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English virtuofos have given more for a mere play-bill of his age, in hopes of important difcovery concerning him, than European literati have given for a "princeps editio" of the Grecian bard.

No complaint is more common among young men, who pretend to be learned, than that general female converfation is very infipid, because it principally turns upon weather, walking, fashions, vifits, company, and other chitchat. The charge is very ridiculous. Trifles compofe the frequent business of human life. "Little things are great to little man." Politicians and ftatefmen may alter laws and conftitutions; but the inferiour arrangements of human life, the common incidents of domestick economy, the ten thousand things of a pleafant day fpent in fashionable fociety, are important and immutable. The gentleman who can agreeably talk on all thefe minute actions and evanefcent circumstances, is more enviable than the scholar who difcourfes about books and algebra. The former has filver and current money, with which he may buy oranges, nuts, and playthings for his boys and girls; the other has mines of gold in barren places, which nobody wants or cares for.

THE Greek fcholar fhould have in his library Bos' Ellipfes, Vige

rus de Idiotifmis, and Hoogeveen's Doctrina Particularum. Every English Cantabrigian pores over the two firft; and the latter work, by a learned Dutchman, fometimes perplexes the ftudent, and aftonifhes the proficient. The Port Royal Greek Grammar and Scapula's Lexicon are abfolutely neceffary for him, who digs deep into the mine. Gibbon for fome time had only Hederic's Lexicon, but he gladly refigned it, when he was prefented with Conftantine's; yet this is not generally efteemed fo good as that of Scapula, and both are inferiour to the wonderful Thefaurus of Henry Stephens.

THE winter is gone and the pleafant fpring has returned. Now is the time to walk in the tender fields, or by the river fide in dry places. In a warm day at this feafon I like to pierce into the middle of a wood; to hear the fouth wind gently stir the old dry leaves; and liften to the large ground fly, as he buzzes round his winter's hole. This is to me better, than noise and the fong and the midnight dance. I envy not the gay daughters of pleasure. I love the fcenes of nature, the fresh fmell of morning, and on a high hill the diftant founds of village labour. If then I have a good confcience within, and Cowper in my hand, what to me are riches, honours, compliments, and fame?

THURSDAY LECTURE,

From the Bofton Weekly Magazine, Vol. I. No. 14.

No. 4.

1 Cor. xv. 53. This mortal must put on which feverely exercifes the mind

immortality. THIS to be fure is a very extraordinary propofition, and one

of every rational believer. To be told, that the body of man, which is fuftained by food, grows

to perfection, decays, dies, and corrupts like that of other animals, will hereafter be refufcitated and made a glorious and incorruptible body, is a doctrine so contrarious to prefent obfervation, that the deift immediately rejects it. But the marks of authenticity and truth which it bears convict him of extreme temerity. At least it merits a rigorous examination. Of all the proofs, and there are feveral, which are brought to its fupport, the weightieft and brighteft is the refurrection of Chrift. This argument, which is managed with great force in the context, lies in a small compafs, and is cafily apprehended. It is principally contained between the twelfth and twentieth verfes, and the fum of it is this. If there fhall be no refurrection of the virtuous, whence the refurrection of Jefus Chrift? If Jefus Chrift did not rife from the dead, your faith

in the gofpel is vain. If your faith in the gofpel is vain, we apoftles are of all men the greateft liars, and of all liars the greateft fools. For what do we gain by our falfe teftimony and abfurd doctrine? Mocking, fcourgings, bonds, and imprisonment! In defence of this fyftem of folly and fanaticifm, our lives are every moment in jeopardy; and we have too many reafons to believe, that a firm adherence to our caufe, and on this we are determined, will finally fubject us to the fhame, agonies, and death of our Mafter. No, chriftians. Our cruel fufferings and ftill more horrid expectations prove the truth of our tef timony, which proves the truth of the gospel, which involves the reality of Chrift's refurrection, which proves the poffibility and certainty. of yours, and is the deep and immoveable foundation of your heavenly hopes.

LETTERS TO LEINWHA,

No. 5.

TEACHER OF MORALITY IN THE RECESSES OF LATINGUIN, FROM A WANDERER IN THE WEST.

THE faireft hopes of man are blafted in a moment, and when he fancies himself fecure, at the very fummit of felicity, he is moft in danger of being hurled from the enjoyment. While I yet write, a peftilence defolates the city; and thousands are swept into eternity unpaid of their laft honours! Death, who outftrips the fleeting feet of Fear, feems impatient of Time, and the only confolation left to the afflicted, is the certainty of following those whom he has taken away. It would harrow up thy heart, Leinwha, fon of Ti-fo-vang, to

behold the excefs of grief in thofe, whofe minds are not difciplined by philofophy, and who feem in their firft parox:fm to forget, that death is the beft gift from heaven to man.

.....As all communication with you will be now awhile cut off, and the avenues to the city closed to-morrow, I am about to retire into the country; and await the return of health and tranquillity.

Farewel! May that bleffing, of which this land is deprived, never be wanting to the friend of my bosom,

ARGENIS:

A ROMANCE, FROM THE LATIN OF BARCLAY.
Continued from Vol. I. p. 26.

AFTER this perufal of the countenance of his new friend, Poliarchus amused himself with obferving the pallid countenance, and difordered hair of the lady, and gaily inquired, whether the had fallen among Satyrs. "Do not imagine," fhe answered with a careless fmile," that this diforder was the effect of distraction. Terrour at your danger made me heedlefs of my path through the foreft, and the oppofing boughs unloofed the clafp of my hair. Retire however, without indulging in conversation, to my villa, happily not far diftant, and repofe yourselves after the danger of the fea, and the fatigue of the combat." The propofal was too grateful to be refused, and after collecting their fervants, they took the path which the lady pointed

out.

Poliarchus and his friend poffeffed thofe kindred minds which at once banish reserve; he therefore readily answered to his inquiries, "that he had left the royal encampment in the morning for Agrigentum, and had overtaken this lady returning from a vifit to the daughter of the king. While the attendants were carelessly wandering in the foreft, till he was left almoft alone with the lady, he was fuddenly attacked by five ruffians. Happily however," faid he, "I was at first their only object, and Timoclea's alarm being communicated to her horfe, fhe was carried by a most aufpicious accident to a friend both courteous and brave. Animated by the danger, and two

flight wounds, which were given me before I was on my guard, I difabled two of the robbers, and the remainder fled with a timidity as difgraceful, as their attack was unmanly."

While engaged in this conver fation, they arrived at the villa of the lady, elevated on an eminence near the banks of the Himesa. Around one fide of the mansion wound the flow current of the river, and on the other appeared

-thick-woven arborets, and flowers

Imbordered on each bank,*
while the eye was delighted with
the extended prospect of the
courfe of the river, the spreading
plains, the foreft, and the distant
hills. The ample and regular
economy difplayed the character
of the lady, whofe fpotlefs honour
after the decease of her husband
added luftre to her ancestry. The
rapid approach of night compel
led them to accept the hofpitable
offer of invitation of the lady to
remain till morning. While fup-

per

bathed his wounds in diluted vinwas preparing, Poliarchus egar, and foftened their irritation with oil mingled with the flowers of the Acyfon. This fimple and unbought remedy was far more fecure, than to confide to the mercenary fkill of a phyfician, who often receives an iniquitous

* I fhall be forgiven the anachronifi of making Barclay quote Milton, when it is feen what a charming tranflation these lines are of arbuflis inter fe impli cotis & lentato vimine mifcentibus nexus, the delightfully claffical expression of the original.

reward for retarding the efforts of nature.+

When they had reclined on the couch at fupper, Timoclea by delicate approaches inquired the name and country of her gueft, and whether accident or defign had brought him to the ifland. He was, he answered, a native of Africa; but that thofe, who had a right to exact obedience, required him to conceal his real name under that of Archombrotus. That he had directed his courfe to Sicily from defign, attracted by the celebrity of the court of the king. Timoclea and Poliarchus looked on each other with astonishment to hear, that with fuch bloom of complexion, he was from Africa, and remarked with furprize, that he had neither the thick and protuberant lips nor the dark and hollow eyes, which diftinguish its natives.

After the banquet was removed, and they had retired to rest, Archombrotus defired his friend to inform him from what cause Sicily was infefted with robbers, who was Lycogenes from whofe camp he fuppofed they had iffued, and what was the state of the kingdom in all its relations. As they were now alone, Poliarchus anfwered these inquiries without reserve. "It is the tendency of fome qualities” faid he, "in themfelves virtuous, to degenerate into faults, or rather fuch qualities

It seems to have been the universal topick of merriment and fatire to the wits of this and the fucceeding ages to laugh at the disciples of Hygeia. Yet, however unjust may be fuch indifcriminate fatire, he must be moft copiously befprinkled with "Cimmerian dew," who does not enjoy the poignancy of Le Sage, and the vivacious fallies of Moliere.

take the colouring of virtue or vice from accident and fituation. Meleander, of whom you must have heard, holds the fceptre of Sicily by unquestioned right; a man of moft gentle affections; but fo ignorant of the difpofitions of mankind, as to give indifcriminate confidence to others, expecting from his own goodness to receive in return equal confidence and truth.

Perhaps too unmin

gled profperity has been to him a fource of misfortune. For at the beginning of his reign, the peaceful poffeffion of unlimited power impaired his control of his paffions, made him indulge in the common and almost venial vices of princes, and without de-. ftroying his reverence to virtue, leffened his feverity to vice. He yielded to an immoderate paffion for hunting, in which he diffipated the year. He formed his friendships without judgment and cherished them with ardour, lavifhed his revenues on the unworthy, and weary with the cares of government, committed it to the profligate. I wish, my friend, L could be filent on this fubject; but it is better you should hear these things from the candour of a friend, than that they fhould reach you enlarged by rumour and distorted by enmity. For enemies feize with eagerness on every failing, and give it falfe and darkened fhades.

Such are the causes of the misfortunes of our amiable monarch. The envy and ambition of Lycegenes has fwelled every fault, and hung with malignant delight over every errour. The haughty confcioufnefs of royal ancestry makes him unwilling to move in

a fubordinate fphere. He is equally energetick in his defigns and actions, and though from exquifite artifice of gentle demeanour to the populace, yet, where he may display himfelf with fafety he is a man of unequalled ferocity, perfidy, and pride. He eafily infinuated himfelf into the confidence of a man of Meleander's unfufpicious virtue, and

SIR,

OBSERVING in a late number of the Anthology fome interefting coincidences in the customs of nations widely feparated from each other, I take the liberty of offering a fimilar communication; by the infertion of which you will oblige,

A CONSTANT READER.

MEN in eastern nations are extremely jealous of their fuperiority over the female fex; and hence it is that a man feldom condefcends to eat with his wife. It is her bufinefs to serve her husband at table, with all the care and affiduity of a fervant; nor does the find herself at liberty to fit down to a meal until he has done. He never defires her opinion, or deigns to converfe with her on the fubject of family affairs. He feldom affigns her a task which may not be performed without ftirring abroad, nor any bufinefs abroad, but what may be performed under her veil. Women in every condition of life are subjected to these regulations, and their time is employed with their children and houfehold affairs, which, however, from their plain. and fimple manners, require little application. I was ftruck with the great fimilarity I difcovered in this point between the manners of the

while the king was diffolved on the bofom of pleafure, he diftrib-. uted the revenues and divided the offices of ftate among his retainers.*

*The portrait of Meleander is drawn with a master's pencil. The reader will perhaps enjoy thefe characters better, when he is informed that Meleander is a fictitious name for Henry III. of France, and Lycogenes for the houfe of Guife.

To the Editor of the Anthology.

American favages and those of the Arabs, as well as other Afiatick tribes; a refemblance very furprifing, when we confider the great diftance the Arab and American are removed from each other. In America the favage charges himself with nothing but his gun, ,while his wife follows behind him, loaded with every article of family baggage. In Afia it is the fame. The favage entertains no converfation with his wife, nor does the prefume to be prefent at any of his parties. The fame are the manners of Syria, and indeed of the Afiatick continent in general. In the Biffayan ifles, and among the Marratta tribes, as well as in America, the fields of Indian corn are culitvated by the women alone. The Arab mounts his afs, and leaves his wife with a large bundle on her head, to travel on foot. The favage fits at his eafe in his canoe, while his wife labours at the oar without complaint. It appears very remarkable, that two people inhabiting oppofite hemifpheres of the globe, and wholly unacquainted, fhould fo ftrongly refemble

each other.

Travels round the world, in the years 1767-68-69-7071,by M.De Pagés.

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