XXIV.

Her grief and gall meanwhile were quite extreme,
And she had ample reason for her trouble;
For what sad maiden can endure to seem

Set in for singleness, tho' growing double.
The fancy madden'd her; but now the dream,
Grown thin by getting bigger, like a bubble,
Burst,—but still left some fragments of its size,
That, like the soapsuds, smarted in her eyes.

XXV.

And here just here--as she began to heed
The real world, her clock chimed out its score ;
A clock it was of the Venetian breed,

That cried the hour from one to twenty-four;
The works moreover standing in some need

Of workmanship, it struck some dozens more ; A warning voice that clench'd Bianca's fears, Such strokes referring doubtless to her years.

XXVI.

At fifteen chimes she was but half a nun,
By twenty she had quite renounced the veil ;
She thought of Julio just at twenty-one,
And thirty made her very sad and pale,

To paint that ruin where her charms would run ;
At forty all the maid began to fail,

And thought no higher, as the late dream cross'd her,
Of single blessedness, than single Gloster.

XXVII.

And so Bianca changed;-the next sweet even,
With Julio in a black Venetian bark,
Row'd slow and stealthily-the hour, eleven,
Just sounding from the tower of old St Mark.

She sate with eyes turn'd quietly to heav'n,
Perchance rejoicing in the grateful dark

That veil'd her blushing cheek,-for Julio brought her, Of course to break the ice upon the water.

XXVIII.

But what a puzzle is one's serious mind
To open ;-oysters, when the ice is thick,
Are not so difficult and disinclined;

And Julio felt the declaration stick
About his throat in a most awful kind;
However, he contrived by bits to pick
His trouble forth,-much like a rotten cork
Groped from a long-neck'd bottle with a fork.

XXIX.

But love is still the quickest of all readers;
And Julio spent besides those signs profuse
That English telegraphs and foreign pleaders,
In help of language, are so apt to use,
Arms, shoulders, fingers, all were interceders,
Nods, shrugs, and bends,-Bianca could not choose
But soften to his suit with more facility,
He told his story with so much agility.

XXX.

"Be thou my park, and I will be thy dear, (So he began at last to speak or quote ;) Be thou my bark, and I thy gondolier,

(For passion takes this figurative note ;) Be thou my light, and I thy chandelier;

Be thou my dove, and I will be thy cote:
My lily be, and I will be thy river ;
Be thou my life—and I will be thy liver."

XXXI.

This, with more tender logic of the kind,
He pour'd into her small and shell-like ear,
That timidly against his lips inclined;

Meanwhile her eyes glanced on the silver sphere That even now began to steal behind

A dewy vapour, which was lingering near, Wherein the dull moon crept all dim and pale, Just like a virgin putting on the veil :

XXXII.

Bidding adieu to all her sparks—the stars,
That erst had woo'd and worshipp'd in her train,
Saturn and Hesperus, and gallant Mars—
Never to flirt with heavenly eyes again.
Meanwhile, remindful of the convent bars,
Bianca did not watch these signs in vain,
But turn'd to Julio at the dark eclipse,
With words, like verbal kisses, on her lips.

XXXIII.

He took the hint full speedily, and, back'd

By love, and night, and the occasion's meetness, Bestow'd a something on her cheek that smack'd (Tho' quite in silence) of ambrosial sweetness, That made her think all other kisses lack'd

Till then, but what she knew not, of completeness: Being used but sisterly salutes to feel,

Insipid things--like sandwiches of veal.

XXXIV.

He took her hand, and soon she felt him wring
The pretty fingers all instead of one;

Anon his stealthy arm began to cling

About her waist that had been clasp'd by none;

Their dear confessions I forbear to sing,

Since cold description would but be outrun : For bliss and Irish watches have the pow'r, In twenty minutes, to lose half an hour!

In and-out Pensioners.

A BALLAD SINGER

S a town-crier for the advertising of lost tunes. Hunger hath made him a wind instrument: his want is vocal, and not he. His voice had gone a-begging before he took it up and applied it to the same trade; it was too strong to hawk mackerel, but was just soft enough for Robin Adair. His business is to make popular songs unpopular, he gives the air, like a weathercock, with many variations. As for a key, he has but one-a latch-key-for all manner of tunes; and as they are to pass current amongst the lower sorts of people, he makes his notes like a country banker's, as thick as he can. His tones have a copper sound, for he sounds for copper; and for the musical divisions he hath no regard, but sings on, like a kettle, without taking any heed of the bars. Before beginning he clears his pipe with gin; and he is always hoarse from the thorough draft in his throat. He hath but one shake, and that is in winter. His voice sounds flat, from flatulence; and he fetches breath, like a drowning kitten, whenever he can. Notwithstanding all this his music gains. ground, for it walks with him from end to end of the street. He is your only performer that requires not many entreaties for a song; for he will chaunt, without asking, to a street cur or a parish post. His only backwardness is to a stave after dinner, seeing that he never dines; for he sings for bread, and though corn has ears, sings very commonly in vain. As for his country, he is an Englishman, that by his birthright may sing whether he can or not. To conclude, he is reckoned passable in the city, but is not so good off the

stones.