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ANDREW MARVEL.
BORN, 1620; DIED, 1678.

Works.-Chiefly Political Writings and a few Poems

THE EMIGRANTS.

WHERE the remote Bermudas ride
In ocean's bosom unespied,

From a small boat that rowed along,
The listening winds received this song;-

"What should we do but sing His praise,
That led us through the watery maze,
Unto an isle so long unknown,

And yet far kinder than our own.

"Where He the huge sea-monsters racks, That lift the deep upon their backs,

He lands us on a grassy stage,

Safe from the storm and billow's rage.

"He gives us this eternal spring,
Which here enamels every thing;
And sends the fowls to us, in care,
On daily visits through the air.

“He hangs in shades the orange bright,
Like golden lamps in a green night,
And does in the pomegranate close
Jewels more rich than Ormus shows.

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ANDREW MARVEL.

He makes the figs our mouths to meet,
And throws the melons at our feet;
With cedars chosen by his hand,
From Lebanon, He stores the land.

"He cast-of which we rather boast-
The gospel's pearl upon our coast,
And, in these rocks, for us did frame
A temple, where to sound his name.

"Oh! let our voice his praise exalt,
Till it arrive at heaven's vault,
Which thence perhaps resounding, may
Echo beyond the Mexique bay."

Thus sang they in the English boat
A holy and a cheerful note,

And all the way, to guide their chime,
With falling oars they kept the time.

"The borough of Hull, in the reign of Charles II., elected Marvel to represent them in parliament. He lived in obscure lodgings. The ministry of that day sent his old schoolfellow, the Lord Treasurer Danby, to renew acquaintance with him in his garret. At parting, the Lord Treasurer slipped into his hand an order on the Treasury for £1000. Marvel looked at the paper, and then called to the Lord Treasurer to return. They went up to the garret, and the servant boy was called. 'What had I for dinner yesterday ?' said Marvel. The little shoulder of mutton you ordered me to buy from a woman in the market,' replied the boy. And what have I today?' 'The blade-bone broiled, sir.' Quite right, go away. My Lord, do you hear that? Andrew Marvel's dinner is providedthere is your piece of paper, I want it not.' He was incorruptible,"

RULES FOR IMPROVING THE MIND.

LET the enlargement of your knowledge be one constant view and design in life; since there is no time or place, no transaction, occurrence, or engagement, which excludes us from this method of improv ing the mind.

When we are in the house or in the city, wherever we turn our eyes, we see the works of men: when we are in the country we behold more of the works of God. The skies above, and the ground beneath us, and the animal and vegetable world round about us, may entertain us with ten thousand varieties.

From the observation of the day and night, the hours and the flying minutes, learn a wise improvement of time; and be watchful to seize every opportunity to increase in knowledge. From the vices and follies of others observe what is hateful in them; consider that such a practice looks as ill or worse in yourself. From their virtues learn something worthy of your imitation. From your natural powers, sensation, judgment, memory, hands, feet, &c., make this inference, that they are not given you for nothing, but for some useful employment, for the good of your fellowcreatures, your own best interest and final happiness.

Thus, from every appearance in nature, and from every occurrence of life, you may derive natural, moral, and religious observations to entertain your

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RULES FOR IMPROVING THE MIND.

minds, as well as rules of conduct in the affairs relat ing to this life, and that which is to come.

Let the circumstances or situations of life be what they will, a man should never neglect the improvement that is to be derived from observation.

Let him travel into the East or West Indies, and fulfil the duties of the military or mercantile life there; let him rove through the earth or the seas for his own humour as a traveller, or pursue his diversions in what part of the world he please as a gentleman; prosperous or adverse fortune call him to the most distant part of the globe; still let him carry on his knowledge, and the improvement of his faculties, by wise observations.

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But on making your observations on persons, take care of indulging that curiosity, which is ever inquiring into private and domestic affairs, with an endless itch of learning the secret histories of families. Such curiosity begets suspicions and jealousies, and furnishes matter for the evil passions of the mind, and the impertinencies of discourse.

Be not also too hasty to erect general theories from a few particular observations, appearances, or experiments. This is what the logicians call a false induction. A hasty determination of some universal principles, without a due survey of all the particular cases which may be included in them, is the way to lay a trap for our own understandings in the investigation of any subject, and we shall often be taken captive by mistake and falsehood.-Watts.

JOHN DRYDEN.

BORN, 1631; DIED, 1700.

Principal Works.-Poems, Plays, Satires, Ode on St. Cecilia's Dy. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

WHENCE but from heav'n could men unskill'd in arts,

In several ages born, in several parts,

Weave such agreeing truths? or how or why
Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie?
Unask'd their pains, ungrateful their advice,
Starving their gain, and martyrdom their price.
If on the Book itself we cast our view,
Concurrent heathens prove the story true:
The doctrine, miracles, which must convince,
For heaven in them appeals to human sense;
And though they prove not, they confirm the cause,
When what is taught agrees with Nature's laws.
Then for the style; majestic and divine,
It speaks no less than God in every line:
Commanding words, whose force is still the same,
As the first fiat that produced our frame.
All faiths beside, or did by arms ascend,
Or sense indulged has made mankind their friend;
This only doctrine does our lust oppose;
Unfed by nature's soil on which it grows;
Cross to our interests, curbing sense and sin,
Oppressed without, and undermined within,
It thrives through pain, its own tormentors tires,
And with a stubborn patience still aspires.
To what can reason such effects assign
Transcending nature, but to laws divine,
Which in that sacred volume are contained,
Sufficient, clear, and for that use ordain'd?

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