As for the fatal seraph-and his crime--- ---Seek not with rash and daring eye to look -Seek not the things beyond mortality, Go forth upon thy path---and in thy folly. When my spirit hath fied From its prison of clay, -Gone forth from the dead On its measureless way-- Open the grave, where the friend I lov'd best, Tho' there beats not a pulse in the withering herrt Bid me not lift my thoughts on high, -I have nothing to do with the happy sky; Mine eyes are fixed on the silent tomb, -I only ask for its darkness, and gloom, -All I care---and all I know, That I'll moulder with all that I loved below. TIARNA NA CLANNA MAC DIARMUIDH. It was near the gloomy close of a November evening, that two travellers were seen winding round the broken pathway of one of those dreary mountains which jut out into the Atlantic, along the rocky shore of Capa Clear, in the west of Ireland. The sky, which had been covered all day with a dense mist, now brightened a little towards the south-west, and just left room for the streaks of the setting sun to tinge with a blood redglow, the snowy top of Caragaonar. The boundless ocean seemed wrapped into sullen listlessness, unless at times, when a slight ripple, only heard as it died away, betrayed its ebbing. Far to the north and east, the horizon was enveloped in dark and heavy masses of cloud, which, reeling along, involved, "in all the vapoury turbulence of Heaven," whatever of a sickly and pallid blue might have ap peared between the thinner mist. The entire prospect was sad and dreary in the extreme. No appearance of a sail was on the vast expanse of ocean that lay before them, no sight of a human habitation cheered their drooping spirits; a cow, which now and then was seen grazing on those green patches which vary the monotonous horror of the wildest mountain, turned up her bleached and widened nostrils to the sky, and, in melancholy lowings, foretold the approaching storm. Along the surface of the water, skimmed the wing of the shrieking sea-fowl, whilst the cormorant, wheeling from the wave, screamed along the shore. The howling of the wind be came louder, and its cold more piercing, as it dashed amongst the cliff's the loose foam that lay upon the shore;-a deep and troubled swell began to disturb the broad body of the dark water, and the big round drops of rain proclaimed an almost instantaneous torrent. Our travellers had now come under an immense picce of rock which projected over their rugged pathway ;---they were both females, and their dress bespoke them of a higher rank than those who usually dwelt about that place. One of them appeared to be nearly twenty-eight or thirty years of age;---her person was tall and majestic,---her head finely moulded, and her pale and expressive features received much animation from her large black eyes; her nose rather straight than aqualine, wanted but little to entitle it to the standard of Grecian beauty; her mouth small, with soft and pouting lips, was set off by a somewhat prominent chin, and a plentiful crowd of black ringlets, which flowed in all the wildness of infantine innocence, overshadowed her broad forehead ;---her entire appearance was that of a woman born in, and accustomed to, the highest rank in the order of society. The other, was, in stature, less, and though possessed of features less regular, and of a person less commanding, may take a high place in the rank of feminine beauty:---her cheeks, naturally of a sanguine complexion, were heightened by her exertion in forcing against the blast which sometimes blew full in front. A copious flow of fair hair added to the loveliness of her soft and dimpling features. The travellers were wrapped in huge brown cloaks, which concealed the large straw hats that covered their heads. They leaned for a while under the brow of the projecting cliff, and wiped their foreheads which had been wet with the drifting snow and spray. "You feel fatigued, Amy?" said the taller lady,---" No, no," answered her companion, all I fear is, lest that uncivilized mountaineer may have deceived us---or that R we ourselves may have lost our way, and we have not the consolation of beholding even a single hut in this wilderness, from the inhabitants of which, we may have hoped for some information,-though, perhaps we could do no worse than make too frequent enquiries;-think you we are likely to be discovered ere we reach this outlawed castle?" "On your account alone, I feel any thing like fear," said the other,---" for myself, I have supposed and expected the worst, and I only hope that I may not perish until I shall have avenged my husband ;---but I had no right whatever to permit you to be the companion of my journey, or the sharer of my fate,---it was sufficient that one should only fail in the desperate attempt." "I thought," rejoined Amy, looking up with a languishing look, in which was mingled a little of reproach,---" I thought I left you no doubt as to my devotedness to you,---that I had fully satisfied you as to the connection of my fate with yours,--and you now almost upbraid me with selfishness." "You wrong me, my dear girl," said the lady, "believe me, you do. But what say you?---do you think our English friends will be prepared to realise their promises to us? I appointed signal when we should have effected our purpose ;---a lighting torch fixed on the battlements of that castle will be the sign for them to land, and they have agreed to conceal themselves behind that rugged cape until the hour." "But how shall we be able to divert the attention of those mountaineers who keep eternal watch on the coast," observed Amy, "and who knows that we may become inmates of the dark hole immediately? Blisset told us that the watch was continued both day and night incessantly; and though his escape from the subterraneous dungeon was miraculous, yet he found much more difficulty in eluding the vigilance of the centinels." "For all this, I have sufficiently provided, Amy,---let us be but once there, and for the accomplishment of the rest we trust to Providence." "But why," said Amy, "has not Blisset accompanied us? surely he must have known the way to this outlawed place?" "You forget," answered the other, "that he escaped by flight, and that he is a Sassenach.---This circumstance, together with his having baffled them, would expose us all to destruction; they know not that he is alive, they imagine that he shared the same fate with those unhappy wretches who were thrust into that hole with him; this cave, has, from its great depth, a communication with the sea, so that all the bodies thrown into it, are carried away by the surf, and dashed to pieces amongst the rocks; he, by good fortune, plunged in unperceived, and by the dint of very hard struggling, and at the risque of suffocation, endeavoured to swim off for a considerable distance, until, by lying concealed some time amongst the pieces of rocks, he at length effected his escape to the nearest English garrison: but of his master he could gain no intelligence whatever."-"I think," said Amy, "it is better for us to proceed,"---not wishing to permit a recurrence to the melancholy event,---" for see, the night is approaching fast, and the snow is descending more rapidly." Accordingly, having again wrapped themselves in their large cloaks, which had fallen over their shoulders, they went forward with as rapid a pace as the roughness of the road, and the pelting of the increasing storm would permit them. They were now elearing the last point which terminated one of the sides of the bay, at the bottom of which stands Ghilchodh Castle, or, as it is pronounced in English, Kilcoe. Though a pitchy darkness had already covered the entire sky, yet, the earth appeared as bright as if the moon shone forth in all her midnight brightness. Large broad flakes of snow fell in thick heaps from the heavens. All around was one extensive tract of dazzling whiteness, except where a huge black torrent, increased by the melted snow, tumbled headlong from the brow of some lofty mountain, carrying large masses of rock and earth along with it, and bounding with a noise and tumult that was truly appalling. Their path lay along the brink of a precipice, beneath which, the billows dashed, and in the deep caverns dug by the force of the waves into its sides, the sea groaned under their feet. A complete impediment to their journey now appeared; an immense body of troubled water rolled rapidly by them to the brink, and deviating from its natural course, leaped wildly over the steep, into the ocean below; to attempt crossing it was certain destruction; it had become dangerous even to stand near the margin of this flood, as the ground on each side was continually loosened, and carried away by the violence of the current. To ascend was impossible, as frowning pieces of rock almost overshadowed their narrow path, and they were obliged in many places to stoop, in order to afford themselves a facility of proceeding. Driven to such extremity, and surrounded on all sides by destruction,---the ocean roaring and boiling below, the steep and impassable mountain above, and the torrent resistless and overwhelming in its fury before them,---their only resource was to return: this could not be much in their favour, as they should have to traverse a dangerous path, which, in broad day light, few would think of travelling. They now attempted a return, and had come to an opening in the cliff, through which they were enabled to gain a prospect of a great part of the mountain over their heads, when they suddenly perceived a light bounding along on the surface of the torrent which swept down the steep,---this passed on, when another, and another appeared, and at length, millions of sparks and small splinters of burning wood flew over their heads; this incident revived the hope of their vicinity to some human habitation. Afraid to call for any assistance, they awaited in mute terror the event of this extraordinary appearance; they had not remained long in this situation, when the hoarse but deep barking of a dog struck on their ears, and immediately the shout of a man re-echoed through the mountain. They knew not whether to remain as they were, or to fly; before, however, they could have time to come to any determination, they were startled by the shriek of a flock of seabirds which had built their nests on the verge of the cliff, and being roused by the noise of the dog, had all fled up together; at once, two or three bullets whistled by them, and striking against a piece of hard rock near our travellers, fell flattened at their feet. A loud scream now first discovered to the fowlers the situation of the wayfarers who soon caught the hurrying steps of some persons approaching near. Impassioned exclamations in the Irish language were distinctly heard, and almost at the same moment there appeared above them two fierce looking figures, holding blazing torches of a kind of oily wood, which is found in great plenty under all the marshy grounds of Ireland. They were accompanied by a huge dog, whose shaggy coat and fiery eyeballs were extremely terrific;-unaccustomed to the sight of strangers, he sprung forwards at the ladies, and would have torn them, had he not been called off by the men, whom, with a smothered growl, he instantly obeyed. Astonishment for some time kept them all silent,--the men gazed in wonder on the travellers, who dared not, through excess of terror, utter an expression. Amy had shrunk from their view, but the other, making an exertion beyond the usua! tone of her deportment, and assuming a majestic air, addressed the rude huntsmen in English, and using all the ges ticulations impelled by fear or entreaty, explained to them her situation, and besought them to conduct herself and her companion to some place where they might pass the night more comfortably than where they were At present. The men looked at each other as if for explanation, and muttered a few words which were unintelligible to her, notwithstanding which, perceiving that her words made some impression on the mountaineers, she enewed her entreaties; they comprehended her meaning, though apparently ignorant of the expressions used to convey it, and beckoned her to 10 back for a short distance, whilst they proceeding forwards, still over their heads, led the way. Amy was assisted to rise by her less timid companion, who encouraged by this unexpected succour, hastily drew her cloak in closer folds around her body, and went on as rapidly as her guides, who conversed between themselves, and, when stopping to trim their fir torches, would sometimes cast a look behind. The appearance of the mountaineers corresponded to the awful sublimity of the scene around, One of them was somewhat above the middle size, and his features, though of an olive complexion, were finely formed, and had nothing in them, stern or forbidding; his habits of life had given them, a wildness, which nevertheless, was only visible when under the influence of any passion;-he wore the ancient dress of his country,-a tunic, or short coat of a saffron colour, a kind of trowsers made tight to fit close to the shape, boots formed of deer or goat skin badly tanned, and a black felt hat with a broad leaf and conical top;-his thick black hair was tied up in that kind of knot known by the name of glibbe, and his upper lip was covered with the cromleah, or moustache, generally worn by the old Irish chieftain ;;—a horn, adorned with a long green tassel was slung at his, breast;-a broad leather belt encircled his delicate waist, from which hung a long broad knife, and a short but wide cloak thickly plaited depended from his left shoulder. His companion had the appearance of a more determined character;-his size was almost gigantic;-his complexion was of a deep black, and a long scar that ran across his face, together with the bushy cromlech upon his lip, added much to his natural ferocity, and inspired terror in the breast of the beholder;-his dress was almost the same as that of the other, with the exception of the horn and the boots;he had a long rifle slung at his back, and in his hand he bore that of his companion--he seemed much more advanced in years than the other, and though so ferocious looking, promptly attended to every word spoken by him, who in fact appeared to be his superior. They had proceeded for the space of forty or fifty yards, when the guides made a sudden halt, and stooping to the ground, succeeded in removing a large stone which blocked up the entrance of a pathway that lay between two projecting cliffs; up this passage they led the ladies, who now perceived a winding pass cut along the mountain, and which terminated in a valley not far distant; thither they were directing their steps, when the younger huntsman addressing his attendant by the appellation of Donacha, appeared from his manner of speaking to be giving some commands which were immediaty obeyed. Donncha delivered his fir torch, and proceeded at a rapid pace along the narrow road which led down to the valley. The wayfarers knew not what to think of this occurrence, and fear, together with the consciousness of not being understood by the guide, prompted them to express their thoughts to each other.- Alice Howard!" said Amy, pressing the arm of her companion close to her side, "Alice Howard! we have fallen into the hands of |