17. SOLITUDE.

To sit on rocks, to muse o'er flood and fell,
To slowly trace the forest's shady scene,

Where things that own not man's dominion dwell,
And mortal foot hath ne'er or rarely been ;
To climb the trackless mountain all unseen,
With the wild flock that never needs a fold;
Alone o'er steeps and foaming falls to lean ;-
This is not solitude; 'tis but to hold

Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores
unrolled.

But 'midst the crowd, the hum, the shock of men,
To hear, to see, to feel, and to possess,

And roam along, the world's tired denizen,

With none who bless us, none whom we can bless;
Minions of splendour, shrinking from distress!
None that, with kind consciousness endued,
If we were not, would seem to smile the less,
Of all that flattered, followed, sought, and sued ;—
This is to be alone; this, this is solitude.

BYRON.

18. OLD LONDON BRIDGE.

When I had passed through the Cheape I entered another street, which led up a kind of ascent, and which proved to be the street of the Lombards, called so from the name of its founders. And I walked rapidly up the street of the Lombards, neither looking to the right nor left-for it had no interest for me, though I had a kind of consciousness that mighty things were being transacted behind its walls; but it wanted the throng, bustle, and out

ward magnificence of the Cheape. And when I had got to the end of the street of the Lombards, I stood still for one time, deliberating within myself whether I should turn to the right or the left, or go straight forward; and at last I turned to the right, down a street of rapid descent, and presently found myself upon a bridge which traversed the river which runs by the big city.

A strange kind of bridge it was—huge and massive, and seemingly of great antiquity. It had an arched back, like that of a hog, a high balustrade, and at either side, at intervals, were stone bowers bulking over the river, but open on the other side, and furnished with a semicircular bench. Though the bridge was wide—very wide—it was all too narrow for the concourse upon it. Thousands of human beings were pouring over the bridge. But what chiefly struck my attention was a double row of carts and wagons, the generality drawn by horses as large as elephants, each row striving hard in a different direction, and not unfrequently brought to a standstill. Oh, the cracking of whips, the shouts and oaths of the carters, and the grating of wheels upon the enormous stones that formed the pavement! In fact, there was a wild hurly-burly upon the bridge which nearly deafened me.

But if upon the bridge there was a confusion, below it there was a confusion ten times confounded. The tide, which was fast ebbing, obstructed by the immense piers of the old bridge, poured beneath the arches with a fall of several feet, forming in

the river below as many whirlpools as there were arches. Truly tremendous was the roar of the descending waters, and the bellow of the tremendous gulfs, which swallowed them for a time, and then cast them forth, foaming and frothing.

Slowly advancing along the bridge, I came to the highest point, and there I stood still, close beside one of the stone bowers, in which, beside a fruit stall, sat an old woman, with a pan of charcoal at her feet, and a book in her hand, in which she appeared to be reading intently. There I stood, just above the principal arch, looking through the balustrade at the scene that presented itself. And such a scene! Towards the left bank of the river a forest of masts, thick and close, as far as the eye could reach; spacious wharfs, surmounted with gigantic edifices; and, far away, Cæsar's Castle, with its White Tower. To the right, another forest of masts, and a maze of buildings, from which, here and there, shot up to the sky chimneys taller than Cleopatra's Needle, vomiting forth huge wreaths of that black smoke which forms the canopy-occasionally a gorgeous one- -of the more than Babel city. Stretching before me, the troubled breast of the mighty river, and, immediately below, the main whirlpool of the Thames-the Maelstrom of the bulwarks of the middle arch—a grisly pool, which, with its superabundance of horror, fascinated Who knows but I should have leaped into its depths I have heard of such things-but for a rather startling occurrence which broke the spell.

me.

As I stood upon the bridge, gazing into the jaws

of the pool, a small boat shot suddenly through the arch beneath my feet. There were three persons in it- -an oarsman in the middle, whilst a man and a woman sat at the stern. I shall never forget the thrill of horror which went through me at this sudden apparition. What a boatWhat a boat-a small boatpassing beneath that arch into yonder roaring gulf! Yes, yes, down through that awful waterway, with more than the swiftness of an arrow, shot the boat, or skiff, right into the jaws of the pool. A monstrous breaker curls over the prow-there is no hope; the boat is swamped, and all drowned in that strangling vortex. No! the boat, which appeared to have the buoyancy of a feather, skipped over the threatening horror, and the next moment was out of danger, the boatman-a true boatman of Cockaigne that ing one of his sculls in sign of triumph, the man hallooing, and the woman--a true Englishwoman that, of a certain class-waving her shawl. Whether any one observed them save myself, or whether the feat was a common one, I know not; but nobody appeared to take any notice of them.

elevat

As for myself, I was so excited that I strove to clamber up the balustrade of the bridge, in order to obtain a better view of the daring adventurers. Before I could accomplish my design, however, I felt myself seized by the body, and turning my head, perceived the old fruit-woman, who was clinging to me.

Nay, dear! don't-don't!" said she. Don't fling yourself over; perhaps you may have better luck next time!" From "Lavengro," by GEORGE BORROW.

19. LAVENGRO'S WANDERINGS.

I now bethought me that, as I had a carriage of my own, I might as well make use of it; I therefore got into the cart, and taking the reins in my hand, gave an encouraging cry to the pony, whereupon the sturdy little animal started again at as brisk a pace as if he had not already come many a long mile. I lay half reclining in the cart, holding the reins lazily, and allowing the animal to go just where he pleased, often wondering where he would conduct me. At length I felt drowsy, and my head sank upon my breast. I soon aroused myself, but it was only to doze again. This occurred several times.

that we

Opening my eyes after a doze somewhat longer than the others, I found that the drizzling rain had ceased, a corner of the moon was apparent in the heavens, casting a faint light. I looked around for a moment or two, but my eyes and brain were heavy with slumber, and I could scarcely distinguish where we were. I had a kind of dim consciousness were traversing an unenclosed countryperhaps a heath. I thought, however, that I saw certain large black objects looming in the distance, which I had a confused idea might be woods or plantations. The pony still moved at his usual pace. I did not find the jolting of the cart at all disagreeable; on the contrary, it had quite a somniferous effect upon me. Again my eyes closed. I opened them once more, but with less perception in them