stopped. Gabriel, seeing her come with her son, smiled with pleasurable feelings at the purity of his wife's conduct; one word that he uttered, which he was in the habit of using, staggered the poor Santa, so that she could not utter a syllable. Gabriel, pressing the poor boy to his breast, said, "Thy mother weeps, unaware of thy happy fate, her own, and her husband's." Yet not daring to trust himself before him, though but a child, he took him into the next room, gave him money to play with, and left him there. Returning to his wife, who had caught his words, and partly recognized him, he double-locked the door, and related to her every circumstance that had happened, and how he had managed every thing; she, delighted and convinced, from the repetition of certain family secrets, known to themselves alone, embraced him, giving him as many kisses as she had bestowed tears for his death, for both were loving and tenderly attached. After reciprocal marks of each other's affection, Gabriel said to her that she must be perfectly silent, and pointed out to her how happy their life would hereafter prove; he told her of the riches he had found, and what he intended to do, the which highly delighted her. In going out, Santa pretended to cry on opening the street door, and said aloud, that she might be heard by the neighbours, "I recommend these poor fatherless children to you, signor!" To which he answered, "Fear not, good Mrs. Santa ;" and walked away, full of thoughts on his future plans. When even

ing came on, observing the same uniform conduct of his predecessor, he went to bed, but could not sleep for thinking. No sooner did the dawn appear than he rose and went to the church of St. Catherine, where a devout and worthy pastor dwelt, and who was considered by all the Pisanians as a little saint. Friar Angelico appearing, Gabriel told him he wanted to speak to him on particular business, and to have his advice upon a very important and singular case that had happened to him. The kind friar, although he did not know him, led him into his room. Gabriel, who well knew the whole genealogy of Lazarus, son of Basilio of Milan, related it fully to the friar, likewise the dreadful accident, adding, that he considered himself as a principal cause of it, making him believe it was he who induced the unfortunate man to go a fishing against his will; he represented the mischief which resulted from it to the widow and children of the deceased, and that he considered himself so much the cause of it, and felt such a weight on his conscience, that he had made up his mind, though Santa was of low condition, and poor, to take her for his wife, if she and her friends approved of it, and to take the children of the poor fisherman under his care as his own; bring them up with his own children, should he have any, and leave them coheirs with them; this, he said, would reconcile him to himself and his Maker, and be approved by men. The holy man, seeing the worthy motives which actuated him, approved of his intention, and recommended as little delay

as possible, since he would thereby meet with forgiveness. Gabriel, in order the more effectually to secure his ready co-operation, threw down thirty pieces of money, saying, that in the three succeeding Mondays he wished high mass to be sung for the soul of the deceased. At this tempting sight the friar, although a very saint, leaped with joy, took the cash, and said, "my son the masses shall be sung next Monday; there is nothing more to attend to now but the marriage, a ceremony which I advise thee to hasten as much as thou canst; do not think of riches or noble birth; thou art, thank heaven, rich enough; and as to birth, we are all children of one father; true nobility consists in virtue and the fear of God, nor is the good woman deficient in either; I know her well, and most of her relations." "Good father," said Gabriel, "I am come to you for the very purpose, therefore, I pray you, put me quickly in the way to forward the business." "When will you give her the ring?" said the holy man. "This very day," he answered, "if she be inclined." "Well," ," said the friar, "go thy ways, and leave all to me; go home, and stir not from thence these blessed nuptials shall take place." Gabriel thanked him, received his blessing, and went home. The holy father carefully went to an uncle of Dame

put the cash in his desk, then Santa, a shoemaker by trade, and a cousin of her's, a barber, and related to them what had happened; after which they went together to Dame Santa, and used every possible argument to persuade her to consent to the match,

the which she feigned great difficulty in consenting to, saying that it was merely for the advantage of her children that she submitted to such a thing. I will only add, that the very same morning, by the exertions of the friar, they were married a second time; great rejoicings took place, and Gabriel and his wife laughed heartily at the simplicity of the good friar, and the credulity of the relations and neighbours. They happily lived in peace and plenty, provided for and dismissed the old servants; were blessed -with two more children, whom he named Fortunatus, and from whom afterward sprung some of the most renowned men, both in arms and letters.

VOL. I.

FF

THE TRANSFORMATION,

THERE was once in a village near St. Davids, a peda gogue, whose figure and furniture were worthy of comparison with Shakspeare's apothecary. If the bardic notion has any truth," that the soul is an intelligence, lapsed from the region of light and knowledge, and makes its progress in this world, through a circle of transmigrations till it returns to its original state," this good man's spirit was very near its perfection, being almost divested of corporeal matter. He lived in a poor hut, attached to a still poorer garden which furnished his meagre table with almost all its accompaniments. The riches of his house consisted of numberless traditionary volumes of Welsh romance, especially a genuine copy of the Historia Britonum ascribed to Nennius, and edited in the tenth century by Mark the hermit, probably the original of that celebrated manuscript lately discovered in the Vatican, after having graced the library of Queen Christina. He knew by heart all the Welsh chronicle of St. Patrick, from his captivity among the Scots as a swineherd, till he had baptized seven kings, and seen the flock of birds