lates the message of the angel to Mary; and Matthew, that to Joseph. Luke gives our Lord's genealogy from David by his mother Mary, which confirms the prophecy concerning the Messiah's origin, as it respects David individually; and Matthew, by his reputed father Joseph, which confirms the prophecy as it respects legal genealogical descent. Luke gives an account of the visit of the shepherds; and Matthew, of that of the Magians. Luke gives an account of the ceremonies which the Jewish economy required in behalf of Jesus, as being made under the law Matthew, of the ambition and cruelty of Herod, and of the flight into Egypt, being intimately connected with the visit of the wise men. Luke remarks the constant attendance of Joseph and Mary at the feast of the Passover, and Jesus's disputation with the Doctors of the Jewish church, on one of these occasions; but Matthew omits the whole account, even as he had formerly omitted all circumstances respecting the Jewish ceremonies. Reasons in behalf of several of the above differences. Luke's omission of the visit of the wise men, of the cruelty of Herod, and of the flight into Egypt, is no more an objection to the truth of these circumstances, than Matthew's omission of the circumcision of Jesus, and of his being presented to the Lord at the end of forty days, which the law absolutely required, is an objection to these facts. Although each Evangelist omits circumstances observed by the other, yet quently used in the Scripture as synonymous with the word after; Matth. xxi. 23. Luke v. 19, &c. If we substitute after, in the room of when, in Matt. ii. 13, and Luke ii. 39, (which the participle in the one case, and the adverb in the other, authorize us to do,) the difficulty arising from chronology will be diminished; for, two circumstances may be properly enough connected by the word after, although intervening circumstances are omitted. Simeon's song of praise, &c.; Luke ii. 25-35. Anna's ditto; ver. 36-38. Joseph, while in Jerusalem, is warned to flee into Egypt, because of Herod; Matth. ii. 13-15. 21. Herod's cruel edict; ver. 16. He goes to Nazareth, and dwells 1. If we suppose the arrival of the all the circumstances, when taken together, are consistent. There is not only consistency between the two accounts of our Lord's infancy, &c. by Matthew and Luke, but order in each account separately; two things which strongly corroborate the 'truth of their statements. If Matthew had omitted, and Luke mentioned, the flight into Egypt, there would have been consist-wise men to have been a few days beency, but not order. Matthew's account would have been incomplete without the sequel; and Luke's incorrect without the preceding circumstances. If Matthew had mentioned and Luke omitted the circumstance of Simeon and Anna, there would have been consistency, but not order. Matthew's account would have been incomplete, as wanting the circumstance of the presentation. The word when, is fre fore Joseph went to Jerusalem, then Joseph's dream might have happened in Jerusalem, after all things had been performed according to the law, very consistently with what Matthew says, ch. ii. v. 13. and "when (or after) they (the wise men) were departed," &c. 2. Seeing that Luke omits the flight into Egypt, which, according to the above Harmony, took place immediately after all things had been perform ed at Jerusalem, it is not improper to say, "And when (or after) they had performed all things," &c. Luke ii. 39, since the return to Nazareth was the next circumstance that followed the flight into Egypt, the intervening circumstance omitted by Luke. 3. Joseph's dream could not have been in Bethlehem, unless he had returned to it from Jerusalem, which would still increase the difficulty. repetition of a foolish and ludicrous phrase. Permit me to add something similar; which I give, not merely for amusement, but to correct, if possible, a practice in some persons, equally ludicrous. My ears are daily and constantly assailed with this phrase, “You know-you know—you know." While these persons are relating to me some circumstance, or piece of intelligence, of which I had heard or known nothing before, they re-repeat the words "you know," perhaps forty or fifty times in ten or twelve minutes: and, though I tell them I know nothing of the matter, yet, in a few seconds, they repeat it again. Such is the force of habit!-and so many words used which are totally superfluous and ridiculous. I would therefore give boys the liberty to use, as a kind of watch-word, "You know, you know, you know," when they hear persons repeating it. Some persons introduce the practice even into the pulpit; and thereby excite a sarcastic smile in the audience, when they ought to be serious. Ridicule (as Horace observes) has often a more forcible 4. It is not probable, that the dream was given in Nazareth after their turn from Jerusalem, as it would appear by Luke's account; for this would make two returns to Nazareth, one from Jerusalem, and the other from Egypt. If we suppose this, the return from Egypt was subsequent to that from Nazareth; but the return from Egypt seems, by Matthew's account, to have been the first visit from the birth of the child. "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene." But as the whole affair was under the direction of a special Providence, and as the dream happened before Herod had determined on the massacre, (" for Herod will seek the young child to de-effect than even a severe or serious restroy him,") it is highly probable, that the dream had been made in Jerusalem, "after all things had been performed according to the law," and not in Bethlehem, before these Mosaic ceremonies had been performed; nor in Nazareth, which lay at a greater distance from Egypt. On the Impropriety of many common TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL SIR, In your number for June, you give us an anecdote of a boy, who mimicked a learned Doctor in his frequent proof: and persons who could sit unmoved under a pathetic sermon, cannot bear when a laugh is raised against them. Therefore, perhaps, there is no better way of curing some persons of their faulty habits, than by turning them into ridicule. In addition to the observations made in my late communication respecting the English language, which you have inserted, I shall mention a phrase which has become very common of late years. In the agricultural accounts, and even in the discussions in Parliament on the subject of tillage, farming, "He &c. this phrase often occurs, grows such a quantity of corn:" or, He grows corn:" or, "The grower," &c. If our language be correctly spoken any where, it ought to be in the Parliament House. Now, though I wish to pay our legislators all due deference and respect, and would be very far from encroaching on what may be deemed their proper privileges, yet I beg leave to remind them of what was said of Augustus Cæsar, that, however great his power as an emperor was, he had no authority to change the meaning of one word in the language. The verb to grow, is neue but in the mouths of many, of late made active and transitive. The term grow belongs to the corn; not to the farmer. The corn grows; but the farmer does not grow the corn. Our language, indeed, is here rather defective. I believe the verb most proper, as applicable to the farmer, is to raise: so we say, a man raised such and such plants, and various kinds of vegetables, from seed sown. This vulgar phrase also often occurs,-" He learned the boy his lesson." No: the boy learns; but the master teaches. I grant that Madam Custom can, by her gradual and assiduous manoeuvres, effect what a Roman emperor could not. I have long marked her movements; and though she is very dictatorial, yet I am a little jealous of her, and cannot immediately submit to her commands. I am not, however, so strait-laced, as to be unwilling to change some antique forms or modes; yet I pause a little, and inquire into the reason of the change. But most commonly no reason can be assigned; therefore I must leave this Lady and her votaries to act according to their own caprice; for, I fear, nothing I can say will have any effect upon them. I am, Sir, yours, July 2d, 1819. ALPHA BETA. THE PROGRESS OF NOVEMBER. BY A LADY. [Taken from the Rev. Charles Moore's Treatise on Suicide.] Now yellow Autumn's leafy ruins lie In faded splendour on the desart plain; Far from the noise of madd'ning crowds I fly To wake in solitude the mystic strain: A theme of import high I dare to sing, While fate impels my hand to strike the trembling string. Bright on my harp the meteors gleam, As glancing through the night they shine; Now the winds howl, the ravens scream, And yelling ghosts the chorus join: Chimeras dire, from Fancy's deepest hell, Fly o'er yon hallow'd tower, and toll the passing bell. November hears the dismal sound,* As, slow advancing from the pole, He leads the months their wintry round: The black'ning clouds attendant roll, Where frowns a giant-band, the sons of care, Dark thoughts, presages fell, and comfortless despair. * Alas! Suicide is not confined to November; it is nowbecome fashionable in every month of the year. On languor, luxury, and pride, Where weak impatient spirits dwell, Where thought oppressive from itself would fly, And seek relief from time, in dark eternity. Far from the scenes of guilty death My wearied spirit seeks to rest ;Why sudden stops my struggling breath? Why throbs so strong my aching breast? Hark! sounds of horror sweep the troubl'd glade, Far, on a whirlwind borne, the fatal month is fled. I watch'd his flight, and saw him bear To Saturn's orb the sullen band; There winter cheers the ling'ring year, And gloom eternal shades the land: On a lone rock, far in a stormy main, In cheerless prison pent, I heard the ghosts complain. Some pow'r unseen denies my verse The hallow'd veil of fate to rend: Now sudden blasts the sounds disperse, And Fancy's inspirations end: While rushing winds in wild discordance jar, And Winter calls the storms around his icy car. A MONASTIC ODE. [Written at a sequestered seat under some oaks, in a natural wilderness, about the beginning of the late war.] Solitudo, quam dilecta! [The same, in English, by the Author.] Hail, Solitude! how sweet thy shade, For holy contemplation made! While nations rage, my ravish'd sight With hermits there to taste of bliss, W. J. Wilt thou, a gallant vet'ran, yield, And, still unconquer'd, quit the field? Enamour'd of monastic ease, Say, dost thou pant for shades like these? When all around insulting foes, 66 My fellow-soldier, hail!" he cries. Consign'd to thee, by his command, The sword of Truth adorns thy hand: He bids thee wield it on the plain; Bids thee his own great cause maintain; And, after one laborious day, To endless glory points the way. Brighton, Sept. 29, 1792. G. H. G. Specimen of American Morals. TO THE EDITOR OF THE IMPERIAL MAGAZINE. SIR, Liverpool, July 6th, 1819. I extract the following specimen of American barbarity and impiety from Fearon's "Sketches of America," in his account of New Orleans; at which place, he also states, "the markets, re-shops, theatre, circus, and public ballrooms, are open on the Sabbath day." Such things require no comment on their enormity. [The foregoing verses having been sent to a friend, then at Brighton; the following reply to them, in the same Latin and English measure, was ceived by return of the post.] Heu, quam debiles querelas! Yours, &c. F. EXTRAORDINARY EXHIBITION. "ON SUNDAY the 9th inst. will be represented in the place where Fireworks are generally exhibited, near the Circus, an extraordinary fight of Furious Animals. The place where the animals will fight is a rotunda, of 160 feet in circumference, with a railing of 17 feet in height, and a circular gallery well-conditioned and strong, inspected by the Mayor, and Surveyors by him appointed. 1st Fight. A strong Attakapas Bull, attacked and subdued by six of the strongest dogs of the country. 2d Fight.-Six bull-dogs against a Canadian bear. 3d Fight.-A beautiful tiger against a black bear. "4th Fight.-Twelve dogs against a | law, which he practised for a considerstrong and furious Opeloussas bull. 66 If the tiger is not vanquished in the fight with the bear, he will be sent alone against the last bull; and if the latter conquers all his enemies, several pieces of fire-works will be placed on his back, which will produce a very entertaining amusement. "In the circus will be placed two manikins, which, notwithstanding the efforts of the bulls to throw them down, will rise again, whereby the animals will get furious. "Admittance: grown persons, one dollar; children, half price. "As a dramatic writer, Kotzebue stands almost unrivalled among the Germans. He is a native of Weimar, in Saxony, a small but highly-polished city, which has frequently been called "Paris in miniature." Here he cultivated an early acquaintance with the Muses, by his unremitting attention to the dramatic performances of that place, then in eminent repute, on account of the refined taste and correct judgment of the actors and audience. Kotzebue's decided predilection for the drama, in theory as well as practice, is obvious, from several passages alluding to this subject in his own works. Yet it is certain that he never condescended to perform on a public stage; and that all his attempts as an actor were confined to private theatres, established among select parties of literary friends. Thus he obtained the double advantage of indulging himself in his favourite amusement, and at the same time of performing dramatic pieces of his own composition, and deciding on their merits in a contracted circle of candid discerning critics, before he ventured to present them to the public. "Kotzebue was educated for the able number of years, in various eminent stations, till he was appointed president of the high college of justice in the Russian province of Livonia. Here he wrote the greater number of his dramatic works, as well as his miscellaneous compositions in the department of the belles lettres. His numerous performances are the more surprising, as his leisure-time, till lately, must have been remarkably short, on account of the multiplicity and importance of his other avocations, which required the whole of his attention while he held the distinguished office before-mentioned. Fortunately, however, for the Muses, and particularly those of the German stage, he met with a number of invidious opponents in Livonia, who magnified every trifling foible of his private conduct into a crime of the first magnitude, and persecuted him with such unrelenting malignity, that he thought proper to retire from his splendid office of state, and to devote the remainder of his life to the service of a most grateful public. Hence he betook himself entirely to literary pursuits, and, having left the Russian dominions, he repaired to the court of Vienna, where he readily obtained the appointment of "Dramatist to the Imperial Theatre." It is unnecessary to detail here the complicated intrigues carried on under the late empress of Russia in every province of her extensive empire; and the frequent persecutions which foreigners promoted to office sustained from the semi-barbarous natives. Let it suffice to observe, that they too often succeeded in their nefarious designs against those aliens, whom they hated both on account of their superior talents, and their abhorrence of Russian sloth and drunkenness. Kotzebue was one of the many objects of persecution in Russia, although his moral character was unexceptionable. "The merits and demerits of this writer, in the wild field of romance, as well as of the drama, are but imperfectly known in this country, as only a few of his productions have been translated into the English language. And, from the metamorphosed state in which German translations generally appear before the English public, it is not an easy matter to ascertain the due and relative merits of either author or translator. Kotzebue has published, besides |