(Continued from

I AWOKE amidst a scene of nature so fresh and beautiful-a scene so luxuriant, so soft, so varied, and in places so sublime and magnificent, that man and all his turbulent passions were erased from my recollection, and I felt my heart glow with every soft and delightful emotion, as I passed through this sequestered vale of innocence and peace. "But,” said I to my guide, "what numerous and fantastic beings are those, whom I behold through yonder vista to which we are approaching? Their dress is of every possible hue and fantasy. The beings themselves seem of a more aërial nature than the common herd of mankind.-Observe their strong and sudden transition; some, at one moment, are ecstatically gamboling in mirth and joy, and, instantly after, sinking into the most profound melancholy. Some are embracing each other with affection, and pledging the most exalted and persevering friendship, and, instantly after, with out any apparent cause, they are stinging each other like wasps, or scratching each other like cats.Some appear to have fancies and conceits of the most ridiculous description, and suddenly start from them into ideas of the utmost sublimity." "That small group, so trite, so pretty, and trim in their appearance, are the French poets; they are indifferent to the Moderns, but pay obsequious attention to the Ancients, who are just as indifferent to them. Those poets who are seated in the gloomiest shades of Ossa and Pelion, singing extravagant songs of wonder to audiences of children, old beldames, and robbers, are the poets of Germany, whilst those charming but often outré figures, scattered through every region of the valley, are the more southern neighbours of Italy.". I had passed through this lunar Tempe into a region more stern, but with an atmosphere most beautifully serene. I knew it to be the region

compact.

Midsummer Night's Dream.

of Philosophy. I met Berkeley and Hume walking arm in arm, and in conversation profound and earnest, but remarkably placid and quiet.I observed, that they both realised their theories by their practice, for the surrounding objects being spiritual, they walked through trees, or rocks, or buildings, without hurt or inconvenience. "But what," said I to my guide," are those little curling mists of impurity, which sully the serenity of the air, and proceed from the mouths of those two beings, who are so petulantly following the Prelate and his friend, without in the least disturbing them?"" Those," replied my guide, are the shades of pseudo-philosophers, or rather of bigoted or mercenary disputants, who have wished to attach the charge of impiety and of moral delinquency to philosophical error-or, rather, to a mere difference in philosophical speculation. Of those two shades who are following Berkeley and Hume, and looking, occasionally, at the quiet spirits of Priestley, of Hartley, and others, the first is the spirit of Beattie,—a vapid and shallow professor, who vainly holds on high his Essay on Truth, but the book is so enveloped in a mist of plagiarism, of vulgarity, and of folly and malignity, that the sacred name of Truth is defiled by his touch. He was offered a quiet retreat in the vale of Tempe, where, among the poets, he might have been moderately respected; but, mistaking his forte, he rushed into the grove of Philosophy, as if it were the arena of the gladiator. His companion is a spirit of deeper views and sounder powers; and, although less vulgar and vituperative, is equally illiberal and prejudiced:-it is the shade of Dr. Reid.-On the left, is the spirit of Des Cartes, performing perouettes, and thus illustrating his theory of Vortices, and reversing his 'Cogito ergo sum.""-Near him, was Father

Malebranche, writing an Essay upon Absurdities; and Montaigne was laughing in his sleeve at his ingenious, and at his mystic countryman -Ptolemy was profoundly searching for his Primum Mobile, and his first and second Chrystalline Heavens,— whilst Tycho Brahe was roving in search of his Firmament of the Fixed Stars.-Aristotle, Democritus, and Epicurus, were engaged in their disputes with the schoolmen, their successors, about substantial forms, and the theory of perception; and Boscovich, with his Germans, had an immense lunar microscope, searching for the mathematical points, or primary particles of matter.

Re

moved from these, were a countless mass of squalid, sallow beings, poring over alembics, contriving chemical combinations to create the precious metals. These, I knew, to be the adepts; and, thought I to myself, happy had it been for many, had their search after gold been as guilt less. This, I perceived, was the abode only of theorists, visionaries, and idle speculators; the souls of Newton, of Locke, of Bacon, of Socrates, and of Seneca, had been transported to a planet of a more exalted description.

Further on, I beheld the place of refuge of the mighty founders of sects, and the establishers of creeds. -Zoroaster, Mahomet, and others, stood forth conspicuously amidst popes, and priests of many persuasions. Here was transacted the work of religious extermination, as well as of religious persecutions the sanguinary wars on the Unitarians-the massacre of St. Bartholomew's-the burnings, and various executions of our Henries, and of Mary and Edward of England, and of the innumerable persecuting priests and princes of the Continent.-I beheld the interior of inquisitions, with the instruments of torture, and the suffering victims. This scene suddenly vanished, and left nothing to my view but a barren field, deluged with human blood."What," said I to my guide," is the meaning of this sudden change of scene?" "The actors of such tragedies," replied the spirit, "have their plea of insanity and infatuation allowed to a very trifling extent. They are permitted to appear in the moon only one day in the year, when their souls, having acted the deeds

of persecution and tyranny they performed on earth, are wafted to the fiery planet Mercury, where they undergo the torments they inflicted upon others.

But in the rear of these were numbers of human beings, that excited my attention. They often appeared destitute of any superiority of intellect, and still more often were they destitute of probity and feeling; but an assumption of superiority, joined to a courtly dignity of manners, made them pass for the very first order of moral and intellectual beings. I observed, however, on a more minute inspection, that their manners, although highly polished, were destitute of that simplicity and ingenuous freedom, which evince a good heart, and an openness of purpose-the only sources of really good breeding. These people were all professing the most devoted affec tion to each other, whilst, under concealment, they were either totally indifferent, or even trying every means to circumvent and effect each other's ruin. One man, pre-eminent amongst them, had delighted two of his friends by his cordiality of manner, and by his vehement assurances of regard; immediately they left him, they both fell into an abyss, which he had just previously opened for their destruc tion. Smiles, vows, and caresses were artfully mixed with slander, circumvention, and deadly hate, so that the place seemed a scene of apparent security and beauty, whilst danger and destruction were lurking in every possible direction. "This, said my guide, seeing my surprise and indignation, "is the region reserved for courtiers and statesmen. View, said he, "those scaffolds streaming with blood, the victims of their machinations, or the sacrifices made to court intrigue or party spirity or view," said he, "the squalled manufacturer, the blighted peasant, and the wasted produce, the effect of their tortuous systems of policy the mere offsprings of their vanity, conceit or narrow calculations of self-interest. The philosopher isca » noble being, and his systems comprise the good of all his species; the statesman is a petty creature, whose treaties and policy only aim at tricking other nations out of some immediate or partial advantage. View," said my guide, "that robed minister

of justice, he is condemning to death two persons of noble mein; they are convicted by a strained construction of an old law; they are guiltless of crime; but they are obnoxious to the Court, and the judge's ambition is a peerage. See that trembling wretch waiting humbly in the great man's anti-chamber for what is his due he loses his suit whilst that gay and prosperous villain, who passes by him with contempt, has just obtained from the minister a princely gift in requital of his subserviency. From this region of statesmen proceed all causes of commands, that produce the carnage and battles which you be held on your arrival in this planet." "Stop," cried I;" for heaven's sake let me see no more hide the mirror of human life from my aching eyes, lest sympathy and feeling for my fellow creatures cease within me. When," cried I, "will man reject prejudice, and, moderating passions hy philosphy and reason, live in love and kindness with those around him? When will man be independent in spirit? When will he be merciful and just ?"

Full of thought at the scenes I had beheld, I wandered from my spiritual guide; and, anxious to re

turn to my native earth, I assisted my Gallic companion to refit his aerial machine, and filling our balloon with the purest of the Lunar atmosphere, taken from the regions of poetry and philosophy, we entered the car; and rapidly ascended to an immeasurable height, when getting within the influence of the earth's attraction, we were drawn towards our planet with prodigious velocity, and at length descended upon the surface of the sea. We were in imminent dangery until we were picked up by an English fisherman, who, informing us that we were in the English channel, landed me on the coast of Kent, and then steered over to France with my Gallic companion. I immediately set off to my native Wales, resolved to shun the checkered maze of life, and to spend my days in diffusing knowledge and benevolence through my native valley.

I related my voyages and adventures to my worthy mother, who, after her surprise and terror at my expedition had subsided, calmly ob served," how very stupid it was of us not to see that the dream clearly foretold your going up to the skies in a balloon,"

66

D. E. W.

AMELIA OPIE.

Hav

time thinking, and said, "At the further end of the chamber thou wilt see one painted as like this as fire is to fire; this is the only one that I have ever seen like it; if a love of natural beauty induced you to wish I should sympathise with your delight, a reflection of it may also vary and add to it, go, it will not be time lost." He went and, casting his eye on the bird, was astonished to see the equal beauty and precision there was in the energy of acute animal existence of that upon the canvas; the spleen and power blended in the eye; the mixture of wilfulness and repose in the figure, what he had looked on for many years without knowing it; his mind glanced at his own bird while in the act of falling, and he wondered at this close alliance to nature. ing perused thus far, with wonder and delight, he fell to examining the picture: it was of a young and beautiful woman with her favourite falcon. The bird was on her wrist his beak toying with a diamond trembling in her ear, which, from the sidelong inclination of her head, approached too near his jealous eye; her lips were barely parted, as if with breathing her face pallid, intensely sweet and thoughtful; her eyes were large and blue, and dwelt upon her thought; her head was gently bent; her Italian ringlets, as it were, danced with her breath; their shadow was on her breast ; some streamed upon her arm and shoulder like water; it was as yellow as gold. In her other hand a lily hung; the act of thought pervaded even her fingers; they rested on the stalk with sensibility. Was she thinking of beauty? Yea, to music music unheard"-music of the soul, which is "the breath of thoughts."

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At night, Frederigo went with Titian, and again in the morning he found a pretence to be there; there was a charm in it which he could not account for, strong and gentle as it was, that kept even his thoughts there when he himself was absent.

One night when Titian and his niece Aime, who was a girl of great loveliness and sensibility, though very young, were sitting quietly to gether, she dropt the flowers from her hand which she was arranging,

Uncle, I c "I cannot th think what has

ร

come to your guest, that he is so out of spirits, so thoughtful, and silent; he who was the first at all our dancings and rejoicings, who was as cheerful as the lark, and as merry as the day was long, plays nought but melancholy ditties on his pipe, and is become silent and pale. It is sad, indeed, to see such a change in him." And Titian said, "I have noted much of this myself, but you,. Aimé, have gone beyond me in the strictness of your observation, for I knew not his sadness was so great.' "Sir, it is deep and mellow.. "I shall believe you, Aimé, seeing there is so much feeling in what yon say respecting Frederigo." "Every one, Sir, must feel for so kind a gentleman, and I claim the general privi lege.' And Titian said, "blush not, but kiss me: and may Time be too much occupied in the jostling of nations, and the shocks of the world, ever to bring about the breaking of so gentle and humane a heart as thine." And Aimé having embraced him, she was silent through excessive feeling.

Now Titian was too old a scholar in the book of nature to need the effect, in matters of the heart, to enable him to discover the cause; and had been too great a listener to the long tale of humanity, that is repeated each day of our lives by every tongue, and all people; and that, by the ratification of silent thought, is hallowed in the heart. The next day Titian called Frederigo to him and told him, that he intended to walk that day, as it was so fine (being early in June) and he should be happy if he would bring his pipe and accompany him; with which Frederigo joyfully complied, for there was a sweetness of wisdom in Titian's discourse, that in his gayest moods sunk deep into his heart as seeds in rich ground, and nourished his reflection, and lighted him in the perplexity of thought.

There was at some distance a certain favourite haunt of Titian's, and thither they arrived just before noon. And Frederigo said, "Do I not hear some music in the distance." Titian answered, "yes, it proceeds from the vale of orchards yonder, in which we shall walk presently."