They reached the stream; the gallant horse gave a terrific

bound;

Broke from the guards who held him, and turning swiftly

round,

Looked fondly at his master-then, with one cry of pain, He plunged into the river, and never rose again.

ONE-EYED LU-PAN, OR, COCKING
THE EYE.

Have you ever observed a bricklayer at work-
How knowing he'll look should a stranger stand nigh?
How he'll step on one side, give his shoulder a jerk,
Knit his brows, purse his lips, and then-cock his eye?
How knowing he looks, too, while cocking his eye!
'Tis a curious fact,

But you'll find it correct,

All have the same habit of cocking the eye.

First he'll lay a few bricks, then, 'twixt finger and thumb
He holds up a line-now, he's going to try

If his work is done straight-or, as workmen say, plumb-
This is done in a moment by cocking the eye.
It isn't the plumb-rule, its cocking the eye.
He may try as he will;

Exert all his skill,

But it cannot be done without cocking the eye.

In mixing up mortar, in handling a tool,

He performs the same feat, but he won't explain why. All his work should be tested by line and by rule, But he chiefly depends upon cocking his eye. It can't be correct without cocking the eye; E'en in chipping a brick,

He performs the same trick;

He can't chip a brick without cocking the eye.

Have you e'er seen a carpenter setting his plane,
Which a knot in the wood has forced somewhat awry

How he taps till he gets the blade level again?
But the tapping 's no use if he cocks not his eye.
It must be completed by cocking the eye;
He may tap for a week,

But the truth I now speak

'Twould never come right without cocking the eye.

Have you ever observed with what patience and care
Stone-masons their mallets and chisels will ply?
They oft try their work by the level and square,
But they oftener test it by cocking the eye.

They can tell when it 's square just by cocking the eye.
They the level may use,

Or the square, if they choose,

But neither's of use without cocking the eye.

Can you explain this? If you cannot I will:—
In old times-or else all old chronicles lie-
There lived a poor artizan famed for his skill,
Named Lu-pan; and this bricklayer had but one eye.
All know that old Lu-pan had only one eye;
He had long lost the sight

Of an eye-'twas the right—

He thus unavoidably cocked the right eye.

When old Lu-pan died, he was soon deified
As the "Artizan's God," and that explains why
All workmen from that day to this take a pride
In copying Lu-pan's peculiar eye.

They don't copy his work, they but copy his eye;
Every one who would thrive

Must earnestly strive

To imitate Lu-pan in cocking the eye.

Should a person inquire, "So and So - What 's his

name,

Is he a good workman ?" If good-you reply-
Not that he's skilful-you merely exclaim,
"He's a regular Lu-pan at cocking his eye!
He can beat even Lu-pan at cocking the eye!
He does all he can

To equal Lu-pan,

And attain to perfection in cocking his eye!"

In every respect what I've said is correct;
Should any one doubt-he can easily try;
The truth is soon proved, but we must not expect
To tell good from bad, for they all cock the eye.
If not skilful in work, they can all cock the eye;
Every one of them-all

Are skilful in one thing, in-cocking the eye.*

* Many temples are dedicated to Lu-pan, who is generally represented in a sitting posture, having only one eye, and holding a square in his right hand. "Saint Lu-pan's Day" occurs on the 13th of the 6th Moon; on that day mechanics of all sorts proceed to his temple and offer propitiatory sacrifices to their patron deity.

Just within the P'ing tsê mên, P, one of the gates of Peking, is a Lama temple called the White Pagoda Temple, this was built in the reign of Yung-lo of the Ming dynasty. On its spire is an umbrellashaped top, made of copper. In the first year of Chienlung's reign the inhabitants of Peking were astonished one morning by discovering that this top had been ornamented by a red silk fringe, and that from it also were suspended a square, a bricklayer's trowel, and a plasterer's smoothing trowel. It was soon spread abroad that Lu-pan had descended from heaven during the night and performed the work, but had forgotten to take away his tools with him. It was subsequently discovered that the priests had obtained the services of a thief to do the work, and had circulated the tale of Lu-pan having done it, to draw contributions to the temple. Chien-lung punished the Chief Lama by depriving him of his rank (red button).