"I shall never witness the light of the setting sun again!" were the first words he uttered. "Heaven be praised," I inwardly ejaculated. I immediately perceived that he spoke more collectedly, and with better articulation, than at any time since his stroke.

He continued, though with various interruptions, for more than half an hour. He explained, with wonderful accuracy, the whole of his secrets. They consisted of two principal particulars, the art of multiplying gold, and the power of living for ever. The detail of these secrets I omit; into that I am forbidden to enter. My design in writing is not to get money, as you will readily admit, for you know I have plenty of that; nor is it to teach the art of which I am in possession (and make every body as wise, or, which is the same, or a better thing, as some think, as rich as myself), but to decribe the adventures it produced to me.

This, upon my honour! is all that is material, that passed at our interview.

After the disclosure, he put the flask to his lips again, and swallowing the remainder, fell back and died; at least I thought him dead; or he might have been only overcome by the too frequent applications of the flask: but be that as it may, I was so overcome with joy, that I hastily thrust him into the thicket, according to his instructions, and returning home, never saw or heard of him more.

CHAP. III.

I HAVE already said that I do not shine in descriptions of a turbulent nature, therefore I shall not attempt to depict the tumultuous state of my soul the moment I reached home, and felt convinced that Croesus, with all his abundance, was but a beggar to me; and Pactolus, if its streams had been all liquid gold, would have been a mere puddle of wealth when compared with my exhaustless ocean. Added to this, I had the power, by means of an elixir, of perpetuating my days till the age of Methusalem should not bear the proportion of a baby's to mine, before which all the wondrous longevities of man in former times combined should dwindle into nothing. I could be immortal! I could be that thing whose existence no addition will augment, and no deduction diminish. I could be

But, I beg pardon, I fear I am writing too well, I will endeavour to descend.

My joy was so unbounded that I could with difficulty contain myself within the bounds of decency before my wife and children. I kissed them all round and round again. I leaped and danced about like-like I did when I had lost all my money; so similar are often the effects of opposite causes. Charles, Julia, Louisa, and Marguerite, all danced with me; but my dear

Adelaide, thinking I had relapsed into my former malady, sat down and wept. This inflicted a wound upon me, but I soon found means to heal it, turning all her sorrow into joy with a story which I trumped up, that the stranger was dead, and had left me sole heir to an estate of ten thousand crowns.

I could perceive that in my wife my story produced a few emotions of pleasure. Julia and her mother especially were warmly attached to money. The lively little Marguerite observed their joy, which made a transient abode upon their countenances. And she sympathized with them, probably without being aware that they were merry. Now I call that shewing deep knowledge of the human heart! Charles' veins swelled with the blood of his ancestors, and, already sixteen years of age, he burned to go forth into the world and distinguish himself. He was therefore delighted at the means I had acquired of promoting his wish.

Louisa was the only one who said nothing. She sat on a little three-legged stool by the side of her mother, and uttered not a syllable; but oh! how eloquent was her silence. Words are at any time but ill calculated to express silence, but on this occasion so much so, that I must leave it to the reader's imagination to enjoy in perfection this interesting object in the family picture, which, I trust, I have delineated with my usual skill.

My wife did, I should say by the by, make a terrible long speech on this occasion; but as I

cannot see how the chattering of a foolish woman concerns any one but her husband, I shall keep it to myself.

Next day myself and Charles went to Constance, and fixed on a nice pleasant spot of ground, which I purchased, and immediatly set all the workmen I could find to build me a noble mansion upon it. In the interim I hired, and we took up our abode in commodious apartments in one of the grand squares not far from the spot where the fairs were usually held. We remained here about four months, during which time we enjoyed ourselves in every luxury that money could produce; but I was sorry to ob serve that, since the change we had experienced, my Adelaide had become a little too fond of cordials; however, I could deny her nothing. Our new house and our out-houses, hothouses, and summer-houses, being now ready, I took my family there with all possible expedition. My children were in raptures with them, and my wife was not more enchanted than surprised at the magificence and taste displayed in my improvements.

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Always of a restless spirit, and desirous of shewing Charles a little more of the world, I left with Adelaide a sum of money equal to the disbursements of many years, and took an affectionate farewell of my family. Charles heing mounted on his proud and impatient steed, and decorated in rich and costly attire, we set off for Dresden. In our route, according to the maps and gazetteer, we passed through Munich or

Munchen, the capital of Bavaria; through Ratisbon or Regensburg, the only free imperial city and sovereign state in the electorate; and through Prague, the capital of Bohemia, which lies one hundred miles N. E. of Ratisbon. At Munich we found the court of the elector palatine; the diet of the empire was sitting at Ratisbon when we arrived at that city. This diet (I know I am right, for I have the gazetteer before me!) often meet in a large upper rooom, properly decorated with tapestry, and the emperor's throne with cloth of gold.

Novelty prompted Charles' admiration; he was intoxicated with wonder. But the court of Dresden was infinitely more delightful to him than the court of Munich, or the imperial display at Ratisbon. Here Charles saw a young prince in the flower of his age, who was not like the detestable race of princes are in general, but whose talents rendered him the universal object of attention and adoration. What were Charles' feelings on this occasion? Why, the sentiment that he breathed, as it were instinctively, when we returned from our seeing duke Maurice the first time, was, "At twentythree years of age, may I, in appearance, accomplishments, and spirit, resemble this man!" There's an instinctive sentiment for you!

Here I gave loose to the most unbridled extravagance, living in a style that astonished all the poor German princes who had an opportunity of beholding and tasting my entertainments. I was indeed so much the object of public no