The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-08-04
's'rifIcs.

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trihes and yet these same triaes often
have an important influence on the des-
tiny of an individual, or a nation, yea,
a whole world. Young says, with much
truth
d" Moments make the year, and triles, life"
Yet how prone are we to call these
things Of small account. Some of those
occurrences which have caused thrones
to shake, kingdoms to crumble, or an
entire revolution in the aspect Of the
world have been the result of so-called
trihcs. A few needless words, uttered
.jastingly, perchance, have often severed
the strongest ties Of friendship, or even
involved nations in sanguinary conflicts.
A cross, peevish remark, made in the
palace Of Queen Anne, caused n thirty
years' war between England and France.
The extravaganza Of one of the MISTRESS
es Of Louis XIV. of France was the
cause Of those financial embarrassmcnts
that paved the way to the ndescribable
butchery Of the first Revolution. 1t
was merely u tax upon few pounds Of
tea that gave birth to the American
Revolution, and ultimately to one Of the
most enlightened and powerful nations
Of the earth.
An anocdotc related Of the lato Duke
Of Orleans, heir to the throne of France,
shows the result of a trihing occurrence.
Being at a convivial party, he took one
glass Of wine too much, and when he
started for home was somewhat intoxi-
Gated On his way, the horses became
frightened and were unmanagable by the
driver. The Duke not being in situa-
ion to take care of himself, was thrown
out Of the carriage and killed. lie
was the favoritc of the people and would
doubtless have succeeded quietly to the
throne. But after his death his father
commenced, or rather carried out, his
unpopular measurcrs-tho revolution
took place-a republic was establis he'd
Louis Napoleon was elected Presid-
ent, which only served as stepping
stone to the throne, which he assembled
under the title of Napoleon Ill, and the
French Empire is now swayed by a man
who few years ago was an outcast and
vagabond. Who will say that this is
not all in consequence of the insignif-
cant fact of the Duke of Orleans taking
one glass too much of winc'
But the results of these trifes have
not all been Of evil and blood-shed, or
the overthrowing of empires. Some of
them have resulted in the richest bless
ings enjoyed by humanity. Familiar
as household Words" is the anecdote of
the apples fall in garden which sug-
gcsted to Newton the law of gravitation.
D'Isracli tell us how the taste of Vau-
canson for mechanics was awakened.
When boy, he was compelled by his
mother to attend her long visits to the
confessional, and while this pious lady
"wept with repentance" her son swept
with weariness." While undergoing this
penancc, his attention was attracted by
the uniform motions of a pendulum at
tached to q clock in the hall. He ap-
preached and examined it the mechan-
ism so aroused his curiosity that he en-
tered into the study of mechanics with
an unwearicd Zeal, such as could hardly
fail Of eventuating in the most wonder
ful results. lie finally succeeded in con-
structing clock, and afterwards an
automaton flute player.
A similar anecdote is related of Cali
leo. While reclining, one day in early
life, against one Of the pillars of the ca
thedral at Pisa, his silence was diturb-
ed by the movements of a pendulum
which hung suspended from the cathc-
dral clock. He applied his fingers to
his pulse, and observed that the beating
of the pulse and of the pendulum cores
ponded. 1t was thus that he conceived
the idea ofapplying it to the measurmcnt