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the mountain by the side of this burning river, that he was obliged to retire in haste, the sulphureous steam having surprised him, and almost taken away his breath. They returned about three in the morning, hearing constantly the murmur and groaning of the mountain, that now and then burst into louder peals, throwing up huge spouts of fire and burning stones, which in their fall resembled the stars in our rockets. Sometimes there appeared two or three distinct columns of flame, and sometimes only a single one, that seemed to fill the whole crater. It was judged that the flames and fiery stones were shot more than a thousand feet perpendicular above the summit of the volcano; which continued raging in this manner, more or less, till the 18th, when the whole appearance ended, and the mountain remained perfectly quiet.

By one of the ancient eruptions of this mountain, in the reign of Titus, the city of Herculaneum was overwhelmed by a stream of the lava. Upon digging in those parts in the years 1689, and 1711, some remains of that unfortunate city were discovered; but since the year 1738, farther searches having been made, at a considerable expense, stately buildings were found; and from among the rubbish, have been taken a multiplicity of invaluable antiquities, as paintings, statues, busts, books, furniture, and various utensils.

Mr. Keysler observes, that though mount Vesuvius often fills the neighbouring country with terror, yet as few things in nature are so absolutely noxious as not to produce some good, even this raging volcano, by its sulphureous and nitrous manure, and the heat of its subterraneous fire, contributes not a little to the uncommon ferL

tility of the country about it, and the profusion of fruit, herbage, &c. with which it is every where covered. Those are observed to be the most fertile spots which abound in sulphur, salt-petre, &c.; and if such igneous and inflammable substances were pent up, their fermentations and ebullition would be productive of the most calamitous effects; whereas they find a vent through these volcanoes. Experience shews, that earthquakes, after any continued eruptions of Vesuvius, are neither so frequent, nor produce such fatal effects, as at other times. Hence the inhabitants are far from being alarmed at this mountain's vernal eruptions, when they are not violent; and the air is so far from being rendered unhealthy by them, that Barra, a village at the foot of Vesuvius, near the sea, is remarkable for its healthfulness. To these advantages it may be added, that M. de la Condamine observes, that the above lava, or liquid matter, on its cooling, forms solid masses, surpassing in hardness, even that of marble; whence tables, chimney pieces, and even snuff-boxes are made of it. With this matter the city of Naples is paved; the pavement of Rome is also composed of the same materials, as are likewise a great part of the ancient Roman highways. -Wonders of Nature and Art.

68. Directions for Behaviour in Company. WHEN you are in company, talk often, but never long; in that case, if you do not please, at least you are sure not to tire your hearers. Inform yourself of the characters and situations of the company before you give way to what your imagination may prompt you to say. There are, in all companies, more wrong heads than right

ones, and many more who deserve censure than like it. Should you therefore expatiate in the praise of some virtues which some in the company notoriously want, or declaim against any vice, with which others are notoriously infected; your reflections, however general and un-applied, will, by being applicable, be thought personal, and levelled at those people. This consideration points out to you sufficiently, not to be suspicious and captious yourself, nor to suppose that things, because they may be, are therefore, meant at you.

Tell stories very seldom, and absolutely never but when they are very apt and very short. Omit every circumstance that is not material, and beware of digressions. To have frequent recourse to narrative betrays great want of imagination. Never hold any person by the button, or the hand, in order to be heard out; for, if people are not willing to hear you, you had much better hold your tongue than they.

Long talkers generally single out some unfortunate man in company to whisper, or at least in a half voice to convey a continuity of words to. This is excessively ill-bred, and, in some degree, a fraud; conversation stock being a joint and common property. But if one of these unmerciful talkers lays hold of you, hear him with patience, and at least seeming attention, if he is worth obliging; for nothing will oblige him more than a patient hearing, as nothing would hurt him more than either to leave him in the midst of his discourse, or to discover your impatience under your affliction.

There is nothing so brutally shocking, as a seeming inattention to the person who is speaking to you; and I have known many a man knocked down for a much slighter provocation than that

inattention which I mean. I have seen many people who, while you are speaking to them, instead of looking at and attending to you, fix their eyes upon the ceiling, or some other part of the room, look out of the window, play with a dog, twirl their snuff-box, or pick their nose. Nothing discovers a little, futile, frivolous mind more than this, and nothing is so offensively ill-bred; it is an explicit declaration on your part that every, the most trifling object deserves your attention more than all that can be said by the person who is speaking to you. Judge of the sentiments of hatred and resentment, which such treatment must excite in every breast where any degree of self-love dwells. I repeat it again and again, that this sort of vanity and self-love is inseparable from human nature, whatever may be its rank or condition; even your footman will sooner forget and forgive a beating than any manifest mark of slight and contempt. Be, therefore, not only really, but seemingly and manifestly, attentive to whoever speaks to you.

It is considered the height of ill manners to interrupt any person while speaking, by speaking yourself, or calling off the attention of the company to any new subject. This, however, every child knows take, rather than give the subject of the company you are in. If you have parts, will shew them, more or less, upon every subject; and, if you have not, you had better talk sillily upon a subject of other people's choosing than of your own.

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When you oppose or contradict any person's assertion or opinion, let your manner, your air, your terms, and your tone of voice be soft and gentle; and that easily and naturally, not affectedly. Use palliatives when you contradict; such

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as, I may be deceived, I am not sure, but I believe, I should rather think,' &c. Finish any argument or dispute with some little good-humoured pleasantry, to shew that you are neither hurt yourself nor meant to hurt your antagonist; for an argument, kept up a good while, often occasions a temporary alienation on each side. Chesterfield.

69.-Attention.

A MAN is fit for neither business nor pleasure, who either cannot, or does not command and direct his attention to the present object, and, in some degree, banish, for that time, all other subjects from his thoughts. If, at a ball, a supper, or a party of pleasure, a man were to be solving, in his own mind, a problem of Euclid, he would be a very bad companion, and make a poor figure in that company; or if, in studying a problem in his closet, he were to think of a minuet, I am apt to believe that he would make a very poor mathematician.

There is time enough for every thing in the course of the day, if you do but one thing at once: but there is not time enough in the year, if you will do two things at a time.

This steady and undissipated attention to one object is a sure mark of a superior genius; as hurry, bustle, and agitation are the never-failing symptoms of a weak and frivolous mind.

Indeed, without attention, nothing is to be done: want of attention, which is really want of thought, is either folly or madness. You should not only have attention to every thing, but a quickness of attention, so as to observe, at once, all the people

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