Give me the being of "etherial mind" Who soars superior to the vulgar throng, The next a sober citizen and wife And only child, a daughter, took their places, O'erspread the mild expression of their faces. Loving, belov'd. Contentment, which embracesEach source of happiness, their journey bless'd,, Smil'd as they rose, and pillow'd them to rest. They were proceeding down to Cove to see His sister-who had lately given " her lord” Another pledge of love,-they then had three, And a small basket they had brought on board With wildfowl, fruit, and other rarity; And the child carried a wax doll and sword,. Which cost of tenpennies at least some dozens, As presents to her favourite little cousins. Who next appear? two dandies! pretty creatures! Flying the city's pestilential air, Its unswept paving stones, its smoke and fume, To those not given to praying-what a pity! They wish'd besides, to see the magazine 135 136 They also wished to see the "Statio bene And health to boot, in dissipation's round; Next sat an old arthrytic invalid Whose ruby nose and prominence of paunch In sea of claret and on field of launch, Who liv'd by rule, and died at good old ages. To him appeared as quite a paradox The well known proverb "better is a dinner "Of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox 66 And therewith hatred," miserable sinner And row'd he'd never grow an atom thinner But with Sir William Curtis would he feast In soups, hot haricoes, and savoury stews, In " Almanach des Gourmands” we peruse. One sat beside him---but powers divine! Was ever such a contrast? tall and thin One "pound of flesh" no mortal could combine Tis contrast creates pleasure: the young day Of sweetest noontide warblers.---Three or four "Tis contrast creates beauty---hill and dale Smile in the landscape, by each others aid, The placid lake unruffled by the gale Shines with more splendour thro' the vista's shade; Ocean looks cheerless, 'till the swelling sail Bounds o'er its bosom. But each rule, 'tis said, Has its exception :---and 'twas here prodigious, For these two were, by contrast, downright hideous. Next a fond mother and her darling boy, An ugly, waspish, restless, giddy brat, Contriving all around him to `annoy, Whining for this thing, trying to snatch that, Bursting away---at length to crown our joy Up went his heels---and tumbling he fell flat Upon old gouty's toe---who screech'd and roar'd "Oh!!! dm the devil, throw him overboard!" In gout 'tis deem'd allowable to swear At wife or child, or father, sister, brother, It sooths the anguish of the pain, as air Relieves from suffocation, and the mother As she snatch'd the urchin, thought it fair To offer some apology or other; So hoping that he suffer'd little pain, Vow'd the dear child should not be bold again! Dark scowl'd his angry brow---the crimson glow Occasion'd by the burning fire below Raging so furiously by being fed So lately with more fuel. But the blow To various merriment on all sides led, Some smil❜d, some titter'd, others laughed-but I, A scene-but of a different kind Was acting opposite by a young pair, Who, blind themselves, conceived all others blind; And the fond youth breath'd in his "Ladye's" ear Vows of eternal constancy-that bind Firmly as debtors' promises, and are Oaths of allegiance to the ruling powerThe French-sad traitors-broke them every hour! Deep blushed the maiden, and with downcast eye Stole softly from her bosom-and 'twas plain G 138 "Look at that little fellow with a crowd "Of lubbers round him, that's that little " Boyle" "That makes the Freeholders; just hear how loud "He talks-his clapper's not in want of oil; "He's a d---nd funny chap---tho' bloody proud. "Look at that tall man standing near the coil "Of rope there, that's Joe Evans, who you know "Is so religious, he's call'd "Holy Joe." Pacing the deck, some angry politicians About their several measures were disputing, There three atorneys a new point were mooting; But I must cease describing persons tho' I still could spin some twenty stanzas more, In cabin crowded,-and of those before I'll close this canto ere I prove a bore. It treats of persons—but some curious things END OF CANTO-II. ARIOSTO AND SCOTT. The love of the marvellous, which may be considered the primary source of romance, does not form as has been erroneously supposed, the peculiar characteristic of the dark ages. It is perhaps under those awful visitątions of mental darkness, which have occasionally overshadowed the earth that we find this propensity of the human mind in its greatest vigour; but however changed or modified its results may be, the principle still continues active and unsubdued, even at the brightest periods of intellectual illumination. The proposition we think may be familiarly illustrated. The Londoner of the present day would laugh very heartily at the adventures of the renowned Guy Earl of Warwick, or Jack the Giant-Killer, which afforded such entertainment to his forefather, but we question very much whether bis scepticism would extend to a well-told ghost story, and at all events we are pretty certain that his taste for dwarfs and giants— for mermaids and rattle snakes-for monsters and abortions of every description still continues to exist in a state of classic purity. Under the discipline of a good education this principle is found very favourable to the advancement of the human understanding; it contributes essentially to those undefinable emotions of pleasure which we derive from contemplating whatever is sublime and majestic in the aspects of nature, and affords no mean evidence of our capacity and adaptation for a higher state of existence. Whether the extravagant phantoms which figure as the dramatis persone in the legendary lore of every country, be the exelusive offspring of a predominant superstition-or derive their origin from the allegories of a barbarous age-or can claim a lineal descent from the ancient mythologies, we leave to the speculations of the curious, satisfied at the same time, that the universal belief in a spiritual or supernatural agency, which the subject reveals, contains philosophy enough to interest a materialist. For our own parts, in referring the rise of romance, to a principle which has been uniformly active in the human breast, rather than to the inventive powers of any particular tribe or nation, although we may shock the prejudices of some orthodox believers by our latitudenarian notions, we cannot help feeling that we approximate more closely to the truth, and render the question of more easy solution than by adopting either the American, the Scaldic or the Saracenic theory of its origin. As to the similarity of incidents, which is said to characterize the generality of goblin stories-we can easily conceive that any two nations, living under a similar climate and cultivating a similar mythology, should exhibit some very curious analogies in their traditionary lore. In adopting this hypothesis, however, we do not mean to exclude the agency of those collateral causes, which may tend to give the appearance of identity to these popular fictions. The migratory disposition of the Asiatic and European barbarians, producing an intercourse between the most distant nations, must have tended to propagate and blend those romantic fables; and the circumscribed bounds of human invention, must have necessarily limited the recreations of fancy. Of course, the proposition we have advanced, always assumes a certain degree of ignorance-and although we admit that the empire of knowledge has been greatly extended in modern times, it will |