7 nants into words upon a regular sys- moves, she would smile and ask them tem ; and to each of her friends she why they did it. had given a new name, which she Čases of this description are no only employed in her trance.. As doubt of rare occurrence. Yet not usual, she kuew nothing in either state a year passes in London without of what passed in the other. Then something transpiring of the existence in her trance she exhibited three mar- of one or more of them in the huge vellous powers: she could read by the metropolis. Medical men view them touch alone: if she pressed her hand with unpardonable indifference. Thus against the whole surface of a written one doctor told me of a lady, whom or printed page, she acquired a per- he had been attending with other fect knowledge of its contents, not of physicians, who, it appeared, always the substance only, 'but of the words, announced that they were coming and would criticise the type or the some minutes before they drove to handwriting. A line of a folded note her door. It was very odd, he thought, pressed against the back of her neck, and there was an end of it. she read equally well: she called this “M. l'Abbé," said Voltaire to a sense-feeling. Contact was necessary visitor, who gave him a commonplace for it. Her sense of smell was at the account of some remarkable scenes, same time singularly acute; when w do you know in what respect you out riding one day, she said, “There is differ from Don Quixote?"-"No," a violet,” and cantered her horse fifty said the Abbé, not half liking the look yards to where it grew. Persons of the question. “Why, M. l'Abbé, whom she knew she could tell were Don Quixote took the inns on the approaching the house, when yet at road for castles, but you have taken some distance. When persons were castles for inns." playing chess at a table behind her, Adieu, dear Archy.--Yours, &c. and intentionally made impossible Mac DAVUS. а FOUR SONNETS BY ELIZABETH BARRETT BROWNING, I. LIFE. EACH creature holds an insular point in space; II. LOVE. We cannot live, except thus mutually " And there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour."-Revelation. God, who with thunders and great voices kept Methinks we do as fretful children do, ROSAURA: A TALE OF MADRID. FOURTEEN years have elapsed since equipage, drawn by prancing steeds there dwelt in Madrid a certain stu- and comely mules, all glittering with dent, who went by the name of El trappings of silk and gold. These, it Rojo, or the Red. Not by his ac- may be thought, condescended overquaintances and intimates alone was much thus to notice an humble stuhe thus designated, but by all the va- dent. But the love-breathing daughters rious classes of idlers with whom the of Castile reck little of rank and staSpanish capital abounds; by the list- tion; and Federico, by all personal enless loiterers at the coffee-house doors, dowments, well deserved the distincby the lounging gossips of the Puerta tion he obtained. Poor hidalgo though del Sol, and by the cloaked saunterers he was, no count 'or duke, or bluewho, when the siesta is over, pace the blooded grandee, from Cadiz to Calle Alcala, puffing their beloved Corunna, bore himself better, or had Havanas, retailing the latest news, more the mien of a well-born and discussing the chances of a change of thorough-bred caballero. None more ministry, or the most recent and in- gallantly wore the broad-leafed somteresting scandalous anecdote cur- brero, none more gracefully draped rent in that gallant metropolis. It the ample cloak; and all Spain might would be wrong to infer, from his have been searched in vain to match somewhat ambiguous appellation, that the bright and joyous glance of the the student's skin had the copper student's dark-blue eye. Excepting hue of a Pawnee or an Osage, or his on the coast, and in certain districts hair the ruddy tint usually deemed where Mahomedan forefathers have detrimental and unbecoming. The bequeathed their oriental physiognomy name implied no sneer-it was given and tall slender frame to their Chrisand taken as a compliment; and tian descendants, Spaniards are rarely Federico was at least as proud of it of very lofty stature. Federico was as of the abundant golden curls to from the flat and arid province of La which he owed it, and that flowed in Mancha, where, as in compensation waving luxuriance down his graceful for the unproductiveness of the parched neck and his well-formed soil, handsome men and beauteous shoulders. women abound. Of the middle height, In southern climes, where the his figure was symmetrical, elastic, ardent sun embrowns the children of and muscular, formed for feats of the soil, fair locks and eyes of azure agility and strength; his step was are prized in proportion to their rarity, light, but firm; his countenance manly, No wonder, then, that Federico found the expression of his regular and favour in the sight of the dark- agreeable features denoted a passionbrowed and inflammable Madrileñas. ate nature and lofty character. Like Many were the tender glances darted most of his countrymen, he was at him from beneath veil and man- quickly roused, but easy to appease. tilla, as he took his evening stroll · Generosity and forbearance were upon the Prado; oftentimes, when he prominent amongst his good qualities; passed along the street, white and and he had nobly displayed them in slender fingers, protruded through more than one encounter with antahalf-closed jalousies, dropped upon gonists, whose feebleness placed them his handsome head a shower of fra- at his mercy, and rendered them ungrant jasmin blossoms. Amongst worthy of his wrath. For in the use the dames and damsels who thus of arms, as in all manly exercises, signified their favour and partiality, Federico was an adept; and whether not a few-so it is certified by the with Toledo blade, or Majo's knife, veracious authority whence we derive there were few men in Spain who this history-dwelt in stately man- would not have found in him a forsions, and went abroad in brave midable and dangerous adversary. VOL, LXI.NO. CCCLXXIX. 2 P over men. Strange to tell of so young a man, with a very ugly face, whose life had and of a Spaniard, in one respect our been a series of extraordinary advenstudent appeared passionless. He He tures and bustling incidents. He met the advances of his female ad- bad served his country in the most mirers with the utmost coldness- opposite capacities. In 1808, he seemed, indeed, to avoid the society fought the French in the streets of of the fair sex, threw love-letters into Madrid; two years later, he headed a the fire, unread and unanswered, guerilla band in the wild passes of the neglected invitations, went to no ren- Sierra Morena; another two years, dezvous. Favours which other men and he took the oath to the constituwould gladly have purchased with tion of Cadiz, and was seen at Welyears of life, he disdainfully rejected. lington's head-quarters as colonel of The wrinkled duennas, who under the Spanish line, and delegate from various pretexts brought him tender the Cortes. In 1814, he changed his messages and ten pting assignations, colours, and was noted, after the remet, instead of the golden guerdon turn of Ferdinand VII., as a stanch with which such Mercuries are usually royalist. But variety was his motto; rewarded, harsh rebuffs and cutting and the revolution of 1820 saw him sarcasm at the hands of the stoic of in the ranks of the Liberals, to whom two-and-twenty. And with so much he continued faithful until their cause scorn did this Manchegan Joseph was ruined and hopeless. That was repel on one occasion the amorous the signal, with this Talleyrand on a attentions of a lady of birth and sta- small scale, for another vuelta casaca: tion, that her indiscreet love was once more he turned his coat; and as changed into bitter hate, and Federico an earnest of penitence for past offences, narrowly escaped a dagger-stab and opened to the Royalist troops the a premature death. From that day, gates of a small Estremaduran forhe was more inaccessible than ever, tress. Notwithstanding this act of not only to women, but to tardy allegiance, he was thrown into Gradually he withdrew from inter- prison at Madrid, and owed it entirely course with his former associates, and to the intercession and good offices was seldom seen in the streets or of an old schoolfellow, the influential public places, but sat at home, buried Father Cyrillo, that his neck was not amongst books, and diligently study brought into unpleasant contact with ing, with the intention, he was heard the iron hoop of the garrote. Either to declare, of going to Ciudad Real, warned by this narrow escape, or and passing his examination as advo- because the comparatively tranquil cate in the royal courts. And thus, state of Spain afforded no scope for little by little, it happened with Fede- his restless activity, since 1823 this rico as it does with most persons political Proteus had lived in retirewho neglect and forget the world, ment, eschewing apparently all plots the world forgot him. His old inti- and intrigues; although he was fremates-joyous, light-hearted lads, quently seen in the very highest cirrevelling in the enjoyments and dissi- cles of the capital, where his great pation of the capital-voted him a experience, his conversational powers, spoil-sport and a pedant, and thought and social qualities sufficiently acof him no more : friends, in the true counted for the welcome he at all sense of the word, he had none; and times met. so, after a very short time, the list of Returning late one night from a visitors to the gloomy old apartment tertulia at the house of Ferdinand's in which the eccentric youth mused prime minister, Don Geronimo heard and studied was reduced to one man, the clash of steel and sound of a and that a very odd one, but whom scuffle, and hurrying to the spot, saw Federico loved, because he in some a young defending himself sort owed him his life. against the attack of two bravos. This second hero of our tale was Forthwith Regato set himself to one of those strange characters to be shout out words of command, as if he met with in Spain only. Don Gero- had a whole regiment at his back, mimo Regato was a little wizened and the ruffians, thinking the patrol old .creature, blind of an eye, and was upon them, instantly took to man men flight. Federico was the person of blood have flowed. And then old assailed; and although he boldly Regato beat time with his hand, asserted, and doubtless fully believed, and his solitary eye gleamed like that, left to himself, he would speedily a ball of fire, whilst he mingled his have defeated his cowardly opponents, hoarse and suppressed bass with he was still not altogether sorry to be Federico's mellow tenor. relieved from such oilds by the old Notwithstanding their vast differgentleman's timely arrival and in- ence of age and character, and algenious stratagem. This was the though the one was but commencing, origin of his acquaintance with Regato. whilst the other had nearly run, the From that night forward they visited up-hill race of life, the more these each other, and soon Geronimo took two saw of each other the particular pleasure in the society of stronger grew their sympathy and the handsome youth, whose earnest- friendship. Don Geronimo's visits to ness and vigour of mind, he said, were the student became more and more refreshing to contemplate in a century frequent, and often, forgetful or carewhen the actions of most men made less of the time, they would sit talkthem resemble beasts and apes, rathering till far into the night. It seemed than beings formed in the image of a relief to Regato to disburden his their Creator. The young student, heart and mind of their innermost for his part, found much to interest secrets; and he rejoiced to have found him in his new friend, the only per- a man to whose honour, truth, and son who now varied the monotony secresy, he felt he could safely entrust of his solitude. He listened eagerly them. Federico repaid his contito Regato's discourse, as he alter- dence with one equally unlimited. nately poured out his stores of know- He not only told his friend the hisledge and experience, and broke into tory of his short life from infancy upa vein of keen and bitter sarcasm on wards, but he made him his father the men, parties, and circumstances confessor, informed him of the proof distracted and unhappy Spain. gress of his studies, confided to him Federico enthusiastically loved his his doubts and hopes, his religious country, and his proud eyes often creed and political aspirations, and filled with tears when the old man even his connexion with some of the placed its former greatness in striking secret orders aud societies, of which, contrast with its present degradation. at that period, notwithstanding the In spite of all the veerings and vigilance of the police, a multitude weathercock variations of his political existed in Spain. life, Regato was at heart a Liberal. “And can it be, my young friend," He set forth in glowing colours the said Geronimo one evening, when a evils and tyranny of Ferdinand's brief pause succeeded to some of the government, ex patiated on the bar. fiery Federico's vehement political barous executions of Riego, Torrijos, diatribes—“can it be,” he said, fixing and other martyrs to freedom's cause, his penetrating eye upon the flushed and exposed the corruption and vil- and impassioned countenance of the lany of the men who retain their student, “that you have reached country in the bonds of slavery and your present age and never loved fanaticism; until Federico's cheeks woman?" glowed, and heart beat quick with - Pshaw!" replied the student, patriotic indignation, and he felt that you have asked the question behe too, when the battle-hour should fore, and I have answered it.” strike, would joyfully draw his sword “But 'tis incomprehensible, and and lose his life for the liberation of out of nature,” cried the old Don. the land he loved so well. At times Why have you a heart in your the student would take down his bosom, blood in your veins, strong guitar, and sing, with closed doors limbs, and bright eyes?” and windows--for Ferdinand's spies 6 Was all that given me that I were a quick-eared legion— the spirit- might love woman?” retorted Fedestirring Hymn of the Constitution, or rico with a merry laugh. the wild Tragala–that Spanish Mar- “ Certainly: what is life worth, seillaise, to whose exciting notes rivers without love to sweeten it? Nothing, 66 |