Benjamin West.—This distinguished American artist died in London at the advanced age of 82, being born on the 10th of October, 1738, in Chester county, Pennsylvania. His genius and industry as a painter have never been surpassed, and his productions will long be admired for their great and unrivalled merit. He was much attached to his native country, and took great pleasure in conversing with his fellow citizens, and giving every facility to American artists—he viewed our progress in arts and in science, with deep interest, and his long absence did not alienate his affections from his native land. "Yesterday," said he to an American, "was fifty years since I first arrived in London—I remember travelling on the top of the Canterbury coach, and stopping about two miles from London, at a mean tavern, and taking a dinner before I entered the metropolis to seek my fortune; and I could not avoid yesterday going to the same tavern, calling for a dinner alone in the same room, looking back on the fifty years I had spent, the progress I had made in my profession, the friends I possessed, and the adventures I had met with." This was a singular epoch in the life of an individual.
[Nat. Advocate.
MISCELLANY.
Other people's eyes the cause of ruin.—Almost all the parts of the body, says Dr. Franklin, require some expense. The feet demand shoes; the legs stockings; the rest of the body, clothing; and the stomach a good deal of victuals. Our eyes, though exceedingly useful, ask, when reasonable, only the cheap assistance of spectacles, which would not much impair our finances. But the eyes of other people are the eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine clothes, fine house nor fine furniture.
Enormous Bird.—Mr. Henderson has discovered, in New Siberia, the claws of a bird, measuring each a yard in length; and the Yaknts assured him they had frequently in their hunting excursions, met with skeletons, and even feathers of this bird, the quills of which were large enough to admit a man's arm. This is a fact in support of the tradition, that the earth was formerly inhabited by giants, for men, not exceeding ourselves in stature, would have been helpless against birds of prey of this magnitude.
Martial glory.—In the Edinburgh Review of Dr. Seybert's "Statistical Annals of the United States," there is an admonition to the Americans to abstain from martial glory. "We can inform them," (says the Reviewer) "what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory. Taxes upon every article which enters into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot—taxes upon every thing which is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste—taxes upon warmth, light, or locomotion—taxes on every thing on earth, and the waters under the earth—of every thing that comes from abroad, or is grown at home—taxes on the raw material—taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of men—taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug that restores him to health—on the ermine which decorate the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal—on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice—on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribands of the bride—at bed or at board, couchant or levant, we must pay! The school boy whips his taxed top—the beardless youth manages his taxed horse with a taxed bridle on a taxed road; and the dying Englishman, pouring his medicine which has paid seven per cent., into a spoon which has paid fifteen per cent., flings himself back upon his chintz bed, which has paid twenty-two per cent.—makes his will on an 8l. stamp, and expires in the arms of an apothecary, who has paid 100l. for the privilege of putting him to death.—His whole property is then taxed from 2 to 10 per cent., besides the probate. Large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel; his virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble; and he is then gathered to his fathers to be taxed no more."
Law Intelligence.—R. & C. Rhodes, vs. Peleg Congdon. The court are of opinion that the legal mode of computing interest, where there have been partial payments, is, to cast the interest on the principal, up to the time of the first payment, which add to the principal; and from this sum deduct the payment, and so on through all the endorsements when one year or more intervenes between the payments, provided the sum paid is greater than the sum due for interest, when the payment is made; if less than such sum is paid, to be applied towards the payment of interest; and where the note or mortgage has not run one year, then, cast the interest tin the payment, as well as the principal, up to the end of the year.—The above decision was made by the Supreme Court, at their late April term, in Kent, Maryland.
On Books.—Dr. Aikin in his valuable letters from a Father to a Son, thus elucidates the value of a Library:—"Imagine (says he) that we had it in our power to call up the shades of the greatest and wisest men that ever existed, and obliged them to converse with us on the most interesting topics—what an inestimable privilege should we think it!—how superior to all common enjoyments! But in a well furnished library we, in fact, possess this power. We can question Xenophon and Cæsar on their campaigns—make Demosthenes and Cicero plead before us—join in the audiences of Socrates and Plato, and receive demonstrations from Euclid and Newton. In books we have the choicest thoughts of the ablest men in their best dress. We can, at pleasure, exclude dulness and impertinence, and open our doors to wit and good sense alone. Without books, I have never been able to pass a single day to my entire satisfaction; with them, no day has been so dark as not to have had its pleasure. Even pain and sickness have for a time been charmed away by them. By the easy provision of a book in my pocket, I have frequently worn through long nights and days in the most disagreeable parts of my profession, with all the difference in my feelings between calm content and fretful impatience."