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Among humans there is three kinds, white natur', nigger natur', and Indjin natur'; then there is fish natur', and horse natur', musquito natur', and snakes natur', and he natur', and she natur', at least that's my logic. Well, it's the natur' of porpoises, when a she one gets wounded, that all the other porpoises race right arter her, and chase her to death. They shew her no marcy. Human natur' is the same as fish natur' in this particler, and is as scaly too. When a woman gets a wound from an arrow shot out by scandal, or envy, or malice, or falsehood, for not keeping her eye on the compass, and shapin' her course as she ought to; men, women, and boys, parsons, and their tea-goin' gossipin' wives, pious galls and prim old maids, all start off in full cry like a pack of bloodhounds arter her, and tear her to pieces; and if she earths, and has the luck to get safe into a hole fust, they howl and yell round it every time she shews her nose, like so many imps of darkness. It's the race of charity, to see which long-legged, cantin', bilious-lookin' crittur can be in first at the death. They turn up the whites of their eyes like ducks in thunder, at a fox-hunt, it's so wicked; but a gall-hunt they love dearly, it 's' servin' the Lord."

"But that still don't prove it's a female porpoise," said Cutler.

"Yes it does," replied Eldad; "they darn't sarve a man that way if they get up a hunt on him, he don't run, he shews fight; he turns round and says, 'Come on one at a time, and I'll handle you, or two together, if you like, you cowards, or all in a heap, and I'll fight till I die, but I won't run;' that's he-natur', you see. Now if the wounded porpoise was a male, wouldn't he turn also, butt with his head and thrash with his tail like a brave fellow? he 'd a seen 'em all shot and speared first afore he 'd run. No, the natur' of a wounded gall and a wounded she-porpoise is to run for it; so that fish is feminine-gender, according to my logic."

There are few among our fair readers who will deny that there is much shrewdness in the following amusing persiflage

THE GENTLE SEX AND THE GENTLE ART.

"Natur' has given her a tongue," sais I, "so loose and iley on its hinge, it's the nearest thing in creation to perpetual motion. Oh! if ever you was in a fish-market to London, you'd hear 'em use it in perfection! Don't the words come easy, and such words too, no livin' soul ever heerd afore; not jaw-breakin' words, such as black gentlemen use to shew their knowledge of dictionary, but heart-breakin' words, not heavy, thick, and stinging. Why they call a feller more names in a minit than would sarve half the Spanish grandees, and one of them chap's names cover the whole outside of a letter, and hardly leave room for the place of direction at the eend of it. Pretty names they use too do those fishwomen, only they have a leetle-just a leetle-taint about 'em, and aint quite as sweet as stale fish. There never was a man yet could stand them. Well, if they can't fight, and are above slang, and scorn scoldin', they can tease beautiful, drive a man ravin' distracted mad.

"Did you ever see a horse race and chase? tear and bang, jump and kick, moan and groan, round and round, over and over a paster' with his mouth open, his nostrils spread wide, his eyes staring', his tail up, his body all covered with foam, and he ready to drop down dead? Well, that great big critter aint hurt, he is only teased, touched on the flank, and then in the ear, tickled where the skin is thin, and stung where it is off. Why it's nothin' after all that does that but a teasin', tormentin', hornet; you couldn't do it yourself with a whip, if you was to die for it. Well, a woman can sarve a man the same way; a sly little jibe here, another touch there, now on his pride, then on his faults, here on his family, there on his friends, and then a little accidental slip o' the tongue, done on purpose, that reaches the jealous spot;

away the poor critter goes at that last sting, he can't stand it no more, he is furious, and throws down his hat and kicks it (he can 't kick her, that aint manly), and roars and bellows like a bull, till he can't utter no more words, and then off he goes to cool his head by drivin' himself into a fever.

"Oh! it's beautiful play that; you may talk of playin' a salmon arter he is hooked, and the sport of seein' him jump clean out of the water in his struggles, a-racin' off and being snubbed again, and reeled up, till he is almost bagged, when dash, splash, he makes another spring for it, and away he goes as hard as he can lick, and out runs the line, whirr-rr! and then another hour's play afore he gives in.

"Well, it's grand, there's no doubt. It's very excitin'; but what is that sport to seein' a woman play her husband. The wife, too, is just such another little gaudylookin' fly as that which the salmon was fool enough to be hooked with, and got up just as nateral. Oh! how I have watched one of 'em afore now at that game. Don't she enjoy it, the little dear, smilin' all the time like an angel, most bewitchin' sweet; bright, little eyes, sparklin' like diamonds, and her teeth lookin' so white, and her face so composed, and not a breath to heave her beautiful bosom, or swell her allerbaster neck, but as quiet and as gentle throughout as one of the graces; and her words so sweet, all honey, and usin' such endearin' names too, you'd think she was courtin' amost. But the honey makes the words stick, and the fond names cover a sting, and some phrases that are so kind have a hidden meaning that makes poor hubby jump right on eend, and when he roars with pain and rage, she lays down her pencil or her embroidery, and looks up in surprise, for she was occupied before, and didn't notice nothin'. Oh! what a look of astonishment she puts on.

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"Why, my dearest love,' sais she, what is the matter with you, aint you well? How wild you look! Has any thing excited you? Is there any thing in the world I can do for you?'

"He can't stand it no longer, so he bolts. As soon as he is gone, the little cherub wife lays back her head and smiles.

"Succumb is a charming man, Mr. Slick, and one of the kindest and best husbands in the world, only he is a little touchy and hasty-tempered sometimes; don't you think so?'

"And then she goes on as cool as if nothin' had happened, but casts round for a chance to let go and laugh out. So she says

"Pray, Mr. Slick, do tell me what sort of folks the Bluenoses are. Is it true the weather is so cold there, that their noses are blue all winter? Bluenoses! what a funny name!'

"That's the chance she was looking for, and then she indulges in a laugh so hearty, so clear, so loud, and so merry, you'd think her heart was so full of joy, it required that safety-valve to keep it from bustin'.

"Oh! I'd rather see a man played than a salmon anytime; and if women are bad-used sometimes, and can't help themselves in a general way, I guess they are more than a match for the men in the long run."

This is followed by a capital story of the flirtations of the young lady seals, and the way in which they previously rid themselves of their chaperons; but our readers must look this out for themselves. We select in preference

THE WITCH OF ESKISOONY.

"How strange it is, Sophy, that you couldn't recollect me! Maybe it's witchery, for that has a prodigious effect upon the memory. Do you believe in witches?" said I, leaning on my elbow in the grass, and looking up into her pretty face.

"How can I believe, who never saw one? did you?"

"Just come from a county in England," said I, "that's chockful of 'em."

"Do tell me," said she, "what sort of looking people they are. Little, cross, spiteful, crooked old women, aint they?"

The most splendid galls," sais I, "mortal man ever beheld; half-angel, half-woman, with a touch of cherubim, musical tongues, telegraph eyes, and cheeks made of red and white roses. They 'd bewitch Old Scratch himself, if he was only to look on 'em. They call 'em Lancashire witches."

"Did they ever bewitch you?" she said, laughin.' "Well, they would, that's a fact; only I had been bewitched before by a far handsomer one than any of them."

"And pray who is she?"

"If I was to call her up from the deep," sais I "have you courage enough to look her in the face?"

Well, she looked a little chalky at that, but said, with a steady voice, "Certainly I have. I never did any harm to any one in my life; why should I be afraid of her, especially if she's so handsome?"

"Well, then I'll raise her; and you 'll see what I never saw in England or elsewhere. I'll shew her to you in the pool;" and I waved my hand three or four times round my head, and with a staff made a circle on the ground, pretendin' to comply with rules, and look wise. "Come," sais I, "sweet witch, rise and shew beauyour

tiful face. Now, give me your hand, Miss;" and I led her down to the deep, still, transparent pool.

"Mr. Slick," said she, "I'm not sure the raisin' of spirits is right for you to do. But I said I would look on this one, and I will, to shew you there's nothing to be afraid of, but doing wrong."

"Stoop and look into the water," sais I: "now, what do you see?"

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Nothing," she said, "but some trout swimmin' slowly about."

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ABOLITION.

"Well, Cæsar, boy, I'll tell you what ablution is. In winter you know da is a foot of snow on the ground." "In course," said Cæsar, lookin' very wise, "I knows it." "Well den, massa gubbernor, who is ablutionist, sends for his hoss, and sais, You been good hoss, bery faithful, bery trusty; I gib you bery good character. Now I mancipate you; you free nigga now.' Well de hoss cock up his ear, hold up his head, stick up his tail, and kick up his heels like de debil. Well de medder is all covered wid snow, and dere's nuffin to eat dere; and off he goes to de farmer's barn-yard; and farmer he set de dogs on him. Den he take to de woods; but he don't understand brousin', for he was broughten up 'mong gentlemen, and he got no straw for bed, and no rug to keep off cold, and he wants to be took back agin. He don't like ablution in cold country. He rader work for sometin' to eat in winter, dan be free and starve. Dat is all massa gubbernor knows 'bout ablution. Help me up now, Cæsar boy, dat is a good feller," and he gave him his left hand; and claspin' it fast, as he rose to his feet, he knocked the dandy's hat off with the right fist, and nearly demolished

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the crown of it, and then suddenly wheelin' him round, give him two or three good, sound, solid kicks. "Dare," said he, lettin' him go, you is emancipated-you is free nigga now; dat is ablution. Clar off, you pork and cabbage nigga you. Take dat for de onarthly scream you woke me up wid, and frightened de lady to de winder da. So make tracks now, and go dine wid massa gubbernor. Yah! yah! yah!"

One more extract, and we have done: we have culled samples enough to incite all to a perusal of Sam Slick's last, if not his best effusion.

A SLAVE-STATE INCIDENT.

One Jaamin Phinny (an itinerant adventurer) loquitur

"Well, one night I got into a'most an all-fired row. I never could keep out of them to save my life; they seem kinder nateral to me. I guess there must have been a row in the house when I was born, for I can't recollect the fust I was in, I began so airly. Well, one night I heered an awful noise in a gamblin'-house there. Everybody was talkin' at onct, swearin' at onct, and hittin' at onct. It sounded so beautiful and enticin' I couldn't go by, and I just up stairs,and dashed right into it like wink. They had been playin' for one of the most angeliferous slave-galls I ever seed. She was all but white, a plaguey sight more near white than any Spanish, or Portuguese, or Eyetalien gall you ever laid eyes on; in fact, there was nothin' black about her but her hair. A Frenchman owned her, and now claimed her back on his single resarved throw. The gall stood on a chair in full view, a perfect pictur' of Southern beauty, dressed to the greatest advantage, well educated, and a prize fit for President Tyler to win. I worked my way up to where she was, and sais I:

"Are them your sale papers?"

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Yes,' sais she; all prepared, except the blank for the winner's name.'

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Put them in your pocket,' sais I, 'dear. Now is there any way to escape?'

"Back door,' said she, pointin' to one behind her. "All right,' sais I; don't be skeered. I'll die for you, but I'll have you.'

"The fight was now general, every feller in the room was at it, for they said the owner was a cheatin' of them. The French and furriners were on one side, the City and River boys on the other; and as the first was armed they was gettin' rather the better of it, when I ups with a chair, breaks a leg off it, and lays about right and left, till I came to the owner of the gall, when I made a pass at his sword-arm that brought the blade out of it flyin.' I saw him feelin' for a pistol with the other hand, when I calls out, Quick, boys, out with the lights for your life, lose no time! And as they went out, away he goes too, neck and crop out of the winder, and the gall and I slipt thro' the door, down the back stairs into the street, drove off home, insarted my name in the blank of the bill of sale, and she was mine. The knave of clubs is a great card, Slick. Oh! she was a doll, and got very fond of me; she stuck as close to me as the bark on a hickorylog. She kicked up a horrible row when I sold her again, most as bad as the one I got her in; and I must say I was sorry to part with her too, but I wanted the money, and she fetched a large sum."

This last extract is something in the UncleTom spirit and style, only more witty, and prompted by true Canadian mischievousness. Talk of Canada annexation-it will be a long time before the Blue noses and the Yankees come to love one another.

Translated by

Goethe's Opinions on the World, Mankind, Literature, Science, and Art.
OTTO WENCKSTERN, Esq. London: John W. Parker, West Strand. 1853.

THE task Mr. Wenckstern proposed to himself was one of no ordinary difficulty-one, we may affirm, that few besides himself could have successfully achieved. It required a scholar well read in the literature of Germany, and as proficient in the language of our own country, to have culled from the voluminous correspondence of Goethe the sentiments here collected, and to have presented them, in an intelligible form, to the British public.

Mr. Wenckstern has, in the present instance, judiciously confined his researches to Goethe's prose compositions; rightly considering that the ideal personages who owe their existence to the imagination of the poet can hardly be deemed on all occasions the true exponents of the genuine opinions of the great author himself.

The collection before us displays his real character in private life with photographic fidelity. Those who peruse it may readily learn what and how he thought, "without plodding their weary way through a pile of books, which, however interesting they may be to the littérateurs of his own nation, cannot be expected to engage the attention of the public of another country."

Besides the command and choice of language, so rarely attained by a foreigner, which Mr. Wenckstern here evinces, great indeed must have been the research and industry requisite ere this little volume was given to the world. Not only must he have perused with care the conversations published by Riemar, Eckerman, and Luden, but he must have made himself thoroughly master of the various topics elaborately discussed by the philosophic German in his letters to Schiller, Stolberg, Reinhard, Zelter, Rochlitz, Woltman, Riemer, Schukman, Reich, and many others, filling, as these epistles do, many ponderous tomes.

The thought that suggested this compilation was a happy one: the result is strikingly successful.

Independently of other and higher considerations, Mr. Wenckstern is indeed entitled to the gratitude of those who cannot peruse in the original the works of Germany's most illustrious

son.

The following extracts may serve to convey some idea of the power of the author, as well as of the ability and merit of his translator.

The most reasonable course for every one is to remain in that station of life in which he has been born, and to follow the profession to which he was trained. Let the shoemaker stick to his last, the peasant to his plough, and the prince to his government. For government, too, is a trade which requires training, and to which no one ought to aspire who has not learnt it.

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of the English name, and the respect it commands from The enjoyment of personal liberty, the conscious pride all other nations, these are a benefit even to the children, who in their families and in their schools are treated with greater respect, and left in the enjoyment of more happiness and freedom than the children in Germany.

The first look at the world, by the mind's eye, as well as by the bodily organs of vision, conveys no distinct impression, either to our heads or to our hearts. We see things without perceiving them, and it takes a long time before we learn to understand the things we see.

In youth we are none the worse for error; but it ought to be discarded before we arrive at a maturer age.

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There are three classes of readers: some enjoy without

judgment; others judge without enjoyment; and some there are who judge while they enjoy, and enjoy while they judge. The latter class reproduces the work of art on which it is engaged. Its numbers are very small.

Originality provokes originality.

The immorality of the age is a standing topic of complaint with some men. But if any one likes to be moral, I can see nothing in the age to prevent him.

There is a way of getting over French pride, for it is akin to vanity. But English pride is invulnerable, for it is based on the majesty of money.

Every man has his peculiarities of which he cannot get rid, and yet peculiarities, the most innocent, are the ruin of many.

Correction does much, but encouragement does more. Encouragement after censure, is as the sun after a shower.

I have never made a secret of my enmity to parodies and travesties. My only reason for hating them is because they lower the beautiful, noble, and great, that they may annihilate it. Indeed, where there is no reality of such, I would still preserve the semblance. The ancients and Shakespeare, while they seem to deprive us of things great and beautiful, create and establish in their place something which is highly valuable, worthy, and satisfactory.

Nothing is more terrible than active ignorance.

All clever thoughts have been thought before. You must try to think them again.

The decline of literature indicates the decline of the

Shakespeare's dramas want ease now and then; they are more than they ought to be. This shews the great poet.

Lord Byron's talent has all the truth and grandeur of nature, but also its savageness and discomfort. He stands alone: nobody comes near him, and nobody is like him.

The world cannot do without great men, but great men are very troublesome to the world.

Almost all the English write well: they are born orators and practical men, with a turn for the real.

I do not quarrel with Victor Hugo for his desire to be rich, or to gather the glory of the day. But if he would wish to live for posterity, he ought to write less and work

more.

With this last and most sensible suggestion, which might be advantageously adopted by more than one living writer, we close this bid adieu for awhile to the SPIRIT OF GOETHE.

nation. The two keep pace in their downward tendency. volume, so full of rare and sparkling gems, and

Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science. No. III. Edited by EDWIN LANKESTER, M.D., F.R.S., and GEORGE BUSK, F.R.C.S.E., F.R.S., F.L.S. Illustrated with woodcuts, lithographic and photographic plates. S. Highley and Son, 32 Fleet Street. We observe with satisfaction the increasing success of this useful periodical, which, under the able editorship of the two learned gentlemen who conduct it, has, in less than a year from its establishment, attained a prominent and an acknowledged position in the scientific world.

The revelations of the microscope, as wonderful and as important in many respects as those which the telescope has yielded, have of late become of so much importance, that it was found necessary to institute a periodical specially to record, not only the transactions of the Microscopical Society, but the proceedings and discoveries of microscopists generally.

The number before us is, moreover, remarkable, as affording evidence of the progress of photography and of its applicability to the most important purposes. Among the illustrations are two, effected entirely by solar agency: they consist of positive photographs from Collodion negatives, taken by Mr. Delves, illustrative of his own, of Mr. Shadbolt's, and Mr. S. Highley's papers on photography. Fig. 1 represents the spiracle and trachea of a silkworm magnified sixty diameters, exhibiting the elastic spiral fibre between the layers of the air vessels. Fig. 2 is the proboscis of a fly magnified 180 diameters, shewing the divided absorbent tubes. Each object fills a circular disc three inches in diameter, is beautifully clear, and distinctly defined in every minute detail. In addition to their unimpeachable fidelity, these plates have this manifest advantage over engravings, that they admit of being themselves examined through

lenses, by which means the structure of the objects under consideration can be still further scrutinized at leisure of course, in this respect the most elaborate and careful engraving could never compete with them.

The last Number of the Journal contains several important and extremely interesting papers on various subjects by Mr. Busk, Mr. Quekett, Mr. Shadbolt, Mr. Gray, and others, and fully maintains the reputation achieved by this periodical at its outset.

We may observe, en passant, for the satisfaction of those of our metropolitan readers who derive their supply of water from the impure mains of the New-River Company, that a correspondent complacently states, for the information of microscopists generally, During the last two months I have obtained from the New River, near the City Road, Cocconeis clypeus, Cocconeis pediculus, Fragillaria pectinalis, Synedra valens and lunaris, Closterium Leiblinii, Odontidium mesodon, Navicula hippocampus and amphirynchus, Hydatina senta, Surirella striatula, an arborescent Vorticella with thirty-eight animalcules, Tardigrada, Gomphonema truncatum, and a Vibrio." A state of things which causes us devoutly to desire that Mr. F. O. Ward's simple, beautiful, and inexpensive system for furnishing our towns with pure water were already in more extensive operation. It is surely high time that the mass of abominations daily poured into our cisterns by the existing monopolists should be diverted into other channels.

The English Bible; containing the Old and New Testaments, according to the authorised version; newly divided into paragraphs; with concise introductions to the several books, and with Maps and Notes illustrative of the chronology, history, and geography of the Holy Scriptures; containing also the most remarkable variations of the ancient versions, and the chief results of modern criticism. By R. B. BLACKADER.

WE cite the title page in extenso, as the readiest method of affording a general idea of the plan adopted in this edition of the Bible, of which we are here presented with the first portion, the Book of Genesis. The plan is as well devised as it is original, and various are the novel features introduced. First, as to the division into paragraphs. The combined beauty and simplicity distinguishing our English version, whether in the narrative, descriptive, or didactic passages, is mainly the result of its scrupulous fidelity to the original-a quality in which it far surpasses all other versions, ancient or modern. It therefore suffers in a more especial degree by being cut up into verses, an expedient resorted to for facility of reference, but which advantage is much over-balanced by the interruption of the sense inseparable from a fragmentary arrangement. To remedy this palpable defect the text is here apportioned into a series of paragraphs, each complete in itself as regards the sense, while the common division of verses is indicated by corresponding figures. Again, none but studious readers of Scripture will take the trouble of turning to the passages pointed out in the marginal references as illustrative of the text, though they are frequently highly important elucidations of it. To force them, then, on the attention of the careless reader, the most essential references are set out at full length in the margin, which

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In this eminently practical and matter-of-fact age, when the mind is overwhelmed by the contemplation of the boundless fields of enterprise opening on all sides, and the truly marvellous triumphs of science, it is a sort of relief to the mind to be occasionally wafted into the aerial regions of poetry, and to yield awhile to the gentle dominion of fancy and imagination. It is a fortunate circumstance, then, that there is no danger whatever of the genus vatum ever be coming extinct. So far from this, their num

also contains a multitude of brief notes (printed in italics) geographical, botanical, and historical, with illustrations of the text by explanations of the customs and habits of the Israelites as compared with other eastern nations. In an appendix we further find notes of similar character but more diffuse, and partaking rather of the character of dissertations on the various passages requiring elucidation. This appendix also gives the various renderings of the Septuagint, Vulgate, Arabic, Aquila, the Targum of Onkelos, &c. We could wish to have seen included in the list Luther and Tremellius, the latter more especially as being generally a remarkably faithful expositor of the original. We must remark, moreover, that the mere juxta-position of the diverse renderings of the several translators tends rather to perplex than enlighten the searcher after truth; and would, therefore, recommend the editor, in the forthcoming portions, to institute a comparison between the conflicting versions, and, after stating his reasons for preferring one to another, to pronounce his verdict accordingly; a task, to the accomplishment of which he appears to be competent. We ought not to dismiss this work without doing justice to the typography, which is perfect, not only as regards the general text and notes, but also in the Hebrew and Greek words occasionally introduced. Care in this department is never thrown away.

bers are such as to defy any attempt at taking an account of them in detail: we must therefore confine our attention to those who present themselves most prominently. The astounding phenomenon of a drama in twelve acts, may fairly claim precedence of all competitors. Formidable as it may be in appearance, we may safely affirm of it, however, that he who summons courage to begin will be carried currently and pleasantly to its close; the design being striking and the interest powerfully sustained. This interest is based on the wily machinations of his infernal majesty, who, in human guise, and under the name of Ombo, pursues his malignant purposes throughout, with unabated energy and consummate dexterity;- in the fullest force of the term, "playing the devil" with every body and every thing wherewith he comes in contact. The scene of his operations is Malta, at the time of an insurrection of the Turkish galleyslaves against the knights of St. John. Ombo

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