•

THE· ,

SHIRBURNIAN.No. XI,"

"A trivial Grammar School text, but worthy .. wiso man's consideration."-Dacon', Essay on Boldncss.

JUNE, 1860,

PRIOE ONE SIlILLING

SHERB"ORNE:

JAMES ELLIS. BOOKSELLER, PARADE.

•

THE SHIRBURNIAN,

VOL. II. JUN1~, 1860. No. XI.

ANGELO DI ROMA.-A TALE OF A VANISHED AGE.

CHAPTER HI.

It was yule time, and the winu was roaring rounu the Castleof Sir Bewolf of Drontheim. The pines of the forest shook them·'

selves for terror, aou the knotted and stunteu oaks swung to andfro their weird wild arms, anu creaked and moaneu in pain, as the

spirit of the storm swept howling and shrieking through theforest, and the broken boughs !leu all aghast l>efore him. Wildand loud without, and wild and merry within. The yule logs,piled and heaped together, blazed in the huge olu hall. The

knight and his retainers, and Sir J\l:ervin the Blaek-browed, hisguest, feasted and shouted loudly in their glee, anu passed thegoblets rounu. In the midst of all the noise anu uproar of themerriment Angelo ui Roma, sau but self-possessed, sat beside Sir

Bewolf, and poured out his wine. Six years hau passed since theN orthmen picked him up senseless from the sands, as thp,y made

off to their ships. For a long time he lay apparently lifeless,and was far away from his native land before he awoke, frightenedand bewildered, to consciousness. He never had wakened more,

had not Kunimund, the old Norlanu Saga, tended him by com·mand of Sir Bewolf, the chief of the marauding party. For hethought, he is fair and comely, and I have no son, and will make

l{

ANGELO DJ nOMA.

at least a pretty }Jage. And the herbs of the Saga and the freshsea brecze gradually restorcd Angelo to health. And the boywept for his home in the night-time, but in the day he hid hissorrows. Five monthR were they in reaching the shores ofNorway, and he shivered with eold aR they neared its ruggedcoast, and wrapped himself in the bear-skin which Kunimund hadgiven him. But when they came to the Castle of Drontheim hisscrvice was to attend Sir Bewolf; and he went out hunting thewolf and the bear with him j and in course of time he grew up

well made and strong, expert in hurling the spear and unrivalledfor the dexterity with which he wielded the battle-axe. SirBewolf was very kind to him, and Angelo loved him, but hatedSir Mervin of the Castle of the Bear, surnamed the B1ack-browed-the fiercest and most gigantic warrior in all Norway. AndSir Bewolf loved the boy the more that he sang wild songs to theh:up j and Sir Bewolf adopted him as his son. And now, asAngelo sat beside the old knight, the warriors grew wild withwassail and wine, and drank to W oden and Thor, and the oldknight rose up and laid his hand on the boar's head that wasplaced before him. And Sir Mervin the Black-browed glancedat Angelo di Roma, and said, "Let us swear now to sack Romeere yule-tide comes round again." The Roman sprang up inindignation and struck the chords of his harp, and sang of Balderthe Beautiful, and his musie flowed in rapturous strains. The oldknight paused with his hand on the boar's head; his warriorslistened as if enchanted, while the Roman sung the followingstrain in the wild Norsc language, which Kunimund the Saga hadtaught him :-" The dark black wings of night enveloped theearth with their shadow, and sad were the hearts of men as theywatched for the rising of dawn and called upon W oden and Thor j

but they neither answered nor heard them, but increased yet morein their anger the night of the darkness. Rent of a sudden theclouds, and, lo! in the midst of the heavens Balder the Beautifulappeared clad in celestial glory, leapt from his chariot of fire, leavinghis splendour behind him, and, alighting in Holy Land, walkedforth in the form of a man. Sprung up to life as he passed the

ANGELO DI ROMA. 75

flowers under his footsteps, and shone in the light of his eyes thesilent peaks of the mountains. Sing ye, sing ye, oh how glad was

the earth in his presence! Then dark grew the brows of W oden,and thundered Thor in his anger, because that Baldcr had scat­tered the clouds of their pestilent darkness j and smiting the

Beautiful, maddened with anger they slew him, lifted him nailedon a cross as a sign of their wrath to the nations. And theBeautiful, shrouded in death, passed down like a shadow into thegulf of the grave, and the earth closed over his sorrows. Thenthe flowers withered away and vanished the light from the moun­

tains, and darkness covered the lands and veiled the loud rage of

the sea. Then feasted \Vodcn and Thor in the haughty pride oftheir triumph, rejoiced in the deed they had done, and thought

that their reign was eternal. But flashed forth light of a suddenand pierced through night's shadows in triumph, and Balder arosefrom the grave clad as a victor resplendent, and drove from HolyLand W oden and Thor in confusion, followed them over the seaas they fled on the wings of their terror, hurled down their altarsat Rome, and reared him an altar eternal. Under a different

name there BnJdcr thc Beautiful reigneth, and streameth frompalace and tower the blood-red cross as his banner. Sing ye, sing

ye, sacred be ever the place of his temple j cursed, yea, cursed behe that reveres not the city eternal. Strike the harp, strike theharp! the lords of darkness arc hurled from their strongholds;

smitten are W oden and Thor, the demons of wrong and oppression.So I will smite them now, urged on by the spirit of Balder."

He placed down his harp as he uttered these last words, and,

snatching quickly a battle-axe from behind him, shivered theimages of W oden and Thor that stood on the banquet-table j then

-turning his flashing eyes on the aghast Northmen-said, "Be­hold, they cannot avenge, but lie prostrated in ruin."

Then, in the midst of the dismay and indignation he had excited,

the Roman took quickly again his harp, and played and ceased

not, for he knew the influence of music and eloquence on thepassions of men, and perceived that his life hung on the breath of

his voice, for brows were blackened, swords were drawn, and the

76 ANGELO DI nOMA.

!lavage assembly glared terribly upon him by the light of theflaming logs of yule; yet they approached not, but remained spell­bound by the enchantment of hi8 strains. And as the Roman

!ltood there, graceful and erect, his long dark lustrous curls stream­ing over his shoulders, his dazzling beauty in marked contrast

with the weird-looking faces around, the genius of eloquence on hislips, the soul of inspiration in his eye, all the wildness of his soulflashed into his face, warding off death by the passionate harmony

.of his voice, he seemed the splendid embodiment of some immortaldream. He sang of suffering and sorrow, and the hearts of his

wild auditors melted within them. He sang of a glorious struggleon behalf of the oppressed, and the breasts of the wolfish-eyed

warriors heaved in indignation, and they rattled their arms to­gether in impetuous desire for battle. Majestic and mysteriousharmony seized his strain. He poured forth the wonders of HolyLand, and the assembly, lately so wild and uproarions, listened

enchained in awe and admiration. Then, smiting his harp sharply,he said, "The blood-red sign of the cross streams over the castleof Drontheim." Then Sir Bewolf and the Northmen rose up in

haste, and took down the banner of the Cross from the wall whereit hung above the spoils of the South as a trophy, and were about

to take it forth and rush wildly up the castle stairs, when Sir:M:ervin the Black-browed struck his harp fiercely and said, "Whois this insolent slave that defieth the gods of our fathers 1 By'Voden and Thor he shall perish, pierced by the spear of destruc­tion." He spoke, and hurled his heavy spear at the breast of the

Roman. Swiftly it sped, and true was its aim, but the Romanwith the quickness of thought turned it aside with his battle-axe;

and it struck a suite of armour, and the armour clashed and fell.

And the N orthmen cried out in admiration. But the Roman,

quickly dropping his ponderous weapon, seized the boar's headfrom the table, swung it at his opponent and smote him on thetemples: And Sir Mervin fell senseless. Then the Roman tookthe banner of the Cross and went forth, and the awe-struck

warriors followed, Sir Bewolf leading the way. And the ghostlyprooession passed in silence, winding up the turret stairs. And

ANGELO DI RO}[A. 77

it was midnight, and the wind' was howling in turret and tree,'when the sign of the Cross first streamed from the towers of

Drontheim.Then the retainers of Sir J\Iervin, who had remained behind in

the gliIllmering hall while the rest went up the tower to raise thebanner of the cross, lifted their lord up and bore him away insilence, beneath the stars of heaven, to his Castle of the Bear.And they laid him on his bed, but he arosc up suddenly from llisswoon, vowing terrible vcngmnce on Sir Bcwolf and his adoptcdson. And he went forth from castle to castle, striking his harp,

and invoking vengeance for the insults done to the gods of the bnd J

And the lords of the mountains and the lords of the coast besiegcdSir Bewolf in the Castle of Drontheim. And Angelo di Romaperformed prodigies of valour j but at the last the good knight, SirBewolf, died, pierced by the spear of Sir l\Iervin the Black­browed. Then Angelo di ROlmt fled from thc Castlc of Dron­

theim by night (for his men fcaring the fury of Sir l\Iervin had

conspired against him) with Kunimund the Seer, and a few Romancaptives, vowing vengeance against the proud destroyer of SirBewol£. And they came to the sea shorc and embarked in haste,and after they h;],d w[Lndered from thdr course and suffered manythings, [Lnd half of their crew had perished from lnlllger and ex­haustion, they came to the lovely island of Sicily, and thence madetheir way to Rome. There Angelo made himself known to the

bishop and the nobles of his city. And they gave him the pos­sessions of his father and his Castle di Roma, that stood on one ofthe hills within the Imperial walls. And as he was taking

possession of his property, and making himself known to hisretainers, tidings were brought to Rome that the Castle di St.Angelo was besieged and hard pressed by the N orthmen, who

were led on by a gigantic warrior of terrible and irresistible might.Then Angelo di Roma assembled his men in great haste, andmounting a fleet horse, led them forth, but, being in great haste,

he outsped his men, with orders to follow with all speed. Now

Sir Mervin the Black-browed, being greatly enraged that Angelodi Roma had escaped his hand when he h[Ld burned down the

78 ANGELO DI ROMA.

Castle of Sir Bewolf of Drontheim, gathered a great armamenttogether, and, hoisting the banner of the Bear in his great ship,(which was the largest in all Norway) set sail for Italy, vowing, byThor the Thunderer, to destroy the Castle of St. .Angelo whencethe whelp of a Roman had been captured, put its garrison to thesword, and then march on and sack the Imperial city; and so theysailed many days, and after a prosperous course, neared theheadland of St. .Angelo.

CHAPTER IV.

HARD pressed was the Castle of St. .Angelo. The Northmen hadbeleaguered it all round, and cut off its supplies. Its lord, SirLudovico di Carrara, lay wounded in bed. The wild cries of theN orthmen, as they called upon W oden and Thor, and thunderedup to the very gates, filled him with gloomy forebodings. Howperseveringly, thought he, they have continued the siege, returningagain and again to the attack. .A skilful and terrible warrior istheir leader. Oh, Christ! if they should storm us, what wouldbecome of Leoline 1 .And the wounded knight sickened at thethought, and, grasping at a crucifix that lay before him, becameabsorbed in earnest devotion.

Meanwhile the turmoil of the battle increased, and the North­m~n attempted to storm the castle for the third time that day.Their leader was a gigantic man in black armour. From hishelmet waved the plume of the raven. The device on his shieldwas a representation of W oden and Thor scattering their enemies,and beneath a bear rampant. He rode the black charger of SirLudovico di Carrara, whom he had stricken senseless from hissaddle in a sally which that brave knight had made on the pre·vious day, and whom the heroic devotion of his followers, and theexpense of many lives, had scarcely been able to bear off from thefury of his blows. From his saddle hung an enormous battleaxe,

and from his thigh was suspended a heavy broadsword.

(To lie continued)

}IY FIRST BEAR-HUNTING EXPEDITION.

MY FIRST BEAR-HUNTING EXPEDITION.

I lWST begin by telling whoever may read these pages that wewere marching with our regiment to a new station; and as wehad already becn about six weeks on the road without anythingby way of amusement, except wild duck and snipe shooting, andas this came regularly evcry day, it was beginning to be lookcdupon as rathcr slow; and so you may imagine we were greatlydelighted when, one day on reaching our new encampment, ashikaree, or native hunter, came and told us that on a hill aboutfour miles away there were plenty of bears. So Smith, Thompson,and myself, having obtained leave to stay behind when the regi..ment marched next day, busied ourselves in casting bullets,cleaning rifles, and making preparations for the expedition. Thebears of this country (India), as you may perhaps know, nevertouch a man unless first attacked; but if one does get enraged hecharges, and raising himself on hind legs, holds his enemy firmlywith his front paws, and with his hind ones tears and claws outhis inside. During the day time they genemlly stay in their dens,which are usually sitnated on the side of a rocky hill, and at nightcome down into the low land to feed, returning again at dawn thenext morning. We therefore started at about 4 a.m., so as toreach our destination before sunrise. The shikaree showed ustheir den, about half way up the hill, covered with stones andbushes, and on the top were the ruins of an old native fortress.We had Imrdly arrived and hid ourselves near the mouth of theC',we, when a noise made us look below-and, at a little distance,we saw three large bears approaching. As they did not see us wowaited till they came to within about fifty paces of where we were,and then opened fire, at which they stopped short, but almostimmediately afterwards the foremost one charged us, but wasluckily rolled over by Thompson-who by-the-by is one of the bestshots in this part of the country-sending a bullet through thebrute's horseshoe-a mark in the centre of a bear's chest of thatpeculiar form. I, in the meanwhile, rushed up the hill withoutwaiting to load the one barrel already discharged, hoping to get

80 THE IUME OP TIlE SEEDY llAlUnSTERE.

a ~hot at the other two wl~o had gone round to the other side

of the hill. Just as I had reached the top, Bruin came round a

part of the ruins about 150 yards distant, and was after me atonce. I had just time to fire my remaining barrel, the ball ofwhich, I afterwards found, had just grazed his shoulder, and then

I turned round and legged it down the hill as hard as I could,Bruln following behind. Most luckily I met T. and S., who cameup the hill for the same purpose as I had, and they immediatelyopened fire, and rolled him over after two or three shots. This

was considered very good sport to kill two bears in one day,

especially as they were good large ones. All this time there hadbeen a most horrible hulla-baloo, the bears growling and makingtheir own particular noise, which, of all sounds, is most fearful,

-the natives who carried our guns screaming and shouting, andourselves making more noise than all trying to keep them quiet.

After this we rode back to camp, and for the next three or fourdays were employed in stretching and trying to tan the skins andmaking bear's grease; and thus ended my first, though, I hope, not

my last, Bear-hunt.

K. J.

THE RIME OF THE SEEDY BARRISTERE.

PART I.

An ancient Barristermeeteth three !(allantsgoing to the Theatre,and detaineth one.

It is a seedy Barristere,And he stoppeth one of three;

" By thy threadbare robe and fishy eye,Now wherefore stoppest thou me1

The theatre doors are opened wide,The folks are sl,reaming in,

~.iay'st be quite sure, the overtureWill now full soon begin."

THE RIME OF THE SEEDY BARRISTERE.

He holds him with his long thin hand," A Rifle Corps," quoth he.

" Hold off, drop this, thou seedy loon! 'Eftsoons his hand dropt he.

81

The gallant is spell·bound by the eye ofthe Barrister, and con­strained to hear histale.

The Barrister tellshow at a public dinnerhe became obfuscatedthrough much good li·quor, and found nextday he had, unawares,joined a Rifle Corps.

The Theatre·goerheareth the Overture,but the Barrister con·tinueth his tale.

L

He holds him with his fishy eye­The gallant now stands still,

And listens like a three years child:The Barristere hath his will.

The gallant he stands in the street,He cannot choose but hear;

And thus Bpake on that seedy ID:tn,The grey-wigged Barristere.

"The Bpeech waB cheered, the table cleared,Heavily did I drop

Below my ehair, on to the floor,Was heard a mighty flop.

The Bun came up upon the right,Over the tiles came he :

Then I arose, and then my foesA Rifleman called me.

For I opposed the Rifle Corps,And hated them like sin"­

The other swore, for at the door,His friends were pressing in.

And now he hears the overture,The music is begun;

His hopes of getting in are gone,He feels he is done brown.

But though still more he cursed and sworeYet he cannot choose but hear,

And thus spake on that seedy man,The grey-wigged Barristere:-

82 TIlE RIME OF TUE SEEDY BARRISTERE.

The hard"hip of dril­ling, and the imperti·nence of the youthfulmob.

Till a lonely dog aI'­pearedthrou~h the mistand was received withjoy and kindness.

And la! the dogproveth a beast ofgood omen.

The Barrister inhos­pitably killeth the beastof good omen.

His misfortunes inbeing captured by thepolice, and thereby los­mg his business.

" And then the drilling came, and itWas deuced hard and long,

Although in tunics and gold braid'Ve came it uncommon strong.

And though there was both mist and snow,And the frost did chill our toes;

Small cads were standing looking on,A thumb to every nose!

The boys were here, the boys were there,The boys were all around,

They grinned and howled, we swore and growled,Like noises in a swound !

At length appeared a lonely cur,All through the fog it came,

As if it had been a Christian soul,We hailed it just the same.

And the raw East wind was stilled behind,The lonely dog did follow,

And every day for food or playCame to the Rifleman's hallo."

"God save thee, seedy Ranister,From the fiends that plague thee thus !­

What didst thou do l"-"With my rifle newI shot the dog!'

l'ART lI.

"Again the East wind blew behind,But no poor dog did follew,

Nor any day for food or playCame to the Rifleman's hallo.

The peelers, those blue-coated men,Did work me woe and grief,

And for my sin they took me up :I saw no more a brief.

The Barrister payethpenalty for his crime.

THE LAW OF LIBERTY.

I paid a fine of shillings nine,Like one of sense forlorn,

A sadder, not a wiser manI rose the morrow moro."

83

G. G.

'fIlE LAW OF LIBERTY.

A FRAGMENT.

SumIISSION to Law is thc universal law. Tho whole creation is

full of order, and order implics law. \Ve look to the spheres.:the Sun, with unfailing regularity, performs his daily course; the

places of the Stars in their orbits can be calculatcd with unerringcertainty; the Seasons return in unvarying ordcr. We look to

the Earth: there is the same precision of arrangement. If thetelescope revcals conformity to law in worlds invisible fromdistance, no loss doos the microscope show the same laws obcyed

in spheres equally invisiblc from minutcncss. In every part of

'creation too where thero is lifc, be it animal or vegetable, no lessthan in inanimate nature, thc most exquisite and varied adaptationof form and oolour, of constitution and habit, which beoomes only

more apparent as rescrLrch is crLrried further, tells us of law withinlaw, of hrLrmony and interdependence. Or if any dislike this

manner of regarding nature, alid believe rather that the circum­stances have reacted on the original constitution, changing oldhabits and inducing new ones, till at last in the process of

development barely a trace of the origmal structure is left; yeteven this only supplies us with a new instrLnce of conformity to apowerful law, a1,1d begcts in us fresh wonder rLt that mightyProvidence which not alone foresees the necessity, but transfersto His creatures the crLprLbility of adaptation and change.

It needs but a moment's thought to sce that the case is so;

though when stated broadly the principle is not alwaYR at first

84 THE LAW OF LIBERTY.

sight recognised. But it is an idea deeply-rooted in the minds of

men, and has ever been so from earliest times-to which fact the

Greek~ have left us a witness in their word for 'universe,' andeven in the names of 'the gods' themselves. So deeply-rooted isit, that all the investigations of science are grounded on this one

assumption. We perform an experiment because we believe that

what has once happened will under like circulllstance~ happenagain; which is but l\ declaration in other words that invariable'

laws govern every portion of the world More than this; our

experiments must be conducted in accordance with the knownlaws of Nature; for Nature, in Lord Bacon's words-" Non nisiparendo vincitur"-will only be overcome by, and yield up hersecrets to, those who obey her laws. So strong is our belief inthis universal prevalence of law, testified to by many a household

word and homely remark, that we go on searching out the lawsof the tides and currents, wind and rain, with energy only the

more spurred on as they baffle our ingenuity, but never doubtingthat these elements, whose very fickleness has passed into a

provcrb, are really governed by laws as strenuous and little to becontravened as those which hold the planets in their courses.

This unanimity of men of every age and country, educated as

well as ignorant, brought up to different creeds, different theories,different prejudices, in shOlt under every possible combination of

circumstances, is of itself a strong argument for its truth. The

proverb, " Vox populi, vox Dei," is not always true: it might, as

Coleridge has remarked, be no less true to say, " Vox populi, voxlJiaboli;" but when the" consensus gentium" runs on thus fromage to age; and when, notwithstanding that free liberty of dis­

cussion exists and that scientific men in every branch of learning

have labored and are labouring still to test its veracity, this

belief increases, then surely we may acknowledge a deeper voicethan the mere echo of public opinion, and recognise the suggestion

of a more divine part of ourselves.We should not imagine the case to be different, if we look

within ourselves-we should expect, as is really found, that our

faculties are subject to laws; that they have limits and boundaries

THE LAW OF LIBERTY. 85

beyond which they are powerless. Some philosophers it is truehave pushed their speculations as if on the supposition, perhapsnot consciously presented so broadly to their minds, that thehuman reason was omnipotent. They have been like the Tower­builders of old, who rcared thcm a tower of brick and stone to

scale the hcavens. What the exact limits of our powers ofthought lIlay be, it is difficult, nay, impossible to know. As faras the beams of our reason can enlighten us, which, somethinglike the moonlight, shews us eYcrything tinged with its own palehue and illumines but one side of the landscapc, we are like men

born within a cell, who might think their gloom the brightcst

light possible, their prison-wall the boundary of the universe.We cannot picture to ourselves a different state of existence fromour own, or a different kind of being from ourselyes; for we have

had no expcrience of such a state, and we cannot separate ourselves

from ourselves: nor again can we even compare ourselves withother beings, for a standard of comparison is wanting. In fact,to do this, just as to survey and map out the limits of a country,you must be raised to a highcr level. But man's HeaRon cannotrise out of and above itsel£

But at the same time there is in man another nature; thereis too for him another set of bws to obey, and his obedience tothese laws is different in kind from his conformity to those. He

is subject to those in regard to that part of his constitution whichis of the earth: he is obedient to these in so far as he partakes

of the breath of Heaven. His relation to the one is a blindsubjugation in common with the elements: his duty to the otheris conscious obedience, which he alone of created beings can pay.True obedience demands a full freedom of the will, a power of

choice to obey or not to obey: nay more, it must not be blindly

rendered, but with full consciousness, to an acknowledged andapproved superior Power. It is thus peculiar to a being of ahigh order, but not of the highest-one whose condition is that

of Liberty, its true correlative, which lies midway between theabsolute irresponsible Freedom of Omnipotence and the helpless

thraldom of inanimate nature. Absence of law to an imperfcct

86 A FISlIlNG ADVENTURE.

being becomes licence, under which condition no imperfect being

could exist. A beast may comply with his master's will j trulyobey he cannot; hardly can a child--it is the prerogative of manalone. C.

A FISHING ADVENTURE.

ON a fine day, a summer or so ago, I found myself landed onthe platform at ---, on my road to an out·..of-the-way, but very

beautiful spot in "Vales. I was all eagerness to complete myjourney, as the fishing season was drawing near its close, andhopes of a piscatorial nature, of course, brought me into thatneighbourhood. I found I could not get on that night, as mydestination was to be only approached by coach. So I slept at--- that night, and on the next morning, at six o'clock, foundmyself rolling along through a succession of exceedingly beautifuland picturesque valleys j the weather was favorablc, the day

bright, but getting desperately hot as we drew up at the CastleHotel at ---. After resting and t!1king a little refreshment,I proceeded to get my fishing tackle in order, and quie:ly, tow!1rdsevening, sauntered down to the river, which by-the-by is con­sidered one of the best trout streams in the Princip!11ity. On the

bridge was a rough-looking old fisherman in a velvet jacket, anda cap covered with flies of all descriptions. He looked a decidedlyknowing old cove. Seeing me evidently equipped for fishing,

with a basket slung over my shoulder, he touched his cap,mumbling out the usual "Fine day, sir." Then, perceiving that

the flies which were wound round my hat were too large, the

water being low and clear, !1nd hoping, I suppose, to make a

barg!1in by me, added in an ironical tone,-" Sm!111 flies, sir j Iam afraid the fish in this river will not be able to see them." I

was rather mortified, as you may suppose, at his not very fl!1tteringobservations, the more so as I had my flies express down from

London, and paid a very long price for them. So I asked him,

A FISIIING ADVENTURE. 87

rather peevishly, what sort of flieS"~were the proper ones 1 Hothen took from his capacious inner pocket a large fly book, well

stocked with all sorts of flies, but, to my great surprise, none atall resembling my London ones j and, pulling out what he calleda coch-y-bonddu, said with a grin of satisfaction, "This is tho

taking fly, sir j if this doesn't kill, I don't think any will."After we had haggled together for some time, I bought a few of

his flies j and then, observing that I was a stranger, he offered toaccompany me a mile or so down the river, just to put me in theway of it, as he rather patronisingly observed. Of course, as is

generally the case, before wc commenced operations he discoveredthat it was very thirsty weather, and I had to supply him ont

of my flask. 'Ve had fbhed away an hour or so, and I had caughta considerable number of fish, all owing, as my guide took care

to inform mc, to that coeh-y-bonddu, when a sudden mishap befel

me, which terminated my mlventure for that day in an altogetherunexpected manner. \Ve had arrived at a bend of tho river,almost choked up with rocks, where the water dashed furiously

down through numerous deep caverns, spbshing the jutting slabsof rocks with sheets of foam. Among these cataracts was one

rather wider than the rest j near the centre of the stream, in itsceaseless and tumbling eddies, large fish were rising £lst-a greatdeal larger than any I had yet caught. I at once determinedto make my way out to the long ledge of rocks that overhung the

rapid on my side j the task was not hard, as nOlle of the inter­vening passages were of any considerable width, and there was alux~rious sense of freedom in leaping over the whirling waters,

that spurred me on. I reached the rock j thcn, looking to seethat my flies were all right, commenced throwing, when I found

the wind was the wrong way: I could throw beautifully from theother side of the yawning chasm, and my fly would just floatlightly with the wind into the very gills of the fish. Theallurement was too tempting to be resisted, but then the question

was, how was I to get there 1 The chasm was eight or nine feetwide, no trivial matter to jump with heavy fishing boots on; thetake-off was slippery and lashed with spray, while the deafening

88 A FISIIING ADVENTURE.

roar of the waters that trembled and whirled between, made thedistance appear more formidable than it really was. However,there was no help for it; there was the fishing position on theother side; behind was the old fisherman, grinning at my dis­comfiture. He had shown, plain enough, that he thought verylittle of my fishing, now he would question my courage. "Theother side is the side, sir; now is your chance; you couldn'thave a prettier bit of sport on the whole river," as he sarcasticallykept saying. So I gathered myself up and leaped forwards, butmy feet slipped, my fishing-rod fell from my hand, and in the nextmoment I had disappcared into the foaming waters. To describemy sensations would be impossible j I· seemed to go down intothe darkness, and to be swiftly carried down the stream. Then Irose to the surface and commenced the struggle of life and death.Before, I thought I eould not swim; but somehow now thatthere was no bottom to stand on, I found I could manage justto keep my head above water. The impetuous current bore meswiftly forward, but where I knew not. I could see nothing, butsuddenly felt something strike me sharply on the head j in amoment I clutched at it-grasped it, and at the same time hearda friendly voiee above the hissing sound of the stream exclaiming," Bravo, sir! hold fast, and I will soon have you on dry land."It was the old fisherman, not such a bad fellow after all j he hadcertainly saved my life. Directly I had tumbled in he had madealong the rocks, and, catching sight of me as I rose to the surface,poked down his landing-net stick. This was what I had clutched, andwas now holding with the energy of desperation j a minute more,and I was on the rock beside him. The next question was, wherewas my fishing-rod 1 Shivered to bits somewhere among therapids. I did not much care for that; my life was saved, thatwas all I thought about then, as I shook the old fisherman bythe hand. We made off to the Hotel directly, but when Iarrived there, I found, to my great astonishment, that my baskethad opened during my immersion, and all my fish had quietlyfloated down stream. However there were plenty of trout to begot for next to nothing; so, after I had changed my clothes, we

CRITIC3 AND CRITICISM. 89

made ourselves very comfortable for the rest of the evening. Myguide was very amusing, relating "all sorts of anecdotes, andpreparing some tackle for the next day, when we were to go earlyin the morning to a very favourite spot of his, and where, Reader,you will be glad to hear, after all my misfortunes, I enjoyed acapital day's sport.

PISCATOR.

CRITICS AND CRITICISM.

Wao does not think himself qualified to criticise anything andanybody, from Macaulay's History down to our own little publica­tion ~ And yet how few are really fit for the delicate task they under"take I If poetry be the subject on which he inflicts his terrors, yourwould-be critic seizes hold of some unfortunate stanza or even linein which he fancies he can discern some borrowed idea. Instantlyhis virtuous indignation is all on flame j he hastens to condemnthe whole piece, with the merits of which he has either not takenthe. trouble to make himself fully acquainted, or he has read themwith so prejudiced an eye as to be totally incapable of forming afair judgment upon the subject. The critic ought to beware lesthe discourage the first and consequently somewhat irregular at­tempts of youthful talent. He and he only is a good critic whoknows when to praise, when to bo silent, when to blame j hewho can distinguish real talent through bad rhymes, and occa­sionally awkward verses, is the person to bring forward a youthfulpoet from the shades of obscurity, and thus confer on the public ingeneral a greater boon than if he had stopped ten times the numberof awkward novices from continuing to perpetrate further absurdi­ties. And this is more particularly the case with a critio whopronounces on the merits of a Magazine like ours, which containsthe productions of boys and college-men; he naturally prefers themore polished and elegant writings of the latter, while he passesover with disdain the somewhat awkward attempts of unpractised'

H

90 AWAKE (AT) TilE STARRY MIDNIGHT HOUR.

youth, quite forgetting that even to the best poet there must be abeginning: men are not pocts from the cradle j and though theMuses have presided over his birth, there is always a time when,though his innate genius guides the young poet's pen, his effortsare yet crippled by want of longer practice to give him thatneatness which time and application alone can bestow. Let metherefore, in the first place, entrcat any who may be that waydisposed, to beware how they use so sharp a weapon as criticism.It is like a pruning-knife, which in skilful hands is of the greatestservice in lopping off the superfluolls shoots from the tree, butwhen entrusted to the ignorant and unskilful is as likely todestroy the good as the bad. .And, secondly, let me beg anyonewho is really competent to criticise, that he will look withleniency on the first endeavours of boys, and keep in mind thegood old provcrb-" Rome was not built in a day."

QUONDAlI.

AWAKE (AT) THE STARRY MIDNIGHT HOUR t

Dogs delight to bark and bite,And play their silly wiles;

Cats to serenade at night,And dance upon the tiles.

DR. WIIAT'S-HIS-NAME.

WHO'S that dancing the Catchouca 1 Can it be the cats 1 Ah!Ah! there's my head going round and round, and the pillowturning over and over, and my bed is brcaking its legs against

the wall-but stop! I forgot to observe that these were myfeelings on a certain night, tempus at or soon after 12, midnight.I had been to a Bachelor's dinner-party! I recollect distinctlygetting into bed j I remember also shortly after awaking, feelingmy bed move and stand on its end, my hair accomplishing thesame highly-amusing performance j I was speechless, and couldonly stare in wonder and amazement at a scene which assumed

CRICKET. 91

an awful reality; for, close to me, were two monsters in the shapeof cats-one, an unprincipled-looking vagabond of the A.ngola

breed, engaged in a loud convcrsation with our Tabby, who,besides possessing unusually sharp claws, is stigmatised by com­petent caterwaulers as being a pest to feline society, and theterror of the tiles of our neighbourhood. There they were,A.ngola making overtures to Tabby, who was humming a martial

air. In a moment all was chlwged; their eyes flashed fire, theyscreamed, and-I am sorry to be obliged to add-they sworeawfully, their baeks turned against each other, their tails wereawful in diameter and rigidity.

Fear inspired me with courage; I jumped out of bed, and was

soon engaged in shooting imaginary cats, but, from sheer fatigue,dropped on tlle floor. I felt claws on my facc-a horrid swooncame over mc-and I remembered no more until ninc nextmorning, when I found myself like a caterpillar at full length onthe floor, my bed in its usual place, but rather in disorder.

Strange to say, on dcscending to the breakfast-room, I foundour Tabby before-mentioned purring before the fire, without a

seratch;-but if I prate more of that horrid night, I shalleertainly have a fit of Cat-alepsy.

CATALINE.

P.S.-I forgot to mention a singular coincidence in connexionwith my narrative which is, that on recounting the eat-alogue

of my miseries to a friend (who had been at the same Baehelor'sspread) he mentioned that the Sl1me night, en route home, he hadactually shot a Cat!

CRICKET.

CHOIR (WITH BUSH) V. SCHOOL.

THIS match was played on the School Ground on Tuesday andWednesday, the 22nd and 23rd instant, and resulted in the defeat

of the Choir by 71 runs. We cannot speak too highly of the

capital play of Messrs. Hammond and Priee for the School; whilst

9~ CRICKET.

Messrs. Towgood, Bellew, and Fenn also batted in very neat style.For the Choir Mr. Symollds contributed 31 by some free hitting,

and Messrs. J ones and Gould displayed some good cricket fortheir respective scores.

THE SCHOOL.

run out ..st. Bush, b. J ones ..c. Moggridge, b Jones .(T. N. Lawrence) b. Bush

B. 6, W. 10, L.B. 3,N.B.1 20

SECOND INNINGS.

b. Jones 5not out 13run out 10c. Gould, b. Bush 10b. Bush 13st. Bush, b. Jones 10b. Bush 5

6441

FIRST INNINGS.

F. Edmondes, h.w., b. Jones 4A. Towgood, run out.................. 3W. Bellew, b. Jones 0H. P.Price, b. Jones 13A. Hammond, b. Jones 16E. L. Fenn, run out 2F. Henning, b. Bush 0P. B. Hutchins, not out....... 3G. Fitz-Gerald, b. J ones " 0W. W. Falconer, b. Bush 9E. B. Hutchins, b. Bush.............. 0

B. 5, W. 4, L.B. 3 .... ....... ...... 12

Total. 62 Total. 101

SECOND INNINGS.

b. Price 12b. Henning 1b. Henning 2b. Price 12b. Price 0b. Price 1b. Price 8not out 0b. Price 0c. Lawrence,b Henning... 0(P. Mules), b. Henning... 0

B. 1, L.B. 1............ 2

CHOIR (WITH BUSH).

FIRST INNINGS.

G. Jones, b. Price 8;Bush, c. Hammond, b. Renning •. , . .• 0O. H. Parez, b. Price 0F. Gould, c. Hammond, b. Price...... 2H. Symonds, b. Price 31W. Upcott, c. Edmondes, b. Henning 6J. O. Pearse, c. Falconer, b. Renning 0G. O. Bertram, b Price 0J. Davies, b. Price..................... 0J. T. Moggridge, b. Henning 5A. Perry, not out 0

:a.2 2

Total 54 38

EX'l'RACTS FROM THE 'LIBER AUREUS.'

EXTRACTS FROM THE •LIBER AURECS.'

NO. II!.

ODE TO MEMORY.

I.

Sweet Memory, from earliest daysAttendant Oil our state,

And on our life's uDcertain waysFor ever doomed to wait,

How many thoughts of joy aud woeFrom thy deep urn for ever flow,

And mingle in our mortal cup,To summon forth the bitter tear,Or sorrow's drooping heart to cheer,

And raise it heavenward 'up I

H.

Mother of every muse so fair,That smiling from above

Soothes the rough lot of human care,And wakeDs all to love j

Thou through the poet's elfin dreamOf fairy fell and haunted stream,

Of earth and sea and azure sky,Dost gleam the soul of all his song,And liS he pours his tale along,Return the visions bright and strong

Of ancient memory;

HI.

Return the scenes beloved of yoreIn youth's exulting hour;

Return the tales of fairy lore,,And legendary power;

93

..

94 EXTRACTS FROM THE 'LIEER AUREUS.'

And as he fills from mem'ry's p:tgeThe scene, at some far distant age,

Of war, of legend, or of love,

Thou bidd'st his eager fancy stay,And through the scenes of life's young day

Delightedly to rove.

IV.

What makes the glowing canvass live,And breathe a charm for all 1

What makes the beating heart reviveAt music's magic call 1

The tide of memories setting in,The recollection deep within

Of scene, of song, beloved before,The thought that made the canvass glow,And bade the liquid numbers flow,

Reviving as of yore.

V.

What, as we tread some ancient plainOf battle and of blood,

Or where the wrecks alone remainOf palaces once proud,

Lends to those scenes a sad delight,And adds a moral to the sight,

To teach us how to live and die 1What but thy calm and reasoning voice,Director of our wavering choice,

Eternal Memory 1

VI.

Alike for all thy pleasures flow;The peasant and the peer

Alike the sweets of conscience know,And memories ever dear,

EXTRACT FROU THE 'LIBER AUREUS,'

Delight to think on kindness doneTo some poor needy suffering one,

And s'lcred gratitude's reward,Delight to dwell on friendship's ties,And love that now neglected lies

Beneath thy grassy sward.

VII.

And 0 to all alike returnThe memories of woe,

Those pangs in every breast mnst bum,That struggles here below,

Neglected kindness, slighted love,A nd mercies that might never move

Or win for heaven the stubborn heart,Sin unrepented heaped OIl sin,Fierce jealousy that burned within,

And malice' rankling dart.

VIII.

The wanderer on the desert fieldsA torrid sun below,

Where tree nor shrub a shadow yieldsTo cool his burning brow,

The tracker of the pathless wave,When tempests roar and billows rave,

And danger rides the howling wind,To thee, sweet Memory, turns for aid,And, for his sorrows well repaid,

Leaves sable care behind.

IX.

There's memory in every galeOf fresh exulting Spring,

In every gentle amorous tale,That her sweet warblers sing,

~

95

....

..

96 EXTRACTS FROM THE 'LIDER AUREUS.

That tells of Nature's earliest youth,Of heavenly love and heavenly truth,

Renewed each swift returning year,Or whispers scenes of happy hours,And life's sharp thorns relieved with flowers,

Most sweetly to the ear.

x.But chief where tempests never roar,

And billows cease to beat,Where torrid fires afflict no more

With unrelenting heat,Where Sin and his insidious trainMay never hold a. moment's reign,

To dim those golden-gleaming halls,Where angels sweep their sounding strings,And praise seraphic ever rings

From the celestial walls;

XI.

o brightest there shall memories shine,That never, never die,

And wake the soul with love divine,To a.wful ecstacy ;

The memories of earth must fade,And in oblivion's sable shade

Lose the delights they first had giv'n,But never shall those memories ceaseTo breathe triumphant love and pellCe,

A never-ending Heaven•

CONTENTS-No. XI.

ANGELO DI ROMA.-A TALE OF

A VANISIIED AGE. CIIAP. Ill. 73My FIRST BEAR-HUNTING ExPE- .

DITION ... 70

THE RIME OF A SEEDY BARBIS-

TERE 80

THE LAW OF LIBERTY 83

A FISHING ADVENTURE 86

CRITICS AND CRITICISM ... 80

AWAKE (AT) TIlE STARRY MID-NIGHT HOUR 00

CRICKET 01

EXTRACTS FROM THE • LmER

AUREUS.' No. IIl.-ODE TO

MEMORY... 03

RULES.

I;-That the SnlRlluRNIAN be published on the nrst day ofevery Month during the half ycar.

II.-That no contributions be received from anyone who is not,or has not been, a,Member of the King's School, Sherborne.

IlL-That no anonymous contributions be received, but that thefull name be enclosed in a sealed envelope, which will not be openedif the contribution be rejected.

IV.-·That all communications be addressed "To the Editor ofthe SnIRllURNIAN, King's School, Sherborne, Dorset."

V.-That all discussions of a Religious or Political nature, andalso Personalities, be excluded.

VI.-That every contribution be the bona fide production of thecontributor.

VII.-That no unfinished articlcs be received j but if a long Storybe intended to appear in continuous numbers, that the whole bosent in at once. I

N.B.-The Committee will be glad to receive contributions at anytime but none which are received after the 15th of the month willbe i~ time for the number to be issued on the following month:they will be preserved for the succeeding number.

ERRATA IN NO. X.

Pago 44.-For "craggs," read" crags."Page 70.-For "attic," road" Attic."Page n.-For" Have seen me thus but when,': &c.

read" Have seen me thus-but when," &c.rage 72.-For "-wonned," read "wonncd."

NOTICES TO COHRESPONDENTS.

Declined with thanks :-" Experiences of a Railway Traveller," "A 'Walk inthe Country," "My First Ball," "I>iogcnes."

The contributions of "Auilax," "C.B.K.," anil-" Bellerophon," will receivedue attention in our next.

l.'RIN:rED AT TIIE JOURNAL OFFIOE, BHEBllORNE.