swelled with the blast, and almost drowned, in its noise, the bellowing of the storm. I raised my head-It came from the dwelling of Prospero. "He has been giving a masquerade," said a listener under the porch," and this is the music of the ball,” said he;—“ these are the footmen, those the carriages of his guests."-" Would that my poor shivering friend, with his wife and his babes, were in one of them!" said I, as I walked hastily forward. "Heaven and earth! are men really equals?" This was food for the imagination for a winter's night.

It was now past one. The moon was totally obscured by a dark cloud, which had swallowed up a dozen of others, and covered the half of the horizon. The wind was more furious than ever, and carried sharp half-frozen drops of rain along with it. I turned Pall-mall, passed through Stable-yard, and entered the Park, through which I had to pass on my way to Chelsea: all seemed desolation-even the sentinel appeared afraid to open his mouth, and refrained from the usual "Who goes there?"

It is a pity," said I, thinking still of the beggar and the masquerade, it is a pity that it is so; yet some men are provident, and others the reverse, so I believe it must be as it is. And," added I, wishing still more to prove to myself that it is the best of all possible worlds,

it is better that it is so, else man would want a spur to exertion, and a lesson to be prudent." So I hugged myself close, and walked on. "Yet that is a vile sup position, after all; is it necessary that man should be so wretched as to beg his fellow-creature for a halfpenny, in such a night as this, and all the time hear the music of masqueraders mocking his distresses and reviling his poverty? If fortune had made me a Nobleman nowA sigh interrupted my soliloquy-it came from a bench below an old tree, on my right hand; a groan followed, and was repeated. A male figure lay stretched along the bench, half-sheltered by the tree, and half-covered with a shawl. I started, yet stirred not, I knew not why. "Who is there?" I exclaimed: a sound betwixt a sob and a groan was the reply. I flew to the bench, and raised the figure in my arms. "Good God! you are starved to death," I cried; "leave this place instantly I shall help you," said I, finding she could not stand; her shawl fell off in the attempt; her naked bosom was exposed to the piercing blast; and she sank, apparently

lifeless, on my shoulder. I shuddered as I placed her again on the bench, and wept as I took off my great coat and my handkerchief, and wrapped the whole around her. I seized her in my arms, and ran along with her to Buckingham-gate." Not one house open to shelter a poor dying female!"-" A house, a little further on, is not yet shut," cried a hoarse watchman on the other side of the way. I ran-I flew-" There is a fire within, Sir.""Thank you, thank you; make room, for Heaven's sake, for she is still alive!"

She was still alive. Two eyes, of pale blue, opened, as I placed her by the fire on my knee: they were open for a moment, and instantly shut. I gazed on her, every idea absorbed in her reanimation. A young girl was employed in chafing her hands and her temples; and an old woman in pouring a cordial down her throat. I eagerly watched her features-ah! never shall I forget them. Her nose was of the finest Grecian; her mouth of the most exquisite form, but her lips were no longer red; her cheeks were pale; her eyes were sunk; and her arched eye-brows were almost concealed by her auburn hair. A slight straw hat covered her head, and a thin muslin gown her body. Over the whole Sympathy could trace the hand of Sorrow; and Pity sighed, as she recognised the symptoms of Frailty.

She sighed, again opened her eyes, stared wildly around her, and, in a voice that thrilled through my soul as I heard it, asked where she was?" You are among friends," said I; " do not be alarmed. -You may leave us now, my good woman," said I, addressing the hostess. The woman glanced at me, then at the poor sufferes. 66 My husband is scrupulous, Sir, and your companion is not a fit person for our house." The ears of the wretched creature caught the sound: a momentary glow overspread her cheeks-it was succeeded by a deadly pale. True," sighed she; she attempted to rise, but, in the attempt, fell, fainting, on the chair beside me.

The heart of the hostess was moved; I marked the sob which rose in her bosom, as she supported the almost exanimate body, and seized the favourable moment."Poor young creature!" said I, for she appeared to be under twenty-" You may once have known what it was to have a mother, but the world has lost all its charms for you now; and, if you have still a parent-" I could pot proceed; a big tear trembled in my eye, and rolled

down my cheek. The features of the good woman relaxed still more; she looked at me, then compassionately at the reviving female, and left the room. "Heaven bless you for it," said I, " It is an act of charity, and will not lose its reward."

The poor young creature once more opened her eyes; faintly and sickly she opened them; and, as she looked at me, she sighed out. "I am ill, very ill, but it will soon be over. "Over!" cried I, as I attempted to, ring the bell. She feebly caught iny arm-" I an dying," said she, " and I ought to die." If my heart would have let me, I could have exclaimed, with my Uncle Toby, "By Heaven you shall not !"- but the words stuck in my throat, and I could not utter them.

I procured such refreshments as the house could afford, "She took them to satisfy me," she said, "for she knew she was dying-she felt the hand of Death upon her." A faint melancholy smile, that overspread her features as she spoke, seemed to welcome his approach:" for Death, to the poor, and the miserable, and the hopeless, is an angel that comes to unbar the doors of their prison, and free them from care, and sorrow, and anguish. To the happy only is he the monarch of terror.

"And had you not a house to shelter you from the inclemency of the weather?" said I, in a low tone of voice, half-doubting whether I should have asked the question. "Ah, no!" she replied, shaking her head." Nor a friend?"- "A friend!" she exclaimed, as hastily as her feeble frame would permit her-" Alas-not one!-L once had, but I have not a friend now." The cadence. of her voice, as she finished, drew tears from my eyes; supported as she was in my arins, she felt them fall on her hand; she raised her eyes to my face, as if she doubted their reality, and when she saw they were no feigned symptoms of sorrow, her looks seemed to say"God bless you-I am unaccustomed to pity."

She lay for some time without motion-I scarce felt her breathe. I supposed she had fallen asleep, and was about to call the good woman of the house to prepare a bed for her reception, when a convulsive sigh, that seemed to come from the bottom of her heart, convinced me that she was still awake. I stooped to observe whether her eyes were shut. I found them staring wildly. The crimson flush, which had begun to overspread her leeks, was ucceeded by a livid hue. She sighed again,

"Good God you are ill-you are dying!" I exclaimed: The poor girl sighed once more, gave a slight shudder groaned and sank lifeless on my bosom !

1. M.

SURNAMES, ANCIENT AND MODERN.

NOTHING can be more preposterously absurd than the practice of inheriting cognomina, which ought never_to be purely personal. I would ask, for example, what propriety there was in giving the name Xenophon, which signifies one that speaks a foreign language, to the celebrated Greek who distinguished himself, not only as a consummate Captain, but also an elegant writer in his mother tongue ? What could be more ridiculous than to denominate the great philosopher of Crotona Pythagoras, which implies a striking speech? Or what could be more misapplied than the name of the weeping philosopher Heraclitus, signifying military glory? inheritance of surnames, among the Romans, produced still more ridiculous consequences. The best and noblest families in Rome derived their names from the coarsest employments, or else from the corporeal blemishes of their ancestors. The Pisones were millers: the Cicerones and the Ledtuli were so called from the vetches and the lentils which their forefathers dealt in. The Fabii were so denominated from a dung-pit, in which the first of the family was begot by stealth, in the way of fornication. A ploughman gave rise to the great family of the Serrani, the ladies of which always went without smocks. The Suilli, the Bubulci, and the Porci, were descended from a swine-herd, a cow-herd, and a hogbutcher. What could be more disgraceful than to call the senator Strabo, Squintum ; or a fine young lady of the house of Poeti, Pigsnies? or to distinguish a matron of the Limi by the appellation of Sheep's-eye?-What could be more dishonourable than to give the surname of Snub-nose to P. Silius, the Proprætor, because his great-great great-grahdfather had a nose of that inake? Ovid, indeed, had a long nose, and therefore was justly denominated Naso: but why should Horace be called Flaccus, as if his ears had been stretched in the pillory? I need not mention the Burrhi, Nigri, Rusi, Aquilii, and Rutilii, because we have the same foolish surnames in England; and even the Lappa; for I myself know a very

pretty miss, called Rough-head, though, in fact, there is not a young lady in the bills of mortality who takes more pains to dress her hair to the best advantage. The famous Dictator, whom the deputies of Rome found at the plough, was known by the name of Cincinnatus, or Ragged-head. Now I leave you to judge how it would sound in these days, if a footman at the play-houseshould call out, " My Lady Ragged-head's coach. Room

for my Lady Ragged-head." I am doubtful whether the English name of Hale does not come from the Roman cognomen Hala, which signified stinking breath. What need I mention the Plauti, Panci, Valgi, Vari, Vatiæ, and Scauri; the Tuditani, the Malici, Cenestellæ, and Lecce; in other words, the Splay-foots, Bandy-legs, Shamble-shins, Baker-knees, Club-foots, Hammer-heads, Chubby-cheeks, Bald-heads, and Letchers.-I shall not say a word of the Buteo, or Buzzard, that I may not be obliged to explain the meaning of the word Triorchis, from whence it takes its denomination; yet all those were great families in Rome. But I cannot help taking notice of some of the same improprieties, which have crept into the language and customs of this country. Let us suppose, for example, á foreigner reading an English newspaper in these terms: "Last Tuesday the Right Honourable Timothy Sillyman, Secretary of State for the Southern Department, gave a grand entertainment to the nobility and gentry, at his house in Knave's-acre. The evening was concluded with a ball, which was opened by Sir Samuel Hog and Lady Diana Rough-head. By the last mail from Germany, we have certain advice of a complete victory which General Coward has obtained over the enemy. On this occasion the General displayed all the intrepidity of the most renowned hero;-by the same channel, we are informed that Lieutenant Little-fear has been broke by a court-martial for cowardice. We hear that Edward West, Esq. will be elected President of the Directors of the East-India Company for the ensuing year. It is reported that Commodore North will be sent with a squadron into the South Sea.-Captains East and South are appointed by the Lords of the Admiralty commanders of two frigates, to sail on the discovery of the NorthWest passage.-Yesterday morning Sir John Summer, Bart. lay dangerously ill at his house in Spring-gardens: he is attended by Dr. Winter; but there are no hopes of

VOL. IV.

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