Father," said he "trusting in your patronage I relinquished my all, and have not left wherewith to pay my journey.' Away, I say, answered the Pope; "if my excessive bounty has made you neglect your patrimony, I will no farther encourage your waste and improvidence. Poverty is but a slight punishment for your crimes."-" But, Father," rejoined Don Julian, "my wants are instant; I am hungry: give me but a trifle to procure a supper to-night. To-morrow I shall beg my way out of Rome.' "Heaven forbid," said the Pope, "that I should be guilty of feeding the ally of the Prince of Darkness. Away, away from my presence, or I instantly call for the guard."-" Well then," replied Don Julian, rising from the ground, and looking on the Pope with a boldness which began to throw his Holiness into a paroxysm of rage," if I am to starve at Rome, I had better return to the supper which I ordered at Toledo." Thus saying, he rang a gold bell which stood on a table next the Pope. The door opened without delay, and the Moorish servant came in. The Pope looked round, and found himself in the subterraneous study under the Tagus. "Desire the cook," said Don Julian to the maid, to put but one partridge to roast; for I will not throw away the other on the Dean of Santiago." The supernatural machinery employed in the preceding tale, or the supposition that by some means unknown the human mind may be subjected to a complete delusion, during which it exists in a world of her own creation, perfectly independent of time and space, has a strong hold on what might be called man's natural prejudices. Far from there being any thing revolting or palpably absurd in such an admission, the obscurity itself of the nature of time and space, and the phenomena of the dreaming and delirious mind, are ready to give it a colouring of truth. The success, indeed, of the tales which have been composed upon that basis, proves how readily men of all ages and nations have acknowledged, what we might call, its poetical truth. The hint followed by Don Juan Manuel, in the Deon of Santiago, is found in the Turkish Tales, from which Addison took the story of Chahabeddin, in No. 94 of the Spectator. It is very probable that the Spanish author received it through the Arabs, his countrymen, and was the first who adapted it to European customs. The imitations of the Spanish tale are numerous. The learned antiquary Mr. Douce has, with his usual kindness, given us a list of seven works, where it is found in a variety of dress and costume. We subjoin their titles in a note." B. W. * Scot's "Mensa Philosophica," a very rare book. Blanchet's "Apologues." In verse, from Blanchet, by Mr. Andrieux, in L'Esprit des Journaux, for 1799. In English prose, in Vol. VII. of Anderson's " Bee," probably from the French, by Mr. Johnes. Tales from the French, 2 vols. 12mo. 1786. Boyer's "Wise and Ingenious Companion." Twine's "Schoolmaster." 1576. THE BACHELOR OUTWITTED; Some years ago such as we see in May, Thinking how art might best improve on nature, I'll make, thought 1, a scene of beauty here, Of weeds and rankness, and my walks 1 shield To wind my walks, direct the water's flow, d That order shall be mingled with confusion, Or a fresh shape, or scene of sweet delusion; And here I'll have a basin clear to view Shaking its crystal waves in bright profusion, it Reflecting sunbeams, painting earth and sky, And foliage rich, in its transparency. I'll have a kiosk there; a fountain nigh No spot in Britain, garden of the earth, Could equal mine, where art precise and neat Was temper'd by rude nature, and the birth Of flowers in seas of odour did create Voluptuous inebriety-dancing mirth Laugh'd round in lightness: heaven's own tenants there Now with my books, and home, and competence, And the last thing I dream'd of was a wife : Could I have found a perfect woman—this I I would not hope, Mahomet found but four Throughout the teeming East, where wedded bliss Consists in marrying by the gross or score, Till you can find one to be Sultaness, And favourite of your bed, to ride all o'er, And trample on the entire horde beside, Like Austrian satrap on Italian pride. My paradise had therefore got no Eve, lithole pla As Flora, might a ready eye deceived 1 Outrying earth's creation, heaven's own love, The essence of all beauty, save of eye That she might not be perfect, though above Her full rich eye-glance flashes ceaselessly The arrowy beams of passion, and old Jove Himself had tempted been, but for his mater Who awes the thunder-god with threats and prate Thus I had all things reason could demand I now might study, write, climb up to fame From this my loved retreat, or cash in hand Swell my revenues, or enhance my name Like Coke by rural honours, and thus stand The benefactor of a realm, and frame Codes of Agrarian law, feed kine, give dinners, Make rustic matches and reward the winners. Fate order'd differently-one idle day, Lolling in indolence within a bower, Prank'd out with flowers, the sober and the gay, Breathing their fragrance in a ceaseless shower Around my seat, my fountain in full play, Its bright drops sparkling in the noontide hour In silvery coolness, and the dark green dress Of the soft shade casting voluptuousness; I'll have, I said, a marble statue here, Its white will well contrast with this dark shade, And it shall be a female; I've no fear That the dumb image will my peace invade, Or cause me interruption-she'll appear In Nature's character, and I'll have made At her full breast a child carved as alive, Of Nature and her offspring figurative. I spoke to Chantrey, and the work was done, And gazed into her eyes and smiled, as warm Her head was small, with fair locks clustering round, Whence flows the stream of being, duly prest Of speaking statuary, yet long'd, to see I long'd in vain at last by the strong charm I thought if stone and Chantrey thus could warm From granting love and beauty had some small In short, might have a sovereign power to bless. To close his eyes and drink his latest breath ?- Of marriage registers, when St. Paul saith "Tis better to live single as I do!"— A wise authority to keep in view. Ruosseau, I think, says that deliberation, Halting, and reasoning, pausing, and what not, Is certain ruin in a virgin's station, Who for a lover has a roue got; A firm, decisive, prompt, downright negation,' Not to remember Rousseau's good advice, del 14, Or I had settled all things in a trice, And so I mused, and ponder'd-spite of boast, Thought brought on thought, and we are prone to end That sought insidiously our will to bend Till it became a favourite to our cost: And thus mine prompted me whole hours to spend Of beauty, love, and woman ever thinking. Inch after inch, like Benedict the brave, I deem'd that marriage must be quite divine, One perfect as an angel of the sky, Could such be found,-one that would look as sweet And glance more lovely her young innocent greet, Bound strong as death by the maternal tie; How swift would my delicious moments fleet!— Of my vow'd bachelorship's long cogitation! To pin a moral for a warning voice, But lest it should-" O bachelors from choice, MRS. CULPEPPER'S "uncle the Sergeant," of whom reverential mention has been made in one of these immortal epistles, has fallen in love! He felt a slight vertigo in Tavistock-square, of which he took little notice, and set off on the home circuit; but imprudently venturing out with the widow Jackson in a hop-field, at Maidstone, before he was well cured, the complaint struck inward and a mollities cordis was the consequence. Mr. Sergeant Nethersole had arrived at the age of fiftynine, heart-whole; his testamentary assets were therefore looked upon by Mrs. Culpepper as the unalienable property of her and hers. Speculations were often launched by Mr. and Mrs. Culpepper as to the |