THE RIVAL POPES. AN EPIGRAM. "A. D. 1324, the two contending Popes, John and Nicholas, held separate councils. John and his Bishops, at Avignon, anathematized Nicholas the Fifth as a heretic, because he held that our Lord did not possess property. Nicholas, on the other hand, cursed John as a heretic for affirming that Christ did possess property.-Baxter's Church History, p. 425." BELFAST. In days of yore two popes, as records say, Pope Nicholas, at Rome, denounced Pope John, J. S. CONSOLATION. A LEAF FROM THE PHILOSOPHY OF VOLTAIRE. There lived, some time gone by, in modern France- To have her husband wrested from her arms Who can describe her grief; it passed all thought! To love, and please, and humour all her ways; A phaeton for her, drawn by two smart bays. Oft would she sit, and o'er his portrait dream Till she sank down exhausted, and did seem As dead; saving, that from her half-closed eyes, And sometimes by the full moon's silver light, She'd wander on the banks of the Garonne ; Had fondly wandered, hand in hand alone, It chanced that a philosopher lived near, And wished, to others that he were the same. You'll scarcely find him on the lists of fame- But he was good and kind—and that is much! VOL. IV. To search for arguments, if any such Could be discovered in the books, to 'suage The lady's grief. And so he took his crutch, (For he was lame) and sought her house. A page, In deepest mourning, slowly led the way To the boudoir, where the sad lady lay. "Perhaps you do not recollect the story Of Mary, the unhappy Scottish queen? N The lady wept, but for her husband still. And though she did by no means wish to die, The lady's burning tears still flowed amain, Or give her lover to the sorrowing bride? The sage perceived that " Mary" would not do, "The story of Maria Antoinette Is better known. She was a loving wife, And had a loving lord, and lovely set Of juveniles. But there grew up a strife Him not escape, but took away his life. ""Twas a sad case, indeed," the lady said; But still her husband caused her tears to flow. "The tale of Cleopatra is most sad! She loved a Roman, Antony by name, The noblest general that ever had Added fresh laurels to the Latin fame. "There was a Persian princess once, who brought A favoured lover into her boudoir : Her father entered unawares, and sought To slay the youth; but he seized up a bar Of iron that lay near, with which he fought Until the father fell-a ghastly scar Upon his brow. The princess swooned for fear; The youth was taken up by the Vizier, "And hanged next day before her very face. She died for grief! You've never been at Nice? No matter! 'tis a very pretty place, And once contained a beauty named Berbice, Who had a charming husband named AlsaceA very handsome man, who came from Greece. These two went out one evening after tea, To take a sail upon the calm blue sea. "The moon-the rich Italian moon-shone bright, "And soon the barrier of the bay was passed, 'Lie to your oars, my men!' Alsatio cried; "Tis the black corsair! speed, make for the shore !' A flash was seen, a bullet whistled o'er "Onward the corsair sailed o'er silent seas, And passed by moonlight Malta's ancient towers, And skirted round the lovely Chersonese, Catching the perfume of its olive bowers, Whose fragrance filled the gentle summer breeze. And then they came to Athens, where the Giaours Made some additions to their human cargo, Heedless, alike, of firman and embargo. "And onward still, they sailed both night and day; And floated o'er the Hellespont's rude waves, And coasted up the sea of Marmora, And reached the rapid Bosphorus, which laves The Turkish shore, and anchored in the bay Of the famed Porte-the noted mart of slaves.The cargo here were driven in a string Up to the town, and sold for what they'd bring. "The Sultan's eunuch purchased poor Berbice, But this was not the worst ;-she would not cease "But still she sighed and wept, and wept and sighed, Till his sublimity got in a passion, And ordered two black mutes to have her tied Into a sack-such is the Eastern fashion And thrown headlong in the angry tide. The two black demons showed her no compassion, But sewed, her up, and threw her with a splash. "I will not talk to you of Eloise, Or of her love for Abelard the sage; But turn your thoughts a moment, if you please, Of my sad heart-I'll ne'er know gladness more. 'My husband, O, my husband, 'tis for thee, That these loud throbbings in my bosom rise; No consolation's half so sweet to me, As shedding tears and heaving heavy sighs; No human sympathy can ever be One half so soothing as these streaming eyes! O, I could mourn and weep for countless years! My only refuge is in sighs and tears! Timon perceived it was in vain to stay, Her husband's name. And so he went his way; |