their nature. When she introduced them into the world, at the age when it is proper that they should appear there, they were the admiration of all who bebeld them. Such a woman as this, OLD MAID as she was, ought not surely to be sentenced to lead apes in hell. What then are the charactersfor proverbs, figurative as they may be, are generally founded in justice, and are the offspring of experience-what then, I say, are the characters to whose ancient virginity punishment might be justly applied? I will endeavour to tell you. Sophia had formed a resolution never to marry, unless the ardent proposition of love was accompanied with a title; and a title never presented itself. Leonora was convinced, that she should be disgraced if her bridegroom did not take her to church in his coach and four; and no one appeared to make her that offer but in a carriage and pair. Henrietta had formed the determined whimsey to make it an essential in the gentleman whom she would favour with her hand, that he should be in a rank of life to render it necessary for her to be presented at court; but the courtiers proceeded no further than compliments and congées, and, in their addresses to her, not an hymeneal expression escaped them. Litterella, my fourth and last, who piqued herself upon her epistolary writing, and had more correspondents than any young lady of her age, or perhaps any age, in the kingdom, determined never to marry a man who could not frank her letters; and neither peer nor member of parliament appeared to || perform that office upon the proposed conditions. The ladies, however, had one vir tue; they maintained their respective resolutions, consequently became OLD MAIDS for their folly, and deserve to lead apes in hell. But why, it may be said, of all the beasts of the forest, are apes selected as the associates of this punishment? I have only to conjecture, that for the whimsical weakness, to say no more of such ancient misses as I have described, in refusing rational marriage with man, they are proverbially condemned to the society of that animal who bears the most disgusting resemblance of him. But to console the amiable, sensible, and which may be considered as the unfortunate class of the maiden sisterhood, I shall conclude with the sentiments of a distinguished poet, who seems to have been influenced by what he felt, as a humane wish to make some amends for the insult of this injurious proverb, by assigning a place to old maids of the better description in his poetical elysium. "Turn to this cheerful band, and mark in this Spirits who justly claim my realms of bliss! Most lovely these! when judged by generous truth, Though beauty is not theirs, nor blooming youth; For these are they, who, in life's thorny shade, Reluctant bore the name of ancient maid No proud disdain, no narrowness of heart, Held them from Ilymen's tempting rites apart, But fair Discretion led them to withdraw To quit the object of no hasty choice, The valued lover with a sigh resign, Imperious mockery and coarse contempt; 'Twas theirs to clasp, each selfish care above, No throbbing joy their spotless bosom fir'd, Which the heart whispers to the worthy mind. DESCRIPTION OF THE VALLEY OF CHAMOUNI. THE valley of Chamouni is situ- | scends near the forges of Servos, ated in the province of Faussigny, towards the Arve, which is crossed which belongs to Savoy, and while by the bridge of Pelissier: on the that country was incorporated with other side the road again rises above the French empire, formed a por- the river, and still more at the foot tion of the department of Leman. of Mont Lacha. This last portion On the south it is separated from of it is uncommonly wild. BeItaly by the lofty range of Mont tween overhanging rocks and beBlanc; Mont Breven and the Ai-neath lofty pines, the whitish waters guilles Rouges form its north side; of the Arve dash foaming into a on the east, towards the Valais, it deep chasm. Mont Blanc, whose is bounded by the Col de Balme, summit is at first visible on the left, and on the west by Mont Lacha. now presents its whole form, so From north-east to south-west it is that you see it at a little distance from 15 to 20 miles in length, and before you. The glaciers of La not more than one in breadth. Gria and Taconnay, which appear suspended between prodigious ridges of rocks over the head of the traveller, seem to threaten the vil The Arve rises at the foot of the Col de Balme, and in its course collects the streams that issue from various glaciers around Montlages built at their foot with ineviBlanc; it traverses the whole valley longitudinally, and quitting it at the foot of Mont Lacha, discharges its turbid current into the Rhone, not far from Geneva. table destruction. Here the valley of Chamouni is first discovered on the left. Its cheerful aspect forms an extraordinary contrast to the wild country which you have just traversed. The whole valley gradually opens; the Arve inclines sometimes to one side, sometimes to the other; it is diversified with fine arable land, charming pastures and meadows, and villages planted with shady trees. The magnificent glacier of Bosson, and farther on the ice-field of Bois, descend com There is no access to this valley except by the two ends. The road which leads from Geneva to its lower part, being the better of the two, is most frequented. Beyond Salenche, where carriages are left, it is, however, passable only for small light vehicles, called chars à banc, which are taken to pieces by the drivers at bad parts of the road, and after-pletely into the valley; their azure wards put together again. When spires overtop the summits of the the traveller has passed the plain pines by which they are accompaof Salenche, the road rises at the nied to the limits of vegetation, village of Chede, and again de-where nothing but naked blocks of granite vary the surface of the || from Chamouni, over the Forclas soil. and the Col de Balme, to the glaciers. In the middle of the valley is its capital, Chamouni, or the Prieuré : from this village the more distant excursions are undertaken. Travellers here find clean inns and good attendance, rarely met with, except in towns, and not expected in so sequestered a spot. The medium temperature of the valley of Chamouni, which is 528 fathoms above the surface of the sea, and at the foot of mountains covered with everlasting snow, is cold and unfavourable to agriculture; no wheat is sown there, the only kinds of corn being barley and oats: potatoes yield an abundant produce; flax thrives remarkably well; and the honey is delicately white and of an aromatic flavour. A peculiar advantage possessed by the soil of this valley, consists in the facility with which, after it has been several years under corn, it is converted into natural From the upper extremity of the valley two roads lead from Chamouni into the Valais, but both are impassable even for the lightest carriage. They commence at the village of Argentière, two leagues from the Prieuré; the one runs to the left, through Valerfine, over the Tête Noire; the other, which is the longer of the two, leads through the village of Tour, down a steep declivity, to the Col de Balme. A little eminence by the road-side, 1181 fathoms above the surface of the sea, presents one of the most delightful distant views of the Alps. Towards the Valais, you see its extensive plain, and the long chain of inaccessible glaciers and rocks by which it is bounded, and which terminates at Mount Furka, at the distance of 30 leagues. On the other side the eye rests upon the gigantic figure of Mont Blanc: the less elevated peaks which surround it, seem designed merely to make it appear more lofty by com-meadows, probably owing to the parison; as the immeasurable fields of ice that encircle it, and extend in long branches into the valley, appear destined to complete its magnificent outline. At its feet is spread the valley of Chamouni, in which you discern Argentière, Tinnes, several others of its vil-strength to resist the severe cold lages, and the Prieuré. Both roads lead to the village of Trient, where the traveller crosses the Forclas, 778 fathoms above the level of the sea, and descends to Martinach. Persons going from France by the road of the Simplon to Italy, are not unfrequently induced to make an excursion from this place, which is only nine leagues fertilizing humidity which is kept up by the vicinity of the mountains. Few kinds of fruit-trees thrive in the valley of Chamouni. The summer is too short, and the night frosts too common, to allow the young stocks to acquire sufficient of winter. The shortness of the summer has occasioned a remarkable practice for hastening the melting of the snow, when its great accumulation would otherwise delay the labours of the field: upon the snow which covers the field intended to be sown, the inhabitants strew black mould, which, by absorbing the sun's rays in greater quantity, promotes the melting of the snow, and thus forwards the operations of agriculture a fortnight or three weeks. The inhabitants of Chamouni were distinguished by purity and simplicity of manners, but the increased intercourse with strangers has produced a change for the worse. The money introduced by these means has taught them the value of that commodity, and excited a desire to obtain it: but still the people of the valley are honest, kind, and courteous to travellers, from whom they derive much use Cattle constitute the chief wealth of the people of Chamouni: thus the property of each is calculated by the number of cows he can keep in winter. In summer the horned cattle feed in the numerous commou pastures, whose vegetation is sheltered by the mountains that inclose the valley: but for their sup-ful knowledge. Their conversaport during the long and severe winter, a considerable stock of hay, and consequently a proportionate extent of meadow, is required. The few mules that are met with in the valley, are kept for the service of travellers and for the conveyance of goods. For some years past sheep have been bred here, and they thrive very well. The first visit of public notoriety to this remarkable valley took place in 1741. The celebrated traveller Pococke, after his return from the East, and another Englishman, named Windham, discovered this till then unknown region. The inhabitants of the valley of Chamouni had previously been considered in the light of savages, and Mont Blanc, with the surrounding peaks, were denominated-the accursed mountains. About 1760 it began to be more commonly visited, and the interesting account of M. de Saussure rendered it generally known, so that now it is perhaps one of the most frequented tracts in Europe. tion is in general agreeable, and many of them possess a very minute acqaintance with the natural relations of their country. Though not of large stature, these people are well made and robust; they are seen with light and sure step ascending and descending, under considerable burdens, steep paths, where a foreigner could not follow without trembling. The women too are strongly built: it is they who perform most of the labours of the field, while the men are engaged in tending the flocks on the neighbouring mountains, or in accompanying travellers as guides. These, however, are not the only employments of the men ; some of them go in summer to the country of Tarantaise and the valley of Aosta, to make cheese; others wander to still more distant parts; and those who remain at home, ascend the lofty mountains and the upper parts of the glaciers, to collect crystals, rare stones, plants, or insects. DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLAND OF SARK. THE small island of Sark, situat- || gem by which the English recovered between Guernsey and Jersey, ed possession of it from France, is but little known; and the strata-perhaps still less so. The island of Sark is situated about four leagues to the south-east of Guernsey, in the centre of that cluster of islands which lie opposite to the coast of France. As these islands formed part of the duchy of Normandy at the time of the Conqueror's invasion, they became of course dependencies on the English crown; to which, with little interruption, they have ever since belonged. In the year 1549 the French possessed themselves of the island of Sark; where they built forts, and kept it for some years. It was, however, recovered by an English captain, by means of a stratagem not less singular and successful, than that of the celebrated Trojan horse. In the reign of Queen Elizabeth, the island of Sark being wholly possessed by the French, of which nation are most of the inhabitants to this day, a sea captain, apprehending that its neighbourhood, if it continued in French hands, might one time or other be of ill consequence to Jersey and Guernsey, the only remaining trophies of our French conquests and possessions, solicited of the queen a commission to reduce it to her obedience. Her Majesty told him, that the place was so small, and the attempt so hazardous, that she feared the loss of men would be more damage, than its taking would be of advantage: for you must note, that the passage down to La Soguion was not made, nor did it appear half so accessible as it does now. But our captain replied, "that if her Majesty would give him command and necessaries, he durst assure her he would set English colours there, without the loss of a man." The queen yielded to his importunity; and he put to sea with a hundred resolute men, and after cruizing awhile up and down, came and lay before this island, in the character of a homeward-bound merchantman, and sending in his boat with several taking commodities, three or four of his men were suffered to land. With these the people traded for a day or two with much amity; and then they told the islanders, that having been a long trading voyage to the Straits, their master, who died lately, had engaged them not to throw his corpse overboard, but inter it with Christian burial in the very place where they should first touch ground: therefore they desired the Christian favour of them, that they might lay him in their church-yard, and that a few of them might be permitted to come on shore, without any arms, to perform the ceremony. The credulous people consented; our captain and about twenty of his stoutest men, with a coffin, and much seeming solemnity, went on shore, the natives assisting them to get their coffin up the precipice; but no sooner were they arrived at the church, than clapping to the door, as if they had some private devotions to celebrate, at which the inhabitants might not be present, they opened the coffin, filled, instead of a corpse, with instruments of death; and arming themselves in an instant, killed the small French guard that offered to resist, fetching more of their company from the landing-place, and in five hours time, without the loss of one man, made themselves masters of the whole island, which has ever since boasted the honour of being part |