in her pocket, to reflore it to him in cafe the thould ever fee him again, which, fhe added, he had half promifed lier. As the told me this, he took the handkerchief out of her pocket to let me fee it: the had folded it up neatly in a couple of vine leaves, tied round with a tendril→ on opening it, I faw an S marked in one of the corners. She had fince thát, she told me, ftrayed as far as Rome, and walked round St. Peter's once and returned back -that the found her way alone across the Appeninės→→ had travelled over all Lombardy without money-and through the flinty roads of Savoy without fhoes: how the had berne it, and how he had got fupported, she could not tell-but God tempers the wind, faid Maria, to the fhorn lamb. Shorn indeed, and to the quick, said I: and waft thou in my own land, where I have a cottage, I would take thee to it and fhelter thee; thou shouldit eat of my own bread, and drink of my own cup-I would be kind to thy Sylvio in all thy weakneffes and wanderings I would feek after thee, and bring thee back-when the fun went down I would fay my prayers, and when I had done, thou fhouldft play thy evening fong upon thy pipe; nor would the incenfe of my facrifice be worse accepted for entering heaven along with that of a broken heart. Nature melted within me as I uttered this; and Maria obferving as I took out my handkerchief, that it was fteeped too much already to be of use, would needs go wall it in the ftream.- And where will you dry it, Maria? faid I.-I will dry it in my bofom, said she-it will do me good. And is your heart fo warm, Maria? faid I. I touched upon the firing on which hung all her forrows-fhe looked with wiftful disorder for fome time in my face; and then, without saying any thing, took her F pipe, and played her fervice to the Virgin. The ftring I had touched ceafed to vibrate-in a moment or two Maria returned to herself-let her pipe fall-and rose up. And where are you going, Maria? faid I. She faid to Moulines-Let us go, faid I, together.-Maria put her arm within mine, and lengthening the ftring, to let the dog follow-in that order we entered Moulines. Though I hate falutations and greetings in the marketplace, yet when we got into the middle of this, I stopped to take my laft look and laft farewell of Maria. Maria, though not tall, was nevertheless of the first order of fine forms-Affliction had touched her looks with fomething that was scarce earthly-still she was feminine: -and fo much was there about her of all that the heart wishes, or the eye looks for in women, that could the traces be ever worn out of her brain, and those of Eliza out of mine, she should not only eat of my bread and drink of my own cup, but Maria should lie in my bofom, and be unto me as a daughter. Adieu, poor lucklefs maiden !-Imbibe the oil and wine which the compaffion of a stranger, as he journeyeth on his way, now pours into thy wounds-the Being who has twice bruised thee, can only bind them up for ever. STERNE. CHAPTER XIL THE CAMELION. OFT it has been my lot to mark Returning from his finifh'd tour, Two travellers of fuch a caft,. "Hold there," the other quick replies, " "Tis green-I saw it with these eyes, As late with open mouth it lay, And warm'd it in the funny ray: Stretch'd at it's ease the beast I view'd, And faw it eat the air for food." "I've seen it, Sir, as well as you, And muft again affirm it blue; At leifure I the beast furvey'd Extended in the cooling fhade." " 'Tis green, 'tis green, Sir, I affure ye". "Green!" cries the other in a fury Why Sir-d'ye think I've loft my eyes?" And begg'd he'd tell 'em, if he knew, "And I'll be fworn, that when you've seen 86 My children," the Camelion cries, (Then firft the creature found a tongue) MERRICK. CHAPTER XIII. THE YOUTH AND THE PHILOSOPHER. A GRECIAN youth of talents rare, Whom Plato's philofophic care Had form'd for Virtue's nobler view, Would often boast his matchless skill, Was praise and transport to his breast. At length, quite vain, he needs would shew The trembling grove confefs'd its fright, Howe'er, the youth with forward air, Triumphant to the goal return'd, |