years are not all of the same length, because they travel in circles of different sizes. The names of the planets are Mercury, Venus, our Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, and the Georgium Sidus *. Our moon is a smaller body, which moves round the earth once in a month, and accompanies her in her journey round the sun. The moon is, like the planets, in herself dark, but, like them, she is lighted on that side which is turned towards the sun. Some of the other planets have moons as well as our's. The planet Jupiter has four moons, as may be easily seen in a clear night through a good telescope. What are called the fixed stars, are balls of fire, like our sun, and are probably all suns, lighting distant worlds. Well may we admire the wonder-working hand of Him who made all these things, and exclaim in the words of Milton, "These are thy glorious works, Parent of Good." I HAVE observed with great pleasure your frequent notice of the cruelties exercised towards animals, because I hope that the greater part of those who commit them, do it more from thoughtlessness, than premeditated wickedness, and that, when reminded by your kind and excellent Visitor, they will not so easily forget, how much it behoves all Christians to follow the example of their meek and merciful Saviour, The Georg-i-um Si-dus means the Georgian star this planet was discovered by Dr. Herschell, and named by him after King George the Third, I say nothing about the small planets lately discovered. and how greatly they sin against the commands of God, who torment His creatures. It might indeed reasonably be expected, that the great pains which are now taken to give religious instruction to the young would lessen this evil, and yet how seldom do we walk through the streets, or cross a common, without being distressed by the wanton barbarities of boys upon the horses, jack-asses, dogs, &c. which fall into their power. Let all such remember, "that unto whom soever much is given, of them will much be required," and that, if, after all that has been done, and is still doing to teach them their duty, they will yet persist in doing what is contrary to it, severe indeed will be their punishment. The Almighty, who bestows so many blessings on them, and who is so infinitely a God of mercy and compassion, is also a God of justice:-the miseries which they inflict on poor harmless animals, they will in their turn one day be made to feel: and that the Almighty Lord of heaven and earth, sometimes visits cruelty with immediate retribution, the following true story will prove. "A Brewer's dray, was passing through the village of Fulham, near London, when the foremost horse suddenly fell down; the driver, in a passion at being thus stopped, began, as is too common, to flog the poor animal with his whip; the horse however did not move; the drayman grew more angry, and beat the poor animal in a very unmerciful manner; when a gentleman, who stopped to see what had drawn the crowd together, took hold of the man's arm, and asked him, why he used the poor creature so brutally; "do you not see, said he, that the horse is in a fit, and is jaw-locked?" Oh! answered the drayman (with a most blasphemous, oath) "I will unlock it for him ;" and, in the act of raising his arm to strike the horse on the mouth, with the thick end of his whip, he was himself seized with a fit: his own jaw became locked, and his raised arm fell power. less at his side. The wretched man was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, and, for some hours, remained speechless. When he recovered the use of speech he used it only to vent his rage, and to utter the most wicked oaths, raving against the Power which had thus stopped him in his cruelty. The clergyman of the place heard of the circumstance; hastened to the bed-side of the dray. man; and said every thing he thought most likely to awaken him to a sense of his danger, and his crimes; the man continued for a long time hardened, but, at last, through the Divine blessing, his mind began to soften, and he was in the end brought to feel his wretchedness, and acknowledge his great sinfulness. He died three days after the circumstance happened, leaving a most awful warning to all who saw, and to all who shall hear of his fate, carefully to avoid his crimes." : I have related this story exactly as it was told to me, Mr. Editor: it made a deep impression on my mind at the time, and I have no doubt whatever,. of the truth of the principal facts; but I have now no opportunity of ascertaining whether the particular circumstances were related to me exactly as they happened and as it is probable that this paper may meet the eye of some old inhabitant of Ful ham, who can either vouch for the truth of the story, or correct me where I have erred in my statement, they will very much oblige me by doing this, and you will I dare say kindly allow of their doing it through the medium of your excellent little work. I am, Sir, a sincere well-wisher to my fellow creatures, and a truly pitying friend to all ill treated animals. E. SHORT LECTURES ON THE CATECHISM. THE Catechism is a short explanation of that part of the Christian Religion called the Protestant Church. It begins by asking what is meant by the ceremony of Baptism; and informs us that it is a Sacrament. We derive great privileges from this Sacrament, but we at the same time pledge ourselves to great duties: we engage to be followers and imitators of Christ; to fight manfully against sin, the world, and the Devil. We most solemnly engage to follow the Principles of the Gospel, by seeking to fly from all sin, and to practise every kind of Virtue. We thus engage to love the Lord with all our hearts and minds and strength, and to be affectionate and kind to our fellow-creatures. We must then, as Christians, suffer any kind of distress rather than deny the name of that Saviour who hath called us to be His. We must bear every inconvenience of poverty and distress, rather than attempt to improve our fortune by the slightest act of dishonesty: we must suffer death, shame, or the loss of every thing valuable, rather than preserve it by telling a lie in short we must devoutly serve God, and do to all others as we wish to be done by, if we wish to be real members of the Religion we profess, which we shall find briefly summed up in the Articles of our Belief. C. The Correspondent who has sent us the above, expresses his intention of going on with the subject. Sir, I was very much pleased with a Dialogue on Swearing which appeared some time ago in your inte resting little Magazine; and trust it has been profitable to many of your Readers "for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness." Indeed, indeed, Sir, it is truly awful to think that a practice which is directly contrary to the plainest precepts, as well as the general spirit of the Gospel ; a practice which bids defiance to common decency and civility;—a practice which brings neither pleasure nor profit; it is, I say, truly awful, that such a practice should be so common. And I fear it must be confessed that it prevails in the middle and higher, as well as in the humbler stations of life. With what authority does the Law of God pronounce condemnation upon this impious practice!-"The Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his Name in vain." 3d Commandment. With what affection does St. James caution us against it! "Above all things, my Brethren, swear not," &c. chap. v. 12th verse. I beg to transmit you the enclosed Lines on the subject of profane Swearing, and think you will be the more pleased with them when I tell you where I found them. They are graced with a neat frame, and hung up in the parlour of the Ostrich publichouse, on the road between Bury and Manchester. If you think them suitable for the Monthly Visitor, you will oblige me by giving them a place at your earliest convenience. A LANCASHIRE CURATE. Verses on Swearing hung up at an Alehouse, "It chills my blood to hear the blest Supreme, |