the vast empire of Mahomet; I will now bring thee nearer thy home. Look !"

Benhadar shuddered, but was drawn by an irresistible impulse, and beheld with delight his native city of Bulsora basking in the beams of a bright evening sun. Its beauteous bay was all one polished mirror, bright as burnished gold; a thousand little barques were flitting airily upon the smooth expanse; the city reared its minarets and spires as it sent forth the busy hum of a thousand careless voices, and a thousand careless happy people who were sporting in the streets, or on the sandy beach, or sat enjoying themselves at their doors.' Happy scene!" cried Benhadar, it almost makes amends for what I have just witnessed: it is my own Bal

sora.

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"Look again!" cried the genius, abruptly.

Benhadar looked, and lo! the whole scene was changed. He beheld the earth trembling as if with an ague, and the mighty gulph of Ormuz, concentrated in a single wave, rolling towards the shore in overwhelming fury. He heard a roaring and tremendous noise, as if of ten thousand chariot wheels rattling in his ear, and beheld the stately minarets waving to and fro like flexible reeds to the wind. In the next moment the inhabitants were seen rushing into the streets, shrieking and clasping their hands in agony. Fathers were seen leading their children by their hand, mothers pressing their infants to their bosom. Old age crawling forth with tottering steps and falling to the earth, overcome with weakness and terror, there to be trodden under foot by the frantic crowd. The merchant turned away in the bitterness of his heart, and when, on hearing a horrible crash, he looked once more, nor stately tower, nor towering minaret, nor swelling doom, was to be seen. In the midst of groans, and shrieks, and curses of despair, he beheld the houses splitting, and shivering and falling, to bury their former occupants in their ruins- -some to be crushed to instant death, others to remain half buried, uttering their agonies in doleful groans, or piercing screams. In one place a vigorous youth was bearing away a decrepit old man upon his shoulders, when, scared by the crashing of a falling mosque, he dropped his burthen, and rushing wildly along, fell into a yawning chasm, that sud

denly opened, and then closed upon him for ever, In another he beheld a woman standing rocking to and fro with the motion of the unsteady earth, over a pile of smoking ruins, clasping her hands, and moaning with bitter anguish, calling upon her husband and her children, who were never more to hear or answer her call. In a third, a faithful dog, unscared by the horrors around, was scratching in a pile of ruins, where his master was buried up to the chin, licking his face, and howling piteously at intervals.

Spare me, spare me, O my genius," cried Benhadar; "let me see no more!"

(To be concluded.)

CAFFRE MARRIAGES.

When a female of respectable rank is to be married, an address is delivered to her by one of the elders of her clan before she leaves the home of her kindred, in which she is admonished to conduct herself as a prudent housewife, to be obedient to her husband, attentive to his aged parents, and careful of whatever is committed to her change; above all, to be meek and submissive when insulted, and "to remain silent even though called a witch." On arriving at the kraal of the bridegroom, she is conducted to a new hut, the young man dancing before her, and sweeping the ground with green boughs, as an intimation that she is expected to be always neat, clean and orderly in her household."

A WIFE.

When a man of sense comes to marry, it is not merely a creature who can paint and play, sing and dance; it is a being who can counsel him, one who can reason and reflect, and feel, and judge, and discourse, and discriminate; one who can assist him in his affais, lighten his sorrows, purify his joy, strengthen his principles, and educate his children. Such is a woman who is fit for a mother and mistress of a family. A woman of the former description may occasionally figure in a drawing-room, and attract the notice of the company; but she is entirely unfit for a helpmate to a man, and to "train up a child in the way it should go."

THE VISON OF ST. PETER'S HILL.

BY THE AUTHOR OF "THE HARP OF INNISFAIL, ETC."

I saw no dooming star a' ove,

There is such happiness in love.-L. E L.

Overhanging the romantic banks of the Meuse, and looking upon a champaign as well cultivated and as pretily studded with villages and steeples as eye need wish to gaze upon, is situated the wreck of a once powerful castle. The ruins are simple, and intrinsically possess little to arrest the attention; there is the crawling ivy for the bat to build his nest, and there is the mouldering aspect of decay, which preacheth to the wayfarer of the fragility of all that is human. Whatever man's hand doth erect must crumble into the dust from which it arose, and though long it may survive the architect who gave it existence, yet its final destiny must be equally perishable. In the exterior of this castle there is nothing more than serves to testify this moral to the traveller: its site is even limited, and as it stands on an isolated eminence, with the deep river flowing gently at its base, it once might have been the impregnable strong-hold of some lawless bandit or puissant baron. It lies about two miles distant from the city of Maestricht, whose turrets and spires have an imposing effect when seen from this hill it looks over a sweeping extent of rich and fertile land, and on an elevation in the rear, appears an arsenal of artillery. The Meuse is a most picturesque stream: everywhere its banks seem formed to be the witnesses of love and peace; but in no place can it boast such a combination of graceful beauty as in the neighbourhood of Maestricht. Accordingly, the way from the city to the castle is uncommonly inviting: it lies along the waters, affording occasional glimpses of the country in perspective, and leading the walker by neat cottages, and through vine-sown gardens and bowery paths. Before gaining the castle, you arrive at a deserted chateau, looking more desolate even than the ruins which top it, but having the appearance of recent neglect. Attached to this place are several subterranean caverns, which are supposed to be objects of curiosity; and passing through a Gothic gateway, which opens into the garden that fronts the house, you may

either diverge to the entrance of one of these caves, or following the beaten tract, you may pursue your devious route, until a fatiguing ascent shall have conducted you to the acclivity, which is named "St. Peter's Hill," and on which stand the ruins to which I have made allusion.

Often and often, when the sun was sinking upon the reflective waters, and the blue, clear, continental sky, had donned the exquisite livery of evening, have I taken my solitary ramble by this placid river. The careless peasant girl would carol by, and the sound of music from the merry estaminet would greet the sluggish air, until, having cleared the ramparts, I gradually left the hum of people behind me; and as I advanced, solitude gathered more perceptibly about me. As I approached the old chateau, all concourse of mankind would entirely disappear, and with the exception of a menial driving his lazy donkey, with panniers of water, from the river to a farm-house near the castle, there would be nothing to intrude upon the most contemplative mood. I was fond of this walk, from its loneliness and romance, and not unfrequently have I allowed hour after hour to steal onward, while I rested on the top of that silent hill, admiring the prospect that lay before me, and luxuriating in all the extravagancies that the wildest fancy could represent. I was a stranger in the land, and the halls of my fathers had not seen me beneath their roof since I had first launched upon the world. Many endearing recollections would pass before me, and many dark bodings arise to disturb, and yet I loved to linger over the pleasantness of the former, even at the hazard of being exposed to the sadness of the latter.

It was one of these delicious evenings in autumn, when the spirit is induced to forget that it is of earth, and banquetting on the abundance and the glories of nature, it will seek its repose in the contemplation of nature's God; and, with a light and adoring heart, I set out to pursue my usual walk. I stood gazing on the mighty firmament, as the scattered stars began to sparkle on its floor, and watching the treckschuyt dragging its slow length quietly along the waters, from Liege, until, either subdued by bodily indisposition, or yielding to some strong somniferous inclination, drowsiness took possession of me; I sat upon the green turf, and instantly resigned myself to sleep. Scarcely had I closed my eyes, when

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the god of dreams laying his wand upon my senses, pelled them into allegiance to bis power. The days of chivalry presented themselves to mine eye: the tourney and the tilt bustled into ideal life; the baronial halls of knighthood blazed before me, and there were banners floating and lances glistening; and like a last votary before those shrines where the demon of persecution hath been, I looked doubtingly around to discover if I were indeed breathing a real existence. It seemed that the castle by which I slept bad been re-edified with all the circumstances of its pristine pomp about it: its "ruins hoar" laid aside their tattered garb for the splendid dress of architectural strength and grandeur, and the chieftain awakened from the slumber of the grave to the activity of the revel-had exchanged the shroud for the cuirass, and the tomb for the palace! It was, in sooth, a glorious pageant that offered itself to my view; the princely halls rang to the sound of merriment, and no lack was there of ladies' eyes, nor of harpers' notes, nor of minstrels' song. But among the festal crowd, which were passing in continued succession along the tapestried apartments, wherein I found myself, was one towards whom I felt an irresistible impulse bearing me on. She was habited in a robe of simple elegance, without any of that glaring, gaudy, and dazzling ornament with which the others were decorated: a necklace of great value hung round her beautiful neck; a most bewitching ankle sometimes showed itself from beneath her flowing garment; but a graceful veil hung over her features, as if she were anxious to allow the imagination of the spectator to supply graces where she was unwilling to disclose them. She did not mingle with her sister beauties, nor apparently did she vouchsafe attention to the flattering whispers of a gallant knight, who, for a short time, did homage at her side. On first beholding her, my curiosity was powerfully excited, and still I was ignorant of any cause why it should be so. However, following at a distance in her train, wherever she moved, I at length succeeded in being allowed to look into that face which hitherto had been concealed. Never shall I forget the feelings of that moment, when, like Alethe in the Epicurean, she raised up her veil: a flood of overpowering loveliness burst upon my visions, with the same maddening L. 38. 1.