tain, must have been a most established custom, for in the later ages of Marmion, when that warrior "First in the vanguard made a halt, Of Marmion! Marmion! that the cry Indeed, several events in the respective battles bear a strong similitude. "And plumed crests of chieftains brave, Floating like foam upon the wave.”—(Marmion.) Singular coincidence! N. E. A. L. E HASE PREFERABLE TO NEWLAND. THE name of HASE has displeased some people, but it was through ignorance. "And the strong shall be as tow." Isaiah, cap. i. v. 31. i. e. And the strength in which you trust shall be as tow. The word hasan here used, occurs again in Amos, ii. 9. where it should be rendered strength, in opposition to height, which precedes it. The root is HASE, confidence*, to put confidence in. What name so fit for the Governor of the Bank! * See Weston's Sunday Lessons. JAQUES. SCRAPIANA. DANTE ALIGHIERI. THIS famous Italian poet of the thirteenth century, very poor, and an exile from his country, lived at Verona on a pension from TT-VOL. v.* a Prince Scaliger; but so moderate was it, that Dante could A FABLE. A Fox observing some fowls at roost, wished to gain access to them by smooth speeches. "I have got says he, "charming news to tell you. All animals have entered into an agreement to preserve universal peace among one another. Come down and celebrate with me this decree." An old cock, who was on his guard, looked round him very cautiously. On the fox asking him his reasons, "I was observing those two dogs which are coming this way." Reynard set off. "What," says the cock, "is there no peace yet settled among us ?"-"Yes," says the fox, "but those dogs perhaps have not yet heard of it.” AULUS GELLIUS. A fine philosophical observation is recorded of Metellus, by this author." Di immortales plurimum possunt: sed non plus velle nobis debent quàm parentes. At parentes, si pergimus errare, suis bonis nos exhæredant. Quid ergo nos à Diis immortalibus divinitùs expectemus, nisi errationibus finem faciamus? His demum Deos propitios esse æquum est, qui sibi adversarii non sunt. Dî immortales virtutem approbare, non adhibere debent." Lib. i. cap. 6. Though the immortals be very powerful, yet cannot we expect from then more inclination towards us, than we experience in our parents. If we continue to rebel against the will of our parents, we shall be disinherited. What can we expect from the gods, but an alienation of their favour. unless we cease to deviate from our duties? It is equitable that the gods should be gracious to their faithful servants only. It is the will of the gods to encourage, but not to enforce, the practice of virtue. A DELICATE REPROOF. To reproach the vices of another is very hazardous and difficult. The confessor of Bernabo, viscount of Milan, surprized this nobleman in company with a courtesan. Bernabo, in great confusion at the discovery, asked the priest what he would have done, had he been under the same temptation. "I know not, my lord," replied the discreet Monk, "what I should have done, but I know what I ought to have done." THEODORIC, ARCHBISHOP OF COLOGNE. This prelate was illustrious in his time for his talents, erudition, and morals. One day the Emperor Sigismond asked of him instructions to obtain happiness. "We cannot, Sire, expect it' in this world."-" Which, then, is the way to happiness hereafter?"-" You must act virtuously."-" What do you mean by that expression?"—" I mean," says Theodoric," that you should always pursue that plan of conduct, which you promise to do whilst you are labouring under a fit of the gravel, gout, or stone." SIMPLICITY. A Ve Gross instances of weakness of intellect are ludicrous. netian, of moderate understanding, mounted his horse to go into the country; his servant followed on foot close behind him. The horse kicked the valet, who, in a passion, flung a stone at him, which struck the master on the back. The master chid the servant for walking so slow. "I cannot walk faster," replied the valet," for your horse has given me a kick." "Ah! a beast!" replied the master: "I will give him his due; for he has just kicked me on the back." There is no place where an instance of this kind of simplicity appears with less propriety than in the pulpit. A priest at Tivoli was declaiming in his sermon against adultery. "I would rather," says the indignant preacher, "be connected with ten virgins than one married woman." A countryman wished to marry his youngest daughter to a neighbour; but an objection was made to the girl's age, as not yet marriageable. "She is of sufficient age," replied the father, 66 as she is already a mother of two children." A FINE SAYING OF MAXIMUS TYRIUS. It was the observation of this celebrated Platonic Philosopher, on the difference between religion and superstition: "The re ligious man was the friend of the Deity, and the superstitious one the flatterer of his Creator." Herodes, a celebrated Athenian Philosopher, one day re lieved a man, by granting him the subsistence of a month. “I know this man," says he," who affects the garb and manners of a philosopher, to be a knave and an impostor; but I give him my charity as, though he has lost the character of humanity, it is not for me to dispense with its feelings *" ふ BON MOT.alit Methinks it may in general be said of friendship, what was said by a man of wit, of love, that it resembles the notion of ghosts, viz. it is a thing which every body talks about, and no one has been eye witness to. A SHORT SERMON. On St. Stephen's day the monks of the convent had gathered together very late in the morning at chapel, and fearing that the preacher might keep them beyond the dinner hour, whispered in the ear of the orator their apprehensions, and their wishes that he would be as brief as possible. The preacher, feeling a sympathy with his brothers, addressed his audience:-" This day last year, brethren, I praised all the good acts of St. Stephen, with as much fullness and accuracy as laid in my power, and since that time having not heard that the saint has done any thing new, I have nothing farther to add on the subject at present." tany mercy THE FORCE OF ELOQUENCE. Margui a enda esd The town of having sent deputies to Pope Urban V. found the Pope very ill in bed. Nevertheless, without an to the sick man, the orator made a very long and a very imper tinent harangue. "Have you any thing more to say,” said his Holiness, harassed and indignant at the man's barbarity. have to add," replied the orator, "that if you do not grant my request, I am commissioned to go through my speech a second time." His Holiness immediately ordered that all his demands should be fully and instantaneously complied with. POGGIUS. There is a great elegance and simplicity in the Latin sentence which is recorded by A. Gellius, lib. ix. cap. 2. "Demus huic aliquid æris, cuicuimodi est; tanquam homines non tanquam homini." I REVIEW OF LITERATURE. Books, such as are worthy of the name of Books, ought to have no Patrons but Truth and Reason. Bacon, of the Advancement of Learning, Book 1. Memoirs of the Life and Writings of Sir Philip Sidney. By T. Zouch, D. D. F. L. S. Prebendary of Durham. pp. 398. 4to. Payne, London. Wilson, York. 1808. WE claim the thanks of the reader for resigning our office on this occasion, in favour of our worthy friend, the Rev. Mark Noble. On receiving the following letter from him on the subject of Dr. Zouch's work, we readily laid aside our remarks on it, as being, like those contained in every other review of these me moirs, vastly inferior in desirable information and profound research. MR. EDITOR, I have lately read Dr. Zouch's Memoirs of Sir Philip Sidney. The work gave me much satisfaction, though so well knowing the history of the Sidney family in all its branches, there could not be but little new in the volume. Dr. Zouch has endeavoured to vindicate the character of one of the greatest ornaments of England, and he has well succeeded. The author has shewn judgment, and directed that judgment to the end proposed. A range might have been taken which would have admitted peculiar brilliancy in tracing the political schemes of the Sidneys, but this evidently was not Dr. Zouch's design. I have placed the volume by the Sidney papers in my study, and shall be gratified by having a subsequent work of equal value relative to any of the of Sidney to add to them. You may well guess why I feel peculiarly interested relative to the memoirs of Sir Philip Sidney. Let me remark that I felt hurt that so little was said of Lady Sidney. Few women ever experienced greater vicissitudes, than the beautiful and accomplished Frances, the sole child, and heir of Sir Francis Walsingham, principal secretary of state to Elizabeth. |