will be amazed to hear that it travelled in a much greater degree of swiftness than a cannon ball, and drew after it a tail of fire that was four score millions of miles in length. What an amazing thought is it to consider this stupendous body traversing the immensity of the creation with such a rapidity, and at the same time wheeling about in that line which the Almighty has prescribed for it? That it should move in such an inconceivable fury and combustion, and at the same time with such an exact regularity? How spacious must the universe be that gives such bodies as these their full play, without suffering the least disorder or confusion by it? What a glorious show are those Beings entertained with, that can look into this great theatre of nature, and see myriads of such tremendous objects wandering through those immeasurable depths of Ether, and running their appointed courses? Our eyes may hereafter be strong enough to command this magnificent prospect, and our understandings able to find out the several uses of these great parts of the universe. In the mean time they are very proper objects for our imaginations to contemplate, that we may form more exalted notions of infinite wisdom and power, and learn to think humbly of ourselves, and of all the little works of human invention."

Return, then, mysterious traveller, to the depths of the heavens, never again to be seen by the eyes of men now living! Thou hast run thy race with glory; millions of eyes have gazed upon thee with wonder; but they shall never look upon thee again. Since thy last appearance in these lower skies, empires, languages, and races of men have passed away; -the Macedonian, the Alexandrian, the Augustan, the Parthian, the Byzantine, the Saracenic, the Ottoman dynasties sunk or sinking into the gulf of ages. Since thy last appearance, old continents have relapsed into ignorance, and new worlds have come out from behind the veil of waters. The Magian fires are quenched on the hill-tops of Asia; the Chaldean seer is blind; the Egyptian hierogrammatist has lost his cunning; the oracles are dumb. Wisdom now dwells in furthest Thule, or in newly-discovered worlds beyond the sea. Haply when, wheeling up again from the celestial abysses, thou art once more seen by the dwellers on earth, the lan

guages we speak shall also be forgotten, and science shall have fled to the uttermost corners of the earth. But even there His Hand, that now marks out thy wondrous circuit, shall still guide thy course; and then as now Hesper will smile at thy approach, and Arcturus with his sons rejoice at thy coming.

NUMBER SIX.

AN INCURSION INTO THE EMPIRE STATE.

PART I.

Extra clothing prepared for the journey and the result-Sandwiches as compared with a hasty dinner at an inn-Sixty cents saved and proposed investment for it-Six hours comfortably spent at Albany-Sleeping cars and the excellence of their arrangements-Unexpected obstacle to the enjoyment of their full benefit-Arrival at Canandaigua-The great land purchase of Gorham and Phelps.

BEING under engagement to repeat my Address on the Character of Washington, at two or three places, in the western part of the State of New York, circumstances had prevented my keeping the appointment till the middle of December. I must confess that I looked forward to the expedition with some anxiety. A journey of a thousand miles into the lake region, at this season of the year, to be made in six days, on three of which a discourse of two hours' length was to be pronounced, is, to a person who has reached the age of but no matter about that,—a pretty serious affair. On taking counsel with a judicious friend upon the subject, he advised me, above all things, to take on me and with me, an extra supply of warm clothing, and, if I had occasion, as I certainly should, to travel in the night, to be sure to get a berth in one of the sleeping-cars. I promised to follow his advice on both points.

With respect to the first, I was already well provided with an ample supply of the accustomed articles of clothing, external and internal, of the warmest materials and closest tissues.

But following my friend's advice, and looking forward to the exposure of the journey, I laid in an extra supply, better adapted to a voyage of Arctic exploration, than to a trip into the State of New York. It consisted of a supplementary pair of overalls, made of pilot cloth, and well lined with thick cotton, a dreadnought cloak also lined and wadded, a sea-otter tippet, the gift of a kind friend, which Dr. Hayes might have envied, a pair of very warm gauntlets, lined with vicuña, and a voluminous Bay State shawl. These preparations for the wintry journey had not been made without fitting domestic advisement.

At length the appointed day arrived, and clad in all these habiliments, which had the effect of duplicating my "apparent diameter" to the naked eye, I took my seat in the car for Albany. A few moments only elapsed, before I perceived that the atmosphere was far from being of that boreal severity, which I had taken for granted, when, in the chill of the early morning, I had hurried on my ample stock of garments, ordinary and extraordinary. On the contrary it was, for the middle of December, a moderate day out-doors; the weather, mingled snow and rain, settling down into the latter. Within the car, to take off the chill, we had a stove, kept for the greater part of the time near a red heat. I soon felt more as if I was already in the tropics, than upon a journey in the direction of Canada. Before long I was obliged to commence the operation of laying aside one article after another; first the India-rubber overshoes which were parboiling my feet, then the warm vicuña gloves, then the splendid sea-otter tippet, then the ample folds of the Bay State shawl, then the lined and wadded cloak, very much as the grave-digger in Hamlet divests himself of the traditionary score of jackets. I would gladly have got rid of the pilot-cloth overalls, but as I had only half a seat in a crowded car for a dressing-room, I did not attempt that critical operation. When I had thrown off the last article of extra clothing, which could conveniently

be laid aside, I was a little disconcerted at the indifferent success of my experiment in dressing for the season.

In other respects, I made the journey to Albany most comfortably, especially after the youth, who sells what he calls "meggyzines," had passed through the car with the "New York Ledger," without which the traveller might as well stay at home; and with which, he that stays at home has about as fair a chance to improve his mind, as those that travel. This comfortable condition was further owing, in no small degree, to a liberal supply of sandwiches, prepared by neat and bountiful hands before I left home, and carefully bestowed in my travelling-bag. I am surprised to see how few travellers avail themselves of this resource, on a journey, for, if there is nominally a place for dining, you are nearly sure to arrive at an unusual and inconvenient time, whereas you take your sandwiches at your accustomed hour, or just as you want them. For instance, if, in passing East or West, you leave your seat in the car to dine at Springfield, in Massachusetts, you find indeed a very good dinner prepared at the Massasoit, for which you are allowed twenty minutes. The operations of placing your shawl and bag carefully in your seat by way of retainer, of finding your way into the house, of washing and brushing, occupy the first five minutes of your time. The fear of being left behind makes you hurry from the table five minutes before the time is up. In the remaining ten minutes you bolt your dinner, pay your seventy-five cents, and returning to the car, find that your shawl and travelling-bag have been piled into another seat by a lady and gentleman (?) who have in your absence helped themselves to yours. The sandwiches on the contrary, as I have said, can be taken when you please, and eaten leisurely, which your doctor will tell you is the best sauce to your dinner. Besides this, they will not cost you, at the outside, over fifteen cents, so that you have made a comfortable meal and saved sixty cents.

Having helped you to save this handsome sum, I ought to