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In this posture, which caused me to laugh heartily, his majesty was supplied with what he wished to eat, but he would drink nothing but brandy. I therefore ordered the attendants to present him with as much as he chose, on which he drank the same quantity as at first, and soon afterwards he fell dead drunk on the floor.

His ministers raised him up, and attempted to carry him upon deck, by lifting him over the table; but his majesty was sufficiently awake to express his regret at leaving it: he, therefore, suddenly seized hold of a hare by the head, and carried it with him. I think I still see him holding the hare like a sceptre!

After my dinner, which I had much difficulty to finish for laughing, I went upon deck, to enquire after his majesty, and found him a little refreshed. We then talked for a few minutes on commercial affairs. Nothing worth notice afterwards occurred. till it was time to separate,, when I made him the customary presents, with which he appeared satisfied; and I did not forget to repeat the dose of brandy, nor to give the ministers and musicians what they had a right to expect. All the company then returned me thanks, and we parted on the best terms imaginable. While he was proceeding to the shore, I again saluted him with nine gunз; and on landing, I saw him mount his horse, put himself at the head of his troops, and proceed towards his village.

In the evening he entered into conversation with his ministers, and wished to know what I had given

them. Each of them told him what he had received; and they all acknowledged that they had been favoured with a tolerable portion of brandy. This his majesty insisted on abridging, in order to increase his own stock; and one person only refused to obey his orders, for which he was immediately seized. The negro made some resistance, and was wounded severely in the shoulder by a sabre. The next morning this ex-minister, a man of fine figure, tall and robust, was brought on board my ship, loaded with irons, and sold for a hundred bars.

I was much affected at the fate of this unfortunate man, and had him conducted to Isle St. Louis, where his wounds were dressed and speedily cured. In the end his friends came to beg him off, and I restored him to his family.

GOD'S PROVIDence.

How such ideas of th' Almighty's power,
And such ideas of th' Almighty's plan,
(Ideas not absurd) distend the thought
Of feeble mortals! nor of them alone,
The fullness of the Deity breaks forth
In inconceivables to men and gods.

YOUNG.

ALL the difficulties which have been raised concerning the decrees of God, and his prescience (which some think establishes the necessity of our actions), arise only from the abuse of words; which being employed to bring things to the level of our under

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standing, are applied to God in the same sense as we apply them to ourselves. The word prescience, for instance, cannot be applied to God. With him, there is neither past nor future. Every thing being present to him in all the states of time, we ought not to say of him, that he foresees what will happen, but that he sees what does happen. He has left men the liberty of acting, and punishes or rewards them according to the use they make of this liberty. We ought not to say of God, that he foresees what such a man will do, but that he sees what he does. Thus when God spoke by the prophets, with respect to himself, he tells what happens; with respect to us, these prophets predict what will happen. In a word, God, by his eternity, is present at all times, as he is in all places by his immensity.

THE MARINER's dream.

In slumbers of midnight, the sailor-boy lay,
His hammock slung loose at the sport of the wind;
But watch-worn and weary, his cares flew away,
And visions of happiness danc'd o'er his mind.

He dreamt of his house, of his dear native bowers,
And pleasure that waited on life's merry morn---
While mem'ry stood sideways, half cover'd with
flowers,

And restor❜d every rose,
but secreted its thorn.

Then Fancy her magical pinions spread wide,
And bade the young dreamer in ecstasy rise :-
Now far, far behind him the green waters glide,
And the cot of his forefathers blesses his eyes.

The jessamine clambers in flower o'er the thatch, And the swallow sings sweet from her nest in the wall;

All trembling with transport, he raises the latch,
And the voices of lov'd ones reply to his call.

A father bends o'er him with looks of delight:

His cheek is empearl'd with a mother's warm tear; And the lips of the boy in a love-kiss unite [dear. With the lips of the maid whom his bosom holds

The heart of the sleeper beats high in his breast,

Joy quickens his pulse---all his hardships seem o'er, And a murmur of happiness steals through his rest--"Oh God! thou hast bless'd me, I ask for no more.

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Ah! whence is that flame which now bursts on his eye?

Ah! what is that sound which now larums his ear? "Tis the lightning's red glare, painting hell on the sky! 'Tis the crashing of thunders, the groan of the sphere !

He springs from his hammock---he flies to the deck ;-Amazement confronts him with images dire--Wild winds and mad waves drive the vessel a wreck--

The masts fly in splinters---the shrouds are on fire !

Like mountains the billows tremendously swell---
In vain the lost wretch calls on mercy to save ;
Unseen hands of spirits are ringing his knell, [wave!
And the death-angel flaps his broad wings o'er the

Oh sailor boy! woe to thy dream of delight!

In darkness dissolves the gay frost-work of bliss--Where now is the picture that fancy touch'd bright, Thy parents' fond pressure, and love's honey'd kiss?

Oh sailor boy! sailor boy! never again

Shall home, love, or kindred, thy wishes repay; Unbless'd and unhonour'd, down deep in the main Full many a score fathom, thy frame shall decay.

No tomb shall e'er plead to remembrance for thee, Or redeem form or fame from the merciless surge--[be, But the white foam of waves shall thy winding sheet And winds, in the midnight of winter, thy dirge!

On beds of green sea-flower thy limbs shall be laid, Around thy white bones the red coral shall grow; Of thy fair yellow locks threads of amber be made, And every part suit to thy mansion below.

Days, months, years, and ages shall circle away,

And still the vast waters above thee shall roll:

Earth loses thy pattern for ever and aye--

Oh! sailor boy! sailor boy! peace to thy soul!

F

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