lulled himself to sleep with his own music. "Poor knave, I blame thee not; thou art o'er watched!" "O murd'rous slumber, Lay'st thou thy leaden mace upon my boy That plays thee music? Gentle knave, good night; I will not do thee so much wrong to wake thee." But we will not answer for the old gentleman with the water-jug, who looks down so benignantly from that window overhead. He seems about to furnish an illustration of the assertion that-- "The heart that music cannot melt, Is fit for treasons, stratagems, and spoils;" and appears to have conceived a stratagem against the group below which, if carried into successful execution on this winter night, will probably _spoil_ more than the music. It bids fair at once to waken the violin-player and to silence the trombone. The practice of hailing the Nativity with music, in commemoration of the song of the angels, is in full observance in Roman Catholic countries as well as in our own. There are, we fancy, few of our readers who have not had opportunities of listening to the divine strains which mingle in the Roman services that usher in the blessed morning itself. The _noëls_ of France are of the same character as the Christmas carols of England; and the visits of our street musicians at this season are closely resembled by the wanderings of the Italian _pifferari_. These _pifferari_ are Calabrian shepherds who come down from the mountains at the season of Advent, and enter the Italian cities, saluting with their hill music the shrines of the Virgin and Child which adorn the streets. Of these rude minstrels Lady Morgan, in her "Italy," gives some account, and states that having frequently observed them stopping to play before the shop of a carpenter in Rome, her inquiries on the subject were answered by the information that the intention of this part of their performance, was to give his due share of honor to Saint Joseph. Our friend Mr. Hone, in his "Every-Day Book," has given, from an old print in his possession, a representation of this practice, in which two of these mountaineers are playing before the shrine of the Virgin. The practice is continued till the anniversary day of the Nativity.