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scious of anything that had been said for the last hour, and taking the intimation as a serious one, Avonmore rose, and apologizing for his inattention, returned thanks to the company for the honour they had done him by drinking his health.

There was a curious character, a Sergeant Kelly, at the Irish bar. He was, in his day, a man of celebrity. Curran gave us some odd sketches of him. The most whimsical peculiarity, however, of this gentleman, and which, as Curran described it, excited a general grin, was an inveterate habit of drawing conclusions directly at variance with his premises. He had acquired the name of Counsellor Therefore. Curran said that he was a perfect human personification of a non sequitur. For instance, meeting Curran one Sunday near St. Patrick's, he said to him, "The Archbishop gave us an excellent discourse this morning. It was well written and well delivered; therefore, I shall make a point of being at the Four Courts to-morrow at ten." At another time, observing to a person whom he met in the street, "What a delightful morning this is for walking!" he finished his remark on the weather, by saying, "therefore, I will go home as soon as I can, and stir out no more the whole day."

His speeches in Court were interminable, and his therefores kept him going on, though every one thought that he had done. The whole Court was in a titter when the Sergeant came out with them, whilst he himself was quite unconscious of the cause of it.

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as nearly as you can in the order, in the manner, and on the principles on which they studied. Study nature attentively, but always with those masters in your company; consider them as models which you are to imitate, and at the same time as rivals with whom you are to contend."

This precept should be the motto to every work and every criticism on art. It should be inscribed in letters of gold in every academy, gallery, exhibition-room, and painters' study throughout the world. As a proof that it is not a string of unmeaning words founded on blind adoration of antiquity, there should be placed nigh to the inscription, works of Raphael, Michael Angelo, and Titian, as criterions to be reverted to for the guidance of the artist, and as a preservative from the effects of modern exhibitions, and from the "seduction" deprecated by Sir Joshua Reynolds "of the ambition of pleasing indiscriminately the mixed multitude of people who resort to them."

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Claremont, which finally proved successful. Under this mode of treatment a branch of blossoms was produced, between two and three feet long, and composed of some hundreds of large flowers, resplendent with scarlet and yellow. The plant has the remarkable property of living wholly upon air. It is suspended by the Chinese from the ceilings of their rooms, which are thus adorned by its beauty and perfumed by its fragrance.

EDUCATION IN THE NETHERLANDS.

At Mons, in the Netherlands, a monthly journal is published, devoted to the purposes of primary and higher instruction. The last number contains a dialogue between the pastor of a parish and his parishioner, who is alarmed at the very name of learning. The worthy curate, in language appropriate to the prejudices of his hearer, at last succeeds in making him comprehend, that in less time than was formerly spent in learning to read, many elementary notions might now be acquired in writing, arithmetic, drawing, history, and geography. The peasant, however, is not convinced at first that any thing more is necessary for young people beyond some know ledge of arithmetic, but in a subsequent dialogue, yields to the overwhelming arguments of his instructer. In general, we cannot bestow too much praise on the government of the Netherlands for the pains it takes to diffuse the blessings of education among the very poorest of the people, well convinced that education is the grand safeguard of public morals and happiness.

NAVARINO.

The site of the late engagement is an example of the loveliness of Grecian scenery. The spacious bay, whose waters are of that deep blue peculiar to southern climes, where the heavens they reflect are pure and cloudless, is enclosed by a picturesque range of majestic mountains, whose flanks, broken into ridges warmed and brightened by the sun,

and into valleys, whose deep recesses collect in their flight the dissipated shadows, present those sublime ef fects of light and shade, which the hand of nature, and of nature only, can produce. These mountains, as

they rise above the mass formed by their intermingled bases, divide into peaks, often bold and rugged; and where opposed to the meridian sun, their divers hues heightened by its rays, form a delightful contrast of colour with the deep azure of the sky on which the summits trace their outline. The shores are varied by promontories, whitened by the foam of the waves breaking incessantly at their feet, and by receding creeks, on whose shelving beach the surfless waters advance and retire without obstruction. On one side, the modern Navarino, with its walls and citadel and bastion, rises on the steep declivity of the cone-topped Mount Temathia; and on the other, the ruins of old Navarino, the Pylos of the ancients, the city of the venerable son of Neleus, crown the heights. Off the point, in which the land here terminates, the Coryphaison of the Lacedæmonians, lies the rocky isl and of Sphacteria, so celebrated in the annals of Greece, closing and defending the entrance to the bay.

In

Two-and-twenty centuries have elapsed since the Athenian and Spartan triremes struggled for mastery in the bay of Pylos, and again the beautiful haven has become the theatre of strife for hostile navies. Yet, how different the scene! the place of contest between flotillas of galleys, manoeuvring to sink their antagonists by the simple blow of a rostrum ; instead of combats hand to a; hand, with sword and buckler; the vast three deckers of modern nations make the shores of Navarin echo with their artillery. The clamour of the combatants is drowned in the roar of the cannon, and in the explosion of floating fortresses. Rival nations no longer contending, but now inspired by mutual emulation, seem animated by the more generous sentiments of our nature

by feelings such as those which Napoleon knew how to touch with effect, as incentives to glorious deeds, when within sight of the pyramids of Egypt, he reminded his troops that twenty ages looked down upon their actions.

STEAM COACHES.

sons of the male sex, in the different professions immediately connected with printing and engraving and more than half that number are united in provident societies, which guarantee them from the need of relief from an hospital: but of the 300,000 individuals of other callings which Paris contains, only 10,330, a little more than a thirtieth part, belong to any friendly societies; it is thence fairly inferred, there is fifteen times more sense and care among the journeyman printers, than among the members of all the other callings followed in the French capital.

LITERARY MEETINGS.

People are, just now, talking a quantity of most superlative nonsense against the steam-coaches. They will blow up, forsooth, and they will destroy the breed of draught-horses. As for their blowing up, accidents, doubtless, at first will occasionally happen; but, pray, was not the Manchester mail upset a few months ago, the Leeds coach a few weeks ago, and the Chester mail a few days ago? And were there not lives lost in each of these instances? With respect to the breed of horses, when we want them no longer, why, in folly's name, should we continue to breed them? But, then, the farmers will be obliged to give up growing oats. Yes; and so, thirty years ago, were the Birmingham people obliged to discontinue making shoe-buckles. "Oh!" says some worthy countrygentleman, who receives three letters in the month, and writes one, "I'm sure we get our post quite soon enough; what do a few hours more or less signify?" "Why, a letter, arriving a few hours sooner or later, may signify to a merchant half his fortune, or to any one of us the happiness of a life-time, nay, that life itself. Moreover you drive horses to death for the same purpose which steam will answer without any inhumanity at all." "But these steamengines are innovations." "There you have me; I cannot answer that; but I may observe, so were, in their It seems not to be generally day, coats, waistcoats, and breeches; known, that apples may be kept the houses, beds, sea-coal fires, and roast- whole year round by being immersed beef. in corn, which receives no injury PROVIDENCE OF THE PARISIAN PRINT- from their contact. If the American

ERS.

Of the total amount of members of the provident societies of Paris, the number of individuals connected with the press, forms a fourth part. Paris gives employment to 6000 per

The monthly dinners given by the Editor of the "Revue Encyclopedique," during the last nine years, have an interest and a peculiarity of character which no other re-union of this nature possesses. Celebrated individuals of every nation then meet for the purposes of literary or social intercourse, and for destroying those baneful prejudices which formerly set nations in array against each other, and perpetuated enmities which a more frank and cordial intercourse might have altogether prevented. At a recent meeting of this nature, we observed natives of Britain, Russia, Poland, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Dalmatia, Moldavia, Italy, Corfu, Greece, Spain, the Netherlands, &c., together with many Frenchmen. Learned men, in short, of every nation, then meet to communicate those ideas which may afterwards become the fruitful germ of civilization over far distant countries.

MODE OF KEEPING APPLES.

apples were packed among grain, they would arrive here in much finer condition. In Portugal, it is customary to have a small ledge in every apartment, (immediately under the cornice,) barely wide enough to hold

an apple in this way the ceilings are fringed with fruit, which are not easily got at without a ladder; while one glance of the eye serves to show if any depredations have been committed.

BELL RINGING.

A poor Swiss, who was in the mad-house of Zurich, was rather afflicted by imbecility than madness, and was allowed his occasional liberty, which he never abused. All his happiness consisted in ringing the bells of the parish church; of this he was somehow deprived, and it plunged him into despair. At length he sought the governor, and said to him, "I come, sir, to ask a favour of you. I used to ring the bells; it was the only thing in the world in which I could make myself useful, but they will not let me do it any longer. Do me the pleasure then of cutting off my head; I cannot do it myself, or I would save you the trouble." Such an appeal produced his re-establishment in his former honours, and he died ringing the bells.

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PARAPHRASE OF THE 19TH PSALM.

That beautiful paraphrase of the 19th Psalm, beginning with "The spacious firmament on high," generally attributed to Addison, was really written by the patriot, Andrew Marvel. This was one night referred to at the Literary Club, where Dr. Johnson was present: when he, taking off his hat, went through the whole hymn with a solemnity so impressive, as deeply to affect his attentive auditors. The general appearance of the doctor was harsh and repulsive, but on this occasion, his features were brightened into an almost celestial mildness and serenity.

DILATORY INCLINATIONS.

Mr. Peel, Secretary for the Home Department, when speaking in the House of Commons of the Lord Chancellor, (Eldou,) said, that to apply the words of the poet to that noble Lord, "even his failings leaned to virtue's side." A gentleman present remarked that in that case his lordship's failings resembled the leaning tower of Pisa, which, in spite of its long inclination, had never yet gone over!

EFFEMINACY OF THE ROMANS.

The Romans, said Nigrinus to Lucian, dare to speak truth once in their lives-when they make their wills; and what use do they make of this liberty? why, to command some favourite robe to be burnt with them, some particular slave to keep watch by the sepulchre, some particular garland to be hung about the urn! And this is the end of a life spent in being carried on soft litters to luxurious baths, slaves strutting before, and crying to the bearers to beware of the puddles, and gorging at banquets, and being visited at noon-day by physicians, and all the bustle and tumult of the hippodrome, all the noise about statues to charioteers, and the naming of horses.

These are the gentry whose fin. gers are SO overburthened with rings, whose hair is so fantastically curled out, who answer one's humblest salute by proxy, and who are accustomed, nevertheless, to see beggars become viceroys, and viceroys beggars, as at the shifting of a

scene.

VACCINATION.

Before the introduction of vaccination into the new world, one hundred thousand Indians were destroyed by the smallpox in one year in the single province of Quito. The late Duke of York said, that "in the Military Asylum not one unsuccessful case in vaccination had happened in the course of twenty years."

OF THE

ENGLISH MAGAZINES.

NO. 6.]

BOSTON, JUNE 15, 1828.

[VOL. 9, N. s.

W

SKETCHES OF CONTEMPORARY AUTHORS.
No. II.-MR. WORDSWORTH.

ITH what different feelings do
we write this name, from those
with which it will be seen by (we
fear) a large proportion of our read-
ers!
A few have read the works of
Wordsworth, and disapprove; many
have not read them, and therefore
condemn; the rest, among whom are
we, think of him as of one greater,
and purer from vulgar meannesses,
than to belong exclusively to our
generation, and yet connected with
it by deep sympathies, by a thousand
gentle and strong associations, and
by the noblest moral influence.-
Wherefore this variety of conviction?
Partly because the public taste has
been in a large degree formed by
very different models from that pre-
sented by this great poet; partly be
cause it has been much misled by
evil guidance; but chiefly because
his poems require in their readers a
far more majestic state of feeling,
and more active exercise of reason,
than are to be found among ordinary
men. Of our own belief we shall
now offer some explanation.

At the period of the change of dynasty, in 1688, however necessary it may have been to take strong measures for the purpose of saving our bishops from martyrdom, and our venerable ancestors from a Popish explosion; there was at least as much need of a revolution in poetry as in Government. Indeed, from the time of the death of Milton until our own generation, there was scarcely a

26 ATHENEUM, VOL. 9, 2d series.

mind in England, and not one of the highest order, whereof a trace remains, that dreamed of acting upon the feelings through the imagination, by the aid of any more powerful engines than the passions and modes of reasoning which display themselves on the surface of human intercourse, and, as they spring from nothing essential in man's nature, are perpetually shifting and passing away. The muse was dressed like a lady on a birth-night, with a toupee and patches, a stomacher and a hoop-petticoat. Her offspring were mere vague shadows, with a certain conventional inanity of feature; and the heroes of poetry were only more interesting than the mutes who clear the stage between the acts of a play, by being more sillily irritable, more ludicrously fierce, and fonder of words of six syllables, than are real and living men ;-while the way to bring a description or event home to the feelings of every reader, and to impress it vividly on his imagination, was by comparing it to something in the scandalous chronicle of Greek or Roman mythology; by arraying it in a patched garment of classical allusion; by calling a breeze" a zephyr," and a rivulet "the Naiad of the crystal flood."

The dynasty of this gentle dulness was destined, however, to be shaken and overthrown, in the midst of its most triumphant imbecility. Threefourths of the eighteenth century

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