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had been prevented by illness from attending she was overjoyed at having at last an opportunity of making the personal acquaintance of the noble lady of Reifenstein, described herself as a juvenile playmate of her Frederic's, pretended that she had at home a palmer, who had brought news from the Holy Land, and invited her to call as she returned at the castle of Thursteis, situated near the highroad. The virtuous Unda, suspecting no harm, and burning with desire to question the palmer, who had perhaps seen her husband, accepted the invitation, on which Hermgard parted from her with an hypocritical embrace and a triumphant heart.

After the pilgrim had finished her devotions, and fulfilled her vow by founding a yearly mass at the shrine of the saint, she hastened with her Bertha, an infant two years of age, to her new friend, impatient for the wished-for tidings. The lady of Vilenzano met her with demonstrations of joy in the court-yard, conducted her into the castle, and promised to introduce her to the palmer. Scarcely had Unda entered with a heart throbbing with expectation, when Hermgard suddenly changed her tone.

conveyed them both from the Holy Land to Cyprus, where Reifenstein was detained for some time. Thou mayst now return to thy castle as soon as thou wilt." With these words she conducted Unda, more dead than alive, into the fore-court, where an old servant who had attended the lady on her pilgrimage, was waiting for her. Silent, and scarcely conscious of what was passing around her, she arrived at the castle, clasping little Bertha closely to her bosom, as if apprehensive lest she should be again snatched from her embrace.

Frederick had meanwhile arrived at the island of Cyprus, which king Guy, on being driven from Jerusalem, had purchased of the English monarch Richard Cœur de Lion. A gloomy presentiment urged him to hasten his departure, but he was obliged to stay against his will, in compliance with the especial desire of the king and Lusignan, by whom he was held in the highest esteem. Unfortunately, man cannot always act according to the impulse of his feelings. Circumstances often interpose an insuperable barrier, and permit him to advance only step by step, at a time when the most ardent wish of his heart would impel him to an eagle's speed.

"Have I thee in my power at last, traitress," cried she, inflamed with rage; "have I thee in my power at last to sa- At length he embarked and soon arritiate my long suppressed revenge! Many ved at Rome, where he had letters to deyears of sorrow and sadness have I passed; liver to Pope Celestine III. and, strengthit is now thy turn to pass as many. A ened by the blessing of his holiness, he slow poison shall consume thy life, and set out for Tyrol. He flew through despair shall be thy lot! Now chuse be- Italy, had already passed Meran and tween the death of this infant,” she had Partschins, and once more beheld the meanwhile caught up the child, and turrets of his castle, while his heart pointed a dagger to its breast-" or an throbbed vehemently at the idea of meetoath from which no priest shall release ing once more the beloved objects whom thee, never more to embrace thy husband, he had left behind. but to repulse him from thy heart, that thou mayst experience in thy turn the torture which thou hast prepared for me. Chuse-swear-or thy child has not another moment to live."

Vain were the prayers and entreaties of the half fainting Unda to be spared the cruel oath; maternal affection finally overcame every other feeling. "Hold!" cried she to her tormentor, who had already raised her arm to strike-" hold, 1 will swear." Upon the host, which a confederate of the wretch, in the habit of a priest, handed to her, she swore a horrid oath, which was to embitter all her joys, to destroy the happiness of her whole life.

"Now," said Hermgard to her, with a malicious sneer, 66 now mayst thou enjoy if thou canst the society of thy loving husband, who is not far off-such at least is the message which the pious palmer was to bring thee; for the same ship

Two months had elapsed, and the future presented itself to Unda's imagination in darker and still darker colours. The fearful hope had stifled in her bosom every emotion of joy, and tears, bitter tears, which she had once shed only on account of her husband's absence, were now wrung from her by the thought of a meeting equally desired and dreaded. For days together she would sit silent in her bower, with her eyes fixed on the distant horizon or pursuing the winding course of the Adige, where every wave hurrying past to return no more was an emblem of her happiness which had fled for ever. Thus was she one day seated, her head supported on her hand, when a cloud of dust appeared in the distance; it approached nearer, in the direction of the castle; she recognized the plume and scarf of her husband; she rushed down the staircase; overpowered by her emotions, and forgetting the terrific oath,

she sank swooning into the arms of her beloved Crusader.

The first moment of returning consciousness brought with it the recollection of her, heinous offence. With a shriek of anguish she tore herself from his bosom, all the horrors of her violated oath burst upon her soul, and she felt herself loaded with a curse from which she could never more be relieved. She fled to her most retired chamber, locked the door, and tore her hair and wrung her hands in an agony of despair. It was not till she had thus passed two days that, exhausted in mind and body, she listened to the entreaties of her husband soliciting admittance, and made him acquainted with the horrible story. There he stood, pale, gnashing his teeth with rage, shuddering at the artifices of malice, thunderstruck, as well at his own misfortune, as to behold in the wife of his bosom an alien and a criminal laden with the guilt of perjury. No language can describe Unda's despair. Here the husband whom she had been forced to renounce for ever -there the idea of her soul doomed beyond reprieve to eternal perdition-overpowered her senses, and chilled every drop of blood in her veins. For a whole week she lay, sometimes in speechless stupor, sometimes in frightful convulsious; till one evening she secretly put on a hair garment, and fled from the scene of her former happiness, forsaking husband, children, all, and pursued by the keenest pangs of remorse for her supposed crime.

She proceeded to the Carthusian convent of Schnalls, and poured forth the sorrows of her heart into the bosom of the reverend prior; but it was not in his power to give her absolution. "Go, my daughter," said he, kindly to her, while the tears trickled down the deep furrows in his cheeks and fell upon his venerable beard, "go and expiate thy sins with patience and resignation: I have not the power to absolve thee. Seek a solitary place, and in fasting and prayer reconcile thyself with God. In a few years, Heaven may perhaps give thee a sign whether thou mayst venture to throw thyself at the feet of his holiness and to implore pardon." After wandering for some time in the wild valleys of the neighbouring country, she at length reached the dreary tract of the upper Ortzthal: there she found a spacious cavern, in which she built a small chapel of stone; this she made her abode, moss her couch, and roots and herbs her only food.

The fame of her piety soon spread abroad. She was reverenced like a be

neficent divinity by the whole country. She expressed the juice of flowers and plants and cured the sick; she carried peace and consolation into every dwel ling; and whoever needed her assistance had only to apply to the pious recluse. But for her own heart there was no peace, no consolation, and the tormenting thought of the curse that lay upon her soul haunted her incessantly.

Her husband had meanwhile employed all possible means to find out his lost Unda: he explored all Tyrol, with the exception of that solitary spot, without discovering any traces of her. He vowed vengeance against Hermgard, but was spared the trouble of executing it, for she died miserably, and in the agonies of remorse, in consequence of the ill-treatment of her brutal husband.

To be continued.

Lays of a Broken Heart.

(For the Olio.)

TO HEFFUSION FIRST.

Let me not blench thy beauty's bloom With these fond lays of mine,

I would not shade thy brow with gloom,
Not even to be thine.

For, oh, thou, sweet! I love thee so,
That I could almost bear
To see thee to another throw

The heart that I would share.
And I could live, despised, forgot,
And all contented be;
Ay, bless with fervent prayer my lot,
If it brought peace to thee!

If I could know that rare

And chosen heart of thine From grief was free, I should not care Much what became of mine, Oh, let it smoulder then away, Or rot amid the grave; Above it let the light winds play, The dark grass wave.

TO H

EFFUSION SECOND. Oh, heart has never felt What mine has felt for thee; . Such sorrow mingled with Such high felicity.

W. M.

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VARIOUS, and often totally opposite as light to darkness, have been the theories of the earth's formation; which, from time to time, amused and puzzled the learned world. Burnet, Woodward, Scheuchrer, Whiston, Playfair, Hutton, Antonio Lazzaro, Werner, Welch, and lastly Penn, who proudly styles himself the MOSAIC GEOLOGIST, with several others, have published different systems, or endeavoured to erect new ones from the ruins of two opposite theories which they have overthrown. We shall, how ever, for want of room, confine our remarks wholly to the two late systems published by Welch and Penn, both professing, though at direct variance with each other, to be founded on and supported by the Mosaic account of the creation.

The theory of Mr. Welch is as follows -we use his own words::-"I beg leave to assume, that, by the power and word of the Almighty by agency of fire, a union of the gases was effected and which in a state of nebula, uniting, formed a globe of water, of much larger dimensions than the present earth, with its seas, now only encompassing our shores. These gases contained and combined all the proper principles of future matter; it being found that the elementary principles even of the metals is gas, and that by chemical process a variety of matter may be extracted from the sea, the water of which may be converted into hydrogen and oxygen, and those gases reunited, will again produce the same quantity of water. Now a globe of water thus formed became the emporium, or grand magazine; a union of stony particles probably then took place, which when they became specifically heavier than the water, descended from every part to the centre, and formed

a nucleus, whilst the stony particles in their descent obtained from the diurnal motion the form of a spheriod, and to which law all matter uniting is subjected."

"The nucleus being of a nature suited to marine vegetation, plants were by the creative power of the Deity first produced, suited to the waut of testaceous and crustaceous animals. From these sources, I presume, the earth received its gradual increase, that in proportion as vegetables and animals have been produced, the layers or strata have been formed, and the waters lessened; and that in the process of time, the earth approached towards the surface, when the long confined volcanic matter acquired a force superior to the resisting external pressure, burst the hitherto unbroken globe, raised the continents with the mountains, producing various phenomena; also that a progressive work will continue, until vegetables, with animals, cease to exist, and time shall be no more.'

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This hypothesis appears to be a kind of union with the Wernerian and Huttonian systems, and in some points similar to that of Antonio Lazzaro, who finding that Santorini had been elevated from the sea by a volcano, imagined that the whole phænomena of the creation might be easily accounted for in the same way, by lifting all the continents from the ocean with the help of expansion, caused by the central heat, which he thought would also clearly explain the yet inexplicable appearance of bodies now far remote from the sea, the situations of which were once most undoubtedly sub-marine.

As far as geology has yet penetrated, this system does not hold good, because those rocks termed primary contain no remains of organization, nor can the properties with which marine shells are formed be discovered in them by chemical analysis; transition rocks being the lowest in which any thing like fossil remains of animal or vegetable substances are found. 'Tis true D'Aubison asserts that he discovered in some of those rocks. hitherto denominated primitive, among the mountains of Switzerland, organic remains; but this is not sufficient authority on which to ground a theory, much less to support it. Yet it must be allowed that there is far greater plausibility about this hypotheses of Mr. Welch, than about any we yet have seen. But it is not its agreement, or disagreement with geological facts which we have now to examine, but its affinity, or to use part of its title-page, its "union with the Mosaic account of the creation."

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"When ages, or more distant periods of time," continues Welch, had rolled

away, and depositions had increased, so as to approach the surface of the ocean, Jehovah appeared, as recorded by Moses, -And God said let the waters be gather ed together into one place-and let the dry land appear. AND IT WAS SO,' &c. Moses still nobly supports the omnipotence of Deity. Then we have a description by Mr. Welch of the event. "The rocks rent asunder!-the islands rose out of the abyss !-the mountains were then brought forth!-the Alps, the Andes, the Cotopaxi, with the Chimborazo, lifted their lofty heads above the clouds. The sea, as if affrighted, suddenly withdrew to the caverns beneath the deep !"

If this be not a downright contradiction in terms to, instead of a union with Moses, then we know not what can be termed contradiction. Here is first a tedious process of ages, 66 or more distant periods of time," slowly going on for the formation of the world; whereas God, according to Moses, created the HEAVENS as well as the Earth with light also and that in ONE DAY! for at the end of the first day night came. How light could depart and night come before there was any sun created we cannot conceive, nor will any theory or exposition explain; but certain it is, that Moses declares that the light was called day, and the darkness night, on the first day, although the two great lights made to rule over the day and over the night, were not "set in the firmament of heaven" till the fourth day.

It is worse than useless for Welch to pretend, in defence of his system, that the six days is only a "figurative manner of expression relative to the Deity, with whom is neither beginning of days or end of years," nor that the six days by the same historian are called one, in the 2nd chapter and 4th verse, or that the days and weeks in the book of Daniel "allude to long and distant periods;" because, in the first place, this professes to be history, not prophecy; and because, in the second place, Moses positively and distinctly assigns each portion of the Almighty's work of creation to its respective day,-ay, and a day of so many hours caused by the diurnal motion of the globe; for at the end of each day's labour, he constantly asserts that the evening and the morning were the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days. This is so expressly pointed out, so regularly repeated throughout the whole week, and the seventh day named as a day of rest to answer the Lawgiver's design of establishing the Hebrew Sabbath, that it is totally impossible to get over it in any way, or by any explana

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Again-it so happens, according to Moses, that it was not till the fifth day that the waters brought forth abundantly, for on that day it was that "God created great whales, and every living thing that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind. And God blessed them, saying, be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas." Whereas the earth was not only created previous to the inhabitants of the deep, but had brought forth grass, "the herb yielding seed, and the fruit-tree yielding fruit after its kind."

What then becomes of Mr. Welch's theory of a nucleus, of testaceous and crustaceous animals, from whom the earth received its gradual increase with its layer or strata, successively formed of depositions, by which, in the progress of time it approached towards the surface of the surrounding ocean. Moses made a much more expeditious business of it. He says "God created the heavens and the earth at the same time, and on the first day." By the heavens," says Mr. Welch, "I understand the sun and the moon, with our planetary system.” Ay, and the stars also to boot, it seems, "those glorious orbs that surround us, and fill the wide expanse."

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Is there any consistency we would ask in such a theory as this? The earth it appears was unknown periods (if Mr. Welch be correct) in its gradual formation, while the sun, moon, planets, and even the unknown myriads of stars, started all at once into existence, there hav ing been no matter previous to Mr. Welch's gases created; dreary solitude reigning till then with the Omnipotent through all the unbounded regions of everlasting space, and the inconceivable periods of eternity! But surely if the earth were so many ages forming from beds of cockles, periwinkles, limpets, and oysters-the moon, and all the planets of our system, from their apparent analogy, must have had an equal or superior length of time, according to their several magnitudes; for their successive generations of sea-weeds and shells, before they could receive their present form. We will say nothing about the sun or the stars-as philosophers have not yet decided of what. kind of matter they are composed.

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But with all due submission to Mr. Welch, he has no right to suppose the STARS Coetanous with our globe; for, although it is said in the first chapter of Genesis and sixteenth verse, that on the fourth day, "God made two great lights -the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night :-he made the stars also;" yet "he made," in the last clause of the sentence, is an interpolation, and not to be found in the Hebrew. It should therefore be," and the lesser light to rule the night,-the stars also." It is very plain then that it is not the verb made, but rule, which refers to the stars. The moon being to us the superior light when she shines, may well be said to rule the stars as well as the night;-a phrase often to be found in ancient authors, thus Eschylus calls

her

The ancient governess, a mother of the stars.

But we have exhibited enough of Mr. Welch's theory to show that it is not in "unison with the Mosaic account of the creation," and shall now dismiss it altogether, for the purpose of taking a concise view of the still more recent and boasted hypotheses of Penn, who pompously styles himself the MOSAIC GEOLOGIST; (though Welch has a prior and in contradistinction to all other theorists, even, we think, a better right to the title) whom he superciliously denominates MINERAL GEOLOGISTS.

To be continued.

Sair, sair, it grieves my mind, John,
An' it gi'es me mickle woe,
That ye suld be fause hearted,
John Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,
We've trod the boards thegither,
And money a cosey afternoon
Ha'e pass'd wi' ane anither;
Let's tak' the sound advice, John,
O' the carle wi' the frosty pow,
An' just e'en "kiss an' friens" agen,
John Anderson, my jo.

THE TRIAL OF A WIZARD.

THE Conduct of Sir Francis North while upon the bench was in many points worthy of great commendation. Like Sir Matthew Hale, he applied himself to the reformation of the abuses which existed in the law; his mode being to note down the point which appeared to require amendment; and afterwards, when at leisure, to reduce his observations into such a form that an act of parliament might be founded on them. It is supposed by his biographer, that the first idea of the s'atute of frauds proceeded from him; and tions, which afterwards passed into laws, he also asserts, that several other alteraarose from his suggestions. Another proposal of the chief justice was a general ceeded so far in these proposed amendregister for lands; a scheme upon which he worked sincerely." He had proments as to prepare several draughts of bills, which, after his death, were found amongst his papers. In presiding at the trial of causes, the chief justice exerted

THE NEW JOHN ANDERSON MY JO. himself to confine the counsel to the point

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John Anderson, my jo, John,
I wonder what you mean
To cause your groom to go, John,
And hiss me from the scene:
I could not have supposed, John,
That you'd have served me so,
Oh, you're a naughty cruel man,
John Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,

When we were first acquaint,

I helped to rouge your cheeks, John,
And I rubbed your nose with paint;
I took you to John Calcraft,

As very well you know,
And I got you this engagement,
John Anderson, my jo.

John Anderson, my jo, John,
I was your first conceit,
But noo ye've flown to Josephine,
And I maun sigh an' greet!

in question, and to cut down that redundancy of speech, which, he used to observe, "disturbed the order of his thoughts." "He was," says his biographer, very good at waylaying the craft of counsel; for he, as they say, had been in the oven himself, and knew where to look for the pasty." Upon one difficult

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occasion his conduct on the bench was entitled to the highest commendation. "At Taunton Dean," says Roger North, "he was forced to try an old man for a wizard; and for the curiosity of observing the state of a male witch or wizard, I attended in the court, and sat near where the poor man stood. The evidence against him was, the having bewitched a girl of about thirteen years old; for she had strange and unaccountable fits, and used to cry out upon him and spit out of her mouth straight pins; and whenever the man was brought near her, she fell in her fits, and spit forth straight pins. His lordship wondered at the straight pins, which could not be so well couched in the mouth as crooked ones; for such only

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