hold civilisation growing wild out of barbarism-the extremes of both in presence of each other. Time, which had changed man, had passed by without touching the organization of society. Here was a vast discordancy, a vast gulf, which it seemed impossible to reconcile or to fill up. The abyss, in truth, which Burke observed the Revolution had made of France, existed before the Revolution, The past was separated from the present, and there was an immense gulf between them. What a distance between the institutions of Charlemagne and Voltaire's Essai sur les Mœurs, and yet they both coexisted! The gulf existed, though, being underground, it was not made apparent till the first trembling of the earth swallowed up all the past, and revealed it. But how came this monstrous state of things about? We attribute it to one simple cause the rejection of the Reformation. This is the only great movement in advance society has made since the promulgation of Christianity. France refused to move with it. Wherever it prevailed, it changed, modified, remodelled. The face of society became completely altered, whilst nothing was destroyed. The past was brought into harmony with the present; and out of the transformation thus operated arose liberty. This liberty, however, was not merely the result of emancipation from superstition, it was still more emphatically the result of subjection to the gospel. The mind was not projected into a limitless vacuum, but its freedom was religious, and depended on, and was limited by the Christian revelation. France certainly would have acquired this only true liberty, if she had not rejected the Reformation. The history of the Huguenots proves this. It proves that she would have attained liberty, not as the fruit of abstract theories, but as growing out of specific privileges, out of municipal rights, out of charters given to industry and commerce, out of laws protective of per

sonal freedom, and all those grand details of practical utility, which become, as it were, materially, from the fast hold they take upon the earth, landmarks against retrogradation, and beacons to further acquisition and advancement. The triumphs of Protestantism would, besides, have given weight and importance to provincial cities, and thus prevented Paris from absorbing all France; and from the free local government it established, it would at once have destroyed that system of centralisation which leaves France, at the present moment, only the choice of another revolution, or the certainty of remaining fettered for ever by the head of her government, whoever he may be. But the Reformation was rejected, and France a manqué à ses destinées. All the desolating career she has run through since, may be evolved, logically, we believe, from this one source. Still, though she rejected the Reformation, she possessed philosophy. Philosophy, however, has never been a legislator. Whenever it has been applied to purposes of legislation, it has lost its name and abstract nature, and has been controlled more by existing things, than ever it has controlled or modified them. The French, however, did not think that any thing existing in France was worthy of this compromise on the part of philosophy. To work then they went with their theories, their abstractions, their first principles, and their metaphysics, to create a new order of things, and the blasting corruscations of these electric fluids played upon the old edifice of the state, till they smote it to the ground. The new legislators did not consider that society is too material to be reformed by metaphysics. Metaphysics may be good for the mind, because the mind is pure spirit, but coming into contact with the frame-work of social institutions, it is like lightning coming into contact with matter-where it strikes, it destroys.

"Now, do make less noise there, my dear Listado-you will waken the whole house with your uproarious singing."

"Waken the whole house!-that's a mighty one, friend Benjaminwhy, the whole house is broad awake as a cat to steal cream, or the Devil in a gale of wind-Awake! men, women, and children, black, brown, and white, dogs, cats, pigs, and kit tens, turkeys, peafowls, and the clucking hen, have been up and astir three hours ago-Dicky Phantom is now crying for his dinner-so, blood and oons, man, gather your small legs and arms about ye, and get up and open the door-it is past twelve, man, and Mother Gerard thinks you have gone for a six months' snooze, like a bat in winter, only you don't hang from the roof by the claws."

"I can't help it, man-I am unable to get up and dress without assistance, so, like a dear boy, call up old Nariz de Nieve, the black valet, and ask the favour of his stepping in to help me."

Stepping in!-why, Benjie Brail, your seven senses are gone a woolgathering, like Father Rogerson's magpie-how the blazes can Nariz de Nieve, or any one else, get to you, through a two-inch door, locked on the inside ?-you must get up and undo it, or you will die of starvation, for no blacksmith in Havanna could force such a complication of hardwood planks and brass knobs."

Rather than be bothered in this way, up I got, with no little difficulty, to say nothing of the pain from my undressed wound, and

Donnybrook Fair.

crawled towards the door. But Listado had not patience to wait on my snail's pace, so, setting his back to it, he gave the door a thundering push, sufficient to have forced the gates of Gaza from their hinges, and banged it wide open. It had only caught on the latch, not having been fastened, after all; but he had overcome the vis inertia rather too fiercely, for in spun our gingham-coated friend on his nose, with the flight of a Congreve rocket, sliding across the tiled floor on his breast a couple of fathoms, like a log squirred along ice. At length, he lost his way, and found his tongue.

By the piper, but I'll pay you off for this trick, Master Brail, some fine morning, take Don Lorenzo's word for it-why the devil did you open the door so suddenly, without telling me?-see, if these cursed tiles have not ground off every button on my waistcoat, or any where else-I must go into old Pierre Duquesné's garden, and borrow some fig leaves, as I am a gentleman

I could scarcely speak for laughing-" The door was on the latch, as you see-it was not fastened, man, at all—but you are so impetu

ous

"Himpetuous!-why, only look at the knees of my breeches-there's himpetuosity for you!-a full quarter of a yard of good duck spoiled, not to name the shreds of skin torn from my knee-pans, big enough, were they dried into parchment, to hold ten credos, and-but that will grow again, 80 never mind." Here he gathered himself up, and, tying a red silk handkerchief round one knee, a white one round the other, and my black cravat, which he unceremoniously picked off the back of a chair, round his waist, like a bishop's apron, he rose, laughing all the while, and

turned right round on me-" There I am, all right now-but I have come to tell you of a miracle, never surpassed since Father O'Shauchnessy cured aunt Katey's old pig of the hystericals-stop! I must tell you about that game-She was, as you see, an ould maid, and after the last twelve farrow, she applied to "

I laughed " Which was the old maid, the pig or ".

"Hold your tongue, and give your potato-trap a holiday-didn't I tell you it was my maiden aunt Katey, that brought the litter of pigs to Father O'Shauchnessy?-so said she to him,' Father,' says she. Daughter,' says he; and then before she could get another word- Whose are them pigs?' says he.-' Moin, moy pigs,' quoth my aunt Katey.Your pigs!-all of them?' says Father O'Shauchnessy. Every mother's son of them,' says my aunt Katey- and that is my errand, indeed, Father O'Shauchnessy, for the poor mother of these beautiful little creatures is bewitched entirely.""

"Now, Listado, have done, and be quiet, and tell me your errand," said I, losing patience.

"My errand-my errand, did you say, Benjie Brail ?-by the powers, and I had all but forgotten my errand-but let me take a look at you -why, what a funny little fellow you are in your linen garment, Benjie-laconic-short, but expressive" and he turned me round in so rough a way, that he really hurt me considerably. Seeing this, and that I had to sit down on the side of the bed for support, the worthy fellow changed his tone

"Bless me, Brail, I shall really be very sorry if I have hurt you, so I will help you to dress-but you certainly cut a comical figure in dishabille however, you have not heard the miracle I came to tell you about, man-why, Adderfang, that you saw die last night, and be d-d to himI cannot say much for his ending, by the way, if all be true that I have heard is not dead at all.”

"Impossible!"

"Ay, but it is true-he was only kilt by his own bad conscience, the big villain, and your fantastical flower of sulphur-your Scotch servant, Lennox, is below, ready to say so too-if the rascal does recover, what a beau

tiful subject for the Garrote he will make.—What an expressive language this Spanish is, now-Garrote-Garrote-you don't require to look your Dictionary for the meaning of such a word, the very sound translates itself to any man's comprehensionwhen you say a fellow is Garroteado, don't you hear the poor devil actually throttling?—Oh! it's a beautiful word."

Here Manuel, the black butler, entered, to assist in rigging me, as Nariz de Nieve was occupied otherwise; and time it was he did so, for Listado was, without exception, the worst and roughest groom of the bedchamber that ever I had the misfortune to cope withal; but the plaguey Irishman must still put in his oar.

"Manuel, my worthy," said he, after the negro was done with me, "do me the favour, paro tomar un asiento-take a seat-chaizez votre posterioribus, si vous plais, old Snow Ball."

By this time, he had shoved Massa Manuel into an arm-chair, whether he would or no, close to one of the wooden pillars of the balcony, and, getting behind him, he, with one hand, threw a towel over his face, and twisted a handkerchief round his neck, and the pillar also, with the other, until he had nearly strangled the poor creature, holding forth all the while, "There is the real Garrotte for you-a thousand times more genteel than hanging-see, Brail, you sit down on your chair thus, quite comfortable-and the Spanish Jack Ketch, after covering your face with the graceful drapery of a shawl, you may even choose your pattern, they tell me, instead of dragging over your nose a tight nightcap, through which every wry mouth you make is seen, with one turn of his arm, so!"-here, as he suited the action to the word, the half-choked Manuel spurred with his feet, and struggled with his hands, as if he had really been in the agonies of death, and I am not sure that he was far from them. length, he made a bolt from the chair, cast off the handkerchief that had been wrung round his neck, and bolted out of the room.

At

"Now, there! did you ever see such an uncivil ould savage, to stop

me just in the middle of my beautiful illustration-However, we shall both go and see this arch scoundrel, Adderfang, Garroteadoed yet—and there I have rigged you now complete-not a bad looking little fellow, i declare, after your togs are fittingly donned-So good-by, Brail, I will go home and see about breakfast". and away he tumbled with his usual reckless sort of shamble.

He had left the room, and was drawing the door to after him, when he turned suddenly, as if he had forgotten something, banged it open again, and re-entered, with all the sang froid imaginable, dragging at a large parcel that was stuffed duto his coat pocket, and which he had considerable difficulty in extricating apparently. At last he tore it away, lining and all, and actually presented it to me, still sticking in the disruptured pouch.

"Now, there, if I have not torn out the very entrails of my coat skirt with your cursed parcel-but beg pardon, Benjie, really I had forgot ten it, although, if the truth must be told, it was the main object of my coming here."

I eagerly opened it-it contained, amongst a number of others, the following letter from the commodore:

"H.M.S. Gazelle, Port-Royal,
Jamaica,

"Such a date. Sir,-We arrived here, all well, on such a day-but, to suit the convenience of the merchants whose vessels I am to convoy to Havannah, and of those who are shipping specie to England, the admiral has detained me for six weeks, so that I shall not be in Havannah, in all likelihood, before such a period. You will therefore remain there, taking all necessary precautions to ensure the health of the men, and you can use your discretion in making short cruises to exercise them, and to promote their health, but in no case are you to be longer than three days without communicating with the port.

"The enclosure is addressed to Corporal Lennox-it was forwarded here in the admiral's bag by last packet from England, superscribed, to be returned to the admiral's of

fice at Portsmouth, in case we had sailed. It seems his friends, having ascertained that he was on board Gazelle, have made interest for his discharge, which is herewith enclosed.-I remain, sir, your obedient servant,

"OLIVER OAK PLANK, K.C.B.
"Commodore.

"To Lieutenant Brail, commanding the Midge, tender to H.M.S. Gazelle," &c. &c. &c.

On receiving this I sent for Lennox, and communicated the intelligence contained in the commodore's letter. I could not tell from the expression of his countenance whether he was glad or sorry.

The parcel contained letters from his father, the old clergyman of the parish, Mr Bland, and several of the poor fellow's own friends, detailing how they had traced him, and requesting, in the belief that the letters would reach him in Jamaica, that he would find out a kinsman of his own, a small coffee planter there, who would be ready to assist him, and, in the meantime, for immediate expenses, the minister's letter covered a ten-pound bank of England note, with which he had been furnished by old Skelp, who curiously enough would not trust it in his own, as if the clergyman's envelope carried a sort of sanctity with it.

The marine consulted me as to what he ought to do; I recommended him to proceed to Jamaica immediately by way of Batabano, and to visit the relation, who had been written to, as he might be of service to him, and accordingly he made his little preparations for departure.

In the meantime, I continued rapidly to improve, and three days after this I found myself well enough to go on board the Midge to see how matters were coming on. It was the evening of the day on which Lennox was to leave her; and as the men's dinner-time approached, I saw one of the boat sails rigged as an awning forward, and certain demonstrations making there, and a degree of bustle in the galley, that prognosticated, as Listado would have said, a treat to his messmates. However, I returned on shore, after having given Drainings, the cook, and old Dog