dress her while I am yet capable. Let me not think of what is past; nor do you, while you peruse these lines, revert to the hours of former pleasure, when sorrow was yet before us untasted and unseen. Let it rather be our task to select the sad of our history, that the rest of grief may not be broken -that its uniformity may not be disturbed, nor its torpor interrupted by the sensitive thrill of joy. Such is our hapless lot, that the aspect of pleasure muss be shunned, and the remembrance of the sweets of life resisted for their sting. The blowing of the zephyr upon infectious lakes agitates to increase their pestilence, and the breath of joy upon a stagnant, grief-infected mind, serves only to give motion to its melancholy, and action to acuteness. I shall see you no more. Forgive me the unhappiness I have innocently occasioned, and take with you the only compensation I can make -my wishes and my prayers that it may cease. Forget, forget-forget-for while you remember, you will lament him. Forget your miserable Edmund-persuade yourself that such a person did not exist at all events, believe not that he exists now; for he is not the same-Edmund is another being."

What is there in this, but the maudlin sentiment of a maudlin novel? At the same time it must mitigate our censure of the man, though not of the crime, to think that few would not have yielded to a similar temptation.

(To be Resumed.)

THE LOVES OF CLITOPHON AND LEUCIPPE.-A ROMANCE, From the Greek of Achilles Tatius. (Original.)

(Resumed from page 193.)

HAVING said this, Choerephon, with the approbation of the government, sent messengers to Tyre, for the purpose of sacrifice. Callisthenes, also, pretending to be one of the party, sailed thither as soon as possible, and, having found out my father's house, laid his snares against the women who went out to see the spectacle. Fortune, however, seemed in other respects not to favour his design, for it fell out at this time that my step-mother was indisposed, and Leucippe, upon that pretext, agreed to stay at home, so that my sister only went abroad with Leucippe's mother. Callisthenes, who had never seen Leucippe, concluded that my sister Calligone

was the objects of his watch, for he well knew the wife of Sostratus. He therefore gave directions to his companions for her seizure at a certain time, which took place as he had designed.

The loss of my sister did indeed grieve me for a time, but the idea of my mistress soon superseded all other considerations. By long persuasion, I at length prevailed upon Leucippe to admit me to her bed, if it could be done without discovery; and this with the help of Clio, I thought might be effected. The bed-chambers were thus contrived: there was a vast space, divided into four apartments, two of which were on the right hand, and two upon the left, in the middle of which was a narrow passage, opening into the different rooms, and separated from the other parts of the house by folding doors; in this the maid servants slept; the two farther rooms, opposite to each other, were occupied, the first by Leucippe, the second by her mother, while the chamber close to the doors, and on Leucippe's side, was used by Clio; the opposite chamber served for a lumberroom. In addition to these difficulties, the doors were closed both within and without, but Satyrus contrived to forge similar keys, and, with the consent of Leucippe, a night was appointed for our meeting.

An obstacle, however, arose from a quarter where it was least expected. There was a certain domestic, named Canope, a great talker, very inquisitive, and no less gluttonous. I had for a long time suspected that this man was a vigilant observer of all we were doing, and communicated my suspicions to Satyrus, who endeavoured to draw him over to our side. He began the attack in joking with him upon his name, which is tantamount to gnat, and Canope replied in the same tone, though under this mask he concealed very different intentions. "Come," said he; "since you laugh at my name, listen to a fable of the gnat:

"The Lion one day reproached Prometheus, that having made him so superior in strength and beauty to all other beasts, he had yet left him afraid of the crowing of the cock. Why' replied Prometheus, do you accuse me?— all that I could do, I have done for you, but this is the sole infirmity of your own mind.' Upon this the Lion wept and resolved to die.

"While he was in this mood he happened to meet the

·

Elephant, with whom, after the usual salutations, he fell into discourse, when, observing that his friend kept his head in constant motion, he exclaimed, Why is this?What is the reason that your head is not quiet for a single instant?" To this, the elephant, about whose ears a gnat was buzzing, replied, 'Do you not see this little insect flying about my head?-it would be all over with me, if he were once to get into my ears.' Upon this, the Lion exclaimed, why should I die, seeing that I am as much happier than the elephant, as a cock is preferable to a gnat ?" "

Satyrus, perceiving the object of this fable, replied with a smile: "You have spoken well, and now hear my history of the Gnat and the Lion; I had it from a certain philosopher. At the same time I thank you for your story of the elephant":

6

"An impudent Gnat once addressed the Lion: By Jove you are much mistaken, if you think yourself above me as you are above others, since you are neither braver nor handsomer, nor indeed better in any respect. In what lies your excellence? Is it in strength? you tear it is true with your claws, and bite with your teeth, and what woman will not do as much when she fights?-As to your strength and beauty, you have a wide chest indeed and broad shoulders, and your neck is bristled over, but, oh, if you could see the rest of your shape-Nothing can be worse.'

(To be Resumed.)

A TALE OF THE CAVERN.

[The islands of Hoonga, and Vavaoo, mentioned in this tale, are two of the cluster known under the general name of the Tonga Islands; they are situated in the South Pacific Ocean, and were named by Captain Cook, who only visited a part of them, the Tonga Islands.]

IN former times there lived a tooi (governor) of Vavaoo, who exercised a very tyrannical deportment towards his people : at length, when it was no longer to be borne, a certain chief meditated a plan of insurrection, and was resolved to free his countrymen from such odious slavery, or to be sacrificed himself in the attempt: being however treacherously deceived by one of his own party, the tyrant became acquainted with his plan, and immediately had him arrested. He was con

demned to be taken out to sea and drowned, and all his family and relations were ordered to be massacred, that none of his race might remain. One of his daughters, a beautiful girl, young and interesting, had been reserved to be the wife of a chief of considerable rank, and she too would have sunk, the victim of the merciless destroyer, had it not been for the generous exertions of another young chief, who a short time before had discovered the cavern of Hoonga. This is a peculiar tavern, situated on the western coast, the entrance to which is at least a fathom beneath the surface of the sea at low water, and was first discovered by him when diving for turtle. The nature of this will be better understood if we imagine a hollow rock rising sixty feet or more above the surface of the water, into the cavity of which there is no known entrance but one, and that is on the side of the rock as low down as six feet under the water, into which it flows; consequently the base of the cavern may be said to be the sea itself. The medium height within is about forty feet. The roof is hung with stalactites in a very curious way, resembling gothic arches and ornaments of an old church,

This discovery he had kept within his breast a profound secret, reserving it as a place of retreat for himself, in case he should be unsuccessful in a plan of revolt which he also had in view. He had long been enamoured of this beautiful young maiden, but had never dared to make her acquainted with the soft emotions of his heart, knowing that she was betrothed to a chief of higher rank and greater power. But now the dreadful moment arrived when she was about to be cruelly sacrificed to the rancour of a man, to whom he was a most deadly enemy. No time was to be lost; he flew to her abode, communicated in a few short words the decree of the tyrant, declared himself her deliverer if she would trust to his honour, and, with eyes speaking the most tender affections, he waited with breathless expectation for an answer. Soon her consenting hand was clasped in his: the shades of evening favoured their escape; whilst the wood, the covert, or the grove, afforded her concealment, till her lover had brought a small canoe to a lonely part of the beach. In this they speedily embarked, and as he paddled her across the smooth wave, he related his discovery of the cavern destined to be her asylum till an opportunity offered of conveying her to the Fiji islands. She, who had entrusted

her personal safety entirely to his care, hesitated not to consent to whatever plan he might think promotive of their ultimate escape; her heart being full of gratitude, love and confidence found an easy access. They soon arrived at the rock, he leaped into the water, and she, instructed by him, followed close after: they rose into the cavern, and rested from their fears and their fatigue, partaking of some refreshment which he had brought there for himself, little thinking, at the time, of the happiness that was in store for him. Early in the morning he returned to Vavaoo to avoid suspicion; but did not fail, in the course of the day, to repair again to the place which held all that was dear to him : he brought her mats to lie on, the finest gnatto for a change of dress, the best of food for her support, sandal-wood oil, cocoa-nuts, and every thing he could think of to render her life as comfortable as possible. He gave her as much of his company as prudence would allow, and at the most appropriate times, lest the prying eye of curiosity should find out his retreat. He pleaded his tale of love with the most impassioned eloquence, half of which would have been sufficient to have won her warmest affections, for she owed her life to his prompt and generous exertions at the risk of his own; and how was he delighted when he heard the confession from her own lips, that she had long regarded him with a favourable eye, but a sense of duty had caused her to smother the growing fondness, till the late sad misfortune of her family, and the circumstances attending her escape, had revived all her latent affections, to bestow them wholly upon a man to whom they were so justly due. How happy were they in this solitary retreat! tyrannic power now no longer reached them shut out from the world and all its cares and perplexities;-secure from all the eventful changes attending upon greatness, cruelty, and ambition;-themselves were the only powers they served, and they were infinitely delighted with this simple form of government. But although this asylum was their great security in their happiest moments, they could not always enjoy each other's company; it was equally necessary to their safety that he should be often absent from her, and frequently for a length of time together, lest his conduct should be watched. The young chief therefore panted for an opportunity to convey her to happier scenes, where his ardent imagination pictured to him