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FREDERICK WILLIAM CRONHELM, ESQ.

This Poem,

IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED,

BY HIS SINCERE FRIEND,

WILLIAM DEARDEN.

PROEM.

IN the beautiful and romantic valley where the scene of the following Poem is laid, a venerable relative of mine recently resided, full to o'erflowing with legendary lore respecting the valley and its inhabitants, in the olden time. From his lips, as we sat one fine summer's eve, a few weeks previous to his death, on a bench before his cottage, I heard the particulars of the traditionary story on which the Poem is founded.

By the majority of those who, being stern matter-of-fact personages, and exceedingly sceptical, not only of the utility, but of the verity, of all records that are in the slightest degree tinctured

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with romance, unless proof-warranted by incontrovertible facts, the old man's narrative will, I fear, be esteemed one of those idle and incredible legends, which ought to be consigned to eternal oblivion.

There are others, however, it is hoped, from whose hearts, unwithered by the chilling breath of Utilitarian Philosophy, will be yielded a poetical faith in my aged relative's tale of other years. In the full assurance that such will be the case, I shall, without further preamble, give the hoary chronicler's account of the StarSeer.

"Two or three centuries ago, a castle stood on Oswald's rocky height, the owner of which was renowned far and near, for his skill in astrological science. Though the nature of his sublime studies tended to impress the minds of the vulgar with awe, his munificence, noble bearing, and uniform goodness of heart, won him the esteem and affection of every inhabitant of Caldene. (1) By the knowledge of his art, he had ascertained that a certain wonderful comet, (2) which was first observed in the hour of his birth, and continued to revisit our northern hemisphere periodically about every five years, was his Natal Planet, and that there was a lovely being, who was also subject to its influences, and whose destiny was mysteriously interwoven with his own. Her he resolved to find; and, assuming the garb of a palmer, he quitted his studies, and went in search of the beautiful unknown. Wandering in Kirklees woods,