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THE INDULGENCE OF GRIEF.

It is not in the power of every one, to prevent the calamities of life-but it evinces true magnanimity to bear up under them with fortitude and serenity. The indulgence of grief is made a merit of by many, who, when misfortunes occur, obstinately refuse all consolation, till the mind, oppressed with melancholy, sinks under its weight. Such conduct is not only destructive to health, but inconsistent with reason and common sense." There are what are called the ceremonies of sorrow; the pomp and ostentation of effeminate grief, which speak not so much the greatness of the misery as the smallness of the mind."

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Change of ideas, is as necessary to health, as change of posture. When the mind dwells long upon one subject, especially if it be of a disagreeable and depressing nature, it injures the functions of the body. Hence, the prolonged indulgence of grief, spoils the digestion and destroys the appetite. The spirits become habitually depressed-the body emaciated, and the fluids, deprived of their appropriate supply of nourishment from without, are greatly vitiated. Thus many a constitution has been seriously injured by a family misfortune, or by any occurrence giving rise to excessive grief.

It is, indeed, utterly impossible, that any person of a dejected mind should enjoy health. Life may, it is true, be dragged on for years. But whoever would live to good old age, and vigorous withal, must be good humored and cheerful.-This, however, is not at all times in our power-yet, our temper of mind, as well as our actions, depends greatly upon ourselves. We can either associate with cheerful or melancholy com

panions-mingle in the offices and amusements of lifeor sit still, and brood over our calamities as we choose. These, and many similar things, are certainly within our power, and from these the mind very commonly takes its complexion.

The variety of scenes which present themselves to our senses, were certainly designed to prevent our attention from being too constantly fixed upon one single object. Nature abounds with variety and the mind, unless chained down by habit, delights in the contemplation of new objects. Examine them for a timewhen the mind begins to recoil, shift the scene. By these means, á constant succession of new ideas may be kept up, till what are disagreeable disappear. Thus, travelling, occasional excursions, the study of any art or science, reading or writing on such subjects as deeply engage the attention, will expel grief sooner than the most sprightly amusements. The body cannot enjoy health, unless it be exercised-neither can the mind: indolence nourishes grief. When the mind has nothing else to think of but calamities, it is no wonder that it dwells upon them.-Few persons are hurt by grief, if they pursue their business-their active duties with attention. When, therefore, misfortune happens, instead of abstracting ourselves from the world, or from business, we ought to engage in it with more than ordinary attention-to discharge with double diligence the duties of our station, and to mingle with friends of a social and cheerful disposition. Innocent amusements are by no means, to be neglected; these by leading the mind to the minute contemplation of agreeable objects, help to dispel the gloom which misfortune sheds over it. They cause time to seem less tedious, and have many other beneficial effects. But it is to be lamented, that too many persons, when overwhelmed with grief, betake themselves to the intoxicating bowl. This is making the cure worse than the disease, and seldom fails to end in the ruin of fortune, character, happiness, and constitution.

HIEROGLYPHICS.

"Essay on the Hieroglyphic System of Mr. Champollion, jun. and on the advantages which it offers to Sacred Criticism. By J. G. H. Greppo, vicar general of Belley. Translated from the French by Isaac Stuart, with notes and illustrations," as might be inferred from the title, gives an account of the investigations which led to the discovery of the meaning of the Egyptian hieroglyphics. Most persons familiar with the history of ancient Egypt, are aware of the interest that has long been felt in relation to these mysterious characters, and of the efforts made to interpret them, and thus raise the veil with which time has shrouded the early history of a nation once the favorite abode of civilization and genius. Many specious hypotheses have been formed, but the test of experiment has proved them to be only hypothetical; and the traveller, as he strayed among the ruins of Egypt and gazed upon the towering obelisk, or stupendous pyramid, has sought in vain to read their former history in the inscriptions with which they were covered. The recent discoveries of Champollion, of which the work we have named gives an account, induce the expectation that every difficulty will be removed, and the object so long desired be fully attained. The manner in which the discovery has been made is briefly this :-When Bonaparte undertook his expedition into Egypt, he took with him a company of learned men; intending that while he was employed in earning laurels for the conqueror's brow, his corps of savans should be engaged in gathering laurels of another description, among the interesting ruins with which the country abounds. Among others, a mutilated part of a monument was discovered, having three inscriptions in different characters, one of which was hieroglyphics, and the other Greek, This was sent home to France,* and Champollion was

*This is a mistake. A copy of the inscription, only, was taken and sent to France. The stone, by the capitulation of Alexandria, fell into the hands of the English, and being afterwards transported to London, was placed in the British museum,

led to believe that the hieroglyphic inscriptions might be found to correspond with the Greek. In this way he formed an alphabet; and so far as it has been tried, it proves the key that is to unlock the mysterious chamber into which none have hitherto been permitted to enter. The bearing which this discovery is to have upon the sacred writings will be at once perceived. The light which will thus be thrown upon the manners and customs of a nation, whose history is so blended with that of the ancient people of God, will bring new evidence of the truth of the inspired volume. Indeed, what has already been discovered, is sufficient to put at rest many difficulties which modern infidel objectors have raised.

CIRCLE OF THE SCIENCES WITH SUITABLE REFLECTIONS.

ASTRONOMICAL SKETCHES.NO. VII.

The revolution of the earth about the sun divides time into astronomical years, and the rotation of the earth about its axis divides it into astronomical days; these, which are called natural days, include a common day and night. These natural days are subdivided by clocks into hours, minutes, seconds, &c. The first object in the regulation and division of time is to keep the same seasons to the same months, so that the middle of summer may always happen towards the end of June, and the middle of winter towards the end of December. But before the sun's motion was tolerably well known, it was not easy to accomplish this. Some of the ancients formed a lunar year, consisting of 12 synodic lunar months, or 354 days, at the end of which they made the year begin again. But finding that this year would not agree with the seasons, to correct it, they first added a month every three years; afterwards, three months every eight years; and lastly, eight months every 19 years. These were called lunisolar years, and were used by the Jews and Romans.

The Egyptian year consisted of 365 days; it had 12 months of 30 days cach, and five days more were then added.

The civil year is that which is in common use among the different nations of the world, of which some reckon by the lunar, but most by the solar. The civil solar year contains 365 days, for three years running, which are called common years; and then comes in what is called Bissextile or Leap year, which contains 366 days. This is called the Julian year, on account of Julius Cæsar, who appointed the intercalary day every fourth year; thinking thereby to make the civil and solar years keep pace together. In our calendar, this day is added every fourth year to the end of February.

The

But time showed that this correction was not so perfect as it was at first thought to have been; for it was found that the equinoxes and solstices happened earlier by some days than they did in some former distant years; and more accurate observations of the sun discovered that the true tropical year was not 365 days 6 hours, but 365 days 5 hours 48 min. 48 sec. tropical year was therefore thought to be longer than it really was, by 11 min. 12 sec., which in about 129 years would amount to a whole day, and cause the equinoxes to fall sooner by one day. Pope Gregory XIII., therefore, set about the correction, from a desire that the moveable feast of Easter should happen as nearly as possible at the same times of the year respectively, with those at which it had heen kept for some years after the general Council of Nice, which was holden in the year 325. But this could not be corrected without affecting the civil year in such a manner, that the vernal equinox should then, and at all future times, fall on, or as near as possible to, March 21, as it did at that general Council, but which had been anticipated by 10 days. For this purpose, he ordered 10 days to be dropped in October, 1582, and by this means the vernal equinox was restored to the 21st of March; and it was endeavored, by the omission of three intercalary days in 400 years, to make the civil or political year keep pace with the solar for the

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