they languish or lie dormant? Will he never learn to blush at the inheritance of false prejudices, which the Guelph or the Ghibelline, or some weak ancestor, has bequeathed him?—From the moment that he hails every Italian, whether the mild native of the Milanese plain, or the rough wanderer of the Calabrian range, as a fellow-countryman, from that moment his glory will consist in the nurture of whatever can conduce to the welfare of his country. Let him become nationally an Italian, nor fear that he will cease individually to be a Tuscan, or a Neapolitan! S.

THE HARP, A TALE.

FROM THE GERMAN OF THE POET KÖRNER: ADDRESSED TO SUCH AS BELIEVE IN THE AGENCY OF SPIRITS.

THE Secretary Sellner had begun to taste the first spring of happiness with his youthful bride. Their union was not founded on that vague and evanescent passion which often lives and dies almost in the same moment-sympathy and esteem formed the basis of their attachment. Time and experience, without diminishing the ardour, had confirmed the permanence, of their mutual sentiments. It was long since they had discovered that they were formed for each other, but want of fortune imposed the necessity of a tedious probation; till Sellner, by obtaining the patent for a place, found himself in possession of an easy competence, and on the following Sunday brought home in triumph his long-betrothed bride. A succession of ceremonious visits for some weeks engrossed many of those hours that the young couple would have devoted to each other. But no sooner was this onerous duty fulfilled, than they eagerly escaped from the intrusion of society to their delicious solitude; and the fine summer evenings were but too short for plans and anticipations of future felicity. Sellner's flute and Josephine's harp filled up the intervals of conversation, and with their harmonious unison seemed to sound the prelude to many succeeding years of bliss and concord. One evening, when Josephine had played longer than usual, she suddenly complained of head-ache: she had, in reality, risen with this symptom of indisposition, but concealed it from her anxious husband; naturally susceptible of nervous complaints, the attention which she had lent to the music, and the emotions it excited in her delicate frame, had increased a slight indisposition to fever, and she was now evidently ill. A physician was called in, who so little anticipated danger that he promised a cure on the morrow. But after a night spent in delirium, her disorder was pronounced a nervous fever, which completely baffled the efforts of medical skill, and on the ninth day was confessedly mortal. Josephine herself

was perfectly sensible of her approaching dissolution, and with mild resignation submitted to her fate.

Addressing her husband, for the last time, she exclaimed :— "My dear Edward, Heaven can witness it is with unutterable regret that I depart from this fair world, where I have found with thee a state of supreme felicity; but though I am no longer permitted to live in those arms, doubt not thy faithful Josephine shall still hover round thee, and as a guardian-angel encircle thee till we meet again." She had scarcely uttered these words when she sunk on her pillow, and soon fell into a slumber, from which she awoke no more; and when the clock was striking nine, it was observed that she had breathed her last. The agonies of Sellner may be more easily conceived than described during some days it appeared doubtful whether he would survive; and when, after a confinement of some weeks, he was at length permitted to leave his chamber, the powers of youth seemed paralysed, his limbs were enfeebled, his frame emaciated, and he sunk into a state of stupor, from which he was only to be roused by the bitterness of grief. To this poignant anguish succeeded a fixed melancholy; a deep sorrow consecrated the memory of his beloved her apartment remained precisely in the state in which it had been left previous to her death;-on the worktable lay her unfinished task; the harp stood in its accustomed nook, untouched and silent; every night Sellner went in a sort of pilgrimage to the sanctuary of his love, and taking his flute, breathed forth, in deep plaintive tones, his fervent aspirations for the cherished shade. He was thus standing in Josephine's apartment, lost in thought, when a broad gleam of moonlight fell on the open window, and from the neighbouring tower the watchman proclaimed the ninth hour; at this moment, as if touched by some invisible spirit, the harp was heard to respond to his flute in perfect unison. Thunderstruck at this prodigy, Sellner suspended his flute, and the harp became silent; he then began, with deep emotion, Josephine's favourite air, when the harp resumed its melodious vibrations, thrilling with ecstasy. At this confirmation of his hopes he sunk on the ground, no longer doubting the presence of the beloved spirit; and whilst he opened his arms to clasp her to his breast, he seemed to drink in the breath of spring, and a pale glimmering light flitted before his eyes. "I know thee, blessed spirit," exclaimed the bewildered Sellner, " thou didst promise to hover round my steps, to encircle me with thy immortal love. Thou hast redeemed thy word; it is thy breath that glows on my lips; I feel myself surrounded by thy presence." With rapturous emotion he snatched the flute, and the harp again responded, but gradually its tones became softer, till the melodious murmurs ceased, and all again was silent. Sellner's feeble frame was completely disor

dered by these tumultuous emotions; when he threw himself on his bed it was only to rave deliriously of the harp after a sleepless night he rose only to anticipate the renewal of his emotions; with unspeakable impatience he awaited the return of evening, when he again repaired to Josephine's apartment, where, as before, when the clock struck nine, the harp began to play, in concert with the flute, and prolonged its melodious accompaniment till the tones gradually subsided to a faint and tremulous vibration, and all again was silent. Exhausted by this second trial, it was with difficulty that Sellner tottered to his chamber, where the visible alteration in his appearance excited so much alarm, that the physician was again called in, who, with sorrow and dismay, detected aggravated symptoms of the fever which had proved so fatal to Josephine; and so rapid was its progress that in two days the patient's fate appeared inevitable. Sellner become more composed, and revealed to the physician the secret of his late mysterious communications, avowing his belief that he should not survive the approaching evening. No arguments could remove from his mind this fatal presage; as the day declined, it gained strength; and he earnestly entreated, as a last request, to be conveyed to Josephine's apartment. The prayer was granted. Sellner no sooner reached the wellknown spot than he gazed with ineffable satisfaction on every object endeared by affectionate remembrance.

The evening hour advanced; he dismissed his attendants, the physician alone remaining in the apartment. When the clock struck nine Sellner's countenance was suddenly illumined, the glow of hope and pleasure flushed his wan cheeks, and he passionately exclaimed-" Josephine, greet me once more at parting, that I may overcome the pangs of death." At these words the harp breathed forth a strain of jubilee, a sudden gleam of light waved round the dying man, who, on beholding the sign, exclaimed-" I come, I come, to thee," and sunk senseless on the couch. It was in vain that the astonished physician hastened to his assistance, and he too late discovered that life had yielded in the conflict. It was long before he could bring himself to divulge the mysterious circumstances which had preceded Sellner's dissolution; but once, in a moment of confidence, he was insensibly led to make the detail to a few intimate friends, and finally produced the harp, which he had appropriated to himself as a legacy from the dead.

CAPTIVITY OF ALEXANDER SCOTT.

(Concluded from page 359.)

OUR traveller, after taking leave of the pilgrims at the shrine of Sidna Mahommed El Hêzsh, embarked in the same boat to return to El Ghiblah, which, during his sojournment at the Sanctuary, had been employed in carrying over passengers as they arrived.

"Scott remarked that the opposite shore of the lake was not visible, even in the clearest weather, from El Hêzsh, on account of the lowness of the land. There being more wind than when they came, and it being fair, they placed two oars across each other by way of a mast, and spread on them a long narrow blanket, such as they wrap round their bodies, as a sail*. They left the shore of El Hêzsh, or the Sanctuary, a little after mid-day, and arrived on the opposite side at day-break the next morning (as Scott supposes about six o'clock.) In this voyage they had the advantage of sail and oars, and continued under way all night."

Scott was prohibited from conversing with the boatmen during this voyage, because he would not change his religion. The hire of the boat being settled, which was three camels for every family taken over and brought back, the party returned by the same route they came from El Ghiblah. After travelling a month, they came to the forest before described. While going through it, they saw some of the black people called Bambarras, who were armed with bows and arrows, and were quite naked. The Arabs attacked the Negroes, and many of them were wounded; at length they overcame their antagonists, and took eight prisoners. These were brought to the tents, bound hand and foot, and the next morning carried away by the Arabs, who pursued their journey. The Negroes were tattooed, or marked by three diagonal cuts on each cheek, and a horizontal one across the forehead.

"After this the caravant travelled about a month and a half over hard ground, with small hills covered with low wild bushes, but with

In the former part of this narrative, our traveller informs us that there was a hole in the centre of the boat to fix a mast; but he here remarkably confirms the following passage in Jackson's account of Marocco, page 310. Speaking of the boats here alluded to, Mr. Jackson says, "They have no sails, but when the wind is favourable, two oars are set up perpendicularly on each side of the boat, to which is fastened a large hayk, or spreading garment, which serves as a substitute for a sail." -Note, the hayk is a piece of woollen cloth about five feet wide, and from ten to twelve feet long, and is the envelope of the Moorish dress, and also that of the located Arabs.

It appears that these marks designate the Negroes of Bambarra, as other cuts do Negroes of other countries. Whilst these poor creatures remain in Sudan, the marks serve to claim them as the property of such a king or chief; but when north of the Sahara, every clue to their recovery or restoration is lost.

These caravans are called by the Arabs Kâffila, sing. Kuaffel plur.

out trees; but there were trees of considerable magnitude in the low ground through which they occasionally passed. About this time they came to a large valley where there had been much rain, and a considerable quantity of fresh water was in it. Here meeting with shrubs and herbs, the caravan sojourned six moons, living principally on goats' milk during this sojournment: plundering parties went out from time to time, and brought back camels, corn, &c. When the camels and goats had stripped the bushes and eat the green herbs, they sent a party to look out for another place of encampment, and when they had discovered a suitable spot, the whole party set out for it, taking three days to reach the new district. Here they remained two or three months, without any thing remarkable occurring, until the trees began to lose their leaves, all the vegetables withered, and the ground dried up, when the whole caravan set out direct for El Ghiblah.

"For a week or two they went over hard ground, and then came to sandy valleys, quite barren, and without any vegetable on them, except the palm-like tree El Myrreh, before noticed. In little more than a week they got over this sandy district, and in about another week again arrived at El Ghiblah, but not in the exact spot from which they had taken their departure.

"They pitched their tents, however, by some wells, and seemed to consider themselves at home. They always avoided going too far to the northward, for fear of being taken by the Moors, subjects of the Emperor of Morocco, between whom and the wandering Arabs of the Desert, there is a deadly hatred and a perpetual war. At El Ghiblah the black prisoners taken in their contest with the Bambarras, were sold to some people from Wednoon, at eighty dollars each."

Our traveller informs us, that the tribe was now held in greater estimation by their neighbours than before their journey to Hezsh el Hezsh, and the men were now called* Sidi el Hezsh Hezsh.

Scott was frequently beaten during this journey, as he apprehends, for not having renounced his religion; but we suspect that, as the Arabs are vindictive against all who sleep much, and as Scott indulged himself in the morning, contrary to their customs, he incurred their displeasure more from this cause than from any religious propensity.

Scott says, the country is divided into four parts: the northern is called Till, which extends to about 100 miles south of Wednoon; the western is called Sachell†. Zerrohah lies east

*We have before explained the term Hezsh el Hezsh; the term El Hezshhezsh, which is one word only, signifies a person who has just returned from performing the pilgrimage to Mekka. The word Sidi, or Master, Monsieur, or Mr. is prefixed to the name of all persons who have performed this pilgrimage, however poor and needy they may be. All shereefs (princes) have also the prefix Sidi to their names. apprehend the saint, whose sanctuary Scott visited, must have been a descendant of the prophet Muhamed.

We

+ Sahell signifies any plain or flat country. Most of the ships which have been wrecked on this shore, have run aground at this flat part of the coast.