Still further to divert her mind, she next travelled into Italy, and collected materials for, perhaps, her most celebrated work, “ Corinna, or Italy,” which has been translated into many languages. Having returned to Geneva, Madame de Stael amused herself with appearing upon the stage in 1806, and performed in tragedy with considerable skill. There is a drama from her pen called “ Secret Sentiment.” She has also given to the world a work entitled “ Germany,” embodying her observations on that country. It has provoked some contro versy. — “ Letters and Reflections of the Prince de Ligne," in two volumes : an “Essay on Suicide," and several minor publications, as well as many contributions to the periodical press in Geneva, Paris, and elsewhere, complete the catalogue of her productions.

Madame de Stael has twice visited England, formerly during the revolutionary conflict, when she resided in a small Gothic house at Richmond, which is visible from the river above the bridge; and again about three years ago. During her stay in London she was much courted by persons of the highest rank, and of all parties. Some of her bon mots are in circulation; but we neither can vouch for their authenticity, nor have we left ourselves space for their repetition.

The party in France with which she was most intimately connected at the time of her decease, is that known by the name of the 6 Constitutionnel.” The Mercure, we have reason to believe, recorded the latest of her opinions, and the last tracings of her prolific pen.

We refrain entirely from discussing the merits or demerits of her life and writings. These merits assuredly raise her to a foremost rank among the female authors of our age; and these demerits, whether springing from “ susceptibility of being misled,” as urged by her father; from the pernicious inculcations of modern philosophy; or from But we will not proceed; her carthly account is just closed, and her frailties, with her sorrows, alike repose in trembling hope, awaiting the decision of an immortal tribunal. — Literary Gazette.

Madame de Stael died, July 15th, 1817, aged 51 years.

398

No. XXVI.

NATHANIEL RAMSAY, Esq.

A COLONEL IN THE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES.

an army

Tuis gallant officer was a native of South Carolina, in America, and brother to Dr. Ramsay, the historian. Although born several years before the declaration of independence, yel he thought fit to take up arms in behalf of what he considered the rights of his native country. He was never wanting, however, in humanity to his adversaries, for he seized on every opportunity to pay attention and afford comfort to such English prisoners of war as were committed to his charge.

The following anecdote will prove, how much it is in the power

of a single officer to save at one and the same time both

and a state: At the battle of Monmouth, when the American troops were pressed by the enemy advancing rapidly, General Washington asked for a field-officer; Colonel Ramsay presented himself the General took him by the hand, and said, “ If you can stop the British ten minutes, till i form, you will save my army." Colonel Ramsay answered, “I will stop them or fall.”. He advanced with his party, engaged, and kept them in check for half an hour; nor did he retreat, until the enemy and his troops were mingled, and at last, in the rear of his troops, fighting his way sword in hand, fell, pierced with many wounds, in sight of both armies.

After the war had ended, and America was declared a free and independent state, Colonel Ramsay returned to South Carolina, where he attained a good old age, and died October 24, 1817.

a

a

a

No. XXVII.

THE Rev. WILLIAM CHAFIN,

LATE RECTOR OF REDLINCH, IN THE COUNTY OF DORSET.

a

THE Chafins of whom this was the last male heir, related to the Framptons, the Penruddocks, the Strangeways, &c. &c. were an ancient family greatly addicted to the pleasures of the chace and the turf, for many generations. By residing at Chettlehouse, in Dorsetshire, where they lived in an hospitable manner, they acquired a certain degree of eminence, more especially among

those who devoted their time and their fortunes to similar pursuits.

William Chafin, the subject of the present short memoir, was born about the year 1735. His father being the youngest of eleven children, it is not likely that his patrimony could be large; and he himself having evinced a delicate state of health, from his early infancy, it was found difficult to rear him, on account of his size outrunning his strength. To counteract this, he was brought up in a cottage, whence, at a certain age, he was removed to the paternal mansion, for the benefit of his education.

Subsequently to the usual preliminary studies young Chafin was sent to Cambridge, and after obtaining the degree of B. A. in 1753, and that of M. A. in 1756, finally retired from the University, in 1757. On returning home he entered into holy orders, and like his ancestors, immediately addicted himself to the pursuits of a sportsman; hunted constantly with the Rushmore hounds, and was a regular attendant at Newmarket. Not content with enjoying the pleasures of the race-ground,

in the usual manner, his own name became conspicuous in the “ Calendar,” for he himself bought, trained, and run horses,

of no inconsiderable note, figure, and action. This usually proves a losing concern, even to the most successful amateurs, yet there is but little doubt, that he gained as much by Dedalus, as Mr. Jennings lost, nearly at the same time (about 1766 — 1770) by Chillaby. Mr. Chafin, afterwards abandoned the turf, and if the motive attributed be the true one: viz., an abhorrence of the cruelty usually employed in fitting that noble animal the race-horse, for his future destination his conduct is deserving of the highest applause. Meanwhile, he was presented with the living of Redlinch, by his brother George. This was held by him, during the almost unexampled period of 49 years — from 1768 to 1818.

It is not a little remarkable that the late Tregonwell Frampton, with whom his family had been connected by marriage, perpetrated a little before this, one of the most cruel acts recorded in the history of human atrocity. Being possessed of a famous horse, called Dragon, and finding it impossible to obtain his admission, to a grand subscription match for mares and geldings, he nevertheless named a gelding, and to entitle him to the benefit of the stakes, had a certain operation performed on Dragon, in his presence, at the starting post ! The poor bleeding animal actually gained the race, and lost his life at the same time. It is not without pleasure we here record, that Frampton lost both his stakes and reputation; for the Jockey Club of that day decided, that Dragon not being a gelding at the time of entering, the namer had no claim whatever as a winner. To the credit of the Chafins they broke off all intercourse with Frampton, from this moment !

Mr. Chafin succeeded to the paternal estate in 1776, and immediately removed to Chettle House. This event made no alteration in his mode of life; for he not only persevered in his favourite exercise of riding, to within a very short period of his last illness, but actually rode with the Rushmore buckhounds, in 1817; thus completing a period of about seventy years, during which he had been a constant attendant, and not unfrequently the first in at the death. One of the last employments of his life, was the publication of a little work,

a

entitled, “ Anecdotes of Cranbourn Chace;" which revived the recollections of former days, and reminded him of the various sporting adventures of his early youth.

When this chace was formed, there were no fallow deer existing in this island but what were imported from the continent. The natives, we are told, are the red deer, stags or harts, roes, and, according to tradition, elks.. “ But in the slaughters of the Norman Princes, in their forests,” observes Mr. Chafin, “ stags, called harts at a certain age, are the only animals of the deer kind which are mentioned ; not the name of buck or doe any where occurs. Likewise in the old ballad of Chevy Chace, (whether founded on fact or not is out of the question,) not a word is said of any fallow deer being slain." These different kinds of deer never breed, and never herd together, when they can avoid it.

Lord Rivers possesses certain claims to Cranbourn Chace, and our author relates that when he was first in the habit of hunting there, the festivities at Rushmore lasted for several weeks; but these have ceased many years ago, and have not been renewed by the present peer.

It appears from the entry in a steward's old accompt-book, found in the noble old mansion of Orchard Portman, near Taunton, that our judges were accustomed to go a buck. hunting, while on circuit.

“ 10th August, 1680. “ Delivered Sir William, in the the higher Orial, going a hunting with the judges,

£2 0 0"

Foxes, hares, and martin-cats, were the three sorts of animals of chace, besides deer, hunted at that period. Hawking at that time was in great repute, and many foreign ones were imported; some of the English breei are still used near Bridport for taking of landrails in the hemp and fax fields. Cock-fighting, too, was then the fashion, and Lord Albemarle Bertie still attended the cock-pits, after he had become blind!