died away-not a cloud blotted the bright azure of the horizon, and the moon and stars were looking peacefully down upon the troubled deep. Far as the eye could reach, all was one wide, awful commotion. The old mariner bent forward upon the parapet, as if to spring away towards the scenes he loved so well. Before him, on the strand, lay the wreck of his little shallop, and a groan escaped him as he recognised its shattered form; but he knew that his wanderings were ended, and he sent his swimming glance far out upon the waters. And here they found him, his gray head resting on his shoulder, his withered arms thrown forth upon the wall, and his eyes fixed intently upon the deep; but his spirit had passed away in the transport of that fond, lingering, farewell gaze. LINES Written at an auberge, upon the Appenines, August 3, 1832, BY NATHANIEL P. WILLIS. 'Tis midnight the lone mountains on- Thus springing from an unseen fount, With midnight round me on the mountIts rays, like thine, fair Dian, flow From far that western star below. Dear mother! in thy love I live; The life thou gav'st flows yet from theeAnd, sun-like, thou hast power to give Life to the earth, air, sea, for me! Though wandering as this moon above, I'm dark without thy beaming love. THE WILL AND THE LAWSUIT. BY WILLIAM C. BALDWIN. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE DUCK, of Duck hall, was one of the most downright, hearty, and thoroughgoing patriots that ever mounted a table and spouted about freedom at a ward-meeting. 66 Liberty," said he, "consists in law. We are not governed by men, but principles. Beshrew those false-hearted knaves who deny the perfectibility of human governments! They are common slanderers of human nature. It is as plain as a pipestem," (although Mr. Duck had not been through college, he cherished a natural taste for classical allusions,) "it is as plain as a pipe-stem that a constitution may be constructed philosophically, and laws may be enacted so as to diffuse justice uniformly and universally. Why look you now," continued he to his uncle Peter Crane, "look you, uncle, what can be more perfect than our present form of government? Our senate is a check upon our house of representatives our house of representatives is a check upon our senate-the president is a check upon both of them, and both of them are checks upon him. By such a legislature, assisted by the states, no laws can be passed but such as are indubitably for the good of the people; and when passed, what an admirable institution are our courts of justice, where learned counsel on each side show the question in all its bearings, and leave it for judge and jury to decide upon after careful examination." This Mr. Peter Crane was a famous hand for horses. After immense preparations to gain the purse offered at the races just then ensuing, he was prevented from participating in his usual amusement by an unpleasant accident. He "died one day" of an apoplectic fit, and left a will, for the drawing of which he had paid twenty-five dollars to his friend, Timothy Fifa, Esq., attorney and counsellor at law, commissioner of deeds, notary public, solicitor in chancery, corporation attorney, and notary to the "Yorkville New-York Washington United States Cahawba Agricultural Bank." It is reported that Mr. Crane had originally drawn his own will; and being a plain man, and not anticipating any trouble touching the disposition of his estate after he should be gathered to his fathers, had just declared in ordinary English, and in the presence of competent witnesses, that he bequeathed so and so to such and such a person. Timothy Fifa, Esq., attorney and counsellor, commissioner, and so forth, as aforesaid, dropped in accidentally and detected this fraudulent proceeding against the interest of the profession. When he perceived what they were at, he rested his chin full upon on the top of his cane, then fixed his eyes the testator, and informed him that the phraseology of the document would invalidate the claims of his heirs. "Lawyers," said he, "are sharp-eyed people; they'll detect a quibble and ruin the business. I'll prepare a substitute, which shall puzzle the whole fraternity." The substitute which was to puzzle the whole fraternity, to use the language of Mr. Duck, of Duck hall,"contained the following claw:" "And I, the said Peter Crane, of Crane hall, Craneville, in the county of Crane, on the north border of Crane river, do hereby give and bequeath unto my dearly-beloved nephew, Napoleon Bonaparte Duck, of Duck hall, Duckville, in the county of Duck, all the four-legged quadrupeds belonging to me, and situate, lying, walking, standing, or in any manner whatsoever of howsoever being upon my estate." By virtue of this will, Napoleon Bonaparte Duck, of Duck hall, claimed twenty-seven full-blooded race-horses, belonging to the estate of the testator. But lawyers are not so easily "puzzled." The executors firmly refused to deliver the horses. Mr. Duck was actually thunderstruck. He had set his heart upon them. To lose his uncle was bad enough in all conscience, but to lose the horses too was intolerable. Pray, sir," said Mr. Duck to one of the execu- |