own impotence, and vainly endeavouring to overleap the bounds which limit his anxious inquiries?

"Alas! then, what have I gained by my laborious researches but a humbling conviction of my weakness and ignorance? of how little has man, at his best estate, to boast! what folly in him to glory in his contracted powers, or to value himself upon his imperfect acquisitions!"

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"Well!" exclaimed a young lady, just returned from school, “ my education is at last finished: indeed it would be strange, if, after five years' hard application, any thing were left incomplete. Happily that is all over now and I have nothing to do, but to exercise my various accomplish

ments.

"Let me see!—-as to French, I am mistress of that, and speak it, if possible, with more fluency than English. Italian I can read with ease, and pronounce very well: as well at least, and better, than any of my friends; and that is all one need wish for in Italian. Music I have learned till I am perfectly sick of it. But, now that we have a grand piano, it will be delightful to play when we have company. I must still continue to practise a little ;-the only thing, I think, that I need now to improve myself in. And then there are my Italian songs! which every body allows I sing with taste, and as it is what so few people can pretend to, I am particularly glad that I can.

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My drawings are universally admired; espe

cially the shells and flowers; which are beautiful, certainly besides this, I have a decided taste in all kinds of fancy ornaments.

"And then my dancing and waltzing! in which our master himself owned that he could take me no farther;-just the figure for it certainly;-It would be unpardonable if I did not excel.

"As to common things, geography, and history, and poetry, and philosophy, thank my stars, I have got through them all! so that I may consider myself not only perfectly accomplished, but also throughly well informed.

"Well, to be sure, how much I have fagged through the only wonder is that one head can contain it all!"

XXV.

THE WISE MAN.

FREDERIC and Philip, with their sisters Julia and Kate, were amusing themselves together one evening while their father and mother were engaged in conversation. The children paid no attention to what passed, till Philip, (who was very lively and inquisitive) happened to hear his father say, of some person he was speaking of, that he might be truly called, a wise man! These last words, which were uttered emphatically, struck his attention.

"A wise man !" said he to his brother and sisters; "who is that, I wonder, that papa can be

talking about?"-"Nobody that we know, you may be sure," replied Kate.-"No, but papa knows him, and I should like to know him very much," said Philip; and he began to conjecture what kind of a person this wise man must be. He thought of the seven wise men of Greece; but he did not imagine there were any of that sort in England. As soon as there was a pause in the conversation, he asked his papa what this wise man's name was, and where he lived. "He lives," replied his father, "not very far off; and his name is Johnson."

"Johnson! O, some relation to Dr. Johnson, no doubt," said Frederic." That is more than I know," answered his father; "but if you are so curious to see a wise man, I will promise to take you all to call upon him to-morrow morning.'

Philip and the rest thanked their papa for this promise; and very much pleased they were at the thought of it.

The next morning the children talked much of their expected visit; and wondered they did not hear their father give orders for the chaise. "How many miles off is it, papa ??? said Philip. "Not half a mile," said his father.

Philip. Not half a mile! Well now, I had no idea that there was, what one could call a wise man living any where here-abouts.

Frederic. No more had I.

Julia. I think I know where he lives :-don't you remember that old-fashioned looking house, just off the common, with tall narrow windows, and a high wall all around it, where they say a very old gentleman lives all alone ?-that is the place, I dare say.

VOL. I.

P

Philip. I wonder whether he wears a long beard!

Kate. No, no; most likely nothing but a huge wig.

Julia. A wig! no such thing! depend upon it he has his own white locks, waving about his temples.

Philip. We shall find him up to his elbows in old dusty books, I'll engage.

Frederic. Or perhaps with globes and glasses, and all sorts of apparatus.

Philip. He will not be very well pleased, I am afraid, to be interrupted in his studies by us. Julia. For my part, I shall take care not to speak one word while we are in the room.

Kate. And so shall I.

Philip. I hope he will not ask us any questions !

Frederic. O, as to that, you may depend upon it he will not notice one of us; perhaps not so much as know we are there.

Kate. I am afraid I shall laugh.

Philip. Laugh! if you do though, we shall get turned out, every one of us, depend upon it.

On these remarks their papa made no comment: he only smiled occasionally; and at length bade them make ready to accompany him on his visit to this wise man. When they set off, Julia was much surprised that he passed the turning leading to the common, and kept straight on towards the town. "Now I have no idea who in the world it can be," said she. When they entered the town, they looked at most of the principal houses as they passed, expecting to stop every instant. "Doctor Somebody;" said Phi

lip, endeavouring to read the name on a brass plate," this is it, I dare say." But no: his father passed on, and soon turned down a narrow street, where the dwellings were of a humbler description; and knocked at the door of a mean looking house. A plain, middle-aged man opened it, and courteously invited them to enter. "Papa has to call here first, for something," whispered the children to each other. He ushered them into a small parlour, where his wife was sitting at needle-work; while three little girls, her daughters, were seated on a form before her, reading their lessons. The room was in perfect order; and the mother and her children were neatly dressed. The only decorations of the apartment were two or three maps; and a few portraits of some of the old divines, and other pious ministers, on the wall.

The young folks listened to the conversation which their father entered into with these persons; and they quickly perceived (for these children were well taught, and could discriminate,) that they conversed sensibly; and that their father, although much their superior in education, regarded them with respect. After a few minutes thus spent, their papa told the master of the house that he would not detain him any longer from his employment; but that he had taken the liberty of bringing his children with him, in the hope that he would allow them to look on for a little time, while he was at work: it would be, he said, both amusing and instructive to them, as they had never had an opportunity of seeing that operation before. To this request he most obligingly acceded; and, with a look of great