Diary and Chronology. Wednesday, Sept. 9. St. Bettelin, hermit, High Water, 11h 51m Morning-0h 0m Afternoon. St. Bettelin.-Our saint, who is sometimes called Beccelin, was patron of Stafford, where his reliques were kept. He was the friend of St. Guthlake of Croyland Abbey. He led, it is said, an anchoretical life in a forest near Stafford. Sept. 9, 1806.-Expired on this day at Somerset House, the learned antiquary, John Brand, author of numerous works of great value. Perhaps those entitled, "Observations on Popular Antiquities," and "The History and Antiquities of the Town and County of Newcastle," may be reckoned the best, though he wrote several others, displaying great knowledge and research. Brand may be adduced as an instance of obscure origin and mean birth raising itself to eminence by ardour and success in the pursuit of knowledge; when he began to study he was a shoemaker, and at his death he filled the important station of Secretary to that learned body, the Society of Antiquaries. Thursday, Sept. 10. St. Nicholas of Tolentino, died A. D. 1306. Sept. 10, 1547.-Anniversary of the memorable battle of Pinkey or Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, fought between the English and Scots, when the former gained a complete victory over the latter. In this severe conflict the Scotch lost upwards of 10,000 men, besides which 1500 were made prisoners: whilst the loss of the conquerors did not exceed 200 men. This action was called the battle of Pinkey from a nobleman's seat of that name in the neighbourhood. Friday, Sept. 11. St. Patiens, Bishop of Lyons, died A. D. 480. High Water, Morning, 27m after 1-Afternoon, 54m after 1. Sept 11, 1745.-Died on this day Mrs. Mary Chandler, a lady celebrated for her talents in poetry. Her poems inculcated in a pleasing manner the principles of religion and virtue; and for one in particular, upon the Bath, she had the honour of being complimented by Mr. Pope. Saturday, Sept. 12. St. Guy of Anderlent, died 11th cent. Sun rises 35m after 5—Sets 24m after 6. Sept. 12, 1792.-Expired on this day, T. 81, William Tytler, the eminent antiquary. Mr. Tytler was the editor of the Poetical Remains of James I. to which he prefixed a dissertation on the Literary History of Europe; and author of the able vindication of Mary Queen of Scots. SUNDAY, Sept. 13. (THIRTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY.) Lessons for the Day.-Morn, 2 Kings, chap. 19-Even, 2 Kings, chap. 23. St. Amatus, Abbot, died A.D. 627. Full Moon, 29m after 6 Morn. Sept. 13, 1595.-Expired at the Escurial on this day, T. 81, Philip II. of Spain. The memory of this monarch is universally execrated by the Protestants as a persecutor, while the Low Countries have regarded him as a tyrant, and the French as an unfeeling politician. Monday, Sept. 14. High Water 39m after 3 Morning-57m after 3 Afternoon. Holy Rood Day-Formerly all churches had a Rood Loft or gallery across the nave at the entrance of the chancel of the church, whereon is placed the Holy Rood or Cross, which, when perfectly made, had not only the image of our Saviour extended upon it, but the figures of the Virgin Mary and St. John, one on each side. The Rood to our ancestors, we are told, conveyed full type of the Christian Church; the nave representing the church militant, and the chancel the church triumphant; denoting that all who would go from the one to the other, must pass under the Rood, that is, carry the Cross and suffer affliction. Tuesday, Sept. 15. St. Nicomedes, died A. D. 90. The Sept. 15, 1613.-Poisoned in the Tower, by the contrivance of the Countess of Essex, and the Earl of Somerset, Sir Thomas Overbury, esteemed one of the most accomplished gentlemen of his time, and the first writer of characters of our nation. under agents in the foul murder of Sir Thomas were all apprehended, tried, and executed for the atrocious act, two years after it was committed. The Earl and the execrable Countess above-mentioned, (whom Somerset married) were also both tried and condemned, but pardoned by the profligate James I., (although he invoked the vengeance of Heaven on his knees, upon himself and posterity, if he did not yield them up to justice,) who conferred on them a pension, with which they retired, and ended their miserable lives in obscurity and infamy. Ellustrated Article. BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE, of which there are two numbers this month, contains many articles of great merit, but with none are we more pleased than with a powerfully written tale under the above title. It is supposed to be a narrative contained in a time-worn manuscript, discovered at the country seat of an Italian nobleman, near the Lake of Garda in Lombardy. We are sorry that our limits preclude the possibility of giving the whole of this admirable tale, but we cannot resist the temptation to extract a most interesting portion of it, particularly the concluding scene, which we have never seen surpassed for graphic force and beauty. The writer of the supposed narrative becomes acquainted with a young painter who saves him from perishing in the waters of the Adriatic, and a mutual friendship is cemented between them, when the narrator (Angelo Pisani) dis 9-VOL. IV. K covers that his new acquaintance is the proscribed son of a Florentine nobleman, named Montalto. Soon after the young painter learns that Barozzo, the governor of Candia, had employed assassins at the instigation of Cosmo-deMedici, to murder his father, and he vows to destroy the savage governor, or perish in the attempt. He has previously wooed in secret and won the love of Laura, the beautiful daughter of Foscari, an Italian nobleman, who is betrothed to the governor and Barozzo becoming suspicious of his rival, and perceiving with great alarm the likeness he bears to the man he had assassinated, employs one of the numerous Greeks in his pay to murder him. After hearing of Colonna's, encounter with the Greek asassin, Pisani determines to assist him to destroy the governor, and says:"I urged Colonna to seek, in immediate repose, the restoration of his exhausted strength, and undertook to provide him with a managed horse, armour, and weapons, which should place him upon a level with his mailed and well-mounted antagonist. Horse and armour, however, he promptly declined. He would find an expedient, he said, to compel Barozzo to fight him foot to foot; and he pledged himself to find a way with a good wea pon through the scaly corslet of his ser pent foe. He requested only a straight two-edged sword, of well-tried temper; and a woodman's axe, the purpose of which he did not explain. He then left me, to plunge into the lake, and to find in its pure and bracing waters that re freshment which, he said, it would be a vain attempt to obtain in sleep; while I proceeded to my father's armoury, and selected from the numerous weapons which adorned it, a long and powerful two-edged blade, which he had brought from the Levant. This sword was black from hilt to point, and destitute of ornament, except some golden hieroglyphics near the guard; but I knew that it had stood the brunt of several stirring campaigns, without material injury to its admirable edge and temper. "After a short and unrefreshing slumber, I arose with the sun, and hastened with the sword and woodman's axe, to the saloon of Colonna. His garb was usually plain, almost to homeliness, and chosen probably with a view to the better concealment of his rank: but for this day of vengeance, he had donned the princely costume of the Tuscan nobles. A rich vest of embroidered scarlet, and pantaloons of woven silk were closely fitted to his noble person, which, I have said before, was fashioned in the choicest mould of manly beauty, and now, so worthily adorned, displayed in all its high perfection that faultless union of symmetry and strength, so rarely seen in life; equalling, indeed, the Vatican Antinous in classic elegance of form, but far surpassing that fine statue in stature and heroic character of look and bearing. A mantle of the richest velvet hung from his well-formed shoulders, while a nodding plume adorned his Spanish hat and shaded his dark eyes, which lighted up as they beheld me with bright and eager flashes of impatience. "Thou art indeed the pearl and pride of Florence,' my Colonna!' I exclaimed, in irrepressible admiration, applying, as I approached him, the poetical simile of his Laura. "Regardless of the compliment, he grasped the unpretending weapon I held out to him, and plucked it from the scabbard. Tracing at a glance its Oriental pedigree, he doubled the strong blade with ease, until the point touched and rebounded from the guard, and then severed with its unyielding edge an iron nail projecting from the wall. 'This plain old weapon,' said he, with an exulting smile, is worth a dukedom. 'Twill pierce a panoply of Milan steel, and I pledge myself to make it search the vitals of this ruffian governor. But these are words, Pisani, and words, the Ro man proverb says, are feminine, while deeds alone are masculine. Farewell, then, till we meet in the defile. It is essential to my purpose that I reach the ground some hours before Barozzo.' "He then embraced me cordially, concealed the axe beneath his mantle, and departed for the mountains, intending to cross the lake to a point not distant from the scene of action. At an early hour I mounted my horse, and rode to wards the Villa Foscari. In the vicinity of Peschiera I descried the governor proceeding on his daily morning excursion to the mountains. I had hitherto rarely seen him with more than one attendant, but he was now closely followed by two well-mounted Greeks of lofty stature, attired in the gorgeous costume of the Levant, and armed with scymitar and dagger. The square and athletic person of their chief was arrayed in the splendid garb of a military commander of distinguished rank. His ample chest was covered with a corsiet of light scale armour, which yielded to every motion of his frame, and was partially concealed by a broad sash, and a capacious velvet mantle. A sword of unusual length hung from his belt, whence also projected the handle of a poniard, which blazed with jewels of great lustre and value. At the age of forty-two, Barozzo was still in the full vigour of manhood, and the martial ease and energy of his movements, indicated that he would find full occupation for the quick eye and unrivalled skill of the comparatively unarmed Colonna. "The governor saluted me as usual, and after some remarks upon the beauty of the surrounding scenery, he carelessly enquired where my friend the painter was. I replied, that he was gone up the lake in his bark, and described him as an itinerant personage, who delighted in ranging over the Brescian mountains, where he passed a considerable portion of his time in sketching, and was but an occasional inmate of my father's villa. were The governor made no comment, and "Startled by the ominous appearance of this incident, the governor immediately rode back, and bade his attendants dismount and lead their horses over a sheep-path which rose on the mountain slope, above the level of the fallen tree, while he would ride on slowly until they rejoined him. Execrating the peasant who had thus annoyed him, he turned his courser's head, and we proceeded at a slow pace to the now contiguous spot which I had described to Colonna as best suited to his purpose. Here the base of an enormous cliff projected like a rampart into the defile, and sloped abruptly into two right angles, connected by a level line of nearly perpendicular rock, which rose in castellated grandeur to a towering height. The numerous crevices and hollows were fringed with dazzling heath-flowers and luxuriant creepers, between which the bare black surface of the rock frowned on the passing gazer, like the ruined stronghold of some mountain robber. We now turned the first angle of the cliff, looking upward as we rode at the majestic front of this singular work of nature. Still gazing, we had proceeded about fifty paces, and the governor was remarking, that the level and lofty summit would make a commanding military station, when suddenly our coursers halted, and looking down we saw before us the tall and kingly figure of Colonna, standing like an apparition in the pathway. His right hand rested on his unsheathed sword, and his attitude was that of careless and assured composure; but in his gathered brow, and in the boding glitter of his eye, I could discern the deadly purpose of the forest lion, about to spring upon his prey, and fully confident in his own powers and resources. At this sudden encounter of Montalto's son, who seemed to start with spectral abruptness from the ground beneath us, Barozzo shook in his saddle as if he had seen an accusing spirit. For a moment the blood left his face, his breath shortened, and his chest heaved with strong internal emotion, but his iron features soon regained their wonted character of intrepidity. He then darted upon me a keen look of enquiry and suspicion; before, however, he had time to speak, Colonna was upon him. Rapidly advancing, he seized the bridle of his horse, and thus addressed him :-- Barozzo! the measure of thy crime is full, and retribution is at hand! Colonna the painter is no more, but the son of Montalto has escaped thy dagger, and demands atonement for his father's blood. Dismount, assassin! and defend thy worth less life!'-The deep and startless grandeur of Colonna's voice, and the implacable hostility which flashed from his fierce eyeballs, shook the firm sinews of the guilty governor, and again his swarthy linea ments were blanched with terror. By a sudden and powerful effort, however, he regained self-mastery, and gathering into his grim features all the pride and insolence of his soul, he darted upon his youthful enemy a sneer of contempt. Presuming vagrant!' he shouted, in accents hoarse with wrath, dare to impede my progress, and my retinue, which is at hand, shall scatter thy limbs on the highway! "Still firmly grasping the bridle, Colonna eyed him for a moment with quiet scorn, and then he smiled-briefly indeed, but with a stinging mockery, a hot and withering scorn of eye and lip, that seared the haughty chieftain to the brain. Writhing with sudden frenzy, he spurred his mettled charger, and endeavoured to ride down his opponent; but the generous animal, true to the better instincts of a nature nobler than his master's, refused to advance, and plunged and demi-volted with a violence which would have unseated a less experienced rider. At this moment, the heavy trampling of approaching horses rolled in doubling echoes through the ravine. Encouraged by the welcome sound, Barozzo attempted to draw his sword; but before the plunging of his horse would allow him to reach the hilt, the vigilant Colonna smote him on the cheek with his sheathed weapon. Then relinquishing the bridle, and stepping lightly sideways, he struck the horse's flank, and the startled animal, straining every sinew, bounded away like a ball, and quickly disappeared round the second angle of the cliff, followed by the loud laugh of the exulting Colonna, whose fierce ha! ha! re-echoed through the rocky hollow like a trumpet-call.Meanwhile the Greeks, who had turned the first angle in time to behold the termination of the struggle, drew their sabres, and pushing their horses into a gallop, rushed down upon us like infuriated tigers. Anticipating their attack, I was not unprepared to aid my gallant friend in this emergency; but all assistance was superfluous to one so fertile in resources. He turned with graceful promptitude upon the savage Cretans, and before their powerful steeds could measure the short intervening distance, his sword was firmly set between his teeth, and two pistols appeared with magical abruptness in his grasp. Levelled by an eye which never failed, these weapons lodged a bullet in the breast of each approaching Greek. The colossal riders reeled in their saddles, their sabres quivered in their weakened grasp, and reclining for support upon the necks of their startled horses, they successively passed us, and turned the angle beyond which their chief had disappeared. Colonna now threw down his pistols, and exclaimed exultingly, Now is the crowning hour, my Angelo! follow me, and you shall find the scaly monster of my dream caught in a trap from which no human power can free him.' "I rode by his side in wondering anticipation, and when we had passed the angle, I beheld a scene which still remains engraven on my memory. The |