even the best advice which they could give. The only real principle, however, which can arm the mind at all times against these dangers, is an abiding sense of our holy religion, which teaches us to look for divine help, to keep us " from temptation," and to" deliver us from evil."

T-a.

SELECTIONS FROM DIFFERENT AUTHORS. THE heads of every household feel bound to supply the temporal wants of the members, to provide for their comfort, and to attend to the preservation of their health; but shall the health of their immortal souls be neglected? Shall the promotion of their eternal welfare be driven out of the circle of our care? Shall we deem it too great a condescension to be tender of the consciences of those who may form the inferior members of our houshold? O, think upon that day, when we shall all stand upon a level before our Judge, and when the fruit of our opportunities, the employment of our authority, the effect of our influence and example will be sifted in the scrutiny of God! Archdeacon Mountain. Many are they, who in the hour of sickness and of danger cannot pray. Because, in the day of health and strength, they have neglected their God, they fear to approach Him when their spirits sink and their strength faileth. He therefore that would be able to pray when he is sick, let him learn to pray when he is well. He that makes prayer a duty and a habit in the time of prosperity, will find it a support, a consolation,, and a joy in the time of need, Rev. T. Rennell.

A tree is known by its fruit; the workman is known by his work. Whoever then shows these works, and brings forth these fruits, hath an infallible argument, that the Spirit of God, the carnest of his salvation, dwells in his heart, that his faith is

a true saving faith. The rising of the sun is known by the shining beams; the fire is known by its burning; the life of the body is known by its moving. Even so, certainly, is the presence of God's Spirit known by the shining light of a holy conversation. Rev. Joseph Mede.

It may be laid down as a position, which will seldom deceive, that when a man cannot bear his own company, there is something wrong.

Dr. Johnson.

What are allowable amusements? Such recreations, and such only, as may in some degree assist our faculties of mind and body to perform that great work for which they were united and placed in this probationary world. No amusements, therefore, are allowable, which produce such weariness, of body, or lassitude of mind, as indispose us for serious thought and feeling; which keep us cold and indifferent respecting Religion and Virtue; which break down the barriers, between us and the vices and follies of the world; or which leave behind them a, disrelish for the close inspection, of our hearts, and for devotional intercourse with, God. Dr. Jebb.

That which is the best employment here, will be the only employment in eternity. Whichcote. If you can live free from want, care for no more, for the rest is but vanity. Sir W. Raleigh. Deem every day in your life a leaf in your history. Take care, therefore, that nothing be written in it that is not worthy of being recorded.

From the Testament of an ancient King of Persia.

EXTRACTS FROM THE PUBLIC NEWSPAPERS, &c.

Gamblers. Notwithstanding the recent examples made of these kind of gentry, and notwithstanding the public notice which has been given, that the magistrates would henceforth

make due search for such persons, at least once a month, such are the cravings of fraud and covetousness, that many houses are still kept in full play, and the consequence has been that two of the most notorious were broken open on Thurs. day afternoon, March the 6th.

The houses in question were No. 33, Pall-Mall, and No. 15, Bury Street. The attack was made upon them at the same time, by different parties of the patrole, headed by the magistrates, G. R. Minshull, and Thomas Halls, Esq. In each case, admission was first demanded in the name of the magistrate, and this not being attended to, the doors were instantly battered in with sledge hammers. At the house in Pall-Mall, three strongly barricadoed doors, purposely contrived to stand a siege, were thus forced, in less than ten minutes; locks, bolts, and bars, and "gnarled oak," soon flew asunder, and the magistrate entered, followed by his officers, who quickly dispersed themselves through the house. In the next moment, the terrified gamblers were seen making their way out of a trap door in the roof, and scrambling over the tiles on all fours, followed by the officers in full cry. Some of them were caught before they could take to cover; others of them made their way through the garret windows and trap-doors of the different houses; some of them were caught by the legs, in attempting to do this, and dragged backwards into the light; while others scampered down the stairs of those houses, to the great dismay of the quiet inhabitants, and were captured in the rooms below.

The scene in Bury-Street was much of the same kind; and the hurly-burly, at both places, ended in the capture or demolition of the gambling machinery, and the carrying off thirty-six prisoners to the watch-house, in St. Martin's-lane. At the evening sitting of the magistrates, these prisoners were brought before them; and their examination lasted till after two o'clock yesterday morning. They are to take their trial at the Quarter Sessions.

On Saturday night, one of the workmen in the lace manufactory at Kensington, being indisposed, incautiously drank several glasses of rum. The next morning, his head was swelled to an unusual size, and his eyes were entirely closed up; and, in this dreadful situation, he lingered insensibly till Friday morning about two o'clock, when he expired.-London Paper.

Last week, at Newcastle, a quack doctor, calling himself George Cook, the seventh son of a seventh son, was convicted, under the vagrant act, of being a rogue and vagabond, he having imposed upon Ann Jennaway, a sailor's wife, by preteuding that he could cure her of her lameness, by certain mystic charms, and by a spurious medicine, with which he

furnished her, and for which she paid him 48. 6d. A chemist gave it as his decided opinion, that it was nothing but an infusion of some simple herb, and that it was not calculated to relieve any complaint whatever, and could not have cost him more than one half-penny. The doctor was sentenced to be kept to hard labour upon the tread-mill for two months.The Same.

Brook Green Fair. The inhabitants of Hammersmith have had a full meeting in the Church, on the subject of this Fair, having had great reason to complain of the disorders arising from it. The meeting resolved to address the magistrates on the subject; and the magistrates, in consequence of such ap plication, applied to the Bishop of London, as Lord of the Manor, to ascertain whether the Fair was warranted by any charter, or whether its suppression would interfere with any lawful privileges.

The Lord of the Manor was intitled to fees to the amount of 501. The Bishop, however, was desirous that the Fair should be put down. The magistrates and district officers have issued hand-bills, declaring that there is to be no Brook Green Fair in future; and that persons, endeavouring to erect booths, or to make other preparation for a Fair, will be dealt with according to the new police act.

Cruelty.-John Green, a carter, was brought before the magistrates on a warrant issued under Mr. Martin's Act, charging him with cruelly beating a horse, the property of

Mott, a carman, with the thick end of his whip, about the head. He had nothing to say in his defence; and, being unable to pay a fine of 20s. with the costs, he was ordered to stand committed to the tread-mill for a month.-London Paper.

A seasonable Discovery.-The New England fishermen preserve their boots tight against water by the following method, which, it is said, has been in use among them above one hundred years. A pint of boiled linseed oil, half a pound of mutton suet, six ounces of clean bees-wax, and four ounces of rosin, are well mixed over a fire. Of this, while warm, not so hot as may burn the leather, with a brush lay plentifully on new boots or shoes, when they are quite dry and clean. The leather is left pliant. Fishermen stand in their boots, thus prepared, in water, hour after hour, without inconvenience. For three years past, all my shoes, even of calf skin, have been so served, and have in no instance admitted water to pass through the leather.-London Paper.

Singular Phenomena of Egypt.-A strong wind that arose this day leads me to mention some particulars of the phenomena that often happens in Egypt. The first I shall notice is the whirlwinds, which occur all the year round, but especially at the time of the camseen wind, which begins in April, and lasts fifty days.

Hence the name of camseen, which in Arabic signifies fifty. It generally blows from south-west, and last four, five, or six days, without varying, so very strong, that it raises the sands to a great height, forming a general cloud, so thick that it is impossible to keep the eyes open, if not under cover. It is troublesome even to the Arabs, it forces the sand into the houses through every cranny, and fills every thing with it. The caravans cannot proceed in the desarts; the boats cannot continue their voyages; and the travellers are obliged to eat sand in spite of their teeth. The whole is like a chaos. Often a quantity of sand and small stones gradually ascends to a great height, and forms a column 60 or 70 feet in diameter, and so thick, that, were it steady on one spot, it would appear a solid mass. This not only revolves within its own circumference, but runs in a circular direction over a great space of ground, sometimes maintaining itself in motion for half an hour, and where it falls it accumulates a small hill of sand. Alas, for the poor traveller who is caught under it!

The next phenomenon is the mirage, often described by travellers, who assert having been deceived by it, as at a distance it appears to them like water. This is certainly the fact, and I must confess that I have been deceived myself, even after I was aware of it. The perfect resemblance to water, and the strong desire for this element, made me conclude, in spite of all my caution, not to be deceived, that it was really water I saw. It generally appears like a still lake, so unmoved by the wind, that every thing above is to be seen most distinctly reflected by it, which is the principal cause of the deception. If the wind agitate any of the plants that arise above the horizon of the mirage, the motion is seen perfectly at a great distance. If the traveller stand elevated much above the mirage, the apparent water seems less united, and less deep, for, as the eyes look down upon it, there is not thickness enough in the vapour on the surface of the ground to conceal the earth from the sight. But if the traveller be on a level with the horizon of the mirage, he cannot see through it, so that it appears to him clear water. By putting my head first to the ground, and then mounting a camel, the height of which from the ground must have been about ten feet at the most, I found a great difference in the appearance of the mirage. On approaching it, it becomes thinner, and appears as if agi tated by the wind, like a field of ripe corn. It gradually vanishes as the traveller approaches, and at last entirely disappears when he is on the spot.

The third phenomenon is the locusts. These animals I have seen in such clouds, that twice the number in the same space would form an opaque mass, which would wholly intercept