A CRUEL FAIR ONE.-Perhaps a more wanton exposure of the life of a brave man, and a faithful lover, has never occurred, than in the case I subjoin. In the reign of Francis I., M. de Lorges, a man of great merit, paid his addresses for a considerable time to a young lady, by whom they were favourably received. The lovers were present at a fight of lions, given on some grand occasion by the monarch. The lady, with a hideous degree of levity, folly and cruelty, threw her glove into the arena, and told her lover, if his affection for her was sincere, he must go and bring it to her. Without a moment's hesitation he undauntedly descended-put his cap over one handand took his sword in the other. Very fortunately the lions made no attempt to molest him; and he was therefore enabled to obey the hard-hearted fair without injury. When he returned, he threw the glove at her with a high degree of resentment for the wanton and unfeeling manner in which she had exposed his life to such imminent hazard. He never renewed his suit. -Ibid.

A STRIKING CONTRAST.-To the preceding story I shall furnish a very remarkable and striking contrast. About the beginning of the last century, when it was fashionable in Spain for gentlemen of the first respectability to take a part in the bull fights, as a point of honour, a young cavalier having learned that a number of the most ferocious bulls of the mountains were to be exhibited at a bull feast, resolved to engage with one of them in honour of a young lady, to whom he was betrothed. She used every possible means to prevent him-begged, prayed and implored. It was all in vain. He was inflexibly determined to carry his purpose into execution. On the day appointed, he advanced into the arena, and had hardly begun the attack, when an elegant stripling rushed in and stepped between him and the bull. In a few minutes the bold assailant received a mortal wound, and in falling, discovered so much of the visage, as satisfied the distressed cavalier that it was his beloved fair one, who, in the fruitless attempt to rescue him from destruction, had fallen a victim herself. He then made a still more desperate attack upon the bull, which he killed-but in the combat received several mortal wounds. He was taken away, and laid in the same chamber with the faithful but unfor

tunate fair one. They were both consigned to one common grave.-Ibid.

SENSE AND UNDERSTANDING.-There appears considerable confusion in the use of these terms. They are sometimes employed as if they were synonymous-but generally as conveying meanings very different. The latter, I believe, is the correct mode.

So far from their being synonymous, or the possession of the one quality implying the co-existence of the other, I am persuaded that the instances of persons endowed with the one, and nearly or totally devoid of the other, are much more numerous than those in which they are combined together.

I have in vain sought in works on British Synonymy, for any explanation that would reflect light upon the subject.

By sense, in its usual acceptation, is implied that sober quality, which is sometimes styled prudence, or discretion, and whose operations are principally directed to just opinions, and correct conduct, in the common affairs of life. It is likewise termed good sense and common sense.

Understanding is a faculty of a higher order. It implies considerable intellectual endowments-quick perceptions-nice discrimination-brilliant imagination, &c. &c.

To exemplify this theory. A man may not only possess intellectual powers of the first class, but have those powers cultivated to the highest degree by education, and intercourse with society-he may be profoundly skilled in all the arts and sciences-be a first rate poet and painter-be equal as an orator to Demosthenes, Cicero, Chatham, Burke, or Curran-and yet be so deficient in sense, as to render himself not merely ridiculous, but contemptible. He may, in fine, exemplify what the witty Rochester wrote of Charles II:

"Who never said a foolish thing

And never did a wise one."

Let us examine the other side of the question. There are numbers of men to be found, who are not only ignorant of all the arts and sciences, but by nature totally incapable of acquiring them-whose perceptions are to the last degree dull-who cannot write twenty connected lines on any plain subject in the humblest prose who can scarcely discriminate between blank verse and rhyme, or between a drawing and an engraving-and

some of whom can neither read nor write-and who nevertheless in all the affairs of the world, display so much of that valuable quality, sense, as not only seldom or never to render themselves ridiculous, but to pass through the world with esteem and respect.-Ibid.

DUELLING. The great increase of the practice of duelling has very justly excited considerable indignation in the public mind, and called forth the interference of some of our legislatures, and other public bodies of men, in the hope, may it not be in vain! of arresting its further progress. Society ought to frown down the perpetrators of this outrage upon all laws, human and divine. Among the victims to the perverted idea of honour, which is the parent of duelling, may be enumerated some of the most valuable men this country has produced. It is not long since, there were accounts in a single gazette of three duels, two of them fatal.

The reader will doubtless learn with horror, that in the reign of Henry IV. of France, which extended to twenty-one years, no less than four thousand persons were murdered in France in this summary mode. So predominant was the rage for duelling at that era, that a gentleman who had never fought a duel, was but lightly esteemed in the fashionable world. And the horrible infatuation extended so far, that he who had killed three, or four, or five, was in much higher reputation, than he who had only killed one or two.-Idem, p. 116.

TENACITY OF THE VITAL PRINCIPLE.-There are men to be met with, each of whom has undergone as much corporeal injury as has sufficed to hurry half a dozen, or a dozen others, to "that country from whose bourne no traveller returns." There is at present in Lexington, Kentucky, a most remarkable instance of this kind. John R. Shaw, a well-digger, besides having experienced a great number of other accidents and misfortunes, has been' four times blown up and miserably mangled in blasting rocks in the line of his profession. He has actually lost one eye, four fingers, one thumb, and seven toes. I annex an extract from the statement published by Dr. Fishhack, of the fourth accident, to convey an idea to the reader of the lamentable havoc that was made upon him. "The skull was fractured

upon the frontal bone, a little to the right of its middle, and just below the edge of the hair. In consequence of a very considerable depression, it became necessary to trepan the part, by which a great number of small pieces of bone were taken out, and the depression entirely removed. The bone forming the wall of the external corner of the left eye, was likewise broken, which was also removed. His right shin bone was very much shattered. The left arm was fractured in one place, with the loss of two fingers, and the rest very much bruised. His right arm was broken in two places, one just above the wrist, and the other at the elbow, with a considerable injury of the hand. The skin upon the breast and stomach was very much bruised and cut; from which I infer he was leaning over the blast. His mouth, nose, skin of the face, eyes and head, were exceedingly wounded. Having several years before lost the use of his right eye, but little hopes remained, should he recover, of his ever enjoying the advantage of sight again, as the surface of the remaining eye was considerably bruised and torn by a number of small pieces of stone. In addition to the above, his face was enormously swelled, and covered with blood, gunpowder, and dirt, so that it was utterly impossible to recognise the lineaments of John R. Shaw."

It must be agreeable information to the reader to state that this mangled object has quite recovered, and still follows his profession. He has lately written and published his life and adventures, wherein are to be found many extraordinary and interesting events and hair-breadth escapes.-Idem, p. 117.

LEGAL FORMS.-Lord Kaimes, in his very interesting work, entitled "Sketches of the History of Man," (which, by the way, deserves to be much oftener perused than it has been of late years,) informs us of two capital convictions having been set aside in England, in consequence of very small errors in the indictments. In one case, murderavit was used instead of murdravit; in the other, feloniter for felonice!!!

Three or four years since, an atrocious ruffian, of the name of Donelly, was, on the clearest evidence, convicted at Carlisle, in this state, of having murdered his wife with almost every possible circumstance of the most hideous barbarity. To enter into the frightful detail would cost too much to the feelings of a reader of sensibility. After conviction his counsel moved to

have the verdict set aside on various grounds, among which one was an error in the verdict of the grand jury. In that document it was stated that they found the bill on their oaths and affirmations, whereas there was but one of them affirmed. I am happy to be able to add that the court overruled the objections, and did not allow the odious malefactor to elude the stern requisitions of distributive justice. He was deservedly offered up, on the gallows, a victim to the violated laws of humanity.—Ibid.

PAY WHAT THOU OWEST.-When I see a husband spending his money and his time in taverns, and forsaking his wife and his family, I say, Pay what thou owest.

When I see a wife intent almost solely upon dress, abandoning her domestic concerns to destruction, while she is parading through the streets to exhibit her divine person, and elegant accomplishments, I say, Pay what thou owest.

When I see a father or a mother neglecting the education of their children, and suffering them to run wild in the streets, in the high road to perdition, without the smallest effort to rescue them by parental authority, I say, Pay what thou owest.

When I see a child who has been tenderly brought up by fond and doating parents, treating them with disrespect, and inattention, perhaps with cruelty, in their old age, I say, in the most emphatical manner, Pay what thou owest.

When I see a man giving large and expensive entertainments; living in a style of princely extravagance, regardless of the ruinous consequences to his fortune; and, at the same time putting off the payment of tradesmen's bills, under the most frivolous pretences, I am ready to cry out, in a voice of thunder, Pay what thou owest.-Ibid.

CONVERSATION-SPIRIT OF CONTRADICTION.-So much of the most valuable enjoyment of rational beings depends upon conversation, that it may be worth while to devote a little attention to the subject.

It is to be regretted that some vices and imperfections which, at first blush, do not appear of much consequence, as effectually, in many instances, mar our happiness, as crimes of no small magnitude. It would be sufficient illustration of this idea, to state, that I may be rendered as miserable by a gross outrage