REGISTER OF THE THERMOMETER AND PLUVIOMÉTER AT MADAWELLATENNE, FOR NOVEMBER 1840.

with an exposed easterly aspect but the thermometer within the house is from 4 to 6 degrees lower at midday during the warm sunny days, but about equal during rainy or cloudy wea ther. The weather of this month has been of the most favorable kind; the few fine days ena. bled Planters to get under a portion of the heavy crop of accumulating weeds to the destruction of which attention has rincipally been given; the spaces vacant by deaths or accidents have been filled up by renewals. The Plants wear a very luxuriant appearance, on the whole; the 8th of the month brought a heavy storm of rain which continued in tor. rents for 4 or 5 hours, doing immense injury to the Paddy fields and roads. The total quantity of rain during the month amounts to 30 inches 15 cents.

KOBBE GALLA,

Sternness and power are the attributes commonly ascribed to Milth's genius. In these his strength unquestionably lies. But grace and beauty and sweetness, especiably in Comns and Lycidas, his early poems, and in the poem before us, which was his last,both in his language and the melody of his verse, will not be denied to this great poet by any critic of taste and judgment. "In others," it has been remarked, "poetical language seems a sort of cover, a gilding; in Milton it is a part and essence of the thought." And as in no writer are strength and beauty more eminently combined, the beauty of thought was never clothed in more spiritual and melodious diction.

At a touch a picture or a character rises before the reader. How lovely a picture is presented, in one line, of "the bank of Jordau, by a creek, Where winds with reeds and osiers whispering play."

B. 11. 26.

Again, in the same book, at a second consultation of the "demonian spirits," in which Satan gives an account of his unsuccessful attempt upon the second Adam,

"With more than human gifts from Heaven adorn'd,

Perfections absolute, graces divine,

And amplitude of mind to greatest doeds;"

Belial is described in a few introductory lines which make our very ears instruct us in his sensual character. He advises the temp tation of women. The whole is worthy of citation for the exquisite

aft of the poet.

"From amidst them rose

Beltal the dissolutest spirit that fell
The sensuallest, and, after Asmodai,
The fleshliest Incubus; and thus advised,
Set women in his eye and in his walk,
Among daughters of mer the fairest found:
Many are in each region passing fair
As the noon sky; more like to goddesses
Than mortal creatures, graceful and discreet,
Expert in amorous arts, enchanting tongues
Persuasive, virgin nisjesty with mild
And.sweet allay'd, yet terrible to approach,
Skill'd to retire, and, in retiring, draw

Hearts after them tangled in amoroas nets.
Such object hath the power to soften and taine
Severest temper, smouth the rugged'st brow,
Enerve, and with voluptuous hope dissolve,
Draw out with credulous desire, and lead
At will the manliøst, resólatest breast,
As the magnetick hardest iron draws.
Women, when nothing else, beguil'd the heart

Of wisest Soloman, and made him build,

And made him bow, to the Gods of his wives.”

B. II. 149-171.

The first lines of this extract, (such are commentators,) have 'been placed among Milton's "inharmonious passages." They are in perfect harmony with nature, a portrait of truth, a picture to the life; while the rest "discourses most excellent music." There is a noble passage respecting the same false spirit in the second book of Paradise Lust, with which this portrait is in perfect keeping. "His tongue

Dropt manna, and could make the fosse appeas
The better reason, to perplex and dash

Maturest counsels: for his thoughts were low;

To vice industrious."

P. L. B. II. 112.

As a moral contrast, and not inferior in its execution, I will extract a few lines of Satan's reply to Belial's

"What woman will you find,

Though of this age the wonder and the fame,
On whom his leisure will vouchsafe an eye
Of fond desire? Or should she, confident,
As sitting queen ador'd on Beauty's throne,
Descend with all her winning charms begirt
To enamour, as the zone of Venus once
Wrought that effect on Jove, so fubles tell;
How would one look from his majestick brow,
Seated as on the top of Virtue's hill,
Discountenance her despised, and put to rout
All her array; her female pride deject,
Or turn to reverent awe! for beauty stands
In the admiration only of weak minds

Led captive; cease to admire, and all her plumes
Fall flat, and shrink into a trivial toy,

At every sudden slighting quite abash'd.”

dissolute" speech.

B. II. 208-224.

Another passage, of kindred style and perfection, I cannot omit. It is the feast artfully proffered, and disdainfully rejected by our Saviour. The Tempter knowing that he lunger'd, where no food was to be found, in the wide wilderness," resolves, though obviously without hope of success, to tempt him with food. The whole scene is beautifully conceived. He finds Jesus musing on the sensation of hunger, as expecting it to be the subject of further temptation.

"It was the hour of night, when thus the Son

Commenc'd in silent walk, then laid him down
Under the hospitable covert nigh

Of trees thick interwoven; there he slept,
And dream'd as appetite is wont to dream,

Of meats and drinks, nature's refreshment sweet;

Him thought, he by the brook of Cherith stood,
And saw the ravens with their horny beaks

Food to Elijah bringing, even and morn,

Though ravenous, taught to abstain from what they brought."

B. 11-260-269.

found all was

The morning comes, and our Saviour awakes, and but a dream I pass a lovely picture of the morning, to bring the Tempter and the Son of GOD before the leader. He finds hui