and the great empires of Asia retained only the name of the glory that had passed away.

If we turn to those Asiatic nations of whom we find mention only in classic authors, the state of things is no better. The Pagan historians, as before observed, give us no moral clue to the fall of kingdoms; but though we have not here the rationale of history, we have its prominent features well marked out. Among the barbarous Nomades of the desert, we find the idolatry, the degradation and the subsequent catastrophe distinctly recorded. Our chief authority concerning these tribes is Herodotus; and his report exhibits indeed less of luxury than we see amid the palaces of Babylon, but quite as little of true religion or morality. They seem to have been but one remove above the beasts of the field; cruel, rapacious, and totally uncivilized. Should the gold-bedecked armour and brazen lances of the Massagetæ be held forth as an exception to this generally savage state,-we can only reply that however warlike this tribe might be, and however skilful in the arts connected with their favourite pursuit, they had as little pretension to the name of civilized beings as their neighbours; for the chief peculiarities recorded of them are the sacrifice of their horses to the sun, a community of wives, and the fearful custom of murdering their aged parents and feasting upon their flesh.

All these tribes are now lost nationally. The Persian and Greek arms swept them away, either by conquest or extermination. Their successors, or perhaps descendants, bow to the authority of Mahomet, and people the wilds of Georgia and the Caucasus; but the Massagatæ and their fellow-Nomades are now nationally extinct.

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[I AM sorry to add that the manuscript ends here; various difficulties connected with the subject, and the writer's health, having prevented its completion.]

A. F.

THE Scriptural expression, the seal of the Spirit, seems plainly to signify that the soul of the Christian upon whom it is impressed, bears as evident marks of conformity with the will of God, as the wax does of similarity to the seal by which it has been stamped.— Faber.

THE GOOD ADVISER.

AN IRISH SKETCH.

"Quivi licto ride il bel smeraldo."-TASSO.

A pleasant spot is this green island of ours, with its heathery mountains, shining lakes, and fertile valleys. It is not classic ground, like the hills and dales of our thistle-crowned sister; yet I love to tread its shamrockcovered fields, to climb its rugged rocks, and even to scramble through its bogs; for, be it observed, there is more of the picturesque in real Irish bog-trotting, than people in general dream of. Oh! the delight of a free mountain ramble! the fresh bounding feel of renewed life, the spring of love that flows forth to every thing and being within our ken, and also, I trust, of praise and gratitude to Him who "formeth the mountains," and whose is "the strength of the hills."

A stranger coming to Ireland admires its scenery, and laments that the moral and religious attainments of its peasantry are nearly in an inverse ratio to the beauty of their land-he seizes some of the more salient characteristics of the persons both high and low with whom he comes in contact, and he then goes home and fancies he knows what Irishmen and Irishwomen really are. Now, with humility be it spoken, we Hibernians are not so easily learned by rote, as all this comes to. As soon may you get the ripples on a mountain stream, or

the moonbeams dallying with an aspen tree, or a spoiled child of three years old, to stand still while you paint their likeness, as induce our restless Irish character to let itself be daguerrotyped by any plodding John Bull of them all. But, although we will not let others find out much about us, we may know something of ourselves, and we, to whom 'reading and writing came by nature,' not by Phonography and Stenography, or any other ography that ever was devised, we, I say, of the 'educated class,' may recount some true anecdotes of our countrymen, for the delectation and enlightenment of our English friends, always provided they care to listen to us.

Passing some time lately in a wild district of Munster, I was walking one day with a friend, when we were overtaken by a man with whom we had both some acquaintance. He belonged to the better class of farmers, was a shrewd intelligent man, and one who bore an excellent character. After the customary cordial salutations, he slackened his horse's pace, and walked along with us. 'Jack,' said my companion, 'what was the name of that "good adviser" you were telling me of?' This was said in order to draw out a story which he had previously heard, and which had excited my curiosity. Jack eyed us rather suspiciously, evidently fearing our ridicule, but at length we induced him to recount a tale which he devoutly believed, and which I will repeat as nearly verbatim as possible. 'There's a man called Paddy Leary, living between this and the town of D., and he's the best adviser ever you came across all the counthry do be goin' to him, and he advises 'em about their sowls, and about sin, and all about the other world, for he seen it.' How do you mean,' I asked, 'that he saw the other world?' 'I'll

tell you, Ma'am. Some years ago he was taken with a pining sickness, no one knew what ailded him, but he wasted and wasted away till the half of him wasn't in it, and you'd think a gooseberry skin would make him an umbrella, and at last he grew so wake that he kept the bed entirely. Well! one day he was lying this way and all his people were in the house, and they began saying it wasn't himself at all at all that was there, but something unlucky (the saints between us and harm!) in his form. One said it, and another said it, till at last his brothers agreed to hate a shovel red hot and put him on it, the way they'd frighten off the thing that was in the bed, and get their own back agin. The very minnit Paddy, or whatsomever was in his shape, heard that, up out of bed with him, and through the door, and over the mountains like a shot. There was one of his brothers, the fastest runner in the whole counthry, he could keep up with the hounds at full cry, and off he set afther him, but the never a bit of him could catch him, or keep up to him, and he had to stop, Well! Paddy's friends kept going still, and towards evening what would they see, but himself formest 'em on a rock; and whin they came up-"Oh!" says he, “here I am safe and sound. I was in the other world, and I could never come back till you frightened away that thing in my shape."

Of course they were all in great joy, and took him home; and thin he tould them the most wondherful things about the other world, and how he seen God and heaven and hell. Jack,' said my friend, 'did he see Purgatory at all?'-' Indeed, Sir, I did'nt hear that, but any way he's no imposer, for he doesn't take any money, and he gives the best of good advice about sin. See now, if he was walking this road, and to hear a man