of fools; he limited his bounty to those who deserv ed it; he traced the difference between generosity and profusion; between good nature and weakness: his faults were so nearly allied to excellence, that Sir William had almost despaired of being able to weed the vice without eradicating the virtue, but he did succeed. Miss Richland had long in secret loved him, and it was great joy to him to find, that his system of "universal benevolence," whatever perplexities it had involved him in, had at least secured one dear and estimable friend. He had first attracted Miss Richland's notice by his good nature at a ball, in singling out a young person as a partner so remarkably ugly that she had been totally neglected, till Honeywood paid her attention; it was a trait which certainly bespoke benevolence of character and secured for him the lasting esteem of a lovely and virtuous woman, who never had cause to repent her alliance with

"THE GOOD-NATURED MAN."

Benevolence, thine offices are sweet,
Thy labours are delightful;-thy reward
Supreme! Thou sittest on the memory
Serenely mild, like Halcyon on the wave.
Calm and unruffled as autumnal skies,
When softest zephyr fans the waving leaves,
And the wing'd choristers, fluttering from spray

To spray, now warble forth their last faint strains;
When peaceful night steals o'er retiring day,

And all is hush'd in gentle harmony:

So thou,-bless'd with remembrance of thy generous deeds
(Unlike the glare of grosser happiness,)
Art full of harmony, and peace, and love.
To feed the hungry, and the naked clothe;
Attend the sick, and the afflicted sooth;
Support the feeble, and the weary cheer;
Are offices of such ecstatic bliss

As angels feel, and Heaven alone can judge.

SHAKSPEARE! the voice of praise, so long and loud,
Has echoed to the world thy peerless worth,

That naught remains to greet thy name withal:
Naught to enhance, or "

-"gild refined gold!'
'Tis as a star should trace a comet's track,
At humble distance trace; o'ertaking net!
"Tis as a painter should portray the Sun
Bedazzled by his beaming radiance.
Presumption to attempt: what never yet
The human eye has gazed upon, -save when
Beskreen'd in clouds,-
,-at Morn, or silent Eve.
Presumption too-to praise-what praise excels:
Not that my purpose. Not of thee to speak-
But rather of myself,-Appointed now-
(Delightful task) thy various themes to trace
In forms new moulded to my fancy's will,

I tread upon the threshold of thy greatness,
With timid yet aspiring step:-I move-
As does the subject, when admitted first
T'approach the presence of fair majesty,
Proud of distinguish'd honour; fearful yet:
Or lest that pride be all too plainly shown,
So conscious of inferiority-

A beam before a blaze!-A star before
The Sun!-yet not to shine unwilling.
Without the power-one feeble ray to give
With hope,-unfading lustre to receive-
So I with thee-I cannot-No! Alas,
I cannot-

'gild refined gold," nor "paint the lily;" Nor" throw a perfume on the violet ;"

Nor"smooth the ice ;"-nor " add another hue
Unto the rainbow; or with taper light,"

Attempt" the beautious eye of Heaven to garnish.'
Yet may I not from thy o'erheaped stores
Of matchless wealth, some little gold obtain '
Some little portion of thy lily's pureness,
Thy violet's perfume, or thy rainbow's hue?
Or steal a ray of thy Promethean fire,
To light and guard me on my dubious way?
Spirit of Shakspeare! Bard of Heaven! Look down
While at thy sacred shrine I bow myself
With admiration pure and reverent!
Inspire my ardent soul! let me but shine
A glowworm ray of soft reflected light
In thy bright Fairy World of Genius!
No more I crave to make me rich indeed.

Gone to be married! gone to swear a peace!
False blood to false blood join'd! gone to be friends!
It is not so: thou hast misspoke, misheard;

I have a king's oath to the contrary.

Or, if thou teach me to believe this sorrow,

Teach thou this sorrow how to make me die;

Lewis marry Blanch! Oh, boy, then where art thou?
France friend with England! what becomes of me? ***

THUS in bitterness of sorrow, the afflicted Lady Constance addressed William Longsword, Earl of Salisbury*, who had been deputed by the confederate Kings-Philip of France, and John of England, to bear to her the heavy tidings of a projected marriage between the Lady Blanch of Spain and Lewis, Dauphin of France; an arrangement, which, as it terminated all differences between the monarchs, so did it crush all hope of redress for her orphan son,

*Son of Rosamond Clifford, commonly called Fair Rosamond, mistress of Henry the Second, who was poisoned at Woodstock by Queen Eleanor.

Arthur of Bretagne, in whose defence the sword of warfare had been drawn against the usurper John, by Philip and the powers of France. The armies

had met, the fate of the young Arthur depended in a great degree on the issue of the battle; but an issue, like this described by Salisbury, was last of all to have been expected, and the widowed Constance beheld the downfal of her hopes with anguish and dismay. Salisbury, though he had not the power of rendering her any assistance, sincerely sympathized in her grief, and his expressive countenance plainly bespoke the sorrow of his heart: the purport of his errand was to require her return with him to the King, who now seated in council demanded her presence.

Constance, not in any wise brooking command, and disgusted at the perfidy of the French King, would not accompany Salisbury; but cast herself upon her knees, and clasping her lovely boy, implored the aid of Heaven, the only hope on which she could depend: and Salisbury was compelled to