and not knowing whither. As he was walking along, he met with his companions, who returned to help him out of the well; and they were surprised to see him, inquiring of him who had helped him out. He replied, that he could not tell them; and related the whole affair, and what he had found by the well-side: upon which they perceived how it happened, and laughing heartily, they acquainted him with the reason of their running away, and who they were that had drawn him up. Without making more words, it being now midnight, they went to the great church, into which they found an easy admittance, and passed directly to the tomb, which was of marble, and very magnificent ; and with their levers raised up the cover, which was very heavy, so high that a man might go under, and propped it ; which being done, said one, Who shall go in ?'—' Not I,' cried the other, but Andreuccio shall.'-'I will not go in,' quoth Andreuccio; then they both turned towards him, and said, 'What! won't you go in? We will beat your brains out this moment, if you don't' Terrified at their threats, he consented, and being now within, he began to consider with himself in this manner: These fellows have certainly forced me in here to deceive me, and therefore, when I have given them every thing, and am endeavouring to get out again, they will certainly run away, and I shall be left destitute.' For which reason he resolved to make sure of his part, beforehand; and remembering the ring of value which he had heard them speak of, as soon as ever he got into the vault he took it off the archbishop's finger, and secured it, giving them afterwards the pastoral staff, mitre, and gloves, and stripping him to his shirt, he told them there was nothing else. But they affirming that there was a ring, bid him seek every where for it, whilst he assured them that he could no where find it, and, pretending to look carefully about, he kept them some time waiting for him: at length they, who were fully as cunning as himself, calling to him to search diligently, suddenly drew away the prop which supported the cover, and left him shut up in the vault. Which, when he perceived, you may easily suppose what condition he was in. Many a time did he endeavour with his head and shoulders to raise it up, but in vain; till, overcome with grief, he fell down at last upon the dead body; and whoever had seen him at that time, could scarcely have said, whether there was more life in one than the other. But when he came to himself he lamented most bitterly,

seeing that he was now brought to the necessity of one of these two evils, namely, to die there with hunger, and the stench of the dead carcase, if no one came to help him out; or, if that should happen, and he be delivered, in that case to be hanged for a thief. As he was in this perplexity, he heard the noise of many persons in the church, whom he supposed were come to do what he and his companions had been about, which added greatly to his fear: but after they had raised up the lid and propped it, a dispute arose which should go in; and none caring to do it, after a long contest, said a priest, What are you afraid of? Do you think he will eat you? Dead men cannot bite; I will go in myself." And immediately clapping his breast to the edge of the vault, he attempted to slide down with his feet foremost : which Andreuccio perceiving, and standing up, he caught fast hold of one of his legs, as if he meant to pull him in. The priest upon this making a most terrible outcry, got out immediately; and the rest being equally terrified, ran away, leaving the vault open, as if they had been pursued by a hundred thousand devils. Andreuccio, little expecting this good fortune, got out of the vault, and so out of the church, the same way he came in. And now day-light began to appear, he wandered with the ring on his finger, he knew not whither, till coming to the sea-side, he found the way leading to his inn: there he met with his companions and his landlord, who had been in pain all that night for him; and having related to them all that had passed, he was advised to get out of Naples with all speed; with which he instantly complied, and returned to Perugia, having laid out his money on a ring, whereas the intent of his journey was to have bought horses.

ST JOHNSTOUN.'

It rests with the reader to determine whether, like Sir Fretful Plagiary, we are, upon the whole, so unlucky as not to have the skill even to steal with taste;' but so far as the following specimen is concerned, we would humbly venture to repel all share in that part of Sneer's criticism which charges his friend with gleaning from the refuse of obscure volumes where more judicious plagiarists have been before him.' It is taken from ST JOHNSTOUN,* a work which evinces talent more nearly akin to that of the Author of Waverley, than is displayed in any of the tales founded on Scottish history which it has been our fate to encounter. We do not, indeed, meet with descriptions of localities and scenery peculiar to

The northern realms of ancient Caledon

Where the proud Queen of Wilderness hath placed

By lake and cataract her lonely throne,

capable of vying with those in Waverley, the Legend of Montrose, or Rob Roy; but the same practical good sense and manliness of sentiment, the same intimacy with the humour and sagacity, with the prejudices, courage, and enthusiasm which enter into the composition of Scottish character, are here found united to a similar accuracy of knowledge as to the public transactions in which the story is involved, as well as a similar acquaintance with human life, and tact for the skilful observation of human nature.

* St Johnstoun, or John, Earl of Gowrie. Edinburgh, 1824. Maclacklan and Stewart. 3 vols. 12mo.

Though not a small portion of this work might be branded as a failure, yet even its dullest parts are interspersed with passages of force and energy. Its greatest fault-that of being too evidently an imitation-is regarded as venial by the reader, when he finds the royal personage who figures so conspicuously in the Fortunes of Nigel, again brought forward, not only with all the recommendations of old acquaintance, but, with a fidelity which discovers many traits in his character lightly, if at all, touched upon in that work. Altogether, the delight which every reader of taste must derive from these volumes, will induce him to hope, that their fair author (for so we are instructed to speak by that veracious lady Common Fame-who must in courtesy be allowed to ask, with Autolycus, why should I carry lies abroad?') will soon redeem her pledge, by favouring the public with a continuation of the valuable manuscript, whose discovery is so capriciously related in an ill-timed valedictory epistle of most unconscionable length.

JAMES VI. AT HOLYROOD.

THE inhabitants of that part of the palace of Holyrood next the Park were disturbed betimes in the morning by the noise of a hundred hammers, which resounded in preparation for the performance to be exhibited in the open air, which attracting the attention of all within its hearing, quickly caused inquiries to be made as to the intent of the operations. The answers given to these questions spread with the rapidity of lightning through the city, and to the utmost limits of its suburbs. A report of the revival of their ancient May-games, by the authority of his majesty, soon sent hundreds to ascertain its truth, by becoming themselves eye-witnesses of the preparations then making for them in the King's Park. The ministers of Edinburgh took the alarm, and endeavoured to persuade the people to continue at their usual occupations. But it was in vain that they hurried from place to place, exhorting the timid, and threatening the obstinate. All alike joined the flood that was pouring toward the Park, and Edinburgh seemed to be

emptied of its population long before the hour of exhibi

tion.

The day was uncommonly favourable for the purpose, the air being soft and balmy, in a degree unusual to the climate at that season of the year. The sun in his cloudless progress exerted his genial influence on all around, and expanded the buds of the plane-tree and such others of early foliage as were intermixed with the stately oaks, which, with browner and graver aspect, still defied his power. The spot fixed on for the players' performance, was an open space, nearly opposite to the back of the palace, where the new spring grass of freshest green, studded here and there with the early wild flower, presented a thick soft carpet of enamelled turf. On a perfectly level part of this space, was a long platform, about ten feet wide, raised about five feet above the ground, to which a flight of steps gave access at each end. On the centre of this was placed the royal canopy of scarlet cloth, fringed with gold, above two chairs covered with the same materials, and elevated a step higher than two benches that run from end to end in a line with them on each side, covered with tapestry, which serving also as a carpet for the platform, fell down in front of it to the ground. To the right and left of this were two long wooden benches, fixed on the turf, for the accommodation of such of the followers of the King and the noblemen present as were raised above the rank of menials; and from each end of them ran barriers which entered a square space from the intrusion of the spectators, sufficient for the free movements of the actors. These preparations were carried on with such vigour, that all was in readiness for the reception of their majesties before the appointed hour of two o'clock in the afternoon; and the populace were so eager for the representation to begin, that it required some exertion in the King's guard, who had been placed there at an early hour, to keep them in order.

Satisfaction and glee were painted in each face, from the burly peasant, in his garments of coarse grey, or sky blue coloured cloth, with his flat broad blue bonnet, to the richer tradesman, in a cloth of English or French manufacture. And here and there some young scape-grace of more equivocal occupation, affecting a costume between the citizen and the courtier, clad in stuff, ornamented with silk lace, with hat and short feather, rapier and cloak, might be seen urging his way to obtain next the platform a place best suited to