As down the dance,
With heels from France,
A Royal couple flew,

Though well she tripped,
The lady slipped,

And off she cast her shoe.
Doodle-doodle-do ;

The Princess lost her shoe;
Her Highness hopped,
The fiddlers stopped,
Not knowing what to do.

Amazed at such a pause, sir,
The dancers to a man,
Eager to hear the cause, sir,
Around the Princess ran;
Lord Hertford, too,
Like lightning flew,

And though unused to truckle,
Laid down his wand,

And lent a hand,

The Royal shoe to buckle.
Doodle-doodle-do, etc.

The vestal maids of honour,
Attentive to their duty,
All crowded close upon her,

The Prince surveyed their beauty,
Admired their zeal

For's partner's heel,
But told them he conceived,

Tho' some false steps
Made demi-reps,

This soon might be retrieved.
Doodle-doodle-do, etc.

The Princess soon was shod, sir,
And soon the dance went on ;
'Tis said some guardian god, sir,
Came down to get it done;
Perhaps 'tis true,
Old England, too,

Might dance from night to noon,
If slips of state,
Amongst the great,

Were mended half so soon.

Doodle-doodle-do,
Egad 'tis very true,

Or late or soon,
They're out of tune,
And know not what to do.

ΤΟ ΑΝΝΑ.

WHAT word is that that changeth not,
Though it be turned and made in twain?
It is mine ANNA, God it wot,

And eke the causer of my pain.

Who love rewardeth with disdain ;
Yet is it loved; what would ye more?

It is my health, and eke my bane.

Sir Thomas Wyatt.

[Wyatt (1503-1541) entertained a secret passion for Anne Boleyn, but dared not openly enter into rivalry with him "who never spared woman in his lust or man in his wrath"-Henry VIII. The foregoing irregular sonnet is a specimen of Wyatt's love-verses to that unhappy lady.]

THE DOTING HUSBAND.

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ONE day a sturdy peasant was at work in the fields amidst storm and rain, and went home in the evening thoroughly tired and drenched to the skin. He was met at the door by his loving wife, who had been at home all day. My dear," said she, "it has been raining so hard that I could not fetch water, and so I have not been able to make you any soup. But now, as you are wet through, I shall be obliged to you to fetch me a couple of buckets of water: you will not get any wetter." The argument was striking; so the good man took the buckets and fetched some water from the well, which was at a considerable distance. On reaching the house, he found his wife comfortably seated by the fire; then, lifting one bucket after another, he poured both over his kind and considerate partner. Now, wife," said he, "you are quite as wet as I am, so you may as well fetch water for yourself: you can't get any wetter."

66

FAMOUS LIBRARIES.

THE Vatican Library, according to a description lately published, contains 23,580 manuscripts, written in the various oriental and classic tongues; and 387,000 printed volumes. The first literary curiosity is seen in the entrance-hall, being a fine papyrus inclosed in a glass case, descriptive of the funeral rites of the Egyptians. Passing down the great hall you enter the immense double gallery, celebrated for the effect of its perspective; it is here one is surrounded by some of the first treasures extant. It being simply our purpose to notice some of its literary curiosities, we shall not allude to any others with which every niche and corner of this magnificent pile is so rife. Among the most valuable manuscripts are the following :-The Bible of the 6th century, in capital letters, comprising the oldest version of the Septuagint, and the first Greek version of the New Testament; a Virgil of the 4th century, illuminated with 50 miniatures, and a Terence, also

with illuminations; a Seneca, a Pliny of later dates, and other classics. Here are all the Homilies of St. Gregory, of 1063, and the Four Gospels, 1128-both Byzantine manuscripts of great interest; a Greek version of the Acts, written in gold, presented to Innocent VIII. by Charlotte, Queen of Cyprus;-a large Hebrew Bible richly illuminated, for which the Jews of Venice offered its weight in gold, with several other manuscripts, finely illuminated; a parchment scroll of a Greek manuscript of the 7th century, 32 feet long, with miniatures, etc., and the Codex Mexicanus of immense length;-Autographs of Dante, Tasso, Petrarch, and the annals of Cardinal Baronius, in 2 volumes. There are also to be found there several manuscripts of Luther and one of Melanchthon, 1556. Among the printed books are some of the most rare known to be extant.

The Bologna University Library comprises 80,000 volumes, and 4,000 manuscripts; amongst other curiosities it includes a Lactantius of the 5th century; four Evangelists in Armenian, 12th century; the image of Michael Apostolius, a Greek exile, and protégé of Cardinal Bessarion. Cardinal Mezzofanti commenced his brilliant career at this institution; the reigning pontiff, Gregory VI., raised him from an Abbé to the highest honours in his gift. He presents another illustrious instance of the omnipotence of genius over contending circumstances ; from the obscurest origin he has made himself master of forty-three languages, and is conversant with the best literature of most of them.

The collection at Ferrara, comprising 80,000 volumes and 1,000 manuscripts, derives its principal notoriety from some of the MSS. of Tasso and Ariosto: the latter are preserved in an apartment where the poet's arm chair, designed by himself, is deposited. The Gerusalemme exhibits the corrections of the ill-fated author during his cruel incarceration.

The library at Sienna, the oldest in Europe, contains, among numerous relics, some of the MS. letters of the poet Metastasio; and we should mention that, in the 12th century, the Moors possessed about seventy public libraries,-that of Cordova contained 250,000 volumes.

THE POET BURNS AND THE MORAVIAN.

ONE Sunday morning, some time before Burns commenced author, when he and his brother Gilbert were going to the parish church of Tarbolton, they got into company with an old man, a Moravian, travelling to Ayr. It was at the time when the dispute between the Old and New Light Burghers was making a great noise in the country; and Burns and the old man, entering into conversation, differed in their opinions about it: the old man defending the principles of the Old Light, and Burns those of the New Light. The disputants at length grew very warm in the debate, and Burns, finding that with all his eloquence he could make nothing of his antagonist, became a little acrimonious, and tauntingly exclaimed, "Oh, I suppose I have met with the apostle Paul this morning!" "No," replied the old

Moravian, coolly; "you have not met the apostle Paul, but I think I have met one of those wild beasts which he says he fought with at Ephesus!"

APOSTOLIC HUMILITY AND PAPAL ARROGANCE.

1. Tods, foxes.

--clothing.

CHRIST, for to show His humble spirit,
Did wash His poor disciples' feet :

The Pope's Holiness, I wis,

Will suffer kings his feet to kiss.

Birds had their nests, and tods' their dens,
But Christ Jesus, Saver of men,

In earth had not a penny-bread 2

Whereon He might repose His head :

Albeit the Pope's excellence

Hath castles of magnificence:
Abbots, bishops, cardinals,
Have pleasant palaces royals,

Like Paradise all these pleasant places,
Wanting no pleasure of their faces.
John, Andrew, James, Peter nor Paul
Had few houses among them all :
From time they knew the verity,
They had contemn all prosperity;
And were right heartily content
Of meat and drink and abuliment.3
To save mankind that was forlorn,
Christ bare a cruel crown of thorn.
The Pope three crowns for the nons,
Of gold, powdered with precious stones:
Of gold and silver, I am sure,
Christ Jesus took but little cure,
And left not when He yield the sp'rit
To buy himself a winding-sheet:
But his successor, good Pope John,
When he deceased in Avignon,
He left behind him a treasure
Of gold and silver great measure,
By a just computation,

Well, five-and-twenty million,

As doth endite Palmerus;

Read him, and thou shalt find him thus.

Christ's disciples were well known

Through virtue which was to them shown;

But specially fervent charity,

Great patience and humility.

2. Penny-bread, a common board. 3. Abuliment, habiliment

be

Christ did command Peter to feed His sheep,
And so he did feed them full tenderly;
Of that command they take but little keep,
But Christ's sheep they spoil piteously,

And with the wool they clothe them curiously :
Like greedy wolves they take of them their food,
They eat the flesh, and drink both milk and blood.
Sir David Lindsay of the Mount.

EXCESSIVE POLITENESS.

MR. ROWLAND HILL was always annoyed when there happened to any noise in the chapel, or when anything occurred to divert the attention of his hearers from what he was saying. On one occasion, about three years before his death, he was preaching to one of the most crowded congregations that ever assembled to hear him. In the middle of the discourse he observed a great commotion in the gallery. For a time he took no notice of it, but finding it increasing, he paused in his sermon, and looking in the direction in which the confusion prevailed, he exclaimed, "What's the matter there? The devil seems to have got among you!" A plain country-looking fellow immediately started to his feet, and addressing Mr. Hill in reply, said, "No, sir, it ain't the devil as is doing on it; it's a lady wot's fainted, and she's a very fat un, sir, as don't seem likely to come to again in a hurry." "Oh! that's it, is it?" observed Mr. Hill, drawing his hand across his chin; "then I beg the lady's pardon-and the devil's too !"

INQUISITIVENESS BALKED.

66

Villager" Good morning, sir; horse cast a shoe, I see. I suppose, sir, you be going to -"Here he paused, expecting the name of the place to be supplied; but the Citizen answered, "You are quite right, sir, I generally go there at this season." "Ay, hum; do ye? and no doubt you be come now from "Right again, sir: I live there." "Oh, ay, do ye? But I see it be a London shay; pray, sir, is there anything stirring in London ?" Yes; plenty of other chaises and carriages of all sorts.” "Ay, of course; but what do folks say?”. "Their prayers, every Sunday." "That is not what I mean-I wish to know whether there is anything new or fresh?" Yes; bread and herrings." "Anan! you be a queer chap! Pray, muster, may I ask your name?" "Fools and clowns call me 'Muster;' but I am one of the frogs of Aristophanes, and my genuine name is Brekekekex Koax ! Drive on, postilion!"