Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB
[blocks in formation]

His old grey hairs with sorrow to the grave.

The youth here smiling rose, and, rising,
cried

Excuse my interrupting your discourse,
To me a very painful source,
Though certainly too well applied;

But Sir, I beg permission to remark That I am not afraid of what you mention,

Although (observes our hopeful spark)
I thank you for your good intention.

You say if I continue thus to sting
My father's bosom, I shall surely bring
His grey heirs to the grave, with sorrow

big;

On that score, Reverend Sir, withhold
your fears,
Lord, Sir, my father for these thirty years
Has worn a wig!-

GIAFAR.

THE TWO BROTHERS. The following traditionary story, on the banks of the Rhine, we recommend as a good subject for our melo-dramatic writers to work upon:-

'Near the little village of Hirtzenach, between St. Goar and Boppart, the ruins of the two old castles of Liebenstein and Sternfelds stand close together, on a fine mountain covered with vines on the right bank of the river. Their grey mouldering towers nod at each other with a sort of rival dignity; and they go by the name of the Two Brothers.-Tradition says they were formerly inhabited by an old knight, who had two sons equally dear to him; and a rich and beautiful young orphan was also brought up under his protection. Her charms increased with her years; and, as was very natural, the young knights both fell in love with their fair play-fellow. When she arrived at a marriageable age, the father proposed to her to choose between his two sons; but she, knowing the sentiments of both, was unwilling to grieve either by preferring his rival. The elder son, however, believing that her heart a little inclined to his brother, resigned his pretensions, and besought her to declare in his rival's favour. The old knight gave the young couple his blessing, but their union was delayed.-The elder brother saw without envy, but not without melancholy, the happiness of his rival. The charms of this beloved object increased in his eyes every day, and to fly from her presence he joined the prince, residing at Rhense, and was admitted into

his suite.

'Just at this time, St. Bernard was preaching the cross on the banks of the Rhine. There was not a chateau near the river that did not send a knight to Frankfort, where the Emperor Conrad presented the saint to the people, who all took the cross. Almost every castle along the river, from Basle to Cologne, mounted a streaming flag with the holy symbol of our Saviour's sufferings; and the river and roads in the country were thronged with joyous companies flocking towards Palestine. The young intended bridegroom caught the general flame, and resolved to visit the Holy Land before leading his bride to the altar. In spite of his father's displeasure, and the ill-concealed tears of his mistress, he assembled his little troop, and joined the Emperor's army at Frankfort.

The old knight, dying soon after, the elder brother returned from Rhense to take possession of his ancestor's castle. Love was now ready to revive more strongly than ever in his breast; but he

overcame himself, and scrupulously treated the young lady with the kind protection of a brother. Two years had elapsed, when the news arrived that the younger brother was returning from Palestine, accompanied by a beautiful Grecian dame, to whom he was be trothed. This intelligence pierced his deserted mistress to the heart; and, according to the custom of the age in such disappointments, she resolved to take the veil. The elder son was indignant at this conduct of his brother; and, when a courier arrived at the castle to

announce his approach, he threw down his glove, bidding him take that for

an answer.

'The crusader arrived with his fair Grecian at the castle of Sternfelds, his paternal inheritance, and a bloody war took place between the brothers, which they were on the point of concluding by single combat, when the young lady interposed and pacified them. She afterwards quitted the abode of her infancy, and took the veil.

'Sadness and mourning now reigned in the castle of Liebenstein-while joy and dissipation occupied the inhabitants of Sternfelds. The beauties of the Grecian dame, and the graces of her conversation, attracted around her all the gay knights of the neighbourhood; and she was by no means scrupulous in receiving their homage. The elder brother saw the disgrace of his brother before he himself was aware of it, and soon found an opportunity to convince him of his wife's infidelity. The young knight would have sacrificed her to his vengeance, but she found means escape. His elder brother pressed him in his arms as he was abandoning himself to his despair, saying, "Let us live henceforth together without wives, to do honour to the grief of our first love, who is now passing the brightest days of youth in a convent.' The younger brother agreed, and they remained bachelors and inseparable friends for the rest of their days. Their race expired with them--and their old ruined castles, which still retain the name of "The Brothers," remind the traveller of their history."

to

Tit Bits.

A CURIOUS CLAIM OF KINDRED; Or, the most made of a Pretended Relation. [The following singular article appeared, a few years since, in most of the Newspapers, as an authentic piece of intelligence. We do not vouch for it's being a fact: but, certainly, it is not altogether improbable.]

lately walking along the Strand, he sudAs a portly, and well-dressed man, was denly dropped down in an apoplectic fit; and though no less a man than his Majesty's Physician in Ordinary was coming by at the time, and was willing to give every assistance the Materia Medica could afford, it was all in vain : the body was dead, beyond the reach of any physician---except the last trumpet! A corpse, in the Strand, unowned, soon drew a crowd; among whom, came a well-dressed, good-looking, young gentleman, who was curious to see the dead man. He had no sooner made his way through the mob, so as to get a full view of the corpse, than he was struck with amazement: he remained fixed; his countenance changed; and the tears began to flow down his cheeks. As soon as he could recover himself, so far as to gain utterance; he exclaimed-"O God, my poor uncle! Is he gone? Is he?Well," said he, with a deep sigh, perish all my hopes! I am happy, however, that I luckily passed, at this awful moment, to rescue his poor remains, and see them decently interred." Accordingly the sorrowful youth called a coach: and the charitable mob, who pitied the disconsolate nephew, assisted to put the corpse in the coach. The pious young man then, having carefully drawn up the blinds, to protect his defunct kinsman from the unpleasant gaze of public curiOsity, soon stripped the body entirely naked; and, desiring to be set down at a famous surgeon's, very conscientiously sold his pretended uncle for two guineas!

" 30

WHITE BIPEDS, AND A FAIR DEVIL!

FREMPUNG, Kingofthe Akemists, and at the same time an intrepid warrior, had

heard so many wonderful things respecting the white Sea-monsters (the European Slave-traders) that though he resided very far inland, he requested the Danes to send him one of their people to gratify his curiosity. Kamp, a clerk, accordingly travelled to his court. When first ushered into the Royal presence, he made a low obesiance, at the same time moving back his foot; on which his Sable Majesty conceived that like the wild monkies, he was couching for the purpose of making a spring at his head. He therefore fell flat upon the ground, under the idea that he should thus escape, and that the strange animal would leap over him. At the same time he called out to his wives for protection! and they immediately formed a circle round him. His Majesty was told that this was only the salutation of the Whites; but he begged it might be dispensed with in future. He soon began to examine his visitor with somewhat less timidity. At first he took his clothes to be part of his body; and the queue of the Dane had led him to suppose that he was a large ape, of a species unknown to him, with a tail growing out of his neck. The white was then required to eat in his presence. In order throughly to satisfy himself respecting his real shape, he desired that he might be requested to strip off his clothes. To his utter astonishment he learned "that Kamp positively refused to comply in the presence of more than a hundred women, but that he had no objection to show himself undressed to the King alone. On receiving this answer, his Majesty previously submitted to the discussion of his Council of State (the elders) whether it would be prudent to trust himself alone with a White man. They decided in the affirmative, and the women were ordered to retire. The Dane

then stripped. Frempung cautiously approached nearer and nearer: he touched his limbs with fear and astonishment, and at length burst out into the exclamation, "Yes; thou art indeed a man, but as white as the very DEVIL!"

PRUDENT THIEVES.---In the Journal of a Tour in the Levant, it is related, that two Mainote robbers who had plundered a Greek priest, on leaving him and carrying off his property, expressed to each other their fears, lest as they were known

[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]

ASTONISHING FEATS OF A

TURKISH DERVISE.

[Translated from Le Chevalier's Voyage to the Propontis and Euxine Seas.]

On entering the town of Selivri, I had an opportunity of being present at a sight which I had in vain endeavoured to procure during the fifteen months which I spent in Constantinople.

A Dervise was introduced into a company of Turks and Greeks, among whom I happened to be: his figure, from leanness and melancholy, was truly hideous. His first action was that of taking off his clothes; laying his kalpac, or cap, on the ground, after having brought it to his forehead; then taking a scourge, consisting of little iron chains, which he wore at his girdle, he threw it repeatedly up into the air, catching it in his hand, with dexterity similar to that of our buffoons at a country fair. At the instant when all were expecting to see him exercise his scourge in the flagellation of his own skin, he balanced himself with his bare belly across the edge of a sabre, which was held at the extremities by two other Dervises; and, in that terrifying posture, he remained at least a minute! After which, he applied a redhot iron to his tongue; and pierced his arms, his eye-lids, and his cheeks, with sharp-pointed instruments, till the blood trickled down his beard.

Incited by the applause of the spectators, and encouraging himself to trials each successively more cruel than the other, it is impossible to say when he would have stopped; had not the company, at length satisfied with, or rather shocked at, his extravagancies, entreated him to desist.

Trifles.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TICKLER.

SIR, Walking through St. James's-square, a day or two since, and ruminating on the very frequent application of the epithet "august," on the part of a certain great man, in a certain house, to the late ceremony of the coronation, I picked up from the pavement what seems to be a

fragment of an old Irish song, which, as it applies to the above circumstance in a remarkable manner, may perhaps fill up a corner in one of your columns. Yours, PHILOCANTUS.

By my sowl, my dear Pat, 'twas complete boderation,

To call a July an August coronation.

Derry down, down, down, derry down.

RICH AND POOR; or, SAINT AND SINNER.

"The rich have means of concealing
their transgressions which the poor have
not; or the society for the Suppression
of Vice would be equally ready to bring
them to punishment for violations of the
Dr. Lushington, July 3, 1821.
sabbath."-Mr. Wilberforce's answer to

The poor man's sins are glaring,
In the face of ghostly warning
He is caught in the fact
Of an overt act,

Buying greens on sunday morning.

The rich man's sins are under
The rose of wealth and station,
And escape the sight

Of the children of light,
Who are wise in their generation.

The rich man has a kitchen
Wherein to cook his dinner;
The poor who would roast
To the baker's must post,
And thus becomes a sinner.

The rich man has a cellar,
And a ready butler by him:
The poor must steer
For his pint of beer,

Where the saint can't choose but spy him.

The rich man's open windows
Hide the concerts of the quality:
The poor can but share"

A crack'd fiddle in the air,
Which offends all sound morality.

The rich man is invisible
In the crowd of his gay society;
But the poor man's delight
Is a sore in the sight,
And a stench in the nose, of piety.

DIVES.

A PRINTER'S WIDOW. This daily publishing the weeds of woe, Announces to my eye, as pica plain, A dear, romantic, duodecimo,

Unbound, and going into sheets again.

[blocks in formation]

"RETRENCHMENT.-In the store rooms at Woolwich, are a number of cats, which in prosperous times were allowed 6d. per week each, board wages, but in consideration of reducing the public expenditnre, they have been taken down to 2d."

"To hum the sharps, and gull the flats,
"Swallow pet dukes, yet strain at gnats ;"
Starve Woolwich Cats, that Treasury Rats
Their usual dainty bits may pick,
And stuff, and swell till they are sick,
Was wisely done (rest them merry),
Of BILLY WARD and LONDONDERRY;
For, setting by the vast expence
Of keeping cats, it stands with sense,
Since rats support the ministry,
And cats at rats presume to fly,
Cats must be starved, or ratters die.

GRIMALKIN.

At a sale of farming stock in Glouces-
tershire, some time since, the auctioneer
gave the following description of a cow.
Long in her sides-bright in her eyes,
Short in her legs-thin in her thighs;
Big in her ribs-wide in her pins,
Full in her bosom-small in her shins;
Long in her face-fine in her tail,
And never deficient-in filling the pail.

LINES

Addressed to a Lady and Gentleman, who after a long Courtship, broke off the Match on a difference about the settle

ment.

Away, away! your love was nought,

On such, LOVE's beams could never dawn; He does not buy, nor is he bought,

And therefore is he naked drawn.

True Love has nothing of his own

To bribe the maiden to believe; And loving for love's sake alone, He has NO POCKETS to receive !*

* See the Ephemerides of Phialo. Bl. let. 1586. There were two Cupids. The one here spoken of is the son of Jupiter and Venus, and he was not blind. Prynichus, in Athenæus, 1. 13. alluding to his eyes, uses this phrase, ow; EgwTos, the light of love: the other, the offspring of Nox and Erebus, was of a very different disposition, and he is represented as blind. With relation to this Cupid, Erasmus says, the poets feign him blind, because he is so impudent-were his eyes open nobody would trust him.

"Which is the villain? Let me see his eyes That I may avoid him."-SHAKSPEARE'S Much Ado.

[blocks in formation]
« AnteriorContinuar »