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The Ghibellines.

A Fragment of a Tuscan Tale.

(EMMA ROBERTS.)

their countenances, seemed to be out of place in so stately and so joyous an assembly. They were brother and sister, the descendants of Ghibellines who had died in exile, and distant relations

"His name's Gonzago.--The story is extant, of the Count, who though not choosing and written in very choice Italian."

to regard them as his heirs, had, when TEN thousand lights burned through the abolition of a severe law enabled out the Alberoni palace, and all the the proscribed faction to return to nobility of Florence flocked to the bri- Florence, accorded them shelter and dal of its wealthy lord. It was a fair protection. Meanly clad in vestments sight to see the stately mirrors of coarse serge, there were yet no cavawhich spread their shining surfaces liers who fluttered in silk and velvet between pillars of polished marble who could compare in personal beauty reflecting the gay assemblage, that, ra- with Francesco Gonzago; and the diant with jewels, promenaded the sa- bride alone, of all the beauties who loon, or wreathed the dance to the shone in gold and silver, appeared suwitching music of the most skilful perior in feminine charms to the lovely minstrels in all Tuscany. Every lattice Heatrice, notwithstanding that her cuniwas open, and the eye, far as it could brous robe of grey stuff obscured the reach, wandering through illuminated delicate proportions of her sylph like gardens, tenanted by gay groups where form. Buoyant in spirit, and animated the flush of the roses, the silver stars by the scene before her occasionally a of the jasmine, the crimson, purple, gleam of sunshine would irradiate her orange, and blue of the variegated brow as she gazed upon the sparkling paiteire were revealed as if the bright- throng who formed the brilliant paest blaze of day flashed upon their geant which so much delighted her; silken leaves. Amid all this pomp of but as she turned to express her feelbeauty and splendour the bride moved ings to her brother, his pale pensive along, surpassing all that was fair and features and the recollection of the resplendent around her by the exceed- intense anguish which wrung his heart ing loveliness of a face and form to subdued her gaiety, the smile pas-ed which every eye and every heart paid away from her lip, the rose deserted involuntary homage. At her side ap- her cheek, and she stood by his side peared the exelting bridegroom, to sad and sorrowful as some monumental whom, however, more it should seem statue. Many persons grieved at the through diffidence than aversion, her depressed fortunes of the once powereyes were never raised; for though ful Gonzagos, but there were oti ers Count Alberoni had advanced beyond who sneered at their present degradathe middle age of life, he still retained tion, enjoying the cruel mockery with the majestic port and commanding which Alberoni had forced the man lineaments for which he had been dis- who had cherished hopes of succeeding tinguished in early youth; his riches as heir-at-law to his immense estates, rendered him all potent in Florence, to witness the downfall of those flat-. and none dared dispute with him the tering expectations. Tew and slight possession of its fairest flower. Intox- were the salutations which passed icated with the pleasures offered at the between the dejected pair and the more banquet and the ball, whatever of envy illustrious guests; but as the bride or of jealousy might have been hidden made the circuit of the apartments in the bosoms of the guests while con- she paused when approaching her hustemplating the treasure which the band's neglected relatives, and raising triumphant Alberoni had snatched from her eyes swimming with drops of sympacontending suitors, it was concealed, thy, greeted them with unaffected tenand the most cheerful hilarity prevailed. derness. Francesco was unprepared Yet, amid the general expression of for the gentle kindness of her address; happiness, there were two persons who his stern heart melted, his proud glance attracting notice by the sadness of suddenly changed to one of gracious

courtesy; he gazed upon her as upon some angelic being sent down from heaven to soothe and gladden his perturbed soul: and henceforward he saw nothing in the glare, and the crowd, and the splendour around him, save the sweet face and the delicate form of the Countess Alberoni; his charmed eyes followed her from place to place, and so entirely was he engrossed by one object, that he did not perceive that the attention of Beatrice was almost wholly occupied by a young and sprightly cavalier, who pursued her like a shadow, pouring tender tales in a not unwilling ear. Group by group the guests retired from the festive scene, and the brother and sister, scarcely able to define the new feelings which sprung up in the heart of each. quitted the magnificent palace to seek their forlorn abode. A pavilion, nearly in ruins, was the sole shelter which the proud lord of Alberoni afforded to the only surviving branches of his family, when returning to their native city they found their patrimonial estates confiscated, and themselves dependent upon the niggard bounty of a cold and selfish relative. Slowly recovering from a severe wound which he had received in the wars of Lombardy, and disgusted with the ingratitude of the prince he served, the ill-starred Francesco was at first rejoiced to obtain any refuge from the storms of a tempestuous world; and the unceasing efforts of his young and affectionate sister to reconcile him to a bitter lot were not wholly unavailing. Summer had spread her richest treasures upon the lap of Nature; and the fairy hands of Beatrice transformed the bare walls of the dilapidated edifice which they inhabited into bowers of luxuriant foliage; the most delicious fruit also, the spontaneous product of the garden, cooled at some crystal fount and heaped with flowers, tempted her brother's languid appetite; and, waking the soft notes of her lute, she soothed his desponding spirit with music's gentlest sound. Fondly trusting that Franceseo might be won to prize the simple enjoyment of which fortune could not despoil him, and to find his dearest happiness in an approving conscience, the light-hearted girl in

dulged in delusive hopes of future felicity. But these expectations were soon damped: as Francesco's health returned he became restless and melancholy; he saw no prospect of arriving at distinction by his talents, or by his sword; peace reigned throughout the Tuscan states, and the jealousy of the government of all who bore the mark of Ghibelline extraction, forbade the chance of successful exertion and honorable reward: his days were spent in moody abstraction, his nights in feverish dreams; his misfortunes, his accomplishments and his virtues failed to excite affection in the breast of his kinsman, who, jealous of the youth and personal attractions of the man apparently destined to be his heir, grew uneasy at the thought of benefiting a person he had learned to hate; and suddenly resolving to cut off at once the presumptuous expectations which the luckless exile might have cherished, exerted the influence procured by his wealth to form an alliance with the most peerless beauty which the city boasted. A new source of anguish added to the misery already sustained by the wretched Gonzago; his arm was paralyzed by the utter hopelessness of any attempts to emerge from the obscurity to which fate had condemned him; he brooded over the dismal futarity which opened before him; and as a solace to these gloomy meditations, suffered his imagination to dwell upon the charms and graces of the lovely Giacinta, his kinsman's gentle bride. He saw her sometimes flitting through the myrtle groves which skirted the neighbouring palace; and when night favoured his concealment, he would approach the marble porticos to catch a sound of her voice as, accompanied by a lute she wasted its melody upon the silent stars Beatrice, in the mean time, experienced only in the pale brow and haggard form of her brother an alloy to her happiness. Alessandro the young heir of the Orsini family, had abandoned the gay revels of Florence to share the solitude of the despised Ghibellines; and although there seemed to be little chance of ultimate triumph over the obstacles which opposed themselves to an alliance between

CATARACTS OF THE NILE.

Extracted from the original MS. Journal

of J. S. BUCKINGHAM, Esq. DESCENDING the Nile, after penetrating by its stream into Nubia, we approached the island of Philoe from the southward, by a brilliant moonlight, and its effect was magically picturesque it was more than splendid, and bordering on enchantment. I had lain for hours on my mat, rolled in a rough burnoose, or Arab cloak, turning in in vain to seek a moment's repose, and suffering the most excruciating torment from the burning inflammation of my eyes, which had for several days been closed up by a severe opthalmia. I opened them for the first time since the commencement of the attack, upon this scene of magnificence in decay, and such was the force of the impression which this inimitable picture made upon my delighted senses. that I could bear to look upon it steadily, though before, the faintest ray of light was agonizing In thinking of those dear friends at home who would sympathise equally in my pleasures and my pains, and listen to the recital of the one with as strong a degree of interest as to the other, how did I regret the impossibility of conveying to them a perfect impression of all I now saw before me. How did I lament the inadequacy of language to tell the sensations of this solitary hour. I know nothing short of their presence for which I would have exchanged them.

We had been coasting along a shore as barren as the minds of those who people it, between mountains whose aspects were as wild and sterile as the inhabitants were destitute and savage, and stunned with the discordant yellings of the harshest boat-songs, which the rocks re-echoed from their solitary caves; when in a moment, as if by fairy transportation, on turning the sharp angle of the eastern point, Philoë was before us. I had heard the crew exclaim, "Shellall! Shellall! The Cataract! The Cataract!" and when I rose to join in the congratulation on our arrival, the song was ceased, the rowers hung on their suspended oars, and we glided down the rapid stream without a sound, without a murmur even of its

waves to break the stillness that reigned. the zenith moon, the midnight hour, the The sudden calm, the amazing contrast, surrounding scenery amidst which this enchanting isle was enveloped, all gave a charm to the picture which no pencil could pourtray, and which must be witnessed and felt, to be at all conceived. When we had reached within about two hundred yards of the southern point the boat was moored to the shore, that we might again enjoy its beauties at sunrise; and the interval of our stay here, tedious as it would have been under any other circumstances, was to me an interval of contemplative pleasure. The ages of primitive simplicity, the infancy of art, its meridian perfection, and subsequent decay, seemed to pass before me in review; and though the glory of Egyptjan power is almost irresistibly attractive, by the colossal monuments which seemed destined to tell the latest remnant of posterity the omnipotence of its reign, and by the indestructibility of its massy works, ensure the immortality of their founders; though the bewildered faculties of the astonished beholder compel him to yield a tribute of admiration, yet it must be confessed their glory is obscured, and its brilliance tarnished by a conviction of the Theocratic tyranny by which it must have been upheld. The question constantly suggests itself, what could have been the basis of that religion, whose chief and ever present deity was Priapus, to whose honour the oldest, the largest and the most splendid temples were dedicated; whose treasures and resources were infinite; whose sanctuaries were dark and mysterious; whose precepts and duties were sacrifices and offerings; whose Isis was a young and lovely female, typic parent of the Grecian Venus; on whose walls the Phallus was constantly represented; and where the embraces of beauty, the delicacies of feasts, and the fascinations of music, were numbered amongst the highest and most frequently repeated enjoyments. That this was a popular and powerful religion few would doubt; but when we ask whether picty or pleasure was its basis, there seems to be but one reply. London Review.

A HUNTER.

Is the pursuer, not of the enemies of human race, such as Lions, Tigers, Bears, and Wolves, for these creatures are hunters themselves, and should they take a fancy to a change of diet, may, and often do, make a feast on A Lord of the creation,-No not of these but commonly of the most timid and inoffensive animals in nature!

Addressed to a beloved brother on his departure for France.

ADIEU my brother! dearest youth adieu!

The swelling breeze invites you from the shore; Ort will fond memory revert to you,

And care maternal every pang endare.

Say will thy thoughts e'er wander home to me,
And smile indulgent on my simple lay?
Oh say can pleasure's crowd have charms for thee,
In youth's gay spring when folly leads the way?

Oh no! my brother, noble aims than these,
Will charm thy heart and well taught mind

employ,

Celestial hope will give thy bosom peace,
And virtue be the source of every joy.

For this purpose a troop of Men, Horses, and Dogs are assembled sufficient to storm a town. These animals after breaking down the fences of their neighbours, trampling down whole fields of corn, risquing their necks over hedges and five barr'd gates, seize at length on the mighty prize, as much elated as David with the head of the Propitious breezes softly fill the gale Philistine. The evening is spent in taking a restrospect of the glorious achievements of the day, and in times less refined than the present, geting gloriously drunk.

The hunter is better acquainted with the brute creation than with his own species, and they so entirely engross his affections that even the wife of his bosom must not expect the first place in it, that being pre-occupied by his horse. He is better informed of the names and qualifications of his hounds, than of his children, and is so charmed with their voices that he modulates them according to the gamut like a ring of bells, this he declares is preferable to all other music. The most precious ornaments of his mansion are horns, hoofs, scuts, and stuffed skins, and these he would not exchange for the whole Shakspeare gallery. possessed of a stock of old hunting stories that fell to him with the estate, and to these he is anxious above all things of adding some memorial of his own prowess: his understanding like his estate is bounded by his hedges, and as to the former he is perfectly satisfied with the share he possesses.

lle is

The memory of an old sportsman is stored with nothing better than a history of hares and foxes, of rustic adventures and perilous escapes, and he dreams away life, like the hound sleeping on his hearth and nothing could rouse him so effectually in his last moments as a Tally-ho!

P. P.

Adien! again adien! the lessening sail
Steals from the view and tears thy form away,

And sparkling sunbeams on the ocean play.
S. E. H.

'A MADEMOISELLE.

De l'heureux chantre d'Emilie,
J'ai désiré depuis long tems
Avoir la grâce et la saillie
Pour peindre tous vos agrémens.
Je vous l'avone, et j'ose en rire,
Je ne suis pas très érudit;
Et ce que je pourrois vous dire,
Tout le monde l'a déja dit.

Rimeur guindé sur des echâsses,
Je pourrois de Phobus,

En vous seule trouver les grâces,
Ou bien Minerve, ou bien Vénus,
Le cercle du céleste empire

Dès qu'on vous voit, s'offre à l'esprit;"
Mais ne seroit-ce pas vens dire
Ce l'on vous a déja dit?

que

Faisant le portrait d'une Belle,
Dirois je naturellement,
Que la rime désigné

Et que le vers est séduisant?
Que por votre charmant sourire
La grâce à la beauté s'unit?
Tout ce que je pourrois vous dire,
Tout le monde l'a déja dit.

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not beyond that found in dwellings of opulent Americans in general, and might be called plain for its situation. The upper end of the room had glass doors, which opened upon a balcony commanding an extensive view of the Hudson river, interspersed with islands and the Jersey shore on the opposite side. A grandson and daughter resided constantly in the house with the General; and a nephew of the General's married to a niece of Mrs. Washington, resided at Mount Vernon, the General's family seat in Virginia, his residence, as President, keeping him at the seat of government." The levees held by Washington, as President, were generally crowded, and held on a Tuesday, between three and four o'clock. The President stood and received the bow of the person presented, who retired to make way for another. At the drawing-rooms Mrs. Washington received the ladies, who curtsied and passed aside without exchanging a word. Tea and coffee, with refreshments of all kinds. were laid in one part of the rooms, and before the individuals of the company retired, each lady was a second time led up to the lady President, made her second silent obeisance and departed;-nothing could be more simple, yet it was enough.

INDIAN ANSWER TO A CHALLENGE.

I HAVE two objections to this duel affair. The one is, lest I should hurt you, and the other is lest you should hurt me. I do not see any good it would do me to put a bullet through any part (even the least dangerous part) of your body. I could make no use of you when dead, for any culinary purpose, as I would of a rabbit or a turkey. I am no cannibal, to feed on the flesh of men, why, then, shoot down a human creature of whom I could make no use? A buffalo would be better meat; for though your flesh might be delicate and tender, yet it wants that firmness and consistency which takes and retains salt. At any rate it would not be fit for long voyages.-You might make a good English stew or an American barbacue, it is true, being of the

ing human beings in these enlightened times. As to your hide, it is not worth taking off, being little better than a year colt. As to myself I don't like to stand in the way of anything harmful. I am under great apprehension you might hit me! that being the case, I think it most advisable to stay at a distance. If you want to try your pistols, take some object, a tree or a barn door, about my dimensions; and if you hit that, send me word, and I shall acknowledge that had I been in the same place you might have also hit me.

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They perish'd-they are free!" "They are free, and far above

Their desolate earthly home; In a land of peace and love,

Where their tyrants cannot come. And we, if we remain,

'Tis not to shrink or fly; 'Tis to break our long-borne chain,

Or in the strife to die.

nature of a racoon or an oppossum; but And if we live our land shall be the home of liberty;

people are not in the habit of barbacu

And if we die-we are free!”

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