the edifices yet burning, and there miserably perished; whilst the anguished animal, at not many paces distant, dropped down in the agonies of death but a few minutes previous to the arrival on the spot of his noble owner.

Surrey, however, it is said, believed in common with the Scots, that the blacksmith was nothing less than an incarnation of one of Satan's host, and to the end of his days never related the story of this border-foray, without attributing the whole to infernal agency, and swearing that the arch enemy himself, appeared six several times at least, during that night of unearthly tumult, confusion, destruction, and affray !

STANZAS TO A LADY.

BY MAURICE HARCOURT.

I do not love thee for thine eyes,
Of tender and bewitching blue;
I do nor love thee for thy cheeks,
Which shame the opening rose's hue!
Nor lips vermilion that surpass

The corals, which 'neath ocean grow;
Nor for thy graceful neck that vies,
In whiteness with the Alpine snow.

I do not love thee for thy voice,

Which round the heart enwreaths a spell;
I love thee not for sunny smiles,
Which on thy radiant visage dwell;
Nor for the thousand outward charms,
That all the painter's skill defy,
Which make thee to the world appear
A pitying seraph from the sky.

I love thee for thy noble mind,
A treasure age will ne'er impair,
Which, when thy beauty fades away,
The ruthless hand of time will spare:

I love thee for thy gentle heart,

Of which I'd rather guardian be,
Than reign a sceptred sovereign,
And govern o'er the earth and sea.

2

Thy heart, beloved one! is the shrine
Where I my fond devotions pay,
Like pilgrims who desert the world,
And seek to heaven the brightest way:
So, let my fervent worship gain

That prize, all earthly joys above,
Without which life no bliss can yield-
Grant me the heaven of thy love!

TIME'S TELESCOPE, 1834.

This annual volume still maintains its character, or, indeed, we may say, improves. The present year is extremely rich in each of its departments; and the illustrations are numerous and beautiful. The portaits of Rammohun Roy, Hannah More, La Place, Dr. Halley, Baron Cuvier, and Sir J. Banks are really gems of art; and the astronomical subjects are executed with great taste. The first portion, "Remarkable Days," abounds with Cotemporary Biography, and is interspersed with numerous poetical pieces of much merit. Among the contributors to this department we find our own Mrs. Rolfe, Miss Beevor, H. C. Deakin, and G. R. Carter. The second part, Astronomical Occurrences,' is from the pen of Mr. Barker, of the " Literary Gazette." The introductory essay, "On the Formation of the Solar System,' and the papers on Telescopic Objects," will be read with much interest by the general, as well as scientific, reader. The third division, "Notes of a Naturalist," by Professor Rennie, requires no eulogium: Nature is ever presenting something new to the observant eye, The following extract we think will be amusing.

"WHY CATS FALL ON THEIR FEET WHEN THROWN FROM A HEIGHT. The instinct which all animals seem to possess, in bringing the line of direction of the centre of pressure within the base is admirable. It is this instinct which renders the wild goat and the chamois so fearless of danger, in the terrific leaps they take among the alpine precipices; and which enables a cat always to alight on its feet, in falling from heights that appear sufficient to render a fall fatal. Now, the operations of instinct, though in many points of view somewhat

miraculous, are always regulated by some ingenious principle, when that can be discovered; and, in the instance of the cat always falling on her feet, it appears to me, that the same principle operates, which enables us to walk upright, by regulating our centre of pressure according to the things around us. In learning to walk, we judge of the distances of the objects which we approach, by the eye; and by observing their perpendicularity, determine our own. Hence it is, that

no one who is hoodwinked, can walk in a straight line for a hundred steps together; and for the same reason, most people become dizzy when they look from the summit of a tower or battlement, much raised above the objects in the sphere of distinct vision. A whirling wheel, or the current of a rapid river, or the apparent motion of the sea on looking over the side of a fast sailing ship, have often a similar effect. When a child can first stand erect on his legs, if you gain his attention to a white handkerchief, extended like a sail, he will stand firm, but the instant you wave it, he will tumble down. It is for this reason, that rope dancers, who have a very narrow base upon which to maintain the line of direction perpendicular, keep their eye fixed on a point of the frame work upholding the rope, by which to regulate their centre of pressure; and for the same reason, those who perform difficult feats of balancing, keep their eye fixed on the top of the thing balanced, to retain the line of direction within the base. It may be accordingly inferred, that the reason why a man loses his balance when tipsy is, that his eyes roll so unsteadily as to prevent him from regulating his balance by the things around him, while the muscular feelings that assist him when hoodwinked, are also deranged.

"It would be curious to ascertain whether a cat, if rendered tipsy, would fall equally on her feet, when dropt from a height, as a sober cat. The difficulty of the experiment would lie in getting a cat to drink beer, wine, or spirits, all of which it greatly dislikes. I have no doubt, however, that it is by fixing the eye on the things around, that a cat, falling from a height, regulates her centre of pressure, so as to fall on her feet. She is, however, aided in this, by the form of her body, somewhat the reverse of that of a grey-hound, the centre of pressure lying far back from the head, and, consequently, bringing down the hind feet rather before the fore feet."

In this part, also, we have a very charming little engraving, "The Moralist," accompanied by some lines, the moral of which is good, and the piece worth our extracting.

THE MORALIST.

Let youth pluck the rose, and a wreath let him weave,
While wet with the dew of the morn;

But alas! he will find, when with me at the eve,
That the rose left behind it a thorn,

The pluck'd rose is the classical emblem of death,
'Tis the mirror we owe to the fair,

Anon.

It teacheth how virtue embalmeth the breath, But if pluck'd it empoisons the air. Fair ladies see this withered flower, unsightly now to view, Twas once the garden's boasted pride, and beautiful as you ; Each passer by in rapture gaz'd, as they may gaze on thee; Then learn a moral from my tale, soon thou as changed may be. Let not the pride of fashion's way allure thee to forget,

That ere yon sun has sunk in night, the sun of life may set; Thou'rt young-but many young as thee by death are oft called hence;

Then learn a moral from my tale, let folly ne'er drown sense.. There's time for thought, there's time for mirth, but one thing keep in mind,

Let all thy doings ever be, good, innocent, or kind;

Do no one harm, nor harm yourself, and death you need not

fear;

Then learn a moral from my tale, and from all vice keep clear,
"Do unto others as you'd have all others do to thee,"
Your conscience then for ever will from all reproach be free
When mixing in life's giddy scenes, think on this faded flow'r,
And then the moral of my tale will cheer your calmer hour.

;

Thus moralized an aged man, upon a rose decayed,
To two fair ladies, in whose charms, nature her art display'd;
They thank'd him as they turn'd away, a tear stood in each
eye,

Each learnt a moral from his tale they'll think of till they die.

This work still maintains its patriarchal title, of Parent of the Annuals," with all its accustomed vigour. We shall again recur to its pages, and we promise our fair friends something worthy their attention.