The salt sea was frozen on her breast,

The salt tears in her eyes;
And he saw her hair, like the brown seaweed,

On the billows fall and rise.

85

Such was the wreck of the Hesperus,

In the midnight and the snow;
Heaven save us all from a death like this,

On the reef of Norman's Woe!

did.

THE GLOVE AND THE LIONS.---Leigh Hunt. King Fran- KING FRANCIS * was a hearty king, and loved a royal cis, Francis

sport, I. of France.

And one day, as his lions strove, sat looking on the Gallant, showy, splen

court:

The nobles filled the benches round, the ladies by Crowning,

their side, complete, perfect. And ’mongst them Count de Lorge, with one he hoped Valour,

to make his bride : . Royal beasts, And truly 'twas a gallant * thing to see that crown. the lions; the ing * show, lion is called Valour* and love, and a king above, and the royal the king of

in a furious manner. Glared, look

Ramped * and roared the lions, with horrid laughing Ramped, jaws;

leaped about They bit, they glared,* gave blows like beams, a wind went with their paws ;

ed fiercely. With wallowing night and stifled roar they rolled on

one another; 10 Till all the pit, with sand and mane, was in a thunderous * smother;

Thunderous,
The bloody foam above the bars came whizzing

through the air;
Said Francis then : “ Faith, gentlemen, we're better

here than there !”

a noise like thunder.

*

some,

De Lorge's love o’erheard the king, a beauteous,* lively Beauteous,

dame,
With smiling lips, and sharp bright eyes, which

always seemed the same :
15 She thought : " The Count, my lover, is as brave as

brave can be ; He surely would do desperate* things to show his love Desperate, of me!

danger, rash. King, ladies, lovers, all look on ; the occasion is Occasion, divine,

opportunity,

time,chance. I'll drop my glove to prove * his love ; great glory Prove

, try, will be mine!”

fearless of

*

test.

20

She dropped her glove to prove his love ; then looked

on him and smiled ;
He bowed, and in a moment leaped among the lions

wild :
The leap was quick; return was quick; he soon

regained his place;
Then threw the glove, but not with love, right in the

lady's face !
“In truth,” cried Francis, “rightly done !” and he

rose from where he sat:
“No love," quoth he, “but vanity,* sets love a task Vanily, little

pride, like that!"

show.

a

CONSCIENCE.--Shakspeare.
What stronger breastplate than a heart untainted ?
Thrice is he armed, that hath his quarrel just ;
And he but naked, though locked up in steel,
Whose conscience with injustice is corrupted.

MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.* --H. G. Bell.

on the island of Inch

ed.

*

HENRY GLASSFORD BELL (1814–1874) was educated for the law, and was, at the time of his death, the Sheriff of Lanarkshire. He had very considerable literary taste, and was a frequent contributor to the Magazines.

I LOOKED far back into other years, and lo! in
bright array

[away.
I saw, as in a dream, the forms of ages passed
A stately convent, the It was a stately convent* with its old and
Augustinian priory

lofty walls, mahome (“isle of And gardens with their broad green walks, rest”), in the Lake of

where soft the footstep falls ; Menteith, Perthshire. Antique, old-fashion- And o'er the antique * dial-stone the creeping 5

shadow passed,

And, all around, the noon-day sun a drowsy Radiance, brightness. radiance * cast.

No sound of busy life was heard, save from the Cloister, convent. cloister * dim

(holy hymn. The tinkling of the silver bell, or the sisters' Five noble maidens, And there five noble maidens * sat beneath the Mary, Queen of Scots, orchard trees, and four other Maries Mary Carmichael, In that first budding spring of youth when all Mary Hamilton, Mary its prospects please ; Seton, and Mary Beaton-who are known And little recked * they, when they sang, or in history as

knelt at vesper prayers, “Queen's Maries.”

That Scotland knew no prouder names—held
Recked, cared.

none more dear than theirs ;-
And little even the loveliest thought, before the

holy shrine,

Of royal blood and high descent from the Stuart line, Robert. ancient Stuart line ; the High Steward of Scotland, succeeded Calmiy her happy days flew on, uncounted in 15 their flight,

[tinuing light. death of David II. And as they flew, they left behind a long-conthe famous House of Stuart, and Mary was

T'he scene was changed. It was the court, the descended in a direct line from him.

gay court of Bourbon,

And neath a thousand silver lamps a thouCourtiers, nobles liv. ing at court.

sand courtiers * throng :

10

the

to the throne on the

of

*

France.

*

and

Constable

of

come, or grow.

Prince

*

*

a

And proudly kindles Henry's eye-well Henry, Mary's father.

pleased, I ween,* to see [chivalry : in-law, Henry II. of 20 The land assemble all its wealth of

grace
and
I ween,

I am sure, I
Grey Montmorency,* o'er whose head has know.
passed a storm of years,

Grey Montmorency,

Anne de MontmorStrong in himself and children, stands the first ency, a peer, marquis, among

his

peers ; And next the Guises,* who so well fame's the greatest generals

France, was one of steepest heights assailed,

of the 16th century. And walked ambition’s diamond ridge, where the Guises, a princely

family of , bravest hearts have failed

province in the north25 And higher yet their path shall be, stronger east of France. shall wax * their might,

Shall wax, shall be.
For before them Montmorency's star shall pale

its waning light.
Here Louis, Prince of Condé,* wears his all- Louis,

of

Condé, was the son of unconquered sword,

Charles of Bourbon, With great Coligni * by his side : each name a Duke of Vendome. household word.

Coligni, Gepard de

Coligny was admiral
And there walks she of Medicis,* that proud of France.
Italian line,

[Catherine. Catherine de Medici,

wife of Henry II., 39 The mother of a race of kings—the haughty

was descended from The forms that follow in her train a glorious wealthy Italian sunshine make

family. She had ten

children, three A milky way of stars that grace a comet's whom mounted the

glittering wake; But fairer far than all the rest who bask on Bask, &c., those who

blessed with Fortune's tide,

good fortune. Effulgent * in the light of youth, is she, the Efulgent, splendid.

new-made bride!
35 The homage of a thousand hearts—the fond,

deep love of one-
The hopes that dance around a life whose

charms are but begun,-
They lighten up her chestnut eye, they mantle

o'er her cheek,
They sparkle on her open brow, and high-

souled joy bespeak :
Ah! who shall blame, if scarce that day,

through all its brilliant hours,
40 She thought of that quiet convent's calm, its
sunshine and its flowers ?

A bark, a ship; this

represents The scene was changed. It was a bark* that

Mary on her voyage slowly held its way,

from France to ScotAnd o'er its lee* the coast of France in the light lice, the sheltered side

land in of evening lay;

of

throne of France.

were

scene

*

tearful eyes

view.

a

*

And on its deck a Lady sat, who gazed with Receding, fading from Upon the fast receding * hills, that dim and

distant rise. Marvel, wonder.

No marvel* that the lady wept,—there was ro 45

land on earth
She loved like that dear land, although she

owed it not her birth
Her mother's land, It was her mother's land,* the land of child-
Mary's mother was a

hood and of friends,French princess, Mary of Lorraine, daughter It was the land where she had found for all of the Duke of Guise. her griefs amends,

The land where her dead husband slept-the

land where she had known Tranquil, peaceful. The tranquil * convent's hushed repose, and the 50

splendours of a throne :
No marvel that the lady wept-it was the land
of France,

[romance !
The chosen home of chivalry—the garden of
The past was bright, like those dear hills so

far behind her bark ;

The future, like the gathering night, was omiOminous, threaten. nous * and dark ! ing.

One gaze again-one long, last gaze—“Adieu, 55

fair France, to thee !"
The breeze comes forth-she is alone on the

unconscious sea !

The scene was changed. It was an eve of raw Holyrood, the resiand surly mood,

[rood sovereigns in Edin. And in a turret-chamber high of ancient Holyburgh. This scene Sat Mary, listening to the rain, and sighing relates to the murder

with the winds, of Rizzio, an Italian musician, whom Mary That seemed to suit the stormy state of men's 60 promoted to the office

uncertain minds. secretary. Darnley, the Queen's

The touch of care had blanched * her cheekhusband, led the con- her smile was sadder now; spirators up a secret The weight of royalty had pressed too heavy stair to Mary's private room, where she was on her brow; sitting at supper with And traitors * to her councils came, and rebels *

to the field ;Blanched, made pale. The Stuart sceptre well she swayed, but the Traitor, one who be

sword she could not wield. trays, a deceiver. Rebel, one who goes She thought of all her blighted hopes—the 65 against lawful

dreams of youth's brief day, thority.

And summoned Rizzio with his lute, and bade

the minstrel play

*

dence of the Scottish

of

her

a . ants and Rizzio.

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