first to do with diligence." Johnson himself employed the lima laborem on The Rambler to an extent almost incredible, and, according to Boswell, unknown in the annals of literature. Dr. Nash remarks that it is more difficult, and requires a greater mastery of art, in painting to foreshorten a figure exactly than to draw three at their just length; so it is more difficult in writing, to express any thing naturally and briefly than to enlarge and dilate.

And therefore a judicious author's blots

Are more ingenious than his first free thoughts.
Thus having spoke, the illustrious chief of Troy
Extends his eager arms to embrace his boy,

lovely

Stretched his fond arms to seize the beauteous boy;

And all ye other powers, protect my son!

Like mine, this war, blooming youth with every virtue bless!

grace

The shield and glory of the Trojan race;

Like mine, his valor and his just renown,

Like mine, his labors to defend the crown.

Grant him, like me, to purchase just renown,

the Trojans,

To guard my country, to defend the crown;

In arms like me, his country's war to wage,
Against his country's foes the war to wage,
And rise the Hector of the future age!

successful

So when, triumphant from the glorious toils,
Of heroes slain he bears the reeking spoils,
Whole hosts may

All Troy shall hail him, with deserved acclaim,
own the son

And cry, This chief transcends his father's fame;
While, pleased, amidst the general shouts of Troy,
His mother's conscious heart o'erflows with joy.
fondly on her

He said, and, gazing o'er his consort's charms,
Restored his infant to her longing arms:

on

Soft in her fragrant breast the babe she laid,
Pressed to her heart, and with a smile surveyed;

to repose

Hushed him to rest, and with a smile surveyed;

passion

But soon the troubled pleasure mixed with rising fears
dashed with fear,

The tender pleasure soon chastised by fear,

She mingled with the smile a tender tear.

In the established text will be found still further variations. These are marked below in Italics :

Thus having spoke, the illustrious chief of Troy
Stretched his fond arms to clasp the lovely boy.
The babe clung crying to his nurse's breast,
Scared at the dazzling helm and nodding crest.
With secret pleasure each fond parent smiled,
And Hector hasted to relieve his child.

The glittering terrors from his brows unbound,
And placed the beaming helmet on the ground;
Then kissed the child, and lifting high in air,
Thus to the gods preferred a father's prayer:-

O thou, whose glory fills th' ethereal throne,
And all ye deathless powers, protect my son!
Grant him, like me, to purchase just renown,
To guard the Trojans, to defend the crown;
Against his country's foes the war to wage,
And rise the Hector of the future age!
So when, triumphant from successful toils,

Of heroes slain, he bears the reeking spoils,
Whole hosts may hail him, with deserved acclaim,
And say, This chief transcends his father's fame;
While, pleased, amidst the general shouts of Troy,
His mother's conscious heart o'erflows with joy.

He spoke, and, fondly gazing on her charms,
Restored the pleasing burden to her arms:
Soft on her fragrant breast the babe she laid,
Hushed to repose, and with a smile surveyed.
The troubled pleasure soon chastised by fear,
She mingled with the smile a tender tear.

IMPORTANCE OF PUNCTUATION.

The French have a proverb, Faute d'un point Martin perdit son ane, (through want of a point [or stop] Martin lost his ass,) equivalent to the English saying, A miss is as good as a mile. This proverb originated from the following circumstance-A priest named Martin, being appointed abbot of a religious house called Asello directed this inscription to be placed over his gate:

PORTA PATENS ESTO, NULLI CLAUDATUR HONESTO.
(Gate, be thou open,-to no honest man be shut.)

But the ignorant painter, by placing the stop after the word nulli, entirely altered the sense of the verse, which then stood thus:

Gate, be open to none;-be shut against every honest man. The Pope, being informed of this uncharitable inscription, took up the matter in a very serious light, and deposed the abbot. His successor was careful to correct the punctuation of the verse, to which the following line was added:

:

Pro solo puncto caruit Martinus Asello.

(For a single stop Martin lost Asello.)

The word Asello having an equivocal sense, signifying an ass as well as the name of the abbey, its former signification has been adopted in the proverb.

If in the following fugitive illustration of the importance of punctuation a semicolon is placed at the end of every word in

small capitals, the character will be that of a good man; if put at the termination of the words in italics, the reverse.

The man is either good or bad;
And which, I wish to know:
May genio, with punctilious hand,
By punctuation show.

He is an old experienced MAN in vice and wickedness he is never FOUND in opposing the workers of iniquity he takes DELIGHT in the downfall of his neighbors he never REJOICES in the prosperity of his fellow-creatures he is always PLEASED when the poor are in distress he is always ready to ASSIST in destroying the peace and happiness of society he takes no PLEASURE in serving the Lord he is uncommonly DILIGENT in sowing discord among his friends and acquaintances he takes no PRIDE in laboring to promote the cause of Christianity he has not been NEGLIGENT in endeavoring to stigmatize all public teachers he makes no EXERTIONS to subdue his evil passions he strives HARD to build up Satan's kingdom he lends no AID for the support of the gospel among the heathen he contributes LARGELY to the friends of the evil adversary he pays no ATTENTION to good advice he gives great HEED to the devil he will never Go to Heaven he will go where he will receive a just recompense.

Properly punctuated, the following nonsense becomes sensible rhyme, and is doubtless as true as it is curious, though as it now stands it is very curious if true :

I saw a pigeon making bread;

I saw a girl composed of thread;
I saw a towel one mile square;

I saw a meadow in the air;
I saw a rocket walk a mile;
I saw a pony make a file;
I saw a blacksmith in a box;
I saw an orange kill an ox;
I saw a butcher made of steel;

I saw a penknife dance a reel;

I saw a sailor twelve feet high;

I saw a ladder in a pie;

I saw an apple fly away;

I saw a sparrow making hay;
I saw a farmer like a dog;
I saw a puppy mixing grog;

I saw three men who saw these too,

And will confirm what I tell you.

The following is a good example of the unintelligible, produced by the want of pauses in their right places :

Every lady in this land

Hath twenty nails upon each hand;
Five and twenty on hands and feet,
And this is true without deceit.

Punctuated thus, the true meaning will at once appear:-
Every lady in this land

Hath twenty nails: upon each hand

Five; and twenty on hands and feet;

And this is true without deceit.

The wife of a mariner about to sail on a distant voyage sent a note to the clergyman of the parish, expressing the following meaning:

A husband going to sea, his wife desires the prayers of the congregation.

Unfortunately, the good matron was not skilled in punctuation, nor had the minister quick vision. He read the note as it was written :

A husband going to see his wife, desires the prayers of the congregation.

Horace Smith, speaking of the ancient Oracles, says, "If the presiding deities had not been shrewd punsters, or able to inspire the Pythoness with ready equivoques, the whole establishment must speedily have been declared bankrupt. Sometimes they only dabbled in accentuation, and accomplished their prophecies by the transposition of a stop, as in the wellknown answer to a soldier inquiring his fate in the war for which he was about to embark. IBIS, REDIBIS. NUNQUAM (You will go, you will return. Never in war will you perish.) The warrior set off in high spirits upon the faith of this prediction, and fell in the first engagement,

IN BELLO PERIBIS.