swered If I have been guilty of any offence it must be a burglary, for I cannot deny that you found me in the Coal-hole.” SHANDEAN IMITATIONS. 1. THE STAYS.-The company of a sprightly woman is an antidote to those gloomy days of November.—I went to drink tea with Flavia, as the only means I had to keep myself clear of the vapours. I found her alone upon a sofa.-The hearth was clean, the fire clear, the kettle on for tea.-I was solicited to sit down and take a cup. A drop of water from the tea-pot scalded her hand through the glove. She held her hand out for my inspection-It was impossible to avoid praising it—it was impossible to avoid chafing it-in chafing It was not possible to avoid pressing-and in pressing it was naturally conveyed to the lips. One misfortune treads upon the heels of another-In handing the kettle, I unluckily trod on the cat. The cat squalled-Flavia shrieked and fell upon the sofa-I rang the bell, there was nobody in the house to answer, no water, no salts-I attempted to raise her-she grasped my hand with a convulsive gripe. Her bosom heaved-I die for breath, exclaimed Flavia! Will nobody cut my lace? Now the cutting of the lace, and the extricating Flavia from the embraces of her stays, produced another species of embrace, perfectly natural in such a situation. There she lay Loose, unattired, tender, full of wishes. II. HUNTING SEASON:OR THE BOOTS.-There are doubtless joys in the sports of the field, or so many would not pursue them. That there are pleasures in a lady's bed-chamber cannot be doubted. The first we are unacquainted with the latter we experimentally know. It has often been observed, and the observation is just, that even a confidential male friend should never be introduced as a resident visitor into the house of a new-married couple. The blandishments of love, on such occasions, should be con“ fined to the actors; or these freedoms and liberties which nature and virtue allow to the female, may be imputed to a disposition injurious to the purity of her mind, as well as chastity of her person; and the visiting friend, if a cunning knave, may take advantages afforded by opportunity, in the absence of her husband, to destroy his peace, and ruin the honour of his wife. Claudio married Isabella from love, and Antonio assisted him in his amour-and it was the general opinion, that Isabella reciprocrated the passion of her lover-Claudio insisted that Antonio should live with him. Claudio loved sporting-Antonio was fond of reading; so while the one was pursuing his game in the fields, the other was reading to Isabella in the house. A thousand little incidents occurred on these occasions, which led to the grand catastrophe of the boots. When the hand of a man and a woman meet in contact, even by accident, sympathy follows-on such occasions the nerves, like the strings of two harps or violins, strung in unison, will vibrate while the heart beats time, and the eyes dance to the tune. Now it happened that Claudio having insisted upon Antonio meeting him on a fox chase, rose with the sun to prepare his horses, and brought with him a boy of above thirteen years of age to assist him. The boy was cunning, arch, and mischievous The horses being ready, Claudio sent the boy from the stable to his house for the boots-"You will find them, my lad," said Claudio," in the closet behind the bedchamber." The boy returned in a few minutes.- "Sir," said the boy, my mistress has got on your boots, and I am afraid to disturb her.". Claudio stared--and exclaimed, "Your mistress." "Yes, Sir, (said the boy) she has them on-and she is lying on the bed, for I saw the boots stretched out from under the quilt." Claudio flew into the apartment of his wife-he saw the legs stretched out-he saw the boots upon the legs, and pulling them with violence, dragged his friend Antonio from the side of his beloved wife. It is almost unnecessary to say, that Antonio had paid a visit to the wife of Claudio, and having been somehow or other overpowered by sleep, sank with his fair mistress into a profound slumber. 91 As several of our Correspondents are desirous of ascertaining the nature of the poem entitled "Queen Mab," alluded to by Lord Byron, in his notes to the "Two Foscari," we insert a sketch of it, from the preface to a small American Edition, which we have seen in private circulation : “The author has made fiction and suitable poetical imagery the vehicles of his moral and philosophical opinions. The attributes of Queen Mab form the machinery of a work, in which the delightful creations of fancy, and the realities of truth, unite to produce an indelible impression on the mind. "The Fairy descends in her chariot, and, hovering over this earth, confers on the soul of a beautiful female (Iänthe) the glorious boon of a complete knowledge of the past, the present, and the future. The body is lulled to sleep; the soul ascends the ear of the Fairy, and then take their flight through the unmeasurable expanse of the universe. Arrived at the palace of the "Queen of Spells," the Spirit is led by her to the "overhanging battlement," and thence beholds the inexpressible grandeur of that multitude of worlds, among which, this earth (to which her attention is especially directed) is but an insignificant speck. 66 The Fairy then proceeds to point out the ruined cities of ancient time; and her sublime descriptions, with the reflections naturally suggested by the pomp and decay of grandeur, and the rise and fall of empires, will be found particularly attractive. "Having reviewed the deeds of ages past, the Fairy next expatiates on the systems at present in existence; and here the Author's opinions, conveyed through the lips of his visionary instrument, are bold to the highest pitch of daring. The doctrine of necessity, abstruse and dark as its subject is generally believed, forms a leading consideration in this poem, and is treated with a precision of demonstration, and illumined with a radiance of genius, far beyond expectation itself: "The present and the past thou hast beheld; "It was a desolate sight." "And the Fairy then lifts the veil of an imaginary futurity, and presents to the delighted Spirit the prospect of a state of human perfection, which affords illimitable range for the erratic wanderings of poetic ardour. Here the Fairy and the Spirit revel in all the luxury of hope and joy; and having contemplated a while, with virtuous satisfaction, the happy scene thus opened to mortal conception, the former declares her task completed, and conveys the latter to her earthly tenement, which her anxious lover is watching with impatient ardour for its resuscitation." The following short extract is inserted, to give our readers some slight conception of the beauties of this celebrated poem : "How beautiful this night! the balmiest sigh, Which vernal zephyrs breathe in evening's ear, Were discord to the speaking quietude That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon vault, Through which the moon's unclouded grandeur rolls, To curtain her sleeping world. Yon gentle hills, A metaphor of peace ;-all form a scene Mr. Murray, the publisher of Lord Byron's works, it is said, will not re-print the " Mystery" of Cain. A letter has been addressed to him by a Dignitary of the Church, upon what is called the "profaneness, blasphemy, and impious tendency" of that poem; holding out menaces, and endeavouring, by every possible means, to intimidate him from its re-publication. It is also hinted in the "Literary Gazette," that the King has expressed his displeasure concerning this beautiful and energetic poem, which is far superior to the two tragedies printed with it. After this, Mr. Murray, who is bookseller to the Admiralty, and greatly dependent upon the higher orders, cannot conveniently fly in their faces, and one of Lord Byron's sublimest productions is destined to be suppressed, because he has not made the Devil speak on theological subjects in the same manner as a clergyman would. It is generally a merit to delineate characters faithfully to nature, and to make them speak and act consistently with the ideas handed down to us of them; but, in this instance, the poetical truth of his Lordship has given great offence. The priests, whose trade would not be worth two-pence without a Devil, seem desirous of monopolizing the abuse of him to themselves, and are greatly incensed that his Lordship should give the Devil his due, and suffer him to speak like a Devil instead of acting the hypocrite, and canting like a methodist parson, or a member of the "Society for the Suppression of Vice!" Most persons in the habit of reading reviews, or newspapers, are aware, that Robert Southey, the Poet Laureate, some time since published a most stupid jumble of nonsense, called a Vision of Judgment." Lord Byron has written a most excellent parody upon that paragon of superlative absurdiiy; it far exceeds any of his Lordship's former productions in keenness of satire, and poignancy of ridicule. It is said to be too bad for publication-viz. in the opinion of the squeamish but this very circumstance will not only ensure its publication, but likewise its extensive circulation. Poetry, [ORIGINAL AND select.] ODE TO POETRY. O THOU, enchantress of the soul! And make the heart with rapture swell; Of Genius, in some sylvan grove; By Nature, who around thee smil'd, |