ere he procured what he desired, the manufacturer would have to go to the makers of nets and frames, and exchange with them the corn he had first procured from the husbandman. He might here again find he bought the wrong article; and endless difficulties would arise. The feeling of these difficulties no doubt suggested the plan of fixing on some one thing, that should pass current from hand to hand, and its value being known and determined, would be taken by any one in exchange for what he had to spare, certain he could buy with it again whatever he might desire. Then the maker of ploughshares need only take this money, or whatever it was, instead of corn from the husbandman, and he would get his fish, for the fisherman could immediately buy with it a net. Something, therefore, has been determined on, in all countries advancing in civilization, as a medium of exchange. We read that in our own country the leaves of the misseltoe were anciently so used. In India shells have been made use of for the purpose: and I think, in some parts of Africa, salt, where it is scarce. But it was desirable to fix on a substance durable as well as scarce. Iron has been used; but in countries where it is plenty and of little value, a large quantity must be given for a small exchange, and the weight becomes an incumbrance. The value and rarity of gold and silver soon pointed them out as proper for the purpose, and we see that so early as the days of Abraham they were so used. The metal was then kept in bars, from which the quantity to be paid was broken off and weighed in the presence of those who received it. There needed a further advance in society, and longer experience to discover that the gold and silver might be kept ready broken into pieces of a known weight, made into the form of coin, and stamped to prevent any thing being taken from their value, or other imposition being practised.

HISTORY OF ENGLAND.

(Continued from page 73.)

BRAVE Hereford was wrong'd, but wronging more,
When England hailed fourth Henry to her shore.
Much princely greatness elevates his name;
Our hearts go with him even while we blame.
But he is an usurper, and he wears

Another's crown through few and troubled years.
They who had raised him to a power undue,
False for his sake, were rebels now anew-
Northumberland's earl, Hotspur in arms renown'd,
Douglas and Glendour in rebellion join'd;
Only to prove how well his hand could wield,
How well defend the sceptre that he held.
His son succeeds, our history's favourite knight-
The gay, the valiant, England's fond delight.
Henry, we would no blood were on thy sword,
But that at Agincourt in battle pour'd.
We have no praise for glories such as thine-
Poor vapour lights, that warm not while they shine.
Far brighter theirs who felt the martyr's fire,
Victims of Henry's execrable ire.

He bought his honours with his people's blood-
They shed their own in honour of their God;-
He won an earthly crown he never wore-
Their diadem will leave their brows no more:
While Europe echoed with fifth Henry's fame,
Angels in heaven repeated Cobham's name.

"Twas fourteen hundred years since Christian light Broke on the Gentile world's unconscious night.And now again so faint that light had grown, God only knew where he might find His own. A brighter dawn was near-one feeble ray Gave earnest of our country's distant day: A transient season Wickliff's voice was heard Whispering his Master's long forgotten word; But Persecution check'd the unwelcome sound, And the bright gleam was lost in night profound.

The father's crown the infant Henry wore→ Ambitious uncles shar'd the regal power;

And France regain'd, at Joan's prophetic word,
All she had yielded to the English sword.
Alas for Henry! innocent as weak,
England's inconstancy his fortunes speak.
If these fair realms to braver York belong.
His is the punishment, not his the wrong.
Poor plaything of ambition not his own,
He had been happier without his throne.
A subject monarch-helpless slave between
A youthful rival and a warrior queen—
Alike to whom was victory or defeat,
Till cold in death at the assassin's feet.

Edward, with qualities too blindly lov'd
A nobler but a harder master prov'd:
Lost in the pleasures of a worthless court,
His reign was cruel, his existence short.

In childhood slain by an usurper base,
Fifth Edward scarce in history claims a place :
And scarce can language fitting terms supply
To speak that base usurper's infamy.
Gloucester, assassin of defenceless foes,
By art and murder to King Richard rose.
He met the ills that on like deeds attend-
His kindred slain, he left him not a friend-
And, forc'd to Richmond's worthier sword to yield,
Breath'd forth his spirit upon Bosworth field.

The victor Henry, seventh of the name, To England's realm united every claim. Various impostors tried, but tried in vain, To shake his moderate and happy reign. Few better grace the annals of our landEngland reviv'd beneath his fostering hand.

His son, strange monster, rich in every grace, But vile at heart, succeeded to his place. Handsome, and learn'd, beloved, and valiant tooWhat bitter fruits from such fair promise grew. Friendship, religion, love-whate'er is best In other men, was murderous in his breast. Yet do we owe him thanks for good enjoy'd For yoke of papal tyranny destroy'd : Or rather let us give those thanks to heaven, For its best gifts through such vile agent given.

Now was the destin'd hour, for ever bless'd,
When Christ's afflicted church, long time oppress'd
By Roman superstition, saw the dawn
Of better days, prosperity's return.
Luther, the chosen instrument of God,
First broke the magic of the pontiff's rod.
Our country felt the struggle that ensued
Drench'd with the bigot's and the martyr's blood.
For each alike the ruthless monarch's ire
Prepar'd the stake and fed the murderous fire-
'Twas well, when fear'd and hated through the land,.
He dropt the sceptre from his dying hand.
(To be continued.)

BIOGRAPHY.

FENELON.

(Continued from page 82.)

THE character of the young prince to the direction of whose education Fénélon was appointed, added not a little to the difficulty of the task. It is thus spoken of by a contemporary writer.

66

M. le Duc de Bourgogne naquit terrible, et dans sa première jeunesse fit trembler. Dur, colére jusqu'aux derniers emportemens, même contre les choses inanimées, impétueux avec fureur, incapable de souffrir la moindre résistance même des heures et des élémensopiniâtre à l'excés-livré à toutes les passions et transporté de tous les plaisirs; souvent farouche, naturellement porté à la cruauté. De la hauteur des cieux il ne regardoit les hommes que comme des atômes avec qui il n'avoit aucune ressemblance. A peine les princes ses frères lui paroissoient intermédiaires entre lui et le genre humain."

If our histories speak truth of the Duke of Burgundy's character later in life, it was of so unpromising a pupil that Fénélon, or we would rather say the religion whose

principles he instilled, formed a kind, moderate, and pious prince. It is true he came not to the trials and temptations of despotic power. Dying before his grandfather, France had not to prove the reality of the excellencies attributed to him. But he grew up to manhood, and there is much testimony remaining of the extraordinary change wrought by education on his character, and the great expectations conceived of him.

The method made use of by Fénélon, to subdue so perturbed a spirit, might well be worth our observation, had we the means to retrace them. For different as we doubt not our children are in disposition, from the moment they enter into existence, we believe education is far more responsible than nature for their ultimate character.

Mons. de Bausset, in his life of Fénélon, from which we have extracted most of the materials for this account, though we leave his judgment and his opinions upon most points as altogether erroneous, has given us some few details of the tutor's methods with his royal pupilfrom which we extract such only as are of general application.

The use of elegant and appropriate fables, suited to the occasion that called them forth, and calculated to expose the folly and the consequences of faults that had recently been committed, were likely to have a powerful effect on a child of seven years old; and the talent for composing these amusing lessons was undoubtedly a useful instrument in the hands of Fénélon for exposing to his own view the evil propensities of the little prince, during his infant years. But there is one method mentioned of meeting violence and misconduct which appears to us so extremely judicious, so much more effectual than the respondent violence with which children's tempers are usually opposed, that we cannot forbear repeating it. Whenever the little Louis gave way to a fit of ill-humour, all around him, his governor, tutors, even the officers and domestics of his household, were to observe