can possibly be. We believe it is one of the best known of the collection, but we cannot refuse ourselves the satisfaction of quoting it, especially since Mr Hogg informs us that there is now no offence in these productions, and that our own Royal family are all good Jacobites in their hearts. Wha the deil hae we gotten for a king, But a wee wee German lairdie? He was delving in his kail-yardie; The wee wee German lairdie. And he's clappit down in our gudeman's The wee wee German lairdie, Come up amang our Highland hills, Thou wee wee German lairdie, Our hills are steep, our glens are deep, Auld Scotland, thou'rt o'er cauld a hole pp. 83-85. "The Sow's Tail to Geordie" is a piece of very stupid ribaldry upon one of the King's mistresses. We shall not give the song, but Mr Hogg's note upon it, concluding with another raving wild song, in which there is infinite spirit and absurdity. "All this gibing and fun about the sow and Geordie, that runs through so many of the songs of that pericd, without ex planation, must appear rather inexplicable; but from whatever cause it may have originated, it is evident that the less that is said about it the better. Both this song and air have always been popular, and the variations by the delighted masters of the latter has been ornamented with scores of fiddlestick. I remember, when a boy, of hearing the song frequently sung by an old woman, a determined Jacobite, who always accompanied it with the information, that it was a cried-down sang, but she didna mind that; and that baith it and O'er Bogie were cried down at Edinburgh cross on the same day.' From this tradition I have been led to suppose that the original song of O'er Bogie must have been some intemperate party song, although no farther traces of it remain, that I have been able to discover, save this anecdote. "George's favourite mistress was Madame Schulemberg, afterwards created Duchess of Kendal; but as she was lean and haggard in her appearance, the beautiful appellation of the Sow could in nowise be applicable to her. But, says Lord Orford, in his Reminiscences,' he was not more constant to her than to his wife; for another acknowledged mistress, whom he also brought over, was Madame Kilmansegge, Countess of Platen, who was created Countess of Darlington, and by whom he was indisputably father of Charlotte, married to Lord Viscount Howe, and mother of the present Earl. Lady Howe was never publicly acknowledged as the king's daughter; but Princess Amelia treated her daughter, Mrs Howe, on that footing; and one evening, when I was present, gave her a ring with a small portrait of George I. with a crown of diamonds. "Lady Darlington, whom I saw at my mother's in my infancy, and whom I remember by being terrified at her enormous figure, was as corpulent and ample as the duchess was long and emaciated. Two fierce black eyes, large, and rolling beneath two lofty arched eyebrows; two acres of cheeks, spread with crimson, an ocean of neck, that overflowed, and was not distinguished from the lower part of her body, and no part restrained by stays. No wonder that a child dreaded such an highly diverted at the importation of such ogress, and that the mob of London were a seraglio. They were food for all the venom of the Jacobites; and, indeed, nothing could be grosser than the ribaldry that was vomited out in lampoons, libels, and every channel of abuse, against the sovereign and the new court, and chanted, even in their hearing, about the public streets. One of these German ladies being abused by the mob, was said to have put her head out of the coach, and cried, in bad English, Good people, why you wrong us? We come for all your goods.' "Yes, damn ye!' answered a fellow in the crowd, and for all our chattels too, I think.'' "Of these gibes and lampoons our own countrymen have had apparently their full share; and no one need doubt, after this account of honest Horace's, who is meant by the black sow. One cannot help being amused, even at this distance of time, by his majesty's taste in beauty and accom plishments. The following mad rant, called PETTICOAT'S LOOSE, must likewise have been made on these celebrated beauties. Feddy is Prince Frederick; Robin, Sir Robert Walpole; Killy, Madame Kilmansegge; and Kenny, the Duchess of Kendal. "It's Hanover, Hanover, fast as you can over, Hey gudeman, away gudeman; It's Hanover, Hanover, fast as you can over, Bide na here till day gudeman. Is, Away gudeman, away gudeman. "It's Feddy maun strap, and Robin maun string, And Killy may wince, and fidge, and fling, For Kenny has loos'd her petticoat-string, Gae tie 't again, gae tie 't again. It's Hanover, Hanover, &c. "O Kenny my kitten, come draw your mitten, And dinna be lang, and dinna be lang ; For petticoat's loose, and barrie's slitten, And a's gane wrang, and a's gane wrang. It's Hanover, Hanover," &c. We have given, we think, sufficient specimens both of the general character of the songs in this work, and of Mr Hogg's annotations. We shall give only one more song, of a pathetic kind, accompanied with the editor's note, which we rather add, because it contains the only Jacobite song, a silly one enough, no doubt, which happens to have been familiar to the writer of this article from his infancy. I hae nae kith, I hae nae kin, came here, "This is a very sweet and curious little old song, but not very easily understood. The air is exceedingly simple, and the verses highly characteristic of the lyrical songs of Scotland. The allusion to the king's daughter would make it appear to be very old. There is another ranting song which I have often heard sung about the same lady, or about the ingratitude of her husband, in whose hands she was no more than the clay is in the hand of the potter. O what's the rhyme to porringer? Ken ye how he requited him? And ta'en the crown in spite o' him. The dog he sanna keep it lang, A psalm-book, and a Presbyter. "The last verse of the song manifestly alludes to some plot that the Jacobites expected would explode, and prove destructive to the other party. The allusion answers best to the Gunpowder Plot, but, from the foregoing part of the song, it is impossible that could have been meant; nor does any other on record answer it. It may indeed allude to the change in Queen Anne's ministry from the Whig to the Tory faction; a change that exalted the hopes of those that favoured the cause of the Stuarts to the highest pitch. The intrigues that were then carried on for the furtherance of that great object may have been the So much for these Relics, which we trust Mr Hogg will be encouraged to continue. He has not yet brought us down to the bold but unfortunate adventure of Prince Charles Edward. In the mean time, that we may not close our article without some commemoration of that ill-starred exploit, we shall present our readers with the latest, and not the least valuable, which it has ever received. It is not a Scotch song, but a Latin inscription, from the pen of Dr Gregory, and the very last, we believe, which that gentleman has written. The late Mr Macdonald of Glenaladale, where the Prince's standard had been first raised, began to erect a pillar upon the spot, but died before it was finished; and the pillar now serves the joint purpose of a monument for the Prince and the Proprietor. Generosi. ardoris. constantissimæ. fidei. Et præclaræ. virtutis, militaris. Suæ. gentis. aliorumque. monticolarum. Qui. in. nobili. illo. quamvis. infausto. Principis. incepto. Sanguinem. suum. profuderunt. Ut aliquid. extaret. monumenti. Hanc. columnam. Ipsi. cheu. tunc. morituro. Brevi. futuram. monumentum. A. D. MDCCCXIV. poni. curabat. ALEXANDER. MACDONALD. de. Glenaladale. Hujus. agri. dominus. Obiit. autem. ON THE PRESENT STATE OF MEXICO. WE copy from a respectable journal a short statistical account of Mexico, explanatory also of the state of public opinion, which, from the nature of its contents, will be deemed of no ordinary interest. Mexico is that portion of the new Continent, which has been made known to Europe through the invaluable labours of Humboldt and Bompland, to whom the public and the Mexicans themselves are so much indebted, for they may be said to have rescued that country from the oblivion in which it had been long placed by the vigilance and monopolies of the Parent Government. In common with the rest, Mexico partook of that spirit of hostility against the French, and those wishes for reform which actuated the other sections of the Columbian Continent in 1810, and in the interior a wide revolution broke out, but this not extending to the capital where the wealth and influence of the country are concentrated, and the Patriotic Armies not being able to procure supplies of arms and other requisites, the cause lingered, and of late has been divested of every thing like a decided character; nay, so successful had been the representations of the Royalists, that till lately we had been led to believe it had been completely put down. Recent advices lead us, however, to believe, that the views and wishes of the Mexicans have not changed, although in the cities and towns they are overawed by Spanish bayonets; and that as the policy of the Washington Government displays itself, and the successes of Buenos Ayres and Chili on the Pacific are more extended, the revolutionary party in Mexico will receive the little aid they want. Every one who has had an opportunity of estimating the extent, riches, comparative population, and the rapid progress the kingdom of Mexico or New Spain has made within the last forty years in all the branches of industry, must be sensible of the great influence so interesting a country will have on the issue of the important question now agitating in the discoveries of Columbus. At length the people of Europe, after the turbulence of war, and alive to their own interests, begin to turn their attention towards the Western Hemisphere; but whilst respecting all the other sections, information abounds among us, of Mexico little is known, either in point of public feeling or situation, so completely have the Spaniards for the present prevented the access of foreigners, by being in possession of all the coast situated on the Atlantic. On these two subjects novel, and in themselves interesting, some remarks cannot fail to be acceptable, particularly as they relate to a country where, ere long, it is expected something important will take place. In favour of liberty Mexico has already made great sacrifices, notwithstanding the result has not been so favourable as might have been hoped. The same constancy that still prevails, in spite of so many reverses, nevertheless, proves her decided inclination for independence; this is the feeling by which all the classes are animated; opportunity alone is wanting. A people, actuated by these principles, covered with mourning, abounding in victims, and bathed in blood and tears, are ever mindful of their aggressors, and intent on the wrongs they have suffered. Every object that surrounds them urges them on to vengeance and redress. The vicissitudes which have marked the efforts for freedom in Mexico, have been the result of political circumstances, which, in their secluded situation, the people could neither counteract nor control, but in them indifference had no part. The Mexicans have done all it was in their power to do, and by still maintaining themselves in a state of Revolution, they have not only proved what were their views and wishes, but also rendered essential service to the common cause. The opposite interests of a society divided into rival classes, by the nature and want of proportion in their riches, for the moment presented great obstacles to the combination requisite for a successful revolution. A general crisis was necessary, which, by the force of the shock produced, might rouse and unite. The horrid result of those first efforts, which began at a distance from the capital, have produced this shock. The proud conquerors, in the transports of their fury, unable to distinguish between the indifferent, or those who thought it best to temporize, in consequence of imperious circumstances, confounded all parties, and by indiscriminately attacking all classes, have reunited the minds of the people, and created a common cause, which, on the first favourable opportunity, will be brought into action. Hence has Mexico gained much. The nobles, clergy, people, indigenes, the descendants of Europeans, in short, the rich and poor, are now uniform in their sentiments, and the successes of their brethren around them have inspired fresh hopes. The colossus of power which oppressors boasted they had raised up in Mexico was founded on ruins, and now rests on the remnants of the legions of freedom alone. It is, therefore, insecure from the moment when public feeling again displays itself, and the prospect of success is unfolded. Hence, therefore, is the situation of Mexico extremely interesting, at a moment when the work of freedom is so far advanced in the other sections. Mexico is destined to hold great influence over the political events of the two continents. Her physical situation presents incalculable advantages. Considered in respect of facility in communications and relations with the rest of the civilized world, on the one side bathed by the Pacific, and on the other by the Atlantic, and gifted with productions of the most varied and precious kind, Mexico is destined to become the emporium of commerce. Placed in the centre of the New World, in the midst of other confederated States, with a territory larger than that of the United States, and nearly an equal population, the empire of Montezuma appears destined to maintain the equilibrium, and counterbalance the pretensions which may hereafter arise in the North and South. An independent government resident in the capital will be able to transmit its wishes in four weeks to North or South America, in five to Europe, and in six to Asia. The extent of Mexico, independent of Guatemala, taken from the 15. 38. degree of latitude, that is, from Guatemala to the port of San Francisco in New California, is equal to 600 leagues, on a width from the Rio Colorado de Texas to the coast of Sonora, from E. to W. 365 leagues, which, added to Guatemala, constitutes an extent equal to one half of Spanish America. One half only of this immense country is situated under the torrid zone, the greater part of which has a temperate climate, and the other enjoys health and great fertility. The productions of every other zone are here to be found, and require only the labours of the cultivator. At the commencement of the present century, Mexico, independent of Guatemala, contained six millions of inhabitants, divided into three races. In 1808, the population was estimated at seven millions and a half, so that now it may be supposed to approach nine, though, perhaps, half a million has been destroyed by the ravages of the Revolution. No country on earth is more favourable to the propagation of the human race. The Spaniards, who shudder when they reflect on the impossibility of any longer holding a country nearly equal to their own in population and riches, surpassing theirs in extent, and placed at an immense distance from their seat of power, have rested their dominion on moral bonds, which time and circumstances have at length broken. The agricultural products of Mexico exceed 35 millions of dollars; tithes, 3 millions; the produce of her mines, 30; and yet all this, when industry was only half display ed. How soon would all this be doubled? The annual movement of trade long ago was rated at 60 millions of dollars, and the circulating medium at 67. The tithes, in 9 bishoprics, contained in Mexico, annually amount to 2,700,000 dollars, without calculating 24 per cent. on cochineal, sugar, &c. Mexican agriculture has made the most rapid progress, but to what length might it not be carried? That section was so interesting to the commerce of Europe, that, in 1802, after the peace of Amiens, 48 millions of dollars, in precious metals, were exported therefrom, as were nine of agricultural productions. The imports that year amounted to 24 millions, yet not one-third of the people ever wore European goods. A country so far advanced in all branches of industry, must naturally have a corresponding revenue. That of Mexico is equal to the revenues of many minor States in Europe. In Mexico the revenue has seldom been less than 25 millions of dollars, and of late it has enabled the Spaniards to keep up an army of 25,000 men, besides bearing other burdens. But to what amount might it not be carried? Even the United States do not possess greater financial means. The mines alone yield a revenue of 7 millions, but apply the steam-engine, and the amount would be doubled in one year. The annual consumption of tobacco is equal to nine millions of dollars. The clergy of Mexico are not nu merous, but their incomes are extremely disproportioned. The archbishops and three suffragans have 130,000 dollars per annum, but some curates have only 500! The fixed property of the clergy does not exceed 5 millions, their revenue, therefore, is derived from 45 millions of charities and tithes. Their church-plate is, indeed, immense that of the churches of the capital of Mexico, La Puebla, Valladolid, and Guadalaxara, amounts to 15 millions. The ministers of worship do not exceed 10,000, whereas the order of the Franciscan friars alone, in Spain, contains 18,000. The Mexican nobility consists of 50 titles, and 100 entails, many of them extremely rich. To them the greatest part of the lands belong. Among the miners and merchants, many have a capital of 5 millions of dollars, and numbers 1 million. In the midst of all these riches, the people of Mexico are the most miserable in the world, because all is monopoly and disproportion, and because there is no Government capable of wielding the vast machine. But if this want of proportion in fortunes, in such a country as Europe, would present great obstacles to the success of independence, in Mexico it is the reverse, as long as the object and form of government were better than the one now established, and consonant to the wishes of all. No people can be happy unless constitutionally governed, and the centre of power is within themselves. To have to seek redress at the distance of 5000 miles is an absurdity. Of this the people of Mexico are sensible. This they have been taught by long and sad experience. At the end of the last century they lent their king 17 millions of dollars, and during the late war between Spain and France they contributed 50 millions more; and after all, has their situation been bettered ?-No; they are now governed as they were 300 years ago. The mind revolts at the idea of what is passing in Mexico, a rich and beautiful country, containing 12 magnificent cities, in many respects equal to most in Europe, according to the confession of modern travellers, and a race of people as fine as any on earth. Corruption there has made no ravages. Who, when he remembers the history of this unfortunate coun |