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and fnakes rolling out their vaft folds, inhaled the noxious vapours. The ravens and owls who inhabited the folitude gave also a thicker gloom to the everlasting twilight, and the croaking of the former, a monotony in unifon with the gloom; whilft lions and tygers fhunning even this faint femblance of day, fought the dark cavern, and at night when they fhook off fleep, their roaring would make the whole valley refound, confounded with the fcreechings of the bird of night.

One mountain rofe fublime towering above all, on the craggy fides of which a few fea weeds grew, washed by the ocean that with tumultuous roar rufhed to affault, and even to undermine the huge barrier that stopped its progrefs; and ever and anon a ponderous mafs loofened from the cliff to which it fcarcely feemed to adhere, always threatening to fall, fell into the flood, rebounding as it fell, and the found was re-echoed from rock to rock. Look where you would, all was without form, as if nature suddenly stopping her hand had left chaos

a retreat.

Closed to the most remote fide of it was the Sage's abode. It was a rude hut, formed of ftumps of trees and matted twigs to fecure him from the inclemency of the weather; only through apertures croffed with rushes the wind entered with wild murmurs modulated by thefe obftructions. A clear fpring broke out of the middle of the adjacent rock which, dropping flowly into a cavity it had hallowed, foon overflowed, and then ran Aruggling to free itself from the cumbrous fragments till it become a deep filent stream; it efcaped through reeds and roots of trees, whofe blafted tops overhung and darkened the current.

One fide of the hut was fupported by the rock, and at midnight, when the Sage ftruck the inclofed part, it yawned wide, and admitted him into a cavern in the very bowels of the earth, where human foot never before had trod; and the various fpirits which inhabit the different regions of nature were here obedient to his

potent

potent word. The cavern had been formed by the great inundation of waters when the approach of a comet forced them from their fource; then, when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, a ftream rushed out of the centre of the earth where the fpirits who had lived on it are confined, to purify themfelves from the drofs contracted in their firft ftage of existence; and ic flowed in black waves for ever bubbling along the cave, the extent of which had never been explored. From the fides and top water diftilled, and petrifying as it fell, took fantastic fhapes that foon divided it into apartments, if fo they might be called. In the foam a wearied spirit would fometimes arife to catch the most diftant glimpse of light, or to taste the vagrant breeze which the yawning of the rock admitted, when Sageftus, for that was the name of the fage, entered. Some who were refined and almost cleared from vicious fpots, he would allow to leave for a limited time their dark prifon house; and flying on the winds across the bleak northern ocean, or rifing in an exhalation till they reached a fun-beam, they thus revisited the haunts of men. Thefe were the guardian angels who in foft whispers reftrain the vicious, and animate the wavering wretch whọ stands suspended between virtue and vice.

THE SHIPWRECK.

Sageftus had spent a night in the cavern, as he often did, and he left the filent veftibule of the grave just as the fun, emerging from the ocean, difperfed the clouds which were not half fo denfe as thofe he had left. All that was human in him rejoiced at the fight of receiving life, and he viewed with pleafure the mounting fap rifing to expand the herbs which grew fpontaneously in this wild; when turning his eyes towards the fea, he found that death had been at work during his abfence, and terrific marks of a furious ftorm ftill fpread horror around. Though the day was ferene, and threw bright rays on eyes for ever fhut, it dawned not for the wretches

wretches who hung pendent on the craggy rocks, or were ftretched lifelefs on the fand. Some ftruggling had dug themselves a grave; others had refigned their breath before the impetuous furge whiried them on fhore. A few in whom the vital fpark was not fo foon diflodged had clung to loofe fragments; it was the grafp of death; embracing the ftone they stiffened, and the head no longer erect rested on the mass which the arms encircled. It felt not the agonizing gripe, nor heard the figh that broke the heart in twain.

Refting his chin on an oaken club, the Sage looked round on every fide to fee if he could difcern any who yet breathed. He drew nearer, and thought he faw at the first glance the unclosed eyes glare; but foon perceived that they were mere glaffy fubitance, mute as the tongue, the jaws were fallen, and in fome of the tangled locks hands were clinched, nay, even the nails had entered, fharpened by defpair. The blood flew rapidly to his heart; it was fleth; he felt he was still a man, and the big tear paced down his iron cheeks, whofe mufcles had not for a long time been relaxed by fuch humane emotions. A moment he breathed quick, then heaved a figh, and his wonted calm returned with an accustomed glow of tenderness, for the ways of heaven were not hid from him; he lifted up his eyes to the common Father of Nature, and all was as ftill in his bofom as the smooth deep after having closed over the huge veffel, from which the wretched had fled.

ON HER LOVER'S DEATH.

At the clofe of a fummer's day I wandered with care. Jefs fteps over a pathlefs common; various anxieties had rendered the hours which the fun had enlightened heavy; fober evening came on; I wished to ftill "my mind, and woo lone quiet in her filent walk." The fcene accorded with my feelings; it was wild and grand; and the fpreading twilight had almoft confounded the diftant fea with the barren blue hills that melted from my fight,

I fat down on a rifing ground, the rays of the departing fun illumed the horizon, but fo indistinctly that I anticipated their total extinction. The death of nature led me to a still more interesting subject that came home to my bofom, the death of him I loved. A village bell was tolling; I listened, and thought of the moment when I heard his interrupted breath, and felt the agonizing fear that the fame found would never more reach my ears, and that the intelligence glanced from my eyes would no more be felt. The spoiler had feized his prey; the fun was filed, what was this world to me! I wandered to another where death and darkness could not enter. I purfued the fun beyond the mountains, and the foul efcaped from this vale of tears. My reflections were tinged with melancholy, but they were fublime. I grafped a mighty whole, and fmiled on the king of terrors; the tie which bound me to my friends he could not break, the fame myfterious knot united me to the fource of all goodness and happiness. I had feen the divinity reflected in the face I loved; I had read immortal characters difplayed on a human countenance, and forgot myself whilst I gazed. I could not think of immortality without reflecting on the ecstacy I felt when my heart first whispered to me that I was beloved, and again did I feel the facred tie of mutual affection; fervently I prayed to the Father of Mercies, and rejoiced that he could fee every turn of a heart whofe movements I could not perfectly understand. My paffion feemed a pledge of immortality. I did not wish to hide it from the all-fearching eye of heaven. Where indeed could I go from his prefence? and whilft it was dear to me, though darkness might reign during the night of life, joy would come when I awoke to life everlasting!

I now turned my ftep towards home, when the appearance of a girl who stood weeping on the common, attracted my attention. I accofted her, and foon heard her fimple tale, that her father was gone to fea, and her mother fick in bed. I followed her to their little dwel

ling, and relieved the fick wretch. I then again fought my own abode, but death did not now haunt my fancy. Contriving to give the poor creature I had left more effectual relief, I reached my own garden-gate and refted on it. Recollecting the turns of my mind during the walk, I exclaimed-furely life may thus be enlivened by active benevolence, and the fleep of death like that am now difpofed to fall into may be sweet!

My life was now unmasked by an extraordinary change, and a few days ago I entered this cavern; for through it every mortal must pass; and here I have difcovered that I neglected my opportunities of being useful whilft I foftered a devouring flame. Remorie has not reached me because I firmly adhered to my principles, and I have alfo difcovered that I faw through a false medium. Worthy as the mortal was I adored, I fhould not long have loved him with the ardour I did had fate united us, and broken the delufion the imagination fo artfully wove. His virtues, as they now do, extorted my esteem; but HE who formed the human foul only can fill it, and the chief happiness of an immortal being muft arife from the fame fource as its exiftence. Earthly love leads to heavenly, and prepares for a more exalted state, if it does not change its nature and deftroy itself by trampling on the virtue that conftitutes its effence, and allies us to the DEITY.

(From the Hiftory of the FRENCH REVOLUTION).

A VISIT TO VERSAILLES, AFTER THE
REVOLUTION.

How filent is now Verfailles! The folitary foot that mounts the fumptuous ftair-cafe refts on each landingplace, whilft the eye traverses the void almoft expecting to fee the ftrong images of fancy burst into life. The train of the Louis's, like the pofterity of the Banquo's, pafs in folemn sadness, pointing at the nothingness of grandeur fading away on the cold canvas which covers

the

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