A mountain huge upreared its stately crest.
On its high head appeared a living fire,
Belging from out a mouth of vast dimensions';
Grand and horrific!-there volcanic flame
Mixing with stones and burning lava, burst
From the fiery crater down its stately sides,
And overrun the valleys; the mountain groaned-
Heaved with convulsive fury, growled with rage,
Or rumbling its bowels in commotion fierce,
Ejected forth its terrible contents.

Like muttering thunder rumbling at a distance
It gave forewarning of what was to come,
And he who minded not its boding voice
Felt the fierce storm burst on his luckless head.
Oh! 'twas a scene of beauty grand and awful-
Magnificently bright, sublimely beautiful :
I took my gaze from off its splendid beauties,
'And looked from nature up to nature's God!'
R. F. W.

TO A LADY.

DYING sighs,

Tearful eyes,

Souls about to sever

Flaming darts,

Broken hearts

These things I leave for ever.

But I send,

From a friend,

Wishes pure and glowing;
May you find

Heart and mind

With peace and joy o'erflowing.

While you live,

May you give

All your thoughts to virtue;

Then when time

Steals your prime,

Nought shall have power to hurt you.

THE FAIR MAID OF PERTH.

Our embellishments for this and the preceding month illustrate the second series of Sir Walter Scott's 'Chronicles of the Canongate,' which comprises a single tale, St. Valentine's Day, or the Fair Maid of Perth.' The scene is laid, as the title imports, in the ancient town of Perth, during the reign of the imbecile Robert III. who occasionally held his court there. On St. Valentine's eve, Simon Glover, an esteemed burgess, accompanied by his fair daughter, Catharine, and attended by his apprentice, Conachar, a young Highlander, set out for the Blackfriars' Monastery, situate near Couverefew-street, in which he lived. On their way the 'Fair Maid of Perth' was annoyed by the obtrusive attentions of some of the court gallants; and, on their return, a man, wrapped up in a cloak, kept close upon their footsteps. When challenged by the Glover the stranger stepped forward, and was instantly recognized as Harry Gow, alias the Smith, one of the first armourers of Scotland, best swordsman of the kingdom, and the lover of Catharine.

He was rather below the middle stature, but the breadth of his shoulders, length and brawniness of his arms, and the muscular appearance of the whole man, argued a most unusual share of strength, and a frame kept in vigour by constant exercise. His legs were somewhat bent, but not in a manner which could be said to approach to deformity; on the contrary, which seemed to correspond to the strength of his frame, though it injured, in some degree, its symmetry. His dress was of buff-hide; and he wore, in a belt around his waist, a heavy broad-sword, and a dirk or poniard, as if to defend his purse, which (burgher-fashion) was attached to the same cincture. The head was well proportioned, round, close cropped, and curled thickly with black hair. There was daring and resolution in the dark eye, but the other features seemed to express a bashful timidity, mingled with good humour, and obvious satisfaction at meeting with his old friends. Abstracted

from the bashful expression, which was that of the moment, the forehead of Henry Gow, or Smith (for he was indifferently so called, as both words equally indicated his profession), was high and noble, but the lower part of the face was less happily formed. The mouth was large, and well furnished with a set of firm and beautiful teeth, the appearance of which corresponded with the air of personal health and muscular strength, which the whole frame indicated. A short thick beard, and moustaches which had lately been arranged with some care, completed the picture. His age could not exceed eight-and-twenty.'

The family were well pleased with the unexpected appearance of an old friend, and even Catharine, who had frequently chided his quarrelsome propensities, greeted him with a smile. The smith had just returned from a journey to Edinburgh, where he had been to sell his armour, and he unwillingly admitted, in the presence of Catharine, that, during his absence, he had been engaged in half-a-dozen quarrels. His known bravery and pugnacious propensity recommended him to the father, but detracted greatly from his merit in the eyes of the daughter. Mild, gentle, and humane, she abhorred bloodshed, and on this evening she read the smith a severe lecture on his disregard of moral obligation. The lover was abashed; and, being somewhat jealous of the attentions paid by Catharine to the young Highlander, he provoked Conachar to strike him. Murder was prevented by the interposition of the glover; and, as the smith was his particular favourite, he advised him to be early under his daughter's window, next morning, and claim the privilege of being her valentine for the ensuing year.

The smith was punctual in his attendance; but had been anticipated by some court gallants, among whom was the king's son, the Duke of Rothsay, who had already raised a ladder to Catharine's window. In a moment Gow dashed it to the ground, raised the war cry of Perth, and made, at the same time, such use of his sword, that he dispersed the revellers, having first

chopped off one of their hands. The glover, was, of course, grateful, and so was his daughter. Henry was supremely happy, and the Fair Maid retired to her chamber, an example which the smith recommended the glover to follow.

"Make interest," he said, "with your feather-bed till day-break; and then you must be my guide to your daughter's chamber-door, and my apology for entering it, to bid her good morrow, for the brightest that the sun will awaken in the city, or for miles round it!"

No bad advice, my son," said the honest glover. "But you, what will you do? will you lie down beside me, or take a part of Conachar's bed ?"

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Neither," answered Harry Gow; "I should but prevent your rest; and for me this easy-chair is worth a down bed, and I will sleep, like a sentinel, with my graith about me.'

'As he spoke, he laid his hand on his sword.

Nay, heaven send us no more need of weapons.Good night, or rather, good morrow, till day-peep-andthe first who wakes calls up the other."

Thus parted the two burghers. The glover retired to his bed, and, it is to be supposed, to rest. The lover was not so fortunate. His bodily frame easily bore the fatigue which he had encountered in the course of the night, but his mind was of a different and more delicate mould. In one point of view, he was but the stout burgher of his period, proud alike in his art of making weapons, and wielding them when made; his professional jealousy, personal strength, and skill in the use of arms, brought him into many quarrels, which had made him generally feared, and, in some instances, disliked. But with these qualities were united the simple good-nature of a child, and, at the same time, an imaginative and enthusiastic temper, which seemed little to correspond with his labours at the forge, or his combats in the field. Perhaps a little of the hairbrained and ardent feeling which he had picked out of old ballads, or from the metrical romances which were his sole source of information or knowledge, may have

been the means of pricking him on to some of his achievements, which had often a rude strain of chivalry in them; at least, it was certain that his love to the fair Catharine had in it a delicacy such as might have become the squire of low degree, who was honoured, if song speak truth, with the smiles of the King of Hungary's daughter. His sentiments towards her were certainly as exalted as if they had been fixed upon an actual angel, which made old Simon, and others who watched his conduct, think that his passion was too high and devotional to be successful with maiden of mortal mould. They were mistaken, however. Catharine, coy and reserved as she was, had a heart which could feel and understand the nature and depth of the armourer's passion; and whether she was able to repay it or not, she had as much secret pride in the attachment of the redoubted Henry Gow, as a lady of romance may be said to have in the company of a tame lion, who follows to provide for and defend her. It was with sentiments of the most sincere gratitude that she recollected, as she awoke at dawn, the services of Henry during the course of the eventful night, and the first thought which she dwelt upon, was the means of making him understand her feelings.

Arising hastily from bed, and half blushing at her own purpose" I have been cold to him, and, perhaps, unjust; I will not be ungrateful," she said to herself,

though I cannot yield to his suit; I will not wait till my father compels me to receive him as my Valentine for the year; I will seek him out, and choose him myself. I have thought other girls bold, when they did something like this; but I shall thus best please my father, and but discharge the rites due to good Saint › Valentine by showing my gratitude to this brave man."

'Hastily slipping on her dress, which, nevertheless, was left a good deal more disordered than usual, she tripped down stairs and opened the door of the chamber, in which, as she had guessed, her lover had passed the hours after the fray. Catharine paused at the door, and became half afraid of executing her purpose, which