THE FIRMAMENT.
Reading edition
[William Habington, born 1605, died 1654.]
When I survey the bright
Celestial sphere:
So rich with jewels hung, that night
Doth like an Ethiop bride appear.
My soul her wings doth spread,
And Heaven-ward flies,
The Almighty’s mysteries to read
In the large volumes of the skies.
For the bright firmament
Shoots forth no flame
So silent, but is eloquent
In speaking the Creator’s name.
No unregarded star
Contracts its light
Into so small a character
Remov’d far from our humane sight:
But if we steadfast look,
We shall discern
In it, as in some holy book,
How man may heavenly knowledge learn.
Thus those celestial fires,
Though seeming mute,
The fallacy of our desires
And all the pride of life confute.
For they have watched since first
The world had birth;
And found sin in itself accurst,
And nothing permanent on earth.
Mr. Scott, of Exeter, travelled on business till about eighty years of age. He was one of the most celebrated characters in the kingdom for punctuality, and by his methodical conduct, joined to uniform diligence, he gradually amassed a large fortune. For a long series of years, the proprietors of every inn he frequented in Devon and Cornwall knew the day and the very hour he would arrive. A short time before he died, a gentleman on a journey in Cornwall stopped at a small inn at Port Isaac to dine. The waiter presented him with a bill of fare, which he did not approve of, but observing a fine duck roasting, “I’ll have that,” said the traveller. “You cannot, sir,” said the landlord, “it is for Mr. Scott of Exeter.” “I know Mr. Scott very well,” rejoined the gentleman, “he is not in your house.” “True, sir,” said the landlord, “but six months ago, when he was here last, he ordered a duck to be ready for him this day, precisely at two o’clock;” and to the astonishment of the traveller, he saw the old gentleman jogging into the inn-yard about five minutes before the appointed time.
When Lord Nelson was leaving London, on his last but glorious expedition against the enemy, a quantity of cabin furniture was ordered to be sent on board his ship. He had a farewell dinner-party at his house; and the upholsterer having waited upon his lordship, with an account of the completion of the goods, was brought into the eating-room, in a corner of which his lordship spoke with him. The upholsterer stated to his noble employer, that everything was finished and packed, and would go in the waggon, from a certain inn, at six o’clock. “And you go to the inn, Mr. A., and see them off?” “I shall, my Lord; I shall be there punctually at six.” “A quarter before six, Mr. A. (returned Lord Nelson), be there a quarter before six. To that quarter of an hour I owe everything in life.”
Dr. Fowler, bishop of Gloucester, in the early part of the eighteenth century, was a believer in apparitions. The following conversation of the bishop with Judge Powell is recorded:—
“Since I saw you,” said the lawyer, “I have had ocular demonstration of the existence of nocturnal apparitions.”
“I am glad you are become a convert to truth; but do you say actual ocular demonstration? Let me know the particulars of the story.”
“My lord, I will. It was, let me see, last Thursday night, between the hours of eleven and twelve, but nearer the latter than the former, as I lay sleeping in my bed, I was suddenly awakened by an uncommon noise, and heard something coming up stairs and stalking directly towards my room; the door flying open, I drew back my curtain, and saw a faint glimmering light enter my chamber.”
“Of a blue colour no doubt.”
“The light was of a pale blue, my lord, and followed by a tall meagre personage, his locks hoary with age, and clothed in a long loose gown, a leathern girdle was about his loins, his beard thick and grizly, a large fur cap on his head, and a long staff in his hand. Struck with astonishment, I remained for some time motionless and silent; the figure advanced, staring me full in the face: I then said, Whence, and what art thou?”
“What was the answer—tell me—what was the answer?”
“The following was the answer I received:—‘I am watchman of the night, an’t please your honour, and made bold to come up stairs to inform the family of their street door being open, and that if it was not soon shut, they would probably be robbed before morning.’”
Only the nation which invented ‘comfort’ was capable of conceiving ‘good temper,’ for ‘good temper’ is to the moral what ‘comfort’ is to the physical man. It is the most contented, the most comfortable state of the soul; the greatest happiness both for those who possess it, and for those who feel its influence. Perhaps it is found in perfection in woman alone; for it is rather a passive than an active quality: and yet we must by no means confound it with mere apathy, which is either tedious, or exasperates one’s anger and contempt; whereas ‘good temper’ soothes and tranquillizes all who approach it. It is a truly kind, loving, and cheerful principle; mild and balmy as a cloudless May-day. With ‘gentleness’ in his own character, ‘comfort’ in his house, and ‘good temper’ in his wife, the earthly felicity of man is complete.—Tour of a German Prince.
LONDON:—CHARLES KNIGHT, PALL-MALL EAST.
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Transcriber’s Notes
New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain. Itemized changes from the original text:
p. 17: Corrected “th” to “the” in phrase “contains the apartments belonging to the Royal Society.”
p. 21: Added period after phrase “gradually increasing as his family grew up.”
p. 24: Added closing quotation mark after phrase “precisely at two o’clock.”
p. 24: Removed apparent hyphen from address “Panyer Alley” to match other issues.