It needed no second offer. Four of the most active soldiers threw themselves into it, and pulled off. "Burstow," said Sir Edward, "take an oar-give me the other.-Now, slave, row for your life: for I am very sure that, if they come up with us, that moment is your last. Burstow, for God's sake, if you ever tried at a thing, try now!" Deck, cabins, hold, forecastle, of the Pearl of the Adriatic were all crowded :-here a mother pressing the baby to her breast-all that remained to her from a wealthy and happy home:-here a wife clinging to her husband's neck, frantic from the loss of her family:here a sturdy man, his hat pulled down over his eyes, and his whole frame strongly convulsing,-here a girl,almost thrust on board, and left a stranger in an unknown world. By the helm stood three or four knights in low, sad, talk: an ecclesiastic was among them,-to whom each would now and then turn with deference to hear or to offer a remark. By the Holy Face of Lucca!" cried the captain,— "here is another boat!-Do the fools think that we have room for an ounce more on board ?" It was as he said. A small boat was bearing right onwards to the galley, rowed with main strength, but with little skill. There were three rowers;-and two ladies were the freight. But not fifty yards behind another boat was seen in full pursuit, the waves foaming beneath the efforts of her four rowers, while there were shouts and cheers from a small party on the shore. "There is something more than usual in this," said Cardinal Isidore, for the ecclesiastic was none other than he. "Take them on board, for GOD's love, Captain!" "Not I," said the Captain :- "the Pearl should not take another passenger for all the wealth of Venice." "Galley a-hoy!" shouted Burstow. "Passengers!" "The foul fiend take you!" roared the captain in answer. "Five thousand crowns for a passage to Venice!" cried Sir Edward. "Not if you offered fifty thousand," said the captain. Beggarly knaves, I dare say!" 6 VOL. XVI. EE "By S. Mary," said Cardinal Isidore, “it is Sir Edward de Rushton.-Sir captain, this must not be. men, you will not allow it ?” 66 Gentle "So it is, by S. George,” cried Sir Maurice D'Argenson, one of the best French lances in the siege. "Look ye, captain: lie-to, or my dagger and your breast shall become better acquainted." “If I must, Î must," replied the captain: "but I will have the money somehow." The galley lay-to, but not a whit did the Turks relax their pursuit. The boat is under the vessel's side, when the pursuers are upon it. “Your hand, lady!" cried D'Argenson. "Keep the dogs off one second, De Rushton, and you are safe.” The Great Acolyth and Burstow grappled with their assailants. Theodora was pulled up by main force, and then Maria Choniatis. "Now then!" cried D'Argenson, leaping into the boat, and discharging a furious blow on one of the Turks. But these had no fancy for a hopeless conflict. They pulled off, and then, exhausted and fainting, lay-to on their oars. "And so they are lost after all!" sobbed Theodora, as soon as the first wild burst of joy at her own deliver ance was over. All that the Historian can further relate, is contained in the following documents. A letter: "Georgius Phranza, Great Protovestiare of the Empire, to the most excellent Sir Edward de Rushton, at his Castle of Rushton, in the Island called Britain, greeting. "A messenger from your island, that has been charged with ransom, is waiting to return thither, and by him, the august Sultan permitting, I also write. You shall know that, by the favour of my ever-potent master, I have not only ransomed myself by the revenues of my estates in Naxos, but have also set free the lady Euphra sia Choniatis, and Manuel Chrysolaras, who had lost well nigh all in the siege. They were married in the winter, just before Apocreos: and they propose to sail incontinently to England. Whether I shall ever behold my daughter again in this world, as yet I cannot say. I propose at present, under the Sultan's favour, to dwell at Hadrianople, where I shall draw up some short history of the reign of Constantine, and of the great siege. Our august Sovereign tolerates the Orthodox worship, and has promoted Gennadius to be Ecumenical Patriarch. I send my blessing to my daughter, and so bid you hearty farewell. 66 From the Court, this sixth day of May, 1454." And a certificate: "Knowe alle menne that Constantine, sonne of Sir Edwarde de Russhetone, Knyghte, and the Ladye Theodora hys wyffe, was baptizyd by mee, John Tremlette, p'ish priest of Russhetone, thys VIII day of November, the yere of our LORD GOD one thousand foure hundred and fifty-three." THE PRISON CALLED LIFE. BLESSINGS are uttered, Since GOD made the earth, To the branded impure. Sins are committed, Duties omitted, Momently sure The poor are despised, The rich are well prized, Veneer is the lure. Sweet trust is broken, Falsity spoken, Surface-work all Light words light as air, With flatteries fair, Embroider the pall. Cold winds are blowing, Our place is preparing, A home with the worm. Onward we're flying, The hour of dying, Unseen creeps near— Alone we must go, To bliss or to woe, From all we hold dear. The blest angels sing, The tortured are weeping, Lost souls of perdition, Satanic sedition, Gloats fiercely o'er this. Though beauteous the earth, Wise only when kneeling, Learning the Word Throughout days so fleeting, For Mercy entreating, And praising the LORD. 421 CONTINENTAL RAMBLES.-LETTER XII. MY DEAR —, I said when I passed over our visit to Cologne, that I would return and give you some account of the Belgian route, and I am the more anxious to do so, because it is so easy of access from England, and those who have not much money or time to spare, may in the course of a fortnight, and at a smaller cost than their usual summer excursion at home entails, see a great deal and learn a great deal, especially if it is their first trip. The route I should advise would be Ostend, Bruges, Ghent, Antwerp, Liege, Aix-la-Chapelle, Cologne, thence to Brussels by Namur, from Brussels to Tournay and Lille, and home by way of Dunkirk. I mention Ostend first as taking the traveller into Belgium at once, but it is scarcely worth seeing in itself, and Dunkirk, as being a quaint old French town, and its neighbourhood, if there is time to linger, is worth a longer acquaintance, especially about Cassel. But I must come home my own way now, that is from Cologne, where we spent twenty-four hours, very little of which was given either to rest or meals. But our time was limited, in consideration of which we departed from our usual practice, and hired a cicerone, so that we might not lose time in passing from one object of interest to another. One bit of advice en passant, if you spend many days at Cologne, instead of one, go and sleep at Bonn, and come in by railway in the morning. Cologne is as dirty and odorous as ever, its own farfamed waters having failed to purify itself. Our guide was a little bandy-legged, ignorant fellow, who was at his devotions in a church at which we were looking early in the morning. He saw we were strangers, so, having an' eye to business, he started to his feet, and offered his services for a couple of francs; and well he earned themtrudging about with us till quite dusk, when, to the oftrepeated question, " Où irons-nous à présent ?" he replied, "à l'hotel:" so to the hotel we returned, tired out with all |