tues of the two knights who seek Rinaldo in the gardens of Armida; nor let him forget to e this episode, and, if he be not of iron temperament, he will be moved by the repentance of the enchantress, and her reconciliation with her youthful lover; so he will close the volume almost forgetful of those blemishes, which, although they diminish Tasso's fame as the writer of an Epic, leave him in possession of all that he deserves as the creator of some of the most beautiful imaginations the poetic world contains. COMMON PLACES.-(Continued.) XLVI. The Scotch understanding differs from the English, as an Encyclopedia does froin a circulating library. An Englishman is contented to pick up a few odds and ends of knowledge; a Scotchman is master of every subject alike. Here each individual has a particular hobby and favourite bye-path of his own: in Scotland learning is a common hack, which everyone figures away with, and uses at his pleasure. XLVII. A misanthropic writer might be called the Devil's amanuensis. XLVIII. བ་བ་ * ༈ ༣ " To be a lord, a papist, and poor, is the most enviable distinction of humanity. There is all the pride and sense of independence, irritated and strengthened by being proscribed by power, and liable to be harassed by petty, daily insults from every, the meanest vassal. What a situation to make the mind recoil from the world upon itself, and to sit and brood in moody grandeur and disdain of soul over fallen splendours and present indignities! It is just the life I should like to have led. XLIX. The tone of good company is marked by the absence of personalities. Among well-informed persons, there are plenty of topics to discuss, without giving pain to any one present-without submitting to act the part of a butt, or of that still poorer creature, the wag that plays upon him. L. Londoners complain of the dullness of the country, and country people feel equally uncomfortable and at a loss what to do with themselves in town. The fault is neither in the town nor in the countryevery one is naturally unsettled and dissatisfied without his usual resources and occupations, let them be what or where they may. LI. Each rank in society despises that which is a step below it, and the highest looks down upon them all. To get rid of the impertinence of artificial pretensions, we resort to nature at last. Kings, for this reason, are fond of low company; and lords marry actresses and barmaids. The Duke of York (not the present, but the late King's brother) was at a ball at Plymouth. He danced with a Miss Byron, a very pretty girl, daughter of the Admiral of that name, and aunt to our poet. But there was a Mrs. Fanning present, who was a paragon of beauty. The Duke asked, “Who is she?" "A baker's daughter," "A was the answer. "I don't mean that; but what is she now?" broker's wife." The lady did not perceive, that to a Prince of the Blood there was little difference between a tradesman's wife and the daughter of a naval officer; but that the handsomest woman at a ball was an object of admiration in spite of circumstances. LII. It has been asked, whether Lord Byron is a writer likely to live? Perhaps not: he has intensity of power, but wants distinctive character. In my opinion, Mr. Wordsworth is the only poet of the present day that is likely to live-should he ever happen to be born! But who will be the midwife to bring his works to light? It is a question whether Milton would have become popular without the help of Addison; nay, it is a question whether he is so, even with it. LIII. An anecdote is told of General Wolfe, that he was out with a party of friends in a boat, the day before the battle of Quebec. It was a beautiful summer's evening, and the conversation turned to Gray's Elegy in a Country Churchyard, which was just then published. Wolfe repeated the lines, " For who to dumb forgetfulness a prey," &c. with enthusiasm, and said, "I would rather be the author of those lines than beat the French to-morrow! He did beat the French, and was himself killed the next day. Perhaps it was better to be capable of uttering a sentiment like this, than to gain a battle or write a poem. * See Mackenzie's Life of Home, the author of Douglas.. TO THE EVENING STAR. O Hesper, golden light of gentle love! Be blest, bright star! and to my shepherd swain, As o'er the glimmʼring moor alone I go, 'Stead of the moon, now sunk beneath the main, I wish to love, and be beloved, alone. * Heinsius attributes the trifle to Moschus. B. PERCY. LONDON:-Published by HENRY L. HUNT, 38, Tavistock-street, Covent-garden, and 22, Old Bond-street. Price Fourpence; or, if stamped for country circulation free of postage, Sevenpence. Sold by all Booksellers and Newsvenders in town; and by the following Agents in the country: "Ir now became evident that a primary property of the magic glass of the Hungarian adept, was to reflect the locomotion and proceedings of Albert, the scene invariably changing with his departure from one place to another. From the apartment of the Countess I followed my pupil and Carlostein to the public walks, Electoral Gallery, and other modes of killing time adapted for the mornings of young men of quality. The chief thing which struck me during the whole of this apparently objectless perigrination was the steady and unvarying aspect of the intelligences surrounding Carlostein, which seemed to refuse the slightest association or blending with the more variable train of Albert, and yet at the same time to daunt nearly the whole of them by some oppressive ascendancy. The voluptuary sprite, indeed, appeared to dilate under their influence, yet at the same time to exhibit the strongest signs of emotion and increasing trepidation. The appearances of Albert and Carlostein were correspondent; the latter had evidently rendered himself master of the actions of the youth, whose waywardness was to me a source of so much regret. "Nothing wonderful in that, Risberg; the wayward and capricious are the most passive of all instruments under the management of the designers, who will condescend to enlist the passions into their service. It is the province of a tutor not so to condescend, and hence the man who "Spare me the man who, Alfman, whom I detest as much as does the testy baronet in the English Comedy. I am fully aware (what tutor is not-some indeed profit by the knowledge) that they who foster passions are greater favourites than the who oppose them; and to speak to the point, I could not help suspecting that some very hearty laughter which burst now and then from Albert and his companion, was at my expense, especially as Carlostein accompanied his share of it with an assumed didactic expression of countenance, and an air of VOL. I. 16 3 solemn expostulation, which, I cannot tell why, I could not help interpreting into a mimicry of myself. Remarkable this, Alfman; for I have no doubt you will agree with me that no one ever shewed less academic rust than I do. Indeed Mrs. Risberg often says it was owing to this absence of pedantry that she sur 16 3 da No doubt it was, Risberg; and it must have been the magical influence of the glass alone which led you to so quick an apprehension of the imitative intentions of the irreverend Carlostein. "I suspect that if I were looking through the said glass at present, Alfman, I should perceive a confounded arch, mischievous looking sprite whispering epigrams into your ear; but no matter, I did think so, although I could by no means comprehend what the puppy Albert meant by dropping his head on his shoulder, and mimicking a profound sleep, to the still greater merriment of both parties. This entertainment, however, was interrupted by the appearance of a servant whom I had occasionally seen attendant on Carlostein. He communicated something to the latter which he as quickly conveyed to Albert, whose countenance was instantly suffused with a rosy blush, while his eyes danced with delight. Hastily catching the arm of his friend, the servant led the way in a quick pace, to what place I know not, for the glass suddenly grew obscure, and when it became clear again, to my great surprise, a very singular pantomimic scene presented itself. "I am glad of that, Risberg; for a little more action would not be amiss.' "You shall be satisfied, my good-natured Zoilus. Conceive, then, a large, mean, antique apartment in an old house in the suburbs, for such I conjectured was the scite of it. Next imagine a beautiful blue-eyed girl, who might have sat for the picture of Galatea, standing in breathless agitation in the middle of the room, the fore-finger of one hand held up in the position of a listener, and the other beckoning the speediest possible retreat of a youthful student, in academical cap and robe to an asylum behind a heavy, old-fashioned screen, which, however useful in this respect, was anything but ornamental as a piece of furniture. The skirt of the stripling's robe, as he skipped round this convenient piece of lumber, was yet visible when Carlostein and Albert hastily entered the room. "It was impossible not to be attracted into a very curious inspection of the shadows which hovered round the person of the feminine piece of doveliness, who gave such a pictorial animation to this scene. Lahave compared her to the sea-nymph Galatea, and thou, oh classical Alfman, art aware that the character of the beauty of the daughters of Nereus partook of the soft and yielding nature of the element to which they belonged. The form of this fair creature was of the most delicate symmetry,—a symmetry fragile even to frailty, but exquisitely proportioned into a species of etherial propriety which adds to the justice of my fanciful comparison. She was habited girlishly and simply, but not without a degree of unexpensive elegance which, although females can be seldom made to think attractive, our sex especially if they understand Latin sufficiently to translate simplex munditiisvalue more than the most gorgeous array. Although agitated at this moment, the features of the fair intriguer-for such I then took her to be-appeared adapted by nature to the expression of the most calm and dovelike repose. Even the composure which they only assumed on the entrance of Albert and Carlostein, shewed characteristic placidity and unresisting ductility. Her gait and motion were in perfect accordance, being gentle and graceful; and her tread in softness appeared to vie with that of the mole. I know not, Alfman, whether you ever met with any of those essentially feminine compositions in the course of your experience, every attitude and movement of which p possesses the negative gracefulness attendant upon the absence of the wilder emotions of passion and the stronger determinations of will. If so, upon a mere natural inspection, such appeared the creature before me; nor were the touches, the sprites, the feelings," which hovered around her, of a description altogether uncongenial; although at this. time their appearance was extremely equivocal. 66 6 3 Your humble servant, Risberg; I began to fear that you had forgotten your spiritual gift altogether.' "By no means; and in the present difficulty it was most serviceable : for instance, it discovered to me that the principal attendant upon this fair maiden was a soft pastoral-looking sprite, with something like a crook in its hand and a garland on its head, like the first beau-ideal of an innocent young girl, tricked off in water-colours. With this being shared and almost divided sway, a timid shrinking shadow, which seemed every now and then to obscure its fanciful companion, by extravagant dilation, and the assumption of a countenance more or less expressive of habitual constraint and undefinable fear. In the fainter part of the atmospherical envelope of our nymph, a number of shadowy aspects were more or less visible, all of which were bland and complacent in expression; but one in particular exhibited a countenance of sprightly self satisfaction, such as the most unassuming of maidens might put on when satisfied with the testimony of her looking glass. Considering the extraordinary appearances when, this scene first opened upon me, I expected to behold some spiritual indications of duplicity or coquetry; but to my great surprise I discovered nothing of the kind, beyond the occasional apparition of a very small double-faced urchin, which seemed every now and then to communicate with the aërial Corydon, and half venture to meet the timid spectre face to face. When this was the case, I generally discovered that the eyes of the gentle girl were involuntarily turned towards the screen. 66 6 These latter spiritual perceptions of yours, Risberg, are more mysterious than the former; and being less easily understood, are of course the more natural.' 6 "I leave that to you, Alfman; my business is with matter of fact alone and in pursuance of it, I hasten to describe what followed when Albert and Carlostein entered. The picturesque and animated scene is still before me. is a "Imagine my volatile pupil, his fine eyes lighted up with love and admiration, almost instantaneously at the feet of the lovely unknown; bestowing innumerable kisses on the passive hand which Carlostein, y with an air of authority, appeared to place at his disposal, an act, by the bye, which suddenly led me to remark, that a faint family likeness between the female and the Austrian was, upon intent inspection, traceable. What Albert said I cannot inform you; but if I may judge of the confusion which ensued among the attendant spirits of the trio, |