terity. bequeathed a legacy immensely rich to posAnd I do not believe that the insolent hauteur of the Earl of Chesterfield toward him, when compiling his dictionary, deducted from his merit as a lexicographer, or philologist. Burns, notwithstanding his limited reading, and information, and intercourse, rose to the first place among the bards of Scotland. Gifford, though shackled under a hard master, and serving at a trade, he abhorred; though deprived of almost every mean of improvement, had invention and perseverance enough to engrave his mathematical calculations and juvenile verses on the sole leather, which was unfit for the last. It is unnecessary to multiply examples of the progress of genius unprotected and unrewarded. Even disappointment and ca lamity, instead of concealing genius, lead her from retirement. Ingenium res Adversæ nudare solent, celare secundæ. Genius is independent, and active, and persevering; neither perishing with indigence, nor decaying by neglect, nor yielding to opposition. It will discover itself in the peasant as well as in the prince, with reward or without, aided by applause or opposed by censure. Shame then to those, who shelter themselves under the clamour, that talents are neglected, and make the want of patronage an apology for the want of genius. That this reproach may no longer be merited, let all exert the talents they possess ; and let not the querulous begin to complain, until real literary excellence is despised, and spurious literature only is encouraged. [Lit. Mis.] MISCELLANEOUS SELECTION. RUSSIAN POETRY. IN Carr's "Northern Summer" we find the following hymn, recited over the dead body of a Russian, previous to its inhumation. It is beautifully solemn and impressive. "Oh, what is life? a blossom! a vapour or dew of the morning! Approach and contemplate the grave. Where now is the graceful form! where is youth! where the organs of sight! and where the beauty of complexion ! "What lamentation and wailing, and mourning, and struggling, when the soul is separated from the body! Human life seems altogether vanity; a transient shadow; the sleep of errour; the unavailing labour of imagined existence, let us therefore fly from every corruption of the world, that we may inherit the kingdom of heaven. "Thou mother of the sun that never sets; Parent of God, we beseech thee intercede with thy divine offspring, that he who hath departed hence may enjoy repose with the the souls of the just. Unblemished Virgin ! may he enjoy the eternal inheritance of hea ven in the abodes of the righteous." THOMSON'S SEASONS. THE following passage in the beautiful episode of Palemon and Lavinia, from Thomson's Seasons, is so well known, so universally admired, and so generally quoted, that I am not a little surprised, that, what appears to me, (to say the least of it) a most glaring inaccuracy, has hitherto escaped the notice of criticism. Hesaw her charming; but he saw not half That the poet's meaning is here very evident, is true, and it is the only way in which I can account for his expressions having been so uniformly overlooked: he would say that Lavinia charmed Palemon, notwithstanding her modesty concealed half her beauties. But the above lines do not express this: they impute to Palemon a most extraordinary qualification, that of seeing what is concealed; though this wonderful talent is doubtless somewhat tempered, when we are modestly told that he did not see quite half of an invisible object, of which any one else would despair of obtaining a glimpse. It may be necessary, after this, to assure your readers, that Mr. Thomson was born in Scotland, and not in I am, Sir, &c. Ireland. [Monthly Mirror.] THE LITERARY HUSBAND. B. F. FREDERICK Morel was translating Libanius, when some one came and told him that his wife, who had been languishing some time, was very ill, and wished to speak with him. "I have only," said he, " two periods to translate, and I will then come to see her." A second messenger informed him, that she on the point of death. "I have not more than two words to finish," said Morel, "return to her; I shall be there as soon as you." A moment after another message brought an account of her death. "I am very sorry," said he, "she was a very good woman." He continued his translation. was NATIONAL CHARACTER. An action, or an anecdote of a nation, often gives us a clearer idea of its character, than all the reflections an historian can sug gest for that purpose. The regent Duke of Orleans once asked a stranger, what were the different characters and dispositions of the various nations of Europe? "The only way in which I can answer your Royal Highness is to repeat to you the first questions which are asked among the several na tions, in regard to a stranger who comes among them. In Spain they ask, Is he a nobleman of the first rank? In Germany, Can he be admitted into the chapters? In France, Is he in favour at court? In Holland, How much money has he? And in England, Who is that man ?" ONE finds less union amongst women than men; because they have all the same object -that of pleasing. Contempt shown to their charms is an offence never pardoned. It was one day told to the Duke de Roquelaure that two ladies of the court had quarrelled, and very much abused each other. "Have they called each other ugly?" asked the Duke. "No."- Very well," "answered he, "then I will undertake to reconcile them." INSTANCE OF SUBLIMITY AND PRUDENCE. A POOR man in Paris being very hungry, staid so long in a cook's shop, who was dishing up meat, that his stomach was satisfied with only the smell thereof. The cholerick cook demanded of him to pay for his breakfast. The poor man denied it: and the controversy was referred to the decision of the next man who should pass by, who chanced to be the most notorious ideot in the whole city. He, on the relation of the matter, determined that the poor man's money |