on the past. And while he mourns over

"The cradle weakness of the world,"

he may effectually progress towards that moral perfection which cannot here be reached, but which will be consummated in another, and a better world. These sacred hours, for such they should be considered, may be called the pabulum of the soul. Wearied and disgusted with the sickening turmoil of earth, the mind, when once accustomed to this sweet converse with past scenes, flees to them as her only joy. Their returns, "like angel visits few and far between," diffuse a benign influence over the inward feelings; and like the parting beams of day, throw a lingering, lengthening light upon the checkered scenes of woc. Then the soul can commune with herself. Then she can find exercise for her latent energies, and joyfully recognize her alliance to celestial beings. By thus indulging our best faculties in their wild and heavenly wanderings, our moral qualities arc improved, our social affections strengthened, and we are made not only better citizens, but better men. I presume all my readers have experienced the satisfaction of thus spending a solitary hour. If not, I envy not their apathy, but let me tell them, they have never tasted the most exquisite pleasure of which man is capable. Should they make the experiment, I have no doubt, they would find the proposition true. If by my lucubrations, I may be the means of turning one sightless wanderer from the bewildering mazes of folly and wickedness, to contemplate his own nature-the inceptive step to true knowledge, I shall be most happy. If in any manner, I may be enabled to ameliorate the tediousness of life by my youthful exertions, my highest earthly ambition will be attained.

M. M.

[The following list of titles belonging to a nobleman in the reign of Queen Anne, is quoted by Hardy in his life of the Earl of Charlmont, as a curiosity.]

The titles of James, last Duke of Ormonde. The most noble and illustrious Prince, James, Duke of Ormonde, Earl of Breckwock, and Baron of Lanthony and Moore Park in England; Duke, Marquis and Earl of Ormonde, Earl of Ossory, Viscount Thurles

Baron of Dingle, and Arklow, in Ireland, Lord of the Regalities and liberties, and Governour of the County Palatine of Tipperary, and of the City, town, and County of Kilkenny; Honorary Chief Butler of Ireland, Lord Warden of the Cinque ports, and Constable of Dover Castle; Lord Lieutenant of the County of Somerset, Lord Lieutenant and Custos Rotulorum of the County of Norfolk; High Steward of the Cities of Exeter, Bristol and Westminster, Chancellor of the Universities of Oxford and of Dublin; Colonel of the first Regiment of foot Guards, Captain General and Commander in Chief of all her Majesty's forces by sea and land; one of her Majesty's most honourable Privy Council in England and in Ireland, Knight of the most noble Order of the Garter, and Lord Lieutenant General and General Governour of the Kingdom of Ireland. This nobleman died in exile, from his country in 1745.

THE MELANGE....No. 4.
"Idle hours not idly spent."

Titian. As this great artist was one day painting the portrait of Charles the fifth, the pencil fell from his hands. The Empe. ror picked it up and presented it to him, who made many apologies. "The pencil of Apelles" replied the Emperor very nobly, "should be picked up by Cæsar."

Titian painted the Emperor very often, who said "that he had as often received immortality from the hands of Titian."

LITERARY FRIENDSHIP.

A DELIGHTFUL topick says D'Israeli, opens to our contemplations. I enter the scene as Æneas the green Elysium, where he viewed the once illustrious inhabitants of the earth reposing in social felicity.

It is honourable to literature, that among the virtues it inspires is that of the most romantick friendship; and literary history presents some instances of its finest enthusiasm. The delirium of love is often too violent a passion for the student; and its caprices are still more incompatible with his pursuits than its delirium. But friendship is not only delightful but necessary to soothe a mind alternately elated and depressed: when the mind of a man

of genius is infirm, it strengthens; when dubious, it enlightens, when discouraged, it animates.

The learned Goguet bequeathed his Mss. and library to his friend Fugere, with whom he had united his affections and his studies. His work on the Origin of the Arts and Sciences had been much indebted to his aid. In vain was the legacy bequeathed: Goguet died of a slow and painful disorder: Fugere, who knew him to be past recovery, preserved a mute despair, retired home, and the victim of sensibility, died a few weeks after his friend. The Abbe de Saint Pierre gave an interesting proof of literary friendship. When he was at college, he formed an union with Varignon, the geometrician. They were of congenial dispositions. When he went to Paris, he invited Varignon to accompany him; but Varignon had nothing, and the Abbe was far from rich. A certain income was necessary for the tranquil pursuits of Geometry. Our Abbe had an income of 1800 livres ; from this he deducted 300, which he gave to the geometrician, but accompanied by a delicacy which none but a man of genius could conceive. I do not give it you (he said) as a salary, but an annuity, that you may be independent, and quit me, when you dislike me.

When Akenside was in great danger of experiencing famine as well as fame, Mr. Dyson allowed him three hundred pounds a year. Of this gentleman, perhaps, nothing is known; yet whatever his life may be, it merits the tribute of the biographer.

Cervantes. The French ambassadour at the court of Spain, one day complimented Cervantes on the great reputation he had acquired by his Don Quixote. Cervantes whispered in his

ear,

"Had it not been for the Inquisition, I should have made my book much more entertaining." One Aonius Palearius was sensible of this; and said, "that the Inquisition was a poignard aimed at the throat of literature." The image is striking, and the observation just; but the ingenious observer was in consequence immediately burnt !

LITERARY BLUNDERS.

A French writer, who translated Cibber's play of "Love's

Last Shift," entitled it thus, "La Derniere Chemise de l'Amour." A similar blunder is that of the French writer of Congreve's life, who has taken his Mourning, for a Morning Bride, and translated it, L'Espause du Matin.

Sir John Pringle in a work of his, mentions his having cured a soldier by the use of two quarts of Dog and Duck water daily; a French physician who translated it, specifies it as an excellent broth made of a duck and a dog!

Dr. Johnson while composing his Dictionary sent a note to the Gentleman's Magazine, to enquire the etymology of the word Curmudgeon. Having obtained the desired information he records in his work his obligation to an anonymous letter writer. "Curmudgeon, s. a vitious way of pronouncing coeur mechant. An unknown correspondent." Ash, copies the word into his dictionary in this manner, "Curmudgeon, from the French coeur unknown, and mechant a correspondent."

MEN OF GENIUS DEFICIENT IN CONVERSATION.

The Student, says an elegant writer, who may, perhaps, shine a luminary of learning and of genius in the pages of his volume, is found, not rarely, to lie obscured beneath a heavy cloud in colloquial discourse.

The Superficial Mind reflects little, and speaks fluently. To the vulgar (nice calculators of words, but not of ideas) he appears a constellation of abilities. Conversation is an art which requires to be learnt.

If you love the Man of Letters, seek him in the privacies of his study; or, if he be a man of Virtue, take him to your bosom. It is in the hour of confidence and tranquillity his Ge. nius shall elicit a ray of intelligence, more fervid than the labours of polished composition.

The deficiencies of Addison in conversation are well known. He preserved a rigid silence among strangers; but if he was silent, it was the silence of meditation. How often, at that moment, he laboured at some future Spectator! It was this silence that delighted the nation diurnally.

Mediocrity can talk; but it is for Genius to observe, Dryden says of himself," My conversation is slow and dull, my humour saturnine and reserved. In short, I am none of those who endeavour to break jests in company, or make repartees."

THE ABSENT MAN.

The Count De Brancas was reading by the fire-side, (but Heaven knows with what degree of attention,) when the nurse brought him his infant child. He throws down the book; he takes the child in his arms. He was playing with her, when an important visitor was announced. Having forgot he had quitted his book, and that it was his child he held in his hands, he hastily flung the squalling innocent on the table.

The Count was walking in the street, and the Duke de la Rochefoucault crossed the way to speak to him." God bless thee, poor man!" exclaimed the Count. Rochefoucault smiled and was beginning to address him "Is it not enough," cried the Count interrupting him, and somewhat in a passion-is it not enough that I have said at first, I have nothing for you? Such lazy beggars as you hinder a gentleman from walking the streets." Rochefoucault burst into a loud laugh, and awakening the Absent Man from his lethargy, he was not a little surprised, himself, that he should have taken his friend for an importunate mendicant !

A Nobleman in Lisbon having heard that his physician and friend was imprisoned by the Inquisition, under the stale pretext of Judaism, addressed a letter to one of them to request his freedom, assuring the Inquisitor that he was as orthodox a christian as himself. The physician, notwithstanding this high recommendation, was put to the torture, and as is usually the case, at the height of his sufferings confessed every thing they wished. This enraged the Nobleman, and feigning a dangerous illness, he begged the Inquisitor would give him his last spiritual aid. As soon as the Dominican arrived, the Lord who had prepared his confidential servants, commanded the Inquisitor in their presence to acknowledge himself a Jew, to write his confession and to sign it. On the refusal of the Inquisitor he ordered his people to put on his head a burning helmet, which