SELECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT AUTHORS.

POVERTY is so far from being an unhappiness, that it is a security against temptation to many sins to which the rich are exposed. Bishop Wilson.

No pleasure is innocent, which hinders us from minding our salvation. The same.

The grace which supports us, and the eternity we hope for, are the only remedy and comfort we ought to depend on.

The same.

Let no man put confidence in his own deserts, St. Gregory.

Give me the hearts of all men humbled, and what is there that can overthrow or disturb the peace of the world? Wherein many things are the cause of much evil, but pride of all. Hooker.

The tendency of family prayer is to render the parent considerate, and the child dutiful; to promote the unity of the husband and the wife; to make masters kind, and servants sober and faithful. Bishop Dehon.

There is not one of us but has reason to lament his deficiency in heavenly-mindedness. We all probably feel that our souls are too prone to grovel upon earth, to fix themselves upon worldly things; and are sadly wanting in genuine religious feeling and fervency of spirit. Berens.

If the tendency of industry, in itself, be so exceedingly great towards temporal success, even without its true root in the heart, how much greater must it needs be when we may safely trust that the Almighty's blessing follows it, under the assurance of his own word. Miller.

To put us in remembrance how abominable a thing sin is in the face of God, he sendeth unto his servants calamities and miseries: 1st. to teach them to beware of sin, and to live uprightly and holily. 2dly. to teach them to pray, and to call upon God. 3dly. to teach us to know ourselves. Bp. Latimer.

I acknowledge that there is no other way to heaven beside that which Christ hath shewn us; there is no other means which can procure it for us but his blood; there is no other person who shall confer it on us but himself. Bp. Pearson.

There are two dispositions which compose the true Christian character: humility as to ourselves,; affection and gratitude as to God. Archdeacon Paley.

The foundation of prayer, in all cases, is a sense of want. No man prays in earnest, or to any purpose, for what he does not feel that he wants. Know then and feel the weakness of your nature. Know the infinite importance of holding on, nevertheless, in a course of virtue. Know these two points thoroughly, and you can stand in need of no addi-, tional motive to excite in you strong unwearied supplications for divine help: not a cold asking for it, but cryings and supplications for it, strong and unwearied. The same.

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It is indeed natural for us to wish and plan; and it is merciful in the Lord to disappoint our plans, and cross our wishes. For we cannot be wise, much less happy, but in proportion as we are weaned from our own wills, and made simply desirous of being directed by his guidance. This truth, (when we are enlightened by his word) is sufficiently fa-. miliar to the judgment, but we seldom learn to reduce it to practice, without being trained awhile in the school of disappointment. The schemes we form look so plausible and convenient, that when› they are broken we are ready to say, How unfortu nate! We try again, and with no better success. We are grieved, and perhaps angry, and plan out another, and so on. At length, in a course of time, experience and observation begin to convince us that we are not more able than we are worthy to chuse aright for our ourselves. Then the Lord's. invitation to cast our cares upon him, and his promise to take care of us, appear valuable; and,

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when we have done planning, his plan gradually opens, and he does more and better for us than we could ask or think.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS,&c.* A gentleman of Cranbrook, on Friday, Dec. 13, had a large turnip brought to his house as a present, and which he conceived to be intended as a joke, but, to his great surprisc, on making an opening into it, he had the pleasure of finding two brace of partridges, and a couple of very fine rabbits, curiously packed in the inside of it.—Sussex Advertiser.

A few Sundays ago, as Mrs. L. of Hanwell, was coming to town in a one horse chaise, the horse suddenly took fright at the report of a gun, which some young men were firing at a mark. The animal ran furiously for some distance, and, in her fright, Mrs. L. incautiously laid hold of the rein, which caused the horse to turn suddenly round, and, the wheel coming in contact with the bank, the chaise was overturned. Mrs. L, was much hurt, her leg being broken, besides other injuries. The gentleman who drove escaped without hurt. We may remark, that there is always danger in a person driven in a gig to attempt taking hold of the reins:—that there is always danger in firing a gun near the road; and that Sunday is the most improper day of all for firing at marks, as well as for travelling in gigs.

A man named George King, who was convicted of felony, during the present king's reign, drew up the following petition, and had it presented to the king :

George King to King George sends his humble petition, Hoping King George will pity poor George King's condition If King George to George King will grant a long day, George King for King George for ever will pray.

We copied the above story from the newspapers, but, as' we do not believe every thing that is in the newspapers, we cannot answer for the truth of it.

The following anecdote has been sent us by a correspondent, on whom we are disposed to place greater reliance: -Sir H. H. calling the other day on a friend of mine, just after he had been with the king, told him how extremely averse the king always is to signing the sentence of death of the criminals; the doing it quite agitates him, and he said it was wonderful what clever arguments he uses to endeavour to get them off who are put on the list for execution :-that he always examines into the cases, and never puts his signature without having duly considered the

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On the 29th ult. an inquisition was taken at Beeston, on view of the body of John Carter, a youth about 18 years of age, who met his death by drowning, in the river Trent. The boy had been driving a mare yoked to a Leicester coal boat, along the haling path. On the boat coming out of the Soar navigation into the river Trent, the mare was disengaged from the rope, and the youth was riding along the haling path by the side of the Trent. The river at the time was nearly bank full, and on coming to a pair of double gates, the animal became rather awkward, when the boy began to beat her severely with his whip. The mare plunged into the river, but shortly after regained the land, when the boy again attempted to open the gates, and beat the mare again still more violently. The animal again plunged into the water, and the boy slipped off her back, and was drowned. The mare got safe to land. The jury found a verdict of." Accidental Death,” which they attributed to the deceased's brutal treatment of the mare.-Nottingham Journal.

The Bamboo,-The various uses to which that elegant species of reed, called Bamboo, is applied by the Chinese, would excite astonishment in an English mechanic. Their chairs, their tables, screens, bedsteads, and bedding, with many other houshold moveables, are entirely constructed of this hollow reed. It is used on board ship, for poles, for sails, for cables, for rigging, and for caulking. In husbandry, it serves as a material for carts, for wheelbarrows, for wheels to raise water, for fences, for sacks to hold grain, and a variety of other purposes. The young shoots furnish an article of food, and the wicks of candles are made of its fibres. It serves to embellish the garden of the prince, aud to cover the cottage of the peasant. Indeed, there are few uses to which the ingenuity of the Chinese has not applied the Bamboo, either entire, or split into thin laths, or divided into fibres.-New Times.

Humane Society. At the beginning of the frost at the latter end of December, a boy got upon a thin part of the ice in the canal in St. James's Park, and, notwithstanding all the exertions which were made to save him, he could not be got from under the ice till it was too late to preserve his life. A man employed by the Humane Society very nearly lost his life in attempting to save that of the boy. It appeared in evidence, on the coroner's inquest, that one of the witnesses had been seven years in the employ of that society, and that he had been the means of saving the lives of 150 persons.We give this statement as we remember to have seen it in the newspapers. If it be true, this man richly deserves the gratitude of the public, and all the marks of approbation" which that truly "Humane Society" can bestow.-E.

Number of Cultivated Plants in Britain. Since the discovery of the New World, (America) our English gardens have produced 2,345 varieties of trees from thence, and upwards of 1,700 from the Cape of Good Hope, in addition to many thousands which have been brought from China, the East Indies, New Holland, and various parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe, until the list of plants now cultivated in this country, exceeds 120,000 varieties:-The same.

Accident by Fire.-It is with sincere regret that we record a dreadful and destructive fire at Barley-Hall, in the County · of York. The fire began in the laundry, in which some clothes had been left before the fire to dry. We believe that as many fires happen by linen being left to dry, as by most other kinds of carelessness. A single spark flying from the fire, may be the cause of dreadful destruction both of property and life. When a shirt is airing by a fire, and the room is left, a wire guard should be put before the fire; or the shirt should be moved to a very great distance whilst there is no one to watch it. We are almost as much frightened when we see linen at a fire, as when we see a lighted candle without a lantern carried into a stable.

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On Monday last, a potatoe, of the extraordinary weight of five pounds and a half, was dug up in the garden of Mr. John Doncaster, situate in Jersy Close, near this town. The potatoe is of the Oxnoble kind.—Nottingham Journal.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

We had seen the verses which M. B. has been so good as to send us, and we admire them very mach; we have put them into our approved bundle.

A West-riding Clergyman's hint is good, and we shall be glad to hear from him on the subject which he recommends to our notice.

We have just received T. a.; we need not trouble him to do what he proposes. His article, with many others, to use an Editorial phrase, is under consideration.

We have received O. P; Z; K; and M. C. L.

The Editor has received the following Note.

The Editor of the "Cottager's Monthly Visitor” is desired. to apprize his Readers, that the communication in the last month, on the subject of" Shaving," is not to be received by them, as coming from the Author of the "Eighteen Maxims of Neatness and Order," being merely a title which the writer of the above-mentioned Article has thought proper to assume.