The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 344 (Supplementary Issue) — John Shaqi
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 344 (Supplementary Issue)Various
General
The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction. Volume 12, No. 344 (Supplementary Issue)
Various
Popular literature -- Great Britain -- Periodicals
relation to something within the soul, awaken the spirits to dances of
breathless rapture, and bring tears of mysterious tenderness to the
eyes, like the enthusiasm of patriotic success, or the voice of one
beloved singing to you alone. Sterne says that if he were in a desert
he would love some cypress. So soon as this want or power is dead, man
becomes a living sepulchre of himself, and what yet survives is the
mere husk of what once he was.
* * * * *
This and a fragment, with a character of Mr. Canning, by Sir James
Mackintosh, are the _transcendentals_ of the volume; as are the
tale--The Half-brothers, by Mr. Banim, with an Ossian-like plate of
the heroine; The Sisters of Albano, by Mrs. Shelley--Death of the
Laird's Jock, by the author of Waverley--and Ferdinando Eboli, by Mrs.
Shelley, with Adelinda, a plate, by Heath, on which we could feast our
eyes for a full hour. Next, a sketch, by Theodore Hook, part of which
will serve to vary our sheet:--
THE OLD GENTLEMAN.
"To-morrow morning," said my friend, "when you awake, the power will
be your own; and so, sir, I wish you a very good night."--"But, sir,"
said I, anxious to be better assured of the speedy fulfilment of the
wish of my heart, (for such indeed it was,) "may I have the honour of
knowing your name and address?"--"Ha, ha, ha!" said the old gentleman;
"_my_ name and address; ha, ha, ha! my name is pretty familiar to you,
young gentleman; and as for my address, I dare say you will find your
way to me some day or another, and so, once more, good night."--Saying
which, he descended the stairs and quitted the house, leaving me to
surmise who my extraordinary visiter could be. I never _knew_; but
I recollect, that after he was gone, I heard one of the old ladies
scolding a servant-girl for wasting so many matches in lighting the
candles, and making such a terrible smell of brimstone in the house.
I was now all anxiety to get to bed, not because I was sleepy, but
because it seemed to me as if going to bed would bring me nearer to
the time of getting up, when I should be master of the miraculous
power which had been promised me. I rang the bell; my servant was
still out; it was unusual for him to be absent at so late an hour. I
waited until the clock struck eleven, but he came not; and resolving
to reprimand him in the morning, I retired to rest. Contrary to my
expectation, and, as it seemed to me, to the ordinary course of
nature, considering the excitement under which I was labouring, I had
scarcely laid my head on my pillow before I dropped into a profound
slumber, from which I was only aroused by my servant's entrance to my
room. The instant I awoke, I sat up in bed, and began to reflect on
what had passed, and for a moment to doubt whether it had not been all
a dream. However, it was daylight; the period had arrived when the
proof of my newly acquired power might be made.--"Barton," said I to
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account