among the living. The sun was scarce an hour from his rising, and yet in this brief space, our homes had vanished. The bodies of our people were strewn about the smouldering ruins; and all around the palisade lay the strong and valiant warriors-cold--silent-powerless as the unformed clay.'

Magawisca paused; she was overcome with the recollection of this scene of desolation. She looked upward with an intent gaze, as if she held communion with an invisible being. Spirit of my mother!" burst from her lips; "oh that I could follow thee to that blessed land, where I should no more dread the war-cry, nor the deathknife." Everell dashed the gathering tears from his eyes, and Magawisca proceeded in her narrative.

While we all stood silent and motionless, we heard footsteps and cheerful voices. They came from my father and Sassacus, and their band, returning from the friendly council. They approached on the side of the hill that was covered with a thicket of oaks, and their ruined homes at once burst upon their view. Oh! what horrid sounds then pealed on the air! shouts of wailing and cries of vengeance. Every eye was turned with suspicion and hatred on my father. He had been the friend of the English; he had counselled peace and alliance with them; he had protected their traders, delivered the captives taken from them, and restored them to their people: now his wife and children alone were living, and they called him traitor. I heard an angry murmur, and many hands were lifted to strike the death-blow. He moved not. Nay, nay,' cried Sassacus, beating them off. Touch him not; his soul is bright as the sun; sooner shall you darken that, than find treason in his breast. If he hath shown the dove's heart to the English, when he believed them friends, he will show himself the fierce eagle, now he knows them enemies. Touch him not, warriors; remember my blood runneth in his veins.'

"From that moment my father was a changed man. He neither spoke nor looked at his wife, or children; but placing himself at the head of one band of the young men, he shouted his war-cry, and then silently pursued the enemy. Sassacus went forth to assemble the tribe, and we followed my mother to one of our villages."

“You did not tell me, Magawisca," said Everell, "how Samoset perished: was he consumed in the flames, or shot from the palisade ?” "Neither-neither. He was reserved to whet my father's revenge to a still keener edge. He had forced a passage through the English, and, hastily collecting a few warriors, they pursued the enemy, sprung upon them from a covert, and did so annoy them that the English turned, and gave them battle. All fled save my brother, and him they took prisoner. They told him they would spare his life if he would guide them to our strong holds. He refused. He had lived but sixteen summers; he loved the light of the sun even as we love it; his manly spirit was tamed by wounds and weariness; his limbs. were like a bending reed, and his heart beat like a woman's; but the

fire of his soul burnt clear. Again they pressed him with offers of life and reward; he faithfully refused, and with one sabre-stroke they severed his head from his body."

Magawisca paused. She looked at Everell, and said with a bitter smile, "You English tell us, Everell, that the book of your law is better than that written on our hearts, for, ye say, it teaches mercy, compassion, forgiveness-if ye had such a law, and believed it, would ye thus have treated a captive boy ?”

Magawisca's reflecting mind suggested the most serious obstacle to the progress of the Christian religion, in all ages and under all circumstances; the contrariety between its divine principles and the conduct of its professors; which, instead of always being a medium for the light that emanates from our holy law, is too often the darkest cloud that obstructs the passage of its rays to the hearts of heathen men. Everell had been carefully instructed in the principles of his religion, and he felt Magawisca's relation to be an awkward comment on them, and her inquiry natural; but, though he knew not what answer to make, he was sure there must be a good one, and, mentally resolving to refer the case to his mother, he begged Magawisca to proceed with her narrative.

"The fragments of our broken tribe," she said, “ were collected, and some other small dependant tribes persuaded to join us. We were obliged to flee from the open grounds, and shelter ourselves in a dismal swamp. The English surrounded us; they sent in to us a messenger, and offered life and pardon to all who had not shed the blood of Englishmen. Our allies listened, and fled from us, as frightened birds fly from a falling tree. My father looked upon his warriors: they answered that look with their battle-shout.. • Tell your people,' said my father to the messenger, that we have shed and drank English blood, and that we will take nothing from them but death.' The messenger departed, and again returned with offers of pardon, if we would come forth, and lay our arrows and our tomahawks at the feet of the English. 'What say you, warriors!' cried my father; 'shall we take pardon from those who have burned your wives and children, and given your homes to the beasts of prey ?— who have robbed you of your hunting-grounds, and driven your canoes from their waters?' A hundred arrows were pointed to the messenger. Enough--you have your answer,' said my father; and the messenger returned to announce the fate we had chosen."

Where was Sassacus? Had he abandoned his people ?" asked Everell.

Abandoned them! No-his life was in theirs; but, accustomed to attack and victory, he could not bear to be thus driven like a fox to his hole. His soul was sick within him, and he was silent, and left all to my father. All day we heard the strokes of the English axes felling the trees that defended us, and, when night came, they had approached so near, that we could see the glimmering of their watch-lights through the branches of the trees. All night they were

pouring in their bullets, alike on warriors, women, and children. Old Cushmakin was lying at my mother's feet, when he received a deathwound. Gasping for breath, he called on Sassacus and my father: Stay not here,' he said; 'look not on your wives and children, but ourst your prison bound; sound through the nations the cry of revenge! Linked together, ye shall drive the English into the sea. I speak the word of the Great Spirit-obey it! While he was yet speaking, he stiffened in death. Obey him, warriors,' cried my mother; 'see,' she said, pointing to the mist that was now wrapping tself around the wood like a thick curtain, see, our friends have come from the spirit-land to shelter you. Nay look not on us; our nearts have been tender in the wigwam, but we can die before our enemies without a groan. Go forth and avenge us.'

'Have we come to the counsel of old men and old women!' said Sassacus, in the bitterness of his spirit.

'When women put down their womanish thoughts and counsel like men, they should be obeyed,' said my father. Follow me, warriors.' They burst through the enclosure. We saw nothing more, but we heard the shout from the foe, as they issued from the wood-the momentary fierce encounter and the cry, They have escaped!' Then it was that my mother, who had listened with breathless silence, threw herself down on the mossy stones, and, laying her hot cheek to mine, 'Oh, my children, my children!' she said, 'would that I could die for you! But fear not death; the blood of a hundred chieftains, that never knew fear, runneth in your veins. Hark! the enemy comes nearer and nearer. Now lift up your heads, my children, and show them that even the weak ones of our tribe are strong

in soul.'

"We rose from the ground-all about sat women and children in family clusters, awaiting unmoved their fate. The English had penetrated the forest-screen, and were already on the rising ground, where we had been intrenched. Death was dealt freely. None resisted-not a movement was made--not a voice lifted-not a sound escaped, save the wailings of the dying children.

"One of your soldiers knew my mother, and a command was given that her life and that of her children should be spared. A guard was stationed round us.

"You know that, after our tribe was thus cut off, we were taken, with a few other captives, to Boston. Some were sent to the Islands of the Sun, to bend their free limbs to bondage, like your beasts of burden. There are among your people those who have not put out the light of the Great Spirit; they can remember a kindness, albeit done by an Indian; and when it was known to your sachems that the wife of Mononotto, once the protector and friend of your people, was a prisoner, they treated her with honor and gentleness. But her people were extinguished-her husband driven to distant forestsforced on earth to the misery of wicked souls-to wander without a home; her children were captives-and her heart was broken."

LIVES AND INCIDENTS OF EMINENT MEN.

EMINENT ASTRONOMERS.*

COPERNICUS.

NICOLAS COPERNICUS was born February 19, 1743, at Thorn, on the Vistula-a place now included in the dominions of the king of Prussia. The father of Copernicus was a native of Westphalia, a part of Germany he had chanced to settle at Thorn, as a surgeon, about ten years before the birth of his son. Young Copernicus was educated for the profession of medicine at the university of Cracow; but his favorite studies were mathematics, perspective, astronomy, and painting. At an early age, inspired by an eager wish to distinguish himself in astronomy, he proceeded to Italy and studied that science af the university at Bologna. It is supposed that a discovery of his teacher, Dominic Maria, respecting the changing of the axis of the earth, was what first awakened his mind to the errors of the planetary system then taught. From Bologna he proceeded to Rome, where for some time he taught mathematics with great success-pursuing all the while, as far as circumstances would permit, his astronomical observations.

When he afterwards returned to his native country, his maternal uncle, the bishop of Ermeland, appointed him a canon in the cathedral of Frauenburg, and at the same time he was nominated by the inhabitants of his native town to be archdeacon in one of their churches. He then resolved to devote his life to three objects—the performance of his clerical duties, gratuitous medical attendance on the poor, an the pursuit of his favorite studies. His residence was established in one of the houses belonging to the canons of Frauenburg, on the brow of a hight, near the cathedral, where astronomical observations could

*It is not designed to enter extensively upon the department of Biography, but to sketch the lives of a few individuals who have become distinguished, and so illustrate the pursuits of knowledge under difficulties, and stimulate attempts at mental and moral excellence by showing that to those who carnestly apply themselves to the acquisition of knowledge, difficulties, though formidable, are nevertheless surmountable--ED.