explained.

forgotten, with its cool murmurings, as it sea-breeze. Yet, it was not his habit to gently ruffles the surface of the water in the court observation, for he was known to be a erater, nor the brilliant intensity of the hues misanthrope. But the mystery was speedily of the myriads of fish of every size and form that floated literally in crystal beneath. these must be added the charm of primeval solitude, solemn and unbroken, which, although producing a feeling akin to melancholy, yet cannot prevent one's regretting that so much exquisite beauty should be placed in a quarter of the world so remote from the abodes of civilized man.

sun.

Its

To As we approached the spot we saw some object lying at the foot of the signal-staff. Presently it moved, raised its head, surveyed us for an instant, and then shuffled itself along down the sloping rock upon which it was lying and plunged into the sea. movements were so sudden, and altogether so singular, that at first it was impossible to say And now hurrah for the Hermit's Cave! what it was, and it was only after three or Old Ben knew the way, and leaping ashore four more little round bullet-heads were raised, on the beach of the lagoon our party followed followed by the same sort of alarmed shuffling him. A few steps through a clump of palms gait and plunges into the sea, that we disgrowing on the starboard hand of the crater covered them to be so many large seals that brought us to a natural cavity in the cliff; we had disturbed while basking in the its aperture was curtained with the tattered remnant of an old sail, that flapped about loosely in the wind. With some hesitation we drew it aside and discovered that the hermit was not within, and that he appeared to have deserted it for some time. A bit of rotten rope, a rude-shaped seal-skin jacket, a fragment of a net, a rusty ship's musket, and a few rushes that had served the recluse for a bed, were evidences that he had once chosen the spot for his home. But now we concluded that he had grown tired of his solitary exist ence and found means to quit the island, which, strange to say, was a disappointment to many. We consoled ourselves, however, by rambling about, shooting pigs, picking up geological specimens, bottling off some of the boiling sea-water, and indeed in using up the brief space of time allowed us for our land cruise after the most approved nautical fash

ion.

In the midst of our mirth, the attention of our party was directed to something fluttering down upon the sea-beach. At first it was mistaken for the flapping of some sea-bird's wing, but a glance through a "Dollond" soon settled the matter. It was a piece of canvas fastened to a pole. To seamen this was enough a signal of some sort; and as the distance was not more than half-a-mile, the whole party, actuated by one common impulse, moved towards it. Some news of the hermit, no doubt-shifted his quarters perbaps-found the cave in the crater too hot in the summer, and so moved more into the

But yet there still remains a seal at the foot of the staff, and even though we approach it continues motionless. We come even closer, but it lies there still. There can be no mistake, for we can detect the peculiar color of its fur. One of the party raises his musket to his shoulder - he hesitates why does not the man fire? He lowers his piece, and walks straight up to the object, having conjectured during the momentary glance, while taking aim, that it looked human. It turned out to be go. It was the hermit of the crater. in a seal-skin dress; but he was dead, reduced to a mere skeleton and rotting in the sun.

A sailor soon read the meaning of the bit of canvas tied to the staff; it told him of some calamity, sickness perhaps, overtaking the poor solitary, and that here he had crawled in his hour of distress. A nautical eye readily detected also that the shelving rock upon which we found the hermit's bones was a prominent one, and placed upon the side of the island upon which ships generally pass. His only hope consisted in the chance of attracting the attention of some passing vessel. Here he had with his dying efforts raised his signal, sighed his last sigh, and died a death that sickens the mind to dwell upon. And here, too, just out of the reach of the sweep of the breakers, a rude grave was hastily scooped by the silent mariners, and the few bony fragments that were left of the Hermit of St. Paul's were buried in it.

for we have the thing, it seems, in Portugal, Scotland, Ireland, and England, to say nothing of Northern Europe. Mr. Carey's panacea for slavery everywhere is, of course, to follow out his prescription, based on certain of his economical views already given to the world; the essence of the prescription appears to consist in the revival of a vigorous protection-high prices and home consumption—every country for itself. Spectator.

From the Spectator, 11th June. THE DARDANELLES AND THE SOUND.

might be found for the conduct of Russia in both cases.

But the mask of moderation, worn so long Ir has been the fashion of late years, at and so successfully, has been suddenly thrown least in the higher circles of English society, aside, and all Europe is outraged by the into talk of the wisdom and moderation of the sulting and menacing tone adopted towards Emperor of Russia, and to regard him as the a state whose independence is under the guarman in whose hands lay the destinies of Eu-antee of the Great Powers. A Russian army rope for peace or war, and who upon the is concentrated near Constantinople, to give whole used the boundless influence belonging significance to the bullying attitude of the to this situation in the interests of peace and ambassador. If war be made, it will have order. The Emperor of Russia has, we be- been made with less justification, and on a lieve, raised this reputation for himself upon more puerile pretext than, we are bold to the somewhat singular basis of the popular say, modern European history can funish any fear, distrust, suspicion, and dislike, enter- parallel to. But whether the emperor draw tained by Englishmen towards his person and back or not is little to the purpose. He has his policy; and, paradoxical as the assertion shown his animus, and a retractation will may appear, the superstructure rises not un- simply amount to an avowal that he overnaturally from the foundation. There is a calculated the effect of the causes of disunion marked disposition in cultivated men to dis- existing among the great European Powers, believe in extremes of human character; the and probably long fomented by his agents. greater the experience of life the less such Doubtless he did not imagine, that, even in men incline to credit the existence of monsters presence of a common peril to the dignity and of goodness or badness a tendency which interest of all three, England, Austria, and finds homely expression in the proverb that France, could overcome recent motives of susthe devil is not so black as he is painted.picion, and cordially unite in policy and acThe uninformed public did create such a mon- tion. He is mistaken; and he is between ster in the terrestrial Nicholas; and the mere the difficulties of proceeding against united reaction against this feeling has gone so far, Europe, or of offending by disavowal of his that a short time ago he might have been called without exaggeration the most respected monarch of the Continent. Then, again, the imaginations of men have been impressed with the reality of this king-the seeming strong foundations of his power- when all other symbols of kingship and all manifestations of kingly strength were palpably empty and unsound. The Emperor of Russia stood there believing in himself, and believed in by others, no phantom-king, but a leader of men, with resolute will and profound sagacity. It was patent to all that he really held in his hand peace and war; it was believed that the policy of all Europe except France and England was dictated from St. Petersburg; and it is not without belief that the present Ambassador of England in Turkey was prevented last year from serving his queen as foreign minister by the declared opposition of Russia to the choice. A man whose power was so real, so various, so extensive, could not but impress the imagination; and we soon admire and do homage to whatever strikes the imagination. And it cannot be denied, that with all this power in his hands, the Emperor of Russia has abstained from using it openly to the aggrandizement of himself, or to any material alteration of the existing arrangements of Europe. Cracow and Hungary are exceptional cases; and criminal as We are not going into the genealogical and is the dismemberment of a guaranteed repub- legal mazes of the Schleswig-Holstein ques lic and the forcible repression of a victorious tion. Enough is stated for the English pubpeople, other motives than selfish ambition lic in repeating, that the treaty of May, 1852,

ambassador's proceedings one of his most powerful subjects, or of backing out of his demands to the loss of personal dignity. But, end as it may, the ambition and recklessness of Russia are again manifest to the world; and the lesson to be impressed is the renewal of the old distrust, and a reäwakening of vigilance in all transactions in which we may be concerned with Russia, or in which our interests and the interests of the European community may come into collision with Russian projects. No man who thinks at all can hesitate as to the peril to which a Russian possession of Constantinople would expose English interests, and the general balance of European power; and we are certainly as deeply interested as any European state in endeavoring to prevent, even by the last resort, such a contingency. But England is much more interested in the power that is to hold the keys of the Baltic, the mouth of the Elbe, and the harbor of Kiel; and in the light of present events on the Dardanelles, we cannot but regard future contingencies in the Sound as deserving of more attention than they have recently met with from the English public, and as by no means satisfactorily disposed of by the answers Lord Beaumont obtained last Friday, or by the treaty of the 8th May, 1852.

that Russian diplomacy is more able, and English diplomacy more stupid, than that of any other great country? We trust that this question will not be allowed to rest, and that members of both Houses will refuse to be put off by the unsatisfactory refusal of ministers to give publicity to the important correspondence that motived the treaty. The affair is not settled, as Lord Clarendon superciliously stated. The Danish Diet has refused to sanction the settlement, and has been dissolved in consequence. A new Diet is in course of election, and may chance to be equally refractory. In any case, the Duchies are not represented in the Danish Diet, and they will only submit to the proposed arrangement if overborne by force, or menaced with the compulsion of the powers that are parties to the treaty of May: they might resist Denmark, but must of course yield to banded Europe. Will England be a party to forcing her diplomatic arrangements upon a reluctant people, and that to subserve the ambition and intrigues of Russia? If the government should be so disposed, will the House of Commons, little interest as it generally takes in foreign affairs, submit to have the power and influence of our country so abused? question is not one which concerns merely the pretensions of foreign royal families, but the vital interests of the English nation.

The

guarantees the succession of the entire Danish | the occasion of embodying in the public law kingdom, on the approaching extinction of of Europe a satisfactory guarantee on this the male line of Denmark, to Prince Chris- most important point? Why, indeed, except tian of Glucksburg and his issue by Louisa of Hesse, niece of the late and cousin of the present King of Denmark. Russia is a party to this treaty, and the emperor has renewed in favor of Prince Christian and his issue the renunciation made by the Emperor Paul of a portion of the Duchy of Holstein that would revert to him on failure of the male line in Denmark. It is this renunciation that Lords Clarendon and Malmesbury lay so much stress upon in their replies to Lord Beaumont. Russia might have claimed her territory in Holstein, and she has given it upwhat better proof of disinterested desire for the pence of Denmark and the tranquillity of Europe? Perhaps the public will estimate the disinterestedness of Russia less highly when it learns that by this same treaty twenty persons are passed over whose rights intervened between the Danish crown and the Russian royal family as descended from Duke Adolph of Gottorp; by which means Russia's heirship general to the Danish crown becomes a far more valuable reversion, while in the mean time she consolidates and confirms her influence in Denmark by a seeming act of generosity, and by being a party to the guarantee. What is really important is, that, after the precedent of the treaty of Utrecht, an absolute renunciation should be obtained from the Emperor of Russia, for himself and his descendants, of all claim to the Danish crown -a stipulation guaranteed by all the DE QUINCEY, the English Opium-Eater, is a powers of Europe that the already gigantic Manchester man, though from Manchester and power of Russia shall not be rendered more all that pertains to it, materially and intellectdangerous to Europe than at present by the ually, multifarious influences have long sepapossession of Denmark and the Duchies, and rated him. His home (and Christopher North's) with them the power of closing the Baltic and is now in fair. Lasswade, by the flowing Esk, of passing thence at pleasure. It may be said where, the victim of "nervous distraction, which that it will be time to raise this question renders all labor exacting any energy of attenwhen the realization of Russia's reversion is tion inexpressibly painful," he has managed to imminent. We reply, in the first place, that see through the press, and even to preface, a this treaty of May, 1852, renders it more im- first volume, just appearing, of Selections, Grave minent by the removal of twenty competitors; lished, and containing his autobiography to the and Gay, from Writings published and unpuband that were it a more remote and impossi-threshold of its great era, the discovery of opium. ble event than it appears to us at all prudent "During the fourteen last years," writes the to regard it, it would yet be incumbent on old man eloquent, "I have received from many that Europe which thought years of bloody quarters in England, in Ireland, in the British and expensive conflict not too high a price to colonies and in the United States, a series of letpay for the permanent severance of the crowns ters expressing a far profounder interest in paof France and Spain, to take such precau- pers written by myself than any which I could tionary measures as may prevent the neces- ever think myself entitled to look for; hence sity in a similar case of having recourse to a republication was always determined on, which similar means. We take for granted that would never have been made in England, howEurope never will submit to see Denmark ever, had not the preliminary trouble of collectunited to the crown of Russia, as we know ing from far and wide the scattered papers been that England could not submit to it without Reed and Fields, who deserve honorable mention taken by the Boston (U. S) firm of Ticknor, endangering her commerce, her honor, and for having, De Quincey says, "made me a sharer her very national existence. Why, then, in the profits of the publication, called upon to should not the opportunity of a new settle- do so by no law whatever, and assuredly by no ment of the Danish crown have been made expectation of that sort upon my part."-Critic.

Civil Wars and Monarchy in France, in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries; A History of France principally during that period. By Leopold Ranke, Author of a History of the Popes of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries. Translated by M. A. Garvey. Harper & Co. Boston. See Advertisement in Nos. 471,

LITTELL'S LIVING AGE.-No. 481.-6 AUGUST, 1853.

POETRY: A Bath-A Pic-Nic, 321; Eleusinia, 343; The Dying Husband, 369; A Day Dream-Lotos-Eating - Epitaph, 383.

SHORT ARTICLES: Dr. Chalmers' Autograph, 327; Parsley, 330; Historical Questions, 336; Poets in Holland, 350.

NEW BOOKS: Osmé, or the Spirit of Froust, 327; The Apocalypse its own Interpreter, 336.