is an honour which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well how to receive, or1 in what terms to acknowledge. When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your Lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address,3 and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself' le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre ;-that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending; but I found my attendance so little encouraged that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addressed your Lordship in public, I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess; I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little.10

Seven years, my Lord, have now passed since I waited in your outward rooms, 12 or was repulsed from your door; during which 13 time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it at last to the verge of publication, without one 15 act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or 16 one smile of favour.

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1 Or, ni-2 I first visited, je me présentai pour la première fois chez -3 address, abord-4 and could not forbear to wish, et je conçus, malgré moi, le désir-5 that I might boast myself, de pouvoir me vanter d'être-6 that regard for which I saw the world contending, cet intérêt dont je voyais le monde jaloux-7 my attendance, mes avances - would suffer me to, ne me permirent de-9 which a retired and uncourtly scholar...... que......un homme studieux vivant dans la retraite, loin du grand monde-10 to have his all neglected, be it ever so little, de voir dédaigner l'offre de tout ce qu'il possède, quelque petit que soit ce tout-11 have now passed, se sont écoulées-12 outward rooms, antichambre-13 which, ce-14 to the verge, à la veille-15 one, un seul-16 or, ni.

Such treatment I did not expect,1 for I never had a patron before. The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love, and found him a native of rocks.

Is not a patron, my Lord, one3 who looks on with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water,1 and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with assistance? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent,9 and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it. I hope it is no10 very cynical asperity not to confess obligation where no benefit has been received, or to be unwilling that the public should consider me as owing that to a patron which 12 Providence has enabled me to do for 13 myself.

Having carried on my work thus far 14 with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, 15 I shall not be disappointed though I should 16 conclude it, if less be possible, with less; 17 for I have long been awakened 18 from that dream of hope in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation,19 my Lord-your Lordship's most humble, most obedient servant, SAMUEL JOHNSON.

grew

1 ..I did not expect, je ne m'étais pas attendu à......-2 at last acquainted with, finit par connaître-3 one, un personnage4 struggling for life in the water, disputant sa vie aux flots-5 the notice which you have been pleased to take of, l'attention que vous avez daigné accorder à 6 had it, etc......kind, si elle s'était montrée plus tôt, eût été un acte de bonté- delayed, trop différée-8 till to be left out9 I am indifferent, je suis maintenant peu sensible- 10 it is no, il n'y a pas de-11 where, là où-12 that......which, ......ce que-13 for, par14 thus far, jusque-là-15 to any favourer of learning, envers aucun protecteur des lettres-16 though I should, si je devais-17 if less be possible, with less, avec encore moins d'obligation, si l'on peut en moins avoir-18 I have long been awakened, je suis revenu depuis longtemps-19 I once boasted myself with so much exultation, j'étais autrefois si fier et si heureux de me dire.

A MOTHER'S GRIEF.

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His wife opened the little bed-room door adjoining her room, and, taking the candle, set it down1 on the top of a bureau there; then from a small recess3 she took a key, and put it thoughtfully in the lock of a drawer, and made a sudden pause,5 while the two boys, who, boylike, had followed close on her heels,7 stood looking with silent, significant glances at their mother.8 And oh mothers who read this, has there never been in your house a drawer, or a closet, the opening of which has been to you like the opening again of 10 a little grave? Ah! happy mothers that you are, if it has not been so.11

Mrs. Bird slowly opened the drawer. There were little coats of many a form and pattern, piles of pinafores, and rows of small stockings; and even a pair of little shoes, worn and rubbed at the toes, were peeping from the folds 12 of a paper. There was a toy horse and wagon,13 a top, a ball-memorials gathered with many a tear and many a heartbreak !14 She sat down by 15 the drawer, and, leaning her head on her hands over it,16 wept till 17 the tears fell

1 Set it down, la posa-2 there, qui se trouvait là-3 then from a small recess, puis, du fond d'une cachette- thoughtfully, d'un air pensif-5 made a sudden pause, elle s'arrêta tout d'un coup-6 boy-like, en vrais garçons 7 close on her heels, de tout près-8 stood, etc...... mother, s'arrêtèrent à regarder leur mère en silence, d'un air significatif-9 and oh! mothers who read, ô mères qui lisez-10 the opening ......again of, que vous n'ouvriez pas sans qu'il vous semblât rouvrir11 if it has not been so, s'il n'en a pas été ainsi-12 worn, etc...... folds, qui avaient été portés et qui étaient frottés aux bouts se laissaient entrevoir dans les plis-13 a toy horse and wagon, un cheval de bois et son chariot-14 with many, etc......heartbreak, avec plus d'une larme et plus d'un déchirement de cœur-15 by, près de leaning......over it, y appuyant......-17 till, au point que.

through her fingers into the drawer; then suddenly raising her head, she began, with nervous haste, selecting the plainest and most substantial articles, and gathering them into3 a bundle.

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Mamma,” said one of the boys, gently touching her arm, "are you going to give away those things ?"

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My dear boys," said she softly and earnestly,5 "if our dear, loving little Henry looks down from heaven, he would be glad to have us do this." could not find it in my heart to give them away to any common person-to anybody that was happy; but I give them to a mother more heart-broken and sorrowful than I am," and I hope God will send his blessings with them!"

There are in this world blessed souls, whose sor rows all spring up into joy10 for others; whose earthly hopes, laid in the grave with many tears, are the seed from which spring healing flowers11 and balm for the desolate and the distressed. Among such 12 is the delicate woman who sits there by 13 the lamp, dropping slow tears, 14 while she prepares the memorials of her lost one 15 for the outcast wanderer.16

MRS. STOWE, "Uncle Tom's Cabin."

1 She began, etc.......selecting, elle se mit avec une précipitation nerveuse à choisir-2 articles, objets-3 and gathering them into, et à en faire- gently touching her arm, lui touchant doucement le bras5 softly and earnestly, d'un ton à la fois doux et sérieux-6 to have us do this, de nous voir agir ainsi-7 I could not find it in my heart to, je ne me sentirais pas au cœur la force de- that was, qui fût-9 than I am, que je ne le suis-10 whose, etc......joy, dont tous les chagrins sont une source de joie from which spring healing flowers, d'où jaillissent des fleurs salutaires-12 among such, de ce nombre-13 who sits there by, assise là près de 14 dropping slow tears, versant lentement des larmes-1 15 her lost one, celui qu'elle a perdu 16 the outcast wanderer, la malheureuse fugitive.

THE QUALITY OF WIT.

Wit is a thing so subtle, so versatile, and so multiform-appearing in so many shapes, so many postures, and so many garbs,-so variously apprehended by several eyes and judgments, that it seemeth no less hard to settle a clear and certain notion thereof than to make a portrait of Proteus, or to define the figures of the fleeting air. Sometimes it lieth in pat allusion to a known story, or in seasonable application of a trivial saying,5 or in forging an apposite tale ; 6-sometimes it playeth in words and phrases, taking advantage of the ambiguity of their sense, or the affinity of their sound;-sometimes it is wrapt in a dress of humorous expression;7 sometimes it lurketh under an odd similitude;8 sometimes it is lodged in a sly question, in a smart answer, in a quirkish reason, in a shrewd intimation, in cunningly diverting or cleverly retorting an objection; 9-sometimes it is couched in a bold scheme of speech,1o in a tart11 irony, a lusty12 hyberbole, a startling 13 metaphor, a plausible reconciling 14 of contradictions, or in acute nonsense; 15-sometimes a scenical representation of persons or things, a counterfeit speech, a mimical look or gesture, passeth for it ;

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1 In, sous-2 postures, attitudes-3 figure, conformation-it lieth in pat allusion, il gît dans une allusion à propos- saying, dicton6 in forging an apposite tale, dans l'invention d'une histoire à point7 in a dress of humorous expression, sous l'allure d'une expression plaisante 8 under an odd similitude, sous un rapprochement bizarre9 it is lodged, etc......objection, il se trouve placé dans une question sournoise, dans une vive répartie, dans un faux-fuyant, dans une insinuation adroite, dans une objection malignement détournée ou habilement rétorquée-10 a bold scheme of speech, une forme hardie de langage11 tart, mordante-12 lusty, ampoulée-13 startling, saisissante 14 reconciling, conciliation-15 acute nonsense, une bêtise piquante16 passeth for it, passe pour être de l'esprit.