this translation was committed, presented | likewise been distributed at intervals during it to the Emperor when finished, who the dinner, are carried round; and then turning over the leaves, exclaimed, with the company, both ladies and gentlemen, an indignant air, "Fool! what did I order rise at the same time by a kind of mutual you to do? Is this a translation?" Then re- consent, which, as the rooms are seldom ferring to the original, he shewed him a covered with a carpet, occasions no inconsiparagraph in which the author had spoken | derable noise. To this succeeds a general with great asperity of the Russians, but the bowing and compliment from every one to translator had omitted it. "Go instantly," each of the company individually, each said the Czar, "and execute my orders rigidly. It is not to flatter my subjects that I have this book translated and printed, buttoinstruct and reform them."

German Dinners.

part of it, at the house, or that the family has no other engagement as soon as dinner is concluded, and the guests have taken their coffee and liquors.

Whims.

hoping that the other has eaten a good dinner." This peculiar phrase is precisely the counterpart of another always employed on the parting of friends about-mid day, expressing" a sincere hope that the other will eat a hearty dinner," and is the form There is much similarity in the style of of civility most usual in Vienna. The dinners throughout Germany, and it has party now adjourns into another apartment, some points of peculiar excellence. The where coffee is served, and where it is table is generally round or oval, so that frequently joined by other visitors, chiefly each guest has means of intercourse with men who come without particu'ar invitathe whole party, even when it is large. Ition, to pay their respects, or converse on is covered, for greater part, with a tasteful business, in the manner of a morning call, display of sweets or fruits; two places and prolong their visits as the movements only being left, near the middle, for the of the first party indicate: for an invitation more substantial dishes. Each person is to dinner by no means necessarily implies provided with a black bottle of light wine, that you are to spend your evening, or and every cover (even at a table d'hote) is furnished with a napkin and silver forks. a The first dishes which occupy the vacant spaces are always soups; they are quickly removed to the side tables, and distributed by the servants. In the mean time, the next dish is placed upon the table, taken off, carried round to the guests in precisely the same manner; and so on, till every thing has been served. The plates are carefully changed, but the knives and forks very generally remain through the greater part of the dinner, or, at best, are only wiped and returned. The dishes are so numerous, and the variety so great, that as every body eats a little of every thing, they seldom take twice of the same. succession of luxurious is not exactly the same as with us. An Englishman is somewhat surprised to see a joint of meat followed by a fish, or a savoury dish usurp the place of one that was sweet. To conclude the ceremony, each servant takes one of the sweetmeat ornaments off the table, and carries it, as he has done with the other dishes, to all the guests. During the whole of this time, the conversation has been general and lively, and beyond a doubt, much more interesting than that which we heard on similar occasions and in similar society in England, where its - current is perpetually interrupted by the attention which every one is bound to pay to the wants and wishes of persons at the most distant parts of the table. While the sweetmeals are served, a few glasses of some superior kinds of wine, which have

The

|

Among the whims of great men, may be reckoned the reason which Philip the Second gave for not eating fish-" They are," said be, " nothing but element conjealed, or a jelly of water."-The value of that species of food, had, however, been fully known by a Queen Aterbatis, who is said to have forbidden her subjects ever to touch fish, "lest," said she, with an uncommon degree of calculating forecast, "there should not be enough left to regale their Sovereign". It is a pity that this cautious epicure had not visited some of those inlets from the sea, in Scotland, where the piles of fish obstruct the tide's return; it might have set her mind at ease, and might have afforded her subjects many a pleasant meal.

In 1585, Henry the Third of France took it in his head to divert himself, when passing through the streets of Paris (as we are told by l'Estoile), by playing with a

66

Bilibocquet."-The Dukes d'Eperuon and De Joyeuse accompanied him in his childish frolic, which, by this example, became so general, that gentlemen, pages, lacqueys, and all sorts of people, great and small, made the management of the “bilbocquet" a serious and perpetual study.

Among the most eccentric whims of the last age, we may reckon one of that ef

Affectation Checked.

Queen Ann of Denmark's maids of honour, 1 footsteps." Such are the whimsical dogmas which is recorded by the following patent, of the Jewish Cabala. which passed the Great Seal in the 15th year of James the First, and is to be found in Rymer, "to allow to Mary Middlemore, one of the Maydes of Honour to our deerest Consort Queen Ann, and her deputies, power and authority to enter into the Abbies of Saint Albans, Glassenbury, Saint Edmundsbury, and Ramsay, and into all lands, houses, and places within a mile, belonging to said abbies;" there to dig, and search after treasure, supposed to be hidden in such places.

In the Thuana, we read of a whimsical, passionate old judge, who was sent into Gascony, with very considerable powers, to examine into many abuses which had crept into the administration of justice in that part of France. Arriving late at Port St. Mary, he asked, "how near he was to the city of Agen ?"-They told him, "Two leagues." He then determined to proceed that same evening, although they told him that the leagues were long, and the roads very bad. In cousequence of his obstinacy, the judge was bemired, benighted, and almost shaken to pieces. He reached Agen, however, by midnight, with tired horses and harassed spirits, and went to bed in a very ill humour. The next morn be sum. moned the court of justice to meet; and after having opened his commission in form, his first decree was, "6 That, for the future, the distance from Agen to Port St. Mary should be reckoned six' leagues." And this decree he ordered to be registered in the records of the province before he would proceed to any other business whatever.

Cabalistical Conceits.

Philip Calthorpe, a knight (who lived in The grotesque method in which Sir Norfolk during the reign of Henry the Seventh), checked the ambition of an aspiring shoemaker, seems to deserve insertion in the exact words of the same quaint, but entertaining writer.

"He sent as much cloth, of fine French

Tawney, as would make him a gown, to a tailor in Norwich. It happened one John shop, liked it so well, that he went and Drakes, a shoe maker, coming into the bought of the same as much for himself, enjoining the tailor to make it of the same fashion. The knight being informed thereof, commanded the tailor to cut his gown as full of holes as his sheers could make; which so purged J. Drakes of his proud humour, that he never would be of the gentleman's fashion again."

Superstition of the Greenlanders.

The Sun and Moon were Greenlanders, and brother and sister. The sister, the Sun, was extremely beautiful.

Air, earth, water, and fire, have each their spirits, who exercise a certain sway, each in his own sphere. Care must be taken not to make them angry. A quarter of a mile to the north of my place of abode, there was a dangerons place for Kajakrewers, who were sometimes upset by an invisible being. In these cases, fear did the most; and violent gusts of wind from the East, the rest.

"Apparitions and ghosts are believed in here, as they are every where. For this reason, they bind the legs of the dead, Nothing can exceed the followers of ca- while they are still pliable, up to the hams, balistical mysteries in point of fantastical and carry them, in winter, out of a winconceits; the learned Godwin recounts dow, or in summer, out of the back part of some of them. "Abraham," they say, the tent, that their ghosts may not return. "wept little for Sarah, probably because For the same reason as we have before reshe was old." They prove this by pro-lated, they tear out and devour the hearts ducing the letter " Caph," which being a remarkably small letter, and being made use of in the Hebrew word which describes Abraham's tears, evinces, they affirm, that his grief also was small.

The Cabalists have discovered likewise, that in the two Hebrew words signifying "man," and "woman," are contained two letters, which, together, form one of the names of "God." But if these letters be taken away, there remain letters which signify "fire." Hence," argue the Cabalists, " we may find, that when man and wife agree together, and live in union, God is with them; but when they separate themselves from God, fire attends their

of those whom they kill as sorcerers; the fear that the spirit of the person killed should haunt them is the true cause of this cruelty. Greenlanders are often drowned in the chase of seals; and then their spirits appear after death. They are heard to come on shore, and knock the ice from their Kajacks; nay are seen to carry them on shore, and lay them on the places for boats.

"The rocks, also, have their spirits, which are very dangerous, as they even come down into the houses by night and steal provisions. If it is true, as they relate, that individual Greenlanders now and then, from despair, leave society for ever

and dwell among the rocks, it is no wonder if they visit the houses, especially in winter nights, to find there something to prolong their wretched existence. Even some Gecenlanders do not look on these as spirits, but as unfortunate persous, who, by being insulated from mankind, have become savage and formidable.

able instance of it once in a century. Poetical sentiment is merely the strength of the moral affections sublimed by enthusi asm. Repeated instances have proved that it is compatible with a very limited range of ideas, nay, that it is even an exclusive principle, and likes a limited range, because varied ideas are apt to disturb it-but imagination is an universal love of concep

for their own sake, and rejoices in produ cing them ad infinitum, for the sole pleasure of viewing the pageant. Darwin is an example of a vivid imagination existing quite seperately from poetical sentiment or moral enthusiasm.

"When any one who is accused of sorcery dies a natural death, he cannot lictions, images, and pictures of all kinds, quietly in his grave. A woman, who was accused of being an Liliseetsok, was buried not far from my house. Some stones which covered the grave slipped off; the dogs found the corpse, and tore off one leg. "So it seemed she was an Illiseetsok,' said the Greenlanders.-'Why?' said I. Because her bones cannot lie in peace,' answered they.'

ON MODERN POETRY.

For strength of stimulus, the Poetry of sentiment is certainly preferable to that composed of mere pictures and images like Darwin's, or that of observation and reflection like Pope's. But as the understanding of the reader is entirely passive in perusing Poetry of sentiment, the means of excitement are soon expended. Poetry, consisting partly of reflection and obser vation, like that of Pope's, awakens the mind into a state of pleasing activity, which may be sustained for almost any length of time, without any feeling of weariness or monotony, since the interest of it is derived from the contrasts and comparisons of dissimiliar and distant ideas, collected from a wide field, and not from the ag

ideas brought to bear on one point.

It cannot be denied that the habit which living Poets cultivate, of dealing only in those impressions which have affected them most strongly as individuals, contributes much to the warmth, intensity and enthusiasm of their compositions. A Poet, in the abstract sense of the term, is a person who seeks for imposing and interesting conceptions wherever they are to be found, and who has no preference for one set of ideas more than another, except in so far as they are calculated to stir, ex-gregation of a great many homogeneous cite, and gratify the human mind. This would be the character of one who estimated the value of poetical materials philosophically. But it has generally been found, that Poetry cannot be composed by setting so coolly to work; and that when the reasoning faculties are too watchful, there is generally a dispersion of those fine feelings which serve as a sort of key-note for calling together poetical thoughts. Judg ment is quite unable to detect the relations which bind ideas together into Poetry. Feeling alone can do it; but feeling is so much modified by circumstances and associations, that we seldom find it operating in any individual with abstract propriety; and if we turn loose our metaphysical judgment upon its assemblages, we shall act with cruelty towards poetical inspiration. We therefore think Mr. Coleridge should be allowed to introduce his owis, and mastiff, in bis old Christabel, without molestation.

Since the reign of Lord Byron commenced, sentiment has become the staple article. Creativeness of imagination, which is quite a different thing, seems at present to be more rare, and indeed is very rare at all times, since we do not find a remark

The range of human thoughts is not unlimited, and a considerable part of it has already been exhausted. In so far as Poetry consists in selecting the ideal beauties, either of human nature or of the external world, or in describing situations of imaginary felicity, we can hardly now expect Poets to discover any unanticipated conceptions on these subjects. Virtue and perfection are not susceptible of many different aspects, because their real elements must always be the same. David Hume observes, that truth is one thing, while falsehood is unlimited in its varie ties. The same thing may be said of the ideal beauties, both of mind and matter. It is probable that the ancients would perceive a cloying similarity in the lineaments and proportions of their best statues because no artist could diverge very far from a certain standard without forsaking his object. The coutention and emulation of sculptors would draw them closer and closer to a centre. The conceptions of a Phidias are circumscribed within a certain natural boundary; but there is no boundary to the variety of the conceptions of a Hogarth, because he does not aim at

drawing perfection, but at characterising tom of child murder, and already experi peculiarity and imperfection, which are ence the advantages of applying Christian infinite. In the same manner, although tenets to their Government, and of casting heroic Poetry may be considered as nearly away the superstitious idolatry and decepexhausted, the world will for ever continue tion that had plunged them into ruin. A to supply materials to the novelist and the thirst for instruction universally prevails; a satirist, and even to the painter of moral correspondence in writing is maintained energies and affections, where like Crabbe, among the natives, and the few letters in he takes them with such compounds as their language being always used to express occur in real life, without attempting to the same or similar sounds, they find little abstract them into the sublime. trouble in spelling correctly But, above all, the tree of Christianity is planted, and thrives amongst them. Otaheite is in a state of perfect tranquillity; the Missionaries enjoy the best health, and all the islanders have been converted to Christianity.

So completely does the ideal beautiful appear to be exhausted, that Poets, for some years back, have been obliged to represent their heroes as villianous and immoral, retaining, of course, the staple article of strength of mind. There is no doubt a charm about the idea of great mental energy; but moral amiableness would still have been retained as an ingredient in the picture, if it had not become trite and threadbare. The case is the same on the stage. Sir Giles Overreach, Bertram, and Richard the Third, proclaim aloud their wickedness to an applauding audience, and are answered from the closet by Conrad, Lara, Bertram, the Buccaneer, Childe · Harold, and Meg Merilees, whose respective confessions make the hair of ordinary Christians stand on end. Manfred retorts again from the Alps, and is like to have the Bible thrown in his face by John Bal four of Burley, for pretending to be worse than himself; while Mokanna, with his silver veil, hopes to transcend the whole, by adding ugliness to à bad heart.

The inhabitants of New Zealand are not equally docile. They still hanker for every vessel that visits them, and plots with that view are contiuually arranging, with the chiefs, against which it behoves the mas ters and crews to be unceasingly on their guard. Messrs. Hall and King, the gentlemen belonging to the Church Missionary Establishment, and placed there by the Rev. Mr. Marsden, describe their situation as by no means an enviable one. The natives rob, insult, and oppress them in a most insolent and cruel manner.

The increase in the colony of cultivation and live stock from the end of 1813 to the end of 1815, has been on acres cultivated $756, pasture 46,645, horses and mares 437, and sheep 3706. From 1800 to 1815, or in 15 years, the increase of stock was surprising, being from 163 horses, their highest number for the first 12 years. to 2328, from 1044 horned cattle to 25,279, and from 6124 sheep to 62,476, without taking into the account the immeuse quantities of cattle annually killed for the supply of his Majesty's stores and general consumption.

Since mankind must be furnished with something to stir their sluggish bosoms, it is very fair that Poets should employ whatever means are left for producing the effect wanted. The public, for its own sake, must sometimes overlook the oddness of the expedients used; and if modern Poetry does not exhibit so extensive a range of A gang of armed banditti, appropriately ideas as could be wished, it is rather to be called the Bush Rangers, headed by Peter ascribed to the love of intense effect, than Geary, a deserter from the 73d regiment, to the want of invention. Observation is has had a regular combat with a serjeant's the source from whence every thing like party of the 46th, in which Geary fell, and real opulence of conceptions must be deri-two others were wounded. Only one of the ved,since imagination only reproduces what gang is supposed to be at large. has been observed in a form fit for poetry; An auxiliary Bible Society has been inand the great fault of modern Poets seems stituted at Sydney, for the purpose of coto be, that they have exerted themselves operating with the parent society, in distritoo little to furnish their minds with mate-buting the Word of Life throughout the rials whereupon to operate.

colony without note or comment.

Lieut.-Col. Erskine, of the 48th regiment,

IMPORTANT DISCOVERIES IN NEW SOUTH has been constituted Lieutenant-Governor

WALES.

By the latest accounts from the Society Islands, it appears that they are rapidly advancing to civilization, have abandoned their human sacrifices and barbarous cus

of New South Wales and its dependencies, in the room of Lieut-Colonel Molle, of the 46th, which regiment has proceeded to Madras.

A most elegant fete champetre was given by Captain Piper, on his grounds at Eliza

Point, to 150 ladies, officers, and other gentlemen. A third collation was served up between two and three o'clock, after which the company amused itself al'arcade in merry roundelays upon a pleasant green, whose level verdure owed no obligation to the improving hand of man.

"The following letter, comprising a sum mary abstract of the tour is published for general information.

Bathurst, August 30, 1817. "Sir-I have the honor to acquaint your Excellency with my arrival at this place last evening, with the persons comprising the expedition to the westward, which your Excellency was pleased to place under my

direction.

Trial for libel, amongst other European gifts, have found their way even to New South Wales. On the 21st, 22d, and 23d December last, the Supreme Court of Judi"Your Excellency is already informed of cature was occupied in a business of this my proceedings up to the 30th of April. nature, on an information filed by the Rev. The limits of a letter will not permit me to S. Marsden against J. T. Campbell, Esq. enter at large into the occurrences of 19 Secretary to the government, for writing weeks; and, as I shall have the honour of and publishing a letter in the Sydney Ga-waiting on your Excellency in a few days, zette, under the signature of Philo Free, reI trust you will have the goodness to excuse flecting on the Reverend Gentleman in his the summary account I now offer to your Clerical and Magisterial capacities, and as Excellency. the representative of certain religious societies in England. The verdict was singular, being that the defendant was guilty of having permitted a public letter to be printed in the Sydney Gazette, tending to villify the public character of the prosecutor, as the agent of the Missionary Society for propagating the Gospel in the South Seas.

The climate of the colony being found particularly favourable to the silk worm, means are adopted for rearing it to some extent.

The average market prices of the following articles on the 20th Dec. were-Wheat, 10s. 1d. per bushel; barley, 6s. 6d. per ditto; oats, 5s. per ditto; potatoes, 5s. 6d. per cwt.; eggs, 2s. 9d. per dozen; and butter, 2s. 9d. per lb.

The number of prisoners for trial in the county gaol, in September last, exclusive of those admitted to bail, was 58, viz. 10 for murder, 3 for cattle stealing, 1 for forgery, 9 for mutiny, and 36 for burglaries, highway robberies, and misdemeanours.

FROM GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL

ORDERS.

CIVIL DEPARTMENT.

Government House, Windsor, Oct. 6, 1817. "His Excellency the Governor feels parficular pleasure in publicly announcing the safe return of John Oxley, Esq. SurveyorGeneral, with the party that accompanied him in an expedition to the westward of the Blue Mountains, to trace the course of the lately discovered River Lachlan, and to ascertain the soil, capabilities, and productions of the country through which it was expected to pass in its course to the sea. Mr. Oxley's return to Bathurst took place on the 29th of August, after an absence of 19 weeks.

"I proceeded down the Lachlan, in company with the boats, until the 12th of May, the country rapidly descending until the waters of the river rose to a level with it, and, dividing into numerous branches inundated the country to the W. and N.W. prevented any further progress in that direction, the river itself being lost among marshes. Up to this point, it had received no accession of waters from either side; but, on the contrary, was constantly dissipating in lagoons and swamps.

"The impossibility of proceeding farther in conjunction with the boats being evident, I determined, upon maturer deliberation, to haul them up, and, divesting ourselves of every thing that could possibly be spared, proceed with the horses loaded with the additional provisions from the boats, on such a course towards the coast as would intersect any stream that might arise from the divided waters of the Lachlan.

"In pursuance of this plan, I quitted the river on the 11th of May, taking a southwest course towards Cape Northumberland, as the best one to answer my intended purpose. I will not here detail the difficul ties and privations we experienced in passing through a barren and desolate country, without any water, but such rain-water as was found remaining in holes, and the crevices of rocks. I continued this course until the 9th of June; when, having lost two horses through fatigue and want, and the others in a deplorable condition, I changed our course to north, along a range of lofty hills running in that direction, as they afforded the only means of procuring water, until we should fall in with some running stream. On this course I continued till the 23d of June, when we again fell in with a stream, which we had at first some difficulty to recognise as the Lachlan,