the presons who dined with him in the house of the Scotch rectifier, visited London in the way of business, nearly about the same time. This said person was a wine and spirit merchant, and having by chance met with Mr. Patent Schiedam on the streets of London, they recognised each other. In the course of conversation, the Scotchman told the London rectifier that his principal errand in London was to look out for a reputable agent to sell his Scotch whisky, which he meant to send to London. Mr. Patent Schiedam immediately replied to the Scotchman, " I am in the employ of the greatest London rectifier, who is vastly rich, and has made a fortune of my services alone; and thus, of course, I am well acquainted with the London spirit trade." The Scotchman, taking it for granted that his "ain gude luck wad ne'er forsake him," concluded that he had now met the man for his purpose, and hesitated not to treat Mr. Patent Schiedam to a good dinner, and plenty to drink. Whilst the decanter passed freely betwixt the parties, the Scotchman proposed the agency for his whisky to Patent Schiedam; but Patent Schiedam being a rogue, more than cent. per cent. overproof, declined accepting the offered agency; pretended that nothing but a multiplicity of already entered-into engagements prevented him undertaking the commission; and, by way of shewing his willingness to serve his new acquaintance, promised to introduce him to another gentleman still better qualified to do justice to so important an undertaking. The Scotch Merchant introduced to Mr. a London Commission Agent; or, the Rogue his own Trumpeter. The day after Patent Schiedam had honoured the Scotchman with his presence at dinner, he called upon the said Scotchman, and introduced him to his friend the commis sion agent. The agent spoke much in his own behalf; entered into a lengthened narrative of his success in forcing sales; and, in fine, acted the part of his own trumpeter so well, that the Scotch merchant began to think it might be as well to sell out and out, instead of consigning his whisky on commission. The London agent declared that it was equally the same to him whether he was, to purchase the whisky, or to receive it in charge on commission. The Scotch merchant, therefore, offered to sell a few puncheons by way of a beginning; and, at last, after much ado about nothing, concluded a bargain for one puncheon, by way of sample. The terms of payment came next to be adjusted. The Scotch merchant stated, that as only one puncheon was to be forwarded, and particularly, as it was the first business transaction, he of course, expected to be paid ready money. The London agent had no notion of ready-money buying, and, by way of evading such a make-sure merchant, at once declared that his practice was to treat all his mercantile connexions upon the broad basis of impartiality; and that, therefore, as he was only possessed of a limited capital, it would be both absurd and unjust for him to pretend to pay ready money for any of his purchases. The said agent proposed, in lieu of cash payment, a bill at three months, for aqua, and duties thereon. The Scotch merchant agreed to the proposed arrangement, provided respectable references could be granted. Mr. Patent Schiedam immediately volunteered his services, and promised to furnish the very best of references; namely, the house by which he himself was employed. The Scotchman expressed his satisfaction with the reference fixed upon, and accompanied Mr. Schiedam to a brewery, belonging to the aforethe great London rectifier. mentioned Mr. "The The Scotch Merchant introduced to Mr. great London Distiller, Brewer, and Rectifier." Mr. Schiedam having conducted the Scotch merchant to a brewery about two miles distant from the city, and, upon their arriving there, not finding the great L— D—, B— and R-, he next conducted the Scotchman to a countinghouse in Red Lion Square, and there he introduced him to the great wealthy man. This noted distiller, brewer, and rectifier, took much pains to persuade the Scotch merchant that he was a man of great importance; swore that had it not been for the faithful services of Patent Schiedam, and those of his friend, the Commission Agent, he would have been a ruined man, through the failure of worthless blackguards. By way of example, he stated to the Scotch mer. chant that he had been in partnership with said merchant's countryman, Robert More, late distiller of Underwood, who, the dd scoundrel, had swindled him out of ten thousand pounds. The Scotch merchant naturally concluded that this London distiller, brewer, and rectifier, must in reality have been possessed of much wealth, if, after sustaining many losses, equal in extent to the one said to have been sustained through the failure of More, he was still able to carry on trade. However, the Scotchman, after ruminating a little, brought to his own recollection a report which passed current in the country, namely, that Robert More was a very speculative and unfortunate man; that, in order to keep up his credit as long as possible, he purchased, at the regular London mart, patent bills of exchange; and that, in order to realise cash to honour said bills as they became due, he forwarded goods to the care of the parties who furnished him with such bills, which parties.allowed the bills to be returned dishonoured; and, at the same time, made a claim upon More's estate to the amount of these accommodation bills, they having, latterly, received in exchange for the patent currency, the said Ro bert More's own acceptances. Although, the Scotch merchant only considered the report of Mr. More's trafficking with patent London currency as being an ill-natured and ill-founded one, yet he considered it necessary to make some inquiry concerning the respectability of this great man who had given Mr. Schiedam and the Commission Agent such excellent characters. In the course of research and inves tigation, he discovered that this great London distiller had never been known to have been in partnership with Mr. derful distilling, brewing, and rectifying copartnery, had More ; but it appeared that the firm or firms of this wonat last been pointed out to the Scotch merchant in a private list at No. 76, Cornhill. This convinced the Scotchin sending notice to his intended agent that, after mature man that all was not right, and, therefore, he lost no time deliberation, he had come to the resolution of not forward ing the whisky, unless the sum was to be paid in ready money. ing his whisky, left London; but upon his arrival in Seet The Scotch merchant, without fixing any agent for seliland, found the following letter waiting him, the style of Letter 1st from the London Commission Agent io "the Scotch Merchant; or a Swindler's Sincerity. which cannot but be admired. "London, 22d November, 1830. "SIR, Mr. Schiedam' called upon me the other day and showed me a note, in which he is informed, that you are not sufficiently acquainted with my circumstances to enter into any arrangement respecting the whisky and ale commission. I must confess I was surprised, as, at our second interview you appeared to be satisfied, and booked my order for the puncheon of whisky, which, likewise, in your note you decline to execute. My maxim thus far in business has been open sincerity; sometimes I have found this (as in the present instance) to operate against me; but, in the long run, I have no doubt I shall find honesty to be the best policy. I acknowledged to you that my ca pital was small; that I had been but a short time in busi ness. This I told you without asking. If you had put any questions to me you thought proper, I should not have had any occasion to conceal the truth from you; but, as you had seen Mr., the great London distiller, brewer, and rectifier,' I concluded you had received all the information you wished, otherwise I should have been more communicative, and perhaps, by so doing, have been still farther from your confidence; but, to cut the matter short, it is not convenient to pay for the whisky, until the latter end of January next, and I want the spirits before Christmas but, if you choose to execute the orders which I wish, to make you secure, Mr. Dn T, Bow Road, will back the bill, which you may make at two months, if you will divide the threepence. You may inquire respect. ing this gentleman of Mr. B-y, ; or of Mr. B-14, my solicitor; and, if you think well of the commission, the same gentleman will be bound for the sum of two or three hundred pounds, that my transactions with you shall be correct. Waiting your reply, I am, Sir, yours truly, W-T—” The above letter, from its pretensions to candour and honesty, together with the kind of references given, and securities offered, satisfied the Scotch merchant that he had acted wisely in declining the London Agent's order, and caused him take no notice of the post office communication. The London Commission Agent, after three weeks' daily expectation of hearing from the Scotch merchant, began to suspect that the whisky-man was not to be easily victimised; and that, therefore, it would be better to make a second attack on the Scotch rectifier. Letter 1st from the London Commission Agent to the Minories, London, 12th January, 1831. "SIR,-My friend, Mr. alias Mr. Patent Schiedam,' has informed me, that when you were in London he had some conversation with you respecting sending Edinburgh ale to this market, and pointing me out as a person qualified to act as your agent. I have been sometime engaged in the spirit trade, and my connexion lies among old established and respectable houses; and, upon making inquiries, I have no doubt that if I command a good article in Scotch ale, at the regular market price, I could dispose of a considerable quantity. I learn from Mr. Schiedam that you are not a brewer, but that you could readily furnish me with the article through some of your friends, provided a proper understanding was entered into between us as to the mode of delivery and terms of payment. If an arrangement is concluded, I should propose it to be upon the basis of mutual advantage and mutual responsibility; but I should not dispose of ale where I hesitated in sending spirits, let our agreement be upon what principle it might. Mr. Patent Schiedam likewise told me that you have it in contemplation to work the Patent for the production of rye spirit; if you should do so, I have every reason to think that I could get rid of some quantity of it amongst the London rectifiers, if the price was near to that of the raw grain spirit. I may observe, that if you think well of my proposal, I have premises in a good situation, and well adapted for the ale trade, and can give you substantial security for the honourable and honest exercise of any trust that may be reposed in me. In the meantime, if you think proper, and are writing to Mr. -, alias, the great London distiller, brewer, and rectifier,' you can inquire of him respecting myself, and likewise respecting D-n T-s, Place, Bow Road, the gentleman who would be my security if necessary. Respecting Mr. T-s, you can likewise inquire of Mr. B—n, Inn, my solicitor. Waiting your reply, am, Sir, your humble ser "Should you still have a desire to add the manufacturing of this spirit to your present business, I feel satisfied from the conversation that I have had with some of the rectifiers here, since I returned, and to whom I have shewn the sample of the Hollands I made at your works, that there would be a very considerable demand for it in this market, as the flavour of what I made for you is preferred in preference to what I have made for them, either from English spirit or common grain. "When you have made the necessary arrangements, I will be glad to hear from you, and will cheerfully forward for you, under cover, my receipt, enclosed to my law agent,' whom I will leave to fix what remuneration ought to pass between us for it. You may either address to me here, or to the care of Mr. Balias the Great London Distiller, Brewer, and Rectifier.' I am, Sir, your very J. -,' alias 'Patent Schiedam."" obedient servant, 'SThe Scotch rectifier having returned no answer to this letter of Patent Schiedam, renders the letters from the London Commission Agent, to the Scotch merchant and Scotch rectifier, to be productions from a suspicious quarter, and I having been consulted on the contents of the London letters, as a member of a society for the Protection of Trade, gave it as my opinion that the said letters came from a and Scotch rectifier to keep clear of the parties. I have gang of London swindlers. I advised the Scotch merchant now to warn the allies of the Friends of Commerce, that the common enemy is again abroad under new colours. (To be continued.) THE INFLUENZA. THE alarmists have begun to raise the most absurd and groundless apprehensions in the public mind, on the subject of the present epidemic, and we hear of maladies of all kinds and of all colours that are to follow it, but especially of the "white plague," which is at once the newest and most dreaded. We are told that this visitation is to come from the east, in the track of the influenza. Now we have received very recent medical journals from Berlin, and we have examined those of Paris, into which news relating to such matters is always speedily copied, but in neither have we been able to find anything to justify the coming of any pestilence; on the contrary, the only form of disease of any considerable prevalence seems to be the grippe, or influenza, such as we now have among us, and occasional cases of cholera and dysentery. But again, we are told that the records of past epidemics show that visitations of plague and other malignant diseases have been generally preceded by influenza. We take leave to deny this. Influenza, exactly such as the present, has been known almost as long as we have any medical records; it was particularly prevalent in the sixteenth and eighteenth centuries, but was scarcely heard of in the seventeenth; thus it has traversed Europe in 1510, 1557, 1564, 1580, and 1591: then we lose it till 1675, but have it again in 1709, 1732-3, 1743, 1762, 1767, 1775, and 1781The 17th century (in the course of which influenza appeared only once) was remarkable not only for the "great plague" of London, but for three other of the most formidable epidemics ever witnessed in this country. As to the rest, so far as regards the metropolis, the influenza has been " plague" enough, without looking for another; it has been a hundred-fold more prevalent than cholera was, and we are inclined to believe has proved fatal within the last fortnight to a greater number of persons than that disease carried off in London within an equal period. Certainly this holds good with respect to the upper and middle "London, 28th Oct. 1830. classes of society, among whom a large number of aged per“SIR,-Owing to very contrary winds, I only arrived sons have fallen victims to it. The increased mortality of here on Tuesday, since when I have seen Mr. the the metropolis during the present epidemic, is strikingly exgreat London distiller, &c., who informs me that in conse- emplified by the weekly accounts of the burials; that ending quence of the increase of his business, since the opening of April 16, exhibits an increase over the preceding of 266; the beer trade, he has been prevented replying to the letter that ending April 23, another increase upon the above of which I wrote him, respecting his forwarding for your in- 209; that of May 1, a farther increase of 165-making the spection extracts or specifications of the patents which he entire increase in the number of funerals last week equal to holds for the production of rye spirits. He informs me that 640, and this, too, within the limits of the bills of mortality. he intends to write his solicitor, Mr. -, by this post, The epidemic is now, however, rapidly on the decline, though to whose care the patents will be forwarded by Saturday's a considerable number of relapses have occurred, and many ¡ continue to linger under its effects.-Medical Gazette. vant, W-T" From the foregoing letters, it would appear, that although the Scotch rectifier did not purchase from Mr. Schiedam the gin-distilling art, he must have parted with him on friendly terms; accordingly, on looking over the records of the society to which I belong, I found the original manuscript of the following letter. Letter 1st from Mr. Patent Schiedam, to Mr. Patents. steam-vessel. 2. ELEMENTS OF THOUGHT. EDUCATION THE FORMATION OF HABIT. Abridged from Bishop Butler. THE Constitution of human creatures (and indeed of all creatures which come under our notice) is such, as that they are capable of naturally becoming qualified for states o. life, for which they were once wholly unqualified. We find ourselves, in particular, endowed with capacities, not only of perceiving ideas, and of knowledge, or perceiving truth, but also of storin up our ideas and knowledge by memory. We are capable, not only of acting, and of having different momentary impressions made upon us; but of getting a new facility in any kind of action; and of settled alterations in our temper or character. The power of the two last is the power of habits; but neither the perception of ideas, nor knowledge of any sort, are habits; though absolutely necessary to the forming of them. How ever, apprehension, reason, memory, which are the capacities of acquiring knowledge, are greatly improved by exercise. There are habits of perception, and habits of action. An And instance of the former is our constant and even involuntary For distinctness, we may consider habits as belonging to the body, or the mind; and the latter will be explained by the former, Under the former are comprehended all bodily activities or motions, whether graceful or unbecoming, which are owing to use under the latter, general habits of life and conduct; such as those of obedience and submission to authority, or to any particular person; those of veracity, justice, and charity; those of attention, industry, self-govern ment, envy, revenge. Habits of this latter kind seem produced by repeated acts, as well as the former. And in like manner, as habits belonging to the body are produced by external acts; so habits of the mind are produced by the exertion of inward practical principles, that is, by carrying them into act, or acting upon them; the principles of obedience, of veracity, justice, and charity. Nor can those habits be formed by any external course of action, otherwise than as it proceeds from these principles: because it is only these inward principles exerted, which are strictly acts of obedience, of veracity, of justice, and of charity. So likewise habits of attention, industry, self-government, are in the same manner acquired by exercise; and habits of envy and revenge by indulgence, whether in outward act, or in thought and intention; which is inward act, for such intention is an act. Resolutions also to do well are properly acts. And endeavouring to enforce upon our own minds a practical sense of virtue, or to beget in others that practical sense of it, which a man really has himself, is a virtuous act. All these, therefore, may and will contribute toward forming good habits. But going over the theory of virtue in one's thoughts, talking well, and drawing fine pictures of it; this is so far from necessarily or certainly conducing to form an habit of it, in him who thus employs himself, that it may harden the mind ina contrary course, and render it gradually more insensible; that is, may form an habit of insensibility to all moral considerations. For, from our very faculty of habits, passive impressions, by being repeated, grow weaker. Thoughts, by often passing through the mind, are felt less sensibly; being accustomed to danger begets intrepidity, that is to say, lessens fear; to distress, lessens the passion of pity; to instances of other's mortality, lessens the sensible apprehension of our own. And from these two observations together that practi cal habits are formed and strengthened by repeated acts, and that passive impressions grow weaker by being repeated upon us-it must follow, that active habits may be gradually forming and strengthening, by a course of acting upon such and such motives and excitements, whilst these motives and excitements themselves are, by proportionable degrees, growing less sensible, are continually less and less sensibly felt, even as the active habits strengthen. Experience confirms this; for active principles, at the very time that they are less lively in perception than they were, are found to be, somehow, wrought more thoroughly into the temper and character, and become more effectual in influencing our practice. The three things first men tioned may afford instances of it. Perception of danger is a natural excitement of passive fear and active caution; and by being inured to danger, habits of the latter are gra dually wrought, at the same time that the former gradually lessens. Perception of distress in others, is a natural ex citement, passively to pity, and actively to relieve it; but let a man set himself to attend to, inquire out, and relieve distressed persons, and he cannot but grow less and less sensibly affected with the various miseries of life, with which he must become acquainted; when yet, at the same time, benevolence, considered not as a passion, but as a practical principle of action, will strengthen; and whilst, he passively compassionates the distressed less, he will a quire a greater aptitude actively to assist and befriend them. So also, at the same time, that the daily instances of men's dying around us give us daily a less sensible passive feeling or apprehension of our own mortality, such instances greatly contribute to the strengthening a practical regard to it in serious men, to forming an habit of acting with a constant view to it. And this seems again further to show, that passive impressions made upon our minds by admoni tion, experience, example, though they may have a remote efficacy, and a very great one, towards forming active habits, yet can have this efficacy no otherwise than by inducing us to such a course of action; and that it is not being affected so and so, but acting, which forms those habits; only it must be always remembered, that real endeavours to enforce good impressions upon ourselves, are a species of virtuous action. Nor do we know how far it is possible. in the nature of things, that effects should be wrought in us at once, equivalent to habits, i. e. what is wrought by use and exercise. However the thing insisted upon is, not what may be possible, but what is in fact the appointment of nature: which is, that active habits are to be formed by exercise. Their progress may be so gradual, as to be in perceptible of its steps. It may be hard to explain the faculty by which we are capable of habits thronghout its several parts; and to trace it up to its original, so as to distinguish it from all others in our mind; and it seems as if contrary effects were to be ascribed to it. But the thing in general, that our nature is formed to yield, in some such manner as this, to use and exercise, is matter of life. We are much assisted in it by example, instruction, certain experience. Thus, by accustoming ourselves to any course of action, we get an aptness to go on, a facility, readiness, and often pleasure in it. And a new character, in several respects, may be formed; and many habitudes of life, not given by nature, but which nature directs us to acquire. Nature does in no wise qualify us wholly, much less at once, for a mature state of life. Even maturity of understanding and bodily strength, are not only arrived to gradually, but are also very much owing to the continued exercise of our powers of body and mind, from infancy. But if we suppose a person brought into the world with both these in maturity, as far as this is conceivable; he would plainly at first be as unqualified for the human life of mature age, as an idiot. He would be in a manner distracted with astonishment, and apprehension, and curiosity, and suspense: nor can one guess how long it would be before he would be familiarized to himself and the objects about him, enough even to set himself to anything. It may be questioned, too, whether the natural information of his sight and hearing, would be of any manner of use to him in acting, before experience. And it seems that men would be strangely head strong and self-willed, and disposed to exert themselves with an impetuosity, which would render society insupportable, and the living in it impracticable, were it not for some acquired moderation and self-government, some aptitude and readiness in restraining themselves, and concealing their sense of things. Want of everything of this kind which is learnt, would render a man as incapable of society, as want of language would; or as his natural ignorance of any of the particular employments of life would render him incapable of providing himself with the common conveniences, or supplying the necessary wants of it. In these respects, and probably in many more, of which we have no particular notion, mankind is left by nature, an unformed, unfinished creature ; utterly deficient and unqualified, before the acquirement of knowledge, experience, and habits, for that mature state of life which was the end of his creation, considering him as related only to this world. But then, as Nature has endowed us with a power of supplying those deficiences, by acquiring knowledge, experience, and habits; so, likewise, we are placed in a condition in infancy, childhood, and youth, fitted for it; fitted for our acquiring those qualifications of all sorts which we stand in need of in mature age. Hence, children, from their very birth, are daily growing acquainted with the objects about them, with the scene in which they are placed and to have a future part; and learning somewhat or other necessary to the performance of it. The subordinations to which they are accustomed in domestic life, teach them self-government in common behaviour abroad, and prepare them for subjection and obedience to civil authority. What passes before their eyes, and daily happens to them, gives them experience, caution against treachery and deceit, together with numberless little rules of action and conduct, which we could not live without, and which are learnt so insensibly and so perfectly, as to be mistaken perhaps for Instinct; though they are the effect of long experience and exercise; as much so as language, or knowledge in particular business, or the qualifications and behaviour belonging to the several ranks and professions. Thus the beginning of our days is adapted to be, and is, a state of education in the theory and practice of mature and the care of others; but a great deal is left to ourselves to do. And of this, as part is easily done, and of course, so part requires diligence and care, the voluntary foregoing many things which we desire, and setting ourselves to what we should have no inclination to, but for the necessity or expedience of it. For, that labour and industry, which the station of so many absolutely requires, they would be greatly unqualified for in maturity; as those in other stations would be, for any other sorts of application, if both were not accustomed to them in their youth. And according as persons behave themselves in the general education which all go through, and in the particular ones adapted to particular employments, their character is formed, and made appear; they recommend themselves more or less, and are capable of, and placed in, different stations in the society of mankind. The former part of life then, is to be considered as an important opportunity which Nature puts into our hands; and which, when lost, is not to be recovered. And our being placed in a state of discipline throughout this life, for another world, is a providential disposition of things, exactly of the same kind as our being placed in a state of discipline during childhood, for mature age. Our condition in both respects is uniform and of a piece, and comprehended under one and the same general law of Nature. CAN any man, possessing a moderate degree of commonsense, not see with a glance, that if butter, bread, cheese, calicoes, woollens, &c., &c., &c., can now be bought at half the price they could formerly, and that the amount of the salaries of the servants of Government, its pensioners and its annuities remain the same, that those classes get twice as much of the produce of the labouring classes; that, in fact, they are as well off as if the people had said, we will double your salaries, pensions, &c., but prices shall not be altered. A sapient senator said, prices have fallen from facility of production; this should be for the advantage of the producers, I should think, and would have been so had not Parliament diminished the facility of producing money, instead of increasing the facility of producing that also, so that it might keep pace with every thing else. Do not supply and demand regulate markets? This admitted, is it not evident, that if the quantity of the medium of exchange either diminishes, or remains even stationary, whilst the quantities of every thing else increase. that the medium rises, or, what is the same thing, every thing else falls, and thus the Government employs, from top to bottom, pensioners to prey upon the producing classes, and exact from them what ought to have been the reward of their invention and increased toil. EXERCISE, COURAGE, AND RECREATION. THE exercise which I commend first, is the exact use of their weapon, to guard, and to strike safely with edge or point; this will keep them healthy, nimble, strong, and well in breath; it is also the likeliest means to make them grow large and tall, and to inspire them with a gallant and fearless courage, which being tempered with seasonable lec, tures and precepts to them of true fortitude and patience, will turn into a native and heroic valour, and make them hate the cowardice of doing wrong. The interim of unsweating themselves regularly, and convenient rest before meat, may both with profit and delight be taken up in re creating and composing their travailed spirits with the solemn and divine harmonies of music heard or learned; either whilst the skilful organist plies his grave and fancied descent in lofty fugues, or, the whole symphony with artful and unimaginable touches adorn and grace the well studied chords of some choice composer; sometimes the lute or soft organ stop waiting on elegant voices, either to religious, martial, or civil ditties; which, if wise men and prophets be not extremely out, have a great power over dispositions and manners, to smooth and make them gentle from rustic harshness and distempered passsions.-Milton. THE CAUSE OF BAD GOVERNMENT. COLUMN FOR THE LADIES. BLACK EYES AND BLUE, Then let each reign without control; THE immediate cause of all the mischief of misrule is, MR. MOORE'S NEW WORK. that the men acting as the representatives of the people have a private and sinister interest, and sufficient power FROM one of the Homilies of St. Chrysostoni, who, it is to gratify that interest, producing a constant sacrifice of known, particularly distinguished himself by his severe the interest of the people. The seconda y cause of the strictures on the gay dresses of the Constantinopolitan ladies, mischief the cause of this immediate cause is this, that the following specimen of his style of rebuke, on such subthese same agents are in one case unduly independent, iniects, is selected, and thus translated by Moore, in his new another unduly dependent. They are independent of their work," Travels of an Irish Gentleman, in search of a Reprincipals the people; and dependent upon the Conservaligion." tor-General, by whose corruptive influence the above-mentioned sacrifice is produced.-Bentham A NOBLE RESOURCE IN PAINFUL MOMENTS. WHENSOEVER thou wilt rejoice thyself, call to mind the several gifts and virtues of them whom thou dost daily con verse with; as, for example, the industry of the one, and the modesty of another, the liberality of a third, of another some other thing. For nothing can so much rejoice thee as the resemblances and parallels of several virtues, visible and eminent in the dispositions of those who live with thee; especially when all at once, as near as may be, they present themselves unto thee. See, therefore, that thou have them always in a readiness.-Meditations of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. SLUMBER. (FROM THE SPANISH.) FLOW, softly flow, thou murmuring stream! And do not mar her spirit's dream, In this delightful hour. But, gently rippling, greet her ear As near the bower, all bright and clear, Blow, softly blow, thou balmy air! The rudest winds would hush, to spare Breathe gently o'er her rosy cheek Thy mildest, purest balm; But heed, lest thou a slumber break FIRST ENGLISH DEED. The earliest instance yet known of the English tongue being used in a deed, is that of the indenture between the Abbot, and Convent of Whitby, and Robert, the son of John Bustard, dated at York, in the year 1343. A MOST REMARKABLE MAY IN PERTH,-An old chronicle of the affairs of Perth, speaking of the year 1630, says, "In this May were five Setterdays, five Mondays, twa changes in the mone, twa eclipses of the sone, ane uther of the mone, all in our horizone." Why come ye to the place of prayer, Of earth and heaven, of life and death, And blasts the mightiest with a breath! We must give another specimen of this work—it is the pathetic remonstrance addressed by St. Basil to a Fallen Virgin, (of which Fenelon has said, “ on ne peut rien voir de plus eloquent.") It abounds with passages to which, though in the form of prose, such poetry as the following does but inadequate justice :— ST. BASIL TO A FALLEN VIRGIN. Who loved thee, lost one, as thou art, Had warm'd thine eye, and chill'd thy heart. Around the lighted shrine at even, That o'er thy lonely pillow stole, While thou hast pray'd that God would keep And happy time, where is it gone? In which thou went'st along so meek; That bloodless purity of brow, |