and she resolved, at the intended interview, to urge her lover to quit Scotland, and leave time to operate in their favour. With a settled purpose, therefore, she hastened, a little before twilight, to the lake in the valley, which was situate in her father's domain; and, when the first transports of meeting had subsided, she began to open her mind to Roswell. A word, however, had hardly passed her lips, when her brothers suddenly stood before them. Their countenances betrayed their anger, and Ellen, apprehensive for the safety of her lover, placed herself before him. Roswell, however, felt not less indignant than the young Hamiltons; and threw back upon the proud relations of his mistress their imperious looks of defiance. Their reproaches and menaces be treated with cool contempt; but when the younger approached to drag Ellen from the scene he seized him by the collar, and hurled him to a distance. This contumely was not to be endured: a scuffle ensued; Miss Hamilton had swooned away, and was roused from her stupor by the report of a rifle-her brother had shot her Roswell with his fowling piece! Her eyes lost their power of vision; and the intemperate youths, having thrown the body behind a brake, hurried their sister homewards. She was committed to her chamber, but she found means to make her escape by the window, and arrived at the fatal spot just as they were placing the last sod on the unconsecrated grave of her lover; for they had resolved to keep the affair a profound secret.

Next morning Major Hamilton and his family quitted Scotland; and it was soon industriously reported through the country, that Ellen had given her hand to a Hungarian count. Alice returned to Scotland, and took up her abode in the cottage of her forefathers, living in the enjoyment of an ample annuity from her

master.

She knew that the tale of Ellen's marriage had been got up for certain purposes. That young lady, since the night of the affray, had laboured under the affliction of a diseased intellect. Medical skill having failed to

procure her any relief she was committed to the care of the keeper of a lunatic asylum. She thought of nothing-spoke of nothing-but her murdered lover, and so strong was the wish to visit his grave that she made her escape, and walked to Scotland. On her arrival she fortunately met with her nurse, and Alice, though strongly impressed with the idea of preserving inviolably the honour of her master's family, permitted Ellen to indulge, uncontrolled, in her whim of paying a daily visit to the grave of her lover. When the secret, however, was likely to be discovered she did not hesitate to apprize her master's friends, who lost no time in restoring the fugitive to her keeper.

In the mean time Major Hamilton had been gathered to his fathers; and his two sons lost their lives on the disastrous field of Dunkirk. Their property then passed into other hands. Ellen was forgotten, and it has been supposed that her keeper, not knowing where to apply for remuneration of the care bestowed upon his unfortunate inmate, turned her out, unprotected, upon the world. With that instinct of insanity which predomi nated in her, she once more found her way to Scotland, where the hand of death released her from her miseries.

The spot which she was wont to strew with flowers, on being opened, presented the remains of a corpse. Roswell's friends were apprized of it, but the objects of their just resentment were no longer forthcoming. After some vain regrets the relics were collected and, being placed in Ellen's coffin, were interred in a neighbouring church-yard.

ANACREONTIC.

Fill, boy, oh fill, the bowl again,

And soothe my bosom's madd'ning pain;
Lull my soul's cares, that I may know,

There even is a bliss in woe!

Fill, fill the bowl, that I may drown,
Within its tides, my Fanny's frown;
But no-take back the wine again,

For see! she smiles-now where's my pain?

EXTRACTS FROM THE COMMON-PLACE BOOK OF A LITERARY LOUNGER.-NO. I.

ON BOOKS.

AFFECT not, as some do, that bookish ambition, to be stored with books, and have well-furnished libraries, yet keep their heads empty of knowledge, To desire to have many books, and never to use them, is like a child that will have a candle burning by him all the while he is sleeping.

DIALOGUE BETWEEN ECHO AND A GLUTTON.

The following lines, written in the year 1609, are said to have induced Butler to pursue the same idea in his Hudibras.'

Gl. I do not like this abstinence.
Echo. Hence !

Gl. My joy's a feast, my wish is wine.
Echo. Swine!

Gl. We epicures are happy truly.
Echo. You lie.

Gl. May I not, Echo, eat my fill ?

Echo. Ill.

Gl. Will it hurt me if I drink too much?
Echo. Much.

Gl. Thou mock'st me, nymph, I'll not believe it.
Echo. Believe it.

Gl. Dost thou condemn then, what I do?

Echo. I do.

Gl. Is it that which brings infirmities?
Echo. It is.

Gl. Then, sweetest temperaece, I'll love thee.
Echo. I love thee,

Gl. If all be true which thou dost tell,

To gluttony I bid farewell.

Echo. Farewell.

EPITAPH ON JOHN TISSEY, A PUNSTER.

Merry was he, for whom we now are sad;
His jokes were many, and but few were bad.
The gay, the jocund, sprightly, active soul
No more shall pun, alas! no more shall bowl.
Now at his tomb, methinks I hear him say-
I never lik'd to be in a grave way!'

Then, by and by, he cries-for all your scoffing,
I now am only in a fit of coffin!'

Thy passing bell with heavy hearts we hear;
For thee each passing belle shall drop a tear.
That sable hearse which drew thy corpse along
Shall be rehears'd in dismal poet's song.
Oh! how unlike; yet this is he, we're sure,
Who once in Gratton's coach sat so demure.
Many a ball he gracefully began ;

Well may we bawl to lose so great a man.
Thy friendly club their mighty loss deplore
Their faithful secretary now no more.

Thou ne'er shalt secret tarry, though in death,
While puns are puns, or punning men have breath.

THE WOMEN OF ENGLAND,

The women here are generally more handsome than in other places, sufficiently endowed with natural beauties, without the addition of adulterate sophistications. In an absolute woman, say the Italians, are required the parts of a Dutch woman, from the girdle downwards; of a French woman, from the girdle to the shoulders: over which must be placed an English face. As their beauties, so also their prerogatives are greater than any nation; neither so servilely submissive as the French, nor so jealously guarded as the Italian: but keeping so true a decorum, that as England is termed the purgatory of servants, and the hell of horses, so is it acknowledged the paradise of women. And it is a common by-word amongst the Italians, that if there were a bridge built across the narrow seas, all the women in Europe would run into England. For here they have the upper hand in the streets, the upper place at the table, the thirds of their husband's estates, and their equal share

of all lands; privileges with which other women are not acquainted. In high esteem, in former times, amongst foreign nations, for the modesty and gravity of their conversation; but of late so much addicted to the light garb of the French that they have lost much of their antient honour and reputation amongst knowing and more sober men of foreign countries who before admired them.-Peter Heylin's Cosmographie, 1652.

FEES WESTMINSTER ABBEY.

The vile custom of taking fees at Westminster Abbey is of very ancient date. Shirley alludes to it in his pleasant comedy, called 'The Bird in a Cage,' when Bonomico, a mountebank, observes:

'I talk as glib,

Methinks, as he that farms the monuments.'

The dean and chapter, however, in those days, were less exorbitant in their demands, for the price of admission was but one penny to the whole.

The present dean and chapter, in reply to an order of the House of Commons for a return of their receipts arising from the exhibition of the monuments, &c. ob

serve

This grant was made to the chapter in 1597, on condition, that receiving the benefits of the exhibition of the monuments, they should keep the same monuments always clean,' &c.

1821

Receipts of five years.

£ 648 11 11

1823

£1664 13 9

HOUSEHOLD OF HENRY THE EIGHTH.

The following extract from a curious old MS. contains some very singular directions for regulating the household of Henry the Eighth.

'His highness's baker should not put alum in the bread, or mix rye, oaten, or bean flour with the same, and, if detected, he shall be put in the stocks. His highness's attendants are not to steal any lock or keys, tables, forms, cupboards, or other furniture, out of noblemen's or gentlemen's houses, where they go to visit.