DESCRIPTION OF THE ASS.

THE Ass is not, as it has been supposed1, a degenerated horse: he is neither an intruder nor a bastard; he has, like all other animals his distinct" family, his species, and his rank; his blood is uncontaminated, and, though his birthy be less illustrious, it is full as honourable and as ancient as that of the horse. Why then is this animal, so sober, good, patient, and useful, so much despised? Do men contemn, even in the brute creationa, those who serve them best, and at the least expence1? We educate the horse, —we attend, instruct, and exercise him; while the poor ass, abandoned to the brutality of the mearest servants, or to the malice of children, far from acquiring, cannot but lose, by his education. If he had not a great stockf of good qualities, the manner in which he is treatedo would leave him none at all; he is the sport and the butt of rustics, who drive him before them with a stick, who beat, overload, and work him to excess, without either precaution or pity.

The ass is by his disposition as humble, as patient, and as quiet, as the horse is proud, ardent, and impetuous; he endures" with constancy, and perhaps with courage, the punishment and blows he receives; he is temperate both as top the quantity and the quality of his food; he is satisfied with the most tough and disagreeable herbs, which the horse and other animals disdain, and leave to him. He is dainty in the choice of water;

he

t comme on l'a supposé;- intrus ;-" propre ;-- pur-y naissance ;-z toute les animaux ;-b moins de frais;-c On donne au cheval de l'éducation ;-d soigne ;-e derniers valets; -f fonds; dont on le traite; ne lui en laisserait aucune; le plastron des rustres; l'excèdent ; et sans; -mde son naturel; souffre; les châtimens ;P dans ;-q comine dans; il se contente de ;- délicat sur ;

drinks of the clearest only, and out oft rivulets which are known to him; he drinks as sparingly" as he eats, and never sinks his nose in the water, being afraid, it is said, of the shadow of his ears. As no one takes the trouble of combing him2, he often rolls on the grass, on thistles, or fern, without caring about his load; he lies down and rolls as often as he can, seeming thereby to reproach his master with the littlef care he takes of him. He turns aside to avoid the dirt, and consequently his legs are drier and neater than those of the horse.

The ass, wheni young, is gay, pretty and even graceful; but he soon loses those qualities, either by age or illm treatment, and becomes sluggish, untractable, and stubborn. He, however, attaches himself to his master, whom he scents at a distance" and distinguishes from every other man; his eyesight is good, his sense of smellingP admirable, and in general the health of the ass is more steady than that of the horse: like him he lives twenty-five or thirty years.-BUFFON.

t et des ;--v lui sont connus ;-u sobrement, - ay nt peur dit-on;-y Comme personne ne ;-z l'éti ller;-a se 1 souvent; se soucier de ;-c qu'il le peut -d et semble parlà ;-e reprocher à;- peu de se détou ne pour;-hil les jambes ;inand il est ;-k a de la grâce;- soit ;- _m soit par les mauvais;—n de loin ;— qu'il distingue ;-P odorat ;— a ferme ; à trente.

PARALLEL BETWEEN CHARLES THE 12TH AND PETER THE 1ST".

On the 8th of July, in the year 1709, was fought the decisive battle of Pultowa, between the two most singular monarchs that then existed in2 the PREMIER;-u Ce fut le huitième ;- de, qui fussent alors au;

* DE ;- DOUZE; -y que se donna;

world-Charles the 12th, illustrious by nine years of victories; Peter Alexiowitz, by nine years' labours to render his troops equal to those of Sweden: the one glorying in giving away* states; the other in having civilized them: Charles delighting in dangerf, and fighting for glory alones. Alexiowitz not shunningh peril, and fighting onlyi for his interests: the Swedish monarch liberal from greatness of mind; the Muscovite never giving without some end in viewm: the former" sober and continent to the highest degree°, noble-minded, and having been cruel but once; the latter, not freed from the defects of his education and his country, as much dreaded by his subjects as he was admired by strangers, and too much given to those excesses which contributed to shorten his days, Charles had the title of Invincible, of which one moment might deprive hims; the world had already givent Peter the name of Great, which a defeat could not wrest from him because he did not owe it to his victories.-VOLTAIRE.

a peines; pour former des troupes égales à ;-c glorieux de ; a de les avoir civilisés ;-e aimant ;-f dangers ;-8 ne combattant que pour la gloire ;-h ne fuyant point; et ne faisant la guerre que; par; Moscovite;-m que par quelque vue ; n celui-là d'un continence et d'une sobriété sans exemple; - d'un naturel magnanime;—a celui-ci n'avait pas dépouillé ; -radonné à des ; pouvait lui ôter;-t donné à; lui enlever.

INGENIOUS METHOD" BY WHICH A CADI POINTED OUT TO A CALIPHY THE INJUSTICE HE WAS COMMITTING.

A POOR Woman of Zehra owned a piece of ground adjoining theb gardens of the Caliph Hak ham. This prince, wishing to enlarge his palace,

MANIERE ;- D'UN CADI POUR FAIRE SENTIR ;-Y CALIPHE; -Z QU'IL COMMETTAIT; possédait;-b contigue aux ;c voulant ;

m

proposed to the womand to sell it to hime. But she refused all the offers which were made herf, and would not part with the inheritance of her forefathers. The surveyorh of the buildings of the prince took by force that which she would not give up with good will. The woman almost distracted, went to Cordova" and implored the assistance of the lawsP.-Bembekir was then the* cadi, or judge of that town. The case was difficult, for, though the law was explicit, it was not an easy matters to enforce itt against a prince, who, from his rank, thought himself above the law. Bembekir, however mounting his ass, takes with him a very large sacks, and presents himself before Hakham, who was in a pavilion, which he had constructed on the poor woman's ground. The appearance of the cadi, and particularly the sack which he had on his shoulders, astonished the prince. Bembekir, after having prostrated himself, asked his leaved to fill his sack with the earth on which he stood. Hakham consented. When the sack was full, he entreated the caliph to help him load his ass with ith. Surprised at such a requesti the caliph told him the burden was too heavy: "Prince," replied Bembekir, with a noble couragel "this sack contains, however, but a small part of the earth which you have so unjustly taken" ;

d cette femme ;-e de la lui vendre ;-f qu'on lui fit;-5 se dessaisir de;-h intendant;-i s'empara de ;-k accorder;- de bonne grâce; désolée ;-n Cordoue; implorer;—P justice; - embarrassant;r formelle; aisé ;-t de la mettre en force; par ;-w des lois ;- monte aussitôt sur son âne ety un sac d'une énorme grandeur ; qu'il avait fait construire; -a L'arrivée ;-b plus encore; s'être prosterné ;-d lui demanda la permission;-e de remplir son sac de ;-f était ;8 y consentit de lui aider à le charger sur son âne;-i d'une pareille demande; lui dit que; hardiesse ; ne que ;enlevée;

how will you be able to sustain the weight of the whole? at the day of judgment?" Hakham, insteadTM of being incensed against the cadi, generously acknowledged the fault he had committed; and returned to the woman the land he had taken possession of", with all the buildings that he had constructed thereon.

- comment pourrez-vous;—P de toute cette terre ;-9 au jour du jugement dernier ;-r loin s irrité ;-t rendit;- terrain ; — dont il s'était emparé ;—x qu'il avait fait construire.

BARNEVELDT.

HOLLAND has produced few statesmen so wise2, and so patriotic, as this great man. He was employed in various negociations, in which he succeeded even beyond the hopes of his countrymen. The States of Holland made him their Grand Pensionary; and his patriotic zeal induced him to limite the authority of Maurice, Prince of Orange, which brought upon him the hatred of the partizans of that prince, who falsely accused him of a design to deliver his country into the hands of the Spaniards. Beingi tried and found guilty, Prince Maurice was strongly petitioned to grant him his1 life; but he remained inexorable, declaring, however, that he would grant his pardon, if the family of Barneveldt asked for it, but they refused to take a step which would imply the guilt of their venerable chief. His head was struck off in the seventy-second year of his age, on* the 13th of May, 1619. His memory has been revered ever

y d'hommes d'état ;-z aussi habiles ;—a où ;-b même au delà des; la Hollande ;-d l'induisit ; e à limiter; ce qui lui attira; du dessein de ;-- entre les mains; Ayant été ;— on demanda avec instance au Prince Maurice; de lui accorder la ;-m en déclarant ; elle refusa; de faire une démarche ;-P culpabilité ;- Il fut décapité;