den. In the afternoon, and in fact for a greater part of the day, the retreat is sunless, and if the wind is southerly, a breeze comes up the river to make the spot delightfully cool. It was here, when in its rude state, that the Polish soldier and patriot sat in deep contemplation on the loves of his youth, and the ills his country had to suffer. It would be a grateful sight to him if he could visit it now, and find that a band of youthful soldiers had, as it were, consecrated the whole military grounds to his fame. His martial spirit would take fire in beholding such exact military maneuvers, as are exhibited by the scientific corps; and in the pride of his soul he would declare that a country who gave her sons such an education could never be conquered or enslaved. In a moody frame of mind I spent several hours, occasionally glancing on the pages of an old magazine I had taken to amuse myself in this retreat. As I pored over it, my eye caught a page containing some sketches of the genius and peculiarities of Raphael. Among other things, it was stated that when that great artist was engaged in embellishing with his pencil the three apartments of the Vatican, which are now the glory of Rome, that he sought relaxation and found relief by changing the subjects of his art. After having labored on his great Scripture piece, which he was unable to finish without penetrating the empyrean to catch a sight of celestial beings, or entering deep into the infernal regions to portray some friend, stretched "on the burning marle of hell," he threw aside all the sublime agonies of composition, and came down to light and playful subjects. He would often sketch a likeness of some singular looking person on his thumb nail, as the traveller passed his window; or call up to his mind the features of some loved maid, and leave her image on the margin of

a favorite book;-then, perhaps, he threw down his pencil, to catch up his pen, to write a sonnet to the eye-brow he had painted. By this course he acquired mental vigor to again reach "the heaven of invention" exhibited in his "TRANSFIGURATION," and other mighty works. In this moment of dreamy lassitude, the thought struck me forcibly, that this was true philosophy, and should be pursued by all who felt enfeebled by exertion, whether corporal or mental. The example indeed was a lofty one, but if in morals we are bound to take infinite perfection as a standard, and to imitate all the imitable portions of the character of the Author of the Christian religion, is there a want of modesty in following an illustrious example of manners and habits among men? thought no sooner entered my mind, than I resolved to try the experiment of recruiting myself by writing a series of short tales, and brief sketches, and before I left the garden, my subjects were all noted down.

The

These tales are mostly founded on incidents in real life, and several of them are not as singular or romantic as the facts or the chronicles from which they were drawn would warrant. A part of one of these tales, "The Lost Child," was written several years since, but circumstances prevented me from finishing it until now. The rest of them are as fresh as the blossoms of June were when I conceived the thought of writing them, whatever may be their beauty or perfume.

In a quotation I have made in "The Acllahua," from an article on the "Last of the Incas," it will be perceived that the spelling of several names is different from the one I have adopted, but I did not feel at liberty to alter any thing coming from the pen such an accurate and classical scholar as Caleb Cushing.

of

It is a maxim that every man should be devoted to some duty, as life is short; but most assuredly these duties ies ought not all to be severe exertions of mind. There should be some indulgence given to the imagination; some revelling in creations of our own : or why should God have given us the power of creating in the manner he has? Nor is it always the labor which most exhausts the body and mind, that is the most beneficial to society.

The botanist who discovers some new plant for food or medicine, does his duty as well as the sturdy artisan who fells the august pine destined for "the mast of some great amiral.”

It is not the heaviest work that requires the most mind to execute; the elegantly little often requires more skill than the vast and magnificent. It is unnecessary to say any thing more upon these little efforts of my leisure, as they contain no equivocal morals, nor advocate any strange doctrines.

THE PROVOST PRISON.

"The miserable have no other medicine,

But only hope!"

"I have hope to live, and am prepar'd to die."

THERE is no spot on earth, it is said, but has supplied a grave; and it may be added, there is no acre of ground we tread upon, but has, if we knew all about it, some epic tale that would consecrate its memory, and excite our lasting wonder. This doctrine was forcibly impressed upon my mind a few days since, as I was admiring the lights and shadows as they fell upon and between the Ionic columns of the finely proportioned Grecian building, on the east side of the Park, near the City Hall. As I stood gazing on the classic edifice, admiring its symmetry and beauty, a friend joined me, and on my informing him of the subject of my contemplation, he observed, I suppose you are acquainted with the fact that this building now turned to a Grecian Temple, was the old jail which was built many years before the revolutionary war, and was used as a provost prison, after the British took possession of the city of New-York, until the war closed. If these walls had a tongue, said he, how many tales of horror could they relate of suffering and death. Among the sad stories of the place, of the old Sugar-house, and the Jersey prison-ship, there

is one which was related to me by a brave officer of the revolutionary army, lately deceased, and which has fixed itself on my mind more distinctly than any other. The officer belonged to the American army, which in the autumn of 1776 was at West Chester. He was acting as commissary to the troops of the Massachusetts line, and when the stock of provisions grew scarce, he took a party of light infantry, and went out to collect some grain in the neighborhood. Some delay occurring by the breaking down of a wagon, the Americans were overtaken by a large body of the enemy, both infantry and cavalry, and after a sharp conflict the Americans retreated to a wood near them, and made their escape. The commissary was an accomplished swordsman, and being well mounted, he did not attempt to reach the wood, but making a desperate struggle for life and liberty, he rushed upon the cavalry, and cutting right and left, while his horse was in full speed, passed them with only a slight wound; but he had not galloped but a few rods, when another party of horsemen, coming from a cross road, made it impossible for him to escape, and he yielded himself a prisoner, which he did not consider much preferable to death, as all who were captured then were held as rebels, and liable to suffer death at the caprice of their captors; but that they might not proceed to extremities was all the consolation his case admitted of. British officers, among whom were many humane men, justified the severity then practised towards prisoners, on the plea that severity to a few would, in the end, be mercy to many, and stop the