the British court, he remained in London in that capacity, until the summer of 1817, when he was called home by president Monroe, to fill the office of secretary of state.

To give even an outline of his labours, and of the business which has been done since he has entered upon the duties of this high and responsible office, would swell this article to an immoderate size; we shall therefore content ourselves by bricfly enumerating a few leading facts only. Under his instructions, a commercial convention was negociated with Great Britain in 1818.

In 1819, he signed the Florida treaty with Don Luis De Onís, which gave to us not only the Floridas, and an indemnity of five millions of dollars for our merchants, but the first acknowledged boundary from the rocky mountains to the Pacific.

In 1822, he signed with the ambassador of France, a convention of commerce and navigation, which was unanimously ratified by the senate.

To great talent, Mr Adams unites unceasing industry and perseverance, and an uncommon facility in the execution of business. He is an excellent classical scholar, and an erudite ju

rist; and speaks and writes several foreign languages. He has all the penetration and shrewdness necessary to constitute an able diplomatist, united with a capacity to perceive, and the eloquence to enforce, whatever will conduce to the welfare and interests of his country.

ANECDOTE.

GREAT MIND.-The following joke, says the London Law Magazine, was played off on an eminent legal writer, who is known to leave the task of Index-making to his pupils. 'C.,' said a gentleman to him one morning, in the Bail Court, 'I have just been a good deal puzzled by the index to your Reports. I saw in the Index"Great mind, see Best, J." I turned to "Best, J." and found "Best, J. see Prevarication." I turned to " Prevarication," and found at last what I was seeking for. "The bail having been guilty of Prevarication, Best, J. said he had a great mind to commit him.""

K2

THE MOTHER,

AT THE TOMB OF HER INFANTS.

OH rest, lovely babes! in your cold mansion lie,
And heed not the tears that are shed;

Though the torrent of sorrow can never be dry,
For a mother weeps over your bed.

Oh rest, my loves, for the wild flower springs,
And o'er you the Zephyr is sweeping,

And the willow bends low and the nightingale sings,
For she feels not a mother is weeping.

Oh rest, lovely babes! yet I would that my tears
From your cold, deathful slumbers could wake you:
Once more in my arms to enfold you, my dears,
Ere God to his bosom should take you.

Yet still rest, my loves, rest in your mansion of clay,
For though here we are destined to sever;
Yet oh! in a brighter, a happier day,

I shall meet and embrace you forever.

WASHINGTON IRVING.

THIS gentleman was born in the state of New York, about the year 1782. It is to be regretted that Mr Irving's brilliant talent should have been so long concealed, and that our transatlantic brethren should not have fostered and appreciated his very eminent literary acquirements. When' Knickerbocker's History of New York' first made its appearance, its merits were rather generally overlooked, whether from the locality of the subject or the want of due judgment in its readers, it is difficult to determine; but the 'Sketch Book' was no sooner published, than as if to reward its author for previous neglect, the public became with one accord universally desirous of better acquaintance, and the interest so generally excited by this gentleman's fictitious name, ' Geoffrey Crayon,' must have been as gratifying to his feelings as it was complimentary to his talents. High as Mr Irving's literary character stood in public estimation prior to his giving to the world 'Bracebridge Hall, or the Humourists,' his re

putation, as an elegant and pleasing writer is increased by this latter production, which is intended to give a picture of old English feelings and manners, and he has been very successful in this attempt. No one better describes the old popular customs of England, the May-day sports, and the Christmas revelries: his characters are uniformly well drawn, and display excellent feeling, and very considerable humour. One of our periodical writers has justly denominated him the 'Goldsmith of the Age,' and we know not any author that he so much resembles; for, although Mr Irving is no imitator, his style and language forcibly remind us of that easy flow so peculiar to the 'Citizen of the World' his manner is as original in itself as his works are interesting and heart-appealing.

It was this gentleman who first drew English attention to American literary talent, and who won from the most unwilling the palm of its earliest success. Antecedent to Mr Irving, no American had written any book strictly worthy of republication in this country; but, since the appearance of these works, the public attention has been considerably turned to the budding literature of America, which it is acknowledged begins to advance.