It was long afterwards before I again saw anything uncorporeal, except the Anatomia Vicant, and the skeleton of the gigantic whale. I grew up almost forgetful of their being. I fell in love with an angel, of course-a spirit of a very different form and nature to any other acquaintances. I got married, and eleven small children are the pledges of our connubial bliss. One night, as my wife was giving me the most comfortable assurance of her being locked in the arms of Morpheus or Orpheus-(which is it?) -I heard a noise!-a fearful, unaccountable, and mysterious noise: bump-bump-bump. I listened-it repeated. It struck me that it might be caused by thieves. I instantly drew on my inexpressibles, armed myself with the poker, and left the room without disturbing my wife. I went down stairs into all the rooms, saw that the doors were safe; beheld nothing but a rat running across the pantry, and heard nothing but the chirping of the crickets in the kitchen. I went back, grumbling inwardly at myself for being so easily deceived, and just as I was in the act of divesting myself of my peculiars, I heard bump-bump-bump. I re-arranged them in the twinkling of a bed-post, and sallied out for a more careful search. I examined all the cupboards and cellars, but they were as still as the church-yard; and saw nothing but an assemblage of black beetles, whose soirées I had unintentionally disturbed. I again ascended the stairs in a worse humour than before, cursing my credulity for leading me into such a wildgoose-chase, on a raw right in November. I was getting into bed. Hush!-yes!-'tis that infernal sound again!-Bump-bumpbump! I began to think it no joke. All the stories I had read of awful voices heard at midnight came fresh on my mind. I felt assured of its being a supernatural visitation. I hesitated about proceeding I did not possess so much relish for an interview as I formerly had. I thought that my spiritual communications were not likely to benefit my large family of small children; and as I had no particular desire to lose my sleeping partner,' I was charitable enough to imagine she had the same dislike to give up my society. While I was considering, I heard the same diabolical sound, as audible as the voice of the Member for Preston, when the House is visited with a catarrh, during one of his intellectual speeches. I arrayed myself in that garment which a well-bred author would never think of mentioning-that is, if he possesses one-but with little of the alacrity I had previously used. I must own I felt some repugnance to such an adventure; but I stole a look at my somnolent spouse, and thought that her night-cap never looked half so interesting. I became valiant.-Bump-bumpbump! I felt a slight tremulousness, but it was a momentary weakness. I grasped the poker, and started up like a giant refreshed with wine.

Down stairs I proceeded. tranquil as a calm at sea.

Not a mouse stirred. All was as Ha! what's that?-Two flaming eyes

stared at me through the darkness. They shone like balls of fire.

The perspiration dropt down my face, and my limbs refused to perform their office. I held by the banisters, without scarcely daring to breathe. Still those horrible eyes glared at me with a strange fascination that transfixed me to the spot where I stood; neither could I take off my gaze. I was spell bound. I could see nothing but those demon-like optics, and I felt as if my senses were about to leave me. I tried to speak, but my tongue clove to my mouth. I thought of my unfortunate little ones, and my disconsolate better half. I thought of my sins, matrimonial and celibaceous. I thought how often I had kissed my mother s domestics during my state of single blessedness, and my heart smote me for the heinousness of such offences. I became somewhat refreshed after my remorse, and felt a returning presence of mind. I determined to speak to it, and know my fate at once. With a faltering voice and trembling limbs, I at last spoke out, "Ghost, Devil, or Spirit, or whatever else may be thy name or nature, vanish to thy unnatural abode; or if thou comest on any errand, speak thy object and depart in peace." I waited with the most intense anxiety to see the effect produced by my eloquence. I saw the flaming orbs advance nearer to me with a pit-pat-pit sort of a sound, and heard a longdrawn mew. Damn the cat?' I exclaimed in a rage, and hurried up stairs into my bed.

I discovered the next morning, that puss had stolen the best part of a leg of mutton, which had been left in the supper-room, and her efforts to drag it from stair to stair, had created those bumps, which would have puzzled a better phrenologist than myself to have defined. The last of my ghostly visitations happened a short time since. To my inconsolable grief, my amiable rib eloped with a corpulent Ensign in the Surrey Militia, leaving all my little ones at one fell swoop.' I regretted her loss. She had a style of giving lectures, which might have qualified her for a professorship, and her cherry-bounce was magnificent. My first design was to follow the spoiler of my domestic felicity, and blow out his brains. I loaded my pistols, and buttoned up my gaiters. As I was placing the last button in its appropriate situation, with all the tranquil dignity of an insulted husband, I recollected the unsuccessful result of my enquiries as to the place of their flight. For all I knew to the contrary, they might be in the Antipodes eating the production of the breadfruit tree, with the hospitable descendants of John Adams. I gave up my purpose, and resigned myself to my fate. I rocked my little ones to sleep, and sang 'Sweet Home' to them seven several times, in as many different keys. I was overpowered with my melancholy feelings, and wiped away the sympathetic tears with the corners of my night-cap, while I got into my cold and comfortless bed. I had a dream of a very disagreeable nature :—

Methought I saw my late espoused saint,'

sitting in the gardens of White Conduit House, drinking tea with

the fat ensign of the Surrey Infantry. My blood boiled; an intense feeling of hate seemed to possess me, and I loathed the obesity of his person as I abominate salt-cod and parsnips. I thirsted for his life. Aye! the milk of human kindness was turned sour within me, and my heart yearned for a deep and terrible revenge. I took a pen-knife from my pocket, and, desperately inclined, I pounced upon them like a kawk upon a pair of amorous sparrows. My wife screamed in her usual manner, and turned as white as her own apron. As for him, the vile seducer, I caught him by the tail of his military coat as he was trying to slink away, and held over him the bloodthirsty weapon in a manner truly dramatic. I was just preparing to plunge it into his diabolical breast, when he turned round and discharged a pistol at me. The ball went directly under my fifth rib, and lodged in my heart; and I fell with such force, that it awoke me. I jumped up-rubbed my eyes, and scratched my elbows, and looked around me. I could see nothing, but I heard a strange rumbling noise, followed by a rattling like the shaking of human bones. I listened, and it continued. A stream of light came from a crack in the shutters, and I fancied that I saw a figure pass across. A thought of midnight assassins made me jump out of bed in a fit of desperate valour. I armed myself with my father's heavy broadsword, who had been a member of the City Light Horse, and trod softly towards the window. With one hand I cautiously opened the shutters, as I held my outstretched weapon in the other; the light streamed into the room, but I could discover nothing. I then proceeded to poke my sword into all the corners of the room, and under the bed, but it produced no effect. I began to consider myself the victim of some strange delusion, when, as I approached the fire-place, I beheld by the uncertain light from the window, the most awful and terrible figure human sight had ever witnessed

Black it stood, as night;

Fierce as furies, terrible as hell!"

The sword dropt from my grasp-my limbs shook with more than mortal agony I dropt upon my knees, and began saying my prayers, louder, and with more sincerity than I had ever used in my life! when, to my unspeakable horror, I heard an unearthly voice exclaim Crikey Cill! if I arn't come down the wrong chimney.'

SONNET.

In beauty's brightest guise, I've seen thee shine,
When pleasure flushing o'er thyforehead rare,
Glow'd thro' the ringlets of thy light-brown hair,
I've deem'd that more than mortal charms were thine;
When to thy voice of thrilling melody,

Affection lent a softer, heav'nlier tone,

And with the light of love, thy mild eye shone,
Gladd'ning the heart of him who gaz'd on thee.

Yet art thou not less lovely when, as now,
Kind sympathy and chast ned sadness fling
A milder radiance o'er thy pensive brow,
In blended shades, serene, yet varying,
Like the soft light which marks the close of day,
When ev'ning's red is melting into grey.

A. W.

EXTRACTS FROM THE

JOURNAL OF AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN,

Who travelled through Holland, Germany, Switzerland, Flanders and Italy, at the commencement of the last century.

(CONCLUDED FROM VOL. II., PAGE 108.)

I must mention here, also, another particular about Worms that I met with by chance, a few days ago, in the Commentary of Mr. Huldricus's supposed history of the pretended "Rabbi Juchanan Ben Saccai," concerning Jesus Christ: (a book which, by the bye, is truly detestable in itself; and in my opinion, would have been much better not to have been published in Latin). This fool of a Jew, (I mean Juchanan,) who was born at Worms, as we have very strong reasons to conjecture: this Rabbin, I say, pretends that there were Jews at Worms a long time before the coming of our Messias; and that Herod sent expresses to them, to consult what should be done with him; and that their synagogues at Worms voted all for the saving of his life, whence he concludes that the Jews of Worms ought to be distinguished from the others, and favoured by the Christians. And, indeed, Mr. Wagenseilius, who is cited by the commentator, says, that "there are some Jews at Worms that have better notions of Jesus Christ than the rest of the Jews have." Mr. Huldricus says, also, (in quoting Rabbi Gedalia) that the Jews of Worms believe that the "Tetragram-* maton" is written (invisibly) in the roof of their synagogue; which is the reason why they never touch it with a broom, to wipe off the spiders and cobwebs.

NUREMBERG. We also saw the library; it is in a cloister which formerly, belonged to the Dominicans, and contains, as they say, twenty thousand volumes. This was collected out of the ruins of several convents, in the time of the reformation. The most antient manuscript, that they could not find, is, they say, mine hundred years old; it is a copy of the Gospels, with prayers and hymns then used in the Greek Church. I observed a book which was printed at Spire,* in the year 1446; but there might be an error in the figures, for they shewed us another of the impression of

• Iris a treatise on Predestination.-ED.

Faustus, at Mentz, in 1459, at the end of which, there is an advertisement which tells us that this book was not written by the hand, but was printed by an admirable secret newly invented.' It is probable that this was the first impression which was made at Mentz; and if it be so, there is no ground to suppose that another book was printed at Spire, thirteen years before; nor had Faustus any reason to boast so much of his new secret. I have heard, that there is another impression of Durandus' Officiale at Basil, printed by Faustus in the same year, 1459.

They keep in this library many rarities and curious antiquities, but they are not comparable to those that are in the cabinet of Mr. Viati. We saw at this gentleman's house, a pretty large chamber quite filled with divers arms of all countries, all uses, and all fashions. It is scarce to be conceived how one man, and he a private person, who hath not the estate of a prince, or a very great lord, could make such a vast collection; for the number is very great, and I believe brought from the four corners of the world. He shewed us the experiment of a wind-gun, which is a very pretty but a most destructive invention, because with this engine great mischiefs were done afar off, and without any noise. From this chamber you may go into another, where there are rare pictures, medals, curious works, antient and modern, idols, shells, plants, minerals, and other natural productions.

The town house is very large, and has a very beautiful and well proportioned front, but it wants a court before it. When we went from thence, our friends brought us to the city cellar, which is two hundred and fifty paces long, and contains, as they told us, twenty thousand tons of wine. We must allow it to be a very fair cellar: but the truth is, such people as we, know not how to relish all the pleasures of it.

You know the Germans* are strange drinkers; there are no people in the world more obliging, civil, and officious; but they have terrible customs as to the point of drinking, which seems to be both their labour and recreation. There is not time given to speak three words in a visit, but presently comes the collation, or at least some large jars of wine, with a plate full of crusts of bread hashed with pepper and salt, a fatal preparative for such poor drinkers as we are. But before we proceed, I must give you an account of those sacred and inviolable laws that are afterwards to be observed. Every draught must be a health, and as soon as you have emptied your glass, you must present it full to him whose health you drunk. You must never refuse the glass which is presented, but drink it off to the last drop. Do but reflect a little on these customs, and see how it is possible to leave off drinking: and indeed, they never make an end,†` but carouse in a perpetual round:

Germanorum vivere bibere est.-ED.

+ The Duke of Rohan says, in his Voyage, that the Germans have succeeded better than all the mathematicians of the world in finding out the perpetual motion, by continual agitation of their cups.-ED.