and excel in manufacturing articles of taste; their principal exports are silks, wines, brandy, fruits, and toys.

The principal rivers of France, are the Seine, and the Somme, which fall into the English Channel; the Rhone, which flows into the Mediterranean, and the Loire, and the Garonne,† which empty themselves into the Bay of Biscay.

BELGIUM, formerly called Flanders, established its independence in 1831, when Leopold, the uncle of the Queen of England, was chosen king; its population is about four millions.

Brussels, the capital, is one of the finest cities in Europe; a few miles to the south of it, is the village of Waterloo, famous for the great battle fought in its neighbourhood, between the English and French, in the year 1815.

The other chief towns are Bru'ges, Ghent, Antwerp, and Ostend'.

The Belgians, formerly called Flemings, are an industrious people, and particularly excel in manufacturing lace, cambrics, and fine lawns, of which they export large quantities.

The climate of Belgium is mild, but moist, the face of the country level, the soil fertile, and in a high state of cultivation.

HOLLAND, sometimes called the Netherlands, is a small commercial kingdom, separated from England by the German Ocean; it is divided into eleven provinces, and contains upwards of three millions of inhabitants.

Amsterdam, the capital, is a large thriving seaport, with a population of about two hundred and twenty † Ga-ron!.

* Sum.

thousand; the other chief towns are Rotterdam, a place of extensive commerce; the Hague, a beautiful city, and the seat of government; and Leyden, famous for its university.

The climate in the south is mild, but in the north moist and foggy, and, in the winter season, cold, when the canals, with which it abounds, are usually frozen over, and the inhabitants skate along them with great rapidity.

Holland is a flat country, a great part of it lying below the level of the sea, from which it is preserved by immense dikes, or embankments, which are kept in repair at a great expense.

The Dutch are considered a cleanly, frugal, and industrious people, and of domestic habits; their exports are considerable, especially in flax, butter, cheese, and seeds, and they possess several colonies abroad.

LESSON LXXXIX.

THE MOUNTAIN OF MISERIES, OR ADDISON'S DREAM.*

It is a celebrated thought of Soc'-ra-tes, that if all the misfortunes of mankind were cast into a public stock, in order to be equally distributed among the whole species, those who now think themselves the most unhappy, would prefer the share they are already possessed of, before that which would fall to them by such a division.

As I was ruminating on this subject, seated in my elbow chair, I insensibly fell asleep; when, on a sudden,

* Dr. Johnson used to say that this Essay, on the burdens of mankind, was the most exquisite he had ever read.

I thought there was a proclamation made by Jupiter, that every mortal should bring in his griefs and calamities, and throw them together in a heap.

There was a large plain appointed for the purpose; I took my stand in the centre of it, and saw, with a great deal of pleasure, the whole human species marching one after another, and throwing down their several loads, which immediately grew up into a prodigious mountain, that seemed to rise above the clouds.

There was a certain lady of a thin, airy shape, who was very active in this solemnity; she carried a magnifying glass in one of her hands, and was clothed in a loose flowing robe; her name was FANCY, and there was something wild and distracted in her looks.

She led up every mortal to the appointed place, after having very officially assisted him in making up his pack and laying it upon his shoulders.

My heart melted within me, to see my fellowcreatures groaning under their respective burdens, and to consider that prodigious bulk of human calamities which lay before me.

There were, however, several persons who afforded me some amusement on this occasion; I observed one bringing in a burden, very carefully concealed under an old embroidered cloak, which, upon his throwing it into the heap, I discovered to be Poverty; another, after a great deal of puffing, threw down his luggage, which, upon examining, I found to be his wife.

I saw multitudes of old women throw down their wrinkles, and several young ones who stripped themselves of a bad complexion; there were very great heaps of red noses, large lips, and rusty teeth; the truth of it is, I was surprised to see the greatest part of the mountain made up of bodily deformities.

Observing one advancing towards the heap, with a

larger cargo than ordinary upon his back, I found, on his nearer approach, that it was only a natural hump, which he disposed of, with great joy of heart, among this collection of human miseries.

There were likewise diseases of all sorts, though I could not but observe, that there were many more imaginary than real; one little packet I could not but notice, which was a complication of all the disorders incident to human nature, and was in the hands of a great many fine people; this was called the Spleen.

But what, most of all, surprised me, was a remark I made, that there was not a single vice or folly thrown into the whole heap; while I had concluded, within myself, that every one would take this opportunity of getting rid of his passions, prejudices, and frailties.

I took notice, in particular, of a very profligate young man, who I did not question, came loaded with his crimes; but upon searching into his bundle, I found that, instead of throwing his guilt from him, he had only laid down his memory; he was followed by another worthless spendthrift, who flung away his modesty, instead of his ignorance.

When the whole race of mankind had thus cast off their burdens, the phantom, which had been so busy on this occasion, seeing me an idle spectator of what had passed, approached towards me.

I grew uneasy at her presence, when, on a sudden, she held her magnifying glass full before my eyes; I no sooner saw my face in it, but I was startled at the shortness of it, as it now appeared in its utmost aggravation.

The immoderate breadth of the features made me very much out of humour with my countenance, and I threw it from me like a mask; it happened very luckily, that one who stood by me, had just before thrown down his visage, which it seems was too long for him.

It was indeed extended to a shameful length; I believe the very chin was, modestly speaking, as long as my whole face. All the contributions being now brought in, every man was at liberty to exchange his misfortune for those of another person, but the result I will communicate hereafter.

To be continued.

LESSON XC.

GEORGE III.-GEORGE IV.

George II. was succeeded by his grandson, GEORGE II. in the year 1760. The first great event in George's reign, was the American war; the British government persisted in levying certain taxes upon the Americans, as a matter of right, without their consent, and, in consequence, they threw off their allegiance to the mother country, and, after a seven years' conflict, succeeded in establishing their independence.

The next great event was the French revolution, in the year 1789, when the king and queen were both beheaded; this gave rise to a general Europe'an war, during which, Napoleon Bonaparte, who had been elected Emperor of France, humbled every power in Europe, with the exception of Great Britain.

This general war, with a short intermission, continued until the year 1814, when, by the combined exertions of England, and some of the other leading powers, the armies of Napoleon were completely dispersed, his capital was taken, and he himself was obliged to abdicate, and retire to the island of Elba.