ment of mind, will I enjoy the labour of my hands in “ tranquillity and hap piness ;"---eat, drink, and be merry. But, alas! the infirmities of age have infenfibly crept upon him; no longer is the voice of melody pleafing to his ear, nor the taste of wine agreeable to his palate. The lofs of one child has palled every enjoyment; but the lofs of his bofom companion brings bis grey hairs with forrow to the grave. If the above be a true picture of life in an advantageous fituation, and poffeffing the good things of the world without any reproach of condut, or fting of confcience; what must be the feelings of the man, whose steps, to obtain this poor reward, "have been mea"fures inconsistent with the dictates of "honour* !" * Hume's character of Stephen, Thus, my young friends, fhould you contemplate the living examples which pafs before your notice; or, in the study of history, reflect upon the ftriking features of character, and by application learn to temper unwarranted expectations, and put a proper eftimate on prefent bleffings, because "the shadow "of this world paffeth away," and all its enjoyments are vain and uncertain. * NOTES HISTORICAL. * Ancient English valour difplayed, in the behaviour of Stephen, at the battle of Lincoln, Stephen, being left exposed to the right and left, was furrounded by the enemy; and though he acted the part of an able general, and for a long time fuftained the battle againft extraordinary odds and efforts, he was at length obliged to yield to the adverfe fortune of the day. He fought fought with inconceivable fury, until his battleaxe was broken to pieces; then, drawing his sword, he defended himself against a whole multitude, foaming with rage to fee himself abandoned by his foldiers. In this unequal fight he fhivered his fword to pieces, and ftill fought with his truncheon, until he received a blow with a stone, which felled him to the ground: yet he started up again upon his knees; but, before he could rife, a knight called William de Kaines, fpringing forward, and feizing his creft, prefented the point of his fword, and threatened to put him inftantly to death if he would not furrender. Notwithstanding the extremity to which he was re duced, he refufed to yield to any perfon but the duke of Gloucefler, who, being near the fpot, came up and took him prifoner, together with four noblemen who had fought by his fide. A. D. 1148. Several authors agree, that about this time there were very confiderable quantities of fugar produced in the ifle of Sicily.-The antient Greeks and Romans used honey for fweetening; fugar was not known among them. CHARACTER OF HENRY II. THUS died, in the 58th year of his age, and thirty-fifth of his reign, the greateft prince of his time for wisdom, virtue, and ability, and the most powerful in extent of dominion, of all those that had ever filled the throne of England. His character, both in publick and private life, is almoft without a blemish; and he seems to have poffeffed every accomplishment, both of body and mind, which makes a man eftimable or amiable. He was of a middle ftature, ftrong, and well proportioned; his countenance was lively and engaging; his converfation affable and entertaining; his elocution easy, perfuafive, and ever at command. He loved peace, but poffeffed both conduct and bravery bravery in war; was provident without timidity; fevere in the execution of justice without rigour; and temperate without aufterity. He preferved health, and kept himself from corpulency, to which he was fomewhat inclined, by an abftemious diet, and by frequent exercise, particularly by hunting. When he could enjoy leifure, he recreated himfelf in learned conversation or in reading; and he cultivated his natural talents by study, above any prince of his time. His affections, as well as his enmities, were warm and durable; and his long ex-perience of ingratitude and infidelity of men never deftroyed the natural fen-fibility of his temper, which disposed è him to friendship and fociety.. His character has been transmitted to us by many writers who were his contemporaries; and it resembles extremely, in its most remarkable ftrokes, that of his D6 maternal |