ings, though they must often experience it. Without going the lengths of Lavater, who measures the intellect of a man, as well as forms conjectures of his disposition, yet many a time and oft will the air of the countenance let us into the penetration of our neighbour's mind, and be of use when we are about to contract any acquaintance with him, or negociate any business. Which is the villain? let me see his eyes, That when I note another man like him, I may avoid him.

Much Ado About Nothing, scene 5.

Moliere and Regnard.

Though the former claims a great superiority over the latter as a comic writer, yet has Regnard adhered more strictly to the manners and customs of his own nation. In Moliere, indeed, there is much of the vis comica; but much of the humour of his characters, and many of the incidents, are borrowed from Plautus and Terence. Moliere was a man of sense and genius, and when an important passion was to be treated as in Tartuffe, or "The Hypocrite," vocem comædia tollit, and then he is superior to Regnard's ludicrous, and no doubt more accurate, representations of French manners and frivolities.

Perspicuity in Writing.

It is well observed by the most sensible critic among the ancients, that all inferior writers are apt to be obscure. The youthful student, in his first attempt to write his thoughts, should be aware of the difficulty of conveying his meaning with clearness to his reader; for an inattention to this truth has occasioned much darkness in prose and verse, with young authors. Lavater has said wisely, though perhaps somewhat quaintly, that "he who is unintelligible is not intelligent." Certainly, a writer must understand himself first, before he can hope that his readers can comprehend him. Fontenelle relates of himself, that when he sat down to write, he, from time to time, considered "do I understand myself." Voltaire has borne ample testimony to the perspicuity and force of M. Fontenelle's writings: "L'ignorant l'entendit, le savant l'admira." The ignorant understand him, and the learned admire him.

M.

Common Faults in Composition.

Some writers who have a greater command of words, and are in possession of a very few ideas, and those in an imperfect state, have recourse to a

specious and splendid style of composition in order to conceal this "plentiful lack of wit." They remind us of painters who are deficient in drawing, and hide this deficiency by using the most glaring and gorgeous colouring. Too many writers resemble Butler's hero

For he could coin and counterfeit

New words with little or no wit,

Words, so debas'd and hard, no stone
Was hard enough to touch them on;
And when with noisy haste he spoke 'em,
The ignorant for current took 'em.

Hudibras, canto 1..

J. J. Rousseau's Observations on Women.

When this writer was not hurried into whims by his vanity, no one could think more justly, or express his thoughts with more true feeling and eloquence. "The first and most important quality in a woman is sweetness of temper, made to obey so imperfect a being as man, often full of vices, always liable to faults. A wife must very soon learn to suffer even injustice, and bear the wrongs inflicted by her husband without complaint, and preserve her temper, not only for his sake but her own. Ill-nature and obstinacy will but augment her woes, and she will soon find that these are not the arms from which she can expect

victory. Heaven did not give to women a soft and gentle voice to act viragos, or beautiful and delicate features to deform them by anger; nor did Nature make them feeble in their frames that they should aim at power."

Again.

"The influence of woman is a government of gentleness, address, and politeness: her caresses are commands, her tears are her menaces, and her ready compliances her victory. In this state, families are best governed, wherein women have the ascendency; but when a woman disobeys the will of her husband, and wishes to usurp his government, misery, confusion, and evil reports, fall on that house. An agreeable and interesting figure in a female is a better ground of courtship than beauty: the graces of manner, &c. last longer than those brighter charms which inspire our love. A woman with a moderate share of attractions will please longer than a beauty; and such a woman, thirty years after marriage, will have the same attractions as on the wedding-day; whilst a beauty will lose her influence, in a few months, over her husband.

"It is said that women talk a great deal. I admit it, and consider this habit, not as a fault, but as a subject of approbation. Man talks less, because he wishes to give information; women to utter

their sentiments agreeably; but who would wish for a learned woman as his wife, who sets up a tribunal of literature in the house, and appoints herself the lady president? A literary woman soon becomes the plague of her husband, her children, her servants, her acquaintance, and her friends.

"Love is not necessary for married persons: integrity, similarity of opinions, humours, and character, though they do not form a love match, yet they make marriage more comfortable and useful. In a situation like marriage, there are many duties to perform, which regard others as well as themselves, and affections which must be participated with others. Two lovers would be always thinking of themselves only, their own feelings, their own pleasures, and their own interests; and what then would become of the welfare of the children, or the peace and good establishment of domestic matters?"-Les Pensées de J. J. Rousseau, citoyen de Geneve; Amsterdam, 1763.

Homer.

Much has been written of late to prove that the Iliad is not only valuable for its poetical beauties, but also a repository of much historical knowledge; but I would ask these asserters of Homer's