The groans, of nature in this nether world,
Which heaven has heard for ages, have an end
Foretold by prophets, and by poets sung,
Whose fire was kindled at the prophet's lamp,
The time of rest, the promis'd sabbath, comes.
Six thousand years of sorrow have well nigh
Fulfill'd their tardy and disastrous course
Over a sinful world; and what remains
Of this tempestuous state of human things,
Is merely as the working of a sea,
Before a calm, that rocks itself to rest.

For He, whose car the winds are, and the clouds,
The dust that waits upon his sultry march,
When sin hath mov'd him, and his wrath is hot,
Shall visit earth in mercy; shall descend
Propitious, in his chariot pav'd with love;
And, what his storms have blasted and defac'd
For man's revolt, shall, with a smile, repair."

If gratitude is due from man to man, how much more from man to his Creator! The Supreme Being does not only confer upon us those bounties, which proceed more immediately from his hand, but even those benefits, which are conveyed to us by others. Every blessing we enjoy, by whatsoever means it may be derived upon us, is the gift of him who is the great author of good and father of mercies."

"My lords, says he, with humble submission, That that I say is this; that that, that that gentleman has advanced, is not that, that he should have proved to your lordships."

:

"Whoever thinks a faultless piece to see,
Thinks what ne'er was, nor is, nor e'er shall be.
In every work regard the writer's end,
Since none can compass more than they intend.
And if the means are just, the conduct true,
Applause, in spite of trivial faults, is due."

"A little learning is a dangerous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:
There shallow draughts intoxicate the brain,
And drinking largely, sobers us again.”

"Harmony of period, and melody of style, have greater weight than is really imagined, in the judgment we pass upon writing and writers. As a proof of this, let us reflect, what texts of scripture, what lines in poetry, or what periods we most remember and quote, either in verse or prose, and we shall find them to be the most musical ones.

"Now storming fury rose,

And clamour, such as heard in Heaven till now
Was never; arms on armour clashing bray'd
Horrible discord, and the madding wheels
Of brazen chariots raged; dire was the noise
Of conflict; over-head the dismal hiss
Of fiery darts in flaming vollies flew,
And flying, vaulted either host with fire.
So under fiery cope together rush'd
Both battles main, with furious assault
And inextinguishable rage; all Heaven

Resounded; and, had earth been there, all earth Had to the centre shook."

"Why then their loss deplore, that are not lost? Why wanders wretched thought their tombs around,

In infidel distress? Are angels there?

Slumbers, raked up in dust, ethereal fire?
They live! they greatly live! a life, on earth
Unkindled, unconceiv'd; and from an eye
Of tenderness, let heavenly pity fall

On me, more justly number'd with the dead.”

"From dreams, where thought in fancy's maze runs mad,

To reason, that heaven-lighted lamp in man,
Once more I wake; and at the destin❜d hour,
Punctual as lovers to the moment sworn,
I keep my assignation with my woe.
O! lost to virtue, lost to manly thought,
Lost to the noble sallies of the soul,
Who think it solitude to be alone.

Communion sweet, communion large and high,
Our reason, guardian angel, and our God!
Then nearest these, when others most remote;
And all, ere long, shall be remote, but these."

OF PUNCTUATION.

Punctuation is the art of dividing a written composition into sentences, or parts of sentences, by points or stops, for the purpose of marking the different pauses which the sense and an accurate pronunciation require.

The Comma represents the shortest pause; the semicolon, a pause double that of a Comma; the Colon, double that of the Semicolon; and the Period, double that of the Colon.

OF THE COMMA.

RULE 1. With respect to a simple sentence, the several words of which it consists have so near a relation to each other, that, in general, no points are requisite, except a period at the end of it: as, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

A simple sentence, however, when it is a long one, and the nominative case is accompanied with several adjuncts, may admit of a pause immediately before the verb: as, "To be totally indifferent to praise or censure, is a real defect in character." 99

Examples.

The tear of repentance brings its own relief. It is honourable to be a friend to the unfortunate.

1

The indulgence of harsh dispositions is the introduction of future misery.

RULE 2. When the connexion of the different parts of a simple sentence is interrupted by an imperfect phrase, a comma is usually introduced before the beginning, and at the end of this phrase: as, "I remember, with gratitude, his goodness to me;" "His work is, in many respects, very imperfect; it is, therefore, not much approved." But when these interruptions are slight and unimportant, the comma is better omitted: as, "Flattery is certainly pernicious.”

.

Examples.

Gentleness is in truth the great avenue to mutual enjoyment

Charity like the sun brightens all its objects
Advice should be seasonably administered

RULE 3. When two nouns occur in the same construction; or two or more adjectives belong to the same noun; or two or more verbs have the same nominative, and immediately follow one another; or two or more adverbs immediately succeed one another, they must be separated by commas; as, “Reason, virtue, answer one great aim;"Plain, honest truth, needs no disguise," &c.

Examples.

Discomposed thoughts agitated passions and ruffled temper poison every pleasure of life Conscious guilt renders us mean-spirited timorous and base.