He came, I saw, and he conquered. It was very absurd, and I knew it, to take upon trust all that Brian Murphy assured me of, with so much veracity, in his own behalf--but he was irresistible, and besides, he looked as if my old clothes would fit him to a nicety. He protested he knew every place and could do every thing, or if he could'nt do it just this minute, "sure he could larn." Many a man takes high office, thought I, with precisely the same self-assurance as to capability-the difference is, that he carries off his ignorance with an air, while Brian in some sort admits it. In the end, I had no reason to repent of having taken Brian into my service, at a venture-but of my future adventures, and the part he occasionally bore in them, you shall hear in future chapters. THE VIOLET IN THE VALLEY. FROM THE GERMAN. A flower yon vale adorning One drop of pearly sheen, Oh! why should beauty perish! The violet drooped, assenting, Her treasure stolen, anguished, Then died that violet blue. 4. F. VICISSITUDES. INTRODUCTION. Fortune-Chance-Destiny-Providence. Reader, by which of these names do you call that cause which operates those strange changes to which the lives of mortals are subject? Come, be candid, and own that you have sometimes said to yourself-either I have been fortunate in this; or what a strange destiny is mine; or Providence has willed it so; or some other speech of the same tendency and purport. To me it is indifferent by what name you call it; I but wish you to own that you have sometimes wondered at the prosperity of some men-at the misfortunes of others. In short, I wish you to agree with me in thinking that man is in the power of some superior being, who wisely orders all things, as seems best to him, and who invariably, at length, works out his own object, by however extraordinary means this may be brought about. Some men struggle, as they call it, against their fate. Poor fools! let them do so. For my part, I have always gone swimming quietly down the stream of fortune; I have never turned and vainly struggled against it. No, no, it is too rapid for me to make such an attempt; besides which, I might be cast on some shoal that I know not of. However, I must confess that sometimes as I go gliding along, if I see au inviting sunny spot on either of the banks of the stream, I try to make for that; I frequently fail, and then submit myself once more to the current. But occasionally I succeed in my object. I then leave the waters-lay me down upon the verdant turf, with the wild flowers smelling so sweetly all around-there bask in the warm sunbeams of prosperity, and watch the struggles and efforts of the rest of mankind, as they either go gliding down the river, or else turn and kick in vain against the powerful current, which hurries them on, they know not whither, until they are at length swept away into the vortex of death, never to rise upon that stream again. Reader, peruse the following tale, and then own are not the ways of Fortune, Chance, Destiny, Providence, as you may choose to call it, inscrutable. CHAPTER I. On the sandy plain, on the sunny hill, And then are kneaded into dough. After they had sung this chorus, a neat, clean-looking old man, with his shirt sleeves tucked up, and a fair white apron on, said to the young men who were busily working in his bakehouse, and who had been merrily singing a song, of which the lines above formed the chorus "Come, make haste lads, knead away; the oven will soon be hot, and our loaves not shaped ; and what will the Fellows of the College say if they have not hot bread for their dinner?" time," answered James, "in that land of beauty, of wine, and of song. Oh, what fair, what beauteous scenes are there; such mountains, such rivers, and such sweet vales." "James," said a melancholy-looking, handsome youth, apparently about seventeen years of age, who stood leaning against a table in one corner of the bake-house, attired in a style much superior to all the others, and who took no part in their labour, "indeed, James, you make me wish, from your description, to see this land; or, at all events, to change my present life of ignoble ease, for one of stir, of noble daring; any state of existence in which there is some excitement, would be far preferable to the life we at present lead." "Lambert, Lambert," said the old man who had first spoken, and who now addressed the youth who spoke so contemptuously of a baker's life," Lambert, Lambert, calm thy troubled spirit, and rest assured, my dear boy, that he who moves in a humble sphere of life, enjoys as great a portion of happiness as others who are wealthier. If thou would'st but settle quietly down, and become a baker, it would be well for thee," and as the old man thus spoke, a tear glistened in his eye. "I become a baker!" answered the haughty youth, with an expression of the deepest scorn and contempt imprinted on his handsome though somewhat effeminate features; and he would have continued to speak longer in this strain, but that some of the young men, who dreaded a renewal of those scenes of angry discussion which had lately frequently taken place between the old man and the youth, made a sign to James to go on with the following song, which he accordingly did, and all the others, as they rolled the pieces of dough rapidly round on a clean white deal table, thus shaping them into loaves, joined loudly in the chorus so that any stranger who had happened to have come in, and found them thus singing and working, would have said, "Well to be sure, what a noisy, happy set of dogs bakers are." The husbandmen, they tend the vine, CHORUS-Oh yes, they pass the cup about, ; Bright grow the grapes where father Rhine His rapid waters pour along, And there too groweth many a vine, Where Spanish maidens raise the song. CHORUS Where Spanish maidens raise the song, And strike the castanet, Their small feet drip with ruby wine, Go twining down their bosoms bare. With warmly pressing coil, As if they loved reposing there, Just as this song was concluded, the door was thrown open, and in bounded a beautiful girl. She appeared to be scarcely sixteen, and there was in her countenance an innocent, almost infantine expression, which at once interested the beholder in her behalf. Have you never, reader, seen in the house of some hard-working mechanic, of some poor though industrious tradesman, a girl so lovely, so graceful, that she at once struck you as having been born out of her proper sphere--did you not then wonder at seeing one calculated to adorn a court, to add fresh lustre to a palace, born amidst scenes so humble did you ever then think to yourself, Providence has given this sweet girl to these virtuous lowly people, to be to them a ministering angel, to encourage them in their toils, to strew with a few flowers the thorny path of their existence, to comfort them in their distresses, and to be warmly, dearly loved by them; for none are truly happy who have not something they can love. Well, reader, if you ever chanced to see such a girl, just such a one was she who now sprung into the room. “Uncle Lambert," said she, "come, be quick, make haste, and put the bread into the oven-the whole town is astir. It is said that the young Earl of Warwick hath escaped from the tower, and the people all intend to keep holiday." The youth who had before spoken so haughtily, started at this intelligence, then coloured up, darted forward, and seized the fair girl's hand. "What say you, Ellen," he cried, "is the report well received?" "Yes, well-right well, dear Lambert," said she: "will you not fight for the poor young Earl, and I will give you- -But no, no; then, Lambert, I shall lose you-so promise me not to go; do, dear Lambert, and I will dance every night for you; you know how you love to see me dance." Whilst she was thus speaking, the greatest confusion pervaded the bakehouse; the loaves were hastily shuffled into the oven, and having done this, the workmen hurried out of the bakehouse. It was evident from their looks that they were overjoyed at the intelligence; and the old man, the instant they had departed, threw off his nightcap and apron, put on a coat and hat, such as were usually worn by tradesmen in the year 1486, (for that was the period at which these events took place,) gave Ellen a kiss, and, saying, "I must go, dear Ellen, and see if this report be true; and in the mean time try and cure Lambert of his wayward fancies," he quitted the room. "Ellen, dear Ellen," said the youth, as soon as the old man had closed the door behind him; "dear Ellen, we must part." "How mean you so, Lambert ?" said the young maiden, colouring deeply. 66 "My destiny, Ellen,” replied he, "is a strange one. All I dare not reveal to you; but I am born either to perish or to fill a mighty station in the world, I shall either be branded, trampled on, and scorned, or thousands will kneel to pay me lowly homage." “Lambert, dear Lambert," said Ellen, "you talk wildly; you are ill, Lambert; will you leave your own dear cousin Ellen ?" tell your uncle is not my father. Father Simon has already convinced me of this. Ellen, I have noble blood in my veins." “And in consequence of this, Lambert, you no longer love me?" said the beautiful girl, bursting into a flood of tears. "Father Simon has turned your head: I am sure he is an evil and an artful man." "I love you, dear Ellen," replied Lambert, "far better than ever; I will never forget you. Do not, dear, sweet Ellen, talk so to me; you will break my heart; it is my destiny tears me from you, and not my own will." "Lambert, I will ever follow you," sobbed the youthful girl. "Pray take me with you; I will go anywhere with you; I have looked up to you with admiration, with love, from my very infancy; I know your proud, your daring spirit, and, Lambert, I love you all the better for it: pray take me with you-I will bear all for your sake;" and so saying, she knelt at his feet and covered his hand with kisses. "For God's sake spare me; it cannot, may not be." 66 "Cannot, may not be!" said Ellen in a tone of despair, at the same time rising slowly up and turning deadly pale. Lambert, you love me not;" and so saying, she fainted in his arms. He bore her to a chair, placed her in it, threw water on her face-and when she had nearly revived, rushed out of the room. Ellen recovered slowly, looked round the room, saw he was gone, burst into a flood of tears-and saying, “I will show him how strong, how warm my love for him is," she rested her head on her hand, and wept like a child: in fact, she almost was one; for, reader, she was not quite sixteen. CHAPTER II. On a stormy night, about three weeks after the events previously detailed, and towards the close of the year 1486, a stout, strong built man went searching his way up a narrow street, which was situated between the river and the cathedral of Christchurch in Dublin. As he proceeded on his way, he could hear no sound but the fall of his own footsteps, which echoed strangely through the deserted streets, and the heavy pattering of the drops of rain which fell with a splashing noise on the pavement from the eaves of the houses; in fact, it was now near midnight, and the inhabitants of this small street had long retired to rest. For some time he blundered on, gazing round on the houses as if in search of some particular one which had nearly escaped his memory; and every now and again, as he found he had made a fresh mistake, he stopped, drew his large cloak tighter round him, and mumbled forth complaints to the following effect : 66 Well, well, Master Jonathan, I did think a man of your sense would never have been caught on such a fool's errand as this. How, in the name of all that's wonderful, am 1 to find a house with a green door in the dark; and even supposing I should find one, may not there be a dozen others with doors of the same colour, for all I know to the contrary. By the mass, they all look black by this light. Another time Father Simon may do his own errands of this kind." At last his patience seemed totally exhausted, and stepping up to the door of the house nearest to him, he pulled out his sword from under his cloak, and forthwith commenced such a thundering peal, by knocking the hilt of it against the door, that if the good people inside had not speedily awakened, it would very soon have given way. As it was, however, an upper window was soon thrown open, and a female, putting out her head, wrapped in her night dress, shouted out in a shrill tone, "So ho, Sir Brawler, have you not the fear of the city watch before your eyes, that you go about in this way disturbing our rest. If you do not at once be off, I will discharge this upon you;" and at the same time she displayed a formidable stone jug without the window, the sight of which made the stranger retreat to a respectable distance before he attempted any further parley with her. When, however, he felt satisfied that he had reached a spot at which he was in perfect safety, he thus addressed the female :— I knock at a door, and instead of kind words, receive abuse." "Knock, indeed," said the female, "knock, indeed; only that our door chanced to be made of good substantial oak, it would have given way beneath your blows; but be off at once with yourself, and make no further disturbance here, or I will call those who will make you go." "Hem!" said the stranger, and was preparing to give an answer not more courteous than the address of the female had been; but at this instant a sudden blast came whistling up the street, and was immediately succeeded by an increased fall of rain; so that, probably recollecting that civility was the most likely method of obtaining either shelter or information, he at once changed his manner, and said, "I had hoped, when I saw so rerespectable and elegant a female appear at the window, that I should at least have met with politeness." Now at the time the stranger said this, it was so perfectly dark that he could only distinguish the female at all by means of her white head-dress: but she did not recollect this; and his courteous speech so far softened her heart that she replied, 66 If I really imagined that you were a stranger in want of information, and had not come here in some drunken frolic, for the sole purpose of annoying the neighbours, I might do my best to aid you." "Indeed, kind lady," said Master Jonathan-for this was the stranger's name "indeed I am sorely in want of information; and if you could tell me where Master Martin lives in this street, you would much oblige me." "Master Martin!" said the female, "why he is mad; you cannot surely want him ?” "I do," replied the stranger, in a dolorous tone; "but pray tell me where is his house, or I shall get wet to the skin." |