PLUTARCH Compares envious persons to cuppingglasses, which ever draw the worst humours of the body to them: they are like flies, which resort only to the raw and corrupt parts of the body; or, if they light on a sound part, never leave blowing upon it until they have disposed it to putrefaction. When Momus could find no fault with the face in the picture of Venus, he picked a quarrel with her slippers; and so these malevolent persons, when they cannot blame the substance, will yet represent the circumstance of men's best actions with prejudice. This black shadow is still observed to wait upon those that have been the most illustrious for virtue, or remarkable for some kind of perfection and to excel in either has been made an unpardonable crime.

EXAMPLES.

MUTIUS, a citizen of Rome, was noted to be of such an envious and malevolent disposition, that Publius one day, observing him to be very sad, said, "Either some great evil has happened to Mutius, or some great good to another."

DIONYSIUS the tyrant (says Plutarch) out of envy punished Philoxenus the musician, because he could sing; and Plato the philosopher, because he could dispute better than himself.

In the reign of Tiberius Cæsar there was a portico at Rome that bowed outwards on one side very much. A certain architect undertook to set it right and straight ; he underpropped it every way on the upper part, and bound it about with thick cloths, and the skins and fleeces of sheep, and then, with the help of many engines, and a multitude of hands, he restored it to its former uprightness, contrary to the opinion of all men. Tiberius admired the fact, and envied the man; so that though he gave him money, he forbade his name to be inserted in the annals, and afterwards banished him from the city. This famous artificer afterwards presented himself in the presence of Tiberius, with a glass he had privily about him; and, while he implored the pardon of Tiberius, he threw the glass against the

ground; which was bruised and crushed together, but not broke, and which he readily put into its first form; hoping by this act to have gained his good favour and grace. But Tiberius's envy still increased; so that he caused him to be slain; adding, "That if this art of malleable glass should be practised, it would make gold and silver but cheap and inconsiderable things;" nor would he suffer his name to be put in the records.

MAXIMIANUS, the tyrant, through envy of the honours conferred on Constantine, and the virtues attributed to him by the people, contrived all that a desperate envy could invent, and a great virtue surmount. He first made him general of an army which he sent against the Sarmatians, supposing he would there lose his life. The young prince went thither, returned victorious, leading along with him the barbarian king in chains. On his return from this battle, the tyrant engaged him in a perilous encounter with a lion, which he purposely had caused to be let loose upon him. But Constantine, victorious over lions as well as men, slew him with his own hand, and impressed an incomparable opinion in the minds of his soldiers, which, easily gave him a passage to the throne, by the same degrees and means which were prepared for his ruin.

NARSES, the eunuch, was of the bed-chamber to Justinus the Emperor; and, from a seller of paper and books, arrived to the honour of succeeding the famous Belisarius in the place of generalissimo. After he had distinguished himself by a thousand gallant actions, at last, through envy or his ill-fortune, or the accusation of the people, he fell under the hatred of the Emperor Justinus and his Empress, insomuch that the Emperor sent him letters full of disgrace and reproach, advising him to return to the spindle and distaff. Narses was so incensed at this, that he swore he would weave them such a web as they should not easily undo again: and thereupon, to revenge the injury he conceived to be done him, he called in the Lombards to the invasion of the Roman territories, (which they had been long desirous of, but had hitherto been restrained by himself,) and was the occasion of many miseries.

ALEXANDER the Great, being recovered of a wound he had received, made a great feast for his friends; amongst whom was Coragus, a Macedonian, a man of great strength, and renowned for his valour; who, being heated with wine, challenged Dioxippus the Athenian, a wrestler, and who had been crowned for many victories. It was accepted, and the king himself appointed the day. Many thousands were met; and the two champions came to the place; Alexander himself, and the Macedonians, with their countryman; and the Grecians, with their Dioxippus, naked, and armed only with a club. Coragus, armed at all points, being at some distance from his enemy, threw a javelin at him ; which the other nimbly declined: then he sought to wound him with a long spear; which the other broke in pieces with his club: hereupon he drew his sword; but his nimble and strong adversary leaped upon him, threw him to the ground, set his foot upon his neck, advanced his club, and looked on the spectators as inquiring if he should strike; when Alexander commanded to spare him: so the day ended with great glory to Dioxippus. But the king departed, and from that day forward his mind was alienated from the victor: he fell also into the envy of the court, and all the Macedonians; who at a feast privily put a gold cup under his seat, made a feigned and public inquiry after it, and then pretended to find it with him; a concourse was about him, and the man, afflicted with shame, departed. When he came to his inn, he sent a letter to Alexander by his friends; wherein he related his innocence, and showed the envious villany that had been used to him: and that done, he slew himself. Alexander, upon notice of it, lamented him dead, whom he himself, as well as others, had envied while alive.

WHEN Richard the First, and Philip of France, were fellow-soldiers together in the siege of Acon in the Holy Land, and Richard had approved himself to be the more valiant man, insomuch that all men's eyes were fixed upon him, it so galled the heart of King Philip, that he was scarcely able to bear the glory of Richard, but cavilled at all his proceedings, and fell at

length to open defiance; nor could he contain any longer; but out of very envy, hasting home, he invaded his territories, and proclaimed open war.

WHEN Aristides, so remarkable for his inviolable attachment to Justice, was tried by the people at Athens, and condemned to banishment, a peasant, who was unacquainted with the person of Aristides, applied to him to vote against Aristides. "Has he done you any wrong," said Aristides, "that you are for punishing him in this manner?" "No," replied the countryman: I don't even know him; but I am tired and angry with bearing every one call him the Just."

LIVES OF CELEBRATED CHILDREN.-NO, III.

THE following interesting sketch was prepared by Mrs. Sigourney, for the March number of the Juvenile Miscellany. It is not often that the character and habits of an infant whose existence is comprised in a eircle of less than two and a half years, furnish materials for the biographer. Yet we are persuaded that our readers will be interested in the statement here presented to them, "on the truth of which," says Mrs. Sigourney, "they may implicitly rely."

Porter Brinsmade was born at Hartford, Conn. Feb. 28, 1827. His mother was impressed with the belief that the mind is susceptible of culture at an earlier period than is generally imagined. Thus at an age when infants are generally considered but little more than pleasing objects to the eye, or toys for a leisure hour, he was the subject of instruction and discipline. From the age of four months, his attention was directed at fitting intervals to surrounding objects, until the names of the articles of furniture, of his own dress, and parts of his body had become familiar. At ten months he commenced learning the alphabet, by the aid of small blocks of wood on which each letter was separately marked. This task was soon completed. Not that he was able at this infantine period to utter the correspondent sound; but when a letter was inquired for, he would produce it without mistake;

and

if one was placed in an inverted position by any other hand, would immediately restore it to its proper attitude. By the assistance of prints, pasted on cards, he was next taught the names of animals and birds, and a comprehensive system of natural history was judiciously unfolded to his view. He was encouraged to make himself completely master of one print, ere he was permitted to take another. Thus a basis was laid for habits of application, and the idle curiosity restrained, with which children are wont to wander from picture to picture. His parents, in showing him a landscape, of historical painting, enabled him to 1egard every object, however minute, with an accurate eye; and so retentive was his memory that what had been thoroughly impressed, he seldom forgot. There were few toys from which he derived satisfaction, but seemed to find pictures and books with the explanations with which they elicited, his principal delight. His careful treatment of the books was remarkable, and a little circumstance which occurred when he was quite young, undoubtedly contributed to produce it. He had torn the paper cover of a small volume. His mother remarked upon it with a serious countenance, and the members of the family, as they entered, mentioned what had been done in a tone of sadness.-Presently his lip quivered, and the tear glistened in his eye. The lesson had been sufficiently strong, and it was necessary to comfort him. Afterwards expensive volumes were fearlessly submitted to him, and the most splendid English annuals sustained no injury from his repeated examinations.

Geography, as exhibited on maps, became a favourite study, and ere he had numbered his second birthday, I saw him, with surprise and admiration, point out upon an atlas, seas, rivers, lakes and countries, without hesitation or error.

A short time after, I found that he had made acquaintance with the rudiments of Geometry, and was continually increasing his knowledge of printed works, which, with their definitions and combinations, in simple words and phrases, were rapidly initiating him into his native language. It may possibly be imagined