MEER external beauty is of little eftimation,-and deformity, when affociated with amiable difpofitions and ufeful qualities, does not preclude our refpect and approbation.

PHILIP the III. king of Spain, feriously reflecting upon the life he had led in the world, cried out upon his death bed, "Ah! how happy were I, had 1 fpent these "twenty-three years that I have held my kingdom,, in "retirement. My concern is for my foul, not my body.'

IT is very proper to leave the world before we are removed out of it, that we may know how to live without it, that we may not carry any hankerings after this world with us into the next; and therefore it is fitting, that there fhould be a kind of middle ftate between this world and the next; that is, that we should withdraw, and wean ourselves from it, even while we are in it..

PSALM 148-PARAPHRASED.

BEGIN, my foul, th' exalted lay,.
Let each enraptur'd thought obey,
And praise th' Almighty's name ::
Lo! heav'n and earth, and feas and skies,
In one melodious concert rife

To fwell th' infpiring theme!

IL.

Ye fields of light, celeftial plains,.
Where gay tranfporting beauty reigns,.
Ye fcenes divinely fair!

Your Maker's wond'rous power proclaim,.
Tell how he form'd your fhining frame,.
And breath'd the fluid air,

III.

Ye angels, catch the thrilling found!:
While all th' adoring thrones around.
His boundlefs mercy fing;

Let ev'ry lift'ning faint above,
Wake all the tuneful foul of love,

And touch the sweetest string.

IV.

Join, ye loud fpheres, ye vocal choir;
Thou dazzling orb of liquid fire,
The mighty chorus aid!
Soon as grey ev'ning gilds the plain,
Thou moon, protract the melting ftrain,
And praife him in the fhade.

V.

Thou, heav'n of heav'ns, his vast abode;
Ye clouds, proclaim your forming God,
Who call'd yon worlds from night,
"Ye fhades, difperfe!"-th' Eternal faid
At once th' involving darkness fled,
And nature fprung to light.

VI.

Whate'er a blooming world contains,
That wings the air, that fkims the plains,
United praise bestow:

Ye dragons, found his awful name
To heav'n aloud; and roar Acclaim,
Ye fwelling deeps below!:

VH.

Let ev'ry element rejoice:

Ye thunders, burft with awful voice
To Him who bade you roll!
His praise in fofter notes declare,
Each whifp'ring breeze of yielding air,
And breathe it to the foul!

VIII.

To Him, ye graceful cedars bow!
Ye tow'ring mountains bending low,
Your great Creator own;

Tell, when affrighted nature fhook,
How Sinai kindled at his look,

And trembled at his frown.

Ye

IX.

Ye flocks that haunt the humble vale,
Ye infects flutt'ring on the gale,
In mutual concourse rife!
Crop the gay rofe's vermeil bloom,
And waft its spoils, a fweet perfume,
In incenfe to the skies.

X.

Wake, all ye mounting tribes, and fing;
Ye plumy warblers of the spring,

Harmonious anthems raife,

To him who fhap'd your finer mould,
Who tipp'd your glitt'ring wings with gold,
And tun'd your voice to praise..

XI.

Let man, by nobler paffions fway'd,.
The feeling heart, the judging head,
In heav'nly praise employ;
Spread his tremendous name around,,
Till heav'ns broad arch rings back the found,
The gen'ral burst of joy.

XII.

Ye whom the charms of grandeur please,
Nurs'd on the downy lap of ease,

Fall proftrate at his throne !.

Ye princes, rulers, all adore!

Praife him, ye kings! who make your pow'r
An image of his own.

XIII.

Ye fair, by nature form'd to move,,
O praise th' eternal fource of love,
With youth's enlivening fire!:

Let age take up the tuneful lay,
Sigh his blefs'd Name-then foar away,
And ask an angel's lyre..

HEALTH

HEALTH is not to be obtained by poffeffions, nor happiness procured by wealth, for the most affluent may be, and often are, the most miferable and afflicted in mind, body, or eftate; life cannot be lengthened by abundance, nor heaven purchafed with fordid gain.

A GENEROUS perfon compaffionates the lot of those who are neceffitated to toil for his benefit or gratification. He lightens their burthens; treats them with kindness and affection; ftudies to promote their intereft and happinefs; and as much a poffible conceals from them their fervitude and his fuperiority. The diftinctions of rank and fortune he regards as accidental; and though the circumstances of life require that there thould be “ hewers "of wood, and drawers of water," yet he forgets not that mankind are by nature equal; all being the offspring of God, the subjects of his moral government, and joint heirs of immortality. A conduct, directed by fuch principles, gives a mafter claims which no money can purchase, no labour can repay. His affection can only be compenfated by love; his kindness, by gratitude; and his cordiality, by the fervice of the heart,

THOSE beft confult their own happiness, as well as the good of fociety, who ftudy to be quiet, and to attend to their own proper business.

CHARLES the V. Emperor of Germany, after three and twenty pitched battles, fix triumphs, four kingdoms conquered, and eight principalities added to his dominions, refigned up all his pomp, and betook himself to retirement; leaving this teftimony behind him, concerning the life he had spent in the honours and pleafures of the world; that the fincere ftudy, profeffion, and practice of the Chriftian religion, had in it fuch joy and sweetness as courts were ftrangers to.

THE SWALLOWS.

THE SWALLOWS.

ERE yellow autumn from our plains retir'd,
And gave to wintry ftorms the varied year,
The Swallow-race, with fore-fight clear infpir'd,
To fouthern climes prepar'd their course to steer.
On Damon's roof a grave aflembly fate;

His roof a refuge to the feather'd kind;
With ferious look he mark'd the nice debate,

And to his Delia thus addrefs'd his mind. Obferve yon twitt'ring flock, my gentle maid,

Obferve and read the wond'rous ways of heav'n ! With us thro' fummer's genial reign they ftay'd,

And food, and lodging, to their wants were giv'n. But now, thro' facred prescience, well they know The near approach of elemental ftrife; The bluft'ring tempeft, and the chilling fnow,

With ev'ry want, and fcourge of tender life! Thus taught, they meditate a speedy flight;

For this, ev'n now they prune their vig'rous wing; For this, confult, advife, prepare, excite,

And prove their ftrength in many an airy ring.
No forrow loads their breast, or swells their eye,

To quit their friendly haunts, or native home,
Nor fear they, launching on the boundless sky,
In fearch of future fettlements to roam,

They feel a pow'r, an impulfe all divine!

That warns them hence; they feel it and obey; To this direction all their cares refign,

Unknown their destin'd stage, unmark'd` their way.

Well fare your flight! ye mild domestic race!

Oh! for your wings to travel with the fun! Health brace your nerves, and zephyrs aid your pace, Till your long voyage happily be done!

See, Delia, on my roof your guests to day;

To morrow on my roof your guests no more! Ere yet 'tis night, with hafte they wing away,

To-morrow lands them on fome fafer fhore.

How