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But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the heart of kings;

It is an attribute of God himself;

And earthly power doth then show likest God's,
When mercy seasons justice.

Night.-SOUTHEY.

How beautiful is night!

A dewy freshness fills the silent air;

No mist obscures, nor cloud, nor speck, nor stain,
Breaks the serene of heaven:

In full-orbed glory yonder moon divine,
Rolls through the dark blue depths.
Beneath her steady ray

The desert circle spreads,

Like the round ocean, girdled with the sky.
How beautiful is night!

Time.-CORNWALL.

How slowly and how silently doth Time
Float on his starry journey! still he goes,
And goes, and goes, and doth not pass away.
He rises with the golden morning, calmly,
And with the moon all night. Methinks, I see
Him stretching wide abroad his mighty wings,
Floating forever o'er the crowds of men,
Like a huge vulture with his prey beneath.
Lo! I am here, and Time seems passing on.
To-morrow I shall be a breathless thing-
Yet he will still be here; and the same hours
Will laugh as gaily on the busy world,
As though I were alive to welcome them.

LESSON XX.

The Blind Teacher.-GRIFFIN.

THE life of Mr. Nelson was a striking exemplification of that resolution which conquers fortune. Total blindness, after a long gradual advance, came upon him about his twentieth year, when terminating his college course.

It

found him poor, and left him to all appearance both pennyless and wretched, with two sisters to maintain, without money, without friends, without a profession, and without sight.

Under such an accumulation of griefs, most minds would have sunk, but with him it was otherwise. At all times proud and resolute, his spirit rose at once into what might be termed a fierceness of independence. He resolved within himself to be indebted for support to no hand but his His classical education, which, from his feeble vision, had been necessarily imperfect, he now determined to complete, and immediately entered upon the apparently hopeless task, with a view to fit himself as a teacher of youth.

own.

He instructed his sisters in the pronunciation of Greek and Latin, and employed one or other constantly in the task of reading aloud to him the classics usually taught in the schools. A naturally faithful memory, spurred on by such strong excitement, performed its oft-repeated miracles; and in a space of time incredibly short, he became master of their contents, even to the minutest points of critical reading.

In illustration of this, the author remembers on one occasion, that a dispute having arisen between Mr. N. and the Classical Professor of the college, as to the construction of a passage in Virgil, from which his students were reciting, the Professor appealed to the circumstance of a comma in the sentence as conclusive of the question. 'True,' said Mr. N. coloring with strong emotion; but permit me to observe,' added he, turning his sightless eye balls towards the book he held in his hand, that in my Heyne edition it is a colon, and not a comma.

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At this period, a gentleman who incidently became acquainted with his history, in a feeling somewhere between pity and confidence, placed his two sons under his charge, with a view to enable him to try the experiment. A few months' trial was sufficient; he then fearlessly appeared before the public, and at once challenged a comparison with the best established classical schools of the city.

The novelty and boldness of the attempt attracted general attention; the lofty confidence he displayed in himself excited respect; and soon his untiring assiduity, his real knowledge, and a burning zeal, which, knowing no bounds in his own devotion to his scholars, awakened somewhat of a corresponding spirit in their minds, completed the conquest.

His reputation spread daily, scholars flocked to him in crowds, competition sunk before him, and in the course of a very few years, he found himself in the enjoyment of an income superior to that of any college patronage in the United States-with to him the infinitely higher gratification of having risen above the pity of the world, and fought his own blind way to honorable independence.

LESSON XXI.

Philip of Mount Hope.-EXETER NEWS LETTER.

A FEW days previous to the commencement of the distressing war in 1675, which brought almost unparalleled suffering upon the people of New England, and ended in the destruction of Philip and his warlike tribe: this Chief assembled his warriors on the strong-hold at Mount Hope, under pretence of attending a feast; but undoubtedly his true object was, to consult them about the impending war, and to remind them of their allegiance.

Philip arrayed in his royal dress, which consisted of a red blanket, confined at the waist by a broad belt, curiously wrought with wampum of divers colors in various figures of birds and flowers, from which depended two horns of glazed powder; a similar belt enriched his head, hanging down from his back: to this were attached two flags which waved behind him: on his neck he wore another belt reaching to his breast, ornamented with a brilliant star.

Thus equipped, he proceeded to the field entirely surrounded by the thick forest, where, seating himself, he waited with characteristic patience, the arrival of his expected guests. He soon saw Anawon approaching alone, and, knowing his decisive aversion to the project of war, felt rather inclined not to discuss the affair with him, unless in the presence of others. However, there being no alternative, Philip cordially extended him his hand, saying, 'My brother is come to sup with me.' 'Anawon is come,' said the chief, gravely seating himself near the king. Notwithstanding the well known taciturnity of the Indians, Philip's haughty spirit was offended at the manner of his favorite, and said, 'I believe Anawon has fled from Hobbomoc.'

Thus provoked, in his turn, Anawon's Indian notions of dignity allowed him not to betray his real feelings, and he calmly replied-'Anawon is not a coward. He never fled from friend or foe. He led the Wampanoags against the enemies of Woosamequin: Philip made him his captain.'

My brother Anawon is a great warrior. He has been very brave in battle. He is the foe of the English. He will take their scalps, and burn their wigwams,' answered the cunning Philip.

But Anawon shook his head doubtfully, as he said,— ‘It is true. The captain of the Wampanoags is no friend to the white people. He will fight them; but they are many. The great Spirit is angry with us, and our young men will be slain.'

'If Anawon is afraid, let him go away with the children and squaws," retorted Philip.

'He is not afraid to die in battle, but he will never be taken alive by the English.'

'Anawon speaks like himself. We shall drive the white dogs from the face of the earth,' said Philip exultingly.

Will king Philip say this, when their arrows pierce his breast? They will take away his wife and his children. They will live in the houses of his fathers.'

The stern warrior wept at this picture of desolation, but his proud spirit would not retract, and he answered, 'The English have slain your young men. They have sent them to the happy hunting grounds unprepared for the chase. They are in the land of my fathers. Philip has made many brave men; and they will follow their king to the battle.'

The decided tone in which this sentence was uttered, prevented further remonstrance on the part of Anawon; and, seeing a host of warriors approaching, he only said as he rose, 'Anawon is Philip's warrior.'

The feast was in true Indian style, the food being placed on the grass, without any of the appendages of civilized life; the revellers seated themselves promiscuously, without regard to rank or age. To this succeeded the war-dance and song. Then the wily Philip rose and harangued his guests, upon the injuries they had sustained from their white neighbors: he artfully exaggerated their treatment to Alexander, their false ally: represented, in the fairest point of view, the advantages they would derive from possessing the territory of the English, and above all, the glory they would acquire. The possibility of being vanquished he

never even hinted. His address was doubly persuasive by the appropriate gestures, with which it was accompanied, and when he said at the close, • The voice of King Philip is for war!' War was unanimously decided upon.

The lofty spirit of Philip was true to his resolution: no misfortune could compel him to accede to terms of peace, and his hatred to the colonists ended only with his life.

LESSON XXII.

Comparison between the Turks and the Persians.-OLIVIER.

IN Turkey, every thing bears the stamp of barbarism and cruelty in Persia, every thing bespeaks a mild and civilized nation. The Turks are vain, supercilious, inhospitable: the Persians polite, complimentary and obliging.

Though at the present day equally superstitious with the Turks, the Persians are not so fanatical: in some particulars, they carry their scruples to a greater length than the former; in general, they will not eat with a person of a different religion; they will not drink out of a cup or a glass which has been used by a Christian, a Jew, or an Indian, and yet they admit any one into their mosques.

They listen with patience to all the objections you have to urge against their religion, and to whatever you may say against their prophet and their Imams; whereas the Turk would murder you, if in his hearing you were to speak irreverently of Mahomet and his laws. The Persian looks

at you with pity, and prays to heaven that the truth may be revealed to you in all its lustre. He avoids the subject of religion, but continues to treat you with the same kindness and friendship as ever.

Equally brave with the Turk, more active but less patient, he is, like the other, cruel in battle and implacable towards his armed foe; but more tractable after the combat, and more sociable after peace.

Insurrections for overthrowing the sovereign or his ministers, for plundering caravans, or for laying a city or a province under contribution, are less frequent in Persia

than in Turkey. The Persian, however, ranks beneath the Turk in point of morals, and perhaps also of character. If the first is better informed, more polite, more gentle, than

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