"Accro che voi diman, piacendo a Dio, Che sara Marte a vintidui d'Aprile. Partir possiate."

Italia Liberata. Trissino, 1. 2.

"SEMPRE sempre l'avea davanti agli occhi,
Ramemorando ogni suo minim' atto,
Ed ogni suo costume, e sempre avendo
Dentr' alle orecchie il suo parlar soave."
Ibid. 1. 3.

"COL triplice nemico in campo aperto
Pugnar sovente, e riportar la palma :
Vincer se stessi, e far, che premio certo
Sia l'opra sempre al forte oprar dell' alma,

Far, che nel corpo incrudelir sia merto,

Far, che fuora in tempesta, e dentro in calma

Stiansi lo spirto, e in quel, che à sensi spiace, Trovi conforto, e compiacenza, e pace.

"Ruvide vesti, e breve sonno, e vitto

Usar semplice e parco, e parchi accenti, Aitar l'oppresso, e consolar l'afflitto,

E insegnar, come Dio s'ami, e paventi, E qual torto sentiero, e qual sia dritto,

E quai dietro al piacer vengan tormenti, Son di questi di Dio servi ed amici L'opre men belle, e i piu volgari offici.”

Filicaia.

Moorish Princesses converted.

A.D. 1050. “Por este tiempo dos hijas de dos Reyes Moros se tornaron Christianas, y se bautizaron. La una fue Casilda, hija de Almenon, Rey de Toledo: la otra Zayda, hija del Rey Benabet de Sevilla. La ocasion de hazerse Christianas fue deste manera. Casilda era muy piadosa y compassiva de los cautivos Christianos que tenian aherrojados en casa de su padre, de su grande necessidad y miseria. Acudiales secretamente con el regalo y sustento que podia. Su padre avisado de lo que passava, y mal enojado por el caso, acecho a su hija. Encontrò la una vez que llevava la comida para aquellos pobres; alterado preguntola lo que llevava? respondio ella que rosas, y abierta la falda las mostro a su padre, por averse en ellas convertido la vianda. Estę milagro tan claro fue ocasion que la donzella se quisiesse tornar Christiana, que de esta suerte suele Dios pagar las obras de piedad que con los pobres se hazen; y fruto de la misericordia suele ser el conocimiento de la verdad. Padecia esta donzella fluxo de sangre. Avisaronla, fuesse por revelacion, o de otra manera, que si queria sanar de aquella adolescencia tan grande, se bañasse en el lago de San Vicente, que esta en tierra de Briniesca. Su padre, que era amigo de los Christianos, por el deseo que tenia de ver sana a su hija, le embio al Rey D. Fernando, para que la hiziesse curar. Cobro en ella

en breve la salud, con bañarse en aquel lago; despues recibio el bautismo, segun que lo tenia pensado, y en reconocimiento de tales mercedes, olvidada de su patria, en un hermita que hizo edificar junto al lago, passo muchos años santamente. En vida y en muerte fue esclarecida con milagros que Dios obrò por su intercession; la Iglesia pone en el numero de los Santos que reynan con Christo en el cielo, y en muchas Iglesias de España se le haze fiesta a quinze de Abril. La Zayda, quier fuesse por el exemplo de Santa Casilda, o por otra ocasion se movio a hazerse Christiana; en especial, que en sueños le aparecio S. Isidoro, y con dulces y amorosas palabras le persuadio pusiesse en execucion con brevedad aquel santo proposito. Dio ella parte deste negocio al Rey su padre; el estava perplexo, sin saber que partido debria tomar. Por una parte no podia resistir a los ruegos de su hija, por otra temia la indignacion de los suyos, si le dava licencia para que se bautizasse. Acordo finalmente comunicar el negocio con D. Alonso, hijo del Rey D. Fernando. Concertaron, que con muestra de dar guerra a los Moros, hiziesse con golpe de gente entrada en tierra de Sevilla, y con esto cautivasse a la Zayda, que estaria de proposito puesta en cierto pueblo que para este efecto señalaron. Sucedio todo como lo tenian trazado: que los Moros no entendieron la traza, y la | Zayda llevada a Leon, fue instruyda en las cosas que pertenece saber a un buen Christiano. Bautizada se llamo D. Isabel. Los mas testificam que esta señora adelante caso con el mismo. D. Alonso, en sazon quæ era ya Rey de Castilla. D. Pelayo el de Oviedo dize, que no fue su muger, sino su amiga." -MARIANA.

De la Peña de los Enamorados.1 "UN moço Christiano estava cautivo en Granada. Sus partes y diligencia eran tales, su buen termino y cortesia, que su amo

1 See Poems in one vol. p. 440. "The maiden through the favouring night From Grenada took her flight," &c. The Lover's Rock.-J. W. W.

Que podian

hazia mucha confiança del dentro y fuera de su casa. Una hija suya al tanto se le aficionò, y puso en el los ojos. Pero como quier que ella fuesse casadera, y el moço esclavo, no podian passar adelante como deseavan: ca el amor mal se puede encubrir, y temian si el padre della, y amo del, lo sabia, pagarian con las cabeças. Acordaron de huir a tierra de Christianos, resolucion que al moço venia mejor, por bolver a los suyos, que a ella por desterrarse de su patria: si ya no la movia el deseo de hazerse Christiana, lo que yo no creo. Tomaron su camino con todo secreto, hasta llegar al peñasco ya dicho, en que la moça cansada se puso a reposar. En esto vieron assomar a su padre con gente de acavallo, que venia en su seguimiento. hazer, o a que parte bolverse? que consejo tomar? mentirosas las esperanças de los hombres y miserables sus intentos. Acudieron a lo que solo les quedava de encumbrer aquel peñol, trepando por aquellos riscos, que era reparo assaz flaco. El padre con un semblante sañudo los mando abaxar: amenaçava les sino obedecian de executar en ellos una muerte muy cruel. Los que acompañavan al padre los amonestavan lo mismo, pues solo les restava aquella esperança de alcançar perdon de la misericordia de su padre, con hazer lo que les mandava, y echarsele a los pies. No quisieron venir en esto. Los Moros puestos apie acometieron a subir el peñasco: pero el moço les defendio la subida con galgas, piedras y palos, y todo lo demas que le venia a la mano, y le servia de armas en aquella desesperacion. El padre visto esto, hizo venir de un pueblo alli cerca vallesteros para que de lexos los flechassen. Ellos vista su perdicion, acordaron con su muerte librarse de los denuestos y tormentos mayores que temian. Las palabras que en este trance se dixeron, no ay para que relatarlas. Finalmente abraçados entresi fuertemente, se echaron del peñal abaxo, por aquella parte en que los mirava su cruel y sañudo padre. Desta manera espiraron antes de llegar a lo baxo, con lastima de los presentes, y aun

con lagrimas de algunos y que se movian con aquel triste espectaculo de aquellos moços desgraciados, y a pesar del padre, como estavan, los enterraron en aquel mismo lugar; constancia que se empleara mejor en otra hazaña, y les fuera bien contada la muerte, si la padecieran por la virtud y en defensa de la verdadera religion, y no por satisfacer a sus apetitos desenfrenados."Ibid.

ALOADIN's Paradise.

"BETWEENE Orpha and Caramit (in Mesopotamia, now Diarbeth) was the Paradise of Aladeules, where he had a fortresse, destroyed by Selim. Men, by a potion brought into a sleep, were brought into this supposed Paradise, where, at their waking, they were presented with all sensual pleasures of musicke, damosells, dainties, &c. which after, having had some taste of another sleepie drink, came again to themselves, and then did Aladeules tell them, that he could bring whom he pleased to Paradise, the place where they had bin, and if they would commit such murders, or haughty attempts, it should be theirs. A dangerous devise. Zelim the Turke destroyed the place."

"In the N. E. parts of Persia there was an old man named Aloadin, a Mahumetan, which had inclosed a goodly valley situate betweene two hilles, and furnished it with all variety which Nature and Art could yeeld, as fruits, pictures, rilles of milk, wine, honey, water, pallaces, and beautifull damosells richly attired, and called it Paradise. To this was no passage but by an impregnable castle: and daily preaching the pleasures of this Paradise to the youth which he kept in his court, sometimes would minister a sleepy drinke to some of them, and then conveigh them thither, where being entertained with these pleasures four or five days, they supposed themselves rapt into Paradise; and then being again cast into a trance by the said drink, he caused them to be carried forth, and then would examine them of what they had seene, and by this delusion would make them resolute for any

THERE appeared to me a bald head, but only the upper part thereof, which was bony; and I was told that such an appearance is seen by those who are to die within a year, and that they instantly prepare themselves. The inhabitants of that earth (Jupiter) do not fear death, except on this account, that they leave their conjugal partner, their children, or parents, for they know that they shall live after death, and that in dying they do not quit life, because they go to Heaven; wherefore they do not call it dying, but being Heaven-made. Such amongst them as have lived in true conjugal love, and have taken such care of their children as becometh parents, do not die of diseases, but in tranquillity, as in sleep; and thus they emigrate from the world to heaven. The age to which the inhabitants live is, on an average, about thirty years, estimated according to years on our earth. It is by the providence of the Lord that they die at so early an age, lest their numbers should increase beyond what that earth is capable of supporting; and whereas when they have fulfilled those years, they do not suffer themselves to be guided by spirits and angels, like those who are not so far advanced in age, therefore spirits and angels seldom attend them when arrived at their thirtieth year. They come to maturity also sooner than on our earth; even in the first flower of youth they connect themselves in marriage, and then it is their chief delight to love the partner of such connection and to take care of their children. Other delights they indeed call delights but respectively external."-SWEDENBORG, concerning the Earths in our Solar System.

Jehovah, with the cabalistical interpretation thereof, and presently did fly into the air. Adam plaining his case, God sent three angels after her, Senoi, Sensenoi, Sanmangeleph, either to bring her back, or denounce unto her, that a hundred of her children should die in a day. These overtook her over the troublesome sea, where one day the Egyptians should be drowned, and did their message to her. She refusing to obey, they threatened her drowning; but she besought them to let her alone, because she was created to vex and kill children on the eighth day if they were men; if women children, on the twentieth day. They nevertheless forcing her to go, Lilis swore to them, that whensoever she should find the name or figure of those angels written or painted on schedule, parchment, or any thing, she would do infants no harm, and that she would not refuse that punishment to lose a hundred children in a day: and accordingly a hundred of her children or young devils died in a day. And for this cause doe they write those names on a scroll of parchment, and hang them on their infants' necks. Thus far BEN SIRA.

"In their chambers always is found such a picture, and the names of the Angels of Health (this office they ascribe to them) are written over the chamber door. In their book Brandspiegel, printed at Cracovia, 1597, is shewed the authority of this history, collected by their wise men out of those

words, "Male and female created he them," compared with the forming of Eve of a rib in the next chapter; saying that Lilis, the former, was divorced from Adam for her pride, which she conceived because she was made of earth as well as he, and God gave him another, flesh of his flesh."-Ibid.

Stone that produces Water.

"AT Costantynoble is the vesselle of ston, as it were of marbelle, that men clepen Enydros, that evermore droppeth watre, and fillethe himself everiche zeer, till that it go

over above, withouten that men take fro withinne."-The Voiage and Travaile of Sir John Maundevile.

Images.

APRIL 23. The blossoms swept from the fruit tree like a shower of snow.

The wood was in the shade, but a few tree

tops peered into the slant beam. Their light heads rose like plumes of verdure.

The daw below sailed unseen, till the light fell upon his glossy wings. April 22, the Rocks.'

April 24. The brown young leaves of the walnut scarcely distinguishable from the boughs.

There is some tree, perhaps the aspin or dog-wood, whose large buds shine like silver, showing only the under part of the leaves.

In a wet day, I observed that the smoke rose brighter. On remarking this to Tom, he told me that in dull days the white flags were very bright; in clear weather, the dark colours shone most visibly.

May 14. The ash is still unfoliaged, except at the extremity of every spray, where its sharp young leaves spread in tufts like

stars.

The oak still reddish with its opening buds.

May 18. The oak unfolds its leaves timorously; they droop and hang loosely.

I observed the motion of the corn most like the sparkling of a stream in the sun. In Norfolk they call the flat country the Broads. It presents a kind of ocean im

The Rocks, near Ucfield in Sussex. This was therefore written probably in 1796, when he again visited his friend, T. P. Lamb, Esq. at Mountsfield Lodge, near Rye. See Life and Correspondence, vol. 1, p. 290. Some very curious letters of this date are still in existence. J. W. W.

2 I think this is a mistake. I certainly always heard the word used in the sense given by FORBY in his Vocabulary of East Anglia, i. e. a lake formed by the expansion of a river in a flat country, in v.-J. W. W.