his resolution, on recollecting that this would be unjust, since the dog did only his duty, and he himself was in fault, for rambling out of his room at an unseasonable hour. At length he called out so loud, that he was heard by some of the family, who came presently out, and freed the Doctor and the dog from the danger they both had been in. CHALMERS. true, that his notes always had such little heads and slender tails, that he used, very properly, to call the them his flies' legs. After these mechanical precau tions, Haydn commenced his work, by noting down his principal ideas his theme, and choosing the key, 1 through which he wished to make it pass. His exquisite feeling gave him a perfect knowledge of the greater or less degree of effect which one chord produces, in succeeding another; and he afterwards imagin THE ship in which Dr Isaac Barrow took his voyage between Leg-ed a little romance, which might horn and Smyrna, was attacked by furnish him with musical sentian Algerine pirate, which after a ments and colours. stout resistance, they compelled to sheer off, Barrow keeping his post at the gun assigned him to the last. And when Dr Pope, in their conversation, asked him, "Why he did not go down into the hold, and leave the defence of the ship to those to whom it did belong?" he replied, 'It concerned no man more than myself; I would rather have lost my life than to have fallen into the hands of those merciless infidels." -CHALMERS. ANECDOTES OF HAYDN, THE GERMAN COMPOSER. WHEN Haydn felt himself in a disposition to write a symphony, he thought it necessary to have his hair put in the same nice order as if he were going out, and dressed himself with a degree of magnificence. Frederick II. had sent him a diamond ring, and Haydn confessed that often, when he sat down to his piano, if he had forgotten to put on his ring, he could not summon a single idea. The paper on which he wrote his compositions, must be the finest and whitest possible, and he wrote with so much neatness and care, that the best copyist could not have surpassed him in the regularity and clearness of his characters. It is The Sometimes he supposed that one of his friends, the father of a numerous family, ill-provided with the goods of fortune, was embarking for America, in hope of imfirst events of the voyage formed proving his circumstances. the symphony. It began with the departure: a favourable breeze gently agitated the waves: the ship sailed smoothly out of the port; while, on the shore, the family of the voyager followed him with tearful eyes, and his friends made signals of farewell. The vessel had a prosperous voyage, and reached at length an unknown land. A savage music, dances, and barbarous cries, were heard towards the middle of the symphony. The fortunate navigator made advantageous exchanges with the natives of the country, loaded his vessel with rich merchandize, and at length set sail again for Europe, with a prosperous wind. Here the first part of the symphony returned. But soon the sea begins to be rough, the sky grows dark, and a dreadful storm confounds together all the chords, and accelerates the time. Every thing is in disorder on board the vessel. The cries of the sailors, the roaring of the waves, the whistling of the wind, carry the melody of the chromatic scale to the highest de gree of the pathetic. Diminished and superfluous chords, modulations, succeeding by semi-tones, describe the terror of the mariners. But gradually the sea becomes calm, vourable breezes swell the sails, and they reach the port. The Lappy father casts anchor in the midst of the congratulations of his friends, and the joyous cries of his children, and of their mother, whom he at length embraces safe on shore. Every thing, at the end of the symphony, is happiness and joy. To which of the symphonies this little romance served as a clue, is forgotten, but it were to be wished that the names of Haydn's symphonies had been retained, instead of numbers. A number has no meaning, but a title guides in some defree, the imagination of the auditor, which cannot be awakened too soon. -Life of Haydn. HAYDN used to relate, with much pleasure, a dispute which he had with a music-seller in London. Ausing himself one morning, after the English fashion, in shopping, he inquired of a music-seller if he had ay select and beautiful music? "Certainly," replied the shopman, "I have just printed some sublime usic of Haydn's." "Oh," returnHaydn, I'll have nothing to do ! with that." 66 How, sir, you will have nothing to do with Haydn's music! And pray what fault have to find with it?" "Oh, plenty; but it is useless talking about it, since it does not suit me: show me some other." The music-seller, who Tasa warm Haydnist, replied, "No, sir, I have music, it is true, but at for such as you;" and turned his back upon him. turned round at the name, and said WHEN the poet Carpani inquired A FRIENDcalled on Michael Angelo, COLTON. Haydn smiled, and was about peace. Hyder's message was in these words to the Council at Madras: "Do not send me any of your agents, for I do not trust their words or treaties; but, if you wish me to listen to your proposals, send to me the Missionary, of whose character I hear so much from every one; him will I receive and trust." AN INCIDENT IN THE CIVIL WARS. the land and die there; but this miserable boon was denied him, as, in attempting to reach the bank, he was knocked on the head with the butt-end of a musket, and drowned. May we never, by God's blessing, witness a recurrence of the scenes which were presented at this eventful period of our history! Our great dramatic poet, who showed his patriotism, by always giving to his countrymen the wisest counsel, and encouraging correct sentiments respecting justice and good government, thus beautifully describes a kingdom restored to the blessings of internal tranquillity. No more shall trenching war channel her fields, And furious close of civil butchery. March all one way; and be no more oppos'd No more shall cut his master.-Hen. II., Pt. I. DR MICHAEL HUDSON, who is styled by Wood, "an understanding and sober person, and of great fidelity," was, from his sincerity, called by King Charles the First, his "plain-dealing Chaplain." When the troubles of that period com- ! menced, Hudson, like some others of his profession, left his benefice, under an impression that his monarch demanded his personal aid; and King Charles having, as we are told, "an especial respect for his signal loyalty and courage," intrusted him with some important secrets, as regarded his own proceedings. Hudson proved himself a courageous soldier, but being apprehended by the Parliamentary DAVID HUME AND HIS MOforces, he suffered a tedious confinement. Escaping from his prison in London, he joined a body of Royalists, who had fled to Woodcroft House. When attacked there by the Parliamentary forces, Hudson, with some of his bravest soldiers, went up to the battlements, where they defended themselves for some time. At length they yielded, upon the promise of quarter; but when the rebels were admitted, they broke their engagement. Hudson was forced over the battlements, and clung to one of the stone spouts. His hands being either actually cut off, or severely hacked and bruised by the sabres of the soldiers, he quitted his hold and fell into the moat underneath, desiring only to reach THER. HUME, the historian, received a religious education from his mother, and, early in life, was the subject of strong and hopeful religious impressions; but, as he approached manhood, they were effaced, and confirmed infidelity succeeded. Maternal partiality, however alarmed at first, came at length to look with less and less pain upon this declension, and filial love and reverence seem to have been absorbed in the pride of philosophical scepticism; for Hume now applied himself with unwearied, and, unhappily, with successful efforts, to sap the foundation of his mother's faith. Some time after he had succeeded in this dreadful work, he went a broad into foreign countries. As he was returning, an express met him in London, with a letter from his mother, informing him that she was in a deep decline, and could not long survive. She said she found herself without any support in her distress; that he had taken away that source of comfort upon which, in all cases of affliction, she used to rely, and that she now found her mind sinking into despair: she did not doubt that her son would afford her some substitute for her religion; and she conjured him to hasten to her, or at least to send her a letter, containing such consolations as philosophy can afford to a dying mortal. Hume was overwhelmed with anguish on receiving this letter, and hastened to Scotland, travelling day and night; but before he arrived his mother expired. No permanent impression seems, however, to have been made on his mind by this most trying event; and whatever remorse he might have felt at the moment, he soon relapsed into his wonted obduracy of heart.-SILLIMAN'S Travels in England. A story like this requires no comment. Thus it is that false philosophy restores the sting to death, and gives again the victory to the grave! ILL-NATURED REMARKS. BISHOP HEBER not only discountenanced every tendency to ill-natured remarks, but had always a kind and charitable construction to put on actions which might, perhaps, more readily admit of a different meaning; and when the misconduct of others allowed of no defence, he would leave judgment to that Being who alone "knoweth what is in the heart of man." He had so much pleasure in conferring kindness, that he often declared it was an exceeding indulgence of God, to promise a reward for what carried with it its own recompence. EMINENCE FROM HUMBLE LIFE. JAMES FERGUSON, who distinguished himself as a mathematician, mechanic, and astronomer, gives the following interesting account of his early life: I was born in the year 1710, a few miles from Keith, a little village in Bamffshire, in the north of Scotland; and can with pleasure say, that my parents, though poor, were religious and honest; lived in good repute with all who knew them, and died with good characters. Though my father had nothing to support a large family but his daily labour, and the profits of a few acres of land which he rented, yet his children were not neglected, for at his leisure hours, he taught them to read and write; and it was while he was teaching my elder brother to read the Catechism, that I acquired my reading. Ashamed to ask my father to instruct me, I used, when alone, to study the lesson which he had been teaching my brother; and in any difficulty, I went to a neighbouring old woman, who gave me such help as enabled me to agreeably surprise my father, when he found me one day reading by myself, before he had thought of teaching me: he, therefore gave me further instruction, and taught me to write; which, with about three months I afterwards had at the grammar-school at Keith, was all the education I ever received. My taste for mechanics arose from an odd accident. When abont seven or eight years of age, a part of the roof of the house being decayed, my father in repairing it, applied a prop and lever to an upright spar, to raise it to its former situation; and to my great astonishment, I saw him, without considering the reason, lift up the ponderous roof, as if it had been a small weight. I attributed this at first to a degree of strength that excited my terror as well as wonder; but, thinking further of the matter, I recollected that he had applied his strength to that end of the lever which was farthest from the prop; and finding, on inquiry, that this was the cause of the seeming wonder, I began making levers, (which I then called bars,) and tried different experiments with them, and with wheels, which I made with my father's turning-lathe and a little knife. But, as my father could not afford to maintain me, while I was in pursuit only of these matters, and I was too young and weak for hard labour, he put me to a neighbour to keep sheep, and then I began to observe the stars by night, fixing their places on a string with small beads on it, and then marking them down on paper. I then went to serve a considerable farmer, whose name was James Glashan; when he saw me, after my work was done, go into a field, with a blanket about me, and lie on my back to observe the stars, he at first laughed at me, but, when I explained my meaning to him, he encouraged me to go on, and that I might make fair copies in the daytime of what I had done in the night, he often worked for me himself, taking the threshing-flail out of my hand, while I sat by him in the barn, busy with my compasses and pen. I shall always have a high respect for the memory of that man. At this time, a gentleman, Thomas Grant, Esq., of Achoynancy, happening to see one of my plans, asked me to go to his house, as his butler could give me a great deal of instruction. I would not leave my good master till my time was out; but I then went to Squire Grant's, where the butler, Alexander Cant- 1 ley, soon became my friend, and continued so till his death. He was an extraordinary man, a complete master of arithmetic, a good mathematician, a master of music, understood Latin, French, and Greek, and could even prescribe as a physician upon an urgent occasion. When I returned home, I could not think of being a burden to my father, so I went to a miller, thinking I should have plenty of time for my studies; but my master was so fond of the ale-house, that the whole care of the mill was left to me, and I was so nearly starved, that I was glad when I could get a little oatmeal mixed with water to eat. When my year's engagement with this man was over, I went to a farmer, who practised as a physician, and who promised to teach me that part of his business, but instead of that, he never once shewed me his books, but kept me to such hard labour, that I was disabled, from being overworked; and when my illness obliged me to leave him, he would pay me nothing for my three months' labour, because I had not completed my half year's service. In my weak state I made a wooden watch and clock, and other things, which I took when I was recovered, to Sir James Dunbar, of Duru, who, I heard, was a good-natured gentleman; he received me very kindly, and by means of this introduction, I was afterwards enabled to go to Edinburgh, and pursue my favourite studies, and also had the pleasure of occasionally supplying the wants of my poor father. James Ferguson, whose own account of his early life is here given, became a Member of the Royal Society of London, a celebrated lecturer on Astronomy and Natural Philosophy, and the author of se |