find his purse really there: quickly seizing upon it, he concealed it under his clothes, and placing the tiles exactly in the same position, he hastened, whistling, home.

"Whither are you

The sly thief, Juccio, set out accordingly the next morning to see his friend Cola, and actually met him on the road. going?" inquired Juccio. Cola, "to your house."

"I was going,” said The former then

taking the blind man aside, said, "I am resolved to do what you ask; and since you are pleased to confide in me, I will tell you of a plan I have in hand of laying out your money to advantage. If you will put the two hundred into my possession, I will make a purchase in cheese and salt meat, a speculation which cannot fail to turn to good account: and pray let me have them soon, for I think I can secure this bargain; and as the soldiers are come into the town, who are fond of these articles, I think it sure to answer; so go, and Heaven speed you." And Cola went, but with very different intentions to those imagined by his friend,Cola being now clear-sighted, and Juccio truly blind. "Farewell," said Cola, "and I am well rid of thee,” he whispered to himself; and

going upon his way, in a short time he doubled his capital; but he no longer went near his friend Juccio to know how he should invest it. He had great diversion in telling the story to his companions during their feasts, always concluding, "Juccio has proved the blinder man of the two: he thought it was a bold stroke to risk his hundred to double the amount."

For my own part, I think the blind must possess a more acute intellect than other people, inasmuch as the light, exhibiting such a variety of objects to view, is apt to distract the attention, of which many examples might be adduced. For instance, two gentlemen may be conversing together on some matter of business, and in the middle of a sentence some stranger happens to pass by, and they will suddenly stop, gazing after him; or a fine equipage, or any other object, is enough to turn the current of their thoughts. And then they are obliged to recollect themselves, saying, "Where was I?" "What was it that I was observing?"—a thing which never occurs to a blind man. The philosopher Democritus very properly, on this account, knocked his own eyes out, in order to catch objects in a juster light with his mind's eye.

It is impossible to describe Juccio's vexation on going to the church and finding the florins were gone. His regret was far greater than if he had actually lost a hundred of his own; as is known to be the case with all inveterate rogues, half of whose pleasure consists in depriving others of their lawful property.

What is life? a flower that blows,
Nipp'd by the frost and quickly dead.
What is life? the full blown rose,
That's scorched at noon and withered.

Such is life, a breath, a span,

A moment, quickly gone from thee. What is death? Oh! mortal man,

Thy entrance to eternity.

THE BOY OF EGREMOND.

BY JOHN BIRD, ESQ.

"In the deep solitude of the woods, betwixt Bolton and Barden, four miles up the river, the Wharfe suddenly contracts itself to a rocky channel, little more than four feet wide, and pours through the tremendous fissure with a rapidity proportioned to its confinement. The place was then, as it is yet, called the Strid, from a feat often exercised by persons of more agility than prudence who stride from brink to brink, regardless of the destruction which awaits a faltering step. Such was the fate of young Romillewho, inconsiderately bounding over the chasm, with a greyhound in his leash, the animal hung back, and drew his unfortunate master into the torrent. The misfortune is said to have occasioned the translation of the priory from Embray to Bolton, which was the nearest eligible site to the place where it happened.”— WHITAKER'S HISTORY OF CRAVEN.

"RISE up, rise up, my

noble boy,

The morn is fresh and fair;

The laughing rays look out with joy,

Rich balm is on the air :

Rise

up, rise up, my gallant son,

Nor let there story be,

That hawk was flown, or heron won,

Unseen, unheard, of thee!"

The boy rose up, that noble boy,

He knelt down at her knee ;

And, oh, it was a sight of joy,
That lady's joy to see!

She parted back his golden hair,
She kiss'd his bonny brow-

"I would each mother's heart might share Thy mother's gladness now!

"For thou art fair, and more than fair,
Gentle in word and thought ;-
Yet, oh, my son, brave boy, beware
Of dangers love hath taught !"
"Trust me," he cried, and smiling went
To range the valleys green;
And many as fair and fond intent
As dark an end hath seen.

Bright on his path the dewdrops lay-
Rich gems of nature's court;

The foot that chased their light away

Seemed but to fall in sport

Seemed but the joy of him whose bound Forgot its speed, to hear

The warbling lark, or win the hound.

From his own wild career.