Half-clothed, dark-featured, motionless lay | "That I should be afraid of him I love! All that the poor leaves after his long strife. The cold and livid arm, already stiff, Hung o'er the soaked straw of her wretched bed. The mouth lay open horribly, as if move? Not yet, poor man." She sits with careful brow, Wrapped in her inward grief; nor hears the roar Of winds and waves that dash against his prow, The parting soul with a great cry had fled- Nor the black cormorant shrieking on the Rocked by their own weight, sweetly sleep the How gay his heart that Janet's love made The man looked grave, and in the corner cast "We have five children, this makes seven," said he. Already in bad weather we must sleep well, 'Tis not my fault. These accidents are deep; It was the good God's will. I cannot tell. 'Why did he take the mother from those scraps, No bigger than my fist? 'Tis hard to read; A learned man might understand perhaps So little, they can neither work nor need. "Go fetch them, wife; they will be frightened sore, If with the dead alone they waken thus; That was the mother knocking at our door, And we must take the children home to us. This | by the Romans in the early and more "Brother and sister shall they be to ours, even. When he shall see these strangers in our bowers, More fish, more food, will give the God of to his own purchases, opened the first public library in Rome, in an apartment annexed to the temple above mentioned. Two others were afterward instituted by the same emperor, which he called the Octavian and Palatine libraries; the first, so named in honor of his sister, was placed "I will work harder; I will drink no wine-in the temple of Juno; the latter, as its Go fetch them. Wherefore dost thou linger, heaven. dear? Not thus were wont to move those feet of thine." title specifies, was in the imperial palace; these libraries were royally endowed with establishments of Greek and Latin librarians, of which C. Julius Hyginus, the She drew the curtain, saying, “They are grammarian, was one. here." The Emperor Tiberius added another library to the palace, and attached his new building to that front which looked towards the Via Sacra, in which quarter he himself resided. Vespasian endowed a public library in the Temple of Peace. Trajan founded the famous Ulpian library in his new forum, from whence it was at last removed to the Collis Viminalis to furnish the baths of Dioclesian. The Capitoline library is supposed to have been founded with the noble edifice to which it was by Domitian, and was consumed, together attached, by a stroke of lightning in the time of Commodus. The Emperor Hadrian enriched his favorite villa with a superb collection of books, and lodged them in a temple dedicated to Hercules. | These were, in succeeding times, so multiplied by the munificence and emulation of the several emperors, that in the reign of Constantine Rome contained no less than twenty-nine public libraries, of which the principal were the Palatine and the Ulpian. ing these public libraries which ought not to be omitted, as it marks the liberal spirit of their institution: it was usual to appropriate an adjoining building for the use and accommodation of students, where everything was furnished at the emperor's cost; they were lodged, dieted, and attended by servants specially appointed, and supplied with everything, under the eye of the chief librarian, that would be wanting whilst they were engaged in their studies, and had occasion to consult the books; this establishment was kept up in a very princely style at Alexandria in particular, where a college was endowed and a special fund appointed for its support, with a president and proper officers under him, for the entertainment of learned strangers, who resorted thither from various parts to consult those invaluable collections which that famous library contained in all branches of science. Though books were then collected at an immense expense, several private citizens of fortune made considerable libraries. Tyrannio, the grammarian, even in the time of Sylla, was possessed of three thousand volumes, Epaphroditus, a grammarian also, had in later times collected thirty thousand of the most select and valuable books; but Sammonicus Serenus bequeathed to the Emperor Gordian a library containing no less than sixty-two thousand volumes. It was not always a love of literature that tempted people to these expenses, for Seneca complains of the vanity of the age in furnishing their banqueting rooms with books, not for use but for show, and in a mere spirit of profusion. Their baths, both hot and cold, A PICTURE OF FRANCE AFTER were always supplied with books to fill up an idle hour amongst the other recreations of the place; in like manner their country houses and even public offices were provided for the use and amusement of their guests and clients. THE REVOLUTION. From the Bassevilliana. [Vincenzo Monti. This poet, one of the most famous among the modern Italians, was born near Fusignano, a town of Romagna, February 19th, 1754. His earliest years were passed under the instruction of his parents, who belonged to the class of small landholders. He was then put to school in Faenza, where he learned the Latin language. He was destined by his father to the labors of agriculture, but showing an invincible repugnance to occupations of this sort, he was sent to the University of Ferrara, to study the law or medicine. He attempted in vain to interest himself in professional studies, and then gave himself wholly up to literature and poetry. His talents attracted the attention of Cardinal Borghese, the legate at Ferrara, who took him to Rome, with the elder Monti's consent. Suwarrow's invasion of Italy, in 1799, compelled Monti to take refuge in France. He was reduced, for a time, to the most miserable state of destitution; but the vic The Roman libraries, in point of disposition, much resembled the present fashion observed in our public ones; for the books were not placed against the walls, but brought into the area of the room, in separate cells and compartments, where they were lodged in presses; the intervals between these compartments were richly ornamented with inlaid plates of glass and ivory and marble bass-relievos. In these compartments, which were furnished with desks and couches for the accommodation of readers, it was usual to place statues of learned men, one in each; and this, we may observe, is one of the few elegances which Rome was not indebted to Greece for, the first idea having been started by the accomplished Pollio, who in his library on Mount Aventine set up the statue of his illustrious contemporary, Varro, even whilst he was living; it was usual also to ornament the press where any consider the Iron Crown, member of the Legion of Honor, and able author's works were contained with Historiographer of the kingdom. He thereupon wrote his figure in brass or plaster of a smaller the first six cantos of the Bardo della Selva Nera, size. which appeared in 1806. In conjunction with his acThere is one more circumstance attend-complished son-in-law, Count Giulio Perticari, he en tories of Napoleon, after his return from Egypt, revived Marengo, and received a professorship in the Univer his hopes He returned to Italy after the battle of sity of Pavia, which he held three years, when he was invited to Milan, and appointed by Napoleon Assessor of the Ministry of the Interior, Court Poet, Knight of gaged in a warm controversy with the Della Cruscans, on the question between the Tuscan and the Italian. He also published a new edition of the Convito of Dante. Returning to poetical composition, he wrote an idyl on the Nuptials of Cadmus. His poetic labors were interrupted in April, 1826, by a sudden stroke of apoplexy; but he lingered on until 1828, and died in October of that year, at the age of seventy-four. Of all Monti's writings, the Bassevilliana enjoys the greatest and widest reputation. As remarked above, That thou hast helped to work, thou, penitent, Upon flagitious France, of whose offence From the Bassevilliana. it is founded on the murder of the French minister, THE SOUL'S ARRIVAL IN PARIS. Basseville, whose soul, the author supposes, is condemned to wander over the French provinces, and behold the desolation produced by the Revolution, the death of Louis the Sixteenth in Paris, and the armies of the Holy Alliance marching toward France to restore the Bourbons. The poem is divided into four cantos of three hundred lines each, and, like its model, the Divina Commedia, written in terza rima. It was translated into English by the Rev. Henry Boyd, London, 1805.] Wondering, the spirit sees that from the eyes Of his angelic leader tears have gushed, Whilst o'er the city streets dread silence lies. Hushed is the sacred chime of bells, and hushed The works of day,-hushed every various sound Hell had been vanquished in the battle Of creaking saw, of metal hammer-crushed. fought; The spirit of the abyss in sullen mood He roared like lion famishing for food: Then on the mortal prison, just forsook, But the blessed angel, with a heavenly smile, wave Of black Avernus, which who tastes, resigned Nor in severity scrupulous to gauge There fears and whisperings alone are found, But nuptial love and tenderness in vain ween; They free the consort whom fond arms enchain. Phantoms of ancient Druids, steeped in gore, With human life their garments are dyed red, And, blood and rottenness from every hair Dripping, a loathsome shower around them shed. Some firebrands, others scourges, toss i' th' Twisted of every kind of coiling snake; shake; |