of converting me in little and in much,' as he worded it! By the by, what aid he mean by 'except these chains ?'" 16. He sat ruminating on the difficulty; at first he was inclined to think that, after all, he might have some misgiv ings about his position; then he thought that perhaps he had a hair shirt or a catenella on him; and lastly, he came to the conclusion that he had just meant nothing at all, and did but inish the quotation he had begun. After passing some little time in this state, he looked towards the tea-tray; poured himself out another cup of tea; ate a bit of toast; took the coals off the fire; blew out one of the candles, and taking up the other, left the parlor, and wound like an omnibus up the steep twisting staircase to his bedroom. 52. ADVICE TO A YOUNG CRITIC. POPE. ALEXANDER POPE will always be popular while the English language remains as it is. One of his merits was to mould the language of poetry into pliancy and softness :-before his time there was much ruggedness in the diction even of the most celebrated poets. Some of his pieces are repulsive to the sentiments of religion and morals. He died in 1744. 1. "Tis not enough, taste, judgment, learning join; A. Some positive, persisting fops we know, Who, if once wrong, will needs be always so: 3. Without good breeding truth is disapproved; With mean complacence ne'er betray your trust Fear not the anger of the wise to raise ; Those best can bear reproof, who merit praise. 4. But where's the man who counsel can bestow, Not dully prepossess'd, nor blindly right; Though learn'd, well-bred; and, though well-bred, sincere Who to a friend his faults can freely show, 5. Blest with a taste exact, yet unconfined; Not free from faults, nor yet too vain to mend? 53. GOD'S SHARE. MCLEOD. DONALD MCLEOD is a convert to the Catholic faith. He has written a Life of Mary, Queen c Scots," a "Life of Sir Walter Scott," both admirable specimens of biography. He has contributed several other works to the stock of American literature. 1. Ar the distance of some leagues from Fribourg, in the ancient county of Gruyère, lived, in the good old time, the excellent Count Peter III; and when his race was run, he departed this life in a good Christian manner, leaving his memory and his property to his widow Wilhelmette. 2. The lady Wilhelmette had, in her province, a certain mountain, fruitful in snows and torrents, very grand to look at, but very unproductive. To this she joined some acres of ood pasture-land, and gave it all to the Carthusians, asking hem to pray for her, for her young son, and for good Count Peter the departed. To it she gave the name of Theil-Gottes, or Pars-Dieu-the share of God; and got Bochard, monk of Val Saint, appointed the first Prior. 3. The monks went stoutly to work; they cleared the forest, they terraced parts of the mountain-side, they brought soil thither with much labor, and sowed abundantly, and planted. And soon the voice of prayer made sweet the solitudes, and alms were ready for the wandering poor; and the cross upon the tower and the mellow bell told the poor mountaineer that God was beside him. 4. Little by little, the people gathered round and built their humble houses there; and the wilderness smiled, and there was another home of torrents won from rough Nature for a house of prayer. This was in A. D. 1308. In the year 1800, the ancient convent was burned down; but the monks contrived to build it up again, without diminishing their alıns. And so it stood until that melancholy Revolution, lifting up radicalism, drove the good fathers from their home, and left the empty halls of "God's Share" to tell to the wandering stranger the story of their benevolence. 54. THE LAST HOURS OF LOUIS XVI. ALISON. SIR ARCHIBALD ALISON-Son of the well-known author of the "Essay on Taste," was born in Scotland, in 1792. His great work is "The His tory of Europe, from the commencement of the French Revolution, to the restoration of the Bourbons." His style is rich and flowing, and he writes like a man who has no wish to be unfair; but his point of view is always that of an Englishman and a tory. His History has been written too rapidly, and often betrays marks of haste, which destroy its value as an uthority 1. His last interview with his family presented the most heart-rending scene. At half-past eight, the door of his apartment opened, and the Queen appeared, leading by the hand the Princess Royal, and the Princess Elizabeth; they all rushed into the arms of the King. A profound silence ensued for some minutes, broken only by the sobs of the afflicted family. 2. The King took a seat, the Queen on his left, the Princess Royal on his right, Madame Elizabeth in front, and the young Dauphin between his knees. This terrible scene lasted nearly two hours, the tears and lamentations of the royal family, frequently interrupting the words of the King, sufficiently evinced that he himself, was communicating the intelligence of his condemnation. At length, at a quarter-past ten, Louis arose; the Royal parents gave, each of them, their blessing to the Dauphin, while the Princess still held the King embraced around the waist. As he approached the door, they uttered the most piercing shrieks. "I assure you," said he, "I will see you again in the morning at eight o'clock." 'Why not at seven ?" they all exclaimed. “Well, then, at seven," answered the King. "Adieu, adieu!” 3. These words were pronounced with so mournful an accent, that the lamentations of the family were redoubled, and the Princess Royal fell fainting at his feet. At length, wishing to put an end to so trying a scene, the King embraced them all in the tenderest manner, and tore himself from their arms. 4. The remainder of the evening he spent with his confessor, the Abbé Edgeworth, who, with heroic devotion, discharged the perilous duty of assisting his monarch in his last moments. At twelve he went to bed, and slept peacefully till five. He then gave his last instruction to Cléry, and put into his hands, the little property that still remained in his hands, a ring, a seal, and a lock of hair. "Give this ring," said he, "to the Queen, and tell her with how much regret I leave her; give her also the locket containing the hair of my children; give this seal to the Dauphin, and tell them all what I suffer at dying without receiving their last embrace, but I wish to spare them the pain of so cruel a separation." He then received the Holy Sacrament, from the hands of his confessor, from a small altar erected in his chamber, and heard the last service of the dying, at the time when the rolling of the drums, and the agitation in the streets, announced the preparation for his execution. The 5. At nine o'clock, Santerre presented himself in the Temple. "You come to seek me," said the King. Allow me a minute." He went into his closet, and immediately returned with his Testament in his hand. "I pray you," said he, "give this packet to the Queen, my wife." "That is no concern of mine," replied the representative of the municipality. "I am here only to conduct you to the scaffold." King then asked another to take charge of the document, and said to Santerre, "Let us be off." In passing through the court of the Temple, Louis cast a last look at the tower which contained all that was most dear to him on earth, and immediately summoning all his courage, seated himself calmly in the carriage beside his confessor, with two gendarmes on the opposite side. During the passage to the place of execution, which occupied two hours, he never failed reciting the psalms which were pointed out to him by the good priest. Even the soldiers were astonished at his composure. 6. The streets were filled with an immense crowd, who beheld in silent dismay the mournful procession. A large body of troops surrounded the carriage. A double file of National Guards, and a formidable array of cannon, rendered hopeless any attempts at rescue. When the procession arrived at the place of execution, between the gardens of the Tuileries and the Champs Elysées, he descended from the carriage, and undressed himself without the aid of the executioners, but testified a momentary look of indignation, when they began to bind his hands. M. Edgeworth exclaimed with almost inspired felicity, "Submit to this outrage as the last resemblance to the Saviour, who is about to recompense your sufferings." 7 At these words, he resigned himself, and walked to the foot of the scaffold Here he received that sublime benedie |