THE TORRID AND FRIGID ZONES.

How oblique and faintly looks the sun on yonder climates, far removed from him! How tedious are the winters there! How deep the horrors of the night, and how uncomfortable even the light of day! The freezing winds employ their fiercest breath, yet are not spent with blowing 2. The sea, which else were is scarce confined within its limits, lies bere immured in walls of crystal. The snow covers the hills, and almost fills the lowest valleys. How wide and deep it lies, incumbent over 3 the plains; hiding the sluggish rivers,. the shrubs and trees, the dens of beasts, and mansions of distressed and feeble men! See! where they lie confined, hardly secure against the raging cold, or the attacks of the wild beasts now masters of the wasted fields, and forced by hunger out of the naked woods!

Yet not disheartened (such is the force

1 How oblique..., qu'ils sont obliques et pâles les rayons dont le soleil éclaire.-2 Yet are not..., et ne se lassent pas de souffler.-3 Incumbent over, étendue sur la surface de...4 Forced by hunger out of, forcés par

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of human breast), but thus provided for by art and prudence, the kind compensating gifts of heaven, men and their herds may wait for a release. For at length the sun approaching, melts the snow, sets longing men at liberty, and affords them means and time to make provisions against the next return of cold. It breaks the icy fetters of the main, where vast sea-monsters pierce through floating islands, with arms which can withstand the crystal rocks: while others, who of themselves seem great as islands, are by their bulk alone armed against all but man, whose superiority over creatures of such stupendous size and force should make him mindful of his privilege of reason, and force him humbly to adore the great composer of these wonderous frames, and author of his own superior wisdom.

summer,

But leaving these dull climates, so little favoured by the sun, for those happier regions, on which he looks more kindly, making perpetual how great an alteration do we find! His purer light confounds weak-sighted mortals " pierced by his scorching beams. Scarce can they tread the glowing ground. The air they breathe cannot enough abate the fire which burns within

la faim à sortir de.-5 Provided for by, prémuni contre ces dangers par.——' Pierce through, apparaissent au milieu de.-- Make him mindful of, le faire songer Confounds..., éblouit la faible vue des mortels.

their panting breasts. Their bodies melt 9. Overcome and fainting, they seek the shade and wait the cool refreshments of the night. Yet oft the bounteous creator bestows other refreshments. He casts a veil of clouds before them, and raises gentle gales; favoured by " which, the men and beasts pursue their labors; and plants, refreshed by dews and showers, can gladly bear the warmest sunbeams.

L. SHAFTESBURY.

-9 Melt, se détendent, se relâchent.—10 Favoured by, à la faveur de.

LIBERTY AND SLAVERY,

Disguise thyself as thou wilt, still, Slavery! still thou art a bitter draught; and though thousands in all ages have been made to drink of thee', thou art no less bitter on that account 2. It is thou, Liberty! thrice sweet and gracious goddess, whom

And though..., et quoique des milliers de victimes aient été condamnées dans tous les siècles à boire à ta coupe. On that account, se rendra par en suivi de

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all in public or in private worship, whose taste is grateful, and ever will be so, till nature herself shall change - no tint of words can spot thy snowy mantle, or chemic power turn thy sceptre into iron-With thee to smile upon him, as he eats his crust, the swain is happier than his monarch, from whose court thou art exiled. Gracious heaven! grant me but health, thou great Bestower of it, and give me but this fair goddess as my companion : and shower down thy mitres, if it seems good unto thy divine providence, upon those heads which are aching for them.

Pursuing these ideas, I sat down close by my table, and leaning my head upon my hand, I began to figure to myself the miseries of confinement. I was in a right frame for it, and so 7 I gave full scope to my imagination.

I was going to begin with the millions of my fellow-creatures born to no inheritance but slavery; but finding, however affecting the picture was, that I could not bring it nearer me, and that the multitude of sad groups in it did bu distract me 9

verbe être. -3 Tint of words, calomnie. - 4 Gracious heaven, Dieu de bonté.-5 Great bestower, dispensateur. Those heads..., les têtes de ceux qui gémissent de ne point en porter.—7 In a right..., so, dans une disposition d'esprit favorable, aussi.- Born to..., nės pour n'avoir d'autre héritage que l'esclavage.—9 Did

-I took a single captive, and having first shut him up in his dungeon, I then looked through the twilight of his grated door to take his picture.

I I

I beheld his body half wasted away with long expectation and confinement, and felt what kind of sickness of the heart it was which 10 arises from hope deferred. Upon looking nearer, I saw him pale and feverish : in thirty years the western breeze had not once fanned his blood-he had seen no sun, no moon, in all that time-nor had the voice of friends or kinsmen breathed through his lattice. His children—

But here

my heart began to bleed-and I was forced to go on with another part of the portrait. He was sitting upon the ground upon a little straw, in the farthest corner of his dungeon, which was alternately his chair and bed a little calendar of small sticks 2 was laid at the head, notched all over with 13 the dismal days and nights he had passed there-he had one of those little sticks in his hand, and with a rusty nail he was etching another day of misery to add to the heap. As I darkened the little light he had, he lifted up a hopeless eye towards the door, then cast it down-shook his head, and went on with

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but distract me, ne faisait que m'embarrasser.-19 It was which, était celle qui.- Upon, en.-12 A little........ de petits bâtons dont il s'était fait un calendrier. --13 Notched..., et les nombreuses entailles dont ils