were shown a stone coffin which had been found near the high altar, when the workmen were excavating the vault intended by Lord Byron for himself and his dog. The coffin contained the skeleton of an abbot, and also the identical skull from which the cup of which I have made mention was made. We then left the building, and took a stroll through the grounds. After passing a pond of cold crystal water, we came to a dark wood, in which are two leaden statues of Pan, and a female satyr very fine specimens as works of art. We here inspected the tree whereon Byron carved his own name and that of his sister, with the date, all of which are still legible. However, the tree is now dead, and we were informed that Colonel Wildman intended to have it cut down, so as to preserve the part containing the inscription. After crossing an interesting and picturesque part of the gardens, we arrived within the precincts of the ancient chapel, near which we observed a neat marble monument, and which we supposed to have been erected to the memory of some of the Byrons; but, on drawing near to it, we read the following inscription : "Near this spot are deposited the Remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man without his Vices. This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of BOATSWAIN, a Dog, who was born at Newfoundland, May, 1803, and died at Newstead Abbey, Nov. 18, 1808. "When some proud son of man returns to earth, The sculptured art exhausts the pomp of woe, When all is done, upon the tomb is seen Not what he was, but what he should have been. O, man! thou feeble tenant of an hour, Who knows thee well must quit thee with disgust, Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat, Thy smiles hypocrisy, thy words deceit ! By nature vile, ennobled but by name, Each kindred brute might bid thee blush for shame. By a will which his lordship executed in 1811, he directed that his own body should be buried in a vault in the garden, near his faithful dog. This feeling of affection to his dumb and faithful follower, commendable in itself, seems here to have been carried beyond the bounds of reason and propriety. In another part of the grounds we saw the oak-tree planted by the poet himself. It has now attained a goodly size, considering the growth of the oak, and bids fair to become a lasting memento to the noble bard, and to be a shrine to which thousands of pilgrims will resort in future ages, to do homage to his mighty genius. This tree promises to share in after times the celebrity of Shakspeare's mulberry, and Pope's willow. Near by, and in the tall trees, the rooks were keeping up a tremendous noise. After seeing everything of interest connected with the great poet, we entered our chaise, and left the premises. As we were leaving, I turned to take a farewell look at the abbey, standing in solemn grandeur, the long ivy clinging fondly to the rich tracery of a former age. Proceeding to the little town of Hucknall, we entered the old gray parish church, which has for ages been the last resting-place of the Byrons, and where repose the ashes of the poet, marked by a neat marble slab, bearing the following inscription : In the vault beneath, where many of his Ancestors and his Mother are Buried, lie the remains of GEORGE GORDON NOEL BYRON, Lord Byron, of Rochdale, in the County of Lancaster, the author of " Childe Harold's Pilgrimage." He was born in London, on the 22nd of January, 1788. He died at Missolonghi, in Western Greece, on the 19th of April, 1824, Engaged in the glorious attempt to restore that His Sister, the Honorable Augusta Maria Leigh, placed this Tablet to his Memory. From an Album that is kept for visitors to register their names in, I copied the following lines, composed by William Howitt, immediately after the interment: "Rest in thy tomb, young heir of glory, rest! A spot of light upon thy country's breast, Thither romantic pilgrims shall betake Themselves from distant lands. When we are still In centuries of sleep, thy fame shall wake, And thy great memory with deep feelings fill These scenes which thou hast trod, and hallow every hill." scenes that This closed my visit to the interesting scenes associated with Byron's strange and eventful history ever acquire a growing charm as the lapse of years softens the errors of the man, and confirms the genius of the poet. The following lines, written by Byron in early life, were realized in his death in a foreign land: "When Time or soon or late shall bring The dreamless sleep that lulls the dead, Wave gently o'er my dying bed! "No band of friends or heirs be there, "But silent let me sink to Earth, With no officious mourners near; CHAPTER XIII. "Now, this once gorgeous edifice, if reared The glory of the Lord, should be revered Even for that cause, by those who seek the same. Error, nor feel that they partake it too? Then judge with charity, whate'er thy name, Be thou a Pagan, Protestant, or Jew; Nor with a scornful glance these Papal reliques view." BARTON. Ir was on a lovely morning that I found myself on board the little steamer Wye, passing out of Bristol harbor. In going down the river, we saw on our right the stupendous rocks of St. Vincent towering some four or five hundred feet above our heads. By the swiftness of our fairy steamer, we were soon abreast of Cook's Folly, a singular tower, built by a man from whom it takes its name, and of which the following romantic story is told "Some years since a gentleman, of the name of Cook, erected this tower, which has since gone by the name of Cook's Folly.' A son having been born, he was desirous of ascertaining, by means of astrology, if he would live to enjoy his property. Being himself a firm : 6 |