higher branches, as Rhetoric, Astronomy, Mathematics, &c.

EXPLANATIONS.

Empire-a country where the supreme power is vested in one man.

Agriculture-farming, or the art of cultivating the ground.

Rhetoric the art of writing or speaking elegantly.

Astronomy a knowledge of the sun, moon, and

stars.

Mathematicks-that science which teaches to number and measure.

HISTORY OF THE LION.

The lion is one of the most terrible of all animals. Some lions are said to be nearly five feet high, and between nine and ten from the nose to the insertion of the tail. The ordinary height, however, is between three and four feet: the lioness is not so large.

The general colour of the lion is yellow. His look is bold, his gait proud, and his voice terrible. His face is broad, and some have thought that it resembles the human kind. It is surrounded with a very long mane, which gives it a most majestic appearance. The top of the head, the temples, the cheeks, the under jaw, the neck, the breast, the shoulder, and the hinder part of the legs, are all furnished with long hair, while the other part of the body is covered with very short hair. His

teeth are terrible, and his paws like those of the cat. His eyes are bright and fiery; nor even in death does this terrible look forsake them. He prowls about for food by night, and boldly attacks all animals that come in his way. The lion produced under the burning sun of Africa, is of all creatures the most undaunted; those that are bred in more temperate countries, or near the top of cold lofty mountains, are far less dangerous, than those which are bred in the vallies.

and

Fierce and formidable as the lion appears, he seems instinctively to dread the attacks of man; and in those countries where he is frequently opposed, his ferocity and courage gradually decrease. This alteration in the animal's disposition, proves at once that he is capable of being tamed; and, in fact, nothing is more common than for the keepers of wild beasts to amuse themselves by playing with the lion, and even to chastise him without a fault, yet the creature bears it all with calmness. The lion, on the whole, is a generous minded beast, has given frequent proofs both of courage and magnanimity of his disposition. He has often been seen to spare the lives of those animals that have been thrown him to eat, to live with them in habits of sociability and friendship, and willingly to share with them the food that was given for his own support. Another superiority, which the lion possesses over every other animal of the carniverous kind is, that he kills from necessity more than choice, and never destroys more than he is able to consume.

To give my young readers a better idea of the figure and appearance of the lion, I have procur

ed the picture of a young lion, and here it is; by

which you will see that lions, when a few weeks old, are only as large as small dogs, and they are harmless, pretty, and playful as kittens. The lion is always found where there are large herds of antelopes and other animals feeding together. The lion follows these herds, and kills them, night after night.

EXPLANATIONS.

Lioness-a she lion.

Mane-the long hair about the neck of a horse or a lion.

Prowl-to go about like a beast of prey. Instinctively-naturally, without being taught by

reason.

Magnanimity-greatness of mind, noble feeling.

THE BIBLE.

The Bible is divided into the Old Testament, And the New Testament. Testament means will. These Testaments contain God's will-what God chooses his creatures should do. The first part of the Bible is called the Old Testament, because i was written first. The New Testament is call r

new, because it was written last. The Bible was written by different people at different times.

The old Testament was written in the Hebrew language. It is the history of the people once called Hebrews, they have since been called Jews. The New Testament was mostly written in the Greek language. The first four books of the New Testament are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. These books are sometimes called Gospels. They are four histories of Jesus Christ, they were written by four good men, who loved Christ. The names of the books are taken from the names of the men who wrote them. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They are sometimes called Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, &c. Saint means a holy or pious person.

Besides these Gospels, the New Testament contains the epistles and the Revelations.

Children see Romans, Corinthians, Ephesians, written over the top of the pages of the New Testament. They see Jude, Peter, James, &c.— Romans, Corinthians, and Ephesians, mean the letters of Saint Paul to the people who lived at Rome, at Corinth, and at Ephesus. Jude, Peter, James, mean letters written by Jude, Peter, and James.

Children cannot understand any thing about the Revelations.

We read in the New Testament, of the Temple, the Synagogue, Scribes and Pharisees; young children do not know what these words mean.

The temple was a very great and beautiful church; the first temple of the Jews was built by king Solomon.

Synagogues were smaller churches, where the ministers taught the people.

There are at this time different sorts of sects of Christians; there are Quakers, Roman Catholics, Baptists, &c. There are different sects of Jews. The Pharisees were one sect of Jews. The Pharisees pretended to be better than any other people, they pretended to be better than they were. This is to be a hypocrite.

Jesus Christ did not love the Pharisees, he called them "hypocrites."

Scribes. It has been written in another place, that printed books have not been used more than three hundred years. Before printed books were used, people had no other books than those which were written with a pen. The people who wrote all the books were called scribes, or writers.

The Jews had books written by wise men called prophets; the people wanted to read these books; they had a law which God gave them to obey; they wanted to read that also; so instead of having the law and prophets (which are

a part of the Bible that we use) printed as we now have them, they had them written, and instead of printers, as we have, they had scribes, to write the "law and prophets," for the people to read.

When the love of pleasures and vicious companions is allowed to amuse young persons, to engross their time, and to stir up their passions, let them take heed and beware!-the day of ruin begins to draw nigh. Fortune is squandered; health is broken; friends are offended, estranged, aged parents, perhaps, sent mourning to the dust