in the satin-wood base, and there is the crypt,
the Chapel of San Carlo, the tesselated pavement,
the winding staircases descending into
the chapels, the altars—everything!

Well, it was wonderful!  ''Yes, it was
vastly admired," said the little Signor; "architects
had come to see it from far and
wide; and all pronounced it wonderful!"

And now we began to look at other models
which stood in the glass cases; many were
wondrous buildings of his own creation, and
if they proved that he had no accurate architectural
knowledge, as he himself said; they
proved, at all events that he had a great deal
of fancy, and was decidedly an undeveloped
architect.

"And now you must admire my china and
curiosities," he said, "they are all my own
making-- all of paper!"

And so they were. The gold tea-spoons,
the blue and gold cream-jug full of cream,
the plate covered with the heap of biscuits,
the dish of oranges; those elegant vases,
that pipe and hammer, lying in singular
juxta-position with those elegancies and
dainties, all were of paper, but so capitally
made, that you felt quite deceived, even after
you had taken them into your hand, and felt
how light they were. "And I hope you
admire my pair of new boots!" said he
laughing, " they are of paper; and my blue
and white vases up there, they are of
paper also! and my candelabra, they are of
paper!"

Yes; those massive bronze, and black, and
gold candelabra were of paper, and the tapers
also of paper—even those that were half-
burnt! I began to have suspicions about
everything; I expected the little Signor to
say next, "Well, I hope you admire me, for
I am of paper!"

It was like an absurd and amusing dream.
Among the various models was a small one of
a grave, with its garlanded cross: "That,"
said the old gentlemen, "is the model of my
wife's grave; she died two years ago; she
was a Milanese; she died in that very corner,
where the bed stands. I've had my bed
placed on the spot where she died; that is
her miniature hanging above the bed beside
the crucifix."

I observed, that above the bed, also, hung
a print of Paul finding the corpse of Virginia
upon the sea-shore. No doubt there was a
sentiment of true poetry in the old man's
heart when he hung up that picture also.  I
was glad to recal his hearty laughter but a
few minutes before, and to think how, by his
ingenious amusement, his beloved hobby,
he could banish the sad, though beautiful,
ghost which, no doubt, haunted his little
room.

I have heard, since our visit, that the old
Signor is an entirely self-educated man; that
he realised a comfortable little competence
before he reached the age of thirty, and that
later in life, finding time hung heavily on
his hands, he began to make these paper
models, which, in their way, are works of
genius as well as ingenuity.

KNOWLEDGE AND IGNORANCE.

THRONED in the depths of yonder sunny skies,
An angel Spirit watches o'er creation,
Gazing on mortals with unslumbering eyes,
That scan the bounds of earth's remotest nation.

Gifted with powers beyond her bright compeers,
She works her wonders with a mighty magic;
And lights the smile that flashes through the tears
Of weeping History, else so darkly tragic.

She weaves strong spells against a deadly foe,
Who reigns in realms which sunshine never
reaches;
Gilding his palace with no radiant glow,
Nor struggling feebly through its ruin'd breaches.

There, wrapt in night, reclines the shadowy form
Of Ignorance, in dusky length extended;
While the low moaning of a gathering storm
Sounds in his ear, with rolling thunder blended.

He shrinks and crouches in his gloomy halls,
And fruitless charms in panic terror mutters;
Louder the tempest sweeps around his walls—
Stirr'd by the blast his pall-like mantle flutters.

When will thy glorious triumph be complete,
O Spirit, watching on thy throne of glory!
When will thy foe lie vanquished at thy feet,
The lifeless hero of a poet's story?

TAHITI.

MADAME IDA PFEIFFER, of Vienna, a lady,
favourably known to the reading public of
Germany as the pleasant narrator of a
Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, and of various
Tours in different parts of Europe, has
recently published an account of her Travels
round the World. In her preface, she states
that an uncontrollable desire to travel, and to
see distant and little-known regions, impelled
her to undertake the bold enterprise, the
details of which are now recorded in three
little volumes, entitled "A Lady's Travels
round the World."* In the course of so
extensive a circuit, much that is curious and
interesting must have presented itself to an
intelligent observer like Madame Pfeiffer. We
subjoin, with some abridgment, her account
of Tahiti and its inhabitants.

It may be well to premise, that until
lately Tahiti was under the protection of
England, but it is now transferred to France.
The island was long an object of dispute
between the Governments of both nations;
but in November, 1846, peace was concluded.
Queen Pomare, who, during the interval of
contention, fled to another island, had returned
to Papeiti, one of the chief cities,
a few weeks before Madame Pfeiffer arrived
there. Her abode was a small house containing
only four rooms, and she dined every

* Frauenfahrt um die Welt.