"I will not," said he, as he threw his knapfack across his fhoulders, and rofe to purfue his journey, "I will not fee what Ifabel is doing this morning. Poor girl! it would make my heart ache, to behold her forrow for my abfence. I'll answer for it, fhe has not eat a mouthful fince we parted! And Theodore, the fincereft friend I had, what will he do without me?"

"Do!" replied a pedlar, who fat roaft ing fome potatoes beneath a hedge, and, unobferved by Alan, had overheard his exclamations, "Why, comfort Ifabel, to be fure !"

"Thou art a faucy knave !" said Alan, "and-but thou art beneath my notice -fhould't receive the payment of thy infolence!"

To this obfervation the facetious pedlar declined making any anfwer; and Alan, quickening his pace, foon left him to the free exercise of his waggery.

"Comfort Ifabel, forfooth? faid he, turning out of the main road, to make a fhorter cut across fome paftures; and how can a friend prove his fincerity more effectually, than by taking care of one's mistress during her lover's abfence !"

The reafoning was platonic and good; but all to no purpose. Still the pedlar's words vibrated in his ears.

"Comfort Ifabel! the muft need a comforter; and Theodore, good lad! will afford her confolation."

It would not do! A fenfation, fome what refembling jealoufy, in fpite of all his philofophy, predominated within his bofom. "Phaw" faid he, taking out his glafs, with a view of diverting his thoughts by its magical powers-"Imay furely venture to fee what fort of a fellow this is, who has given me fuch uneafinefs."

The view gave him neither information nor pleasure. The pedlar was feat ed as before, ftuffing hitelf with potatoes, and holding his fides with laughter, at the joke he had made against Alan. It convinced him, however, that he should not always be liable to the fevere chaf tifement, which attended the first trial he had given it, and encouraged him to prove its virtues once more. He lifted it to his eyes, and wished he might fee his

father.

The effect was inftantaneous. He beheld the old man, with a large cleaver, bearing out the brains of a faithful maftiff, which Alan had nurfed and fed from its birth. It had been his conftant companion, and once faved his life, as he was Ed. Mag. May 1800.

on the point of being drowned; by fwimming to him with fome corks in his mouth, which had flipped from Alan's hold, as he ventured beyond his depth. He had configned it to the care of his father as his choiceft favourite, and would not suffer it to accompany him, left it might be stolen or loft upon the road.

A tear ftole down his cheek, as he witneffed the expiring agonies of his unfortune friend. Thofe who have murdered thee muft anfwer for it!" said he: "had I continued in Olingra, they dared not to facrifice an hair of thine head." As he thus became fenfible of his diftance from Olingra, and his utter incapacity to interfere in any occurrence that was paffing among its inhabitants, Ifabel again rufhed upon his thoughts.-"Could I but be convinced the is happy,” said he, “it might be fome confolation; but I will not become witnefs to her actions, in a moment, when I know the muft be miferable."

The fame objection did not hold good refpecting Theodore. He, therefore, ventured to pass a moment's examination. upon his friend's conduct. But fate, who is not always in the beft poffible humour when we would have things turn out according to our conception of their propriety, ordained, that he fhould not fee one without the other. A fplendid procffion paffed before his eyes; at the head of which, arrayed in bridal apparel, appeared Ifabel, handed by Theodore, up the long aile of a church; while the prieft of Olingra, decorated with nuptial favours, and putting on his furplice, waited at the altar to folemnize their union. At the entrance, many of his old companions ftood expecting their return, with mufic and flowers; while the most nimble among them were practising a variety of steps and figures, to difplay in the dance preparing to celebrate the joyful marriage of Theodore and Ifabef.

At this heart-rending fpectacle, Alan placed no bounds to his rage. He ftamped, he raved, he bit the ground, and, giving full scope to his transports, impre cated curfes upon Theodore and Isabel, upon the marriage and the dancers, and upon the priest himself. Vowing eternal enmity against Olingra, and every thing it contained, not excepting even his father, he fet forward upon his journey; determined never more to waste a thought, or a wish, upon a place so abandoned to cruelty and diffimulation.

Paffing the caftles of Dunbeath and Berrydale, he proceeded, with more than

ufual

ufual expedition, by the Ord of Caithnefs, through Aufdale, to Lothmore; a fmall fishing town on the shores of Su therland. In defcending a mountain before his arrival at Dunbeath, the profpect of the British ocean opened before him. The fublimity of fuch a fpectacle, in minds unaccustomed to behold it, never fails to excite the most awful emotions. Alan viewed it with mingled fenfations of piety and admiration, of extaly and reverence. It impreffed him with that exalted conception of the Deity, which refults from the contemplation of his wisdom and power. "He it is,' exclaimed the enraptured youth, "who Ipake the word, and they were made; who commanded, and they were created. In his hands are all the corners of the earth, and the ftrength of the hills is his alfo. The fea is his, and he made it; and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship, and fall down; and kneel before the Lord our Maker " In the indulgence of fuch reflections, and pouring forth his pious orifons, the

devout youth fojourned through a variety of fcenes, and beguiled the moments of his weary pilgrimage. The evening was far advanced, when he reached Lothmore. His father had fome relations in that neighbourhood, among whom he hoped to obtain a lodging for the night. Having found the Cottage of one of them, he entered it, as to his own home, with that eafy familiarity which confcious virtue, joined to innate fimplicity, naturally inspires. The reception he met, was not, however, calcu lated to animate him with any flattering profpect, either of welcome or hofpitali. ty.

"Who art thou?" vociferated the hoarse lungs of a ragged figure, that advanced towards him with moft forbidding demeanour; brandishing, at the fame time, a ftout cudgel, in a very menacing attitude.

"I am Alan, the fon of Modred,” replied the fimple youth, “on my journey from Olingra to Inverness !"

(To be concluded in our next.)

ODE.

THE SPIRIT OF THE AIR.

From Mifs Bannerman's Poems.

Ε

BE huf'd, ye angry winds, that sweep,

Refiftlefs, o'er the polar coaft: Thou fwell'ft no more, tremendous deep! I lock thee in eternal froft. My will fupreme, mine awful fway, The earth, the air, the fea obey; My glance pervades the realms of space; Each hidden fpring, this arm can trace; O'er all the proftrate world my power extends,

Alike on Zembla's ice, on Zaara's burning fands.

II.

Amid the lightning's forky flame,

While, driven on high, the billows

roll; 'Tis mine to loose the ftruggling frame,

And mine to foothe the parting foul: I come, on viewlefs winds reclin'd, To cheer the wretch whom fetters bind, To crush the oppreffor's giant creft, To hurl deftruction on his breast, Amid the fpoils his abject foul adores ; And trembling earth recoils along her utmoft fhores.

I fee the mother clasp her child; "My fon, my fon !" the madly cries;Spare, monsters, fpare her agonies.Too late, for, rapid, to the veffel's fide She flies, and, plunging, links beneath the billowy tide.

IV.
Proceed unmov'd, ye men of blood!

Your courfe along the waters urge; No winds fhall vex the unruffled flood,

Nor tofs on high the deaf'ning furge. Now, for your happy homes prepare; But, curb your joy, I meet you there. Then, as your friends, your infant race, Rush wildly to your fond embrace, Before your eyes a ghaftly form fhall ftand,

And o'er her infant weep, and wave her beck'ning hand.

V.

Fierce thro' the defert's frightful sand,

When Cancer rules the burning day, The

Where the wild ocean's heaving waves

Boil round Magellan's ftormy coast;
When long and loud the tempeft raves,
I mark the ftraining veffel toft,
By night along unfathom'd feas,
I fee the living current freeze;
As horror grafps each fainting form,
High mid the fury of the ftorm;
Till the tall mafts in fcatter'd fragments lie,
And, plung'd amid the furge, the sufferers
fink, and die.

VIII.
Soft be your bed, and fweet your reft,

Ye lucklefs tenants of the deep!
And, o'er each cold and shroudlefs breaft,

May fpirits of the waters weep!
And ftill, when awful midnight reigns,
My harp fhall join in folemn strains;
My voice fhall echo to the waves,
That dafh above your coral graves;
Bleft be the gloom, that wraps each facred

head,

And bleft th' unbroken fleep, and filence

of the dead!

IX.

High on yon cloud's cerulean feat,

I ride fublime thro' æther blue, To fling, while reigns the power of heat,

On fainting earth the fummer dew: I bid the rofe in crimson glow, And spread the lily's robe of fnow; I waft from heaven the balmy breeze, That fighs along the Aleeping feas; What time the spirit of the rock is nigh, To pour upon the night his heaven-taught melody. X. But, far beyond the folar blaze,

Again I wing my rapid flight;

near !

Ah! when the turf fhall on my bosom reft, Still may'ft thou murmur, 'mid the filence drear,

To foothe, when ev'n affection fhall decay, And leave the flumberer, to his kindred clay!

vade

Thofe charms which at once I admir'd and obey'd!

Far off each forbidding incumbrance is thrown,

And, Sally, thy beauties no more are thy

own;

Thy coynefs, too, flies, as love brings to thy view

NOW.

knew!

tide:

From the maid, whose cold bofom, relent

lefs as they,

Has wreck'd my warm hopes by her pride:

Yet, lonely and rude as the scene,

Her fmile to that scene could impart A charm that might rival the bloom of the vale

But away, thou fond dream of my heart. To thy rocks, ftormy Lannow, adieu! Now the blafts of the winter come on, And the waters grow dark as they rife; Yet well they resemble the fullen difdain

That has lour'd in thofe infolent eyes: Sincere were the fighs it reprefs'd,

But they rofe in the days that are flown; Ah! nymph, unrelenting and cold as thou

die,

Approach the new heav'n with a tear and a figh;

For, oh, the fond figh 'mid enjoyment will ftray

And a tear is the tribute which rapture muft pay.

Still, ftill, doft thou tremble that pleasure to feek

Which pants on thy bofom and glows on thy check:

Confufion and fhame thy soft wishes deftroy

And terror cuts off the weak blossom of joy!

Ah, had I been bleft with thy beauty, my fair,

With fondest attention-with delicate care My heart would have tried all thy fears to

And all thy keen feelings are blended in one !

Thy limbs from his limbs a new warmth fhall acquire, His paffions from thine fhall redouble their fire;

ftorm of delight,

Thine ears lofe their hearing-thine eyes

lofe their fight!

Here conqueft muft paufe (tho' it ne'er can be cloy'd)

To view the rich plunder of beauty enjoy'd!

The treffes difhevell'd, the bofom dif play'd

And the wishes of years in a moment re

paid!

Bears, on its viewlefs wings, the shadowy

dead;

When the faint moon conceals her pal lid head,

Amid the darkness of the unfathom'd vaft.
O! hear me, voices of the days of old!
I hear not you, departed fons of fong!
Say, do ye fweep the lyre, the clouds a-
mong?

Or, in the morning mist aerial roll'd,
Glide the green ocean's foamy breaft a-
long,

L

gold?

LINES TO THE RED BREAST. ONE fongftrefs of the waning year, The first amid the feather'd choir That warbling many a wild note clear Attunes the lay to young defire; Why fwells with grief thy little throat!

Why do thy plumes difordered lie! Say from what caufe that penfive note

Proceeds, and why that alter'd eye? Has Fate, beneath the fowler's form, With cruel aim thy blifs annoy'd? Or truant-boy, intent on harm, With favage hand thy young destroy'd? If 'tis thy lot thefe woes to prove;

Thy plaintive ftrain ftill let me hear; For as thou wail'st thy injur'd love, I'll foothe thy fufferings with a tear.

Arts and Sciences—Agriculture-Archi

A

tecture.

NEW Syftem of Short hand, with a fhort and eafy Method, by which any Perfon may determine, even before he learns this Syftem, whether it will enable him to follow a Speaker. By Samual Richardfon. 8vo. 7s. 6d. bd. 8s. 6d. Vernor and Hood, Wallis. The Principles of Drawing, Defign, and Engraving. By an Artift. Plates. Izmo. 38. Vandrant.

Obfervations on the Formation and Ufes of the Natural Frog of the Horie; with a Defcription of a Patent artificial Frog, to be applied in the Stable, adapted to common Shoes, and to the Frogs of all Horfes, to prevent and cure contracted Hoofs, Thrushes, Cankers, and Sandcracks. By Edward Coleman, Profeffor of the Veterinary College, &c. 8vo. Is. 6d. Johnfon. Curfory Account of the various Methods

of fhoeing Horfis, hither to practifed,

with incidental Obfervations. By William Moorcroft. 8vo. With Plates. 25. Nicol, Sewell,

The Artificer's, Farmer's, and Inlandnavigator's Affiftant; fhowing by De. cimal Tables (at Sight) the moft ufeful Kinds of Admeafurements at any Length, Breadth, or Depth; likewife, an caly and practical Method of Levelling, Surveying, &c. By Samuel Porter, Surveyor and Engineer to the Stratford-upon-Avon Canal, Henley in Arden, Warwickshire. 4to. 69. Robinfons, Faulder.

Communications to the Board of Agriculture, on Subjects relative to the Hufbandry and internal Improvement of the Country. Vol. II. With Plates. 4to. 1. Is. Nicol.

Effys on Gothic Architecture. By the Rev. T. Warton, Rev. J. Bentham, Captain Grofe, and Rev. J. Milner. Illuftrated with ten Plates of Ornaments, &c. Selected from ancient Build