than before, looked forward, and muttering something about woodlands, I placed myself in an easier posture than I had hitherto done, and fairly fell asleep.

How long I continued in that state I am unable to say, but I believe for a considerable time. I was suddenly awakened by the ceasing of the jolting to which I had become accustomed, and of which I was perfectly sensible in my sleep. I started up and looked around me. The moon was still shining, and the face of the heaven was studded with stars. I found myself amidst a maze of bushes of various kinds, but principally hazel and holly, through which was a path or driftway, with grass growing on either side, upon which the pony was already diligently browsing. I conjectured that this place had been one of the haunts of his, former master, and on dismounting and looking about, was strengthened in that opinion by finding a spot under an ash tree which, from its burnt and blackened appearance, seemed to have been frequently used as a fireplace. "I will take up my quarters here," thought I; "it is an excellent spot for me to commence my new profession in. I was quite right to trust myself to the guidance of the pony."

Unharnessing the animal without delay, I permitted him to browse at free will on the grass, convinced that he would not wander far from a place to which he was so much attached. I then pitched the little tent close beside the ash tree to which I have alluded, and conveyed two or three articles into it, and in

68

Lavengro's Wanderings.

stantly felt that I had commenced housekeeping for the first time in my life.

Housekeeping, however, without a fire is a very sorry affair-something like the housekeeping of children in their toy houses. Of this I was the more sensible from feeling very cold and shivering, owing to my late exposure to the rain and sleeping in the night air. Collecting, therefore, all the dry sticks and furze I could find, I placed them upon the fireplace, adding certain chips and a billet which I found in the cart—it having apparently been the habit of Slingsby to carry with him a small store of fuel. Having then struck a spark in a tinder-box and lighted a match, I set fire to the combustible heap, and was not slow in raising a cheerful blaze. I then . drew my cart near the fire, and seating myself on one of the shafts, hung over the warmth with feelings of intense pleasure and satisfaction.

Having continued in this posture for a considerable time, I turned my eyes to the heaven in the direction. of a particular star. I, however, could not find the star, nor indeed many of the starry train, the greater number having fled; from which circumstance, and from the appearance of the sky, I concluded that morning was nigh. About this time I again began to feel drowsy. I therefore arose, and having prepared for myself a kind of couch in the tent, I flung myself upon it and went to sleep.

I will not say that I was awakened in the morning by the carolling of birds, as I perhaps might if I were writing a novel; I awoke because, to use vulgar lan

guage, I had slept my sleep out, not because the birds. were carolling around me in numbers, as they had probably been for hours without my hearing them. I got up and left my tent. The morning was yet more bright than that of the preceding day. Impelled by curiosity, I walked about, endeavouring to ascertain to what place chance, or rather the pony, had brought me. Following the driftway for some time, amidst bushes and stunted trees, I came to a grove of dark pines, through which it appeared to lead. I tracked it a few hundred yards; but seeing nothing but trees, and the way being wet and sloughy, owing to the recent rain, I returned on my steps, and pursuing the path in another direction, came to a sandy road leading over a common -doubtless the one I had traversed the preceding night. My curiosity satisfied, I returned to my little encampment, and on the way beheld a small footpath on the left winding through the bushes, which had before escaped my observation. Having reached my tent and cart, I breakfasted on some of the provisions which I had procured the day before, and then proceeded to take a regular account of the stock formerly possessed by Slingsby the tinker, but now become my own by right of lawful purchase. From "Lavengro," by GEORGE BORROW.

A crowd is not company, and faces are but a gallery of pictures, and talk but a tinkling cymbal, where there is no love. Bacon.

20. THE ACADEMY OF LAGADO.

I had hitherto seen only one side of the academy, the other being appropriated to the advancers of speculative learning, of whom I shall say something when I have mentioned one illustrious person more, who is called among them "the universal artist.” He told us "he had been thirty years employing his thoughts for the improvement of human life.” He had two large rooms full of wonderful curiosities, and fifty men at work. Some were condensing air into a dry, tangible substance; others softening marble for pillows and pin-cushions; others petrifying the hoofs of a living horse to preserve them from foundering.

The artist himself was at that time busy upon two great designs the first to sow land with chaff; the other was, by a certain composition of gums, minerals, and vegetables, outwardly applied, to prevent the growth of wool upon two young lambs; and he hoped in a reasonable time to breed naked sheep all over the kingdom.

We crossed a walk to the other part of the academy, where, as I have already said, the projectors in speculative learning resided.

The first professor I saw was in a very large room, with forty pupils about him. After salutation, observing me look earnestly upon a frame, which took up the greatest part of both the length and breadth of the room, he said, "Perhaps I might wonder to see him employed in a project for improving specu

lative knowledge by practical mechanical operations. But the world would soon be sensible of its usefulness; and he flattered himself that a more noble, exalted thought never sprang in any other man's head.

"Every one knew how laborious the usual method is of attaining to arts and sciences; whereas, by his contrivance, the most ignorant person, at a reasonable charge, and with little bodily labour, might write books on philosophy, poetry, politics, laws, mathematics, and theology, without the least assistance from genius or study."

The

He then led me to the frame, round the sides of which all his pupils stood in ranks. It was twenty feet square, placed in the middle of the room. surface was composed of several bits of wood, linked together by slender wires. These bits of wood were covered with paper pasted on them; and on these papers were written all the words of their language, in their several moods, tenses, and declensions, but without any order. The professor then desired me "to observe, for he was going to set his engine at work."

The pupils, at his command, took each of them hold of an iron handle, whereof there were forty, fixed round the edges of the frame; and giving them a sudden turn, the whole disposition of the words was entirely changed. He then commanded six-andthirty of the lads to read the several lines softly, as they appeared upon the frame; and where they found three or four words together that might make part of a sentence, they dictated to the four remain

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