:

doned them; and I believe, there is no record of any appearing by night with frowns and threats: but, on the contrary, I know from my own exexperience, that neither time nor neglect has worn the celestial smile off their placid countenances. An instance of this fact I am now about to relate. Let me begin by observing that my eyes, perhaps by an imprudent use of them, grow soon weary with reading, even while curiosity and interest have lost little or nothing of excitement. A slumber of a few minutes is sufficient to refresh them; during which time I often enjoy the benefit of a dream; and, what is (I believe) remarkable and singular, it usually takes a direction far wide of the studies on which I had been engaged. On one occasion, perhaps it might have been that (pushing my book away from me to the middle of the table) the last object I saw was a picture by Swaneveldt, on the left of which there is a temple; for a temple, sure enough, stood before me in my dream beside it ran a river, and beyond it rose a mountain, each sensible alike of the sky that glowed above. So far the picture and the dream were in accordance. But the dream's temple was entirely its own: it had no sheep nor shepherd near it, as the picture had: and, although dreams are apt to take greater liberties than pictures do, yet in the picture there was an autumnal tree by the side of a summer tree; the one of rich yellow, the other of deep green. In the dream I remember nothing of the kind; yet I verily think I remember every particle of it. I remember a cool and gentle hand conducting me over some narrow planks, thrown across a deep channel of still water. I remember the broad leaves underneath us, and how smooth, how quiet, how stainless. I remember we tarried here awhile, not leaning on the rail, for there was none, but tacitly agreeing to be mistaken in what we reciprocally" were leaning on. At length we passed onward, by the side of a cottage in ruins, with an oven projecting from it at the gable-end: on the outside of its many-coloured arch were gilliflowers growing in the crevices: very green moss, in rounded tufts, and blossoming, had taken possession of its entrance and another plant, as different as possible, was hanging down from it, so long and slender and flexible, that a few bees, as they alighted on it, shook it. Suddenly I stumbled: my beautiful guide blushed deeply, and said, "Do you stumble at the first step of the tem- it be, by any chance or casualty, that the veil ple? What an omen!"

Sacred to Friendship were the words, in Greek. The steps were little worn, and retained all their smoothness and their polish. After so long a walk as I had taken, I doubt whether I should have ascended them without the hand that was offered me. In the temple I beheld an image, of a marble so purely white, that it seemed but recently chiselled. I walked up to it and stood before it. The feet were not worn as the feet of some images are, by the lips of votaries: indeed I could fancy that scarcely the tip of a finger had touched them; and I felt pretty sure that words were the only offerings, and now and then a sigh at a distance. Yet the longer I gazed at it the more beautiful did it appear in its colour and proportions; and turning to my companion, who (I then discovered) was looking at me,

"This image," said I, "has all the features and all the attributes of Love, excepting the bow, quiver, and arrows."

"Yes," answered she, smiling; "all, excepting the mischievous. It has all that the wiser and the better of the ancients attributed to him. But do you really see no difference?"

:

I had not perceived that we had reached any temple: but now, abashed at the reproof, I looked up, and could read the inscription, although the letters were ancient, for they were deeply and well engraven.

Again I raised my eyes, and after a while I remarked that the figure was a female, very modest, very young, and little needing the zone that encompassed her. I suppressed this portion of my observations, innocent as it was, and only replied,

"I see that the torch is borne above the head, and that the eyes are uplifted in the same direction."

"Do you remember," said she, "any image of Love in this attitude?"

"It might be," I answered; "and with perfect propriety."

"Yes; it both might and should be," said she. But," she continued, "we are not here to worship Love, or to say anything about him. Like all the other blind, he is so quick at hearing; and above all others, blind or sighted, he is so ready to take advantage of the slightest word, that I am afraid he may one day or other come down on us unaware. He has been known before now to assume the form of Friendship, making sad confusion. Let us deprecate this, bending our heads devoutly to the Deity before us."

Was it a blush, or was it the sun of such a bright and genial day, that warmed my cheek so vividly while it descended in adoration; or could

touched it through which the breath of my virgin guide had been passing? Whatever it was, it awakened me. Again my eyes fell on the open book; to rest on it, not to read it; and I neither dreamed nor slumbered a second time that day.

THE DREAM OF PETRARCA.

WHEN I was younger, I was fond of wandering | and infidelity! Nearly as many, and nearly in in solitary places, and never was afraid of slum- the same terms, as upon you."

I fancied I turned my eyes to where he was pointing, and saw at a distance the figure he designated. Meanwhile the contention went on uninterruptedly. Sleep was slow in asserting his power or his benefits. Love recapitulated them; but only that he might assert his own above them. Suddenly he called on me to decide, and to choose my patron. Under the influence, first of the one, then of the other, I sprang from repose to rapture, I alighted from rapture on repose, and knew not which was sweetest. Love was very angry with me, and declared he would cross me throughout the whole of my existence. Whatever I might on other occasions have thought of his veracity, I now felt too surely the conviction that he would keep his word. At last, before the close of the altercation, the third Genius had advanced, and stood near us. I can not tell how I knew him, but I knew him to be the Genius of Death. Breathless as I was at be holding him, I soon became familiar with his features. First they seemed only calm; presently they grew contemplative; and lastly beautiful: those of the Graces themselves are less regular, less harmonious, less composed. Love glanced at him unsteadily, with a countenance in which there was somewhat of anxiety, somewhat of disdain; and cried, "Go away! go away! Nothing that thou touchest, lives."

bering in woods and grottoes. Among the chief "Odd enough, that we, O Sleep! should be pleasures of my life, and among the commonest of thought so alike!" said Love, contemptuously. my occupations, was the bringing before me such" Yonder is he who bears a nearer resemblance to heroes and heroines of antiquity, such poets and you: the dullest have observed it." sages, such of the prosperous and of the unfortunate, as most interested me by their courage, their wisdom, their eloquence, or their adventures. Engaging them in the conversation best suited to their characters, I knew perfectly their manners, their steps, their voices; and often did I moisten with my tears the models I had been forming of the less happy. Great is the privilege of entering into the studies of the intellectual; great is that of conversing with the guides of nations, the movers of the mass, the regulators of the unruly will, stiff in its impurity, and rash against the finger of the Almighty Power that formed it; but give me rather the creature to sympathise with; apportion me the sufferings to assuage. Allegory had few attractions for me; believing it to be the delight, in general, of idle, frivolous, inexcursive minds, in whose mansions there is neither hall nor portal to receive the loftier of the Passions. A stranger to the affections, she holds a low station among the hand-maidens of Poetry, being fit for little but an apparition in a mask. I had reflected for some time on this subject, when, wearied with the length of my walk over the mountains, and finding a soft old mole-hill covered with grey grass by the way-side, I laid my head upon it, and slept. I cannot tell how long it was before a species of dream, or vision, came over me. Two beautiful youths appeared beside me; each was winged; but the wings were hanging down, "Say rather, child!" replied the advancing and seemed ill adapted to flight. One of them, form, and advancing grew loftier and statelier, whose voice was the softest I ever heard, looking" say rather that nothing of beautiful or of gloat me frequently, said to the other, "He is under rious lives its own true life until my wing hath my guardianship for the present: do not awaken passed over it." him with that feather." Methought, on hearing Love pouted; and rumpled and bent down the whisper, I saw something like the feather of with his forefinger the stiff short feathers on his an arrow, and then the arrow itself, the whole of arrow-head; but replied not. Although he it, even to the point; although he carried it in frowned worse than ever, and at me, I dreaded such a manner that it was difficult at first to dis-him less and less, and scarcely looked toward him. cover more than a palm's length of it; the rest of the shaft (and the whole of the barb) was behind

his ancles.

The milder and calmer Genius, the third, in proportion as I took courage to contemplate him, regarded me with more and more complacency. "This feather never awakens anyone," replied He held neither flower nor arrow, as the others he, rather petulantly; "but it brings more of did; but throwing back the clusters of dark curls confident security, and more of cherished dreams, that overshadowed his countenance, he presented than you, without me, are capable of imparting." to me his hand, openly and benignly. I shrank "Be it so!" answered the gentler; "none is on looking at him so near; and yet I sighed to less inclined to quarrel or dispute than I am. love him. He smiled, not without an expression Many whom you have wounded grievously, call of pity, at perceiving my diffidence, my timidity: upon me for succour; but so little am I disposed for I remembered how soft was the hand of to thwart you, it is seldom I venture to do more Sleep, how warm and entrancing was Love's. By for them than to whisper a few words of comfort degrees I grew ashamed of my ingratitude; and in passing. How many reproaches, on these oc- turning my face away, I held out my arms, and casions, have been cast upon me for indifference | felt my neck within his. Composure allayed all

him."

the throbbings of my bosom, the coolness of "And Love," said I, "whither is he departed? freshest morning breathed around, the heavens If not too late, I would propitiate and appease seemed to open above me, while the beautiful cheek of my deliverer rested on my head. I would now have looked for those others; but, knowing my intention by my gesture, he said consolatorily, "Sleep is on his way to the earth, where many are calling him; but it is not to them he hastens; for every call only makes him fly further off. Sedately and gravely as he looks, he is nearly as capricious and volatile as the more arrogant and ferocious one."

"He who can not follow me, he who can not overtake and pass me," said the Genius, "is unworthy of the name, the most glorious in earth or heaven. Look up! Love is yonder; and ready to receive thee."

I looked the earth was under me: I saw only the clear blue sky, and something brighter above it.

CHAPTER I.

PARABLE OF ASABEL.

ASABEL in his youth had been of those who place their trust in God, and he prospered in the land, and many of his friends did partake of his prosperity.

After a length of years it came to pass that he took less and less delight in the manifold gifts of God; for that his heart grew fat within him, and knew not any work-day for its work; nor did thankfulness enter into it, as formerly, to awake the sluggard.

Nevertheless did Asabel praise and glorify the Almighty, both morning and evening, and did pray unto him for the continuance and increase of his loving mercies; and did call himself, as the godly are wont to do, miserable sinner, and leper, and worm, and dust.

And all men did laud Asabel, inasmuch as, being clothed in purple and smelling of spikenard, he was a leper, and worm, and dust.

And many did come from far regions to see that dust, and that worm, and that leper; and did marvel at him; and did bow their heads; and did beseech of God that they might be like

unto him.

But God inclined not his ear; and they returned unto their own country.

CHAPTER II.

And behold it came to pass that an angel from above saw Asabel go forth from his house. And the angel did enter, and did seat himself on the seat of Asabel.

After a while, a shower fell in sunny drops upon the plane-tree at the gate, and upon the hyssop thereby, and over the field nigh unto the dwelling. Whereon did Asabel hasten him back; and, coming into the doorway, he saw another seated upon his seat, who arose not before him, but said only, "Peace unto thee !"

the Lord my God hath done this and more unto And Asabel answered him, and said: "Verily his servant: blessed be his name for ever!" Again spake the angel :

and many by his guidance have come unto thee He hath given thee a name among thy people; for counsel and for aid."

said Asabel," and neither he who received it nor "Counsel have I given; aid also have I given," he who gave it, hath repented himself thereof." Then answered the angel :

"The word that thou spakest is indeed the true word. But answer me in the name of the Lord

thy God. Hath not thy soul been farther from him as thy years and his benefits increased? The more wealth and the more wisdom (in thy estimation of it) he bestowed upon thee, hast thou not been the more proud, the more selfish, the more disinclined to listen unto the sorrows and wrongs of men?"

And Asabel gazed upon him, and was angered that a youth should have questioned him, and thought it a shame that the eyes of the young should see into the secrets of the aged; and stood reproved before him.

But the angel took him by the hand and spake thus: "Asabel! behold the fruit of all the good seed thy God hath given thee; pride springing from wealth, obduracy from years, and from know. ledge itself uncontrollable impatience and inflexible perversity. Couldst thou not have employed these things much better? Again I say it, thou hast driven out the God that dwelt with Asabel was wroth, and said, "Lo! the rain thee; that dwelt within thy house, within thy alateth, the sun shineth through it; if thou wilt breast; that gave thee much for thyself, and eneat bread, eat; if thou wilt drink water, drink; but, trusted thee with more for others. Having seen having assuaged thy hunger and thy thirst,depart!" thee abuse, revile, and send him thus away Then said the angel unto Asabel, "I will neither from thee, what wonder that I, who am but the eat bread nor drink water under thy roof, O Asabel, lowest of his ministers, and who have bestowed forasmuch as thou didst send therefrom the master no gifts upon thee, should be commanded to dewhom I serve." part!" Asabel covered his eyes, and when he

raised them up again, the angel no longer was itself an entrance where tempest and fire pass before him.

JERIBOHANIAH.

JERIBOHANIAH Sate in his tent, and was grieved and my children have lusted after the goods of and silent, for years had stricken him.

And behold there came and stood before him a man who also was an aged man, who, howbeit, was not grieved, neither was he silent. Nevertheless, until Jeribohaniah spake unto thus did we. And lest another such generation him, spake not he.

POEMS.