tunity of doing justice to the glowing fire of my ballad versification, and the alliterative euphony of my imitations of Ab Gwilym. I had not seen Francis Ardry since the day I had seen him taking lessons in elocution. One afternoon as I was seated at my table, my head resting on my hands, he entered my apartment! sitting down. he inquired of me why I had not been to see him. "I might ask the same question of you," I replied. "Wherefore have you not been to see me?" Whereupon Francis Ardry told me that he had been engaged in his oratorical exercises, also in escorting the young Frenchwoman about to places of amusement; he then again questioned me as to the reason of my not having been to see him. I returned an evasive answer. The truth was that for some time past my appearance, owing to the state of my finances, had been rather shabby; and I did not wish to expose a fashionable young man like Francis Ardry, who lived in a fashionable neighborhood. to the imputation of having a shabby acquaintance; I was aware that Francis Ardry was an excellent fellow; but on that very ac count, I felt, under existing circumstances, a delicacy in visiting him. It is very possible that he had an inkling of how matters stood, as he presently began to talk of my affairs and prospects. I told him of my ill success with the booksellers, and inveighed against their blindness to their own interests in refusing to publish my translations. The last that I addressed myself to," said I, "told me not to trouble him again, unless I could bring him a decent novel or a tale." "Well," said Frank, "and why did you not carry him a decent novel or a tale?" "Because I have neither," said I; "and to write them is, I believe, above my capacity. At present I feel divested of all energy-heartless and almost hopeless." "I see how it is," said Francis Ardry, 'you have overworked yourself, and worst of all, to no purpose. Take my advice: cast all care aside, and only think of diverting yourself for a month at least." "Divert myself," said I, "and where am I to find the means?" "Be that care on my shoulders," said Francis Ardry. "Listen to me-my uncles have been so delighted with the favorable accounts which they have lately received from T of my progress in oratory, that, in the warmth of their hearts, they made me a present yesterday of two hundred pounds. This is more money than I want, at least for the present; do me the favor to take half of it as a loanhear nie," said he, observing that I was about to interrupt him, "I have a plan in my head-one of the prettiest in the world. The sister of my charmer is just arrived from France; she can not speak a word of English; and, as Annette and myself are much engaged in our own matters, we can not pay her the attention which we would wish, and which she deserves, for she is truly a fascinating creature, although somewhat different from my charmer, having blue eyes and flaxen hair; whilst An ette on the contrary- But I hope you will shortly see Annette. Now my plan is this: Take the money, dress yourself fashionably, and conduct Annette's sister to Brighton, and remain there a month or two, at the end of which time you can return with your mind refreshed and invigorated, and materials, perhaps, for a tale or novel.". "I never heard a more foolish plan," said I, "or one less likely to terminate profitably or satisfactorily. I thank you, however, for your offer, which is, I dare say, well meant. If I am to escape from my cares and troubles, and find my mind refreshed and invigorated, I must adopt other means than conducting a French demoiselle to Brighton or Bagnigge Wells, defraying the expense by borrowing from a friend." CHAPTER XXIV. The Armenian! frequently saw this individual, availing myself of the permission which he had given me to call upon him. A truly singular personage was he, with his love of amassing money, and his nationality so strong as to be akin to poetry. Many an Armenian I have subsequently known fond of money-getting, and not destitute of national spirit; but never another, who, in the midst of his schemes of lucre, was at all times willing to enter into conversation on the structure of the Haik language, or whoever offered me money to render into English the fables of Z— in the hope of astonishing the stock-jobbers of the Exchange with the wisdom of the Haik Esop. But he was fond of money, very fond. Within a little time I had won his confidence to such a degree that he informed me that the grand wish of his heart was to be possessed of two hundred thousand pounds. "I think you might satisfy yourself with the half," said I. "One hundred thousand pounds is a large sum." "You are mistaken," said the Armenian, "a hundred thousand pounds is nothing. My father left me that or more at his death. No; I shall never be satisfied with less than two." "And what will you do with your riches," said I, "when you have obtained them? Will you sit down and muse upon them, or will you deposit them in a cellar, and go down once a day to stare at them? I have heard say that the fulfillment of one's wishes is invariably the precursor of extreme misery, and forsooth I can scarcely conceive a more horrible state of existence than to be without a hope or wish." "It is bad enough, I dare say," said the Armenian; "it will, however, be time enough to think of disposing of th money when I' have procured it. I still fall short by a vast sum of the two hundred thousand pounds." I had occasionally much conversation with him on the state and prospects of his nation, especially of that part of it which still continued in the original country of the Haiks-Ararat and its confines, which, it appeared, he had frequently visited. He informed me that since the death of the last Haik monarch, which occurred in the eleventh century, Armenia had been governed both temporally and spiritually by certain personages called patriarchs; their temporal authority, however, was much circumscribed by the Persian and Turk, especially the former, of whom the Armenian spoke with much hatred, whilst their spiritual authority had at various times been considerably undermined by the emissaries of the Papa of Rome, as the Armenian called him. "The Papa of Rome sent his emissaries at an early period amongst us," said the Armenian, "seducing the minds of weak-headed people, persuading them that the hillocks of Rome are higher than the ridges of Ararat; that the Roman Papa has more to say in heaven than the Armenian patriarch, and that puny Latin is a better language than nervous and sonorous Haik." "They are both dialects," said I, "of the language of Mr. Petulengro, one of whose race I believe to have been the original founder of Rome; but with respect to religion, what are the chief points of your faith? you are Christians, I believe." "Yes," said the Armenian, "we are Christians in our way; we believe in God, the Holy Spirit and Savior, though we are not prepared to admit that the last personage is not only himself, but the other two. We believe" and then the Armenian told me of several things which the Haiks believed or disbelieved. "But what we find most hard of all to believe," said he, "is that the ma of the molehills is entitled to our allegiance, he not being a Haik, or understanding the Haik language." "But, by your own confession," said I, "he has introduced a schism in your nation, and has amongst you many which believe in him." "It is true," said the Armenian, "that even on the confines of Ararat there are a great number who consider that mountain to be lower than the hillocks of Rome; but the greater number of degenerate Armenians are to be found amongst those who have wandered to the west; most of the Haik churches of the west consider Rome to be higher than Ararat-most of the Armenians of this place hold that dogma; I, however, have always stood firm in the contrary opinion." "Ha! ha!"-here the Armenian laughed in his peculiar manner"talking of this matter puts me in mind of an adventure which lately befell me, with one of the emissaries of the Papa of Rome, for the Papa of Rome has at present many emissaries in this country, in order to seduce the people from their own quiet religion to the savage heresy of Rome; this fellow came to me partly in the hope of converting me, but principally to extort money for the purpose of furthering the designs of Rome in this country. I humored the fellow at first, keeping him in play for nearly a month, deceiving and laughing at him. At last he discovered that he could make nothing of me, and departed with the scowl of Caiaphas, whilst I cried after him, 'The roots of Ararat are deeper that those of Rome.'"' The Armenian had occasionally reverted to the subject of the translation of the Haik Esop, which he had still a lurking desire that I should execute; but I had invariably declined the undertaking, without, however, stating my reasons. On one occasion, when we had been conversing on the subject, the Armenian, who had been observing my countenance for some time with much attention, remarked, "Perhaps, after all, you are right, and you might employ your time to better advantage. Literature is a fine thing. especially Haik literature, but neither that nor any other would be likely to serve as a foundation to a man's fortune: and to make a fortune should be the principal aim of every one's life; therefore listen to me. Accept a seat at the desk opposite to my Moldavian clerk, and receive the rudiments of a merchant's education. You shall be instructed in the Armenian way of doing business-I think you would make an excellent merchant." "Why do you think so?" "Because you have something of the Armenian look.” "I understand you," said I; “you mean to say that I squint?" "Not exactly," said the Armenian, "but there is certainly a kind of irregularity in your features. One eye appears to me larger than the other-never mind, but rather rejoice; in that irregularity consists your strength. All people with regular features are fools; it is very hard for them, you'll say, but there is no help: all we can do, who are not in such a predicament, is to pity those who are. Well! will you accept my offer? No! you are a singular individual; but I must not forget my own concerns. I must now go forth, having an appointment by which I hope to make money." CHAPTER XXV. The fulfillment of the Armenian's grand wish was nearer at hand than either he or I had anticipated. Partly owing to the success of a bold speculation, in which he had sometime previously engaged, and partly owing to the bequest of a large sum of money by one of his nation who died at this period in Paris, he found himself in the possession of a fortune somewhat exceeding two hundred thousand pounds; this fact he communicated to me one evening about an hour after the close of 'Change; the hour at which I generally called, and at which I mostly found him at home. "Well," said I, "and what do you intend to do next?" "I scarcely know," said the Armenian. "I was thinking of that when you came in. I don't see anything that I can do, save going on in my former course. After all, I was perhaps too moderate in making the possession of two hundred thousand pounds the summit of my ambition; there are many individuals in this town who possess three times that sum, and are not yet satisfied. No, I think I can do no better than pursue the old career; who knows but I may make the two hundred thousand three or four?-there is already a surplus, which is an encouragement; however we will consider the matter." And it came to pass that we heard a knock upon the door. "Adelante!" cried the Armenian; whereupon the door opened, and in walked a somewhat extraordinary figure-a man in a long loose tunic of a stuff striped with black and yellow; breeches of plush velvet, silk stockings, and shoes with silver buckles. On his head he wore a high-peaked hat; he was tall, had a hooked nose, and his age was about fifty. "Welcome, Rabbi Manasseh," said the Armenian. "I know your knock-you are welcome; sit down." "I am welcome," said Manasseh, sitting down; "he-he-he! you know my knock-I bring you money-bueno!" There was something very peculiar in the sound of that bueno-I never forgot it. Thereupon a conversation ensued between Rabbi Manasseh and the Armenian, in a language which I knew to be Spanish, though a peculiar dialect. It related to a mercantile transaction. The rabbi sighed heavily as he delivered to the other a considerable sum of money. "It is right," said the Armenian, handing a receipt. "It is right; and I am quite satisfied." "You are satisfied-you have taken money. Bueno, I have nothing to say against your being satisfied." "Come Rabbi," said the Armenian, "do not despond; it may be your turn next to take money; in the meantime, can't you be persuaded to taste my Cyprus!" "He-he-he! señor, you know I do not love wine. I love Noah when he is himself; but, as Janus, I love him not. But you are merry; bueno, you have a right to be so." "Excuse me," said I; but does Noah ever appear as Janus?" "He-he-he!" said the Rabbi, "he only appeared as Janus onceuni vez quando estuvo borracho; which means "I understand," said I; "when he was- -" and I drew the side of my right hand sharply across my left wrist. "Are you one of our people?" said the Rabbi. "No," said I, "I am one of the Goyim; but I am only half enlightened. Why should Noah be Janus when he was in that state?" "He he he! you must know that in Lasan akhades wine is janin." "But," said I, "I always thought that Janus was a god of the ancient Romans, who stood in a temple open in time of war, and shut in time of peace; he was represented with two faces, whichwhich- "He he he!" said the Rabbi, rising from his seat; "he had tw faces, had he? And what did those faces typify? You do not know, no, nor did the Romans who carved him with two faces know why they did so; for they were only half enlightened, like you and the rest of the Goyim. Yet they were right in carving him with two faces, looking from each other-they were right, though they knew not why; there was a tradition among them that the Janinoso had two faces, but they knew not that one was for the world which was gone, and the other for the world before him-for the drowned world and for the present, as Master Leo Abarbenel says in his 'Dialogues of Divine Love.' He-he-he!" continued the Rabbi, who had by this time advanced to the door, and, turning round, waved the two forefingers of his right hand in our faces: “the Goyims and Epicouraiyim are clever men, they know how to make money better than we of Israel. My good friend here is a clever man, I bring him money, he never brought me any; bueno, I do not blame him, he knows much, very much; but one thing there is my friend does not know, nor any of the Epicureans, he does not know the sacred thing-he has never received the gift of interpretation which God alone gives to the seed--he has his gift, I have mine-he is satisfied, I don't blame him, bueno." And with this last word in his mouth, he departed. "Is that man a native of Spain?" I demanded. "Not a native of Spain," said the Armenian, "though he is one of those who call themselves Spanish Jews, and who are to be found scattered throughout Europe, speaking the Spanish language transmitted to them by their ancestors, who were expelled from Spain in the time of Ferdinand and Isabella." "The Jews are a singular people," said I. "A race of cowards and dastards," said the Armenian, "without a home or country; servants to servants; persecuted and despised by all." "And what are the Haiks?" I demanded. "Very different from the Jews," replied the Armenian; "the Haiks have a home-a country, and can occasionally use a good sword; though it is true they are not what they might be." "Then it is a shame that they do not become so," said I; "but they are too fond of money. There is yourself, with two hundred thousand pounds in your pocket, craving for more, whilst you might be turning your wealth to the service of your country." "In what manner," said the Armenian. "I have heard you say that the grand oppressor of your country is the Persian; why not attempt to free your country from his oppression-you have two hundred thousand pounds, and money is the sinew of war?" "Would you, then, have me attack the Persian!" "I scarcely know what to say; fighting is a rough trade, and I am by no means certain that you are calculated for the scratch. It is not every one who has been brought up in the school of Mr. Petulengro and Tawno Chikno. All I can say is, that if I were an Armenian, and had two hundred thousand pounds to back me, I would attack the Persian." "Hem!" said the Armenian. CHAPTER XXVI. One morning on getting up I discovered that my whole worldly wealth was reduced to one half-crown-throughout that day I walked about in considerable distress of mind; it was now requisite that I should come to a speedy decision with respect to what I was to do; I had not many alternatives, and, before I retired to rest on the night of the day in question, I had determined that I could do no better than accept the first terms of the Armenian, and translate, under his superintendence, the Haik Esop into English. I reflected, for I made a virtue of necessity, that, after all, such an employment would be an honest and honorable one; honest, inasmuch as by engaging in it I should do harm to nobody; honorable, inasmuch as it was a literary task, which not every one was capable of executing. It was not every one of the booksellers' writers of London who was competent to translate the Haik Esop. I deter mined to accept the offer of the Armenian. Once or twice the thought of what I might have to undergo in the translation from certain peculiarities of the Armenian's temper almost unsettled me; but a mechanical diving of my hand into my pocket, and the feeling of the solitary half-crown, confirmed me; after all, this was a life of trial and tribulation, and I had read somewhere or other that there was much merit in patience, so I determined to hold fast in my resolution of accepting the offer of the Armenian. But all of a sudden I remembered that the Armenian appeared to have altered his intentions toward me; he appeared no longer desirous that I should render the Haik Esop into English for the benefit of the stock-jobbers on Exchange, but rather that I should acquire the rudiments of doing business in the Armenian fashion, and accumulate a fortune, which would enable me to make a figure upon Change with the best of the stock-jobbers. "Well," thought I, withdrawing my hand from my pocket, whither it had again mechanically dived, "after all, what would the world, what would this city be, without commerce? I believe the world, and particularly this city, would cut a very poor figure without commerce; and there is something poetical in the idea of doing business after the Armenian fashion, dealing with dark-faced Lascars and Rabbins of the Sephardim. Yes, should the Armenian insist upon it, I would accept a seat at the desk, opposite the Moldavian clerk. I do not like the idea of cuffs similar to those the Armenian bestowed upon the Moldavian clerk; whatever merit there may be in patience, I do not think that my estimation of the merit of patience would be sufficient to induce me to remain quietly sitting under the infliction of cuffs. I think I should, in the event of his cuffing me, knock the Armenian down. Well, I think I have heard it said somewhere, that a knockdown blow is a great cementer of friendship; I think I have heard of two people being better friends than ever, after the one had received from the other a knock-down blow." That night I dreamed I had acquired a colossal fortune; some four hundred thousand pounds, by the Armenian way of doing business, but suddenly woke in dreadful perplexity as to how I should dispose of it. With a About nine o'clock next morning I set off to the house of the Armenian; I had never called upon him so early before, and certainly never with a heart beating with so much eagerness; but the situation of my affairs had become very critical, and I thought that I ought to lose no time in informing the Armenian that I was at length perfectly willing either to translate the Haik Esop under his superintendence, or to accept a seat at the desk opposite to the Moldavian, and acquire the secrets of Armenian commerce. quick step I entered the counting-room, where, notwithstanding the earliness of the hour, I found the clerk, busied as usual at his desk. He had always appeared to me a singular being, this same Mollavian clerk. A person of fewer words could scarcely be conceived; provided his master were at home, he would, on my inquiring, nod his head; and, provided he were not, he would invariably reply with the monosyllable, "no," delivered in a strange guttural tone. On the present occasion, being full of eagerness and impatience, I was about to pass by him to the apartment above, without my usua! inquiry, when he lifted his head from the ledger in which he was writing, and, laying down his pen, motioned to me with his forefinger, as if to arrest my progress; whereupon I stopped, and, with a palpitating heart, demanded whether the master of the house was at home? The Moldavian clerk replied with his usual guttural, and, opening his desk, ensconced his head therein. "It does not much matter," said I, "I suppose I shall find him at home after 'Change; it does not much matter, I can return." I was turning away with the intention of leaving the room; at this moment, however, the head of the Moldavian clerk became visible, and I observed a letter in his hand, which he had inserted in the desk at the same time with his head; this he extended toward me, mak ing at the same time a side-long motion with his head, as much as to say that it contained something which interested me. I took the letter, and the Moldavian clerk forthwith resumed his -occupation. The back of the letter bore my name, written in Armenian characters; with a trembling and I broke the seal, and, unfolding the letter, I beheld several lines also written in the letters of Mesroub, the Cadmus of the Armenians. I stared at the lines, and at first could not make out a syllable of their meaning; at last, however, by continued staring, I discovered that, though the letters were Armenian, the words were English; in about ten minutes I had contrived to decipher the sense of the letter; it ran somewhat in this style: "MY DEAR FRIEND-The words which you uttered in our last con D versation have made a profound impression upon me; I have thought them over day and night, and have come to the conclusion that it is my bounden duty to attack the Persians. When these lines are delivered to you, I shall be on the route to Ararat. A mercantile speculation will be to the world the ostensible motive of my journey, and it is singular enough that one which offers considerable prospect of advantage has just presented itself on the confines of Persia.. Think not, however, that motives of lucre would have been sufficiently powerful to tempt me to the East at the present moment. I may speculate, it is true; but I should scarcely have undertaken the journey but for your pungent words inciting me to attack the Persians. Doubt not that I will attack them on the first opportunity. I thank you heartily for putting me in mind of my duty. I have hitherto, to use your own words, been too fond of money-getting, like all my countrymen. I am much indebted to you; farewell! and may every prosperity await you." For some time after I had deciphered the epistle, I stood as if rooted to the floor. I felt stunned--my last hope was gone; presently a feeling arose in my mind-a feeling of self-reproach. Whom had I to blame but myself for the departure of the Armenian? Would he have ever thought of attacking the Persians had I not put the idea into his head? he had told me in his epistle that he was indebted to me for the idea. But for that, he might at the present moment have been in London, increasing his fortune by his usual methods, and I might be commencing under his auspices the translation of the Haik Esop, with the promise, no doubt, of a considerable remuneration for my trouble; or I might be taking a seat opposite the Moldavian clerk, and imbibing the first rudiments of doing business after the Armenian fashion, with the comfortable hope of realizing, in a short time, a fortune of three or four hundred thousand pounds; but the Armenian was now gone, and farewell to the fine hopes I had founded upon him the day before. What was I to do? I looked wildly around, till my eyes rested on the Moldavian clerk, who was writing away in his ledger with particular vehemence. Not knowing what to do or say. I thought I might as well ask the Moldavian clerk when the Armenian had departed, and when he thought that he would return. It is true it mattered little to me when he departed, seeing that he was gone, and it was evident that he would not be back soon; but I knew not what to do, and in pure helplessness thought I might as well ask; so I went up to the Moldavian clerk, and asked him when the Armenian had departed, and whether he had been gone two days or three? Whereupon the Moldavian clerk, looking up from his ledger, made certain signs, which I could by no means understand. I stood astonished, but, presently recovering myself, inquired when he considered it probable that the master would return, and whether he thought it would be two months or--my tongue faltered-two years; whereupon the Moldavian clerk made more signs than before, and yet more unintelligible: as I persisted, however, he flung down his pen, and, putting his thumb into his mouth, moved it rapidly, causing the nail to sound against the lower jaw; whereupon I saw that he was dumb, and hurried away, for I had always entertained a horror of dumb people, having once heard my mother say, when I was a child, that dumb people were half demoniacs, or little better. CHAPTER XXVII. Leaving the house of the Armenian, I strolled about for some time; almost mechanically my feet conducted me to London Bridge, to the booth in which stood the stall of the old apple woman; the sound of her voice aroused me, as I sat in a kind of a stupor on the stone bench beside her. She was inquiring what was the matter with me. At first, I believe, I answered her very incoherently, for I observed alarm beginning to depict itself upon her countenance. Arousing myself, however, I in my turn put a few questions to her upon her present condition and prospects. The old woman's countenance cleared up instantly; she informed me that she had never been more comfortable in her life; that her trade, her honest trade-laying an emphasis on the word honest-had increased of late wonderfully; that her health was better, and, above all, that she felt no fear and horror here," laying her hand on her breast. On my asking whether she still heard voices in the night, she told me that she frequently did; but that the present were mild voices, sweet voices, encouraging voices, very different from the former ones; that a voice only the night previous had cried out about the peace of God," in particularly sweet accents; a sentence which she remembered to have read in her early youth in the primer, but which she had clean forgotten till the voice the night before brought it to her recollection. After a pause, the old woman said to me, "I believe, dear, that it is the blessed book you brought me which has wrought this goodly change. How glad I am now that I can read; but oh what a difference between the book you brought me and the one you took away! I believe the one you brought is written by the finger of God, and the other by "Don't abuse the book," said I, "it is an excellent book for those who can understand it; but it is not exactly suited to you, and perhaps it had been better you had never read it-and yet, who knows? Peradventure, if you had not read that book, you would not have been fitted for the perusal of the one which you say is written by the finger of God;" and, pressing my hand to my head, I fell into a deep fit of musing. "What, after all," thought I, "if there should be more order and system in the working of the moral world than I have thought? Does there not seem in the present instance to be something like the working of a Divine hand? I could not conceive why this woman, better educated than her mother, should have been, as she certainly was, a worse character than her mother. Yet perhaps this woman may be better and happier than her mother ever was; perhaps she is so already-perhaps this world is not a wild, lying dream, as I have occasionally supposed it to be." But the thought of my own situation did not permit me to abandon myself much longer to these musings. I started up. Where are you going, child?" said the woman, anxiously. "I scarcely know," said I; "anywhere." "Then stay here, child," said she; "I have much to say to you." 'No," said I," I shall be better moving about;" and I was moving away, when it suddenly occurred to me that I might never see this woman again; and turning round offered her my hand, and bade her good-bye. "Farewell, child," said the old woman, “ and God bless you!" I then moved along the bridge until I reached the Southwark side, and, still holding on my course, my mind again became quickly abstracted from all surrounding objects. At length I found myself in a street or road, with terraces on either side, and seemingly of interminable length, leading, as it would appear, to the southeast. I was walking at a great rate-there were likewise a great number of people, also walking at a great rate; also carts and carriages driving at a great rate; and all, men,carts, and carriages, going in the selfsame direction, namely, to the southeast. I stopped for a moment and deliberated whether or not I should prooeed. What business had I in that direction? I could not say that I had any particular business in that direction, but what could I do were I to turn back? only walk about well-known streets; and, if I must walk, why not continue in the direction in which I was to see whither the road and its terraces led? I was here in a terra incognita, and an unknown place had always some interest for me; moreover, I had a desire to know whither all this crowd was going, and for what purpose. I thought they could not be going far, as crowds seldom go far, especially at such a rate; so I walked on more lustily than before, passing group after group of the crowd, and almost vieing in speed with some of the carriages, especially the hackneycoaches; and by dint of walking at this rate, the terraces and houses becoming somewhat less frequent as I advanced, I reached in about three-quarters of an hour a kind of low dingy town, in the neighborhood of the river; the streets were swarming with people, and I coneluded, from the number of wild beast shows, caravans, gingerbread stalls, and the like, that a fair was being held. Now, as I had always been partial to fairs, I felt glad that I had fallen in with the erowd which had conducted me to the present one, and, casting away as much as possible ali gloomy thoughts, did my best to enter into the diversions of the fair; staring at the wonderful representations of animals on canvas hung up before the shows of wild beasts, which, by-the-bye, are frequently found much more worthy of admiration than the real beasts themselves; listening to the jokes of the merryandrews from the platforms in front of the temporary theatres, or admiting the splendid tinsel dresses of the performers who thronged the stages in the intervals of the entertainments; and in this manner, occasionally gazing and occasionally listening, I passed through the town till I came in front of a large edifice looking full upon the majestic bosom of the Thames. It was a massive stone edifice, built in an antique style, and black with age, with a broad esplanade between it and the river, on which, mixed with a few people from the fair, I observed moving about a great many individuals in quaint dresses of blue, with strange threeCornered hats on their heads; most of them were mutilated; this had a wooden leg; this wanted an arm; some had but one eye; and as I gazed upon the edifice, and the singular-looking individuals who moved before it, I guessed where I was. "I am at-" said I; "these individuals are battered tars of Old England, and this edifice, once the favorite abode of glorious Elizabeth, is the refuge which a grateful country has allotted to them. Here they can rest their weary bodies; at their ease talk over the actions in which they have been injured; and, with the tears of enthusiasm flowing from their eyes, boast how they have trod the deck of fame with Rodney, or Nelson, or others whose names stand emblazoned in the naval annals of their country." Turning to the right, I entered a park or wood consisting of enormous trees, occupying the foot, sides, and top of a hill, which rose behind the town; there were multitudes of people among the trees, diverting themselves in various ways. Coming to the top of the hill, I was presently stopped by a lofty wall, along which I walked, till, coming to a small gate, I passed through, and found myself on an extensive green plain, on one side bounded in part by the wall of the park, and on the others, in the distance, by extensive ranges of houses; to the southeast was a lofty eminence, partially clothed with wood. The plain exhibited an animated scene, a kind of continuation of the fair below; there were multitudes of people upon it, many tents and shows; there was also horse-racing, and much noise and shouting. the sun shining brightly overhead. After gazing at the horse-racing for a little time, feeling myself somewhat tired, I went up to one of the tents, and laid myself down on the grass. There was much noise in the tent. "Who will stand me?" said a voice with a slight tendency to lisp. "Will you, my lord?" "Yes," said another voice. Then there was a sound as of a piece of money banging on a table. "Lost! lost! lost!" cried several voices; and then the banging down of the money, and the "lost! lost! lost!" were frequently repeated: at last the second voice exclaimed, "I will try you no more; you have cheated me." "Never cheated anyone in my life, my lord--all fair--all chance. Them that finds, wins-them that can't finds, loses. Any one else try? Who'll try? Will you, my lord?" and then it appeared that some other lord tried, for I heard more money flung down. Then again the cry of "Lost! lost!" then again the sound of money, and so on. Once or twice, but not more, I heard "Won! won!" but the predominant cry was “Lost! lost!" At last there was considerable hubbub, and the words "Cheat!" "Rogue!" and "You filehed away the pea!" was used freely by more voices than one, to which the voice with the tendency to lisp replied, “Never filched a pea in my life: would scorn it. Always glad when folks wins; but, as those here don't appear to be civil, nor to wish to play any more, I shall take myself off with my table; so, good day, gentlemen.” [TO BE CONTINUED.] IN THE VALLEY. There are souls that dwell in the Valley, But, alas! for the souls in the Valley Who press with the hodden-gray throng, "Brother Jonathan" was Jonathan Turnbull, Governor of Connecticut, under Washington, who had such confidence in him, that, when in doubt or difficulty, he was in the habit of saying, "I must consult Brother Jonathan." The name is now accepted as a national American designation. This is the generally received origin, but the term, it seems, was in use long before. In a pamphlet published in 1643, entitled "the Reformado precisely characterized by a transformed Churchwarden at a Vestry, London," the following passage occurs: "Queene Elizabeth's monument was put up at my charge when the regal government had fairer credit among us than now, and her epitaph was one of my Brother Jonathan's best poems before he abjured the university, or had a thought of New England." ARCTIC EXPLORATION. he termination of the toils of the Jeannette expedition in icy seas marks another era in the history of Arctic exration. Though as yet full tidings of the Jeannette's que voyage and its geographic results are not at hand, public will take interest in the historic accounts of the ious similar enterprises which for three and a quarter turies have been carried on in the dreary regions of the le. That the aims and accomplishments of the American ctic Expedition under De Long may be better read in the ht of past Arctic researches, we give the following sketch the origin and progress of geographical investigation in e North Polar Basin and its icy labyrinths: HOW POLAR EXPLORATION BEGAN. Arctic exploration originated in the commercial enterise of the sixteenth century. Spain and Portugal, then in e height of their prosperity, completely controlled the eat southern oceans and the known highways to India, oth east and west, to the exclusion of all other maritime ations. "It was for this reason," so the historical geograher, Keith Johnston, says, 'that the thoughts of the orthern maritime nations were turned to the possibility of pening up a new and independent route to the Indies and he Spice Islands, either by what was called the 'Northeast assage,' round Norway and along the coast of Siberia, or the. Northwest passage,' between Greenland and the north coast of America." No doubt this utilitarian end lent color to the arly schemes of polar voyaging, and enabled their advobates to argue that the expeditions to the unknown icy areas would ultimately bring their promoters a grand golden harvest. But another motive was necessary to rouse the spirit of that slumbering age to those daring adventures amid the frozen seas with which are linked the names of the Cabots, Cortereal, Willoughby and Hudson. "The mighty stimulus of the love of the marvelous," as Lieutenant Payer suggests, "explains the series of efforts taken up generation after generation," with a view to solve the great mysteries of the North and to penetrate its icy fastnesses. For men of weight soon began to explode the chimeras of Arctic commercial routes to the Indies, as Chillingworth contemptuously compared an expedition for the discovery of the Northeast Passage to the discovery of the musty tomes of the Fathers. THE FATHER OF ARCTIC DISCOVERY. Passing by the northern voyage of the Heligolander, Othere (said to have been made about a thousand years ago, in the reign of the old British King Arthur), of whom Alfred the Great related that he "rounded the point of the globe beyond which it sinks again to the south," and some few like legendary exploits, we come to the father of Arctic discovery, the unfortunate Sir Hugh Willoughby-the pioneer of the Northeast Passage round Europe and Asia-sent out with three ships by the Muscovy Company of London merchants in May, 1553, "for the discovery of Cathay and divers other regions, dominions, islands, and places unknown." After passing the Lofoden Islands Willoughby steered northeast, and in September became entangled in the ice on the Lapland coast, where the next year some Russian fishermen found him and his crew all frozen to death. Richard Chancellor, the pilot major of the expedition, and commander of one of the ships, however, extricated his vessel and returned safely to England. Although Willoughby sighted Nova Zembla, the sacrifice of the lives of himself and crew had no adequate compensation in the results of his voyage, and his tragic fate resounds to this day like the toll of a funeral bell. His heroic but unrequited attempt was, however, twice renewed without success by his countrymen before the end of the century in the expeditions un der Burroughes and Pet and Jackman. The last two explorers were the first to venture in earnest among the treacherous drift ice of the Northeast Passage, and, threading their way through its meshes, were the first who broke their way into the Kara Sea with European vessels. Speaking of Willoughby, Baron Nordenskiöld, in his new work, "The Voyage of the Vega," says: "Great geographer or seaman Sir Hugh Willoughby clearly was not, but his and his followers' voluntary self-sacrifice and undaunted courage have a strong claim on our admiration. Incalculable also was the influence which the voyages of Willoughby and Chancellor had upon English commerce and on the development of the whole of Russia and of the north of Norway. From the monastery at the mouth of the Dwina a flourishing commercial town has arisen, and a numerous population has settled on the coast of the polar sea, formerly so desolate." FROBISHER, DAVIS, HUDSON. Baffled in her early endeavors to force the glacial barriers of the Northwest, and despairing of reaching the far off Indies by any royal road through the Arctic, England paused in her geographical explorations to prey on the Spanish Main upon the richly freighted argosies of her great rival. But in March, 1576, Martin Frobisher, the pioneer of the Northwest Passage, sailed from Deptford with two small vessels of twenty-five tons each, Queen Elizabeth, who was then at Greenwich, bidding them godspeed as they passed down the river. In July they reached Greenland' and discovered a part of the Labrador coast, as also the deep bay now bearing the name of Frobisher. Nine years later John Davis, following in Frobisher's track, penetrated the Arctic as far as the southwestern Greenland coast, to which he gave the becoming name, "The Land of Desolation." Sailing again in 1588, he explored the coast of Labrador, and in a third voyage ascended the Greenland coast to 72 degrees 12 minutes, then a high latitude for an Arctic voyager to attain. With the exception of several hundred tons of supposed gold ore with which Frobisher's fleet returned laden (ore that, strange to say, proved worthless), and the attainment of the then high latitude of Cape Hope Sanderson by Davis, the voyages of these bold seamen were bootless, and only involved the new route to India in deeper mystery and hopelessness. Davis was followed in 1607 by Henry Hudson, after Waymouth, Hall and Knight had ineffectually essayed to pierce the polar gateways of the Northwest. Hudson's Arctic voyage was one of the most brilliant enterprises of his time. Venturing forth in a single puny craft of eighty tons, he advanced within sight of the difficult East Greenland coast in 73 degrees north, then pushing northward to the northwestern point of Spitzbergen as far as Hakluyt Head, finally reaching 80 degrees 23 minutes north, only, however, to meet subsequently with the treachery of his crew, who abandoned him in an open boat to a terrible fate. A SAD RECORD. Thus up to the first decade of the seventeenth century the history of Arctic expeditions had been recorded in black letters of disappointment, disaster and death. But, under the resistless spell and fascination of some invisible power, the hazardous work of the explorer was not to cease, but to go on with new vigor. Spain's supremacy on the ocean was already broken with the destruction of her huge Armada of 130 great war vessels defeated in the English Channel and chased beyond the Orkneys to be wrecked and strewn along the storm swept shores of the Scottish Isles. The terror of her navy on the sea routes (round Cape Horn and the Cape of Good Hope) to India, being no longer felt by other maritime nations, there was no longer a necessity on their part to carve out an independent track thither for their ships, |