THE TROPICAL NIGHT.

THE tropical night keeps pace with the tropical day. The nights are uncommonly bright and serene. The stars which spangle the ethereal vault, emit a radiance which is unknown in Europe, and gild the hemisphere with an inconceivable brilliancy. Constellations, which are invisible in England, here display their beauties, and shine through all the summer without being intercepted with a shade. The magnitudes of these stars appear to be enlarged; and many, which, through obstructing mediums, are invisible in the northern latitudes, are here conspicuous through the purity of the air. Some stars of the first magnitude, which the peculiar position of the Heavens conceal from the higher latitudes, are not only visible in these climes, but shine with a lustre peculiar to themselves. The planets put on a more resplendent appearance, and display a refulgence which is exclusively applicable to the Torrid Zone. Their aspects are bolder and more striking than in other climates: and their radiance increases as well as that of the fixed stars. They glow with a brightness which, in this season, is sullied with no obstruction, and intermitted only by the periodical revolutions of the system. To increase the glory of this enchanting scene, the moon makes her appearance, not in "clouded majesty," but in resplendent brilliancy; diffusing a light which seems to originate in native lustre. In her presence the stars, both erratic and fixed, are apparently eclipsed, and deprived of half their honours; while her light is sufficient for the transaction of almost any business

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in the open air. The smallest print may be read, without difficulty, and distant objects may plainly be seen. By her light the finest landscapes in nature are presented to the eye of the spectator; he gazes with admiration and wonder on the beauties which swarm around him, and wanders into the pathless regions of fancy without satiety or disgust. At the same time the air is tranquil and serene, and contributes greatly to heighten the general beauties of the night. Not a single cloud hides any portion of the vast expanse, or interrupts the contemplative mind in its pursuit of those meditations, which the solemnity of the scene and the stillness of the night had conspired to raise. It is a season which invites to serious thought, while it soothes the perturbations of the heaving bosom, and spreads tranquillity through all the powers of the soul. It is a season which awakens the mind to serious reflections; and carries the intellectual powers beyond the horizon which circumscribes the scene. It is a season cal

culated to convey the soul into futurity; to anticipate realities which lie beyond the grave; to connect what is past with that which is to come, and to make the mind deeply susceptible of consolation or remorse. In every country inhabited by man, the silence of night has been esteemed as congenial to meditation; but though" night has been fair virtue's immemorial friend," yet, perhaps, there is no region on the earth of which it can be said with more propriety, that the conscious moon, through every distant age, has held a lamp to wisdom."

The beauty of the tropical night, in the summer season, surpasses all the powers of description. The lustre of the planets seems to increase in proportion to

that of the fixed stars; the bodies of all appear magnified; and, on account of that appearance, they seem to approximate towards the earth. The brightness of Mars, of Jupiter, and of Venus, is so transcendant as to outshine the most splendid appearance that the Heavens ever presented to our view in this country. Venus, in particular, occasionally appears horned like a little moon, and her light is so transcendantly beautiful, as even to cast a shadow from houses, trees, and other objects, which tend to offer obstructions.

And when, to these appearances, we add the moon rising in solemn and silent grandeur to heighten the magnificent scenery, it brightens the prospect while it expands the mind; and raises the sublime phenomena to the summit of more than earthly grandeur. There are, perhaps, but few places on the globe to which these lines of Homer can apply with greater exactness than to a West Indian summer's night :

"As when the moon, refulgent lamp of night,

O'er Heaven's clear azure spreads her sacred light;
When not a breath disturbs the deep serene,
And not a cloud o'ercasts the solemn scene.
Around her throne the vivid planets roll,
And stars unnumber'd gild the glowing pole,
O'er the dark trees a yellower verdure shed,
And tip with silver ev'ry mountain's head.
Then shine the vales; the rocks in prospect rise,
A flood of glory bursts from all the skies;
The conscious swains, rejoicing in the sight,
Eye the blue vault, and bless the useful light."

CATHOLIC EMANCIPATION.

Tune-"St. Patrick's Day in the morning.",

A PLAGUE on these Papists, they'll make such a pother
'When once they've converted their Bill to an Act;
They'll always be teazing for something or other,
Concessions no quiet will purchase.

What though we give army-navy-
What though we give them law and state;
We ne'er shall dissuade 'em

Till judges we've made 'em ;

And when they're appointed, and duly anointed,
Be-wigg'd and be-rob'd with a Catholic oath,
They'll tell us, that still they're oppress'd-disappointed,
And must have a touch at our churches.

It is not just simply the sitting in parliament

Ever can satisfy suitors like these;

The same sort of favour Guiscard to great Harley meant,

Papists would grant to the nation.

Can we believe their mild avowals?
Can we believe their qualified oaths?
Don't we remember

The fifth of November:

With Piercy and Catesby, the parliament-gates by,
And Tesmond, Tom Winter, and Garnet, and Fawkes,
And Digby and Rockwood, who lost all their polls by
Their genius for assassination.

Trust not, my friends, to their cringing and lowliness,
(Much like the Queen's in her note to the King);
Set them once free, and for praise to his Holiness,
England's tranquillity's bartered.

Then with their signs, and shrines, and shrivings,
Starving on fish, and stews, and eggs;

With vespers and matins,
And saints in rich satins,

They'll touch up their Lordships of Durham and Winchester, London, and Ely, and Archy of York;

They'll light up their fires, and make their hot pinchers stirEngland's poor Church will be martyr'd.

Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday,

Well must we fast by the rules of the Church: What's meat on the former is death on the latter day,

He who eats mutton is undone.

Then on our knees to saints in velvet,
Kissing the stumps they stand upon,

Cutting strong capers,

And sticking up tapers,

And just as the vespers chime in with their merry tricks

Domine Francis drops in for a call,

And takes us to Smithfield to see a few heretics

Burnt for the glory of London.

Then upon Sundays, and every Church festival,

Singing and dancing, and op'ras and plays,

Will drive the folks mad, while the priests, as the test of all,
Give them a holy ablution.

Protestant parsons whipped and scoffed at,
Quakers and Methodists thump'd and ston'd
A night-joke to dish up,

They'll broil you a Bishop,

And then pay their priest; for in their road to heav'n, pence
Serve them as well as at Knightsbridge or Kew.

His Rev'rence sends off to Rome two and sevenpence,
Home comes a full absolution.

All this has occurr'd, and been found rather troublesome;

Mary and James had a taste for the thing,

And though in these times clever speeches may bubble some,
Turn to old history's pages;

Read about Ridley, Cranmer, Holdgate,
Grey-headed Latimer, Ferrar, and Hauk,
With persons of honour,

Like Gardner and Bonner,

And then let us ask why we seek alteration

In laws which have yielded us quiet and peace,

Or fly in the face of a wise Reformation,

The boast of our country for ages?