scenes even more beautiful than they were before: oldruined castles are again inhabited by wondrous knights and "ladies faire;" dried up moats are again bursting with the sparkling waters as of yore; and the days of chivalry rise before the vision, but to be dispelled by the croaking raven disturbing the leaves of ivy that cover the ruined memorial of time. Not a breath of air stirred the growing grain, that would have trembled before the flutter of a sparrow's wing; and all was still and silent, save when the soft melody of the woodpigeon, or the more majestic notes of the waking blackbird, and the gentle lowing of the still drowsy cattle, stole on the deep silence; and then the tones were breathed forth so softly, that they seemed as if unwilling to awake from slumber the tumult and vices of the busy world. The sparkling dew-drops that clung to the blades grass were not yet withered beneath the beams of the morning sun; and here and there the tiny wren, hopping among the hawthorn branches, shook from the twigs a brilliant shower, which, checked by the lower brambles, lingered for awhile on the moistened leaves, and fell at intervals into the streamlet that flowed beneath. of I had wandered on, where and whither I cared not, when I found that, with perhaps natural instinct, I was treading the velvet sward of what was then called-Heaven knows what appellation modern improvements may have bestowed on it-the "Fairy Tryst ;" and, truly, if the "good people" had searched over broad England for the most lovely spot on which to dance their merry gambols and sport beneath the bright beams of the silver moon, they could not have found one more lovely, more glowing in the brilliant tints of Nature, than this. The tall, still grain stood before the but there, words cast but shadows on the bright reality; so, kind reader, again must I call forth thy most luxuriant fancy to portray a scene more lovely than this poor pen can depict. I will pass to a picture which, as it cannot be imagined by the reader, without some clue to its nature, I will describe.. We were wandering on, thoughtless of all but our own enjoyment, when suddenly turning the angle of a fine old oak that grew in our path, I was somewhat startled by observing in the next field, stretched around a blazing fire (it was a hot morning too!) some twenty or thirty beings, of both sexes, all sizes and ages, with about a dozen fierce-looking dogs. One glance convinced me that they were gipsies! I had a most inveterate horror of the class; and it has "grown with my growth, and strengthened with my manhood." Judge, then, of my fear, aye, to me, undeniable fear, on finding myself in the very centre, as it were, of a gipsies' camp! Not wishing for close acquaintanceship, I was making off with all possible speed in another direction, when I was arrested, or, in more homely parlance, too much frightened to proceed, by hearing close behind me such a scream as made my ears ring again. Much alarmed, I was starting off with redoubled speed, when I felt my arm clutched as with a powerful hand. I was compelled to turn round, and found my pursuer was a fine, powerfully-built woman of the gipsy tribe: her whole appearance bespoke great agony of mind. Her dark hair hung in lank negligence around her swarthy shoulders; while her large eyes, of piercing darkness, told of " the war that burnt within." Grasping me tightly by the arm, she exclaimed, "This way, sir; this way. Oh, as you value life, save him!” She dragged me, rather than led me, to a spot where the river, by one of its graceful force of the water buoys up for a short time windings, forms a strong eddy, and though the whatever comes within its power, when the water it round and buries it beneath its frothed waters. once gets precedence over the body, it whirls There! there!" she screamed, as she pointed to the spot-" there he fell in: look, he is sinking!" I was perfectly bewildered, as she appeared to see, for, clutching me by the arm still tighter, she dragged me to the stump of a tree, that bent its weight over the stream, and I then perceived what made my young heart quail, and my limbs totter, till I was compelled to sink on the bank more dead than alive. In the very centre of the eddy was a fine, sturdy-looking infant, struggling with the fierce whirlpool, its eyes fixed, and the water gurgling and bubbling in its tiny throat. Fear, and the strong grasp of the gipsy, together with the fearful sight that met my gaze, were too much for my young spirit to bear, and I fell back in a heavy stupor. How long I lay I know not; but when I awoke I found myself on the same spot, and the dripping form of Nero standing at my side. The poor fellow was shivering from head to foot, and his wet hairs convinced me that he had been in the river. I was, however, in no mood for meditation, and seeing that the gipsy had disappeared, I was on the point of making my way home, when a rough voice exclaimed, "No, no, master, not yet: you'll visit us first, won't you?" The speaker, who was at my side, was one of the men whom I had seen crouched around the fire, and the place rang with his laughter as he seized me like an infant, and bore me away to the camp. Many were the shouts of mirth with which my cries for mercy were received, and from the words that passed between them, I soon discovered that the object of my capture was plunder. "Well done, youngster!" cried a swarthylooking fellow," as I struggled vainly to escape. 'Well done; you've strength enough for your age; but I'll warrant you're no match for my boy yonder. Come, we'll have a match; your strength against his. If you throw him first, you're free to go your ways; if he throws you, why-ha! ha!-Tom wears those fine clothes instead of you!" and with shouts of laughter the group fifted me up, and I saw opposite me, resting on the knee of one of the men, a ragged looking urchin about my own age, with a head like a hedgehog, and hands-aye, they might have been dirty, to be sure, but they looked amazingly like a negro's! Young as I was, frightened as I was, I still saw my work, and the same fear that the moment before cowed me down to the depths of misery, now rose again in my blood at the thought of being free; and with the strength of a lion's cub I rushed at the boy, and struck him with all the force I was master of. "No, no, youngster," cried a dozen voices; fair wrestling; but no fighting." I was unacquainted with the word, but the boy seemed to be perfectly at home in the art, for seizing me by the collar before I had time to stretch out my arm, he threw me on the ground with great violence. "Ha! ha! done like a man, Tom!" cried the first speaker: "and now, young gentleman," continued he, with mock politeness, if you'll just oblige us with the loan of your coat, and maybe a few pence for Tom to jingle, I'll thank you!" I felt the much-dreaded time was come, and bursting into a violent flood of tears, I let the fellow tear the garment from my back. The silk handkerchief I was wearing fell to the same fate, and they were proceeding to further extremities, when the fellows suddenly stopped in their work, and the female I had first seen stood in the middle of the group. "No, no!" she cried, holding up her hand," not him! hurt him not; or by " And the rest of the sentence was lost, as she bent forward, and whispered something to them. A silence followed, broken only by my hollow sobs. Suddenly she turned to me, and said, "Go, boy; go: your dog saved the gipsy's child, and the mother blesses you!" And hurrying my torn clothes on me, she pressed my forehead to her brown lips, as she exclaimed "Poor boy, you will be friendless soon!-go!" I needed no second bidding; but running off, was soon lying on the couch at home, relating, sick and faint, my tale of wonder. In vain were the servants sent in search of the camp; it was gone, and the dark ashes and tattered remains of garments alone told of where the gipsies' tent had been. The girl's parting words were true: I did lose my best friend: poor Nero was shot, by accident, two days after! Put on the spectacles of mercy, oh most kind critic, if it should appear to you that the foregoing sketch is too romantic to be true! I might-no, I could double the present words, in relating more minute particulars, to clear myself of the charge of being one of those "intensely miserable” beings, a mere "blood-and-thunder" writer; but the doubts as to the possible reality of this poor sketch may be set at once at rest, when, kind reader (I'm fond of that exclamation, you will say), you "cast the bright vale of memory around you," and consider that these incidents took place in the good year of 1791, and that we are now arrived at the intel lectual, glorious, enlightened, go-a-head year of railway memory-One Thousand Eight Hundred and Forty-six ! 66 POOR RELATIONS.-There are two sorts of Poor Relations. When an obscure individual by honest industry or fortunate speculations amasses a fortune, his position in society is raised, not that of his rela. tions lowered. In such a case the millionaire is generally a thorough man of the world, who, having passed through several grades of society, knows something of the characteristics and vicissitudes of each. He's usually consistent even in his seeming inconsistencies; and while, probably, he feels but small compassion for the mortifications and humiliations which poverty brings to the highly refined and delicate-minded, he has been known to perform acts of lavish generosity, in aiding the views of those whom he believes to be money-getting people. Indeed, this last attribute be places among the cardinal virtues, and thinks it should be rewarded accordingly. He is generally a good-natured, good-tempered man, and what with the money he spends and often gives, and the sort of guiding start which his good fortune proves to the plodding and industrious, he is altogether a very useful member of society. To be sure he has his little weaknesses, being almost always fond of display, very proud of his wealth, and extremely sensitive when in his opinion any collateral person or thing is likely to dim its lustre. He has usually very splendid houses: his wife is a very fine lady," and his daughters are very accomplished." They are shocked at uncle Tom's " vulgarity," and were surprised to hear that that dowdy woman whom they met on the stairs was their cousin. In this case, however, the poor relations (we speak of them in the plural, for their name is generally legion) shine by a bor rowed light. They are planets moving round at a distance from the great luminary, and have satellites themselves. In their own circle, they talk of their relative Sir Bragsley Goldsworth, describe the baronet's carriages and liveries, and his house in Grosvenor Place; and they saw Miss Sophia one day in dare say she will marry to a title. Such poor relathe Park, and they think her a beautiful girl, and beings. The five-pound notes occasionally given, tions as these are generally contented and grateful and the basket of provisions at Christmas, and the huge bundles of cast-off wearing apparel twice a-year, and the nursery's furniture when the nursery's cupation's gone," and the premium for Dick's ap prenticeship, and "that twenty pounds" were all of real service; and the poor relations get on pretty well, and are perhaps as happy as the rich one after all. But the decayed gentleman--the man of refinement and education-ah! this is a different and a graver story. 64 "Yet, lit by Memory's moon-like beam C. T. THE DEATH OF BAYARD. Gold shall reward the peasant's toil, The day was lost. The rush of war Now speak, my trembling lute, and show All gor'd with wounds, gasping for breath- His breast-plate, bloody, hack'd, and torn, Before him, in the bloody sand, His sword was stuck-with folded hand, Went down the war-horse and its knight, He led the chivalry of France; The soldier's pride, his country's shield, In vain his brave and lion breast Still stemm'd the tide, when fled the rest; They melted from the field like snow- They bore him from the bloody plain, “Now pity, from my soul!" he cried, That thou, brave Bayard, should'st have died! Alas! that this too bloody fight So dearly should be won; For Chivalry has lost her knight, THE ASTROLOGER OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY. BY H. E. A. E. Perhaps there are few affections of the human mind more universal than superstition. True, the day of oracles is past; nor does the favourable or unfavourable flight of birds any longer determine whether there shall be war or peace, or suspend the operations of civil or military enterprise; yet even now, in the full effulgence of the brightness of the march of intellect, astrology is by some few practised and by others believed, as are also many other sorts of predictions; and though the credulous in these particulars may be very few in comparison to the incredulous, still who can with conscientious veracity aver, there dwells not in him one speck of this same | thing, superstition? Nor is this so altogether strange as might appear at first sight, when we reflect on the precarious nature of our position here, its liability to be seriously affected by the seemingly simplest events, its exceeding susceptibility of change, its liability even to fade away to nothingness; and which last, sad as it may be, is indeed the only certainty pertaining thereto. frames), nor tree nor edifice was visible. As we neared this strange building, the gloominess of its appearance increased, a few owls hooted out a welcome which was responded to by a sudden flight of bats that our nervously tremulous summons had startled from their resting-place. Meeting with no immediate response, I had leisure to consider the edifice with a little more attention, though our party was too anxiously expectant to allow me to make either accurate or uninterrupted observations, yet I noted a projection encircled the tower some distance above my reach, but no semblance of a window could I for some time discover in the massivelooking stone wall, till a closer inspection enabled me to discern apertures of a longitudinal form (or slits as they might well be called of about four fingers' breadth; but they appeared at such distant intervals, that moderate indeed must have been the quantity of sun-ray transmitted by them. My critical remarks, however, we here cut short by an affirmative response to our request for admission, and we were ushered, with Such, or similar, were the arguments 1 held much peril to limb and garb, up a long, narrow in my own mind, by way of extenuation, as I flight of stone steps, both steep and winding, and prepared to accompany a small party who were thus through a sort of trap-door, came at once about to visit the domicile of a far-famed pro- into a room octangular in form, of inconsiderable fessor of the science, Astrology. It may by height and dimensions, seeming the while rather some be considered to admit of a just doubt, as crowded with a heterogeneous mixture of indeto whether curiosity had, or had not, a part in scribable machinery and apparatus. One of the proving the efficacy and soundness of the argu- angles was furnished with wooden doors of handments to my own satisfaction; but let that pass. some and elaborate workmanship, but in the last After a toilsome journey of some miles, per- stage of decay; and when removed-for they were formed pedestrianwise, we entered upon a barren past opening according to the original intentheath, which, though it boasted no eminence of the aperture afforded an easy transit to the balaltitude sufficient to afford a feature to the land-cony I had before noticed—that is, for such as scape, yet possessed innumerable declivities, enough raised from the unaspiring parts in their vicinity to render progression very toilsome and rather dangerous; but, with an end in view, what is not the human frame capable of accomplishing! It was in the gloom of twilight that we first came in sight of our haven of refuge, or rather cabinet of knowledge of the hidden future. Abruptly there broke upon our view, and without previous intimation of near approach to our destination, a slender tower, which as it stood out in relief against the smooth clear sky, paled with evening's faintest tint, its height seemed commanding, almost majestic; nor was the idea controverted by contrast, for save one tiny patch of poor little stunted bushes and bush-like shrubs (which seemed to mourn their hard fate even with the vital juices kind nature had intended should invigorate their sickly had hearts which disdained the fear of trusting their precious bodies on a tenement, whose shrieks and groans at the slightest movement were calculated to suggest its full consciousness of the indignity. For nyself, curious as I was, a minute inspection of the balustrade environing it was thus entirely prohibited; and yet it was a pity this should be so, as it bore the style of being composed of bones and horns, as if intended to describe some portion of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Hearing a slight noise not far from where I had placed myself for the better observance of the curiosity before-named, I turned suddenly to ascertain the cause, and beheld one whom I directly installed—in my own idea at least-lord of these strange novelties extricating himself from the intricacies of a hidden recess, whose entrance had been be fore concealed from our sight, or had at all events my narrative, referring the curious in the affair, if such there be, to the sequel. 66 escaped our scrutiny. All other wonders sank having waded through the curious technicalities into common-places with me in my amazement of houses, horoscopes, conjunctions, oppositions, at his eccentric exterior, but more still in my cuyps, trines, squares, and etceteras innudesire and attempt to fathom the depth within. merable, an idea occurred to me, and I immeHis enormous beard, and incongruous costume, diately acted upon the suggestion, and returned bearing a foreign character, yet defying the most the paper; but what that idea was I shall delearned or the most ingenious to say to what na-cline explaining for a little while, and continue tion it belonged, with its lavish diversity of hue and texture, were insignificant from the moment his sharp, twinkling, eyes caught my attention. No sooner was this observed by him than he contrived to throw into them, and, indeed, over his whole countenance, such a look of pre-occupation, that my friend, anxious for the furtherance of his mission for which he had procured the necessary documents, ventured a few preliminary coughs, which not meeting with the attention he hoped and expected them to do, he addressed the strange being in words. So natural was the slight start, and return to consciousness of the present, in the astrologer, that I scarcely dared affirm either was assumed, nor even when succeeded (as they were) by sundry bitter smiles at the naive remarks from my friend the would-be-futurewise, accompanied by scrutinising glances at one and other of the party now assembled before him. Certainly I was constrained to confess myself sorely puzzled, and still in doubt as to whether he might be suitably classed under the denomination of deceiver or deceived. But not to weary: the date of year, particular month, day, hour, nay, even minute, of his entrée into this world, were duly stated and authenticated by my friend, and valued by him according to the difficulty he had experienced in obtaining the information, as he had long dwelt with de light on the having his "nativity cast"-this being, as I understood, the technical term; and soon the precious paper which was to assure him of future good and evil concerning himself was placed in his own possession. None of the others forming the party being prepared with the necessary evidence, the business ended here, though each much regretted his incapability to partake in the divulgements here made; and all determined, if Mr.'s fortune proved bright and good, to take an early opportunity of securing a similar boon for themselves. The length of our stay had not divested our road homeward of any portion of the inequalities we encountered in our journey thither. The moon, indeed, lent her feeble aid in smoothing difficulties; but, alas! she is proverbially inconstant, and, during a fit of displeasure or abstraction she thought proper to indulge in, a wag of the company extracted the dearly-prized treasure from the pocket of its owner, and to avoid suspicion or detection, invested me with the same. Possessing some curiosity concerning the contents, I resolved to examine them ere returning the document. I had not forgotten the twinkling, restless, and suspicious movement of the grey eyes, nor the peculiar compression of the lips, I had seen in the astrologer, therefore I took some pains to decipher the scrawl that to one less determined would have been unintelligible. After Not many months after this I was obliged to enact the part of a surprised listener, to a tale from this rifler of secrets "to come," which, in his opinion, established the veritable reputation of astrology as a true and wonderful science, and the professor, past dispute, one of the savans of the nineteenth century. This mighty affair was, that being about to set out for the purpose of executing his daily avocations, he, as had been his wont since becoming possessed of the much-valued document, consulted what he termed his "informer or oracle," and found that on that day he was destined to encounter peril certain to affect his purse, and which might ultimately result in loss of love, at a time when least prepared for it. "Now," said he, considerably excited, "listen how wonderfully this has come to pass. In the first place, having this fear before my eyes, I prudently refrained from taking with me (as I ought otherwise to have done) a considerable sum of money, placed with me as a sort of trust; and thankful was I for the warning, as, in the very omnibus I that morning patronized, sat a most suspicious-looking personage, who, I had not a doubt in my own mind, was one of those dangerous persons named pickpockets, though he afterwards feigned to be a policeman in disguise. Well, as my ill fate predicted, while I was engaged in an interview with the parties to whom I was bound to pay the money, Miss called to pay a morning visit to the lady. Not liking exactly to make them acquainted with my real motive for withholding the cash, I invented a number of excuses, all of which, however, failed in convincing them I possessed no nefarious intention; and they bestowed upon me many epithets, some rather opprobrious ones, in the very sight and hearing of this young lady for whom I have long felt a penchant, and with whom I was on very good terms. Feeling quite certain of making affairs all straight, the next morning I did not resent, indeed hardly noticed the terms they applied to me; neither did I care for the sneers with which they received the gold I safely delivered into their hands on the following day; but when, on the evening of that day, I called to offer explanations, and indeed to tell her the truth, she not only doubted my word, but rejected my suit at once and for ever, on the plea that my prevarication and equivocation on the day preceding had altered her opinion of me. How, then, can you doubt the truth of this mystical knowledge? I have not the smallest hesitation in believing that the still unfulfilled predictions will come to pass as nearly as these have done that have happened." "What are they?" inquired I, pretending |