An easy chair,-a merry fire,-
And say,What more can heart desire?-
Beneath my stairs in snug repose,
Immured in sawdust, lie two rows
Of those dark gentry, who inherit
Long heads of cork, and hearts of spirit.
They shall our moralizers be,
And hold the glass to thee and me!
And we will see ourselves, as free as
Ourselves should see, not others see us.
The postman's knock each morn shall shake
Thy married eyelids wide awake:
And if a little bilious (bottles
Will raise the bile in lazy throttles),
A taste of soda shall unyellow
The eye-light of my Oxford Fellow.
Then for a breakfast, slow and sure,
(A hasty one I can't endure,)
À chat on Britain's own Fizgerald,
A lounge upon the Morning Herald,
Where Mr. White the fancy courts
In his divine Police Reports.

-The cloth removed—the cups from the board
(You know, we now expel the tea-board)
À turn or two about the room ;
Or if perchance the morning's gloom
Be prevalent-a game of draughts
To exercise each other's crafts.-
We'll none of chess! - I hate the name
Of that old Tabernacle game,
That “ intellectual amusement,"
Meant half for fun, and half for use meant,
That odious tedious mode of slothing,
O'er which you hang and play for nothing-
That bitter patience-teazing food
That sober gambling for the good.
We'll have a hock of ham for lunching-
A pair of muffled gloves for punching-
Two sticks to play at single stick-
To try if heads be thin or thick,
A pair of foils for button pinking-
All things in short that lead from thinking !

Dinner shall come-and we will beat
Two aldermen in what we eat:
Not in our quantity,-but in
The dainties slided o'er the chin
The little lamb, the bright slim bean,
The thin wine in the glass of green,-
The cherry-tart full of the fruit,
The Stilton, with the ale to suit,
And the cool crimson store that keeps
Its steady flow, till either sleeps !

Brief, and yet pleasant be our slumber,
For tinkling cups, just two in number,
And steaming kettle,-singing long
And whisperingly its vesper song,
Shall call us to our sweet bohea,
And freshen us o'er fragrant tea!
You shall tell tales of sober college,
And libel old and gowned knowledge ;
And I'll beguile the Chinese hour
With English stories, bright in flower!

What for the night?-My friend inquires :-
Two candles, and the best of fires-

A pleasant game at double dummy,
With cards not new, nor yet too thumby;
Spicy the points-a stirring bet
Our spirit in the game to whet;
Then hey! for thrifty play, and care,
Shuffling and sorting-here and there—
The cautious spade led through the king,
The sniff'd revoke-the "No such thing,"
The powers of candid dummy scann'd,
The playing up to the weak hand-
The gentle heart-the thundering club-
There-double, single, and the rub!

Put by the cards, my gallant Tony,
(Let me conclude you've paid the money,)
The supper's here, quick at the call had,
Stale bread-old beer-a lobster-salad.
These set the appetite a-raving,
Yet satisfy the fiercest craving:-
And let me tell you-when you've pass'd
An idle day from first to last,

And labour'd hard at doing little,

The stomach hungereth after victual.

'Tis getting late:-Oh, that's no matterHere! stay-there's brandy-there's the waterThe sugar,-mix, yourself!-no doubt

(Some drink" warm with," some "cold without,") You'll take what best your taste delights:

But something must be had a-nights!

Then sitting, lad, behind the glass,
While the late moments mutely pass,-
We whiff the fragrant mild cigar,
And mount upon the silver car
Of its bright clouds, in spirits then,—
And dream into ethereal men !

-To bed-to bed-as Macbeth's wife
Whisper'd in sleep:-the springs of life
Are gone down with the sunken day ;-
And, we must rest. To bed-away!

Such be your in-door pastime :-can
A tidier be contrived for man?-

If you would read ;-Ned Ward (not I)
The wit;-Tom Brown-Arbuthnot-lie
In a recess mahogany ;-

With Swift-and Congreve-Vanbrugh-all
That made our language magical !—
The less of reading, though, the better-
This is the burden of my letter.

No more-now write, and say you come,
Change your book cell for a warm room;-
With London spirits all about you,

And one with you,-who's nought without you!

NED WARD, Jun.

P. S. Should you not " stir at this," I'll write
More wonders on another night;

And show you " London Town" outright!

SONNET

FROM THE ITALIAN OF GAETANA PASSERINI

GENOVA mia! se con asciutto ciglio
Fiegato e guasto il tuo bel corpo io miro,
Non è poca pietà d'ingratò figlio,
Ma rubelle mi sembra ogni sospiro.

La maestà di tue ruine ammiro,
Trofei della costanza e del consiglio;
E ovunque volgo il passo, e il guardo giro,
Incontro il tuo valor nel tuo periglio.

Più val d'ogni vittoria un bel soffrire !
E contra gli osti la vendetta fai

Col vederti distrutta, e nol sentire:

Anzi girar la Libertà mirai,
E baciar lieta ogni ruina, e dire,
Ruine sì, ma servitu non mai!

Lov'd* Genoa! if thus with tearless eye,
Thy beauteous form in ruin sunk I view,
'Tis not from lack of filial sympathy;

Methinks that sighs would prove thy sons untrue.

These awful ruins seem as trophies new,
That tell of constancy and purpose high;
Where'er I gaze, whatever way pursue,
Thy valorous deeds around recorded lie.

More than triumphant deem th' eventful day,
When foemen saw thee crush'd, but not subdued,
And victors, not the vanquish'd, felt dismay:

Yea!-Liberty I saw in joyful mood

Go round, and kiss each mould'ring heap, and say-
HAIL RUINS! HAIL!—AUGHT, AUGHT, BUT SERVitude.

C. S.

* Written after the bombardment of Genoa by a French fleet in 1684.

THE LUCRECE OF FRANCE.

It was a grand and stately building, that castle of Argentueil, where once resided the gentle lady of Carogne; where she lived long in her beauty and her youth, a faithful wife to her brave lord; and was loved, and looked up to by her menials, and many attendants, both male and female. The knight of Carogne had been for a while absent upon an enterprize beyond sea for the advancement of his honour. Alas! it seemed not, in one plain sense, to have been for the advancement of the brave knight's honour, Ост. 1823.

that he had departed from his castle in the marches of Perche, and from his fair and sorrowful lady. The time of his return drew nigh, and the lady Aline had been apprised thereof. There was a tall narrow tower, which stood out from the front wall of the castle, and rose far above the loftiest roofs of the ancient pile. On the summit of that tower the noble lady was used to stand for hours, watching for her lord's approach, and looking with anxious eyes far, far over the distant country. Ah, what a beauteous vi

2 B

sion did she seem, when standing own dear love,” said the knight, and alone there in calm and earnest dig- tenderly he pressed her to his bosom. nity, motionless for many minutes: Still the poor lady resisted with when her eyes were wearied with quiet meekness the eagerness of her gazing vainly for the dearest object lord's affection. “I do suffer in of her earthly love, and when the the sickness of my heart,” she reabstraction of her mind had drawn plied, “I am not altogether well, away her thoughts from all external my dearest husband. Forgive my objects. Almost like a statue of weakness, and believe how joyed I pure marble did she appear, when am to see thee.—Yes," she repeated the wild breeze had for a short mournfully, "overjoyed, although I space died away, and lifted not her weep." "I will kiss away those long hair, and ceased to flutter in tears, my best beloved,” replied the the folds of her white garments. But knight, as he beheld the tears trickif aught like the figure of him whom ling over his lady's face; but Aline she sought appeared, and gathered withdrew herself gently from his in its approach a nearer resemblance arms, and said, “ Not yet, my husto his loved person, how quickly the band, not yet.--I have a vow upon trance of her stillness was broken, me.--Ask nothing now.--Thou wert how every feature, and every limb, ever kind and tenderly indulgent to woke into expression, while eager- thy wife.- Bear_with her seeming ness and joy that was half indulged coldnese now.-Enter again the hall darted like a sun-beam into her eyes, of your castle, refresh yourself, and and the crimson blood rushed over let me lean upon your arm as I go her pale cheeks, and glowed in her in with you. There were guests at parted lips! Then most carelessly the castle that day, who had come her soft white arms were flung over to meet with the knight of Carogne, the rough parapet, and her tender and the lady Aline strove to call up bosom pressed against the cold stones somewhat of her wonted dignity as with heavings of tumultuous delight. she sat beside her husband at the Now, the knight of Carogne looked banquet. Yet looked she rather like in vain, as he rode along, for the one in a dreary dream, as she smiled well-known form of his loving wife. so piteously at the lively discourse Anxiously he strained his sight, but held by her husband and his friends, she stood not as usual on the high and took the cup which all had tower. Aline had received the mes- courteously kissed to her health ere senger that told of his approach, they drank from it. and she afterwards left not the hall The sleeping chamber of the knight till her husband arrived. With and his gentle dame adjoined to a slow and trembling steps she tra- little oratory, where the young and versed the upper end thereof, and faithful pair were ever wont to kneel sometimes she stopped and leaned beside each other, before they lay against the wall in the thoughtful- down to rest ; to kneel beside each ness of sorrow. There was no colour other, and to pray in a mild and upon her wan cheek, save the flitting thankful spirit to their God. When tints which were thrown from the the knight went up that evening to stained glass of the casements toward his bed-chamber, he found not his the west, and her eyes were seldom wife there. She was kneeling in her raised from the veiling of their heavy prayer-closet, and he knelt down lids. The shouts of her rejoicing beside her, and having prayed in domestics told her that the knight silence, he arose. He stood there was at hand, and the lady Aline awhile ere he turned towards his hasted to meet him. The joyous chamber, and gazed upon his wife ; knight sought to clasp her in his but still were her pale hands upembrace, but silently she glided from lifted, and her lips gently moving in his arms, and when he raised her her prayers. The knight lay down, tenderly from the ground, the life but often did he raise up his head to seemed to have parted from her look for the coming of his wife. She feeble frame. He bore her out into came not, till his voice had oft-times the open air, and gradually she re- tenderly besought her, and then vived. “ Thou art not well, my Aline slowly entered with, the lamp

me.

in her trembling hand, and placing ploring for his life. I knew not what it on a settle, she knelt down by her to do, as, confused with the surprise husband's side. The knight started of his appearance, I stood regarding as the first sound of his lady's voice him. Methought that once his eyes broke upon his ear, there was so shrank beneath my steady gaze, but deep a sorrow in its tone. “Let me instantly he spake with greater enerkneel here," she said, “I am not gy. “What wouldst thou have me to wont to kneel but to our blessed do? Where could I shelter thee?' Lord, and now I only kneel before I said at length to him, scarce knowHim-beseeching Him to witness to ing what I did say. He caught me the truth of every word I speak. by the wrist, and looking me full in My husband, do not seek to raise the face, muttered with a voice which mé, take little notice of me with seemeth yet in my ear, The dunyour eyes, let your ears only regard geon ;'-he led the way, and trode

Nay, do not touch me yet," with stealthy pace, stopping to listen she added, as he held forth his arms at every step he made no ear heard towards her. “ Oh! my beloved, I us, no eye beheld us." The lady cannot have the strength to speak if faltered as she spoke, she clung for you do. I have need of more than support to the bed, and bit her nether woman's strength of soul, and so lip which quivered with the agony of you will soon confess. It was but her feelings; then turning away her five days since the present time, face farther from the gaze of the when I was sitting in my green- knight, she spoke as if every

breathwood bower; it was at the quieting of her voice were torn forcieven-tide, and I had dismissed my bly from her bosom. At last she demaidens from attending me, that clared to him her misery, and at last I might indulge in many thoughts; her husband comprehended her sad blissful they were, for I thought words. “ There is a tale which thou upon my dear husband, and me- hast read to me,” she said, “ the lancholy withal, because thou wert story of a young and gentle lady's absent. Thou knowest there is a

A matron she was, and falow wall enclosing the small green- mous in Old Rome. She was like me, sward court to which my apartments a faithful wife, faithful and happy, open: although this wall is low on the but not always you did not chide side next the court, yet it rises high me when I wept at her sad story." above the moat surrounding the Again the lady paused; but her castle, so that I have sat in my husband speaking not during her sibower and walked on that terrace- lence, she said, “ Thou art waiting walk fearless at all hours. The sun for the name of that Roman lady, was sinking slowly in the sky, and whose woes resembled mine; knowthe shadows deepened where they ing her name, you will know my fell; but I heeded nothing, till it shame too well-Lucrece, the wife seemed to me as if a man's figure of one lord Collatinus." rose above the wall; I did not stir, The lady of Carogne said no but fixed my eyes earnestly upon the more, but bowed her face upon her intruder. Once he gazed fearfully bosom, and one blush of deepest about him, and then passed quickly scarlet spread over that face and to the place where I sat. I am in bosom. Neither did the knight reply danger, I am pursued,' he cried, with to her woful words, but he lay a fearful and smothered voice; I breathless it seemed in the stillness must speak to thee alone.' " I am of his wrath: the which when his alone,' was my reply. "I would risk lady perceived, fearing that a fit or po chance of being discovered here,' swoon might be upon him, she rose he said ; ' noble kinswoman, my life up from her knees with a trembling is in danger, wilt thou save me? I haste, and bending over the bed know the knight of Carogne is ab- gazed upon his face. His eyes were sent, but wilt thou refuse me?' All wide open, but he stared upon her this time as he besought me, the like one under the forceful spell of squire Jaques le Grys (for it was he) some horrid dream. The sweat-beads almost groveled at my feet, and started from his brow, and the poor strove to seize my hands as if im- lady wiped them away, her tears