must know," said he, "there is a spectacle exhibited this day in the city which is rather of a singular kind, and will, perhaps, amuse you; prayers are this day offered at the shrine of St. Januarius, their patron saint, in the great cathedral; come, you must with me, they will be about it even now; we must, if possible, contrive to banish this despondency. This St.Januarius of theirs," continued Feldspar, "you must know, suffered martyrdom about the end of the third century; and while the executioner was performing the act of decapitation,some pious personage I think caught about an ounce of his blood, which has been preserved, without its decreasing, ever since." I smiled at his jocularity; and he was continuing, when we perceived an immense multitude moving on towards the great cathedral, and made haste to join them: we found that it consisted chiefly of people of the first rank in Naples, headed by the brethren of the different religious orders; amongst the most conspicuous of which were the Franciscans, the Augustines, and the Dominicans; and followed by an immense concourse of the Lazaroni, who had flocked from their caverns at Pensilippo, to be spectators of the scene. Before this mêlée walked the chief priest in his pontificials, bearing upon a velvet cushion, richly ornamented with gold, the costly vial containing a solid dark looking substance resembling coagulated blood: upon this he looked with the deepest marks of veneration and awe, and the band of monks seemed to regard it with feelings of pride and exultation. The tops of the houses, which were principally of stone, and flat-roofed, together with the balconies, were thronged with spectators, who bowed as the sacred relic passed them; indeed, the miracle about to be performed was considered as one of the great of great by the Neapolitans.

The Cathedral of Naples, though built in the gothic style of architecture, is, nevertheless, a splendid and magnificent building; and the first view of it, awful and imposing; the dark and imbrowned walls cast a gloomy and solemn shade over the whole of the inside, and scarcely reveal the dusky recesses, wherein are

lodged the dim and reverend figures of the saints: as you gaze around, with eyes determined to penetrate through the mysterious twilight that reigns over here, you may discern occasionally a half-closed door, probably leading to some haunt of religious fanaticism, the sight of which awakens strange feelings of curiosity and awe.

We soon arrived at this reverend pile; and I was witness to a spectacle which, though termed by Addison a bungling performance, certainly very much affected me: as we entered, the organ was playing a low solemn music, which rolled deeply along, and was answered again by sounds, like the whisperings of a spirit, made by the crowd, who waited in the intense agony of superstition for the, in their eyes, preternatural event. From the Cathedral, after the priest had uttered a low prayer, a few, amongst whom I was admitted, passed through a private door, and entered the chapel of the saint; where I saw a sumptuous press, with folding doors of silver, which being opened, there gushed forth a strong perfume; and I beheld, cased in a large bust of silver, studded with jewels and stones ↑ of an immense value, what I was told was the head of St Januarius; this was carefully lifted up and car ried back to the Cathedral, where the Chief Priest had remained. Upon the approach of this sacred effigy, he knelt down, took the vial in his hands, and uttered a low prayer protection against the mountains, and thanks for the late deliverance. I contemplated him with interest; for he was, indeed, a fine and venerable picture. A few hoary locks fell down his back as he knelt, and he strained his eyes heavenward in the frenzy of devotion. There was an wildness, a tincture of belief in the miracle he expected to be performed, that sat upon his countenance, and gave a peculiar expression to his fine features: around him stood the people, gazing with fear, reverence, and expectation upon him; and the low breaking and impressive sound of the organ completed the scene.r Suddenly he rose, apparently in an extasy of joy-"Our prayer is granted my children," said he; "behold!" he held the vial towards them

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As the last strain died away in the echoes of the Cathedral, the rush of the crowd, who were absolutely electrified, and who seemed determined, though it should be at the expense of their lives, to see the holy blood, was tremendous; indeed so powerful, that by the violence of the first shock, Feldspar and I were separated; and every one was so closely jammed together, that it was quite impossible to move it was at this moment that I felt a slight pressure on my shoulder; and a voice in low but deep accents whispered in my ear, "Raymond! remember your pledge.'

I shuddered the voice thrilled through me-my blood ran back to my heart. I had heard the voice, it resembled George Harvey's, though it was deeper. I endeavoured to gain a sight of the mysterious speaker, but it was impossible; my arms were fast squeezed to my sides, and I could not turn my head: horrible ideas rushed into my mind-the excessive pressure, the heat of the place, and my weak state of body overpowered me. I felt myself growing weaker and weaker. uttered a feeble cry for help, and fainted. aut fem

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I had been conveyed to Feldspar's lodgings in the city; from whence, as soon as my health permitted, we set sail for England. We weighed anchor under the most favourable circumstances; but I shall not attempt to describe it; it would be superfluous, tedious, and monotonous; it was like all others,

"Alternate sun, alternate showers;" and descriptions, by much more skilful hands, would equally apply to it; one thing, however, happened, which is too important to be omitted,

One evening we were suddenly becalmed: not a breath of air could be felt, and the vessel floated silently upon the vast and stirless sea. She seemed a huge, solitary thing upon a boundless plain, where silence ever brooded. I never saw so dead a calm: the sailors crowded and huddled together, and shook their heads, and said it boded no good. The moon was shining calm and bright, high in the vaulted heavens, and flooded the blue water with her beams, which reflected them like polished silver. I stood near the stern, and contemplated, with inexpressible feelings, this novel'scene. As I gazed,

We listened in fear and astonishment to this appalling command, and exclamations of terror were heard on all sides. The first consideration was, how we were to avoid the danger threatened, when the sea assumed an appearance that strangely contrasted with the slumbering quietude it had before exhibited. At about the distance of a mile, from where the vessel lay, there suddenly swelled a wave, which towered up to the sky, and seemed threatening defiance against the heavens; it rolled onwards like a giant in his pride, glorying in his immen sity, and kissed, as it passed, the smiling face of the firmament. All were chilled to the heart, for we doubted not, that destruction was inevitable. How could it be avoided

there was no retreating; there was not wind enongh to crisp the sea, much more to stir a sail. It advanced slowly and steadily on; and distant sounds of tumult and revelry were heard, but near us, all was as calm and placid as before; like the treacherous desert wave, that smiles as it lures on to death. Each one stood irresolute, gazing on the mighty moving thing; expectant of

death, yet unable to avoid it, like the fair victim of the sea monster. I alone felt all the power and gran deur of the scene; my life was a straw to me; and I watched its approach with mixed emotions of awe and hope. The noise of strange music and song now waxed louder and louder as the vast billow advanced; it rolled on, nearer and nearer; we could now perfectly see it; it was one immense sheet of water, like an arch, stretching for miles, that cast its dark shadow over us. In it, forms stranger and wilder than thought can conceive, or words describe, danced and plunged about. In the centre, upon a throne of purest chrystal, emitting rays brighter than those of the sun, sat an enormous figure, the like whereof was never seen. His head was as that of a bull, in which one eye glared like a meteor; and his huge body, clothed in scales, that gleamed like burning gold. Upon his right hand, holding for a spear the spiral lance of the sea unicorn, frowned the dark form of the Miner of Zeller. field, clad in armour of the most beautiful gems, each of them worth an empire; on his left, a Spirit,

beautiful and terrible as sin, arrayed in a vest of green shells, with flashing eyes and glowing hair, bore the bow of Time, for eternity seemed written upon it. These were girded round as with the darkling embryo of storms, all ready to rush forth at their command. Behind and around them, in all directions, whirled a host of spirits, decked out in the most brilliant manner. Some appeared mounted on dolphins and sharks; others resting upon the continued fountain which sprung from the nostrils of the whale; others darted javelins, made of the tusks of the hippopotamus, in mock warfare, at each other; and eternally sounds were produced from conchs of the most singular form, terrible, yet grand. Here rolled the immense floundering form of the leviathan, the shaggy sea lion, the tusked walrus, and the fleshy blubber fish: all the monsters of the deep seemed called into action. It was now almost upon us, when I, stung to desperation, and determined to do something ere I perished, seized a small harpoon, and running to the end of the vessel which fronted this tremendous host, threw it with all my might at the form of the Miner. So true was my aim, that it pierced him exactly in the centre of his temples; our crew set up a wild shout of horror at the deed, but the consequence was astonishing: the vast wave sunk and subsided immediately, and one loud wail echoed from the sea to the sky. All became as black as midnight, and the air, thick, choaking, and almost palpable. Nothing could be seen for a yard before us; a general commotion took place; and, in the darkness, many fell overboard; it was, indeed, a night of terror: low bursts from the sea: the weltering of the waves : prayers, groans, and curses, were heard every where. Could the heart of man bear long such an accumulation of horror? But the worst was yet to come. The black overhang ing canopy of clouds, that muilled up the beautiful sky, were rent open at once, and a broad streak of dusky lurid light spread from one extremity to the other; it was of a deep bloodred colour, and reflected every thing like a mirror: in it we could see Eur. Mag. Vol. 83.

the ocean, working and lashing itself, to foam like a boiling cauldron; and the ship, like a lost thing, feebly encountering the rage of the world of waters. Streams of light now gushed from the clouds, that, like pillars, supported the glaring sky; and we saw, as it were, a fleet moving towards us, in the form of a crescent. The spectral thing advanced, and we beheld on board stately warriors, as pale and as coldlooking as marble, with fixed eyes and motionless limbs; they passed by on each side of us, with unbroken order, in all their terrible pomp.Then, again, the ocean rolled up, and swallowed us; the figures we had seen before, danced their terrible dances, and sung and revelled, and dashed about in the waves, till one tremendous clash shook heaven and ocean. Forms came striding on towards us, and sunk, of every shape and magnitude: headless and horrible monsters extended their arms to seize us, and the teeth of the sea lions glistened to devour us. These things vanished each instant, and their places were as quickly supplied: but the water soon stifled us, and took away all perception.

When I recovered from the long insensibility into which I had fallen, I found myself lying on a rough wave-worn rock, and heard the sea dashing beside me. I looked around: I had been thrown by the waves into a vast cavern, whose extent, by reason of the impenetrable darkness, I could not discern; it was extremely lofty, and the crags that jutted down seemed like outstretched hands, ready to bear me away. It gradually widened and expanded from the narrow entrance, near which I lay, into prodigious width and height. A rapid stream of salt water rushed furiously past at my feet, and, joining with some other currents which forced themselves through similar interstices in the rock, was dashed down in an immense fall, whose roarings and bellowings, like those of some enraged giant, were echoed and reechoed by the deep and spirit-like voices of the lofty cavern.

I lay here awhile, ruminating upon the prodigies I had lately been a witness of, and upon means of escape from my perilous situation,

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which I well knew, could only be effected by exertion, and, therefore, determined to set about it instantly, ere another relapse should preclude all chance of success. The darkness which enveloped every thing, at once prevented me from choosing to penetrate deeper into the cavern, so I resolved fo look to the entrance. I found great difficulty in raising myself; my limbs were stiffened and cramped by the moist cold stone, and I had likewise sustained innumerable bruises, by being thrown against the sharp rocks, so that it was no easy matter for me to crawl along, even at a slow pace. This platform of rocks, I found, shelved down to the sea, which rose considerably higher than the entrance, and only could force itself in by a small aperture, through which it gushed to the cataract. Weak as I was, I scarcely hesitated a moment, but rousing every energy, and collecting every remaining portion of strength, I dived through the narrow chasm; I cut through the waves as long as my breath lasted, and when I rose high above the water, was greeted by the sheen of the bright sun and the blue heavens. I looked towards the land; crags and precipices met my eye every where; I however swam on: escape from death, which had appeared in the gloomy place I had just left to be yawning for me, gave me hope and spirits, and vigour. I prayed for deliverance, nor were my prayers unheard. Between a narrow slip or cleft of two rocks, I perceived green fields; my heart leaped within me: I swam towards it; I crawled up the sides with a preternatural strength; I rushed through the opening; I bounded on the field; I gave one look, but that one was sufficient; I knew, I knew where I was: I saw my own dear Zetland; but it was too much I fainted.

The first words that I heard uttered after this was from a well known voice,-" How are ye, my brave heart?"

I looked up I knew the fine venerable features: the smile tempered with sorrow: the keen blue eye, that had somewhat lost its fire: the scant grey locks; it was my old friend, Martin Skelder.

I raised myself as well as I could from my resting place; I seized his hand; and, in an almost inarticulate voice, exclaimed,—“ Martin!”

We both were equally affected, and there was a long dead pause, which was at length broken by MartinRaymond, I rejoice, yet I sorrow to see ye-ye are sairly-sairly altered-many a wearisome care ye mann ha' had sin ye left us, to have wrinkled that once smooth brow, and grizzled that black hair. Ye hae seen nae common perils." I mourn fully replied in the affirmative, and informed him of the extraordinary manner in which I found myself cast into the cavern at Zetland, when the storm had happened far off in the Atlantic. Skelder shook his head: "You were wrecked off our coast," said he; Feldspar's vessel is too well known here not to be easily recognized. Three nights since it was seen ho vering among the blue mists about a mile from the shore; it came nearer, but mist and darkness clouded round it. We got upon the rocks to watch her motions, for the weather was hazy, and every thing boded the coming storm. We wondered that she sent out no boat, for she floated along and never cast anchor. Presently a growling squally wind arose, and all the clouds rolled out, and darkened the whole face of the sky: the sea swelled and splashed the black crags upon the beach: night drew on, and it was an awful one; but the ship never sent out a boat.

"We saw the poor labouring and struggling thing tossed by foaming breakers: such a skirling and roaring there never was, and such flashing and gleaming of lightning: and then the howling of the wind, and the pattering of the sleety rain; but the greedy waves soon sucked in their victim: they cast themselves up, and gloried over, as she went down,-poor fated souls! We heard their shrieks and cries, but could not help them. Feldspar buffeted the waters a moment, but it was unavailing; he was dashed against yon red rock, and his head cloven in twain."

Such then had been the fate of the gallant, the daring, the heroic Feld