THE name of Helim is still famous through all the eastern parts of the world. He is called among the Persians, even to this day, Helim the great physician. He was acquainted with all the powers of simples, understood all the influences of the stars, and knew the secrets that were engraved on the seal of Solomon the son of David. Helim was also governor of the Black Palace, and chief of the physicians to Alnareschin the great king of Persia. Alnareschin was one of the greatest tyrants that ever reigned. He was of a suspicious and cruel nature, having put to death, upon very slight jealousies and surmises, many of his queens and his sons, whom he suspected to have conspired against his life. Being at length wearied with the exercise of so many cruelties in his own family, and fearing lest the whole race of caliphs should be entirely lost, he one day sent for Helim, and spoke to him after this manner: "Helim," said he, "I have long admired thy great wisdom, and retired way of living. I will now shew thee the entire confidence which I place in thee. I have only two sons remaining, who are as yet but infants. It is my design that thou take them home with thee, and educate them as thy own. By this means shall the line of caliphs be preserved, and my children succeed after me, without aspiring to my throne whilst I am yet alive."

"The words of my lord the king shall be obeyed," said Helim. After which he bowed, and went out of the king's presence. He then received the children into his own house, and bred them up with him in the studies of knowledge and virtue. The young princes loved and respected Helim as their father, and made such improvement under him, that by the age of one-and-twenty they were instructed in all the learning of the East. The name of the eldest was Ibrahim, and of the youngest Abdallah. They lived together in such perfect friendship, that to this day it is said of intimate friends, that they live together like Ibrahim and Abdallah.

Helim had an only child, who was a girl of an excellent disposition and a most beautiful person. Her father omitted nothing in her education that might make her the most accomplished woman of her age. As the young princes were in a manner excluded from the rest of the world, they frequently conversed with this lovely virgin, who had been brought up by her father in the same course of knowledge and of virtue. Abdallah especially grew, by degrees, so enamoured of her conversation, that he did not think he lived when he was not in company with his beloved Balsora, for that was the name of the maid. The fame of her beauty was so great, that at length it came to the ears of the king, who, going to visit the young princes his sons, demanded of Helim the sight of Balsora bis fair daughter. The king was so struck with her beauty and behaviour, that he sent for Helim the next morning, and told him it was now his design to recompense him for all his faithful services; and that, in order to it, he intended to make his daughter queen of Persia. Helim knew too well the fate of those who had been thus advanced before, and could not but be aware of the secret love which Abdallah bore his daughter.

"Far be it," says he, "from the king of Persia to contaminate the blood of the caliphs, and join himself in marriage with the daughter of his physician."

The king, however, would hear of no excuses; and immediately ordered Balsora to be sent for into his presence, keeping the father with him, in order to make her sensible of the honour which he designed her. Balsora, who was too modest and humble to think that she had made such an impression on the king, was a few moments after brought into his presence as he had commanded.

Upon hearing the honour which he intended her, she fainted away, and fell down as dead at his feet. Helim wept; and, after having recovered her out of the trance into which she bad fallen, represented to the king, that so unexpected an honour was too

In the meantime Abdallah, who had heard of the king's design, was not less afflicted than his beloved Balsora. But Helim, some days after the supposed death of his daughter, gave the prince a potion of the same nature with that which had laid asleep Balsora.

It is the custom among the Persians to convey in a private manner the bodies of all the royal family, a little after their death, into the Black Palace; which is the repository of all who are descended from the caliphs, or any way allied to them. The chief physician is always governor of the Black Palace, it being his office to embalm and preserve the bodies. The Black Palace is so called from the colour of the building, which is all of the finest polished black marble. There are perpetually burning in it five thousand everlasting lamps. It has also a hundred folding doors of ebony, which are each of them watched day and night, by a hundred slaves, who are to take care that nobody enters besides the governor.

Helim, after having conveyed the body of his daughter into this repository, an at the appointed time received her out of the sleep into which she was fallen, took care, some time after, to bring that of Abdallah into the same place. Balsora watched over him, till such time as the dose he had taken lost its effect. Abdallah was not acquainted with Helim's design when he gave him this sleepy potion. It is impossible to describe the surprise, the joy, the transport he was in at his first awaking. He fancied himself in the retirement of the blest, and that the spirit of Balsora, who he thought was just gone before him, was the first who came to congratulate his arrival.

Helim, who was supposed to be taken up in the embalming of the bodies, visited the place very frequently. His greatest perplexity was, how to get the lovers out of it, the gates being watched in such a manner as I have before related. This consideration did not a little disturb them. At length Helim bethought himself, that the first day of the full-moon, of the month Tizpa, was near at hand. Now it is a received tradition among the Persians, that the souls of those of the royal family who are in a state of bliss do, on the first full-moon after their decease, pass through the eastern gate of the Black Palace, which is therefore called the Gate of Paradise, in order to take their flight for that happy place. Helim, therefore, having made due preparation for this night, dressed each of the lovers in a robe of azure silk, wrought in the finest looms

snow, that floated on the ground behind them. Upon Abdallah's head he fixed a wreath of the greenest myrtle; and on Balsora's a garland of the freshest roses. Their garments were scented with the richest perfumes of Arabia. Having thus prepared every thing, the full moon was no sooner up, and shining in all its brightness, but he privately opened the Gate of Paradise, and shut it after the same manner, as soon as they had passed through it. The band of slaves, who were posted at a little distance from the gate, seeing two such beautiful apparitions, that showed themselves to advantage by the light of the full moon, and being ravished with the odour that flowed from their garments, immediately concluded them to be the spirits of the two persons lately deceased. They fell upon their faces as they passed through the midst of them, and continued prostrate on the earth till such time as they were out of sight. They reported the next day what they had seen; but this was looked upon by the king himself, and most others, as the compliment that was usually paid to any of the deceased of his family. Helim had placed two of his own mules at about a mile's distance from the Black Temple, on the spot which they had agreed upon for their rendezvous. Here he met them, and conducted them to one of his own houses, which was situated on Mount Khacan. The air on this mountain was so very healthful, that Helim had formerly transported the king thither, in order to recover him out of a long fit of sickness; which succeeded so well, that the king made him a present of the whole mountain, with a beautiful house and gardens that were on the top of it. In this retirement lived Abdallah and Balsora. They were both so fraught with all kinds of knowledge, and possessed with so constant and mutual an affection for each other, that their solitude never lay heavy on them. Abdallah applied himself to those arts which were agreeable to his manner of living and the situation of the place; insomuch, that in a few years he converted the whole mountain into a kind of garden, and covered every part of it with plantations, or spots of flowers. Helim was too good a father to let him want any thing that might conduce to make his retirement pleasant.

In about ten years after their abode in this place, the old king died, and was succeeded by his son, Ibrahim, who, upon the supposed death of his brother, had been called to court, and entertained there as heir to the Persian empire. Though he was some years inconsolable for the death of his brother, Helim durst not trust him with the secret, which he knew would have fatal consequences, should it by any means come to the knowledge of the old king. Ibrahim had no sooner mounted the throne, but Helim sought after a proper oppor tunity of making a discovery to him which he knew would be very agreeable to so generous a prince. It so happened, that before Helim found such an opportunity as he desired, the new king, Ibrahim, having been separated from his company in a chase, and almost fainting with heat and thirst, saw himself at the foot of Mount Khacan; he immediately ascended the hill, and coming to Helim's house, asked for some refreshment. Helim was at home; and, after having set before the king the choicest of wines and fruits, finding him wonderfully pleased with so seasonable a treat, told him that the best part of his entertainment was to come; upon which

he opened to him the whole history of what had past. The king was at once astonished and transported at so strange a relation; and seeing his brother enter the room with Balsora in his hand, he leaped off from the sofa on which he sat, and cried out, "It is he! it is my Abdallah!" Having said this, he fell upon his neck and wept.

The whole company for some time remained silent, shedding tears of joy. At length the king, after kindly reproaching Helim for depriving him so long of such a brother, embraced Balsora with the greatest tenderness, and told her, she should now be a queen indeed; for that he would immediately make his brother king of all the conquered nations on the other side the Tigris. He easily discovered in the eyes of the two lovers, that instead of being transported with the offer, they preferred their present retirement to empire. At their request, therefore, he changed his intentions, and made them a present of all the open country as far as they could see from the top of Mount Khacan. Abdallah continuing to extend his former improvements, beautified this whole prospect with groves and fountains, gardens and seats of pleasure, till it became the most delicious spot of ground within the empire, and is therefore called the Garden of Persia. This caliph, Ibrahim, after a long and happy reign, died without children, and was succeeded by Abdallah, a son of Abdallah and Balsora. This was that King Abdallah who afterwards fixed the imperial residence upon Mount Khacan, which long continued the favourite palace of the Persian empire.

TABLE ETIQUETTE OF THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY.

THE following Bill of Fare for the new year, quoted from a scarce book entitled "The Second Part of Youth's Behaviour, or Decency in Conversation amongst Women," 12mo, 1664, shows the kind of viands under which the tables of our ancestors groaned at this festive season.

"1. Brawn. 2. A boiled capon with oysters and sausages. 3. A sirloin, or ribs of roasted beef. 4. A roasted goose. 5. Minced pies. 6. A roasted turkey. 7. A marrow pie. 8. A made dish of bread pudding. 9. A roasted capon. 10. Larks, partridges, or woodcocks, which may be best provided. 11. Lamb. 12. A tart of wardens or quinces. 13. Tame pigeons. 14. A dried neat's tongue.

15. Anchovies."

In connexion with the above subject, and as illustrative of the progress of civilization and etiquette since the seventeenth century, we extract from the first part of the "Youth's Behaviour," &c., certain amusing rules concerning

"CARRIAGE AT THE TABLE.

"1. Being set at the table, scratch not thyself, and take thou heed as much as thou canst [not] to spit, cough, and to blow thy nose; but if it be needful, do it dexterously without much noise, turning thy face sidelong.

"2. Take not thy repast like a glutton.

"3. Break not bread with thy hands, but cut it with a knife, if it be not very little, and very new, and that all the others did the same, or the major part.

"4. Cast not thyself upon the table with thine arms stretched even to thy elbows. And lean not thy shoulders, or thine arms, on their chair undecently.

"5. Eat not with cheeks full, and with full mouth.

"6. Sop not in wine, if thou be'st not the master of the house, or hast some indisposition or other.... "8. Taking salt, beware that thy knife be not greasy when it ought to be wiped, or the fork; one may do it neatly with a little piece of bread, or, as in certain places, with a napkin, but never with a whole loaf. . . . .

"10. Blow not upon thy meat, but if it be hot, stay until it be cold. . . .

"11. Smell not to thy meat, and if thou holdest thy nose to it, set it not afterwards before another. "12. Besmear not any bread round about with thy fingers, but when thou wilt cut some bread, wipe them first if they be greasy; therefore take heed, as nigh as thou canst, of fouling thy hands, or of greasing thy fingers, and, having a spoon or fork, make use of it, it becometh thee, according to the custom of the best bred. . . .

"14. One ought not to cast under the table, or on the ground, bones, parings, wine or such like things; notwithstanding, if one be constrained to spit something which was hard to chew, or which causeth irksomeness, then may one throw it dexterously forth upon the ground, taking it decently with two fingers, or with the left hand half shut, so that it be not a liquid thing; in such case one may more freely spit it on the ground, turning oneself, if it be possible, somewhat aside, as hath been said here above. ....

"12. It is undecent to soil the table cloth, and that which is worse, to clean one's face, or wipe away one's sweat with the napkin, or with the same clean one's nose, one's trencher, or the dish....

"26. Suck no bones, at least in such wise that one may hear it; take them not with two hands, but with one solely and properly. Gnaw them not, nor tear the flesh with thy teeth, as dogs do; but make use of thy knife, holding them with one hand, or rather with two fingers, as nigh as thou canst. Knock no bones upon thy bread, thy trencher, to get out the marrow of them, but get out the marrow with a knife. . . . .

"34. Cleanse not thy teeth with a table cloth or napkin, or with thy finger, fork, or knife; much worse would it be to do so with thy nails, but use thy toothpick. . . .

Poetry.

[In Original Poetry, the Name, real or assumed, of the Author, is printed in Small Capitals under the title; in Selections, it is printed in Italics at the end.}

MY RUSSET GOWN.

BY JANE.

My russet gown is dear to me,
Though years have passed away
Since my young heart beat joyously
Beneath its folds of grey;

No jewels hung around my neck,
Or glitter'd in my hair,
With lightsome step I tripp'd along,
My spirit knew no care;

The roses near my window crept,

And shed their sweets around;
Hard was the bed on which I slept,
But yet my sleep was sound.
My russet gown I laid aside,
For one of rich brocade;

I thought, in my simplicity,

Its charm could never fade:

I left the cot where I had pass'd
My happy childhood years,

I left my aged father sad,

My mother was in tears;

I left them for a wealthy home,

To be a rich man's bride,

And thought that splendour would atone For loss of all beside.

My russet gown, when next I gazed

Upon its sombre hue,

It brought a lesson to my heart

As sad as it was true;

Its simple meekness seemed to mock
My silks and jewels gay,

And bore my wandering thoughts to those
Dear friends so far away.

I felt how fleeting were the joys
That wealth alone can buy,
And for my humble cottage home
My bosom heav'd a sigh.

My russet gown I still have kept
To check my growing pride,
A true, though silent monitor,
My folly to deride.

And when I met with faithless friends
Among the giddy throng,

Whom vice and pleasure in their train
Drag heedlessly along,

I feel how gladly I would give
My coach and bed of down,
Once more in sweet content to live,
And wear my russet gown.

EMIGRANTS SONG.

ONCE more let it sparkle and gladden the heart!

Adieu, loves and friendships! and now we must part;
Farewell, then, ye mountains, ye scenes of my home;
A power resistless impels me to roam.

The sun in the heavenly fields knows no stay;
O'er land and o'er ocean he rides far away;
The waves linger not as they roll on the sand,
And the storms in their fury sweep over the land.
The bird on the light fleecy cloud sails along,
And sings in the distance his dear native song;
Through woodland and pasture the youth must go forth,
And roam, like his mother, the wandering earth.
The birds he once knew in the fields of his home
Come flying to greet him o'er ocean's white foam;
And the flowers of his childhood salute him once more,
In the breezes that breathe from his far native shore.
The songsters of home still around him to charm,
The flowers love planted still breathing their balm,
Early loves and old friendships still pressing his hand,
His home is around him, though far be the land.
From the German of Körner.

Miscellaneous.

"I have here made only a nosegay of culled flowers, and have brought nothing of my own, but the string that ties them."-Montaigne.

AN AFFECTING ANECDOTE.

placed in the centre of the square, close to the triangle,the general said, in a stern voice, "Strip, sir." The corporal never uttered a word till actually tied up, when, turning his head round, as far as his humiliating position enabled him, he said in a firm and respectful voice, “General Crawford, spare me." The general replied, "It cannot be; your crime is too great." The unhappy man, who was sentenced to be reduced to the pay and rank of a private soldier, and to receive two hundred lashes, then added, "Oh, general! do you recollect when we were both taken prisoners in Buenos Ayres? We were confined with others in a sort of pound. You sat on my knapsack, fatigued and hungry. I shared my last biscuit with you-on that occasion you shook me by the hand, swearing never to forget my kindness-it is now in your power. You know that when I committed the act for which I am now made so humiliating a spectacle to my comrades, we had been short of rations for some time." Not only the general, but the whole square was affected by this address. The bugler, who stood behind the corporal, then, on a nod from the bugle-major, inflicted the first lash, which drew blood from as brave a fellow as ever carried a musket. The general started, and turning hastily round, said, “Who ordered that bugler to flog! Send him to drill! send him to drill take him down! take him down! I remember it well!" all the time pacing up and down the square, wiping his face with his handkerchief, trying to hide emotions that were visible to the whole square. After recovering his noble feeling, the gallant general uttered, with a broken accent, "Why does a brave soldier like you commit these crimes?" Then beckoning to his orderly for his horse, he mounted and galloped off. In a few days the corporal was restored to his rank, and I saw him a year afterwards a respected serjeant. Had the poor fellow's sentence been carried out, a valuable soldier would have been lost to the service, and a good man converted into a worthless one.

EVERY mile of railway takes eight acres of good land. The 1,800 miles already existing, and 20,000 miles impending, will require the snug quantity of 114,000 acres, without reclaiming any from other roads or canals.

LET not any one say he cannot govern his passions, nor hinder them from breaking out and carrying him into action; for what he can do before a prince or a great man, he can do alone, or in the presence of God, if he will.-Locke.

NATURE has perfections, in order to show that she is the image of God; and defects, in order to show that she is only his image.-Pascal.

To be happy at home is the ultimate result of all ambition, the end to which every enterprise and labour tends, and of which every desire prompts the prosecu tion.-Johnson.

Lucy Cooper, Chap. III. 147 Popular Year Book............ 151 Some Passages in the History

Table Etiquette of the Seventeenth Century. ............... 159 POETRY:

London:-Published by T.B.SHARPE, 15, Skinner Street, Snow-hill. Printed by R. CLAY, Bread Street Hill.

RAILWAYS.

"GOD made the country, and man made the town;" and man, in pursuance of his vocation, is now making Railways, whereby, if we go on as we have been doing, we shall very soon be all town together, and the country, God's work, be fairly driven off the field-abolishedblotted out from our sight and knowledge, as an object of affection and enjoyment. Physically, no doubt, it will still remain in its coarser utilitarian elements, as a necessary appendage to towns-a place in which to rear fat cattle for the shambles, and grow wheat for the bakers' shops; there will still be grass and turnips and timber, fields and farm-steadings, hedgerows and haystacks; and men must live there to look after those things, so that the breed of bumpkins and clod-hoppers will not altogether die out. But the country!-that glorious temple of God-so profusely strewed with the loveliest of His works-from which the eye drinks in such abundant draughts of beauty, steeping the senses in delight, and filling the soul with love, gratitude, and peace-will be as much lost to the greater number of us, as if a thick cloud had settled down upon it, shrouding it in darkness for ever.

It used to be our delight to feel that the country-not that which produces crops, and pays rent---but that which

is beautiful to look upon, and whose air fills the lungs with health, and the heart with the sense of enjoyment, was still an unappropriated possession, from which no grudging owner could shut out the very poorest of us. He might forbid our feet to tread upon his soil, but he could not forbid our eyes to look upon the beautiful objects with which it was covered; he could not shut our ears to the song of the birds, or to the murmur of the brook, nor imprison the sweet scent which the breeze bore upon its wings. These were ours as much as his; for the king's high-way, at least, was open to us, where we could loiter as long as we pleased, or as our convenience served, and where, from many a commanding point of view, we might copy, not on canvass or paper, but on our memory and heart, all the loveliness of the scene, and carry it away with us as an imperishable possession. Such was the enjoyment of Milton, in that delightful morning ramble of his :

"Straight mine eye hath caught new pleasures,
While the landscape round it measures;
Russet lawns, and fallows grey,
Where the nibbling flocks do stray;
Mountains on whose barren breast
The labouring clouds do often rest;
Meadows trim with daisies pied,
Shallow brooks and rivers wide;