CASTLES IN THE AIR.

ALNASCHAR was a very idle fellow, that never would set his hand to any business during his father's life. When his father died, he left him to the value of a hundred drachmas in Persian money. Alnaschar, in order to make the best of it, laid it out in bottles, glasses, and the finest earthen-ware. These he piled up in a large open basket; and, having made choice of a very little shop, placed the basket at his feet, and leaned his back upon the wall in expectation of customers. As he sat in this posture, with his eyes upon the basket, he fell into a most amusing train of thought, and was overheard by one of his neighbours, as he talked to himself in the following manner :-" This basket," says he, "cost me at the wholesale merchant's a hundred drachmas, which is all I had in the world. I shall quickly make two hundred of it by selling it in retail. These two hundred drachmas will in a very little while rise to four hundred; which, of course, will amount in time to four thousand. thousand drachmas cannot fail of making eight thousand. As soon as by these means I am master of ten thousand, I will lay aside my trade of a glass-man and turn jeweller. I shall then deal in diamonds, pearls, and all sorts of rich stones. When I have got together as much wealth as I can well desire, I will make a purchase of the finest house I can find, with lands, slaves, and horses. I shall then begin to enjoy myself and make a noise in the world. I will not, however, stop there; but still continue my traffic until I have got together a hundred thousand drachmas. When I have thus made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas, I shall naturally set myself on the footing of a prince, and will demand the grand vizier's daughter in marriage.

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"When I have brought the princess to my house, I shall take particular care to breed her in due respect for me. To this end I shall confine her to her own apartments, make her a short visit, and talk but little to her. Her women will represent to me that she is inconsolable by reason of my unkindness; but I shall still remain inexorable. Her mother will then come and bring her daugh

ter to me, as I am seated on a sofa. The daughter, with tears in her eyes, will fling herself at my feet, and beg me to receive her into my favour. Then will I, to imprint her with a thorough veneration for my person, draw up my legs, and spurn her from me with my foot, in such a manner that she shall fall down several paces from the sofa."

Alnaschar was entirely swallowed up in his vision, and could not forbear acting with his foot what he had in his thoughts so that, unluckily striking his basket of brittle ware, which was the foundation of all his grandeur, he kicked his glasses to a great distance from him into the street, and broke them into ten thousand pieces.

Spectator.

THE INCHCAPE BELL.

No stir in the air, no stir in the sea,
The ship was still as ship might be ;
Her sails from heaven receiv'd no motion,
Her keel was steady in the ocean.

Without either sign or sound of their shock,
The waves flow'd over the Inchcape rock;
So little they rose, so little they fell,
They did not move the Inchcape bell.

(The worthy abbot of Aberbrothock

Had floated that bell on the Inchcape rock:
On the waves of the storm it floated and swung,
And louder and louder it warning rung.

When the rock was hid by the tempest's swell,
The mariners heard the warning bell;
And then they knew the perilous rock,
And bless'd the priest of Aberbrothock.)

The float of the Inchcape bell was seen,
A darker speck, on the ocean green:
Sir Ralph the Rover walk'd his deck,
And he fix'd his eye on the darker speck.

His eye was on the bell and float:
Quoth he, "My men put out the boat,

And row me to the Inchcape rock,

And I'll plague the priest of Aberbrothock.”

The boat is lower'd, the boatmen row,
And to the Inchcape rock they go:
Sir Ralph bent over from the boat,
And cut the warning bell from the float.

Down sunk the bell with a gurgling sound,

The bubbles arose, and burst around;

Quoth Sir Ralph, "The next who comes to this rock,
Will not bless the priest of Aberbrothock."

Sir Ralph the Rover sail'd away,

He scour'd the seas for many a day;

And now grown rich with plunder'd store,
He steers his course to Scotland's shore.

So thick a haze o'erspreads the sky,
They cannot see the sun on high:
The wind had blown a gale all day,
At evening it had died away.

"Canst hear," said one," the breakers roar?
For yonder, methinks, should be the shore;
Now where we are I cannot tell,

But I wish we could hear the Inchcape bell."

They hear no sound, the swell is strong,
Though the wind hath fallen, they drift along,
Till the vessel strikes with a shiv'ring shock-
Oh, Heavens! it is the Inchcape rock!

Sir Ralph the Rover tore his hair,
He curst himself in his despair;
But the waves rush in on every side,

And the vessel sinks beneath the tide.

MYLIUS's Poetical Class-Book.

THE SECRET OF BEING ALWAYS SATISFIED.

A CERTAIN Italian bishop was remarkable for his happy and contented disposition. He met with much opposition, and encountered many difficulties in his journey through life; but it was observed that he never repined at his condition, or betrayed the least degree of impa

"In

tience. An intimate friend of his, who highly admired the virtue which he thought it impossible to imitate, one day asked the prelate if he could communicate the secret of being always satisfied. "Yes," replied the good old man, "I can teach you my secret, and with great facility. It consists in nothing more than in making a right use of my eyes.” His friend begged him to explain himself. "Most willingly," returned the bishop. whatever state I am, I first of all look up to heaven, and reflect that my principal business here is to get there. I then look down upon the earth, and call to mind that when I am dead I shall occupy but a small space of it. I then look abroad into the world, and observe what multitudes there are, who, in every respect, are less fortunate than myself. Thus I learn where true happiness is placed, where all our cares must end, and how very little reason I have to repine or to complain."

JOHNSTONE's Collection.

INTEGRITY AND LOYALTY.

A MORE striking instance of inflexible integrity and stedfast loyalty is scarcely to be found than that which is related of a New England farmer of the name of Stedman, who, having espoused the side of the royalists at the breaking out of the American war, shared the same unhappy fate with many of his countrymen who embarked in the same desperate cause. His story is thus narrated by the person who appeared as his counsel on his trial:

The jail in which he was confined was in the western part of Massachusetts, and nearly in a ruinous condition. The farmer was one night awakened from his sleep by several persons in his room. "Come," said they, "you can now regain your liberty; we have made a breach in the prison through which you can escape." To their astonishment Stedman refused to leave the prison. In vain they expostulated with him,-in vain they represented to him that his life was at stake. His reply was, that he was a true man, and a servant of King George, and that he would not creep out of a hole at night, and

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sneak away from the rebels to save his neck from the gallows.

ers.

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The time at length arrived for the trial of the prisonThe distance to the place where the court was sitting at that time was about sixty miles. Stedman remarked to the sheriff, when he came to attend him, that it would save some expense if he could be permitted to alone and on foot. "And suppose," said the sheriff, you should prefer your safety to your honour, and leave me to seek you in the British camp." "I had thought," said the farmer, reddening with indignation, "that I was speaking to one who knew me." "I do know you, indeed," said the sheriff, "I spoke but in jest; you shall have your own way. Go, and on the third day I shall expect to see you.' The farmer departed, and at the appointed time he placed himself in the hands of the sheriff.

Stedman insisted

I was now engaged as his counsel. before the court upon telling his whole story; and when I would have taken advantage of some technical points, he sharply rebuked me, and told me he had not employed me to prevaricate, but only to assist him in telling the truth. I had never seen such a display of simple integrity. I saw the tears more than once springing from the eyes of his judges; never before or since have I felt such an interest in a client. I pleaded for him as I should have pleaded for my own life. I drew tears, but I could not sway the judgment of stern men, controlled more by a sense of duty than the compassionate promptings of humanity. Stedman was condemned. I told him there was a chance of pardon, if he would ask it. I drew up a petition and requested him to sign it, but he refused. "I have done," said he, "what I thought my duty. I can ask pardon of my God and my king; but it would be hypocrisy to ask forgiveness of these men for an action I should repeat were I again placed in similar circumstances. No! ask me not to sign that petition. Go to my judges, and tell them I place not my fears nor my hopes in them." It was in vain that I pressed the subject, and I went away in despair.