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fall the moment the scaffolding was with drawn. Placing himself beneath the centre of the arch, the confident architect ordered the scaffolding to be taken away. The bridge is yet standing, and, of its kind, is one of the finest in the world. Poor Winstanley, in his Eddystone lighthouse was equally confident, but, unhappily, not so correct in his judgment, as the architect of the new bridge at Turin.

I might perambulate the labyrinthian streets of Milan for a week, and find enough to occupy my attention; the palaces, churches, convents, lazarettos, and religious fraternities of the place are

numerous.

Priests and veiled women, gendarmes, soldiers, and burgeois, are seen in all directions. When you visit the place, go to that world's wonder, the old monastery of S. Marie delle Grazie, to gaze on Leonardo da Vinci's "Last Supper;" painted on the wall, and forgive, if you can, the monkish epicures, who, to secure a hot dinner, cut a door-way through the painting.

Look at that glorious building! It is the Duomo, or great cathedral of Milan, built of purest white marble: it has but one superior in Italy. It is, indeed, a splendid pile, and its fretwork, carving, and statues, are thought by many to be unequalled. There are seven infant schools in the city, supported by private charity.

The lakes of Maggiore, Como, and Lugano, beautiful as they are, must be passed by. The mosaic pavements, richly sculptured altars, busts, friezes, and pillars of the newly excavated temple of Hercules at Brescia; the piazzas, the old palaces, the high houses, and heavy stone balconies of Verona, and the university, and fortifications of Padua, must not be dwelt upon. Venice is before me, with its ducal palace, bridge of sighs, and church of St. Mark, with the four horses of Lysippus over the principal arched entrance of the temple. There stand those brazen horses, proclaiming, as with the voice of a trumpet, mute and motionless as they are, the instability of earthly glory. Passing from one conqueror to another, they have outlived the power of their possessors, for the glory of Corinth, of Rome, of Constantinople, and of Venice is no more, and the empire of Napoleon has passed away. These horses were once the symbols of princely power, they are now the emblems of departed greatness. How weak are the mightiest when God

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Neither vine, olive, nor mulberry grove detains me. Ferrara is the birth-place and death-place of Ariosto; and Bologna has one of the best picture galleries in the world; but I have hurried on through them both, and through Fillagare also. Florence is now before me, the Tuscan capital,

"The brightest star of star-bright Italy."

celebrated among other things for the beauty of its position! The surrounding scenery is truly delightful. Divided by the river Arno, it presents a goodly spectacle of magnificent palaces, churches, libraries, academies, and museums. picture gallery Palazzo Vecchio, and that of the Pitti Palace are beyond praise. Vine

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and olive emulate each other in decorating the sunny slopes, and the towering Apennines in the distance stand mighty bulwarks invested with grandeur, power, and durability.

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The old streets of this old city are too narrow to admire; it is well that I am on foot, for two carriages cannot pass. I have been to Santa Croce, which has been called the "Mecca of Italy;" and well it may be so called, if sculptured marble can make it such. Here are the monuments of Dante, Galileo, Alfieri, Machiavel, and Michael Angelo. But is there no place where the dead repose that ranks in my estimation higher than Santa Croce? My heart cries, "There is! Westminster Abbey is worth a hundred Santa Croces."

At another time, led by fancy, I may perambulate "Imperial Rome," and other Italian cities; but the thought of Westminster Abbey has brought me back again to the land of my birth, and my perambulation for the present must be brought to a close. Italy is a fair domain, a galaxy of glorious things; but Italy is not

England. Once more am I at home! The map of Europe is laid aside, and I am sitting with a grateful spirit by my own humble, happy hearth, my heart filled with kindly desires for every country under heaven, but more than all for old England.

THE DEAD SEA.

FROM the Jordan we accompanied some English travellers to the Dead Sea, and were attended by a guard of soldiers. The hills we passed have much the same appearance as those in the valley of the Nile, and are equally barren. As we approached the shore, all traces of vegetation began to cease, and the last mile was over sand, upon which were incrustations of salt. There was a gloom over the sea, which continued during the whole of our stay in its neighbourhood, and prevented us from seeing more than four miles over its surface. It is bounded on the east and west by mountains; and in this part, which is a kind of bay, may be about twelve miles across. The beach is covered with logs of wood, and other matters, brought down by the Jordan; and as I observed these only close to the water's edge, I should not have supposed, from inspection, though all travellers seem assured of the fact, that it rises and falls at certain seasons. There was a very gentle ripple upon the surface, but not the slightest appearance of a wave dashing on the shore; its appearance may be best compared to an immense sheet of ice, when seen through a fog. It must not be supposed that this stillness is constant, though Tacitus says, "The wind raises no waves there," as at the time it was visited by some friends of mine, the waves were so high, that they were afraid to bathe. We observed, almost close to the water, a pile of large stones, that appear to have been squared, and some have supposed that they once belonged to the cities of the plain. The fable is exploded that no bird can fly over it, as we saw several skimming its surface with as much apparent ease as in any other place; but we observed no signs of fish, and I am inclined to the belief, that there are none in it. Upon the shore are a number of shells; but this proves nothing, as I have seen the same in all parts of Judea, and they are probably brought down the river, or washed from the mountains. It was now our turn to bathe, and perhaps there might

be in our minds something of the same feeling as that for which, a little time before, we had been accusing the pilgrims. The water was so buoyant, that in swimming we had great difficulty to keep our legs under it, and I had to hold my head back like a sphinx, in order to breathe. It was so dense, that we could not swim, to any distance, without using great exertion. We could remain in the water without the least motion, and did not sink. I could not dive, though more expert swimmers might, perhaps, succeed. The taste is most nauseous, and in places where my skin was excoriated by exposure to the sun, the smart was excessive. The skin had an uncomfortable sensation for several days after; and it required an immensity of soap and water to free us from the particles we had imbibed. The water is clear, and it is said to contain one-fourth of its weight of salts. The surface is said, by Josephus, to change its appearance three times every day, according to the direction of the sun's rays. He speaks, also, of there being ships upon it, which shows that its consuming power is not so great as some have imagined. In 1818, some English travellers made a circuit of the sea, and by their account, it is not more than thirty miles in length.

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I have visited many scenes of desolation, but this surpasses them all: yet this very spot, we are assured by Scripture, was once as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt." The sea is called, in sacred writ, the Salt Sea, the Sea of the Plain, and the East Sea. It occupies what was formerly the valley of Siddim, in which stood the five cities of the plain, Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zeboim, and Bala. These guilty cities were utterly destroyed by the righteous vengeance of the Lord, and their very sites have been hid from the face of heaven, by waters that are alone among all the waters of the world. The awful prophecy of Moses must needs, when considered amid the scene that here presents itself, bring fear to the mind of the sinner, and conviction to that of the sceptic. "The stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the Lord hath laid upon it; and that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt, and burning, that it is not sown nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the

Lord overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath: : even all nations shall say, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger? Then men shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord God of their fathers," Deut. xxix. 22-25. The Israelites refused to listen to the warning voice, and the prophecy has been fulfilled in the utmost force of its terrible import. "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."-Hardy's Notices of the Holy Land.

MY AUNT PRISCILLA.-No. I.

HER EDUCATION.

"I SCARCELY know which to advise, but I rather think my aunt Priscilla used to prefer❞—

"How is it, dear mamma, that we have learned to regard your aunt Priscilla as a kind of oracle? and yet we have never known her, and know little or nothing of her history."

"My obligations to that excellent woman are greater that I can express; and yours, perhaps, greater than you imagine. She had the formation of your mother's character; and while deeply lamenting that the advantages of my youth have not been more fully improved, I cannot but feel, that my children reap some benefit from the instructions and example of my worthy aunt. I would not absolutely regard any human being as an oracle. Even my aunt Priscilla was not exempt from human failings. But I have so much reason to think with veneration of her judgment, her principles, and her practices, that I should certainly hesitate to take a step, especially in the management of my family, if I were distinctly to recollect that her sentiments or example pointed to a different course.'

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"But how came aunt Priscilla to be so clever in the management of a family? was she not a maiden lady?"

"Oh no, my love: she was the mother of a numerous family. How could you entertain that notion?"

"I don't know, mamma, unless it were from her name; it sounds oldmaidish. Why did they give her such an odd name?"

"I have heard some tradition about a dispute between the mother of my grandfather and a maiden sister of his father, whether the names were to stand, Pris

cilla Susan, or Susan Priscilla. It issued in the first child receiving the name of her grandmother, and the second child that of her aunt, Priscilla. The point of precedence was never cordially settled between the old ladies. But as it fell out, that the first child died in infancy, my aunt came in for the plate, jewels, laces, brocades, and other costly finery of both. But why you should dislike the name, I cannot imagine. It has nothing unpleasant in the sound, or ludicrous or disgusting in association. It is dignified as having designated one of the holy matrons of Scripture, and certainly not dishonoured in being borne by my aunt, who was justly regarded by all who knew her, as a model of British matrons."

"And how was it, mamma, that you were brought up by your aunt? I know you were not left an orphan, for I very well remember my grandmother; and I have heard you say, that my uncles and aunts are younger than yourself.”

"The circumstances of my parents, and their unsettled mode of life, (for my father was an officer in the army,) were considered unfavourable to the education of their children; and hence, such of us as survived the perils of infancy, were placed under the care of my aunt, and shared the privileges of her well-regulated family.”

"But did you like being separated from your parents? I am sure I should

not.'

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"There were, indeed, disadvantages connected with it. These were bitterly lamented by my dear mother, as among the many evils resulting from an imprudent marriage. The displeasure of her father, and the consciousness of having merited it, embittered the early years of her married life; and many trials intersected its whole course, which his forgiveness could neither avert nor remedy. It was through the conciliatory influence of my aunt Priscilla, who then resided under the paternal roof, that my grandfather was first induced to listen to the submission of his offending daughter; and not long afterwards, on the birth of a third child, I was received as an inmate of his family. I believe a permanent residence was not at first contemplated; but my aunt, who took the charge of me, found my mind and temper so much in need of cultivation and discipline, that she could not bear to return me, to accompany my parents in their frequent removals, and consequent domestic disadvantages. Hence my visit was prolonged more than two years, at

the end of which time my grandfather died. Shortly after this event, my aunt was married, and took me home with her to carry on my education; and I remained with her, till I was transplanted to my present home.'

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"Well, mamma, I don't wonder at your cherishing her memory with such affectionate veneration. I should very much like to hear all about her-all, I mean, that you can recollect, and I know you recollect a great deal."

"Then I will try. But it is impossible to transfer a correct and adequate impression of her character, to the mind of any one who did not know her.

"I suppose she was well educated, according to the standard of the day; that is to say, no expense was spared in providing competent instructors; nor was any species of accomplishment neglected, that was considered fitting for young ladies of her rank in society. It was, however, in some respects, very defective. But my aunt had the good sense to perceive both its advantages and its defects, and by subsequent self-cultivation, to improve the one and correct the other. Whatever be the system, or the administration of teaching, education can be successful and beneficial only so far as it leads to self-cultivation; and it sometimes happens, that when an original superiority of mind exists, even a very defective course of education is found sufficient to give this stimulus. Such, I think, must have been the case with my aunt, who seemed to have had peculiar aptitude at perceiving that some particular branches of early study had been correctly, but imperfectly pursued; that others had been conducted on false principles, or had occupied a portion of time, attention, and labour, beyond their real claims; and that some were absolutely worthless. Hence, it was easy to conclude which should be laid aside at once; and which, and in what proportions, others were worthy of farther pursuit. My aunt possessed vigour of purpose, as well as soundness of judgment. These qualifications do not always go together, though their combination is essential to real greatness of character. With her, to decide that a thing ought to be done, and to take measures for the accomplishment, were simultaneous movements of the mind and body; or rather, cause and effect so closely followed, as to appear simultaneous. Thus, when she had fairly concluded that an object was not worthy of

pursuit, she no longer pursued it, but reserved her whole time and energies for better purposes. This I gather from the mingled simplicity and firmness of my aunt's incidental remarks, and from my own observations of the consistent and uniform tenor of her way.'

"I have heard her, when books were spoken of, say of one, 'Yes, I recollect it being introduced into the school, and eagerly sought after: but it seemed to me to be frivolous, erroneous, or calculated to produce false impressions; so I laid it aside, and have never met with it since; nor do I retain any distinct recollection of its contents.' While of another, she would say, 'Yes, it was one of the few treasures of my youth, though then I did not know half its value: I have frequently read it over with increasing interest and instruction; and notwithstanding the number of valuable books, which since that period, have so astonishingly multiplied, it is one with which I wish all my children to be familiar.'

"Some beautiful point ruffles and lappets, worked by my aunt in her childhood, were once brought out, to be converted into babies' caps, or something of that kind. They, with some other relics, were deposited in a large work-box, covered with filigree, green, scarlet, and gold."

"When my aunt produced these old stores, my curiosity, if not my admiration, was excited. I exclaimed, 'Oh, aunt, what a work of patience and skill! and was all this really the work of your own hands? I should like to know how to do such things; but I do not think that I should ever have patience to accomplish half so much.'

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"I do not think, my dear,' replied my aunt, that it would be worth the expense of time and eyesight to acquire the art. I am glad that this laborious trifling is going out of fashion; for I am sure all the good I ever derived from it, consisted in acquiring habits of application, neatness, and perseverance, and the pleasure of producing something to gratify beloved friends. The point was worked for my dear mother, and the box for my aunt.) But, then, the good habits referred to, might have been just as well acquired, and good-will cherished, and respect expressed, and friends gratified quite as much, if the time had been bestowed on some really useful performance. I should be sorry if the setting aside of these tedious toils, on which so much time was expended in the days of my youth,

should lead the young ladies of the present day to neglect the acquirements of habits of neatness, despatch, and perseverance in the really useful operations of the needle; and it would be matter | of regret, if all their ingenuity, taste, and industry, should be employed on decorating themselves.'

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"A knowledge of the arts of domestic operation, had, in the days of my aunt's youth, been considered an indispensable branch of female education. She considered it so herself, and, to the great comfort and advantage of the whole family, she daily exemplified her proficiency in that humble service. But then, she had found it practicable to effect a great saving of time and attention, and to secure an equally good result, by simplifying and systematizing her operations. She sometimes amused us with an old receipt book of her grandmother's: the possession of such a manual in her own handwriting, was then regarded as one of the most noble achievements of a young lady's pen; the more voluminous, the more honourable. How laborious and expensive must have been the art of cookery and confectionary, in those days! 'Had I followed these rules,' said my aunt, my whole time would have been occupied in household drudgery, instead of the portion really needful being intelligently employed in superintendence, and the matter then dismissed for nobler occupations. It would have taken me five hours to prepare some elaborate dish, that would be eaten in five minutes. This I was by no means inclined to bestow. Then, too, the implicit, but contradictory directions, led me to conclude, that if one were right, the other must be wrong, and that perhaps both were needless. I therefore endeavoured to put myself in possession of a few simple, but well established principles of general application; and on doing this, I found, that all the special directions required, might be reduced to less than a quarter of the compass; and the doing of such things as I chose to do myself, and instructing my servants in others, has borne a similar reduction.'

"In the days of my youth,' said my aunt, if a pupil had read or repeated the pages of a book, it was too readily taken for granted, that the book, and the science of which it treated, were understood. I wish this mistaken assumption were altogether exploded in the present day; at least, I hope my own better ex

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perience will teach me to guard against admitting such a fallacy with respect to any, in whose education I have a share. I repeated an English grammar through and through again, as a mere exercise of memory, but never perceived the application of its principles; for that part of my education was intrusted to one, who deemed it no part of her duty to make her pupils understand what they professed to learn; indeed, I question whether she understood it herself. Of this, however, I am certain, that if my conversation be habitually correct, and free from gross violation of grammar, that correctness has been insensibly acquired by mixing in good society, and reading well-written books, and not from learning the rules of syntax at school.'

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My aunt spake with lively gratitude of the instructions of her writing master, by whom also she was initiated into the study of geography, astronomy, and history. It had always been a matter of regret, that she was so early removed from his tuition. She, however, knew how to appreciate and improve what he had taught her; for his instruction had been communicated on just principles : she understood as far as she learned, and the desire for further information was awakened, and the notion of obtaining it imparted; and this, she acknowledged, was real education.

"The languages which had been professedly taught to my aunt, were French and Italian. With the former she retained a pretty good acquaintance, having had frequent opportunities of conversing in that language, as well as access to the best authors; for her father was familiar with, and partial to the language, and encouraged his daughters in their acquirement of it; but the Italian was of comparatively little use.

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My aunt had also learned music and drawing. She was placed under masters who taught these sciences. She had instruction for a year or two in playing on the spinet and guitar; but the time bestowed was not sufficient to admit of any great proficiency, and as she discovered no particular talent for music, and the little she had learned at school was not cultivated at home, it was soon forgotten. My aunt thought it a pity that the taste and capabilities of a pupil should not be more taken into consideration, before time was employed on a pursuit not in itself essential, and in which there was not a fair chance of suc

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