Let them think my heart asleep
And that I forget,

If my lips the secret keep

Of my eyes unwet.

But the Lady Moon could show
If I recollect or no:

-Lone! lone! sadly ione!

And when all to rest are gone,
I awake and dream,
Where from high she smileth on

The lily of the stream!

The Fatal Curiosity.

OME charm was round me, night and day,
That made my life seem just begun;

A presence was it? Rather say
The warning aureole of one.

And yet I felt it every where;

Walked I the woodland aisles along,

It brushed me with ambrosial hair;
Bathed I, I heard a mermaid's song.

How sweet it was! a buttercup

Could hold for me a day's delight,

A bird could lift my fancy up

To ether free from cloud or blight.

What was the Nymph? Nay, I will see,

Methought, and I will know her near; If such, but guessed, her charm can be, Were not possession triply dear?

In April, 1443, the Duke and Duchess of Burgundy held their Court at Dijon, to celebrate the marriage of Jean de Chalons, son of the Prince of Orange, with Madame Catherine of Brittany, the daughter of the Conestable de Richmont. There was in Dijon, at that time, a great concourse of noble and distinguished visitors from different countries. The Duke loved magnificence-he enjoyed his own power and grandeur very much, and he was always pleased when a good opportunity offered of displaying them. The Duchess of Burgundy was surrounded by a brilliant company of noble ladies, but Lady Blanche de St. Simon was remarked above all others for her beauty. No Court in Europe was to be compared to the Court of Burgundy for magnificence and luxury, and at this time nobody thought of anything but amusement; it was one continued course of feasts, balls, tournaments, hunting parties, and mummeries-everything followed in its

turn.

The Sire de Charni, who thought these somewhat trifling amusements, resolved to give the very finest encounter of arms that had ever been known. At his own expense he sent heralds into all the kingdoms of Christendom, to publish the following challenge :

"In honour of our Saviour and of His glorious Mother, of Madame St. Anne and of my lord St. George, I, Peter of Bauffremont and Lord of Charni, give notice to all Princes, Barons, Chevaliers, and Squires without reproach, that, to do honour to the very noble art and exercise of arms, it is my desire, along with the twelve chevaliers, esquires, and gentlemen, (whose names here follow,) to guard a passage of arms upon the high road between Dijon and Auxonne, beneath the tree of Charlemagne, in the parish of Marcenay:

"Two escutcheons-one black, sémé de larmes d'or, the other violet, semé de larmes noires, will be suspended to this tree. Those who, through their heralds, shall touch the first escutcheon, will be bound to make a passage on horseback against me and my knights.

"He who shall be unhorsed and thrown to the ground shall be bound to give the victor as fine a diamond as he shall require. Those who prefer a combat on foot will touch the violet shield. He who fighting thus shall be thrown so as to touch the ground either with his knee or his hand, shall be obliged to give his opponent a ruby of such price as he shall require. If he is thrown his full length, he will be considered a prisoner, and bound to pay a ransom of at least fifty crowns.

"Every knight or squire passing within a quarter of a league of the tree of Charlemagne will be considered to have touched one of the shields, and must give either his sword or spurs as a pledge."

The conditions of combat were then carefully regulated in order that all might pass loyally. The passage of arms was to continue forty days, to commence from the 12th of July, 1443 it was conducted by the permission of the Duke of Burgundy, who appointed the Count d'Etampes as judge.

When the time appointed arrived, the Duke of Burgundy (although much serious business had arisen for him since the enterprise was proclaimed) did not fail to be at Dijon; he brought with him his cousin Louis the Duke of Savoy.

A Spanish knight, very renowned for these enterprises, named Pedro Vasco de Saavedra, and who had recently acquired great honour in tournaments at Cologne and in England, was the first combatant. He had touched both the shields.

The lists were magnificently adorned, the tents were

covered with the banners of the knights, and nothing could exceed the richness of the armour, the trappings of the horses, and the dress of the respective pages.

Everything passed with courage and courtesy; all the champions showed so much strength and address, that, although there was some splendid fighting, nobody was conquered. There was not even any accident, except a slight wound received by a knight from Piedmont, named the Count de St. Martin, whilst he was jousting with the Sire Guillaume de Vauldrei.

The two shields had been suspended a whole month to the tree of Charlemagne, but the period for which the passage of arms was to be held had not yet expired, and there were still two jousts to take place-between the Count de St. Martin and Guillaume de Vauldrei, also between Don Diego de Valliere and Jacques de Challant. The Duke called them before him and told them that he was obliged to go to war without delay, and to take his knights along with him as his army had already entered Luxembourg-and that he would hold it as a favour if they would withdraw their challenges and consider the tournament at an end. He made them all magnificent presents, and spoke to them so nobly that they knelt down to return their thanks. The Count de St. Martin entered his service. The holders of the tournament then went to the Church of the Holy Virgin at Dijon and made an offering of the two shields, which were hung up in the church; after which the Duke of Burgundy and his knights departed to the war in Luxembourg.