to send in his stead his brother, whom he furnished with money, and with a full description of the island, giving him instructions to apply in his name to the fishermen of Cholmohor, for assistance, in conveying him thither. The fishermen readily complied with his request, and but too truly they discovered the body of Basil, cast on the identical island. They buried it, and left a stone, as a me mento, on the grave. Lomonossove, the following winter, was apprized of the event. Grief, which hitherto had preyed on him in secret now breaking forth into open sorrow, exhausted itself by its own force, and at length gradually subsided. His industry, and application to study, were resumed with increased ardour. He composed several dissertations on natural history and chemistry, in which were displayed the excellence of his genius and the profundity of his knowledge; these acquired him universal esteem, and facilitated his progress to the dignity of professor of chemistry. In the meanwhile, his forsaken wife at Marburgh waited for another letter from him two whole years; and during that time received no tidings of her husband. Under this anxiety and incertitude, she wrote in 1743 to the Russian ambassador, count Holowkin, at the Hague, the same who had forwarded her husband's letter, entreating him to pity her distressed situation, and comfort her with the news of her husband, for whom she also enclosed a letter. Count Holowkin knew only that Lomonossove two years ago had set off from Amsterdam to St. Petersburgh, and rightly judging that he must be in the latter city, he willingly undertook this commission. He sent Mrs. Lomonossove's letter to the chancellor, count Bestujew, and particularly requested that nobleman to return him a speedy an swer. Count Bestujew, on receiving the letter, forwarded it immediately to Lomonossove. No one knew, as yet, that Lomonossove was married. On reading his wife's letter he shed tears, exclaiming, "Good God! Could I ever think of leaving her? Impossible! Circumstances hitherto have prevented me from sending for her, and even from writing to her, but now she shall come without delay: to-morrow I will send her money to defray the expences of her journey." This was done, as he said; and his wife with her brother came, the same year, during the summer, to St. Petersburgh, where she found her husband safe, and in good health, overjoyed at seeing her. At this time he lived in a house belonging to the academy, near the chemical laboratory. Lomonossove died on WhitsunMonday, in the year 1765. Some days previously to his death, he addressed the counsellor of state, Mr. Stelin, to the following purport: “ My friend! I feel I must soon quit this world. On death I look with indifference; but I grieve that I have not finished what I have undertaken for the good of my country, for the glory of science, and the honour of the academy; I anticipate with sorrow, that my good intentions will be totally frustrated by my approaching end." After his death, all his papers were obtained from his widow, by prince Orlow; they were, by the prince's order, collected and arranged by Mr. Kozitaky, and locked up in a private chamber of the house. Some years afterwards, chancellor count Worontzow, out of regard for genius, and the services of Lomonossove to his country, erected a pillar of marble, with a suitable epitaph over his tomb, at the convent of Alexander Newsky, at St. Petersburgh, both which, according to a drawing sent, were executed at Leghorn, at the expence of the government. From the life of Lomonossove, we should never infer his poetical fame; of mineralogy form a volume of considerable size, conveying, for the first time, scientific conceptions and explanations, through the medium of the Russian language. His speeches, or, more properly, lectures on chemistry, and various branches of natural philosophy, prove at once his indefatigable exertions, and the extent of his knowledge. but it must be considered, that his genius for poetry was as spontane ous as the knowledge he acquired was universal, As the latter extended, the former, far from being diverted from such pursuits, acquir ed fresh vigour; it cannot be de nied, however, that his poetical works, though sufficient to insure him renown, would have been more numerous, and would have possess- Such was the man who, under the ed more dignity, had his leisure been humble roof of a fisherman, was segreater. They chiefly consist of fu- cluded, till the seventeenth year of gitive pieces, such as versions of his age, in absolute obscurity; who psalms, epitaphs, dialogues, and shook off the fetters of ignorance by some partial translations from the his own resolution, and who comancients, with panegyric odes, on menced his education at a period of different occasions, which are the life when education is generally most celebrated of his works. A finished by others. After this, can didactic epistle to general Shouwa- genius be supposed to be the offlow on the utility of glass, and two spring of climate? tragedies, "Selim and Tamira," founded on events connected with Russia and Tartary; and " Demofont," the son of Theseus, king of Athens, may justly be entitled to exception. To this must be added two cantos of an epic poem, "Peter the Great," which his premature death, unfortunately, prevented him from finishing, to the eternal regret of Russia, as, from the specimen, it would have raised him to the level of Greece in poetical merit. As an orator he claims distin guished eminence. His speeches on various subjects, particularly the two panegyrics, that on Peter the great, and that on the empress Elizabeth, in imitation of Pliny, exhi bit such rich specimens of eloquence, as will remain for ages lasting monuments of his ability. He has also the honour of being the first who reduced the Russian language to a regular system. His grammar, rules of elocution or rhetoric systematically conceived and executed, remain to this moment the main standard by which all subsequent improvements have been made. The chronology of Russian history owes to him its order, if not its existence; and that country will for ever be indebted to him for the progress of science. His elements For the Literary Magazine. EVELINA. Translated from the Irish. The following beautiful sonnet is said to have been written some time in the twelfth century, by a bard of the Deasy's country, now part of the county of Waterford, and translated by a gentleman well skilled in the language and antiquities of the country. It is to be regretted that no contemporary bard has given the author's name to fame. IT was on the white hawthorn, on the brow of the valley, I saw the rising of the day first break-the young, the soft, the gay delightful morning; it kissed the crimson of the rose, mixed with her smiles, and laughed the season on us. Rise, my Evelina! soul that in. forms my heart! Do thou rise, too, more lovely than the morn in her blushes, more modest than the rifled rose when weeping in her dews, pride of the western shores! The sky's blue face, when cleared by dancing sun-beams, looks not serener than thy countenance; the richness of the wild honey is on thy lip, and thy breath exhales sweets like the apple blossom; black are thy locks, my Evelina! and polished as the raven's smooth pinions the swan's silver plumage is not irer than thy neck, and the witch of love heaves all her enchantments from thy bosom. Rise, my Evelina! the sprightly beam of the sun descends to kiss thee, without enmity to me, and the heath reserves its blossoms to greet thee with its odours; thy timid lover will pluck thee strawberries from the awful lofty crag, and rob the hazel of its auburn pride, the sweetness of whose kernel thou far exceedest; let my berries be as red as thy lips, and my nuts ripe, yet milky as the love-begotten fluid in the bridal bosom. Queen of the cheerful smile! shall I not meet thee in the moss-grown cave, and press to my heart thy beauties in the wood of Iniscother? How long wilt thou leave me, Evelina, mournful as the lone son of the rock; telling thy beauties to the passing gale, and pouring out my complaints to the grey stone of the valley? Ah! dost thou not hear my songs, O virgin! thou, who shouldest be the tender daughter of a meek-eyed mother! Whenever thou comest, Evelina, thou approachest like summer to the children of frost; and welcome with rapture are thy steps to my view, as the harbinger of light to the eye of darkness. For the Literary Magazine. THE labours of an individual in promoting any branch of science, if judiciously directed, must invariably be useful and instructive to mankind. The application of different minds to different pursuits is the surest method of diffusing general knowledge; for if every learned man was determined to direct his attention to the investigation of one particular object (to astronomy, for instance), the world at large would be deprived of many sources of amusing information, which at present result from the united efforts of those who devote their time and thoughts to various other pursuits. Thus the acquirement of knowledge in the more prac tical sciences would be totally neglected, and what little we at present understand, would be entirely forgotten. Science of every description is eminently useful in two ways: first, in improving the arts, and directing them to the purposes of life; secondly, in cultivating and ameliorating the powers of the understanding. The antiquary confirms or refutes the conjectures of the historian: the biographer enters minutely into every petty trait of the character he is describing, and attends solely to the life and actions of one man; while the historian, more comprehensive in his views, depicts the characters and manners of a whole people, showing their blind attachments, or unprovoked prejudices; and at the same time unfolds to us the remark ON THE PLEASURES AND USES NATURAL HISTORY. a knowledge of striking events, and by what means they were produced, is added to an acquaintance with the characters of those who effected them. All pursuits are in some degree dependent on each other, and a new discovery in one branch of science often assists or explains a difficulty to be found in another. All depart ments of knowledge have their appropriate beauties, every fresh examination of which must produce new ideas for the philosophic mind to ruminate upon; and present new sources of pleasure to those who delight to follow the inviting voice of truth. We are too apt to look with indifference, or even contempt, at the enthusiastic followers of such pursuits as have not excited our own inquiries; and, on the other hand, to attach a greater degree of importance than may seem just, to those objects which we ourselves are in search of; but let us remember that every one has the power of directing his own footsteps, and of selecting that department of science which to his own judgment holds forth the most alluring temptations. Strenuous exertions in any cause must prevail, and, when applied to knowledge, cannot fail to contribute greatly to the general stock of happiness. Among the numerous avenues to the temple of science, that delight. ful path which leads us to "look through nature up to Nature's God" must attract the attention of every ingenuous mind. To contemplate the ever-blooming beauties of nature inust infuse into the heart an ardent desire to become acquainted with the natural productions around us, and which so essentially contribute to the comforts and conveniences of mankind. By an attention to the study of natural history, we are supplied with the necessaries as well as luxuries of life; and the farther they are investigated, the greater benefits will undoubtedly accrue to society, since the simple discoveries of the naturalist have already tended far more to the immediate good of his fellow creatures, than all the interesting researches of the scholar, the sublime flights of the poet, or the sober accuracy of the historian. Man, the only inhabitant of the globe capable of appreciating the economy and harmony of the creation, was destined to Man is the only animal in the vast chain of being, that can reflect upon the benevolence and goodness of Him who formed the world from an ́ indigested chaos; he can admire and feel the Omnipotence that "caused herbs to grow for the use of man;" while the brutal creation, though next him in the system of nature, are fattened with fruits, without being able to regard the tree that produced them, or the power that supplied them. Since, then, we occupy so superior a station in the created world, it is our duty to become acquainted with the objects around us, especially as they afford the most refined delights, and are the greatest springs of useful knowledge. To whom are we to look with confidence for improvements in the actual conveniences of life, but to the investigator of the wonders of nature? Minerals are a source of profit to the adventurous and ingenious, as well as of the greatest use in the common purposes of life. The stately column, and the splendid mansion, could never have been raised, but for the stone and marble taken from the bowels of the earth. Commerce could not be so regularly conducted without the aid of sil. ver and gold; while every day's experience unfolds to us the excellencies of less valuable though more useful metals. It may be said, that discoveries of the greatest importance have generally been found out by chance, and that we are not indebted to the actual researches of the naturalist for them. For instance, we know not to whom our thanks are due for the discovery of the unerring magnet, nor by what means it was detected; but we know that if experiments, resulting from a desire of becoming acquainted with the productions of nature, had not been practised upon it, we should at this day have remained totally ignorant of its use. The vegetable kingdom more immediately assists our animal enjoy. ments. Healing and nutritive plants are for the most part distinguished from poisonous and noxious weeds, by the place which they hold in the system of botany. A botanist travelling in an unknown region, and surrounded by plants quite new to him, would be able to tell the virtues of any herb he might meet with, and apply it accordingly, from the analogy which it bears to a salutary or hurtful department, and thus procure a comfortable subsistence; while the unskilful collector might be poisoned amidst a copious selection of salubrious plants, from not being able to judge of their qualities and analogies. The fruits of the earth supply us with grateful food, afford sensual delight, and at the same time they raise our ideas to the contemplation of infinite wisdom and goodness. The fast-drooping flower, sad emblem of our short duration, gives us the comfortable assurance of "another and a better world." The important services rendered to mankind by larger animals, are too well known to require any notice; but much remains to be done as to the investigation of evils, caused by numerous insects, which, though small, and seemingly innoxious, carry devastation and ruin wherever they go. The remedy of this mischief can only come from the entomologist. The "close connections, nice dependencies," of the three kingdoms of nature upon each other are very apparent: plants and animals, for the most part, flourish from the nutriment afforded by the earth; and man, in return, is nourished by plants and animals. The objects which excite the attention of the naturalist are dispersed all over the habitable world, and act alike upon his feelings, whether he contemplates them on his native plains, or |