"wave" brought upon the great majority. He stated to me, as indeed Sir William Hamilton relates, that, in order to avoid the imminent danger at tending the fall of houses in the town, by which several persons had been killed, the greater part of the inhabitants ran to the large beach extending along the shore from the point of Scilla, towards Reggio, where they erected tents, and remained part of the day and night in perfect security. It was the good fortune of this gentleman to be too infirm to accompany his son and his family to this place of shelter, and he remained in his garden, which was a little out of, and above the town.

At what period of the day or night I do not now recollect (and not having Sir William's book with me cannot as certain with precision, nor indeed is it of importance,) the exact hour; but on the instant a tremendous ware was seen approaching the beach, which, exaggerated perhaps by the terror of the beholders, seemed to be of from forty to fifty feet in height, and before they had power to take measures for escaping, swallowed up, "at one fell swoop," as Shakspeare expresses it, the whole of this devoted party, con sisting in all of from twelve to fifteen hundred persons.

A MAN of sensibility is always either in the attic of ecstacies, or the cellar of sorrow; either jumping with joy, or groaning with grief. But pleasure and pain are like a cucumber, the extremes are good for nothing. I once heard a late minister compared to the same vegetable, "For," said the punster, "his ends are bad."

That the style of such writings as are intended to attract the public eye be more elevated than that of private letters, is as requisite as it is for the pulpit of a preacher to be somewhat above the level of his auditors.

By too constant association, the sincerest friendship may be estranged, or rather, obliterated; as the richest coins are defaced by the friction of each other.

Different periods of time, when their order has faded from the memory, seem all consolidated into one; as the distant horizon appears to mingle with the sky.

An open countenance is like the face of a dial,-showing clearly what

passes within.

If perfection were ever once beheld, we should be so fully convinced of

the impossibility of equalling it, as ta give up all attempts at imitation.

It is beauty whose frown is the most awful: no tempest equals that of a summer sky.

The best way to silence a talkative person is never to interrupt him. Do not snuff the candle, and it will go out of itself.

Anger is most fearful when unac companied by tears: it is lightning without rain.

When first we enter a crowd, there is little to be done but to push on through those before us, while our limbs are fresh and our spirits high; but we soon feel that multitudes are gathering behind us, and that the most we can hope, with probability of success, is to maintain our ground in advance of the new comers. And thus it is in a literary life. We set out, with a view of overtaking our forerunners in the chace; but eventually find it sufficiently toilsome to preserve our advantage over those youthful competitors who are momently threatening to outstrip us.

TWO

WO or three omissions, and one or two alphabetical irregularities (hardly to be avoided, in the first concoction of an index, without assistance,) have been discovered-by ourselves— in two or three of our late papers, concerning the affairs of North America. -Our justification-for we never make an apology-is that we write altogether from recollection, without a book of any kind: a note, or a hint, of any name, or nature, to freshen our memories with. Books, indeed, except as a reference for dates, words, and figures, three things which we carefully avoid, whenever they can be avoided, with decency-believing on our oaths, that there is nothing so insupportable, in this world, as unnecessary precision-books, indeed, would be out of the question; for we profess to supply that, which cannot be found in any book or books, whatever. And as for notes and memoranda, about matters and things in general, we are of those, who take them, as they do perceptions of beauty-sound and colour-flavour and hue-only upon the invisible tablets of the heart and mind; only into the lighted chambers of both. We use no camera obscura; make no drawings-no sketches-blot no paper with hints, every one of which, over a sea-coal fire, or in it, as the case may be (that generally depending upon another question-as whether it be in print or in manuscript; the property of the author and the purchaser, &c.) at some future period may become the nucleus of a chapter -perchance, of a volume.-We like to carry our young till they are fully grown, where nature intended them to be carried-not in memorandum-books, cotton, raw-silk, or hand-basketswithin us, not without-in our hearts, not in our hands:-and would be de livered of them, if not precisely as Jove was, of his, in panoply complete at least, not before their teeth and claws are grown, so that they can take care of themselves. A short season of gestation is bad enough-but whelp

ing in a hurry is the devil-one fullgrown cub of the lion (as we have well nigh said before) will outlive a litter of lap-dogs.

We make no apologies, as we have said before; but-but we do what is better, we make atonement; correct our irregularities, and supply our omissions, just so fast as they become obvious to ourselves-but no faster.

We shall do it, on this occasion (after a few minutes,) because we pique ourselves, not a little, upon our scrupulous impartiality, truth, exactness, and plain dealing, in our treatment of whatever concerns the United States of North America :—a country, about which, all circumstances considered, there would seem to be not only a lamentable mis-apprehension, but a lamentable ignorance, in quarters, where one might look for better things; for positive and exact information,-instead of rigmaroll (serious or profane) -for manly and severe criticism, instead of loose rambling, and superfluous recrimination :-among those who are extravagantly partial to whatever is American, chiefly because it is not English-and partly, because it is American; and among those, who are as decidedly partial to whatever is English-chiefly because it is English, and partly, because it is not American.

Many laughable, some serious, some provoking, and some extraordinary errors, concerning one another, do prevail, at this hour, among both of these great parties-on both sides of the Atlantic :-errors, which, if they be not speedily seen to, with a strong hand, or a sharp knife, will sow their own seed; multiply and perpetuate their poison; drug the very atmosphere with mischief; overgrow and strangle whatever is wholesome or precious in the neighbourhood of our posterity, on both sides of the water.

-This must not be-shall not beif we can prevent it: and we shall try hard.- -Let Americans be what they pretend-Americans.

Let our men of Great Britain be what they pretend

-Britons-let each prefer his own country, as he would his own mother; let each be partial, if you please, in any reasonable degree, to his own country, for that is natural-(nay, to be otherwise, were so un-natural, that we should suspect any man's heart,and pity his understanding, who should not be somewhat partial-so far as affection, or judgment, but not veracity, were concerned-to his own country; just as we should his understanding and heart, who should not be partial to his own mother :)—but, while we say this; while we encourage a natural partiality, in every man's heart, for his own country, and his own mother; and are ready to forgive much-very much, that proceeds from an affection so honourable to humanity, even when it influences the head-Yet, we see no reason for encouraging anybody in running afoul of other people's countries and mothers :-and are not very willing, either to overlook or forgive, the folly and wickedness of that man, be he who he may, who, in the superfluity of his affection and zeal, for what relates to his own country, and his own home, is eternally breaking in upon the repose of every other man's country and home.-Defence is one thing-attack another. A brave manly quarrel, in withstanding aggression, is always creditable :-but, where we are the aggressor, shameful. Family feuds are absurd: national feuds, worse. Nothing was ever gained by either not even reputation

Would you flatter the Americans? -Don't puff them-don't exaggerate-stick to the truth. There is no flattery in falsehood. Acquaint your selves thoroughly with your subject: and, whatever else you do, speak the plain truth. Poetry, declamation, rhetoric, and all that, are out of place; wit, is mischievous; and humour, profane, (unless employed for seasoning; and only for seasoning,) on a subject of such importance. Nothing can be worse, for the stomach of this public, nor in much worse taste, than to dish up anything American-game or not game; wild meat,* or not-with a

superabundance of sweet sauce, or Cayenne pepper.—No-if you treat of America at all, do it soberly-righteously-in the main however, you may have to sprinkle it, now and then, with fire and brimstone, for the palaté of the over-fed.

And so, too—if you would be severe on the Americans; severe, we mean, to any good purpose, either for yourself, or for them-for your coun try, or for theirs; severe, beyond the petty tingling sarcasm of the hor; severe, beyond the miserable seventy of that miserable insect, which cannot sting but once-and then, dies;that noisy nothing, which, when it is exasperated, strikes in a hurry--and is glad to escape in a hurry-always losing his weapon often his life-never drawing blood—and sometimes backing out, like the scorpion by downright suicide-or, as the fashion is to call it now, be derangement, visitation, or accidental death :-if you would be severe on the Americans, in a better way-a way more worthy of yourself, if you are a man-speak the truth of them. Nothing cuts like the truth:or, as the Quarterly would have it, in a late criticism, not anything-cuts like the truth.

In one word-Let us understand what we are talking about, whether we praise and condemn these brother Jonathans, these western Englishmen: these children of our fathers-on the other side of the world.—To illus trate our observations, to some purpose from recent occurrences—we would ask what can be more absurd, in the estimation of a statesman; of more wicked in that of any person, of common-sense, or common humanity, than to hear the people of America called our inveterate enemies, our inplacable enemies-and, worst of all, our NATURAL enemies,Our natural enemies !-for what?-Why, forsooth, because (if they can help it —which is very doubtful) they won't let us manufacture for them: and, be cause, if they can (which is, also, very doubtful) they will manufacture for themselves.- -Does that make them

This is their look-out-not ours -They won't employ us for ever— granted-but what right have we to complain ?-They do not become our natural enemies, by refusing to employ us it is only by out-working us; or underselling us to a third party. O, but they are our natural enemies, nevertheless. Why?-Because they multiply so fast-empire upon empire -from ocean to ocean. Alas! if they were not their own enemies-the most unnatural of all enemies-they would roll back again to their ancient boundaries-retreat into their citadel, the thirteen Original States-or, at least, build a wall of brass about them, for a place of refuge, in the time, that will come. They are, now, in a fair way to fall asunder by their own weight-or perish, like a monster, by exhaustion of the heart, while the extremities are preternaturally enlarged. -New England is the heart of the confederacy-New York and Pennsylvania, the back-bone-but, at the rate they are now going on, they will soon want a dozen such hearts, and as many more such back-bones, to keep them in shape.

look about us-and if they are, in the name of God, where are we to look for our natural friends?--If we cannot look to them, who are of the same blood, and the same religion; whose language is the same; whose laws are the same; whose very form of government is more like ours, than any other government upon earth; whose literature is the same; whose antipathies and prejudices are the same-where shall we look-to whom?

One word more-the people of North America know their own interest. They do not want anybody to flatter them.-They know, for they. are a shrewd people, take them all in all,that highly-colored,romantic stories, & superfine rhapsodies,about anything, which is really excellent, only serve to make it ridiculous: that eulogy, however well meant, or delicately flavoured,is pretty sure to do more harm,than good; that intemperate praise provokes intemrate ridicule, or censure; eulogy, satire-and that, the bitterness and asperity of the counteracting dose, are intended, wisely enough, to overcome the nausea, which is natural to him, who has unexpectedly, or accidentally, swallowed a small quantity of unadulterated eulogium-accidentally, we say, because nobody-not even the subject of eulogium, will swallow it, if he knows what it is.

"Praise undeserved, is censure in in disguise."-This is a favourite copyslip in America." Heaven save us from our friends! we will take care of our enemies"-they say, also, when they read such beautiful books, as have been made about them lately.—They know well, that the droll, stupid blundering of Messieurs Fearon, Faux, and Co., on one side of the water; and the worse than blundering--the lies-of the NEW-ENGLAND-MAN,' on the other; and the everlasting misrepresentation, falsehood, and confusion of the newspaper-gentry, on both sides, are soon laughed out of countenance; overborne by weightier proof; smothered in their own dust, or consumed in their own acrimony.

The brother Jonathans will never think the worse of us-whatever they