causes had silently girdled the yet green and flourishing tree, but the Spanish Fury was the fire which consumed it to ashes. Three thousand dead bodies were discovered in the streets, as many more were estimated to have perished in the Scheldt, and nearly an equal number were 5 burned or destroyed in other ways. Eight thousand persons undoubtedly were put to death. Six millions of property were destroyed by the fire, and at least as much more was obtained by the Spaniards. Insect lover of the sun, Sailor of the atmosphere; Swimmer through the waves of air; Voyager of light and noon Epicurean' of June; Wait, I prithee, till I come When the south wind, in May days, Silvers the horizon wall, And with softness touching all, Hot midsummer's petted crone, Tells of countless sunny hours, 5 10 15 Long days, and solid banks of flowers; 20 In Indian wildernesses found; Of Syrian peace, immortal leisure, Aught unsavory or unclean Hath my insect never seen; But violets and bilberry bells, Maple sap and daffodils, Grass with green flag half-mast high, Succory to match the sky, Columbine with horn of honey, Scented fern and agrimony, 25 30 Clover, catchfly, adder's-tongue Wiser far than human seer, Thou dost mock at fate and care, LXXV. THE JOURNEY TO PALMYRA. BY WILLIAM WARE.' I WILL not detain you long with our voyage, but will only mark out its course. Leaving the African shore, we struck across to Sicily, and, coasting along its eastern border, beheld with pleasure the towering form of 20 Etna, sending up into the heavens a dull and sluggish cloud of vapors. We then ran between the Peloponnesus and Crete, and so held our course till the island of Cyprus rose like her own fair goddess from the ocean, and filled our eyes with a beautiful vision of hill and 25 valley, wooded promontory, and glittering towns and villas. A fair wind soon withdrew us from these charming prospects, and, after driving us swiftly and roughly over the remainder of our way, rewarded us with a brighter and more welcome vision still-the coast of Syria, and our destined port, Berytus.❜ 5 As far as the eye could reach, both towards the north and the south, we beheld a luxuriant region crowded with villages, and giving every indication of comfort and wealth. The city itself, which we rapidly approached, 10 was of inferior size, but presented an agreeable prospect of warehouses, public and private edifices, overtopped here and there by the lofty palm, and other trees of a new and peculiar foliage. Four days were consumed here in the purchase of slaves, camels, and 15 horses, and in other preparations for the journey across the Desert. Two routes presented themselves, one more, the other less, direct: the last, though more circuitous, appeared to me the more desirable, as it would take me within sight of the modern glories and ancient remains 20 of Heliopolis.' This, therefore, was determined upon; and on the morning of the fifth day we set forward upon our long march. Four slaves, two camels, and three horses, with an Arab conductor, constituted our little caravan; but for greater safety we attached our-25 selves to a much larger one than our own, in which we were swallowed up and lost, consisting of travelers and traders from all parts of the world, and who were also on their way to Palmyra,* as a point whence to separate to various parts of the vast East. Our way through the valleys of Libanus' was like one long wandering among the pleasure grounds of opulent citizens. The land was everywhere richly cultivated, and a happier peasantry, as far as the eye of the travel 30 er could judge, nowhere exists. The most luxuriant valleys of our own Italy are not more crowded with the evidences of plenty and contentment. Upon drawing near to the ancient Baalbec, I found, on inquiry of our guide, that we were not to pass through it, as I had s hoped, nor even very near it—not nearer than between two and three miles. So that in this I had been clearly deceived by those of whom I had made the most exact inquiries at Berytus. The event proved, however, it was not for nothing; for soon after we had started on our 10 journey, on the morning of the second day, turning suddenly round the projecting rock of a mountain ridge, we all at once beheld, as if a veil had been lifted up, Heliopolis and its suburbs, spread out before us in all their various beauty. The city lay about three miles distant. I 15 could only, therefore, identify its principal structure, the Temple of the Sun, as built by the first Antonine. This towered above the walls and over all the other buildings, and gave vast ideas of the greatness of the place, leading the mind to crowd it with other edifices that 20 should bear some proportion to this noble monument of imperial magnificence. As suddenly as the view of this imposing scene had been revealed, so suddenly was it again eclipsed by another short turn in the road, which took us once more into the mountain valleys. But the 25 overhanging and impenetrable foliage of a Syrian forest shielding me from the fierce rays of a burning sun, soon reconciled me to my loss--more especially as I knew that in a short time we were to enter upon the sandy desert which stretches from the Anti'- Libanus 30 almost to the very walls of Palmyra. Upon this boundless desert we now soon entered. The scene which it presented was more dismal than I can describe. A red, moving sand-or hard and baked |