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lius, the fon of a captive woman, (nobody knows who his father was) obtained the kingdom as the reward of his wifdom and virtue.

5. In those days, no man in whom virtue fhone con-fpicuous was rejected or defpifed on account of his race and defcent. And did the state profper the lefs for that? were not these strangers the very best of all our kings? And fuppofing now, that a plebeian fhould have their talents and merit, muft not he be fuffered to govern us?

6. But, " we find that, upon the abolition of the regal power, no commoner was chofen to the confulate" And what of that? Before Numa's time, there were no pontiffs in Rome. Before Servius Tullius' days, there was no cenfus; no divifion of the people into claffes and centuries. Who ever heard of confuls before the expulfion of Tarquin the proud? Dictators, we all know, are of modern inven tion; and fo are the offices of tribunes, ædilles, quæftors. 7. Within these ten years we have made decemvirs, and we have unmade them. Is nothing to be done but what has been done before? That very law forbidding marriages of patricians with plebeians, is not that a new thing? Was there any fuch law before the decemvirs enacted it? and a moft fhameful one it is in a free state. Such marriages, it feems, would taint the pure blood of the nobility.

8. They talk to us of the confufion there will be in families, if this ftatute fhould be repealed. I wonder they do not make a law against a commoner's living near a nobleman, or going the fame road that he is going, or being present at the fame feast, or appearing in the fame marketplace. They might as well pretend that these things make confufion in families, as that intermarriages will do it.

9. Does not every one know, that the children will be ranked according to the quality of their father, let him be a patrician or a plebeian?. In fhort, it is manifeft enough thatwe have nothing in view but to be treated as men and citi zens; nor can they who oppose our demand have any mo tive to do it but the love of domineering.

10. Hear me, confuls. Whether the news of the war you talk of be true, or whether it be only a falfe rumor Spread abroad for nothing but a color to fend the people out of the city, I declare, as tribune, that this people, who

have

have already fo often fpilt their blood in our country's cause, are again ready to arm for its defence and its glory, if they may be reftored to their natural rights, and you will no longer treat us like ftrangers in our own country.

11. But, if you account us unworthy of your alliance by intermarriages, if you will not fuffer the entrance to the chief offices in the flate to be open to all perfons of merit indifferently, but will confine your choice of magiftrates to the fenate alone; talk of wars as much as you please; paint, in your ordinary difcourfes, the league and power of our enemies, ten times more dreadful than you do now; I declare, that this people whom you fo much defpife, and to whom you are nevertheless indebted for all your victories, Thall never more enlift themselves; not a man of them fhall take arms; not a man of them fhall expofe his life for imperious lords, with whom he can neither fhare the dignities of the ftate, nor in private life have any alliance by marriage.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FALLS OF NIAGARA.

AMONG the many natural curiofities which this country affords, the cataract of Niagara is infinitely the greatest. In order to have a tolerable idea of this ftupendous fall of water, it will be neceffary to conceive that part of the country in which Lake Erie is fituated, to be elevated above that which contains Lake Ontario, about three hundred feet.

2. The flope which feparates the upper and lower country is generally very fteep, and in many places almoft perpendicular. It is formed by horizontal ftrata of stone, great part of which is what we commonly call lime-stone. The flope may be traced from the north fide of Lake Onta rio, near the bay of Taronto, round the west end of the lake; thence its direction is generally caft, between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie; it croffes the ftrait of Niagara, and the Chenefeco river; after which it becomes loft in the country towards the Seneca Lake.

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3. It is to this flope that our country is indebted, both for the cataract of Niagara, and the great falls of the Chencfeco. The cataract of Niagara was formerly down at the northern fide of the flope, near to that place which is now known by the name of the Landing; but from the great length of time, added to the great quantity of water, and diftance which it falls, the folid ftone is worn away, for about feven miles, up towards Lake Erie, and a chaẩm is formed which no perfon can approach without horrc:.

4. Down this chafm the water rushes with a most astonishing velocity, after it makes the great pitch. In going up the road near this chafm, the fancy is conftantly engaged in the contemplation of the most romantic and awful prof. pects imaginable, until, at length, the eye catches the falls; the imagination is intantly arrefted, and you admire in filence! the river is about one hundred and thirty-five poles wide, at the falls, and the perpendicular pitch one hundred and fifty feet.

5. The fall of this vaft body of water produces a found, which is frequently heard at the diftance of twenty miles, and a fenfible tremulous motion in the earth for fome poles round. A heavy fog, or cloud, is conftantly afcending from the falls, in which rainbows may always be feen, when the fun fhines.

6. This fog, or fpray, in the winter feason, falls upon the neighboring trees, where it congeals, and produces a moft beautiful cryftalline appearance. This remark is

equally applicable to the falls of the Chenefeco.

7. The difficulty which would attend levelling the rapids in the chafin, prevented my attempting it; but I conjecture the water muit defcend at leaft fixty-five feet. The perpendicular pitch at the cataract is one hundred and fifty feet; to thefe add fifty-eight feet, which the water falls in the last half mile, immediately above the falls, and we have two hundred and feventy-three fees, which the water falls in a diftance of about feven miles and a half.

8. If either ducks, or geefe, inadvertently alight in the rapids, above the great cataract, they are incapable of getting on the wing again, and are inftantly hunted on to deftruction. There is one appearance at this cataract, worthy of fome attention, and which I do not remember to ave feen noted by any writer.

9. Juft below the great pitch, the water and foam may be feen puffed up in fpherical figures, nearly as large as common cocks of hay; they burft at the top, and project a column of fpray to a prodigious height; they then fubfide and are fucceeded by others, which burft in like manThis appearance is moft confpicuous about half way between the island that divides the falls, and the weft fide of the ftrait, where the largeft column of water defcends.

ner.

BENEVOLENT AFFECTIONS.

BENEVOLENCE, from its nature, com

pofes the mind, warms the heart, enlivens the whole frame, and brightens every feature of the countenance. It may justly be faid to be medicinal both to foul and body. We are bound to it by duty; we are invited to it by interest; and because both thefe cords are often feeble, we have natural kind affections to aid them in their operations, and fupply their defects; and thefe affections are joined with a rianly pleafure in their exertion.

2.

They are amiable even in brute animals. We love the meeknefs of the lamb, the gentlenefs of the dove, the affection of a dog to his master. We cannot, without pleafure, obferve the timid ewe, who never fhowed the leaft degree of courage in her own defence, become valiant and intrepid in defence of her lamb, and boldly affault those enemies, the very fight of whom was wont to put her to flight.

3. How pleafant is it to fee the family economy of a pair of little birds, in rearing their tender offspring; the conjugal affection and fidelity of the parents; their cheerful toil and induftry in providing food for their family; their fagacity in concealing their habitation; the arts they ufe, often at the peril of their own lives, to decoy hawks and other enemies from their dwelling place; and the affliction they feel when fome unlucky boy has robbed them of the dear pledges of their affection, and fruftrated all their hopes of their rising family?

4. If kind affection be amiable in brutes, it is not lefs fo in our own fpecies. Even the external fign's of it have

a powerful

a powerful charm. Every one knows that a perfon of accomplished good breeding, charms every one he converfes with. And what is this good breeding? If we ana lize it, we shall find it to be made up of looks, geftures and fpeeches, which are the natural figns of benevolence and. good affection.

5. He who has the habit of ufing thefe figns with propriety, and without meannefs, is well bred and polite.. What is that in the features of the face, which all men admire? I believe it confifts chiefly in the features which indi-cate good affections.

6. Every indication of meeknefs, gentleness, and benig-. ity, is a beauty. On the contrary, every feature that indicates pride, palion, envy, and malignity, is a deformity.. Kind affections, therefore, are amiable in brutes. Even the figns and fhadows of them are highly attractive in our own fpecies.

7. Indeed they are the joy and the comfort of human life, not to good men only, but even to the vicious and diftolute. Without fociety, and the intercourse of affection, man is a gloomy, melancholy, and joyless being.

8. His mind oppreffed with cares and fears, he cannot enjoy the balm of found fleep. In conftant dread of impending danger, he ftarts, at the rufting of a leaf. His: ears are continually upon the ftretch, and every zephyr brings fome found that alarms him.

9. When he enters into fociety, and feels fecurity in the good affection of friends and neighbors, it is then only that his fear vanishes, and his mind is at cafe. His courage as raised, his understanding is enlightened, and his heart di lates with joy.

10. Hunan fociety may be compared to a heap of embers, which, when placed afunder, can retain neither their light nor hear, amidst the surrounding elements; but when brought together, they mutually give heat and light to each. other; the flame breaks forth, and not only defends itself, but fubdues every thing around it.

II.

The fecurity, the happiness, and the ftrength of human fociety, fpring folely from the reciprocal benevolent affections of its members. The benevolent affections, though they be all honorable and lovely, are not all equally fo..

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