of a shipwreck. His passion rose with the storm. He lifted his eyes and hands. "There's the mast gone," says he; "crash it goes!-they will all perish!" After his agitation, he turns to me. "That is too melancholy," says he; "I had better read you something more amusing." I preferred a little chat, and asked his opinion of Milton, and other books he was reading, which he gave me wonderfully. One of his observations was, "How strange it is that Adam, just new come into the world, should know every thing-that must be the poet's fancy," says he. But when he was told, he was created perfect by God, he instantly yielded. When taken to bed last night, he told his aunt he liked that lady. "What lady?" says she. "Why, Mrs. Cockburn: for I think she is a virtuoso, like myself." "Dear Walter," says aunt Jenny, "what is a virtuoso ?" "Don't ye know? Why it's one who wishes to know, and will know every thing.". Now, sir, you will think this is a very silly story. Pray what age do you suppose this boy to be? Name it now, before I tell you. Why, twelve or fourteen. No such thing; he is not quite six years old.

Extract from Sir Walter Scott's Auto-Biography. "GEORGE Constable was the first person who told me about Falstaff and Hotspur, and other characters

in Shakspeare. What idea I annexed to them I know not, but I must have annexed some, for I remember quite well being interested on the subject. Indeed, I rather suspect that children derive impulses of a powerful and important kind in hearing things which they cannot entirely comprehend; and therefore, that to write down to children's understanding is a mistake; set them on the scent, and let them puzzle it out. To return to George Constable, I knew him well at a much later period. He used always to dine at my father's house of a Sunday, and was authorised to turn the conversation out of the austere and Calvinistic tone, which it usually maintained on that day, upon subjects of history or auld langsyne. He remembered the rebellion of forty-five, and told many excellent stories, all with a strong dash of a peculiar caustic humour. These conversations made a strong impression upon me.

SUET

AUGUSTUS CÆSAR.

UETONIUS tells us, that Octavius, at the age of twelve years, composed the funeral oration of Julia, his maternal grandmother, and recited it with great applause before the people. In his thirteenth year, this competitor of Demosthenes wrote a treatise

C C

on the art of Speaking: this work, in which he had collected the principles of the art of Eloquence, was a summary of the lessons he had received from his masters, and therefore not so much a proof of genius, as of the attention he had paid to his instructors.

A

ALEXANDER THE GREAT.

LEXANDER the Great, notwithstanding his vast military undertakings, was fond of the sciences, and of polite learning. The Iliad he considered a portable treasure of military knowledge, and he had a copy corrected by Aristotle, which was called the Casket Copy it was so called because he kept it in a rich casket that was found among the spoils of Darius. "Darius," said Alexander, "used to keep his ointments in this casket, but I, who have no time to anoint myself, will convert it to a nobler use." One of his historians informs us, that while on the march, he used to lay this casket under his pillow, with his sword.

THE END.

INDEX.

C. WHITTINGHAM, CHISWICK,