Give me the being of "etherial mind"

Who soars superior to the vulgar throng,
Thro' boundless realms of fancy unconfined,
And nature's vast varieties among-
Leaving a dear and deathless name behind,
To live in science, history or song,
And float triumphant on the stream of time
Imperishable !- -as will be my rhyme!

The next a sober citizen and wife

And only child, a daughter, took their places,
No lines of angry passion or of strife

O'erspread the mild expression of their faces.
They mov'd along the humble vale of life,

Loving, belov'd. Contentment, which embracesEach source of happiness, their journey bless'd,, Smil'd as they rose, and pillow'd them to rest.

They were proceeding down to Cove to see

His sister-who had lately given " her lord” Another pledge of love,-they then had three,

And a small basket they had brought on board With wildfowl, fruit, and other rarity;

And the child carried a wax doll and sword,. Which cost of tenpennies at least some dozens, As presents to her favourite little cousins.

Who next appear? two dandies! pretty creatures!
Gay tropic birds of fashion-poppinjays,
Assuming ev'ry air, but human nature's,
And seeking for existence in the blaze
Of public admiration! on whose features
So unaffected and so mild we gaze,
Delighted; while the feather'd tribe they follow
Spurs from the cock, and coat tail from the swallow.

Flying the city's pestilential air,

Its unswept paving stones, its smoke and fume,
Its sameness, dulness, deadness, ev'ry where,
Its tolling bells- momentos of the tomb!
They join'd the Steam Boat passengers to share
The day's amusement, and dispell the gloom
Attendant on a Sunday in a City

To those not given to praying-what a pity!

They wish'd besides, to see the magazine
On Rocky-Island, the fortification
Spread over Spike---where happily is seen
The wise economy that rules the nation,
In leaving thus unfinish'd what has been
So dear a job---yet rais'd to elevation
Some old cast colonels and pet engineers,
And thousands of plebeans---and some peers!

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136

They also wished to see the "Statio bene
"Fida Carinis," and "the holy ground"
Where after a long and dangerous voyage many
An honest tar, lur'd by the Syren's sound,
Is wreck'd, and loses all his ready penny,

And health to boot, in dissipation's round;
"Till fleeced and plunder'd by the vile carousers
He joys to fly, with eyen a pair of trowsers!

Next sat an old arthrytic invalid

Whose ruby nose and prominence of paunch
Display'd effects of many a glorious deed

In sea of claret and on field of launch,
**Live while you can," appear'd to be his creed,
He little cared for Newton, Locke, Malebranche,
Or any of those philosophic sages

Who liv'd by rule, and died at good old ages.

To him appeared as quite a paradox

The well known proverb "better is a dinner "Of herbs where love is, than a stalled ox

66

And therewith hatred," miserable sinner
He ne'er conceived such doctrine orthodox,

And row'd he'd never grow an atom thinner
Sharing Sir Richard Phillips's Herb diet,
Tho' he got all his love and fortune by it!

But with Sir William Curtis would he feast
On fiery fricacees and rich ragouts,
And all the burning spices of the East

In soups, hot haricoes, and savoury stews,
And ev'ry dish voluptuously dress'd

In " Almanach des Gourmands” we peruse.
On these he'd gormandize, whoever treated him,
Altho' his host despis'd, detested, hated him!

One sat beside him---but

powers divine!

Was ever such a contrast? tall and thin
And lank as one of Pharoah's seven lean kine,
A skeleton just cover'd with a skin!

One "pound of flesh" no mortal could combine
From her whole carcase. Had Antonio been
Like her, he might have laugh'd at Shylock's knife-
And this thin creature was the fat man's---wife!

Tis contrast creates pleasure: the young day
Tiptoe on misty mountain pleases more
Than full meridian splendour --the sweet lay
Heard in deep midnight stillness, we adore
More than a thousand carols from the spray

Of sweetest noontide warblers.---Three or four
Rounds 'twixt a sweep and miller, are more funny
Than ten by Spring and Langan, fought for money.

"Tis contrast creates beauty---hill and dale Smile in the landscape, by each others aid, The placid lake unruffled by the gale

Shines with more splendour thro' the vista's shade; Ocean looks cheerless, 'till the swelling sail

Bounds o'er its bosom. But each rule, 'tis said, Has its exception :---and 'twas here prodigious, For these two were, by contrast, downright hideous.

Next a fond mother and her darling boy,

An ugly, waspish, restless, giddy brat, Contriving all around him to `annoy,

Whining for this thing, trying to snatch that, Bursting away---at length to crown our joy

Up went his heels---and tumbling he fell flat Upon old gouty's toe---who screech'd and roar'd "Oh!!! dm the devil, throw him overboard!"

In gout 'tis deem'd allowable to swear

At wife or child, or father, sister, brother,

It sooths the anguish of the pain, as air

Relieves from suffocation, and the mother As she snatch'd the urchin, thought it fair To offer some apology or other;

So hoping that he suffer'd little pain,

Vow'd the dear child should not be bold again!

Dark scowl'd his angry brow---the crimson glow
Of writhing torture all his face o'erspread,

Occasion'd by the burning fire below

Raging so furiously by being fed

So lately with more fuel. But the blow

To various merriment on all sides led,

Some smil❜d, some titter'd, others laughed-but I,
Lately a fellow sufferer,-heav'd a sigh!

A scene-but of a different kind

Was acting opposite by a young pair,

Who, blind themselves, conceived all others blind; And the fond youth breath'd in his "Ladye's" ear

Vows of eternal constancy-that bind

Firmly as debtors' promises, and are Oaths of allegiance to the ruling powerThe French-sad traitors-broke them every hour!

Deep blushed the maiden, and with downcast eye
She look'd, or seemed to look, upon the chain
She wound upon her finger-but a sigh

Stole softly from her bosom-and 'twas plain
Her heart responsive breathed the sweet reply
To love's ambassador. Few could refrain
From smiling at the pair-yet love's a passion
Tho' born with Eve, will always be in fashion.

G

138

"Look at that little fellow with a crowd

"Of lubbers round him, that's that little " Boyle" "That makes the Freeholders; just hear how loud "He talks-his clapper's not in want of oil; "He's a d---nd funny chap---tho' bloody proud. "Look at that tall man standing near the coil "Of rope there, that's Joe Evans, who you know "Is so religious, he's call'd "Holy Joe."

Pacing the deck, some angry politicians

About their several measures were disputing,
Here stood in consultation, two physicians,

There three atorneys a new point were mooting;
Here Merchants talk'd of exports and provisions,
Tradesmen of taxes,-sportsmen about shooting.
But tho' O'Brien might in every speaker
Behold a FRIEND,-I could not see a QUAKER.

But I must cease describing persons tho'

I still could spin some twenty stanzas more,
In telling of the passengers below

In cabin crowded,-and of those before
The mast.-My pegasus is weary, so

I'll close this canto ere I prove a bore.

It treats of persons—but some curious things
The muse shall celebrate when next she sings.

END OF CANTO-II.

ARIOSTO AND SCOTT.

The love of the marvellous, which may be considered the primary source of romance, does not form as has been erroneously supposed, the peculiar characteristic of the dark ages. It is perhaps under those awful visitątions of mental darkness, which have occasionally overshadowed the earth that we find this propensity of the human mind in its greatest vigour; but however changed or modified its results may be, the principle still continues active and unsubdued, even at the brightest periods of intellectual illumination. The proposition we think may be familiarly illustrated. The Londoner of the present day would laugh very heartily at the adventures of the renowned Guy Earl of Warwick, or Jack the Giant-Killer, which afforded such entertainment to his forefather, but we question very much whether bis scepticism would extend to a well-told ghost story, and at all events we are pretty certain that his taste for dwarfs and giants— for mermaids and rattle snakes-for monsters and abortions of every description still continues to exist in a state of classic purity. Under the discipline of a good education this principle is found very favourable to the advancement of the human understanding; it contributes essentially to those undefinable emotions of pleasure which we derive from contemplating whatever is sublime and majestic in the aspects of nature, and affords no mean evidence of our capacity and adaptation for a higher state of existence. Whether the extravagant phantoms which figure as the dramatis persone in the legendary lore of every country, be the exelusive offspring of a predominant superstition-or derive their origin from the allegories of a barbarous age-or can claim a lineal descent from the ancient mythologies, we leave to the speculations of the curious, satisfied at the same time, that the universal belief in a spiritual or supernatural agency, which the subject reveals, contains philosophy enough to interest a materialist. For our own parts, in referring the rise of romance, to a principle which has been uniformly active in the human breast, rather than to the inventive powers of any particular tribe or nation, although we may shock the prejudices of some orthodox believers by our latitudenarian notions, we cannot help feeling that we approximate more closely to the truth, and render the question of more easy solution than by adopting either the American, the Scaldic or the Saracenic theory of its origin. As to the similarity of incidents, which is said to characterize the generality of goblin stories-we can easily conceive that any two nations, living under a similar climate and cultivating a similar mythology, should exhibit some very curious analogies in their traditionary lore. In adopting this hypothesis, however, we do not mean to exclude the agency of those collateral causes, which may tend to give the appearance of identity to these popular fictions.

The migratory disposition of the Asiatic and European barbarians, producing an intercourse between the most distant nations, must have tended to propagate and blend those romantic fables; and the circumscribed bounds of human invention, must have necessarily limited the recreations of fancy. Of course, the proposition we have advanced, always assumes a certain degree of ignorance-and although we admit that the empire of knowledge has been greatly extended in modern times, it will