pend all the great revolutions of the earth; the interpositions of his providence are frequently apparent to the world, in bringing down the mighty, and raising up the fallen. Both the law and the gospel, the works of nature and the conduct of Providence, unite in uttering that solemn voice which ought frequently to resound in our ears: Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name. Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number." The more philosophy has enlarged our views of nature, the more it has been discovered that, throughout the whole creation, there is no useless profusion of magnificence, but that every thing has been rendered subservient to the welfare of the world. Insensible must that heart be which feels no gratitude to that Sublime Being who has brought him forth to enjoy this wonderful scene. In this vast system of the universe, there are many things beyond our comprehension. As yet, perhaps, we see no more than the rise of the Divine Government; the beginning of a great plan, which is not to be completed until the courses of ages shall end. Presume not, therefore, to exalt thy weak reason against the revelations of heaven. Think with awe, and speak with caution, of what is so much above thee. Wait till events are unfolded; submit and adore! Let no voice be heard from thee but this, "Thou hast made me, O God, and I am thine: for in thee I live, and move, and have my being. Wherever thou commandest me to go, I follow. Whatever thou appointest me to suffer, I bear without a murmur. It is my part to persevere in duty, the rest I leave to thee, whose wisdom I revere, whose goodness I have so often experienced, in whom, therefore, I repose implicit trust, that all shall end well, and the righteous be made finally happy."

TRUTH is the most powerful thing in the world, since fiction can only please by its resemblance to it.-- Shaftesbury,

BELSHAZZAR.

BY THE REV. GEORGE CROLY.

HOUR of an Empire's overthrow !
The Princes from the feast were gone,
The Idol flame was burning low ;-
'Twas midnight upon Babylon.

That night the feast was wild and high;
That night was Sion's gold profaned;
The seal was set to blasphemy;

The last deep cup of wrath was drained.

'Mid jewelled roof and silken pall,
Belshazzar on his couch was flung;
A burst of thunder shook the hall-
He heard-but 'twas no mortal tongue :-

'King of the East, the trumpet calls,
That calls thee to a tyrant's grave;
A curse is on thy palace walls-
A curse is on thy guardian wave;

'A surge is in Euphrates' bed,

That never filled its bed before, A surge, that, ere the morn be red, Shall load with death its haughty shore.

'Behold a tide of Persian steel:

A torrent of the Median car ;

Like flame their gory banners wheel;
Rise, King, and arm thee for the war!'

Belshazzar gazed; the voice was past-
The lofty chamber filled with gloom;
But, echoed on the sudden blast,
The rushing of a mighty plume.

He listened; all again was still;

He heard no chariot's iron clang;He heard the fountain's gushing rill, The breeze that through the roses sang.

He slept :-In sleep wild murmurs came;
A visioned splendour fired the sky;
He heard Belshazzar's taunted name:
He heard again the Prophet cry-

'Sleep Sultan! 'tis thy final sleep;

Or wake, or sleep, the guilty dies. The wrongs of those who watch and weep, Around thee and thy nation rise.'

He started, 'mid the battle's yell,

He saw the Persian rushing on;
He saw the flames around him swell;-
Thou'rt ashes! King of Babylon.

THE TEQUENDAMA CATARACT.

THIS celebrated fall is upon the River Bogota, near the town of Santa Fé, in the Colombian Republic. At a little distance above the fall, the river is about 140 feet wide; but, as it approaches the chasm through which it dashes, its breadth is suddenly diminished to thirty-five feet. Thus contracted, the current gains accumulated force, and rushes down a perpendicular rock, at two bounds, to the depth of 600 feet, into a dark unfathomable abyss, out of which the river again issues, under the name of Rio Meta. The face of the rock, which finishes and borders the vast plain of Bogota, near the cataract, is so steep that it occupies three hours in the descent: and the basin, or gulf, into which the water is precipitated, cannot be approached very closely, as the rapidity of the stream, the deafening noise of the cataract, and the dense mass of spray, render it impossible to get nearer the edges of the abyss than 400 or 500 feet. The loneliness of the spot, the tumultuous roar of the waters, and the beauties of the surrounding vegetation, render this one of the wildest and most picturesque scenes of the Andes.

SELF-EDUCATION-Much less of success in life is in reality dependent upon accident, or what is called luck, than is commonly supposed. Far more depends upon the objects which a man proposes to himself; what attainments he aspires to; what is the circle which bounds his visions and thoughts; what he chooses, not to be educated for, but to educate himself for; whether he looks to the end and aim of the whole of life, or only to the present day or hour; whether he listens to the voice of indolence or vulgar pleasure, or to the stirring voice in his own soul, urging his ambition on to laudable objects.

NOTHING is more easy than to represent as impertinences any part of learning that has no immediate reference to the happiness or convenience of mankind.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

COLUMBUS.

THIS illustrious individual, decidedly one of the greatest men mentioned in history, was the son of a poor wool-comber of Genoa, in which city he was born, about the year 1435. Even in his childhood, he evinced a strong passion for geographical knowledge, and an irresistible inclination for the sea, and at fourteen years of age he began his career as a navigator, in the Mediterranean. Portugal was at this period, pre-eminent in Europe, for maritime enterprise; and thither, Columbus went in search of employment. At Lisbon he found relatives and friends, and here he married a daughter of Palestrello, a distinguished navigator, and the author of several Maps and Charts. The study of these materials, having confirmed him in an opinion he had long entertained, that the other side of the globe contained land, belonging to Eastern Asia, and connected with India, a country as yet but little known, he determined to make a voyage, in order to test the truth of his theory; and applied, but in vain, to his native city, Genoa, for assistance. Equally fruitless was an application which he made to the king of Portugal. He now determined to apply to the Spanish court; and about the same time, his brother sailed for England, on a similar errand, but was captured by pirates. Ferdinand and Isabella at this time filled the Spanish throne; to them he explained