late Royal Highness the Duke of York, a gentleman well known for his antiquarian researches, whose name we withhold, descended into the royal cemetery at Windsor, after the interment had taken place, and busily engaged himself in copying inscriptions from various coffins. While thus engaged, and absorbed in thought, he heard the door of the cemetery close with an appalling sound, the taper fell from his hand, and he remained petrified by the knowledge of his awful situation, entombed with the dead. He had not power to pick up the taper, which was soon extinguished by the noisome damp-and he imagined that the cemetery would not be reopened until another royal interment should take place; and that thus he must soon, from the effects of famine, be numbered with the dead. He swooned, and remained insensible for some time. At length recovering himself, he rose upon his knees, placed his hands upon a mouldering coffin, and, to use his own words, felt strength to pray.' A recollection then darted across his mind, that he had heard the workmen say, that about noon they should revisit the cemetery, and take away some plumes, &c. which they had left there. This somewhat calmed his spirits Shortly after twelve o'clock he heard the doors turn upon their grating hinges-he called for assistance, and was soon

A captive he yielded, o'erpowered quite by numbers.

maids if your lips you'd keep unprofaned,

Your eyes shut, or Virtue soon at her
post slumbers.
No!
Yes, yes!
No!
Yes, yes!!

His clothes were damp, and a horrible dew hung upon his hair, which, in the course of a few hours, turned from dark black to grey, and soon after to white. The pain which he felt in the scapula during the period of his confinement, he described to be dreadful.

'Yeses!'

J. Bruton.

ALTERATION.-AN EPIGRAM. Thomas, of late so gay and free, You sang to love full many a glee, Nor e'er from pleasure tarried; Now altered quite the form of woe!' Ah! Ben, my friend, you do not know That I am- -I am-married.'

OF

IN

No. 101.]

[Price 3 d.

but the army had now returned, and no tidings had yet been heard of him whom her heart adored. Winifred could not doubt his love-she feared he had fallen on the battle field, and this thought drove her almost to despair.

Master Andrew stood watching his fair daughter, as he leaned on his quarter-staff; but finding his words had no effect on her, he continued, by my manhood, Win, thou art a silly dotterel,-for a truth, but I believe some one has bewitched thee; never grieve thus, girl. Wilfred will be here soon I'll warrant thee; then turning on his heel, he said, 'look ye to the house, wench.

Master Littlewood's back was no sooner turned, than Winifred, leaving the cottage, tripped across their small orchard, and, crossing the stile, made towards the dwelling of her gossip, Kate, which stood on the other side of a coppice adjoining the orchard. A broad path divided the coppice, and Winifred entering it, saw the cottage of her friend and neighbour through the trees. She had proceeded about half way along the path, when a sudden rustling of the leaves and branches startled the maiden, and at the same moment a stag bounded into the pathway, and fell: during its attempt to rise, a man jumped from the thicket, and throwing down the cross-bow which he had discharged at the animal, drew his coteau de chasse, and soon released it from all pain.

Winifred was about to turn back, when the man who had been so in tent upon his sport, espied her ;Whither away so fast, mistress Winifred, cried he, by my troth, one would think thou hast seen an hobgoblin, rather than honest Frank Nickols.'

Winifred shuddered at meeting with this man in such a place; she well knew him as the under-keeper of a neighbouring gentleman's forest, and often had he plagued her with avowals of love; but she never gave ear to his protestations; on the contrary, the sinister character which he had got amongst the neighbouring yeomen, alone rendered him an object of abhorrence; in fact, they had given him the name of wild Frank,' from his restless and turbulent habits; while his hardy accomplishments were the theme of admiration and dread: no man in Somersetshire could contend with him at sword and buckler, or quarter-staff, and his superior skill as a marksman was acknowledged by all.

Leaving the carcass of the deer, he advanced towards Winifred, who shuddered at his approach; 'Nay, my pretty mistress,' said he, why lookest thou so pale ?-trust me, sweet, none shall harm thee while I am here. By my holidame, I am sore weary with giving chase to this truant,-I have tracked him ever since the bell rang for matins.— Wilt thou sit down on this bank, fair mistress, 'tis a cool spot, and the birds are singing blithely ?'-with these words he took her hand; but Winifred, abruptly disengaging it, said, Master Francis, prithee let me begone; it becomes not a maiden to hold converse with thee in such a place as this. Give you good day, Master Nickols.'

6

Stay, my pretty Winifred,' cried the ruffian, grasping her arm tightly, 'you leave me not thus-methiuks thou would'st not hesitate to sit in this same place with the absent boy, Wilfred. By this light, thou must needs be mad to waste a thought on such a stripling-a fellow with a chin as smooth as thy own, lass, and he drew his hand across it: alarmed at this conduct, the poor girl knew not how to act, when Frank, throwing his arm round her waist, attempted to force her to sit down on the bank.

She shrieked aloud, and called on Wilfred and her father to help her.

Her cry for protection was not in vain, for, darting thro' the thicket, a champion instantly stood by her side, and in that champion she beheld her long lost Wilfred.

Throwing down a small wallet which he carried, the young soldier, without delay, called on the ruffian to defend himself. Frank obeyed the call, and drawing his long woodknife, advanced towards him. The combatants were not well matched in their weapons. The sword of Wilfred was too long for the ruffian,

who nevertheless displayed great skill, and it required Wilfred's utmost caution to keep Frank from closing.

thou hadst enough to do to save thy cockscomb; get thee gone!'

'I shall take my own time for that,' replied the ruffian, sheathing his sword: then raising the carcass of the slain deer, he dragged it after him, growling a curse on the yeoman, his daughter, and her lover, who proceeded towards the cottage.

senses.

This speech was enforced by Master Andrew's raising his quarter staff in a threatening manner; it had the effect of separating the combatants, who desisted, but without sheathing their swords continued to eye each other fiercely.

'Put up your tools,' cried Master Andrew, the first who strikes another blow, shall feel the weight of my quarter-staff;' then, raising his daughter, who had just recovered her senses, he continued Why, what ails thee, wench, what has happened?'

'That I can best tell,' said Wilfred, who explained the cause of the fight.

Oh, thou incarnate villain!' cried the yeoman, clutching his quarterstaff, I would fain belabour thy ribs heartily; but I will first see thy master, and if he should deny me redress, look to thy villainous car

rant jade! did I not tell thee to look to the house, thou baggage?'

Wilfred here interposed in behalf of his beloved, and entering the cottage, the yeoman placed a black-jack of ale before the young soldier, who gave him in return an account of the various battles and skirmishes he had been engaged in during his absence. The black-jack was often replenished that evening, and Winifred sat watching every look of her lover, and listened to the relation of his adventures with a greedy ear.

Night came, and the deep draughts of ale which he had taken, began to render the honest yeoman incapable of paying attention to his guest, which was not regretted by Wilfred, as it allowed him an opportunity of enjoying an endearing tete-a-tete with his sweetheart.

The deep snoring of Master Andrew at length gave good assurance to the lovers that they need not fear any unpleasant interruption of their transports. The strong light of the rising moon had already began to illumine the horn windows of the cottage, and her rays fell on the tiled floor; the door stood open, and the beauty of the evening tempted the lovers to leave the cottage.

They passed down the little garden, at the bottom of which was an arbour, formed by Master Andrew during his leisure hours. Here they sat locked in each others arms, to

tally unconscious of the presence of their deadly foe; but his face was, however, fixed upon them, his tongue, unheard and unthought of, muttered a curse against them; the ruffian Frank was in ambush by their side.

Having learned that Wilfred rested at the cottage that evening, he had come with the intention of destroying his rival, if possible, in his sleep; for he had no wish to again eucounter openly the active young soldier. He arrived at the cottage just at the moment that Winifred

and her lover had left it.

Ensconc

ing himself behind a tall hedge which skirted the garden, he watch ed the lovers as they proceeded to the arbour.

'Now,' thought he, as he ground his teeth in savage exultation, he cannot escape me,' and he clutched his cross-bow which he had brought with him he knelt, and having charged it with a bolt, took aim at Wilfred, who sat with his arm thrown round the waist of his lovely companion.

'The devil speed the bolt,' muttured the ruffian as he loosened his bow; the bolt flew-a groan was heard and Wilfred clasped the lifeless form of his Winifred in speechless agony. The bolt had missed him and struck the innocent girl, but of this the ruffian Frank was ignorant; he flew from the spot, forcing his way through hedges, and leaping over fences and ditches, he halted not till he had reached his hut, which stood on the verge of his master's park; lifting the latch he entered, and, securing the door, he threw himself on his straw pallet.

Never was buck slain fairer,' cried he, exultingly, by my holidame, 'twas well aimed, and the hand that sent it was unseen, ha ha! ba! what will the wench say, now she has lost her lover? Frank,

Frank, thou art a lucky dog; don thy best gear, and go comfort her to-morrow, man; I'll warrant she grieves little when thou showest thyself.'

Thus did the ruffian soliloquise as he lay on his miserable pallet: sleep fled from him that night; but remorse touched him not. In the meantime, the little village was in a wild uproar, the bleeding form of the unfortunate girl was borne into her father's cottage, while her lover, almost frautic, was incapable of devising any plan to secure the murderer. Several young men volunteered their services, and strewed themselves over the neighbourhood; but returned without discovering traces of the assassin.

Master Andrew stood gazing on the pale corpse of his child in silent agony; the horrid scene had awakened him from his stupor, and the tears stole down his weather-beaten cheeks. One of the monks from the neighbouring Abbey of Glastonbury bad arrived and extracted the bolt, but life was extinct, and the father and lover passed the night in the most agonizing misery.

Morning came, and several of the neighbours, at an early hour, sought the cottage; the bolt was examined closely by each, who all equally hoped to find some mark by which the owner of it might be discovered, but in vain; at length a young man entered the cottage, who, on its being shewn him, exclaimed, 'It was fashioned by that devil's hands, Frank Nickols, or mine eyes deceive me; I know it by the shape, for he is a shrewd hand at making such gear.'

This was no sooner uttered, than a dozen voices exclaimed, Then let's hasten to his hut and unkennel him, he has been long marked for the gallows-forward, by boys!'

Arliss's Pocket Mag. (To be continued.)