From this time forward, young Bartolozzi's company was earnestly courted; and his parents, feeling proud of their son's accomplishments, readily allowed him to visit where he pleased.

By the time he had attained the age of twelve years he had no rival to fear; for he had far distanced all the professors in the country, and was at the head of every musical entertainment.

We come now to speak of the dark side of young Bartolozzi's character. His greatest fault was extreme avarice. Though he received from his father a plentiful supply of money, and from his patrons many hundreds of pounds in the course of the year, yet he never was known to do one charitable action, nor would he ever lend a friend the most trifling sum to save him from pressing difficulties. These bad qualities rendered him an object of dislike and disgust; no one would now receive him as a friend, though all were fascinated by the charms of his violin.

He was once seen five successive days anxiously inspecting a violin in the shop of a dealer. On the sixth day he became master of it; but not till he had fairly tricked the dealer out of it, by depreciating its value, and paying him in counterfeit coin, which he afterwards refused to change, saying it did not belong to him!

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We now hasten towards the twentieth anniversary of young Bartolozzi's birth. He had acquired, long since, the reputation of being the first performer on the violin in the country, and had astonished all, both far and near,-for his fame went before him.

He had resolved on changing his condition, but no young lady could be found who would enter into the " holy state" with so ugly a creature; he therefore was obliged to have recourse to stratagem, and knowing the power of music, he sought, by its sweet strains, to engage the

heart of a beautiful young lady, of very retired habits, with whose charms he fancied (for it must have been fancy) he had been smitten. Her apartment was opposite to the wall of one of the old churches, and its retired situation was well adapted for our hero's purpose.

Hither he repaired, at a late hour one evening, and executed some of the most plaintive airs he was acquainted with, in a manner that attracted the attention of the fair Dorinda, who, though fond of music, had never yet heard Bartolozzi play. The effect of his strains was magical, nor did they fail to work in the manner they were intended to do. Dorinda, indeed, slumberedbut sleep had fled from her; and no sooner had she risen in the morning, than the sounds of the preceding evening still vibrated in her ears. Three nights did young Bartolozzi pursue the same plan, and with similar results. He now waited with

anxiety to see the success of his scheme.

Dorinda, who was, naturally, of a sprightly and cheerful disposition, became all at once thoughtful, reserved, and impatient. She could not bear to be contradicted on the slightest occasion, and evinced, even towards her fond father, a partial alienation of affection.

He, with the anxiety of a parent, had, for some days, perceived a strange alteration in her manner, and endeavoured, by every act of kindness in his power, to discover the cause, but in vain.

Sometimes she would apply her ear to the keyhole of the door and smile sweetly, as if she were listening to some agreeable sounds; at other times she would listen attentively with her ear towards the floor of the apartment.

Medical advice was resorted to; but the physicians, one and all, declared that the disorder was that of the mind, not of the body. Each day added to her illness; and it was not till her life was despaired of that she could be induced to

confess to her father the grand secret,—that she was in love-though with a man she had never seen!

She then informed him of the raptures she had felt while listening to the melodious sounds which were nightly repeated under the window; and she ended by declaring that she never should be happy till she was united to the possessor of that wonderful instrument.

Her father was lost in astonishment; neither he, nor any of his domestics, had heard any sounds; nor does it seem that any earthly creature had, save Dorinda.

However, he resolved to make use of every means to discover who the person was that had thus bewitched his daughter; and having heard of the fame of young Bartolozzi, he determined on ascertaining whether or not he were the aggressor. He shuddered when he thought that he might be

the

person; for he well knew that his deformity