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Miss Porter's Knight of St. John.

age, they anticipated a joyful meeting after two years of separation. Cesario's lips were just sealed on his father's hand with filial fondness, when the door of the apartment he really sat in opened hastily, and the vision vanished.

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Rising in disorder, he looked with indignant amazement upon the person that entered: it was Giovanni Cigala. "What means this intrusion, Sir?" demanded Cesario.

It means any thing but offence," replied the former, gently, but steadily advancing.

You come for my thanks, per"for haps," said the other abruptly, services rendered me in the portico of the seigniory? You have them, sig. I thank you.-I thank you! There! do not urge me further'

nor.

"He turned away as he concluded, and leaned against a window-frame; evidently desirous of thus terminating the interview.

"Giovanni still advanced, though with an air of respect and dignity. "I should not have intruded on you, signor, with any selfish errand, earnestly as I desire to cultivate mutual goodwill;" (Cesario cast on him a glance of disdain ; Giovanni proceeded ;) "but I come to do you an act of justice to make some compensation, if possible, for what the law has awarded to my father."

"Your father!-name him not, if you would have me endure your sight a single moment. My father! where is hela his grave! and who rifled him of life?-who tore in his dying embrace, his last blessing from his wretched son ?'

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The impassioned young man dashed his forehead against his hand in a phrenzy of recollection, and vainly tried to stifle a groan.

"The

"Giovanni looked at him with in Creasing commiseration; a feeling of another sort reddened his cheek, and altered his voice as he said, cause of this indignation honours you too much, signor, for me to remind you in strong terms, that I too, am a son; but you must allow me to execute my commission:- pray you permit

me l'

Cesario did not answer; his generous soul was moved, in spite of himself, by the noble manner of his imagined enemy; he could not close his sense against the inexpressible charm of his

voice; but he would not trust himself to look upon him.

"As Cesario still kept silence, Giovanni approached him; and weighing every word, ere it fell from him, lest it should wound the delicacy, or kindle the inflammable passions of his unwilling hearer, he opened his commission.

"It was a request, that Cesario would be pleased to receive the value of the estate at Nervi; at the same time assuring him, that, although the Cigali family could not allow the right of their title to be disputed, (since indeed the most satisfactory proofs of that right had been sanctified by the decision of incorruptible judges,) they abhorred the idea of ravishing it from one who had hitherto believed himself its undoubted heir. What they were content to receive at the hands of justice, therefore, was only the power of restoring this estate to the property from which it had been unlawfully dismembered two centuries back.

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They prayed him to consider them as its purchasers; and having had the estate valued, Giovanni was come to proffer the sum named. He would have laid a very heavy bag of ducats on the table as he concluded, had not Cesario sprung forward with the fierceness of a tyger, and pushed it back.

·

• Have

I

your race hearts!' exclaimed he indig-
nantly, that you believe I am sorrow-
ing over a few bags of dross? Not ail
the wealth of Peru can be a compensa-
tion to me: take back your ducats.
would neither have sold nor given my
and though
birth-place to any man;
the law has basely awarded it to you, I
may die a beggar and in prison, but
never will I seal the triumph of the
Cigali, by accepting gold from them as

a boon.'

"I would your just grief were less intemperate!' said Giovanni patiently; you would then admit that we have right on our side, though grievous has been its enforcement.'

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"I care not for right, I know not where it lies; I seek not to discover!' interrupted Cesario, bursting forth anew; I am only certain that I would I know that not have acted thus by my direst foe; therefore I despise ye. this hateful contest ruined my father's affairs, and broke his heart, therefore I hate ye! Go then-never let me see you more, or I know not whither my distraction and despair may lead me.

Again he struck his clasped hands against his forehead, and stopped for want of breath.

"I will bear any thing from you, just now,' said Giovauni, speaking quick and short; for I see you are not yourself. You cannot hate me, you cannot be so unjust, you must see that I am not a hard and merciless man.

"Oh, you court popularity perhaps! exclaimed Cesario, maddened by the idulgence he was giving to his passions: 'tis fit you do; for I can tell you, that where my father lies buried, there lies all the honour of your race.' "Popularity!' murmured Giovanni, and a tear glistened in his mildly reproachful eye.

"Twas an injurious suspicion, and Cesario had rather uttered than thought it he now stood gloomily silent; ashamed of his own intemperance, yet jealous of every feeling which could soften him in favour of a Cigala."

By an incident which discovers great knowledge of human nature, the hostility of Cigala is subdued-he becomes attached to Giovanni-the intimacy is sustained by confidence, and the former enemies are pledged to indissoluble friendship. In the progress of the story, Giovanni unconsciously supplants his friend in the affections of his mistress-the jealousy of Cesario is excited, and he again pants for venge

ance.

Calva spoke like a common man, to one but slightly affected by a common passion: he was used to see lovers discarded and hearts change; he was used also to the first burst of jealous rage; and he dreaded only its first burst. He was, consequently, assiduous to keep the rivals separate, till the resentment of the supplanted, should have time to cool into contempt.

"Cesario's share in the conversation went little beyond an occasional monosyllable; condemning himself to the peaance of appearing to listen, in gratitude for the signor's well-intended kindness. In fact, he only heard the irritating hum of a voice, without yielding attention to what it uttered.

"When he thought he had endured this long enough for propriety, he rose from his seat. Allow me now to retire,' he said, commanding his fluctuating colour for an instant. I want rest-to-morrow we may consult together you have promised me shelter for to-night.'

Europ. Mag. Vol. LXXIII. Jan. 1818.

"The signor was deceived by that air of composure which persons under the most violent agony of grief sometimes assume with the cunning of insanity, to lull suspicion of their fatal purpose.

He took a light; and having conducted his impatient guest to a chamber, repeated his exhortations, and bade him, good-night.

"As the signor departed, Cesario shot the bolt of his door. He listened with gasping anxiety, till the steps of Calva were no longer audible: then a wild and savage joy thrilled through him: for he was free! - free, to seek the revenge his soul thirsted for.

"With one spring he cleared the balcony of his window into the garden; scaled its high wall; and was at the door of Giovanni's house in the Strada Lomellino, without having once paused to take breath. He passed the servant who let him in, without a question. The man knew him too well, to give him any interruption, or to apprehend any thing from the fierceness and strangeness of his entry. Cesario, therefore, took the lofty staircase at a bound, and burst into Giovanni's apart

ment.

"Giovanni was sitting at a table, his face buried in his hands. His hair was all disordered, as if the actions of a perturbed spirit had scattered its broken

masses.

"So absorbed was he in painful thought, he did not hear the step of Cesario, as he sprang through the pillared entrance: he drew a profound sigh, and as he sighed, he looked up. He then saw Cesario standing opposite to him, with such an expression of misery and meltingness in his face; and that face so wan, that he almost took it for his apparation. He half rose, ejaculating some pious adjuration.

"Giovanni!' exclaimed Cesario, approaching him, all bewildered with the revulsion of feeling which the mere sight of him, thus sad and alone, had caused.

"Giovanni knew then, that it was Cesario; and he was stretching out his hand to welcome him back, and to demand the reason of his re-appearance, when he saw his friend's countenance suddenly convulsed, and a demon's frown alter every feature.

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Ha! have I proof again!' he exclaimed, precipitating himself upon the table, and snatching from it the bracelet

H

which Giovanni had so unfortunately taken up after it fell from the arm of Beatrice.

"Cesario looked at this bracelet eagerly, intently; then furiously dashing it on the floor, and trampling it under There, cursed his feet, he cried out, bauble!-defend yourself, false man!' he continued rushing upon Giovanni, and putting his hand to his side in search of his sword. The empty scabbard mocked his grasp: for he knew not what had passed in the grove at the Palazzo Carega.

"His passions were now doubly infamed by disappointed fury, and he darted his eyes round the room in the deadly hope of espying some weapon of offence.

he

"At that moment had Giovanni poslives, Cesario sessed ten thousand would have thought them all too few to slake his gasping vengeance: uttered some unconnected words of horrid import, accompanied by certain wandering movements of the eye and hand, which had an expression in them even more horrible than his words.

"Giovanni, however, looked at him awhile with a fearless though afflicted aspect; then advancing, said,

What fatal suspicion thus maddens you? You suspect me of perfidy, Cesario, and I am innocent; in the name of God, be less violent, and hear me.'

"I waste no time in words,' exclaimed Cesario, fiercely repulsing him; answer me-did I not see you in the Carega gardens, this night, with Beatrice? did I not hear the vows of love pass between you? did I not hear her declare shame on that shameless avowal! Away-away.'

"Cesario, if these lips, this

heart

Hence! Mock my blind faith no longer;-I heard-I heard !-yon bracelet too,-I have kissed it on her arm a thousand times!-as you are a knight, lend me a sword,-here, in this spot, let us end one or both of us.I cannot, and you shall not live beyond

this hour.'

“But hear me, Cesario; and if after that, you still thirst for my blood, I call why it is your's-all your's. Heaven to witness, (and I will prove it to you,) that never by thought, word, nor deed, have I wronged you with Beatrice; is our bond of soul to be broken at last by a woman? No!

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she wrings it from me; and now I own that her persecuting love, iaflamed by my indifference

"Her persecuting love!' repeated Cesario; her love!-your indiference!' and he burst into a withering. laugh: then with a terrible voice,

Infamous liar!' be exclaimed, advancing; he raised his hand-was it a blow that fell?

"Giovanni's shudder was audible as he started back: from another hand, that blow had been the watch word of death; but on Cesario, the wretched, misled Cesario, he only turned a look, such a look! and ere the insult could be repeated, disappeared.

"Cesario remained where Giovanni had left him, motionless in mind as in body. He might be said to have forgot himself to stone! for he was only roused by the entrance of a domestic who came in by chance. At sight of this person, recollection of what had just passed, flashed on him; but uo longer feeling any of that devouring passion which demanded action, he started forward in silence, and casting round him a haggard look of amaze ment at what had happened, rushed from the scene."

We forbear to unravel the ingenious fable which sustains the interest of suspence through these volumes, and in which the character of Cesario is invariably predominant, but we will not dismiss the work, without observing that Giovanni reminds us of the author's Recluse; whilst Cesario suggets a comparison with her Don Sebastian, a remark which those who have duly appreciated its merits, must be understood to imply admiration, and to convey corresponding praise.

Memoirs relating to European and Asiatic Turkey, selected from Manuscript Journals. By Robert Walpole, M.A. 1817.

(Concluded from Vol. LXXII. page 526.) In resuming this interesting work wa have to regret that our narrow limits preclude the possibility of doing justice to the merits of the respective writers. The manuscript of Dr. Sibthorp contains more information on the political economy of Greece, than we have been able to collect from other volumes'; and the classical papers of Corlyb and Hawkins, of Colonel Squire and Mr. Haygarth, have scarcely left untouched

a single subject that could interest the scholar or the antiquary, the naturalist or the philosopher.

The papers which refer to Africa are equally curious: the weil known discovery of Mr. Davison, who in 1765 penetrated into the chamber of the great pyramid at Cairo, is, for the first time, communicated to the public, and forms the subject of a very ingenious essay, by the learned editor, on the pointing, and sculptural decorations employed by the Egyptians in their immense catacombs.

The journal of Dr. Hume, who arrived at Rosetta in 1801, when Egypt was occupied by the French army, affords more minute descriptions of the inhabitants, and more copious details respecting their domestic habits and manners than we remember to have met with in other travellers but we have been more particularly interested by the journals of Capt. Light, who in 1814 sailed up the Nile, between Phila and Ibrim, in Nubia; a country where Christianity and civilization once flourished, but where ignorance, barbarism, and misery, now exhihit the most repulsive aspects.

Having proceeded by land from Assouan, the ancient Syene, till he' came to the shore opposite to Phile; he there embarked in a small boat, and, with no other shelter than the branches of the palm trees, commenced his voyage. During several days he had to continue this tedious navigation, occasionally visited by storms, or detained by an adverse wind, but fre quently gratified by the view of magnificent ruins. On arriving at Dukkey, be found himself obliged to pay a visit to the Cashief of Deir, whom he found seated beneath a palm tree, surrounded by a half naked retinue. This Prince was dressed in a coarse linen shirt, sat without slippers, but held in his hand a pipe, which appeared to be the badge of distinction. At parting he presented Capt. Light with a sheep and a letter to his son, who, though only ten years of age, was the delegate of his authority at Deir.

Capt. Light on reaching this village received a visit from the little Cashief, who formed his divan, and presided in it with much manly dignity.

From Deir Capt. Light made an agreeable excursion by land towards Ibrim, whose ruius did not, however, answer his expectations: he was here

hospitably entertained by the Aga, and besieged with questions by the natives, who were unable to comprehend the motive of his visit, or even to conceive for what purpose he was provided with a pencil. He had here an opportunity of witnessing a curious superstition which from a remote period appears to have been cherished by the Egyptians. "During my visit, I obesrved an old Imam attempt to perform a cure on one of the natives, who came to him on account of a head-ache from which he suffered much pain. This was done in the following manner :The patient seated himself near the Imam, who, putting his finger and thumb to the patient's forehead, closed them gradually together, pinching the skin into wrinkles as he advanced, uttering a prayer, spitting on the ground, and lastly on the part affected. This continued for about a quarter of an hour, and the patient rose up, thoroughly convinced that he should soon be well."

On resuming his boat, Capt. Light pursued his course to Deboo, where he examined the remains of an Egyptian temple. At Deboo he discovered also the ruins of a superb edifice, and finally arrived at Phile.

"The inhabitants of the shores of the Nile, between Phila and brim, seem to be a distinct race from those of the northern dictricts. The extent of this country is about one hundred and fifty miles; according to my course on the Nile, I conceive it may be two hundred by water; it is estimated by some travellers at much more. They are called by the Egyptians Goobli, meaning in Arabic, the people of the south. My boatman from Boulac applied this word generally to them all, but called those living about the cataracts, Berber.

"Their colour is black; but as we advance from Cairo, the alteration from white to the dusky hue of the complexion is gradual, not sudden. Their countenance approaches to that of the Negro; thick lips, flattish nose and head; the body short and bones slender. Those of the leg have the curve which is observed in the Negro form. The hair is curled and black, but not woolly. Men of lighter complexion may be found among them 3 they may be derived from intermarriages with the Arabs, or be descended from the followers of Selim the second, who were left bere upon his conquest

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of the country. On the other hand, at Galabshee, the people seemed to have more of the Negro conformation of face than elsewhere; thicker lips, and bair more tufted; as well as a more savage disposition

"The Arabic acquired from books little very and a teacher, had been of use to me even in Egypt itself; but here not even in the vulgar dialect of the lower Nile would serve for common intercourse, except in that district which extends from Dukkey to Deir, where the Nubian is lost and Arabic This curious circumprevails again. stance, connected with an observation of the lighter colour of the people, leads to a belief that they are descended from the Arabs. The Nubian, when spoken, reminded me of what I had heard of the clucking of the Hottentots; it seems to be a succession of monosyllables, accompanied with a rise and fall of voice that is not disagreeable.

In speaking of the government, Jaw, and religion which prevailed may observe, that among them, I although the cashief claims a nominal command of the country, it extends no farther than sending his soldiers to collect the tax or rent called miri. The pasha of Egypt was named as sovereign in all transactions from Cairo to As

souan.

Here and beyond, as far as I went, the reigning Sultan Mahmood was considered the sovereign, though the cashief's power was plainly feared

more.

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They look for redress of injuries to their own means of revenge, which in cases of blood extends from one generation to another, until blood is repaid by blood. On this account they are obliged to be ever on the watch, and armed, and in this manner even their daily labours are carried on. The very boys go armed.

They profess to be followers of Mahomet, though I seldom observed any ritual parts of Islamism practised by them. Once, upon my endeavouring to make some of them comprehend the benefit of obedience to the rules of justice for the punishing of offences, instead of pursuing the offender to death in their usual manner, they quoted the Koran to justify their requiring blood for blood."

We shall be happy to learn that the plan which has been successfully exemplified in this volume, is adopted by

succeeding travellers; in other words, that cotemporary writers may meet with an Editor as judicious, as learned, and liberal, as Mr. Walpole.

and

The Bard's Lament, a Vision;
other Poems, sacred to the Memory of
the PRINCESS CHARLOTTE. By William
Lewis. pp. 28.

IT has been to us a subject of very considerable astonishment and regret, that an event so interesting, as that which has clothed a mighty nation in the habitiments of mourning, and from that nation's centre to its remotest

circumference, and most extreme de-
pendencies, has excited emotions, dif-
ficult indeed to be described, but never
to be obliterated from memory,—that
an event so powerful as this, should
not have elicited Poetic commemora-
tion in a manner more worthy of its
awful subject, and more equal to its
Natural as were these
great occasion
expectations of such an apotheosis of
our sainted Princess, they were doomed
to disappointment, for of all the Muses
Tributes to departed excellence which
have fallen under our inspection, either
in manuscript, or published, (and a
very large number it has been,) there
are few indeed which their authors
should not be ashamed to own. The
suddenness of the surprise, the intense-
ness of the shock, and the temporary
derangement of every thought, save
unavailing grief, are all so many apo-
logies for those who attempted to ex-
press their feelings in the barst of the
moment, and who waited not until
had methodised their
reflection had calmed their sorrow,
and leisure
thoughts. But we have now lying
before us, some dozen different elegiac
Poems, ushered into public, long after
such excuses were availing, and he
ralded into the world with all the
advantages of wove paper, superior
printing, and hot-pressed pages,
which we could select passages, at once
astonishing by their ignorance, and
disgusting by their absurdity.

from

In alluding to a disappointment, which we are not singular in feeling, we have much pride in noticing, en passant, that our Magazine has contained two of the best, we may say, of the very best pieces, which have yet appeared on this melancholy subject, and those two, written to our certain knowledge, on the spur of

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