J

"Reaching above our nature does no good,
We must fall back to our old flesh and blood."

Is there no island of rest for thee between Scylla and
Charybdis? must thou be for ever bandied to and
fro by the conflicting battledores of fanaticism and
indifference ?

It may not be unamusing, perhaps not uninstructive, to consider the mode in which some of the various classes of London society dispose of themselves upon the Sabbath.

The rational Christian goes to church in an exhilarating spirit of grateful devotion to God, and universal charity to mankind; and, feeling persuaded that the most acceptable homage to the Creator must be the happiness of the creature, dedicates the rest of the day to innocent recreations, and the enjoyment of domestic and social intercourse.

The bigot enters his Salem or Ebenezer, hoping to propitiate the God of unbounded benignity by enforcing systems of gloom and horror; by dreadful denunciations against the rest of mankind, and ascetical self-privations. He holds with the Caliph Omar, that we must make a hell of this world to merit heaven in the next. In all probability, he is a vice-suppresser, and, hating to see others enjoy that which he denies to himself, wages a petty but malignant warfare against human happiness, from the poor boy's kite to the old woman's apple-stall. If in good circumstances, he orders out his coachman, footman, and horses, to go to chapel, that the world may at once know his wealth and his devoutness; yet dines

id meat, to let necessarily empl on this day is a

he woul

ing melody w seks for whistlir

blackbird, in man of fash ame for church: other place at the sub: cplete bore, u honess's, in A azumed in by to move fro woman of fas Ring, exp rude stare o garians.

Half filling hi citizen rides

Ar impressed forming, and ty of acqui reover, a lu have an u Rising ship,

sured; to s

An insura ary into forn

s no good,
esh and blood."

between Scylla and
er bandied to and
of fanaticism and

aps not uninstruc h some of the vaDose of themselves

church in an exto God, and uni feeling persuaded

the Creator must dedicates the rest and the enjoyment

Ebenezer, hoping led benignity by ror; by dreadful mankind, and aswith the Caliph of this world to robability, he is a others enjoy that petty but malig. ss, from the poor stall. If in good chman, footman, he world may at itness; yet dines

ENGLISH GET

The maid-servant, h mistress's permissi when her fellowwas about, excl always told Mary kins would come at the banns, they I was." The labourer, or led to freshen and recreate ance of a cour gratification, n town. He pro tersea or Milewhich he sa , with e'er a d act with the coc mented that she of then innocent n't a wowell?' places his H' s to buy an a ely tells Bill sa hash un." intance, he That they shall atiable as tha lock in the m all beer at

of the introductory
ewly printed bills of
priety in the form of
hat most of the old

s "Laus Deo" very
e. His wife, fat and
nd a whole flower.
site to him, and, &
pomps and vanities,
fifty bobs and tags
itters up the aisle
ntial offices of car
1 shutting the dor
rank of those who

orous display, it is
art pride, and con
dle of every parish
event.

arrayed in the very 5, pick the cleanest he verdant sward, birds of Kensing d children, prefer rowd by the roadng grating of the

her shrine in that
ect every vessel, in
t, they underwrote
that in a few months
bankrupts.

The more decent artisan, having stowed four young children, all apparently of the same age, in a handcart, divides with his wife the pleasure of dragging them, for the benefit of country air, as far as the Mother Red Cap in the Hampstead-road, where he ascends into a balcony commanding a fine view of the surrounding dust, smokes his pipe, drinks his ale, and, enjoying the heat of the high road as he lugs his burden back again, declares, that "them country excursions are vastly wholesome."

It was my intention to have contrasted with these scenes "the sound of the church-going bell" in a quiet sequestered village; but, in writing of London, I have so far caught its spirit, as to have left myself little room for further enlargement, and I shall, therefore, comprise all I had to say in the following extract from Wordsworth's " White Doe of Rylstone :"

"From Bolton's old monastic tower,

The bells ring loud with gladsome power;
The sun is bright; the fields are gay,
With people in their best array
Of stole and doublet, hood and scarf,
Along the banks of the crystal Wharf,
Through the vale, retired and lowly,
Trooping to that summons holy.

, but tha

lips, flat n

that he wou

by what crit

This idea?"

And up among the moorlands, see
What sprinklings of blithe company!