this? No, there is still a spark of the old | fore the sun set?" hissed the Snake, faintly, heroic spirit sleeping in my bosom, let it start but audibly: the maids looked at one another, this instant into its expiring flame! If stones and Lily's tears fell faster. At this moment may rest in thy bosom, let me be changed to came the Woman with the Basket, panting stone; if thy touch kills, I will die by thy and altogether breathless. "I am lost and hands." maimed for life!" cried she; "see how my hand is almost vanished; neither Ferryman nor Giant would take me over, because I am the River's debtor; in vain did I promise hundreds of Cabbages and hundreds of Onions; they will take no more than three; and no Artichoke is now to be found in all this quarter."

The Woman hurried off at her quickest On the other hand, the Snake bestirred her- pace, and the Snake seemed expecting as im self the more actively; she seemed to meditate patiently as Lily the return of the Flames deliverance; and in fact her strange move-Alas! the beam of the sinking Sun was already ments served at last to keep away, for a little, the immediate consequences of the mischief. With her limber body, she formed a wide circle round the corpse, and seizing the end of her tail between her teeth, she lay quite still.

Meanwhile the Sun had set, and as the darkness increased, not only the Snake and the old Man's Lamp began shining in their fashion, but also Lily's veil gave out a soft light, which gracefully tinged, as with a meek dawning red, her pale cheeks, and her white robe. The party looked at one another, silently reflecting; care and sorrow were mitigated by a sure hope.

It was no unpleasing entrance, therefore, that the woman made, attended by the two gay Flames, which in truth appeared to have been very lavish in the interim, for they had again become extremely meager; yet they only bore themselves the more prettily for that, towards Lily and the other ladies. With great tact, and expressiveness, they said a multitude of rather common things to these fair persons; and declared themselves particularly ravished by the charm which the gleaming veil* spread over Lily and her attendant. The ladies modestly cast down their eyes, and the praise of their beauty made them really beautiful. All were peaceful and calm, except the old Woman. In spite of the assurance of her husband, that her hand could diminish no farther, while the Lamp shone on it, she asserted more than once, that if things went on thus, before midnight this noble member would have utterly vanished.

ture. The old Woman and her husband seized the Basket, whose mild light they had scarcely observed till now; they lifted it at both sides, and it grew still larger and more luminous; they lifted the body of the Youth into it, laying the Canary-bird upon his breast; the Basket rose into the air and hovered above the old Woman's head, and she followed the Will-c' wisps on foot. The fair Lily took Mops on her arm, and followed the Woman; the Man with the Lamp concluded the procession, and the scene was curiously illuminated by these many lights.

But it was with no small wonder that the party saw, when they approached the River, a glorious arch mount over it, by which the help. ful Snake was affording them a glittering path. If by day they had admired the beautiful transparent precious stones, of which the Bridge seemed formed; by night they were astonished at its gleaming brilliancy. On the upper side the clear circle marked itself sharp against the dark sky, but below, vivid beams were darting to the centre, and exhibiting the airy firmness of the edifice. The procession slow. ly moved across it; and the Ferryman who saw it from his hut afar off, considered with astonishment the gleaming circle, and the strange lights which were passing over it.*

No sooner had they reached the other shore, than the arch began, in its usual way, to swag up and down, and with a wavy motion to ap proach the water. The Snake then came on land, the Basket placed itself upon the ground, and the Snake again drew her circle around it. The old Man stooped towards her, and said:

The Man with the Lamp had listened attentively to the conversation of the Lights; and was gratified that Lily had been cheered, in some measure, and amused by it. And, in truth, midnight had arrived they knew not how. The old Man looked to the stars, and then began speaking: "We are assembled at the pro-"What hast thou resolved on?" pitious hour; let each perform his task, let each do his duty; and a universal happiness will swallow up our individual sorrows, as a universal grief consumes individual joys."

"To sacrifice myself rather than be sucrificed," replied the Snake; "promise me that thou wilt leave no stone on shore."

The old Man promised; then addressing Lily: "Touch the Snake," said he, "with thy left hand, and thy lover with thy right." Lily knelt, and touched the Snake, and the Prince's body. The latter in the instant seemed to come to life; he moved in the basket, nay he raised himself into a sitting posture; Lily was about to clasp him; but the old Man held her back, and himself assisted the youth to rise, and led

At these words arose a wondrous hubbub;† for all the persons in the party spoke aloud, each for himself, declaring what they had to do; only the three maids were silent; one of them had fallen asleep beside the harp, another near the parasol, the third by the stool; and you could not blame them much, for it was late. The Fiery youths, after some passing compliments which they devoted to the wait-him forth from the Basket and the circle. ing-maids, had turned their sole attention to the Princess, as alone worthy of exclusive homage.

"Take the mirror," said the Man to the Hawk; "and with the first sunbeam illuminate the three sleepers, and awake them, with light reflected from above."

The Prince was standing; the Canary-bird was fluttering on his shoulder; there was life again in both of them, but the spirit had not yet returned; the fair youth's eyes were open, yet he did not see, at least he seemed to look on all without participation. Scarcely had their admiration of this incident a little calm

The Snake now began to move; she loosened, when they observed how strangely it had ed her circle, and rolled slowly, in large rings, forward to the River. The two Will-o'-wisps followed with a solemn air; you would have taken them for the most serious Flames in na

Have not your march-of-intellect Literators al

ways expressed themselves particularly ravished with any glitter from a veil of Hope; with "progress of the species," and the like ?-D. T.

Too true: dost thou not hear it, Reader? In this

our Revolutionary "twelfth hour of the night," all persons speak aloud (some of them by cannon and drums!) "declaring what they have to do;" and Faith, Hope, and Charity (after a few passing compliments from the Belles-Lettres Department,) thou seest, have fallen sleep!-D. T.

fared in the meanwhile with the Snake. Her fair taper body had crumbled into thousands and thousands of shining jewels: the old Woman reaching at her Basket had chanced to come against the circle; and of the shape or structure of the Snake there was now nothing to be seen, only a bright ring of luminous jewels was lying in the grass.†

Well he might, worthy old man; as Pope Pius, for example, did, when he lived in Fontainbleau:-D. T.As our Bishops, when voting for the Reform Bill ?—O. Y.

So Your Logics, mechanical Philosophies, Politics, Sciences, your whole modern System of THOUGHT, is

said the mixed King." We shall see," replied the Man; "for the time is at hand."

The old Man forth with set himself to gather the stones into the basket; a task in which his wife assisted him. They next carried the Bas- The fair Lily fell upon the old Man's neck, ket to an elevated point on the bank; and here and kissed him cordially. "Holy Sage!" the man threw its whole lading, not without cried she, "a thousand times I thank thee; contradiction from the fair one and his wife, for I hear that fateful word the third time." who would gladly have retained some part of She had scarcely spoken, when she clasped it, down into the River. Like gleaming twink- the old Man still faster; for the ground began ling stars the stones floated down with the to move beneath them; the Youth and the waves; and you could not say whether they old Woman also held by one another; the lost themselves in the distance, or sank to the Lights alone did not regard it. You could feel plainly that the whole Temple "Gentlemen," said he with the Lamp, in a was in motion; as a ship that softly glides respectful tone to the Lights, "I will now show away from the harbour, when her anchors are you the way, and open you the passage; but lifted; the depths of the Earth seemed to open you will do us an essential service, if you for the Building as it went along. It struck please to unbolt the door, by which the Sanc- on nothing; no rock came in its way. tuary must be entered at present, and which none but you can unfasten."

bottom.

For a few instants, a small rain seemed to drizzle from the opening of the dome; the old Man held the fair Lily fast, and said to her: "We are now beneath the River: we shall soon be at the mark." Ere long they thought the Temple made a halt; but they were in an error; it was mounting upwards.

The Lights made a stately bow of assent, and kept their place. The old Man of the Lamp went foremost into the rock, which opened at his presence; the Youth followed him, as if mechanically; silent and uncertain, Lily kept at some distance from him; the old Woman And now a strange uproar rose above their would not be left, and stretched out her hand heads. Planks and beams in disordered comthat the Light of her husband's Lamp might bination now came pressing and crashing still fall upon it. The rear was closed by the in, at the opening of the dome. Lily and the two Will-o'-wisps, who bent the peaks of their Woman started to a side; the Man with the flames towards one another, and appeared to Lamp laid hold of the Youth, and kept standbe engaged in conversation. ing still. The little cottage of the Ferryman, for it was this which the Temple in ascending had severed from the ground and carried up with it, sank gradually down, and covered the old Man and the Youth.

They had not gone far till the procession halted in front of a large brazen door, the leaves of which were bolted with a golden lock. The Man now called upon the Lights to advance; who required small entreaty, and with their pointed flames soon ate both bar and lock.

The women screamed aloud, and the Temple shook, like a ship running unexpectedly aground. In sorrowful perplexity, the PrinThe brass gave a loud clang, as the doors cess and her old attendant wandered round the sprang suddenly asunder; and the stately cottage in the dawn; the door was bolted, and figures of the Kings appeared within the Sanc- to their knocking, no one answered. They tuary, illuminated by the entering Lights. All knocked more loudly, and were not a little bowed before these dread sovereigns, especially struck, when at length the wood began to ring. the Flames made a profusion of the daintiest By virtue of the Lamp locked up in it, the

reverences.

After a pause, the gold King asked: "Whence come ye?"-"From the world," said the old Man." Whither go ye ?" said the silver King. "Into the world," replied the Man.-" What would ye with us?" cried the brazen King.— "Accompany you," replied the Man.

hut had been converted from the inside to the outside into solid silver. Ere long too its form changed; for the noble metal shook aside the accidental shapes of planks, posts, and beams, and stretched itself out into a noble case of beaten ornamented workmanship. Thus a fair little temple stood erected in the middle The composite King was about to speak, of the large one; or if you will, an Altar worthy when the gold one addressed the Lights, who of the Temple.*

had got too near him: "Take yourselves away By a stair which ascended from within, the from me, my metal was not made for you." noble Youth now mounted aloft, lighted by the Thereupon they turned to the silver King, and old man with the Lamp; and, as it seemed, clasped themselves about him; and his robe supported by another, who advanced in a glittered beautifully in their yellow brightness. white short robe, with a silver rudder in his "You are welcome," said he, "but I cannot hand; and was soon recognised as the Ferryfeed you; satisfy yourselves elsewhere, and man, the former possessor of the cottage. bring me your light." They removed; and The fair Lily mounted the outer steps, which gliding past the brazen King who did not seem led from the floor of the Temple to the Altar; to notice them, they fixed on the compounded but she was still obliged to keep herself apart King. "Who will govern the world?" cried from her Lover. The old Woman, whose he with a broken voice." He who stands up- hand in the absence of the Lamp had grown on his feet," replied the old Man.-"I am he,"

to decease; and old ENDEAVOUR, “grasping at her basket," shall "come against" the inanimate remains, and "only a bright ring of luminous jewels" shall be left there! Mark well, however, what next becomes of it.-D. T.

Good! The old Church, shaken down "in disordered combination," is admitted, in this way, into the new perennial Temple of the Future; and, clarified into enduring silver, by the Lamp, becomes an Altar worthy to stand there. The Ferryman too is not forgotten.

D. T.

waiting-maids of Lily; but the fourth, more He was walking straight to the door of the beautiful than any of the rest, was an unknown Temple, when all at once in the middle of the fair one, and in sisterly sportfulness she hast-court, he halted, and was fixed to the ground. ened with them through the Temple, and mounted the steps of the Altar.*

"Wilt thou have better trust in me another time, good wife!" said the man with the Lamp to the fair one: "Well for thee, and every living thing that bathes this morning in the River!"

The renewed and beautified old Woman, of whose former shape no trace remained, embraced with young eager arms the man with the Lamp, who kindly received her caresses. "If I am too old for thee," said he, smiling, "hou mayest choose another husband to-day; from this hour no marriage is of force, which is not contracted anew."

He stood there like a strong colossal statue, of reddish glittering stone, and his shadow point ed out the hours, which were marked in a circle on the floor around him, not in numbers, but in noble and expressive emblems.

Much delighted was the King to see the monster's shadow turned to some useful purpose; much astonished was the Queen; who, on mounting from within the Altar, decked in royal pomp with her virgins, first noticed the huge figure, which almost closed the prospect from the Temple to the Bridge.

Meanwhile the people had crowded after the Giant, as he ceased to move; they were walking round him, wondering at his metamorphosis. From him they turned to the Temple, which they now first appeared to notice,† and

"Dost thou not know, then," answered she, "that thou too art grown younger ?"-" It delights me if to thy young eyes I seem a hand-pressed towards the door. some youth: I take thy hand anew, and am well content to live with thee another thousand years."+

The Queen welcomed her new friend, and went down with her into the interior of the altar, while the King stood between his two men, looking towards the bridge, and attentively contemplating the busy tumult of the people.

At this instant the Hawk with the mirror soared aloft above the dome; caught the light of the sun, and reflected it upon the group, which was standing on the altar. The King, the Queen, and their attendants, in the dusky concave of the Temple, seemed illuminated by a heavenly splendour, and the people fell upon their faces. When the crowd had recovered and risen, the King with his followers had descended into the Altar, to proceed by secret passages into his palace; and the multitude dispersed about the Temple to content their curiosity. The three Kings that were standing erect they viewed with astonishment and reverence; but the more eager were they to discover what mass it could be that was hid behind the hangings, in the fourth niche; for by some hand or another, charitable decency had spread over the resting-place of the Fallen King a gorgeous curtain, which no eye can pene trate, and no hand may dare to draw aside.

The people would have found no end to their

multitude would have even suffocated one another in the Temple, had not their attention been again attracted to the open space.

But his satisfaction did not last; for ere long he saw an object which excited his displeasure. The great Giant, who appeared not yet to have awoke completely from his morning sleep, came stumbling along the Bridge, producing great confusion all around him. As usual, he had risen stupified with sleep, and had meant to bathe in the well-known bay of the River; instead of which he found firm land, and plunged upon the broad pavement of the Bridge. Yet although he reeled into the midst of men and cattle in the clumsiest way, his presence, wondered at by all, was felt by none; but as the sunshine came into his eyes, and he raised his hands to rub them, the sha-gazing and their admiration, and the crowding dows of his monstrous fists moved to and fro behind him with such force and awkwardness, that men and beasts were heaped together in great masses, were hurt by such rude contact, and in danger of being pitched into the River. The King, as he saw this mischief, grasped with an involuntary movement at his sword; but he bethought himself, and looked calmly at his sceptre, then at the Lamp and the Rudder of his attendants. "I guess thy thoughts," said the man with the Lamp; "but we and our gifts are powerless against this powerless monster. Be calm! He is doing hurt for the last time, and happily his shadow is not turned to us." Meanwhile the Giant was approaching nearer; in astonishment at what he saw with open eyes, he had dropt his hands; he was now doing no injury, and came staring and agape into the fore-court.

Mark what comes of bathing in the TIME-River, at the entrance of a New Era !-D. T.

And so REASON and ENDEAVOUR being once more married, and in the honey-moon, need we wish them joy 1-D. T.

Thou rememberest the Catholic Relief Bill; witnessest the Irish Education Bill? Hast heard, five hundred times, that the "Church" was "in Danger," and now at length believest it ?-D. T.-Is D. T. of the Fourth Estate, and Popish-Infidel, then ?—O. Y.

Unexpectedly some gold-pieces, as if falling from the air, came tinkling down upon the marble flags; the nearest passers-by rushed thither to pick them up; the wonder was repeated several times, now here, now there. It is easy to conceive that the shower proceeded from our two retiring Flames, who wished to have a little sport here once more, and were thus gaily spending, ere they went away, the gold which they had licked from the members of the sunken King. The people still ran eagerly about, pressing and pulling one another, even when the gold had ceased to fall. At length they gradually dispersed, and went their way; and to the present hour the Bridge is swarming with travellers, and the Temple is the most frequented on the whole Earth.

Bravo!-D. T.

+ Now first; when the beast of a SUPERSTITION-Giant has got his quietus. Right!-D. T.

It is the Temple of the whole civilized earth. Finally, may I take leave to consider this Märchen as the deepest Poem of its sort in existence; as the only true Prophecy emitted for who knows how many centuries 1 -D. T-Certainly: England is a free country.-O. Y.