RUINS OF BABYLON.

Mr. Buckingham, who, in his travels in the East, visited the site of the ancient Babylon, thus describes the ruins of that vast city.

Very few antiquities are now discernible, two towns, Ctesiphon and Saleuca, having been built with bricks taken from the ruins of Babylon. The country all around is perfectly flat and smooth, while the space within the walls presents in every part an undulating and uneven surface, caused by the immense quantity of ruins : an appearance unequivocally indicating the vast extent of the ancient city. Amidst the general desolation, a part of the celebrated tower of Babel, or temple of Belus, is still visible. This wonderful edifice, it will be recollected, is described by Herodotus, Cho. cap. 181, to have been constructed in the following manner: Its base was an extensive stone structure, perfectly square, about 800 feet in extent on every side, and 100 feet in height, on this square base was erected another similar though smaller square building, of about 600 feet in length, and 100 or upwards in height, and so on, each successive square diminishing in size up to the top. Four of these stages (if we may so term them) still remain, and the ascent is extremely easy on account of the immense quantities of rubbish which has accumulated from the fall of the upper portions. In Alexander's time, this condition of the ruins caused him, after many efforts, to abandon the design of restoring the temple of Belus, and it is calculated by Arrian, that it would have employed ten thousand men for a year to remove the rubbish, before the first attempt at rebuilding could be made. There is so much facility of ascent in consequence, that I was enabled to mount the top on horseback. The view I found extremely beautiful, and comprehending a large extent of country. The castellated palace of Semiramis, and the hanging gardens still present traces of their former grandeur. The general ruins are covered with a thick crust, which may be broken, and, in many instances, the apartments beneath may still be discerned.

INTERESTING AND INSTRUCTIVE EXTRACTS. BIRDS' NESTS.

"Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house." PSALMS civ. 17.

Most admirable is that wisdom and understanding which the Creator hath imparted to the birds of the air whereby they distinguish times and seasons, choose the properest places, construct their nests with an art and exactness unattainable by man, and secure and provide for their young. Is it for the birds, O Lord, which have no knowledge thereof, that thou has joined together so many miracles? Is it for the men who gave no attention to them? Is it for those who admire them, without thinking of thee? Rather is it not thy design, by all these wonders, to call us to thyself? to make us sensible of thy wisdom, and to fill us with confidence in thy bounty, who watchest so carefully over these inconsiderable creatures, two of which are sold for a farthing. Wesley's Survey.

EVENING.

There are two periods in the life of man, in which the evening hour is peculiarly interesting-in youth and in old age. In youth we love it for its mellow moonlight, its million stars, its then rich and soothing shades, its still serenity; amid these we can commune with our loves or twine the wreaths of friendship, while there is none to bear us witness but the heavens and the spirits that hold their endless sabbath there—or look into the deep bosom of creation, spread abroad like a canopy above us, and look and listen till we can almost see and hear the waving wings and melting songs of other worlds -to youth the evening is delightful; it accords with the flow of his light spirits, the fervor of his fancy, and the softness of his heart. Evening is also the delight of virtuous age-it affords hours of undisturbed contemplation; it seems an emblem of the calm and tranquil close of busy life—serene, placid, and mild, with the impress of its great Creator stamped upon it; it spreads its quiet

wings over the grave, and seems to promise that all shall be peace beyond it.

LOVE.

Love is the fountain and principle of all practical virtue. But love itself requires some regulation to direct its exertions; some law to guide its motion; some rule to prevent its aberrations; some guard to hinder that which is vigorous from becoming eccentric. With such a regulation, such a law, such a guard, the divine ethics of the gospel have furnished us.

AN EXTRACT.

He who would undermine those foundations upon which the fabric of our future hope is reared, seeks to beat down that column which supports humanity. Let him think but a moment, and his heart will arrest the cruelty of his purpose. Would he pluck its little treasure from the bosom of poverty? Would he wrest the crutch from the hand of age, and remove from the eye of affliction the only solace of its wo? The way we tread is rugged at best; we tread it, however, lighter by the prospect of the better country, to which we trust it will lead. Tell us not it will end in the gulf of eternal dissolution, or break off in some wild which Fancy may fill up as she pleases, but Reason is unable to delineate; quench not that beam which, amid the night of this world, has cheered the despondency of ill-requited worth, and illumined the darkness of suffering virtue."

SERENITY.

A military officer being at sea, in a dreadful storm, his lady, who was sitting near him, and filled with alarm for the safety of the vessel, was so surprised at his composure and serenity, that she cried out " My dear, are you not afraid? How is it possible you can be so calm in such a storm?" He arose from a chair lashed to the deck, and supporting himself by a pillar of a bedplace, he drew his sword and pointing it to the breast of

66

his wife, he exclaimed, "Are you not afraid?" She instantly replied, "No, certainly not." "Why?" said the officer. "Because," rejoined his lady, "I know the sword is in the hand of my husband, and he loves me too well to hurt me." "Then (said he) remember

I know in whom I have believed, and that He holds the winds in his fist, and the waters in the hollow of his hand."

THE INFIDEL.

He

It is an awful commentary on the doctrine of infidelity, that its most strenuous supporters have either miserably falsified their sentiments in the moment of trial, or terminated their existence in obscurity and utter wretchedness. The gifted author of the "Age of Reason," passed the last years of his life in a manner which the meanest slave that ever trembled beneath the lash of the task-master, could have no cause to envy. Rosseau might indeed be pointed out, as in some degree an exception-but it is well-known, that the enthusiastic philosopher was a miserable and disappointed man. met death it is true, with something like calmness, but he had no pure and beautiful hope beyond the perishing things of the natural world. He loved the works of God for their exceeding beauty-not for their manifestation of an overruling intelligence. Life had become a burthen to him, but his spirit recoiled at the dampness and silence of the sepulchre-the cold, unbroken sleep, and the slow wasting away of mortality. He perished, a worshipper of that beauty which but faintly shadows forth the unimaginable glory of its Creator. At the closing hour of day--when the broad West was glowing like the gates of Paradise, and the vine-hung hills of his beautiful land were bathed in the rich light of sunset, the philosopher departed. The last glance of his glazing eye, was to him an everlasting farewell to existence the last homage of a god-like intellect to holiness and beauty. The blackness of darkness was before him -the valley of the shadow of death was to him unescapable and eternal-the better land beyond it was shrouded from his vision.

FIVE REASONS FOR NOT USING SPIRITUOUS LIQOURS.

1. Because it poisons the blood and destroys the organs of digestion. 2. Because an enemy should be kept without the gate. 3. Because I am in health and need no medicine. 4. Because I have my senses and wish to keep them. 5. Because I have a soul to be saved or lost. To the man whose mind is untouched by all or any of the above reasons, a volume on the subject would be useless. He is unfitted for society; and the sooner he is in his grave the better-better for society and for himself For society-because of his example-For himself because his future torment will be less.

DUTY.

When we act according to our duty, we commit the event to Him by whose laws our actions are governed, and who will suffer none to be finally punished for obedience. But when, in prospect of some good, whether natural or moral, we break the rules prescribed to us, we withdraw from the direction of superior wisdom, and take all consequences upon ourselves.

NOTICES OF RECENT PUBLICATIONS.

REVIEW.

Addresses on the Beatitudes; By Mrs. Cameron. 18mo., pp. 72. 75 cents per doz.: 8 cents each.

The first thought which arose in our mind upon a cursory glance at the pages of this excellent little book, was, Here, at last, is some solid substantial food for the youthful mind, amid the piles of light, enticing viand and empty trash which are daily offered! It is really of a different cast from the popular productions of the day, and therefore we are not surprised that it should not give universal satisfaction. Those who can relish nought but 'tales,' or amusing narratives, (often novels in disguise,) may think these simple and impressive lectures dry, and alarm themselves with the anticipation that 'it will be difficult to get children to read them. But there is too deep knowledge of human nature, too intimate ac