on the youth as she approached the place where he stood, with a look in which surprise at his boldness seemed to be unmingled with resentment, while a trifling accident happened, which attracted her attention towards him yet more strongly. The night had been rainy, and just where the young gentleman stood, a small quantity of mud interrupted the queen's passage. As she hesitated to pass on, the gallant, throwing his cloak from his shoulders, laid it on the miry spot, so as to insure her stepping over it dry-shod. Elizabeth looked at the young man, who accompanied this act of devoted courtesy with a profound reverence, and a blush that overspread his whole countenance. The queen was confused, and blushed in her turn, nodded her head, hastily passed on, and embarked in her barge without saying a word.

THE HITCHEN MAY-DAY SONG.

1.
Remember us poor Mayers all !

And thus we do begin
To lead our lives in righteousness,

Or else we die in sin.

2.

We have been rambling all the night,

And almost all the day;
And now returned back again,

We have brought you a branch of May.

3.
A branch of May we have brought you,

And at your door it stands;
It is but a sprout, but it's well budded out

By the work of our Lord's hands.

4.
The hedges and trees they are so green,

As green as any leek;
Our heavenly Father He watered them

With His heavenly dew so sweet.

5. The heavenly gates are open wide,

Our paths are beaten plain ; And if a man be not too far gone, He

may return again.

6.
The life of man is but a span,

It flourishes like a flower;
We are here to-day and gone to-morrow,

And we are dead in an hour.

7. The moon shines bright, and the stars give a light,

A little before it is day :
So God bless you all, both great and small,

And send you a joyful May !

THE RA V E N.

1. Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak

and weary,

Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten loreWhile I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a

tapping As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber

door. “ 'Tis some visitor,' I muttered, tapping at my chamberdoor

Only this, and nothing more.'

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2. And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple

curtain Thrilled me filled me with fantastic terrors never felt

before ; So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood

repeating : “ 'Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber

doorSome late visitor entreating entrance at my chamberdoor

This it is, and nothing more.'

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6

3. Presently my soul grew stronger; hesitating then no

longer, Sir,' said I, or Madam, truly your forgiveness I

implore; But the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came

rapping,

And so faintly you came tapping, tapping at my chamber

door, That I scarce was sure I heard you'-here I opened wide the door

Darkness there, and nothing more.

4.

Back into the chamber turning, all my soul within me

burning, Soon again I heard a tapping, something louder than

before. . Surely,' said I-surely, that is something at my window

lattice; Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery

explore Let my heart be still a moment, and this mystery explore.

'Tis the wind, and nothing more.'

5.

Open here I flung the shutter, when, with many a flirt

and flutter, In there stepped a stately Raven of the saintly days of

yore. Not the least obeisance made he; not a minute stopped

or stayed he; But, with mien of lord or lady, perched above my

chamber-doorPerched upon a bust of Pallas just above my chamberdoor

Perched, and sat, and nothing more.

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6. Then this ebony bird beguiling my sad fancy into smiling, By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it

wore, • Though thy crest be shorn and shaven, thou,' I said,

art sure no craven, Ghastly grim and ancient Raven wandering from the

nightly shoreTell me what thy lordly name is on the night's Plutonian shore !'

Quoth the Raven, Nevermore.'

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ز

7. Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so

plainly, Though its answer little meaning-little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber

doorBird or beast upon the sculptured bust above his chamberdoor,

With such name as 'Nevermore.'

8. But the Raven still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling, Straight I wheeled a cushioned seat in front of bird and

bust and door; Then, upon the velvet sinking, I betook myself to linking Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this ominous bird of

yore What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt, and ominous

bird of yore

Meant in croaking ' Nevermore.'