it to be a contempt of learning, he wrote the king a' rude but severe reproof. Know, Sire, that an unlettered king is a crowned ass.'

A RUSTIC PICTURE.

"ON a woody and steep declivity of the Cotteswold hills, where they project into the vale of Gloucester, stands," says Mics Hamilton, "a small cot, inhabited by a poor widow, or rather a deserted wife, who was left with two infants, for whose provision she exerted herself in the labours of the field, and being a woman of remarkable strength and dexterity, she found constaut employment with the neighbouring farmers. As soon as her youngest boy was weaned, she consigned him to the care of his brother, not three years of age. After having cut the brown bread which was to supply them with food for the day, and given necessary Instructions to the elder boy, who was to act as cook, house-keeper, and nurse, she left them generally about five in the morning, and seldom returned till night. At the time I first saw this little pair, (which I frequently did every day for weeks together, while on a visit to a family in the neighbourhood) the eldest was near five, and the youngest about two years of age. Each might have sat for the picture of an infant Hercules. By living almost constantly in the open air, they had acquired a degree of hardiness and vigour, seldom to be met with at that carly age; and by experience had become so well acquainted with the objects around them, and with the nature of every danger to which they were exposed, that though often on the edge of precipices which would have made a fine lady shudder with horror, and where a fine little naster would most probably have broken his neck, I never heard of their meeting with the smallest accident or disaster. When the hours of meal arrived, the elder, who never for a moment forsook his little charge, took him into the cot, and seating him in a corner, proceeded to make a fire of sticks, which he managed with great dexterity. The brown bread was then crumbled down, boiled with water, and sweetened with a very little very coarse sugar. This plain, but

from its effects, evidently wholesome viand, he then placed it on the floor, and sitting down between it and his brother, gave him alternate spoonful with himself till all was finished. "Take care, Dan," said a lady who once happened to step into the cottage during the operation, "take care that you don't scald your brother's mouth." No fear o' that,' returned the boy, for I's always takes un first to self,'

6

AN EXCELLENT LESSON.

IN one of my visits, very early in life, to that venerable master, Dr. Pepusch," says Dr. Burney," he gave me a short lesson, which made so deep an impression that I long endeavoured to practise it. "When I was a young man,' said he, 'I determined never to go to bed at night till I knew something that I did not know in the morning.'

CHEPEWYAN SUPERSTITIONS.

THE notion which these people entertain of the creation is of a singular nature. They believe that, at the first, the globe was one vast and entire ocean, inhabited by no living creature, except a mighty bird, whose eyes were fire, whose glances were lightning, and the clapping of whose wings was thunder. On his descent to the ocean, and touching it, the earth instantly arose, and remained on the surface of the waters. This omnipotent bird then called forth all the variety of animals from the earth, except the Chepewyaus, who were produced from a dog; and this circumstance occasions their aversion to the flesh of that animal, as well as the people who cat it. This extraordinary tradition proceeds to relate, that the great bird, having finished his work, made an arrow, which was to be preserved with great care, and to remain untouched; but that the Chepewyans were so devoid of understanding, as to carry it away; and the sacrilege so euraged the great bird, that he never has since appeared.

They have also a tradition amongst them, that they originally came from another country, inhabited by

very wicked people, and had traversed a great lake, which was narrow, shallow, and full of islands, where they had suffered great misery, it being always winter, with ice and deep snows. At the Copper-mine river, where they made the first land, the ground was covered with copper, over which a body of earth had since been collected, to the depth of a man's height. They believe, also, that in ancient times their ancestors lived till their feet were worn out with walking, and their throats with eating. They describe a deluge, when the waters spread over the whole earth, except the highest mountains, on the tops of which they preserved themselves.

They believe, that immediately after their death, they pass into another world, where they arrived at large river, on which they embark in a stone canoe and that a gentle current bears them to an extensive lake, in the centre of which is a most beautiful island, and that, is the view of this delightful abode, they receive that judgment for their conduct during life, which terminates their final state and unalterable allotment. If their good actions are declared to predominate, they are landed upon the island, where there is to be no end to their happiness; which, however, according to their notions, consists in an eternal enjoyment of sensual pleasure, and carnal gratification, But if their bad actions weigh down the balance, the stone canoe sinks at once, and leaves them up to their chins in water, to behold and regret the reward enjoyed by the good, and eternally struggling, but with unavailing endeavours, to reach the blissful island, from which they are excluded for ever.

AN ESSAY ON PLAY-GOERS.

THE great poet of nature, in the passage from which I have taken the motto for these Essays, tells us"The purpose of playing, both at the first, and now, was, and is, to hold as 'twere, the mirror up to nature.' Than which, nothing can prove more satisfactorily that theatrical representations were never intended for amusement only; but, on the contrary, for the express purpose of conveying, under a pleasing and interesting

form, the most important lessons in the difficult but necessary study of the human species.

"The noblest study of mankind is man."

They present to us, through the medium of an efficient representative, the most striking features in the characters of celebrated men, holding them up for our approbation or detestation. They shew virtue in all its most beautiful forms, that we may be induced to admire and emulate it; and vice in her most hideous shapes, that we may avoid her.

This, however, is not an essay on the drama, but on those who are visitors and admirers of it; or, as I have termed them, Play-goers.

Here the difficulty of distinctly drawing the line of separation between the different classes, into which I divide my subject, most forcibly presents itself. Between the first and second divisions it is much more clear, than between those two and the present; for many, who would not set their foot into a chapel, upon any account whatever, and many who would as carefully avoid a church, have no objection to go to a theatre occasionally. The persons named, therefore, by the comprehensive term, Play-goers, are very numerous, and consequently of various descriptions and characters. I divide them, however, (in order to avoid confusion,) into three classes only, viz. the idle, the rational, and the critical. They might be divided into the attentive and inattentive; the quiet and the noisy; the drunken and the sober; &c. to particularize, how. ever, every description, would not only be an useless prolixity, but it would be completely at variance with the plan I wish to pursue, which is expressed in two words, comprehensive perspicuity. And as every variety of character found in the audience part of a theatre, may be included in the general terms mentioned above, they will serve every purpose.

The first part, I believe, consists of a very large majority. They are persons, generally speaking, to whom reading (to use an expression very common among them) is a great bore, and their own company a much greater one; and therefore, in order to escape from that unpleasing companion, ennui, they are obliged to

go to the Play, as they term it. "Will you go to the Play to night, Jack?" says one,-" What's to be seen?"—" Don't know, indeed, but I dare say there will be something or other worth seeing: besides I find my friend is going with his wife and family, and I should have the horrors, if I were to stay at home all the evening alone. I should be like a deaf, dumb, and blind man, left by his guide in an unfrequented place, a most pitiable object. Come Jack, will you go with me?""Oh! yes, my dear fellow, I have not the least objection."—"Go on, I follow thee." Thus it is with them, in general. They go for what? Some to see, some to be seen; some to hiss, some to applaud; some to see a favorite piece (if they can have any preference;) some to see a favorite performer; all for amusement merely, and to pass away an idle hour. While there you may distinguish them in a moment. Each, as

"All the word's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players,"

performing their various parts and characters to admiration. You will see some with their eyes in every direction, observing every one; others, tossing their heads in a hundred ridiculous postures, making absurd observations, laughing aloud at their own folly, and pluming themselves upon their supposed acute and witty remarks; in order to attract notice, some are continually annoying you with hissing, hooting, and yelling at the most beautiful passages, and the finest performers; others clapping, applauding, and encoring every thing that is foolish and despicable; while others are running in and out, and in every direction, not only not enjoying the performance themselves, but preventing all others near them from doing so. Destitute of feeling as well as of interest for what is passing on the stage, they think others are the same, and care not whose sight they prevent, or whose attention they interrupt,

"And so they play their parts."

The rational Play-goer, is a very different being from those above described. He is a rational being,