APPENDIX-FAMILY BIBLE-EXILE OF ERIN.

APPENDIX.

The Family Bible, referred to in the Introductory Chapter,
Vol. I., page 27-44.

"THIS BIBLE was first the property of John Simpson, my mother's father, who died King's Armorer in Glasgow [as mentioned in the foregoing pages.] He was succeeded in that office by his eldest son John, to whom he left a great part of his heritable subject-viz. the lands of the Spittle, nigh Rutherglen, with much valuable property in the Saltmarket of Glasgow. Contiguous to the Spittle, he also left a 'subject' to his fourth son, Robert Simpson, (who was the only surviving son, except John, of my grandfather when he died) at that time called a Dutch Merchant, whose family are now all dead.

"At the death of my uncle John's youngest child, whose name was Mary, this BIBLE was left to me. My mother's name was Mary; she was the sixth daughter of John Simpson and of Agnes Smith. She was born in the year 1701, and died in the year 1755. On the 4th December she was married to John Campbell from Argyleshire, merchant in Glasgow, who died in the year 1760, aged 71. I was their sixth daughter, and now the only surviving one of their family. I was born on the 18th of April (old style,) 1736. Witness my own hand.

(Signed) "MARGT. CAMPBELL."

[Here follow the family births and obituary, as given in the work, page 44, to which the following is added:]

503

"I do hereby express my earnest wish that this Bible may be handed, after my death, to my eldest son Archibald (now residing in or about New York,) if ever he should come to Scotland; if not, I desire it may be given to my youngest and eighth son, THOMAS [the Poet,] for sufficient reasons of my own.

Signed by me, MARGT. CAMPBELL."

"Edinburgh, March 22nd, 1804."

"Exile of Erin," Vol. I., pages 274–76, Note.

[To the distinguished author of "Lives of the United Irishmen," I am indebted for the following notice-the conclusion of an able paper, drawn up from a personal investigation of the question. The reader, however, will most probably agree with me, that, after the statement given by the Poet himself [Vol. I., p. 275-6,] any defence on the part of his friends is a work of supererogation:]

"** And now, in a conclusion, I think it has been shown clearly that no copy of the song of the Exile of Erin,' in Reynolds' handwriting, can be produced, or was ever known to his family to exist in it. I have

"

shown, in one instance, where it was said to exist, in the hands of his family, that no such song of his had ever been seen in his handwriting by the acknowledgment of his family.

"I have shown in another instance, where the song was said to have been attributed to Mr. McCracken, and some other person, by the sister of the former, that it was not the song of Campbell at all, that was alluded to by her, but that which indisputably G. N. Reynolds did write, and which received some additions to it in Belfast.

"Campbell, in his statement to me, has shown that G. N. Reynolds lived fifteen months after the publication of the song, with his-Campbell's-name, and in England; yet he never claimed to be the author of it.

"Mr. Tolmè, in his statement to me, has shown that MacCann considered himself the person on whom that song was made, and considered Campbell the author of it.

"Dr. William James MacNeven, a friend of MacCann's, told me he knew the latter to have been the Exile of Erin' of Campbell's song. Campbell told me he wrote it, and that MacCann was the Exile.

"

"If Campbell was capable of writing the O'Connor's Child,' the Mariners of England,' the Battle of Hohenlinden'-was it necessary for his fame to steal a song from Mr. G. N. Reynolds?

"

"If Campbell did steal it, why did Reynolds' family leave him in undisturbed possession of the spoil for thirty odd years?

"If Campbell was a wholesale stealer of the literary labors of other men, at the onset of his career, how does it happen that in the progress of it, and to its close, no other similar charge was ever brought against him and no filchings on a small scale-no retail pilferings of dead men's thoughts embalmed in books, or passages from the productions of living authors have been laid to his charge?

"If Reynolds wrote the Exile of Erin,' he was a man of refined taste, of very ardent feelings, a careful writer choice in his terms, chaste in his imagery, harmonious in his verse, and most felicitous in the use of ordinary expressions of endearment. In which of the compositions of Reynolds are the qualifications of a lyrical poet of extraordinary pathos to

be found?

"A whole chapter about the authorship of a song may seem an undue expenditure of labor, and an undue demand on patience. But this controversy is of as much interest as any contested question in the quarrels of authors, or the curiosities of literature. In treating it, the real value of oral testimony or rather the utter worthlessness of it, when unsupported by documentary evidence, has been shown-as in the case on the conflicting representations of parties who are deemed respectable, and who evidently state only what they believe.

"By a fair statement of this controversy, a debt of justice has been paid to Campbell's memory, and a lesson of prudence, perhaps, taught to persons who, on slight grounds, make grave charges against honorable men-charges which inflict pain, are readily believed, and difficultly disapproved. R. R. MADDEN."

Vol. I., Chapter XXIV., page 513-20. The following is the passage alluded to in the notice of "Gertrude of Wyoming."

"Ruhig lebten wir, ich, meine Eltern, und einige Deutsche Kolonisten in einem Winkel des Gebirges, von dichtem Walde umgeben, einige

505

Meilen weit von dem Hudsonflusse; ruhig; glücklich wohl nicht. Meine Mutter war eine schöne Frau von zartem Körper, und mein Vater liebte sie unaussprechlich, so wie sie ihn. Das war aber auch alles; denn oft drückte er sie an seine Brust, und sagte mit tiefem Kummer!—'Ach, hätte ich dich in deiner Heimath gelassen, meine Henriette! Hier Er fasste ihre Hände, welche von Arpeit hart geworden waren, und wendete dann den bekümmerten Blick gen Himmel.

-P

6

"Was fehlt mir denn?' sagte meine Mutter mit einem Lächeln, bei dem aber doch Thränen aus ihren Augen hervorbrachen. 'Freilich muss ich arbeiten, und das wird mir schwer! ich werde mich aber daran gewöhnen.' Mein Vater schüttelte sanft den Kopf, und blickte unruhig auf die bleiche Farbe ihres Gesichts, ihre erloschenen Augen und ihre abgefallenen Wangen. Ach, wärest du dort!' sagte er noch einmal. 'Ich wollte in diesem unermesslichen Walde, in dieser grauenvollen Einsamkeit, noch einsamer, noch elender leben als jetzt.' Dann lehnte meine Mutter das blasse Gesicht an seine Brust, und so standen Beiden eine lange Minute: mit der innigsten Liebe im Herzen, und dennoch so unglücklich, Er nahm die Axt, und arbeitete noch, um meiner Mutter einige Stunden Ruhe zu verschaffen, mit übermenschlichen kräften, wenn alle Nachbaren schon längst in ihre Hütten gegangen waren.

APPENDIX-GERTRUDE.

"In dem stolzen Gefühle der mächtigen Liebe hatte meine Vater seine Geliebte ihrem harten Vormunde, der seine Liebe nicht billigte, und ihrem Vaterlande entführt. Beide hofften, in den Amerikanischen Wäldern die Ruhe zu finden, die ihnen fehlte, und träumten sich die Hütte, welche sie bewohnen wollten, zu einem Thron der Liebe. Sie kauften für den letzen Rest ihres Vermögens ein fruchtbares Gefilde, das aber noch Wald war, und lebten glücklich, so lange die Vorräthe, die sie mitgebracht hatten, noch dauerten. Nun mussten sie mit angestrengten Kräften arbeiten; das erschopfte aber meine Mutter nach wenigen Jahren. Sie besassen, was sie sich gewünscht hatten; eine reinliche Hütte von Baumstämmen, ein Feld, einem Garten, der sie nährte, eine kleine Heerde, die sie kleidete; und dennoch fehlte ihnen mit den mancherlei Bequemlichkeiten des Lebens, an die sie gewöhnt waren, alles. Wie konnten sie nun glücklich seyn !

"Eines Morgens, an einem schönen Herbsttage (die allein sind in jenem Klima schön) verbreitete sich bei unserm Nachbaren das Gerücht, dass die Engländer vom See hervordrängen. Nicht Einer von allen verstand Englisch, auch mein Vater nicht; doch Man kam zu ihm, weil Man ihm Muth und Klugheit zutrauete. Es wurde allgemein beschlossen, in die unersteiglichen Schuchten der Allegeni-Gebirge zu fliehen. Meine Mutter, die dies hörte, seufzte, schon von Vorstellung ermattet in die Gebirge. Wer weiss auch!' sagte mein Vater; 'was könnten die Engländer hier wollen!'

"Ja wohl!' sagte meine Mutter mit froher Heftigkeit; und es sind Menschen!-Soll ich sterben, setze sie hinzu, so mag es hier seyn!'

"Mein Vater legte die Hand an die Stirn, und war unentschlossen. 'Die Gebirge sind so steil nicht, als du denkst. Henriette!' sagte er endlich. Ach,' erwiederte sie, ihm um den Hals fallend!' für mich ist alles zu steil, alles, was aufwärts geht, selbst die Hoffnung. Ich muss hinab! hinab!'

666

"In diesem Augenblicke hörten wir das verwirrte Geschrei vieler Stimmen, und wilde Musik. Mein Vater seufzte, und fasste die Hand meiner Mutter; doch der Schrecken hatte sie gelähmt, so dass sie kaum

VOL. II.-22

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stehen konnte. Rette dich mit ihm!' rief sie, auf mich zeigend; und schon sturzten aus dem Walde furchtbar bemahlte Wilde auf meinen Vater zu. Er ging ihnen mit dem weissen Halstuche mein Mutter, als einem Zeichen des Friedens, entgegen: doch ein Wilder schlug ihn mit seiner Streitaxt nieder, und alle Andern erhoben ein Siegesgeheul. Mit einem Schrei der schrecklichen Angst, die ihr Kräfte gab, eilte meine Mutter meinem Vater zu Hülfe. Er wendete das brechende Auge auf sie, rief: Henriette !' und starb in ihren Armen. In Verzweiflung stürzte sie sich nun unter die Wilden, die sich ihrer sogleich bemächtigten. Jetzt eilte ein Mann in Uniform, mit dem Degen in der Hand, herbei, und rief in unsrer Muttersprache: Haltet ein, ihr Unmenschen!'-Er riss meine Mutter aus den Händen der wüthenden Wilden. Sie sank vor Schwäche zu seinen Füssen nieder, und rief: 'O, retten Sie meinen Sohn! Ich bin eine Deutsche! Als die Wilden sich wieder näherten, trat der Officier, mit dem Degen in der Hand, vor meine Mutter hin, und ein Trupp Deutscher Soldaten, der so eben kam, schloss einen Kreis um uns, die Wilden von uns abzuhalten.' Der Officier richtete meine Mutter auf, und sagte tröstend: Liebe, unglückliche Landsmannin, Niemand soll Ihnen etwas zu Leide thun.' Sie streckte beide Arme nach mir aus, und drückte mich mit der Atzten kraft ihres Lebens an die Brust. Die Wilden erhoben ein schreckliches Geheul. Sie wendete furchtsam das Gesicht nach ihnen um, und sagte dann zu dem Officier: Beschützen Sie mein Kind!' Er versprach ihr, mein Vater zu seyn und sie zu sichern. Doch schon hatte im Getümmel der Dolch eines grausamen Wilden sie getroffen. Sie sank in meine bebende Arme, rief noch einmal den Namen meines Vaters, und starb nach wenigen Minuten.

"

"

"Als ich, damals, ein Knabe, von zehn Jahren, den Leichnam sanft auf den boden gelegt und jammernd gesagt hatte: Meine Mutter its todt! trat der Officier zürnend, mit gezogenem Degen, auf die Schaar der Wilden zu, und schien im Begriff, die doppelte Mordthat durch Blut zu rächen, Doch er liess den Degen wieder sinken, und sagte, langsam das Gesicht gen Himmel aufhebend: Guter Gott! müssen Menschen in Gesellschaft mit Tiegern fechten?—Sind auch das deine Kinder? 0, ich werde sein Gesicht voll Zorns und Schmerzes, voll Abscheu's und Güte, nie vergessen, nie vergessen wie er dann das Auge voll lächelnder, Wehmuth auf mich wendete, die Hand auf meine Stern legte, und zu mir sagte: Von jetzt an bin ich dein Vater.'"*

The London University. Vol. II., Chapter XIV., page 354, et seq.

"We must now allude to an event in Campbell's life which will cause him the gratitude of millions of unborn hearts, and the benefits of which are incalculable. It is to Campbell that England owes the London University. Four years before it was made public, the idea struck his mind, from having been in the habit of visiting the universities of Germany, and studying their regulations. He communicated it, at first, to two or three friends only, until his ideas on the subject became mature, when they were made public, and a meeting on the business convened in Lon

The foregoing extract is the commencement of Lafontaine's novel of "Burneck und Saldorf," and the only part of the work which bears the slightest resemblance to "Gertrude of Wyoming." I am indebted to Mr. William Smith for directing my attention to it.-ED.

INAUGURATION ADDRESS.

507

don, which Mr. Campbell addressed, and where the establishment of such an Institution met the most zealous support. Once in operation, the men of the city, headed by Mr. Brougham, lost not a moment in advancing the great and useful object in view. The undertaking was divided into shares, which were rapidly taken. Mr. Brougham took the leading part, and addressed the various meetings on the subject. With a rapidity unexampled, the London University has been completed; and Campbell has had the satisfaction of seeing his projected instrument of education in full operation, in less than three years after he made the scheme public."*-Memoir of Thomas Campbell. Poems. Paris Edition, 1828.

Speech at his Inauguration. Vol. II., Chapter VIII, page 190-3.

Glasgow University-On the 12th of April the inauguration of Mr. Thomas Campbell, as Lord Rector, took place. On this occasion he addressed his assembled auditory as follows:

"STUDENTS, I return you my best thanks for your having done me the honor of electing me to the situation in which I now address you-the greatest honor that was ever conferred upon me. It may easily be imagined, that I cannot speak to you at this moment without experiencing considerably strong sensations. If but to revisit these courts, and to look from the windows of this hall, suffice to make its surrounding objects teem to me with the recollection of ancient friendships and of early associates --some of them your fathers-how much more deeply must I be touched, to find myself surrounded by the countenances of a young and rising generation, by whose favor I have been invited to the spot of my birth, and to this our venerated University. I throw myself on the candor of all around me, not to misconstrue this expression of my natural feelings into the language of self-complacency. If, indeed, I could come to this place with any such froward feeling, or in any frame of mind but that of unfeigned diffidence, the solemn associations which this bench inspires-the images of revered instructors-and of great departed men that hallow it to our memory-the Genius of the place itself would overawe and rebuke me back into humility. No one is better aware than myself of the accidental prejudices that mixed with the partiality which called me hither at the same time, is it not right that I should be grateful for the kindly prejudices of young hearts, free in their choice, disinterested in their motives, and ingenuous from their years? Your favor was such as I could not have commanded with power, nor purchased with wealthand, believe me, I value it accordingly. Students, I am not barely entitled, I am bound to hail and to hold you as my friends. The alumnus of your own Alma Mater, and one taught by experience to sympathize with all the hopes, and objects, and fears, and difficulties of a student, I can speak to you with the cordial interest of fellowship and fraternity.

"If I shall presume to express this interest in the shape of a few words of well-meant advice to you, on the subject of your studies, believe me that I do so from having no other mode of showing my regard for you, than by following a custom which has now become half official; and that I am not unconscious of tendering, what may be called a service

* Of the SCHEME of EDUCATION, referred to, Vol. II., p. 168, no perfect copy has been found.-ED.