the night," is an expression in the New Testament: it signifies the third division of time when one watchman ceased and another commenced the watch. The occupation of a watchman is toilsome. In Agamemnon, one of the tragedies of Eschylus, a watchman on the palace of the king thus describes the weariness and wakefulness of his nights.

5. Ye fav'ring gods, relieve me from this toil: Fixed as a dog, on Agamemnon's roof I watch the livelong year, observing hence The host of stars, that in the spangled skies Take their bright stations, and to mortals bring Winter and Summer ;---radiant rulers when They set, or rising glitter through the night. meanwhile the dews

Fall on my couch, unvisited by dreams :

For fear, lest sleep should close my eyes, repels Potter's Translation.

The soft intruder.

There is a certain period in the history of Euripe called the Middle Ages. The middle Ages extended from the fifth to the fifteenth century. Feople in these ages did not respect each other's rights, and some humane men made it their business to defend the weak, and punish the oppressor. These voluntary redressors of grievances composed the order of Chivalry or Knighthood. Persons who followed this vocation were Knights; but no one could take this order upon himself, after the laws of the institution were settled, until he had performed actions worthy of that dignity, or had been educated for it.

2. At that time, persons engaged in trade, mechanics, and labourers upon the land, were con

sidered low people. The land was divided among proprietors of great tracts, or a large extent of country. The ancestors of these landholders had been military conquerors, who had seized these lands from certain half-civilized original possessors; and the lords of the middle ages, and times which immediately succeeded, inherited these assumed rights. The lords built large and strong edifices, called castles, upon their estates; and the labourers, who cultivated the soil, worked without wages, and were in fact slaves of the lords, called vassals.

3. It appears that during the reign of the Saxon kings in Britain, which was before the end of the eleventh century, (1066,) there existed a small class of landholders, called Franklins or freemen, who were neither nobles nor vassals, but gentlemen, and composed a respectable middle order of people. The Franklins held the same sort of authority as the nobles over their vassals.

4. To know thus much of the state of society, or the condition and character of different classes of people where Chivalry existed, is necessary, in order to comprehend what Chivalry was. Young gentlemen, who were bred up to this profession of arms, were required to be of honourable birth— the sons of nobles or gentlemen. They were under the protection of some lord; and were instructed in the use of arms, and the management of the war-horse. From the age of seven to fourteen, the candidates for Knighthood were called Pages or Varlets; froin fourteen until the ceremonies of Knighthood were performed, they were Esquires; and after the ceremony was over, they were usually accosted as Sir Knight.

5. The vow, or sacred oath of a knight was to devote himself to the service of God and the ladies-in other words, he bound himself to perform all the duties of religion and humanity, as those duties were then understood. The ceremonies attending the declaration of this oath were very solemn. Immediately before this solemnity, the candidate watched his armour, and spent whole nights in prayer, among priests in a church, having been previously bathed, and clad in a white robe to denote the purity of his intentions, and of the life to which he had devoted himself. Before this last preparation the candidate's former life was scrupulously enquired into; and after the scrutiny was satisfactorily finished, his armour was put on, his spurs buckled upon his heel by a lady whom he loved, and his person and his sword were devoutly blessed by some venerable priest, who enjoined upon him the service to which he had devoted himself, and pronounced him, "knight."

6. A well-known passage from Marmion will serve to illustrate this ceremony.

"That night upon the rocks and bay
The midnight moonbeam slumbering lay,
And poured its silver light and pure,
Through loop-hole and through embrasure,
Upon Tantallon tower and hall;

But chief where arched windows wide
Illuminate the chapel's pride

The sober glances fall.

Much was there need; though, seamed with scars, Two veterans of the Douglas wars,

Though two grey priests were there,

And each a blazing torch held high,

You could not by their blaze descry
The chapel's carving fair.

7. Amid that dim and smoky light Chequering the silver moonshine bright, A bishop by the altar stood,

A noble lord of Douglas blood,

With mitre sheen and roquet white e;
Yet showed his meek and thoughtful eye,
But little pride of prelacy:

More pleased that in a barbarous age
He gave rude Scotland Virgil's page,
Than that beneath his rule he held
The bishopric of fair Dunkeld.

8. Beside him ancient Angus stood,
Doffed his furred gown and sable hood;
O'er his huge form and visage pale
He wore a cap and shirt of mail,
And leaned his large and wrinkled hand
Upon his huge and sweeping brand.
Then at the altar Wilton kneels,
And Clare the spurs bound on his heels.

9. Then Douglas struck him with his blade, "Saint Michael and Saint Andrew aid!

I dub thee knight,

Arise Sir Ralph, De Wilton's heir!
For king, for church, for lady fair,
See that thou fight."

And bishop Gawain as he rose
Said "Wilton! grieve not for thy woes,
Disgrace and trouble,

For he who honour best bestows
May give thee double.”—