THE MORALS OF CATO CENSORIUS, TRANSLATED FROM THE LATIN AND VERSIFIED, BY S. FEARN, JUN®. retaining each its Latin Motto: IF Dei cultus præcipuus. God is sov'reign,, as by books we're told, -Somnolentia.vitanda. Be watchful ever, nor to slumber dare, 'Tis sloth feeds vice, and cherishes despair. -Cobibenda lingua. Restrain your tongue, for reason, silence, deems A godlike virtue, which e'en God esteems. -Sibi ipsi conveniendum→→→ Nor act unjust, nor 'gainst your feelings move, -Senio bene geste referenda—. So act in youth, that when advanc'd in years, -Suspiciones labes. On whispers ne'er your quick suspicion rest, 'Tis guilt implants the fear within the breast. -Inprosperis de adversis cogitandum.—————— When blest with all that happiness affords, Prepare for ill; which with it ne'er accords. -Mors alterius non speranda.— Build not your hopes upon another's death, -Animus in dono æstimandus. However poor your friend, for favours grateful be By such he proves his friendship e'er for thee. -Paupertus toleranda Since, ent'ring in this world, we worthless were, The humble life with patience let us bear. Mors non formidanda. With mind undaunted, for stern death prepare ; Who dreads it living, every pang must share. ON FRIENDSHIP. FRIENDSHIP is the joy of reason, Who would lose the secret pleasure EPITAPH FOR ST. ATHANASIUS'S CREED. ENTOMB'D here lies Saint Athan, Which could not believe That three make no more than one, The father the same age o'the son, For ever lie still, wicked sprite, Let thy foolish mysteries, And thy idle vagaries, Be heard of no more. EPISCOPUS. ON A GOOD CONSCIENCE. THE solid joys of human kind, Are those that flow from peace of mind; For who the sweets of life can taste, 'Tis virtue softens all our toils, With peace our conscience crowns; Calms ev'ry trouble, makes the soul serene, Smooths the contracted brow, and chears the heart within. THE stream of all rivers is more rapid in proportion as the channel is diminished; for instance, it will be much swifter where it is ten yards broad, than where it is twenty; for the force behind still pushing the water forward, when it comes to the narrow part, it must make up by velocity what it wants in room. It might be supposed, that bridges and other obstacles in the current of a river would retard its velocity. But the difference they make is very inconsiderable. The water, by these stoppages, gets an elevation above the object, which, when it has surmounted, it gives a velocity that recompences the former delay. Islands and turnings also retard the stream but very inconsiderably. Any cause which diminishes the quantity of the water, most sensibly diminishes the force and velocity of the stream. An increase of water in the bed of a river always increases its velocity-except in cases of inundation. The instant the river has overflowed its banks, the rapidity of its current is always turned that way, and the inundation is seen to continue for some days, which it would not do, if, as soon as the cause was discontinued, it acquired its former rapidity. A violent wind, that sets directly up against the course of a stream, will always retard, and sometimes intirely stop, its course. There have been instances of this, when the bed of a large river has been left nearly dry for some hours, and fish have been caught among the stones at the bottom. A little river may be received into a large one without augmenting either its width or depth. This, at first view, seems a paradox; yet it is very easily accounted for. The little river, in this case, only goes towards increasing the swiftness of the larger, and putting its dormant VOL. IV. G waters into motion. In this manner, the Venetian branch of the Po is pushed on by the Fararese branch and that of Panaro, without any enlargement of its breadth or depth from these accessions. A A river tending to enter another, either perpendicularly, or in an opposite direction, will be diverted, by degrees, from that direction, and be obliged to make itself a more favourable entrance downward, and more conspiring with the stream of the former. The union of two rivers into one, makes it flow the swifter; since the same quantity of water, instead of rubbing against four shores, now only rubs against two. And besides, the current being deeper, becomes, of course, more fitted for motion. Rivers form one of the chief features of the surface of this globe, serving as voiders of all that is immediately redundant in our rains and springs, and also as boundaries and barriers betwixt nations, and even as highways, and in many countries as plentiful storehouses. They also fertilize our fields by their waters, by bringing from the mountains the mould which they wash down in their course. Before we begin to describe some of the largest rivers in the world, we will present to our readers the following figurative and pleasing description of a river, written by an ancient author. "The river (says he) bears some resemblance to the life of man; it springs from the earth, but its origin is in heaven. Its beginnings are insignificant, and its infancy is frivolous; it plays among the flowers of a meadow: it waters a garden, or turns a mill. Gathering strength in its youth, it becomes wild and impetuous. Impatient of the restraints which it still meets with in the hollows among the mountains, it is restless and fretful; quick in its turnings and unsteady in its course. Now it is a roaring : cataract, tearing up and overturning whatever opposes its progress, and it shoots headlong from a rock; then it becomes a sullen and gloomy pool, buried in the bottom of a glin. Recovering breath by repose, it again dashes along, till tired of the uproar and mischief, it quits all that it has swept before it, and leaves the opening of the valley strewed with the rejected waste. Now, quitting its retirement, it comes abroad into the world, journeying, with more prudence and discretion, through cultivated fields, yielding to circumstances, and winding round what would trouble it to overwhelm or remove. It passes through populous cities, and all the busy haunts of men, tendering its services on every side, and becomes the blessing and ornament of the country. Now increased by numerous alliances, and advanced in its course of existence, it becomes grave and stately in its motions, loves peace and quiet, and in majestic silence rolls on its mighty waters, till it is laid to rest in the vast abyss." ...The course of rivers gives us the best general method for judging of the elevation of countries. Thus is appears that Savoy and Switzerland are the highest parts in Europe, from whence the ground slopes in every direction. From the Alps proceed the Danube and the Rhine, whose courses mark the two great vallies, into which many laterál streams descend. The Po also, and the Rhone, come from the same head, and with a steeper and shorter course, find their way to the sea through |