We rode for some time side by side, the stranger never once turning round, or lifting up his eyes to look at me; I could not help regarding him intently, until my eyes ached with the cold. I was obliged every now and then to let go the reins to blow my fingers, which I thought would drop off; and, on touching my horse, I found he was as cold as myself! Yet the stranger looked not the least affected by it, for his cloak remained strapped to the saddle behind him, and, indeed, his jacket was flying open, and his shirt-collar unbuttoned as before !

This looked very strange !-there was something mysterious about him; so I resolved to be quit of him as soon as possible; but the faster I rode, the faster rode he; and though my horse appeared as powerful again as the one he was riding, yet I found that when it came to the push, his pony could have passed me easily. But that was not his intention; for when I slackened my pace, he slackened, and on my pulling up, he pulled up also: still he never looked at me, and there we remained side by side, and I nearly frozen to death with the cold.

Every thing around us was perfectly quiet; and I felt this silence becoming quite appalling; at length, I exclaimed, "Sir! you seem determined we shall not part company, however it may be the wish of one of us."

The stranger, after making a slight inclination of his head, expressed, in the most gentlemanly manner, his sorrow that it should be thought he had intruded himself upon me, and his earnest desire that

The stranger immediately began talking most fluently, but continually shifted the subject, and at length coming to a full stop, he suddenly asked me what was my opinion of all this? I, who had been dreadfully afflicted by the cold, so as to have been disabled from giving any attention, felt quite at a loss what to say :-at length, as well as I was able (for my teeth chattered so much I could scarcely speak plain), I stammered out, "whether he did not think it was very cold?" Immediately his dull eyes lighted up, and I shall never forget their fiery and unnatural light, as, turning suddenly round, he stared me full in the face, saying, in the most joyous, mild, and melodious. tone of voice, " Perhaps you will accept of my cloak?" and adding, with peculiar emphasis," be was sure I should be warm enough then," instantly began to unstrap it from behind him. In vain I declared I could not think of accepting it, especially as he was more thinly clad than myself: he began to inform me, with the same peculiar expression, "that he never felt cold,”—and that he would be most happy if I would do him the honour to put it on. I kept refusing, and he persisting, till at last he became so importunate, that I rudely pushed it from me, saying, that "I would not accept of it." O! if you could have seen the change in his manner and appearance !—instead of the mild, placid look he had hitherto worn, his face was contracted by the strongest feelings of rage and disappointment: his eyes flashed fire from under his heavy knit brows; his mouth was curled with a kind of "sardonic" grin: and, hastily adjusting the cloak about him, he said with the most sinister expression, "perhaps I would do him the honour another time?"

Then dashing the spurs into his beast, he was out of sight in a mo

ment.

I felt much relieved by his depart ure he was no sooner gone, than I got by degrees warmer and warmer; even my horse appeared to feel a difference, for he pranced and neighed as if freed from some restraint, and in a very little time was as warm as myself.

I began to think there was something-there was really somethinghorridly unnatural about the stranger; his hollow voice, pale complexion, and heavy eye,-above all, the strange coldness that came over me! I felt rejoiced that I was thus rid of him; and that I had not accepted his offer of the cloak (as then, in all probability, we should not have parted so soon); and now, so little did I need it, that I was compelled to unbutton my coat, and take my thick lambs' wool comforter from my neck. Who could the stranger be?

I remembered to have heard, that the German who was hung in chains, and whose gibbet I had passed, had suffered the sentence of the law for having burnt a house and murdered in the most cruel and shocking manner, a person, whom he strangled with his cloak. Now, it was also currently reported, (but only believed by the idle and superstitious) that this man did not then die for it was said, that the devil, to whom after his condemnation he had sold himself, had, while he was suspended, in some way or other, supported him; and had afterwards fed him on the gibbet, in the form of a raven, until the fastenings decayed, so that he could release himself, when he substituted the body of a person whom he murdered for the purpose!

There were many persons now alive who had sworn to having seen the raven there, morning, noon, and to have heard its croaking even at midnight. Many accounted for this, by saying it came there to feed on the body; but one of the villagers, who was known to be a stout fellow, having occasion to go by the gibbet

one twilight, declared, that he heard the man talking with the raven, but in a language he could not understand; that at first he supposed he was deceived by his own fancy, or the creaking of the iron fastenings, but on approaching nearer, he distinctly saw the eyes of the man looking intently at him; and he verily believ ed had he stopped he would have spoken to him, but that he was so alarmed he took to his heels, and never once looked behind or stopped to take breath, until he reached the end of the plain, a distance of above five miles. And it was further said, the German, when released from the gibbet, was obliged, in fulfilment of his vow, to do the devil's will on earth-that he was most dreadfully pale, owing to the blood never having flowed into his face since his strangulation, for the devil, it is said, had only just kept his word; that the German, as he was called, had since often been seen riding up and down the road, and that he entered very freely into conversation, and endeavoured to entrap the unwary to put them in the power of his

master.

Could it be possible that this was the German? Tut! an idle thought; and yet I remember, there was something foreign in his accent ;then the paleness of his face,-the strange circumstances that accompa nied his presence, the pressing and extraordinary manner in which he of fered his cloak, which might have been some device to get me within. his power, the extreme cold with which I was afflicted, the ominous beckoning, too, of the figure on the gibbet; each circumstance came forcibly before me; and were he the German or not, I more than ever rejoiced that I had thus easily got rid of him.

I now rode briskly on to a small inn, that was situated about half way between the commencement and end of my journey, and arrived there. about half-past eight o'clock. On alighting, the host, a fat jolly fellow, with a perpetual smile on his face,

came out and welcomed me. "Shew me into a private room,” said I," and bring me some refreshment.” The landlord replied he was very sorry his only room was at present occupied by a gentleman who had been there about ten minutes, but he was sure he would have no objection to my company. He departed to obtain his permission, and returned with the gentleman's compliments, and that he would be most happy in my company so I followed mine host to the room; but what was my confusion, when, on opening the door, I discovered seated, the mysterious stranger, whose presence had before caused me such annoyance! A sort of chillness instantly came over me, and I would have retired, when the stranger got up, and bowing politely, said he was exceedingly happy to accede to my request of allowing me to occupy the same room, and at the same time handed me a chair. It was impossible for me now to refuse; so, thanking him for his offer, I seated myself, and, as I before said, being rather chilly, asked him if he had any objection to a fire? I immediately perceived a strong alteration in his features, but it was only momentary; he instantly recovered himself, and said, "that for his part, his cloak, pointing to one which hung on the back of his chair, was quite enough for him, however cold the weather might be," and added, "if I would but put it on for one moment, he was sure I should be warm enough then." I had a sort of instinctive dread of this cloak, and I determined not to put it on; so starting up, I rang the bell, and on the landlord's entering, asked his permission to have a fire. The stranger bowed his head, and fixing his eyes on the wall, remained quite silent. The landlord, I observed, rubbed his hands as he went out, saying, this was one of the coldest nights he had felt

ness seemed to pervade the place; the large clock that was in the room had stopped, from some cause or other, about ten minutes before I arrived; and on the maid coming in, though before a merry, cheerfullooking damsel, she presently became as melancholy and as grave as either of us, especially as, after numerous attempts, she was obliged to confess her inability to light the fire. It was now very cold, so the landlady came and did her best endeavours to light a fire, but in vain; afterwards the landlord, boots, hostler, and the cook, who never having been out of a perspiration for the last ten years of her life, was nearly killed by the sudden effect of cold she experienced on coming into the room: last of all I myself tried, but unsuccessfully. They all looked surprised, and the landlord observed it was very strange

it was not so cold, he was sure, any where else, The stranger all this time remained as quiet and inmoveable as before.

I now desired the landlord to bring in tea, hoping by that means to warm myself. When the tea things were brought, the stranger drew a chair for himself to the table, and requested I would make tea; I desired the maid to pour some water into the teapot, from a kettle which she held in her hand, apparently just from the fire: however, on pouring in some water no steam arose; so far from it, the water appeared to be scarcely warm. I questioned her what she meant by it, and how she expected I could make tea with cold water ? she declared that it boiled when it left the kitchen fire, and she did not know how it could get cold since. I then told her to take the teapot and fill it from the large kettle, which she assured me was boiling on the kitchen fire; she returned, and on my tilting it up to pour out the tea, it ran gently for a few moments, and then congealed into a long icicle! The maid looked first at me and then at the stranger, and then went quickly out of the room.

I remained some time sitting in

tently gazing on the stranger, who sat with his dull heavy eyes still intently fixed on the wall. I can scarcely describe what I felt; I shook so dreadfully both with fear and cold, that I could hardly keep my seat-my teeth chattered my knees shook in short, I began to fear that if I staid any longer, I should be frozen to death. At length he noticed my confusion, and starting up, he again said, "perhaps I would accept of his cloak." Now I was really dying with cold, and the cloak looked so warm and so tempting, that I could not help eyeing it wistfully; this the stranger perceived, and opening it, shewed the lining, which was of the finest lamb's wool, looking infinitely warmer as well as softer, and more comfortable than anything I had ever seen. He then, in the most obliging manner, requested that I would put it on, adding, in his own expressive way, he was sure I should be warm enough then. I felt myself wavering; but, summoning up my resolution, I determined I would not yield, so quitting him abruptly, I ordered my horse, and being resolved, once and for ever, to rid myself of this odious stranger, I mounted as quickly as possible, and putting spurs to his side, for I heard the stranger calling loudly for his horse, I galloped the whole of the way home; and I can safely swear that nothing whatever passed me on the road.

:

Now, said I, at any rate I have distanced him and knocking at my door, it was quickly opened by my wife, who had been anxiously expect ing me. After our usual salutation, she informed me I should meet an old friend up stairs who had been waiting my arrival. "With an old friend, a good bottle of wine, and a warm fire," said I, "I can forget every thing;" and hastening up stairs it would be impossible to describe my confusion-before me was seated the identical stranger, with the mysterious cloak hanging over the arm of the chair on which he sat !-He rose as I entered-rage prevented me from uttering a word. He bowed

politely, saying, "that he hoped he was not an intruder; but, after our having passed some hours together on our journey, he thought he might make bold to beg a night's lodging, having found himself benighted, close to my house." I was so thunderstruck that I could not say a word in answer.

My wife now entered

we

the room, and complained of the cold. She said the fire had gone out soon after my friend arrived, “and, what is very strange," added she, were unable to light it again. I have been to order a bed to be made for your friend-and I have ordered the sheets to be aired, as the night is rather cold." "Oh !" said the strang. er, you need not mind that-I d ways sleep warm enough!" and pointing to his cloak, he gave a most expressive but sarcastic smile. This was almost too much; yet what could I do? I had no excuse to turn him out. Suppose it should be the German ?-tush! nonsense!-but however I tried to rid myself of this thought, I never could succeed in entirely banishing it; such strong hold has the idea of supernatural interference on a superstitious mind. I resolved, however, in mere contradic tion to my opinion, to put up with his company this once ;—and, eudeavouring to appear as unconcerned as possible, I made suitable acknowledgments in the best way I could.

After a painful silence, which was only disturbed by the chattering of our teeth, supper was announced, and hastily despatched, for every thing was cold. Silence again ensued; till at length I caught up a candle, for I could bear it no longer, and asked the stranger if I should shew him his room; he consented, and bowing to my wife, took his cloak and followed me.

66

When we came into his room, I observed the water was frozen in the ewer; "I will order the servant," said I, to bring you some warm water in the morning to shave with." He replied, "that he had rather I would not give myself so much trou ble on his account, for that he could lather his face with snow!" He then

asked me if I slept warm?

me warm.

"I am afraid," said I, "I shall not do so to-night." He placed his cloak in my hand, saying, with a chuckle, "I had only to throw it over me and my wife, and he was sure we should be warm enough then!"-I threw down the cloak, and rushed out of the room. I joined my wife down stairs, who, on my upbraiding her with the folly of inviting a perfect stranger to sleep in the house, told me, that he had introduced himself as an old friend of mine, who wished to see me on particular business. I went to bedbut not to sleep,—not all the blankets in the world could ever have made I hesitated whether I should not go and turn the stranger out, thus late as it was ;-but I might be mistaken, after all;-he was very gentlemanly, and behaved throughout with the greatest propriety, so that I could have no excuse for so doing. And though there were many strange circumstances attending his presence, still they might be accidental. I resolved, at least, to wait patiently for the morning, though I felt as if I was exposed to the air on a cold winter's night; but I was doomed again to be disturbed. I had locked my room door (my constant custom upon going to bed), when, about one o'clock, as I was lying, wide awake,-the stranger, the German,—the fiend!-for I believe he was all three,-entered my room!-how, I know not,-I heard no noise. A horrid trembling immediately came over me, my

knees knocked together, my teeth chattered,-my hair stood on end,→ I could scarcely draw my breath. What could be his purpose? to murder me ?-no-no, I see it all,--the cloak,-the mysterious cloak, the source of all my fears and apprehensions; he thinks by that to gain his purpose, and fancying I am asleep, he comes, no doubt, to cast that upon me, and thus give the fiend, his master, in some way or other, a power over me! He approached the bed;

my tongue clave to the roof of my parched mouth, and fear, an all absorbing fear, had nearly choked me. He opened the cloak-another moment-and then-but rage, fear, despair, gave me strength :-I started up ;-" Villain !" said I," I will not tamely bear it :" and grappling with him, I threw the cloak from me. I now cared not what I did or said. "Hence," roared I, "and seek the fiend you serve!" and accidentally in the scuffle I caught hold of his long pointed nose ;-he shrieked aloud with rage and pain. mercy's sake, Mr. T," said my wife," what are you about?" I received a heavy fall-immediately the whole was gone. I assisted my wife into bed; for it seems that I had lain half the night with the clothes completely off me; which, as often as she had endeavoured to replace, I had resisted; and on her persisting, I had eventually seized her by the nose, and we both tumbled out of bed together.

"For

pamphlets, a score of speeches, and as many anonymous papers in the Edinburgh Review. The merit of these, both for ability of thought and beauty of composition, is a sufficient warrant for the nature of the source from which they came; and we only lament that so bright a water should flow forth in such scanty streams. These writings have been