poraries. One day, when he was encamped with his family in the desert, a traveller, to whom he had shown the rites of hospitality, asked him who was the best poet. He took the stranger by the hand, and led him towards a tent, whence came, on their approaching it, an old man, ill-dressed, and of mean aspect, whose beard was covered with drops of milk. "Do you know who this old man is?" inquired Janir. "I do not," replied he. "He is my father," returned the

poet; adding, "Do you know what he has been doing in this tent ?" "No."-" He has been sucking the teat of a goat, which he did not like to milk, for fear his neighbours, hearing the milk fall into the vessel, should come and ask for some. I now tell you, that the best poet is he, who, with the disadvantage of having such a father, has been able to contend for superiority against eighty rivals, all of whom he has vanquished.”— Asiatic Journal.

BIRTHS.

On the 28th of February, in Huntley-street, the lady of Frederick J. Prescott, Esq., of a daughter. On the 13th March, the lady of Horace Twiss, Esq., M. P., in Park-place, St. James's.-On the 17th, in Church-street, the Hon. Mrs. Ferguson, of Pilforn, of a son.-On the 14th, the lady of Sir G. Crew, Bart. M. P., of a son.-On the 17th, Countess of Wilton, of a daughter. Mrs. Watkins, of Montgomeryshire, of three boys, all doing well, and named Abiaham, Isaac, and Jacob.-At Hampton Court, the lady of Colonel Cock, of a son.

MARRIAGES.

On the 28th of February, Lieut.-General Gosslin, to Miss Priscilla Dimsdale, of Brunswickplace, Regent's-park.-Robert Barker, of Rochdale, Esq., to Cecilia Sophia, the only daughter of the late John Vickerman, Esq., of Mecklenburgsquare.-George Vining, eldest son of George Vining Rogers, Esq., of Westmeon, Hants, to Diana, eldest daughter of A. Lawrence, Esq., of Myddelton-square.-At Hammersmith, Robert Jones, Esq., of Kingsland, surgeon, to Mary Jane, second daughter of John Bowling, Esq., of Hammersmith.-At St. George's, Isle of Man, Henry, third son of H. Curwen, Esq., of Workington Hall, Cumberland, to Dora, eldest surviving daughter of General Goldin, of the nunnery in that island.--At Epsom, Rev. R. W. Halsey, Esq., of Hanley-park, to Caroline, second daughter of E. Whitmore, Esq., Lombard

street.

DEATHS.

On the 2nd of March, Francis II. Emperor of Austria, aged 67, a monarch of more changes of fortune than usually experienced, and who preserved the quiescence of a humane disposition throughout. He is succeeded by his son, Frederic, King of Hungary, aged 42.-Earl Nelson, Duke of Bronti, on Saturday, Feb. 28th, at his lordship's residence in Portman-square. His lordship was in the 78th year of his age. By his death a valuable stall in Canterbury Cathedral becomes vacant. He was buried by his heroic but less happy brother in St. Paul's.— Mr. Pope, formerly a celebrated actor and miniature-painter.-In Dover-street, Piccadilly, on Thursday, the 26th ult., Sir Charles Mill, Bart., of Bury House, Hants, aged 70.-On the 27th of February, at 37, Great Marlborough-street, Margaretta, the widow of the late James Wingfield, Esq.-At Bombay, in September last, David James Cannan, lieutenant of Regiment

of Artillery, aged 22, son of Mr. David Cannan, of London.-At Calcutta, on the 28th September last, in his 19th year, John J. Shank, Esq., of the Civil Service, second son of H. Shank, Esq., of Gloucester place.-At Palermo, on the 25th ult., Captain Peter Osborne, of the schooner Lapwing, while passing with his crew and a Custom-house officer from the quarantine ground to the clearance-office, preparatory to the landing of cargo. The boat, in crossing a very dangerous place, which all strangers are com. pelled to do before clearance is sanctioned, was swamped by a heavy sea; the crew and Customhouse officer were providentially rescued with much difficulty, but the captain found a wa tery grave, in the 27th year of his age, leaving a large circle of friends to lament his melancholy fate. At Tittyghar, Maria, wife of Theodore Dickens, Esq, registrar of the Supreme Court of Calcutta, and youngest daughter of the late John Bridgman, Esq.-At Han pstead, Arabella, eldest daughter of Mellor Hetherington, Esq.In the 47th year of his age, Mr. Thos. Watson, of the firm of Gerardin and Watson, Poland-street. -Harriot, the beloved daughter of John Peter Boileau, Esq.,of Castelnau-place, Mortlake, much and deservedly lamented. At Tours, France, aged 32, John Henry Tarriano, Esq.-At Stonehouse, aged 90, M. Royon, A. M., formerly professor of Belles Lettres.- On the 17th of March, Commander Sir P. Parker, Bart., R. N., in his 25th year. At Kemptown, Brighton, W. Tennant, Esq.-At Cheltenham, A. C. only son of the late Col. A. Hamilton, aged 17.-At Chesterterrace, Elizabeth, only daughter of the late Sir G. Gunning, Bart.-New Bangalore, India, in October last (drowned), Cornet A. E. Onkers, 7th Reg. of Cavalry, aged 18.-In Hampshire, Sir G. Tappo, Bart., aged 83.- Elizabeth Harriot, second daughter of Lord Eliot.-At Northern Castle, N. B., Sir A. Mackenzie, of Dalvine, Bart.-Joseph Smith, at Quarry Hall, near Bridgenorth, at the age of 71. He had been 40 years a waggoner in one employ, and had been in the habit of constantly drinking a gallon of ale per day, besides his usual supply of table beer: so that he drank, in the 40 years, 228 hogsheads, enough to float a ship.-At Fornacella, in the kingdom of Naples, named Matteo Sejano, aged 104 years. Up to the day of his death he continued to work at his trade. Throughout his long career this man led a life of extreme sobriety, to which cause is, no doubt, to be attributed the perfect health which he enjoyed.

lière.-R ssetlï's Antipapal Spirit, translated by Miss Caroline Ward.

For more than two years the attachment of Louis continued without the power of shaking the virtuous principles of this young lady. Soon after his marriage with the young queen, Mademoiselle de la Vallière withdrew herself from court to the convent of Chaillot, whither the king followed her; and after a severe struggle with her better feelings, he brought her back in triumph to Versailles. Some elegant verses appeared in "Blackwood's Magazine" on the retreat of Mademoiselle de la Vallière to Chaillot, which our readers will remember formed the subject of one of the most beautiful plates in the "Keepsake." THE CONVENT OF CHAILLOT; OR, LA VALLIERE AND LOUIS XIV. The convent bell has heavily told

One-two-three:

The sun is guiding his car of gold
Down to the dark-blue sea.
Nigh is the hallow'd vesper-hour;
That hour when souls, awhile reposing,
Converse, as in some chosen bow'r,

With Heav'n; and Heaven, its curtains closing,

In each care-torn, earth-wearied breast,
Sheds its mild balm of peace and rest.

What sounds, in the solemn cloister heard,
The white veil'd novices'
hearts
have

stirr'd;

Who, with eager neck and curious look,
Like children round some pictur'd book,
Forth from yon still recess are peepinz,-
There, where the many hued flowers are
sleeping

In the ev'ning ray,

And a little stream is creeping,
On its lonely way

To bound the hoary convent wall,
Like infant arm with feeble thrall
Circling some grandsire's slow decay!
No whispers these of virgin minds

Communing heav'nly love;
No tranquil sigh of the heart that flads
Its only wealth above;
But hurried sobs, and passion'd breath,
Betokening love whose end is death.
What forms are in the cloister seen?
Is it the holy sister-band,
Waiting their abbess' high command,
And censer's nomp, and taper's glow,
Ere to the high roof'd choir they go?
Far other forms are here, I ween:
A dame in beauty's fairest bloom,
In worldly pomp array'd;

A monarch high, whose wavering plume
Low at her feet is laid:
And, while that gently-struggling hand he

presses,

The lady's bead, with drooping tresses,
Along yon pillar's side reclines,

While round it for support her other arm entwines.

But mark her eye! the wild regret, The hopeless look, the self-despair; The wish she could at once forget Her being, and for ever there Drive off that still-consuming woo Which self-betraying spirits know! Haste, novices, haste; nor stay to view, The choir is met, the psalms are singing: O happier far, be sure, are you,

Than all whose hearts such love is wringing: And when at close, in cadence long,

The virgin's anthem floats,*

Let each young heart with the general song
Enwreath its secret notes:

"Ave Maria! thou whose breast

No earthly passion knew, Whose pure lone heart was Heaven's choice

rest

Each suppliant vot'ress view; "And gain for each, Maria dear,

By thy sweet-sounding pray'r,
Never, in worldly hope or fear,
In transport or despair,
"To lose the deep serene repose
Of hearts still fixed above,
Or miss th' all-filling joy of those
Whom Heav'n has deigned t love."

It certainly was inexcusable weakness in Mademoiselle de la Vallière to suffer her seducer to withdraw her from the peaceful protection of the convent of Chaillot. It is to this lady that may be attributed the disgrace of the celebrated financier Fouquet. This man admired the beauty of the court, and, like a true money-lender, thought to purchase her of herself by an offer of two hundred thousand livres ;-she rejected his insolent proposition with scorn. Fouquet gave an entertainment to the court in his palace of Vaux, the gardens and architecture of this celebrated place had cost the financier eighteen millions of livres, at a time when money was worth double its present value.

The peculations of this minister were immense, but nothing enraged the monarch equally with his presumption in daring to meditate the appropriation of the object of his king's affections. It was at this splendid fète that Fouquet made known his base intentions to la Vallière, and the jealous watchfulness of the king, alarmed at the agitation which this insult had occasioned to the indignant beauty, obtained from her a confession of the affront she had received. The rage of Louis was excessive; and it was

*At the close of each canonical hour, in most parts of the Latin church, there is an anthem of the Blessed Virgin: it is generally sung to some slow. tender, and graceful melody.