doing me special honour, took aim, as I entered,
at the lowest button of my waistcoat, and thereupon
"blew a blast so loud and shrill," that I
nearly collapsed. Our respected host here met
us, and after making his salaams in native fashion,
next shook hands with us in English style, and
then conducted us up one flight of steps after
another until we reached the highest chamber in
the house, which was therefore the room of
honour. Orientals lay great stress upon the
"upper seats," and before they become acquainted
with European customs, think it the most
outrageous thing in the world that a low-caste coachman
should sit on the box while the master is
down below in the carriage. When the
ambassadors of the King of Kandy first visited
the Governor of Ceylon in Colombo, they much
objected to this arrangement, as well as to the
closing of the carriage doors—in fact, they
refused to allow them to be shut—because, they
said, it looked as if they were prisoners.

On entering the reception-room, we found it
lighted by several bell-shaped glass lamps with
burners, and, to increase the illumination, a boy
carried after us, as we made a tour of inspection,
a sort of flambeau. His costume was simple in
the extreme; he might have exchanged his
whole wardrobe for a decent-sized pocket-handkerchief
and been a gainer by the exchange.
The walls were adorned with pictures of various
kinds. There were two fine engravings of the
Nawabs of the Carnatic and Mysore, a number
of native portraits of rajahs past and present,
Hindu Venuses, circus-riders, and pothouse
daubs, intermingled with drawings of a sacred
nature. On one table were an American clock
and a wax doll; on another, some native
ornaments. Two pianos, an old and a new one, stood
on opposite sides of the room, and the minister's
son struck up on the Indian dulcimer, a very
sweet-sounding instrument, Rousseau's Dream,
and several other familiar tunes, which he played
very well.

We then induced the old gentleman to open
a piano and play a few tunes. By special
request he launched into God save the Queen, and
there, in this capital of a kingdom in which the
rajah's word was once law, did his minister
accompany us whilst we sang the words:

                       Grant her victorious,
                       Happy and glorious,
                       Long to reign over us,
                       God save the Queen!

After a while he asked me to play and sing, and,
to please him, I struck the chords to Du Du,
and a few other songs. Meanwhile, two of his
married daughters had entered the room.
Etiquette demanded that we should take little or
no notice of them, but Miss Post went and
conversed with them. They were pleasing and
amiable looking, with light complexions. It
was a step somewhat in advance of the
times for our host to permit them to be seen
at all; none of the unmarried ladies of his
household appeared. More Indian stringed
instruments were now introduced, and a love
song, or rhapsody, was sung by an intended
son-in-law of the minister, while some one else
accompanied him on a violin.

At length the tune of Malbrook was struck
up, whereupon I commenced the song, set to
that tune, of L A W, Law, which tickled the
old gentleman so much that he carried me off to
the piano, sat down and played the air, and
made me sing the song to his accompaniment.

The time was now drawing near when I must
leave not only our host but the place of his
abode, for my carriage and pair (of bullocks)
had been ordered for my journey to the sea-
coast that night; but before we left, trays were
brought in containing mangoes, plantains, and
limes. The old gentleman then asked for our
handkerchiefs, which he moistened with
perfume; when my turn came, he not only perfumed
it and waved it before me, but gravely dabbed
my face with scent: which I am bound to
suppose was intended as a very great compliment.
He then dashed me all over with perfume, gave
me limes enough to have drowned me in
lemonade, threw a garland of flowers over my
shoulders, and, as a climax, interwove his fingers
in mine and conducted me down stairs. Sadly
was my gravity as well as my gallantry put to
the test; Miss Post being left behind, to her
own devices. I looked round apologetically, but
what else could I do than resign myself to my
fate, and go to the carriage in this ludicrous way?
To have refused or to have shown any distaste
would have hurt the feelings of a very fine
well-bred and respected old gentleman.

THE LEGEND OF ROSES.

"For als moche as a fayre Mayden was blamed
with wrong and sclaundred, . . . for whiche
cause sche was demed to the Dethe, and to be brent
in that place, to the whiche sche was ladde. And
as the Fyre began to brenne aboute hire, sche made
hire Preyeres to oure Lord, that als wisely as sche
was not gylty of that Synne, that he wold help hire,
and make it to be knowen to alle men, of his mercyfulle
Grace. And whan sche hadde thus seyd, sche
entred into the Fuyre: and anon was the Fuyr
quenched and oute: and the Bronddes that weren
brennynge becomen rede Roseres; and the Bronddes
that weren not kyndled, becomen white Roseres fulle
of Roses. And theise weren the first Roseres and
Roses, bothe white and rede, that evere ony Man
saughe."—Travels of Sir J. MAUNDEVILLE, Kt.,
1322.

     THE space is cleared: around the murmuring crowd
Stand, stricken with such awe that few aloud
Dare speak the thought that springs in each man's
          breast,
So are his senses and his heart opprest
With the stern conflict that must ever be
When the law-givers issue a decree,
'Fore which the voice of Nature in man's heart
With strong resistance rises to take part
Against injustice, sanctioned though it be
By time, use, law, and high authority.

     For there, upon the slowly kindling pile,
Whose sable smoke obscures the sunshine's smile,
There shall be bound amid the cruel flame,
To die a death of torture and of shame,
A woman—nay, a child almost in years,
Whose passionate denials and whose tears