in the pages of the "Confolatio" with a liberal hand. Tennyfon's words “This is truth the poet fings, That a forrow's crown of forrow is remembering happier things," find their original in "Nam in omni adverfitate fortunæ infeliciffimum genus est infortunii, fuiffe felicem." The verfes of a living American poet* afford a fit tranflation to thofe admirable lines of Boëthius: "Tu quoque fi vis Lumine claro Cernere verum, Tramite recto Hæc ubi regnant."+ "When all error is worked out From the heart, and from the life; When the fenfuous is laid low Through the spirit's holy ftrife; "From this fpirit-land afar, All disturbing force shall flee, Strife, nor toil, nor hope fhall mar With fuch wife and lofty ftrains, and with fuch * Emerfon, L. I. Metrum vii. pure and noble thoughts did this laft of the Romans foothe his foul and raise it to the height of such high arguments in its last fad trial-hour. He had known the sweets of profperity; had enjoyed the blandishments of immenfe wealth; had tasted of the flattering draught of fame; had experienced the attractions of power: but prosperity, wealth, fame and power, he had found to be but vanities, and that true happiness came alone from virtue, and virtue was the ftrong and healthy fruit of philofophy. This it is, and its rich style and flowing poefy, that have made his book such a favourite with all great and strong minds in the hour of their adverfity and affliction. This it is which still makes it a book precious to us all; and which has endowed it with that immortality, that "life beyond a life," which Milton declared to be the dowry of all good books. This it is which has made men place the "De Confolatione Philofophiæ," among the great bequests of antiquity; and enshrined it among thofe writings which the world "will not willingly let die." The concluding fentences of the "Confolatio " are worthy of the great theme which the author discuffes. Solemn and admonitory they ring upon our ears as the folemn knell of a man bravely dying. The voice of one removed above the petty cares, the idle hopes, and the vain temporalities of the world. The warning of one about to pass to that land "where the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at reft;" and we feel that their writer had indeed laid up for himself treasures in that kingdom "Where falls not hail, or rain, or any snow, Nor ever wind blows loudly; but it lies Deep-meadowed, happy, fair with orchard lawns, and "where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through and steal." A conclufion which no purely heathen writer could have given to his work. "Nor are," he exclaims, "nor are our hopes in God, and prayers to him, in vain; which, when they are fincere, cannot be ineffectual. Therefore, O men! abhor vices, practife virtues, raise your minds to good hopes, addrefs your humble prayers to heaven. Great neceffity of probity, if ye will not diffemble, is laid upon you, when ye are before the eyes of a judge who fees all things." The learned and pious author of "Latin Christianity," fays that, fays that, "Intellectually, Boëthius was * I cannot withhold from the Latin reader the original of this fine paffage :-"Nec fruftra funt in Deo pofitæ fpes, precefque; quæ cum rectæ fint, inefficaces effe non poffunt. Averfamini igitur vitia, colite virtutes, ad rectas fpes animum fublevate, humiles preces in excelfa porrigite. Magna vobis eft, fi diffimulare non vultis, necesfitas indicta probitatis, cum ante oculos agitis judicis cuncta cernentis.-L. V. pros. vi. the laft of the Romans, and Roman letters may be said to have expired with greater dignity in his perfon, than the empire in that of Auguftulus. His own age might justly wonder at the univerfal accomplishments of Boëthius." * After-ages have borne willing teftimony to the justness of the wonder with which his contemporaries looked upon this last great master of Roman philofophy. * "Milman's Latin Christianity," v. i. p. 323. THE EARL OF SURREY. WHAT reader of English Hiftory, and what lover of English poetry has not glowed with admiration, and burned with indignation, while perufing the life and poems of the gallant Earl of Surrey! One of the most chivalrous of the fons of fong; he was alfo one of the most unfortunate. Brave, honourable, hot-headed, felfwilled child of genius, he has left behind him a name as famous for "daring deeds of high emprife," as any of the knights-errant of old romance. He might indeed, have been a Sir Guyon, and was well worthy a place in the gentle Spenfer's "Faërie Queen;" for he was as pure as he was brave; as virtuous as he was heroic; as generous as he was unfortunate; and as faithful as he was courteous. He was the "mirror of courtefy;" and fo long as men and women admire and love the highest qualities of our poor human nature, fo long will the life and fate of the Earl of Surrey poffefs a charm furpaffing even that which his |