of interest; some of the adventures are well conceived and, as far as may be judged from a translation, not ill described. We cannot however afford room for an intire story, and must content ourselves with offering as a specimen of the prose, a short extract from the commencement of the narrative.

"My name, worthy friend, is Gerardo: the great and famous village of Madrid, most worthy mansion of our Catholic monarchs, my loved country, the common general mother of different people and remote nations. Near her high-rear'd walls, by whose ruins her ancient strength is yet seen, is the house of my ancestors, ennobled as well by their births as its own antiquity; there was I born, there first bred. It were needless to enlarge my discourse, by recounting the tender exercises of my infancy, therefore I will begin from my years of fifteen; which accomplished, I was forced to obey my father, by accompanying him to one of the best places of government in Castile, which his majesty had then newly bestowed upon him. My elder brother, Leoncio, went also with us, a valiant youth of towardly hopes. All of us were most jocund, with our father's new fortunes; our journey was short, for in four days we arrived, where, according to custom, we were solemnly welcomed. My father took possession of the government, and to the general satisfaction went on in his Triennium.

"This was the famous city of Talbora, one of the best and most populous in the kingdom of Toledo ; whose situation is fructified with the silver streams of the gold-bearing Tagus, and makes it one of the most pleasant and delightful upon all its banks: the inhabi

tants are loving, courteous and affable; particularly the gentry, of the best qualified houses in Spain, most worthy pillars of so ancient a foundation.

"Here, methought, I was ever at home with friends of mine own age and rank. Our exercises for the most part were riding, running at bulks, at the ring, masks, barriers, and the like, with which, delighting the multitude, we made ourselves cunning practitioners. In the field, hawking and hunting were our sports, for both which that country is plentifully provided.— These and others, that took up our whole time, were

my chief delights, to a heart yet untouched with love's flames; which made me as contented, as free; as satisfied in myself, as by others envied. Yet not long could I so boast, not long was I so joy ful; how soon from a freeman, became I a bond-slave; from merry to melancholy; from tractable to the contrary; from happy to unfortunate! Sooner than I could wish, dear Leriano, shall you hear the change. Amongst many other shews and triumphs we usually had, one drew near, appointed by our city in honour and commemoration of the blessed Virgin Mary's happy nuptials. When an infinite number of common people, and a great concourse of gentry resort thither, as well from the court and the city of Ovila, as the imperial Toledo, and other parts of the kingdom. The wished day came on, being the six and twentieth of April, duskish and cloudy, a season natural to that climate; or belike Phoebus knew his beams might be well spared, where so many, and so beauteous lights would appear. We were two and thirty gentlemen, that in several colours entered the market-place myself performed the office of stickler between my father and my brother Leoncio.

The sport began, the bulls were let loose and chased, the whole solemnity, to the general good liking and applause of the spectators, ended in a well ordered skirmish of canes, there having happened no disaster or mischance at all, save mine, which, considering the state it hath now brought me to, was the greatest that could arrive.

"At my first passing over the place on horseback, my careless eyes chanced to glance at a bay-window, where certain gentlewomen strangers were placed, and paused a little as being attracted, no less by the novelty, than the goodly presence. Back I went with some other friends and gentlemen, that I might re-enjoy a fuller sight of those beauties, and fair and softly, as prancingly as our horses could pace, we drew near, passing to and fro, with more turnings and windings than doth a poor prisoner in a loathsome dungeon, Neither had we, think I, 'till this time quitted the place, had not the gentlewomen seeing all ended, raised themselves up to go down to their coaches that attended them beneath. Here my foundation failed, and from this instant began the ruin of my fired Troy.

"One there was amongst those ladies, that 'till the present still masked, discovered so rare a beauty in so young a body, that we were all suddenly astonished. Methought unaccustomed to such brunts, the fair creature even tore and parted my heart, to make it part of her tender own.” *

Pp. 12, 13, 14, 15.

The poetry dispersed throughout this work, the translator assures us has occasionally been "altered to make it more suitable to an English reader," and may consequently be considered in some measure as original composition. It has considerable merit, as the following specimens will prove.

SONNET

Used in a Serenade from a Lover to his Mistress.

Whether, or fixed or wandering, lights of heaven!
Though lesser tapers to the moon you be,—
Bright scutcheons of the Gods, and planets seven,
Whose cheerful influence doth best agree
With amorous minds :-a breast most pure and even
Invokes your fair aspects, look down on me,
And as your powers, me power to love have given,
Light her I love that she my thoughts may see.
And oh! thou cold and more than sober night!
That in dull calmness sleep'st untill clear day,
In absence of thy sun's most glorious light;
Wert thou like me, sad night, to go thy way
By absence grieved to lose so rich a sight;
Tears, sorrow's tribute, and not sleep, thoul'dst pay.

SONNET.

A brazen heart, an adamantine mind,

Doubtless had he, whose restless working brain
First launched our moving houses to the main,
And slippery hinges gave to waves and wind.
Fanatic fury, zeal aspiring blind,

Had he who rashly sought to fly, in vain
But rasher he that heaven's bright car, so fain,

Downheadlong drew, against his father's mind :

A daring act, a pretty enterprise,

"Twas to descend and conquer Erebus,

To bind the triple-porter in a chain :—
But to presume to venture on her eyes,

Without more note or merit court them thus,
As greater madness, so a greater gain.

SONNET.

If, of a wretched state and all forlorn,

That be the wretched'st, not at all to be:— Since in condemned prisoners we may see, Though they must die, they'ld not, not have been born.Than by oblivion to be slowly torn,

Or vexed with absence in extremity,

Or plagued with rage of restless jealousy,— These nothing are to not being loved, a scorn: He that's forgotten, yet a being had,

He that is absent may return again,—

He that is jealous may find constancy :-
But still to follow shadows,-love in vain,—
Still to be hopeless,-worse than to be mad,-
That never was, is, or shall happy be.

SONNET

To a Lady singing, unseen..

Sweet voice! I hear thy pleasing harmony,
Though air resist it and rebellious wind:

O that the glorious angel I could see,

That thus enchants mine ear, suspends my mind! Love sure is no bare voice, no fancy blind,

Nor faint intention, but reality,