NOII. FAMILIAR LETTERS TO PEREGRINE SOUTH, ESQ., DEAR SOUTH, M.A., F.C.P.S. Editor of the Brighton Magazine, &c. &c. Ir was with no small degree of goût that I perused the Fourth Number of your immortal and immortalizing periodical. "Let the gall'd jade wince;"—the saddle sits not easy on the "Cock of the North;" of course, you ruminated o'er the Noctes Ambrosianæ of your northern foe. I think you will shortly tear the laurels, or rather thistles, from his brow, and spite the frowns and witcheries of "Maga," and the ghost of honest Michael Scot to boot, lay low the knight of the gout. Let him marry his old housekeeper, like other disappointed bachelors, and seek, in retirement and seclusion, a balm for his wounded feelings. Who wrote that faithful description of Water Parties? I think I should recognise the master-hand of that " Apelles" of authors, Will Betterly, of Christ's say, is it so? I hope you will give me the invite, and a corner in your indescribable, when you journey towards "Monæda's rocky isle," as I am very partial to the "tears of the morning,"-honest whiskey!!! And I have a shrewd guess that the Gala tears of that far-famed isle, may fairly rival the brightest stars of the Brighton Galaxy. It would be worse than useless to enter into a dissertation on beauty to you, who so well know that I toast the sex of every clime with enthusiasm : -The maid with a bosom of snow, equally delight me, And her that's as brown as a berry, It's a ane to Dandie. But variety has charms; and I question much if honest Virgil had kenned your humble servant, whether he would not have applied to me the Varium et mutabile semper, rather than to that sex who are at once the torment and solace of our lives, without whom the "world is but a wilderness,"who, in a word, have power to soothe, delight, enrapture, perplex, torture, and destroy,us "Lords of the Creation." Wh-e-e-e-e-w-I find I am running the hazard of incurring your old objurgations of vagarizing (" si ita dicam,") from the subject in hand;-but, to speak truth, I am rather at a nonplus what to say. If I did not detest flattery, I would enter into a strain of eulogy: and I know you abominate blarney. I will, however, venture to assure you, that, in my own opinion, the last letter I favoured you with is the most brilliant constellation in your hemisphere; but, as Captain Vain says, "I don't like to praise myself, only I am such a dd clever fellow." But, loving as I do to be exhortatory in my perorations,-persevere, my dear fellow, and your success is certain. Dr. Parr, that " νεφεληγερέτα Ζευς” swears his shag smokes sweeter, whilst perusing you; and Edmund Henry Barker himself confesses, that no pamphlet ever pleased him half so much, except the "Aristarchus Anti-Bloomfieldianus,"which was the favourite offspring of his own brain, and ushered into the world under the inspiring influence of the Thetford Chalybeate (not to say, Castalian,) Spring. The literary world is in raptures about you, and the Heralds' College so delighted with the splendour you have shed on the study of heraldry, that they are at this instant engaged in tracing your pedigree to the family of Memnon,-but Ne me Crispini scrinia Lippi Compilasse putes, verbum non amplius addam. Yours, to the source of the Nile, A DESCENDANT OF OLAUS MAGNUS. BIRTH-DAY VERSES TO A YOUNG LADY. ONCE more the year in Summer's train, Fain would I rouse my lyre from sleep, Yet hear-as if a voice in air Came to thy ear, its source unknown- How vain is every fond desire; Ev'n while youth's lights unclouded burn, And fancy droops, and joys are flown, Thy form is fair; and o'er thy mind 'Tis thine, like the soft-falling ev'n, 'Tis thine to bless some good man's prayer To watch o'er childhood, sweetly weak, With gentle cares, and patient love, With quiet, humble heart, to tread Thro' hope and fear, thro' joy and pain, Thy lamp at Heaven's own glory fed, Soon in that light to fade again. Such words, perchance-but sweeter far, And tipt with Heaven's own fire of love Thy guardian spirit from his star Would breathe, soft-bending from above. Scorn not-thou wilt not scorn-the lay; ADVICE ON THE ADVANTAGES OF LEARNING. [From the Arabic of NABI-EFFENDI, a celebrated Turkish Poet, who flourished about the year 1680.] SON, The first thing a man ought to think of is religion: it should be antecedent to the care of his fortune. But it is not sufficient to be informed of the great truths it contains: these truths should be also practised. Consecrate the morning of your reason to the study of the sciences: they are of infinite resource in the course of life; they form the heart, polish the mind, and instruct man in his duties. By them men attain to honours and dignities; they recreate and amuse us in prosperity, and become our solace and consolation in adversity. But without assiduous application, vain will be your attempt to acquire the sciences: they are the daughters of labour, and by labour only can you obtain possession of them. Endeavour to store and adorn your mind with all sorts of knowledge. On a multiplicity of occasions in life they will become highly advantageous to you,-indeed, necessary. How immense is the distance between the learned and the ignorant! The brightest light compared with the thickest darkness,-life with death,-existence with annihilation, feebly express the distance which separates the intelligent man from him who is not so. Ignorance is the poisoned source whence flow all the ills that afflict the world: blind superstition,-irreligion,-barbarity, destructive of the fine arts, march along with it, and shame, contempt, and meanness, bring up the rear. Although the acquirement of languages is an important branch of learning, you must not dedicate the whole of your youth to it. Languages are only as it were the avenues that lead to the temple, where the sciences have their residence. Make divine and human laws subjects of your meditations: these sciences once acquired, apply yourself to logic and physics. Nurture your mind particularly with reading the best authors. Can a bird without wings dare to soar into the regions of the air? The precious shell-fish that contains the pearl is not found on the surface of the waters,-it is at the bottom of the sea, and amidst a thousand dangers, that it must be sought for. The false splendour of riches dazzles the eyes of weak and avaricious men let it not dazzle yours. They incessantly sigh after things they have not; and their insatiable hearts are the prey of useless desires. Be warned by their misfortunes. The tranquillity and happiness of life consist in being satis fied with one's condition. GoD, who placed you here, is not ignorant of your wants. Put your confidence in his divine providence, and he will prevent them. Why is man so passionately fond of gold and silver? These metals can neither allay his hunger nor assuage his thirst. They cannot even replace the most ordinary aliments. In vain should a husbandman hope to gather in an harvest from a field sown with gold and silver. These two metals are not real riches: at best, they but represent them. Be reserved and circumspect in your promises; but having once given your word, keep it religiously. Promises are, to a man of honour, debts of which he ought faithfully to acquit himself. Avoid raillery; it offends him who is the object of it. He that indulges this humour is the scourge of society; and all fear and avoid him. Sacrifice no man to the passion of expressing a witty saying: like a sharp arrow it pierces and rankles in the heart of him against whom it is shot. Not that I would, as a rigid censor, banish an innocent pleasantry,-a slight trifling. Fine and delicate raillery is the soul of conversation, and constitutes its best seasoning; but how few know how to play it off, and not to drive it too far! [To be continued.] STANZAS. Non omnia possumus omnes.-VIRGIL. I. GIVE me the harp of sorrow, II. Take thou the harp of sorrow, How harsh! how dull are we ! |