up to his head, he is disturbing part of that clan who have been always distinguished for their tenacious adherence to the slothful. The tombstone, inscribed "here lies the body of," applies very well to the young gentleman, who, in an attitude highly expressive of idleness, is recumbent upon it. Even the skulls, on the ground near the new-opened grave, have character. These, with the other mementos of mortality, are indiscriminately scattered on the earth, and trampled upon by the most contemptible survivors. "How rich, how honoured once, avails them not."

The figures are well grouped, and the countenances of the gamblers and beadle admirably marked.

ANCIENT AND MODERN SPAIN. Unhappy kingdom-as if some evil genius had dominion of thy fate, perverting the course of every natural blessing, and turning the most gracious dispensations of Providence to thy loss and disfavour.-All productions which the earth can yield, both on and below its surface, are proper to Spain. Every advantageous access, either to the Ocean or Mediterranean -every security of an impassable frontier against its continental neighbours, are proper to Spain. In short, it has all the benefits of an insular situation, and none of its objections. Though formed to be a seat of empire and a land of peace, it has been little else but a provincial dependency, or a theatre of internal war and bloodshed. Though it has thrown out many great and eminent characters, both in arms and arts, it was to fill the annals of other countries, and not to grace their own-if emperors, they sat on other thrones-if warriors, they fought for other states-if philosophers, they taught in other schools, and wrote in other tongues. If every species of subjugation be disgraceful to a state, Spain has passed under every description of tyranny, and has experienced a variety of wretchedness. When Carthage was her mistress, it is not easy to conceive a situation more degrading for a noble people than to bear the yoke of mercantile republicans, and do homage at the shopboards of upstart demagogues. Surely it is in human nature to prefer the tyranny of the most absolute despot that ever wore a crown, to the mercenary and imposing insults of a trader. Who

would not rather appeal to a court than a counting-house? Who would not rather submit and be made a sacrifice to a kingly fiat, than a shopman's firman? Let the Rajahs of Bengal decide upon the alternative. From the dominion of Carthage she was transferred to that of Rome. Her struggle was obstinate against the transition, and miracles of bravery were exhibited in the persevering contention. In the choice of yokes, it is probable she preferred the Roman.-Her objections were to wearing any. At length she submitted, and came into the pale of the empire. We are told of Roman toleration, and the happy condition of Roman provinces; but we have it on the authority of their own historians; and so far as one insignificant opinion goes, I reject it utterly. I cannot comprehend how the servile act of digging in a mine for ore and marble, to supply the avarice and increase the splendour of ancient Rome, could constitute the happiness, or gratify the ambition of a native Spaniard. As Rome made some advances in civilization, though at best a very barbarous and ferocious people, Spain perhaps partook of her advances, but it was following at a distance, and subordinate improvements seldom reach far. What she gained by her annexation to Rome is easily counted up; what she lost by it involves a great extent and compass of conjecture; and though modern Spain may celebrate the Apotheosis of Trajan, I am of opinion a true Spaniard will neither compare him to Viriatus, nor Seneca to Ximenes.

The next revolution which Spain suffered was by the general inundation of the Northern Barbarians. To aim at any description of these times, is to put to sea without a compass, and without a star. The influx of their Mahometan Conquerors furnished the first light that broke the general obscurity. The courts of Grenada and Cordova were profusely splendid, and not devoid of arts and sciences. Their commerce with the East supplied them with abundance of wealth, and their intercourse with Constantinople gave some faint shadowings of Grecian elegance. The heroic virtues were displayed in a romantic degree-legends of chivalry, poetical tales, and love songs-where courage and chastity were liberally dispensed to the respective sexes. Music, and dances of a very captivating sort-pharmacy,

with the use and knowledge of simples, and a solemn peculiarity of architecture, were accomplishments of Moorish importation. The insurmountable barriers of religion would not, however, admit of their incorporation with the native Spaniards, and both parties experienced the horrors of a war at their own gates, which admitted a few and short invervals of quiet and repose. At length the long-depending contest was determined, and the total expulsion of the Moors delivered Spain for a time from all internal terrors and commotions. She had scarce enjoyed a breathing space before she started on a course of new and distant adventures in the late discovered world. Every one now flocked with ardour to America, as to a second crusade. Can it be wondered at if arts and sciences stood still in the mean time, when she had massacred kings, and laid waste their kingdoms, for the extension of treasure. She found that the ores of Mexico and Peru, like the streams of the Tagus and the Douro, ran through her dominions only to empty their stores into the hands of her neighbours and rivals. Although these consequences may well result from the bad policy of her proceedings, yet it will naturally be the case, that all discoverers of countries, like projectors in the arts, exhaust themselves in the first efforts, and leave others to erect their fortune where they have laid the foundation. The commerce of the European nations has been established upon the discoveries of Spain, and every other treasury is filled from the mines of the New World, except her own. Whilst she was extending her empire over the barren Cordileras, the richest provinces in Europe fell off from her dominion. Portugal took the harbour of Lisbon and a valuable tract of coast from the heart of her empire. The standard of Britain flew in triumph upon the pillars of Hercules, whilst she continued to stretch her feeble arms over half the globe, so to remain till the first convulsive shock shall make her quit her hold. Still she might have remained respectable in misfortunes, and formidable though in decay. The last hand that was put to her ruin, held the pen which signed away her reputation and independence in the family compact. Generous, unsuspecting, and impolitic, she has bound herself to an ally, whose union, like the action of certain che

mical mixtures, will dissolve every noble particle in the composition, and leave her spiritless and vapid.

Great empires, like great men, are aggrandized and secured by the coalition of inferiors. Petty states may sometimes be fostered into temporary importance to serve occasional purposes; but kingdoms, such as France and Spain, of recent equality and emulation, can never find reciprocal advantages in political alliance. The interests of the weaker party must of necessity become a sacrifice to those of the stronger and more artful; and with which of the two that superiority actually lies, and those advantages are likely to remain, is a point too clear to admit a doubt, or need an explanation.

HENRY IV. OF FRANCE.

Humanity appears to have been a natural virtue in Henry IV. of France. He was continually repeating that kings ought to have the heart of a child toward God, and that of a father toward their subjects.

When he made excursions into the distant provinces, Henry used to stop all the persons he met, and ask them questions, where they were going? from whence they came? what they were carrying? what goods they sold? and what was the price? One of his attendants appearing surprised one day at his familiarity, and at his entering into such details with his subjects, he told him, "The kings of France, my predecessors, thought themselves dishonoured in knowing the value of a teston. With respect to myself, I am anxious to know what is the value of half a denier, and what difficulty the poor people have to get it, so that they may not be taxed above their means.'

"

On declaring war against Spain, he had thought of abolishing the land-tax: Sully asked him where he should then be able to find the money he wanted for carrying on the war. "In the hearts of my people," replied Henry, "that is a treasure which can never fail me."

When some of his courtiers were one day expressing their fears that his familiarity would destroy that respect for his person which subjects should feel for their king; he said, "Pomp, parade, and a severe gravity, belong only to those who feel that without such imposing externals they should

have nothing that would impress respect. With regard to myself, by the grace of God I have in myself what makes me think that I am worthy of being a king. Be that, however, as it may, it is more honourable for a prince to be beloved than feared by his subjects."

He told the Prince of Rohan, that he made it his constant prayer to forgive his enemies, to gain the victory over his passions, and particularly over his weaknesses, and to make use of the power he had granted him with discretion and moderation.

After the entire defeat of the party of the league in France, a tradesman stopped the camp equipages of the celebrated La Naue, who, complaining to Henry of it, the latter told him, "Though we have been victorious over our enemies, we have not on that account dispensed from the just demands of our creditors; and can you think it a hardship to pay your debts, when I do not pretend to dispense myself from paying mine?" He then took out of his pocket some jewels, which he gave to La Naue to redeem his carriages.

Of the readiness of reply and good humour of this great prince, the following anecdote is told by Brotier :

The Spanish ambassador at the court of Henry, was one day enquiring of him the character of his ministers. "You shall see what they are in a minute," said the monarch. On seeing M. de Silleri, the chancellor, come into the drawing-room, he said to him, "Sir, I am very uneasy at a beam that is good for nothing, and which seems to threaten to fall upon my head." "Sir," replied Silleri," you should consult your architect; let every thing be well examined, and let him go to work; but there is no hurry." Henry next saw M. de Villeroi, to whom he spoke as he had done to Silleri. "Sir," replied Villeroi, without looking at the beam, "you are very right, the beam is very dangerous indeed." At last the president, Jeannin, came in, to whom Henry made a similar address as to the former ministers.66 Sire," ," said the president, "I do not know what you mean, the beam is a very good one." "But," replied the king, "do I not see the light through the crevices, or my head is disordered?" "Go, go, sire," returned Jeannin, "be quite at your ease, the beam will last as long as you will." Then turning to the Spanish minister, Henry observed

to him, "Now I think you are well acquainted with the characters of my three ministers. The chancellor has no opinion at all, Villeroi is always of my opinion, and Jeannin speaks as he really thinks, and always thinks properly."

Henry, on his marriage with Mary of Medicis, placed Madame de Guecheville, whose virtue he had attempted to seduce without success, about her person; giving as a reason, that as she really was a lady of honour, she ought to be dame d'honneur to a queen.

When he besieged Paris, Henry permitted those persons to come out of the town unmolested, through his army, who were desirous to quit that city, then suffering the most horrid famine and sickness; observing, "I do not wonder that the chief persons of the League and the Spaniards have so little compassion for these poor people; they are merely their tyrants; but I, who am their father and their king, cannot bear to hear of the calamities they suffer without shuddering, and being afflicted to the very bottom of my soul, and without desiring eagerly to put a stop to them. I cannot help those who are possessed with the demon of the League from perishing with it; but to those who implore my clemency I will ever extend my arms; they shall not suffer for the crimes of others."

Some one was saying before the prince "how happy kings were." They are not," replied he, "so happy as you imagine them to be. Kings are either bad or good men. If they are bad men, they bear within themselves their own plague and torment. If they are good men, they find from other people a thousand causes of uneasiness and affliction. A good king feels the misfortunes of all his subjects; and in a great kingdom what innumerable sources are there of affliction!"

Henry, naturally cheerful himself, loved cheerfulness in other persons. "I cannot," said he, "willingly employ a melancholy person; for a man that is ill-humoured to himself, cannot easily be good humoured to other persons. What satisfaction can be procured from a man who is dissatisfied with himself."

His courtiers one day complimenting him upon the strength of his constitution, and telling him that he must live to be eighty years of age; he re

plied, "The number of our days is reckoned. I have often prayed to God for grace, but never for long life. A man who has lived well, has always lived long enough, however early he may die."

When some one was making a great eulogium upon the riches of the kingdom of Spain, and, adding that France was full of the piastres of that country, Henry replied, "When these piastres remain in Spain, it is a mark of the riches of that kingdom, as, when they are seen out of that kingdom, it is a mark of its indigence. Indeed, the galleons of Spain bring into that country eight millions of piastres, but four of these millions are sent into France for our corn, our wine, our salt, our cloths, and our wool. These are our mines; they enrich us without incurring the dangers of the sea, or sacrificing our subjects. The Spaniards come to France to buy of us, we never go to them: they do not give us their money, but pay it to us."

Charles the Fifth used to say, even in his time, "Every thing abounds in France; in Spain every thing is wanting." "En France tout abonde, tout mangue en Espagne." The latter part of this saying is indeed true; that illfated country seems in want of valour, of virtue, of patriotism, of wealth, and of every earthly comfort: how has this mighty kingdom fallen!

THE FIRST PARLIAMENTARY SPEECH OF A BRITISH KING ON RECORD.

It was delivered Anno Domini 1106, by Henry I. to the great Barons of the realm, whom he had summoned by royal mandate to London. He had supplanted his brother, Robert of Normandy, in his right to the English crown, and being apprehensive of that injured relative's vengeance, he endeavoured, by the most artful insinuations, to engage the barons and other nobles in his interests:

"My friends and faithful subjects, both foreigners and natives, you all know very well that my brother Robert was both called by God and elected King of Jerusalem, which he might have happily governed, and how shamefully he refused that rule, for which he justly deserves God's anger and reproof. You know also, in many other instances, his pride and brutality: Because he is a man that delights in war and bloodshed, I know that he thinks

you a parcel of contemptible fellows; he calls you a set of gluttons and drunkards, whom he hopes to tread under his feet. I, truly, a meek, humble, and peaceable king, will preserve and cherish you in your ancient liberties, which I have formally sworn to perform; will hearken to your wise counsel with patience, and will govern you justly, after the example of the best of princes. If you desire it, I will strengthen this promise with a written charter, and all those laws which the holy King Edward, by the inspiration of God, so wisely enacted, I will swear to keep inviolate. If you, my brethren, will stand by me faithfully, we shall easily repulse the strongest efforts, that the cruellest enemy can make against me and these kingdoms. If I am only supported by the valour and power of the English nation, all the threats of the Normans will no longer seem formidable to me.'

NAPOLEON'S TABLE TALK.

COURTIERS-One may adorn courtiers with ribbands, but we cannot make men of them.

APPEAL TO HISTORY.-History will one day tell what France was on my ascending the throne, and what she was when I gave laws to Europe.

THE KNIGHTS OF MALTA.-When I proposed the expedition to Egypt, I had no intention of dethroning the Great Sultan. Just en passant, and within twenty-four hours I destroyed the gentlemen's establishment of Malta, though it had resisted the united force of the Ottoman empire.

OPPOSITION TO PRIESTLY INTERFERENCE.-Some fanatical priests had a wish to renew, under my government, the scandalous scenes of the good old times. I put a stop to it; and it is said that I committed violence against the Pope.

REFUSAL TO GIVE HIM THE COMMAND OF THE ARMY.-The Chamber of the Representatives that I had called together ended with me. It might have saved France from the invasion, by intrusting me with the dictatorship. I offered to take the command, but this was refused. I had no motive of personal interest in view. But twenty factious men lost the whole: they made themselves so ridiculous as to talk about the constitution when Blucher was encamped at Sévre. I thought I saw the Greeks of the eastern empire