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Poetry.

We have great satisfaction in laying the following letter before our readers:

Staffordshire Potteries, 3d mo. 22d, 1821. WORTHY EDITOR,-I see, with particular pleasure, the increasing circulation which the Kaleidoscope is acquiring, and should be much pleased if I could forward to it any manuscripts of my friends which might be worthy insertion, and thereby tend to give it a stronger interest amongst them. I have subjoined a copy of verses, put into my hands by the young woman to whom they were addressed, to which perhaps thou wilt give some attention.

I had the pleasure, last summer, of becoming acquainted with a youth, a member of our society, who has lived, for the greater portion of his time, in a retired part of Derbyshire; and yet has acquired a knowledge of languages and of the belles lettres, which would have done him honour in a far more advantageous situation. He had just returned from a ramble, on foot, through some parts of the Peak, and showed me in his commonplace book a description of his route. As the romantic beauties of Derbyshire, particularly Dovedale, are becoming every year more and deservedly celebrated, and are visited by strangers from all parts of the kingdom, I cannot help thinking that the description of such scenes, and the feelings they give rise to, would be recognised with peculiar pleasure by many readers of the Kalci doscope ; and certainly my village friend has touched, with a graphic truth and poetic feeling, some draughts which must please every lover of nature, and awaken no small portion of curiosity. As I have procured a copy with permission to use it as I please, only sub, stituting the fictitious name of Wilfrid Wender, if thou wouldst like to examine it, I will forward it the first opportunity, when all or any part will be at thy service.

TO MARY.

Whene'er, in childhood's hour, I thought
Upon my future destiny;
Whene'er my infant fancy brought

The shade of what that life might be;
A sadly-pleasing form was there,
Whose eye was deep, but sweetly fair:
Her name was Pensiveness; and she
Still smiles upon my destiny.

Whene'er I dream'd a bright day-dream,
"Twas she who sang my lullaby;
And though that song like woe did seem,
I loved its pensive harmony.
Whene'er through fancied scenes I strayed,
Her form was there to soothe and bless;
And, though she deepened every shade,
I did not love the scene the less:
For her's was not that night of grief,
A deepened shade without relief;'

W. H.

And her's was not that burst of woe
Whose note no softening tone can know;

It was a sprightly music, mingling

With melting softness, into sorrow blended:
It was a day of Fancy's bright'ning,
The shadows lengthening as the sun descended.
And oft the tuneful Nine would shed
Their influence o'er my infant head;
And it was sweet, though rude the strain,
In measured numbers to complain;
And it was sweet, though riper years
Might disavow the bold essay,
To give to infant hopes and fears
Somewhat of immortality.

And there was one who conn'd with me
The page of early poesy;

"Twas hers alone to hear and praise
The efforts of my early days:
Mary, to thee, and thee alone,
This secret of my harp was known;
Thou who repaid its harmony
With thine own strains more worthy thee.

Thou knowst the lay that pleased us best,
The chord whose tone was loved the dearest,
Was that whose melody exprest

The deepest woe, and touched the nearest.
And now, though childhood's days are o'er,
And infant joys are joys no more;
And, as the clouds of early day
Recede before the golden ray,
Their skirts, with roseate lustre decked,
Are infant griefs in retrospect;
Yet still, thou knowst, I love the tone
That strikes not on the ear alone,
But wakes the heart with that deep strain
Till every chord responds again!

[ORIGINAL.]

RETIREMENT.

ANNA.

When deep afflictions press me sore, 'Tis then that I would silent rove, And tell my rising griefs and woes To the light murmurs of the grove. 'Tis then that I would willingly Retire from haunts of busy men, And leave the world's alluring scenes, Nor ever visit them again. And I would listen to the dove, And mix my anguish with its moan; Returning each its mournful note, With a deep-heaved, and heavy groan. And in religion's path I'd tread, And own the God who gave me life; And meditate on all his works, Free from the paths of endless strife. Thus would I in retirement live, Till this dull life had flown away; And when 'twas pass'd, as quietly Beneath the cold green sod I'd lie: With scarce a sigh or sob heav'd o'er my bier, My death would then call forth no pitying tear. Liverpool.

[ORIGINAL]

THE KISS.

From ruby lips, far sweeter than the rose,

Oh! who can paint the soft, luxurious bliss, Which through the veins in circling eddies flows, From their delights to steal the luscious kiss. O joy supreme! whose trembling sweets so pure, E'en Virtue's awful form need not deny; Whose charms to love's entangling sweets allure, On whose soft crimson love delights to sigh. Not richer sweets the juicy vines diffuse; Not lovelier red the blooming roses blow, Than those sweet lips the love-enamoured mu Now vainly tries, with mimic art, to show. What sweet emotions, when encircling arms Around the blushing maid are trembling prest; How sweet to gaze upon her varied charms, And mark the heavings of her gentle breast. But sweeter far, the effusive feelings swell, When sportive love imprints th' impassioned kiss, On balmy lips, where smiling pleasures dwell; My Emma's lips-th' abode of love and blis E'en yet remembrance paints their blushing charts, When last I pressed their sweet ambrosial sigts, (When folded in her love-encircling arms) And traced the beauties of their crimson'd dyes. But faint the vivid trace, the scarlet glow

Of pencil'd art, to tell each thrilling bliss: The soul their varied charms can only know In my lov'd Emma's joy-imparting kiss! WESTMORE

ELEGY. [ORIGINAL.]

With what delight mid yonder shades serene,
I hear the thrilling minstrelsy of heaven!
To me, how soothing is yon kindred scene!
To me, how balmy this cool breath of even!
In former years, 'mid these same shades remote,
At the same hour, and self-same season sweet,
Oft have I thus the peaceful woodlands sought,
To muse, sequestered, in the calm retreat.
Their boundless charms, bright as the youthful year,
In swift succession ever varying rose;
While Hope's enchanting form was ever near,
To soothe my light and transitory woes.
O! youthful joys, how swiftly do ye pass!

And, like the morning cloud, ye fade away;
Or, like the dew drops trembling on the grass,
That fly the glances of advancing day!

I seek not now yon kindred shades serene,
To meet those pleasures that illum'd the past;
Hid is the pleasing, gay, delusive scene;
Those dreams, alas! were too too sweet to last.
I wander mournful, thro' the well-known shade;
The weak line drops unfinish'd from my tongue;
But still I love the splendours here displayed,
And yet enjoy the woodlark's evening song.
Perchance, when at the high behest of heaven,
My soul is called to unknown realms afar,
Death may draw near, like the deep shades of even,
And meet me thus beneath her dewy star.
Then be it mine, to seek unseen, alone,
Without one friend to heave the pitying sigh ;
In some dark grove, deserted and unknown,
While the loud woodlark sings a requiem nigh.

Liverpool, Sept. 1820.

CORNELIUS

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NATURAL HISTORY.
Some of the animalcules which are found in the

Observatory. Gosport, March 17.-The Comet came to its perihelium to day, namely, within fourteen degrees Greenland sea, move at the rate of 1-180th of an inch Comprehending Notices of new Discoveries or Improve- of the sun. It has only lessened its right ascension half in a second, others at the rate of an inch in three mie ments in Science or Art; including, occasionally, sin- a degree, and its north declination four-fifths of a degree nutes. The American bird, the Condor, could fy gular Medical Cases; Astronomical, Mechanical, since the evening of the 24th of February, when it was round the globe, at the equator, a favourable gale pree first seen here; but by the annual motion of the earth wailing, in about a week. The Greenland animalcule Philosophical, Botanical, Meteorological, and Mine-its distance from the sun is decreased about 16°. Now would require8 935 years to perform the same distance. ralogical Phenomena, or singular Facts in Natural it is advanced too far in the solar rays to allow us to The diameter of the largest of them is only the 1-200 of an inch, and many only the 1-4000th. A whale te History; Vegetation, &c.; Antiquities, &c.; to be make correct observations on its position. continued in a Series through the Volume.] quires a sea to sport in, while 15,000,000 of there animalcules would have abundant room in a tumbler of water!-Edid. Phil. Jour.

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At the close of this month it will begin to set after the sun; and with a clear horizon an hour before sunrise, there will be a chance of seeing it rise about E. N. E. during the ensuing month. The weather has lately been unfavourable for seeing the comet so near the western horizon in the evenings; as from its very slow geocentric motion, it will not afford a sufficient space to attempt to deduce the form of its orbit, which is the chief object to

science.

It is hoped that correct observations on the frequent appearances of these celestial visitors, will, in the course of time, throw new light on the theory of comets, and Inches. divest it of much of the uncertainty that seems to exist, in regard to the form of their eccentric orbits and their periodic returns.

30.11

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The monthly mean.............................
Highest, which took place on the 23d............... 30.52
Lowest, which took place on the 9th
Difference of the extremes
Greatest variation in twenty-four hours, which
was on the 27th

1.32

2.15

THE NEW COMET.

Correspondence.

TO THE EDITOR

SIR,-Give me leave, through the medium of year widely-circulated work to point out a species of fraud, which hitherto has, I believe, escaped public observa tion. That there are several persons in and about this town who are in the habit of stealing dog, is a wellknown fact; but from some unknown circumstances, dogs are now generally sold to their late owners. of catching those dogs that have collars with ther Some of these persons now make a constant practi owner's name and residence on; detain them for a y or two, and then take them to the residence that pears on the collar, accompanied by a long statement, of how and where found, &e which will generally owner, who is delighted to find his favourite pug eac draw a douceur from the pocket of the credukua

That beautiful and wonderful phenomenon of the heavens, the comet, which, of late years, has often 42 visited us, and was lately noticed in the papers, as ob-probably for want of better buyers, it would appes? served by that indefatigable astronomer W. Olbers, is now very visible to the naked eye, in the west, till eight o'clock in the evening. It is a little to the westward of Degrees. Algenib, and nearly the height of Saturn, at a distance, to the right of him. ....... 37.9

Spaces, taken from the daily means..................
Number of changes............ 7

Monthly mean.

TEMPERATURE.

Mean of the fifth week, commencing 29th Jan. 45.6 sixth week......

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ISLAND RENT ASUNDER.

“Japara, 27th Jan. 1820.-During the late stormy
weather, since the 3d instant, an island, which we find
by the map of Java is called Fisherman's Island, has
been rent asunder. It is known to the natives under
the name of Pulo Pentangan. As soon as the weather
will permit, a further investigation will be held re-
specting this extraordinary event."—Bat. Courant,
Feb. 1.-Phil. Mag. 56, p. 396.

New Volcano.We hear from Portugal, that a new
volcano has burst out in the highest summit of a ridge
of mountains near Leira. This extraordinary pheno-
menon occurred at the period of the high rise of the
Douro, mentioned in most of the journals. The vol-
cano was in full action when the latest accounts came
away, but had happily taken a direction which threat-
West ........
o ened to do little damage. The country is sterile, and
North-west...............11 it may be recollected as that through which Wellington
Variable .................. 2 passed in pursuit of Massena.
Calm
Brisk

WIND.

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On the use of Coal Tar.-This article has become so plentiful since the general introduction of Gas works, that it is now extensively used for a variety of purposes. Coal Tar, being a resinous substance, and not acted upon by water or air, is peculiarly advantageous as a substitute for paint in all out-door wood work. It is well known, that wood exposed to the external atmosphere soon acquires a vegetable covering of the wood moss or lichen, which rapidly hastens its decay. Coal Tar, when properly applied, penetrates its surface, prevents vegetation, and renders it completely impervious to air, moisture, insects, &c. It is found to possess much greater durability than the best oil paint, and is therefore particularly adapted for the preservation of railing, gates, posts, hedge-stakes, beams, spars, joists, &c. or any kind of wood-work under ground, or in damp situations. It is used, in preference to every other substance, for coating water wheels, sluices, pumps, canal locks, bridges, &c. or wood-work of a similar description. It has been of late almost exclusively used for cast and malleable iron-work of every kind; and, when properly applied, it gives it a durable, glossy black, and will prevent iron from rusting more effectually than any other article. Coal Tar is also the cheapest and most effective article that has yet been discovered for rendering stone and brick cisterns, reservoirs, and wheel cases, water-tight; for which purpose it is used mixed with a due proportion of quick lime, which gives it hardApril is the time to wet the branches frequently withness, and renders it completely impenetrable to all cold the elder liquor; for, during March, the larve remain fluids. It is very extensively employed in ship-building, in the ground, and in April and May they change into greatly lessening the consumption of foreign tar, to the caterpillar state, when they may be seen ascending which it is found to be very superior for many purposes; in small groups the stems of the bushes, spreading it is also convertible into pitch by the same process as themselves afterwards gradually over the whole tree. common tar.

Put into a sugar hogshead a small barrel of tar, pour upon it a pail or two of boiling water, stir it, and then fill it up with cold; with this, water the ground where the bushes stand, and it will destroy all worms, grubs, and other larvæ, which are within a considerable distance of the surface of the soil. Should any escape, and make their appearance in the caterpillar state, immediate recourse should be had to a strong infusion of bruised elder tops or leaves, the moment the elder becomes green: this will effectually check the advance of these and all other sorts of insects upon the bushes. This is the proper month for watering the ground with

tar-water.

the

more restored to him. I am led to notice this from my having just had a spaniel dog (which, till he had a collar on, never lost his way home, though he has since that done so, say the finders, four times) brought to be house by a man who found him "running along t way by Wavertree!" with other plausible stories; and though they might be all true, I must confess I doubted in part, when I saw him join two other men, who b six dogs with them, tied up just in the same mantera mine had been, and which, possibly, might have been "by Wavertree" too.

Whilst on this subject, allow me to remark on the very great negligence attendant on the collection of the dog tax. I am confident some hundreds of pounds per annum more might be raised by it, were the assesse to do their duty; unless, indeed, by it, the quantity of dogs in the town should be much reduced; and whe we behold the great numbers kept by the poorer this perhaps would be desirable, without taki ses, even to parish paupers, residents in cellars, calculation the consequent decrease of the disease, hpdrophobia, which in the last year mesur ta awful ravages among our fellow-countrymet, ring neither the peer nor the peasant, the noble Duke the humble shepherd. Excuse these hasty remarks: f acceptable, you shall probably be furnished, at an eart period, with hints for the remedy.-Yours, &c. Liverpool, 12th February, 1821.

WEASELS EAT FROGS.

TO THE EDITOR.

JULIUS

SIR,-When walking in the vicinity of Great Crosby on Saturday last, a weasel leaped out of the dich, the road side (containing a few inches of water) with large frog in its mouth. I viewed this novelly for a few seconds with considerable surprize, as it stood daunted at the root of the hedge. I made a break st it, in the hope that it would leave its prey, whe might have ascertained whether or not it had be nearly destroyed; but it soon found itself secure, with its booty, in a plot of whins.

If you deem the above interesting to naturalism, who are ever anxious to ascertain the manners and ha bits of animals, you will insert it in your valdibar paper. Liverpool, 21st March, 1821.

ERRO

ORTHOGRAPHICAL INNOVATIONS.

should ourselves have done :

TO THE EDITOR.

compositor, but a new, corrected mode adopted by the Editor, who she must allow was likely to know The following letter, as will be perceived by the better than we did, especially since she herself had date, was received upwards of a month ago, and renever failed to enlarge in praise of the work, and to esteem the Editor as a man of the finest talents, peatedly postponed, for reasons assigned in our notices to correspondents. We now give it, verbatim, together ready wit. This being my first bold attempt at abounding with good humour, good feeling, and with the critique of a correspondent, to whom we read contradicting my old aunt, I thought I had gained over Mr. Meanwell's letter, and who offered to relieve a complete victory; that she would bow to my deus from the task of replying: this he may have accom-cision, and commend my superior judgment: but plished ably; but certainly not quite so delicately as we alas! for us, her pride was mortified; she feared the consequences of such an inroad upon her authority, and endeavoured to browbeat and silence me by stating, in a very peremptory tone, it was only an SIR-You will perhaps deem it next to impossible bounced out of the room, slammed the door after error of the compositor; which so provoked me, I that so interesting a little miscellany as your Ka-me, and have thus so gained her displeasure, that le doscope should excite any disputes, or bickerings, she has been so cross ever since, that the house can in any of the private or domestic circles where it scarcely hold her; and I fear lest she will not only circulates; yet alas! it is so: it is my painful duty --to form you it has done so in our private circle, away from troubling this world any longer, that never look pleasant again, but should be called can scarcely call it domestic, since it consists of myself and sister will never obtain possession of her brun, as two forlorn orphans, we are left entirely you to be a kind-hearted man, I have made the ly myself and sister and our old maiden aunt, upon valuable property. In such circumstances, believing pendant. I left school many months since, and whole known to you, hoping you will not hesitate to cy I am rapidly advancing to the age of manhood, correct ine or my aunt Deborah; that if I am in ut bave therefore of late felt myself to be of more portance, and assumed more assurance, than my aunt, that she may forgive my boldness: and, in error, I may atone for my presumption; but if my at Deborah can at all brook with. Her name, either case, her wrinkled brows become once more ough, by-the-bye, is not Deborah, but we nickname smooth. GEORGE MEANWELL. so, because my sister and myself have long set d it, that all old maiden aunts should be called borabs, or Bridgets, or such like formal and dis preable names My sister has just attained the

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Old Belle's House, Feb. 16, 1821.

TO THE EDITOR.

""Tis true, on words is still our whole debate;
Disputes of Me or Te, or Aut or At;
To sound or sink, in cano, O or A,
Or give up Cicero to C or K."

Pope's Dunciad.

of twelve years, as lovely and good tempered a Eainre as you shall often see; she is a girl of apt yhties, and quick discernment; and to her it de lives every week to read aloud your interesting ittle work as soon as it arrives. The correctness Ther accent; the precision with which she marks @punctuation, and the melodiousness of her Pet-toned voice never fail to delight me, and rivet fattention; but my poor aunt, as though it would SIR,-There is no prejudice more injurious to society a sin to manifest that any thing pleased her, is than that against innovation; a prejudice which, dispetually interrupting her, with needless remarks couraging mechanical experiment, and cramping the continual complaints of her own invention. arm of genius, arrests the "march of mind," and operates equently of late, poor Amelia (for that's my sister's as a barrier to the amelioration of mankind. Thus, jar has paused in the midst of some interesting whatever is new, is, with some, another term for whatMeie, to tell as, "Here's another of the words I ever is wrong. This prejudice has extended to the higher we always seen spelt with two L's, spelt with only and the lower walks of literature. We are told that e My aunt immediately knitting her brows, but Byron, and Scott, and Campbell, have risen with a Pope and Addison have passed like constellations: true; Bon her tortoiseshell spectacles, takes the Ku splendour equal to their predecessors. The very spelling lascope not very gracefully from Amelia's hands, of the former (so powerful is prejudice) finds its advocates: after carefully peeping out at each corner of her and your correspondent, GEORGE MEANWELL, falls es, and at last having the word pointed out to out with your adoption, in the Kaleidoscope, of the new , sazely remarks, "Oh! it's only an error of the mode of spelling several words, as sanctioned by the mpositor, my dear;" in which, too, I have gene Lexicographers of the day, and before spelled contrary to ly joined her. But this week, when my sister the manne in which they are pronounced; particularly i reading the notes to correspondents (for she is those in which the double L is rejected. If it be allowed de to read every number all through) she had to spell a word as it is pronounced, and not clog it with t got the word illiberal out of her lips, when she time in writing or printing, and throwing out a snare unnecessary letters, causing a useless expenditure of -se more made a sudden pause, to tell us the word for false pronunciation, surely it is advisable to adopt it. ellous was spelt with only one L. I happened to Following the usual sounds of the letters, we would, unsitting beside her; and, being in large letters, it doubtedly, accent the word travelling, in the same manight my eye in a moment; but my aunt Deborah ner as the word excelling: but spell it traveling, sound manded a sight of it, before I had an opportunity all the letters, and the pronunciation cannot be mistaken. remarking it as I wished, and returned it with The rule laid down by modern grammarians, in spelling usual reply, "it's another mistake of the com the compounds of a verb or noun ending with L, is sitor." B. fore however Amelia proceeded, I beg-merely to maintain the pronunciation by the letters; thus, expel, expelling; marvel, marvelous, marveling; d to look at it myself, and right glad to take up revel, reveling, Scandal, in old writers, took scandal. cudgels with my aunt, I plainly told her it was lous; but the superfluous L has been long since rejected. such thing. I reminded her the notes to cor- Indeed objections to this improvement have no better spondents were written by the Editor himself, and foundation than those against any departure from the was sure, from its being in such large characters, spelling of the ancients, who added an e to almost every could not happen by accident, but by the Editor's noun, and k after a final c; as, publick, crowne, childe, vn desire; and looking back to some of the num.weilde, &c. The word expense is frequently spelled expence, rs immediately preceding, I found the double L the former is certainly the proper mode, as the word is as almost always om tted where the word used derived from the Latin pendio pensi, &c. to weigh. It would be well if all editors would, in future, agree to ithout the ed (you must excuse my writing scieu-spell words, now disputed, in one way, and thus fix a fically) ended with only one L, such as mar- standard of correct spelling. I would recommend the l, tavel, cancel, &c. in opposition to such rejection of useless letters; and will, on some future ords as call, toll, roll, &c.; then pointing them occasion, supply you with a list of words spelled variut to her, I maintained it was not a mistake of the ously, with the mode I conceive to be the most convenient,

and best adapted for pronunciation, the only object of
letters. Some persons object to the omission of a letter that
has no sound (or no influence on the sound of other letters
in the same word) on the score that the word, without it,
phical characters were so beautiful in themselves, that
looks monstrous and defective; just as if our typogra
room, the more the merrier." The most whimsical ob-
we might introduce them as we would ladies into a ball-
jection to the omission of an l in the word traveling, is,
that it thereby may be sounded as if spelled trave-ling;
on the same ground, travel would sound trave-l; and
reveling would sound reve-ling. I would ask such per-
sons what are the uses and purposes of letters. Are they
what we term language? Or, are they characters so
characters having sounds, which, combined, give us

can aid neither the sense nor the sound?
beautifully formed, that, in addition to this real use,
we may introduce them to please the eye, where they

spelling or grammar, either by fashion or authority.
Your correspondent is not himself borne out in his
We have alass! it tis so," for "alas! it is so;" to-
English Dictionary would have at once settled the point
gether with sundry other blunders. A good modern
in dispute, between his maiden aunt, his sister, and him-
written, merely on your rejection of the superfluous
self, without his indulging in the furor scribendi, to the
extent of a long letter of three pages and a half, closely
letter L. For the edification of Mr. Meanwell, I beg
to address to him a motto which I have just manufac
tured:

Nil melius nisi novum.

Know this, ye weak bigots in every station,
There can be no improvement without innovation.
A. B. C.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sia,-In your Kaleidoscope of this day, I notice, under the head of "Naturalists' Diary," a few sweet lines, addressed to the "Morning Lark," which ought to call forth the attention of those who can admire the sweet melody of this poor little feathered lyric, to the dreadful havock at present made aniong these poor birds. Indeed, I am a little surprised that you, who, I have no doubt, sometimes visit the markets, never have taken any notice of the immense quantity of larks laid out for sale. If some immediate stop be not put to the cruel slaughter, by some powerful hand, such as the game act, I fear this admired songster will soon cease to cheer the weary traveler on his way, or soothe the labours of the husbandman.

sions on the murderers; and, if it should be the means I hope this notice will call down your animadver of saving one life, in your first walk in the fields, you shall have the sincere thanks of a

LAVOROCK,

Of Lark-hall, near Hamilton, N. B.. Liverpool, 15th March, 1821.

ON DREAMS.

TO THE EDITOR.

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SIR,-There are certain people who believe the somniferous imaginations of the night to be infal lible prognostics of future occurrences. The good old lady with whom I reside, happens to be one of this notable class; who, as well as being an adept in dreaming, is certainly more profound than any of your learned philosophers in explaining the ature and extent of these illusive fantasies. Last week she dreamed that, as I was walking over a very shallow gutter, in Pool-lane, I unfortunately stumbled, and fell sprawling into the water; that a very kind hearted gentleman came to my assistance, and requested me to extend to him my "fin," (meaning my hand) for the purpose of extricating me from so awkward a situation; but that I, like I could not swim; bade him mind his own business, a confident jackanapes, asked him, whether he thought and so fell to in good earnest to save myself; but that after an ineffectual struggle with the stream, my strength became exhausted, and I was drowned.

In consequence of this timely warning (which my grandmother pleases to term it) I shall have been confined to the house, two days and two nights succèssively, when it arrives ten o'clock this evening. She has strong apprehensions that the gutter alluded to, is nothing more or less than a figurative representation of something worse, such as the Old Dock, or the river Mersey; and that if I go out of her sight, I shall assuredly meet with a watery grave: nay, she even carries her folly to such a pitch, that yesterday when I went to taste some new ale out of a small cooler in our brewhouse, she seized me by the skirts of my coat, and with much gravity of deportment told me not to approach too near so tremendous a reservoir.

In vain have I endeavoured to correct the good old woman's foible. I have pointed out to her the absurdity of attaching the importance of reality to things, which of themselves, are at best, mere plantoms of the imagination.

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Moral Sense, or Conscience, I conceive to be an inward consciousness implanted in us by God, showing us, instinctively, the difference between right and wrong. This must be an inherent principle of our nature; for in no age or country do we find any human being without some sense of religion or duty. We find the actions of Socrates, Aristides, Cato, and other great men, applauded in all ages, whilst a Nero or Caligula is universally execrated and abhorred.— Although the community has not enacted laws for the punishment of some crimes, yet still they have always been looked upon with abhorrence. Ingratitude, for instance, is a crime so base, that there never yet was found any one who would acknowledge himself guilty of it. How is this to be accounted for, unless we consider conscience to be an intuitive faculty? On what other principle can we account for that sense of shame we feel, when we have committed a bad action? for this feeling is totally different from the fear of punishment. In many nations, customs which we look upon with abhorrence, have been permitted and sanctioned by the laws; but if we look at their motives, it will be found that they were countenanced, not because the actions were considered right in themselves, but because they were thought to be useful to the community. For instance, theft was permitted, and even encouraged among the Spartans, because the chief object of their laws being to make the people warlike, they would be accustomed to dexterity, and inured to hardship; for they were very severely punished if caught in the act.

I have reasoned with her in the best manner I am able; and I am sorry to say that all is to no purpose. She still declares that they are prophetic of future events, and as a corroboration of this opinion, refers me to the dream of Pharaoh, in the sacred volume. We have had several hard contests together on this subject. I have told her that neither the aged men, nor the aged women of that time were able to explain the mystery of this singular dreams, but that a young man named Joseph, gave the interpretation; and that as my name was Jo seph, I begged to he allowed the same privilege. She insists that I am a very imperfect representa tive of Joseph in every particular, and that she fears, amongst our young men of the present day, there are very few, if any Josephs at all. You will perceive from this statement how provokingly am situated. Our Tom, too, foolish fellow that he is, appears to be affected with this prevalent disease. He has dreamed of goose eggs, which he says is a sure sign of mischief! And Mrs. Gossip, our nextdoor neighbour, is in my opinion equally as absurd as the rest: indeed, I may venture to say without exaggeration, that she is far more so; for, in addition to her dreaming propensity, she is liable to another very laughable infirinity, which is, that when she has once set out upon a journey, she, therefore, think that our sense of right and wrong would not turn back for the world, however “urgent is intuitive, and not the offspring of example and imithe necessity, or evident the utility;" because she tation. says it would be a strong indication of bad luck! And the same sage Mrs. Gossip, should a pigeon or blackbird accidentally light upon her house, will not venture to open her mouth to any of her neighbours for a whole day together, fearful of her choler TIM BOBBIN'S LIFE.-A correspondent from Manches.

being provoked; she considering the above to be an indisputable proof of a menacing storm of anger. In fact, Sir, there are about half a score more ,whimsicalities which I could enumerate were it necessary; but as I think I have given you a pretty fair sample of absurdity, I shall make a full stop, only requesting that you will have the kindness to punish such frippery with some of your keenest observations, by way of satire; or, if this will occupy too much of your time (as no doubt it will) that you will be good enough to offer my most repectful compliments to some of your able correspondents, inviting them to do the business in a handsome style. Your compliance will particularly oblige J. Q.

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To Correspondents.

ter wishes to know when we intend to insert the new
memoir of the celebrated author of the Lancashire
Dialect, which we have promised for two successive
weeks, and for which he has been anxiously on the
look-out? If our correspondent will consult the ad-
vertisement in the Mercury, in which TIM's life is
announced for early publication, he will find that no
specific time for its appearance is stated. We often
find it expedient to make some change in our pre-
concerted arrangement, in conséquence of the recep-
tion of communications not in contemplation on
the Thursday, when our advertisement is written
out; and, owing to this circumstance, we have, of
late, hinted at the probable contents of our next
number, by saying, "In preparation for early in-
sertion," which leaves us the free use of our discre-
tion in the selection or postponement of any article.
In the present instance, the memoir in question has
been superseded for a week by an article particularly
worthy of the attention of the moral philosopher and
the humorist; we mean the BACHELOR'S THERMO-

METER.

FANCY BALL-We have just received the note of Mr.
NO POET, enclosing some lines addressed to Miss

, upon her appearing at the Ball in the costume of a bride of 1760. As they relate to a local and recent event, we should have assigned them a place in this day's Kaleidoscope, had we received them few hours earlier. The Kaleidoscope, although nomi nally a Tuesday's publication, is, in fact, published on the Monday, early in the afternoon; and as it is not our custom to require our printers to work on the Sunday, our final arrangements are usually made a the Friday evening: no communication, except it be very brief and very urgent, has therefore much chance of a place unless conveyed to us earlier in the week No. I. of the YOUNG OBSERVER, shall have a place, in all probability, after we have been favoured with sight of No. II.

The lines of W. S. on Bolton Abbey, also those of J. P. -G. F.-are acceptable, and shall appear probably in our next. Those, on Retrospection, by the latter, are not overlooked.

No. VIII. of HORE OT108Æ is reserved for our next publication.

GULI, by adopting the hint we gave him, has rendered his lines unobjectionable.

PLAGIARISMS.We have to assure our correspondest CORNELIUS, that the postponement of the promised detection of a certain plagiarism, has solely arise from the following cause. An attempt having been made by a correspondent of the Mercury, to practice upon us an imposition similar to that detected by CORNELIUS, we had addressed the person meant to play off this hoax in terms as unceremoniou as the occasion warranted. Owing to the great press of public matter in the Mercury, several of our notices to correspondents were withdrawn, after having been prepared in the type; amongst others, was the remonstrance with the individual to whom we ha alluded; in addressing whom we took occasion to a lude to our Kaleidoscope Plagiarist, whose borrowed plumes we promised to strip off in the next number Having been under the necessity of postponing th intimation until the next Mercury, we shall defer until the next Kaleidoscope, the exposure to which CORNELIUS first called our attention. Whilst we are upon this subject, we wish to ask one correspon dent whether he can say, upon his honour, that certai verses to Eliza, commencing with "Ah! lovely rose," are original? We merely ask the question, because we fancy we have somewhere met with something not very much unlike them.

the

From a first perusal of the cantos of J. M.G. our pe
sent impression is, that although they p
merit of easy flowing versification, they are protracted
to a length, altogether disproportioned to the imper
ance or diversity of the objects treated of. At the
present rate it would require a score or two of cat
of 200 lines each, to make the tour of the town;
the probability is, that our readers would be unea
of the journey long before its termination. We shall,
however, notice the subject again in our next.
If we had more leisure we should have a "crow to pluck
with our queer correspondent, TOMMY TURTON, O
of whose compositions will be found in our poetial
department, if we have not been deceived by a vey
striking similarity in the MS.

We have further to acknowledge, ILAC-PANGLOL
IGNOTO T.P.T.-EREMUS-J. M.-BONHOMMI
T. H.

W. H.-Our correspondent from the Potteries would
Printed, published, and sold by E. SMITH and Co
much oblige us by the sight of the MS. to which he sold also by J. Bywater and Co. Pool-lane; Evans,
54, Lord-street, Liverpool
alludes, and which will, in all probability, be very
acceptable, as the subject is peculiarly elligible.

CHESS.-If the extracts from Twiss are not too long,
we shall gladly avail ourselves of the polite offer of
L. J.-The letter of A. S. of Warrington, on the
same subject, shall have an early insertion.

win & Hall, Castle-st.; T. Smith, Paradise-st.; TWE brick, Public Library, Lime-st.; E. Willan, Bold-st and J. Smith, St. James's-road, for ready money onl AGENTS FOR MANCHESTERMarket-street; T. Sowler, St. Ann's Square; J. Fletcher, Market-place.

-Miss Richards

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