Star.
London, England, 1823-07-21 00:00:00

LITERATURE.

4=•10
I it..IOIOCA to VIEW or TUG LITEEATUSIC OE TOL SOOTS. ov &MOTE. I
J. C. L. Simon& de Skmondi. Modulated from the
Original. With Notes. By Thomas Roscoe, voh.
Bvo.—London, 1823.
Much as the European languages are cultivated in
England, the Public is still comparatively ignorant of
European Literature. It is true we have Melo-dramas
from the French, Operas from the Italians, and No-
vels from the Germans; hut still we have no work
that gives a -general view of the Literature of the
Germans, French, or Italians. This has long been a
desideratum, which Sismondi has supplied, more par-
ticularly as relates to the South of Europe ; of the Li-
terature of which his work gives an able, elegant, and
comprehensive view, nor has the merit of the original
suffered in the translation, which is very spirited.
A Visw of tbe PAST and PRIsENT STATE Of the ISLAND of JA-
StAICA.. By J. Sr LT, late of Jamaica. Bvo. Edinburgh
and London. 1823.
In an age when the most insignificant Subjects are
dilated into bulky volumes, it is pleasing to find an
author who not only knows how to write well, but
also where to stop. Such is Mr. Stewart, who, in an
octavo of very moderate size, gives a highly inte-
resting history and description of the most important
of our West India Islands, its agriculture, com-
merce, population, manners, custorus, &c. •

TO A ROSE-BUSII,
PLANTED BY A DECEASED FRIEND.
ltob'd in the mantle of luxuriant Spring,
To thee the village nymphs for chaplets sue ;
O'er tbee the bee extends his filmy wing,
Inhales thy sweets, and drinks thy nectar'd dew!
From his high throne the flaming lord of day
Pours on thy bursting gums his fervid pow'r ;
While Zephyr, pleas'd among thy leaves to play,
Casts thy soft fragrance on each meaner flow'r !
Thy foliage shall again salute the skies,
Thou shalt not languish long in Winter's gloom ;
But lifeless still thy honour'd planter lies,
The beams of Summer cannot pierce the tomb :
Alan, lord of all, beneath the reign of time,
Awaits perfection in a nobler clime !

The following were among the distinguished per-
sons present at the Opera on Saturday night :
The Duchess of Kent, the Duke of Cumberland ; Dukes of
Grafton and Devonshire ; Duchesses Richmond, Rutland, and
Argyll ; Count and Countess St. Antonio ; Marquisses Salis-
bury, Aylesbury, Graham, and Hertford ; Marchionesses Co-
nynghatn, Salisbury, and Dowager Lansdowu ; Lords A. Hamil-
ton, Anson, and Alvanley ; Ladies F. Conyngham, Aboyne,
Manvers, Petre, Lonsdale, Murray. E. Macleod, G. Cavendish,
Hervey, Paget, Jones, Morley, Jersey, Clare, and Allecket ;
Colonel and Mrs. Hughes, Mr. 0. Williams, Mrs. R. Colborne,
Mr. 0. Hunter, Mr. and Mrs. Gurney, Professor Frost, Mrs.
Canning, and Mrs. Hope.
QUADRUPED TURNED BIPED.—What would Lord
MONBODDO have given for such a fact as the follow-
ing, recorded in the American Farmer of 20th June
last? Who can doubt after this, that man, like this
shorn lamli,"=may once have walked on all fours?—
Extract from a letter to the Editor, dated Allentown,
N.J. June 10, 1823:—" A few days ago, in passing
a flock Of sheep, at some distance from me, I ob-
served something of uncommon appearance moving
about amongst them : it was owing, I found upon
approaching nearer, to a lamb. following its dam,
walking upon itsfore-feet, with its body erect. Its hind
feet, I was told upon inquiry, and legs as far as the
gambrels, were frozen off, the night it was lambed,
and very soon afterwards it acquired this extraordi-
nary kind of motion. It is three months old; quite
fat, and of ordinary size for its age. It grazes and
sucks, resting wholly upon its forefeet, with its body
in the position just mentioned ; and will walk, if not
urged too fast, a quarter of a mile at once, without
inconvenience."
SINGULAR CIRCUMSTANCE.—SOIDD days ago, a
Lady of exquisite beauty and proportionable sym-
metry of person, happened to call at a Lady's shop,
not one hundred miles from Sackville-street. There
she happened to be recognised by an old Gentleman
of very interesting and gentlemanlike appearance,
who upon the beautiful incognita having ordered some
articles to be sent home which she paid for, and having
one away herself, made very minute inquiries of the
Lady in the shop who the personage was that had just
gone away? He received at first a very cold recep-
tion, but on pressing the Lady to say a few words-to
him in private, he related the following story, with
looks of anxiety and anguish :—He said he was a na-1
tive of the sister island, and amassed a large fortune.
That he had but one child, a female, upon whom he
lavished most profusely the best education and ac-
complishments which the country afforded. It so
•happened that some time ago she had privately left
his house; and that in a disconsolate state, he tra-
versed every part of the Continent in vain, and had
not seen her since, until the moment he entered the
shop. For, said he, with eyes streaming with anguish,
" that lady, madam, is my daughter!" Her address,
was immediately pointed out by the respectable lady
of the shop, and thither the father hastened! . But
here comes the strangest part of all—for behold the
fair fugitive denied all knowledge of or acquaintance
with her own father ! and absolutely and positively
refused to have any conversation with him ! The
father now seemed more disconsolate than ever,
resorted to the Official Authorities for assistance and
advice, and all we know is, that when he returned to
where his daughter had lodged, he found she had
decamped, and left him in melancholy conjectures,
to pursue his forlorn and uncertain pilgrimage until
time or remorse may find their way to this lost and
unnatural fugitive's heart—if not heartless, who with
unnatural powers disowned any knowledge of her
parentage and birth.—Armagh Volunteer.
SAVANNAH, JUNE 7.— NEGRO DEVOTION.—Cato,
the slave of Michael Brown, Esq. was drowned on
Saturday. This humane and heroic negro lost his
life in an attempt to save the life of a white boy, who
was represented to him as drowning. On the first
alarm he ran to the fatal spot, plunged in, accoutred
as he was ; the poor boy clung to him; they sunk and
arose, and then sunk to live no more. The poor ne- I
gro's efforts were rendered unavailing by the alarm
and close embraces of the unhappy drowning boy.
Every feeling and compassionate mind must exclaim
" Alas! poor Cato!" This good negro had before
succeeded iu saving from a watery grave one of his
own colour. The name of the boy drowned was
Thomas Butler, about fourteen years of age, who was
bathing in the toter, off Wayne's wharf.

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