I was ready to snatch the breeches out of her hands, and wondered that I should be such a fool never to think of buying me a pair of breeches before, that I might have a pocket to put my money in, and not carry it about two days together in my hand, and in my shoe, and I knew not how; so, in a word, I gave her two shillings for the breeches, and went over into the churchyard and put them on, put my money into my new pockets, and was as pleased as a prince is with his coach and six horses. I thanked the good woman, too, for the hat, and told her I would come again when I had got more money and buy some other things I wanted; and so I came away.

-DEFOE.

"H

ever seen.

The boy who addressed this inquiry to the young wayfarer, was about his own age: but one of the queerest-looking boys that Oliver had He was a snub-nosed, flat-browed, common-faced boy enough; and as dirty a juvenile as one would wish to see; but he had about him all the airs and manners of a man. He was short of his age; with rather bow legs, and little, sharp, ugly eyes. His hat was stuck on the top of his head so lightly, that it threatened to fall off every moment-and would have done so, very often, if the wearer had not had a knack of every now and then giving his head a sudden twitch, which brought it back to its old place again. He wore a man's coat, which reached nearly to his heels. He had turned the cuffs back, half-way up his arm, to get his hands out of the sleeves: apparently with the ultimate view of thrusting them into the pockets of his corduroy trousers; for there he kept them. He was, altogether, as roystering and swaggering a young gentleman as ever stood four feet six, or something less, in his bluchers.

-DICKENS.

I

THE CORSAIR A CAPTIVE.

N the high chamber of his highest tower
Sate Conrad, fettered in the Pacha's power.

His palace perished in the flame-this fort
Contained at once his captive and his court.
Not much could Conrad of his sentence blame,
His foe, if vanquished, had but shared the same :-.
Alone he sate, in solitude, had scanned

His guilty bosom, but that breast he manned:
One thought alone he could not-dared not meet-
"Oh, how these tidings will Medora greet?"
Then-only then-his clanking hands he raised,
And strained with rage the chain on which he gazed;
But soon he found—or feigned-or dreamed relief,
And smiled in self-derision of his grief.

"And now come torture when it will-or may,

More need of rest to nerve me for the day!"
This said, with languor to his mat he crept,
And, whatsoe'er his visions, quickly slept.
'Twas hardly midnight when that fray begun,
For Conrad's plans matured, at once were done:
And Havoc loathes so much the waste of time,

She scarce had left an uncommitted crime.

One hour beheld him since the tide he stemmed—

Disguised-discovered-conquering-ta'en-condemned

A chief on land-an outlaw on the deep-
Destroying-saving-prisoned—and asleep!

He left a Corsair's name to other times

Linked with one virtue and a thousand crimes.

-BYRON.

F

SONG.

TO ALTHEA, FROM PRISON.

W

HEN Love, with unconfinèd wings,

Hovers within my gates,

And my divine Althea brings

To whisper at my grates;
When I lie tangled in her hair,

And fettered to her eye,
The birds, that wanton in the air,
Know no such liberty.

When, like committed linnets, I
With shriller throat shall sing
The sweetness, mercy, majesty,
And glories of my king;

When I shall voice aloud how good
He is, how great should be,
Enlarged winds, that curl the flood,
Know no such liberty.

Stone walls do not a prison make,
Nor iron bars a cage;
Minds innocent and quiet take

That for an hermitage.

If I have freedom in my love,
And in my soul am free,

Angels alone, that soar above.
Enjoy such liberty.

-LOVELACE.