Grimwald throws the princess overboard; Adegild plunges into the sea, to rescue her, when the savage Wilt, leaving them to their fate, returns home with his prize, and before the king imputes Adegild's loss to the sorcery of the Christian captives. One of the best passages in the poem is the following scene. The monarch is mourning in soli.

tude for his lost son, when the bard forces his way in, to communicate his suspicion that Elegast, Charles Martel's envoy, is plotting the escape of the victims. The king, who was sitting as if turned to stone, rushes furiously upon the intruder with his drawn sword.

Yet how!-the poet's face no terrors paint:
The upraised arm, now faltering sinks and faint;
Down from his hand that deadly weapon falls,
Where no resistance meets, nor fear uppals.

BARLOF'S SONG.

Why fill'st thou, oh Wolf! all the valley with howling?
For whom have thy claws dug a grave in the sand?
Whom seek those grim glances, and why art thou prowling?
Lo! wildered by terrors, all flee from the land.

WOLF.

Slain by the hunter's murderous hand,

For my cubs am I digging this grave in the sand,
By the hand of the hunter my young have bled,
And I seek revenge on the guilty head,

*

We have little room for this spirited passage, but take another short portion.
Sleeps all forgot the monarch's might,
That drove his foes to shameful flight?
Is hand of righteous vengeance tamed?
Is artful Charles more dread proclaimed?
Can he his hosts immortal make!
'Tis battle's hour;-oh, Radbod wake!

Let bucklers clash; let banners wave:
Still we seek war, still danger brave:
All have not fled thy need ;-arise,
For altars, hearths, and liberties!
That arm barbarians sink beneath

Gives Friesland freedom; Charles, his death.

This last song effec ually rouses the king, i

We turn to prose and to the Adopted Son and the prisoners are secured. On the fes- a tale of those troublous times which resulted tival day, as a concession to the French en- in the independence of the Seven United voy, a duel between a Frisian and a Christtian is to decide the issue of the contemplated war, and also whether the prisoners shall be sacrificed or peace concluded with Charles Martel. The Frisian champion is Grimwald, to whom it has been prophesied that if alarm. ed he is lost, but that whoever falls, Frisian shall be the triumph; and at the moment of the prophecy, a vision of the drowned Adegild had scared him. The Christian champion selected is the captive prince, a mere boy, and in holy orders. The duel proceeds as might be expected. The Christian's weakness is evident, and a blow of Grimwald's axe shatters his helmet. It is Ade. gild himself!

Adegild and his beloved had been pre. served from the waves, and by an almost miraculous coincidence Radbod and his na. tion are converted, and the tale ends.

Provinces. The story of this historic novel is too complex to be analyzed within our limits, wherefore a few words as to its tenor must suffice. The whole turns upon an involvement of civil war disasters, which lead Baron van Lonheuvel to adopt the infant son of his dearest friend, believing the child to be the offspring of a Spaniard, the murderer of that friend; and the hero's real parentage is at length revealed by a series of events nearly as complicated, whilst the loves of the baron's daughter and his adopted son are thwarted or crowned, as the cloud thickens or clears up. The novelist in his course takes occasion to paint the disorders, miseries and conspiracies of the times; the arts and plots of a somewhat caricatured Jesuit; and the theological squabbles, engendering bitter hostility between the Remonstrants and Contra-remonstrants. The scene in which the Jesuit,

Pater Eugenio, is first introduced, would dare to do that? Or rather in whom should exceed our limits, and we confine ourselves I have placed confidence?'

to a passage of historical interest and historical painting, by the introduction of two sons of William Prince of Orange, Prince Maurice, and Frederic Henry, his successor. It will only be requisite to state that the Jesuit has sown dissension between the brothers, casting upon the younger a suspicion of plotting with the Arminians or Remonstrants for the usurpation of his elder brother's stadtholdership; and he sends a packet of letters, of course designed for interception, by the hero of the novel, Joan van Cravinhorst. The unsuspecting messenger is in consequence arrested and imprisoned. At an hour considerably later than usual for visitors, Joan is summoned from his room to a stranger.

"It was growing dark, and the last lingering of twilight scarcely fell upon the room; so that Joan did not immediately recognize the man who sat by the table in a comfortable arm-chair, his legs crossed' and his arms folded; the rather that his head was covered by a wide-brimmed hat and his person by a large cloak. Some minutes elapsed, during which the stranger, without speaking, looked Joan steadily in the face; who at length, in an of fended tone, asked, "Was it me your honour wished to see, or is there any mis

take?'

"Come here and sit down- -I can do more than visit you: I come to offer you the means of liberation.'

"Indeed!' cried Joan, grasping the captain's hand. 'Believe that my gratitude

"Gratitude!' repeated the captain. 'Ay, ay! Reckon upon gratitude! Gratitude is bell-metal for fools; I have never been better paid than in assurances of gratitude. Gratitude is the orange-peel that is thrown away when the juice is sucked. Gratitude! Ay, in the Devil's name! Ha! ha ha! And Captain Holtvast laughed a forced laugh, even whilst he seemed lost in reverie.

"It would seem that your confidence has been abused,' said Joan, in a voice of embarrassment.

"What say you, boy?' Holtvast rather thundered than asked, as he rose and flung his cloak over his shoulder. 'Who should

'Joan was silent in amazement.

“To-morrow is your final examination, young man! Then comes your sentence, and you cannot escape the gallows,' said Holtvast with perfect coolness.'

*

*

*

"Impossible! I have committed no crime, and thus guiltless——'

"What matters that?' said Holtvast

laughing. If only the guilty were hung. innocent, I would help you, my young -But I ask not whether you be guilty or

friend.'

"You would not help me, believing me guilty?'

"Hark ye!' said Holtvast laughing, and taking hold of him, 'It is just because I believe you guilty of what is laid to your charge that I am willing to help you. I know that it is through you that Count Frederic Henry corresponds with Grobbendonck.'

"Very possibly,' Joan calmly replied; but it was without my privity.' "How! Very possibly!' exclaimed the captain, starting up. 'Do you think it very possible that Count Frederic HenryWhy not? asked Joan, The judges who questioned me seemed to hold it very possible.'

666

"Even so,' said the captain, who had recovered his composure, and then proceeded in a whisper, 'But you cannot be unawares of the plot for placing Frederic Henry at the head of affairs.'

"This is the first time I have heard of it.' replied Joan. * ✦ 'I know nothing of the Count of Grobbendonk, nor of the letters. I brought a packet from the exiled Remonstrant gentleman without knowing its contents, and that is my only offence.'

"Then you believe the Count innocent?' asked Holtvast precipitately.

"I hold my self to have been deceived, and judge no one.'

666 So you will not accept my assistance to rescue you from this dreary prison, and a certain death?'

"I have not heard the conditions upon which you offer me your assistance.'

664

The first is, that you speak to me frankly, and no longer affect an ignorance that can avail you nothing; the second, that you take a part in the designwhich you well know.'

"If you speak only in riddles,' said Joan, turning away, 'it were best to end the conversation.'

"Well, well, I mean the design—Do you understand me now?' asked Holtvast, making with his hand the gesture of stabbing.

What!' exclaimed Joan indignantly. A design to murder Prince Maurice?? 666 Why not? His father was murdered before him.'

"And you a captain of his guard! Villain! But you shall pay for it! Here gaoler! Turnkeys! This man would murder the prince!' As he spoke, Joan sprang upon him, and grappled with Holtvast, who roughly flung him off into the armchair. At this moment the gaoler entered, and ere Joan could rise up again the captain had vanished.

"Softly, softly!' said the gaoler; what is all this hubbub about?'

"Away with you to your cage, blockhead,' returned the gaoler, 'and sleep yourself sober, that you may answer rationally at your morning's examination.'”

The same night Joan escapes from prison in company with his chamber-fellow and early playmato, Hendrick Raesfelt, a zealous young Arminian, who has won the heart of the gaoler's daughter, herself infected with the same heresy. The guide to whom she commits the safety of the fugitives leads them to an Arminian conventicle, where one of our author's most dramatic scenes occurs. Joan there meets with a busy-body acquaintance, Heer van Bleiswyk, and sees the judge who had examined him, while Groenhovius, a Remonstrant minister, is preaching rebellion from the Old Testament after the manner of a Cameronian. The young Arminian, whose heresy was unmingled with politics, is indignant at what he hears.

"Raesfelt could contain himself no longer; but starting up he pressed through the crowd to the pulpit, and seizing Groenhovius by the arm. passionately exclaimed, 'Hence, son of Belial! Who authorized you to preach such horrible doctrines? Dare you, a teacher of peace, exhort the unhappy common people to sedition?

"Well said! exclaimed van Bleiswyk aloud. That is intelligible language; the other was too deep to be understood by any but the learned.'

"What imprudence!' murmured Joan to himself; and at the same time taking advantage of the general bustle produced by the incident, he likewise pressed nearer to the pulpit, that he might be at hand to assist Hendrick in case of need. He had done more wisely, perhaps, had he followed the example of those who, during the first movements of confusion, escaped from

the room.

"Who are you, young man, who thus boldly interupt me?' asked Groenhovius. 'Am I not the messenger commissioned from on High to teach the people what it is needful they should know?'

"False prophet!' exclaimed Hendrick, raising his voice above that of Groenhovius. Do you preach Christianity? Your words are the words of the evil one!'

who sat next to Groenhovius, and pushing Hendrick aside, 'touch not the holy man who utters the words of truth. Look about you—the great deliverer of Israel, to whom he alluded, is amongst us; is present in this congregation to convict your mendacious accusation of falsehood.'

"Hah! whom have we here? cried Joan, as recognizing the voice, he sprang forward, and tearing off the false white beard of the unknown, added, 'Pater Eugenio amongst Arminians!'

"All eyes were turned upon the Jesuit,who stood thus revealed amongst them; but at the same moment the general attention was drawn to another bystander, who rose, and throwing off his cloak, discovered himself to be Count Frederic Henry; and said, 'Yes, I am present, but by no means

"What imprudence!' said Ludwig (the of the Jesuit's, who stood beside, and tried prince's treacherous secretary) and a tool to wrap the cloak again about his master. For heaven's sake, your highness——'

"Forbear, Ludwig!' cried the count. 'I must explain my conduct; I must tell these ill-advised people

"That explanation you shall give me,' said, in a half-smothered yet stern tone, a man enveloped in a large mantle, who rose up behind him, and touched his shoulder. "Maurice!' ejaculated the count, turning round with a start.

Silence!' said the prince in his ear. 'I shall expect you at home. Come, van Kinschot, let us go.' And uttering these words he made his way out in great agitation, followed by the judge.

> * * *

"Oh, van Kinschot! exclaimed the Stadtholder, as upon reaching the palace he flung himself into an arm-chair; 'and he who betrays me is my brother!'

"A chamberlain announced his excellency Count Frederic Henry. A cold shuddering seized the prince, but quickly recovering himself, he ordered his brother to be admitted, and desired the judge to wait in another room.

*

"Frederic Henry entered, and advanced some steps towards his brother, when, confounded by the sternly penetrating look which Maurice fixed upon him, he suddenly paused, cast down his eyes, and stood like a culprit before the tribunal that is to pronounce his doom. Maurice suffered him to remain some minutes in this pos ture, as though expecting him to speak first. He hoped that consciousness of his guilty purpose would impel the count to fall at his feet and sue for pardon, and wished to afford him the opportunity for so doing. But when he saw him thus rooted to his place, he asked in a low yet earnest voice, Well! What would you?'

"The tone of this question struck the count's heart like an electric shock. He recognized in it the accents of the rigid judge, combined with those of the deeply"Youth!' said the man in a velvet cap, wounded brother. But arming himself

*

*

with courage, he raised his head, and said in a broken voice that betrayed the disturbance of his soul, 'You summoned me, Maurice!

"And only therefore are you come?' asked Maurice with a burst of passion. 'Had I not summoned you, you were not here? Then I want you not!'

"Maurice!' said the count, stepping forward and endeavouring to take his brother's hand. 'Not thus should we speak to each other.'

"Back!' said the prince recoiling. 'Not a step nearer! I will not give you an op. portunity of committing fratricide!'

"Almighty God!' exclaimed the horror-stricken Frederic Henry, Who can have given you such an idea of me?'

"To prove the preacher of rebellion a liar, and to undeceive his hearers as to my views,' answered the Count.'

"Indeed!' said Maurice, bitterly. 'It is very true I did not let you conclude your speech. It would have been worth hearing.'

"With your leave,' said Frederick Henry, hoping to lighten the weight of the imputation by retorting it upon his brother - Of what do you accuse me? Did you not yourself honour the assemblage with your presence ??

*

*

*

*

"Maurice's face became purple with rage. His hands shook like the leaves of the aspen, and his voice seemed the hoarse roar of the tiger, insnared in the hunter's "Who? yourself. He who has so far pit, as he bellowed,' Hah! Snake ! Is that degenerated that he can with the dissem- thine infernal craft? Wouldst thou discovbling smile of innocence deceive his er my objects, to make them thine own brother and his prince, apostatize from the cloak? Yes, I also went thither ;-I went worship of God, betray his country, and because, like thyself, I had been warned howl with crafty knaves-he is fully capa-that rebellion was there preached, and ble of fairicide !'

that

my brother participated in it.'

"In the Count's mind indignation at "You went then as a spy upon me?' such a catalogue of unmerited accusations asked Frederick Henry, quietly drawing now overpowered sorrow and alarm; he back. A rare trait of brotherly love!' emphatically said Maurice, dare you suspect your father's son of such guilt? "I suspect you no longer,' returned the Prince, with a contemptuous smile. This morning I did; but where certainty exists, suspicion ccases.

"Do you condemn me unheard ?' asked Frederick Henry; 'to me, your brother, do you deny what is due to the vilest criminal? Is that the boasted justice of Prince Maurice ?'

"I listen,' said the prince; 'What have you to urge in your defence?'

"Wilt thou further insult me, traitor?' thundered Maurice, whose rage had now reached its acme. Tremble at my wrath!' As he spoke he grasped the hilt of his sword with his right hand, whilst he raised his left, in menace against his brother.

"Maurice, recollect yourself!' said the deeply-moved Count.'

"The words were scarcely spoken, when the Prince was himself again.'

The production of the letters and cyphers discovers the forgery; the secretary, Lud

"I must first know of what I am accu-wig, is sent for, and his fears induce him to sed' returned his brother, with the pride of a clear conscience.

confess every thing. The brothers are again happy in restored confidence, and "Wretch !' cried Maurice, starting up Maurice proceeds to announce to Joan the furiously; then recovering his self-command, he added calmly but bitterly, You secret of his birth, as now revealed by Ludare in the right;--you must know your

offence.'"

The Stadthoder now questions his brother touching his alms to Arminian widows and exiles, and his presence at the conventicle. Frederick Henry alleges the first to have been mere acts of charity, and says of the second charge :

wig.

"We have met before now,' said the Prince, taking Joan by the hand, and looking upon him complacently.'

Captain Holtvast,' cried Joan, in

amazement.'

"I bore that name at Tiel,' rejoined Maurice; here I am called Maurice of

Nassau.'

"Your highness !-Oh, can you pardon

"It was foolish, nothing worse. I had been warned that at such assemblages the my unwitting-' "No pardon can be needful where preachers occasionally instilled mischievous and seditious notions into the broth-there was no purpose to offend,' returned the prince. I formerly offered you my erhood; and I wished to ascertain for myself whether this accusation were just, services, and will now make my word whether my charity had been ill-bestowed. good by revealing to you the secret of your

*

*

"Did I not myself see and hear the whole,' returned Maurice.-' Did you not rise up in the midst of the crowd to con firm the words of one of the knaves, to show that you really were present?'

birth.'

With this discovery, that "Snowdon's Knight is Scotland's King," we close the Pleegzoon, and take leave of our author's more important work. The only specimen

has long been suspet; but now that a cheese, actually a Dutch cheese, has been found in his house, he is proved to be no good patriot.

"Anna. Oh! It is clearly high treason to eat cheese?

"Plays. High treason, as you have well said. And I take it when his worship the district commissioner, whom we are expecting, shall arrive, he will look queer at such things. By the bye, it would be awkward if the corpus delicti should meanwhile be made away with-(tries to pocket the cheese).

of his dramatic productions that has reached us, is a mere comic opera or vaudeville, which not even the circumstance of its having from the first moment of its appearance been the rage at the Dutch theatre, could entitle to our notice, but for its politcal character. The village beyond the Frontiers owes its extraordinary popularity not to its dramatic interest, or comic effects, nor yet to the skill of the composer, but to the ridicule which it unsparingly lavishes the detest. ed Belgians. Viewing it under this aspect, as a dramatico-political lampoon, we feel justified in taking from it some specimens No evil ensues, however, upon the advenboth of the farcical tone of Dutch drollery ture of the cheese, which is forgotten in the and of Dutch estimate of their former fellow-greater treason that follows. Two young subjects, whom they still consider as little Dutch sharpshooters, seeking their regiment more than temporarily successful rebels.

upon

after leave of absence, have unconsciously crossed the frontier, whence the boundary stakes have been stolen for fuel by our Belgian villagers. They begin to suspect their predicament, and seeing the burgomaster approach, strip off and hide their uniforms, &c, and take to fencing with sticks; they also persuade the Belgian that they are a German and an Englishman, who cannot speak Dutch, (they fear that the purity of their accent must betray their country,)

The scene is laid in a Belgian frontier village,and the rising of the curtain displays au Orangeite Belgian manufacturer at breakfast with his daughter in a verandah on the high road. Their conversation discovers the complete stagnation of trade consequent upon the insurrection, the avoidance by all real patriots of any connection with the revolutionary government, the mischiefs of intervention by foreign demagogues and fortune-hunt ing adventures, and the recent arrival of that to travel without a coat is an English King Leopold. Upon the village burgomaster, Pluysken, being announced, the manufacturer escapes to read the newspaper, leaving the task of entertainment to his daughter, and she, finding it a rather a heavy one, by way of resource offers the visiter some break fast. The rustic dignitary, whose Belgic accent and affectation of French phrases are as diverting to a Dutch, as broad Yorkshire or Somersetshire to a London audience, courteously answers, condescendingly :

fashion, and that they are sent to announce Leopold's coming: whereupon the burgomaster hurries off to prepare for the king's reception, by converting the gallows into a triumphal arch.

Anna finds her lover, Wildervanck, in one of the strangers; and as the arrival of the district commissioner, Tortu, who is quartered upon Braafhart, the manufacturer, prevents their retreat, she conceals them in the room of her absent brother. We shall extract part of a scene that occurs upon the commissioner's surpri sing the Dutchman, disguised in the brother's clothes, with Anna, who replies to Tortu's questions, that they are guests. They sing a duet, full of flattery of the would-be-great man, who, thus propitiated, says-

whom have I the honour-
"Gentlemen, you flatter me.

With

Vogelær. As Mejuforouw (Miss Braafhart) said, unexpected guests. That gentleman is her cousin; I am her brother.

"Tortu, to Anna. I thought your brother was in England.

"Vog. Yes; I have but just now returned thence with Leopold.

"Tortu. With his Majesty? So, so! (bows profoundly.)

Enter BRAAFHART and PETER. "Braafhart. Yes; lay the cloth here. You will give him leave, colonel? A little collation here will not disturb you?

"Tor. Not at all. And allow me to congraulate you Mynheer Braafhart: you had