SANS SOUCI. Friendship of women. Women are more constant in friendship than men, for these reasons: the temperament of women is more cold, and therefore less likely to change or fly off from an object, to which they are once attached. The same coolness of constitution renders them more subject to timidity; and so they adhere to objects of affection, because they are fearful of losing what they value. Scaliger. Scaliger used to say, that he could not comprehend the causes well described by an ancient phrase "cor suum edens," eating his own heart. Absolute singleness is the character of the Deity only; but man is too feeble and dependent to subsist by himself. Swift was invited by a rich miser with a large party to dine; being requested by the host to return thanks at the removal of the cloth, uttered the following grace: Thanks for this miracle !-this is no less, Than to eat manna in the wilderness. Where raging hunger reign'd we've found relief, And seen that wondrous thing a piece of beef. Here chimneys smoke, that never smok'd before, of three things; the interval of And we've all ate, where we shall eat no more. an ague, the motion of the sea, and the nature of his own memory. Medici. The family of the Medici, most probably, took their rise from some ancestor, who was an eminent physician, as they still bear in their arms the device of five pills. Aristippus was very fond of magnificent entertainments, and loved a court life. Dionysius asked him, in a sarcastick manner, the reason, why philosophers were seen often at the gates of princes, but princes never at the doors of philosophers? "For the same reason," replied the philosopher, "that physicians are found at the doors of sick men, but sick men never at the doors of physicians." Etymology of Decreptitude. The comparison of human life to the burning and going out of a lamp was familiar with Latin authors, as we know by the terms "senes decrepiti." A lamp, just about to expire, was said decrepare, to cease to crackle. Hence metaphorically, persons on the verge of the grave were called decrepit men. Solitude. It is an observation of Seneca, that we should mix company and retirement, in order to make them both pleasant by change. The wish always to be alone shows the temper of a wild, ferocious animal, carries with it the dismal darkness of the tomb. The effect of such a disposition of mind is Sonnet on a Sonnet, by Lopez de Capricious-a sonnet needs must have; stave. Yet shall I ne'er find rhymes enough by half, second, If twice four verses were but fairly reckon❜d, Thus far with good success I think I've scribbled, Courage! another'll finish the first triplet; dribblet; 'Tis done, count how you will, I warr'nt there's fourteen, POETRY EXTRACT FROM SOUTHEY'S MADOC. ...THERE was not, on that day, a speck to stain And can we doubt that horrid ghosts ascend, Where Arden's forest spreads its limits wide, It was an ancient lonely house, that stood Upon the borders of the spacious wood; Here towers and antique battlements arise, And there in heaps tie mouldered ruin lies. Some lord this mansion held in days of yore, To ehace the wolf, and pierce the foaming boar ; How changed, alas, from what it once had been ! Tis now degraded to a publick inn. Straight he dismounts, repeats his loud com mands: Swift at the gate the ready landlord stands ; With frequent cringe he bows, and begs cxcuse, His house was full, and every bed in use. What, not a garret, and no straw to spare ? Why then the kitchen-fire and elbow-chair Shall serve for once to nod away the night. The kitchen ever is the servants' righi, Replies the host; there, all the fire around, The Count's tir'd footmen snore upon the ground. The maid, who listend to this whole debate, With pity learnt the weary stranger's fate. Be brave, she cried, you still may be our guest; Our haunted room was ever held the best : if then your valout can the fright sustain Of rattling curtains, and the clinking chain; If your courageous tongue have power to talk, When round your bed the horrid ghost shall walk; If you dare ask it, why it leaves its tomb; P'll see your shects well air’d, and shiew the room. Soon as the frighted maid licr tale had told, The stranger enter'd, for his heart was bold. The dansel led him through a spacious hall, Whers ivy hung the half-dcmonsbed wall; TRUE STORY OF AN APPARITION. By Gay. makes out, L She frequent look'd behind, and chang'd her hue, While fancy tipt the candle's flame with blue. And now they gain'd the winding stairs' ascent, And to the lonesome room of terrours went. When all was ready, swift retir'd the maid, The watch-lights burn, tuck'd warm in bed was laid The hardy stranger, and attends the sprite At first he hears the wind with hollow roar Shake the loose lock, and fwing the creaking door ;. Nearer and nearer draws the dreadful sound The bed-cords trembled, and with shuddering fear, Sweat chill'd his limbs, high rose his bristled hair; Then muttering hasty prayers, he mann'd his heart, And cried aloud: Say, whence and who thou art ? Decent inter them in some sacred ground. Here ceas'd the ghost. The stranger springs from bed, And boldly follows where the phantom led: The half-worn stony stairs they now descend, Where passages obscure their arches bend. Silent they walk; and now through groves they pass, Now through wet meads their steps imprint the grass. At length amidst a spacious field they came: There stops the spectre, and asceads in flame, Amaz'd he stood, no bush or brier was found, To teach his morning search to find the ground. What could he do? the night was hideous dark, Fear shook his joints, and nature dropt the mark: With that he starting wak'd, and rais'd his head, But found the golden mark was left in bed. What is the statesman's vast ambitious scheme, But a short vision and a golden dream? Power, wealth, and title, elevate his hope; He wakes: but, for a garter, finds a rope. PAIRING-TIME ANTICIPATED. A fable. By Cowper. I SHALL not ask Jean Jacques Rousseau, "Tis clear that they were always able A story of a cock and bull, Must have a most uncommon skull. It chanc'd then, on a winter's day, But warm and bright, and calm as May, The birds, conceiving a design To forestal sweet St. Valentine, In many an orchard, copse, and grove, And with much twitter, and much chatter, At length a Bulfinch, who could boast My friends! be cautious how ye treat A Finch, whose tongue knew no control, Methinks the gentleman, quoth she, By his good will would keep us single, My dear Dick Redcap, what say you? Dick heard. and tweedling, ogling, bridling, All pair'd, and each pair built a nest. Instruction. Misses the tale that I relate This lesson seems to carryChoose not alone a proper mate, But proper time to marry. It was one of the whimsical speculations of this philosopher, that all fables which ascribe reason and speech to animals should be withheld from children, as being only vehicles of deception. But what child was ever deceived by them, or can be, against the evidence of hi senses? THE BOSTON REVIEW, For FEBRUARY, 1806. Librum tum legi & quam diligentissime potui annotavi, quæ commutanda, quæ eximenda, ar bitrarer. Nam ego dicere verum assuevi. Neque ulli paticntius reprehenduntur, quam qui maximc laudari merentur.Pliny. ARTICLE 1. us with those of some other genMemoirs of the American Academy tlemen, who accompanied him in of Arts and Sciences. Vol. 1. attending to these phenomena. 1785. 4to. pp. 568. And having corresponding obser vations of the first of the said e[Coatinued.) clipses at Beverly, Chelsea, PeV. Some select astronomical ob- nobscott-Bay,and Providence in the servations made at Chelsea, latitude state of Rhode Island, he subjoins 42° 25', and 26" in time east of the their differences of longitude,which university at Cambridge. By the he had deduced, and consequently Rev. Phillips Payson, F.A.A. their longitudes from Cambridge, The astronomical observations, that of Chelsea relatively to Camhere selected, are those of several bridge being known. Hence it emersions of Jupiter's first, sec- appears, that the longitude of Bevond, and third satellites in 1779; erly eastward from Cambridge is l' three solar eclipses, namely, in 11" in time ; that of PenobscottJune, 1778, October, 1780, and Bay 9' 15"; and that of Provi. April, 1782 ; two lunar eclipses, dence 1' 7" westward. namely, in May, 1979, and Novem. From the times of the contacts ber, 1780 ; and the transit of of Mercury at the said transit, Mercury in November, 1782. president Willard, using Mayer's VI. Observation of the transit solar tables, and De La Lande's of Mercury over the sun, Nov. 12, tables of Mercury, calculates the 1782, at Ipswich. By the Rev. angle of Mercury's apparent way Manasseh Cutler, F.A.A. with the ecliptick, the time of the The going of the clock was ecliptick conjunction, the errour carefully examined, and the times of the tables in the latitude of Merof all the contacts, except the first cury at that time, which appears external, were determined. to be 55.98 in defect. He also de duces the place of Mercury's as-, VII. memoir, containing ob. cending node, and calculates it servations of a solar eclipse, Octo- from the tables ; whence it apber, 27, 1780, made at Beverly : pears, that the latter differs from Also of a lunar eclipse, March 29, the former 1'34" in excess. 1782 ; of a solar eclipse, April 12, VIII. Observations of a solar and of the transit of Mercury over eclipse, October 27, 1780, made at the sun's disc, November 12, the St. John's Island, by Messrs. Clarke same year, made at the president's and Wright. In a letter from Mr. house in Cambridge. By the Rev. Joseph Peters to Caleb Gannett, Joseph Willard, president of the Ho A.M. Rec. Sec, Amer. Acad. niversity. These observations were made Beside his own observations the at a place called Charlotte-town, author of this memoir furnishes which, according to Mr. Wright's : a determination, is situated in 46° 13′ of north latitude, and 62° 50' of west longitude from Greenwich. In this account it is stated on the authority of a gentleman, belong ing to Yarmouth-Jebouge-Harbour, on the western coast of Nova-Scotia, that this eclipse, which excited great attention in this part of the country, was total there for a moment. IX. Observations of a solar eclipse, October 27, 1780, made at the university in Cambridge. Communicated by Caleb Gannett, A.M. The observers of this eclipse at Cambridge were the Rev. Professor Wigglesworth, Mr. Gannett, and the Rev. John Mellen. They did not perceive the beginning of the eclipse, but noted very particularly the disappearance and reappearance of various spots, which were then visible on the sun, and the end of the eclipse. And these may be compared with other corresponding observations; some attention having been paid to the passage of the moon's limbs over solar spots by most of the astron omers, who observed the eclipse. The quantity of the eclipse they estimated at 113 digits. X. An observation of a solar eclipse, October 27, 1780, at Providence. By Joseph Browne, Esq. The beginning of the eclipse was not seen, but the times, when the moon's limb first touched certain solar spots, were ascertained, and that of the end was noted by three observers. By measure with a micrometer Mr. Brown determined the quantity of the e clipse to be about 11 digits. XI. Observatians of the solar eclipse of the 27th of October, 1780, made at Newport, Rhode Island, by Mons, de Granchain. Translated from the French, and communicat. ed by the Rev. President Willard. By these observations times are determined, when limbs of the sun and moon, and the sun's horns passed over the vertical and hori zontal wires of a telescope, and when the eclipse ended, at a station on Goat-Island in 41° 30′ 30′′ of northern latitude. M. de Granchain also observed the lunar eclipse of the 11th of November, 1780, at the same place. And the memoir contains his observed times of the beginning, immersion, and emersion of certain spots, and the end. XII. An account of the obser vations made in Providence, in the state of Rhode Island, of the eclipse of the sun, which happened the 23d day of April, 1781. By Benjamin West, Esq. F.A.A.. The quantity of the eclipse and the time of its end were determin, ed. And Mr. West calculated the moon's diameter from the magni, tude of the eclipse and the length of the chord, joining the cusps at the time of greatest obscuration. Mercury, observed at Cambridge, XIII. Account of the transit of November 12, 1782. By James Winthrop, Esq. F.A.A. Observations of this transit by Judge Winthrop are contained in Professor Williams' account of those, which were made by himself and others. But, in the memoir before us, the author gives a more particular relation, with some additional facts and remarks. XIV. Observations of an eclipse of the moon, March 29, 1782, and of an eclipse of the sun, on the 12th of April, following, at Ipswich, lat. 429 38' 30". By the Rev. Manasseh Cutler, F.A.A. Relative to the lunar eclipse |