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doned the provinces which they had enriched with subsidies lately received, and which were paid back into our hands under the shape of contributions.

An important part of the commercial prosperity of England consisted formerly in her relations with the continent. Englishmen were allowed to trade, and even to form among the continental nations, colonies of despotic merchants. This system has long since ceased to exist. Its revival would probably be a condition warmly insisted on by the British negociators who should treat for peace; but the interest of France and of Europe would imperiously require its continued annihilation.

The prosperity of the whole world demands that the commercial superiority of Great Britain should be prevented from becoming universal, or at least from maintaining its universality. To check the ambition of England is in reality to serve her best interests,, for then juster proportions will be established between her and her colonies.

When the two greatest nations of the universe, France and England, contend together for the interests of Europe, who does not clearly see that the motive of France is to extend the sphere of her influence, and that of England to impose her yoke upon nations? The aim of the former cannot endanger the indépendence whilst the pretensions of the latter must, if successful, produce the slavery of the whole world.

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ERUPTION OF ETNA.

[From the Glasgow Sentinel.] Copy of a Letter from a British Offcer in Sicily, to his friends in Scotland.-Messina, April 24, 1809. On the morning of the 27th of March, about 7 o'clock, advices of an eruption of Etna were conveyed

hither, by a very swift courier, a cloud of black ashes from the mountain top, which is 50 miles distant in a straight line. These ashes borne on a hard gale of wind, showered into the town in such quantities, that several cart loads might have been collected from the streets and house tops. They resembled gunpowder; so much so, indeed, that an Irish soldier, in the citadel, called out, "Blood and turf! the wind has blown open the magazine doors, and here's all the powder blowing about the barracks."

Soon after daylight, an awful bellowing and horizontal shaking of the mountain excited a general alarm among the inabitants of its vast regions. Uncertain where the calamity might fall, many deserted their houses. This shock was immediately succeeded by a furious eruption of ashes from the great cra ter, which formed immense clouds, and covered an amazing extent of country. So violent was the discharge, that a vast quantity overspread the country, many miles to windward of the spot whence they issued.

On the evening of the same day, an eruption of lava took place at a short distance below, whose terrible stream flowed down the mountain about three miles, and then divided into two branches. This volcano soon ceased burning, and another broke out next day, with greater fury than the former, about five miles lower down, at a place called Monte Negro. This one displayed three vast columns of flame and smoke, and its lava extended, in a few days, across the woody region, to the distance of three or four leagues. Hitherto we have heard of no guide bold enough to conduct the curious traveller as far as either of these eruptions, because of the vast and deceitful heaps of snow and ashes scattered about the two upper regions of the mountain; nor has.

any person, I believe, been yet so rash as to ascend higher than one which broke out two hours after the first alarm, about twelve miles below Monte Negro, and eight west of Lingua Grossa, a town on the north east side, near the foot of EtThis eruption has formed a row of craters, within a space of about two miles, forming, with the others, an irregular line, running in a north-east direction from the top of the mountain.

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From the dark bosom of a wood of tall firs and huge oaks, spread over steep and craggy hills and close valleys, conceive twelve craters or mouths, two unceasingly, and the rest at intervals, with a noise like a tremendous chorus of several thousand cannons, muskets, and sky rockets, discharging flame, and showers of burning rocks of various forms and all magnitudes, from several yards in diameter down to the sinallest pebble, which according to their weight and bulk, ascend from 200 to 1000 feet. The two forementioned craters, (or rather double crater) the lowest of the row down the moun-tain, formed the principal object of this awful and magnificent scenethey were the only craters which did not seem to labour. Their joint emissions had encompassed them with a black oblong hill of ashes and lava stones: 30 yards above the top of which their mingling flames furiously ascended, in one immense blaze, which seemed 100 yards in breadth. .Amidst this blaze, vast showers of rocks, rising and falling, were continually passing each other. About the middle of the whole line of craters was situated one, which laboured the most, and made the loudest, the heaviest, the highest, and the most dangerous discharges; from the rocks of which our party twice narrowly escaped; one or two, of considerable size, falling within a pace of us:-I think the lava flowed only from a few of

the chief craters, particularly the double one. During the emissions of rock and flame, the boiling matter was seen, in slow undulating waves issuing through the sides, close to the bottom of the black. hills of ashes. The double crater appeared completely isolated by the lava of the others. Just below it, all the lavas uniting formed one grand stream of various breadths, from half a mile to 50 yards, which leaving the fir wood, pursued its destructive course down a rocky part of the mountain, interspersed with oaks; until, about five miles below the double crater, it entered some vineyards, after dividing into two branches, the principal one of which advancing a mile farther, directly threatened the house of Baron Carri. Within 200 yards of this house, it entered a hollow way, which, it was hoped, would turn its course; but, going on according to the direction of the impelling fluid behind, its loose rocks rolling off the main body, soon filled up the small ravine, and formed a causeway for itself to pass. The other branch took the direction of Lingua Grossa, and arrived, near the Baron Cagnone's house, whose inhabitants, as well as those of the town, were trembling for their property, when the erup tion ceased.

The stream sometimes branched off and joined again, forming islands as it flowed along.-Sometimes its banks were formed by the sides of ravines; but where the country was open, it formed its own, which, from the porous nature of the lava, imbibed the cool air, and soon hardened into lofty banks of many feet in thickness. It gradually thickened in advancing, until about four miles from the crater, when it began to assume the appearance of a vast rugged mound of black rocks, or stones and cinders, moving almost imperceptibly along. By daylight, the, appearance of this amazing stream,

or moving mound, was black, and might be compared to a long tract of ploughed ground, moving and smoking along, raised on banks from fifteen to forty feet high. The end of it, however, presented a bold front of vivid fire, about fifteen or sixteen feet high, and eighty paces in extent. While it moved forward in a body, the loose stones and cinders, presenting less resistance to the stream behind, impelled in a continual succession from the top, rolled cracking down its rough sloping sides and front, advancing before the main body, and burning the grass, the weeds, and grape vines, like light troops skirmishing on the front and flanks of an army marching in solid columns.

I never saw a painting which gave me any thing like a correct idea of lava, yet it appears no difficult task. I could discern nothing of the fluid part of the stream; yet, until somewhat cooled by flowing several miles, it must be liquid immediately underneath the thin light crusted surface. Just after issuing from the crater, I should think it flowed at the rate of four miles an hour; half way down the stream (whose whole extent, when the eruption ceased, was about six miles) a mile and a half an hour; and so on, gradually decreasing in velocity to the most advanced part, where its progress was a few hundred yards a day.

The night view of the eruption and stream of lava, was truly grand and terrific. The rocks emitted from the craters displayed a white heat and the flames an intense red; when the adjacent hills and valleys were covered by a shower of rocks, and they appeared for a time, beautifully spangled with stars, whose silver brightness, as well as that of the burning trees, formed a no less admirable contrast to the flames of the crater, than did the evening songs of the birds to the bellowing of the

mountain. The lava was a fancied infernal fire, streaked with black and red, presenting a horrid contrast to the dark surrounding scenery. Here down the rocky slopes, it rolled a cataract of fire; there, it displayed floating mounts crowned with ima gined fortresses. Trees were seen as if growing from the fire, whose parched branches and burning trunks exhibited the idea of desolation with all its horrors.

The country about Lingua Grossa, Pie Monte and other places on that side of the mountain, now lies covered with ashes, three or four inches in depth. Though some lands have suffered by lava, many have been manured by ashes, and the whole island is freed from the dread of

earthquakes for some time to come. Thus we find,

"All partial evil universal good." Except the inhabitants likely to suffer, little concern or curiosity was expressed by the Sicilians. Even the Baron Carri, whose house was so much in danger, with superstitious obstinacy rejected, for a long while, every proposal of the British officers for removing his property, "No, no," he always replied, "let it be as God wills it." At length, however, self-interest prevailed, the solitary walls alone remained. But when the lava had arrived within 200 yards of this deserted habitation, the eruption ceased, to the great joy of the natives, who attributed this mercy to the merits and interference of the patron saints, whose images were daily brought from Castilone (a distance of three miles) in proces sion, during the progress of this ca lamity, and placed, while mass was performed, amidst the tears of a wretched multitude, a few yards in front of a slow advancing fire. This procession was composed of the mi serable and ragged natives, of both sexes and all ages, crying and sobbing, beating their breasts, tearing their hair, and flogging their backs

in penance, while the priests were calling on all their saints to assist them. On their way to the lava, they stopped at the Baron's house, from the balcony of which the chief priest, with the most violent gestures of grief, delivered a short sermon, in which he told them, the cruption was a judgment upon their sins, and recommended to them to mend their lives, and pray to all the saints to intercede for them. Every pause of this discourse was filled with a general burst of tears, beating of breasts, tearing of hair, and flogging of backs. I was never more affected by any scene of public distress.

What mortal dare to think he breathes a single moment without divine assistance! How feeble, how insignificant does he feel, who stands within 200 yards of these furious volcanoes. What must be the pangs of his heart, who beholds his earthly property, his native fields in a few hours irrecoverably overwhelmed Transitory, compared with this, are all the other scourges of the earth, The fertility swept away by floods and tempests, by war and by pestilence, is shortly succeeded by smiling plenty.—The fields of Austerlitz and Jena, already revive from their late desolation. Even Spain may perhaps smile ere long; but many successive generations, with hopeless sighs, must view the black and barren rocks which have buried the native lands of their unhappy forefathers!

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tle self-sufficiency, and not a little disposition to ascribe an undue importance to wealth. This I should have thought stances, had I not expected that relimore pardonable under their circumgion would in this respect have more than supplied the deficencies of education. Their religion, however, consisted almost exclusively in a disproportionate And zeal for a very few doctrines. though they were far from being immoral in their own practice, yet, in their discourse, they affected to undervalue mo rality.

This was, indeed, more particularly the case with the lady, whose chief object of discourse seemed to be, to conhusband in polemical skill. Her chaste vince me of her great superiority to her with fear. In one respect she was the conversation certainly was not coupled very reverse of those pharisees who were scrupulously exact about their petty observances. Mrs. Ranby was, on the contrary, anxious about a very few important particulars, and exonerated hertentions. She was strongly attached to self from the necessity of all inferior atone or two preachers and discovered little candour for all others, or for those who attended them. Nay, she some what doubted of the soundness of the faith of her friends and acquaintance, who would not incur great inconvenience to attend one or other of her favourites. Mrs. Ranby's table was "more than hospitably good." There was not the least suspicion of Latin here. The eulogist of female ignorance might have dined in comfortable security against the intrusion and vanity of erudition. She had three daughters, not unpleasing young women. But I was much concerned to observe that they were not only dressed to the very extremity of the fashion, but their drapery was as transparent, as short, and as scanty, there was as sedulous a disclosure of their persons, and as great a redundancy of ornaments, as I had seen in the gayest circles,

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Expect not perfection," said my good mother," but look for consistency." This principle my parents had not only taught me in the closet, but had illustrated by their deportment in the family and in the world. They observed a uniform correctness in their general demeanor. They were not over anxious about character for its own sake, but they were tenderly vigilant not to bring apy reproach on the christian name by

imprudence, negligence, or inconsistency, even in small things. "Custom," said my mother, "can never alter the immutable nature of right; fashion can never justify any practice which is improper in itself; and to dress indecently is as great an offence against purity and modesty, when it is the fashion, as when it is obsolete. There should be a line of demarcation somewhere. In the article of dress and appearance, christian mothers should make a stand. They should not be so unreasonable as to expect that a young girl will of herself have courage to oppose the united temptations of fashion without, and the secret prevalence of corruption within; and authority should be called in where admonition fails."

The conversation after dinner took a religious turn. Mrs. Ranby was not unacquainted with the subject, and expressed herself with energy on many serious points. I could have been glad, however, to have seen her views a little more practical; and her spirit a little' less censorious. I saw she took the lead in debate, and that Mr. Ranby submitted to act as subaltern, but whether his meekness was the effect of piety or fear I could not at that time determine. She protested vehemently against all dissipation, in which I cordially joined her, though I hope with something less intemperance of manner and less acrimony against those who pursued it. I began however, to think that her faults arose chiefly from a bad judgment, and an ill regulated mind. In many respects she seemed well intentioned, though her language was a little debased by coarseness, and not a little disfigured by asperity.

I was sorry to observe that the young ladies not only took no part in the conversation, but that they did not even seem to know what was going on, and I must confess the manner in which it was conducted was not calculated to make the subject interesting. The girls sat jogging and whispering each other, and got away as fast as they could.

As soon as they were withdrawn "There sir," said the mother, "are three girls who will make excellent wives. They never were at a ball or a play in their lives; and yet, though I say it, who should not say it, they are as highly accomplished as any ladies at St. James's." I cordially approved the former part of

her assertion, and bowed in silence to the latter.

I took this opportunity of enquiring what had been her mode of religious instruction for her daughters; but though I put the question with much caution and deference, she looked displeased, and said she did not think it necessary to do a great deal in that way; all these things must come from above; it was not human endeavours, but divine grace which made christians! I observed that the truth appeared to be, that divine grace blessing human endeavours seemed most likely to accomplish that great end. She replied that experience was not on my side, for that the children of religious parents were not always religious. I allowed that it was too true. I knew she drew her instances from two or three of her own friends, who, while they discovered much earnestness about their own spiritual interests, had almost totally neglected the religious culsivation of their children; the daughters in particular had been suffered to follow their own devices, and to waste their days in company of their own chusing, and in the most frivolous manner. "What do we more than others?" is an interrogation which this negligence has frequently suggested, Nay, professing serious piety, if ye do not more than those who profess it not, ye do less!

I took the liberty to remark that though there was no such thing as hereditary holiness, no entail of goodness; yet the Almighty had promised in the scriptures many blessings to the offspring of the righteous. He never meant, however, that religion was to be transferred arbitrarily like an heir-loom; but the promise was accompanied with conditions and injunctions. The directions were express and frequent, to inculcate early and late the great truths of religion; nay, it was enforced with all the minuteness of detail, "precept upon precept, line upon line, here a little and there a little"-at all times aad seasons, "walking by the way, and sitting in the house.". I hazarded the assertion, that it would generally be found that where the children of pious parents turned out ill, there had been some mistake, some neglect, or some fault on the part of the parents; that they had not used the right methods. I observed that I thought it did not at all derogate from the sovereignty of the Almighty that he appoint

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