A Maggio. 523 



because when he endeavoured to imitate the example of his congre- 

 gation the devil caught one of his legs, and caused him to have a 

 heavy fall. As he seemed almost agonizing with fear, I said, 



" Sume animum, reverende pater, depone timorem ;. 

 Doemonis arte, modo tonuit cum fulgure ; surge 

 Haud ruet hoc templum" * * * 



"In nomine Jesu, abi Satana" exclaimed the Jesuit, suddenly crossing 

 himself. However, not on account of his threatening conjuration, but 

 of our own accord we left the church. 



The panic-struck brethren tremblingly expected every instant to 

 witness the ruin of their chapel, and were gazing on it from the Piazza 

 Navona with amazement and anxiety, when Asmodeus poured towards 

 them a torrent of bituminous inflamed smoke, which, increasing their 

 terror, made them run again quicker than hunted stags. After this 

 we resumed our aerial excursion London-wards. 



The night was most beautiful, the atmosphere cloudless and serene, 

 the stars twinkled admirably ; the milky-way, with its numerous con- 

 stellations, recalled to my mind those mythological subjects which 

 in my youth had so much interested me, and the bright shining moon, 

 illuminating with her silvery rays both the continent and the ocean, 

 rendered visible to us all the places over which we travelled. Dur- 

 ing the voyage Asmodeus continued extremely merry, amusing, and 

 instructive, and conversed very kindly with me on politics, literature, 

 and arts ; but just as I was going to ask him some advice the sound 

 of a bell broke upon my ears. " Where are we now ?" inquired I. 

 "On Shooter's Hill," answered he, " it is striking eleven o'clock by St. 

 Paul's ; so you see that I have fulfilled my promise. I shall soon 

 deposit you in the very room, whence I took you away this morn- 

 ing ; but within a few days I will pay you another visit, when I shall 

 show you London by night, previous to our departure for Petersburg 

 and Warsaw. While I was still thanking my good devil, the boat 

 stopped before my window, I alighted; and Asmodeus, having most 

 affectionately shaken hands with me, said " Good night," and disap- 

 peared. 



(To le continued.) 



A MAGGIO. 



MAGGIO gentil, che vieni 

 A ornar di fior la terra 

 Apporta all* Inghilterra 

 Ogni prosperity. 



Negli ostinati seni 

 Dei Tori muta il core, 

 E desta in lor 1* amore 

 Di patria, e liberta. 



F. M. 



