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"We have received ihe t o:nmunication signed Tflemachus. We are sOny. from its great length >ve cannot ?i\e it a ever^dvise Telemachus in his next to be romewhat studious in accommodating his style to the undersfandin^ of our rea ders. His conceptions a'*e too sublime andj'is language too elevated for the so ciety in which we live. As an appology * to our readers, for "Which they might otherwise deem a reflection upon their understandings ; we will give the~rn an extract. ? EXTRACT. " The ignorance so prevalent in former times gave loose without the least restric. tion to the most paralleled absurdities* and the must laughable inconsistences. ? The human understanding in the insuffici ency of its verge towards perfection with out any aj except the obscure light of na- . ture, was necessarily involved in a maze, which often ergendrtd the greatest incon gruity. In this juvenile age it is natural to sup {>ose that the optic in endeavouring to per orate the almost imperious film which op posite its proximation to the haven of cor recet reason, received so formidable a re pulsiion that thereturn of its visual rays on the rradii was so precipitate as almost to di^cout ag?**- its future essays. Indeed1 amidst so many cbfficulties well may we <**timate that genious which produced the philosophical researches of an immortal Et-Afoaftd Socrates. The admirable sys tems of Kthics originating from and incul cated by them demanded the veneration throughout subsequent.* gea ; but what we admire in them, their ignorant contempo raiies despised and persecuted. Ignorance^ ha* ever been a most inexorable, revenge \ful tyrant. I In endeavouring to dissipate the fumes of superstition and ignorunc^und purge the mind of man those of gross errors and absur dities which had atained by the sanction of ages almost incontroltble influence ; mo dern sages in making use of every effort which their exuberant miod? eoulj clvciute, were successively repulsed ; til! the intre pid Descartes and Newton with a host tf moral and physical philosophers at their , heels, formed an impenetrable phalanx in favour oi 1 ruth and Reason, more invulne rable though less sanguinary than I hut ori ginated by Philip of JVlactdon# Reason having acted Ituherto in the defensive now began to assume the (offensive, and the im mense fabric of error hnd enthusiasm began to totter to its fall. At this lyooch the mo dern philosophers commenced carefully extracting from the theory of the ancients every particle of their respective system* 1 which was rational, ami useful ; but from enormous systems of ^consistency, the decomposition of which so disgusted and shocked these modern phylosoplucal cvhe. mists that their refined spirits revolted at the monstrous principles of this analysis I-Utle could be extracted which savored of utility. They, however, solicited froiti this huge and deformed body that which was of ? inestimable service in their researches, they go: possession of the effluvia which by successive escalades had fallen from jts su peffices. With these extractions together with their own originating genius they have ' developed to future ages the most impor tant truths deduced from demonstrable problems arid sound logic. Hy their example ? tKjir successors arc - taught that there are unc ire urn scribed arena's for the ,sercise of their ingenuity, that the philosophical dorrrvtude of this *ge is unbecoming thrir dignity, U.nt there at e no terrestial Acquisitions comparable with that of wisdom and knowledge, and at that we are with their modesty to connive the absurdities of amiquify, and not luugh at the nakedness of our ancestry, but ever to recolh r.t when we ie?rospect, that had we lived in their age we should have been ?ubject to the like error?, 1 IsL L MACIiUS. [Thf following arriving rlp^^r! nr c Oil lit of Uic Srrfafti rtn fxtrucT f,r>m C haluubri -ml's BcariUc? t?f Christ t?m<y THE SERPEN T. c< The pre-cnt age je fret with dis dain whatever has any tincture oT 1 the marvellous : arts, sciences, mo rality, religion are all' stripped ot their. enchantments. The serpent has frequently been the. subjtct of our oBservatidns, and rfwe may ven- | ture to speak out, we have often imagined that we coirid discover in I him that pernicious sagacity and -subtlety which are ascribed to? htm by scriptuxe. Ev,. ry thing is mys terious, secret, astonishing, in this incomprehensible Reptile. His - movements differ from those of all other animals ; it is impossible to say where his locomotive principle lies, for he has neither fins, nor feet, nor wings ; and yet he flits like a 1 hadow, he vanishes as by magic, he re-appears and is gone again, like flight azure vapour, or the* gleams of a sabre in the dark. Now he curls himself into a circle, and pro jects a tongue of fire j now standing erect upon the extrernety of 4^ tale, he moves along in a perpendicular attitude as by enchantment. He rolls himself into a ball ; rises and falls in a spiral line, gives to his rings the tondiilfrrion of waves \ twines round the branches of trees, glides under the gra*s 6i the meadows, or skims along the surface of the water. His colours are not more determi nate than his activity j they change with each new point of view, and like h morons they possess false splendor and deceitful variety. Still more astonishing in the pest of his manners, he knows, like a man pointed with murder, how to throw aside his garment distained with blood, lest it should lead to his I detection, By a singular faculty 1 1 the female can receive back into her I | body the little monsters to which she I has given birth. * The serpent pas- I | ses whole months in sleep ; he ffe- I t^ients tomb% inhabits secret rc- I treats, produces poisons which chill, I burn or checker the body of Jiis J victim with the colours *with which J he is himself marked. ?In one place 1 he raises hi* two menacing heads ; in another he sounds a rattle ; he hissess like an eagle of die mountain j he bellows like a bull. He natu- J rally associates with all moral or re- j ligiotis idea*, as if in consequence of ] the influence which he exercised 1 over our destiny.* An object of I horror or admiration, men either I "*feel an implacable hatred against I him or bow befote his genius. ? I Falsehood calls him to his aid, and I Prudence claims him as her own ; I in Hell he arms the scourges of the furies, in I lea ^jn eternity is typified 1 by .h is image. He moreover pos sesses the art of reducing hinocence ; I his eyes facinate the birds of the air, 1 and beneath the fern of the crib che ewe to him gives up her milk. ? * I But he may himself be charmed by the harmony of sweet sounds : and I to subdue him the shepherd needs 1 no other weapon than his^ipe. * 4 In the month of July, 1791, we I swere travelling in Upper Canada with several families of savages be- I longing to the Onondaga. One day when we had halted in H spacious ? As mis part of the description is so I very extraordinary, it may appear lo want I confii matHjn, " Mr. cle Beauvoin, as ic lated in the American Philosophical Trans actions declared hiinsell an eye-vt iint s? of such a fact, as is above stated. lie saw a large rattlc-s?3kc, which he had disturbed in Ins walks, open her pws, ai d instantly ' five small ones which 'Vt re l\ing by her rushed into her month. He retired and watch*! her and in a quarter of an hour saw her a?ain discharge them. The com mon viper d<>es the same. Hfce Shaw's C,(. ntiial Zoology. ' vol. p. 3J4, 374. 1 ph:.n cn i Tic bank of the river Gen essee, a rattlesnake entered our en campment. Among us was a Ca nadian w ho could play on the flute, against the serpent with his new spe cies of weapon. Cn the approach of his enemy the haughty reptile curls himself into a Spiral line, flat tens his head, inflates his cheeks, contracts his lip, display s his enven - omed fangs, and hh bloody throat ; his double tongue gtows like two Flames of fire ; his eyes are burning coals i Tus body swolerTwith rage,, rises and falls like the bellows of a for^e j his dilated skin assumes a dull and scaly appearance; and his tail whence proceeds the death denoun cing sound, vibrates with such rapi dity as to resemble a light vapofrr.. The Canadian now begins'to play upon his flute ; the serpent starts with surprize & draws back his head. In proportion as he is struck with the magic effect^ .his eyes loose their fierceness, the oscillations of his tail become slower, and the sound which it emits grows weaker, and<gradual ly dies away. Less perpendicular upon their spiral line, th? rings of the charmed serpent are by degrees expanded and sink one after another upon the ground in concentric cir cles. The shades of azure green, white and gold recover their bril liancy on his quivering skin, and slightly turning his head, he remains motionless fn the attitude of atten tion and pleasure. At this moment the Canadian ad vanced a few steps producing with his flute sweet and simple notes. ? The reptile4ncltning his variegated peck, opens a passage with his head through the high grass and begins to creep after the musician, stopping stops, and beginning to xol - low him again as soon as he moves forward. In this manner- he was led out of our camp, attended by a g*c*t number of spectators both sa vages arhl 2.uropeohs, who could, scarcely bei;e ve - their eyes when the/ witnessed this wonderful effect of harmony. ? The assembly unani mously decreed that the serpent which jiad. so highly entertained them should be permittecko escape. THF T>AT>JTER AND THE POUTER. The following story is related in a late Paris paper; ? A painter who wished to represent the tragical end of Milo, of Crotoli, met in the street a porter of a most athletic form. He admired his colossal fi gure and vigorous muscles, and of fered to him a pound sterling if he Vfcould stnnd to him as a model. It was only necessary to tie his hands, and confine them within an iron, in order to represent, as well as pos sible, the trunk of the treein which Milo's hanc^ were imprisoned when he v as devoured by wild beasts. ? The porter readily consented to the painters proposition : he stript him self and suffered his hands to be boupd. Now, said the artist, ima gine that a lion is darting upon you, and make ?very effort which yoti would do in such a case to esrape his fury. T he model ? threw him self into the most violent agitation ; but he made too many grimaces ; there was nothing natural in his frightful contortions. The painter gave him further directions, but still he failed of producing the de sired effect. At length he thought of the following singular method, lie let loose a vigorous mastiff, which was kept in the yard of the house, and desired him to seize the unfor tunate captive. This excited both gesticulation and utterance. The efforts <>f the p<jrter thus bctamc natural, and the fury of the animal 1 increased "r: r'oportin a? h s stru? ? * gl were violent. '1 he painter, in a Ht of transport, seized hi- pencil. The patient, however, who had been bitten and torn by the^ d o?% uttered violent crie^. <4 Excellent ! Bravo !" exclaimed the artist. ,c Continue : Oh ! that's admira ble Vx Finally, the* sitting or rather the torture* being at an end, the artist offered the promised salary ; but the model replied, that he had agreed to accept of a potud sterl ing for being painted, and not for beiTTg~biiten j he demanded t large indemnity. The affair has been brought before rhe tribunals. % A fellow being brought to the bar some time ago, to answer for a misdemeanor, told his prosecutor, that he could convict him of bring both a thief and a murderer ! Upon being required to prove his assertion ? c< Why, (said he) you ugly vil laint yotu killed a monkey and you 'stole bis countenance." A COUP DM M A IX. A rich and handsome youtf? wi dow lately asked a gallant officer, on half-pay, at what fire-office he would advice her to insure her house. " In either the Union or Hand-in Hand office," said he, significantly. <c Is the fire- office near ? <c Very near, madam ; I cover it with my hand, placing it on his hreast. The lady was not^fisensible to his wit or merit, and speedily rewarded him at Hymens Union-Office . DANGER IN COMPLAINING. <c When I have a cold in my head," said a gentleman in company, " I am always remarkably dull and stupid " You are much to be? pitied then, sir," replied another^ <c for I don't remember ever to have seen you without a cold in your bead * A. co^Jl^ge rule man sometime since aslfljj son, who was at col 'cgc? mcant by a Bachelor of Arts -3" One (said the student) who woas the arts but never weds them !" , , Nothing is more vain $?an for ? woman to deny her age : ?he can - not deceive herself, who is the only* " person concerned *about it. If a~ man dislike a woman because he thinks her of the age she is, he will only dislike her the, more, by being ? told she is younger than she seems to be, and consequently looks oh'er than she ought to do. The anno don>ini of her facc will weigh more I tharf that of he? ttgfsttr. J ' " Eve. ? The Jewish Doctors have a fable concerning the etymology of the word Eve, which one would sometimes, be tempted to think was realised in some women. Eve* say rhey, conies from a word which signifies to talk ; and she was so called, because soon after the crea tion there fell from heaven twelve baskets full of chit chat, and *he T 1 picked up nine of them while her hnsband was gathering the other three. The rlaguts cf a Smell Town . ? A Lawyer, with great knowledge, great sophistry, and no justice-*? an eminent physician, with little skill or conduct? a picacher, without' any conscience, a. quarrelsome knight at aims ? a politician, with - out principles?** itan of letteft, who eternally dogmatics. A ruined tradesman lately drowned him sell ; a wit observed ft wn because he could not keep hi* hc<ul abr,ve water . London P after*