THE HEIGHTS OF PHALERE. 271 



over the field of battle, and in a short time every vestige of clothing had 

 disappeared from the slain, horses and all and from these last, even 

 their skins. In the mean time, the hero of the standard was relating, to 

 such an audience as he could collect, (Franks only, of course,) the 

 history of his adventure. He had been one of the garrison of the Acro- 

 polis, and had volunteered, with a companion, to carry letters from the 

 commandant to the Greek government. Having, on the previous 

 evening, descended from the fortress into the town, which was in the pos- 

 session of the enemy, he there found himself so situated, that he could 

 not escape, without alarming the guard : his companion lost heart, and 

 returnee! to the citadel. Not knowing what better to do, he lay down 

 in the street, and (at least so he said) slept till he was disturbed, on the 

 following morning, by the passing of one of the detachments going to 

 the attack of the tambouri. Being a Bulgarian by birth, and his native 

 language Turkish, he immediately conceived the idea of joining the 

 detachment passing himself off for a Turk and afterwards trusting to 

 accident for his escape. All went on well till the hour of prayer, when 

 he was obliged to imitate, as well as he could, the gesticulations of the 

 Turkish ceremonial. He was a clever fellow, but his awkwardness was 

 remarked j and upon being questioned, he accounted for it, by saying 

 he had been wounded in the arm. All went well, and he contrived to 

 join in every charge, keeping in the rear, and amusing himself, by his 

 own account, by shooting his comrades, pro tern, through the head, from 

 behind ; till at last, in what he believed to be the final charge, he seized 

 the standard, and succeeded in joining his friends in the tambouri. He 

 accompanied the whole of his recital with appropriate gestures, suiting 

 the action to the word, and the word to the action ; and after being 

 liberally rewarded by the commanders, he went his way to JEgina, to lay 

 before the government his letters. 



The establishment of the tambouri led to no beneficial results ; and 

 three months afterwards, the iron twenty-fours, to the great annoyance 

 of those who had blistered their hands in dragging them up, were dis- 

 mounted, and thrown into on old dry well. Athens was left to its fate, 

 and the Greeks abandoned the Heights of Phalere. 



MY SWEET WHITE ROSE. 



MY sweet white rose, my sweet white rose, 



O might I wear thee on my breast 

 The dark day cometh, let me fold 

 Thy beauty from the rain and cold, 

 6 come and be my guest i 



My sweet white rose, my sweet white rose, 



Thy cheek is very pale and fair ! 

 Alas ! thou art a tender tree, 

 My fearful heart doth sigh for thee, 

 Meek nursling of the summer air ! 



My sweet white rose, my sweet white rose, 



All full of silver dew thou art ; 

 The fresh bloom laughs on every leaf, 

 Oh, ere thy joy is touched by grief, 

 Let me bind thee on my heart ! 



