a difficulty appeased by the giant arm of Douglas. Malcome then withdraws in proud resentment; and, refusing to be indebted to the surly chief even for the use of his boat, plunges into the water, and swims over by moonlight to the mainland; -and, with the description of this feat, the second canto concludes. The third canto, which is entitled the Gathering,'opens with a long and rather tedious account of the ceremonies employed by Sir Roderick, in pre paring for the summoning or Gathering of his clan. This is accomplished by the consecration of a small wooden cross which, with its points scorched and dipped in blood, is circulated with incredible celerity through the whole territory of the chieftain. The eager fidelity with which this fatal signal is hurried on and obeyed, is represented with great spirit and felicity;-a youth starts from the side of his father's coffin, to bear it forward; and having run his stage, delivers it into the hands of a young bridegroom returning from church, who instantly binds his plaid around him, and rushes onward from his bride. In the mean time, Douglas and his daughter had taken refuge in the mountain cave; and Sir Roderick passing near their retreat, in his way to the muster, hears Ellen's voice singing her evening hymn to the Virgin. He does not obtrude on her devotions, but hurries to the been outlawed for deeds of blood, but still maintained his feudal sovereignty in the fastnesses of his native mountains. It appears also, that this dark chief is in love with his fair protegee, but that her affections are engaged to Malcome Græme, younger and more amiable mountaineer, the companion and guide of her father in his hunting excursions. As they are engaged in this discourse, the sound of distant music is heard on the lake; and the barges of Sir Roderick are discovered, proceeding in triumph to the island. Her mother calls Ellen to go down with her to receive him; but she, hearing her father's horn at that instant on the opposite shore, flies to meet him and Malcome Græme, who is received with cold and stately civility by the lord of the isle. After some time, Sir Roderick informs the Douglas, that his retreat has been discovered by the royal spies, and that he has great reason to believe that the King, (James V.), who, under pretence of hunting, had assembled a large force in the neighbourhood, was bent upon their destruction He then proposes, somewhat impetuously, that they should unite their fortunes indissolubly by his marriage with Ellen, and rouse the whole Western Highlands to repress the invasion. The Douglas, with many expressions of gratitude, declines both the war and the alliance; and, intimating that his daughter has repug-place of rendezvous, where his clan nances which she cannot overcome, and that he, though ungratefully used by his sovereign, will never lift his arm against him, declares that he will retire to a cave in the neighbourhood mountains, till the issue of the threat is seen. The strong heart of Roderick is wrung with agony at this rejection; and, when Malcome advances to offer his services, as Ellen rises to retire, he pushes him violently back, and a scuffle ensues, of no very dignified character, which is with receive him with a shout of acclamation, and then couch on the bare heath for the night. This terminates the third canto. The fourth begins with more incantations, some absurd and disgusting ceremonies are gone through, by a wild hermit of the clan, with a view to ascertain the issue of the impending war and this oracular response is obtained, that the party shall prevail, which first sheds the blood of its adversary. We are then then introduced to the minstrel and Ellen, whom he strives to comfort for the alarming disappearance of her father, by singing a long fairy ballad to her; and just as the song is ended, the knight of Snowdoun appears before her, declares his love, and urges her to put herself under his protection. Ellen, alarmed, throws herself on his generosity-confesses her attachment to Græme, and with difficulty prevails on him to seek his own safety by a speedy retreat from those dangerous confines. The gallant stranger at last complies; but, before he goes, presents her with a ring, which he says he had received from the hand of King James, with a promise to grant any boon that should be asked after producing it. As he is pursuing his way through the wild, his suspicions are excited by the conduct of his guide, and confirmed by the musical warnings of a mad woman, who sings to him about the toils that are set, and the knives that are whetted against him. He then threatens his false guide, who discharges an arrow at him, which kills the maniac. The knight slays the murderer; and learning from the expiring victim that her brain had been turned by the cruelty of Sir Roderick, he vows vengeance on his head; and proceeds with grief and apprehension along his dangerous way. When chilled with the midnight cold and exhausted with want and fatigue, he suddenly comes upon a chief reposing by a lonely watch fire; and, though challenged in the name of Roderick Dhu, boldly avows himself his enemy. The clansman, however, disdains to take advantage of a worn-out wanderer; and pledges himself to escort him safe out of Sir Roderick's territory; after which, he tells him he must answer with his sword for the defiance he had uttered against the chieftain. The stranger accepts the Courtesy upon these chivalrous terms; and the warriors sup and sleep together on the plaid of the mountaineer. They rouse themselves by dawn, at the opening of the fifth canto, entitled the Combat,' and proceed towards the Lowland frontier; the Highland warrior seeking, by the way, at once to vindicate the character of Sir Roderick, and to justify the predatory habits of his clan. Fitz James expresses freely his detestation of both; and the dispute growing warm, he says, that never lover longed so to see the lady of his heart, as he to see before him this murderous chief and his myrmidons. Have then thy wish,' answers his guide; and giving a loud whistle, a whole legion of armed men start up at once from their mountain ambush in the heath; while the chief turns. proudly, and says, those are the warriors of Clan-Álpine-and I am Roderick Dhu!' The Lowland knight, though startled, repeats his defiance; and Sir Roderick, respecting his valour, by a signal dismisses. his men to their concealment, and assures him anew of his safety till they pass his frontier. Arrived on this equal ground, the chief now demands satisfaction, and forces the knight, who tries all honourable means of avoiding the combat with so generous an adversary, to stand upon his defence. Roderick, after a tough combat, is laid wounded on the ground; and Fitz-James, sounding his bugle, brings four squires to his side; and after giving the wounded chief into their charge, gallops rapidly on towards Stirling. As he ascends the hill to the castle, he descries the giant form of Douglas approaching to the same place; and the reader is then told, that this generous lord had taken the resolution of delivering himself up voluntarily, with a view to save Malcome Græme, and if possible, Sir Roderick also, from the impending danger. To be continued. THE COXCOMB AND THE FOP. "My dear Lord," said the lively Mary, as she kindly smoothed the pillow under the gouty foot of her father, "I must continue to maintain, that a coxcomb and a fop are two distinct beings."—" I affirm not,” said the father. Shew me the dis may mend! but those curled mustachios, which you so much admire, they are artificial, and carefully stuck on over a lip, in the place where yet a beard has perversely refused to scatter its down; those copper heeled boots, and the glorious clank of arms which proclaim the approach of the hero, he patiently toils under, and tinction, if you can."-" Most wil- gloriously supports their weight, to tingly, Sir, replied the Lady, and attract the passing gaze, and the so far will I coincide with your opi-self interpreted murmur of general nion, that a fop may be a coxcomb, but a coxcomb is not always a fop." "Go on," said her father, "I know, Mary, you love definitions.""Why my dear Sir," said she, "a fop is now almost become an obsolete thing: the creature perished with all the paraphernalia of powder, pomatum, black pins, wool, golden-clocked silk stocking, and red-heeled shoes. Where now do we see these fine bedizened animals ?" approbation. Oh! this is a top of the first water; and yet, perhaps, like his little counter-part, the blooming Ensign, he longs to throw off the cumbersome trappings of war, and commence coxcomb in the more comtriple-caped coat, or the butcher-like fortable envelope of the coachman's looking boxing-jacket, with a fine yellow handkerchief round his neck, or one of that flaming scarlet kind, called 'Assasin! and which dubs him, without farther ceremony, the Blood Red Knight!" 66 "Now," said the father, exultyou exactly ascribe to my argument, that a fop and a coxcomb are the same thing.". "I cannot "Continue," replied the father, with a smile. "Coxcombs, I grant," said Mary, "we have many; but the only fops I know, is the Dame-ingly, street hussar, and the little spruce Ensiga, on duty at Kilmainham; the latter has his head finely pow-give up my idea," said the daughter; dered, drawn up carefully from each side, till it forms on the summit of the little vacant globe, the finest imperial helmet, and from which, sometimes, in order to destroy its formal monotony, a straggling little ringlet is allowed to sport on the blooming check of the pretty military doll, "the two characters are certainly distinct; I can point out but two fops amongst all our acquaintance! but oh! what a multitude of coxcombs! and where shall we look for a fop? Shall we find him among our real bucks of fashion, with straight unpowdered locks, where the fingers seem the substitute for the comb! Would a fop wear the short fustian "All this is but too true," said the father, but the officer of the 7th dragoons, whom you chuse to ridi-jacket in which Sir Thomaseule, has, I think, with his mustarides, and in which habit his groom chios, and his manly and warlike owns all the superiority of person as accoutrements, really the air of a well as manners; and I dare say in soldier." his domestic circle he is more polite; for the groom's wife, perhaps, does not like her husband should chew tobacco and honest Paddy "An air, indeed," said the sarcastic Lady, "but I believe he had much rather keep out of the air of gun-shot! Hear me, my dear Sir! this is by far the greatest fop of the two the other is such a boy, he "Not him in upper life, "But the kind Irishman who loves, his wife." D takes takes a pleasure in quitting a custom changed a smile; Benborough always which may be disagreeable to his full of that vanity which imagines Cara Sposa: not so the coxcomb self to be the subject of all attention, of a baronet; it is quite immaterial immediately noticed it, and said, to him, whether my Lady is pleased" Do you laugh at my gaiters? I or displeased; he is resolved to be the can assure you, they are quite the very quintescence of a stage.coach-thing: besides, as I called to see my man; he chews, he spits, he swears; he pulls up his cattle with the true go; wears ribbons in his hat on Mayday, and Christmas berries on the eve of the Nativity!" divine cousin, I could not think of wearing boots; though, to be sure, nothing is more elegant than the new levee boot, now sported by all the men of high ton; but they sit too "But your cousin Benborough," tight, and my nerves ave so unhinged said the father, "whom I always this morning, that I could not bear thought the greatest coxcomb under the fatigue of drawing them on."the sun, he has none of all this." Why, what's the matter with you,” "Oh! true," said Mary; "Tsaid the old man, now under the inthank you for furnishing me with a fluence of a desperate gouty twinge; fop out of our own family, in order" I wish, you young cub, that you to demonstrate to you what the creature is, and his oppositeness to the finished coxcombs of the present day, otherwise called men of the first fashion! Well, Sir, and Sir Thomas Speedham, my cousin's inseparable companion, I expect will call here every hour; no doubt but they will come together, and then, you can judge of the palpable distinction between these beings." The honourable Mr. Benborough arrived first; his morning jacket was of the finest cinnamon brown kerseymere, while a silk handkerchief of bright jonquil, with small purple spots, encircled his throat; his fine shining light brown hair, unpowdered and carefully brushed, had been tortured for near two hours by his valet, to make each affectedly careless wave turn towards the left side of the upper part of his head; an obstinate ringlet, that would not, in spite of all his valet's skill and toil, turn exactly towards the corner of the left eye, as his master wished, had almost given him a nervous head-ach. A gentle tint of rouge coloured the cheek of this modern Adonis, and a plentiful odour of the Egyptian Otto, was diffused round the room of his uncle, on his entrance. The Peer and his daughter ex was obliged to bear half my pain, and then you would not talk about your delicate nerves, while you look as blooming, and as healthy as a young milk-maid!" "And yet, positively," said the young gentleman, turning to Mary, "I looked this morning, when I rose, as pale as a ghost, and I was actually, my dear cousin, obliged to put on."-What the devil's that:"" said the old gentleman; "Only a little rouge, dear uncle," said Benborough; and I fear I have not done it judiciously; since I must have looked most vulgarly robust, for you to compare me to a milk-maid.” The Lady perceiving that her father was about to inveigh most severely against this unmanly practice, she motioned him to observe this effeminate being in silence; but their observations were soon turned to the complete contrast which the rattling. barouche at the door presented to their view. The old man was laid on a couch, near the window, in order that passing objects might amuse, and, in some measure, mitigate his pain; he looked at the being who presented itself, and saw a Baronet metamorphosed into a complete knight of the whip. Sir says 1 dined with a party of brother whips; and a new member of the four in-hand was introduced; the very best whip, I'll venture to affirm, in all Ireland; drunk or sober, it's all the same to him: he can both prime and bang up, in a superior style to any one of us; however, old Kite he shall dare him to it; and I have laid a bet with a certain gentleman, my new telegraph against his old,dogcart, that the young beginner will beat the old hand quite hollow; but come, Benborough, will you take an inside place? I am going to drive to Tattersall's, to see four of the finest goers in the kingdom; if he'll take six hundred pounds for them, they're mine." Sir Thomas Speedham, before he left the box, divested himself of his great coat, and drew from his hands a pair of thick driving tans; he then took off his hat, scratched his head, or rather routed his fingers amongst his thick black hair, and spit with a most coachman-like grace; then, with a blue checked handkerchief, he wiped his forehead and the back of his neck, filled the crown of his hat with the pocket handkerchief, ascended the drawing-room. "How are you old buck?" said he got the gout? so much the better good thing-very good thing. How do young, one!" added he, turning to Benborough. "Not at all the thing replied the fop; I went to see Conway at Crow street last night, and I was so obsede, I fell asleep; I expected to have seen you there"- "ly, to his pretty cousin, the other Me!" replied the Baronet. "Break my neck, down hill, if you ever catch me screwed up in a box at any of your little theatres, to hear your squalling players; no, I was better employed; we'd a choice day of it. I went to see some dogs fight. ' "But where was you, my dear Sir Thomas, in the evening?" said Benborough," I waited at home for you, till almost the first act of the play was over; I could not stay later, for fear I should be taken for one of the canaille, who go at half price." "Yes very likely," said the old man "you might have been taken for some man milliner !"-" Devilish! fair upon my soul," said Sir Thomas, "hoax me, if that is not a good one. "-" But you did not answer my couzin's question," said Mary. "Eh! what?" said Sir Thomas, looking up, and seeming as if he had just discovered there was a female in theroom "Oh! ay; what was it?" "I asked you, my dear fellow," aid Benborough, "where you had passed the day and evening, that I Lad not seen you ;" "Oh! that's it, is it?" replied the Baronet." Why, The fashionable duo now took their leave; Benborough bowed, affected stared full at her, and gave her a fa- THE FATAL SEPARATION. When Heaven bestowed on man those finer feelings of the soul, which render life agreeable, it only sought to promote the happiness of its crea tures, and give additional interest to their situation. Yet in consequence of the notions which a false refinement in society has produced, those very feelings have frequently become the cause of inexpressible affliction to mortals, and the source of anguish the most poignant, which the human heart is capable of experiencing. proof of which the following affecting little story is related, and is a well known fact, which actually took place in one of the Italian states, in the latter end of the last century. In About the year 1780, a young gentleman |