me?"

a

“ I hope you will clear yourself,” by that? If a young woman, for in replied Pike; “ but appearances, I stance, whom you have deluded and must say, are unfavourable. I've seen ruined, comes here on your account ; the girl.

if you refuse to receive her; and she, « Oh, have you?"

in revenge perhaps, for your conduct, « And she confesses that it was on impeaches you of high crimes and your account she came here.”

misdemeanours-if she is ready to 66 Then she is the greatest incen- swear to certain murders by you comdiary that ever prevaricated from the mitted-if, I say, there is no other truth."

way of checking her disclosures but “ And she hints very intelligibly by assassinating – -you understand about your transactions in former times."

ro Not in the least." - The wretch !" exclaimed Hug- “ Perhaps you are right. I don't gings; "how did she find them out ?" wish to entrap you ; but as the fairest

“ Now, Mr Huggings, think well way of bringing things to an issue, I before you answer my next question have arranged with Hobbs of the - Did you ever hear of Hamlet the White Lion that the masquerade is jeweller?"

to be repeated to-night. The young " Yes."

woman, in the same dress as before, He had a father?"

shall attend it, and I must insist on “ It is natural to suppose so, or it is your doing the same.

When you are searcely in the course of probability confronted, we shall see whether, that he should have been born."

without any previous information, she • Did

you

know him? The father, will detect the person who tried to I mean.

murder her in the dark alley. If she “ No ; never heard of him.”

fails to recognise you, your declara« Nor of a gentle lady married to a tions of ignorance will have more person called Moore ? Now, reflect.”

effect. In the mean-time good-day: “ Your interrogatories are most The masquerade begins in an hour. hyperborean and imposterous," re- “ The brute !” grumbled Huggings, plied Mr Huggings. “ If this young as his visitor took his departure ; " his woman has told every thing about me, conduct is altogether murderous and there isn't any thing further to be metaphorical; and yet he will certainly done.”

succeed in having me hanged. They " Then you confess to all she has may well call him Pike, for a pike is told me? You cut the old man to the most avaricious of all the quadru. pieces, and choked the poor woman peds that swim on the face on the with a pillow ?"

earth!” A dreadful presentiment of a false We must now return to the White accusation, supported by strong cir- Lion, and leave the unhappy gentlecumstantial evidence, and leading man to his preparations for the masdirectly to the scaffold, rushed upon querade ; for, after much cogitation, he the usually magniloquent Mr Hug: resolved to put a bold face on the gings, " and chilled his heart and matter, and show that he was not chained his tongue." All he could afraid to meet his accusers. He desay was, in a very resigned tone termined to behave with the easy asof voice_“ Is the evidence very surance of an innocent man, and for strong ?"

that purpose practised a few speeches Mr Pike was taken a little aback at to be addressed to the young woman, the question, and thought it better to one of which was to be accompanied proceed with his examination, for he by the offer of a glass of lemonade. was unwilling to confess that as yet Several times he essayed, with a tum. the accusation was unsupported by bler in his hand, to say, “Will you any proofs.

imbibe some liquidated refreshment ?" * And you would, of course, be and, though his hand and voice shook desirous to put the person who brings a little at first, by dint of perseverance forward the charge out of the way?" he acquired the power of presenting said Pike, in an insinuating voice. the beverage, and asking the question,

“Of course ; any thing-half my with his usual firmness and ease. fortune !"

Doctor Wilkins had not been many " And if they couldn't be tempted minutes with his patient in No. 16,

6

a

when the door opened, and á hand into the room, and, with a face of mys: some, well-dressed young man rushed terious importance, communicated the into the room, and with an exclamation, intelligence that Mr Pike had given * Cecilia !” clasped the young lady positive orders for the repetition of the in his arms.

masquerade, and insisted on Miss She, laying her hands upon his D'Orville attending it in the same dress shoulders, and gazing on him, ex

as before. claimed, " My love, my lord, my life, « My Roxalana, Horatio," whispermy all, my"

ed the ladý, in a parenthesis,—" you Husband, in a few days, Cecily," recollect

my

benefit ?" said the young man, continuing the Tush!" replied the lover," forget quotation; "but 'tis time, my dear girl, all things of the kind." that we left these absurd heroics and “ But why is all this, Hobbs ?" en. spoke like sensible people. Who is quired the Doctor. this old gentleman?"

Why; to find but, if possible; the The introduction was performed, and murderer ; fór do you know, sir," he in a few minutes the masquerade inci. added; lowering his voice, there is dent detailed in all its bearings. Cecilia great reason to suspect Mr HugD'Orville, or, as she was now called, ġings.” Cecily, spoke like a rational woman, “ Ha !" exclaimed Horatio, with a the young man like a steady sensible start. But stay, let us be careful; individual who had some earnest busi- Cecily, and this may turn but to our ness on hand.

advantage. Do as they tell you, and · Doctor Wilkins," he said, “you leave the rest to me." have shown so much kindness to this It was now speedily resolved to young lady, that I am induced to ask comply with Mr Pike's request; and, your advice on a very delicate point accordingly, preparations were made as I will not as yet tell you my name, but rapidly as possible, and by the appointsimply state my case. My father was ed hour, the whole party, Doctor Wila haberdasher in a country town, and kins included, found themselves in the realised a considerable fortune. But gardens of the White Lion, where a he was ambitious, and determined to numerous company were assembled in be a gentleman. He gave up the shop, expectation of something strange. and was just on the eve of purchasing Mr Pike, in a black domino, attend. an estate and commencing as thọ ed by four or five stout fellows in diffounder of an illustrious family, when ferent disguises, stationed himself near the demon of the drama caught hold the Indian Queen, having determined, of me. I found it in vain to resist the in the execution of his dutý, to arrest temptation, and, after short struggle any person she pointed out to him as with filial duty and hopes of succession the assassin of the previous night. to Muddywell Grange, I betook me to With à jaunty air, and beating à tumthe boards. For two or three years | bler of lemonade on a salver, a tall lived on applause, till, having encoun: figure was observed approaching the tered this young lady, who had adopted throne where Cecilia had taken her the same profession, but from better seat. A flowing tobe, buckled in at motives than mine, I occasionally the waist, á crooked scimitat, a long thought of the comforts of a settled beard and magnificent turban, formed home, and a few broad acres on which the dress of the Turkish bashaw, who, to exercise my skill. I made enquiries, with a profound salaam, was beginning and found that my father, considering his address, when the glaring eye of his dignity compromised by the step I Mr Pike, fixed on him with the scowl • had taken, had left the neighbourhood of a demon, suddenly overcame his realtogether, even after having purchased solution, and he stammered scarcely the estate, and had settled in another intelligibly, while his hand shook the part of the country. We are now on tumbler off the salver. our way to him, and I am uncertain imbibe-some--some-liquidated — how to proceed, whether to write to The light-gray eye flickered through apprize him of the visit, or to throw the peep-hole of the false-face, the myself at once before him, and trust to voice, lost in the hollow pasteboard, his fatherly feelings for forgiveness.” and deepened in the intensity of

Before Doctor Wilkins had time to his agitation into a low hum, startled give his decision the landlord came Cecilia, and recalled the enthusiastic

“ Will you

again!”

Humphreys so vividly, that she had “ Perjury and defalcation of the no doubt that dangerous lunatic stood grossest kind !

She has no vorabefore her, and she screamed, Save city.” me-save me! that wretch has come He asked you to marry him,

and you consented ?" continued Mir In an instant Mr Pike and his as- Pike. sistants had seized on the alarmed “ Yes." Turk; and, on stripping off his vizard, “ But when you came here there what was the astonishment of the quiet were difficulties thrown in the way. He people of Monxom, who had been kept delayed the marriage ?" in darkness as to the suspicions enter- “ He did.” tained by Mr Pike, to see, in the convict- But the patience even of the meek ed assassin, their respectable townsman, Huggings could stard this no longer. the inhabitant of the best house, the • What do you mean, you falseproprietor of the only gig, the worthy tongued hyperbole? How the devil and wealthy Mr Huggings! That in- did I delay your marriage?" dividual's behaviour was certainly not My dear father,” said the masked calculated to dispel their surprise. figure, kneeling and throwing away Instead of manfully resisting the at- his vizard,_" by our waiting for your tempt to arrest him, he gave bimself consent to mine." up at once; and, indeed, by his actions, “ Horace!" exclaimed Mr Hugseemed almost to acquiesce in the gings,“ you here!" justice of the accusation. Mr Pike " Yes, sir," replied the young man, conducted his prisoner into a private " and only anxious for your forgiveroom, and invited the presence of Ce- ness for having left you so long. I cilia and her party.

can clear up all this,” he added, turn“ There can be no further doubt of ing to Mr Pike. who the perpetrator of this murder is, Can you ?” cried the father ;“ get at all events,” said Mr Pike; “the re- me out of this predicament, and I will cognition was instantaneous. But we forgive every thing." must proceed regularly.” He, accord- This, as the reader may imagine, was dingly, took a chair and went on. “I no very difficult task. In a few days find from the confession of your maid- fires were blazing comfortably in Mud. servant, miss, that, last night, when you dywell Grange, and Mr Huggings, after were attacked, you exclaimed, “Hug- a short visit to the young people, regings. Is that true?"

sumed his old manner of life in Monxom “ Yes, sir,” replied Cecilia, who -though it was remarked that thenceleaned on the arm of a masked figure. forward he was a good deal more cha

Bloodthirsty and allegorical!" mut- ritable in his surmises; for, as he very tered the prisoner.

often remarked, “ It is only the dele“ It was at Huggings's request you terious themselves that are severe in came here?" pursued Pike.

the instruction they put on

other “ It was.”

people's conduct. For instance, there's « He loved you ?"

that fellow Pike would believe any ob. “ Yes_he said so."

liquity in another; and, of all the rasHuggings's turned up his eyes to the cals the universe ever saw, Pike is cer. ceiling.

tainly the worst.”

CORY'S ANCIENT FRAGMENTS, &c.

0

If the Phonetic system of hiero. London, 1836)-or who are unacglyphic interpretation, founded on the quainted with its history as a trophy sagacious conceptions of De Sacy, of national glory, and with the multiAkerblad, Young, and Champollion, plied details of the steps by which this be admitted as authentic, the result extraordinary record became progresconstitutes, perhaps, the most singular sively elucidated.* We shall, thereliterary phenomenon that has distin- fore, limit our remarks on this part of guished any age. It is no less than the question to the placing of these the recovery from Egyptian darkness several steps in a point of view that of a continued series of contemporary will render apparent the distinct claims historicaland mythological documents, and mutual obligations of the deciextending through a period of two pherers. thousand years, from the age of the The Greek version of this record at earliest inspired writings to that of the once put the learned in possession of present Coptic versions.

its nature and import—that of a triple Unlike the usual progress of disco version of the same decree, in the Hievery, in which the steps that ultimately roglyphic, the Enchorial (the national lead to truth are often separated by or popular), and the Greek texts; encenturies, the revival of Egyptian li- graved copies of which were deposited terature burst upon the learned world in the temples of the several orders of like a meteor. A few quickly-ascer- Egyptian gods, in the ninth year of tained and well-established facts su- the reign of Ptolemy Epiphanes, B.c. perseded and replaced the speculations 196. An enquiry which had resisted and hypothetical principles of ages, the hypotheses of ages, was thus in a leaving us to seek the principles from moment placed on a solid and practithe results, and in this respect placing cal footing. Learned men had the Egyptian discovery on an inductive absolute contents, or rather substance foundation, similar to that on which of the two Egyptian texts before them the natural sciences have been reared. in the Greek version ; and their task The suddenness of the discovery has was to identify the relative portions of occasioned the claims of contempora- each of the former-the three inscripries (as distinct from each other as tions, though more or less mutilated, those of Kepler and Newton) to be being fortunately complete enough for confounded, and given birth to feel. this purpose, in the hands of the inings of petty jealousy among the scho- defatigable scholars who undertook lars and philosophers of rival nations, it. This was first partially effected from which the possessors of learning in the Enchorial by the venerable and original resources ought to be Silvestre de Sacy, who, although we exempt, at least on questions of public never heard of him as a claimant in and literary interest.

the struggle for precedence in the disThere are few of our English read- covery, became in reality its founder, ers who have not seen the pillar of in consequence of having detected the Rosetta—(complete copies of which, Enchorial groups answering to the with unequalled facilities for the study Greek names, Alexander and Alexan. of its contents, will be found in the dria. The characters composing these atlas of Count Robiano's work, and in names were analysed by M. Akerblad, Mr Sharpe's “ Egyptian Inscriptions,” the Swedish resident at Rome, who

Ancient Fragments of the Phenician, Chaldæan, Egyptian, Tyrian, Carthaginian, Indian, Persian, and other Writers; with an Introductory Dissertation : and an Enquiry into the Philosophy and Trinity of the Ancients. By Isaac Preston Cory, Esq., Fellow of Caius College, Cambridge. Second Edition. London, Pickering : 1832. Bro.

See the Marquis Spineto's Lectures. London, 1819. † This multiplication of copies induces the hope that others, and perhaps more perfect ones, may still be buried among the ruins of the temples.

likewise identified and resolved the en- mity in this first attempt at a hierochorial groups corresponding with the glyphic alphabet, rendered it inapplinames of Ptolemy, Berenice, and others cable to the purposes of general deciin the Greek version ; and an Encho- pherment: so that out of twentyrial alphabet of about fifteen well-as- seven royal hieroglyphic names and certained characters was thus obtained titles, of which the supposed interprebefore Young or Champollion appear- tation is given in Dr Young's exposiin the arena. As, however, the in- tion, published in the Supplement to scription contained a much greater va- the Encyclopedia Britannica, in 1819, riety of characters, and the apparent those of Ptolemy and Berenice alone suppression of vowels in the Egyptian stood the test of the phonetic system words was thien unknown, the rest of when fully established by Champolthe inscription resisted the alphabet of lion ; unless we except the name of Akerblad; and the decipherment was Thothmes, which Dr Young inferred relinquished till taken up by Dr Tho- from the symbol of the god Thoth, mas Young, who improved on the contained in it, and having the usual former alphabet, and was the first to syllabic value of the names of the ascertain the general correspondencies gods when found compounded in of the Greek and Enchorial texts, from those of the kings. To this extent the recurrence of the groups obviously Dr Young was the founder of hieroanswering to the words most frequently glyphic discovery. The reader will repeated in the Greek, as, and, king, here observe, that the cases of AkerPlolemy, Egypt, and others. The bald's enchorial, and Young's hiero- . use of the alphabet, however, extend glyphic alphabets, when applied to ed little beyond the resolution of the the purposes of further decipherment, Enchorial proper names, until Cham. were nearly parallel, while in both inpollion stepped into the field.

stances valid foundations were laid for How much these results depended the established Egyptian alphabets. on the previous efforts of Akerblad is Nor was Dr Young less successful sufficiently obvious ; yet we are not with the hieroglyphic ideograms (or aware that this gentleman has had his symbolic characters direct and indi. due share of credit, as one of the prin- rect), many of which he determined cipal originators of a discovery the with a sagacity which anticipated more splendid results of which were proofs that were then unattainable and reserved for other hands.

uncontemplated, and could only reDr Young's next important step was sult from a matured phonetic system. to analyse the Hieroglyphics. His first It is true, that his interpretation someattempt was directed to the characters times reversed or transposed the meancontained in the ellipses, which bad ing of the symbols ; yet his exposi. been long suspected to involve the tions of the general sense of the groups royal name of Ptolemy. In this he are, in many instances, almost increwas materially aided by the cursive dibly correct. His success was, perimitations of the same characters in haps, the most unexceptionable with the Enchorial name; and his success regard to the hieroglyphic notation ; with this name amounted to proof, as the principles of which he accurately well as with the name of Queen Bere- determined, besides fixing the meaning nice, which appeared in the drawings of several of the grammatical signs : from the cieling of the temple of Kar- so that, although from happy infernak, published by the French Com- ences rather than from investigation on mission. A Hieroglyphic alphabet, or principle, his claims as the immediate syllabary of thirteen sounds, deduced parent of hieroglyphic discovery are principally from these names, was the indisputable, and can afford to admit result. In the composition of this al- the obligations due to De Sacy and phabet, some of the characters, were, Akerblad, his pioneers in the underhowever, passed over ; while syllabic taking, not less than to relinquish or alphabetic values were assigned to any property in the matured system the rest, as the composition of the of phonetic interpretation ; which, names appeared to require : and, al- though clearly growing out of his though subsequent experience con- (Dr Young's) results, is founded on firmed the latter (i. e. the six assumed principles to which his method of anaalphabetic values), the want of unifor- lysis could never have conducted.

.