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accommodation to the ill-humour rable brilliancy of the heavenly vault,

of others.

Temper is one of the most busy and universal agents in all human actions.

I started from my seat, and in rap. tures left my home, to enjoy the pleasures of the opening night. And now occurred to my mind those beautiful lines in Homer, thus translated by Pope:

"And when the moon, refulgent lamp of night,

sacred light:

When not a breath disturbs the deep

Nothing is so rare as a single motive, almost all our motives are compound ones; and, if we examine our own hearts and actions O'er heaven's clear azure spreads her with that accuracy and diffidence which become us as finite and responsible beings, we shall find that, of our motives to bad actions temper is often a principal ingredient, and that it is not unfrequently one incitement to a And stars unnumber'd, gild the glow

good one.

The crimes not only of pri

serene,

And not a breath disturbs the solemn scene:

Around her throne the vivid planets

roll,

ing pole :

The conscious swains, rejoicing in the

sight,

vate individuals but of sovereigns Eye the blue vault, and bless the use

might, I doubt not, be traced up to an uncorrected and uneducated temper as their source.

ful light."

The owl, I perceived, had left his diurnal dormitory, and was skimming over the meadows in search of prey.

To the Editor of the Oxford Enter-See, with what steady wing he sweeps

taining Miscellany.

SIR,

You will oblige me by inserting the following in your Miscellany.

Yours, &c.

AMICUS.

A WALK BY MOON LIGHT. "The soul of man was made to walk the skies, Delightful outlet to her prison here."

Young.

The stars had already lighted up their twinkling lamps, and the fair empress of the night was just stepping into her refulgent car, and painting the universal landscape below with her silver rays; when struck with the beauty of the scene, and the incompa

along the hedges, beating them with the regularity of a spaniel. Now he hovers, now he darts, and grasping the little unresisting animal in his talons, hastens to his retreat to feed on its

innocent blood:-Hark! the woods begin to resound with alternate shrieks and hootings of their nocturnal inhabitants. The affrighted, hare starts from its covert, bursts through the woods, and apprehensive of danger, scours the fields with unremitting speed. Even Silence seems astonished-and old Night, appalled, rears his sable crest, "and grins horribly a ghastly smile."

I now pursue my lonely excursions, and tread, with nimble step, the dewy lawn, which, with a spiral ascent, winded through a gloomy wood, whose inmost recesses were here and there

enlightened by "the moon's pale orb," which gave the whole a solemn and

The mists of eve have wept themselves to tears;

awful appearance. In the midst, And night's pale queen her sapphire

under the umbrage of venerable oaks, sat pensive Solitude, musing with downcast eye, and Melancholy outspreads her sable wings.

I now quickened my pace, and in a few moments arrived at the extremity, which opened into a beautiful, exten

throne ascending,

In cloudless state her silvery cre

scent rears.

The stars are met-the mountain gales are sleeping

A dewy freshness fills the fragrant air;

keeping,

Ne'er waved her wing o'er aught more wild and fair.

TIME AND LOVE.

sive park, well stocked with deer, And Silence, 'round-unbroken vigils which Synthia's rays rendered faintly visible. Through the midst runs a crystal stream, which, like a mirror, reflects the beautiful canopy of heaven "bespangled with stars," while it soothes the mind, and lulls the ear with its pleasing aquatic murmurs. By the margin I directed my course, and contemplated, with silent attention, the various objects around, clothed in the raven-coloured robes of Night, but made conspicuous by the bright luminaries which now shone with inimitable Justre; these reflections brought to my mind the following beautiful lines of

Thomson:

An artist painted Time and Love:
Time with two pinions spread above,

And Love without a feather:
SIR HARRY patronized the plan,
And soon SIR HAL and Lady ANNE
In wedlock came together.
Copies of each the dame bespoke:
The artist, ere he drew a stroke,
Reversed his old opinions,
And straightway to the fair one brings

With what an awful world-revolving Time in his turn devoid of wings.

power

And Cupid with two pinions.

Were first th' unweildy planets What blunder's this?" the Lady,

launch'd along

Th' illimitable void!

Firm, unremitting, matchless in their

course;

cries,

"No blunder, Madam,” he replies,

I hope I'm not so stupid.
Each has his pinions, in his day,

To the kind temper'd change of night Time, before marriage, flies away,

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Select Biography.

Three of his Latin poems are upon subjects on which perhaps he would not have ventured to have written in his own language.

"No part of History is more in-The Battle of the Pigmies and structive and delightful than the Lives of great and worthy Men."

BURNETT.

LIFE OF ADDISON.

In his twenty-second year he first shewed his powers of English poetry, by some verses addressed to Dryden; and soon afterwards published a translation of the

Cranes ;""The Barometer ;" and "A Bowling Green." When the matter is low or scanty, a dead language, in which nothing is mean because nothing is famiJoseph Addison was born on liar, affords great conveniences; the 1st of May, 1672, at Milston, and, by the sonorous magnificence near Ambrosebury, in Wiltshire, of the Roman syllables, the writer of which place his father, Lance- conceals penury of thought and lot Addison, was then rector. want of novelty, often from the Our author appearing weak, and reader and often from himself. unlikely to live, he was christened on the same day. After the usual domestic education, which, from the character of his father, may be reasonably supposed to have given him strong impressions of piety, greater part of the Fourth Georgic he was committed to the care of upon Bees; after which, says Mr. Naish, at Ambrosebury, from Dryden, "my latter swarm is whence he went to Salisbury; and hardly worth the hiving." after having passed through the About the same time he comregular routine of scholastic duties posed the arguments prefixed to here, at Litchfield, and at the the several books of Dryden's school of the Chartreux, he was Virgil. Having yet no public entered, in 1687, at Queen's Col- employment, he obtained, in 1699, lege, Oxford, where, in 1689, the a pension of £300 per annum, accidental perusal of some Latin that he might be enabled to travel; verses gained him the patronage he staid a year at Blois, probably of Dr. Lancaster, after provost of to learn the French language; Queen's College; by whose recommendation he was elected Demy of Magdalen College.

and then proceeded on his journey to Italy, which he surveyed with the eyes of a poet. At his return Here he continued to cultivate he published his travels with a poetry and criticism, and grew dedication to Lord Somers.

first eminent for his Latin compositions, which are indeed entitled to particular praise.

In 1709, was commenced the "Spectator;" a series of Essays of the same kind as the "Tatler," Ff

published a few months previous, was mentioned, as a satire on the

but written with less levity, upon a more regular plan, and published daily.

tories, and the tories re-echoed every clap to shew that the satire was not felt.

While Cato was on the stage, another daily paper called the

It is recorded by Budgell, that of the characters feigned or exhibited in the "Spectator," the "Guardian," was published by favourite of Addison was Sir Steele. To this, like the "Tatler," Roger de Coverley. ToSir Roger, Addison gave great assistance, who, as a country gentleman, whether occasionally or by previappears to be a tory, or, as is ous engagement is not known. generally expressed an adherent The papers of Addison are to the landed interest, is opposed marked in the "Spectator," by Sir Andrew Freeport, a new man, one of the letters in the name of a wealthy merchant, zealous for Clio, and in the "Guardian" by the monied interest, and a whig. a hand; whether it was, as TickOf Essays thus elegant, thus ell pretends to think, that he was instructive, and thus commodi- unwilling to usurp the praise of ously distributed, it is natural to others, or, as Steele, with far suppose the approbation general greater likelihood, insinuates, that and the sale numerous. It was he could not without discontent once observed that the sale may impart to others any of his own. be calculated by the product of the tax, related in the last number to produce more than £20 a week, and therefore stated at twenty-one pounds, or three pounds ten shillings a day; this, at a halfpenny a paper, will give sixteen hundred and eighty for the daily number.

and now

This year (1716) he married the Countess Dowager of Warwick, whom he had solicited by a very long and anxious courtship, and in 1717, he rose to his highest elevation, being made secretary of state.

In a few years Addison changed from gay to serious writing, and engaged in a nobler work, a defence of the christian religion, of which, a part was published after his death and he designed to have made a new poetical version of the "Psalms."

The year 1713, in which "Cato" came upon the stage, was the grand climacteric of Addison's reputation; he soon completed it, "heavily in clouds came on the day, the great, the important day," when Addison was to Addison did not, however, con-› stand the hazard of the theatre. clude his life in peaceful studies ; The danger was soon over. The but relapsed, when he was near whole nation was at that time on his end, to a political dispute. fire with faction. The whigs ap- The end of his useful life was now plauded every line in which liberty approaching. Addison had for

some time been oppressed by wald?" said she, panting; "ye shortness of breath, which was did this to cheat me; he is noť now aggravated by a dropsy: here; but look there!" exclaimand, finding his danger pressing, ed she, "is not that a mast and he prepared to die comformably sail that lays on the sands below?” to his own precepts and profes- “Where ?” cried Hendric, tremsions. Addison had in vain at- bling and straining his eyes to tempted for a long time to reclaim distinguish the object which she Lord Warwick, a young man of pointed to "My eyes are dim, very irregular life. One experi-I cannot see clearly; but let us ment, however, remained to be go down." He supported her tried; upon the approach of down the declivity with a trembling death he sent for him, and on arm; a painful sensation shot his arrival he said, "I have sent through his heart as he perceived on nearer approach that it was But whether the sail of Erwald's boat. Louise

for you, that you may see how a christian may die."

it had the desired effect it cannot discovered his agitation, the truth

In Tickell's excellent "Elegy" on his friend are these lines :— "He taught us how to live! and, oh!

too high

The price of knowledge! taught us

how to die."

flashed upon her mind; she rushed forward, and to her great hor

be ascertained. Soon after Addison closed his eyes in death, leaving behind him memorials ror perceived the body of Erwald, which will be read with pleasure half-hidden by the sail, pale and by ages of ages yet unborn. lifeless; his arms were clasped around the mast, his beautiful black hair, saturated by the briny wave, fell heavy o'er his brow.— She gazed wildly upon his face, and placed her trembling hands upon her burning forehead-she heaved a deep sigh; then turning slowly round to the weeping Hendric, and looking mournfully in his face, said, "It was I that did it but do not weep, old man, you see I do not drop a single tear; ERWALD AND LOUISE, and yet I wish I could, perhaps A TALE, t'would quench the burning heat (Continued from page 177.) that rushes through my brain— The lively Louise chatted merri-Oh! take me away, I cannot see, ly till they reached a point from my eyes grow dim-I-" she could utter no more, but fell into the arms of the almost distracted Hendric.

in which he alludes, as he told Dr. Young, to the moving interview between Addison and Lord Warwick.

whence they could see around them-she stopped and looked on all sides. "Now where is Er

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