exclusively devoted their attention, indulge the spirit of pride, and arrogantly claim from the public a degree of deference, which is by no means due to the most successful cultivator of any single department of science, or of literature. And in the literary as well as in the commercial world, undue demands are resentfully resisted; and amongst scholars, as amongst men of the world, pride produces discord. Learned men are also too frequently surrounded by officious friends, whose ignorant enthusiasm of attachment betrays them into a kind of idolatry, which is productive of the most mischievous consequences to its object. They who are ready to meet with a blind and ready acquiescence in their opinions, in the obsequious circle of their partisans, become impatient of contradiction, and give way to the impulse of anger, when any one presumes to put their dogmas to the test of unreserved examination. The flame of resentment is fanned by the foolish partiality by which it was originally kindled; and the noblest energies of some mighty mind are perverted to the maintenance of strife, and the infliction of pain. The operation of these causes produces many striking proofs that wisdom and learning are by no means identical, and that the interpreter of the sublimest morals may become the miserable victim of the meanest passions which rankle in the human breast." p. 450.

12. "The opening of the Dialogue on the Vicissitudes of Fortune' is singularly grand and interesting. It exhibits Poggio, and his confidential associate, Antonio Lusco, fatigued by the inspection of the remains of Roman magnificence, reposing themselves amidst the venerable ruins of the Capitol, which building commands a prospect of almost the whole extent of the city. After Antonio has gazed for a few minutes on the waste of years, he exclaims with a sigh, How unlike, Poggio, is this Capitol to that which Maro sung, as

Chang'd from horrid thorn to glittering gold!'

The gold has now disappeared, and thorns and briers resume their reign. When I consider our present situation, I cannot but remember how C. Marius, the pillar of the Roman Republic, when he was banished from his country, landed in Africa, and seated himself amidst the ruins of Carthage, where he meditated on the fate of that city, and could not determine whether he himself or the rival of Rome afforded a more striking spectacle of the instability of human things. But with respect to the devastation of Rome, there is nothing to which it can be compared. The calamity, which has befallen the mistress of the world, exceeds in magnitude every misfortune recorded in the annals of history. It is a truly lamentable circumstance that this city, which formerly produced so many illustrious heroes and commanders, the parent of such signal virtues, the nurse of arts, the inventress of military discipline, the pattern of sanctity, the establisher of laws, the protectress of good morals, the queen of the nations, should now, by the injustice of fortune, not only be stripped of her dignity, but should also be doomed to the most wretched servitude, and should become so deformed and abject, as to exhibit no traces of her former grandeur, except what are to be found in her ruins!" (Poggii Hist. de Variet. Fortun. 6, 7.) p. 397.

E. H. BARKER.

THE BARONESS.-A NOVEL.

BY PARISIANUS.

(Continued from page 175.)

CHAPTER III.

THE NOTARY.

THE breakfast was at length concluded. The priest retired to his study; the two young ladies, attended by the count, sought the garden; and the baroness remained alone in the apartment where the morning's repast had been served. Two footmen in gorgeous liveries entered to clear away the various meats and dainties that had been scarcely touched; and when the table was disencumbered of the china, the plate, and the food under which it had ere now groaned, the baroness desired one of the domestics to tell the steward he might enter into her presence.

A pampered menial, with corpulent person, winning smile, and respectful bow, slid into the room upon his tip-toes, and stood at the distance of a few paces from his mistress' arm chair, in which she sate like a royal queen.

"You may approach, Germain," said the baroness, waving her withered hand to the steward, for it was he who sought her presence thus humbly," and pray despatch with thy business, for M. de Moirot is expected from Paris. He was to have left by the mail last night, according to a letter I received from him yesterday morning.

"Your ladyship shall be obeyed," returned the steward, and he proceeded to lay a quantity of documents upon the table before the baroness, who put on a large pair of gold spectacles, and hastened to examine the accounts, for such they were. "Your ladyship will observe," continued the steward," that Jacques Devôt, who was once the most exact of all your ladyship's tenants, has not yet been able to discharge the arrears of rent that accumulated during the winter. I called upon him a few days ago, and found him in the greatest distress. He is now a most unprofitable tenant, your ladyship."

"What can be the cause of so sudden a change, Germain?" inquired the venerable dame.

"His daughter has married against his will, my lady," was the respectful reply; " and her husband is a worthless fellow, who lives upon the poor father, and will not work."

"To-morrow we will either send a receipt in full to Jacques Devôt," returned her ladyship, "or else he shall be distrained for the arrears that are due to us.'

"Send a receipt or a bailiff, your ladyship!" cried Germain, in unfeigned astonishment, and at a loss to account for the motives of such extraordinary alternatives.

"One or the other," observed the baroness drily.

"And there is Michel Dubois, your ladyship," continued the steward, scarcely recovered from the astonishment into which the strange behaviour of his venerable mistress had thrown him.

"What of Michel Dubois, Germain ?"

"He pleads the badness of the crops, your ladyship, and cannot fulfil his engagements more satisfactorily than the other."

"We will adopt the same line of conduct with regard to him as we shall do towards Devôt," said the lady of Grandmanoir, mildly but firmly.

"And Henri Labat, the miller, your ladyship, has sent me the amount of his rent this very morning: it was due the fifteenth of last month; but he requested me to inform your ladyship that if you would allow me to return him the moiety, and accord him a delay of six weeks, he-"

"I cannot decide till to-morrow morning, Germain," interrupted the baroness: "but I fancy the accounts are correct, save the instances you mentioned ?”

Germain replied in the affirmative.

"You may make your usual report, then, Germain," added the high-born dame.

"Nothing of material consequence has ensued during the last week, your ladyship," began the steward. "The small canal has overflowed its banks, and damaged the railings of the park on the northern side; and the grape-vines are almost cut to pieces by the winds that blew with such severity a few days ago. Farther than that, your ladyship," added the favoured domestic, "I have nothing to report."

"You may retire, Germain," said the baroness of Grandmanoir; and the steward withdrew on tip-toes, as he had entered. The butler, the cellarer, the housekeeper, and one or two farmers, solicited and obtained each a consecutive audience, after which the baroness cast her eyes over the Moniteur newspaper, and then inspected her letters that were shortly brought in.

We have merely detailed the conversation that took place between the venerable baroness and her steward, to give the reader an idea of the excellent lady's character, and of the regularity with which her household and domestic economy was arranged, as well as to exemplify the feudal pomp and aristocracy that reigned in all her actions and governed all her remarks. But on this occasion, Germain -the sedate, steady, tranquil Germain-was more than astonished at the indecisive responses the baroness had returned to his representations concerning her tenantry. Hitherto she had immediately ordered the measures necessary to be adopted in such cases; now she was uncertain, and had expressed herself unable to decide. The worthy steward could not fancy how her ladyship possibly balanced between the extremes of generosity and rigour in the cases of Devôt and Dubois: she was not wont to renounce a just debt without taking security for future payment, nor was she ever guilty of proceeding to the utmost extent allowed her by the law. Wherefore she should procrastinate to the next day that decision which her energetic mind had hitherto invariably dictated at the moment, not only astounded but also grieved the faithful steward; for his imagination did not fail to entertain presentiments of evil, or to fancy that the mental faculties of his mistress were prone to a speedy decay.

At length M. de Moirot made his appearance, and was immediately ushered to the reception room of the chateau. Thither did the old lady also hasten, and exchanged hasty civilities with the notary, who maintained a certain air of fawning politeness and obsequiousness which the baroness well knew was assumed and forced. They seated themselves at the table-the baroness prepared to listen -M. de Moirot to speak. The man of the law first drew a portfolio from his pocket, thence extracted a parcel of deeds, which he placed upon the table near him, and hemmed two or three times ere he dared to break a disagreeable silence.

"Your ladyship is aware that this is the 14th of August, 1822, I believe," said the notary after a long hesitation, and with an embarrassment in his manner.

"You need not remind me of the date, M. de Moirot," answered the baroness, in a firm tone of voice.

66

And you are also aware, my lady, that-according to the terms of our agreement-or rather the agreement with my late father-” Proceed-I listen, and understand you."

66

"Which agreement, your ladyship, bears the date of 1776; and the terms of it declare that its conditions shall be put in force-in case of certain default-within one month after the 14th of August, 1822, on which day notice must be given, as I now give it, of the determination of my deceased father's heirs or executors to-to-" "You need not name such resolution, Monsieur," interrupted the baroness haughtily, "I understand it too well."

"Mille pardons, madame," said the notary, with a peculiar affectation of mildness; "I would not willingly repeat unpleasant truths, nor recal to your memory scenes disagreeable to dwell upon. I have, however and your ladyship is aware of it--a wife and family to provide for, and the bulk of my father's property was vested in the transaction, the arrangement and condition of which have now brought me hither. You must moreover recollect, Madame," continued the notary, recovering his courage as he spoke," that during the ensuing month, you remain but ostensibly the Mistress of this domain, if such were my will; but I could not-would not-heap such insults upon your head. Continue to sway, Madam, the lands of Grandmanoir, and on the 14th of September next I shall again do myself the pleasure-I shall again call upon you, definitively to settle the affairs which have to-day occasioned my visit to Amiens."

"Of you, M. de Moirot, I ask no delay-no mercy," exclaimed the baroness. 'I have amassed enough to secure a competency to my dear grand-children-and that even you cannot take from me. Had your younger brother come forward when he attained the age of one and twenty-"

"Then the lands of Grandmanoir would have passed away from me and my heirs for ever, you would say, Madam," interrupted de Moirot, with a fiendish smile of triumph. "Such was my father's will, as your deceased husband well knew. But Alfred de Moirot

is not in existence; and to me must your ladyship account for the fulfilment of the conditions of the treaty."

Our business is now concluded, I fancy, M. de Moirot," said the

baroness, after a moment's pause, and rising as she uttered these words in a haughty tone of voice. "If you will give yourself the trouble to walk to the oaken-parlour, you may haply find where with to refresh yourself. I now offer you that which in another month you will perhaps have a right to command."

"It is not my intention to reside on the estate," said de Moirot carelessly; then, in a tone of exceeding politeness, he added, " and if Madame la baronne will continue to occupy a suite of apartments-" "What!" exclaimed the venerable dame, fire flashing from her eyes, and all her frame trembling with rage and indignation, "what! inhabit on suffrance-as a tenant-the ancient halls of my husband's forefathers! dwell in this mansion as a tolerated guest, when for years almost all that I could survey from its highest windows has been mine! exist as an emblem of the very ruins of the finest family of the north! Oh no! de Moirot-your offer is as base as the advantage you take of a treaty forced upon my unfortunate husband by your selfish father!-Pass on, Sir, and say no more!"

There was something so awful, at the same time so venerable and commanding, in the language and attitude of the ancient baroness, that de Moirot shrank into nothing before her frown, and, without hazarding a word of reply, was glad to make his escape from the salle de conference.

CHAPTER IV.
Sans-géne.

In the meantime the mail continued its even pace, and at about two o'clock, P. M., Sans-gêne arrived safely at Boulogne-sur-Mer. No sooner did the wheels of the massive vehicle rattle over the stones of that beautiful sea-port, than Sans-gêne hastily passed his fingers through his hair, drew down his coat-sleeves to their utmost extent, wiped his trowsers with his dirty pocket handkerchief, and assumed a certain air of importance which he intended should astonish the worthy Boulonnais, while his left hand rattled a few two-sous pieces in his waistcoat-pocket.

The moment the mail stopped at the post-office, Sans-gêne sprung from the interior; and having desired the courier to be very careful how he disengaged his baggage from the surrounding boxes, trunks, and portmanteaus, he addressed himself to a shabby-genteel-looking gentleman, who rejoiced in the lucrative post of commissionaire, or touter to an hotel, and requested to be informed "which was the best inn Boulogne could boast of, and the one that was most fitted to receive a person of consequence and rank."

The touter could scarcely suppress a smile, as his visual rays encountered the person of the unabashed and unblushing Sans-gêne; and, with a perfect indifference to all the laws of politeness and decorum, he laughed outright, when the courier carefully consigned into the hands of his late passenger a small bundle, whose extent had been compressed to such a compass that a red cotton pocket handkerchief circumvented the whole of that portable wardrobe.

"And pray what do you find so mighty singular to laugh at,