ir plaited hair."

We are too much indebted to this author's interesting volumes to
quarrel with him for his ungallant exposition of a very simple
painting; but we beg to place in juxta-position with the above (though
otherwise somewhat out of its place) an extract from a work by no
means characterised by unnecessary complacency to the fair sex.

"'Cet homme passe sa vie a forger des nouvelles,' me dit alors un gros
Athenien qui etait assis aupres de moi. 'Il ne s'occupe que de choses
qui ne le touchent point. Pour moi, mon interieur me suffit. J'ai une
femme que j'aime beaucoup;' et il me fit l'eloge de sa femme. 'Hier je
ne pus pas souper avec elle, j'etais prie chez un de mes amis;' et il
me fit la description du repas. 'Je me retirai chez moi assez content.
Mais j'ai fait cette nuit un reve qui m'inquiete;' et il me raconta
son reve. Ensuite il me dit pesamment que la ville fourmillait
d'etrangers; que les hommes d'aujourd'hui ne valaient pas ceux
d'autrefois; que les denrees etaient a bas prix; qu'on pourrait
esperer une bonne recolte, s'il venait a pleuvoir. Apres m'avoir
demande le quantieme du mois, il se leva pour aller souper avec sa
femme."

CHAPTER V.

NEEDLEWORK OF THE GREEKS AND ROMANS.

"------Supreme
Sits the virtuous housewife,
The tender mother--
O'er the circle presiding,
And prudently guiding;
The girls gravely schooling,
The boys wisely ruling;
Her hands never ceasing
From labours increasing;
And doubling his gains
With her orderly pains.
With piles of rich treasure the storehouse she spreads,
And winds round the loud-whirring spindle her threads:
She winds--till the bright-polish'd presses are full
Of the snow-white linen and glittering wool:
Blends the brilliant and solid in constant endeavour,
And resteth never."

J. H. Merivale.

It was an admitted opinion amongst the classical nations of antiquity,
that no less a personage than Minerva herself, "a maiden affecting old
fashions and formality," visited earth to teach her favourite nation
the mysteries of those implements which are called "the arms of every
virtuous woman;" viz. the distaff and spindle. In the use of these the
Grecian dames were particularly skilled; in fact, spinning, wea