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"Ah! is that he ?" replied the other; and they quickened their pace. He who had excited their terror, only raised his head, sighed, and was again absorbed in the contents of his volume.

At this moment, an ecclesiastic passing, mounted upon a mule richly caparisoned, stopped an instant, and, in an under tone said to the stranger: "Read, read!-for to-morrow thou diest at the stake!"

Perhaps the stranger heard him, He raised not his head, but remained immoveable, and continued his reading. Night came, and closing the book with a sigh, he returned it to its place, and quitted the spot where he had remained since the dawn of day.

The next morning, as he approached the place where the day previous he had perhaps spent a few happy hours, he found the books gone, and the stand removed, and was informed that the faction of "The blacks," had, in one of their secret assemblies, held during the night, at the convent of Saint Pierre, proscribed him, and it was dangerous for him to be publicly seen in the streets of Florence.

"Eh bien!"" was his only answer. A number of friends were soon collected around him.

"You are condemned to die!" said one of them.

"Without being heard?"

"I have proof that they intend this night to set your house on fire, and suffer you to perish in the flames, or assassinate you if you attempt to escape. Save yourself, then, by a timely flight!"

"I will remain."

"For the sake of your children, save yourself!"

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I will leave them my name for an heritage !"

"In the name of one you have made immortal on earth as she is in heaven," cried a friend, pressing through the crowd, "in the name of BEATRICE, I conjure you to fly !"

The stranger inclined his head, and accompanied by his friend, turned his steps toward the Roman gate of Florence. "How will you be avenged on your enemies, for their cruelties and insults?"

The stranger replied not; but drawing from his bosom a roll of parchment, he pointed, with a significant air, to three words inscribed thereon: "DIVINA COMMEDIA INFERNO." Then casting a last, long, lingering look toward his native Florence, he passed through the gate, on foot and alone.

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A DIRGE: L. E. L.'

FAR away, ah! far away

From her own green isle, she died,
And, for shroud that wraps decay,
Early changed the garb of bride.
Fatal to our northern flower
Was the glare of tropic day;
Wretched was her dying hour,
Far away, far away!

Never more, ah! never more,
Will she glad the festal throng;
Faded is the look she wore,
Voiceless is her lip of song.
Gifted Daughter of the Nine!
Well may friends thy fate deplore,
They will hear a strain like thine,
Never more, never more!

Fare thee well, ah, fare thee well!
Dark thy life grew, near its close;
Mildew on thy spirit fell,

Like wan blight upon the rose.

Ended is thy warbling now,

Mistress of the chorded shell;
Dust is on thy withered brow

Fare thee well, fare thee well!

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I AM but a simple woodland flower,

The traveller heeds me not;

My dwelling the foot of an old oak tree,
In a wild, sequestered spot:

Yet happy am I, in my humble nook,
From the bustling world afar,

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I peer through the leaves of my old oak's eaves,

And worship a glorious star!

Though sunlight dims thee, peerless star,

Though fleecy piles enshroud,

Thy pure soft light is glistening bright,

Beyond the envious cloud;

Thy radiant face, with changeless grace,
Is ever shining there;

Yet a simple flower may offer up

Its humble, heart-felt prayer.

This fragile frame must perish soon,

Each rainbow tint must fade,

And under the root of my ancient oak,

This senseless corse be laid;

Yet a priceless joy has been mine to taste,
To worship thee, thus afar,

And the latest glance of my glazing eyes
Shall rest on my glorious star!

THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF JOB DOOLITTLE.

JOB DOOLITTLE was a remarkable man-a very remarkable man; one of the most remarkable men of this remarkable age. He was born in the village of Dronesborough, he was brought up in the village of Dronesborough, and he died in the village of Dronesborough; in fact, he was never out of the village of Dronesborough; a circumstance sufficient of itself to mark him as an extraordinary individual; for what could induce a person, in these spirit-stirring and body-stirring times, to pass fifty-seven years within a small country village, without once setting his foot out of it? What but genius-wonderful genius!

The ancestors of Job Doolittle came from Little Pokesworth, near Puddletown in Shropshire. The cause of their removal cannot be ascertained. Some extraordinary circumstance must have been connected with it, as the family were never given to making journeys, without necessity. The oldest of the family, at the time of their coming to Dronesborough was Creeper Doolittle, for some time proprietor of the "Slow Coach," which ran between Little Pokesworth and Stopford. Many anecdotes of others of his relatives may be found in "Memoirs of the late Mr. Tardy." The great grandfather of Job, by the mother's side, was the celebrated Simon Snorewell, who used to earn half a crown a day by sleeping. Job's 4 great uncle was Mr. Lawrence Doolittle, known in Dronesborough as "Blind Lawrence." He lost his sight by the rain beating upon his face through a leaky roof, while he lay in bed. Another uncle of Job, Mr. Driblett Dolittle, became famous in his native town, by performing, on one occasion, a walk without stopping, from Penny Ferry to Sleepy Hill, a distance of a mile and a half; being a feat, which had not been equalled by any one of the family, time out of mind. He married his wife after a courtship of twenty-nine years. Her name was Snail. She was a descendant of Perriwinkle Snail, Esq., a member of the Long Parliament.

Job Doolittle, the subject of this memoir, was the son of Waitstill Doolittle and Patience Slugg. His mother was the daughter of old Tranquillity Slugg, of Lubbertown. He was born at the old family mansion, in Dumpy Lane, near Standfast Corner. Job was the only child of his parents, and was born thirteen years after their marriage. His birth happened on the twenty-first day of June, being the longest day in the

year. Whether this circumstance had any influence upon the formation of his character, it would perhaps be useless to inquire; but the most trivial particulars in the life of a great man are interesting. Why he came to be christened Job is a very curious question. Some authorities say, that it was on account of its shortness, as old Waitstill Doolittle had a mortal aversion to all such superfluous expenditure of breath as is required for the pronunciation of long names. Some say one of his ancestors was called Job. Some say his father took the first name that came to hand; and others again give still more ingenious reasons. But there is so much contradictory evidence in the case, that nothing appears clearly demonstrated, but that he was named Job. After all, it might have been owing to his patience in not complaining at being suffered to go for so great a length of time without a name; for it seems old Waitstill Doolittle was not able to provide his son with one, until he had attained his sixth year. Young Job was put to school at ten years of age, and made such a proficiency in his infantile studies, that he learned his alphabet in less than three years. None of the Doolittle family had ever before been known to get through it in less than five. It is interesting also to know, that he was taught by an old school-mistress named Patience Still.

The extraordinary genius of Job Doolittle displayed itself very early in his career. I need not say his main characteristics were great forethought and circumspection, in every act of his life. He was never known to be guilty of a single rash or hasty action; and it was prophetically pronounced by his great uncle, old Creeper Doolittle, the toll-keeper at Sluggett's Bridge, that Job would be an honour to the family. This sagacious prediction was soon verified. Job was challenged by his playmates one day to a game of hop-scotch, and inquired, with great earnestness, if it was a game that could be played standing still. Being informed that it could not, he instantly refused to engage in it. Chucking marbles was a game that he was fond of; and he would have continued to play it, but for the extraordinary labour of picking up the marbles again after chucking them. Bat-and-ball he abhorred, as a most prodigal expenditure of human strength and exertion. Hide-and-seek he indulged in a good deal; but he was much fonder of hiding than seeking, that he seldom found a boy willing to take a share in the play. But he particularly excelled in a game which consisted in trying who could stand still the long

est.

THE LIFE AND OPINIONS OF JOB DOOLITTLE. 261

From these indications, it is easy to perceive that our hero was a person of great deliberation in all his movements, and that he had a most philosophical indifference for those objects and pursuits which dissipate the power and energies of ardent youth by over-exertion. Nothing could surpass the manly and stoical calmness which he manifested on many great and trying emergencies. The house in which he lived happened to take fire while he was in bed. Most people would have started up in great alarm at the first announcement of such an occurrence. Not so Job. He very sagely concluded that the fire might go out of itself, and it would be a sad waste of labour to make any hurry to extinguish it. All he did, therefore, was to thrust his elbows out of bed, from time to time, to ascertain whether the walls grew hot, knowing that there would be no absolute necessity of stirring till then. The event justified his calculations. The fire was extinguished without his assistance, and Job turned on the other side, and went to sleep.

On another occasion, he was pursued by a mad bull, and told to run for his life. Job's presence of mind and deliberation in this case were never surpassed. He very gravely turned round to the person who gave this advice, and, in a firm tone, replied, that he would "sooner die than run." Mark the effect of his sagacity! The bull, seeing Job stand stock still, took him for a post, and passed by without offering him an injury. On the contrary, those who ran away, only tired their legs, and put themselves out of breath. Job got a great reputation by this feat, and his reply on the occasion passed into a proverb.

Numerous anecdotes more might be related in illustration of his mental serenity, and strong attachment to steadfast habits. He was once sent into the orchard to gather apples, and not having returned, late in the day, some one went in search of him. Job was found lying on his back under an apple-tree, with his mouth open, waiting for the apples to fall in. When his father died, and Job was called upon to follow at the funeral, he replied, "Not to-day;" implying that he might possibly attend the funeral some other time. On another occasion, as he was lying, deep in thought, in the sunshine, under the side of the barn, he was informed by a person passing by, that the pigs were nibbling at his toes, and was advised to drive them away. He very calmly raised his head, and replied, in a deliberate tone, that "he'd see about it." The discretion and presence of mind, also, which he manifested when he happened to fall, on a slippery day, are worthy of commemoration. He

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