The timepiece sounded reprovingly, and I arose to leave, taking a slight liberty with Spenser "Ere long the northerne waggoner will set His sevenfold teame behind the stedfast starre." E.-Ah! Alma Mater has seduced us from the Faery Queene! yet, soft as a melody of love murmuring in the heart's core is the Requiem of Reason, Fancy, Imagination, at thought or sight or sound of Name of GENTLE EDMUND SPENSER!-Name sculptured in memory deeper than in marble, and wreathed with faery flowers, lowly as though warmed into being by the starlight-in keeping with the Poet's predominating traits. You seldom meet with Edmund in a storm, or behold his eye" in a fine frenzy rolling;" but he conducts you on a calmly-flowing tide, over waters whose little heavings and undulations are lit by moonbeams, to a garden which you know has golden fruit, for now and then you see it; but the greater part of its produce is netted-sometimes very thickly netted. And now, if you persist in going, " A Dieu!" in serious significancy. But harkye! never reproach gentle Edmund again, unless for this-and then hushed as a spirit's voice, for he confesses the foiblethat "the whole intention of his conceit is too clowdily enwrapped in allegorical devises."* * Letter to Raleigh. CHAPTER III. THE ELDER PROFFERS AN OPINION UPON WORDSWORTH. "I cannot mend it, I must needs confess, And do remain as neuter."-YORK, in RICH. II. THREE days had elapsed since the interview which closed with the last chapter, and in company with applications for professional" opinions from all sorts of people," Rowland Hill's emissary for the district in which my chambers were situate, deposited therein on the morning of the fourth day, the original of the following: "Ivy Lodge, 9th Ap. 41. "Did my parting salutation on Monday night include an 'Au revoir ?'-My reminiscent faculties resolved into a committee of inquiry betimes this B |