with a rude, a vain, and sour-tempered man, and committed themselves to this horse-play raillery, as Dryden calls it.

Melody of Versification.

Milton, who had a great taste for musical sounds, knew that a variety in the pauses of a line was as necessary as a correct measure of the verse, to please the ear of the reader. Blank verse would be extremely heavy and unmelodious, did the same pauses, as in Pope's versification, pervade every line; but Pope was known to have had no ear for music. Dryden has shewn, by the variety of his pauses, that he knew that tones, however agreeable, weary by their sameness; and that monotony is the death of all melody. A modern poet has given us very agreeable specimens of variety of pauses, being himself not only an amateur in music, but possessed of considerable skill in this delightful art. The following lines, that immediately occur, will exemplify the goodness of his ear.

ON LOCKSWell SPRING.

Pure Fount, that welling from this airy hill,
Dost wander forth into this nether vale,
Thou to the passenger dost tell no tale
Of other years, but thus continuing still
Thy secret way, alone unnotic'd rill,
Aud almost silent as the clouds that sail

Above thee, calm and reckless of the noise

The changing world may keep, dost onward glide.
But couldst thou speak to the grey clouds that ride
High on thy lowly track, or hadst a voice
Like him, the Preacher in the Wilderness;
Yet thou shouldst say to all, that mortal pride
Fleets like the passing rack, but not the less,
Wisdom and virtue shall like thee abide, &c.

W. L. Bowles.

Birds in Cages.

It is proverbially said of young persons who have favourite animals under their care, that they kill them with kindness. When grown up persons take this turn of being patrons of animals, they ought to be told that their habits are not those of the creatures they wish to make happy, and from this error, that what they think sport may be death to their adopted favourites. They would then cease to be jailors, and invite them to their gardens and groves, where the creatures may enjoy their liberty, and indulge in those habits which nature has made the foundation of their happiness. To young persons who use themselves to murder whatever animal they can catch, the following lines should be well known

Poor harmless fly!

That with his pretty buzzing melody,

Came here to make us merry; and thou hast kill'd him.

Titus Andronicus, act iii. scene 2

Vow-Breaking.

Sir William Elwaies, Lieutenant of the Tower who was tried for being accessary, and that in a passive way only, to the murder of Sir Thomas Overbury, gave a remarkable instance upon the gallows, that people should be very cautious how they make vows to heaven, for the breach of them seldom passes without a judgment, whereof he was a most ruthful example. Being in the Low Countries, and being much given to gaming, he once made a solemn vow (which he brake afterwards,) that if he played above such a sum he might be hanged.-Howel's Family Letters to my Father, letter 2, vol ii.

Laying out Grounds.

Much has been written of late years on this subject, and the principles of the art discussed with much ability, and some sharp dissensions. Pope, who well understood the matter, has, with his usual powers of condensing precepts, furnished us with these excellent observations, which shew the man of taste and science, equally with the Doet

Consult the genius of the place in all,

That tells the waters or to rise or fall,

Or helps the ambitious hill the heavens to scale,

Or scoops in circling theatres the vale,
Calls in the country, catches opening glades,
Joins willing woods, and varies shades from shades,
Now breaks or now directs the intended lines;
Paints as you plant, and as you work designs.

Art of Criticism, line 57.

that the poet has

It is observable here, borrowed much of his illustrative imagery from the sister art of painting, the use of which an elegant and very amusing writer has recommended to all landscape gardeners.-See Uvedale Price on the Picturesque, &c. 3 vols. 8vo.

Ancient and Modern Superstition.

The following descriptions of a superstitious person, by an ancient writer, seem to bear a close resemblance to the same characters in our own days. The fanciful superstitionist accounts every little distemper in his body, or decay in his estate, the deaths of his children, and public calamities, as the immediate strokes of God, and the incursions of some vindictive Dæmon. He dares not therefore attempt to remove or relieve his disasters, or to use the least remedy, for fear he should seem to struggle with God, or to make resistance under correction. If he be sick, he thrusts away the physician; if he be in any grief, he shuts out the philosopher who would advise and comfort him. Let me alone,' saith he, to pay for my sins,

I am a curst and vile offender, and detestable both to God and Angels."

The Subject Continued.

"How can any succour, in word or deed, be administered to a superstitious person? He sits down without doors in sackcloth, or wrapt up in foul and nasty rags; yea, many times rolls himself naked in mire, repeating over I know not what sins and transgressions of his own; how he did eat this thing, and drink t'other thing, &c. But, suppose all goes well with him, and he is now at his most temperate devotions, you shall even then find him sitting down in the midst of his house, all be-charmed and be-spelled with a parcel of old women about him, tagging all they can light on, and hanging it upon him, (to use an expression of Bion,) as upon a nail or peg."-Plutarch, of Superstition.

A Modern Joke returned to its Owner.

It is reported of the late Lord North, of facetious memory, that on a fit of the gout threatening to approach him, he called for his shoes which he wore on those occasions. "Sir," replied the servant, some person has stolen them." I wish," said the facetious minister, they may soon fit the fellow.' The shoes of Demonides, the crip

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