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an old woman opened the casement in the highest story, and said, in a slow, dreamy voice, 'I am coming down.""

Ere twilight had again darkened the earth, we reached our pleasant home, with the beauty of Dovedale and its adjacent scenery engraven on the heart for

ever.

EDWIN ATHERSTONE.

"The world, believe it, the world has nothing solid-nothing durable; it is only a fashion, and a fashion too, that passeth away. Yes, sirs, the tenderest friendships end. Honours are specious titles, which time effaces. Pleasures are amusements, which leave only a lasting and painful repentance. Riches are torn from us by the violence of men, or elude us by their own instability. Grandeurs moulder away of themselves. Glory and renown at length lose themselves in the abysses of an eternal oblivion. So rolls the torrent of this world, whatever pains are taken to stop it. Everything is carried away by a rapid train of passing moments; and by continual revolutions we arrive, frequently, without thinking of it, at that fatal point where time finishes and eternity begins! Happy the Christian soul who, obeying the precept of Jesus Christ, loves not the world, nor anything that the world contains."

ARCHBISHOP FLECHIER.

THE mystery which enshrouds the history of Nineveh renders what little we know more deeply interesting: we have but few records, but those records characterize it as a city of vast and unparalleled magnificence. We look back upon this great Assyrian capital as on some mighty and stupendous dream. The outline is indistinct, the colouring imperfect, and the figures broken, but there is one grand feature of majesty and glory upon each and all; everything is Titanic; everything is colossal. There is a splendour about the very figments which strikes one with awe and astonish

ment.

And this greatness has passed away, as passes the morning dew or the April shower; a few crumbling walls are all that remain of its pomp and glory. Its voluptuous banquetings have departed; the voice of the singer is no more heard; the dulcimer and harp are mute; the dancing girl has ceased to move; its palm, and cedar, and pine have faded; its flowers, which flung their odours on every breeze, have perished; its temples and palaces are not; its star, once so bright and resplendent, has waned, and gone down; there is scarce a streak of twilight in the horizon. The gigantic power and the gigantic monarchy have fallen; their thrones are in the dust: they have been; they are not now. Three thousand years ago, and the sun shook off its glories in the sky, and Nineveh stretched herself as a giant beneath its rays: that sun arose today, and all was desolation-the million homes swept away, and the million inhabitants in the grave;-once its abodes towered up to heaven, and its chariots poured through its "two-leaved gates," and its vast population rent the air with shoutings: see that mound of bricks; it is the only remnant! "So let all thine

enemies perish, O Lord!"

History's tale is short and brief; and prophecy, too, says little; but that little shadows out its magnificence and renown.

In the year 1237, B. C., Ninus, flushed with victory, laid the foundation of the Assyrian capital. At his death, Semiramis became regent during the minority of their son, and added much to the city. Her strength of mind, energy of will, and boldness of execution, contributed greatly to extend the glory of her husband's kingdom. Ninyas then ascended the throne, but instead of exhibit

M

ing any of his parents' vigour, he gave himself up to debauchery and effeminacy; his successors followed but too closely and too well his example; and the people groaned beneath the injustice of sordid ministers. Behold that rectangular city! it has numbered four hundred years. There is a sound of revelling and drunkenness; her daughters have grown wanton; the capital is in one tumultuous uproar; a strange, wild man enters; he travels onwards, crying:-" Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!" On, still on, he passes; his finger pointed skyward, his eye beams with the prophetic fire, and his lips quiver with the prophetic language. The rose-bowers, the myrtlewalks, and the gorgeous palaces are forsaken; the people crowd around; they question: no answer comes, but the ever-awful denunciation: "Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown." That man has departed.

The city sends up its mournings and lamentations: sackcloth instead of royal apparel. Young virgins tear off their fine linen, and clothe themselves in the dark black garb instead of flowery wreaths, ashes; instead of the dance, the bended knee; the multitude moans; repentance goes upwards; the throne is reached; the capital stands!

Those myriads are dust; the earth covers them all. Five generations have lived, and are here in the tomb. The palaces still look glorious, and the rose-bowers and myrtle-walks are as lovely as when last we gazed. The splendour and the magnificence of the city are undiminished. The fresh wind sweeps over her thousand domes and minarets as before; their architecture outspreads its beauties to the sun. There is the rich per

fume of jasmine, and the silver music of a million fountains. The day-god westering, sinks; the halls are lighted up, and sparkle with myriad gems; and low, sweet harmonies breathe out their divine witcheries. Midnight overhangs the capital of the world.

Morning breaks. At the chief entrance stands a stranger of commanding mien; he surveys the princely buildings; his lips move: he speaks:-"Woe to the bloody city! it is full of lies and robbery; the prey departeth not; the noise of a whip, and the noise of the rattling of the wheels, and of the prancing horses, and of the jumping chariots. The horseman lifteth up both the bright sword and the glittering spear: and there is a multitude of slain, and a great number of carcasses; and there is none end of their corpses; they stumble upon their corpses: because of the multitude of the whoredoms of the well-favoured harlot, the mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through her whoredoms, and families through her witchcrafts. Behold, I am against thee, saith the Lord of hosts; and I will discover thy skirts upon thy face, and I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame. And I will cast abominable filth upon thee, and make thee vile, and will set thee as a gazing-stock. And it shall come to pass, that all they that look upon thee shall flee from thee, and say, Nineveh is laid waste: Who will bemoan her? Whence shall I seek comforters for thee? Art thou better than populous No, that was situate among the rivers, that had the waters round about it, whose rampart was the sea, and her wall was from the sea? Ethiopia and Egypt were her strength, and it was infinite; Put and Lubim were thy helpers: yet was she carried away, she went into captivity; her

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