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I might condemn my universal form; I might desire of God an entire reformation, and to excuse my natural infirmities, but I ought not to call this repentance any more than a discontent that I am not an angel or a Cato. My actions are conformable to what I am, and my condition and repentance do not properly concern me as to those things that are not in my power. It was never in my thoughts, monster-like, to tie the tail of a philosopher to the head and body of a profligate, nor to make the end and remainder of a wretched and miserable life accurse and belie the fair, entire, and longer part of my days. Were I to live them over again, I would live them as I have done; nor do I complain of what is past, nor do I fear what is to come!" Horrible words! which denote an utter extinction of all religion; but well enough becoming him who thus delivers his sentiments in another part: "I plunge myself headlong stupidly into death, as into a silent and obscure abyss, which swallows me up all at an instant, and stifles me in a moment, full of powerful sleep, full of insipidness and indolence!" And in another place: "Death is no more than a quarter of an hour's sufferings, without future consequence or harın, and merits no particular precepts !"

Though this digression seems remote from the subject, yet it returns again where it quitted it, for this reason that no book more infuses this evil custom of magnifying a man's self, of making use of himself and his own thoughts upon all occasions, and requiring others to do so too; which extremely corrupts reason and sense in us, through that vanity which always accompanies these discourses; and in others, through that antipathy which they have against it. Therefore no men are permitted to speak of themselves, but those who testify by their manner of doing it, that they publish their good actions only to excite others to praise God, and their faults only to humble themselves before men, and to dissuade them from the like courses. Generally, it is a ridiculous vanity to inform others of our petty parts, and it is an impudence deserving punishment to discover our disorders to the world without the least touch of remorse; since it is the highest excess of

vice neither to blush, nor be ashamed, nor repent of ́evil actions, but to discourse carelessly and indifferently of our own impieties as of other matters; wherein properly consists the excellency of Montaigne's wit. (To be continued.)

THE COLLECTOR. No I.

"Floriferis ut apes in saltibus omnia libant
Omnia nos."

Account of large Diamonds.

LUCRETIUS.

Two very large diamonds belonged to the crown of France, known by the name of Sancy, and of Pitt's Diamond. The first was brought from Constantinople by M. de Harlay, Baron of Sancy, ambassador of France, weighed 55 carats, and cost only 600,000 livres. The latter, procured by the regent from an Englishman of the name of Pitt, weighed 156 carats, and cost 2,600,000 livres: it was worth double that sum! But the diamond which the Empress of Russia purchased, in 1772, from a Greek merchant, is the largest which is known in Europe; it weighs 779 carats, is of a very fine water, and was obtained for 250,000 franks only: it is true that the vender had an annuity of 100,000 francs secured to him, but the whole did not amount to one-fourth of its value; it is of the size of a pigeon's egg, and of an oval form, somewhat flattened at the ends. We are told that this diamond formed one of the eyes of the famous statue of Sheringam, in the temple of Brama; that a French grenadier who had deserted, and entered into the Malabar service, contrived to steal this eye from the pagoda, and made his escape to Madras, where he sold it for 50,000 francs to o the captain of a vessel, who parted with it to a Jew for *100,000 crowns; by him it was afterwards transferred do the Greek merchant for an unknown sum.

Dictionnaire Universel de la Géographie Commerçante; par Peuchet.

CU.

John Archer, M. D.

Was the author of "Every Man his own Physician," "A Treatise published in 1673. To this was subjoined, on Melancholy," and "A Compendious Herbal." At the end of the book he mentions the three following inventions, as the issue of his own brain: a hot bath by steam for the cure of various disorders; an oven which doth, by a small fagot, bake, distil, boil a pot, or stew, with the same charge of fire, time, and labour. This oven was moveable. A chariot, with which one horse can as easily draw five or more people, as two horses can that number in the ordinary way: it is also so contrived that a man who sits in it may move it without a horse. May we not in these inventions perceive the hints of many contrivances now in great reputation ?

Biographia Medica. cu.

Sailing Wheelbarrows.

"I THIS day saw a fleet of wheelbarrows, all of the same size. I have good reason to call them a fleet, for they were all under sail; having a little mast very neatly inserted in a hole or step cut in the fore-part of the barrow; to this mast is attached a sail made of matting, or more commonly of canvass, five or six feet high, and three or four wide, with reefs, yards, and braces, like those of the Chinese boats. The braces lead to the shafts of the barrow, and by means of them the conductor trims his sail.

"It was easy to see by this apparatus, that it was not a mere momentary matter, but an additional contrivance in the carriage, and meant to give relief to the barrowmen when the wind is fair; for otherwise, considering the money it must cost, and the trouble of carrying it, it would be a very ridiculous whim."

Van Bruam's Dutch Embassy to China.

Petrified Frogs.

CU.

• NEAR the river Onion, about three miles from Burlington Bay, in digging a well, at the depth of twentyfour feet, wood was found, and about thirty frogs were

discovered, but so apparently petrified that is was difficult to distinguish them from so many small stones; when brought out of the well, disengaged from the earth, and exposed to the air, they, gradually felt the vivifying beams of the sun, and to the surprise of all present, leaped away with as much animation as if they had never lain in their subterraneous prison. The -place where this well was sunk was on high ground, often surrounded by the river in flood-times; large pines, and the ancient fragments of them, are found on this land; from the appearance of the growth of this timber, those frogs we may well suppose to have remained under ground six hundred years.

Allen's History of the State of Vermont. Mr. Allen accounts for this phænomenon by supposing that some convulsion of nature had taken place: but is seems a more natural conclusion, that the spot on which the frogs were found might communicate with the river by subterraneous passages.

Address of an Arab to his Mare.

CU.

THE Chevalier D'Arvieux, in his Voyage dans la Palestine, has preserved the address of an Arab to his Mare, as delivered in his presence; and this, more eloquent than whole pages of descriptive information, presents us with a striking picture of Arab manners. "Ibrahim," says he, "went frequently to Rama, to enquire news of that mare which he dearly loved. I have many a time had the pleasure to see him weep with tenderness the while he was kissing and caressing her. He would embrace her; would wipe her eyes with his handkerchief; would rub her with his shirt sleeves; would give her a thousand benedictions, during whole hours that he would remain talking to her. My eyes! would he say to her; ‘my soul! my heart! must I be so unfortunate as to have thee sold to so many masters, and not to keep thee myself? I am poor, my antelope! thou knowest it well, my darling! I brought thee up in my dwelling as my child; I did never beut nor chide thee; I caressed thee in the fondest manner. God preserve thee, my beloved! Thou art beautiful! thou art sweet thou art lovely! God defend thee from envious

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eyes! It is necessary to add, that poor Ibrahim had been under the necessity of allowing a merchant of Rama to become partner with him in the possession of this animal. The mare was called Touisa (according to our mode of pronouncing Louisa); her pedigree could be traced, from public records, both on the side of the sire and dam, for five hundred years prior to her birth and her price was three hundred pounds; an enormous sum in that country."

Pope's Willow.

CU.

THE following is said to have been the origin of this famed relic of the Bard: it came from Spain inclosing a present to Lady Suffolk. Mr. Pope was in company when the covering was taken off, and observing the pieces of stick appeared as if there was some vegetation remaining, he said, "Perhaps this may produce something we have not in England." Under this idea, he planted it in his garden, and it produced the weeping willow that has given birth to so many others *.

Correction of the Bible.

J. BN.

NOTWITHSTANDING what Knox has said against a new version of the Scriptures, it would certainly be very desirable in many cases. When, for instance, we read in the present Bible, "Christ to have been without sin," and hear him afterwards termed a malefactor, St. Luke iii. 32. Dr. Kennicott examined this, and discovered how the error arose; it was merely from the want of two points, the Greeks reading elɛpos duo naxepyo, &c. instead of elepo duo, xaxepyo, &c. Thus,

*Mr. Collinson, in his notes relating to Botany, (see Linnæan Transactions, vol. x.) says, "Mr. Vernon, Turkey merchant at Aleppo, transplanted the weeping willow from the river Euphrates, brought it with him to England, and planted it at his seat at Twickenham Park, where I saw it growing, anno 1748. This is the original of all our weeping willows in our gardens." Martyn, in his edition of Miller's Dictionary, says, "This is the first authentic account we have of its introduction; the story of its being raised from a live twig of a fruit-basket, received from Spain by Pope, being only a newspaper authority so late as August 1801.”

ED.

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