Summer.

With precious gifts endowed for sinful man , That , living purely , he may pass this life Bereft of care , contented with his lot . The world , create , is perfect in each part , And human misery but self-imposed .

The good and Godly praise their Heavenly King , Extol His Works ; and ever 'tis to them , In summer-time , at morn , or noon , or night , That earth and heav ' n are one ^ wjlfesfary bright . / V ^~~^ - \\

/ gfGRAND ^ Sheerness-on-Sea . W L o o G c F \'"\ r r \ L ! BRARY /» \ o ) v yby

The Adventures Of Don Pasquale.

THE ADVENTURES OF DON PASQUALE .

BY THE AUTHOR OP THE " OLD , OLD STORY . " CHAPTER I . " Ich traum als Kind mich zuriicke , TJnd schuttle mein greises Haupt ! Wie sucht ihr mich lieim , ihr Bilder , Dielang ich vergessen geglaubt ?" CHAMISSO .

As autobiography is , so to say , the "idea " of the hour , which seems most to interest the mind and affect the imagination , which appears most to " pay , " I think it well . to give to the readers of the MASONIC MAGAZINE some very remarkable personal

papers , in the autobiographical line , which have lately fallen into my hands , for purely autobiographical purposes . Indeed , just now , everybody seems to Avish to live over again "in print . " What " our Thomas " did , and what our "Ellen" saidappear

, to interest greatly that "profanum vulgus , " which revels iu scandals and delishts , o in mysteries ; though why the lives and fortunes of Thomas Higginbotham and Ellen , ( his lawful wife , ) can concern any oneI cannot understandas one should

, , have been inclined to think " § , priori , " that they could hardly have a " scintilla " of interest , pleasure , or importance for any mortal being . But in so saying or in so thinking , we

should be undoubtedly quite wrong , as at this moment nothing is read so much , or is so lucrative " per se , " as autobiography , whether of the great or humble . Whether it is we

like" To be iniquitously just , And rake up the ashes of the guilty dust , " or whether it is only that we desire " pour passer le temps , " to moralize over the weaknesses , and littlenesses , and "bassesse" even of our friendis a moot

, , question . Yes , I think it is a very difficult problem to solve , whether we desire most to " testify , " or " take the high moral line , " to strip off the "iron mask , " or to penetrate into the " aporreta " of domes tic lifewhenwe thus

, give up our " days and nights" to the study of " autobiography . " It is , in my opinion , a very vicious taste at the best , and one that will not last very long . But here it is , and my readers and myself must yield to it for

the nonce , as it would never do to be " out of the fashion . " Perhaps , if one seeks , as one always should do , to take a philosophical view of things , much of this love of the " autobiographical line" may be traced to a

desn-e for historical accuracy and statistical information . These are hi ghly commendable characteristics , and are pleasurable in themselves , let us believe , to young , middle-aged , and old ; to ladies in the decline of lifeto our matronly and young

, married women ; to old maids and blooming maidens , and , above all , to that " gang " of aged boys , mature youths , and verdant young men , —who cackle just now rather like affected and dissolute ganders , than even the shrillest " swans of Meander . "

A poet has well described the philosophical and striking love , not of '' lying , " but of biography , which is always to bo commended : — " I've often thought biography the neatest And most instructive kind of composition , if written is meetest

Especially ( as ) By literary people of condition . I never liked the records ( though completeBt ) Of kingdoms , battles , wars , wounds , ammunition : Preferring Plutarch , Charles the Twelfth , Munchausen , Robinson Crusoe Valentine and Orson .