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counsellor but humour, or attend to any pursuit except that of amusement; if you allow yourselves to float loose and careless on the tide of life, ready to receive any direction which the current of fashion may chance to give you; what can you expect to follow from such beginnings?

5. While so many around you are undergoing the sad consequences of a like indiscretion, for what reason shall not those consequences extend to you? Shall you attain success without that preparation, and escape dangers without that precaution, which are required of others? Shall happiness grow up to you, of its own accord, and solicit your acceptance, when to the rest of mankind, it is the fruit of long cultivation, and the acquisition of labour and care?

6. Deceive not yourselves with those arrogant hopes. Whatever be your rank, Providence will not, for your sake, reverse its established order. The author of your being hath enjoined you to take heed to your ways; to ponder the paths of your feet; to remember your Creator in the days of your youth."

7. He hath decreed, that they only "who seek after wisdom, shall find it; that fools shall be afflicted, because of their transgressions; and that whoever refuseth instruction, shall destroy his own soul." By listening to these admonitions,g and tempering the vivacity of youth with a proper mixture of serious thought, you may ensure cheerfulness for the rest of life; but by delivering yourselves up at present to giddiness and levity, you lay the foundation of las lasting heaviness of heart.

8. When you look forward to those plans of life, which either your circumstances have ave suggested, d, or your friends have proposed, you will not hesitate to acknowledge, that in order to pursue them with advantage, some previousi discipline is requisite. Be assured, that whatever is to be your profession, no education is more necessary to your success, than the acquirement of virtuous dispo sitions and habits. This is the universal preparation for every character, and every station in life.

9. Bad as the world is, respect is always paid to virtue. In the usual course of human affairs, it will be found that a plain understanding, joined with acknowledged worth, contributes more to prosperity, than the brightest parts without probitys or honour. Whether science, or business, or public life, be your aim, virtue solenın words, in which a great prince, delivered his dying charge to his son : words, which every young person ought to consider as addressed to himself, and to engrave deeply on his heart :

22. "Solomon, my son, know thou the God of thy fathers; and serve him with a perfect heart, and a willing mind.-For the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou for sake him, he will east thee off forever."

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BLAIR.

Stench, stensh, a violent stink, a bad
snell

g Thong, thống, a strap of leather
Sub-lu-nar-y, såb'-lu-nár-è, terrestrial
Thresh-old, thresh'-hold, a step under
the door, entrance
Con-cus-sion, kon-kůsh'-ån, shock of
an earthquake

r

f Ser-u-lar, sek-ku-lår, not spirituals
one not bound by monastick rules
Pe-lo-rus, pè-lo-rus, one of the threat
great promontories of Sicily, near
Charybdis

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Lo-piz-i-um, lo-pizh-e-ům, a castle near Euphæmia

Beich, bëlsh, to eject wind from the stomach, the act of eructation Remote, re-mote', distant, foreign

Eu-phe-mi-a, yu-fé-me-a, a city of o Con-tig-u-ous, kôn-tig-u-us, meeting Calabria

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so as to touch

j Cha-ryb-dis, ka-rib-dis, a dangerous whirlpool on the ceast of Sicily, of posite another whirlpool callery Scylla

Par-ox-ysm, pár rok-sizm, a fit, periodical exacerbation of a disease Ca-tas-tro-phe, ka-tás-trò fè, final event, generally unhappy

Hide-ous, bld-e-ås, or hid-je-ds, horrible, dreadful

thoughtfully

a book

a Loath, lò he, to hate, abhor

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* Verge, vérje, to tend, a rod, the edge z Pen-sive-ly, pên'-siv-lè, sorrowfully, 1 Volume, võl'-yume, a compact body

m Sul-phur-ous, sål-für-us, containing & Per sist, për sist', to persevere, go on

1.

Earthquakea at Calabria, in the year 1638.

AN account of this dreadful earthquake, is given

by the celebrated father Kircher. It happened whilst he was on his journey to visit Mount Etna, and the rest of

1

168

ENGLISH READER.

Part

the wonders that lie towards the south of Italy. Kirch er is considered by scholars, as one of the greatest pro digies of learning.

2. "Having hired a boat, in company with four more (two friars of the order of St. Francis, and two secu lars,s) we launched from the harbour of Messina, in Sici ly; and arrived the same day, at the promontory of PeIprus. Our destination was for the city of Euphemia, in Calabria; where he had some business to transact; and where we designed to tarry for some time.

3. "However, Providence seemed willing to cross our design; for we were obliged to continue three days at Pelorus, on account of the weather; and though we often put out to sea, yet we were as often driven back. At length, wearied with the delay, we resolved. to prosecute our voyage; and, although the sea seemed more than usually agitated, we ventured forward.

4. "The gulf of Charybdis, which we approached, seemed whirled round in such a manner, as to form a vast hollow, verging to a point in the centre. Proceeding onward, and turning my eyes to Ætha, 1 saw it cast forin large volumes of smoke, of mountainous sizes, which entirely covered the island, and blotted out the very shores from my view.

5. "This, together with the noise, and the sulphurous" stench which was strongly perceived, filled me with apprehensions, that some more dreadful calamity was im pending. The sea itself seemed to wear a very unusual appearance: they who have seen a lake in a violent shower of rain, covered all over with bubbles, will conceive some idea of its agitations.

6. "My surprise was still increased, by the calmness and serenity of the weather; not a breeze, not a cloud, which might be supposed to put all nature thus into motion. I therefore warned my companions, that an earthquake was approaching; and, after some time, making for the shore with all possible diligence, we landed at Tropæa, happy and thankful for having escaped the threatening dangers of the sea.

7.

"But our triumphs triumphs at land were of short duration, for we had scarcely arrived at the Jesuit's College, in that city, when our ears were stunned with a horrid sound, resembling that of an infinite number of chariots, driven fiercely forward; the wheels rattling, and the thongs

8. "Soon after this, a most dreadful earthquake ensued; so that the whole tract upon which we stood seemed to vibrate, as if we were in the scale of a balance that continued wavering. This motion, however, soon grew more violent; and being no longer able to keep my legs, I was thrown prostrate upon the ground.

9. "In the mean time, the universal ruin round me redoubled my amazement. The crash of falling houses, the tottering of towers, and the groans of the dying, all contributed to raise my terror and despair. On every side of me, I saw nothing but a scene of ruin; and danger threatening wherever I should fly. I recommended myself to God, as my last great refuge.

"10. At that hour, O how vain was every sublunary" happiness! Wealth, honour, empire, wisdon, all mere useless sounds, and as empty as the bubbles of the deep! Just standing on the threshold of eternity, nothing but God was my pleasure; and the nearer I approached, I only loved him the more.

11. "After some time, however, finding that I remain-. ed unhurt, amidst the general concussion, I resolved to venture for safety; and running as fast as I could, I reached the shore, but almost terrified out of my reason. 1 did not search long here, till I found the boat in which I had landed; and my companions also, whose terrors were even greater than mine. Our meeting was not of that kind, where every one is desirous of telling his own happy escape; it was all silence, and a gloomy dread of impending terrors.

12. "Leaving this seat of desolation, we prosecuted our voyage along the coast; and the next day came to Rochetta, where we landed, although the earth still continued in violent agitations. But we had scarcely arrived at our inn, when we were once more obliged to return to the boat; and, in about half an hour, we saw the greater part of the town, and the inn at which we had set up, dashed to the ground, and burying the inhabitants beneath the ruins.

13. "In this manner, proceeding onward in our little vessel, finding no safety at land, and yet, from the smallness of our boat, having but a very dangerous continuance at sea, we at length landed at Lopizium, a castle midway between Tropea and Euphemia, the city to which, as I said before, we were bound.

14. "Here, wherever I turned my eyes, nothing but

7

scenes of ruin and horror appeared; towns and castles levelled to the ground; Strombalo, though at sixty miles distance, belching forth flames in an unusual manner, and with a noise which I could distinctly hear. But my attention was quickly turned from more remote," to contiguous danger.

15. "The rumbling sound of an approaching earthquake, which we by this time were grown acquainted with, alarmed us for the consequences; it every moment seemed to grow louder, and to approach nearer. The place on which we stood now began to shake most dreadfully; so that being unable to stand, my companions and I caught hold of whatever shrub grew next to us, and supported ourselves in that manner."

16. "After some time, this violent paroxismo ceasing, we again stood up, in order to prosecute our voyage to Euphæmia, which lay within sight. In the mean time, while we were preparing for this purpose. I turned my eyes towards the city, but could see only a frightful dark cloud, that seemed to rest upon the place. This the more surprised us, as the weather was so very serene.

17. "We waited, therefore, till the cloud had passed away: then turning to look for the city, it was totally sunk. Wonderful to tell! nothing but a dismal and pu trid lake was seen where it stood. We looked about te find some one that could tell us of its sad catastrophe, but could see no person. All was become a melancholy solitude; a scene of hideousy desolation.

18. "Thus proceeding pensively along, in quest of some human being that could give us a little information, we at length saw a boy sitting by the shore, and appearing stupified with terror. Of him, therefore, we inquired concerning the fate of the city; but he could not be prevailed on to give us an answer.

19. "We entreated him, with every expression of tenderness and pity to tell us; but his senses were quite wrapt up in the contemplation of the danger he had escaped. We offered him some victuals, but he seemed to loathe the sight. We still persisted in our offices of kindness; but he only pointed to the the place of the city, like one out of his senses; and then run running up into the woods, was never heard of after. Such was the fate of the city of Euphemia.

20. "As we continued our melancholy course along the shore, the whole coast, for the space of two hundred

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