William Herschel informs us, "perform revolutions around each other, each having its own orbit." The lady's included a husband and children; but the philosopher finished his cycle without ring or moon, a crystalline sphere in the grand empyrean, or region of perpetual serenity.

18

AN INCIDENT IN DREAM-LAND.

Ir happened once that Love-proverbially touchy, we all know-took high offence at the neglect of his whilom sworn friend and brother Hymen, who, he declared, had ceased to invite him to his magnificent parties in town. Finding his temper too warm upon the occasion, he sought the cooling influence of rural shades, and there amused himself and forgot his pettish enmity, in sending sportive arrows among groups of simple nymphs and swains, as they raked the new-mown hay in company, or pared the luscious peach or the firmer apple, to dry, in gay festoons," for winter, which they knew must come ;" or husked the golden corn, or bound the lachrymose onion wreathwise upon its supporting wisp of straw. But, ere long, wearying of such inglorious sport-not unlike that of the royal ennuyé who shot from his gilded balcony whole hecatombs of game, so trapped that it could neither fight nor fly-he left the rustic herd, and took his way along the banks of a bright and rapid stream, which rolled its gleaming waves through foliage of every hue and outline, reflecting at times the sun, the snowy cloud, the lamps of night, the leaden hue of storms, the appalling aspect of the tempest-all distinct at intervals, yet at intervals

again fused, as it were, into one enchanting and harmonious whole. Love called the stream Poetry, and declared that he would always dwell by its side.

As he strayed along delighted, leaning occasionally over the living mirror, that he might see how it enhanced the splendor of his beauty, he beheld, reclining in the shadow of a rock, a heavenly form, whose wings, folded in repose, and a celestial halo round his brow, declared him still unchanged by contact with the things of earth. By the radiance which shone through his closed lids, and by the lyre clasped, even in sleep, to his bosom, Love knew the bright visitant to be Genius. He called him with his most persuasive voice-and Love's tones are almost irresistible-but in vain. The sleeper's head was pillowed on a bed of poppies, and a drapery of deadly nightshade hung from the rock which shaded him from the sun. "I must see those rainbow pinions unfolded to the light !" said Love; "of all my claims to immortality, none could be so indisputable as the subjugation of this glorious being to my power!"

And, selecting one of his keenest arrows, and new-stringing his bow with a braided tress of golden hair, he wounded the unguarded bosom of the slumberer.

The youth started-opened his eyes, bright and dewy as the first glad smile of morning, and spread wide his radiant wings as if to find safety in flight. But he became conscious of the sweet venom which was spreading through his veins, and, with a glance half-reproachful, half-adoring, he bowed the knee to Love and owned his resistless power, and asked his supreme will.

Sing!" said the conqueror; and the blended music of voice and lyre filled the whole air, and, borne along by the

waves, awakened to thrilling life all the spiritual things that haunted the green recesses of that charmed spot. Love crowned the captive with flowers, showered delicious odors around his dazzling brow, brought honey in the comb white as the foam on the billow, and presented to his eager lip a lily-cup of sparkling wine. Wood-nymphs and naiads, hovering round, beheld their own beautiful forms reflected in the crystalline wings of the stranger, but though various and changeful as the light of parting day, one face, and one only, was there seen in every dress, recognized through every disguise. The forms and masks were painted by Fancy,-the one face was the work of Truth. "And now," said victorious Love, "take me to thy own bright sphere !"

Prompt to obey, the pleased subject tried his glittering wings for an upward flight. Alas! overcome by the too sweet banquet, Genius sunk back upon the roses which the victor had spread around him. The halo faded from his head; his lyre reclined against a myrtle-mute, save when a breeze from the languid south awakened a faint echo of its former power,

"Sleep then-stupid thing !" said Love, enraged at the effect of his own spells-and he was about to shake over the lids of the fainting captive the baleful dust of Oblivion, when a fearful form appeared from a rugged wood at no great distance. His hair hung in wild elf-locks about his wasted features, and his squalid garments scarce concealed his meagre limbs. His eyes seemed of stone, and in his hand was an iron sceptre, which has often caused even Love to tremble.

"Ha! Poverty !" said the baffled tyrant, as he flew to the safe shelter of a neighboring tulip tree, yielding the field for the moment to his old enemy, that he might watch the effect of his

presence upon the glorious being whom his own arts had reduced to utter helplessness. The flowers drooped; the grass withered; and the breezes which a moment before had breathed of summer, became chilly as if wafted from a wandering ice-berg. With a sepulchral voice did the skeleton visitor call on Genius to arise.

"Come! let me see these gaudy wings of thine !" he said, with a sneer. But the youth, shuddering, folded their filmy leaves over his eyes, to shut out the hateful apparition. Poverty pushed him rudely with that cold iron sceptre, but the torpedo touch seemed only still further to paralyze his faculties "Thou dost not feel me yet!" exclaimed the fiend; and even as he spoke he took the form of a hideous dragon, whose folds, surrounding the victim, began to narrow upon his shrinking form, and, continually contracting the spiral circle, threatened to crush him inevitably and irretrievably.

Then rose the noble youth, roused by the too eager malice of his foe; and shaking off alike the poppies of Indolence, and the roses in which Love had enveloped him, he stretched his glittering pinions, spurned the earth with his foot, and soaring majestically toward heaven, looked down with scorn upon scowling Poverty, while the radiance its power, and dazzled all but Love. the upward flight of Genius, strove means of certain nets of silk and gold, most always successful with the sons of born youth shook them off with a smile of contempt, while he sang to his enchanted lyre a hymn so glorious, that earth's inmost heart thrilled to the melody, and Love, for once, owned himself in turn a captive.

about his brow resumed That wily god, pursuing again to entrap him by which he had found alearth, but the heaven