age, adorns prosperity, supplies (1) a refuge in adversity, is a constant source of pleasure at home and abroad (2), and accompagnies us in our travels and retirements. Amid the variety of books in our library, we may find a balsam (3) for every wound of the mind, and a lenient (4) medicine for every disease.

Lord P. when a young man had a passion (5) for a lady who was fond of (6) birds; she had seen and heard a fine canary-bird at a coffee-house near Charing Cross (7), and entreated him to get (8) it for her: the owner (9) of it was a widow, and Lord P. offered to buy it at a great price, which she refused.

Finding there was no other way of obtaining the bird, he determined to change it; and getting one of the same colour with nearly the same marks, but which happened to be a hen (10), he went to the house the mistress

(1) To supply, fournir.

(2) Abroad, dehors.

(3) Balsam, baume.

(4) Lenient, adoucissant.

(5) A passion, une affection.

(6) To be fond of, aimer.

(7) Charing Cross, une place à Londres.

(8) To get, acquérir, obtenir.

(9) Owner, propriétaire.

(10) A hen, une poule; mot employé par les Anglais pour indiquer la femelle des oiseaux.

usually sat in a room behind the bar (1) to which he had easy access. Contriving to send her out of the way, he effected his purpose, and, soon after her return, took his leave (2). He continued to frequent the house to avoid suspicion, but forbore (5) to say any thing about the bird until about two years after, when, taking occasion to speak of it, he said to the landlady: "I would have bought that bird of you, but you refused my money for it, I dare say (4) you are by this time sorry for it. Indeep, sir, "said she, "I am not; nor would I now take any sum for it; for would you believe it, from the time that our good King (James II, who abdicated, was forced to go abroad, and leave us, the dear creature has not sung a note. "

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MAXIMS.

Of all the diversions of life there is none so proper to fill up (5) its empty spaces, as the reading of useful and entertaining authors; and with that, the conversation of a well chosen friend. (Spectator.)

A man of letters never knows the plague (6) of idle

(1) The bar, le comptoir.

(2) To take leave, prendre congé, s'en aller.

(3) To forbear, se garder de faire quelque chose. (4) I dare say, j'ose dire, je crois bien.

ness.

When the company of his friends fails him, finds a remedy in reading, or in composition,

(St. Evremond.)

he

He that is well employed in his study, though he seem to do nothing, does the greatest things yet of all others. He lays down (1) precepts for the governing of our lives, and the moderating of our passions; and obliges human nature not only in the present, but in all succeeding generations.

(Seneca.)

ON RENDERING HOMAGE.

One of the finest maxims of Confucius, the celebrated Chinese philosopher, is the following: "When thou renderest homage, take heed that thy submission be proportionate to the rank of him to whom it is addressed too little shows both pride and ignorance; but too much betrays hypocrisy and meanness.

ON BUSY (2) IDLERS.

There is no kind (3) of idleness by which we are so easily seduced, as that which dignifies itself by the appearance of business, and which, by making the loi

(1) To lay down, poser, tracer.

(2) Busy, affairé, empressé, occupé. (3) Kind, nom, espèce.

Kind, adj., bon, tendre.

terer (1) imagine that he has something to do, keeps him in perpetual agitation and hurries (2) him from place to place.

He that sits still (3), no more deceives himself than he deceives others; he knows that he is doing nothing, and he has no other solace (4) for his insignificance than the resolution which the lazy (5) often make, of changing their mode of life.

To do nothing every man is ashamed, and to do much almost every man is unwilling (6) or afraid. Innumerable expedients have therefore been invented to produce motion without labour, and employment without solicitude.

RAPID FLIGHT.

A singular circumstance occurred on the evening of the 24 of December (the day of Napoleon's coronation), which occupied the attention of every body. - A balloon on which was written in large letters the account of the coronation, was let off (7) and arrived at Rome in the space of twenty four hours from Paris, making

(1) Loiterer, paresseux, flaneur.

(2) To hurry, pousser, presser, faire aller.

(3) To sit still, rester tranquille, ne pas bouger, rester assis.

(4) Solace, consolation.

(5) The lazy, les paresseux.

(6) To be unwilling, ne pas être disposé à.

(7) To let off, faire partir, lâcher.

known to the inhabitants of the first city, that Napoleon had been consecrated by their chief.

ASSASSINATION OF KLEBER.

In 1800, Kleber imposed a contribution of ten millions of franks upon the city of Cairo. The Cheick Saddah, who was descended from one of the relations of the Prophet, and consequently very much revered in the East, was taxed a very considerable sum which he refused to pay. Although the enmity of the Cheick towards the French was well known, Napoleon had always humoured, and even flattered him, for which he had been frequently blamed by several persons in the army. It happened that the Saddah had been guilty of some impertinence towards the French, for which Kleber caused him to be seized and conducted to the citadel, where he was punished by being bastinadoed with a stick, according to the custom of the country. In consequence of this, a great uproar (1) prevailed through the city, the Ulemas were extremely indignant at this treatment, and some weeks after, a man named Solyman was sent from Gaza, in order to wage the sacred war (assassinate) against Kleber.

This man took up his abode (2) at the mosque of Gemil-Azaar, and it has been ascertained (3) that the

(1) Uproar, tumulte.

(2) Took up his abode, se logea, fixa sa demeure. (3) Ascertained, reconnu, découvert.