nearly 20,000 bottles, exclusive of other imposed upon me commensurate duties; wines ! never reflected that the bestower of all my That I, an absolute idler, doing and pro- gifts and advantages would one day demand ducing nothing myself, might enjoy this from me an exact account of my stewardSybarite life in perfect security from either ship. Occasional dozings and the roteforeign or domestic assailants,-formidable muttering of responses in a curtained pew, fleets have sailed around my native coasts, and such cold observance of forms and conpowerful armies have guarded the interior ventionalities as might just preserve my of the country, a numerous and vigilant character for decorum, have constituted the police has protected me wherever I resided; whole of my pharisaical devotion; but as to and while the whole subject world has thus that vital and practical religion which shows. .ministered to my corporeal wants and per- its love of the Creator by loving all that he sonal safety, the tributaries to my mental has created; which makes a man sensible gratifications have been equally numerous that he has a high mission to perform, and and diligent. Artists of every description, that life has been given to him as a trust my ubiquitous masters of the revels, have for his own moral advancement, and for the toiled incessantly for my delight. Archi- benefit of his fellow-creatures :-for all tects, sculptors, painters, have exhausted these high purposes, the only ones that can their invention and their skill to recreate give a dweller upon earth a claim upon mine eye; dramatists, musicians, compos- Heaven, alas! for these I have lived utterly ers, dancers, have devoted years to their re- and miserably in vain. "Oh, my offence spective callings that I might lounge away is rank!" No defence, no excuse, no pala few pleasant hours at an opera or a play; liation, no plea is left to me, and no reprinters and pressmen and editors have source, except to confess my life-long culworked through the whole night in order pability, and to throw myself upon the that the very latest public or private intel- mercy of my Judge. ligence, illustrated by the comments of en- And what have I done for the world; I lightened minds, may be conveyed to me in have given up to it my threescore years and the morning paper that awaits my coming ten. But how hast thou spent them, man down stairs after a long night's tranquil of seventy? Render unto thyself an acrest; novelists have racked their brains count of thy stewardship. Humiliating task! that my mind's eye, when it wanted amuse- but it shall be performed. Truth imposes ment, may gaze upon scenes of mimic life upon me the degrading, but richly-merited displayed before me in all the variety of a penance of committing the following record never-ending drama; bards have outwatched to paper, as― the midnight lamp, or soared with aircleaving pinions into the realms of fancy, THE TIME-TABLE OF A RICH SEPTUAGENARY. that they may spread before me an intellec

tual banquet, adorned with sweet and tril-I will begin with the years which, from the liant flowers fresh gathered from the Poet's Paradise; and as if the present had not lavished offerings enough to surfeit me with pleasures, historians have conjured up the actors and the actions of the past, parading the dead centuries before me with all the vividness and magnificence of a living pageant.*

requirements of our common nature, or from my habitual waste of time, may be considered, so far as regards any serviceable purpose, to have been absolutely lost. Including the somnolent periods of infancy and childhood, and making allowance for the sluggish habits of my whole after-life, I calculate that I have slept, and dozed, and dreamed away nine or ten hours in every twenty-four, which, for seventy years absorbs about

At school, with tutors, at college, i spent

This is a portion, and only a portion, of what Heaven and the world have done for me. And in return for this prodigality of blessings, for this subservient tribute from earth and its inhabitants, what have I done? What acknowledgment have I made to the Divine Donor of all my privileges and enjoyments? Ingrate that I am! I have never Wasted, not in doing nothing, for that would

recognized them as I ought; never felt that while they gave me superior rights, they *Suggested by a passage in Dr. Arnott's "Elements of Physics."

about twenty years, and having forgotten, in two or three, all the Latin and Greek and nearly everything else that I had learnt, except my collegiate vices and expensive habits, I cannot put down for actual loss of time less than

Years.

32

13

embr. ce nearly my whole life, but literally in doing nothing, two hours a day, about 6 Expended in stag, fox, hare, and badger hunting; in coursing, racing, cockfighting, fish

ing; in shooting birds and beasts of all
sorts as I always was an indefatigable
sportsman, and began the work of destruc-
tion when I was ten years old, I cannot
reckon this waste at less than six hours a
day, which, in sixty years of 313 days
each, for on Sunday I killed nothing but
time, amounts to
. 13

N. B.-Estimating my slaughter as an amateur butcher at the very moderate number of only two lives a day, exclusively of the innumerable sufferers that I have maimed and lacerated, leaving most of them to die in anguish, I find that in sixty years (excluding sabbaths), I have, for my mere amusement, destroyed nearly thirtyeight thousand of God's innocent creatures! In smoking, from my entrance at college to the present day, I cannot have puffed out less than two hours per diem, or about . 4 In gambling, steeple chasing, hurdle-racing, drinking-bouts, yachting, lounging at club windows- -but stay, let me reckon uphey-how-what! does the sum totaldo my wasted years already amount to

69

offered up as an expiatory sacrifice for the offences and omissions of threescore years and ten. Not a day, not an hour, will I pass without endeavoring to deposit an offering upon the altar of human happiness. and advancement, without ardently seeking to discharge some portion of the long, long, career that I owe to Heaven and to the world.

Go and do thou likewise, O septuagenarian reader, if, unfortunately, thy "Time-table" should have borne any resemblance to mine..

PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT OF THE SOLAR SPECTRUM. -M. Edmond Becquerel has succeeded in a discovery, which is worthy the attention and inquiry of the scientific, as it promises to be valuable, not merely to the fine and useful arts, but also towards increas ing our knowledge of the phenomena of light, and to the testing of the received views. M. Becquerel has recently been enabled to obtain a photographic picture of the solar spectrum, portrayed in its true colors. This he has effected on a plate of silver the God forgive me! it is even so, and there surface of which has been exposed to and acted upon are items still to be added to the frightful by free chlorine. Each spectral ray becomes imcatalogue. Oh that the recording angel pressed on this prepared plate in its true color; but the extremity of the red ray becomes purple, extendwould let fall a tear upon the figures," and ing very widely, whilst that of the violet gradually blot them out for ever!" Oh that I could shades off. According to the preparation of the forget the past, and cease to fear for the fu- plate, and the thickness of its sensible coating, one ture. But it may not be. To me, hence- or other color of the spectrum may be made to predominate. Thus, a well-prepared surface, previousforth, every day shall be as a day of judg-ly rendered purple by diffused light through a deep ment, and before mine eyes shall I ever red glass, gives a beautiful photographic colored behold" the great book," with the blazon image of the spectrum, in which the orange, the of my wasted years, written in the indelible clearly. M. Becquerel, as stated, by the action of yellow, the green, and the blue, are marked most ink of a conscience that cannot take refuge free chlorine, and, moreover, by using bichloride of in oblivion. Wretch that I am! Titus copper, obtains a sensitive layer of chloride of silver, complained that he had lost a day because which is so impressed, that not only are certain he had not done a good action. Alas! I parts of the spectrum represented in their true colors, but still further, white light produces a white impreshave similarly lost a life, a whole life, a sion. A strongly concentrated spectrum should be long life! Were I to die this day, what employed. As yet the author has been unable to record of my existence could be inscribed contrive any means whereby to fix the picture under the influence of the luminous rays. Could this on my tombstone? It would exhibit the fixation be accomplished, and the power of receiving dates of my birth and my death, with an impression increased, not only could we draw, but interval between them of seventy years, also paint by aid of light.—People's Journal, through which I shall have passed, like an arrow through the blank air, without leaving a trace of my passage, or even a shadow to mark my path. Atonement! atonement! is there not time for making some sort of retribution? I must not die, I am afraid of death, because I am utterly ashamed of my life. It may still be prolonged. Men by their strength may reach fourscore years, saith the Psalmist, yet is their age but laber and sorrow. Not thus shall it be with me, if I am longer spared. My labor shall be a labor of love; my sorrow shall be for the past, not for the coming time. My future existence, whatever be its term, shall be

of Hamburg, early last year, arrived at Cairo, after SCIENTIFIC EXPLORING EXPEDITION.-Dr. Baith, exploring the north shores of Africa and those of the Red Sea, for the completion of a history of Greek commerce, and has probably since then accomplishPalestine and Syria to Asia Minor. And Dr. Waled his intention of pursuing his researches through lin, Docent in the University of Helsingfors, intends sending to the French Institute an account of his the Arabian Peninsula, promoted by aid from the researches over the central and southern parts of Russian Government.

DEATH OF DR. VAN ESS.-The Benedictine, Dr.

Leander Van Ess, whose name was formerly famiBible Society, died lately at Affolderbach, Darmliar in this country, from his connection with the stadt, aged 75.

LOUIS PHILIPPE'S FINANCES.-The Journal des Villes et Campagnes supplies some information on Louis Philippe's former management of his private finances, and on his present fortune

cious, but he is too great a squanderer to be called avaricious.'

The Times adds its testimony that the present income of the Ex-King is distressingly narrow

ROME.-A statistical account was lately published by authority at Rome. There are 37,255 families inhabiting the city; 180,006 individuals, of whom 161,356 are natives, and 18,650 foreigners. There are 77 clerical dignitaries, amongst whom are 33 cardinals and 20 archbishops and bishops; 1738 secular clergy; 2488 of the religious orders; and 1743 nuns.

"The sums of which Louis Philippe disposes in "We believe that the reports of the Comte de his exile are not so considerable as is generally be- Neuilly's investments here are entirely fictitious. lieved. It is true that from 1830 to 1834 he had He lives at Claremont in a state of almost penury, almost daily effected investments in London and in denying himself even those small luxuries which the United States; but since 1834, being convinced had become all but necessaries from long use to a that he had established his dynasty on a durable man of his time of life; even with the most rigid basis, he withdrew a great portion of those funds economy, however, it is said that his income is still and placed them in France. The Ex-King leaves insufficient for his maintenance, and that in a year debts to the amount of about 30,000,000 francs. or two, if he survives so long, he will be completely The expression of M. Dupin, which was at first con- destitute. It can, however, scarcely be the intention sidered a joke, "I verily believe that the Civil List of the French Government to sequestrate the private is poor, for it is continually purchasing," turns out property not only of the Ex-King but of his whole to be a reality. Louis Philippe purchased every day family. The dowers of his sons' wives are said to some property, on which a great deal still remains be almost entirely invested either in French Funds due, otherwise it would be impossible to account for or in land in France; and whatever claim the nathe enormous amount of his debts. His fortune, tion may have upon the Royal estates, it can by no the debts being deducted, may be estimated at process that we are aware of be extended to property 250,000,000 francs. The forests of the private do- thus acquired." main are a most valuable property, and all the other estates of the family were greatly improved since 1830. Nevertheless, Louis Philippe leaves his personal affairs in the utmost disorder. Never was there a Royal household so badly administered as his. He meddled with everything, and delighted in confusion and disorder. He liked to see his servants quarrelling, and often repeated," When asses fight, the flour remains in the mill." Louis Philippe owed every where. He paid as little as he could. His tradesmen were constantly applying to him for payment. PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN EUROPE.-There are 383 He owed his fruiterers 95,000 francs, and his baker public libraries in Europe, 107 in France, 41 in the at Neuilly 25,000 francs. No man possessed in a Austrian States in Lombardy and Venice, 30 in the higher degree the mania of heaping provisions, pur- Prussian States, 28 in Great Britain and Ireland chasing without measure, and generally without (including Malta), 17 in Spain, 15 in the Papal choice. The cellars of Neuilly contained 75,000 States, 14 in Belgium, 13 in Switzerland, 12 in the bottles of 150 different kinds of wines, and upwards Russian Empire, 11 in Bavaria, 9 in Tuscany, 9 in of 1,200 full hogsheads. Will it be believed ?-there Sardinia, 8 in Sweden, in Naples, 7 in Portugal, was at Neuilly a supply of 24,000 wax candles, which 5 in Holland, 5 in Denmark, 5 in Saxony, 4 in Baserved to kindle and feed the conflagration of that den, 4 in Hesse, 3 in Wurtemburg, and 3 in Hanresidence. The bronze stores of Villiers were filled over. Of the chief European capitals, there are in with a sufficient quantity of works of art, small Wiemar 803 vols. to every 100 inhabitants, Munich statues, clocks, various ornaments in gilt bronze and 750, Darmstadt 652, Copenhagen 465, Stuttgard others, to furnish three palaces. He huddled togeth- 452, Dresden 432, Hanover 335, Florence 313, er all those articles without any order; and he Rome 306, Parma 278, Prague 168, Berlin 162, bought them without taste, although he piqued him- Madrid 153, Paris 143, Venice 142, Milan 135, self on being a connoisseur. The kitchen utensils Vienna 119, Edinburgh 116, Petersburgh 108, found at the Tuileries, at Eu, Dreux, and La Ferté Brussels 100, Stockholm 98, Naples 69, Dublin 49, Vidame, might serve to prepare dinner for an entire Lisbon 39, London 20. Thus Brussels is 5 times army. We fully concur in the opinion of a person- better provided than London, Paris 7, Dresden 21, age, an intimate acquaintance of Louis Philippe, Copenhagen 23, Munich 37, Wiemar 40, and even who said of him, 'That man is greedy and rapa- Edinburgh 6, and Dublin 24 times.