MUNGO PARK IN THE DESERT. MUNGO PARK, during his travels in the interior of Africa, was stripped and plundered by banditti, on leaving a village called Kooma. When the robbers had left him almost naked and destitute, he tells us, "I sat for some time looking around me with amazement and terror. Whichever way I turned, nothing appeared but danger and difficulty. I saw myself in the midst of a vast wilderness, in the depth of the rainy season, naked and alone; surrounded by savage animals, and men still more savage. I was five hun dred miles from the nearest European settlement. All these circumstances crowded at once upon my recollection; and I confess that my spirits began to fail me. I considered my fate as certain, and that I had no alternative, but to lie down and perish. The influence of religion, however, aided and supported me. I reflected that no human prudence or foresight could possibly haye averted my present sufferings. I was indeed a stranger in a strange land, yet I was still under the protecting eye of that Providence, who has condescended to call himself the stranger's friend. At this moment, painful as my reflections. were, the extraordinary beauty of a small moss, in a flower, irresistibly caught my eye. I mention this to shew from what trifling circumstances the mind will sometimes derive consolation; for though the whole plant was not larger than the top of one of my fingers, I could not contemplate the delicate conformation of the roots, leaves, &c., without admiration. Can that Being (thought I) who planted, watered, and brought to perfection, in this obscure part of the world, a thing which appears of so small importance, look with unconcern upon the situation and sufferings of creatures formed after his own image? Surely not! Reflexions like these conld not allow me to despair: I started up, and disregarding both hunger and fatigue, travelled forwards, assured that relief was at hand; and I was not disappointed -in a short time I came to a small village." GOOD WIVES Should resemble three things, which three things they should not resemble. Good Wives to snails should be akin, But not like city clocks, so loud, To have for ever the last word! HAYDN used to relate, with much pleasure, a dispute which he had with a book-seller in London. Amusing himself one morning, after the English fashion, in shopping, he inquired of a music-seller if he had any select and beautiful music? " Certainly," replied the shopman, “I have just printed some sublime music of Haydn's.' "Oh” returned Haydn, “I'll have nothing to do with that." "How, Sir, you will have nothing to do with Haydn's music! And pray what fault have you to find with it?" "Oh plenty; but it is useless talking about it, since it does not suit me: show me some other." The music-seller, who was a warm Haydnist replied, "No Sir, I have music, it is true, but not for such as you;" and turned his back upon him. As Haydn was going away, smiling, a gentleman of his acquaintance entered, and accosted him by name. The musicseller, still out of humour, turned round at the man,and said to the person who had just entered the shop: "Haydn !-ay, here's a fellow who says he does not like that great man's music. The Englishman laughed; an explanation took place, and the music-seller was made acquainted with the man who found fault with Haydn's music.-Life of Haydn. Subscriptions of the MALTA PENNY MAGAZINE at Is. per quarter, received at No. 97 Str. Forni, and sent to subscribers in Valetta every Saturday. THE CHESS-PLAYERS. By Moritz Retzsch. Is not this type well cut in every part: [Price 1d. and "quickened with metrical illustrations, both moral and divine," may be examined with advantage by the candid reader; and even Quarles, though full of strange fancies, quaintly expressed, speaks a language sufficiently intelligible for the improvement of the heart and mind; and this, we maintain, ought to be the chief aim of art, as well as of literature. There are, perhaps, not a few persons who, however unwilling to listen to instruction in the common course of teaching, may, by the "ocular language" of a well-imagin With pleasure we notice the works of this gifted artist; and now present to our readers a copy of one of them, which appears to us astonishing in its conception and execution, and will, if we mistake not, become the best known of all that he has executed. Retzsch's several published outlines are well known; and, although there is not a single instance of cross-shading, no coloured emblem, have been informed of their of any kind, the interest they excite impels us to return to them again and again; and every time we look at them, we see some new beauty. So completely, indeed, do they take possession of our minds, that we forget the total absence of those incidental aids which the higher branches of the art call in to their assistance. What, then, is the secret of Moritz Retzsch? "the witchcraft he has used ?"We should answer,-A deep moral feeling, which appeals directly to the heart,- a perfect comprehension of his subject, and correct drawing. In this latter quality, indeed, he is almost without a rival in modern days. He has been compared to Flaxman, who finished some most expressive outlines, but whose classical severity of style must always fall short in popularity of Retzsch, with his kindly household feelings, "common Nature's daily food," mingled, occasionally, with all that is awful and sublime. We are fond of emblems and allegories. The old-cut emblems of Alciatus* contain mine of good and useful advice; those of George Wither, engraved by Crispin Pass, An Italian who wrote in Latin, early in the sixteenth century, and whose volume of emblems went through many editions, and obtained universal credit fault and danger, or reminded of certain duties, and may have risen up from contemplation of the subject, wiser and better than they sat down. This remark may, in some happy instances, be found true with reference to our present engraving, the subject of which is, SATAN PLAYING AT CHESS WITH MAN FOR HIS SOUL. The peculiar powers of the artist have here a fine field for their exertion. The finely-formed, but wicked and terrific, countenance of Satan is directed towards his victim, whom he is watching with a wariness and stern purpose, that make us tremble for the beautiful and youthful antagonist. The fallen angel, who "was a murderer from the beginning," is robed in a mantle, with broad folds; one hand is supporting his chin, as if he were intent on the effect of some deeplyplotted move, and the other grasps a figure of Peace, which he is taking from the board, The young man rests his head upon his hand. as if he were fearful of impending ruin, and desirous of averting it. Between these two figures, and behind the board, stands the Good Genius of Man, anxious and distressed, as if fearful for the youth. The attitude of this angel is beautiful; the countenance is of a pensive cast, the hands are clasped, the wings half-spread; the head is gently turned towards the important charge, and we feel afraid, that at the next move those wings will bear the guardian spirit away. With regard to the Chessmen: on the side of the demon, the King represents himself; his Queen is Pleasure, pressing forward in front of all; his officers are Indolence, like a great swine; Pride, strutting about with a peacock's tail; Falsehood, with one hand on his heart, and the other holding a dagger behind him; Unbelief, trampling on the Cross; Anger, &c.; the Pawns are Doubts; and, alas for devoted man! the only pieces which he has taken are anger, like a turkeycock, and one Doubt; while Satan has secured several cherub forms which are the man, Christian nimbly reached out his hand for his sword, saying, Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall I shall arise (Mic. vii. 8); and with that gave him a deadly thrust, which made him give back, as one that had received his mortal wound. Christian perceiving that, made at him again, saying,-Nay, in all these things we are conquerors, through Him that loved us (Rom. viii. 37); and with that Apollyon spread forth his dragon's wings, and sped him away, that Christian saw him no more." CARRIER PIGEONS. The practice of conveying intelligence between distant stations, by means of tame doves, has been long used in the East; when, during the Crusades, Acre was be Pawns of Man, and are symbolical of Pray-sieged by the Christian forces, Saladin kept er. There is no little beauty in the thought of introducing prayers under the emblem of pawns; inasmuch as, if persevering and effectual, they may recover the vantageground which had been lost. Humility, Affection, and Innocence, are also taken; but Religion, Truth, and Hope are still left. All the pieces are well set forth; and it is evident that Satan's are coming down in full force against those of his antagonist. This design requires a long study, and affords much matter for reflection; every part will bear the most minute scrutiny; and it is scarcely possible for any one to quit it, without a deep sense of the moral which is conveyed by the allegory. We cannot conclude this paper without alluding to a fine passage in The Pilgrim's Progress, and expressing a wish, that the issue of the contest, so spiritedly depicted by Retzsch, might prove as happy to the party in jeopardy, and as favourable to the interests of religion, as that of Christian's fight with Apollyon. "This sore combat lasted for half a day, even till Christian was almost quite spent. For you must know, that Christian, by reason of his wounds, must needs grow weaker and weaker. Then Apollyon, espying his opportunity, began to gather up close to Christian, and, wrestling with him, gave him a dreadful fall; and with that Christian's sword flew out of his hand. Then said Apollyon, I am sure of thee now! And with that he had almost pressed him to death, so that Christian began to despair of his life. But as God would have it, while Apollyon was fetching his last blow, thereby to make a full end of this good the beseiged, by means of these winged mesopen correspondence, for some time with sengers; but one having been accidentally brought to the ground by an arrow, before it reached the city, the stratagem was discovered, and the communication which would have animated the courage of the besieged, by the announcement of speedy succour, being thus betrayed to the Christians, such measures were taken as compelled the surrender of the place, before Saladin could arrive to relieve it. According to Sandys, this custom is of still earlier antiquity, for he records that Thomostones, by a pigeon stained with pur ple, gave notice of his victory at the Olympian Games the same day, to his father in Ægina. Russel, in his History of Aleppo, says "the English Factory, to convey intelligence pigeon in forteimes was employed in the from Scanderoon to Aleppo, of the arrival of the Company's ships in that port. The name of the ship, the hour of her arrival, and whatever else could be comprised in a small compass, was written on a slip of paper, and secured under the pigeon's wing, so as not to impede her flight, her feet were bathed in vinegar to keep them cool, and prevent her being tempted by the sight of water to alight, whereby delay might be occasioned, or the billet lost. The pigeons have been known to perform the journey in two hours and a half, the distance being between sixty and seventy miles in a straight |