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the lacquais of all the Conseillers he knew, until at length the story of the Devil's Head in Il Piccol Nello was as well known as any other current lie in the city."

In this chamber Beatrice is placed : meanwhile the Chancellor had found his bullies where Ascanio left them, but could persuade "none of the three to tell him what had brought them into so sad a plight, and for this reason; two of them were stone-dead, and the other was so faint, from the loss of blood, that he could not speak, and seemed very likely to follow his companions." He however pursues the fugitives, "resolved, in his rage, to devote the youth to utter ruin, as soon as he should catch him; and, in the meantime, he proposed to glut his rage by sacrificing Benvenuto Cellini, who, as we said before, had made himself many enemies, by an unlucky habit he had of threatening to kill people with whom he had any disputes. A practice which, although it has its advantages, would, if generally adopted, be highly injurious to all legal professions; and which, therefore, deserved the most severe reprobation of a Chancellor."

Aware of Cellini's favour with the King, he is obliged to tread warily; but the superstition of that age rendered a charge of sorcery too grave to be parried. The haunted head is therefore made the hinge on which the artist's ruin is to turn; and the Duchess d'Estampes, the King's mistress, and his Majesty's confessor, both enemies of Cellini, enter into the confederacy against him.

The confessor" devoutly believed in all the legends of the Romish church, and thought it highly probable, that a man who could execute such beautiful sculptures, as Cellini had exhibited on the preceding day, must be in league with the devil. When, therefore, the Chancellor began to tell his story, these two worthy personages chimed in, and backed his villainous project so well, that the good-natured King was diverted from his first intention, which had been to kick the Chancellor, and to leave the confessor and the sultana (the only two persons

in the world of whom he had ever been afraid) to themselves. He said he would see Cellini, who had staid all night in the palace by his orders; and the artist was accordingly sent for.

"How now, Cellini," said the monarch, as he approached, ' did I send for you to Paris that you should bring with you troops of fiends and demons, who, it is said, help you in your works.'

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"I have no devils to help me in my work,' said Cellini, but your majesty's subjects; and if my great countryman, Alighieri, were to lead me through all the darkest places in the Inferno, I could not find worse fiends.'

"But here,' said the king, holding out the papers, two men swear that you have a head of the devil in Il Piccol Nello, and that the whole of the neighbourhood is infested by his legions, to the disturbance of the public tranquillity, and the great scandal of our holy church.'

"The confessor crossed himself.

"I abjure the devil and his powers,' said Cellini, crossing himself with no less fervour; and next to them, 1 hate and abhor the villains who have thus slandered me to your gracious Majesty. Give me to know their names, and I swear they shall be better acquainted with the real devil ere long."

The King decides, on examining into the matter personally; but Ascanio had married the fair Beatrice before the royal commission got to Paris, and was gone to restore the stranger's horse, according to the directions he had received, at the time it arrived at the Testa di Marte, wherein the Bride was lodged.

"The consternation of Beatrice may be better imagined than described, when she heard the arrival of so many strangers; but it was increased to an almost intolerable degree as she listened to the conversation which ensued, and heard the odious voice of her oppressor, the Chancellor. She could not see any of the persons unless she had looked out at the eyes of the figure, and this she dared not to do lest she should discover herself.

"And this,' said the King, 'is what they call the Devil's Head.'

"Who calls it so?' asked Cellini, fiercely, it is the head of Mars, and whoever has called it the head of the Devil is an ass and a liar!'

"Patience, good Benvenuto,' said the King; let us hear what they have to say against the head, which seems to be a very fine work of art, whether it has been wrought by man or demon.'

invent some pretext upon which Cellini might be sent to prison, and knowing that their influence with the King was much greater than his own, the Confessor fell into his scheme readily, and he said he did not doubt that there was a spirit in the head, and repeated that it ought to be exorcised. The King had no objection to this, and as he had already enjoyed the farce so far, he wished to see it played. Some of the brethren of the neighbouring "The Chancellor, who had taken Carmelite Church were sent for, in all care upon the journey to mature his haste, and preparations made for the plans, now produced the little tailor, exorcising. The Confessor directed a who saw here a glorious opportunity of large stack of faggots, which stood in being revenged on his formidable an- a corner of the yard, to be laid around tagonist. He, therefore, began a the head; because, he said, the applilong story, every third word of which cation of fire was always necessary to was a lie, about the sights he had seen dislodge a spirit so malignant as that and the sounds he had heard, in and appeared to be which had taken up about this dreadful head. He had its abode in this structure. The preoften seen the foul fiend himself go in parations were soon made, and a torch and out, he said; he had heard the applied, when a faint shriek was heard devils performing the sacred office of to issue from the head. All the bymass backwards; he had seen flames standers looked aghast; the Priests issue from the mouth, and no longer crossed themselves; even the King ago than last night, as he was a Chris- looked grave; Cellini's hair stood on tian and a tailor, he swore that he had end; and the tailor ran away. At seen two fiends enter the head, imme-, this moment Ascanio had returned diately after which it was seen to roll from the park, and learning from a its fiery eyes in a manner truly horrible bystander that they were about to exand awful. orcise the Magic Head, at the Italian sculptor's, because there was a spirit in it, he rushed in just time enough to dash the torch from the hand of a lay brother of the Carmelites, who was applying it, and whom he knocked down, at the same time trampling out the fire which had begun to catch one of the faggots.

"It would be impossible to convey any adequate notion of the extravagances which Cellini committed while this little idiot was uttering his lies. If he had not been restrained he would have killed him on the spot; he roared all sorts of imprecations, he cursed every tailor that had been on the earth since the creation, and then, adding all those curses together, he heaped them in a lump on the head of the particular tailor then before him ; in short, he acted so whimsical a madness, that the King laughed until his sides ached.

"The Chancellor, however, took up the matter in a much more serious light. He said it was evident from the relation of the witness, that some foul deeds were practised, and that the head ought to be exorcised; never doubting that if he could once gain the assistance of the Clergy, they would

"Fiends, monsters!' he cried, advance one step, and your lives shall be the forfeit.'

"Beatrice heard his voice, and almost fainting with terror, she rushed out, and threw herself into his arms. Supporting her with his left arm and holding out his sword with his right, he continued to menace all who should approach.

"What means all this ?' cried the King. But Ascanio was too much busied in encouraging the terrified girl to listen to the question.

"The old Chancellor, however, who

recognized Beatrice instantly, now thought that his plan had succeeded even beyond his expectation.

"My gracious liege,' he cried, 'this maiden is a ward of mine, whose person I require to be instantly restored to me; the youth I charge with having, in company with others, slain three of my household and having carried off the maiden by force.'

"It is false,' cried Beatrice, as she threw herself frantically at the King's feet, they were killed in fair combat, and I went willingly with him to seek protection from the cruelty of that vicious tyrant. Here, at your Majesty's knees, I implore your pity and protection.'

"But what says the youth?' asked the King, of Ascanio, who had been gazing on him in almost stupifying astonishment. He saw before him, in the person of the gallant Francis, the stranger who had so generously aided him in the Forest of Fontainbleau. 'Has he any witness besides that maiden who is too deeply interested in this matter, to prove that he killed his antagonist in fair fight?"

"He is one of a band of murderers and ravishers,' cried the Chancellor in a rage, he has no witness.'

"Thou art a liar though thou wert a thousand Chancellors,' replied the youth; and since peaceful men like thee do not make war but upon weak maidens, I defy thee by thy champion.'

"No, my liege,' he added, turning to the King, and kneeling-' I have no witness save God and your Majesty.'

"And may every honest man have witnesses as good in time of need to oppose to perjurors and lawyers. He is no murderer, Chancellor; by my

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holy patron, St. Dennis, I believe he could himself have killed those three murderous villains whom thou didst retain, but know that I helped himthat I cut the throat of that traitor Sangfeu, whom, in spite of me, thou didst cherish, to do deeds which thy black heart planned, but dare not achieve. I helped him to carry off the maiden, thy dead friend's daughter, whom thou didst basely oppress; and if he had not been there I had done it myself.' ·

"The King and his train then departed, leaving the young people with Cellini, whom the disgrace of the Chancellor had put into mighty good humour. He made Ascanio tell him the story of the fight in the forest over and over again. He kissed Beatrice, and called her his child; he forbade all work in Il Piccol Nello for a week; had the wedding celebrated with great magnificence, and said, that of all works he had ever produced, none had made him so happy as

"LA TESTA DI MARTE."

We now give a specimen of the poetry-a canzonet :

My soul they say is hard and cold,
And nought can move me;

Perchance 'tis so 'midst life's wild whirl,
But oh! on beauty's lips, my girl!
"Twill melt like Cleopatra's pearl :

Then love me-love me.

I would not climb th' ambitious heights
That soar above me;

I do not ask thee to bestow

Or wealth or honours on me now,
Or wreathe with laurel leaves my brow,
But love me-love me.

Oh! I'll gaze on thee till my fond

Fixed glances move thee:

Love's glance sometimes the coldest warms,
Pygmalion on a statue's charms
Gazed, till it leaped into his arms;
Then love me-love me.

THE HARP OF TEARS.

LOVE, once on a time, with Sorrow his bride,
Was amid the Nine bright Sisters' choir,

And, as Sorrow was brushing a tear aside,

It fell on the strings of a Muse's lyre.

Oh the golden chords had a soul before,

But the warm drop gave them a heart beside; And Love has hallow'd the sweet harp more, Ever since it was wet by its tearful bride.

See Mrs. Barbauld's beautiful allegory of "Pity."

ATHENEUM VOL. 2. 2d series.

MR. FAUNTLEROY.

THE stoppage and ultimate bankruptcy of Messrs. Marsh and Co. in Berner's-street was a circumstance, in itself, sufficient to produce a more than nine-days' sensation. Though not bankers of the first order, with respect to the gross amount of capital entrusted to their care, the customers of the firm, in point of number, were perhaps more numerous than those of several of the banking-houses, which stand foremost in the ranks of wholesale estimation. A large proportion, also, of those whose interests were affected were probably of those descriptions to whom the loss, or the temporary privation even, of their hundreds, or their thousands, was of more consequence, both to their present credit, and their future prospects, than the tens of thousands, and hundreds of thousands, of those great capitalists and proprietors, whose securities and rentrolls are vested in the hands, and trusted to the management of the supposed Croesus of the banking trade. They were bankers, in fact, in whose hands what monied men would call "small sums" were kept that is to say, with whom tradespeople, and others of the middle orders of society, were in the habit of trusting the whole of that floating capital which their credit or their concerns rendered it necessary should be always at command; but which it was neither safe nor convenient to keep in their own bureaus. The number of families, therefore, whom the sudden stagnation of these resources must have thrown into perplexing difficulties, or overwhelmed with dismay, could not but be very considerable; as the dejected and anxious countenances of the multitude gathered around the doors, the day after the suspension of payment was declared, sufficiently evinced: and when the secondary and remote action upon those who, in the complicated chain of trading connexion, were implicated with the immediate sufferers, is considered, it cannot be at all surprising, that a very extensive emotion should have been awakened. Nor, when it is recollected how many bank

ing houses there are in this metropolis similarly situated, with respect to the description of their transactions, and standing in no respect upon any higher grounds of credit and reputation, than the firm of Marsh and Co. had, for several years maintained, will it seem other than in the course of things, that an eager run of alarm and apprehension should be made upon the minor banking-houses, in general; and that one in particular (though deficient, perhaps, in nothing but immediatelyavailing resources to answer such unexpected demands), should have been obliged, a few days after, to follow the ominous example of avowing a temporary inability to answer such importunate claims. The wonder is rather, that more were not reduced to the same dilemma.

But these were, in reality, the slightest of the causes, which excited the general interest and discussion. "The extraordinary conduct of the partner, Mr. Fauntleroy" (to adopt the language of the firm itself, in the public announcement of their temporary suspension of payments), which was the immediate, and, for a while, supposed to be the only cause of failure, gave a direction to the general sympathy, more honourable perhaps to the social character of the public, than consoling to the conscious feelings of those to whom it was directed. "It was the crime of an individual,” it was said, not the default of the general firm, that had produced the calamity, whatever might be its extent; and the partners were joint victims, not principals or voluntary agents, in the ruin." Nor were there wanting among the suffering creditors themselves, those, who expressed more compassion for three respectable families, hurled from esteem and affluence to distress and degradation, than for their own pecuniary embarrassments and losses.

The part that was taken,through the medium of the public press, to extend this feeling, is so fresh in remembrance, that it need not here be noticed, if it were not for the importance of warning the public against the uses that

That such has been the result, is sufficiently obvious: that such must, ultimately, be the case with respect to all the aberrations of a free press, recollection and reflection will demonstrate: it is only inasmuch as it is not free, that the press can be permanent

whom it wrongfully assails; for the day of reaction, if it be free, is sure to come; when the very wrongs it has committed will become graces.

Whence, but from this very cause, it may confidently be demanded, has arisen that very general and very libe ral sympathy expressed for the impending fate of Mr. Fauntleroy?

may be made, as they are attempted to be made, of every discrepancy of that important organ, of its conduct in this particular. The rival eagerness of the numerous agents of that press to seize upon every flying rumour, that can gratify the avidity, "both of the great vulgar and the small," for mysteriously or ultimately injurious, even to those anecdote, personality, and chit-chat (rather, perhaps, than malignant) slander, did most assuredly, for a while, blacken, much beyond the measure of equity and truth, the character of the unfortunate culprit. Accumulated charges of profligacy and prodigality were heaped upon the character of Mr. Fauntleroy, sufficient to have broken the backs of all the banking firms in the metropolis. To support his luxurious prodigalities, it was supposed, the enormous and undoubt ed forgeries had been committed; and Messrs. Marsh, Stracey, and Graham, together with all who had confided in them, were involved in ruin, by the unprincipled dissipation of the managing and confidential partner; who had appealed to forgery, when other resources failed, to supply his criminal indulgences.

To suspect those partners of having been accessory to the dissemination of these statements, would be as unauthorized, as it would be uncharitable; but surely it would not be improper to inquire whether, if they knew them to be untrue, they were not called upon, to discourage and contradict them? If the press was misled by gaping newsgatherers, who, like the spies of a distempered government, must have credulity or invention to make out a tale, if they mean to get bread by telling, it was as open to them to confute the exaggerations, as it was, to the gleaners and glossers of the random gossip of clubs and coffeehouses to give them ephemeral cur

rency.

But, perhaps, they may answer (for they might answer truly) that it was better to leave misrepresentation to its natural course-to let the lie of the day gossip itself out of breath; for that Mr. Fauntleroy, in the end, would be any thing rather than injured by the exaggerated colourings of his crime.

Far be it from the thought of every friend to the essential justice of humanity, when the life of a fellow being is at stake, to step between the pleading pity of the public, however excited, and the attribute of mercy which "becomes the throned monarch better than his crown," and to which that sympathy appeals. But, assuredly, it may be said, without detriment to such appeal, which may be urged upon more cogent principles, that there is nothing, in the naked case of Mr. Fauntleroy to distinguish it so broadly from those of many a wretched victim, who has been quietly resigned to the merciless penalty of a sanguinary law, without a sigh or an effort in his behalf, except from private and personal connexions. It would be absurd to suppose, that the extent of the injury resulting from the crime, is the cause of the extensive sympathy exerted in favour of the criminal. Whence, then, has arisen this extraordinary sympathy, but primarily from those very exaggerations which the enemies of the public press, on every such occasion, would use as an argument for its suppression. It cannot be said that they had any influence in procuring the conviction. The Attorney-General found no political motive for availing himself of the prejudices excited; he repelled and discarded them, therefore, in a manner which, it is hoped, will be remembered as a precedent on all future occasions whatever; and nothing could be more candid and dispassionate than the whole proceedings.

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