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held the clergyman, now very old, and with white locks, who simply said, "Jacob Kentil, have you found Babylon ?"

"Yes," replied he, "I have found Babylon, but I have lost what is worth more than all the wealth of that city, a heart which would have given me its treasure of earnest love, and sweet peace and contentment for my own soul."

G. P.

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Knife Grinder.-"I should be glad to drink your honor's health in

A pot of beer, if you will give me sixpence."

Friend of Humanity.—“ I give thee sixpence! I will see thee hang'd first."

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We have placed at the head of this article the somewhat highsounding title of "Brokers and the Broken,"-not with the least idea in the world of writing a single syllable on the subject therein set forth, but simply and wholly for the laudable purpose of inducing curious people to examine what follows; and we have done this on just the same wise principle as Yankee showmen who perambulate the country with a cart-load of three-legged hens, overgrown babies, and big bab

oons, hang out upon the wall of their shanty a huge daub, not at all intending to represent the "hanimals" within, but merely to excite the wonder of gaping urchins to such a degree that they will finally shell out a shilling to satisfy themselves of the contents by actual inspection. Such is the avowed object of this ricketty caption,-a mere "sounding brass and tinkling cymbal" to ring in readers,-for if left entirely to itself the fabricator hereof greatly feareth lest this valuable production should utterly "waste its sweetness on the desert air.”

Having made this our free and full confession at the outset, after the manner of devout Catholics who make known their manifold sins and transgressions before undertaking any work of difficulty or danger, and having thus conquered that wicked spirit of deception wherewith many scribes are affected, we go on our way feeling much like Bunyan's Pilgrim when he had vanquished Apollyon in the Valley of Humiliation.

Of real, systematic Brokers,-those who make it their sole occupation to "break things"-who shave on stocks and speculate on time as matters of every-day faith and practice-such as keep the Wall street "Bulls and Bears," and stir up the wild beasts of the money market at their pleasure, of these, and such as these, there is neither specimen nor any manner of need in this community of ours. Such traffickers have no "call" among us. Their commodities are entirely beyond our reach and foreign to our wants. In this latitude they would be what the Pill-makers call their wares,-" a drug in the market." A man would most assuredly starve to death in hawking "Policies, Insurances and Stocks" about the College Yard. As well might he try to sell city lots in "Symmes' Hole," or peddle Bibles on "Fiddler's Green."

A meek Pawnbroker might possibly fare better. By dint of large advertising he might manage to drive a very flourishing business in the way of borrowed jack-knives and "gobbled" coal hods, with now and then a stray copy of "Balbus" or some kindred production accidentally found in somebody's room; and we almost expect that, seeing these inducements, some enterprising old Israelite will, ere long, hang out his three golden balls from the basement of South Middle.

But with the whole tribe of "envious Jews" we have nothing to do at present. Our business is with another and totally different class.

It is a peculiar and interesting fact,―peculiar to student-life, and extremely "interesting" to the parties concerned,-that at certain times in the year nearly every wight among us is as destitute of "material aid as the man in the Play, who went back to Venice "with no money at all, and a little more wit." We read that the poor widow cast into

the Treasury "two mites which make a farthing." She differed from us in two important particulars: for, in the first place, we of this degenerate age rarely disburse our funds for any such praiseworthy object, while a second and far greater difference consists in the fact that we hardly ever have "two mites which make a farthing" at our disposal.

We once heard of an aspiring young orator, who, while discussing the question as to whether the Poor ought to be supported at the public expense, introduced the following lucid argument in the negative: “The Poor may be divided into three classes:-the Lord's Poor, the Devil's Poor, and the Poor Devils. The Lord will take care of his Poor, the Devil's Poor ought not to be taken care of any way, and the Poor Devils may shift for themselves." Now we have always considered this an extremely philosophical view of the subject, and accordingly we beg leave to inform our reader that the people treated of in this disquisition belong most emphatically to the third class metioned above. Nor is their condition by any means so deplorable as might be imagined. Let us, like philosophers as we are, briefly "interrogate nature" in regard to some of those advantages which are present unto a man when he is in a pecuniary sense "tight;" and thus we shall show that utter absence of lucre hath manifold goodly consequences.

I. It createth a feeling of independence. The man who is "empty as to his pocket" feareth no evil. The pickpocket careth not for him. The tax-gatherer knoweth him not. The subscription agent passeth by on the other side. No man saluteth him. He walketh without molestation. He sleepeth soundly, for thieves cannot break in and steal. He never loseth money. He never speculateth wickedly. His Bank never faileth. He never hath bad bills. His friends importune him not for aid. He liveth long and dieth happy, because he hath not laid up his treasure in this world.

II. It encourageth civility towards others. He scorneth no man. He despiseth not the good offices of his fellows. He is not puffed up. He boweth unto Freshmen. He smileth upon newsboys. He taketh off his hat to Tutors. He sweareth not at the sweep. He eateth oysters with Sophomores "by special request." He inquireth the time of day that he may have an opportunity of thanking somebody. He complimenteth his friend and borroweth sixpence. He considereth Dutchmen that they toil not, neither do they spin; and speaketh no ill of Lager-Bier. He stareth not at pretty women. He poppeth not the question. He singeth not under people's windows. He hateth not his neighbor, nor his neighbor's wife, nor anything that is his neighbor's. He showed

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great kindness towards wealthy young ladies, and convinceth himself that they have remarkably sweet tempers. He hath great politeness in the presence of rich old gentlemen, and wondereth if one of them will die soon if he marrieth into the family.

III. It cultivateth a commendable spirit of humility. He considereth himself that he is utterly mean. He feeleth his own emptiness. He boasteth not. He frowneth upon money-changers. He walketh lowly. He blacketh his own boots. He smoketh with Colloquy men. He maketh no display of wealth. He weareth no jewels. He eateth peanuts. He flunketh. He hath letters home. He maketh no "rush." He taketh no High Oration. He carrieth no cane. He patronizeth a pipe. He borroweth his neighbor's book. He whittleth the yard fence. He fiddleth. He is never heard to thank God that he is not like other men: he has little reason to do so. He is, in short, what Uriah Heep would call "very 'umble."

IV. It rescueth a man from divers temptations. He walketh uprightly, because he cannot do otherwise. Like the wicked, he standeth on slippery places, for he hath not a penny wherewithal he may slip down. He eateth no costly viands. He drinketh no wine. He goeth unto no Theater. He frequenteth no place of improper amusement. His mind is undefiled: likewise his pocket. He cheateth no man, for no man trusteth him. He sitteth not in the seat of scorners, nor in anybody else's. He dealeth with no Broker, and hath few "sins of commission," for he rarely tradeth in another's name.

V. It traineth one's inventive faculty. He findeth himself in a mood to "change his condition." He realizeth that he is upharsin, which being interpreted means "wanting" for he wanteth exceedingly. He casteth about him for some mode of deliverance. He studieth ways and means. He consulteth oracles and uncles. He plieth his wits. He yearneth for a long head. He conceiveth great plans. He inventeth fly-traps. He peddleth Shakspeare in New Jersey. He buildeth aircastles. He collecteth fines of Freshmen. He hooketh books from the Library. He seeketh for "tick" at the tailor's, and runneth away. He getteth his watch galvanized. He discovereth that his father is a "wealthy planter" in a far country. He learneth that his pedigree is "F. F." He exalteth Diana. He cometh to imagine a vain thing.

VI. It helpeth a man's prospects generally. He is not weighed down by the dross of this world. His conscience disturbeth not his slumbers, for it sleepeth likewise. He hath not the difficulties of a rich man. His round of hope dependeth not upon a camel's going through the eye of

a needle: whereto he applieth unto himself the balm of a great consolation, and hath content with his lot.

The foolish man saith in his heart, "Of a truth, an empty pocket is the 'vacuum' which 'Nature abhorreth," and I will shun it as an evil thing: Yea, I will join in the supplication of that worthy minister:-'0 Lord! give me neither Riches nor Poverty, especially Poverty !'" But the fool rageth and is confident. His words shall be set at naught. The wise listeneth not to his counsels, but believeth that a man must needs be "Broken " before he can enjoy the fulness of terrestrial bliss.

N. C. P.

HISTORY OF GREECE.

Literary Notice.

By GEORGE GROTE, ESQ.
York: Harper & Brothers. 1856.

Vol. XII. New

THIS work, as often happens, has spread out under the forging hand of its author. Destined at first to consist of eight volumes, it numbers now a round dozen; all stout octavos, which in the republication have dwindled to duodecimos-no unapt emblem of John Bull shrinking up into Brother Jonathan. Even now we have not reached the full end. Two volumes, yet to appear, on the philosophy of Plato and Aristotle, are really supplementary to the History, though constructed on a different scale and bearing another title.

To compare Grote and Gibbon is at least as natural as to compare Macedon and Monmouth; in fact, there are many points of resemblance, beside the common initial. Both Englishmen, both men of easy fortune, both politicians, members of Parliament for many years, yet both scholars of solid erudition, and both masters in the difficult art of representing the ancient world to the men of modern times. It is remarkable that the Germans, preeminent as they confessedly are, in the studies of antiquity, should have allowed the prize, in Grecian as in Roman history, to be carried off by Englishmen. Unrivaled in the thorough and exhaustive investigation of particular points, they seem deficient in the art of composition, the art of gathering up the facts into an organic whole, and giving life and motion to the body of history.

It is remarkable also, that these great expositors of ancient history should be found among men of the world, the men of public life and

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