his sight, and consequently was not unreasonable in demanding the renewal of his lease. Thomas Parr was married at the age of 120 to Catharine Milton, and at the age of 152, performed a journey from Winnington, in Shropshire, to London, and was presented at court. BULLS. When Miss Edgeworth's treatise on Irish bulls was announced, a celebrated Scottish association of agriculturalists ordered fifty copies; fully believing that, in consequence of information to be derived from the work, they should be enabled to improve the breed of black cattle. WHALE FISHING. The maternal affection of the whale is striking and affecting. The cub being insensible to danger, is easily harpooned, when the tender affection of the mother is so manifested, as not unfrequently to bring it within reach of the cruel whalers. Hence, though a cub is of little value, yet it is sometimes struck as a snare for its affectionate mother! In this case she joins it at the surface of the water, whenever it has occasion to rise for respiration; encourages it to swim away; assists its flight by taking it under her fin; and seldom deserts it while life remains. She is then dangerous to approach, but affords frequent opportunities for attack. She loses all regard for her own safety, in anxiety for the preservation of her young; dashes through the midst of her enemies; despises the danger that threatens her, and even voluntarily remains with her offspring after various have been made upon herself. whale fishery of 1814, a barpooner struck a young whale with the barbarous hope of its leading to the poor mother. Presently she arose, and seizing the young one, dragged about a hundred fathoms of line out of the boat, with remarkable force and velocity. Again she rose to the surface, darted furiously to and fro; frequently stopped short, or suddenly changed her direction, and gave every possible intimation of extreme agony. For a length of time she continued thus to act, though closely pursued by boats; and inspired with courage and resolution by her concern for her offspring, seemed regardless of the danger that surrounded her. Being at length struck with six harpoons, she was killed by her savage pursuers. (Edin. Mag.) THE SHEPHERD'S SON—A Scottish Air. BY JOANNA BAILLIE. The gowan glitters in the sward, And Colley on my plaid keeps ward, Oh no! sad and slow! I hear nae welcome sound; My sheep-bell tinkles frae the west, Oh no! sad and slow)! I hear below the water roar, O no! sad and slow! I coft yestreen, frae chapman Tam, And promis'd when our trysting cam, Oh no! sad and slow! O, now, I see her on the way, Oh no! 'tis na so! 'Tis glamrie I hae seen : The shadow of that hawthorn bush Will move nae mair till e'en. My book of grace I'll try to read, When Colley barks I'll raise my head, O no! sad and slow! JAMES II. It was in 1682 that the Duke of York returned suddenly to England, with a view of reinstating himself in the king's favour. He went back to Scotland in May, by sea; and on this occasion his ship* struck on one of the Yarmouth sands, called the Lemonand bar, where the Lords O'Brien and Roxborough, Mr. Hyde, (Lord Clarendon's brother,) together with many others, perished. It was on this occasion his Royal Highness is said to have been particularly anxious for three descriptions of persons, the first two of which proved his ruin, his priests, Mr. Churchill (afterwards Duke of Marlborough), and his dogs. * The Gloucester, a third-rate man-of-war. -- ANOTHER DOG OF MONTARGIS. A letter from Montargis, in the Paris Journals, gives a new instance of the intelligence so remarkable in the canine species. A dog accompanied his mistress, who was walking from Montargis to Orleans. At the wood near Bellegarde she was attacked by five highwaymen, who, after robbing, tied her to a tree. No sooner were they gone, than the animal set out in search of assistance. He found a farmer in a field, and by fawning upon him, going, returning, and other signs, endeavoured to prevail upon him to follow; but the farmer, rather frightened at his obstinacy, was about to fell him, when a shepherd, who had observed the whole, advised him to accompany the sagacious dog. The two were joined by others, and the whole were conducted by the faithful creature to the relief of his mistress. THE GREEKS. It is known to our readers that Mr. Blaquiere, the patriotic and intelligent author of a History of the Spanish Revolution, had been despatched by the Greek Committee to the Morea, for the purpose of ascertaining the real state of affairs in Greece. That gentleman, having returned from his mission, has published two reports which put the public in possession of much useful in formation respecting the war between the Greeks and Turks. The Greek Constitution is now settled upon the representative principles of those of England and North America. Five of the representatives form the executive government, with the addition of a minister for foreign affairs. The whole male population of the Morea is drilled for the purpose of defence against the Turks, but such is the want of arms and of money, that not above one-third of these brave people can be rendered efficient in the field. The patriotic soldiers serve without pay and merely for their subsistence; they have been often destitute of shoes, of clothing, and almost of food, and yet these dom, have sometimes marched forty miles brave men, inspired by their love of freea day, have successfully fought against the most formidable armies of the Turks, and have inflicted on those armies a loss of about 100,000 men; finally rescuing from Peloponnesus, the whole of Attica, Boeotia, their oppressors the whole of the Morea or Phocis, Doris, Locris, a part of Epirus, and most of the larger islands of Greece. M. 20,000. excellent seamen, and to be in a Blaquiere represents the navy to consist of condition to maintain a supremacy at sea, but that its operations are often delayed or frustrated for want of adequate funds. The finances of the Greeks are in a most deplorfarming out of national lands, but, owing to the state of the war, it appears that, of able state, their revenue is derived from the the two most material tracts, the one has for some time laid fallow, and the other has yielded but a precarious and diminished return to the public treasury. The fleet and army have therefore been supported by the voluntary contributions of wealthy individuals, principally in the Islands; and it appears that the triumph of the Greek cause can be retarded or injured solely by the want of funds to call forth the national for ces, and to maintain them in the field against the enemy. THE COUNTESS DE VINTIMILLE. The following anecdote is an instance of the old adage 'summum jus summa injuria,' reversed; for in this case strict justice arises from a gross perversion of justice. A countess,handsome enough to prejudice the most rigid judge, in favour of the worst cause, was desired to take the part of a colonel in the army against a tradesman. The tradesman was in conference with the judge, who found his claim so clear, and so just, that he assured him of success. At this moment, the charming countess appeared in the anti-chamber. The judge ran to meet her. Her address, her air, her eyes, the tone of her voice, such an accumulation of charms, were so persuasive, that in the moment he felt more as a man than a judge, and he promised the lovely advocate that the colonel should gain his cause. When he returned to his study he found the tradesman in despair. "I have seen the lady who solicits against me, she is as handsome as an angel. O sir, my cause is lost!" "Put yourself in my place, (said the judge quite confused) "could I refuse her?" And saying this he took an hundred pistoles from his purse, which was the amount of the tradesman's demand, and gave them to him. The lady heard of this; and as she was scrupulously virtuous, she was fearful of lying under too great an obligation to the judge, and immediately sent him the hundred pistoles. The colonel, who was as galiant as the lady, was scrupulous, and repaid her the money, and so, in the end, every one did what was right. The judge feared to be unjust; the Countess was cautious of lying under too great an obligation, the colonel paid his debt, the tradesman recovered his due. NATIVE COUNTRY of the POTATO. Great doubts have existed with respect to the natural habitat of the potato. It was first known in its cultivated state in Virginia, from which place it was brought by Sir W. Raleigh; it is generally supposed, however, that the plants found there had been previously introduced from some of the Spanish territories, in the more southern parts of that quarter of the globe. From Humboldt's observations it seems that it does not occur native in the south-western part of North America; nor is it known as a garden plant in any of the West India islands. According to Mollini, it grows wild in great abundance in the fields of Chili, in which state it is called by the natives Maglia, producing small and bitter tubers; and Don Jose Pavon asserts that he has seen it cultivated in Peru. Early in the spring of last year, Mr. Caldcleugh, Secretary to the British Minister at the Court of Rio de Janeiro, in his journey along the west coast of South America, obAcserved the potato in its native state. cording to him, it is found in considerable quantity in ravines in the immediate neigh-・ bourhood of Valparaiso, in lat. 344 S. It begins to flower in October (the spring of that climate), and is not very prolific, the leaves and flowers being similar to those of the plants cultivated in England. The roots are small and bitter, some with red, others with yellowish skins, and do not appear to be put to any particular use. Two of the tubers sent to England by Capt. Sabine were planted separately in pots, and speedily vegetated, from which they were afterwards transplanted into a border, at about the distance of two feet from each other. The blossoms were at first sparingly produced, but as the plants were earthed up they bore flowers abundantly, which however were not succeeded by fruit. The flowers and leaves were in most respects similar to those of the cultivated potato. In August, runners from the roots and joints of the covered stems protruded in great abundance from the surface of the ridge, and formed considerable stems, bearing leaves and blossoms. When taken from the ground, the principal stems measured more than seven feet in length. They afforded above six hundred tubers of various sizes, the largest not exceeding that of a pigeon's egg, which when boiled had the flavour of a young potato. It was observed, that so late as the month of August there were no tubers formed, which was supposed to be owing to the mould employed having been much loaded with manure, by which an excessive luxuriance of the stems was occasioned. The tubers obtained also are not fully ripe, nor have they attained the size which they probably might have done, had they been formed earlier; these will however answer perfectly well for the purpose of reproduction, and they are in sufficient quantity to be subjected to the same treatment as that practised for raising a common crop of potatoes, so that there is every reason to expect that they will yield a similar produce. PUGILISM. On Tuesday last, a battle took place ať Moulsey Hurst, between two prize-fighters, known by the names of Josh. Hudson and Net Ward after 14 rounds, tho' Hudson is described as having been "beaten from the waist to the thatch so severely as to resemble nothing human," he was declared the victor." Ward was floored, and lay on the ground apparently insensible. His Seconds roused him from his stupor, produced by the tremendous hits he had received, and on time being called, carried him to the scratch! He made an effort to stand up, but Nature failed; Josh. gave him a slight hit on one shoulder, when he fell, and was deaf to his Second's call when the word "time" was pronounced. The fight occupied 35 minutes."--It is certainly nothing extraordinary, that a couple of vagabonds should beat each other about the head and body for half an hour,in the hope of obtaining 200 guineas (the prize); but that not a few persons generally deemed respectable," should crowd to view these cruel exhibitions, is, we think, somewhat Of well and ill-dressed blackremarkable guards, there were, it seems, an abundance at this fight, three of whose worthy associates are now in "durance vile." NEW PUBLICATIONS. Italian Tales, with plates by Cruikshank, 10s.-Lizar's Views of Edinburgh, Part V. royal 4to. 5s.-Lockhart's Pilgrim's Tale, a Poem, 8vo. 7s. 6d.-Memoirs of Mrs. Fordyce, crown 8vo. 6s.-Eliza Dalvany, a Tale, 18mo. 28.6d-Memoirs of the Duke, 8vo. 3s.6d.-Kitchener's Sea-Songs, 2 vols. folio, 21.28.-Treatise on British Song Birds, 12mo. 9s.-Gleig's Letter to Sir E. Knatchbull, on the Missionary Association, 8vo. 3. 6d-Frederick, or Incidents illustrative of Vital Piety, 18mo. 2s.-Devotional Exercises, by a Lady, 12mo, 3s. 6d.-Buchanan's Guide to Acoustic Surgery, folio, 128 6d. The style in which Capt. Parry's forthcoming volume is getting up is, we understand, eminently beautiful. Capt. Lyon's talents as a draughtsman have furnished admirable means for the exercise of their best skill among the eminent artists employed on the engravings, &c. A Novel has just been published at Paris, entitled Letters of Two Lovers, confined during the reign of terror, by Mr Sedin, 2 vols. This, says a French critic, is in some respects an historical novel, conceived in imitation of Sir Walter Scott. OF THE ENGLISH MAGAZINES. 47 BOSTON, FEBRUARY 15, 1824. (Lit. Gaz.) ODE. BY WILLIAM COOMBE, ESQ. AH, who has power to say, To-morrow's son shall warmer glow, And o'er this gloomy vale of woe Diffuse a brighter ray? Ah, who is ever sure, Though all that can the soul delight This hour enchants the wond'ring sight, Is there in life's dull toil We seek hope's gentle aid; We court love's thrilling dart; We pant for glitt'ring fame ; That might have charm'd a future age, We toil for paltry ore; And when we gain the golden prize, * Author of Tour of Dr. Syntax-Lord Lyttleton's Letters-Dance of Death, &t, ATHENEUM VOL. 14. (Lit. Gaz.) THE HERMIT IN PRISON ; Translated from the French of E. Jouy and A. Jay. London 1823. WE expected more even from a month's hasty penmanship than these volumes display; for each of the authors holds the pen of a ready writer, and men disciplined for many years to the rapid production of clever pieces, "de circonstance et d'opinion," for the journals, might have been expected to do much under strongly personal exciting circumstances and situations well calculated to elicit forcible opinions. But though they enumerate many famous works written in prisons, they have not added one to the number. Indeed nothing but the state of the public mind in Paris could have given these essays any popularity; for they are, generally speaking, bien longs, et bien lourds. The friends of liberty hardly ever succeed when they are confined; as larks make but indifferent songsters in the cage, and the fiercest hyenas are powerless in the keeper's den. Of Mr. Jay we know little. He wrote an ode on the coronation of Buonaparte, calling him " Vanquer des Rois," and verses on the birth of the King of Rome. He was for a long time one of the contributors to the Journal de Paris, under the signature of N., and in one of his articles designated the same Buonaparte, then at Elba, as an" Etranger banni,” denouncing him as the decimator of families, the destroyer of industry, a tyrant and a boaster, who arrogated to himself the glory gained by the brave French defenders of their country. He now, it seems, is equally opposed to the Bourbons; and for expressing his sentiments a little too freely, was condemned to a month's imprisonment at St Pelagie. With him in this scrape was our old friend M. Jouy; of whom we would speak with all respect. But as we must exhibit their lucubrations by some selection, we shall add one, the subject of which is Liberty and the writer M. Jay. "Whenever I reflect that the larger portion of the world is sunk in the most frightful slavery, that in Europe alone two or three hundred thousand human beings are perishing, at the very moment I am writing, in the obscurity of dungeons,-I look upon myself as comparatively free in Sainte-Pélagie ; and the meditations in which my mind indulges do not spring from any painful feeling of personal privation. Yesterday evening, as I was sitting near my window, which I somewhat pettishly style my vent-hole, I beheld the last beams of daylight fade away, and gazed through my gratings upon that sky, of which I could see so small a part. Judges have sentenced in vain : they cannot bind down the thoughts; and mine had sprung upon their wings, and traversing, as Milton has it, the concave of this airy dome,' assembled around me beings from all countries, and of all complexions; having first contracted their dimensions, like Milton's imps that they might enter Pandemonium. As fast as they presented themselves I ranged them along the four walls, without any regard to the colour of their skins: Caffres, Italians, Turks, Tartars, Brazilians, Greeks, Patagonians, and Persians; then passing the whole human race in review, in the person of its representatives, I put to each of them this question, ARE YOU FREE? "Very free,' unswered the Italian, on condition that I may visit the Madonna, once at least every day; that I make no sort of use of my ten fingers for the maintenance of my family on Sundays and holidays, that is to say, a full third part of every year; and that I be not obliged to go into my own house whenever I find the sandals of Father Carceretto at the door.' "I am infinitely more free,' said a man with a turban, for I can insult a Franc, or kill a Greek, whenever I take the whim into my head; and can choose between the bow-string and the scimitar, when his Highness the Sultan has need of my head to ornament the walls of the seraglio.' "There is no liberty,' cried an inhabitant of Thibet, except in those places where the Daïly-Lama reigns. In my country there never was any rev |