"Well, I think I have seen it before."
"Poffibly-though not very likely."

"It looks to me for all the World like one which Madama Leonora received from poor Duchefs Renée, and which

"I see you know all about it. You are right; it contains the poor Mother's dangerous Gift to her devoted Daughter, who, however, like an Angel as fhe is, has hoarded it like a Talisman, without bewildering herself with its Contents."

"What are its Contents?"

And he fhowed me a thick little Volume, (brazen-clasped,) and bound in red Velvet, that was interspersed with Notes, References, and Quotations, in the Hand-writing of the poor Duchefs, whofe Cypher was on the Fly-leaf. I looked at it over his Shoulder with Interest.

"See," faid I, "here is a Lock of her Hair between the Leaves,—and here, a dried Sprig of Myrtle,—and here, a Strip of Ribbon embroidered with her Initials. How interefting a Keepfake to Madama Leonora !"

"Yes, but a very unsafe one for her to study. I have almost bewildered myself with what I have been reading in it.-If this be the Word of Truth"

He paused, and looked upwards with a troubled and perplexed Expreffion. "What, then?"

Why, then, Ser Pantaleone, our Churchmen have committed some strange BlundersI will not puzzle my Brains about them any more at prefent; let us go forth."

And, carefully enclofing the Bible in the Casket, he locked the Cafket in his Bureau, threw on his Cloak, and fallied out with me, chatting on indifferent Subjects.

As we entered the Street, Count Turchi paffed us, and refponded to Taffo's courteous Removal of his Hat by a very flight and negligent Inclination of his Head. Torquato kindled at this, and muttered to me,

"That's what I cannot brook! Who is he, that neglects to falute me as an equal? Surely, my Family and the reputation of my Father entitle me to that much, without faying Any-.

thing of the Pofition in which the Duke's Condefcenfion places me, which I candidly acknowledge is above my Deferts."

You take

I faid, "You are not vain, but you are Proud. Nobody takes lefs on himself for hist own acknowledged Merits than you do, but you fire up if a Noble neglects to treat you as if you were on the fame Level. Pepper in your Nofe too foon. This gives the Ill-natured an Opportunity of which they continually avail themselves, of wounding you at a point where they know you are vulnerable. Set one Thing against another. Set the Overestimate, if you will have it so, of the Duke and Madama Leonora, against the petty Illbreeding of those who have nothing but their Titles to boast of. Is it not well purchased at fuch a Price?"

Ah, indeed is it!" faid he gladly; "but this same Pride, which has Something honest in it after all, is my befetting Sin, and the one for which my Confeffor ofteneft puts me to Penance. Nor can I be fo infincere and fo bafe as to affect Refpect, which I feel not, for

those who have only a Purfe and a Pedigree As for the Arroto value themselves upon.

gance of Men of Letters, let him laugh who wins! Why, now, there's Guarini, as proud, between ourselves, of his very ordinary Poetry as of his very ordinary Wife- !"

Turning a sharp Corner, who fhould we come upon but Guarini himself, who looked I laughed as we as black as Night at us. paffed on, and faid, "You have now made an Enemy of him, and he was not very friendly When will you learn to keep a before.

prudent Tongue in

your

Head?"

CHAPTER VIII.

Of Ser Pantaleone's getting into Jeopardy.

ridiculous but highly dangerous Adventure occurred to me on my Return to the Palace. I was paffing through the Gallery adjoining the Neptune Apartment, when it occurred to me to wonder whereabouts the Clofet could be in which I had been concealed. The Gallery had on one Side a Range of Windows, overlooking the Moat, and the oppofite Wall was hung with ftamped Leather, over which were fufpended a dozen or more full-length Portraits of the Princes of Efte. I could give a pretty good Guess as to the Part of the Gallery which correfponded to the Pofition