But the Christian, made wise by a wisdom divine, Still finds in his heart a far holier shrine, Yet there was comfort in that dgith-bed scene. poetical. The author, in our opinion, Not for the quiet dead, around whom there was is unfortunate in the measures which he Then art thou such a spot as man might choose Of innocent lambs, or notes which speak the bliss Yes, thou, stern Death! art, after all, the best The few last sands which linger in the glass, Thou might'st be brav'd, although in thee is much For, wert thou all, in thee there is enough To touch us to the quick to part with all Darker, and darker, tears of anguish start, But once beside a dying bed; and there Perhaps, to be instructed, save TO BEAR! Such scene; and that, though now a distant day, thrown Calmness, as 'twere a canopy: the spirit Seem'd, like the prophet in his parting hour, By which the o'ershadowing clouds of death were So that, round those who gaz'd, they could not lower With rayless darkness; but a light was given Which made e'en tears grow bright: "twas light from heaven!" The subjoined Sonnet to "Winter," and Monody, will be found of similar merit. Thou hast thy beauties: sterner ones, I own, And naked grandeur. Awful is the tone Thou art austere: thy studded mantle, gay As erst Golconda's; and thy pure array STANZAS. We knew that the moment was drawing nigh, And the golden bowl be broken; Thy spirit to God who gave it; Yet affection shall tenderly cherish thy worth, Not upon tables of brass or stone, But in those fond bosoms where best 'twas known. And fears by way assail her; Whose anguish confesses that tears are vain, Whose love all fear dispelleth ; Who, though for a season his face he shrouds, The following is one of our favourites: and for a fine lesson told in an easy and affecting manner, deserves to be transplanted into books framed for the instruction of youth. THE IVY. Dost thou not love, in the season of spring, And dost thou not love, when leaves are greenest, When in the silence of moonlight thou leanest, To see, by that gentle and peaceful beam, When leaves are changing before thee, In order to show how accurate an observer of nature in its most captivating forms Mr. B. is, we conclude with a few lines from Playford, a descriptive poem-they are very like Wordsworth. And grassy and green may the path be see All bleak, and barren, and bare; On its leaves, when its leaves were green; From "Recollections," evidently inspired by a real grief, we take our last quotation; and to that add our last remark that the author displays not only a goodness of heart, but a vivid perception of natural and moral beauties, and possesses a command of language to clothe his views in pleasing When the freshness of feeling and heart were mine, and instructive verse. As they never more can be: Yet think not I ask thee to pity my lot, Not dead, but sinking in slow decay, Pass'd carelessly bý, nor turned again That scathed wreck to view: But now I can draw, from that mould'ring tree, Who giveth, upbraiding not, And his love be unforgot; And thy God, in the darkest of days, will be, Oh, there are hours! ay moments, that contain Of time, while passing o'er, had power to fling I thought of some, who once beheld, like me, One of those visions morning slumbers shed And by some spell to bring the former near, Although it could not call the latter from their sphere. Nor did I wish it.-No, dear Mary! no: How could I ever wish thou shouldst resign, Pleasures eternal, deathless, and divine: On the same paths and turf which thou hadst trud, Its beams sleep sweetly on thy peaceful sod, And thou thyself hast sought thy Father and thy God. For thou wert number'd with the "pure in heart," Whom Christ pronounced blessed! and to thee, When thou wast summon'd from this world to part, We well may hope the promis'd boon would be Vouchsaf'd in mercy,... that thy soul should see Mim, whom the angelic hosts of heav'n adore; And from each frailty of our nature free, Which clogg'd that gentle spirit heretofore, Exulting, sing His praise, who lives for evermore! Farewell! thou lov❜d and gentle one, farewell! Thou hast not liv'd in vain, or died for nought! Oft of thy worth survivors' tongues shall tell, That shall preserve it sacred. What could years, We ought to refer to "Sleep," "A Dream," and "Leiston Abbey," as other agreeable examples of the Quaker Muse, which we heartily and kindly bid farewell!" BROWNE'S LAST TRAVELS. From the Literary Gazette. WILLIAM G. BROWNE was the son of a respectable wine merchant in London, the descendant of an ancient family of that name in Cumberland, and was born on Great Tower Hill, July 25, 1768. His constitution was originally feeble, and his health during infancy precarious. He was educated privately till he went to Oxford at the age of seventeen, and entered of Oriel College. Here he applied himself to classical reading, made some progress in the mathematics, and took a wide range in miscellaneous literature. On quitting the university he entered at the Temple, hired chambers, and attended the courts of law. But he soon relinquished this pursuit, and contenting himself with the moderate fortune left by his father, indulged in that spirit of adventure which seems to have been implanted in his nature. Previous to 1791 he devoted himself principally to the cultivation of general literature, modern languages, and something of the fine arts, together with botany, chemistry, and mineralogy; but entering with great enthusiasm into the revolutionary mania which then sprung up in France, he wasted much of his time and vigour upon politics, and republished several tracts enforcing his views of the subject at his own expence, for the advancement of his favourite schemes. Fortunately the desire to travel superseded this passion; and stimulated by the perusal of Bruce's Abyssinia, he resolved to lose no further time in carrying his exploratory plans into effect. Having determined on proceeding into the interior of Africa by the Egyptian route, Mr. Browne left England in 1791, and in the January following arrived at Alexandria. After a two months residence he took a journey westward into the Desert, to discover the unknown site of the temple of Jupiter Ammon. He followed a circuitous route along the sea coast to the Oasis of Siwah, where his attention was attracted by the remains of a remarkable and very ancient edifice of Egyptian architecture, respecting which tradition was entirely silent. Though inimical to his pursuit, he candidly expressed his opinion that this was not the Temple of Jupiter; and penetrating, amid considerable dangers, three days farther into the Desert, vainly searching, for that object, he returned in April to Alexandria. He next visited Rosetta, Damietta, and Cairo, in which city he resided at different periods eleven months, diligently studying the Arabic language, and making himself intimately acquainted with oriental customs and manners. On the 10th of September he left Cairo, and sailed up the Nile as far as Thebes. He employed some days in surveying these venerable ruins, probably the most ancient in the world, which extend for three leagues on each side of the river, and shew the circumference of the city to have been about 27 miles. Higher up the river, he examined Assuan (Syene) the ancient boundary of the Roman Empire, and visited the cele brated cataracts, or rather rapids, of the Nile. The Mamluk war prevented his penetrating into Nubia, and he again turned towards Cairo, but was diverted at Genne, on his way, into a journey thence towards the Red Sea and Cossir, to see the immense stone quarries described by Bruce. To avoid the perils of this road, he assumed the oriental dress and character; and his enterprize was amply rewarded. He passed through immense excavations, appearing to have been formed in the earliest ages; from which many of the great Egyptian monuments were obtained, and which furnished statues, columns, and obelisks, without number, to the Roman Empire, at its utmost elevation of luxury and power. He viewed with astonishment those exhaustless quarries of granite, of porphyry, and of verd antique, (now abandoned, and become the abode of banditti and wandering tribes) which supplied the most costly materials of ancient art, and to which modern Rome owes some of her principal existing decorations. In the Spring, Mr. B. traversed the rest of Egypt; and in May (1793,) set out with the Great Soudan caravan with the purpose of penetrating into Africa by Dar-Fûr, on the west of Abyssinia, and so on through the latter country to the source of the grand western branch of the Nile, the Bahr-el-ahiad, or White river. During this journey, the thermom. eter was occasionally at 116° in the shade; but nevertheless, after incredible hardships, our persevering countryman reached Dar-Fûr about the end of July. "It appeared, immediately on Mr. Browne's arrival, that he had been entirely misinformed as to the character of the government, which he had understood to be mild and tolerant. From his first entrance into the country, owing in part to the treachery and intrigues of the servant he had brought from Cairo, but principally to the natural bigotry and violence of the reigning sovereign, he was treated with the utmost harshness and severity; and this circumstance, together with the fa tigue of his late journey, and the effects of the rainy season, (so formidable to European constitutions,) produced, very speedily, a dangerous and almost fatal illness, from which he recovered very slowly, and with great difficulty. "His first object, after the partial restoration of his health, was to obtain permission to quit the country; for which purpose he attempted a negociation with a principal minister of the sultan, which was wholly without effect. After this failure, and after having been plundered in various ways of the greater part of his effects, he resigned himself to his fate; and establishing his residence in a clay-built house or hovel at Cobbé, the capital town of Dar-Fûr, he cultivated an acquaintance with the principal inhabitants, and acquired such a knowledge of the Arabic dialect used in that country as to enable him to partake of their society and conversation." Nearly three years elapsed, however, before the caprice of this African tyrant suffered him to depart; and it was not till the Spring of 1796, that he revisited the banks of the Nile, spent with suffering, and not having tasted animal food for four months. One of his amusements while in Dar-Fûr deserves to be mentioned. "He purchased two lions, whom be tamed and rendered familiar. One of them, being bought at four months old, acquired most of the habits of a dog. He took great pleasure in feeding them, and observing their actions and manners. Many moments of languor were soothed by the company of these animals." In 1797, he travelled in Syria and Palestine, and visited Acre, Tripoli, Damascus, the ruins of Balbec, Aleppo, and, journeying thence through Asia Minor, Constantinople. On the 16 of September, 1798, he arrived in London after an absence of nearly 7 years, which it may be seen from our rapid sketch, were passed in an extraordinary manner, whether we consider the countries visited, or the hardships endured by the traveller. Unfortunately for the public curiosi ty, Mr. Browne had lost some of his most valuable journals; but still enough remained to form that volume of Travels in Africa, Egypt, and Syria, which he published in 1800; which, notwithstanding its novelty, and geographical value, has (owing to its abrupt and artificial style and other more serious objections) never become popular. No sooner was his publication completed, thau the author resumed his rambling life. In the summer of 1800 he quitted England, and taking Berlin and Vienna on his way, arrived at Trieste, where he remained some time. Athens, Smyrna, and again Constantinople, were the objects of his research; and a very interesting tour from the Turkish capital across Asia Minor to Antioch followed. Subsequently, he visited Cyprus, Egypt, Salanika, Mount Athos, Albania, the Ionian Islands, and Venice, where he rested some time, in 1802-3. From Venice, in the latter year, he went to Sicily, explored the classical remains of that island, and examined the volcanic Archipelago known by the name of the Lipari. Returning reluctantly to Lon. don, he made some arrangements for publishing the fruits of these travels; but never carried the design into execution. It is from the MSS. so prepared that our ensuing extracts are made. In London, Mr. Browne lived retiredly, giving his time to study, and the society of a few select friends. His general demeanour was cold, unamiable, and repulsive. In 1805-6, though not much delighted with native scenery, Mr.Browne made a tour of Ireland, and was much gratified with his excursion. permission to travel into Thibet. But after due consideration of this and other projects, he fixed at length upon the Tartar city of Samarcand, and the central region of Asia around it, as the ob jects towards which his attention should now be directed. "After several years had been thus passed by Mr. Browne, his ruling passion returned; his present course of life became insipid and irksome, and he began to meditate new expeditions. His imagination naturally recurred to some of those adventurous schemes which he had formed in early life; and he seems once to have had thoughts of applying, at this period, to the Directors of the East India Company, for "Having made the necessary arrangements in this country, for a long absence, he took his departure from England in the summer of 1812, and proceeded, in the first place, to Constantinople; from whence, at the suggestion of Mr. Tenant, he made a diligent, but fruitless, search for the meteoric stone, which is mentioned by the Parian Chronicle and the Natural History of Pliny to have fallen at Egospotamos in the ancient Thrace. From Constantinople he went, about the close of the year, to Smyrna ;" and thence, in the spring of 1813, proceeded in a north-easterly direction, through Asia Minor and Armenia, (the Persian road) to Erzerûm, and reached Tabrîz, on the first of June. No traces of this journey have been found among his papers. "Towards the end of the summer of 1813, having completed the preparations for his journey, he at length took his departure from Tabriz, accompanied by two servants, for Teherân, the present capital of Persia; intending to proceed from thence into Tartary. He passed on the second day through a part of the Persian army which was encamped at the distance of 36 miles from Tabrîz. What subsequently happened can only be known from the testimony of those who accompanied him. After some days, both the servants returned with an account that, after advancing to a place near the river Kizil Ozan, about 120 miles from Tabriz, the party had been attacked by banditti; and that Mr. Browne had been dragged a short distance from the road, where he was plundered and murdered, but that they were suffered to escape. They brought back with them a double barelled gun and a few other effects, known to have been in Mr. Browne's possession. At the instance of Sir Gore Ouseley, soldiers |