish a person of too great consequence; and you are in error when you style him our mutual friend : it is true, that at his particular request. I allowed hint to be introduced to me. for 1 had no ob- jection to know a patrician. It is also tree that I thought his work, although crude and occasionally written in bad taste, gave promise of future merit ; and, at the request of the publisher, I scored out about fifty pages of the second edition, which improved it not a little; but, with the exception of ineetieg him two or three times, and answering a letter a hich he a rote me from Plymouth. I know nothing about hint. " The fact is, my dear Sir, when I discovered that the Patrician at sea had been imposing upon me, aud that lie hail been nothing more than a Master's Assistant on board the Talbot, where he had been in the company of his betters, and aped them. I did not court his acquaintance. Yon are aware that the situation of Master's Assistant is never held by one who has any-pretensions to be a gentle- man. And I have since been informed, that, when he left the service, he was articled as an attorney's clerk ; which I consider very little better. No one is more ready to acknowledge that rank in life is levelled by talent ; and bad lie produced another work worthy of him; his situation would have made very little difference in my eyes, although I am rather shy or any one who hoists false colours. But alien he wrote the Port Admiral, I was disgusted. No man, with the feelings of a gentleman, could ever have ventured upon such is vitiations libel upon one of our very best officers. the gallant Troubridge. But, indepeudent of that, you must be aware that it is not the first work which proves an author's capabilities. As it is supposed, and very often proves to be the case. that a man will expend his whole portfolio of ideas, &c. in hit first production, we always wait fur the second : and when the second did come out. the author of Cavendish went down to zero,—his work being as devoid of talent, as it was malignant and base in its feelings. You do me a great injustice in supposing me to he incapable of saying that it was a rascally production. I always tell the truth ; had I said that it was the production of a rascal, instead of a rascally production. I had said better. " As for your remarks about the author of Cavendish, in his forthcoming work of rrai Watch, makiug strictures upon the service and upon me, I can only say, my dear Sir, that your good-will towards nie makes you excessively nervous. Let hum say ii list he pleases : his strictures on the Navy will be received with all the deference due to Ids rank and standing in the service; and as for his comments on me. I shall feel grateful for any thing be says, provided Ile does not praise me. But arm appear lobe very much in error throughout your whole communication : you state that my address is not

known ; why, I am more in town than elsewhere. • • • •

" I cannot help advising you, my dear Sir, to cat the connexion altogether. Depend upon it, beeiue., _been in his company will make others very shy of you. Ile has already been guilty of fraud, in passing himself offa3 a patrician—of site slander. in his remarks upon a service which, thank lama he no longer disgraces—of baseness iu attacking the " O'S—D—n his impudence! By the blood of Elizabeth, then, he only meant the blood of • Betty Martin;' and the patrician is • all my eye.' " Editor—Even so. Disappointed in the Navy, he has emitted it ; and has made use of his talents (for talent be has) to run down a service because be could not rise in it. The attack upon Trowbridge is most indefensible, and nothing but a tissue of false- hoods.

" Twist—I perceive that the Quarterly recommends Sir Thomas to call him out. " Editor-1 es ; but it is with the supposition that the offender in a Captain in the Navy. Sir Thomas has too much respect for himself, and for the service he belongs Mr to do otherwise than treat him with the contempt lie deserves. It is not a work that will be long before the public; and the •• Patrician" will soon find his way to the trunkmakers. It requires more than three or four good chapters to save a work from perdition now-a-days." slletropolitan Magazine, August 1833, t This he atterwards actually did. [But, under the circumstances, we attach no 1m. portance toil.] character and memory of an eseellent officer—of filly and stupidity, in wining *awls S far ago ot trash as the Port Admiral—Ls which ladies ride b% Meta beidle or saddle, Admirals turn smugglers. and Lords of the Admiralty go snacks in the profits, With many thanks for ynna Mud interest in my welfare, and your kind inquiries off my wife nut relations—more kind as they have not Jet had the pleasure of making your acquaintauce—and your compliments upou Peter Simple. " I am, my dear Sir. yours. &e. F. M "PS. Perhaps you will have no objection to my publishing yaw letter. and this my reply, when I have to review the work whieb is about to he published ; as it will prove gat I im not to be deterred from my duty by threats communicated through a third persou.- This epistle having been received, Mr. NENLE " determined at all hazards to bring such a criminal to justice," and to render him —we copy literally—" eternally infamous, perjured, and disho• toured, fn every place.- After this, the letters (reaching altoge- ther to a baker s dozen), are in essentials similar to those in most affairs of this kind. " A man of sense," says the proverb, " may love like a madman, but never like a fool.' We wcnder whether this may be predicated in the case of a quarrel; or whether, when folly is evident, we must assume the absence of the More useful quality? Leaving this, we run on with our text; jumping over the wordy letters and commentaries of Mr. NEALE, and the more guarded and laboured compositions of Captain MARRYAT who positively declined meeting Mr. NEALE, or to treat any one he might send as a gentleman. r'Nothing daunted, Mr. BROOK I NG, said to be the son of Admiral BROOKING, proceeded to Captain MARRYAT'S hotel; and the Captain having ascertained that " the

friend" had read his last letter, directed him to the door.

"Scarcely crediting that any one holding the King's commission, could be so lost to every perception of a gent lemln as to offer Dile outrage to one whose office renders him sacred from insult, and whose character would have had a claim upon the consideration of any one professing the decencies of lire, I attempted, again and again, to make myself heard, but ineffectually. Extruding hit hand to the lie finishesl this acme of outrage, by threats of persoual violence from himself and the waiters of the hotel. Totally unaccustomed, in proceedings like the present, to consider of any con. duct bat such as would weigh with a man of honour. and finding him inaccessible to all such arguments, I quitted the room and repaired to you."

The termination, as narrated in the following extract from a partially authorized report, is characteristic. The awful pause which precedes the untying of the cloak—its deposit upon the rails —the gladiatorial attitude of Mr. NEALE—and the various and changeful incidents of the fight, till the rolling of the Captain in the mud and the recourse of the assailant to the heaps of rubbish —have an Homeric interest we little expected to have felt in the nineteenth century. To look at the muniment as a RALEIGH might have looked, it is, however, scarcely sufficient for the faith of posterity. The penny-a-liner of course will stand to the report; Mr. NEALE has already vouched for it; if the Captain would countersign it, we should have an "eternal" document. But future generations would like to know what became of the cloak. Did the better-behaved professional' gentlemen march off with it in triumph, as a spolia opima or, according to the proverbial honour of thieves, did they allow it to remain as sacred "to an affair of honour?"

"About four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Neale and 1;is brother were res- in through Trafalgar Square, oil the causeway front St. Martin's Church towards the College of Physicians, when Captain Marry at approached them from the contrary direction, and was about to pass by on the outside. On seeing this, Mr. Johnson Neale quitted the arm of his brother, and going apt. Captain Marryat, pronounced his name, Oa this, the Captain advanced towards his antagonist, saying,' Well, Sir!' ' Keel; your distance,' replied Mr. Neale, extending a walkine.stiek, ' Yoe arc a liar, and a scoundrel, ma only want the courage to be an assassin.' To this charge Captain Marry at did not answer; but began to untie his cloak, which Mr. Neale gave Iiim full time to do. and,

itepping into the roast, placed himself ina it for f!ieatt tlw evidently allowed Captain having Marryat toastinistihtak,andIin

it on the palings of the

National Gallery, Mr. Neale no sooner observed him in a fair gate to defend himself, than he struck at the Captain with his stick. Several blows now quickly passed between the combatants; Mr. Neale being a man of half the cali- bre or the Ca:stain, took the advantage of his activity, and, as fast as he struck Captain Baryat, he retreated a step beyond his grasp. In doing this, however, he backed against a heap of al' Adamized stones, and immediately fell backwards. Captain Mar- ryat then flung himself upon his assailant and planted his knee upon hittchest, and placing one hand upon his throat, with the other he gave him several blows on the head with a stick. At this instant, two or three individuals rushed forward, but the only one who interfered was Mr. Neale's brother, a very slight young man, who to this ma. rent had contented himself with quietly looking on, and had only an umbrella. Mr. Neale at the same time made a violent effort, and Captain Marryat rolled over in the ma Mr. Neale now sprang to his feet, as dill also the gallant Captain, who was again advancing to the attack of his unarmed foe; who, having lost his stick, caught el) some of the rubbish on which he had fallen and directed it at the Captain's face. Ills younger brother now picking up the stick, put it into his hands, and the Captain ex- claim:A • That lie now knew what to do.' Mr. Neale then repeated the epithets already mentioned, and another scuffle ensued.

"Both parties now called out for the Police, but none arriving, Mr. Neale, by advice of some of the bystanders, walked very deliberately away, and wished the gallaut Captain ' Good morning.' This officer now gave full vent to his wrath, and endea- voured to turn the multitude in his favour:I but those who bad seen the whole affair, railed out in terms neither flattering to his feelings nor his courage."

Looking coolly at the whole affair, it can scarcely be considered as very creditable to either party, in its origin or its conduct. But all other ideas are lost in the absurd. "No man," says JOHNSON, "forgets his original trade. The rights of nations and of kings sink into questions of grammar if grammarians discuss them." These gentlemen have been trained to the sea, but it is evident they were born authors. When the "grey goose-quill" is in their hand, neither sense nor usage nor propriety restrains them : the sailor and the duellist is merged in the man of words.