twice as much, or 2,754,000 miles, nearer the Sun in winter than in summer.

As the Earth passes over a greater portion of the ecliptic in a given time in winter than in summer, there is one fact connected with this circumstance which we ought not to overlook, viz., that our winters are shorter and our summers longer, by six or seven days,* than they would be, if the motion of the Earth in the ecliptic was equal throughout the year.

The north pole of the Earth appears to be always directed towards the north pole, or the same point of the heavens; but this is not correct in fact. The Earth's

axis preserves its parallelism from year to year, with the exception of a very slight and imperceptible variation in that time; consequently, the axis of the earth describes a circle in the heavens, the diameter of which is equal to the diameter of the Earth's orbit, or 190 millions of miles. But this amazing extent is only a mere point in comparison with our distance from the fixed stars.

The certainty of all astronomical calculations depends on the parallelism of the axis of the Earth and the equal or uniform motion of its diurnal revolution. And the important science of navigation greatly depends on the same circumstances.

PHILIP GARRETT.

THE ANCIENT AND MODERN HISTORY OF

NATIONS

OF THE GRECIAN MONARCHY.

ANCIENT GREECE was bounded on the east by the Ægian sea, now called the Archipelago; on the south by the Cretan or Candian sea; on the west by the Ionian sea; and on the north by Illyria and Thrace. This country, though limited within such narrow bounds, gave birth to all the arts of war and peace, produced the greatest generals, philosophers, poets, painters, architects, and statuaries that the world ever knew:

* Six days in the leap year, and seven in the common year.

she overcame the most powerful monarchs, and dispersed the largest armies that were ever brought into the field, and at length became the instructer of all mankind.

In the early periods of the world kingdoms and states were inconsiderable: a single city, with a few leagues of land attached to it, was denominated a kingdom. Ancient Greece was divided into several such states, of which

SICYON is reckoned the oldest, the commencement of which is, by historians, dated 2089 years before the christian era. The founder and first monarch of Sicyon was Ægialeus, who was succeeded by twenty-five kings, whose several reigns together make an epoch of nine hundred and sixty years, and at last became subject to the kingdom of

ARGOS, which was founded in 1856, B. C. Among the Argive kings was Danaus, from whom the Greeks were called Danai.

ATHENS was formed into a kingdom about three hundred years after the establishment of Argos. Cecrops, the first king, was by birth an Egyptian; he instituted many wise laws relating to the conduct of life, and the exercise of religious and civil offices. He divided the whole country into twelve districts, and established a court for trying causes, entitled the Areopagus. Codrus, the last of the Athenian kings, is celebrated for having devoted himself to death for his country. Medon, his son, was set at the head of the commonwealth, under the title of Arcon, an office which, at first, was held for life, afterwards the Archon's power was limited to ten years, and at last the office was elective every year.

THEBES, the next of the Grecian kingdoms, was founded by Cadmus, to whom is ascribed the honour of inventing sixteen letters of the Greek alphabet. The history and adventures of his posterity, Laius, Iocasta, Edipus, &c. make a principal figure in the tragedies of Eschuylus, Sophocles, and Eurypides..

SPARTA, or Lacedæmon, was instituted by Lelex. Helen, the tenth in succession from this monarch, is

celebrated for her beauty. She had not lived with Menelaus her husband more than three years before she was carried away by Paris, the son of Priam, king of Troy, which was, perhaps, the first occasion in which the Greeks united in one common cause.

The inhabitants of Lacedæmon rendered themselves illustrious for their courage, intrepidity, and self-denial. From their valour in war, and their moderation and temperance at home, they were courted and revered by all the neighbouring princes. In the affairs of Greece the interest of the Lacedæmonians obtained a decided superiority for five hundred years. They were forbidden by the laws to visit foreign states, lest their habits should be softened, and their morals should be corrupted. They were remarkable for the great respect and reverence which they paid to old age. The women were as courageous as the men, and many a mother has celebrated with festivals the death of a son who had fallen in battle, or has coolly put him to death, if by shameful flight he brought disgrace upon his country. Among many festivals celebrated at Lacedæmon, it was customary for the women to drag all the old batchelors round the altars, and beat them with their fists, that the shame and ignominy to which they were exposed might induce them to marry.

CORINTH was formed into a state, and governed by regular kings at a later period than the cities above mentioned. It was founded by Sifyphus, and received its name from Corinthus, the son of Pelops. The inhabitants were once very powerful, and had considerable influence among the Grecian states. They colonized Syracuse, in Sicily, and delivered it from the tyranny of its oppressors by means of Timoleon. Corinth was burnt to the ground during the consulship of L. Mummius, 146 B. C. The riches which the Romans found there were immense.

MACEDONIA was founded by Caranus 814 B. C. and continued as a kingdom till the battle of Pydna. The Macedonian soldiers were always held in the highest repute: they resisted the repeated attacks of the bravest and most courageous enemies.

Such is the picture that Greece offers in its earliest infancy. A combination of little states, each governed by its respective sovereign, yet all uniting for their mutual safety and general advantage. Still, however, their intestine quarrels were carried on with great animosity; the jealousy of their princes was a continual cause of discord. The people, at length, worn out with the contentions of their sovereigns, desired to free themselves from those wars in which they were involved by the ambition or folly of their leaders. A spirit of freedom prevailed universally over Greece, and a change of government was effected in every part of the country, except in Macedonia. Thus monarchy gave way to a republican government, which was diversified into as many various forms as there were different cities, according to the different genius and peculiar character of each people.

These cities, though seemingly different from each other in their laws and separate interests, were united with each other by a common language, one religion, and a degree of national pride, which taught them to consider all other nations as barbarous and feeble. To strengthen this union games were instituted in different parts of the country, with rewards for excellence in every pursuit. These sports were intended for very serious and useful purposes: they afforded an opportunity for the several states to meet together; for exercising the youth in the business of war: and increasing that vigour and activity, which were of the utmost importence in deciding the fate of a battle.

(To be continued.)

CHAMOIS HUNTING.

THE chamois has been confined by its Maker to those icy palaces of Nature, amidst which that Maker's presence is more immediately and sensibly felt. It has always struck me that the ocean is the fittest emblem, and conveys the deepest impression of God's immensity and eternity—the Alps, of his unapproachable power, and everlasting unvariableness. In the sea, wave suc

ceeds wave for ever and for ever; billow swells upon billow, and you see no end thereof.-But magnificent a spectacle as ocean ever is, at all times, and under all aspects, it still cannot be enjoyed without some alloy. It must be seen either from a ship, in which man ventures too much; or from the land, which again breaks the unity of the idea.

The effect of the scenes among which the chamoishunter lives, is weakened by no such intrusion as this. Man's works enter not there. From the moment he quits the chalet in which he has taken his short rest, until his return, he sees no trace of man; but dwells amid scenery stamped only with its Creator's omnipotence and immutability. Nature is always interesting. Elsewhere she is lovely, beautiful; here she is awful, sublime. -Elsewhere she shrouds all things in a temporary repose, again to clothe them with surpassing beauty and verdure. But here there is no change; such as the first winter beheld them, after they sprang from the hands of their Great Architect, such they still are; like himself, unchangeable and unaproachable. Nor summer's heat, nor winter's cold have any effect on their everlasting hues; nor can the track or works of man stain the purity of their unsullied snows! His voice may not even reach that upper air to disturb "the sacred calm that breathes around”—that stilly silence which holds for ever, save when the lauwine wakes it with the voice of thunder! In such situations, it is impossible not to feel as far elevated in mind as in body, above the petty cares, the frivolous pursuits, "the low ambition," of this nether world. If any one desire really to feel that all is vanity here below; if he wish to catch a glimpse of the yet undeveloped capabilities of his nature, of those mysterious longings, after which the heart of man so vainly yet so earnestly aspires,-let him wander amongst the higher Alps, and alone.

Scenes like these must be seen and felt; they cannot be described. Languages were formed in the plain; and they have no words adequately to represent the sensations which all must have experienced among