- In ace Dee stap-dume moelievers, "there gular mu e de o fortune to meet with

By men de Lege DEYESTUM, de most mercenary moAomoting a ten ve lat murus, be mounts, aut meng entered considerati" nome um de gute r him a Tener at de sane of our finances allower, we at met de kout as a nausine scheme 3 cam fresh notes of cratic frm Engaut vum S OBTIN Me of marrigation as to how we had once agafa malis 11 same time. We had no direct means if sancatinny tee adesions un our cucer. At last, however, we were enanted a sine sir irents duc we had spoken of the facts as they were.

To or pet surprise, and wis gadifacio, we cared a letter from the Home Office, in the early pars of Ferry, paring that although we had almost allowed the affair to drip, the proper authenes hat we. Is contents were to the purpose, that the Austrian Antassador at our Court having requested we might be called upon to give evidence respecting -a ingiway rubbery committed on us in Lombardy in Angust last." Lord Normanby had directed that we should make a declaration respecting the affair in question before a magistrate. We accordingly attended at the Home Office, and being referred to Bow Street, made an appointment there on Thursday, the 4th of February. The result was a long interview with Mr. Hall, the chief magistrate (to whose courtesy and attention we are much beholden), in his private room; Signor kindly attending to give us his able assistance in translating the various documents which had been forwarded from Rovigo and Padua, and which were somewhat verbose and technical,

From Prince Esterhazy's letter, which was the first paper read, we learned how closely the police had followed in our steps to bring us back to Rovigo, in order to make a formal deposition before the proper authorities. The only evidence had given had been the hurried declaration in our bed-room at Rovigo after robbery, and we had started at an early hour the following morning; it being rom our wish to remain per force at that uninteresting town, solely for the one of satisfying the judicial authorities. At the same time we had not the idea of ever recovering any of our effects.

the extreme vigilance of the police, and the accurate information of the

movements of travellers which the passport system affords, it will suffice to give the following example. The letter stated that we left Rovigo for Bologna the following day, where we arrived on the Monday afternoon; that we started thence on the Tuesday morning, and arrived at Florence on Wednesday night; and tracing us in a similar exact manner through Leghorn and Genoa to Milan, they finally (and fortunately) lost sight of us at the latter city.

The papers furnished by the court at Padua, although somewhat lengthy, treated more of the minute description of the articles recovered than the capture of the vagabonds who had taken them. I presume they thought that part of the business their own affair. We, however, learned that they had been detected by several of our things being found in their possession, and that the party consisted of eight, instead of seven, as I had before stated. They had been suspected the day before of stealing some melons at Monselice, and had lain in wait the night of the robbery for some hours in the pelting storm. This might or might not have been the case; and I still look with rather suspicious retrospection on the small cabaret opposite the post-house where we last stopped. On one thing, however, they insisted, — that we were not the party for whom they had watched. They affirmed that information had been given them of a valuable prize, in the shape of some other English travellers, who were expected on the road that night from Venice. This reminded us that we had seen a handsome carriage in the inn-yard at Padua, whilst we changed horses, which had followed us to that city, but whose inmates were terrified from proceeding to Ferrara that night in consequence of the violence of the storm.* We likewise learned that the rascals had stationed scouts along the road we were to pursue, who, on any attempt to sound an alarm by the postilion's horn or otherwise, would have assassinated us. From the evidence of the postilion himself, he appears to have come off with tolerable credit at the criminal court at Padua on the 14th of November last. From this we gleaned the foregoing circumstances.

Much amusement was created as the account and description of the different articles recovered was read to us by Signor, and we in turn recognised our respective property with eager interest. Nothing was said about the watches, the money, or the notes; but even the humble remaining effects will (if we receive them from Italy) assume a hundredfold value in our eyes, from the circumstances connected with their adventures. As our penknives, knapsacks, journals, drawingbooks, &c. were successively described, we appeared to be greeting friends who had long been estranged from us; and our merriment was somewhat increased when Signor - continued the list with "two ladies' shoes, one kid and the other satin." Mr. Hall pleasantly observed, we had better not proceed, in case of some awkward disclosures; but my friend cleared himself very satisfactorily, by stating that they were taken out as patterns to procure some French ones by when we arrived at Paris. A little paper-knife of Swiss wood, which I had bought on the Rigi, whilst shivering with the cold of four o'clock in the morning, and endeavouring to open my eyes wide enough to see the sun rise (which process, I believe, no one ever does witness), was also recovered; with some silk purses, empty of course, but being souvenirs, still valuable in proportion to our respective gallantry. One thing I was extremely annoyed at not hearing of, and that was a pair of old shoes, in which I had crossed the Alps on foot six times, and which I regarded with affectionate veneration. I have no doubt but that the authorities will yet discover some more of our effects. Be this as it may, our best thanks are due to the police for their extreme vigilance; and it is likewise a source of much pleasure to us to offer this public acknowledgment of our gratitude to Mr. Hall, the banker at Florence, for his polite and kind assistance when we arrived at that city so utterly destitute. We were pleased at receiving, a short time since, a letter from our Prussian friend of two days, Baron de Hartmann of Brandenburg, with a commission he wished executed in London, which we were but too happy to perform for him. We have likewise heard from our fellow-sufferer, Mr. Decastro. He has returned home once more safe and sound from his travels; but vows nothing shall ever induce him to set foot in Italy again, although he has some thoughts of paying a visit to England next summer, where he understands day and night travelling on the railroads is equally secure, and that there are no brigands.

* Should this meet the eye of any of the company whose equipage was in the inn-yard at Padua with ours on the afternoon of Saturday, August 8, 1840, we hope they will show in a proper manner how deep their debt of gratitude is to us for having been robbed in mistake, and having also placed our own throats and brains in danger instead of theirs.

HYSON AND BOHEA.

A TALE OF THE TEA-POT.

BY ❝T. T. T.”

"THE Tea-Tree" of Tee-to-tum is the most celebrated of all Chinese didactic poems, and is one of those great and elaborate works to the production of which the labour of a life is necessary. The story of Hyson and Bohea, of which the following is not a slavish translation, may be considered as perhaps the most pathetic of its episodes.

Tee-to-tum did not misemploy his genius, and his toil was not illrewarded; for “The Tea-Tree" may be considered the great national poem of the Chinese.

The history of Tee-to-Tum is somewhat remarkable. It is related that he was cradled in a tea-chest, and that tea not only formed his earliest diet, but that through life he took no other nourishment. He lived in a retired tea-garden in the district of Sing-te; his house and his furniture were formed of tea wood, and the dry branches of tea-trees served him as fuel. He lived to a green old age, and his death was occasioned by an accident similar to that which terminated the days of Anacreon; only that the Chinese poet was choked, not by a grape-stone, but a tea-stem.

His poem is very voluminous, being divided into two hundred books, or, as he calls them, branches. Each branch comprises full a thousand “leaves;" not indeed leaves of two pages each; but the single verses of Tee-to-Tum are called "tea-leaves" by the people of the Celestial Land. His industry was remarkable: not a day passed without his adding to or correcting his poem.

"Tɛ veniente die, TE decedente canebat.”

Muse of the Central Land, whose soothing power
Celestial bards drink in at twilight's hour;
Who, cheerful promptress of discourse and smiles,
Deign'st even to dwell in these barbarian isles,

A household spirit still at hand to serve us,

And make our poets warm, our prosemen nervous;
Thou from thine oft-filled urn who dost deliver

A stream more potent than Castalia's river,

And even, GREAT MUSE OF TEA! canst strength impart
To milk and water;-hear, where'er thou art !

Perchance even now in this my seventh good cup;
Ah! if it be so, let me stir thee up.

Oh! let me not thine aid in vain require!
Inspire thou me, whilst I thy breath inspire.
List to my prayer, and let me be possess'd

Of rich "outpourings" strained from thy full chest ;
Brace, if thou canst, my strings, and give them tone,
And fill my leaves with virtues like thine own.
Let me upraise the curved lid and see

The fancied forms of Hyson and Bohea;
Imbue my lips their mournful fates to tell,

Whilst flow hot streams for two that loved so well.

Love, wondrous smith! who fashions chains from looks,
And from mere eyes can form both eyes and hooks,
Had linked their hearts the hour that first they met,
Had linked their hearts with links that bound them yet.
In lonely glen their constant love began,

And, first by chance, oft since they met by plan.

In sooth they were a goodly pair to see;
Hyson was fat, and beauteous was Bohea:
And none in all the province could compare
With the sleek Hyson, or Bohea the fair.
Both born and bred away from city's scene,
Though town-bred youth might call young Hyson green,
Though town-bred dames with scornful eyes might see
And dub his country love, "poor, weak, Bohea,'
Enough for them the charms within their reach,
Enough for them that each was loved by each.

Yet 'neath some evil star their love arose :
Though they were dearest friends their sires were foes.
The cause of their dear friendship is not hidden-
Both young, both comely, and their love forbidden.
The cause their sires were foes is still more plain—
Both had one trade, and both lived in one lane—
One village lane some ly from Nanking's walling,
And manufacturing porcelain was their calling;
Both shone in that like two superior stars,
And so between them they had many jars.

Old age and youth!-oh! that is formed for strife,
This this for love, the bird's-nest-soup of life!
And should the truth before those sires be set,
How well their children loved, how oft they met,
Not locusts, dragons, Tartars could compare
With the fierce wrath of that grey-pigtail'd pair.

But with a cautious care the maid and spark
Deceived their sires, and kept them in the dark;
Made assignations with a code of signs;
And met by moonlight among groves and vines.

Oft-oft they met, in copse, and grove, and glen:
Oft-oft they met, and vowed to meet again;

Beneath the stars they met, and talked of love,—
Beneath the stars,-for could they meet above?
They talked of love; and each loved each,-no doubt
Within their hearts,-for could they love without?

The days pass'd on,-the nights flew likewise by ;-
Weeks past, and months: and still they met to sigh
And dream of bliss. Young Hyson! fond Bohea!
In vain ye dream of bliss that must not be.

One night, that gloomy night no bat* would flit,
But crows around flew late, and oft alit;

And winds breathed loud in melancholy wail,-
A treacherous friend had told their tender tale,
A treacherous friend, to whom Bohea confessed
With too fond trust the secrets of her breast,—
Though bound to silence by the holiest oath,
That friend, too treacherous, had betray'd them both;
Told more, much more than need the muse repeat,
And where they met, and where they next should meet.
Bohea had told her all, and told her true:
Bohea knew not that friend loved Hyson too.

Unwise Bohea! your error now is learn'd;
Too soon committed, and too late discern'd:
Too soon you trusted, and too late you vex :
Yet not in you the fault, but in your sex.
Each fair one of some secret thus possest,
Whilst all the charge is hers, can take no rest;
So, prizing it more dearly than her peepers,
To make it safer, finds it several keepers.

That night, that gloomy night, that night of mist,
Bohea and Hyson sought their place of tryst :
Bowered with green leaves, and far from haunts of men,
That place of tryst was no tryst place till then.

Just at the self-same moment both came there,
Each each beheld, and bade the devil take care.
O Hyson bold! O fair and fond Bohea!
Do ye take care, for fear the devil take ye.

They rushed to meet,-they almost met; delight
Was in their looks. How was 't they met not quite?
What was 't that check'd their speed at once and joy,
And made them pause,-that maiden and her boy?

For such effect cause strong and good was there:
One hand had grasped Bohea by her long hair,
And kept her from her love, the fond, the true:
And one stern fist held Hyson by the queue.

* In China, bats are considered creatures of good omen; but crows (with the ex ception of that white-necked species of which mention was made in the story of “Ho-Fi” in last month's Miscellany,) are regarded as birds of very evil augury.