Stew. What! with the gilt cornices, and the old

John. [laying a small bag before him]. But my lords and ladies on the walls!

"It was not," said Achzib, in great self-gratulation, because the temptation was in itself strong, that I have this time been so successful, but especially be

I have warned them hence, cause the tempted was so wisely chosen. Human

SCENE I.

as he lavished in youth, will he hoard up in age; the hand that threw away thousands, will afterwards clutch at groats, and, oh marvellous inconsistency! A seaport city.-Evening.-A small mansion in the not from having learned the value of the good he has abused, but from a passionate lust of possession, which, like the extravagance of madness, seems to reverse the very nature of the man."

"The world," continued Achzib, "has but little sympathy for the ruined spendthrift; men are slow in giving to him who has not taken care of his own -and thus they assist the reaction of his spirit. He talks of the faithlessness of friends, of the jeers and taunts of the world, and the triumph of enemies, till, exciting himself to hostility against his kind, he commences a warfare upon it, and becomes its scourge and its shame. He gives not to the needy; because, says he, in my need, none gave to me-and he gets all he can by fair means and foul, because in his abundance all, he believes, made a prey of him. Oh, most blind and senseless of passions!-he would even rob himself, to enrich his coffers-he would deny himself even sustenance, were it not that death would sever him from the god of his idolatry!"

suburbs; Constance sitting in a little room, looking at a miniature.

Constance. There is a faint resemblance-but so faint!

And yet the eyes in colour are the same-
So is the hair, with its thick clustering curls-
And the fine oval of the countenance;
But oh, the mouth! no, no, it is not Albert's!
And yet, when he is absent, I shall say
"Tis like, 't is very like! Oh, how I wish
This voyage were made! my heart has fearful au-
guries;

And when I pray for him, my spirit takes
All unawares such fervency of tone
As terrifies myself. Great God protect him!

Enter MADAME LUBERG; she sits down by Constance.
Mad. L. I am the bearer of most heavy tidings!
Cons. Is Albert dead?
Mad. L.
Oh no, oh no, thank heaven!
Compared with that, my news is light indeed!
The sudden squall that came and passed at noon,

From its strong moorings, drove it out of harbour,
And there, in half a moment, it went down!
All, all is lost, not even a single bale
Is come to shore!

"And now," said Achzib, "I will try this passion in a modified degree, upon another and a nobler spirit. The sins of Thomas of Torres, comparatively speak-Like lightning in its speed, loosened his vessel ing, were sins against society at large. My next victim shall be taken from the bosom of affection; he shall bring desolation upon the domestic hearth, and wither those souls in which he was bound up as in the bundle of life. To accomplish this, I must first sap, if not remove the barriers of sound principle. But once familiarize him with sin; but once induce him to sunder some one tie which has hitherto bound him to virtue,—no matter how slight it be,-the most important work is done, and the remaining ties become loosened for the first dereliction of duty, the first swerving aside from the integrity of virtue, is the act by which a human soul becomes the chartered victim of evil."

"The mere sordid miser,” continued Achzib, recurring once more to his subject, “is a hateful spectacle. The toad hiding itself under a noisome stone, is not more hideous than his moral deformity; but the downfall of a nobler spirit, drawing, as it were, the seventh part of heaven after it, in the darkened pleasures, the wounded affections of all that clung to it, is an achievement worthy of the Prince of Darkness himself!"

THE PIRATE.

PERSONS.

ALBERT LUBERG, THE PIRATE.

MADAME LUBERG, HIS MOTHER.

CONSTANCE, HER NIECE, AND THE BETROTHED

OF ALBERT.

ACHZIB, THE CAPTAIN OF THE VESSEL
EDAH, A YOUNG ISLANDER.

SEAMEN, CREW OF THE WRECK, MERCHANTS,
AND TOWNS-PEOPLE.

Cons.
And any lives on board?
Mad. L. But two, the helmsman and a cabin-boy;
The others were gone out by Albert's leave,
To pass the day on shore. God help him now!
For there went down his all.-All, all was ventured
In that one cargo; he's a beggar now!
No longer Albert Luberg the young merchant,
On whom the old grey-headed men on 'Change
Looked with respect 'cause fortune favoured him!
Yet that was the least reason he should win
A wise man's grace -was he not good and kind?
A prudent, generous captain; loved by all,
And served with such devotion, that his crew
Symbolled fidelity? and such a son!
Oh, there is not a mother in the city,
But, when impressing on her child its duty,
Says, “be thou but a son like Albert Luberg !”

[She weeps.

Cons. This is our consolation, not our sorrow!
God will not let him want a helping hand-
He only tries him thus, to prove his virtue.
But hark-his step! Oh, 't is his step indeed!

Albert. Oh, you shall hear-it is a new romance!
Now listen. I was standing on the rocks,
With my eyes fixed upon the boiling spot
Where my good ship went down, full of sad thoughts,
When there came up a foreign gentleman,
Drest in an antique garb. Awhile he stood
With his eye fixed on me, and then he spake
Some cruel words of passing condolence,
Which I more briefly answered; for my heart
Lay with my sunken ship, nor had I mood
To talk with any one; so I went further,
And took another station: there he came,
And once again addressed me; "Sir," said he,
"I am no stranger to your reputation -

All men have heard the name of Albert Luberg,
And from my soul I ever longed to serve him!"

Mad. L. 'Twas very true, 'twas very true, my son;
Yet like I not these over-civil men.

On what conditions, sail you with this man?

Albert. On strange conditions truly, for himself;
For me, without exception. Thus they run:
That without bond, or even doit laid down,
I shall become co-partner in the vessel,
Now and for ever, and in all her tradings
Have equal share, with this sole stipulation,

Albert. Nay, hear me on. To this I made reply, That I shall hold myself to him subservient.

Your good opinion flatters me too much!"
To which he said, " Merit is diffident,"
And twenty other gracious common-places;
And so discourse went on: at length, said he-
And here his voice assumed another tone,
The blandest, the most winning e'er I heard,
"Will you to sea again?" "Gladly," said I,
"For diligence must give me fortune back:
Those that are dearer unto me than life,
Depend upon my labour." "Done!" said he,
"You shall win fortune back! now look you there;
Beyond that point of rock, my vessel lies!"

I looked, and in a distant cove descried

To this I have subscribed; and by a notary
It has been sealed and witnessed in due form.
Mad. L. I like it not! For in these sordid times
Men do not willingly give up their profit
Without equivalent. But God is good!
And He will guard you if you trust in him.
My son, a mother's blessing be with thee!
But there are various little stores and comforts
Which 't is your mother's privilege to furnish.
I will go get these ready, though 't is late!

[She goes out.
Albert. [taking Constance's hand.] Dear love, you
look so pale, so very anxious!
Why are you thus cast down?

Cons.

Must we not part?
And then I have so many, many fears!
I say "amen" to all your mother uttered ;-
I do not like this man!

Albert.
Fear nothing, love
Ere long I will return; and then, sweet Constance,
You know your promise for that blessed time-
Till then be happy, dear one! laugh and sing
As you were wont, and fill the house with gladness,
As the birds fill the woods in summer time.
Cons. [taking up the diamonds.] But these-I
cannot wear them- take them back-
I have a superstitious dread of them-
They are like the thirty pieces in the scripture,

Mad. L. It is a compact that comes o'er my heart The price of blood! Like evil influence.

Albert.

Oh, foolish, foolish girl!

Albert. Truly he keeps quick time!-The moon's There was another ere Noah began;

not up

But we must part at last, and farewell's said

As easily now as at another time.

My dearest love, good bye!

Mother, God bless you! Mad. L. Farewell, my son- May God Almighty bless you.

[He looks upon them with great tenderness,
then goes out, and shortly after returns.

Albert. I am a fool, a very childish fool,
Thus to return to say "good bye" again;
But my heart yearned toward you, and I obeyed it.
Once more, dear mother, let me kiss thy cheek,
And take once more thy blessing!

[He embraces her solemnly.
And, sweet love,

[to Cons.

Once more, once more farewell! What ails my heart?

I never was so much a child before.

Cons. May God in heaven bless you!

SCENE II.

[Albert rushes out.

Who he was, tell me? Tightly and strong
Over the waters he went - he went,
Over the waters he went.

Helmsman. Land a-head!-Down with you to the captains below, and don't keep dinning there with your cracked pipes!

Enter the CAPTAIN and ALBERT.

Cap. The isle I told you of! 't is in our reckoning, But 't is an undiscovered island yet

Night.-A vessel on the mid seas; a fine moon shining. By any but myself. In my last voyage,

-The watch on deck.

Thus standing on the deck, helmsman myself

1st Man. Now, messmate, can you understand And watch, I first discerned it on a night what sort of a trip we are on? Radiant as this, yet do I claim it not

2nd Man. Trading, I take it. Ar'n't we bound Yours be the honour of discovering it! to the Indies?

1st Man. So they say; but mark me if there is n't some other scheme at bottom. Here have we been tacking about in these seas for the last fifteen days, and a steady wind blowing all the time! The old captain gives orders through the young one- -the devil's at the bottom of the business, I say.

2nd Man. And let it be the devil himself!-while he gives the wages he does, and plenty of grog. I'll go round the world with him. Don't you bother your brains with other folks' business; let's have a song! here's mine without asking for, the jolly song of the devil at sea

You shall first give the knowledge to the world
Of a new paradise amid the sea.

Albert. How bright the moonlight falls upon its

shores!

What slumberous shades lie in those woody valleys-
What sky-ascending mountains, with white peaks
Shining like silver spires! - and what a weight
Of spicy odour comes on every breeze!
Oh, glorious land! surpassing all my dreams
Of Eden while the angels walked in it.
But let's cast anchor here—the soundings taken,
Are seven fathom water with good anchorage.
Cap. Let it be done!

[The anchor is cas! -all hands crowd on
deck, eagerly looking out. —. Morning be-

gins to break -The Captain and Albert stand together on the forecastle.

Cap. Now, friend, you will acknowledge your
suspicion

Has done me great injustice!
Albert.

Pardon me!
I was indeed unjust-I was impatient
Of our long wandering. My brain grew weary
With reckoning latitude and longitude,
Month after month beside, the crew began
To have, like me, suspicions - and to murmur.
But you must pardon me! Give me your hand
I will not doubt you more!

Cap. [taking his hand eagerly.] No, doubt me not.
Swear you will trust in me from this day forth!

Albert. I will-I will;-and by yon glorious isle,
Over whose eastern summits kindles now
The splendour of the sunrise, I will swear