Several curiosities were dug out and sent to France, but the search was soon discontinued; and Herculaneum remained in obscurity till the year 1736, when the king of Naples employed men to dig perpendicularly eighty feet deep; whereupon not only the city made its appearance, but also the bed of the river which ran through it. In the temple of Jupiter were found a statue of gold, and the inscription that decorated the great doors of the entrance. Many curious appendages of opulence and luxury have since been discovered in various parts of the city, and were arranged in a wing of the palace of Naples, among which are statues, busts, and altars; domestic, musical, and surgical instruments; tripods, mirrors of polished metal, silver kettles, and a lady's toilet furnished with combs, thimbles, rings, ear-rings, &c.

A large quantity of manuscripts was also found among the ruins; and very sanguine hopes were entertained by the learned, that many works of the ancients would be restored to light, and that a new mine of science was on the point of being opened; but the difficulty of unrolling the burnt parchments, and of deciphering the obscure letters, has proved such an obstacle, that very little progress has been made in the work.

The streets of Herculaneum seem to have been perfectly straight and regular; the houses well built, and generally uniform; and the rooms paved either with large Roman bricks, mosaic work, or fine marble. It appears that the town was not filled up so unexpectedly with the melted lava, as to prevent the greatest part of the inhabitants from escaping with their richest effects; for there were not more than a dozen skeletons found, and but little gold or precious stones.

The town of Pompeii was involved in the same dreadful catastrophe; but was not discovered till near forty years after the discovery of Herculaneum.

Rule 23. Descriptions of objects are of two kinds; one relating to living forms, and one to such as are inanimate: of the latter there are those which are the works of nature, and those which are produced by art.

In descriptions of objects, the pupil will take care to observe the particular circumstances which distinguish the one under consideration, from others of

the same class or species. In a general description of the clephant it is not necessary to remember that it has four legs, because they are common to animals in general; but its large size, its trunk (or proboscis), its ivory teeth, its sagacity, its docility, &c. are circumstances peculiar to it, and are therefore to be noticed and remembered.

In the description of any animal, or other object which differs from its own species in some particular circumstance, that circumstance is the chief, and generally the only object for attention: of this we should have instances in the black swan, the grey sparrow, the cow with two heads, the black rose, the black tulip, &c.

In all descriptions, the object is represented merelv as it differs from other objects. If a person, attempting to describe a particular mountain, were to say, it is a large hill, no idea would be conveyed, by which that mountain could appear to be distinguished from other mountains. But if he were to state that it is a lofty mountain, either of a certain height, or so high as to be always covered with snow, although in a warm climate; we should obtain one distinguishing circumstance. Its fertility or barrenness; the buildings on it, &c., would all serve as characteristics.

In every description, therefore, the student must observe what are the circumstances which distinguish the object; and if he take care to select those only, he will have very little difficulty in retaining them.

In the following examples, the particular features of each description are distinguished by italics:

THE CAMEL.

Of all animals that man has subjugated to his dominion, the camel is the most abject slave: with incredible patience

and submission, he traverses the burning sands of Africa. and Arabia, carrying burthens of amazing weight.

The Arabs consider the camel as a gift sent from heaven: a sacred animal, without whose assistance they could neither subsist, traffic, nor travel. The milk of the camel is their common food. They also eat its flesh, and its hair supplies them with materials for raiment.

In possession of their camels, the Arabs want nothing, and have nothing to fear. In one day they can perforin a journey of a hundred and fifty miles into the desert, which cuts off every approach from their enemies. By the assis tance of his camel, an Arab surmounts all the difficulties of a country which is neither covered with verdure, nor supplied with water.

The tough and spungy feet of the camel are peculiarly adapted to a hot climate, for in the most fatiguing journeys they are never found to crack. The sand seems indeed their element, for as soon as they quit it and touch the mud, they can scarcely keep upright. Their great power of abstain ing from drinking, enables them to pass unwatered tracts of country for seven or eight days, without requiring any liquid. They can discorer water by their scent, at half a league's distance; and after a long abstinence will hasten towards it, long before their drivers perceive where it lies. Their patience under hunger is such, that they will travel many days fed only with a few dates, or some small balls of barley-meal, or on the miserable thorny plants which they meet with in the deserts.

A large camel will traverse the deserts with a load of a thousand or twelve hundred pounds. When about to be loaded, at the command of the conductor, the animals instantly bend their knees. If overburthened, they give repeated blows with their heads to the person who oppresses them, and sometimes utter lamentable cries.

The Arabs affirm that the camels are so extremely sensi ble of injustice and ill-treatment, that they will retain the remembrance of an injury till an opportunity offers of gratifying their revenge. Eager to express their resentment, they, however, no longer retain any anger when once they believe they have satisfied their vengeance.

THE PEAK OF TENERIFFE.

Teneriffe, one of the Canary Islands, is famous for its lofty mountain called the Peak, which rises like a sugar. loaf in the middle of the island, and may be seen at sea, in clear weather, at a hundred and twenty miles' distance.Some authors make the side of the mountain fifteen miles,

and others three or four times that number; computing, perhaps, the winding ascent. Its perpendicular height above the level of the sea is about three miles.

The Peak of Teneriffe is undoubtedly one of the highest mountains in the world; being little short of Mont Blanc, the highest of the Alps. It is true that Chimborazo in Peru, is nearly a mile and a half higher; yet this extraordinary elevation is not so perceptible, because, like most mountains, it stands among others of kindred height: but Teneriffe stands by itself in the middle of the ocean, and loses nothing of its wonderful elevation to the imagination of the spectator.

Yet extraordinary as is the height of this mountain, it subtracts no more from the rotundity of the earth, than do the slight inequalities on the surface of an orange from its roundness. The height of Teneriffe is three miles; the diameter of the earth is eight thousand miles, so that the Peak of Teneriffe is only the two thousand six hundred and sixty-sixth part of the earth's diameter, and probably the inequalities on the rind of an orange are equal to the five hundredth part of the diameter of that fruit.

When certain travellers arrived, on the second day of their journey, near the summit of this mountain, they found a strong wind, and a continual breathing of a hot sulphureous vapour, which even scorched their faces. On the top there was a large basin, or pit, shaped like an inverted cone, which was of considerable depth, and about a musket-shot over. The inside of this cavity, or cauldron, is covered with loose stones, mixed with sand and sulphur, from whence issued a hot suffocating steam; and the footing being bad, they did not descend to the bottom of it.

The brim of this pit, on which they stood, was not above a yard broad; and from hence they could clearly see the grand Canary, Palma, Gomero, and even Ferro, which is sixty miles distant. As soon as the sun appeared, the sha dow of the Peak seemed to cover not only this and the great Canary island, but even the sea to the very horizon. They further relate, that there were much snow and ice about twothirds of the way up, but at the top there were none at all; and they met with no trees or shrubs in their passage but pines, and a bushy plant like broom.

THE ARGUMENTATIVE.

Rule 24..

- An argument consists of such an arrangement of facts or principles, already known and established, as demonstrates the

truth or utility of some proposition hitherto undetermined.

Rule 25.-In all argumentation there is a subject upon which the reasoning proceeds.

In each of the following examples the subject is distinguished by italics:

The love of praise should be preserved under proper subor. dination to the principle of duty. In itself, it is an useful motive to action; but when allowed to extend its influence too far, it corrupts the whole character, and produces guilt, disgrace and misery. To be entirely destitute of it, is a defect. To be governed by it, is depravity.

Virtue, to become either vigorous or useful, must be habitually active; not breaking forth occasionally with a transient lustre, like the blaze of a comet; but regular in its returns, like the light of day: not like the aromatic gale, which sometimes feasts the sense; but like the ordinary breeze, which purifies the air, and renders it healthful.

Rule 26. Sometimes the subject for discussion requires not only to be stated, but also to be explained, before any reasoning can be employed upon it. This explanation is termed the definition.

In the following example the definition is distinguished by italics:

ON GOOD BREEDING.

A friend of yours and mine has very justly defined good breeding to be, "the result of much good sense, some good nature, and a little self-denial for the sake of others, and with a view to obtain the same indulgence from them." Taking this for granted (as I think it cannot be disputed), it is astonishing to me, that any body, who has good sense and good nature, can essentially fail in good breeding. As to