returned to the patrimonial castle, he found nothing left of his father's possessions but the small lordship of his name, the village of Thalheim, on the other side of the Aar, a numerous young family to bring up, and considerable debts to pay.

But grand as was the surrounding scenery, so small and so simple did the castle of our knight appear: for, according to the custom of those days, it was built strong and lofty, but plain, and so small, that, without the greatest cordiality and harmony, all its inmates could not have lived peaceably together in so contracted a space. Egbert was the soul of the family, and devoted himself with

The castle of Mülinen was seated on the steep eastern extremity of a range of mountains, the most elevated part of which is called the Wülpisberg, from which Habspurg over-extraordinary assiduity and prudence looks the whole adjacent country. to the conduct of its affairs. On the top of a lower western range stood Wildegg, the residence of a noble family, who held the office of seneschal to the Counts of Habspurg. A prolongation of the same mountain extending southward, terminated at the castle of Brunegg, belonging to the same house.

Out of two brothers and four sisters who needed his paternal care, all but two, Petermann and Bertha, were still very young. He had to establish order and regularity in every department; to bring back the peasants and servants to habits of obedience; to pay the usurious interest which had accumulated; to assist Bertha in the education of the younger children; to prepare young Petermann for the profession of arms; and to attend to a number of other concerns of all kinds. Amidst this multiplicity of avocations, the knight had scarcely time to think of young Clementina; and two years passed rapidly away before the most essential objects of his useful activity were accomplished. The ever-cheerful

Egbert's castle overlooked to the south the extensive plain of Birrfeld, celebrated as being the theatre of three bloody battles, the first fought || by the Romans with the Helvetii, and the two latter with the Alemanni. To the eastward, below the castle, lay the village of Mülinen, bathed by the river Reuss, where the ruins of an ancient Roman bridge, and of a castle erected to defend it, were still to be seen. On the other side of the river is the village of Birmi-temper of his eldest sister always disstorf, and beyond it, in the distance, pelled his cares, and two old friends, extend the fertile plains of the coun- of very different habits and disposity of Baden. To the west and north, tions, tended to vary the uniformity close to the castle-ditch, stood a fo- of his rural abode. rest of ancient oaks, which had sprung up on the ruins of Vindonissa, and was yet strewed with relics of antique grandeur and art. It extended to the conflux of the rivers Aar and Reuss, and to the Habspurg fortresses of Brugg and Altenburg, which were constructed with Roman remains.

An adjoining neighbour of his house, the seneschal of Habspurg, who sometimes lived with his brothers at Wildegg, at others not the most happily with his wife at his own castle of Brunegg, was one of them. About ten years older than Egbert, he had from his boyhood contributed greatly to form his character. He

ged their shoulders as they remarked on the youthful levity of Clementina and Egbert, who would not believe the news of Walter's death, lest they should be obliged in appearance to mourn his fate.

The young knight observed on this occasion with astonishment that the early charms of Clementina had expanded into perfect beauty, and his dormant passion, which was again roused at the sight of her lovely person, seemed to him less culpable; for after all it was possible enough that Walter, her destined husband, was no more. Still Egbert thought it his duty to confine his feelings within his own bosom; and agitated by a thousand confused and contradictory emotions, he returned sorrowfully to Mülinen.

The other, a kinsman of the family, who was likewise most cordially attached to Egbert, was the marshal of Rapperschwyl, a celebrated troubadour, once his valiant companion in arms, now distinguished for his poetic talents, but meddling and inquisitive, and incessantly intoxicated with vanity, wine, or love; so that it was difficult to decide whether he was more to be esteemed or pitied. A few weeks afterwards he reThe young ladies and the children ceived a letter from the most revewere always heartily rejoiced to see rend the abbot of Cappel, informing him also, when springing from his him that the old baron of Hallwyl richly caparisoned steed, he pro-had died suddenly: that he had been ceeded with them, amid jokes and merry stories, to the festive hall.

buried in the abbey church with helmet and buckler (for so it was customary to inter knights who died without issue); and adding, that all the nobility in the neighbourhood were therefore invited to Hallwyl to be present at the opening of his last will and testament.

Egbert accordingly attended on the appointed day. The will was

By the latter Egbert was one day informed, that melancholy tidings had arrived at Hallwyl from his friend Walter. He flew thither, and found the whole castle in partly sincere and partly well-dissembled grief. One of the esquires whom the old baron had sent with his son, had returned from Palestine, and related circum-read, and the knights and nobles stantially that his young master had heard, not without indignation, that fallen in battle with the Saracens. old Walter, under the idea that he Egbert, however, imagined that he was the last of his name, had disindetected various contradictions inherited all his other relatives, destinthis man's story, and pointed themed Clementina for a nunnery, and out, but to no purpose: people seem- bequeathed his large possessions to ed determined to give implicit credit the brethren of St. Bernard at Capto the suspicious tale; and the monks pel, on condition that they should who surrounded the old man shrug-erect a new convent of their order Vol. I. No. I.

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at Hallwyl. A codicil to this will, however, expressly provided, that the half of the ring, placed under his seal, should be deposited in the church; and that if, contrary to expectation, young Walter was still alive, and could prove his identity by his half of the ring, he should be put in undisputed possession of all his estates. This codicil was annexed by the old baron at the most urgent remonstrances of Clementina, and in direct opposition to his spiritual advisers.

without relations and without property, she had no option left. The knights unanimously agreed that Clementina herself should decide. She was summoned, and with modest dignity entered the assembly. Egbert rose, alleged the sacred promise he had given to his friend to protect his bride, and offered her an asylum with his sister. Clementina, sweetly blushing, accepted his proffered protection. The younger knights smiled significantly; the monks talked of scandal and immorality, but they The knights, stifling their indig- || relinquished the smaller booty for the nation, were about to retire, when sake of making more sure of the larMülinen stepped forth, and protest-ger prize. ed against the arbitrary manner in which Clementina was disposed of. He insisted that to herself alone belonged the right of deciding her lot, in regard to which the deceased, who was but a distant relation, had no authority to interfere.

In vain did the monks represent that the young lady was exactly qualified for a nun; and that, being

In a few hours, Clementina, accompanied by an aged waiting-woman, who had long lived in Hallwyl's family, was on the road to Mülinen, protected by Egbert; and twenty of the principal knights of the Aargau, who apprehended nothing good of the violent and crafty abbot, escorted them with their men at arms. (To be continued.)

DESCRIPTION OF THE SUMMER-GARDEN, ST. PETERSBURG: In a Letter from a Traveller.

COME along with me, my friend, || wealthy Count Scheremetjeff. This to the Summer-Garden, which, as one young nobleman, who has an income of the curiosities of this capital, and of ten millions of rubles, owes his a place of resort for the public, is existence and his immense fortune well worthy of the notice of stran- rather to his relatives than to his fagers. This extensive garden is si- ther, who had no intention of marrytuated on the left bank of the Neva, ing. The story is briefly this: Fieldand is bounded on the right by the marshal Count Scheremetjeff had reField of Mars (a parade for troops), solved, for what reasons nobody || and the ditches of the palace of knows, to die a bachelor. AccordMichailow, which resembles a for- ing to this whim, his vast possessions tress; and on the left by the beauti- must have devolved to his relations, ful Fontanka canal, on either bank of who rejoiced not a little in the magwhich are seated several noble man-nificent prospect; nay, some of them sions, and among others that of the even went so far as to contract debts

brageous alleys of limes, the princi- || lately furnished occasion to the folpal ornament of the garden, and en-lowing ludicrous circumstance:

joying the manifold perfumes exhaled by flowering plants and shrubs. Towards noon appear fair ladies in elegant morning dresses, and trip over the garden in all directions, till about three, when a few solitary individuals only are left behind. From this time till evening the garden is not much frequented, but from seven to nine o'clock, the scene is changed: the profound silence is succeeded by loud bustle; you find yourself transported into another world, where wealth and luxury appear in the most diversified forms.

But it is on Whit-Monday that this place presents the most imposing spectacle. On that day, according to ancient custom, all the world, that || is, all people of fashion, resort hi- || ther in the afternoon and evening; and among the concourse of thousands you frequently see the imperial family, whose members shew themselves for a short time without parade, and frequently give proofs of their humanity. This practice

Several ladies of the capital had taken a fancy to give their lap-dogs the name of Comme-vous. One of these animals, a most beautiful little creature, was gamboling so sportively about his mistress as to attract the notice of many persons, and among the rest of the reigning empress, who was walking here attended by several of her ladies and chamberlains. The dog ran up to the empress, and seemed extremely fond of her, on which she asked his mistress, who had meanwhile come up, what was the name of the animal. This question took the lady by surprise. "He is called," said she, pausing, because it seemed disrespectful to say Commevous-" he is called-Comme votre Majesté Imperiale!" You may conceive the confusion of the lady when she perceived her blunder. The empress with a good-humoured laugh pursued her walk; and since this event, it is not usual to christen dogs with this singular name.

HOW TO BRING AN OFFENDER TO JUSTICE. THERE prevails in many parts of Germany a good old custom, according to which criminals are passed from place to place, much in the same manner as with us vagrants or beggars are passed to their respective parishes. If a thief, for example, is caught at A, and he is or pretends to be from B, he is conducted from place to place by the inhabitants of the intermediate towns and villages, and has of course the best opportunities for escaping by the way. Now it frequently happens, that should he luckily reach B by this mode of

conveyance, it is found that he does not belong to that place: he is then sent back, or forwarded to C or D, as the case may be, and the rogue has the pleasure of travelling all over the country, till he thinks fit, or in other words, till he has a favourable opportunity to escape, in order to recommence his industrious career. Such opportunities of recovering his liberty, without any effort on his part, are not rare; for the escorting of offenders in this way is a compulsory service, which every one of course evades if he can.