Natural History mostly conjecture.

In this very pleasing department of science how little is really known of the animal world, except their external and internal conformations, and some few habits of animals, which minute and frequent attention have enabled the naturalist to make. Among creatures so different from himself, and devoid of any powers to understand their language, the naturalist is every moment travelling through a strange country, and hears and sees the natives, without any faculty to describe the motives of any one of their actions. To judge of them by his own intellect and passions (and how can we do otherwise?) is but a blind mode of proceeding, and puts the great M. Buffon upon the level of little Æsop.

Ancient and Modern Customs.

Cicero, in his "Orator," mentions a ludicrous story, very applicable to modern times. "Nasica

master was gone out.

came to the house of the poet Ennius, and when he asked for him, was told by the maid that her Nasica knew well that Ennius was at home,' but that he had given the maid orders to deny him. A few days after, when Ennius called at Nasica's house, and asked for

Nasica, Nasica at the gate told him he was not at home. What,' said Ennius, do I not know your own voice?" "Are you not an impudent fellow?" replied Nasica, "when your maid told me you was not at home, did not I believe her? Now you won't believe me, though I tell you so myself."-Guthrie's Translation of the Orator, chap. 68.

Character of Eneas.

Commentators on ancient authors are very apt to form their notions of the manners of antiquity by the times in which they themselves live. One of these ingenious persons has observed the great propriety in Virgil of giving Æneas the title of Dux, Captain, when he entered the cave with the unfortunate Dido, though on all other occasions he calls him Pius. Had this commentator lived in the protectorate of Oliver Cromwell, he would not have thought so; as a republican captain was, perhaps, as pious, and certainly as amorous, as any chaplain in the Protector's regiment.

Cicero's Sophism.

One is astonished that so great a man as Cicero should, in serious reasoning, fall into such a verbal

sophistry as he has, when in his "Old Age" he compares youth and age together. "I grant," says he, "that an old man has nothing to hope; but he has this advantage over youth, that what young men wish for, he has already obtained." Now youth does not wish to be arrived at old but to enjoy the intermediate years that lead to it. When old, he will not consider that he has obtained an advantage; but will find, in the language of a vulgar joke, that "he has gained a loss."

age,

Marquis Bonasana Beccaria,

Born at Milan in 1735, died 1793.

The Marquis, in his Treatise on Crimes and Punishment, is sometimes, from his metaphysical turn of mind, obscure ; but his thoughts on suicide and duelling seem worthy of consideration. Speaking of the public opinion being in favour of this private appeal to arms, he proposes that the challenger should be alone subject to punishment, and that the laws should be lenient to the man who accepts the challenge, because he acts under an opinion of honourable self-defence, against the evil influence of which the law cannot protect him.

Suicide.

The Marquis Beccaria treats this unhappy state of mind with great lenity and caution; and considers the punishment of the suicide, as it cannot be personal to him after death, therefore to be more properly assigned to God than man. Το those who would punish the suicide by inflicting any penalty on his family as a means of preventing a man from slaying himself, his answer seems conclusive. "If a man prefers death to life, and considers it as a burden instead of a state of the most moderate enjoyment, the consideration of the future welfare of his family will not stop his murderous hand."

Rage for the "Nude."

I should advise the ladies, not as a moralist, but as one of their most sincere though frank admirers, to dress themselves more modestly. Imagination is more alive, and a more active agent in love, than the eye. Habit soon makes the pleasures of sight to grow weary and be disgusting; whilst the pleasures of imagination are never to be satiated. I do not doubt that a young Chinese beauty, who shews only the tip of her foot, would gain more admirers than all the ladies in an eastern seraglio dancing at an " undressed ball," or in their baths.

Translations and Imitations.

It was a happy thought of Cervantes, to compare translations of the ancient poets to the wrong side of tapestry. It may be said of imitations, which have more invention in them, though inferior to their originals, that they resemble Wilton carpets, yet do not rival the true Turkish manufactures, either in splendour of colours or durability of materials. Pope's Imitations of Horace are more pleasing to an English reader than any translations could be; and R. Lloyd's imitation of the" Gossips," in Theocritus, will often raise a laugh in the English reader, who would have found the fidelity of a translation to ancient manners dry and uninteresting.

Blockheads

Are not only very dull men, but are also very provoking companions. Mr. Msays he has turned all the poets out of his study; I should rather suppose, on the contrary, that they had turned him out. This is the dexterity of selflove, to endeavour to prove that what a blockhead does not or cannot relish, he immediately declares, with all his might, cannot be relished by any one.

What is all this, but a blind man quiz