OLHA, THE WIFE OF IGOR.

A Sketch from the earliest period of Russian History.

IGOR, One of the barbarous princes of ancient Russia, went on from conquest to conquest, from triumph to triumph, till at last he was beaten and killed at Coresto by Maldito, the chief of the Drewlians. His spirit, however, survived in Olha, who, as her son Swatoslaw was not of age, took upon herself the government of the Russians, when Maldito sent twenty of his people, as his proxies, to ask her hand in marriage. Olha ordered them all to be buried alive; and immediately after, to excuse this atrocious deed, sent back an ambassador to the Drewlians, with a message importing that she was not disinclined to wed their Prince, provided he sent more and nobler wooers. The lover was unwise enough to send fifty of his first subjects, who were indeed well received, but when they entered the bath were burnt to death in it by the Queen's order. Yet cruel as this deed was, even in that barbarous period, she contrived to excuse it, and sent fresh imbassadors to Maldito, requesting permission to visit the grave of her husband, a request that was granted by the infatuated lover, who a second ime suffered himself to be deluded. Blinded by aer beauty, he received this arch deceiver with >pen arms and without feeling the least suspicion it her numerous retinue, though it consisted enirely of chosen warriors. How little she deserved this noble confidence was quickly shown; when her hosts were fairly intoxicated, as was too much the custom of those dark times, she fell upon them with all her force, and having murdered five thousand in sacrifice to the manes of her husband, effected a retreat to Kiow: here she placed herself at the head of her army, attacked the Drewlians, defeated them, and then sat down before their capital, the siege of which lasted a whole year. The besieged, subdued rather by hunger than by her arms, sent negociators to capitulate their surrender with Olha, who desired nothing more than three doves and three sparrows from each house, on receiving which she agreed to raise the siege. The Drewlians of course made no objections to this light tribute; the doves and sparrows were accordingly brought, when Olha ordered lighted matches to be fixed to each bird, which, being then released, immediately flew back to the eity. In a minute all the houses were in flames, and the few that escaped from the fire were cut to pieces by order of the forocious Olha.

"

WINE AND WALLNUTS.

CHAPTER XI.

PROPHECY OF FAMINE.

blessing will attend that which is to come.

But for my

part, I have long thought the head was growing too big for the body. Ah! this is a mighty speculative age! I thought the town was big enough before; but-but perhaps I am wrong, for us old greybeards, particularly we who idle our lives away remote from this great city, are apt to cherish narrow notions, Difficilis, querulus, laudator, temporis.' "Why, Docthor, 'tis best to leave the rising generation to itself. The world, I am afraid, would not be much better governed by us cautious old fellows; for, for every wrinkle we have a prejudice. Let them build away, if it keeps them out of mischief, as friend Caleb was wont to say. Discipulus est prioris posterior dies. Experience will be more wholesome, and better relished, than our advice.

"Ha-ba-ba!—I am just thinking of a worthy soul in his way—a man, Sirs, having as many of the tarts and cheesecakes of this life, as honest Sancho has it, as any easy fellow I ever knew. Yes, and he was a great man -one who thought as you think about population and these matters, worthy Docthor; a man of weight-of four and twenty stone at least a sleeping-partner in a bank. Verily a sleeper, who stood and snored, as Caleb averred, whilst deliberating with his fishmonger which of the two turbots he would take, the last time he dined with him at his hotel. Yes, poor Mitchell-though, God knows, he was rich enough, and, as the gossips say, had neither chick nor child withal to whom to leave his wealth.

"Now your sonnetteering poets and polemic authors you sanguine schemists and visionary projectors-your thinking worthies who live by anticipation-sach may be forgiven, if on rainy days they become a little hypochondriacal touching to-morrow's mutton. But for your fellows who never knew a greater misery than whether to take burgundy or claret, or whether the haunch were better carved this way or that, to be querulous about how the many mouths are to be fed, is rather out of the course of human consistency. Yet amongst these fatlings shall you hear the loudest and most clamorous bleatings .of NOTHING TO EAT!'

"Well, Sirs, Master Caleb was on his way up the hill in the Adelphi, to his post at the Society of Arts, and who should he stumble upon at the corner of Jamesstreet, just turning round from Rowlandson's, but Master Mitchell, the quondam banker, of old Hodsoll's house.

He had, as usual, been foraging among the multitudinous sketches of that original artist, and held a port-folio under his arm; and as he was preparing to step into his chariot, Caleb accosted him- Well, worthy Sir, what more choice bits-more graphic whimsies, to add to the collection at Enfield, hey? Well, how fares it with our old friend Rolly?' (a familiar term by which the artist is known to his ancient cronies)

"Why yes, Mr. Caleb Whitefoord, I go collecting on, though I begin to think I have enough already, for I have some hundreds of his spirited works; but somehow there is a sort of fascination in these matters, and heigh-ha-ho-hoo,' (gaping.) I never go up-upBless the man, why will he live so high!-it kills me to climb his stairs,' holding his ponderous sides. 'I never go up, Mister Caleb, but I find something new, and am tempted to pull my purse-strings. His invention, his humour, his- his oddity is exhaustless.'

"Yes,' said Whitefoord, Master Rolly is never at a loss for a subject, and I should not be surprised if be is taking a bird's-eye view of you and I at this moment, and marking us down for game. But it is not his drawas would sheath a first-rate man-of-war; and I should think he is not far from the mark in his assertion.'

Verily I cannot get this mighty street out of my head," said the Doctor. "And then there is the new park-what do you call it, Mary-le-bone--no, the Regent's Park: It seems to be an elegant, well-planned ings alone; why he says he has etched as much copper

pla e, methinks, and will have a fine effect, no doubt, with its villas, and what not, when the shrubs and trees have shot up a little. But I shall not live to see it, and I care not; for I remember those fields in their natural, rural garb, covered with herds of kine, when you might stretch across from old Willau's farm there a-top of Portland-street, right away without impediment to Saint John's Wood, where I have gathered blackberries when boy-which pretty place, I am sorry to see, these brick-and-mortar gentry have trenched upon. Why, Ephraim, you metropolitans will have half a day's journey, if you proceed at this rate, ere you can get a mouthful of fresh air. Were the houses are to find inhabitants, and when inhabited, where so many mouths are to find meat, must be found out by those who come after. Every age must provide for itself, and I hope

"Yes,' replied the Banker, he ought to be rich, for his genius is certainly the most exhaustless, the him; he manufactures his humourous ware with such most-the most-No, Mister ('aleb, there is no end to unceasing vigour, that I know not what to compare his prolific fancy to, u.less-unless it be to this increasing population' turning round, as he held the two sides of the door-way to his chariot, and looking with astonishfor admittance to the Society's great rooms. ment at the shoals of young folks who were pressing on It was on a day for the delivery of prize medals. Mercy on us!' said the huge man,

did you ever Caleb Whitefoord was Vice-President of the Society for the, Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce.

see such coveys of boys and girls!-such a fine handsome race too!-young Grecians in beauty. Ab, poor things!-Why where, in the name of wonder, will this end!-Why I have been looking out of Rolly's window at them, until the stream of white frocks and strawbonnets made my head run round. They are thick as the eleven thousand virgins crowding into Claude's picture. Hey! why! what more yet!-more of them still!-Why where the deuce is the food to come from to fill the bellies of such an increasing population! It makes one melancholy to see such a sight. God help the pretty creatures, they will never find employ, I fear. One half must eat the other up!-It is impossible-quite impossible they can live.'

"O, let them alone for that, the pretty innocents,' said honest Jack Nixon, who was just popping in at Rowlandson's as Mitchell was rolling out God never sends mouths but he sends meat. What, my royal Banquo!' (a nonsensical play upon banker, used by this old member of the Beef-steak)- Why, my royal, is it you?" patting him familiarly on his sides- Why, my worthy knight of the knife and fork, is this your grace for the good things of this world? Il faut que tout le monde vive, as old Freneh Harry said when he handed his plate to his rival; and live they will, pretty dears, though they may not get as large a Benjamin's mess as you and I, my royal.'

"Ah, my Jack, and ah, my Johnny, is it you!' said the friendly banker. This was another worthy-one of the worthiest that ever trod the stage. Well, my Jack, and well, my Johnny, well met!-and if you two can wedge in here among all these baskets and rattle-traps, come and take a knife and fork down in Essex, and I will furnish you with night-caps.'

"I am engaged at the Beef steak,' said Nixon-look at my buttons.. - Well, do you come then, my old friend,' addressing himself to the Comedian-none can be more welcome, You shall have a bottle of the best, and we will gossip of old times. Rolly has promised to come down-I would have taken the rogue with me, only that he is about some new scheme for his old friend Ackerman there, and says he must complete it within an hour. You know Rolly's expedition, and so he will come down by the stage.'

he must mount the stage too,' pointing to the Comedian "That is the way, keep moving,' said Nixon-' and

but not the Enfield Fly, hey, Jack?'-'No, the old steady goer, the evening drag at Drury Lane.' The Comedian was to play that night.

"What, more provision for the convent, hey?' said the rattling Nixon, peeping in at the carriage door, where were stowed a basket of fish, and some jars of sauces from Burgess's in the Strand-That's your sort, keep moving

One leg of mutton and two fat geese,
Beans and bacon, ducks and pease;

In short, (my royal) you've ev'ry thing to please The Belly. Well but, 'Squire Mitchell, joking apart, we heard your croaking soliloquy: what are you in a fright about? Eat your mutton in peace, man, and sit and nod over your bic, hæc, hoc, and drink a hujus bumper, as Dean Swift says, to this ingenious young fry. You may live upon your own flesh when winter comes, or the devil's in't. Stopsteady-be careful, my royal Banquo, we cannot spare you yet. Take you care how you step, for charity's sake, or you'll turn the carriage over, and all the turtle will be spoiled.'

"Well, Sirs," said the Counsellor, "they got him in; the lively party shook hands with him, wished him a pleasant ride, and away he drove for Essex.

"Starving population!' exclaimed the witty Comedian-ha-ha-ha-ha! Famine! what a picture of famine!--and I wonder we had not a touch at Warthat's another of his calamities.' Then clasping his own sides, added, 'O, what a belly-gerent!'

"This is passing strange,' said Whitefoord, watching the chariot until it got over the horizon of the Adelphi hill-Faith, I do not remember to have dined once têteà-tête with that really excellent, good-tempered man, the Christian Leviathan, for the last ten years, but he has been brooding on the terror of increasing population, increasing streets, and consequent famine. And yet who adds a better hot supper to a good dinner, or gives you excellent burgundy with a better heart!'

• John Nixon, a worthy member of the Beef-steak Club. The members wore buttons impressed with grid irons.

CORRESPONDENCE.

SHORT-HAND.

TO THE EDITOR,

SIR-I have examined with some care the specimen of short-hand which you have received from your intelligent correspondent who writes under the signature of Stenographus. I am, however, decidedly of opinion that his mode of writing is, in respect to neatness, and, I doubt not, of legibility, inferior to that of Molineux. The system of the latter gentleman has been with much propriety, I think, introduced into a great number of schools of high respectability, to the exclusion of every other; and, I must repeat, is so very generally adopted, that I much question whether a publication according to any other system would be well received; while I am fully persuaded that some well chosen works, written in Molineux's characters, would, in a very short time, amply remunerate the enterprize which might produce them.

I cannot help smiling at the ease with which Mr. James affects to have anticipated my suggestion. I have made it to my friends a number of years since; and, I am, I believe the first person who ever brought it before the public. I wish Mr. James, however, much success in his undertaking, though, I think he has not shewn much judgment in his selection of a work for the purpose.

It may be well for me to add, that I am not, as you, Sir, can testify, interested, in any respect, in the preference I have given to Molineux's system, or in any opinion which I have expressed upon this subject. A SHORT-HAND WRITER. Sept. 25th, 1822.

TO THE EDITOR,

SIR,-I followed the directions contained in a former number of your paper for the construction of a barometer, but I found on experiment that it did not answer the desired effect; for at the time when the mercury was very low, during cold and rainy weather, the surface remained quite concave, an indication, according to your correspondent's statement, of fair weather. I should be obliged if he would favour me with the principle on which he supposed it to act, as, in my opinion, it forms a thermometer rather than a barometer. The heat of the external air would, I think, expand the air in the phial, and, therefore, the water would be expelled from it in drops; and in cold weather, the internal air being compressed, the

concave surface would ensue. Altringham, Sept. 24th, 1822.

TO THE EDITOR,

R. W.

SIR. Works of genius, which were formerly only to be had in bulky folios or expensive quartos, are now reduced to a small compass, and sold at a low price. They are thus, happily, placed within the reach of studious persons in every rank in society. Of the works of Locke, Bacon, Barrow, and other celebrated writers, we have now pocket editions.

I am surprized that, in the rage which has for some time existed for publishing small and cheap editions of our best authors, the Diversions of Purley, by Mr. Horne Tooke, should have been so long overlooked. On the subject of which it treats, this work is, unquestionably, the most masterly that this, or any other country, has produced. I presume that the period, for the exclusive possession of the copyright, the only bar to publication, has expired.

Sept. 25th, 1822.

TO THE EDITOR,

CIVIS.

SIR, Allow me to congratulate you on the success which has hitherto attended your interesting publication, and to express my approbation of the judgment you have displayed in the selection of articles for the amusement and instruction of your readers. Amongst these I have read with much pleasure, the paper entitled "The Augustan Age in England;" although, I conceive there are some positions in it, the correctness of which will not be readily admitted. My object, however, is not to attempt a refutation of any of those positions; but merely to ex

press my desire, that you would endeavour to supply some of those proofs which the author complains he has not been able to give for want of room. This, I conceive, you might do, by inserting in your columns a series of extracts from the Poetry of the "Augustan Age," which would not only be an excellent accompaniment to that paper; but, I have no doubt; would give satisfaction to many of your readers. The works of our modern poets are published in such an expensive form, as to render it utterly impossible for many, who are capable of relishing their beauties, to obtain them. Amongst these I class myself, and speaking from my own feelings I should say, that a selection of this kind would be invaluable. If you should think the plan worthy of your adoption, I have no their power, would furnish you with materials for carrying doubt but many of your correspondents, who have it in it into effect, provided your own resources are not sufficient. With every desire for the continued success of your literary labours,-I remain, your constant reader, Stockport, Sept. 24th, 1822.

TO THE EDITOR,

J. L.

At a review in Silesia, Frederick the Great desired General Von T to send him an officer who might transmit the directions which the King should chuse to give during the review. The general selected Lieutenant Von L, whom the King ordered to remain in his suite. During the review Frederick gave him several messages, which the Lieutenant delivered in so inaccurate a manner that great confusion arose. The King, who perceived this, became extremely angry, and, with his lifted crutch, galloped towards the Lieutenant, calling to him in a rough voice to stop. But the latter endeavoured to escape by flight a correction which would have rendered him incapable of serving any longer in the army.

When the review was finished, Frederick said to General Von T, What a stupid officer was that you sent me ! All the messages I gave him he delivered quite wrong. You could not have chosen a more ignorant person.'

Pardon me, your Majesty,' replied the General, I could not expect that he would conduct himself so awkwardly. He is one of the best officers in my regiment, and is not deficient either in knowledge, good sense, or presence of mind. I can account for his mistakes by only one circumstance, which, it is true, I should not have overlooked. He has this very morning received the tidings of the death of his mother. As an affectionate son, this news must have affected him so much that he lost all calm recollection.'

CONCERT OF VOCAL AND INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC, UNDER the immediate Patronage of COL. TEESDALE, and the OFFICERS of the KING'S FIRST DRAGOON GUARDS; together with the BOROUGHREEVE and CONSTABLES of MANCHESTER.

On MONDAY the 7th of Oct. next, MASTER MINASI (just completing his eighth year) will have the honour to make his Second Public Appearance in Manchester, in the OLD ASSEMBLY ROOMS, BROWN-STREET, which have been beautified for the occasion, and will be well heated: on which occasion he will play several admired Airs, with Variations, &c., express ly arranged and dedicated to him; accompanied on the Piano by Mr. BENNETT.-By particular desire, Mr. NORTON, Music Master to the Band, will play several admired Airs, with Varia tions, composed by himself.-Miss M. HAMMERSLEY, Mr. ISHERWOOD (who has most kindly offered his gratuitous services,) Messrs. CARTLEDGE and BARLOW, will sing several Songs, Glees, and favourite Melodies.

COL. TEBSDALE having in the most handsome manner granted the attendance of the military band, containing some of the finest instrumental performers, several SYMPHONIES from Cherubini and Rossini, together with other admire.l pieces, will be performed during the course of the evening. The whole being under the immediate superintendance of Mr. NORTON.

The doors will open at half past six, and the performance will commence at seven.-Tickets, price four shillings each, may be had of Messrs. Beale, St. Mary's Gate; Townsend, Deansgate; Wilkinson, Piccadilly; Bancks and Co., St. Ann's Square; D. and P. Jacksons, and John Ford, Market-street; and at the Iris Office, where particulars of the evening's performances may also be obtained.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We shall feel obliged to J. B. M. for his promised "Essay ou Idolatry."

A HINT-If "The Gleaner" will pick up only what we leave, we shall not interfere with his harmless prerogative.-But when he thrusts his hand into our sheaves, and presumes even to gather what we have fairly heaped up into our barus, it i our duty to put a check upon his temerity, and bid him make up his little handful without infringing on his neighbour's pos sessions.

The Tale with which our present number is opened, is of rather an extraordinary length for a weekly publication; but we could not prevail upon ourselves to divide an article of such powerful and possessing interest.--In consequence, we are obliged to defer several valuable communications. We have inserted the letter of "J. L." though we cannot concar in opinion with the writer.-To do any thing like justice to the Poetry of the Augustan Age, would require a publication very different from the Iris.We shall be glad to hear from J. L again.

We have received the packet which "Agabus" has obligingly sent us. He will receive a letter on the subject from our Liverpool Agents.

The letter for "The Club," has been forwarded agreeably to

the wishes of the writer.

THE CLUB.

No. XVIII.-FRIDAY, Sept. 27, 1822.

Smooth went our boat npon the summer seas, Leaving (for so it seemed) the world behind, Its sounds of mingled uproar: we reclined Upon the sunny deck, heard but the breeze That o'er us whispering pass'd, or idly played

With the blith flag aloft. A woodland scene On either side drew its slope line of green, And hung the water's shining edge with shade.

BOWLES.

AFTER an absence, however short, an individual usually returns with pleasure to his family and friends. When from home he always looks back to some object of affection, for the want of which no novelty can long compensate. The bustle and variety of strange places, and strange persons, may for a while engross his thoughts, and enable him to forget those whom he has left behind: but these new scenes and changes soon lose much of their influence, and the traveller feels that those delights are feeble and transient which he cannot share with persons who are at a distance. The beautiful lines which Dr. Goldsmith addressed to his brother have, under these circumstances, been deeply felt by many.

"Where'er I roam, whatever realms I see, My heart untravelled fondly turns to thee." The preceding observations were suggested by an excursion which the schoolmaster and his nephew lately made to Liverpool. The old gentleman, whenever he felt particularly interested with any occurrence, lamented that Mary and the children were not there to witness it; and when his nephew, who is a young man destitute of those ties which might have rendered him particularly impatient to return, pressed the old gentleman to stop another day, as they could do so without much inconvenience, the proposal was peremptorily rejected, with the remark, "You know that your aunt will expect me to-night."

It is intended to notice in the present paper only a few circumstances which occurred during

the return of our travellers. In a future communication we may perhaps detail some particulars respecting other parts of the excursion, which we shall be the better enabled to do,, as we have been promised the loan of the journal which our excellent friend kept during his absence.

The President and his nephew had been so much delighted with the steam-packet, that, notwithstanding some inducement to the contrary, they determined to return from Liverpool by water. The former was very particular in his enquiries respecting the construction of the steam-packets, and spent much of his time in conversation with the engineer. He paid much attention to the paddles, which, he remarked, might produce a far greater effect could they be made to fall perpendicularly into the water. The man who attended the engine, appeared at first to wish to pass for a person of much information on these subjects, and answered many questions which were put to him, with great confidence; but when he found that our friend required, in many cases, more explicit explanations than he was able to furnish, and heard the old gentleman desire his nephew to calculate the force of the engine from the data which had just been given him, the fellow looked at the President with some surprise, and paid much deference to him during the rest of the voyage. When the old gentleman went to another part of the packet, the engineer hurried up to his nephew, and, tapim on the shoulder, asked him, in a low

came from.

voice, if he could tell where that great mechanic | outside, and the nephew followed her, as soon as he thought he could do so without impropriety. He introduced himself to her with those commonplace topics which are usual on these occasions;"the day had been fine,"-" the night air was becoming cool," with some other remarks upon which there could not be a contrariety of opinion. The young lady said she expected to meet her sister and family, whom she particularly des cribed. Our young friend was sure he had come with them in the steam-packet from Liverpool, and believed they set off in the first vessel that went to Manchester. Her brother-in-law, she said, was a lusty gentleman in a drab top coat.That was precisely the person our friend had seen. Her sister resembled herself in person. He perceived a striking resemblance, with a slight dif ference in favour of his companion. They had a servant girl, she said, and three small children.The young man said there could be no doubt of the identity of the persons.-The old gentleman then came into the cabin, and was appealed to on the occasion. He confirmed all that his nephew had said: for he had conversed much with the party alluded to. The persons, ages, manners, and dresses of the children, were just the same. The gentleman had informed the President, that a principal motive for taking the excursion by sea, was the hope of benefit to the children, who had the hooping-cough. The young lady shook her head, "it could not be them." Here was the first instance of dissimilitude. The nephew wished he had had the hooping-cough himself rather than it had disturbed the expectations of the lady. Other circumstances of difference were then mentioned, and it was agreed that the young lady's conclusion was just," it could not be them." "You here see," said the old gentleman, turning gravely to his nephew, "the danger of judging hastily from circumstantial evidence; and I hope you will recollect the fact you have just witnessed, when you are called upon to decide upon similar grounds."

The old gentleman read to the passengers, several times over, a beautiful paragraph in one of Mr. Canning's recent speeches, in which that distinguished orator has made a very eloquent allusion to the power of steam, as applied to navigation. Steam," he exclaimed, "that new and mighty power, new, at least, in the application of its might, which walks the water, like a giant rejoicing in his course; stemming alike the tempest and the tide; accelerating intercourse, shortening distances, creating, as it were, unexpected neighbourhoods, and new combinations of social and commercial relation: and giving to the fickleness of winds, and the faithlessness of waves, the certainty and steadiness of a highway upon the land." It was observed that all the passengers looked with much respect upon our worthy friend, though he recurred so often to the same subject; and that they listened to him with the greatest patience, while he expatiated to them very learnedly upon the scientific principles of the steam-engine, a subject with respect to which few of them felt any interest, or desired any information.

There were on board a gentleman and lady with three small children, who very much excited the notice of the old gentleman. He conversed with them, at different intervals; and repeatedly remarked to his companion, that they appeared so very comfortable, that he regretted he had not brought Mary and the young ones. "If they were around me," said our worthy friend, "I should, indeed, have nothing to wish for."

The nephew spent his time principally among the ladies. When assisting one of them to get over an obstacle which lay in her way upon the vessel, the President, who is very solicitous for his nephew's welfare, had the gratification to hear another lady ask her friend, in a whisper, if she did not think he was quite the gentleman.

The President was rather disappointed to find that he could not procure a conveyance by land from Runcorn to Manchester. He and his nephew, after having spent about two hours in Runcorn, and the neighbourhood, had no alternative but to submit to the dull and tardy conveyance of the canal packet.

The acquaintance which our travellers had formed in the passage from Liverpool, had availed themselves of the first packet. The persons at the best end in the last vessel, consisted of only one party. Their manners appeared at first a little stiff and repulsive; and, though the young member soon entered into conversation with them, it was some time before the old gentleman thought fit to obtrude himself.

When they arrived at Altringham, they had an addition to their number. The first who joined them was a young man, of rather emaciated appearance, who, as he was walking slowly towards the packet, called loudly to a person from the inn to send the bottle of rum on board immediately. Fortunately he chose the worst end of the boat, and they saw him no more. "Perhaps," said the President with a sigh, "we see in that young man, whose air and dress indicate respectable connections, the blasted hopes of indulgent parents." The old gentleman then turned round, and in his usual attentive and graceful manner, assisted a young lady to get into the packet. The nephew looked wistfully at the fair stranger when she was coming on board, and seemed to lament that he could not, for the moment, change places with his uncle

The young lady went directly into the cabin, though the rest of the passengers were on the

The vessel now came in view of Dr. White's Hermitage, which is too well known to require any description. Various conjectures were made by the passengers respecting the person who is said to have passed some years in this place secluded completely from all intercourse with his species. "Of the late Dr. White," said the Presi dent, "I shall always speak with respect, for! entertained a high opinion of his professional talents: but I cannot persuade myself, that this trial of the change which solitary existence produces in human nature, did much credit to his judgment. Much of the effect produced would, manifestly, depend upon circumstances. A low, uneducated clown, with little activity of mind, would perhaps, rapidly degenerate towards the state of a savage; but a person of some education and mental vigour, might reflect with intensity, and speak with elegance, while alone, as well as in the midst of society. None but a brute would, under the circumstances proposed, offer himself for the project. A change in such a man could not be for the worse. The scheme was idle; and if really tried was not, as might have been foreseen, productive of any useful result."

As the evening was fine, the President left the cabin several times to amuse himself by looking at the stars; but his nephew declined all invita tions to do so, thinking he saw something brilliant and interesting in the eyes of the fair stranger.

more

The passengers were obliged to leave the packet at the new bridge, as something was the matter with the canal, which prevented them from proceeding, as usual, to Knott Mill. This accidental circumstance, which some of the passen