far the most obvious construction that any indifferent person would put upon it. And, when taxed with baseness, and perfidy of the vilest kind, he does not condescend to exculpate himself, but allows the family to consider his guilt as tacitly admitted. He then departs, loaded with their detestation; and leaves the helpless and interesting victims to fall into the toils so artfully spread out to ensnare them. This is a radical error, and proves Goldsmith to have been extremely injudicious in the management of the plot of his tale.-Idem, p. 254.

THEATRE. It excites surprise to see the great diversity of manners and customs, that prevails among people who have unceasing intercourse together, and who live not far distant from each other. Many of these diversities are observable between the citizens of New York, and those of Philadelphia. Among the rest, some of the prescriptive customs of the theatre are widely different. In New York, no female of any description whatever is ever seen in the pit. Here there are frequently to be found in the pit as many females as males. And I think, of one hundred of the former found in the pit, and the same number in the boxes, at least twenty might, without impropriety, change places; that is, there are to be found about a fifth in each of these two parts of the theatre, that are on a perfect equality. The regulation of Philadelphia is, I think, the more eligible; as the tendency of the New York mode is to narrow the circle of female amusements, and debar a portion of the women from the theatre altogether.

There is another regulation in the New York Theatre, that places it on higher ground than that of Philadelphia. There is in the former, a place which custom appears to have appropriated for the votaries of Venus exclusively, at least so far, that no woman of decent character ever goes there. The frail ones are not allowed, as far as the prohibition is practicable, that is, as far as they are known, to intrude into the other parts of the house. In Philadelphia, on the contrary, unless seats are previously taken, a man is often liable to have a Lais, a Phryne, or a Perditta, take a seat beside, or close behind his wife, or daughter, and offend their ears during the whole performance, with their gross conversations with young fellows, who appear to glory in their shame, by consorting thus public

ly with these abandoned women. This is a sore grievance, and loudly calls for a remedy.—Ibid.

VOLTAIRE.-Men of great talents seem to think that they possess a privilege of playing the fool with impunity, and of passing on the world the most extravagant assertions, which are to be implicitly received as so many oracular verities. In the writings of Voltaire there are numerous instances in support of this position. I shall at present only instance one. He very gravely informs the world that there were but two things passable among the Egyptians: one, that those who adored a bull, sought not to make those who adored an ape, change their religion; the other, that they discovered the art of hatching eggs in ovens. The wildest maniac ever confined in the cells of Bedlam could not hazard a much more absurd assertion than this. Many of the laws and customs of this nation display profound sagacity, and are worthy of imitation among the most civilized nations. I shall just glance at a few of their salutary laws, which will not suffer by comparison with those of any other ancient nation:

Every person in Egypt, the king as well as the lowest individual, was subject to trial after death. The inquest was conducted with great formality, and under the wisest rules. Every person who pleased might give testimony. If sufficient proofs of guilt appeared against the defunct, his corpse was debarred from burial, which was regarded as the greatest possible punishment, and an eternal disgrace. The dread of this posthumous condemnation operated as a most salutary and effectual check against the perpetration of crimes.

Among most ancient nations, particularly the Romans, the life of a slave was, O most horrible injustice! at the mercy of the master. And the murder of a slave by any other person, was not considered a capital crime. Whereas in Egypt there was no distinction between the murder of a slave and that of a freeman.

He who refused or neglected, when in his power, to save a man's life from the dagger of an assassin, was liable to the same punishment as the assassin.

No man was allowed to be useless to the State.

Old age was held in as much feverence in Egypt as in any

part of the world. The Spartans, observes Rollin, borrowed this just and wise custom from the Egyptians.

False accusers, as among the Hebrews, were subject to the same punishment as would have awaited the objects of their accusation, had they been found guilty.

The people were educated from their earliest age in the knowledge of the laws, and their observance was inculcated on them by every possible means.

It were an endless task to go into a full examination. Enough has been said to prove, that to pass a general censure upon these and various other excellent laws and customs, and to eulogize the nation for discovering the art of hatching eggs in ovens, is the quintessence of folly.-Idem, May, 1809, p. 426.

BIBLICAL NOTE.—It is a remarkable fact, that there are in this city two Bibles, each of which wants a verse. The one is an old quarto, published in Edinburgh, anno 1728, which wants the 23d verse of the 29th chapter of Genesis. The other is a pocket Bible, published in London, anno 1698, by Charles Bell, which wants the 32d verse of the 10th chapter of Luke. The first is in the possession of Mr. D. Humphreys; the other belongs to the Rev. Dr. Abercrombie.

In the table of kindred and affinity annexed to the Scotch Bible, published anno 1795, by Mark and Charles Kerr, under royal patronage, is the following ludicrous prohibition—a man may not marry his wife's mother's brother.-Idem, p. 427.

EARTHQUAKE AT LISBON.-Among the frightful and odious views under which human nature has sometimes exhibited itself, I know of none more shocking than what occurred during the earthquake at Lisbon, anno 1755. By the convulsion, the walls of some of the prisons were thrown down, and the wretches therein confined, were thus liberated from durance. Bands of them paraded the streets, with torches in their hands, setting fire to the city, and robbing and murdering the inhabitants, during the most awful period, while the earth was rocking under their feet, ready to swallow them up, and land them on those awful shores, "from whose bourne no traveller returns." ---Idem, p. 425.

HORRIBLE REFINEMENT IN CRUELTY.-Perhaps cruelty was never exhibited under a more hideous form, than in the case of a wretch condemned to death for murder, by one of the Emperor's officers in 1525. He was obliged to collect together a heap of fire-wood, round a stake fixed in the ground. As soon as he had performed this task, he was fastened to the stake by a chain that extended a very small distance beyond the pile, which was then set on fire. Trying to escape the flames, he ran round the pile, and was thus literally roasted alive. See Ferriar's Illustrations of Sterne, page 235.—Ibid.

UNSEATED LANDS-Perhaps there is hardly any thing in the political regulations of America, that is more improper than the system that prevails in some of these States, respecting unseated lands. It is pregnant with ruinous consequences to many of the land-holders, and opens scenes of rapacity and fraud, which loudly call for a reform. These lands are, as

they ought to be, taxed for the purpose of promoting the settlement of them, by discouraging a tendency towards monopoly of vast tracts of lands, in the hands of wealthy individuals, equal to German and Italian principalities. The owners of those lands, or a large proportion of them at least, reside at a great distance. They are, generally, ignorant of the amount of the taxes, and of the place where they are to be paid; and, even if they know them, are liable to neglect the payment, owing to the pressure of business, and that spirit of procrastination which holds almost universal empire over mankind. The lands are, in consequence of this neglect, sold for the taxes. Combinations are formed by neighbouring settlers, and under the solemn mockery of the semblance of justice, tracts worth probably hundreds or thousands of dollars, are sold for as many cents. This is no ideal case. A valued friend of mine has irretrievably lost 1000 acres of land in the state of Ohio, that cost him 2000 dollars, for about three years taxes, amounting to about 20 dollars! It is not easy to conceive of greater injustice perpetrated almost without murmur on the part of the sufferers. It is no small aggravation of the severity of the case, that many of the landholders have been compelled to take these very lands in payment of just debts long due to them by traders to the westward, and which debts were finally liquidated by receiving the lands at extravagant prices.

The remedy is easy and simple. It is not a mere matter of speculation. It has been tried, and found efficacious. New York, greatly to her honour, has relieved herself from the shame and disgrace of such scenes of rapine.

The unpaid taxes on unseated lands form a distinct fund, which bears interest. The interest is yearly added to the principal. To this objections may be made, as it is actually compound interest. But the objection is grounded wholly on inveterate prejudice; for, as the tax ought, of right, to be paid yearly, and as in that case the money might be put out to interest, which would be so much increase of the capital of the State; it is but reasonable that the State should not suffer by the delinquency of its citizens, nor would it be just that they should benefit by that delinquency.

The amount of the taxes and interest forms a lien upon the lands, and is an effectual bar against any alienation of them, while it remains unpaid.

Notwithstanding the high per centage, and the compound interest, the lands generally rise in value, in a much greater proportion than the increase of the amount of the debt to the State.

To the powerful State of Pennsylvania, let me say in the words of Scripture:

"Go-do thou likewise."

Idem, April, 1809, p. 348.

EDUCATION EPITOMIZED.-There are numberless books extant on the subject of education, and many of them possessed of very considerable merit. I have, however, lately met with two lines of a venerable old writer, which appear to embrace the quintessence of the moral education of children. They are in a work of great merit, which is very scarce, a copy whereof is to be found in our city library. It is called "Introductio ad Prudentiam-by Thomas Fuller." Be it observed, that although the title is in Latin, the work is in English. The lines are "Let your first lesson to your children be OBEDIENCE. The second may be what you please." I should consider it an affront to the reader's understanding to suppose a comment necessary.-Idem, p. 114, Feb. 1810.