onewhomGerardDouwrespectedmuch，forasmuchashewasaveteranpolemic，thoughone，perhaps，moredreadedasacombatantthanbelovedasaChristian——ofpuremorality，subtlebrain，andfrozenheart。HeenteredthechamberwhichcommunicatedwiththatinwhichRosereclined，andimmediatelyonhisarrivalsherequestedhimtoprayforher，asforonewholayinthehandsofSatan，andwhocouldhopefordeliverance——onlyfromheaven。
　　Thatourreadersmaydistinctlyunderstandallthecircumstancesoftheeventwhichweareaboutimperfectlytodescribe，itisnecessarytostatetherelativepositionofthepartieswhowereengagedinit。
　　TheoldclergymanandSchalkenwereintheanteroomofwhichwehavealreadyspoken；Roselayintheinnerchamber，thedoorofwhichwasopen；andbythesideofthebed，atherurgentdesire，stoodherguardian；acandleburnedinthebed-
　　chamber，andthreewerelightedintheouterapartmentTheoldmannowclearedhisvoice，asifabouttocommence；butbeforehehadtimetobegin，asuddengustofairblewoutthecandlewhichservedtoilluminatetheroominwhichthepoorgirllay，andshe，withhurriedalarm，exclaimed：
　　’Godfrey，bringinanothercandle；thedarknessisunsafe。’
　　GerardDouw，forgettingforthemomentherrepeatedinjunctionsintheimmediateimpulse，steppedfromthebedchamberintotheother，inordertosupplywhatshedesired。
　　’OGodIdonotgo，dearuncle!’
　　shriekedtheunhappygirl；andatthesametimeshesprangfromthebedanddartedafterhim，inorder，byhergrasp，todetainhim。
　　Butthewarningcametoolate，forscarcelyhadhepassedthethreshold，andhardlyhadhisniecehadtimetoutterthestartlingexclamation，whenthedoorwhichdividedthetworoomsclosedviolentlyafterhim，asifswungtobyastrongblastofwind。
　　Schalkenandhebothrushedtothedoor，buttheirunitedanddesperateeffortscouldnotavailsomuchastoshakeit。
　　Shriekaftershriekburstfromtheinnerchamber，withallthepiercingloudnessofdespairingterror。SchalkenandDouwappliedeveryenergyandstrainedeverynervetoforceopenthedoor；butallinvain。
　　Therewasnosoundofstrugglingfromwithin，butthescreamsseemedtoincreaseinloudness，andatthesametimetheyheardtheboltsofthelatticedwindowwithdrawn，andthewindowitselfgrateduponthesillasifthrownopen。
　　OneLASTshriek，solongandpiercingandagonisedastobescarcelyhuman，swelledfromtheroom，andsuddenlytherefollowedadeath-likesilence。
　　Alightstepwasheardcrossingthefloor，asiffromthebedtothewindow；
　　andalmostatthesameinstantthedoorgaveway，and，yieldingtothepressureoftheexternalapplicants，theywerenearlyprecipitatedintotheroom。Itwasempty。
　　Thewindowwasopen，andSchalkensprangtoachairandgazedoutuponthestreetandcanalbelow。Hesawnoform，buthebeheld，orthoughthebeheld，thewatersofthebroadcanalbeneathsettlingringafterringinheavycircularripples，asifamomentbeforedisturbedbytheimmersionofsomelargeandheavymass。
　　NotraceofRosewaseverafterdiscovered，norwasanythingcertainrespectinghermysteriouswooerdetectedorevensuspected；nocluewherebytotracetheintricaciesofthelabyrinthandtoarriveatadistinctconclusionwastobefound。Butanincidentoccurred，which，thoughitwillnotbereceivedbyourrationalreadersasatallapproachingtoevidenceuponthematter，neverthelessproducedastrongandalastingimpressionuponthemindofSchalken。
　　Manyyearsaftertheeventswhichwehavedetailed，Schalken，thenremotelysituated，receivedanintimationofhisfather’sdeath，andofhisintendedburialuponafixeddayinthechurchofRotterdam。
　　Itwasnecessarythataveryconsiderablejourneyshouldbeperformedbythefuneralprocession，which，asitwillreadilybebelieved，wasnotverynumerouslyattended。SchalkenwithdifficultyarrivedinRotterdamlateinthedayuponwhichthefuneralwasappointedtotakeplace。Theprocessionhadnotthenarrived。
　　Eveningclosedin，andstillitdidnotappear。
　　Schalkenstrolleddowntothechurch——
　　befounditopen——noticeofthearrivalofthefuneralhadbeengiven，andthevaultinwhichthebodywastobelaidhadbeenopened。Theofficialwhocorrespondstooursexton，onseeingawell-dressedgentleman，whoseobjectwastoattendtheexpectedfuneral，pacingtheaisleofthechurch，hospitablyinvitedhimtosharewithhimthecomfortsofablazingwoodfire，which，aswashiscustominwintertimeuponsuchoccasions，hehadkindledonthehearthofachamberwhichcommu-
　　nicated，byaflightofsteps，withthevaultbelow。
　　InthischamberSchalkenandhisentertainerseatedthemselves，andthesexton，aftersomefruitlessattemptstoengagehisguestinconversation，wasobligedtoapplyhimselftohistobacco-pipeandcantosolacehissolitude。
　　Inspiteofhisgriefandcares，thefatiguesofarapidjourneyofnearlyfortyhoursgraduallyovercamethemindandbodyofGodfreySchalken，andhesankintoadeepsleep，fromwhichhewasawakenedbysomeoneshakinghimgentlybytheshoulder。Hefirstthoughtthattheoldsextonhadcalledhim，butHE
　　wasnolongerintheroom。
　　Herousedhimself，andassoonashecouldclearlyseewhatwasaroundhim，heperceivedafemaleform，clothedinakindoflightrobeofmuslin，partofwhichwassodisposedastoactasaveil，andinherhandshecarriedalamp。Shewasmovingratherawayfromhim，andtowardstheflightofstepswhichconductedtowardsthevaults。
　　Schalkenfeltavaguealarmatthesightofthisfigure，andatthesametimeanirresistibleimpulsetofollowitsguidance。
　　Hefollowedittowardsthevaults，butwhenitreachedtheheadofthestairs，hepaused；thefigurepausedalso，and，turninggentlyround，displayed，bythelightofthelampitcarried，thefaceandfeaturesofhisfirstlove，RoseVelderkaust。Therewasnothinghorrible，orevensad，inthecountenance。Onthecontrary，itworethesamearchsmilewhichusedtoenchanttheartistlongbeforeinhishappydays。
　　Afeelingofaweandofinterest，toointensetoberesisted，promptedhimtofollowthespectre，ifspectreitwere。Shedescendedthestairs——hefollowed；and，turningtotheleft，throughanarrowpassage，sheledhim，tohisinfinitesurprise，intowhatappearedtobeanold-
　　fashionedDutchapartment，suchasthepicturesofGerardDouwhaveservedtoimmortalise。
　　Abundanceofcostlyantiquefurniturewasdisposedabouttheroom，andinonecornerstoodafour-postbed，withheavyblack-clothcurtainsaroundit；thefigurefrequentlyturnedtowardshimwiththesamearchsmile；andwhenshecametothesideofthebed，shedrewthecurtains，andbythelightofthelampwhichsheheldtowardsitscontents，shedisclosedtothehorror-strickenpainter，sittingboltuprightinthebed，thelividanddemoniacformofVanderhausen。Schalkenhadhardlyseenhimwhenhefellsenselessuponthefloor，wherehelayuntildiscovered，onthenextmorning，bypersonsemployedinclosingthepassagesintothevaults。Hewaslyinginacellofconsiderablesize，whichhadnotbeendisturbedforalongtime，andhehadfallenbesidealargecoffinwhichwassupporteduponsmallstonepillars，asecurityagainsttheattacksofvermin。
　　TohisdyingdaySchalkenwassatisfiedoftherealityofthevisionwhichhehadwitnessed，andhehasleftbehindhimacuriousevidenceoftheimpressionwhichitwroughtuponhisfancy，inapaintingexecutedshortlyaftertheeventwehavenarrated，andwhichisvaluableasexhibitingnotonlythepeculiaritieswhichhavemadeSchalken’spicturessoughtafter，butevenmoresoaspresentingaportrait，ascloseandfaithfulasonetakenfrommemorycanbe，ofhisearlylove，RoseVelderkaust，whosemysteriousfatemusteverremainmatterofspeculation。
　　Thepicturerepresentsachamberofantiquemasonry，suchasmightbefoundinmostoldcathedrals，andislightedfaintlybyalampcarriedinthehandofafemalefigure，suchaswehaveaboveattemptedtodescribe；andinthebackground，andtotheleftofhimwhoexaminesthepainting，therestandstheformofamanapparentlyarousedfromsleep，andbyhisattitude，hishandbeinglaiduponhissword，exhibitingconsiderablealarm：thislastfigureisilluminatedonlybytheexpiringglareofawoodorcharcoalfire。
　　Thewholeproductionexhibitsabeauti-
　　fulspecimenofthatartfulandsingulardistributionoflightandshadewhichhasrenderedthenameofSchalkenimmortalamongtheartistsofhiscountry。Thistaleistraditionary，andthereaderwilleasilyperceive，byourstudiouslyomittingtoheightenmanypointsofthenarrative，whenalittleadditionalcolouringmighthaveaddedeffecttotherecital，thatwehavedesiredtolaybeforehim，notafigmentofthebrain，butacurioustraditionconnectedwith，andbelongingto，thebiographyofafamousartist。
　　SCRAPSOFHIBERNIANBALLADS。
　　BeinganEighthExtractfromtheLegacyofthelateFrancisPurcell，P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。
　　Ihaveobserved，mydearfriend，amongothergrievousmisconceptionscurrentamongmenotherwisewell-informed，andwhichtendtodegradethepretensionsofmynativeland，animpressionthatthereexistsnosuchthingasindigenousmodernIrishcompositiondeservingthenameofpoetry——abeliefwhichhasbeenthoughtlesslysustainedandconfirmedbytheunconscion-
　　ableliteraryperversenessofIrishmenthemselves，whohavepreferredtheeasytaskofconcoctinghumorousextravaganzas，whichcaricaturewithmercilessexaggerationthepedantry，bombast，andblundersincidenttothelowestorderofHibernianballads，tothemorepleasurableandpatrioticdutyofcollectingtogetherthemany，manyspecimensofgenuinepoeticfeeling，whichhavegrownup，likeitswildflowers，fromthewarmthoughneglectedsoilofIreland。
　　Infact，theproductionswhichhavelongbeenregardedaspuresamplesofIrishpoeticcomposition，suchas’TheGrovesofBlarney，’and’TheWeddingofBallyporeen，’’AllyCroker，’etc。，etc。，arealtogetherspurious，andasmuchlikethethingtheycallthemselves’asItoHercules。’
　　TherearetobesureinIreland，asinallcountries，poemswhichdeservetobelaughedat。ThenativeproductionsofwhichIspeak，frequentlyaboundinabsurdities——absurditieswhichareoften，too，provokinglymixedupwithwhatisbeautiful；butIstronglyandabsolutelydenythattheprevailingoreventheusualcharacterofIrishpoetryisthatofcomicality。Nocountry，notime，isdevoidofrealpoetry，orsomethingapproachingtoit；andsurelyitwereastrangethingifIreland，aboundingasshedoesfromshoretoshorewithallthatisbeautiful，andgrand，andsavageinscenery，andfilledwithwildrecollections，vividpassions，warmaffections，andkeensorrow，couldfindnolanguagetospeakwithal，butthatofmummeryandjest。
　　No，herlanguageisimperfect，butthereisstrengthinitsrudeness，andbeautyinitswildness；and，aboveall，strongfeelingflowsthroughit，likefreshfountainsinruggedcaverns。
　　AndyetIwillnotsaythatthelanguageofgenuineindigenousIrishcompositionisalwaysvulgaranduncouth：
　　onthecontrary，Iaminpossessionofsomespecimens，thoughbynomeansofthehighestorderastopoeticmerit，whichdonotpossessthroughoutasinglepeculiarityofdiction。ThelineswhichInowproceedtolaybeforeyou，bywayofillustration，arefromthepenofanunfortunateyoungman，ofveryhumblebirth，whoseearlyhopeswerecrossedbytheuntimelydeathofherwhomheloved。
　　Hewasaself-educatedman，andinafter-
　　liferosetohighdistinctionsintheChurchtowhichhedevotedhimself——anactwhichprovesthesincerityofspiritwithwhichtheseverseswerewritten。
　　’Whenmoonlightfallsonwaveandwimple，Andsilverseverycirclingdimple，Thatonward，onwardsails：
　　WhenfragranthawthornswildandsimpleLendperfumetothegales，Andthepalemooninheavenabiding，O’ermidnightmistsandmountainsriding，Shinesontheriver，smoothlyglidingThroughquietdales，’Iwanderthereinsolitude，CharmedbythechimingmusicrudeOfstreamsthatfretandflow。
　　ForbythateddyingstreamSHEstood，OnsuchanightItrow：
　　ForHERthethornitsbreathwaslending，OnthissametideHEReyewasbending，AndwithitsvoiceHERvoicewasblendingLong，longago。
　　Wildstream!Iwalkbytheeoncemore，Iseethyhawthornsdimandhoar，Ihearthywatersmoan，Andnight-windssighfromshoretoshore，Withhushedandhollowtone；
　　Butbreezesontheirlightwaywinging，Andallthywatersheedlesssinging，Nomoretomearegladnessbringing——
　　Iamalone。