When she approached the grave that crossways closed
The avenue, though weary of the way,

She seemed not glad, but shuddered and recoiled,
Shaking through weakness of her weariness;

And though she upward looked, looked backward too,
And so with arms that clasped the solitude
She slowly disappeared.-This way of life,
The Sibyl said, is the way celibate,

Where walks erroneous many a monk and nun;
The good therein is good that dies therein

And hath no offspring; neither hath the evil;
For He that out of evil bringeth good
Begets no issue on the evil here;

Probation blotted from the book of life
With evil good obliterates, for these two,
In quality though opposite and at war,
Are each to each correlative and essential,
And evil conquered maketh moral good,
With virtue, which is more than innocence.

But now, she said, behold that other way.
The maiden turned obedient, and beheld
Where at the outset from a myrtle bower
A figure like Aurora flushed with joy
Leapt lightly forth, and dancing down the path
Shook the bright dew drops from the radiant wreath
That crowned her locks profuse; ere long the flush
Subsided, and the bounding steps were stayed;
But firmly still and with a durable strength
She travelled on; not seldom on her way
A coloured cloud diaphonous, like those
That gild the morn, obscured her; but ere long
She issued thence, and with her issued thence
A naked child that rolled among the flowers
And laughed and cried; a thicker cloud anon
Fell round her, and from that with sunken eyes
She issued, and with stains upon her cheek
From scalding tears; but onward still she looked
And upward still, and on her brow upturned
And on the paleness of her penitent face
A glory broke, the dayspring from on high;
Thenceforth with loftier and less troubled strength
And even step she trod the tremulous earth,
Elastic, not elate; the grave was near

That crossways cut the path; but with her went
A company of spirits bright and young,

Which caught the blossoms from her wreath that fell
And gave them back. And as she reached the close,
Gazing betwixt the willows far beyond

Full many a group successive she descried
With wreaths like hers, and as she softly sank

A heavenly hope which like a rainbow spanned
A thousand earthly hopes, its colours threw
Across the gloomy entrance of the grave.
This, said the Sibyl, is the conjugal way--
With joys more free and nobler sorrows fraught,
Which scatter by their force life's frivolous cares
And meaner molestations; stern the strokes,
The struggles arduous which this way presents,
And fearful the temptations; but the stake
Is worthier of the strife, and she that wins
Hears at the gates of Heaven the words "Well done,"
And "Enter thou."

AS I LAYE A-THYNKYNGE,

THE LAST LINES OF THOMAS INGOLDSBY.

From "The Ingoldsby Legends." Third Series *.

As I laye a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
Merrie sang the Birde as she sat upon the spraye;
There came a noble Knyghte,

With his hauberke shynynge brighte,
And his gallant heart was lyghte,
Free and gaye;

As I laye a-thynkynge, he rode upon his waye.

As I laye a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
Sadly sang the Birde as she sat upon the tree;
There seemed a crimson plaine,

Where a gallant Knyghte laye slayne,
And a steed with broken rein

Ran free,

As I laye a-thynkynge, most pittyful to see!

As I laye a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
Merrie sang the Birde as she sat upon the boughe;
A lovely Mayde came bye,
And a gentil youth was nyghe,
And he breathed manie a syghe
And a vow;

As I laye a-thynkynge, her hearte was gladsome now.

These fantastic and pathetic stanzas have additional value, as being the last composition of the dying author, the respected Rev. R. H. Barham,

As I layé a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
Sadly sang the Birde as she sat upon the thorne ;
No more a Youth was there,

But a Mayden rent her haire,
And cried in sadde despaire,
"That I was borne !"

As I laye a-thynkynge, she perished forlorne.

As I laye a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
Sweetly sang the Birde as she sat upon the briar;
There came a lovely Childe,

And his face was meke and mild,
Yet joyously he smiled

On his sire;

As I laye a-thynkynge, a Cherub mote admire.

But I laye a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge, a-thynkynge,
And sadly sang the Birde as it perched upon a bier;
That joyous smile was gone,

And the face was white and wan,
As the downe upon the swan
Doth appear,

As I laye a-thynkynge-oh! bitter flow'd the tear!

As I laye a-thynkynge, the golden sun was sinking,
O merrie sang that Birde as it glitter'd on her breaste
With a thousand gorgeous dyes,

While soaring to the skies,

'Mid the stars she seem'd to rise,
As to her nest;

As I laye a-thynkynge, her meaning was exprest :—
"Follow, follow me away,

It boots not to delay,'

'Twas so she seem'd to saye,
"HERE IS REST!"

INDEX.

INDEX.

[N.B. The figures with Crotchets refer to the History.]

ACCIDENTS-On the North Western Rail-
way, two men killed, 3; on the Great
Western Railway, near Southall, two
persons killed, 12; colliery accident
near Newcastle, three lives lost, 13; ten
persons drowned in an omnibus at Bide-
ford, 23; on the Hull and Selby Rail-
way, two persons killed, 8 hurt, 29;
fearful coal-pit explosion at Barnsley,
72 lives lost, 35; death of Mr. Graham
from taking poison by mistake, 35; to
the workmen at Osborne House, 36;
death from the use of æther, 36; to the
Queen of the Belgians, 57; colliery
explosion at Beeston, nine lives lost, 61;
fearful railway accident at Chester, 63;
a family poisoned at Kensall Green, six
lives lost, 67; on the Brighton and
Chichester Railway, 67; on the North-
western Railway at Wolverton, seven
lives lost, 71; explosion of gun-cotton
at West Ham, 74; on the Peterborough
and Ely Railway, 83; frightful explo-
sion of the gun-cotton factory at Fever-
sham, twenty-one persons killed, seven-
teen wounded, 88; explosion of a dis-
tillery at Wandsworth, 94; death from
foul air, 100; on the Bristol and Bir-
mingham Railway, 101; explosion of a
firework factory, 101; three lads stifled
in a corn-chest at Glasgow, 112; fright-
ful explosion of the steam-boat Cricket
at the Adelphi, many lives lost, 113;
Welton Church struck by lightning,
119; two tourists frozen to death in
Scotland, 120; return of railway acci-
dents for six months, 123; on the Man-
chester and Leeds Railway, and at the
Hadleigh station of the Eastern Union
Railway, 123; explosion of fire-works,
129; a young lady killed by falling over
the rocks at Clifton, 130; explosion of
gunpowder, destruction of Lissanoure
Castle, 130; dreadful accident at Ba-
cup, 132; on the Warrington and
Crewe Railway, 143; explosion of fire-
works, 145

ACTS, LIST OF, passed during the Session
1847; Public General Acts, 347; Lo-
cal and Personal Acts, 351; · Private
Acts, printed, 365; not printed, 368
Antiquities-Discovery of the remains of

the Empress Matilda, 6; sale of Col.
Durrant's collection of rare English
coins, 52; abolition of Eton Montem,
65

ARCTIC EXPEDITION of Dr. John Rae,
382

ASTRONOMICAL DISCOVERIES during the
year 1847, 376

BELGIUM-The king's speech on opening
the Session of the Belgian Chambers,
[392]

BIRTHS, 172

BUTCHERS' MEAT, average price of, 370

Cambridge University-Election for the

office of Chancellor, 31; installation of
H. R. H. Prince Albert, 81
CHINA-Continued insults of the Chinese
towards British subjects, [435]; who
lay their complaints before Sir
John Davis, [436]; Sir John proceeds
with an armed force to Canton to de-
mand satisfaction, General d'Aguilar's
despatch, [436]; the squadron proceeds
up the Canton River, carries and dis-
arms the fort on its banks, [437]; the
expedition arrives off the British Fac-
tories, and the Commissioner Keying
complies with our terms; the expedi-
tion returns, [438]; murder of six Eng-
lishmen at Hwang-chu-kee, [438];
the bodies brought to the factory, [440]
Sir John Davis arrives at Canton, and
demands the punishment of the mur-
derers, four of whom are executed,
[440]

Chloroform Use of chloroform in surgery,
superseding the use of æther as an
anaesthetic agent, 148

COCHIN-CHINA-A French squadron ar-
rives at Turon, and demands satisfaction
for alleged injuries to their missionaries
-they suspect treachery, and open a
fire on the vessels in the harbour with
immense slaughter, [441]
Commercial Disasters-Failure of many
extensive firms in September, 119; and
in October, letter of the Government to
the Bank, authorizing a further issue
of bank notes, its good effects, 139;
state of commercial affairs in November,