must take that-my 'wry-necked flute :' perchance it may serve to beguile the length of a solitary hour on some lofty crag-and no one knows how many crags I may perch upon. Another romantic notion too.

"Ah! and thou my destined companion,' he continued, with a somewhat impassioned turn, and looking towards the object addressed, which stood in one corner of the room; "last, though not least, thou shalt go without fail-to say truth and justice, I imagine I should fail going without thee. Thou shalt support me throughout my long pilgrimage by the bank of the river, and the lake, and on the sea shore: through the depth of the valley, and o'er the summit of the mountain: under the umbrageous boughs of the cool forest, and in the scorching sunshine of the open plain. Thou shalt also be my defender by night, as well as by day: and if cruel misfortune throw necessity upon uswhy, I will speak daggers, whilst thou shalt

use steel in substance. For with that ferruginous tongue, thou possessest the wherewithal to do so.

"If I were to give thee a name-(and why should I not?)-methinks I would call theebut stay-what would I call thee? A name thou shalt have verily. Do we not read how Sir Tristram had his Hodain, his Cru, and his Peticrewe? faithful companions they were. How Arthur had his Priven, his Ron, and his 'trustye' Caliburn? And how Sir Quixote had his Rosinante, and his 'squire his Dapple -and what pains he expended, and how deeply he grubbed in the soil of reflection, in order to turn up a name that should be at once harmonious and apposite?"

Pedestres threw himself into an easy-chair, placed his hands over his eyes to shut out the world-and continued in a mood of profound cogitation for the space of about ten minutes.

That time having elapsed, he raised himself, and turned towards the corner of the room.

"And now, my friend," he continued, "I think we shall do. Having carefully turned over, as I would turn over the sacred leaves of an antediluvian black-letter folio, the thoughts and actions of my predecessors; and having paid particular attention to the well-chosen appellations that the adventurers of antiquity attached to their companions, whether 'squires, weapons, or blood-hounds; -methinks it will be but a due tribute unto thy merits, and a just respect unto their manes, should I but follow the praiseworthy and bright precedents, set forth by them. What, therefore, thinkest thou of the name Clavileno?"

The object addressed, notwithstanding this appeal, was perfectly silent. But, as "silence gives consent," Pedestres went on somewhat encouraged.

"When I consider the matter over," he said, "even a second and a third time, urged by the same impressions, I unfailingly arrive

at the same conclusion and determination; just as like impulses often repeated will produce like results. When I ponder on thy destined office, and on thy extraction, every thing comes forward to congratulate me in the choice of the name which I have thought fit to set in thy title-page. It will adorn thee like a jewel-it will tell of thee like a frontispiece or a vignette-and it will give thee worldly consequence and consideration, like an honourable title.

"Title? Ah, true, speaking of titles," he further added, but a little in petto, "I am disposed to exalt him to distinction at once without more ado, before we set out-I trow I have as much power to create titles as the worthy inn-keeper of Castile, and particularly as his masterBut titles upon names, and names upon persons (or things) is somewhat elevated and towering. It is too much like Inigo Jones's five orders of architecture, one over another, or not unlike ' more sacks

upon the mill!' In spite of all this, my affection urges me to think of conferring the honour of knighthood upon him—I think it would sound uncommonly well, and perhaps write better. Let me make the experiment that I am told young ladies are very fond of making when they are on the eve of changing their own names or adding others to them. Let me repeat the proposed name aloud, to discover whether its articulation be full of euphony-(yet, in their case, under bed-room lock and key, for fear of being overheard)— let me write it on paper, to see if it flows smoothly from the pen; and then, when written, let me survey it at arm's length, and decide whether it be agreeable to the eye. My fair fellows in experiment would sayMrs. This, Mrs. That, or Mrs. So-and-sowhich sounds best?-which shall I be? Let me try them all on paper :-which writes the most pleasantly?—and, now, which looks the best?-and now, which shall I be?