foul, and covered with darkness, prepared for such as have been unjust and cruel to their fellow-men; the other full of delight for such as have promoted peace upon earth. If, then, thou art mortal, and dost expect to die, beware that thou hurt no man wrongfully, neither do harm to those who have done no harm to thee."

In 1495, a commissioner from Spain arrived in the New World, who treated Columbus with great insolence and disrespect. Columbus, therefore, determined to return to Spain, to lay his case before the sovereigns. They treated him with great consideration and respect, and promised to send him on a third expedition, which was, however, delayed till 1498.

In this expedition he was much disturbed by the rebellion of a number of the Spaniards, under a chief named Roldan, who sent letters to Spain, endeavouring to justify their disobedience by charging Columbus with oppression and injustice, and painting his whole conduct in the blackest colours. It would naturally be supposed that the representations of such men would have little weight against the tried merits and great services of Columbus; but they had numerous friends and relations in Spain to support them, and Columbus was a foreigner.

For the purpose of irritating the pride of the king, every complaining man who returned from the colony was encouraged to put in claims for arrears of pay withheld by Columbus, or for losses sustained in his service. The incessant repetition of falsehood will gradually wear its way into the most candid minds. Queen Isabella, herself, began to entertain doubts respecting the proceedings of Columbus, but her jealous husband, Ferdinand, was convinced of his misconduct. An officer named Bodabilla was sent to investigate his conduct, and, if necessary, supersede him in command.

On his arrival in the New World, Bodabilla acted in a most outrageous manner-took the whole government of the colonies out of the hands of Columbus, arrested him, put him in irons, and in this condition sent him to Spain. The caravels set sail in October, 1500, bearing off Columbus, shackled like the vilest of culprits, amidst the scoffs and shouts of a rabble, who took a brutal joy in heaping insults on his venerable head. The commander of the vessels was an honest man, and would have taken

off his irons, but to this he would not consent. "No," said he proudly, "their majesties commanded me, by letter, to submit to whatever Bodabilla should order in their name; by their authority he has put me in these chains; I will wear them until they shall order them to be taken off, and I will afterwards preserve them as relics and memorials of the reward of my services." "He did so," adds his son, Fernando, in his history: "I saw them always hanging in his cabinet, and he requested that when he died they might be buried with him."

On his arrival in Spain, a general burst of indignation arose. The sovereigns sent orders that he should be instantly set at liberty. When he arrived at court, Queen Isabella shed tears at thinking of the indignities he had suffered. When Columbus found himself thus kindly received, and beheld tears in the benign eyes of Isabella, his long-suppressed feelings burst forth, and for some time he could not utter a word for the violence of his tears and sobbings.

It was in 1502 that Columbus undertook his fourth voyage. He was now sixty-six years old, so that age was rapidly making its advances upon him. His brother and son accompanied him in this expedition. This expedition was accompanied with hardships and disasters; and the health of Columbus himself was precarious. At one time, the horrors of famine began to threaten the terrified crew, when a fortunate idea presented itself to him. From his knowledge of astronomy, he ascertained that within three days there would be a total eclipse of the moon, in the early part of the night. He summoned, therefore, the principal chiefs to a grand conference, appointing for it the day of the eclipse. When all were assembled, he told them, by his interpreter, that he and his followers were worshippers of a Deity who lived in the skies, and held them under His protection; that this great Deity was angry with the Indians for not giving him provisions, and intended to chastise them with famine and pestilence. Lest they should disbelieve this warning, a signal would be given that very night in the heavens. They would behold the moon change its colour, and gradually lose its light-a token of the fearful punishment which awaited them.

Many of the Indians were alarmed at the solemnity of this prediction, others treated it with derision; all, however, awaited

with anxiety the coming of the night. When they beheld a black shadow stealing over the moon, and a mysterious gloom gradually covering the whole face of nature, they were greatly alarmed. Hurrying with provisions to the ships, and throwing themselves at the feet of Columbus, they implored him to intercede with his God, to withhold the threatened calamities. Columbus retired to his cabin, under pretence of communing with the Deity, the forests and shores all the while resounding with the howling of the savages. He returned shortly, and informed the natives that the Deity had deigned to pardon them on condition of their fulfilling their promises, in sight of which he would withdraw the darkness from the moon.

The remainder of this expedition was full of trouble and strife, and in 1504, he returned to Spain. Shortly after his arrival, his great benefactress, Queen Isabella, died, and Ferdinand received him with cold politeness. Among the persons whom Columbus employed at this time, in his missions to the court, was Amerigo Vespucci, who ultimately gave his name to the continent that Columbus had discovered. Columbus was no longer anxious to resume, himself, his office of viceroy, but he wished his son to be appointed to succeed him. Ferdinand, however, evaded compliance with this request, as he repented that he had made this promise to Columbus. He was confined to his bed by an attack of gout, aggravated by the irritation of his spirit. He died on the 20th of May, 1506, being about seventy years of age. His last words were, "In manus tuas, Domine, commendo spiritum meum": "Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."

The Spring Yourney.

H, green was the corn as I rode on my way,
And bright were the dews on the blossoms of May ;
And dark was the sycamore's shade to behold,
And the oak's tender leaf was of emerald and gold.
The thrush from his holly, the lark from his cloud,
Their chorus of rapture sung jovial and loud;
From the soft vernal sky to the soft grassy ground,
There was beauty above me, beneath, and around.

The mild southern breeze brought a shower from the hill,
And yet, though it left me all dripping and chill,

I felt a new pleasure, as onward I sped,

To gaze where the rainbow gleamed broad overhead.

Oh, such be life's journey, and such be our skill,
To lose in its blessings the sense of its ill;

Through sunshine and shower may our progress be even,
And our tears add a charm to the prospect of heaven.

REGINALD HEBER.

The Satyr and the Traveller.—A Fable.

SATYR, as he was ranging the forest in an exceedingly cold snowy season, met with a traveller, halfstarved with the extremity of the weather. He took compassion on him, and kindly invited him home to a warm, comfortable cave he had in the hollow of a rock. As soon as they had entered and sat down, notwithstanding there was a good fire in the place, the chilly traveller could not forbear blowing his finger ends. Upon the satyr's asking him why he did so, he answered that he did it to warm his hands. The honest sylvan, having seen little of the world, admired a man who was master of so valuable a quality as that of blowing heat, and therefore was resolved to entertain him in the best manner he could. spread the table before him with dried fruits of several sorts, and pro luced a remnant of cold, cordial wine, which, as the rigours of the season made very proper, he mulled with some warm spices infused over, the fire, and presented to his shivering guest. But this the traveller thought fit to blow likewise; and upon the satyr's demanding a reason why he blowed again, he replied to cool his dish. This second answer provoked the satyr's indignation, as much as the first had kindled his surprise; so taking the man by the shoulder, he thrust him out of doors, saying he would have nothing to do with a wretch who had so vile a quality as to blow hot and cold with the same mouth.

He

The Drowning Fly.

N yonder vase behold a drowning fly!
Its little feet how vainly does it ply!
Its cries I understand not, yet it cries,
And tender hearts can feel its agonies.
Poor helpless victim! and will no one save?
Will no one snatch thee from a threatening grave?
Is there no friendly hand, no helper nigh?
And must thou, little struggler, must thou die?
Thou shalt not, while this hand can set thee free,
Thou shalt not die-this hand shall rescue thee;
My finger's tip shall prove a friendly shore ;—
There, trembler, all thy dangers now are o'er;
Wipe thy wet wings, and banish all thy fear,
Go join thy buzzing brothers in the air.
Away it flies-resumes its harmless play,
And sweetly gambols in the golden ray.
Smile not, spectators, at this humble deed;
For you, perhaps, a nobler task's decreed-
A young and sinking family to save,
To raise the infant from destruction's wave;
To you for help the victims lift their eyes,
Oh! hear, for pity's sake, their plaintive cries;
Ere long, unless some guardian interpose,
O'er their devoted heads the flood may close.

Editor's Examinations.

PRIZES FOR LAST MONTH'S SUBJECTS.

A five shillings prize to ARTHUR HIGSON, aged 16, Deane School, near Bolton; and TнHOS. BAILEY, aged 10, Eccleshall National Schools.

A three shillings and sixpenny prize to HARRY JEFFCOAT, aged 13, Levenshulme Commercial School; and G. OLDRIDGE, aged 12, Sir W. C. Trevelyan's School, Seaton, Devon.

The above-named Prize Essayists are desired to send to the Publisher, Mr. JOHN HEYWOOD, 141 and 143, Deansgate, Manchester, the name of any book or books, of the value referred to, which they would like to receive, and such will be forwarded, post free, within one week afterwards. The Publisher, of course, reserves to himself the right of refusing to