lyn's "Sylva," then esteemed a wonder in literature, with the author's autograph, and an inscription in his own handwriting, that "The booke was presented to his esteemed and worthy fellow-labourer Sir Everard Sydney, as a poor token of his high respect and consideration, and a small manifestation of how truly he joyed in such a friend." Beneath the table, reposing on a rough bear-skin, lay a noble dog, a genuine Irish wolf-hound of the true breed: age had shed its snows over his black and wiry hair; his eyes were dim and sunk within their sockets; but the broad and muscular chest, the thews and swelling sinews of his limbs, and his thick yet finely proportioned neck, showed that Brano, like the men of his country, might prove a dangerous enemy as well as a trusty friend.

The pegs to which we have alluded were furnished in as strange a fashion as the other portions of the chamber; on one, which projected considerably from the panel, was seated a superb scarlet macaw, at that time an almost unknown bird in England happily for the quiet inmates of Sydney Pleasance, the creature was dead, stuffed, and consequently silent. Smaller and gentler ornithological specimens had been preserved in a similar manner; but their dusty coats and fixed glass eyes formed a striking contrast to the movements so ------J w when gayly

Caught with life and libe over the grassy lawn that fronted the

windows.

A single fact is worthy of record, as tending to illustrate the character of one who, born to distinguished rank, with much of power within his grasp, preferred the simple but certain enjoyments of a country life to a high place in the disturbed court or senate of his country. Many there are who will contend, that in perilous times a man has no right to prefer his own comfort to the necessities of the state; but the peaceful feelings and tastes of Sir Everard Sydney rendered him unfit for war or cabal: he had the wisdom to know this, and if he were selfish in enjoying tranquillity on his own demesne, when his country was torn by civil broil and private dissension, it was the only act of selfishness that could be laid to his charge during a life which, at the commencement of our narrative, had extended to sixty and five years.

But the little trait of character we were about to notice is this :-one of the divisions of the window, somewhat larger than the others, contained a painting of the Virgin Mary, holding the infant Saviour on her knee, while the shepherds, clad in blue tunics, yellow sandals, and rose-coloured scarfs, looked over her shoulder; the subject had not been executed on one entire piece of glass, but the portions were cemented together in no very imperceptible style: a robin, with the longing which these birds so generally exhibit for human society, had taken a fancy to build its nest in the shell of a large cocoa-nut that was suspended from the ceiling; thus, amid strings of eggs of the ostrich and the eagle, the domestic winter bird occupied a prominent situation, without heeding, or, at least, dreading the various animals that dwelt in the farther extremities of the room, depending, perhaps, both on its own agility and man's protection for its safety it had originally entered through an aperture in the door, which, however, Sir Everard feared was too near the ground for the little creature's security; he therefore directed the removal of a portion of the painted glass-the condemned morsel happened, unfortunately, to be no other than the head of the Virgin.

Now Lady Sydney was a decidedly bigoted Roman Catholic, and her husband, although or

no intention of giving her the least offence by so simple a sacrifice to the comfort of his feathered favourite; in fact, Lady Sydney had never even looked at the window, and it is doubtful if she knew what the painting represented, until the dilapidation was officiously pointed out to her notice by a certain Father Frank, who resided in the family as her spiritual director, and added to his employment that of jester, mimic, and master of all ceremonies which had for their object the promotion of innocent mirth.

In an unlucky moment he placed before his patroness this point of contention, expecting to derive some amusement therefrom, and little anticipating the results to which it led. Now, Sir Everard, on all matters unconnected with his darling pursuit, was the most yielding and gentle of beings, but here he was firm as a rock; so he told his lady wife, "the birds had now completed their nest, the mysterious process of incubation was going forward, and he would not have their domestic happiness disturbed, or the fate of their progeny

endangered, for the sake of any painted trumpery upon earth."

Lady Sydney, lofty and dignified on all occasions, was peculiarly so on this; she drew herself to her utmost height, declared eternal war with the robins, and from that day forward never entered the dressing-room of her worthy lord; this, upon the whole, he considered a fortunate event, as whenever she had visited his sanctum she had straightway disturbed what he superfluously termed "his arrangements," producing havoc and confusion among his choicest curiosities, directing what she considered "rubbish” to be thrown away, and asserting (as, woman-like, she was somewhat prone to do) her authority over herb and stone, parchment and feather, as if they had been her domestics-or her husband!

More than two years had elapsed; and this extraordinary museum remained undisturbed by the lady's presence. Sir Everard, in that portion of his own house, had consequently enjoyed as much of his own way as any one can enjoy who permits a cat, a dog, a monkey, and a young, laughing, loving, gentle, affectionate creature, just entering her summer solstice, by which we mean to typify the period when the wild and blushing girl changes, imperceptibly but certainly, into the more staid and conscious woman;we say that Sir Everard enjoyed as much of his own way as any man can, who suffers three or four such troublesome creatures to have free ingress to his repository, where, to confess the truth, they all did pretty much as they thought proper.

The cat was fortunately of that sleepy species which desires peace and tranquillity rather than exertion and mischief. She would not take the trouble to kill her own game, much less to hunt for it; and with the exception of occasional wanderings, few and far between, confined her sphere of action from the damask cushion and the oak chimney, to a bright sunshiny patch of green lawn within two yards of the window, where, in the warm summertime, with half-shut eyes and outstretched paws, she contemplated, with most uncatlike gentleness, the gambols of the wild birds, upon whose natural privileges she was in truth too lazy to infringe.

The monkey's misdemeanors were certainly more numerous; but the creature was mild and amusing, and much

attached, like all other things within the precincts of Sydney Pleasance (always excepting Lady Sydney), to the kind and gentle baronet.

The wolf-dog was of far too noble a nature to condescend to petty acts of disrespect towards either his generous host or his dwelling; but he also was fond of his own will, did not like being disturbed, and would seldom come when called, having, it would appear, a dogged sort of way of thinking for himself, and acting according to his own judg ment; dignified in his habits and manners, but seldom affectionate, and rarely fawning; indeed, the only person he ever positively obeyed or caressed was his fair young mistress, the cheerful damsel we have alluded to-the fourth pet, and the fourth plague of the museum, who, though not Sir Everard's daughter, was known and introduced by the name of Rosalind Sydney.

It is time we take note of the outward appearance of the excellent baronet, and observe his proceedings as he left the room whose contents and inhabitants, whether stationary or migratory, we have thus endeavoured to describe. He was unusually tall and erect, of a free, unfettered carriage, and a bearing bespeaking both the man of letters and of gentle blood; there was more of grace than strength in his form and movements, and though age had dealt mildly with him, as with a cherished offspring, it had sobered his step, and changed the clustering hair, that disdained the fashionable encumbrance of a periwig, from raven black to a closer resemblance of our nature's lot; it was of mingled white and gray, and curled with unrestrained and natural elegance over his shoulders.

He wore a coat, or rather a tunic, of fine green Spanish cloth, which descended nearly to his knee, where it was met by the wide tops of boots, turned over with stout buff leather this peculiar coat was girt round his waist by a horseman's broad belt, containing no weapons, however, that could be termed either warlike or dangerous, with the exception of a huge clasp-knife, and a very small hand-axe, or hatchet, that rested on his thigh, the bright blade of which glittered in the morning light: not that the belt was unfurnished-by no means-it was adorned in many places with pincers and odd-looking hooks; a tin case dangled from behind, after the fashion of a sabretache, and a bunch of corks, in which were stuck multitudes of pins, kept it close

company: a transverse belt crossed over the right shoulder and passed under the left arm, for no other purpose than to support a flat wicker basket, which was smartly fastened by a bow of green riband with fringed ends, looking very like the handiwork of some young female who joyed in decorating whatever the odd, yet innocent, taste of Sir Everard thought either useful or ornamental; but the countenance of this venerable gentleman, without having any one feature that could be marked out as indicative of a decided propensity, was of so tranquil and happy a nature, that it was impossible to look upon him without feeling he was one of those blessed beings who drink the draught of life, and drain it to the very dregs, without tasting enough of its bitterness to discompose the elements of which they are formed. His was a somewhat uncommon character: among men, he lacked the energy, the activity, the strength both of mind and body which characterize the sterner sex- -but he possessed a benevolence of feeling, a temperance and chastity of thought and action, which amply entitled him to the holy and emphatic praise of being "a friend to God and man"-it may be added, to God's creatures; for even in the pursuit of that innocent and guileless science, which brings its votaries into commune with the Almighty through the medium of his works, he has been known (and we state it on the authority of his humble and devoted follower Ralph Bradwell, who, simple body as he was, had still sufficient wit to understand that the anecdote illustrated, while it told favourably for, the character of his master, whom he loved to adoration) to forego the possession of a rare and beautiful specimen of the feathered tribe, rather than destroy it when in his power.

"There was two of 'em," said Ralph-"I forget their proper names, but something main curos- -I tracked 'em for as good as four months, and master had 'em both in the taking-net-- What shall I do with the hen-bird, Ralph ?' says he, I've got one stuffed at home, and 'twould be a wanton waste of life to take what I don't need.'---' Let it go, sur,' said I, and master did; and he held the other in his hand, thinking how to make away with it in the gentlest way; and the cretur fluttered and screamed, and on that the shebird that master let off came and flew so close that I could have caught it again. So I seed master looking at the bird,