Yes-he was gone; and a light and a glory had departed with him. The air again felt raw, the sky seemed duller, the sun more dim and pale, and the road more heavy. The scenery appeared to become tamer and tamer, the inns more undesirable, and their signs were mere daubs. At the first opportunity I obtained a glass of sherry, but its taste was vapid, everything in short appeared "flat, stale, and unprofitable." Like a Bull in Change-alley, whose flattering rumours hoist up the public funds, the high sanguine tone of the Optimist had raised my spirits considerably above par; but now his operations had ceased, and by the usual reaction my mind sank again even below its natural level. My short-lived enthusiasm was gone, and instead of the cheerful fertile country through which I had been journeying, I seemed to be travelling that memorable long stage between Dan and Beersheba where all was barren." Some months afterwards I was tempted to go into Essex to inspect a small Freehold Property which was advertised for sale in that County. It was described, in large and small print, as "a delightful Swiss Villa, the prettiest thing in Europe, and enjoying a boundless prospect over a country proverbial for Fertility, and resembling that Traditional Land of Promise described metaphorically in Holy Writ as overflowing with Milk and Honey." Making all due allowance, however, for such professional flourishes, this very Desirable Investment deviated in its features even more than usual from its portrait in the Prospectus. The Villa turned out to be little better than an ornamented Barn, and the Promised land was some of the worst land in England, and overflowed Occasionally by the neighbouring river. An Optimist could hardly have discovered a single merit on the estate; but he did; for whilst I was gazing in blank disappointment at the uncultivated nature before me, not even studded with rooks, I heard his familiar voice at my elbow ; "Rather a small property, sir-but amply secured by ten solid miles of Terra Firma from the encroachments of the German Ocean!" "And if the sea could," I retorted, "it seems to me very doubtful whether it would care to enter on the premises." "Perhaps not as a matter of marine taste," said the Optimist. "Perhaps not, sir. And yet, in my pensive moments, I have fancied that a place like this with a sombre Interest about it, would be a desirable sort of Wilderness, and more in unison with an Il Penseroso cast of feelings than the laughing beauties of a Villa in the Regent's Park, the Cynosure of Fashion and Gaiety, enlivened by an infinity of equipages. But excuse me, sir, I perceive that I am wanted elsewhere," and the florid gentleman went off at a trot towards a little man in black, who was beckoning to him from the door of the Swiss Villa. Yes," was my reflection as he turned away from me, "if he can find in such a swamp as this a Fancy Wilderness, a sort of Shenstonian Solitude for a sentimental fit to evaporate in, he must certainly be the Happiest Man in England. 66 As to his pensive moments, the mere idea of them sufficed to set my risible muscles in a quiver. But as if to prove how he would have comported himself in the Slough of Despond, during a subsequent ramble of exploration round the estate, he actually plumped up to his middle in a bog;--an accident which only drew from him the remark that the place afforded "a capital opportunity for a spirited proprietor to establish a Splendid Mud Bath, like the ones so much in vogue at the German Spaws!" "If that gentleman takes a fancy to the place," I, remarked to the person who was showing me round the property, "he will be a determined bidder." "Him bid!" exclaimed the man, with an accent of the utmost astonishment" Him bid!—why he's the Auctioneer that's to sell us! I thought you would have remarked that in his speech, for he imitates in his talk the advertisements of the famous Mr. R called the Old Gentleman." "Old! why he appears to be in the prime of life." 66 Yes, sir,-but it's the other Old Gentleman—” "What! the Dev-" He's "Yes, sir,-because you see, he's always a-knocking down of somebody's little Paradise." AN ENIGMA. YE whom mystic themes invite Far before the first am I; Older than Eternity; Born before the Worlds were born, Ere Creation's primal morn; Ye whom mystic themes invite Better than the best that live Show the longest—I am longer ; Show the strongest-I am stronger; Lovelier than the loveliest maid; Keener than the keenest blade, Ye whom mystic themes invite Mortals! would ye view my face? When? and where? What time? what place? In the rock-sequestered glen? In the Ocean's cool recesses, Where the Mermaid spreads her tresses? In the warm Sun's genial smile? In the dim Cathedral's Aisle, Where the light through stain'd'glass streaming Blended rainbow-like-hath kissed Yet am I the scorned of all! Each man sees me every day : Sunk beneath contempt am I,— Monstrous inconsistency! Whom the lordliest lordlier own Monarchs prize beyond their throne Minstrels than their fame hold nearer Lovers than the loved one dearer- Ye whom mystic themes invite, C. S. S. A VISIT TO THE BIRTH-PLACE OF DAVID WILKIE. THE low mist which often in our humid atmosphere precedes a sunny day, lay lingering over the sea, as I wound my way along the rocky shore of St. Andrews Bay. The spent waves moaned amongst the time-and-tide-worn caves;-the sea-mew, scarcely awake, lifted listlessly its lazy wing, only to shake off the droppings of the mist; and the moping owl in Cardinal Beaton's lonely tower, made but a feeble attempt to complain of the echo of footsteps at that early hour. It was, in all respects, in the east-coast vernacular, a heavy morning. I was bound on what many would think a no less heavy undertaking that of awaking the Professor of Church History! And in sooth, the appearance of everything around as I advanced was so sleepy that I somewhat despaired of success in my vocation. All looked as if it had been asleep from the time every thing else in the country awoke-from the time of the Reformation. There stood the tower of St. Rule, with its little chapel, as sound as if it had never heard the shouts of the reformers, or the crash of the falling cathedral. The long lines of pointed arches, roofless and tenantless, seemed to stand there merely to guard the tombstones of the sleeping inmates; and the remaining pinnacles of the Abbey and Cathedral nodded over the scene. The very stones lay as they had been hurled to the ground; and even the beautiful remnant popular fury had spared of the halls of the Dominicans, appeared to dream of the devastations it had witnessed, and the sermons it had heard. The Professor looked as if he had been dreaming also; and as, after half an hour's thundering at the door, he peeped from behind the window-blind, there were strong indications in his countenance that he expected to see the ghost of some Cardinal or covenanter whose character he had been dissecting in the lecture-room. "My good sir, what brings you so early? What has disturbed yourself, or what causes you to disturb others at this untimely hour?" "It is not so early, doctor, as you imagine. You know I have a long journey before me to-day; and if you accompany me, as you promised, as far as Cults, you will have hard riding, making allowance for the necessary preparations, to get there in time for the preparation sermon." "You have sounded the note of preparation loud enough at any rate! I hope it has roused the lazy limmers upstairs, for we must have breakfast ere we start. Come in, then, and try to amuse yourself in the library til! more substantial food be prepared." Whilst the "lazy limmers" are preparing breakfast, I may take the opportunity to mention (lest any southern readers should think that the worthy Professor and I were purposing an escapade rather beyond the limits usually allotted to a "Sabbath-day's journey") that although my companion was going to Cults to preach, it was still only Saturday, but one of the Saturdays preceding the Sunday on which the sacrament of the Scottish church is administered:-on which occasions, as is well known, the neighbouring ministers, as well as frequently clergymen from some distance, are in the practice of attending and officiating. Breakfast-and a breakfast, let me tell you, with a Professor of church history, where haddocks and partens are plentiful, to say nothing of other bounties of alma mater, is no joke. Breakfast being discussed, and our nags brought to the door, off we sallied. The mist yet lay on Magus Moor, and the prospect would have been dreary, but for the deoch-an-doruis which church history as well as profane prescribed for that climate, and which had not been forgotten. "It has always struck me as remarkable," I ventured to observe, "that the murder of Archbishop Sharpe should have been perpetrated so close to the walls of the archiepiscopal city. It indicates either a persuasion on the part of the murderers that they had secretly many friends within the walls, or else a striking instance of the recklessness which attends great daring or high-wrought enthusiasm. The latter must have been the true cause, for, so far as I remember, none of them found, or attempted to find shelter in St. Andrews." "Most logically and profoundly argued, mine early friend," replied the Professor, with a something between a smile and a sneer, to which the motion of his Rosinante gave peculiar force; "most logically argued-only wanting both the legs of a good historical induction to stand on-fact and object :-fact in respect of the locality, and object in regard to the perpetrators. Magus Moor does most certainly approach the walls of St. Andrews, but it does not follow that the murderers did the said Moor being some miles in extent. And then the daring and enthusiasm of the murderers were in the first instance directed against a humbler object-the secretary or steward of the primate for whom they were lying in wait:-the Archbishop himself was a godsend at least so they esteemed it, for they said, 'The Lord had delivered him into their hands!' Opportunity aided Fanaticism too powerfully to be resisted-great daring is too high a name to give it." "I saw lately somewhere," I rejoined, trying, without exactly leaving the Archbishop, to parry the blow by taking shelter under his extravagance," I saw lately somewhere, but I forgot where, a drinking-glass which belonged to the Archbishop, and which was said to be all that some worthy Fife lady had received for a thousand pounds lent to the primate." "Punds Scots, remember," replied my friend. "Besides, although philosophy teaches to say nothing but good of the dead, yet experience,speaking through one who knew human nature in all its theoretical as well as practical pranks, tells us that the evil which men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones'-especially if those bones, like Archbishop Sharpe's, are sent to the tomb abruptly, without giving the spirit which animated them time to fulfil its best aspirations and purest intentions. But the day brightens :-see, the Tower of Scotstarvet is distinctly visible-that tower from whence emanated the purest piece of whiggery ancient or modern times has produced, Scot of Scotstarvet's staggering state of the Scots Statesmen.' We Scotch |