genuine sentiments respecting the council of Constance and its proceedings.

Jerom suffered martyrdom at Constance, in the year

1416.

Y.

THE FRIENDLY VISIT.

COMMUNICATED.

SOME time since, I spent a few days in a small country town, where the inhabitants are industrious, frugal, and economical. It was a season of unusual interest in religious concerns, especially among the young. It was my happy lot to reside in a family, the parents of which were distinguished for their piety. As I occasionally visited some of the neighbouring families to converse familiarly with them with reference to those scenes, which will be felt ere-long to be solemn realities I was deeply interested in the appearance that some dear youth exhibited. The rosy cheek once flushing in thoughtless gaiety and beauty, had now lost its rosy hue ; the sparkling eyes, which had been unaccustomed to weep, were now suffused with tears, which flowing to the ground, bedewed the cheek, and became a sure index of the heart;-the heart formerly unmoved, and uninterested, except by the fanciful sports of inconsiderate youth, was now swelled with anguish venting itself in bitter sighs and groans. But why this appearance in those who were but yesterday pursuing the paths of pleasure undisturbed and without restraint? Why this change? The thought had occurred that these dreams of the fancy would soon end; that this momentary enjoyment would soon be exchanged for the unknown world. It was fruitless to bold forth the idea that all was well, -that there was no danger in their case. The vain trifles of a day had lost their power to charm, because a consideration of paramount interest swayed the mind.

The past was vanity,

The future, a reality.

Whether what is denominated mind, or soul, would have a termination in its existence, had never before been

taken into account. Now, another state was contrasted with the present. The past was viewed with reference

to the future. These were some of the causes which conspired to alter those lovely features which bespoke both vivacity and intelligence. *

*

But when that hope was embraced which maketh not ashamed because the love of God is shed abroad in the heart, new personal comeliness was imparted to the coun tenance, as an index of amiable affections within.

P..

FLATTERY. -AN EXTRACT.

Two particular reasons why most persons are pleased with FLATTERY, even when they KNOW it to be such.

FIRST; A man who perceives himself to be flattered, naturally presumes that the flatterer would not altogeth-er praise him for imaginary excellencies; and he therefore instantly gives himself credit for deserving to be complimented, though not perhaps with so high a compliment as he has received. In this there is evidently. some reason, as most compliments, however extravagant, are founded on truth. No degree of vanity, for instance could induce a dwarf to receive, without indignation, a : compliment upon his "gigantic size." As a flatterer, therefore, generally contents himself with exaggerating some excellence really possessed by the object of his bounty, men claim the right of appropriating to them selves a part of the commendation bestowed upon them even by the most notorious proficients in the art of adu lation; and the more profuse the adulation, the more they take the liberty of appropriating.

Still, though it is likely that we actually possess a degree of that excellence, on the possession of which we are congratulated, yet we deceive ourselves in estimating that degree. If we are assailed by evident flattery, we know that we must reduce something of the eulogy, before it will fit us; but the quantity of the reduction is left to our own conjecture, and self-love will very seldom reduce enough. At any rate, even if we reduce to the proper point, we attach too great a value to what re

mains; we dwell upon it, cherish the idea of it, and become self-important; and this, let us recollect, is as truly vanity, as it is vanity to plume ourselves on qualities which do not pertain to us.

It may be remarked here, that it is not always necessary for a flatterer to consider what good qualities we really possess; he may he satisfied with knowing what we think we possess. "If he be a cunning flatterer, (says Lord Bacon,) he will follow the arch-flatterer, which is a man's self; and wherein a man thinketh best of himself, therein the flatterer will uphold him most." Unhappily, Lord Bacon understood this art but too well; and to shew how excellently he could put in practice his own rule, we have only to read his monstrous and ridicuIous compliments to poor queen Elizabeth on her personal beauty, of which she had about as little as she gave herself credit for possessing mush. I transcribe the passage literally, only giving the extracts from Virgil' out of a translation.

*

For the beauty and many graces of her presence, what colours are fine enough for such a portraiture? Let no light poet be used for such a description, but the chastest and the royalest:

❝ of her gait;

• And her majestic port confess'd the god.'

“Ofher voice ;

• In more than human sounds she spoke inspir'd.

« Of her eye;

⚫ And breathes immortal spirit in her eyes.'

"Of her colour;

• So looks the beauteous ivory stain'd with red.'

Of her neck;

Her neck she show'd

• That with celestial charms divinely glow'd.'

"Of her breast;

'Close in a knot, her flowing robes she bound.'

"Of her hair;

'Her waving locks immortal odours shed,

'And breath'd ambrosial scents around her head."""

What a strange tribute from one of the profoundest and most eloquent philosophers that ever wielded a pen, * Discourse on Queen Elizabeth.

to one of the greatest and most ill-favoured sovereigns that ever sat upon a throne!

II. The second cause seems to me to be, that men are flattered with what they know to be flattery, because they are pleased with finding that they are thought worth flattery. Unless the flatterer is plainly actuated by a malus animus, unless he is flattering them with an evident view to expose them to the derision of others, or to entice them into some danger, they presume that he is really doing them homage in one sense, though not exactly in the sense in which he professes to do it. Who would waste compliments on those upon whose favour he did not set some value? This supposition, it is plain, turns particular flattery into what is called constructive flattery; the particular compliment is in it self worthless, but it is considered as an index of general respect on the part of the flatterer.

It may be remarked that obsequiousness, even when perceived to arise from interested motives, may yet be pleasing, because it is a convenient tool. But we may also observe, that, though this is true, yet the pleasure will very rarely stop at this point. There is something very captivating in the idea of being worshipped, even though the incense be not of the heart; the object of it will be apt to say with the tyrant," They are welcome to hate me, if they will only be afraid of me," and will exult in conscious superiority.

Whether I am correct, let the reader judge; but I can. not help thinking, that there is hardly one of us who has not, on some occasion or other, exemplified in his own person one or both of the two principles which have been described as making obvious flattery grateful to the palale. There is much, far too much flattery in common life; and almost every man must have, at some time or other, perceived himself to be the object of it. He has, perhaps, in these cases, been disgusted! but has not disgust silently given way to a feeling of satisfaction ? Possibly he congratulated himself on the temper with which he bore so great an insult; while, in reality, he was pleas ed, because he thought it only an apparent insult; thus doubly deceiving himself, when he imagined himself to be most undeceived, and finding in the lowest deep a lower deep of delusion. But whether this be the true account

or not, authority that cannot be disputed has pronounced the heart of man to be deceitful above all things: and, if we really refer to this authority, what remains but that we apply to Him who is both the searcher and purifier of hearts, to "cleanse the thoughts of ours, by the inspirations of his Holy Spirit."

THOUGHTS ON ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF NATURAL

PHILOSOPHY.

OPTICS. THE EYE.

EVERY attentive observer of the animal world, must have noticed various peculiarities existing in the location and structure of the eyes of animals. Some eyes are placed in the front of the head. Others are placed in the side. Some are adapted to the water, others to the air. Some are fitted to see with small degrees of light, others in the noon-day blaze. Some eyes are movable in their sockets, that they may take in objects in different directions, others are fixed hemispheres, with thousands of small convex mirrors, to take in the rays of light, from every direction. These all converge their rays where they show but one image of the same object on the retina. Eyes like those of the chicken in the shell, are likewise formed where they could be of no immediate use. They are then designed for future utility. These things not only prove contrivance and design in their Author, but consummate wisdom and infinite goodness.

If we minutely examine the human eye,,there are numberless wonders discoverable there. The eye is composed of three coats, one above another. The outermost is called schlerotica, the next, choroides, and the innermost the retina. Each of these coats contains liquids which are called humours. The innermost humour is aqueous, that belonging to the choroides is chrystaline, and the other vitreous. The retina is a mirror which the objects of sight are painted, by pencil rays which are reflected, and passing through the telescopic furniture of the eye before it. The optic nerve is inserted

on