the door of which is locked upon him. It

may be amusing for the reader to compare his feelings upon these, and from thence form his opinion of the justness of my theory. The following fragment, in which both these manners are attempted to be in some degree united, is offered to entertain a solitary winter's evening.

After this adventure, Sir Bertrand turned his steed towards the woulds, hoping to cross these dreary moors before the curfew. But ere he had proceeded half his journey, he was bewildered by the different tracks, and not being able, as far as the eye could reach, to espy any object but the brown heath surrounding him, he was at length quite uncertain

which way he fhould direct his course. Night overtook him in this fituation. It was one of those nights when the moon gives a faint glimmering of light through the thick black clouds of a lowering sky. Now and then fhe fuddenly emerged in full fplendor from her veil; and then instantly retired behind it, having juft ferved to give the forlorn Sir Bertrand a wide extended prospect over the defolate wafte. Hope and native courage a while urged him to push forwards, but at length the increasing darkness and fatigue of body and mind overcame him; he dreaded moving from the ground he stood on, for fear of unknown pits and bogs, and alighting from his horfe in defpair, he threw himself on the ground. He had not long continued in that posture when the fullen toll of a diftant bell ftruck his ears-he started up, and turning towards the found discerned a dim twinkling light. Instantly

Instantly he seized his horse's bridle, and with cautious steps advanced towards it. After a painful march he was ftopt by a moated ditch furrounding the place from whence the light proceeded; and by a momentary glimpse of moon-light he had a full view of a large antique manfion, with turrets at the corners, and an ample porch in the centre. The injuries of time were ftrongly marked on every thing about it. The roof in various places was fallen in, the battlements were half demolished, and the windows broken and difmantled. A draw-bridge, with a ruinous gate-way at each end, led to the court before the building-He entered, and instantly the light, which proceeded from a window in one of the turrets, glided along and vanished; at the same moment the moon funk beneath a black cloud, and the night was darker than ever. All was filent-Sir Bertrand fastened his steed under

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under a shed, and approaching the house traversed its whole front with light and flow footsteps-All was ftill as deathHe looked in at the lower windows, but could not diftinguish a single object through the impenetrable gloom. After a fhort parley with himself, he entered the porch, and feizing a maffy iron knocker at the gate, lifted it up, and hefitating, at length ftruck a loud stroke. The noise refounded through the whole manfion with hollow echoes.

All was

still again-He repeated the ftrokes more boldly and louder-another interval of filence enfued-A third time he knocked, and a third time all was ftill. He then fall back to fome distance that he might difcern whether any light could be seen in the whole front-It again appeared in the fame place and quickly glided away as before-at the fame inftant a deep ful

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Sir

len toll founded from the turret. Bertrand's heart made a fearful stopHe was a while motionless; then terror impelled him to make fome hafty steps towards his steed-but shame ftopt his flight; and urged by honour, and a refiftless defire of finishing the adventure, he returned to the porch; and working up his foul to a full steadiness of refolution, he drew forth his fword with one hand, and with the other lifted up the latch of the gate. The heavy door, creaking upon its hinges, reluctantly yielded to his hand-he applied his fhoulder to it and forced it open-he quitted it and ftept forward-the door inftantly shut with a thundering clap. Sir Bertrand's blood was chilled-he turned back to find the door, and it was long ere his trembling hands could feize it—but his utmost ftrength could not open it again. After K 2 several