REPARTEE

A GASCON Soldier's comrade asked him what made him tremble so as they were marching to the attack. My body, replied he, trembles to think on the dangers to which it knows it will soon be exposed by the bravery of my soul.

DRYDEN.

DRYDEN, who was notoriously poor, was one evening in company with the duke of Buckingham, lord Dorset, and some other noblemen of wit and genius. It happened, that the conversation, which was literary, turned on the art of composition, and elegance of style; and, after some debate, it was agreed that each party should write something on whatever chanced to strike his imagination, and place it under the candlestick for Mr. Dryden's judgement. Most of the company took uncommon pains to outdo each other; while lord Dorset, with much composure, wrote two or three lines, and carelessly threw them to the place agreed on. The rest having finished, the arbiter opened the leaves of their destiny. In going through the whole, he discovered strong marks of pleasure and satisfaction; but at one in particular he seemed in raptures. "I must acknowledge," says Dry

den, "there are abundance of fine things in my hands, and such as do honour to the personages who wrote them; but I am under an indispensable necessity of giving the highest preference to my lord Dorset. I must request that your lordships will hear it, and I believe all will be satisfied with my judgement..

"I promise to pay John Dryden, or order, on demand, the sum of five hundred pounds.

"Dorset."

SEDUCTION.

THE married man who dares to obtrude a declaration of passion, or show a marked preference to seduce the young and inexperienced heart, should be shunned as a monster more criminal than a murderer; since too generally the seduction is followed by a total loss of principle and a rapid advance into a vortex of vice, which for ever swallows up all the good instructions inculcated in early life, and they sink to rise no more!

FAMILY DISGRACE FROM INDIVIDUAL CONDUCT.

NOTHING is more certain, than that the most opposite characters are to be found in the same family; yet it is no less certain that a whole VOL. 2.

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family is involved in the disgrace of one, which renders the virtuous almost as unhappy at the misconduct of their near relations, as if they were themselves the guilty persons. Nothing can be more unjust,-nothing more opposite to reason and humanity !—So cruel a slavery it is to be hoped, will one day cease, but it cannot at present be combatted by an individual; it must be submitted to as one of the inevitable calamities of life.

THE VARIOUS CONDITIONS OF HUMAN LIFE.

IT ever has been my belief that the portion of happiness allotted to every individual of the human species, is much more equal than people, judging from a cursory survey of events are disposed to allow. We imagine our neighbours to have more felicity than ourselves, because the dark side of their affairs is not exposed to our view. Domestick troubles-dissentions between a married couple; perverseness of children; narrowness of circumstances; neglect of friends-particulars of a nature too humiliating to be permitted to pass under the publick cyc, are carefully concealed within our own bosom ; therefore we believe that others who preserve the same caution, are exempt from the infelicities we secretly experience; and as small things,

more than great, compose the sum of human happiness, we bring ourselves in creditors; and for this reason, pleasure is of a light and flitting nature, it passes off, and is forgotten; while trouble of an equal balance is long remembered.

The varied destinies of man, may aptly be compared to the month of April. The days of some people begin with clouds and end with the clearest sky. Others, have bright mornings, which are suddenly obscured. Some enter this world and leave it in the smiles of fortune, but their noontide hour is overcast : some on the contrary have a fair meridian, after a dull beginning, and as dull a termination. The life of one, is, throughout, neither fine nor otherwise; while that of his neigbour is a perpetual succession of storms and the most brilliant atmosphere; but none, none are cloudless!

row.

BENEVOLENCE OF PIETY.

OH! how sweet is it to the soul to become an humble instrument in the hands of Providence to preserve one human being from sin or sorBut to find that very being suddenly sensible of your exertions! to enjoy the luxury of being praised! this is the only adulation which the heart can receive without a reproof from the understanding.

ANECDOTE OF PRINCE DE REUSS.

ONE of the princes of Reuss, when at the court of the king of Poland, Poniatowski, deceived by the lordly attitude of one of the high officers in attendance, mistook him for the king, and was beginning to compliment his supposed majesty, as circumstances required. Being somewhat rudely informed of his error, by the haughty lord whom he addressed, he meditated a proportionate revenge. During the evening while playing at cards with the king, he called "the king of hearts"—but placed the knave [in German the valet] " Prince, said Poniatowski, you do not play the card you called”—Sir, replied the prince, I beg ten thousand pardons of your majesty; I am to day in the strangest humour for blundering imaginable: it is the second time this very evening that I have taken a VALET for a KING.

ORATORICAL ACTION.

THE eloquent and learned Dr. Darwin, in the passages cited below, admits the effects of oratorical gesture, particularly in the last line. In the former passage he mentions the association between the gestures and the passion. This is an important fact for the attention of the orator,