EPIC POETRY.

An epic poet should never admit in his composition any points or verbal witticisms, as such a conduct would pronounce him no poet or man of genius, but a trifler. Quintilian says of Seneca, that he violated the importance of his matter by a frivolous style. Ovid is blamed, because in his Metamorphoses, describing the creation of the world, he introduces the wolves and sheep living in amity: the circumstance being more amusing than grand..

STYLES.

I think I may speak learnedly on this subject, as I have passed twenty-five years of my life in the perusal of Greek and Latin authors of the best character. I look upon Tacitus as a poor writer and historian. His style consists of antitheses and a studied reserve of language. One page of Q. Curtius outweighs thirty of Tacitus. For three years I carried this author in my pocket: and in one copy I marked every line.. I do

not think he would make a good statesman; he may enable a man to be a wary courtier, by shewing him the arts of a court.

I

never knew a man of sense praise Tacitus. The Italians, who are distinguished for their sagacity, hold Tacitus in no estimation. This author's style is very easy to be imitated. A friend of mine, M. Belesbat, could write very fluently after his manner.

WIND AND RAIN.

Aristotle is mistaken when he answers

this question, Why rain stills the wind?" He says that the waters stop the pores of the earth. This is a fallacy. If it were true, there could be no wind in the sea.

*The science of electricity and some chemical knowledge of the properties of the air have of late given some light to the question of the cause of wind. It is known that air is expanded by heat, and its spring consequently increased, and its elasticity weakened by cold. When a fire is lighted in the open air, the rarified part of that fluid will ascend in a current, and the cooler and denser air will rush in on all sides. Hence a Wind is generated, &c. This fact leads to some useful inferences with regard to expecting and guarding against periodical winds in some degree. To predict an eclipse, said a late writer, is an object merely of curiosity; to predict an ap proaching storm would be of inconceivable benefit.

When it blows in one part of the world, it must then rain in the other. Wind is nothing else but the air in agitation, caused by the expansion of the clouds; which, to make room for themselves, drive it onward. On the contrary, the condensation of those vapours stops the wind and makes it fall; which happens in the time of rain descending, according to the saying, "a little rain stills a great wind."

CONSANGUINITY.

Tertullian applies his term of heraldry to theological tenets, but does not imply thereby similitude or agreement in doctrine, but extraction and succession genealogically: "Consanguinatem doctrinæ." A consanguinity of doctrine.

*Tertullian, the ardent defender of the christian faith, died in the reign of Antoninus Caracalla in 216. He was in his time the pride of his country Africa. His great work is his "Apology," and the best edition of it was printed at Venice, in folio, 1664. His genius strong and animated, gave a great vivacity to his writings; and the impetuosity of his temper, an obscurity: his style was compared to ebony, at once dark and splendid.

L'AVOCAT's Dict.

CORONATION.

There is a great difference between ceremonies of this nature, which are celebrated previously to the election or creation of a person, or any of his predecessors, to a crown, and those which are subsequent to such election or creation. Of this second sort was the coronation of Charlemagne, who was crowned emperor the first of his race, and of course his coronation is not analogous to the former*.

FOLLIES.

I look upon a man as not having his senses who pursues either of these enquiries: 1st. how to square the circle; how to double. the cube; how to discover perpetual motion; the philosopher's stone; the art of magic; and the science of judicial astrology. Young persons may apply their

Charles the great, after his various conquests in Britain, Italy, Saxony, &c. was crowned emperor of the West, by Pope Leo III. in 300, and assumed the titles of Cæsar and Augustus, with the Roman eagle as his standard.

minds to all things, but should not dwell on matters repugnant to reason.

FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE.

There are terms in speech, which in their origin were certainly figurative, but have from long usage laid aside their tralatitious meaning. When we say "A glass of water," we do not mean that the glass is composed of water, and use has made it clear that we signify a glass full of water, In the word "discourir," to "discourse," though originally in its figurative sense, means to run here and there; but by use it means exclusively, to discourse, or converse.

HISTORY.

In writing history we should observe the same rule as in colloquial narration," in qua ponere argumenta licet non argumentari ;" in which we should supply subject matter, but not comments upon it. An historian should not indulge himself in judging and deciding on facts in his own person, but leave them, after a perspicuous narration,