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from the imprefsion it has left on the fibres of my brain.. It needs no comment, but it is necessary to mention that the subject was a young lady, my fellow passenger, who slept in a hammock.

I burn for no terrestrial dame,
Mean object of ignoble flame;
My bold ambition dares aspire,
To charms more worthy of desire.
Th' exalted beauties of a fair,

Who scorns vile earth and lives in air;:
And o'er our heads exalted flies,
Like some bright native of the skies.

From Britain's isle to Tagus' fhore,
Haste, haste, ye winds! to waft her o'er ;
Come from yon mountain's steepy side,
Come leave the garden's painted pride;
Where'er ye sport, on earth or air,
This beautecus maid claims all your care;
A nobler charge than to convey
A royal navy on its way!

Thou gentle Tagus mourn no more,
That av rice drain'd the precious ore ;·
A richer prize thy waves behold,
Than all thy sands if chang'd to gold!
What star, O Lusitania, shed
Its baleful influence on thy head ?^
Hardly escap'd th' Iberian chain,
Instant destruction threats again;
Nor can Britannia's faithful aid,
Protect thee from this dangerous maid; <
For where her conquering charms assail,›
Nor arms nor counsel can avail;
Struck by th' artillery of her eye,
'Tis vain to fight, too late to fly;
In one promiscuous ruin all,
Protectors and protected fall.

The late Sir J. F. is heartily tired of writing so long if the reader be half so tired, it will be wished he had rested quietly in his grave. But he will not think his posthumous labour lost if it serve to divert his friends; and the letter is written with mysterious intention, that, whichever of the spouses, his said friends is pleased with it, may accept the compliment from the deceased, who, from His regard for them, still feels the truth of what Virgil

delivered long ago, that, whatever strong prepofsefsions a person had while alive,

Eadem sequitur tellure repostos."

FROM THE ENVIRONS OF THE AISLE AT C--

*The sprightly and elegant letter from which this is extracted, was one of the last written by a man, who, though little known in the great world, was an honour to his profefsion as a soldier, and to literature.

THE ADVANTAGES OF LITERATURE.

By learning, a man becomes an inhabitant of the world at large, and a contemporary of all ages. Books are like fhips, which pafs through the vast seas of time; and make the most distant ages to participate of the wisdom, illumination, and inventions, the one of the other.

LORD BACON.

How much superior must that merchant be who deals upon such boundless stores, imported from all ages, and from all countries, to him who trades only upon his own narrow home stock! PINKERTON.

HINT ON THE REIGN or HENRY VI. OF ENGLAND.

In the annals of England, we meet with no period more remarkable than the reign of Henry vi. It was a reiga stained with blood! There were no lefs than twelve dreadful conflicts for the possession of the crown, by Englishmen alone. Ten dukes, twenty-one earls, two marquifses, two viscounts, one judge, one lord provost, one hundred and thirty-nine knights, and four hundred and forty-one esquires, fell a sacrifice to the sword!

TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE Editor is much obliged to his learned correspondent A. B. for the valuable historical notices with which he has been favoured, which fhall have a place as soon as pofsible.

The anonymous ode on friendship, does not pofsefs all the poetical fire that that kind of composition requires. It is feared some of our hypercritical readers might object to it.

The communication by Astra, may be deemed by some rather severe; but we shall try to give it a place.

The communication by P. H. N. is thankfully received, and fhall be inserted with the first convenience. His farther correspondence will be very acceptable; and the drawing of the rare bird will be deemed a particular favour.

A Reader is requested to pardon the seeming inattention of the Editor. The paper in question is in the hands of a medical gentleman, and accor ding to his decision, it fhall be disposed of as the writer desires.

The favour of Autor is received; and hall have a place as soon as pofsible. The evil he complains of cannot be too often or too severely re prehended.

The Editor is much obliged to M. M. M. for his favourable opinion; and the hints he gives for the farther improvement of this work fhall be duly attended to; but it is too highly complimentary to appear in this miscellany without alterations.

The very valuable original memoirs of lord Hailes are received with gratitude, and must be acceptable to all readers, they fhall appear as early as pofsible. In the mean while, any farther interesting notices of this honourable man will be received with gratitude.

Two farther continuations of the traveller are received, and fhall appear with conveniency.-The directions of W, E. fhall be daly attended

to.

The arecdotes of Professor Simson are peculiarly acceptable. Real anecdotes of worthy men, tending to display character, and not raked up for the purpose of depreciating merit, will always be received with thankfulness.

The memoirs of (the first,) lord Napier are also received, and are submitted, before publication, to the revisal of a gentleman well acquainted with the history of that family.

The additional memoir by P. H. N. on the poison of serpents, is come to hand. Such communications. as they tend to disseminate useful knowledge, are always highly acceptable to the Editor of the Bee.

The literary olla, No. 2d is received, and fhall appear soon.

The original letter by an eminent character lately deceased, to Mr. Pennant, is thankfully received, and fhall have a place soon.

As also another letter from the same on East India affairs.

III.

THE BEE,

OR

LITERARY WEEKLY INTELLIGENCER,

FOR

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 16. 1793.

"THE

ERSKINE,

A RAM WITH FOUR HORNS.

HE above is a very exact representation, drawn from the life, of a ram, having four horns, that was lately sent in a present to the Society for the Improvement of British Wool, by Thomas Erfkine, esq. his Britannic majesty's consul at Gottenburgh.

This animal may be deemed rather a curious, than useful species of sheep. Its wool is neither veVOL. Xiij.

ry fine, nor uncommonly abundant. It is about the size of the common black faced fheep in Scotland; that is, it may weigh from 15 to 20 lb per quarter, It is a lively active animal, and has every appearance of being healthful and hardy; but has no other quality to recommend it.

The horns, which are the greatest singularity of this fheep, are so exactly delineated in the drawing, as to require little description. The two foremost are nearly straight; and more resemble the horns of a goat than a ram, being straight and not twisted. The other two lie backward, and resemble the first pair in every other respect.

There is another peculiarity in this animal, very unusual in fheep. It is a white strip that runs across the nose, slanting downwards towards the left side, as appears in the figure. There are also some marks on the legs not usual among animals of this clafs, all of which are very exactly delineated.

The wool is white and fhagged, the face and legs black and smooth.

SIR,

THE

ON THE MARINER's COMPASS.

To the Editor of the Bee.

HE magnetic needle, or mariner's compafs, an instrument as curious as it is useful to mankind, has, for several years, engaged my attention at leisure times.

It is, I believe, impofsible to ascertain, when, where, or by whom, this admirable machine was first discovered. For though the attractive virtue of

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