"Here they reviewed their force, to see how many men they had lost; and, finding that the dead were four soldiers of the number of those whom they call Leventes, and of their very best and finest men, they resolved to take vengeance upon me; and accordingly, the captain of the principal galiot commanded the yard-arm to be lowered, in order to hang me. All this was beheld by Leonisa, who had at length recovered from her swoon, and finding herself in the power of the corsairs, was wringing her delicate hands, and shedding a flood of beautiful tears: however, she uttered not a word, but listened attentively, to discover, if she could, what the Turks were saying. But one of the Christians at the oar told her in Italian, that the captain was ordering that Christian (pointing to me) to be hanged, for having killed, in her defence, four of his best soldiers; which being understood by Leonisa, she for the first time shewed me some pity, desiring the captive to tell the Turks not to hang me, for that they would thereby lose a great ransom; and that she requested them to return to Trapani, where I should immediately be redeemed. This, I say, was the first tenderness-it will also be the last that Leonisa ever shewed me; and it did but serve to lengthen my misery. The Turks, on hearing what the captive told them, believed him; and their cupidity prevailed over their desire of revenge. The next morning, hoisting a flag of truce, they returned to Trapani: I had passed the intervening night in all the agony imaginable, not so much from the pain of my wounds, as on account of the peril in which I beheld my fair and cruel enemy, among those barbarians.

"Having, I say, returned to the town, one of the galiots entered the port, and the other remained in the offing; the harbour and the shore were soon thronged with Christians, and the pretty Cornelio was contemplating at a distance what was passing in the galiot. A steward of mine immediately came to treat for my ransom; but I ordered him peremptorily not to bargain for my liberation, but for that of Leonisa; and to give for her, if necessary, all that my property would produce. I farther commanded him to go to Leonisa's parents, and tell them to leave it to him to treat for their daughter's ransom, and not to give themselves any trouble or uneasiness on her account. This being done, the commander of the corsairs, a Greek

renegado, named Yuzuf, asked six thousand crowns for Leonisa, and four thousand for me; adding, that he would not ransom the one without the other. He asked so large a sum because (as I afterwards learned) he was enamoured of Leonisa, and wished not to have her ransomed; but to give to the captain of the other galiot, with whom he was to share their prizes equally, myself valued at four thousand crowns, and one thousand in money, and to keep Leonisa for the other five thousand. For this reason it was that he valued the two at ten thousand crowns. Leonisa's parents offered nothing on their own part, trusting entirely to the promise which my steward had made them from me. Nor did Cornelio open his lips in her behalf: so that, after much bargaining, my steward at last concluded on giving five thousand crowns for Leonisa, and three thousand for me. To this Yuzuf agreed, overcome by the persuasions of his comrade and the unanimous prayer of his soldiers, eager to share so rich a ransom. But as my steward had not so much money in readiness, he asked three days' time to procure it, intending to dispose of as much of my property as should be necessary to produce the sum required. Yuzuf was rejoiced at this; thinking to find in the mean time some opportunity of preventing the fulfilment of the contract. He steered back to the island of Favignana, saying, that at the expiration of the three days, he would return for the money and surrender his captives.

"But my ill fortune, not yet weary of persecuting me, so ordered it, that a sentinel, placed by the Turks on the most elevated of the islands, discovered not far out at sea six lateen sails, which he rightly judged must be either the Maltese squadron or a Sicilian force. He came running down to give the alarm; and the Turks who were on shore, some washing their clothes, others preparing their victuals, embarked with the utmost haste, and instantly weighing anchor, they gave the oars to the water, the sails to the wind, and with the prows turned towards Barbary, in less than two hours they lost sight of the gallies; and so, being covered by the island and the night, which soon closed in, they recovered from the fear which had seized them.

"I leave you to judge, Mahomet, my friend, what was the state of my mind during this voyage, so contrary to that which I had expected; and yet more when, the next day, the two galiots

having reached the island of Pantalaria,* the Turks went ashore on the southern side of it; and when I beheld the two captains also go on shore, and proceed to their partition of all the prizes which they had taken. Every particular of this was to me a lingering death. When they came to the division of myself and Leonisa, Yuzuf gave to Fetallah (for so the captain of the other galiot was called) six Christians-four for the oar, and two very beautiful Corsican boysand me along with them, to keep Leonisa for himself; with which Fetal. lah was satisfied. I was present all the while, but could not understand any thing they said, though I knew what they were engaged in; nor should I, at that time, have understood the mode of the partition, had not Fetallah come up to me, and said in Italian, Christian, thou now art mine; thou art given to me for the value of two thousand crowns of gold; if thou wouldst have thy liberty, thou must give four thousand, otherwise thou must die as thou art. I asked him if the Christian maiden was also his; to which he answered, that she was not-that Yusuf had kept her for himself, intending to make her turn Mahometan, and marry her. And such was really the case; for I was told so by one of the captives at the oar, who understood Turkish well, and had heard what passed on the subject between Yuzuf and Fetallah. I told my new master, that if he could contrive so as to take the Christian damsel along with him, I would give him, for her ransom alone, ten thousand crowns in Colid gold. He answered me, that it was not possible; but that he would let Yuzuf know how large a sum was offered for the Christian woman, and perhaps the amount would tempt him to alter his purpose, and ransom her. He did so; and ordered all the men belonging to his galiot to embark immediately, in order that he might go to Tripoli, to which place he belonged. Yuzuf, in like manner, determined to go to Biserta; and they embarked accordingly, with the same celerity which they are accustomed to use when they discover either gallies of which they are afraid, or vessels which they mean to plunder. But the occasion of their present haste was, that the sky appeared to be changing, and to threaten a storm.

* A small island, about twenty-five miles in circuit, midway between Sicily and the coast of Tunis.

"Leonisa was on shore, but not where I could see her, until, at the moment of embarking, we came together to the water's edge. Her new master and newest lover led her by the hand; and in stepping on the ladder, which was placed from the shore to the side of the galiot, she turned her head to look at me: I was gazing intently upon her; and such was the violence of my mingled feelings, that they quite overcame me-a film overspread my eyes, and I fell senseless upon the ground.

"I was afterwards informed, that the same thing had happened to Leonisa ; for that she had fallen from the ladder into the sea, and Yuzuf had thrown himself after her, and brought her up in his arms. This was related to me in my master's galiot, into which they had carried me during my insensibility. But when my senses returned, and I found myself alone in the galiot, and that the other vessel was taking another course, carrying with it half my soul, or rather the whole of it, my grief burst forth afresh; again I cursed my fate-again I called on death-and so violent were my exclamations, that my master, impatient at my complaints, threatened me with blows unless I was silent.

"I contained my tears, and repressed my sighs, thinking that the constraint I thus put upon them might make them burst my heart, and open a passage for my soul, which so much longed to quit this miserable body. But the measure of my calamities had yet to be filled, and the last faint ray of hope to be withdrawn from me. The storm, which had been apprehended, now came on; and the wind, which was blowing from the south right upon our prow, increased to such a degree, that it was necessary to turn the vessel, and let it drive before the gale. Our captain's design was to double the point of the island, and take shelter on the northern side of it; but he could not accomplish his purpose; for the wind blew with such fury, that in little more than fourteen hours we lost all the way we had made in two days, and found ourselves within six or seven miles of the same island of Pantalaria, upon which we were driving without any possibility of avoiding it, and that not upon any beach, but against some very high rocks which arose before us, threatening us with inevitable destruction. On one side of us we beheld the galiot with which we had parted company, and saw all hands on board, both Turks and captives, labouring with

all their might at the oar to prevent the vessel from drifting upon the rocks. Our own people did the same, and with greater success than those of the other galiot, who, exhausted with fatigue, and overcome by the obstinacy of the storm, quitting hold of the oars, abandoned themselves to their fate, and we beheld them dashed against the rocks with such violence, that the galiot quickly went to pieces. The night was now closing in; and amid the cries of those who were perishing, and the perturbation of those on board our own vessel, who expected to perish, none of our captain's orders were executed or understood; all that was attended to was, to keep the oars at work, and by turning the head of the ship to the wind, and casting both anchors, to endeavour to delay that fate a little longer, which nevertheless appeared unavoidable. But though all the rest were afraid of death, with me it was quite the contrary; for the illusive hope which possessed me, of beholding in another world her who had so lately departed from this, made every moment that the galiot was prevented from sinking or dashing on the rocks, appear to me an age of agony. So entirely did her image occupy my soul, that the tempest around me raged unregarded; and the huge waves that dashed fiercely over the vessel and over my head, only made me attentive to discover if they brought with them the corse of the unfortunate Leonisa. I will not weary you, my friend, with a detail of the anxieties, the fears, the bitter reflections and agonizing thoughts, that agitated me during that long and dreadful night, but will endeavour to fulfil my promise of relating my ill-fortune briefly; suffice it to say, they were such, and so many, that had death at that time assailed me, he would have found me an easy prey.

"The morning came, but the tempest rather increased than abated; we found, however, that our vessel had gone a good way about, leaving the rocks at some distance, and had approached a point of the island, which being so near doubling, Turks and Christians all gathered fresh hope and fresh strength, and in six hours we succeeded in doubling the point -after which we found the sea more calm, so that we could more easily avail ourselves of the oars; and, being now sheltered by the island, the Turks were enabled to go ashore, to see if they could discover any remains of the galiot which the night before had struck upon the rocks. But still heaven did not vouch

safe me the consolation which I had hoped for, of beholding in my arms the form of Leonisa, which, though lifeless and mangled, I should joyfully have clasped. I could have gazed with melancholy rapture on the pallid wreck of her lately glowing beauty; and while I chid the tempest for deforming so fair a flower, I could almost, in the tumult of my heart, have blessed the ocean for floating to my embrace her faded and unconscious charms, exulting even thus to hold her, with only death for a rival! I asked a renegado, who was going to land, to search about and discover whether her body had been washed ashore. But, as I have already said, heaven denied me this satisfaction; for at that very moment, the wind rose again, with such violence, that the island no longer served as a shelter. Fetallah, perceiving this, resolved to contend no longer against the elements; so he ordered his men to hoist the fore-mast and spread a little sail; he turned the prow to the sea, and the stern to the wind; then himself taking charge of the helm, he let the vessel run before the gale into the open sea, in the security that there was no obstacle to impede his course; the oars were laid up in the gangway, and all the men seated on the benches or in the loop-holes, not one of them being visible on the whole galiot, excepting the boatswain, who, for his greater security, had himself lashed to the stern-post.

"The vessel flew with such rapidity, that after three days and three nights, passing within sight of Trapani, Melazzo,t and Palermo, it entered the strait within the light-house of Messina, to the infinite terror of those on board, and of those who beheld it from the land. But lest I should be as prolix in relating the storm, as it was obstinate in its fury, I must briefly tell you, that weary, famishing, and exhausted by so long a course as that of coasting nearly the whole of Sicily, we at length arrived at Tripoli, where my master, before he had time to settle with his Leventes the account of the spoil, and give them what belonged to them, and the customary fifth to the viceroy, was seized with a complaint in his side, of such a nature that in less than three days it carried him to ever

*This, on board a galiot, was the passage along the vessel, from stem to stern, between

the two rows of benches on which the rowers were placed.

+ Melazzo-a sea-port town of Sicily, 18 miles west of Palermo.

lasting perdition. All his property was immediately taken possession of by the pacha of Tripoli, and by the alcayde of the dead, appointed there by the Grand Signior, who, as you know, is heir to all who die intestate. These two took all that belonged to my master Fetallah; and I fell to the share of him who was then viceroy or pacha of Tripoli. In about a fortnight he received the appointment to the viceroyalty of Cyprus; and with him I am come hither, without any intention of ransoming myself. He has often told me to do so, since I am a man of fortune, as Fetallah's soldiers informed him-but I have never consented; I have rather given him to understand that they were mistaken who spoke so largely of my means.

"And indeed, Mahomet, to tell you all that I feel about the matter, you must know that I do not desire to find any species of consolation, but rather that this life of captivity, together with the recollections which ever haunt me, of the death of Leonisa, should weigh me down to the earth; and if it be true, that continual grief must either exhaust itself or destroy the sufferer, mine cannot fail to do so, for I will so indulge it, that it shall speedily terminate this miserable existence, which I so unwillingly endure.

"Such, Mahomet, my friend, is my sad story-such is the occasion of my tears and sighs. Consider, now, whether I have not sufficient cause to heave them from the bottom of my heart.Leonisa died-and with her died all my hopes; for though, while she was living, they were sustained only by a single thread, yet-yet- Here his voice failed, so that he could not proceed; and the tears which he could no longer contain, streamed down his cheeks so profusely as to moisten the ground at his feet. His companion wept with him; however, as he recovered from this paroxysm, occasioned by the lively remembrance which the relation of his sorrowful story had awakened, Mahomet was beginning to offer consolation to Ricardo, in the best terms he could devise; but the latter stopped him with these words:

"What you must do, my friend, is, to advise me how I shall act in order to fall into disgrace with my master and all those with whom I may have to do; so that, being hated by him and by them, they may so persecute and ill-treat me, that, adding pain to pain, and affliction to affliction, I may quickly obtain what

I so much desire-the termination of my life!"

"You remind me," said Mahomet, "of the maxim which says, that what a man can feel, he can express; though, indeed grief does sometimes chain the tongue: but, Ricardo, be that as it may, you will always find in me a true friend, either to assist or to advise you: for, although my youth, and the folly which I have committed in adopting this habit, may seem to declare that neither assistance nor advice is to be expected from me, I shall endeavour to prove the suspicion to be wrong. And though you should reject both aid and counsel, I will nevertheless do what I shall consider to be of service to you, treating you as they do a sick man, who asks for what they do not give him, and to whom they give what is fit for him. In all this city there is no one of more influence and importance than the cadi, my master; not even your own, who is coming to be governor of it, will be so powerful. Such being the case, I may say that I myself am one of the most influential persons in the city, since I can get my patron to do almost anything I please. This I say, because I can, perhaps, take measures with him to procure you to be his captive: and when we are together, time will shew us what is to be done, both to console you, if you will or can receive consolation, and to remove me from this to a better way of life, or at least to some place where I may change it with greater security."

"I thank you, Mahomet," answered Ricardo, "for the friendship which you offer me, though I am certain, do what you may, that nothing can be of service to me. Let us, however, talk no more at present, but go to the tents; for I see a train of people issuing from the city; and it is no doubt the ex-viceroy coming to remain in the country while my master enters the town and takes the account of his government."

"It is so," said Mahomet: "come, then, Ricardo, and you'll see the ceremonies with which he is received, which I think will entertain you."

"Let us go, then, with all my heart," returned Ricardo; "perhaps I shall want you to speak a word for me, in case the keeper of my master's captives should have perceived my absence: he is a Corsican renegado, and not very tenderhearted."

Here their conversation ended, and they approached the encampment.

(Contiuued at page 21).

ON THE REGULATION OF OUR TIME. (For the Parterre).

Ir is generally allowed, that Order is necessary in all things. Regularity is as "oil to the wheels of time." When we pay attention to our various duties, and endeavour to do all things in their own season, our time will naturally roll on with a smoothness to which the votaries of chance are entire strangers. While they suffer themselves to be carried away by every gust of incidental desire, depending for amusement or employment on the uncertain occurrences of the passing hours, and folding up their hands in idle expectation; let us wisely husband our time as our most precious treasure, and apply our talents to such useful occupations as may engage our faculties for the present, and lay the foundation for future satisfaction. Let us not hang loosely as to the concerns inevitably connected with our respective conditions, because these concerns are not gilded with the fanciful charms of novelty. Let us rather attend to them with increasing complacency for that very reason. Certainly it is to the objects from which we cannot conveniently or properly separate ourselves, that we should direct our best affections, our most strenuous exertions. To apply our energies, however vigorous or weak they really are, to objects and concerns with which we have no immediate connexion, and with which we have not a prospect of being permanently united, either for a time or during our journey of life, betrays an extravagant deficiency of judgment—a shallowness of apprehension-a levity of thought. The most evident mark of prudence is exhibited by those who, whilst they look forward with hope to the future, and review the past with impartiality, give heed to their present conduct so as to improve from their experience, and to cherish their fondest wishes of rising to higher degrees of honour and happiness. To them, the past is valuable, in so far as it tends to enliven and inform their understanding. They hold the present as of greater importance, because it gives opportunity of proving their progress in substantial knowledge, and of adding to their wisdom. The future wears to them an inviting appearance, amidst all the pains and disasters of a changing world; because it promises time for still further improvement of the mind, by which every rational gratification must be aug

mented, every unavoidable cause of sorrow diminished. Every succeeding day adds strength to their desire for regularity. Every season of the year gives a peculiar relish to their engagements. The several periods of each day they allot to certain purposes, however closely connected, yet distinct, like so many independent parts of one complete whole. From the dawn of the morning until the lengthening shades announce the close of the day, the hours are divided between the calls of religion, and the honourable necessary affairs of life, the refreshment of the body, and the recreation of the mind. Nor are the darksome watches of the night unapplied to suitable purposes. The setting sun warns them to reflect on the events of the day, and to prepare for the repose requisite to renew their strength for the pursuits and toils of another day. To such repose, an adequate portion of time is allotted; and both the body and mind are preserved in healthful harmony, until, by the unsearchable decree of the Almighty, some unforeseen disease assail the seat of life; to answer ends wrapt up in the veiled records of heaven-to which the utmost flight of human intellect cannot aspire. Thus day rolls on after day, and year after year, down the smooth and silent but rapid stream of time, whilst every hour is applied to some honourable purpose of business or rational amusement, necessary recreation, or repose; not according to the whims of chance, but according to some fixed plan, dictated by experience, and approved by reason. And thus their happiness is as complete and permanent as the uncertainty and changeable nature of all things visible can admit. S. F.

THE

METROPOLITAN RAMBLER.

No. 1.

(For the Parterre).

A resident in London and its vicinity for a series of years-an observant, a thoughtful, and a perambulating resident, and consequently familiarized with the contemplation of the metropolis in general, and of numerous of its features, under a diversity of aspects, and in various moods of my own mind,-I feel that I have no more acceptable tribute to offer to the readers of "The Parterre" than the endeavouring to retrace, as distinctly as I may, some of the numberless vivid, and of the many profound impressions, which I have received in the course of my indi