" If thy thought be not the true solution of man's destiny, know not what end he serves in the great scheme of ex-istence," returned Alphonso, sadly ; " I have passed through various vicissitudes of life, from the greatness of earthly state to the poverty of a prison, and I have derived more pleasure from the achievements of science than from all my hereditary honors. And yet even these do not satisfy the longings of my nature." " The scripture teaches us, that the superior intelligences find delight in benefitting mortals ; and acting upon this hint the good have taught us, that to be blest ourselves we must seek to bless others," said Eleanora. " True," replied the philosopher, breaking out once more into his old enthusiasm, " I have sometimes found allevia-tion from the weariness of my thoughts in the reflection, that the sciences in which I am engaged will one day exer-cise a wider and more perfect control over the destiny of the human race, than all the military orders backed by the sanction of ecclesiastical decrees. Science will open the door to Art ; and her triumphant offspring, in a train of skillful inventions, shall pass on through long ages, break-ing down the stern barriers of.kingdoms, and uniting man-kind in a common interest ; war shall give place to useful Labor, and Science abrogating labor in its turn, shall satis-fy the wants of the human race, accomplishing by a touch that which requires the might of thousands. Men shall then have leisure to perform the rites that lift the veil of Isis, and perhaps find means to question Nature even in the innermost recesses of her temple." " Oh ! life ! life !" said the philosopher, in an accent of despair, " why art thou so brief? Why must I die without discovering the sublime agencies ?" Eleanora waited in compassionate silence till her brother resumed in a calmer tone, " Think me not mad, my sister. If the feeble attempts of an imprisoned king, and a clois-tered friar, can produce the wondrous results of which thou hast been witness, what shall the end be, when men free to pursue these investigations shall win the rich guerdon of ELEANORA. 439