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BRIDAL, CANZONET.

Sir Knight, heed not the clarion's call,
From hill, or from valley, or turretted hall;
Cease, holy Friar, cease for awhile
The anthem that swells through the fretted aisle;
Forester bold, to the bugle's sound
Listen no longer, though gaily wound,
But haste to the bridal, haste away,
Where love's rebeck is tuned to a sweeter lay.

Sir Knight, Sir Knight, no longer twine
The laurel-leaf o'er that bold brow of thine;
Friar, to-day from thy temples tear
The ivy garland that sages wear;
To-day, bold Forester, cast aside
Thy oak-leaf crown, the woodland's pride,
And bind round your brows the myrtle gay,
While the rebeck resounds love's sweetest lays.

Sir Knight, urge not now the gallant steed
O'er the plains that to honour and glory lead;
Friar, forget thy order's vow,
And pace not the gloomy cloisters now.
Chase no longer with bow and with spear,
Forester bold, the dappled deer,
But tread me a measure as light and gay
As ever kept lime to the rebeck's lay.

_Neele's Romance of History_.

* * * * *

THE GATHERER

"I am but a _Gatherer_ and disposer of other men's stuff."--_Walton_.

* * * * *

TRAVELLING.

Sterne pitied the man who could travel from Dan to Beersheba, and say
all "was barren:" however delighted travellers or tourists may be on
their journey, it is surprising how few details are preserved in their
memory. This occasioned Dr. Johnson to remark, in his "Tour to the
Hebrides," how much the lapse even "of a few hours takes from the
certainty of knowledge, and the distinctness of imagery;" and that
"those who trust to memory what cannot be safely trusted but to the
eye, must tell by guess, what a few hours before they had known with
certainty." We were never more convinced of the importance of these
observations than after our first visit to the dock-yard, at
Portsmouth. In collating some little memoranda made on the spot, we
referred to our party, (_seven_ in number) on our return to the inn,
for the _extent_ of the dock-yard: not one of them could give a
correct answer, though all had just heard it detailed and explained
with accuracy. Dr. Kitchener may well recommend tourists to walk about
with note-books in their hands! and such inadvertence as the preceding
almost warrants the oddity of his suggestion.

*