extravagant degree, so that the num- antiques. Of the common kind, again, ber of rings possessed by a family of there are those which, cut with a great wealth must have been almost in- certain conventionalism in design and estimable. At every irruption of the a facility in execution which incessant barbarians, the villas that covered the repetition only can produce, cannot be Campagna for miles around Rome imitated except at a cost utterly bemust have felt the first fury of their yond their market value. Like the ravages; and as the stones contained designs on the Etruscan vases, their in the ornaments were of no use to the main excellence is, that, being so good, plunderers, they were broken out and they should be done so facilely. An thrown away, many of them to be un- imitator loses the rapidity and spirit covered, more than a thousand years of execution. The mass of imitations later, by the spade of the trencher in are of things only tolerably good, and the vineyards. One of a number of of things whose characteristics are in peasants playing at bowls in one of the the execution merely, as in the Roman roads near Rome struck with his ball and conventional Etruscan work. a point of hardened mud, which flew in I will close with one bit of advice to pieces, disclosing an exquisite intaglio my readers. If your fancy finds any head of Nero in carnelian, in perfect satisfaction in Scarabæi ed altri, let condition, for which the finder received your acquisition stop with the first exten scudi. ample, — take a sample brick from anThe laborers in the fields have so tiquity. If you once commence colfar learned the value of the stones they lecting them in ever so small a way, find, that it becomes almost impossible or with any excuse to your own pockanywhere in the vicinity of Rome to et, you will find yourself subject to a buy them of the finders, even at the fascination more irresistible than the most extravagant prices. Unable to love of money, more absorbing than distinguish in quality, and knowing that the search for the philosopher's stone. certain stones have brought such and While you are in Rome, you will find such prices, they refuse to sell any for a yourself unable to keep your feet from smaller price, but retain them until the ways that lead to the antiquaries, or next festa, when they carry them in suc- your money out of the hands of a class cession to all the mercanti di pietre in (with two or three exceptions) of cheats. Rome, to see which will offer the high- You will find the extravagances of one est price, - a kind of vendue which day coming to be the niggardness of evinces greater trade-cleverness than the next; and feverish anxieties lest the Italians get credit for, and which you should not succeed in getting this has the effect of bringing the dealers gem, and irritating regrets that you too at once to their best terms. No matter soon bought that, will divide your torwhat price you offer, they never accept tured soul. And when you finally it until they have tried the value it has leave Rome, as you must some day, for others. It is only when a stone has you will always harbor a small cankersuch great value that it justifies paying worm of immitigable grief, that you did a price passing the imagination of the not purchase one stone you saw and peasant, that the buyer can profit by thought too high-priced; and will pass buying from the first hand. thenceforward no curiosity-shop withOf the finer kind of intaglii, there out looking in the windows a moment, is little danger of buying counterfeits, in the hope of finding some gem strayed since the art of gem-cutting is too low away into parts where no man knows now to permit of such counterfeits its value. If you feel in you the caas might be mistaken for first-rate pacity of loving them, let them alone. In the pine-forest, Guarded by shadows, Lieth the haunted Pond of the Red Men. Ringed by the emerald Mountains, it lies there Like an untarnished Buckler of silver, Dropped in that valley By the Great Spirit ! Weird are the figures Traced on its margins, Viite-work and leaf-work, Knots of sword-grasses, Moonlight and starlight, Clouds scudding northward ! Sometimes an eagle Flutters across it; Sometimes a single Star on its bosom Nestles till morning. Far in the ages, Where the dank greensward With unwet eyelash, Ah! who was like him? Ever at nightfall Into the forest: Low on the pebbles When an old oak dies, Miantowona Wept not, but softly Closed the sad eyelids ; With her own fingers Fastened the deer-skin Over his shoulders ; Then laid beside him Ash-bow and arrow's, Pipe-bowl and wampum, Dried corn and bear-meat,All that was needful On the long journey. Thus old Tawanda Went to the hunting Grounds of the Red Man. Then, as the dirges Miantowona One who had watched her Like a trained runner, |