exquisite in its kind, to those whose natural capa city and education have enabled them to comprehend and relish those difficult and complicated combinations of harmony.

It was about midnight when a knocking at the door of the mansion, with the sound of the Gue and the Langspiel, announced, by their tinkling chime, the arrival of fresh revellers, to whom, according to the hospitable custom of the country, the apartments were instantly thrown open.

CHAPTER XV.

-My mind misgives,

Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars,
Shall bitterly begin his fearful date

With this night's revels.

Romeo and Juliet.

THE new comers were, according to the frequent custom of such frolickers all over the world, disguised in a sort of masking habits, and designed to represent the Tritons and Mermaids, with whom ancient tradition and popular belief has peopled the northern seas. The former, called by Zetlanders of that time, Shoupeltins, were represented by young men grotesquely habited, with false hair and heards, made of flax, and chaplets composed of seaware interwoven with shells, and other marine productions, with which also were decorated their light blue or greenish mantles of wadmaal, a coarse cloth of domestic manufacture. They had fish-spears, and other emblems of their assumed quality, amongst which the classical taste of Claud Halcro, by whom the mask was arranged, had not forgotten the conchshells, which were stoutly and hoarsely winded,

from time to time, by one or two of the aquatic deities, to the great annoyance of all who stood near them.

The Nereids and Water-nymphs who attended on this occasion, displayed, as usual, a little more taste for dress and ornament than was to be seen amongst their male attendants. Fantastic garments of green silk, and other materials of superior cost and fashion, had been contrived, so as to imitate their idea of the inhabitants of the waters, and at the same time, to show the shape and features of the fair wearers to the best advantage. The bracelets of shells, which adorned the neck, arms, and ancles of the pretty Mermaidens, were in some cases, intermixed with red pearl; and the appearance, upon the whole, was such as might have done no discredit to the court of Amphitrite, especially when the long bright locks, blue eyes, fair complexions, and pleasing features of the maidens of Thule were taken into consideration. We do not indeed pretend to aver, that any of these seeming Mermaids had so accurately imitated the real syren, as commentators have supposed those attendants on Cleopatra did, who, adopting the fish's train of their original, were able, nevertheless, to make their "bends," 66 or ends," (said commentators can not tell which,)" adornings."* Indeed, had they not left their extremities in their natural state, it would have been impossible for the Zetland syrens to have executed the very pretty dance with which they rewarded the company, for the ready admission which had been granted to them.

It was soon discovered, that these maskers were no strangers, but a part of the company, who stealing out a little time before, had thus disguised themselves, in order to give variety to the mirth of the

* See some admirable discussion on this passage, in the Variorum Shakspeare.

evening. The muse of Claud Halcro, always active on such occasions, had supplied them with an appropriate song, of which we may give the following specimen. The song was alternate betwixt a Nereid or Mermaid, and a Merman or Triton-the males and females on either part forming a semi-chorus, which accompanied and bore burthen to the principal singer.

I.

MERMAID.

Fathoms deep beneath the wave,
Stringing beads of glistering pearl,
Singing the achievements brave

Of many an old Norwegian earl;
Dwelling where the tempest's raving
Falls as light upon our ear,
As the sigh of lover, craving
Pity from his lady dear;
Children of wild Thule, we,
From the deep caves of the sea,
As the lark springs from the lea,
Hither come, to share your glee.

II.

MERMAN.

From reining of the water-horse,

That bounded till the waves were foaming,
Watching the infant tempest's course,

Chasing the sea-snake in his roaming;
From winding charge-notes on the shell,
When the huge whale and sword-fish duel,
Or tolling shroudless seamen's knell,

When the winds and waves are cruel;
Children of wild Thule, we

Have plough'd such furrows on the sea,
As the steer draws on the lea.

And hither we come to share your glee.

III.

MERMAIDS AND MERMEN.

We heard you in our twilight caves,
A hundred fathom deep below,
For notes of joy can pierce the waves,
That drown each sound of war and wo.

Those who dwell beneath the sea
Love the sons of Thule well;
Thus to add your mirth, bring we

Dance, and song, and sounding shell.
Children of dark Thule, know,

Those who dwell by haaf and voe,
Where your daring shallops row,
Come to share the festal show.

The final chorus was borne by the whole voices, excepting those carrying the conch-shells, who had been trained to blow them in a sort of rude accompaniment, which had a good effect. The poetry, as well as the performance of the maskers, received great applause from all who pretended to be judges of such matters; but above all, from Triptolemus Yellowley, who, his ear having caught the agricultural sounds of plough and furrow, and his brain being so well drenched, that it could only construe the words in their most literal acceptation, declared roundly, and called Mordaunt to bear witness, that though it was a shame to waste as much good lint as went to form the Tritons' beards and periwigs, that the song contained the only words of common sense which he had heard all that long day.

But Mordaunt had no time to answer the appeal, being engaged in attending with the utmost vigilance to the motions of one of the female maskers, who had given him a private signal as they entered, which induced him, though uncertain who she might prove to be, to expect some communication from her of importance. The syren who had so boldly touched his arm, and had accompanied the gesture with an expression of eye which bespoke his attention, was disguised with a good deal more care than her sister-maskers, her mantle being loose, and wide enough to conceal her shape completely, and her face hidden beneath a silk mask. He observed that she gradually detached herself from the rest of the maskers, and at length placed herself, as if for the advantage of the air, near the

door of a chamber which remained open, looked earnestly at him again, and then taking an opportunity, when the attention of the company was fixthe rest of her party, she left the apart

ed upon

ment.

Mordaunt did not hesitate instantly to follow his mysterious guide, for such we may term the masker, as she paused to let him see the direction she was about to take, and then walked swiftly towards the shore of the voe or salt-water lake, now lying full before them, its small summer waves glistening and rippling under the influence of a broad moonlight, which, added to the strong twilight of these regions during the summer solstice, left no reason to regret the absence of the sun, the path of whose setting was still visible on the waves of the west, while the horizon on the east side was already beginning to glimmer with the lights of dawn.

Mordaunt had therefore no difficulty in keeping sight of his disguised guide, as she tripped it over height and hollow to the sea-side, and winding among the rocks, led the way to the spot where his own labours, during the time of his former intimacy at Burgh-Westra, had constructed a sheltered and solitary seat, where the daughters of Magnus were accustomed to spend, when the weather was suitable, a good deal of their time. Here, then, was to be the place of explanation; for the masker stopped, and after a moment's hesitation, sat down on the rustic settle. But, from the lips of whom was he to receive it? Norna had first occurred to him; but her tall figure and slow majestic step were entirely different from the size and gait of the more fairy-formed syren, who had preceded him with as light a step as if she had been a real Nereid, who, having remained too late upon the shore, was, under the dread of Amphitrite's displeasure, hastening to regain her native element. Since it was not Norna, it could be only, he thought,