THE TIMES OF OLD.

WHо needs a teacher to admonish him

That flesh is grass?-That earthly things are mist?
What are our joys but dreams? And what our hopes
But goodly shadows in the summer cloud?
There's not a wind that blows, but bears with it
Some rainbow promise-Not a moment flies
But puts its sickle in the fields of life,

gaz'd,

And mows its thousands, with their joys and cares.
"Tis but as yesterday, since on yon stars,
Which now I view, the Chaldee shepherd
In his mid-watch, observant, and dispos'd
The twinkling hosts, as fancy gave them shape.
Yet in the interim, what mighty shocks
Have buffetted mankind-whole nations raz'd—
Cities made desolate-the polish'd sunk
To barbarism, and once barbaric states
Swaying the wand of science and of arts;
Illustrious deeds and memorable names
Blotted from record, and upon the tongue
Of grey tradition, voluble no more.

Where are the heroes of the ages past;
Where the brave chieftains-where the mighty ones
Who flourish'd in the infancy of days?—
All to the grave gone down!-On their fall'n fame
Exultant, mocking at the pride of man,
Sits grim Forgetfulness.-The warrior's arm
Lies nerveless on the pillow of its shame;
Hush'd is his stormy voice, and quench'd the blaze
Of his red eye-ball. Yesterday his name
Was mighty on the earth-To-day-'tis what?
The meteor of the night of distant years,
That flash'd unnotic'd, save by wrinkled eld,
Musing at midnight upon prophecies,
Who at her lonely lattice saw the gleam
Point to the mist-pois'd shroud, then quietly
Clos'd her pale lips, and lock'd the secret up
Safe in the charnel's treasures.

Alluding to the first astronomical observations, made by the Chaldean shepherds.

O how weak

Is mortal man! How trifling-how confin'd
His scope of vision!-Puff'd with confidence,
His phrase grows big with immortality;
And he, poor insect of a summer's day,
Dreams of eternal honours to his name;
Of endless glory, and perennial bays.
He idly reasons of eternity,

As of the train of ages,-when, alas!
Ten thousand thousand of his centuries
Are, in comparison, a little point,

Too trivial for account.- -O it is strange,
'Tis passing strange, to mark his fallacies;
Behold him proudly view some pompous pile,
Whose high dome swells to emulate the skies,
And smile and say, my name shall live with this
"Till Time shall be no more; while at his feet,
Yea, at his very feet, the crumbling dust
Of the fall'n fabric of the other day,
Preaches the solemn lesson.-He should know,
That time must conquer.
That the loudest blast

That ever fill'd Renown's obstrep'rous trump,
Fades in the lapse of ages, and expires.
Who lies inhum'd in the terrific gloom
Of the gigantic pyramid? Or who

Rear'd its huge wall?-Oblivion laughs and says,
The prey is mine. They sleep, and never more
Their names shall strike upon the ear of man,
Their mem'ry burst its fetters.

Where is Rome? She lives but in the tale of other times; Her proud pavilions are the hermits' home. And her long colonnades, her public walks, Now faintly echo to the pilgrim's feet, Who comes to muse in solitude, and trace, Through the rank moss reveal'd, her honour'd dust. But not to Rome alone has fate confin'd

The doom of ruin; cities numberless,

Tyre, Sidon, Carthage, Babylon, and Troy,
And rich Phoenicia-they are blotted out,
Half-raz'd from memory; and their very name
And being, in dispute!

CAPTURE OF MONTEZUMA.

1. IN 1518, the governor of Cuba, Don Velasques, projected an expedition against Mexico; and desirous to arrogate to himself the glory and advantages of the conquest, he conferred the command on Hernando Cortez, a bold adventurer, whose abilities were equal to any undertaking, and whose fortune and rank were not such as seemed calculated to inspire him with any higher ideas than of acting in perfect subordination to his employer. The event, however, proved contrary to the expectation of Velasques. Before the expedition sailed from Cuba, he began to suspect the aspiring ambition of Cortez, and resolved to deprive him of the command. But Cortez, apprised of his design, and perfectly secure of the attachment of his followers, immediately set sail with eleven small vessels, of which the largest was only 100 tons burden-three were of 70 or 80; and the others were only small open barks. His whole force consisted only of 617 soldiers and seamen, all volunteers, and men of the most daring resolution. 2. With this small force he undertook the conquest of a vast empire. Having landed on the continent, he laid the foundation of the town of Vera Cruz, and built a fortress sufficiently strong to resist the attacks of an Indian army. At his first arrival, he received a message from Montezuma, the Mexican emperor, requiring to know his intentions in visiting his country. Cortez announced himself as ambassador from the king of Spain, the most powerful monarch of the east; and declaring himself entrusted with such proposals as he could impart only to the emperor in person, requested to be immediately conducted to the capital. The Mexican officers hesitated at this request, which they knew would be extremely embarrassing to Montezuma, whose mind had become harassed with alarming apprehensions ever since he had heard of the landing of the Spaniards on his coast.

3. During this interview, some painters, in the train of the Mexican officers, were employed in sketching, in their rude manner, the figures of the ships, the

horses, the artillery, the soldiers, and whatever attracted their attention. Cortez perceiving this, and being informed that the pictures were designed to be presented to Montezuma, in order to give him a just idea of those strange and wonderful objects, resolved to render the representation as striking as possible, by exhibiting such a spectacle as might give both them and their monarch an awful impression of the irresistible force of his arms. The trumpets, by his order, sounded an alarm: the troops in a moment formed in order of battle; both cavalry and infantry performed their martial exercises and evolutions; and the artillery thundering in repeated discharges, being pointed against a thick forest adjoining to the camp, made dreadful havoc among the trees. The Mexicans were struck with that amazement, which a spectacle so novel, so extraordinary, so terrible, and so much above their comprehension, might be expected to excite. Reports and representations of all these things were sent to Montezuma, who, as well as his subjects, conceived that the Spaniards were more than human beings, an opinion which Cortez took every opportunity of confirming and impressing on the minds of the Mexicans.

4. Montezuma afterwards sent many ambassadors to the Spanish camp with rich presents, expressing the greatest friendship for Cortez and the sovereign of Castile; but constantly requesting him to depart from his dominions. This was the purport of every message from the Mexican monarch. Cortez, however, continuing to advance, the request was changed into a command; Montezuma absolutely forbad him to approach the capital, and required his immediate departure from the country. The Spanish general, however, determined to proceed to Mexico, and concluded an alliance with several of the Mexican chiefs, who being weary with Montezuma's tyranny, took this opportunity of revolting against his government. Cortez soon perceived, that although the Mexican empire was extensive, populous, and powerful, it was very far from being firmly consolidated, a circumstance which inspired him with new hopes of effecting its subjugation.

5. Previous to the commencement of his march towards Mexico, Cortez represented to his followers, that it would be the highest degree of folly to think of returning to poverty and disgrace, after having spent their whole fortunes in the equipment of the expedition; that they must absolutely resolve either to conquer or perish; that the ships were so much damaged, as to be unfit for service; and that their small force would derive a very considerable accession of strength from the junction of 100 men necessarily left with the fleet. By these arguments, he convinced them of the necessity of fixing their hopes on what lay before them, without ever looking back, or suffering the idea of a retreat to enter their minds. With the consent of the whole army, the vessels were stripped of their sails, rigging, iron-work, and other articles, which might be come useful, and afterwards broken in pieces. "Thus, by an effort of magnanimity, to which," says Dr. Robertson, "there is nothing parallel in history, 500 men voluntarily consented to be shut up in a hostile coun try, filled with powerful and unknown nations; and having precluded every means of escape, left themselves without any resource but their own valour and perseverance."

6. Cortez landed in Mexico on the 2d of April, 1518; and on the 16th of August, he began his march towards the metropolis, with 500 foot, 15 horse, and 6 field pieces. The rest of his men were left to garrison the fort of Vera Cruz. In his progress, he was interrupted by a war with the Ilascalans, a numerous and warlike people, whose impetuous valour, however, was obliged to yield to the superiority of European weapons and tactics. The Ilascalans, who were inveterate enemies to the Mexicans, having experienced the valour of the Spaniards, whom they regarded as invincible, concluded with them a treaty of peace, and afterwards of alliance; and contributed in no small degree to the success of their enterprise. Cortez, with his Spaniards, accompanied with 6000 of his new allies, now advanced towards Mexico. They were met, in different parts of their journey, by messengers from Montezuma, bearing