the devilish leers of his hideous conductor on the left, could not utterly, dispel.

The party proceeded quickly in silence, for a long, long way, through a country with which Sigismund was utterly unacquainted wild, uncultivated, and apparently uninhabited. No vestige of baronial castle greeted the eyes of the alarmed friar, who was not slow to imagine for what purpose he had been wiled away from Wandsworth, whither he was bound, and the nature of his guides. At length the two riders pulled up their steeds, and Sigismund's, in the act of proceeding, suddenly reared and backed, as if checked in his progress by the mighty power of an unseen hand; but the monk had beheld, with unspeak able horror, that they now stood on the brink of a frightful precipice, which rose, like a measureless wall, from the dark unfathomable bottom of a hideous abyss. "Close your eyes, man," cried the left-hand guide, "and keep steady!" "Drop your bridle, Sigismund," added he on the right, "and clasp your arms firmly around the barb's neck!" No sooner had the bewildered monk complied with these directions, than he found himself traversing the air with the celerity of lightning, and as far as he could by his feelings ascertain, at a point of hideous elevation. But what were his feelings ?—what his thoughts? In truth, they were utterly out of the pale of analyzation; for, darting forwards like a breath of the whirlwind, or an arrow of the forked lightning, giddiness, and an almost total, breathless insensibility seized him, during which all definite subjects and periods became to his mind either mingled in inextricable confusion, or as they were not.

What length of time had elapsed, Sigis mund knew not, neither what had become of his steed, nor how he had dismounted; but suddenly he was aware that he stood between his strange guides upon terra firma. A large expanse of water laid before him, and as far as he had leisure to observe, and the torches of his guides lent him light, the country around was most bleak, and utterly destitute of vegetation. A strong brackish and sulphureous odour appeared to emanate from the water, and impregnate the air, which otherwise was soft, like that of an.oriental clime. In a moment, each hand of the amazed monk was firmly grasped by his strange conductors, and scarcely had he time to feel the red-hot fingers of his friend on the left nearly cauterize his own, than he found himself plunged into the waters, driving

down headlong at immense speed, and his mouth, ears, and eyes filled with an intolerably salt and bituminous fluid, which rushed, roared, and gurgled around him, finally depriving him of his breath and his senses. The miserable and presumptuous monk was hurried fathoms and fathoms down the supposed unfathomable Lake Asphaltites!

Upon revival to life and reason, he perceived with awe that he stood, supported by the kind cool arms of his fair and well-disposed conductor, whilst the malign one kept his accustomed place, in a new and glorious city-but one beyond thought terrible and amazing, for it was a veritable City of Fire! Its architecture was novel and superb-like that which imagination might assign even to antediluvian ages, and yet mocking in beauty, stability, and sublimity, the efforts of later days, whose splendid orders were, to the specimens there beheld, but puny counterfeits. Tower, battlement, and arch, glowed in red-hot light; porticoes, and far-stretching colonnades, shone in scarlet radiance; pilastered galleries, and measureless flights of steps, dazzled and wounded the eye, by emulating marble in a vivid white heat. The city had its foundations within a sea of fire, for such was every street; and from these terrible sources wandered flaming rivulets on, and on, farther even than supernatural sight could track. In this tremendous vision of fiery architecture, all things stood prominently forth in their true forms and proportions: apparently, the most delicate chisel had moulded in fused iron, all that should have astonished and fascinated in fairest marble, and in moulding such for immortality, had employed the material of irremediable destruction !

But, however amazing might be the city, still more so was it to behold beings in the semblance of men (apparently animated statues of glowing metal) slowly pacing to and fro, through its streets, in perfect silence, and their contorted countenances attesting their unutterable agonies! Sigismund, although supernaturally shielded from instantaneous destruction, was powerfully affected by a sense of the intense heat, and sulphureous quality of the scorching atmosphere. Nearly dead from these causes, as well as from excessive terror, he mechanically crossed himself: immediately upon which, his companions thus alternately addressed him, the fair and friendly youth commencing :-" Sigismund, I am Æthon, one of the angels who stand for ever and ever before the

God of Gods, in the high heavens! and I am, by his paternal mercy, commissioned to show thee, ere it be too late, Zehenna, one of the Invisible Cities-one of the corrupt and abominable. cities. which fell by the same judgment that overthrew Gomorrah, and the remaining Cities of the Plain-turned them into fiery furnaces like this which thou dost now behold and buried them in the heart of the earth, beneath the Sea of Sodom, until this world shall be no more!"-"Yea, Sigismund," added the other guide, "this is indeed Zehenna, the city of cities, wherein are kept those exhaustless hoards of wealth so infinitely coveted by thee!" "Wherein resides the bane and scourge of the world!"-" Wherein abides the primum mobile of all human power!"— "Wherein is guarded from ever-erring mortals gold, the fountain of deadly corruption!"-"Wherein is most foully imprisoned gold, the master-key to all pleasures!""Look upon those wretches, Sigismund, and behold the pleasures purchased by gold! the pleasures that thou wouldst, by thine own cupidity, entail upon thyself!"-"Look through yonder window, Sigismund, at those shining heaps of ore, and imagine thyself king of them, and the world which they would purchase for thee!" "Sigismund! monk, attend to me! This is Zehenna, one of the wealthy, luxurious, and most abominable cities of the Plain, whose tormented inhabitants, idolaters of metal, as thou wouldest be, have sold themselves, as thou hast partly done, to the great Deceiver! Thou art a man; these were men; what are they now? that which thou didst consent to become!"-" Nay, Sigismund, nay, rather attend thou to me! This is Zehenna, one of the Invisible Cities, whose inhabitants are immortal, and enjoy her wealth apart from the rest of the world; I can bestow the riches of this and the remaining cities upon thee-myriads and myriads of silver, gold, and jewels!" "And I, O imprudent and avaricious, but ignorant monk, am commissioned, shouldst thou desire it, to deliver thee from these matchless and eternal horrors !”—“ I am he to whom thou hast devoted thyself, body and soul, for ever!"" And I, Sigismund, I the seraph Ethon, am thy guardian angel; and as such, I am bound to thee for a term, which is not yet expired; there was a saving clause in thine oath-Determine!"" Thou art mine!" roared the demon, in a voice that seemed to echo through the fiery city; his malig nant eyes shot forth lurid flames, and

he stretched forth his infernal hand to tear away the horror-struck and almost stifled monk from the guardian and supporting embrace of Ethon; but, at a glance from the seraph, that hand dropped impotently to his side; whereupon Sigismund, exerting himself to the utmost, exclaimed firmly-"Thine! Never !-never until I have accepted, and actually possess, that accursed boon, which my frenzied wickedness desired, and which, with fiendish readiness, thou didst proffer-avaunt!"-"Rash fool!" howled the demon, gnashing his teeth in impotent ire. "Erring mortal!" cried the angelic power, in most me lodious accents, "come! mercy, eternal mercy, hath been extended to thee! Repentance hath saved thee from the arm of the Evil One! Sin no more, lest condemnation befall thee, and thou be bound to dwell for ever with them who

linger out undying days in the great prototype of Zehenna. Come!" Ethon then applied his silver bugle to his lips, and at its tones-so unearthly, so ineffable-Sigismund swooned with ecstacy. When he returned to his senses, he found himself lying in his cell, upon his own bed, whilst the glorious morning sun shone with heavenly radiance upon him; and from his couch arose the monk an altered man, to a life of penitence, of prayer, and of praise.

He knew not, indeed, nor had he any method of ascertaining, whether in dream, vision, or reality, he had beheld one of the Invisible Cities; he only knew that he had ardently desired to possess treasures, the very thought of which made him sick at heart now; that he had endeavoured to obtain such, by means of those abstruse studies, which in those days were believed to possess the power of subjecting Satan and his emissaries to the behests of man; that hitherto he had failed in his endeavours to raise the meanest of infernal agents; that his laboratory, nevertheless, bore evidence to the friendly offices of the brethren of Wandsworth; that a scorched impression of fingers was upon his right hand; and that these words, with even the very tone in which they were uttered by the sweet speaker, were, with his firm countenance and costume, engraven indelibly upon his memory-" Repentance hath saved thee; sin no more!"

M. L. B.

THE Greenlanders lay a dog's head by the grave of a child, considering that as a dog can find its way every where, it will show the ignorant babe the way to the land of souls.

The Anecdote Gallery.

MACKLINIANA.

The original Macheath.- Tom Walker, as he was constantly called, (the so much celebrated original Macheath in the Beggar's Opera,) was well known to Macklin, both on and off the stage. He was a young man, rather rising in the mediocre parts of comedy, when the following accident brought him out in Macheath. Quin was first designed for this part, who barely sung well enough to give a convivial song in company, which, at that time of day, was almost an indispensable claim on every performer; and on this account perhaps did not much relish the business; the high reputation of Gay, however, and the critical junto who supported him, made him drudge through two rehearsals. On the close of the last, Walker was observed humming some of the songs behind the scenes, in a tone and liveliness of manner, which attracted all their notice. Quin laid hold of this circumstance to get rid of the part, and exclaimed, "Ay, there's a man who is much more qualified to do you justice than I am." Walker was called on to make the experiment; and Gay, who instantly saw the difference, accepted him as the hero of his piece.

The Beggar's Opera. - Mr. Gay wrote all, or the greatest part of, this opera, at the Duke of Queensbury's, in the summer-house, which is something like a cavern on the side of a bank at Amesbury. The duke and duchess were great friends to learned and ingenious men; particularly to the late celebrated Dr. Arbuthnot. At that period the duchess thought herself slighted at court, and had desisted attending the drawing-room. Miss Arbuthnot and Mr. Gay were almost constantly with her; and, I believe, to gratify the duchess, he touched on the modes of the court; and Miss Arbuthnot knowing many old Scots and English songs, collected the most proper airs, and Gay wrote in suitable measure for them; so they had no need of a musician to compose new tunes.

The whole money received for the sixty-two nights of this opera was £11,199. 14s.; and one night (making the sixty-three) for a benefit, £168. 10s. Young Macklin. I was informed nearly fifty years since by an elderly

* Quin performed the part of Macheath for his own benefit, (at Lincoln's Inn Fields, March 19, 1730,) which produced £112. 13s. 6d. in moneytickets £93. 16s.

gentleman, who was born and bred in Dublin, that Macklin had been a shoeboy, i. e. a blacker of shoes, at the college in Dublin, and was a waiter or marker at a gaming-table, where his common appellation was cursed Charley.

Hyppesty, the original Peuchum.— In this character Hyppesly adopted the very dress of Jonathan Wild-a black coat, scarlet waistcoat with broad gold lace, velvet breeches, white silk rolledup stockings gartered under the knees with black straps, square-toed shoes, white flowing wig, laced hat, silverhilted sword, &c. Shuter followed his example. He, Wild, was hanged in 1725.

The true-born Irishman, — acted at Covent Garden one night only, November 28, 1767, and not printed: Macklin seemed to acquiesce in the withdrawal, saying in his strong manner, "I believe the audience are right; there's a geography in humour as well as in morals, which I had not previously considered."

In rehearsing this piece, Macklin took infinite pains to instruct a young actor in his part, who having to pronounce "Lady Kinnegad," did it so differently from what the veteran expected, that he could not help exclaiming in an angry tone, "What trade are you, sir ?" The performer answered, "Sir, I am a gentleman." "Then," rejoined he, "stick to that, sir;" for you will never be an actor."

Macklin as Macbeth.-The squibs on this occasion were innumerable; the following being short, are given as a specimen :—

I learned to-night what ne'er before I knew.

That a Scotch monarch's like an Irish Jew.
So uncouth Macklin's form, I'll suffer death,
If well I knew the witches from Macbeth.
No longer mourn, Macduff, thy children's fall,
Macklin bath murdered sleep, Macbeth and all,
Literary Gazette.

The Selector;

human invention." The work is elegantly printed, and bound in a trelliswork cover; and, moreover, it has a dedication to J. H."--probably one of the author's raciest table-companions. The Chapters, or Sections, are-On Wine-drinking; Ancient Wines; Modern Wines; French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Hungarian, Italian, Greek, Russian, Persian, Madeira, Cape, and British; the Adulteration of Wines; and the accomplishment of Drinking Wine, from which we choose our specimen extract :

-

"The reader will probably have received sufficient gout for this purpose, from the florid, and not unpicturesque details of some of the preceding pages. The luxuriance of the vineyards, and the ingenious processes by which their produce is adapted, we had almost said sublimed, for the Table, must have prepared him for a few pages on the order and propriety which are conducive to the most refined enjoyment. There is,' as Shakspeare incontrovertibly expresses it, a reason in roasting eggs;' and as another bard asserts, order is heaven's first law; both of which axioms are not a whit less applicable to the Table, than to any other integral part of the universe. Eating has its rationale, and in well-conditioned society its rules of propriety are as closely observed as any other part of the system, by which we live and have our being; and but little pains is requisite to prove that drinking should be reduced to the same order. To commence refection with drinking Tokay or Lacryma Christi, would be as great a breach of propriety as to eat game before soup.

"We must, however, bear in mind that, according to an old adage, it is not in the power of any one to decide on taste or on colours;' else we might soon become lost in the labyrinths of romantic investigation. Still, there are certain points of propriety in the art of drinking wine, which

Fashion so directs, and moderns raise On fashion's mouldering base their transient praise.

"An epicurean wine drinker observes that the red wines should always precede the white, except in the case of a French dinner, usually preceded by oysters. In this case, the ostreal delicacies should be saluted with a treble volley of Chablis, or, for greater solemnity, with libations of Pouilly, or Mont Râchet, or even with Sauterne, Barsac, or White Hermitage. But, for this important reason, red wine should open the repast.

"The custom, during the last century, was always to take, after soup, a glass of some sweet wine; but now, the experienced wine-drinker either takes a glass of good old Madeira, or of Teneriffe.

"Our French exemplars assert the most proper wine during the first course to be, without any contradiction, Burgundy of the least celebrated growth, and which, for this reason, is known as Low Burgundy. Such are Avallon, Coulange, Tonnère, and generally all those known under the designation of Mâcon and Auxerre. You then ascend to Beaume and Pomard; and if you choose to confine yourself to the Burgundinian topography, you have the generous Richebourg, the high-flavoured St. George, the purple Chambertin, and the exquisite Romanée. But if you can ill bear the trammels of classification, and wish to give a fillip to your taste by change of flavour and soil, Champagne offers its sparkling Aï, perfumed Cumières, and limpid Sillery. After these, you may enjoy the stronger wines of Dauphiny, which whet the appetite, and heighten the savour of roast meats. Among these, we recommend Château Grillé, Côte-Rotie, and Hermitage.'Tis then that mirth lights up the faces of the convivial circle, and the gibes and gambols of wit are wont to set the table in a roar; 'tis then that we acknowledge the claim of only one other wine to pro duce on the quantity already imbibed, an effect similar to that of a drop of water in boiling milk, or a spoonful of oil on the angry waves of the ocean. This is the wine of Bordeaux or Claret. See how wisdom's art gradually appeases the mounting spirits, in the effect of Médoc poured by a steady hand into bright crystal, which reflects scores of wax-lights. An armistice ensues, and the intellectual gladiators' lay down their wordy weapons. Amphytrions clear the table, wafers and sweet cakes, and perfumed creams, usurp the place of légumes, which boasted all the skill of scientific cookery. Languedoc, Roussillon, and Provence, what brilliant associations do ye create! Spain, too, participates in this gale of glory! But what is that ruby tint which glows amid sparkling crystal ?-what is that liquid topaz which strikes the eye with wonder, and inspires a new gusto ? Grenache, Lunel, Malmsey, Frontignan, Malaga, and Xeres-what a galaxy of glories rises with your delicious aroma to perplex wine-drinkers. Your halfconsumed corks give evidence of your age, like a wreck of hoar antiquity; the

Rivesaltes,