It was about ten o'clock of a lovely night in autumn, when my collegechum, Delany, and I, set out from the small inn at Pettigo, like Dr. Syntax, in pursuit of the picturesque. I took with me a stout oaken cudgel

my never-failing companion on nocturnal expeditions-and Delany thrust a small loaded pistol into a secret pocket, designedly made for its reception in the breast of his outer coat. This was owing merely to singularity of disposition, and by no means to necessary, or even prudent precaution; for in no part of the country was travelling at any hour more secure, than in this mountainous district. Neither was it attributable to a pugnacious temperament, for Delany's disposition was of the mildest; and to such a degree did his horror of bloodshed extend, that I had known him turn pale, and almost faint away, at seeing the wizand of a struggling bull-turkey slit with a carving knife by the gentle hand of his uncle's cook, Rebecca; and this, too, when he was within a very few years of attaining his majority. The choice of a pistol as his bosom companion, was, in truth, one of Delany's harmless eccentricities: harmless I call it, for the weapon, -albeit a deadly one-was no more likely to be used by him in a case even of great peril, than if it were minus the lock or the barrel. Delany was constitutionally timid; his nervous temperament, even when it weakened most his intellect, never led him into an ungentle mood; his soul was the repository of every generous sentiment, and no one on earth was readier to sacrifice his wishes of the moment, or even to endanger his personal safety, for those towards whom he entertained sentiments of love or esteem.

It was a moonlight night-beautifully serene. The air, without being cold, had that vivid freshness and purity which give such a cheery im

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pulse to the animal spirits, when the sultry beams of an autumnal sun are withdrawn from the horizon, and gentle breezes are wafted across the heath. Over the whole region of the sky, light clouds were rolling in silvery fleeces, except in the moon's immediate vicinity, where a broad stripe of the deep blue firmament encircled the "Queen of Night," and like a magic cestus, served to give full perfection to her lustre. A slight mist was diffused over the earth, but so thinly as to give little occasion for fearing that it would be the means of marring the beautiful prospect which awaited us.

"Curse upon the fog!" exclaimed my friend, as we were advancing with rapid strides upon the heath (about two miles in extent) which separates Pettigo and Lough Dearg. "It will blur the face of the mirror. Who cares for the lake, unless the moon be reflected on its bosom ?"

Here he stopped suddenly, grasped me by the arm-and, pointing with his disengaged hand towards the sky, asked me whether the moon was not at the full on that night?

I replied in the affirmative, and assured him that, unless what he called a 66 fog," increased very considerably, we should be amply repaid for our short journey.

Delany made no answer; but, after another pause of two or three seconds' duration, which he occupied by gazing full in the moon's face, with a deeply impassioned look, his fine features glowing with intense enthusiasm, and his lips apart, as if preparatory to an improvised apostrophe, he proceeded with strides so rapid, that I had some difficulty in accompanying him without running. I was no little surprised at the manner in which he deported himself; but as I recollected that he had always been an enthusiastic admirer of the "Lady Moon," I placed the occurrence to the account of his

singularity of disposition, and made no observation. A few minutes' smart walking brought us to the summit of a rather steep hill, the base of which was washed by the waters of Loch Dearg.

Here a magnificent prospect opened before us a little world of tranquil beauty-one of those

"Glimpses of glory ne'er forgot," where a full moon beams in undimmed lustre on the bosom of a mirror-like sheet of water, whose surface is broken only by a few picturesque islands, and bounded by an amphitheatre of bold hills-immersed in deep shadow, or bathed in the pale and pensive light.

That the influence of such a scene may be thoroughly felt, the region over which the" pale star" presides should be isolated and untouched by the hand of man. The limits over which the delighted eye has to rove, must not be too extensive, lest in breaking the landscape " piecemeal, to separate contemplation," it be wearied and confounded. No modern mansion, or trim and formal grounds-none of those improvements which show in such a scene like the spider's filament on the columns of a mighty temple, should intrude themselves on the eye. It must be a sweet little lake-not more than five or six miles in its extreme breadth; embosomed in hills, which, to give a dash of sublimity to the picture, should approximate to mountains. That grand, though rudely carved basin, should appear to enclose the sparkling water, as a votive libation to her whose pathway of light glitters across its surface; and over all should the " gentlest of planets shine without a cloud or speck upon her queenly face-the presiding "genius loci." She is the enchantress beneath whose touch whatever is most beautiful in natural scenery springs into life and loveliness. Every harsher feature-every cold reality, which in the noonday glare is obtruded on the view, becomes mellowed and refined by her silver effluence; light and shade are distributed by her in beautiful admixture; and the sky above, and the

water below, borrow from her benign presence their most winning aspect. It was such a scene that Loch Dearg presented.

Delany and I remained for several minutes gazing in speechless delight. We were both of us at that period of life when youth passes into manhood, and when beauty of every description makes its deepest impression on the heart. Our admiration was too intense to find vent in words. I hate your heartless fellows, who, the instant a fine prospect pops up before them, commence prating about their "sensations," and giving vent to the most sickening common-place. The "prominent features" of the landscape are detailed to you by these persons pretty much after the fashion of the penny showman with his "Look to the right and you shall see!" just as if your eyes were not engaged in devouring the objects before you piecemeal, so as to deprive your mouth of its office. Wonder has no tongue. I recommend to all lovers of the picturesque, who may be at any time subjected to this irritation, to adopt my mode of abating the nuisance, which is to enforce the precept of "bouche cousue," by clapping my hand on the marplot's mouth, or to give him a smart tap on the knuckles with my walking-stick. The most suitable compagnon de voyage for such intolerable bores would be the tailor, who, the instant he gained the first glorious glimpse of the Falls of Niagara, exclaimed incontinently, "Lawks! what a fine place to sponge a coat!"

It would be a matter of much difficulty to extract a word from Delany upon such an occasion; and, accordingly, our eyes had roved in uninterrupted freedom over every point in the landscape before a word was uttered by either of us. A mist was curling over the surface of the lough, and was gathering landward rapidly.

How surpassingly lovely!" exclaimed Delany, who was the first to break the chain of silence, “and how fortunate we were to arrive at the period we did. Had we been here one half hour later, that cursed fog would have shut us out from the

I could not help smiling at this rhapsody, and remarked that the veil which his imagination had conjured up, was of rather too meretricious a character for the excessive chastity of Diana.

His

But Delany heeded me not. eyes were still rapturously fixed on the goddess of his idolatry. There was a wildness in his gaze, which I had seldom seen before, even in his most singular moods. His lips were moving, and he muttered something, which was apparently an apostrophe to the moon. A heaviness of heart came over me. I laid one hand on his shoulder, and motioned with the other in the direction of the village. The cloud passed from the moon's face at that instant, and she looked more than usually bright.

"See!" he exclaimed, hurriedly, "there she shines out again! How lovely and benign she looks! Oh! that my soul could transport itself to that planet. Sin and grief, and disease and pain-oppression and revenge-'the proud man's contumely,' and the thankless man's ingratitude, are there unknown-beautiful moon!" he continued, with uplifted arms, "I consecrate myself to thy worship!"

Here I interrupted him with a low laugh, which I could not repress, though, in truth, there was less of mirth than sadness at my heart.

"See," he continued, " grasping me strongly by the arm, "with what a lustre her image beams upon the lake. Her lovely face is mirrored there. She is like a bride arraying herself for the altar, and gazing at her own reflected loveliness ere she sinks into the wane."

He was silent for a few seconds, and my anxious eyes beheld the mist spreading thicker and thicker. Delany's were fixed upon the sky, towards which he directed my attention.

"See you not," he exclaimed, "the thousand exhalations with which the field of heaven is covered, and yon beautiful planet in the midst, like a fair shepherdess tending her fleecy charge? Seems it not an Arcadian vision? How tranquil and how pure! There are no prowling wolves there to spread terror through the flock-unless howling Boreas and his brethren-who dare not bellow now. They are hushed into silence by her majestic presence!"

"But the mist-the mist," I interrupted. "It is increasing rapidly."

"Pshaw!" exclaimed the lunatic, (for such he was), "it cannot hide her face from our view. There she remains as unshaken as the firmament -shining on-shining on, like innocent virtue, undimmed by the fetid breath which this polluted earth exhales, to cloud her lustre. Beautiful lamp! suspended invisibly by the arm of God from the vault of heaven, to illumine and irradiate the world! -to carry his bright image midway between heaven and earth, and reflect it upon that magnificent watery mirror below. Ten thousand beacons of man's construction would shed but a dim light over a small patch of earth

would struggle feebly through a hand's breadth of the atmosphere, and be puffed into annihilation by a gust of wind, leaving only a stench behind to mock at the vanity of human contrivance! while thou dost 'lighten through all space,' and gladden the heart, and subdue the soul by thy benign influence. I kneel to thee here in token of worship!"

And the lunatic knelt down upon the heath, and clasped his hands in devotion-a guiltless, because unconscious, idolater.-And now he wept !

How deeply I was affected by his earnest and impassioned apostrophe I need scarcely describe. I felt that his case was hopeless; and should not have interfered with the wayward direction of his thoughts, but that the mist was thickening dangerously round us. I did not succeed in rousing him, until I had shaken him violently. He pressed my hand, and with an imploring look solicited my pity. And still he wept.

I sought to soothe him, and begged of him to dry his tears.

Again he pressed my hand, and said, "Forgive me, but the remembrance suddenly forced itself upon me, as I was taking my parting look at the moon's reflection on the lake, and thought how all our hopes in this sad world are as unsubstantial as that watery image, that on this night twelvemonths (here he sobbed audibly) poor Ellen's soul departed!" He covered his face with his hands, and continued for some minutes sobbing like a child. When his paroxysm had subsided, he proceeded as follows:-" Poor Ellen! she was but ten days confined by that fatal illness, which I deemed it impossible that her unimpaired constitution would not eventually surmount-blooming and buoyant as she had ever been-but our hopes here below are only cherished to be blighted! Ellen! my betrothed Ellen !" (here his tears came fresh as at first.) "That fatal night!" he went on, "it was a moonlight night, too, bright and calm and beautiful like this; and I left her sick chamber, just after she had fallen into a tranquil sleep, from which the physician assured me she would awake much relieved-deceitful consolation! — I left the chamber, and walked out into the cool air; and up the little hill to the left of the shrubbery: it was Ellen's favourite walk, and I gazed upon the beautiful face of the moon, which shone forth-just as she shines this evening-and I thought of Ellen, and indulged, self-flattering fool that I was, in the fond hope that she would soon be well, and that we would be speedily united-never to separate; when-oh, God! a messenger came running from the house to tell me that her spirit had departed! I could not believe it; I rushed home to assure myself with my own eyes that she was living-to prove that the menial who carried the fatal news had lied! Her face was pallid as marble;—I threw myself on her motionless form-I clung to her lips, striving to catch a breath -there was none! I called her loudly by name-there was no answer! My beautiful Ellen was a lifeless corpse!

They had closed her eyes-those eloquent eyes which but a half-hour before had beamed with so much tenderness upon me, and assured me that all would yet be well. Her features were placid and lovely—oh, how lovely; and a smile played upon her lips-that smile which was so familiar to them. To gaze upon her, and think that the hand of the Destroyer had been upon a form so lovely, was agony unutterable! But there was no mistaking that lookit was the stillness of death!"

Here his utterance became choked. I was almost moved to tears myself. To what a melancholy state had his fine mind been reduced by the too strong sensibility of his heart. I could not conceal from myself the conviction that grief had preyed deeply upon his intellect; and that his reason was perhaps irretrievably shaken. I was most anxious to return to the inn as speedily as possible. Delany's grief had found sufficient vent in tears; and the calmness which ever succeeds a strong paroxysm left him so tractable as to offer not the slightest opposition to his removal.

But the mist had accumulated to such a degree, as to render our return to Pettigo somewhat problematical. As we advanced upon the heath, leaving the lake behind us, this became still more apparent. The mist had fallen so low, and diffused itself so thickly, that our sensible horizon had become diminished to a circle not more than ten yards in diameter. We had diverged to a considerable distance from the beaten track, in order to secure the most favourable view of the lake, and, after several unsuccessful attempts, we relinquished all hope of finding it. As the distance between us and Pettigo was inconsiderable, we judged that by walking straight forward we could scarcely miss it. But in this we reckoned without our host; for in our endeavour to discover some trace of the path which led to the village, we had made so many circuitous windings, that the few stars visible, of which we were by no means skilful interpreters, were the sole guides of our footsteps. The