} defend it against the careless hand of childhood. supply the animal with drink, and cool his burnThat which is sacred and beautiful carries its ing sides, and the mud which he has raised from protection in itself; and thus Nature has bestowed the bottom settles again of itself. on it a defence so delicate as only to warn and not to wound; for delicacy alone should be associated with beauty." Next a weary traveller bends over the bank of the rivulet; it quenches his thirst and cools his fevered brow, and he pursues his way refreshed So too is innocence armed only with modesty and happy. and blushes. THE BROOK. Observe the course of that brook, said a teacher to his scholars. It pursues its quiet path through valley and meadow, and reflects in the bright mirror of its waters the image of the blue sky above. It waters the trees and shrubs which grow upon its banks, and its cool vapor refreshes the flowers and plants around it. Again it flows through a barren, sandy wild; there its blessings terminate. Still however it remains the same clear and refreshing stream, though there be no objects to receive its blessings. And now a wild boar rushes into the stream, and splashes about in its lovely waters. These Where is the source and spring of this beneficent stream? Look up yonder. Do you see that towering peak and yonder cavern encompassed with rocks? There, far in the bosom of the earth, is the hidden spring of the rivulet. Whence then came its inexhaustible source? Behold! the mountain top raises itself towards heaven, enveloped in dewy clouds. Where is the end and final destination of the stream? It advances with gradually increased strength until it is received into the arms of the mighty Ocean, and thence it returns to heaven whence it first descended. Thus spake the teacher; and his disciples saw in his words the image of Divine Love. EDITOR'S TABLE. REV. SIDNEY SMITH. ROM England, by a late steamer, we have intelligence of the death of this distinguished writer; a brief notice, therefore, of his literary character and career, may neither be inappropriate, at this time, nor uninteresting to our readers, to whom his name is familiar. The writings of Sidney Smith are mainly critical, having appeared from time to time in the Edinburg Review," since the year 1800. These have lately been collected and published both in England and in this country. A laconic account of the commencement of his career is given by himself, in the Preface to his published works, which we insert. "When I first went into the church," he says, "I had a curacy in the middle of Salisbury Plain. The Squire of the Parish took a fancy to me, and requested me to go with his son, to reside at the University of Weimer; before we could get there, Germany became the seat of war, and in stress of politics, we put into Edinburgh, where I remained five years. The principles of the French Revolution were then fully afloat, and it is impossible to conceive a more violent and agitated state of society. Among the first persons with whom I became acquainted, were Lord Jeffrey, Lord Murrey, (the late Lord Advocate for Scotland,) and Lord Brougham; all of them maintaining opinions upon political subjects a little too liberal for the dynasty of Dundas, then exercising a supreme power over the northern division of the Island. "One day we happened to meet in the eighth or ninth story or flat in Buccleugh-Place, the elevated residence of the then Mr. Jeffrey. I proposed that we should set up a Review; this was acceded to with acclamation. I was appointed Editor, and remained in Edinburgh long enough to edit the first number of the Edinburgh Review. The motto I proposed, for the Review, was, Tenui musam meditamur avena.' We cultivate literature upon a little oatmeal.' But this was too near the truth to be admitted, so we took our present grave motto from Publius Syrus, of whom none of us had, I am sure, ever read a single line; and so began what has since turned out to be a very important and able journal." Thus commenced the career of the talented Editor and his valuable review. When he left the work, it fell into the hands of Lord Brougham and Lord Jeffrey, although he remained a constant contributor to its pages. To the influence exerted by some of these articles, have been attributed several important reformations in the laws and opinions which were at one time prevalent in the United Kingdom. The concession of full defence to prisoners by counsel, was in a great measure the effect of his praiseworthy exertions in calling the attention of the public mind to the injustice of the prevailing practice, by which a man might be condemned and hanged before he had been half heard. His feelings were always sincere, and his religious, if not his political doctrines, were always pure, tolerating, and liberal. Amongst his most celebrated writings, are his "Letters of Peter Plymby" in which, by ridiculing the alarms of the over-zealous, he materially assisted the Catholic emancipation, which soon after occurred. But Sidney Smith is best known to most persons here as a bitter enemy to repudiation. The course pursued by some of our States, brought upon them a flood of his caustic satire. Yet many of his articles exhibit considerable interest in our welfare and success, as a nation. In a paper written for the Edinburgh Review, in 1820,-reviewing a work, entitled, "Statistical Annals of the United States of America," published in Philadelphia-he says in his conclusion, such is the land of Jonathan, and thus has it been governed. In his honest endeavor to better his situation, and in his manly purpose of resisting injury and insult we most cordially sympathize. We hope he will always continue to watch and suspect his government as he now does-remembering that it is the constant tendency of those entrusted with power, to conceive that they enjoy it by their own merits, and for their own use, and not by delegation, for the benefit of others. Thus far we are the friends and admirers of Jonathan. But he must not grow vain and ambitious, nor allow himself to be dazzled by that galaxy of epithets by which his orators and newspaper scribblers endeavor to persuade their supporters that they are the greatest, the most refined, the most enlightened, and the most moral people upon earth. The effect of this is unspeakably ludicrous on this side of the Atlantic, and, even on the other, we shall imagine, must be rather humiliating to the reasonable part of the population." discovers the extent of his remarks, as well as the faithfulness with which he has executed his design. In completing this work, the author will trace the progress of events down from these half fabulous ages of antiquity to the present time. The task is a laborious one. It has frequently been attempted, but never adequately completed. A thousand difficulties surround the historian at every step of his progress. Contradictory accounts of the same events, discrepancies in names, dates and circumstances, the different chronological systems founded upon various and con Sidney Smith had strong prejudices, which occasionally misled him; yet, however these may at times have influenced his better judgment, as was frequently the case in his article on America, we must acknowledge that he has thrown out many valuable hints, which it would do us no harm, as a nation, to remember. We should not permit our veneration for our own country, and its peculiar institutions, to blind us to their defects, nor should we reject the sugges-flicting authorities, which confuse, embarrass, and tions of wisdom, because they emanate from a foreigner. The maxims of truth are of an invariable nature and of universal application. As such, they belong to no age, and to no country. They are the gift of reason to all time, and to every people; we should not refuse the proffered boon, because it is held out to us from a distance. With a true discrimi-ground; so that by their prominence or insignificance, nation, we should rather select that which is good, from that which is evil, regardless of the source whence it is obtained; for truth is none the less pure on account of the corruptions which surround it. Thus much for the correct and erroneous opinions of Sidney Smith. Of these he himself says, "I see very little in my reviews, to alter or repent of: I always endeavored to fight against evil; and what I thought evil then, I think evil now." This, and other avowals of his sincerity convinces us, that as a writer, whatever may have been the errors into which he was betrayed, he was always honest in the expression of his opinions. The ability with which he supported these opinions will show how zealously he adhered to them. As a literary man, he proved himself to be the possessor of learning and talent. He was not a mere wit; he was a scholar; his writings show him to have been possessed not only of the brilliancy of the former, but also of the profundity of the latter; and though his satire assumes occasionally the appearance of ill-nature, along side of this muddy current, runs a deeper and a stronger one, of clear discriminating judgment, and shrewd common sense. lead astray are to be reconciled, harmonized, or chosen from. This is only to be accomplished by persevering labor, assisted by extensive and profound erudition. But even all this constitutes but the least difficult part of the task; greater judgment is requisite, to dispose events in the background and fore every shade, and every feature of time may be distinctly portrayed. The civil, political, social, religious and intellectual condition of each age should be examined, the distinctive characteristic of every nation,-the causes, the nature, and the effects, both immediate and ultimate, of each event should be considered. History and Philosophy should go hand in hand; nay their existence should be blended together, and nothing should be considered, truly, history, which is not philosophy. The historian should not only collect; he should analyse, combine, and dispose; thus uniting in himself, the acquired learning of the scholar, with the natural energy and profundity of the philosopher. It is this necessity, which lead Macaulay to declare that, to be a really great historian was perhaps the rarest of intellectual distinctions. From That portion of Mr. Frost's work already published, contains a concise introductory account of the early ages of the world, down to the commencement of the existence of the Egyptians, as a nation possessed of a government and political institutions. this point the author commences his history with Egypt, by giving, first, a geographical account of the country, its climate, soil, productions, &c. together with interesting descriptions of the principal cities, Sidney Smith died between eleven and twelve o' clock, on the night of February 12th, in the seventy-temples, and curiosities; secondly, the origin of the seventh year of his age, after a long illness. Pictorial History of the World. By JOHN FROST, ancient population of Egypt, their national characteristics, their political institutions, their religious belief and customs, their moral, intellectual and social condition, with an account of the arts, and sciences, as cultivated by them. After thus comprehensively de as a country and a nation he proceeds to their history, commencing with the reign of Menes, the first king of the first dynasty, and continuing down to the invasion of Alexander the Great. Leaving the history of Egypt, at this point he proceeds to that of Ethiopia. The second number of this splendid work has been issued. We noticed, last month, the style only inscribing the character of Egypt and its inhabitants, which the mechanical and artistical portion of it was executed, not having had time carefully to examine the merits of the history itself. Since then, however, we have attentively read the first two numbers, and with that satisfaction which arises from the contemplation of a difficult task, well accomplished. Were the work complete, we could better judge of its aggregate merit; as it is, we can only form an inferential conclusion as to what will follow, from that which precedes. The authorities consulted have been so numerous, and of such a character as to leave no doubt of the authenticity of the facts cited. One important fea ture of the work, is, that it is written since the discoveries recently made by Champollion and Dr. The author begins his history as far back as authen-Young, in the art of decyphering Egyptian hieroglitic records will permit. Commencing with the early ages of the world, where history and fable are almost inextricably woven together, he separates truth from fiction, reality from tradition, with an accuracy which phics and monumental inscriptions, in which are recorded many important events which have hitherto either been wholly unknown to have happened, or have been involved in mystery and reported diffe rently. These questions are many of them set at rest, by the authorities recently discovered. Of these authorities Mr. Frost has availed himself, and his work will, from this circumstance possess increased value. All these circumstances combined, the ability of the writer,--the care with which he has collected, and selected his materials,--the abundance and authenticity of these materials, and finally the learning, labor, and experience which are brought to bear upon them in arranging and disposing them, will make this work, when complete, one of the first which our country has produced. MUSIC FROM BALFE'S OPERA OF THE BOHEMIAN GIRL.-Since the production of this Opera, in which are so many captivating airs, all the songs that it contains have become exceedingly popular, and deservedly so. There is a something about them all that finds an instant echo in every heart. Sweetness is their particular characteristic. The publishers of the LADY'S MUSICAL LIBRARY, E. Ferrett & Co. have issued an extra, containing nine songs and pieces from this Opera, at the extraordinary low price of twenty-five cents. The songs and pieces contained in this extra are, "I Dreamt that I Dwelt in Marble Halls," "Then You'll Remember Me," "Song of the Gipsey's Bride," "The Fair Land of Poland," "The Heart Bowed Down," "T is Sad to Leave Our Fatherland," "The Arline Waltz," "The Bohemian Gallop," and "The Bohemian Quickstep." These songs being contained, as above stated, in an extra number of the Musical Library, that number can be sent by mail at regular periodical postage. It contains only two sheets. "The Poor Poot," from Kotzebue, which will be found in this number, is an admirable paper. Read it. FRANKENSTEIN'S WESTERN VIEWS.-Among the views of Western Scenery which will appear in our magazine, engraved on steel, from original paintings by Godfrey N. Frankenstein, Esq. of Cincinnati, Ohio, will be "A view on the Great Miami, near Dayton, Ohio," "A view on Bank Lick, Kentucky," four miles from Covington, and "A view among the Indiana Knobs," four or five miles from New Albany, Indiana, and six or seven miles from Louisville, Ky. Succeeding these will be views in the immediate vicinity of Cincinnati. The three pictures named have been completed by Mr. Frankenstein, and will be engraved as speedily as a regard to artistical beauty will permit. CINCINNATI.-As before stated, Mr. C. W. Ramsdale is our sole agent in Cincinnati and the west. From him all western agents can get their supplies at least ten days earlier than in any other way, as he will publish in Cincinnati on the same day that we publish here. His place of business is at the book store of Mr. Peabody, Race and Fifth Streets. A DISCOURSE ON INSTINCT, by Lord Brougham, will shortly be published by E. Ferrett & Co. It contains, in a series of conversations, some most interesting anecdotes, concerning animal instinct, its various degrees, and peculiar characteristics. This book will afford abundance of interest and amusement, the reasoning is powerfu. and lucid, the facts astonishing, and the inductions therefrom clear and unanswerable. The price will be only 25 cents. |