CLOUDS.

I CANNOT look above and see
Yon high-piled gorgeous mass
Of evening clouds so splendidly
In gold and purple pass;

And think not, Lord, how thou wast seen
On Israel's desert way,

Before them in a shadowy screen
Pavilion'd all the day.

Or of those robes of glorious hue,

Which the Redeemer wore,

When, ravish'd from his followers' view,

Aloft his flight he bore:

When, lifted as on mighty wing,

He curtain'd his ascent,

And, wrapt in clouds went triumphing

Above the firmament.

Is it a trail of that same pall
Of many-colour'd dyes,

That high above, o'er-mantling all,
Hangs mid-way down the skies?
Or borders of those sweeping folds
Which shall be all unfurl'd
About the Saviour when he comes
In judgment o'er the world?

For in like manner as he went
(My soul, hast thou forgot?)
Shall be his terrible descent,
When man expecteth not.

Strength, Son of Man! against that hour

Be to our spirits given,

When thou shalt come again in power

Upon the clouds of heaven.

A PRAYER.

ASSIST me, Lord! thy grace to gain,
That I may saving faith obtain ;
Let Charity, so mild and fair,
Engage my warmest, tenderest care:
Her peaceful paths, divinely pure,
Ten thousand blessings will ensure.
When languid pain my form assails,
When nought but anguish dire prevails,
Assist my young enfeebled mind,
Thy just decrees to bear resign'd;
Send fair Religion from above,

To cheer me with my Saviour's love.

Or all the seven isles, Cephalonia is the largest, but not the most interesting as to natural beauties. It is mostly composed of high mountains, between which there are fertile valleys; and these produce wine, currants, oil, &c., the usual produce of the states. Since English protection has been extended here, a great number of new roads have been cut; so that communications are now easily kept up between the distant villages, and the capital town or city Argostoli; which is itself much improved by new wide roads around it, a market-place, an extended mole in front of the whole town, a bridge over the marsh, a prison, and other public works which have been executed. The harbour of Argostoli is spacious, and safe in stormy weather; whilst around the island are many bays, in which ships may anchor securely. There is no doubt but that Cephalonia was once a very considerable place; for it possessed the city of Samos, which was entirely destroyed by the Romans.

Man may destroy the work of man; but the work of God in nature, none can overturn. Hence Mount Enos rears its majestic head, seen by mariners sometimes eighty miles off at sea. In the winter it is covered with snow. At one time a large forest was on its heights, and it produced aromatic plants; but there are few trees upon it now.

Here Jupiter was once worshipped: now at the foot of the mountain is the convent of Saint Gerasimo, the patron saint of the island, whose body is preserved; and if it be not worshipped, it is respected as if it had been divine. O when will Christianity in these parts be free from every heathen relic of idolatry; and when shall God alone be adored!

The character of the people is that of liveliness and industry; and they are more accustomed to go from home to increase their property, than any of the other islanders. Hence many sailors go from Argostoli in different ships, to various parts of the Mediterranean; and many of the young persons finish their education in Italy and on the continent of Europe. To go to those places for education is also the practice of the people in the other islands, especially in regard to those who pursue the study of law and medicine. Indeed many of the old Venetian laws are still in force in the Ionian States; and the language in which the Advocates plead is Italian; though the witnesses are sometimes examined in modern Greek, which is the language of all the villages, and of the lower class of the people in the chief

towns.

Cephalonia contains about sixty thousand inhabitants, who, with a few exceptions in Argostoli, profess the orthodox Greek religion, the service of which is in ancient Greek.

Among the productions of the country, is the Muscadel grape, which makes a sweet wine, that is much esteemed by the people.

The engraving which accompanies this brief notice is a view of part of the town and harbour of Argostoli. In the front ground the people are occupied in gathering in the currants that are sent to England; and in the back ground is the Fort of St. George, and Mount Enos in the distance. A very large navy could anchor in the harbour of Argostoli. Lately a good light-house has been erected on the island of Guardiana at its entrance.

CHRISTIAN CHARITY.

It is commonly urged in behalf of charity, that it is the most lasting, as well as the most excellent, of Christian virtues. The other virtues are temporal, but this is eternal. The others are calculated for this life only; but charity both for this life, and that which is to come. Need I explain, that by charity I mean that comprehensive and Christian love, which we owe to our fellow-creatures; the chief fruits of which in this world are seen in relieving their wants, and forgiving their offences. I say this most excellent and truly Christian virtue is calculated, both for this life and the next. The same principle of love will subsist in heaven; though the same reasons for exerting it will not; for we shall there have no offence to forgive, and no want to relieve. "Faith, hope, and charity, these three," saith the Apostle; "but the greatest of these is charity;" for in heaven, faith shall be swallowed up in intuition, and hope in enjoyment; but charity shall remain for ever. Other Christian virtues may live in this world; but charity shall reign in heaven.

O blessed state! when all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, and all malice and revenge shall have no place in our souls! when the little interests of this life shall be of no concern to us; the trifles that contracted our hearts, and created our contests, shall become useless, and insignificant, and the infirmities that inflamed those trifles shall be no more: when all disputes shall be done away, all factions fall, and all contentions cease: when the greatest enemies shall meet in friendship, and wonder how they mistook and misrepresented one another: when pride, and envy, and avarice, shall never be felt in our hearts; and the happiness, and power, and pre-eminence of others shall raise no passions in us, but admiration, and love, and joy when all the pomps and vanities of this world shall vanish; and goodness, true Christian goodness, shall be the only distinction, the only character and test of greatness. "And they that turn many to righteousness shall shine as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan. xii. 3.) When " we

shall see, even as we are seen:" when we shall see God, unshadowed; and ourselves in his similitude: when we shall see him in his glory, and adore him in his excellence, and love him in his mercy,-love him in his infinite goodness and mercy; and love one another in his likeness, and for his sake and by so doing, become happy, beyond all our hopes and wishes! and the more we continue in knowing, and loving, and adoring, the more shall we insure and increase that happiness to all eternity.

Let us then begin to exercise that excellent virtue here, which will employ us for ever in heaven: and let us not fail to give good proof of that mercy to our poor fellowcreatures, as often as we are able, which we ourselves receive from the great Creator of heaven and earth every moment of our lives here below, and which we hope to receive from him to all eternity in heaven.-Dr. Delany.

THE OAK IN THE CHERRY-TREE.
(Concluded from page 220.)

HERE Dorothy closed her book; and Mr. T., who had been silently amused with the conversation, began, in his usual way, to moralize upon what had been read.

It is, indeed, said he, a very curious incident. I have never met with any thing like it, in all my observations on the vegetable kingdom. One might almost suppose, from this circumstance, that trees had partaken of the sad consequences of man's apostasy from God, when we see one living by another's death, and making the ruin of its fellow, the means of its own support. But I think I have seen something very much like it in human life. If you will have patience with me, I will tell you a tale of what came under my own observation; and for the sake of concealing the real names of the parties, I will call one Mr. Cherry, and the other Mr. Oak. Mr. Cherry, though bred to the profession of the law, was a man of large fortune, and rich family connexions; and such was his influence, that he was considered capable of turning the scale at the county elections,