The sun now lingering o'er the land, : To the bright scene that round him lay: That dream with more than madness fraught, The lots in silence drawn, reveal The hands that must his sentence seal; Had stemmed with him the battle's tide From trembling hands the death-shot pealed, As the babe upon its mother's breast. J. M. THE LOST REFLECTION. FROM THE GERMAN OF HOFFMANN. THINGS were at length come to such a pass that Erasmus Spikher found himself enabled to accomplish the wish that he had all his life nourished in his breast, and with a lightsome heart and well-garnished purse he placed himself in the carriage which was to bear him away from his chill northern home to the genial and sunny clime of Italy. His dear gentle housewife shed floods of tears in anticipation of the dreariness of solitude; she lifted the little Rasmus into the carriage (having first considerately applied her mouchoir to his mouth and nose) that the father might kiss his hopeful urchin once again. “Farewell, my dear Erasmus Spikher," said she, sobbing, "I will keep thy house with all duty and watchfulness. Think often of me, be true to me, and be sure you don't lose your pretty travelling-cap through that foolish habit which you have contracted of throwing your head forwards in your naps." Spikher promised all this, and departed. In the charming Florence, Erasmus fell in with a party of his country men, revelling with the eagerness of youth in all the luxuriant enjoyments of that enchanting clime. He proved himself a jovial companionable fellow, and his lively wit, combined with the peculiar talent of uniting soundness of judgment and keenness of satire with the wildest starts of imagination, imparted an extraordinary piquancy to their banquetings and revels. It happened on one occasion that these young people (Erasmus being only seven-and-twenty, of course included) held a little evening fête in the illuminated bosquet of a delightful garden. Each of the youths, excepting only our hero, had brought a lovely donna with him. The gentlemen wore the old-fashioned German costume; the ladies were fantastically attired in gay colours, each differing from the other, so that, as they moved in the sportive dance, the poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling, might have taken them for a bed of tulips waving in the breeze. When one of the ladies had sung a soft Italian love song to the graceful accompaniment of her mandolin, the youths struck up a German roundelay, accompanied by the merry jingling of their glasses filled with the rich wine of Syracuse. Italy is, indeed, the land of love! The evening breeze breathed in ardent sighs; the perfumes of the orange and jessamine, soft as the murmurs of love, pervaded the bosquet, mingling with the sportive gambols which the ladies, offering all those little buffonerias so peculiar to the Italian damsels, had commenced. Louder and faster grew the mirth and hilarity. Frederick, the Adonis of the party, rose up, and with one arm encircling his partner's taper waist, while the other bore the bumper of sparkling Syracuse high in the air, he exclaimed, "Where is bliss to be found, if it be not with you, ye gentle and lovely maids of Italy? You are love itself! But you, Erasmus," continued he, turning to Spikher, "do not appear to be over sensible of this, for not only have you neglected, in defiance of all the ordinary rules of gallantry and good breeding, to invite a lady to the fête, but you are, moreover, so gloomy and absent to-day, that Ꭰ had you not at least drunk and sung bravely, I should fear you had plunged at once into the depths of melancholy.' "I must confess to you, Frederick, that in this manner I dare not enjoy myself. You know that I have left behind me a dear and amiable wife whom I love more than life, and against whom I should commit a public act of treachery if I were to select a partner in these frolicsome games for a single night. With you bachelors it is different; but I as a family man The young men laughed outright at Erasmus' attempt to give a suitable cast of gravity to his youthful and goodnatured countenance as he uttered the words "family man." Frederick's partner desired him to interpret what Erasmus had said, and then turning to the latter, with a serious look, and holding up her finger in a threatening manner, she said, "You cold, cold German! but have a care, you have not yet seen Giulietta." At that moment there was a rustling at the entrance of the grove, and a lady of dazzling beauty entered the illuminated circle. Her white robe fell in rich broad folds, leaving her polished shoulders exposed to view; the wide sleeves descended to her elbows; her hair was parted in front, and gathered up behind in many braids; chains of gold round her neck, and costly bracelets encircling her wrists, completed the antique costume of the maiden, and to look at her you would think it was a portrait of Rubens or Mieiris that had started into life and motion. "Giulietta!" exclaimed all the ladies at once. Giulietta, whose angelic beauty eclipsed them all, accosted them with a soft melodious voice-" I pray you, let me partake of your pretty fête, ye noble German youth; I will to him yonder, who is without love and joy among you all." With that she turned to Erasmus, and seated herself in the chair which had been left vacant near him. The maidens whispered among themselves, Only see how lovely Giulietta is again to-day!" And the youths said, "How is this with Erasmus? he has won the belle, and has been only mocking us." 66 When Erasmus felt so peculiar a sensation at the sight of Giulietta that he knew not himself what it was that so vehemently agitated him. she approached him a strange power seized him, and oppressed him almost to suffocation. With his eye fixed upon her, and his lips frozen, he sat there unable to utter a word, while his companions loudly extolled the maiden's beauty and gentleness. Giulietta rose, and taking a goblet of wine, presented it to Erasmus. He received the goblet, gently pressing her delicate fingers; he drank; fire streamed through his arteries. Then Giulietta asked jestingly, "Shall I be your partner?" Erasmus threw himself at her feet, and pressed both her hands to his heart, exclaiming, "Yes, thou art! I have always loved thee; thee, thou angel! I have beheld thee in my dreams; thou art my paradise, my life, my heaven!" All thought that the wine had got into Erasmus' head, for thus they had never seen him; he seemed another man. 66 Yes, thou art my life! Thou glowest within me with consuming flames! Let me perish, I care not, so it be with thee!" so cried Erasmus, the steady, scrupulous, family man." Giulietta raised him up; become more composed, he seated himself beside her, and soon the festive gambols were renewed which Giulietta's entrance had interrupted. When Giulietta sang, her 66 seraphic tones swelled all breasts, inciting in them extraordinary pleasure. Her full clear voice carried a secret fire in it that kindled all hearts to love. A red glimmer already announced the break of day, when Giulietta proposed to end the fête. They broke up accordingly. Erasmus offered his services to conduct her home, but she declined them, pointing out to him the house where he might find her in future. During the roundelay which the youths sung, by way of finale, Giulietta vanished out of the bosquet; she was seen passing along a distant alley of the garden, preceded by two lacqueys bearing torches; Erasmus did not venture to follow her. The youths took their respective partners under their arms, and departed in high glee. Disturbed in mind, and agitated with various novel emotions, Erasmus at length followed, attended by his little foot boy, with a torch; having gradually lost all his companions, he was passing along a distant street, which led to his dwelling. The glow of morning had risen high, and the servant extinguished his useless torch by striking it upon the stone pavement, when suddenly a singular figure, which seemed to start from the midst of the ascending sparks, appeared before our hero; a tall slender man, with a sharp hawk's nose, sparkling eyes, and a mouth distorted by a malicious grin; he was habited in a flame-coloured coat, with glittering steel buttons. Ho, ho," cried he, in a shrieking tone of voice, " you have surely escaped out of some old book of pictures, with your mantle, your slit doublet, and feathered barette. You look droll enough, Master Erasmus, but will you expose yourself to the ridicule of the rabble in the streets? Pr'ythee return quietly into your vellum binding.' ،، What is my dress to you," said Erasmus, waxing wroth, and would have passed on, pushing the red fellow aside, but he exclaimed, Well, well, don't be in such a hurry-you can't go to Giulietta quite directly." Erasmus turned briskly round. “ What's that about Giulietta ?" cried he, seizing the fellow by the coat at the same instant, but he turned about like an arrow and had vanished before Spikher was aware of him. There stood our hero, dumb-founded, with the steel button in his hand, which he had torn from the red fellow's coat. ،، That was the wonder-working doctor, Signor Dapertutto, what could he want with you?" said the boy; but Erasmus was seized with terror, and hurried home. 66 66 Erasmus availed himself of the permission to visit Giulietta, and was received by her with all that friendliness and sweetness of manner which were so peculiarly her own. To the maddening passion with which she had inflamed him, she opposed a mild and even conduct; only now and then her eyes beamed brighter, and Erasmus felt a soft shudder pass through him, when occasionally she regarded him with a peculiar look. She never told him that she loved him, but her whole manner and conduct led him to believe that she did, and so it was that the bands which bound him strengthened daily. A glorious sun of joy arose before him. He seldom saw his friends, for Giulietta had introduced him into another circle. ،، Do Once, however, Frederick chanced to meet him, and would not let him escape; and when Erasmus' sensibility was awakened by the reminiscences of his father-land and home, he thus addressed him: you know, Spikher, that you have fallen into a very dangerous connexion? You must have already remarked, that Giulietta is one of the most artful courtezans that ever existed. They tell all sorts of strange and mysterious stories about her, which place her in a very extraordinary light. You afford an example yourself, that when she will, she exercises an irresistible power over men's hearts, and entangles them in indissoluble bonds, for you are entirely altered: you abandon yourself altogether to her seductive arts; you think no longer of your dear housewife Here Spikher covered his face with both his hands, and sobbed aloud, crying out, "Oh my dear, faithful wife!" Frederick observed that a severe internal conflict had commenced- "Spikher," continued he, let us depart instantly." "Yes, Frederick," cried Erasmus, hastily, "you are right. I know not what gloomy and horrible presentiments seize hold of me. I must go this very day." The two friends hurried along the street, and were met by Signor Dapertutto, who laughed in Erasmus' face, exclaiming, "Prythee be quick-haste, haste, Giulietta is waiting for you, her heart full of love, and her eyes full of tears.-Quick, quick." Erasmus was thunderstruck. "I detest this charlatan from my very soul," said Frederick, "and that he should have free in and egress at Giulietta's"- -What! this contemptible fellow known to Giulietta! to Giulietta! "Where have you been all this while," cried a soft female voice from a balcony, have you quite forgotten me already?" It was Giulietta, before whose residence the friends stood without remarking it. With one spring Erasmus was in the house. "Now that he is once there, none can save him," said Frederick, half aloud, and pursued his way. Giulietta had never been more lovely than Erasmus now found her; she was attired in the same costume in which he had first beheld her; and she shone in all the splendour of youth, health, and beauty. Erasmus presently forgot all that passed with Frederick; the highest rapture bore him away more powerfully than ever; for never had Giulietta shewn him so unreservedly the full force of her affection: she seemed to remark none but him; to exist only for his sake. A fête was to be held at a villa which Giulietta had hired for the summer season. They repaired thither. Amongst the company was a young Italian, of a disagreeable person and yet more disagreeable manners, who fluttered about Giulietta, and excited a deep feeling of jealousy in Erasmus, who separated himself from the rest, and strode up and down a distant alley of the garden. Giulietta sought him. "What ails thee, ?" said she, "Art thou not wholly mine?" and throwing her delicate arms around him, she pressed a tender kiss upon his lips. Flames of fire darted through him like lightning; in his frenzied passion he pressed her to his breast, exclaiming, "No, I will never leave you, though disgrace and destruction follow." Giulietta smiled with a peculiar expression at these words, and cast at him the same glance which had before made him shudder. They returned to the company. The disgusting young Italian now took up the role of Erasmus; impelled by jealousy he gave vent to all sorts of taunts and insults against the Germans in general, and Erasmus Spikher in particular. The latter at length lost patience, and striding boldly up to the Italian, said, "Desist from these contemptuous sneers upon my |