Alas! alas! for mortal fate!

A two-edged woe has pierced my heart;
Grief occupies man's troubled date,

And sorrow never will depart.
And, oh! I shudder when I see,

Io, thy hopeless misery.

PROMETH. TOO Soon thy sighs and groans burst forth—

too soon;

Restrain thy sorrow till the rest be heard.

CHORUS. Speak, then, and show us all; for this is true, That to the sick some pleasure it affords,

T'have known before the pains that were to come.

PROMETH. With ease your first request have ye obtained From me; for ye desired to hear of her,

From her own mouth, the story of her woes,
Before all else.-Now, mark what I shall say,
And hearken to the rest-what torments yet
The maid must suffer at the hands of Juno.
And thou, imprint my words upon thy mind,
Offspring of Inachus, that thou may'st learn
To trace thy way by these marked boundaries.
First, turn thyself towards the rising sun,
And leave the barren soil of this lone spot
In journey onwards: thus thou wilt arrive
Where the rude wandering Scythian twangs his bow,
Well skilled his arm to strike a distant mark;
And in his woven hovel, raised from earth,
Rolls on his wheels, as will or pasture prompts.
But go not near him; turn thy steps away
To the rough surges of the roaring sea.
There live the Chalybes, whose clumsy hands
Fashion the glowing steel; these must thou shun,
For savage are they, and unused to cheer
The weary wanderer in their gloomy homes.
Thence to the loud Hybristes thou wilt come,
Whose torrent proud belieth not its name;
But cross it not, for it will spurn th' attempt,
Until to Caucasus itself thy steps

Have safe arrived, from whose hoar temples pours

The bursting flood his proud expanse of wave.

Pass o'er those heights, which pierce the cloudless sky,
Unto the southern way, where you will find
The Amazonian camp-those foes to men-
They who upon Thermodon's banks shall place,
And in Themiscyra, their powerful rule,
Where Salmydesia shows her rugged jaws,
Hostile to navies and seafaring men:

These shall conduct thee onward on thy way
With courteous care. But when thou hast arrived
To the dark gates of the Cimmerian lake,
Leave it, and boldly cross, with venturous foot,
The deep Mootic straits; for future time
Great fame shall celebrate 'mongst mortal men
Thy daring course;-from thee it shall be called
The Bosphorus, owing thus its name to thee.
Quit then the shores of Europe; boldly cross
To Asia's plains. This tyrant of the heavens,—
Say, does he seem, in every attribute,
A harsh despotic deity? for thus
The god repays a lowly mortal's love,
By hurling woes upon her without end.
A bitter suitor, damsel, didst thou gain;
For though this be the story of thy pains,
Yet are they merely prefaced.

PROMETH. Again thou groanest deeply! Wretched maid, How wilt thou bear the rest that I unfold?

CHORUS. Remain there any sorrows to be told?
PROMETH. A stormy gulf, and inexhaustible.
Io. What gain to me is life? Why should I not,
Rather than bear it, hurl my body down
From this rough cliff, and end my woes at once,
Dashed on the plain below? 'Tis better far,
Once to feel death, than spend a life in pain.

(To be concluded.)

LITERARY NOTICES.

The Sentiment of Flowers, or Language of Flora. By Robert Tyas. Tyas. A VERY beautiful book, on a subject that is, of all others, most to be recommended to a lady's study. It does not seem to be a literary prodigy, but rejoices in being excellently printed; the significations of each flower, and the reasons for which such meanings have been assigned, are attached to a number of very beautiful coloured plates, and the gilding of the edges is superlatively thick and beautiful. We would dwell in raptures on the green morocco cover, and the golden vase of golden flowers embellishing its centre, floral embellishments round the margins, and—we heartily wish we were in love, that the lady of our choice might study conversation out of so very elegant a volume.

Ceylon Moss, for the Cure of, &c. &c. &c. Communications read to the Royal Medico-Botanical Society. By George G. Sigmond, M. D. Second Edition. Renshaw.

Our readers, who have so long observed upon our Advertising Sheet the history of Ceylon Moss, will, we doubt not, be eager to buy this book with the view of discovering what it is all about. They will not be unwise to do so; for the outlay of capital required is something under ruin, and the essay really is a very amusing one, embodying a good deal of general information. We rise from the perusal, too, with a very high respect for the virtues of the Ceylon Moss,-virtues which, it seems, unlike those of humanity, can well endure a trial.

Electrotint; or, the Art of making Paintings in such a manner that Copper Plates and “Blocks" can be taken from them by means of Voltaic Electricity. By Thomas Sampson. Palmer. 103, Newgate-street.

This is a short pamphlet published by Mr. Palmer, in explanation of his process of Electrotint painting. The discovery is a valuable one, since it enables the artist to infuse into the copper plate his own touch and feeling without the mediate assistance of a copier; and we cannot doubt, that an art presenting so great advantages as that of Electrotint will speedily arrive at an increased state of perfection. The printing surfaces it produces are either raised or sunken : each is explained; and the pamphlet contains technical directions concerning brushes, tools, plates, handling, &c. for the use of artists in Electrotint, or of such chemists as may desire to amuse themselves by practising, as a matter of curiosity, this new application of the powers of voltaic electricity. To these we recommend it as an indispensable assistant. The specification of the patent is appended, containing a concise description of the invention, and the mode in which it is applied.

Village Pencillings, in Prose and Verse. By Elizabeth Pierce. Pickering. We feel, of course, a natural diffidence in enlarging, to any great extent, upon the merits of our own correspondents; consistently, therefore, with the modest vein in which this month finds us, we shall only refer to "The Primrose,” a poetical trifle, in a late Number of our Magazine. To those who admired that little piece, we have no hesitation in strenuously recommending the purchase of the book. The Pencillings are made in a sound, religious, spirit, and with an earnestness of feeling that atones for many of the defects attendant upon the first effort of a lady in the world of Literature.

The work is dedicated to her Majesty, the Queen Dowager; and is got up in superior style.

The School Room at Home. Houlston and Hughes.

Contains introductory chapters on History, Geography, Grammar, and Botany, for children. Don't, reader, be startled by the grandeur of the contents; it is really a very excellent book, simply written, and admirably suited for the purpose that it has in view.

We have been requested to take notice of the "Kentish Standard," a monthly literary newspaper. The idea of monthly news is odd enough, but fortunately there is but a little summary, and monthly literature of course is (ahem!) the most exalted, delightful, and proper thing that could have been invented. The conductors don't mean to belong to any party, but pledge themselves to be true and sturdy politicians, with a leading article that shall make Sir Robert reflect, and aid Lord John with ideas in opposition. For literature, the Editor discourseth on society with editorial correctness. Our friend, H. G. Adams, asks if we are fond of poetry, and presuming that we are, entertains us with the history of "Edmund Bolton," the first of his "Hours with the Old Poets;" Richard John discourseth verses upon "Cromwell's Grave;" and a page on Woolwich dock-yard matters feeds the vanity of the brave men of Kent. There are extracts illustrative of public opinion, and reviews expressive of the state of literature; with the genus of "It is rumoured," " Gigantic turnip," &c. &c., to fill up the ends of columns. We have no fault whatever to find with the "Kentish Standard."

*** A firm of witty publishers, residing in Crane-court, has transmitted to our review department a "Report of the Proceedings at the Conference of Delegates of the Middle and Working Classes, held at Birmingham, April 5, 1842." So much do we detest and abhor all politics, Radical, Whig, or Tory, that we have not yet recovered the shock to our feelings, caused by the sight of the " Report," while it was in daily use as waste paper.

THE

KING'S COLLEGE MAGAZINE.

JULY, 1842.

HISTORY AND HISTORIANS.

No. IV.

In the first paper of this Series we spoke briefly of that method of study by which history is broken up into a collection of individual men and distinct actions; and from each the lesson was drawn which it seems intended to teach us. We subsequently considered another system, by which we look on history as one connected whole, and pointed out some advantages arising from this view of the past. We found this connexion to exist partly in an unbroken chain of causation, tending throughout the whole world to some ultimate object; partly in the operation of general moral laws, founded on universal principles of our nature; and we briefly mentioned a few leading points to be noticed in the investigation of these laws. That this second method of historical study is most valuable, nay, is absolutely necessary, in order to the practical use, on a great scale, of the experience of the past, it is impossible to doubt; yet it is not without its attendant danger, which, if we be not on our guard, will greatly detract from the advantages it offers us. The moral laws which are acting on human transactions, inasmuch as they are founded on general principles, and will apply under similar circumstances, are strictly analogous to the laws of physical nature; they have the same constancy, and may be equally, though by a different process, made subjects of calculation. Now it is in this very fact that the danger lies; we may be insensibly led to forget that we are dealing with men, thinking, living, moving, like ourselves, influenced by the same passions, imbued with the same emotions, destined for the same high purposes, as we feel, or ought to feel, that we ourselves are. We may accustom ourselves to think of the great events of the world-of all the revolutions and changes which we see clearly marked in the past, or dimly shadowed in the horizon of the future-as a mere working of