could come up to a comparison with his own inimitable adventures, folded his hands on his breast, and commenced humming, in a tone audible enough to express contempt, or something like it.

The old Gottingen Illuminatus "looked, but heeded not." He was too sturdy a plant to be blown away by a breath like a pile of thistle-down; so, after staring through his ebony-bound spectacles with a tremendously arched eyebrow at the Italian for a moment, he turned the back of his chair half round upon him, observing to the company-" I see you are all eager to hear something from me. Concerning myself I have nothing wonderful to entertain you with, but will leave you to guess whether the following be fact or fiction."

There was a murmur of approbation, which drowned the humming of the poor Italian, and old Gottingen proceeded.

THE

GERMAN'S TALE.

AT the birth of every man, a certain star is appointed to preside, and he who is able to discover the particular orb of his own destiny, may learn, by the changes in its appearance and splendour, whenever his good or evil genius acquires the predominant influence.

Few, however, have been able to obtain this important knowledge; but tradition says, that Count Herman of Flaughtenburg, who was nephew to the celebrated Prince Palatine Aadolph in the reign of Henry the Birder, not only possessed it in an eminent degree, but also the secrets of alchymy and magic. The singular things which he was able to per

form are the admiration of all the students of the occult sciences; and the history of his own life, as tending to illustrate the peculiar astrology to which I have alluded, as well as to explain in some degree the prodigies ascribed to his faculties in philosophy, is one of the most curious legends in the history of knowledge, and has served as the basis of many wild and wonderful poems and dramas.

In early life the Palatine, his uncle, had been deeply in love with the beautiful Matild, the youngest daughter of Count Albert of Strasburg; she, however, placed her affections on Rupert of Hemlin, a youth of noble blood, but whose patrimony had been wasted in the Hungarian wars, by which he was rendered entirely dependent on the generosity of his friend the Palatine. It is commonly said, that Rupert had not acted in the business with all the purity due to his generous patron; on the contrary, that, being em

ployed by the prince as the messenger between him and Matild, he had himself become smitten by her beauty, and used, for his own advantage, that free intercourse to which he was admitted with the lady only on the Palatine's account. But, however this may be, the Palatine, on discovering the mutual passion between Matild and his faithless friend, did every thing to promote their union; and at their marriage he advanced large sums to Rupert, for which he took his bonds.

The perfidy of Rupert, or the disappointment, certainly sank deep into the high chevalier bosom of the Palatine; for he soon after quitted the Birder's court, and retired to the castle of Flaughtenburg, where he spent the remainder of his days sequestered from the world.

In due time Rupert and Matild had a son, whom they named Gondibert, who became the friend of Herman, as his father had been

to the Palatine, and, strange to say, treated him, as it is alleged, much in the same manner; for Herman, falling in love with Beatrice of Lunenburg, Gondibert supplanted him in her affections, and they were married.

The effect of this on Herman was similar to what the conduct of Rupert and Matild had been on his uncle. He, too, quitted the world, but, instead of retiring to the country, and taking his pastime in the chase, he went to Nuremberg, and, entering himself a member of the college, devoted his days and nights to the study of that strange and mysterious erudition for which he became so greatly renowned.

When he had been about seven years engaged in these solitary studies and occult researches, he happened one afternoon to walk out into the forest on the northern side of the city, and, just at the moment of sunset, he observed a stranger near him. He was some