hero; a handfome man, although time had worn many a furrow on his broad brow vigorous and unbent, although the weight of an hundred laborious years lay on his neck. At this fight the hearts of king Arthur and of his knights glowed with veneration; they thronged around the knight, took him by the hand, and fixed their respectful eyes on his countenance, like children that fee again their old father after a long abfence. "My name is Branor, faid the old "knight; Branor the brown. Your fa"ther, king Arthur, the valiant Uther "Pandragon, was but a child, and "dragged his little wooden horse thro' "the court of the caftle, when Branor "had already rode over hills and thro' “vaileys in fearch of adventures. These "mofs-covered oaks I remember no "higher than my lance. Your father, “king Arthur, was my good lord and "friend; many a tilt we have had to"gether, and many a fpear, both in jeft ❝ and earnest, have we broken. Bleff "ings on his noble fon; and happy am "I that I fee Aill young men who do "not altogether neglect to tread in the " fteps of their fathers." As he was fpeaking the fun went down. King Arthur, the queen and her virgins, and the thirty knights, with old Branor in the midft of them, returned back to the caftle at Cramalot, where a fumptuous repast was already prepared in the hall. A rich canopy marked the feat of the king and the queen; and between them an ivory chair was fet for the good Branor; and when they were feated, the reft took their places round the table. The repaft was ferved up in difhes of beaten gold by twenty youths; the fpacious fide-table flood richly furnished; twenty youths ferved the guests, and twenty more ftood by the fide-table, Kettle drums and trumpets refounded as oft as the mighty fparkling goblet went round. At length their appetites were appeafed, and the time, having been paffed in courtly difcourfe, drew near to midnight. All eyes were fixed upon the old man, and whenever he opened his mouth to fpeak, fuch filence prevailed in the hall, that you might have heard the fmalleft fpider at his loom. Then took king Arthur the old knight by the hand; "Sir Branor, said he, a "man like you never have I feen be"fore this day. So help me, God, as I ❝ wish I had feen the fathers that begat "fuch fons." The old man bowed; "Sir king, "faid he, an hundred years and more "have I lived; many a brave man have "I feen at his nurfes boforn ; and "many a gallant knight have I helped "to lay in his grave. Still there are "not wanting valiant knights and vir"tuous ladies to reward them with the "meed of love. But men fuch as were "in my times fhall I never fee again. "Men of fuch undaunted courage, of "fuch manly fenfe, fo inflexible in ho“nour, injustice, and in truth; fo pa"triotic, fo firm in friendship, with "fuch noble countenances, and fuch "generous hearts, without falfehood or deceit, like the king Meliadus, and "Hector the brown, and Danayn the "red, and Gyron the courteous.-No, "by my good fword, fuch men fhall Í "never fee again," -Here his voice failing the venerable old man, he thoughtfully reclined his white head, and was filent. And a'l were filent, nor did any one for fome time attempt to invade the sacred pause. At last the queen unobferved, fecretly gave a fign to her own knight, and Lan celot understood the fign, and faid to Branor; Noble Sir, we are all too young to have seen any of the heroes "whom you have just named; but in "you they still live, you are the only "one that has reached our times. If 66 you would vouchfate to relate to us "what you know of their deeds, you "would exceedingly entertain and o"blige us all." King Arthur, the queen, and all the knights, loudly feconded the request of the galiant Lancelot. The damfels were fi lent; but their downcaft eyes and their glowing cheeks, those traitors of timid though innocent hearts, sufficiently spoke their wishes. Then Branor, bowing, faid with a placid fmile; "What you defire is a pleafure to me; age, you know, is garrulous; it loves to speak of the good old times that are gone, in which, as in a happy dream, it fill lives. I will tell you, therefore, fomething of Gyron the courteous, one of the nobleft of the noble men I have feen. Full fixty years are now patt fince an accident made us acquainted. I was riding about the country in queft of adventures, when one day a ftorm overtook me in the midft of a wood. I took fhelter in the hole of a rock, and obferved a narrow passage that winded into the mountain. I 2 Curiofit→ Curiofity led me to fearch whither it would lead. Still inwarde, deeper and deeper, darker and more dark grew the paffage. At once it turned abruptly, and now there appeared before me an excavation made by human hands like a fepulchral vault-and in the vault, by the faint glimmer of a lamp that hung from the arched roof, I saw fitting, oppofite to each other, filent and penfive, two aged knights, like beings of another world: Even now while I am talking, full fixty years after the adventure, my blood runs cold at the recollection. My appearance feemed to wake them out of a gentle flumber. They beheld me with friendly and cordial looks, and I thought they were pleafed at feeing a man again. They welcomed me, and told me, that, being long tempeft-toft on the fea of life, they had retired to this cavern as to a haven of reft, where they were waiting till death fhould pay his wifhed-for vifit: That they had for fome time been fuppofed dead, as no tidings of them could be heard in the world. That fpirits of the earth fup plied their wants, and fometimes brought them news of what the living were about in the world. Brehus was the name of the one, and Gyron the elder, of the other. Formerly this latter had reigned in Gaul, but had yielded the kingdom to his eldeft fon, that he might devote himself entirely to chivalry. The fame inclination foon feized the fon; he left the kingdom to his younger brother, and spent many years in fearch of adventures; till at last he too betook himfelf to this cavern, that he might end his days with his old father in rigid penance. "Here, faid the old man, here is his grave; where that of my fecond fon is, God knows. Pharamond, the Frank, robbed him of his throne and his life. One only now remains of my blood and lineage, my grandfon, Gyron the courteous. What our miniftring fpiritstell me of him from time to time, is, I believe, the fingle medicine that keeps me from dying. He indeed is a man! God reward him for the honour he does to my blood and name." From that moment I refolved to find out Sir Gyron. I repaired to the court of king Uther, where I heard much of the fame of Gyron's virtues. He him felf was not there, but I went in queft of him, found him, and was aftonished at the noble beauty of his appearance, the ftrength of his arm, and his unequalled courage, but ftill more at his truth and honour. We became friends, I accom. panied him in many expeditions, and was the eye witnefs of his laft deeds. "He was yet a boy, when his father loft both crown and life in the conteft with Pharamond. Hector the brown, an old tried friend of his grandfather Gyron, faved the boy, fled with him to Britain, and became the guide of his youth, and his tutor in chivalry: Gyron was to Hector as his own fon; and when in a defperate battle the old man fell covered with wounds, Gyron caught him in his arms, ftruck to the earth with the fury of a lion every one that attempted to lay hands on his friend, and bore him on his back to their tent. But to fave his life was impoffible. Hector finding his end approaching, reached to Gyron his good iword." There, faid he, take this, I know no other who after me is worthy to wield it." Great and uncommon were the virtues of this fword, rich was the golden hilt, but richer tar the well-tempered blade, on which were engraven in golden characters the following words: "Let none but the "virtuous prefume to wield this fword. Truth is above all. Prefidy disgraces "all. Infamy purfue the man who would hide a coward's heart in a lion's "skin," Gyron the courteous, with moistened eye, received the hallowed prefent from the hand of his dying friend, and thought himself richer in the poffeffion of that fword, than if a kingdom had fallen to him by inheritance. How he used it I will inform you in one inftance-if you are not tired. Then Lancelot of the lake, and his lady the queen, affured the knight that they would not be tired of hearing him though he should speak the whole night long. The old man darted from under his grey eye-brows a penetrating look at Lancelot and the queen; and the eyes of both fhrunk from the look of the noble Branor: a fhort filence took place, and he thus proceeded*. Poetry. To be continued, SKETCH OF A POETRY. His teacher's every wish had been Could I, in all its charms, exprefs, The Late of Virtue, in the world, And Candour vindicate my verses→→ To Lethe ought not to be hurl'd- A benefactor to mankind, More frank, more tender, and more true, IX. Thus, having flightly sketch'd his worth Trump all his human frailties forth- X. First, then, he wants (we can't deny) "John Jeffop was fined at the Public Office, Bow-ftreet, in 51. for being concern*ed with Newton, who was fined in the fame fum for fhooting a cock pheafant. He "could not pay, and was fent to the Correction Houfe for three months." Vide London Papers, November 1789. So much for English Liberty! Quere-What loss would enfue to fociety, if all the wild fowl in Europe were exterminated? Afpafia was a woman of the town, and Socrates frequented her houfe to learn the beauties of rhetoric from her converfation! But youthful fports dull-reafon's fearch defy, Hail, seat of happiness! where ev'ry face Nor drooping Melancholy dares appear. 'Tis thine to vanquish this fell troop of foes, At early age to ftem their pois'nous tide; 'Tis thine to blend the fweets of Pleasure's rofe To thefe 'tis joy. But even the courtly train, Anxious the dregs of pleafure's bowl to When, fully fated with each fplendid show This faint reflection of amufement fhare. Which charm' when London's revelry was The fading beauty of autumnal hours, With the fharp thorns that fence bright To tell his neighbours all the toils of ftate," Virtue's fide. Thine to inftruct the yet-untainted heart care; Point out bleft Charity's foul-wringing fmart, Or bring the cries of Pity to the tender ear! Friendship from thee adopts her dearest ties, From thee th' ingenuous mind imbibes the flame; Whate'er indiffoluble bonds arife, Recount of public cares the enormous bate; His wife and daughters quit the Gothic To taste the raptures of the ruftic ball. Still at the top, in fpite of order, stand, Thee, as their fount, their bafis, they pro- Infults the lawyer's and the curate's wife, claim. Now fmiles contemptuous, now with anger burns, And domineers, and scolds, and cheats by |