portionate smallness of her feet. At that period the Chinese women were notorious for the indecencies of their lives, and the habits of daily frequenting all places of public resort, to the total neglect of their family duties and concerns. The men became jealous, and cautious of connecting themselves in marriage with women of such levity of manners; and selected those alone whose feet resembled the Queen's in their diminutive size. This taste became law; and the next generation of females, by the care of their mothers, had their feet swathed and contracted from their infancy: insomuch that they were incapable of walking, or standing upright, without the assistance of some domestic. It is worthy of remark, that this political custom should still subsist among the Chinese at this day; as it originated with the inhabitants of China more than a thousand years antecedent to the Christian

era.

VERSES FROM AN ANCIENT BALLET.

I recollect an old ballet, where Ceres

and Bacchus are introduced as characters in the play: Ceres is speaker.

Lorsque Bacchus nous comble de ses biens,
De tous soucis une âme se délivre,
Et sans jouir de ses dons, ou des miens,
Il est impossible de vivre.

L'Amour même, ce dieu par-tout si triomphant,

Mange et boit comme un autre enfant,
Et n'a peur que de la famine:

Aussi n'est-il jamais plus galant ni plus beau,
Que quand au feu de la cuisine
Il peut allumer son flambeau.

IMITATED,

When Bacchus to mortals is kind,
Adieu to each sorrow and care;

And were I less a friend to mankind,
Poor rogues! they must starve upon air.

E'en Cupid, so saucy and bold,

Eats and drinks like a mere common boy: Should we our assistance withhold,

Hunger soon would the urchin destroy.

The chit never darts from his eyes

So vivid a flash of desire,

As when to the kitchen he hies,
And lights up his torch at the fire.

THE RABBINS.

The writings of the Jewish Doctors are not totally filled with extravagancies. There are some luminous passages to be found in them. The following character, which I have selected from them, and translated conformably to our manners, will confirm this observation.

Le

LE SAGE DU MONDE.

sage écoute tout; s'explique en peu

mots:

Il interroge, et répond à propos :

Plait toujours, sans penser à plaire:

de

Dans ses moindres discours marque son

jugement;

Et sçait au juste le moment,

Qu'il doit ou parler, ou se taire.

Devant un plus sage que lui

Rarement il ouvre la bouche.

Il n'est point curieux des affaires d'autrui; Et ce qui le regarde est tout ce qui le touche. Jamais à s'affliger il n'est ingénieux.

Il s'accommode aux temps, aux personnes, aux lieux;

Ne s'allarme jamais d'une chose incertaine.
Il va par sa prudence au-devant du danger;
Et souffre sans chagrin, sans murmure, et
sans peine,

Ce qu'il ne peut ni rompre ni changer.
Le repos de l'esprit est tout ce qu'il souhaite :
Et s'il n'a pas beaucoup de bien,

Du peu qu'il a son âme est satisfaite :

Et tout ce qu'il n'a pas, il le compte pour rien.

THE PRACTICAL PHILOSOPHER.

To all the wise man gives his ear,
His answers short, precise, and clear;
His questions fit so well the case,
They rise with unaffected grace:
So prudent is his whole discourse,
And so replete with native force.
Prais'd for his silence, and his speech,
He marks the nicest bounds of each:

Silent, whene'er a greater sage
Attempts the audience to engage.
Industrious in his own affairs,

To others leaves their proper cares.
With too much wit to rack his brains
With voluntary griefs and pains,
He with dexterity embraces

Each change of persons, times, and places.
Steady he meets th' approaching foe,
Yet heedless of uncertain woe:

The ills from which he cannot fly
He bears without one dastard sigh:
His greatest happiness repose,

Which from a tranquil bosom flows.
Should fortune frown, she can't prevent
The humble blessings of content:
To what he has his view's confin'd;
All else to him is chaff and wind.

The Rabbins, in a manner peculiar to themselves, and in this instance with great humour, have comprehended in the following short sentence' all that the Greek and Latin orators and poets have said on the subject of riches, and their influence