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Sir," said Spinoli, "that is enough to kill any general of

us all."

Montesquieu says, "We in general place idleness among the beatitudes of heaven; it should rather, I think, be placed among the torments of hell.”

A gentleman was under close confinement in the Bastile for seven years, during which time he amused himself in scattering a few small pins about his chamber, gathering them up again, and placing them in different figures on the arm of a great chair. He often told his friends afterwards, that unless he had found out this piece of exercise, he verily believed he should have lost his senses.

A gentleman in Surrey had a farm worth L.200 a-year, which he kept in his own hands; but, losing by it every year, he was necessitated to sell the half of it, and to let the rest to a farmer for one-and-twenty years.

-Before this term was expired, the farmer, one day, bringing his rent, asked him if he would sell his land. "Why," said the gentleman, "will you buy it?" "Yes, if it please you," said the farmer. "How?" returned he, "that's strange! tell me how this comes to pass, that I could not live upon twice as much land as you have, though it was my own, while you, after paying the rent for it, are able to buy it?" "Oh ! Sir," said the farmer, "but two words made the difference: you said, go, and I said, come." "What's the meaning of that?" said the gentleman. "Why," replied the other, "you lay in bed or took your pleasure, and sent others about your business, and I rose betimes and saw my business done myself."

Alfred the Great was one of the wisest monarchs that ever swayed the sceptre of this realm. Every hour of his life had its peculiar business assigned it. He divided the day and night into three portions of eight hours each; and, though much afflicted with a very painful disorder, assigned only eight hours to sleep, meals, and exercise, devoting the remaining sixteen, one half to reading, writing, and prayer, and the other half to public business: So sensible was this great man that time was not a trifle to be dissipated, but a rich talent

intrusted to him, for which he was accountable to the great dispenser of it.

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It was a memorable practice of Vespasian, the Roman emperor, to call himself to an account every night for the actions of the past day. When he found he had lived any one day without doing some good action, he entered upon his diary the memorandum, " I have lost a day!" "Whenever chance brings within my observation," says Dr Johnson, in the Rambler, a knot of young ladies busy at their needles, I consider myself as in the school of virtue; and though I have no extraordinary skill in plain-work or in embroidery, I look upon their operations with as much satisfaction as their governess, because I regard them as providing a security against the most dangerous ensnarers of the soul, by enabling themselves to exclude idleness from their solitary moments, and with idleness her attendant train of passions, fancies, chimeras, fears, sorrows, and desires."

INDUSTRY.

Beauties of History.

NATURE expects mankind should share
The duties of the public care.

Who's born for sloth? To some we find
The ploughshare's annual toil assign'd;
Some at the sounding anvil glow;
Some the swift-sliding shuttle throw ;
Some, studious of the wind and tide,
From pole to pole our commerce guide;
Some, taught by industry, impart
With hands and feet the works of art;
While some, of genius more refined,
With head and tongue assist mankind.
Thus, from each other's useful aid,
By turns are obligations paid:
The monarch, when his table's spread,
Is to the clown obliged for bread,
And, when in all his glory drest,
Owes to the loom his royal vest.
Do not the mason's toil and care
Protect him from th' inclement air?
Does not the cutler's art supply
The ornament that girds his thigh?

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ON KEEPING HOLY THE SABBATH-DAY.

REMEMBER the Sabbath-day to keep it holy. It is a matter of deep regret to see how much that holy day is profaned, both by old and young. Religion can never prosper with those who devote the Sabbath to idleness or amusement. If you are in the habit of violating its sanctity, you break one of the Divine commandments. And, while the breach of one of the commandments naturally leads to a disregard of the rest, the neglect of the fourth commandment is particularly to be deprecated, because the Sabbath is the wise and gracious appointment of God, for providing us with a season of instruction and meditation, that we may be fitted for the duties of the succeeding week. Accordingly, wherever there is a degeneracy in the observance of the Sabbath, there is sure to be a corresponding declension of religious principle and moral conduct. Almost all those who have advanced in the path of iniquity till it became their ruin, and have suffered from the hand of justice for their crimes, almost all of them have confessed that Sabbathbreaking was the commencement of their guilty career. -O, my dear children! let me conjure you to sanctify the Sabbath. It was sanctified by God, who on that day rested from all his works. It was sanctified by Christ, whose resurrection from the dead it commemorates. Do not then profane it. Abstain from all worldly employments that are not necessary. Never think of vain amusement. Occupy yourselves with religious exercises, reading the Scriptures,-conversing on sacred subjects, attending public worship,-praying in secret,

-reflecting seriously on what you are, and on what you ought to be, and using every means with which Providence has furnished you, for your improvement in knowledge, in piety, and in holiness.

DR ANDREW THOMSON.

SCOTTISH PUBLIC WORSHIP.

-Now the solemn bell

Fills all the air, inspiring joyful awe.

Slowly the throng moves o'er the tomb-paved ground :
They enter in. A placid stillness reigns,
Until the man of God, worthy the name,

Rises, and reads the anointed Shepherd's lays.
Loud swells the song. O, how that simple song,
Though rudely chanted, how it melts the heart,
Commingling soul with soul in one full tide
Of praise, of thankfulness, of humble trust!
Next comes the unpremeditated prayer,
Breathed from the inmost heart, in accents low
But earnest.- -Alter'd is the tone; to man
Are now address'd the sacred speaker's words.
Instruction, admonition, comfort, peace,

Flow from his tongue. O, chief let comfort flow!
It is most wanted in this vale of tears.

Yes, make the widow's heart to sing for joy;
The stranger to discern the Almighty's shield
Held o'er his friendless head; the orphan child
Feel, 'mid his tears, he has father still!
'Tis done.But hark that infant querulous voice!
And see the father raise the white-robed babe

In solemn dedication to the Lord.

The holy man sprinkles, with forth-stretch'd hand,
The face of innocence; then earnest turns,
And prays a blessing in the name of Him,
Who said, "Let little children come to me:
Forbid them not." The infant is replaced
Among the happy band: they, smilingly,
In gay attire, hie to the house of mirth,
The poor man's festival, a jubilee day
Remember'd long.

GRAHAME.

CAMILLUS AND THE SCHOOLMASTER.

CAMILLUS created one the military tribunes, and against the Falisci, who had been making their ac

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