Paley-Priestly-Taylor-Brougham-Copernicus--others.

favored region as attending lectures before sunrise. Nothing could better show his conviction of the beneficial effects of early rising.

Paley, indolent as he naturally was, acquired at college -uncommon as such facts are—the habit of rising early; and it is believed that the world is indebted to this circumstance for his most excellent productions.

Priestly who performed more labor, in his department, than almost any man that ever lived, was an early riser. Bishops Jewel and Burnet, Jeremy Taylor, Baxter, Wesley and Matthew Hale, rose regularly by five o'clock, and most of them by four.

Stanislaus I. and John Sobieski, kings of Poland, Charles XII., Frederic the Great, Alfred and Napoleon, were all distinguished for the same habit. Sobieski and Stanislaus rose at three or four, and the former never slept but four hours.

Few men have accomplished more in the same period of time and perhaps few persons of his age are more efficient and healthy-than Lord Brougham. And yet, this distinguished statesman is said to sleep but four hours; and is always up early in the morning. The Duke of Wellington is also an early riser.

Copernicus, the astronomer, who was a native of Thorn in Poland, with no less than nine of his countrymen who were distinguished for literature, and whose names are conspicuous in the Encyclopædia Americana, were all remarkable for their early rising.

Basile Lanneau, of Charleston, S. C., the descendant of a French family, who was at ten years of age a friendless destitute orphan, by his industrious and virtuous habits. became wealthy and respectable; and lived to the age of eighty-eight years. For thirty years of his life, it is said that the sun never found him in his bed.

James Mason.

Peasants of Europe.

An extract.

James Mason, of Scott county in Kentucky, was an early riser. A few years since, when over one hundred years of age, he could walk thirty miles a day; and his walk was erect and lively. We believe he is still living.

We will mention two or three more examples of early rising, and those shall be national.

The Polish peasants-and the same is true generally of the peasants of Switzerland and Austria-rise every morning, during spring, summer and autumn, at three o'clock or earlier; and in winter, they are never in bed after four. They perform at least half an ordinary day's work for themselves before six o'clock; after which they have a day's work to perform for their lords; and all this, for the most part, with nothing to subsist on but coarse dry bread and water. And yet, we have it from authority which we cannot question, that "there is not a happier, healthier, or more contented human being on earth, than the Polish peasant.

"At day-break, ere the birds have begun to move on the branches where the dark night had put them to sleep, the air and the forest, the valley and the hill, echo with the joyous and innocent songs of the Polish peasant. At noon, when the sun's oppressive rays compel every animal to seek shelter under the shadow of a tree, a hedge, or a wall-when even shrubs and plants drop their fainting heads the Polish peasant boldly encounters the burning heat, and singing again his blithesome song, announces to the world that he is neither fatigued nor unhappy. And at evening, when those who have done nothing during the day, feel weary or sink in ennui; or sitting at their luxurious tables, or in their arm chairs, gape with impatience at the slow approach of the hour of sleep, even then, the same glad song of the peasant is heard."

Tartars.

Circassians. Average longevity.

Economy.

The wandering Tartars, who are among the healthiest, and in their own way the happiest of men, are early risers. So it is indeed among many other simple but healthful tribes of men. The Circassians are so much in the habit of early rising, that they are accustomed to attack their enemies before sunrise, and often indeed ere the appearance of the sun's first rays. These too in respect to strength and beauty are well known to be nature's special favorites.

To show that a large proportion of such men as we have mentioned, did, in truth, reach a very advanced age, we have collected the following twelve of those whose ages could be ascertained.

The average duration, therefore, of the lives of these twelve distinguished men, was no less than seventy-nine. Napoleon, it is true, whom we have omitted, did not reach a very advanced age, and Sobieski fell somewhat short of

seventy.

ECONOMY.

It has been far more common for writers to dwell on the economy of early rising, than on its tendency to promote cheerfulness, health and happiness. We will not say that we have no authors, even in morals, who cannot rest till their minds and hearts linger around the shades of dollars and cents; but we will say, that by far too many of this class of men give sad evidence that thoughts of this kind are uppermost.

Mistaken calculations.

Fever induced by sitting up late.

And yet they have made some sad mistakes in this matter. They have told us, it may be, how many actual years of time were lost to the individual who, during the whole of a long life, should lie in bed one hour, or two hours, or three hours in the morning. Now it is very possible, that the individual who rises two hours earlier, may perform no more labor than he who sleeps during the same time. For if he who rises two hours earlier in the morning, goes to bed also two hours earlier in the evening than his neighbor, is it not obvious that the one is out of bed as many hours as the other? And on the presumption that both are equally active, where is the gain from early rising? There is gain, we acknowledge; and we are anxious to make the most of it; but is it correct to say that in such a case as this, the early riser extends his life beyond that of the other, at the rate of two whole hours for every day? Obviously not. Let us be careful, then, how far we avail ourselves of jesuitism in the inculcation of what we believe to be truth. Let us not attempt to promote a cause which we love even more than our own lives, by measurce whose basis is not truth but error.

But what becomes, then, of the so much boasted economy of early rising? we shall probably be asked. We have already shown, in another place, that it consists partly in a saving of health. If a feverish state is induced by late sitting up in the evening, and if this febrile state is avoided by early rising and early retiring, then the gain in this point of view is incalculably great.

It may be asked, however, if this febrile state does not come on when we have been up and active a certain number of hours, whether we begin with the rising of the sun or two hours later. In other words, why should not the person who rises at four in the morning become as feverish at eight in the afternoon, when he has been active

Comparison between man and other animals.

"Driving business."

sixteen hours, as he becomes at ten in the evening, who did not get up till six?

Our reply is, that though we may not be able to state clearly every reason why, yet the fact is obvious. The Creator seems to have kindly adapted the day to action and the night to repose; and he who conforms, with the most exactness to his established laws, whether natural or revealed, must-other things being equal-inevitably be the most healthy and happy. Hence we might infer a necessity of sleeping about an equal number of hours before and after midnight. And what we infer, in this case, is confirmed by almost universal experience.

The same view is also strengthened by analogy. Therę are few instances among the lower animal tribes, of late retiring or late rising. They retire with the sun, and either rise with it, or long before it. The most striking exceptions to this rule are to be found among the more indolent and sluggish; as the marmot, the bear, the woodchuck, and the swine. Should these pages arrest the eye of any of those who sleep late in the morning, it may be worth a passing thought whether they will continue to assimilate themselves to the most ugly and loathsome animals; or whether it will not be advisable to conform more nearly to the habits, in this respect, of those species which are the most beautiful and sprightly and intelligent.

Another reason why a person becomes less feverish, or in other respects injured or diseased, in a given number of hours, when he has risen early, is, that he is more likely to get before and drive his business, instead of letting that drive him; and thus he is not likely to be in a hurry or be fretted with his employment. Everything proceeds, through the whole day, with comparative quiet, ease, and facility; and night comes without finding his mind dis