Mr. Galton has mentioned, I should feel particularly obliged if the observer, besides measuring the height of his barometer basin, would travel along the towing-path, and actually measure the rise or fall of water at each lock until he reaches one of the pounds mentioned; and if the same was also done in the contrary direction, so as to procure a check on the difference of levels in Mr. G.'s table, a further obligation would be conferred on me by the making of these particulars public: and the same, as to extending like observations by actual measurements of the locks, or to any others of the canals which branch from, or connect with those Mr. G. has particularized. At a future time it is hoped that those who may prefer reducing and calculating their own observations, will not hesitate to send the heights which result, and ample local descriptions, either to you or to Mr. Tilloch, as contributions to the general stock of knowledge on this interesting subject. JOHN FAREY, SEN. 37, Howland-street, August 10, 1821. For the Monthly Magazine. THE PERSIAN POETS. EVERAL of the poets, in imitation SEY of Firdansi and Nizami, have composed a khamsah; the height of their ambition seems to have been to equal or excel their predecessors. The names of these poets, and their respective degrees of excellence, may be classed as follows:-Amir, Khosru, Hatifi, Katibi, and Jami, whose poems, including those of Firdansi and Nizami, amount to more than one hundred thousand couplets. The following exhortation to vigilance and activity is from Sadi, who flourished in A.D. 1280. Although a literal prose translation cannot convey a correct idea of the original poetry, yet, as it gives an interesting description of the figurative style of the east, it is presumed that it will not be deemed uninteresting. "O youth, to-day religion s path pursue; to-morrow age will check thy course: now strong is thy frame and ardent is thy mind, then every moment to improve thyself employ. I did not know the value of my younger days; but now, too late, I learn to prize them, as fate has spoiled me of those precious hours. What efforts can an aged ass beneath his load exert? But thou an agile courser, urge thy speed; a broken vase, though joined again with skill, its price regaineth not. When opportunity once has slipped from the neglectful hand, never can it be recalled. Thou careless, threw away the purest water,* and now with sand must thou ablution make. When with the fleet in the course thou borest not away the ball, fatigued and trembling must thou now proceed; and now, scarce tottering must thy steed, decayed and fainting onward move. "In the desert, one night, by travel wearied, I sunk in slumber. The camel driver came, and clamorous and angry struck me with the reins, saying, 'Arise; if thou have not fixed thy heart on death, why not arise at the sound of the bells of the camels? Sweet would be repose to me as well as to thee, but the desert extends before us; if thou to gentle slumber yield, when the sound of departure is heard, how wilt thou the path regain?' who bind their loads before the signal for "Oh! happy those of auspicious fortune, moving is given! But those who on their journey sleep, will never see again the track of the traveller. Though starting up in haste, what use is it to awake after the caravan has departed? Who barley sows in spring, that he may wheat in autumn reap? But now, thou slumberer, awake! When death prolongs thy sleep, what will be then thy benefit? When greyness covers the locks of youth, and day is changed to night, then fill thy eyes with sleep. Now that the black is mingled with the white, no longer in my days I place my hopes. Alas! passed away is the sweetest part of life; and soon these few remaining hours will also pass away. But now for thee it is the time to sow, if thou would'st wish to reap a harvest. The man at resurrection's hour who unprepared appears, shall sink into the regions of despair. If thou possess the eyes of wisdom, arrange thy journey to the grave, before those eyes are dimmed. Now that the water rises but to thy waist, exert thyself, nor wait until the torrent rushes o'er thy head. While still thy eyes remain, tears repeating shed; and while thy tongue retains its power, pardon for thy sins implore. Not always will the eyes with lustre shine, nor always To-day will the tongue in accents move. listen to the voice of wisdom,lest to-morrow thou shouldest be with dread interrogated. Cherish, then, thy sou as invaluable, and pass not thy life in vanity; for time is precious, and transient are thy days." STORY. "A friend that Jemshid loved, descended to the grave, inshrouded in the finest silk The ablutions are always made by the Muhamedans before they prostrate themselves to prayer; when they can get no water for this purpose, as is the case in the deserts, they substitute sand. that that worm had ever spun. A few days after, Jemshid sought the tomb to mourn and weep his loss; and when he saw the silk decayed, thus to himself he thought: Of finest texture was this shroud composed; but soon has the worm of the grave destroyed it. Ah! true these words that grieved my soul, one day as to his harp the minstrel sung: Alas! short are our days! and like the blooming rose or verdant spring they fade away; but when within the silent tomb we sleep, full many another spring shall glad the world, and many a rose shall bloom."" To appreciate correctly the merits of these mystic poems, it would be necessary to enter into an extended enquiry respecting the origin and opinions of the different kinds of mystics which have prevailed in Persia, which would be foreign to our purpose; suffice it to say that the first who wrote a poem on mysticism, was Abu el Mujed ed din Mahdud ben Adam, better known by the name of El Hakim Sindi, who flourished in the 12th century. To conclude our extracts from Persian literature, the following, from an unknown author, appears not undeserving attention ON MARRIAGE. "O slave to woman! if to love thy heart be still inclined, take unto thyself a wife, and remain no longer single. But when thou marriest, choose one who is of virtuous parents and endowed with modesty; nor seek for health or beauty, for rare it is to find a single one, in whom combine, fortune, beauty, modesty. A chastened modesty is better, then, than riches; these are earthly, but that is heavenly. Beauty and wealth are transient; the slightest grief impairs the one, and accidents disperse the other: but modesty is permanent, and subject to no reverse. When thou art married, seek to please thy wife, but listen not to all she says. From man's right side a rib was taken to form the woman, and never was there seen a rib quite straight, and would'st thou straighten it? It breaks but bends not. Since then 'tis plain that crooked is woman's temper, forgive her faults and blame her not. Nor let them anger thee, nor coercion use, as all is vain to straighten what is curved. But trust not to thy wife thy secrets or thy wealth; acquaint her with them, and thou wilt know no peace. Who conceals not his secrets from his wife soon finds them known to every one. Tell her thy fortune, and as it must either be that thou art rich or poor, it will happen, then, my friend, if rich, thy wife will blame continually thy avarice; if poor, she will complain of hardness and accuse thy meanness. But diffieult it is to choose a wife; and marriage "In Chin are many painters of skill and genius; and one of these painted the portraits of three men, all differing in their expression. One was represented as melancholy and afflicted, and his hand, through grief, fixed on his beard, and, like a diver, immersed in the sea of thought. The second had seized in his hand a stone, with which he was beating his breast; and his portrait resembled the mourners who weep over the dead. The third appeared gay and happy, and seemed free from every worldly care; his countenance was bloomAbove ing, and his lips full of smiles. each of these portraits was written a description of their meaning. Above the one who seemed melancholy and sunk in thought was written, 'This was an Arab, compelled by the hardship of his fate to demand a maid in marriage; and from the bitterness of thinking on the subject is he so afflicted.' Above the one who smote his breast was written, This was a man who married, captivated by the charms of his wife; but misery ensued; and now repenting agony so overpowers his soul, that he tears his hair and beats his breast.' Above the third, who seems rejoiced and happy, was written, 'This is a man relieved from every care, as his wife is dead and has ceased to trouble him; and thus released from secret sorrow he now enjoys his liberty.”” These fragments of oriental literature will give the reader an idea of the Persian style of writing. Like their cognate brethren the Arabs, their writings abound in metaphor and allegory. The different authors who have embellished Persian literature, flourished between A.D. 923 and 1520; for no sooner was the whole of Persia united under the government of Shah Ismael Sifi, than literature began to decay from neglect, since which a marked alteration has taken place in the style of Persian writers. To the chasteness of original genius has succeeded the sterility of imitation, and the beauty of ancient authors ought not to be included in the general censure which is attributable only to their modern writers. Persia is deficient in variety, in verity, It has been admitted that the poetry of and in action; but are not these imperfections compensated by the richness of the thoughts and imagery-by the beauty of the sentiments and descriptions-by the grace and animation of the style-and by the sweetness of he versification? J.G. JACKSON. Windsor. ADDENDA ADDENDA to the LIST of CANALS at page 26, No. 357. Ascertained Levels of various Canals. Total fall 86 by Smith's Map of Canals. 5. Bedford proposed Canal. Wolverton level of Grand Junction Canal Errata in the preceding list. Page 27, No. 11, Dudley Canal, for Lelly Oak, read Selly Oak- -same pa. for Smith wick, read Smethwick, at top of the table. Page 28, No. 12, Grand Junction, for New River, read Nen River. Page 29, No. 21, North Wilts, for at the Summits, read at the Summit. Page 30, No. 35, Worcester Canal, for Tardiby, read Tardibeg-No. 36, Wyrley and Easington, for Easington, read Essing ton. For the Monthly Magazine. LETTER from an OFFICER on board the Congress, United States Frigate, dated Bay of Canton, Dec. 26, 1819, on the restraints laid on Foreigners in their Commercial transactions with the Chinese. WE E arrived in this country on the 1st of Nov. I have now seen Canton, the great entrepôt of oriental commerce, and, like other voyagers who give the reins to imagination rather than reason, I find the reality inadequate to the ideas I had formed of the 373 235 235 555 381 409 467 6 251 405 10 archetype. Nor, indeed, has our reception been attended with very flattering circumstances. The Chinese regard with singular aversion, every appearance of military. They beheld, with alarm and jealousy, the arrival of a ship of war. To us they have manifested the most marked animosity. They ordered us to move to a distance, refused us the services of a compredor, a person deputed to supply the ship with provisions. When our commander, Capt. Henley, repaired to Canton, he received an order to depart, but when they found we treated their conduct with the contempt it merited, and that Capt. Henley persisted in his demand of a compredor, they began,after many weeks delay, to grant us, with a good grace, the authorization required. Without particularising all the details of their absurd and ridiculous conduct, in every thing relative to the vessel, suffice it to say, that nothing was left unattempted to thwart our views, and make our stay here insupportable. Foreign commerce is managed, at Canton, by eleven persons, who form what is called the Hong or the counting house The city of Canton is situated to the north of Bocca Tigris, in a low and marshy district; the streets are so narrow, for the most part, that two persons can with difficulty walk a-breast. The houses have but little elevation, and stand very near together, and as the buildings to the streets consist of shops and warehouses, it is not easy for a stranger to form any just notion of the domestic arrangements in a Chinese family. The foreign companies, in general, have very splendid mansions, with every convenience for the use of their agents. They are divided into sections or separate factories, one of which is commonly occupied by the captain or supercargo of their vessels. house (board) of merchants. They are appointed by the emperor, and selected from among persons the best acquainted with commercial affairs. The head of the present Hong is called How-Qua. That he is expert in his business is clearly proved from his immense riches, valued at from eight to ten millions of dollars. As soon as a ship arrives at Canton, one of these personages offers his services as protector; and this secures to the protector the privilege of vending the greatest part of the cargo, at his pleasure; and as the members of this board disperse their protection in turns, they engross immense advantages over all other traders. The port dues, usually amounting from 400 to 700 dollars, are paid to these merchant protectors. I am within the limits of the strictest truth, when I add that the officers of justice superabound. I do not think there is a country in the world where exactions and acts of injustice are reduced more regularly into a system. Not an individual employed in public business but is culpable, more or less, and from the first officer of state to the lowest clerk in the custom-house, all deem it a sovereign duty to dupe and teaze foreigners. The calculations relative to the population of Canton are, in my opinion, very inaccurate. The part of the city included within the walls, is not above one-third of the suburbs, and altogether does not occupy an extent larger than Philadelphia. From all the information I have been able to obtain, I do not believe the number of inhabitants, including those who live on board barks and vessels, to rise to above 200,000. ORIGINAL POETRY. LINES WRITTEN BY LORD BYRON, On the Death of his Dog, at Newstead Near this spot are deposited the Remains of one, This praise, which would be unmeaning WHEN some proud son of man returns to earth, Whose honest heart is still his master's own, Unhonour'd falls, unnoticed all his worth, given; And claims himself a sole exclusive heaven. Degraded mass of animated dust! Thy love is lust, thy friendship all a cheat, Ye who behold perchance this simple urn, Unknown to glory, but upheld by birth, woe, And storied urns record who rests below: But the poor Dog, in life the firmest friend, LINES Engraved on the Skull of an Ancestor. START not! nor deem my spirit fled, From From which (unlike a living head) Whatever flows is never dull. I lived, I loved, I quaff'd like thee. The worm hath fouller lips than thine. Better to hold the sparkling grape, Than nurse the earth-worm's slimy brood, And circle in the goblet's shape, The drink of gods, than reptile's food. Where once my wit perchance hath shone, Our heads such sad effects produce, Redeemed from worms and wasting clay, This chance is theirs to be of use. The wearied pilot thus deserts the helm, For winds to rive, or waves to overwhelm. July 6th, 1821. SUNG AT A SUNDAY SCHOOL ANNIVERSARY. CHRISTIAN! Who art here attending, Listen to our infant praise Now in pious strains ascending, For our blest Redeemer's grace; He to mitigate our danger Interposed his precious blood; Have thy parents' bounties blest thee? In thy charity caress them; Shew to all that thou art kind. Dost thou bless the boundless kindness And when Earth, in dissolution, Veils its objects from thy sight; May thou prove the great ablution, Sav'd by faith and blest with light; To the great Creator's throne, S. SHAW. ON HEARING OF THE DECEASE OF SHALL genius unobserv'd decay, Nor leave a friend to drop a tear? Nor left its trace of good behind; And stamp'd oblivion on the breath, Once breathing for the human miud. Ah no! ten thousand tongues shall prove How sympathy the heart may rend; Those whom in life, in death we love, And whom in friendship as a friend. Yet o'er the ashes of the brave We raise in grief a nobler strain ; Our wounded eloquence the grave Deplores in many a pensive plain. August 2d, 1821. MEMOIRS |