was placed in quarantine immediately on his arrival. Thence he attempted to transmit his communications to the Government, but great care had been taken to prevent them from reaching their destination. The British Ambassador asked explanations from the French Minister as to the objects of his visit, and endeavored to procure a hearing for him; but Prince Polignac adroitly evaded the questions, by confessing with the greatest apparent frankness, that he was entirely ignorant for what purpose the Turkish Ambassador was sent. Tahir at length seeing that it was useless to remain longer, and have "his beard thus laughed at," went back to Constantinople. Lieutenant Generals the Baron de Barthezène, Count de Loverdo, and the Duke d'Escars; the Chief Engineer was General Valazé and the artillery was directed by Count de la Hitte. The number of ships of war was one hundred and three, including eleven of the line, twenty-three frigates and seven steam ships; they were manned by twenty-seven thousand seamen, and carried more than three thousand guns. They were arranged in three squadrons; the Squadron of Battle commanded by Admiral Duperré, who conducted the naval operations of the expedition; the Squadron of Disembarkation by Admiral Rosamel, and the Squadron of Reserve by Captain Lemoine. Between four and five hundred merchant vessels were engaged for the transBefore the scene of the history is changed to Africa, portation of horses, provisions and materials, and many it may be stated, that on the 15th of May, while all others were allowed to accompany the fleet, laden with France was intent upon the preparations for the deparvarious articles which might be needed. Of the equip-ture of the expedition, an ordinance appeared in the ments and accompaniments of this force, it would be Moniteur dissolving the Chamber of Deputies. A few difficult to convey an adequate idea, without entering days after a partial change was made in the Ministerial into details which might not prove generally interest-Body by the introduction of persons still more opposed ing; suffice it to say that no expense was spared to to liberal institutions than those whom they replaced, render them complete, and that nothing was neglected, and still more odious to the nation at large. The French which could contribute to the attainment of the end Ministry subsisted as thus organized until the 28th of proposed. Upon the whole, the armament was superior July, when Charles the Tenth ceased to reign. to any other which in modern times has crossed a sea; those led by Charles the Fifth against Tunis and Algiers, the famed Spanish Armada sent by Philip the Second for the invasion of England, and even the mighty expedition conducted by Napoleon to Egypt being each inferior to it in appointments, in naval force, and in the numerical amount of the persons engaged. All things being in readiness the embarkation of the troops was commenced on the 11th of May, and having been conducted with the utmost order and precision, it was terminated in a week. On the 25th the wind being favorable the first squadron sailed out of the harbor; the second followed on the 26th, and the third on the 27th. They directed their course for Algiers; it was however arranged that in case of separation by storm or other unexpected occurrence, the place of rendezvous would be Palma the capital of the Island of Majorca. Scarcely had the first squadron quitted Toulon, ere it was met by a Turkish frigate escorted by one of the ships of the squadron which was blockading Algiers. The Turkish frigate bore no less a personage than Tahir Pasha the Capudan Pasha or High Admiral of Turkey, who had been sent by the Sultan with full powers to arrange the differences between France and the Dey. He had sailed first to Algiers, where he intended to command Hussein to accept the terms required by the French, and in case of refusal to depose him and take possession of the place in the name of the Sultan; but the commander of the blockading squadron off that place had received orders to suffer no ship to enter the harbor, and Tahir finding it impossible to land, hastened to Toulon in hopes that his representations might prevent the sailing of the expedition. Well was it for the Pasha, that he was not permitted to enter Algiers, for Hussein who knew of his approach and of the objects of his visit, had prepared to have him strangled as soon as he landed. The Turkish Ambassador on meeting the French fleet, boarded the Admiral's ship, and had a conference with Bourmont which of course proved ineffectual; he then continued his voyage to Toulon, where he A LAY OF RUIN. BY MISS DRAPER. 'Twas nightfall-and the stars their pale light threw Amid his mates, thick gather'd round the mast, Far from the rest-pensive, and silently, A breeze arose-it was a joyous breeze― Slowly, but safe, the crowded life-boat bore They two had linger'd on the Cortées, till Ah! which of them, with land in sight, could bear The dexterous swimmers, reach'd the life-boat's crew, But in one arm his terror'd child he bore, And his wan daughter, with exhausted breath, The distant thunder murmur'd through the air, Once, Sobieski under Poland's sun THE COUSIN OF THE MARRIED, of a rich nobleman of the Fauborg St. Germain. He AND THE COUSIN OF THE DEAD. [From the French.] had assisted at the mass-returned in an elegant barouche to the hotel-had glided unobserved into the parlor, and stood waiting for a suitable opportunity to rehearse his amusing little story, and to commence his impromptu remarks, so often before repeated. All at once he became the object of general attention; all at once he found all eyes fixed upon him. The mistress of the feast had counted her plates and her guests, and had ascertained that of the latter there was one too many. She was astonished to find on inquiring the name of the Cousin, that no one knew him, and that no one recognized him as a friend. For the first time the Cousin of the Married lost his self-possession and his assurance. How was he to escape the gaze of the eyes fixed upon him? How was he to answer the questions which might be addressed to him? Presently, a gentleman advances towards him and asks-"By which of the married couple were you invited-on which side are you?" "On which side?" said the Cousin of the Married, taking his hat, "on the side of the door;" and so saying, he quickly descended the stairs and left the house. Since that day no one has heard tell of him. But if we have no longer the Cousin of the Married, we have now the Cousin of the Dead, an expression equally as significant as the first. There was found, under the Restoration, a man who was surnamed The Cousin of the Married, and who merited the appellation by a course of industry and ingenuity truly singular. He repaired every morning to the office of the Mayor of the twelve districts of Paris, and stationed himself before the little grate, where are endorsed notices of all marriages about to take place. He read attentively the names of the affianced persons, learned their qualities, and informed himself of their fortune. When he obtained all this information, the ingenious Cousin made his choice, always deciding, however, in favor of that marriage which was expected to attract the greatest number of guests, and which promised the most sumptuous dinner. He would then buy an enormous bouquet, put on his fine black coat, a pair of open-work stockings and light pumps, and then take from his bandbox his new hat; so attired he would proceed cautiously among the carriages, with a buoyant step, to the church where the marriage ceremony was to be performed, join the crowd of attendants, and officiously offer to hold the nuptial veil. When the benediction was pronounced, he created himself Master of Ceremonies, leading the way to the carriages, giving his hand to the ladies, carefully lifting their dresses to Ruined by the Revolution of 1793, the Count of prevent them from coming in contact with the coach V***, was obliged to accept of a very modest employwheels, shutting the coach doors and bidding the drivers ment. In consequence of a change in the Ministry, proceed to the appointed hotel. For himself he was no the old clerk was compelled to leave his office, with no less careful, as he always contrived to secure a place other resource to sustain life, than a miserable income for himself in one of the carriages, so as to arrive with of 400 francs per annum. He was old, and alone in the the rest of the company. It was then that he was bril-world. His strength did not permit him to labor, and liant, and then that his liveliness and gaiety served to by constantly dwelling on his poverty, he became mebeguile, with the company, the tedious hour before din-lancholy, and subsequently fell dangerously sick. By ner. He had for all some remark to excite laughter- carefully attending to the advice of a physician, who he repeated a pleasant little story, adapted to the time generously refused to accept the small sum the old man and circumstance of the assembly-he hastened the pre-offered to give for his services, he became, in time, parations for the repast-humorously recommended the somewhat restored. This physician prescribed for his guests to be patient, and to prepare their appetites for patient, on pain of a relapse, frequent exercise and a eating, and when all was ready he would announce the daily ride. You may judge of the poor man's embarfact himself. He was the Major Domo of the house-rassment! How could he ride every day in a carriage, the man indispensable-the commissary of the feast. when his little income was scarcely sufficient to procure Every voice was in his praise-"that gentleman is very the essentials of life? The smallest excursion in a caamiable"-and if any one indiscreetly inquired his name, briolet cost twenty-five sous-one excursion per day it was answered that he was presumed to be the parent would be four hundred and fifty francs per annum, and or friend of the bride, or a cousin or an intimate friend his whole yearly income amounted to only four hundred. of the groom. At that time omnibusses were not invented. But it was at the table that his efforts to please were He was beginning to despond when the heavens sent particularly conspicuous. He would post himself in him succor. In passing near St. Rock, he observed that the place of honor-seize the great carving-knife-cut the gate of the church was hung in black, and that a up the meats with admirable promptness and dexterity, long line of vehicles were in waiting to conduct a funeral and carefully and politely wait upon every guest. He procession to Père La Chaise. The coachmen were on directed the servants, overlooked the courses, and tasted their seats, and their strong and beautiful horses, coverthe wines. Then when the dessert was brought, heed with the trappings of mourning, were awaiting with would take from his pocket a piece of pink paper, mysteriously unfold it, and sing from it a stanza in honor of the newly married couple, composed by himself expressly for the occasion. The good fellow knew but one Little story and but one stanza, but he served them up every morning in a new edition. Unfortunately this witty sharper was one day detected in his career of imposition. Seduced by the attraction of great names, he went to the marriage festival impatience, the moment of departure. The advice of the physician recurred with great force to the mind of poor V***-a feeling of jealousy glided into his inoffensive heart. He envied the fortune of those who could thus ride gratis-he envied, for one instant, the happy destiny of the deceased, in being conveyed to his last earthly home, in a splendid hearse, drawn by four magnificent horses. Feeling a curiosity to know the name and history of one upon whom fortune had so lavished VOL. II.-20 her favors, he entered the church and piously knelt | moment, and inquired, in a low voice, the name of the down among the mourners. V*** had on his only deceased. He was answered, "Augustin Leger." black coat, and he was immediately taken for one of the friends of the deceased, and after the ceremonies in the church, was offered a place in one of the funeral carriages. The occasion was too opportune to be neglected, and he gladly jumped into the wished-for carriage. On the way, a thousand ideas passed through his imagination. He thanked heaven for having furnished him with the means to fulfil, in so economical a manner, the recommendation of his physician. He accompanied the corpse to the grave-saw the coffin laid in the tomb, and on leaving the churchyard, he found the coach in waiting, and the coachman ready to convey him home. Since that event V*** has become the willing assistant of all public interments; and what was, at first, only useful as a means of exercise, has become for him a pleasure and a delight. He goes to a funeral as others go to the theatre, to a ball, or to a festival. He daily reads the lists of deaths in the city, and these lists are to him a journal, and the only one for which he conceives there is any use. Still more, he has taken lodgings opposite the dwelling of the undertaker, and every morning he crosses the street to converse with the undertaker, and inform himself of the burials of the day. He puts on his blue surtout or his black dress, according to the rank and fortune of the deceased, the expenses of the funeral, &c., and for all grand ceremonies he wears crape on his arm. V*** is now generally known by the title of the Cousin of the Dead. For fifteen years he has not missed a single funeral. His views are too liberal to adopt party feelings; he has assisted to inter Bellart and Manuel, Talma and the Bishop of Beauvais, a female follower of St. Simon and the lady Superior of the Convent of Minimes, and he hopes to live to inter many other characters equally distinguished. He once presented to the Chamber of Deputies, a petition for a law interdicting the embalming of infants, by which the number of funeral processions is materially lessened. The Cousin of the Dead possesses a remarkably expansive sensibility, and an extraordinary quantity of sympathy for the afflictions of others. He feels the grief of a bereaved mother, the despair of a heart-broken widow, the sorrow of a childless father, with the poig nancy of truth. Many a legator, in noticing his sorrow at the grave, has taken him for a disinherited relative; many a mother has been gratified to see him shed tears over her favorite son, and many an husband, on losing a beloved wife, has been astonished at his grief over her remains. He composes funeral orations for all illustrious persons; the burial place is his life and his world. At times, struck with the appearance of grief depicted on his countenance, the friends of the dead have desired him to be the principal mourner. 'Augustin Leger," he resumed, "was a man, grave and austere. His long life was but a continued series of virtuous and benevolent acts. He was entirely devoted to the holy, the legitimate cause of—" He was a regicide! "The rights of the sovereign people. His disinterestedness He was a usurer ! "His laudable economy, his aversion to luxury, his unassuming and modest deportment, had gained for him universal esteem. But still more worthy of admiration were his virtues in private life—his patience, his humility, and his devoted and unchangeable attachment to the wife of his bosom, the lady of his choice." He had been divorced! "For his children he cherished the most affectionate and tender regard." He had driven them from his house! "Virtuous friend! May the earth rest lightly on thy coffin !" THE DUC DE L'OMELETTE. And stepped at once into a cooler clime. Согорет. Keats fell by a criticism. Who was it died of The Andromache ?* Ignoble souls!-De L'Omelette perished of an ortolan. L'histoire en est breve—assist me Spirit of Apicius! A golden cage bore the little winged wanderer, enamored, melting, indolent, to the Chaussée D'Antin, from its home in far Peru. From its queenly possessor La Bellissima, to the Duc De L'Omelette, six peers of the empire conveyed the happy bird. It was "All for Love." That night the Duc was to sup alone. In the privacy of his bureau, he reclined languidly on that ottoman for which he sacrificed his loyalty in outbidding his king-the notorious ottoman of Cadêt. He buries his face in the pillow-the clock strikes! Unable to restrain his feelings, his Grace swallows an olive. At this moment the door gently opens to the sound of soft music, and lo! the most delicate of birds is before the most enamored of men! But what inexpressible dismay now overshadows the countenance of the Duc ? -"Horreur !—chien !-Baptiste !—l'oiseau ! ah, bon Dieu! cet oiseau modeste que tu as deshabillé de ses plumes, et que tu as servi sans papier!" It is superfluous to say more-the Duc expired in a paroxysm of disgust. "Ha! ha! ha!"-said his Grace on the third day 66 He! he he!"-replied the Devil faintly, drawing himself up with an air of hauteur. "Why, surely you are not serious"-retorted De L'Omelette. "I have sinned-c'est vrai—but, my good One day, during the burial of a personage of conside-after his decease. rable importance, the Cousin of the Dead was observed to shed an abundance of tears. One of the mourners approached him and desired that he would make a few appropriate remarks—jeter quelques fleurs sur le cercueil -on the individual whose remains they had just deposited in the cold grave. The procession closed around him as he prepared to speak. "The tomb," said he, "is again about to enclose the remains of a distinguished citizen." He stopped for a * Montfleury. The author of the Parnasse Reformé makes him thus express himself in the shades. "The man then who would know of what I died, let him not ask if it were of the fever, the dropsy, or the gout; but let him know that it was of The Andromache." sir, consider!-you have no actual intention of putting | not, however, as you suppose, dizzy with magnificence, such-such-barbarous threats into execution." nor drunk with the ecstatic breath of those innumerable "No what?" said His Majesty-" come sir, strip!" censers. C'est vrai que de toutes ces choses il a pensé "Strip indeed!—very pretty i' faith!-no, sir, I shall beaucoup mais! The Duc De L'Omelette is terrornot strip. Who are you, pray, that I, Duc De L'Ome-stricken; for through the lurid vista which a single lette, Prince de Foie-Gras, just come of age, author of uncurtained window is affording, lo! gleams the most the ، Mazurkiad, and Member of the Academy, should | ghastly of all fires ! divest myself at your bidding of the sweetest pantaloons ever made by Bourdon, the daintiest robe-de-chambre ever put together by Rombert –to say nothing of the taking my hair out of paper--not to mention the trouble I should have in drawing off my gloves?" "Who am I?-ah, true! I am Baal-Zebub, Prince of the Fly. I took thee just now from a rose-wood coffin inlaid with ivory. Thou wast curiously scented, and labelled as per invoice. Belial sent thee-my Inspector of Cemeteries. The pantaloons, which thou sayest were made by Bourdon, are an excellent pair of linen drawers, and thy robe-de-chambre is a shroud of no scanty dimensions." Le Pauvre Duc! He could not help imagining that the glorious, the voluptuous, the never-dying melodies which pervaded that hall, as they passed filtered and transmuted through the alchemy of the enchanted window panes, were the wailings and the howlings of the hopeless and the damned! And there too-there-upon that ottoman!-who could he be ?-he, the petit-maitre no, the Deity-who sat as if carved in marble, et qui sourit, with his pale countenance, si amerement. Mais il faut agir-that is to say a Frenchman never faints outright. Besides, his Grace hated a scene–De L'Omelette is himself again. There were some foils "Sir!" replied the Duc, "I am not to be insulted upon a table-some points also. The Duc had studied with impunity!-Sir! I shall take the earliest opportu- under B—, il avait tué ses six hommes. Now then il nity of avenging this insult !-Sir ! you shall hear from peut s'echapper. He measures two points, and, with a me! In the meantime au revoir !--and the Due was | grace inimitable, offers his Majesty the choice. Horreur ! bowing himself out of the Satanic presence, when he was interrupted and brought back by a gentleman in waiting. Hereupon his Grace rubbed his eyes, yawned, shrugged his shoulders, reflected. Having become satisfied of his identity, he took a bird's eye view of his whereabouts. his Majesty does not fence! Mais il joue !—what a happy thought! But his Grace had always an excellent memory. He had dipped in the "Diable" of the Abbé Gualtier. Therein it is said que le Diable n'ose pas refuser un jeu d'Ecarté.” 66 * * But the chances-the chances! True-desperate: but The apartment was superb. Even De L'Omelette not more desperate than the Duc. Besides, was he not pronounced it bien comme il faut. It was not very long, in the secret?—had he not skimmed over Pere Le Brun? nor very broad,—but its height--ah, that was appalling! was he not a member of the Club Vingt-un? "Si Je There was no ceiling-certainly none--but a dense, perds,” said he, “Je serai deux fois perdu,” I shall be whirling mass of fiery-colored clouds. His Grace's | doubly damned-voila tout ! (Here his Grace shrugged brain reeled as he glanced upwards. From above, hung his shoulders) Si Je gagne Je serai libre,—que les cartes a chain of an unknown blood-red metal-its upper end soient prepareés! lost, like C, parmi les nues. From its nether extremity hung a large cresset. The Duc knew it to be a ruby-but from it there poured a light so intense, so still, so terrible, Persia never worshipped such-Gheber never imagined such--Mussulman never dreamed of such when drugged with opium he has tottered to a bed of poppies, his back to the flowers, and his face to the God The cards are dealt. The trump is turned-it is-it Apollo! The Duc muttered a slight oath decidedly ap-is-the king! No-it was the queen. His Majesty probatory. cursed her masculine habiliments. De L'Omelette laid His Grace was all care, all attention-his Majesty all confidence. A spectator would have thought of Francis and Charles. His Grace thought of his game. His Majesty did not think-he shuffled. The Duc coupa. They play. The Duc counts. The hand is out. His Majesty counts heavily, smiles, and is taking wine. The Duc slips a card. The corners of the room were rounded into niches. | his hand upon his heart. Three of these were filled with statues of gigantic proportions. Their beauty was Grecian, their deformity Egyptian, their tout ensemble French. In the fourth niche the statue was veiled-it was not colossal. But then there was a taper ankle, a sandalled foot. De L'Omelette laid his hand upon his heart, closed his eyes, raised them, and caught his Satanic Majesty-in a blush. But the paintings!-Kupris! Astarte! Astoreth!-a thousand and the same! And Rafaelle has beheld them! Yes, Rafaelle has been here; for did he not paint the ? and was he not consequently damned? The paintings!-the paintings! O Luxury! O Love!-who gazing on those forbidden beauties shall have eyes for the dainty devices of the golden frames that lie imbedded and asleep against those swellings walls of eider down? But the Duc's heart is fainting within him. He is "C'est à vous à faire"-said his Majesty cutting. His Grace bowed, dealt, and arose from the table en presentant le Roi. His Majesty looked chagrined. Had the drunkard not been Alexander, he would have been Diogenes; and the Duc assured his Majesty in taking leave "que s'il n'etait pas De L'Omelette il n'aurait point d'objection d'etre le Diable." THE ILIAD. Mr. H. N. Coleridge says there would be no difficulty in composing a complete epic poem with as much symmetry of parts as is seen in the Iliad, from the English ballads on Robin Hood. |