King Square, London, Oct. 29, 1828. WE have a special and copious note respecting that beautiful and splendid phenomenon, the Rainbow, in the sacred volume, immediately upon the establishment of the new world, which arose out of the ruins of the old world, from beneath the waters of the general deluge: this note I subjoin, from the ninth chapter of the book of Genesis.

"And GoD spake unto Noah, and to his sons with him, saying, And I, behold I, establish My covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living creature that is with you, of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you; from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth. And I will establish My covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And GOD said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you, and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: and I will remember My covenant which is

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between Me and you, and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between GoD and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established be. tween Me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

This solemn compact, spontaneously entered into by Jehovah with man, and thus circumstantially detailed, has especial reference to certain things, then brought into existence; which things were, by the gracious providence of the Infinite, to be continued in existence to the end of time, without the interference of mankind, although these things should continue to exist throughout all his generations.What these things are, is well worth the inquiry. This question has occupied the pens of almost all commentators upon the Bible, and many first-rate writers have also exercised their skill thereon, without exhausting the subject: something yet remains to be said, and something will remain after this essay is published.

Drops of rain are spherical; and, according to Sir Isaac Newton, when the rays of light from the sun strike a drop of rain, some of them enter it, are refracted on entering the first surface, reflected from the second, again refracted on leaving the last surface, and on passing out of this aqueous sphere, these rays descend to the eye of a spectator who stands in a certain angle between the sun and the rain, and there cause to him the appearance denominated the primary rainbow. The pri mary rainbow never exceeds a semicircle, because the centre of the bow is always opposite to the sun; and no rainbow can appear before the sun rises, or after the sun sets; viz. when the sun is below the horiBut the primary rainbow is less than a semicircle, in proportion as the sun is elevated above the horizon; and, therefore, at noon it forms the mere segment of a circle.

zon.

If rain descended in detached showers upon the antediluvian earth, then the rainbow was visible in the old world, in a manner similar to its appearance in the new world, and therefore was no new phenomenon to Noah and his family: this, however, is an undecided question. We find a note. in the account of creation which the sacred volume contains, to this effect:

"The Lord GOD had not caused it to rain upon the earth: but there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground."

If the antediluvian world enjoyed perpetual spring, without change of seasons, or alternations of heat and cold, rain and drought, and man thereby, in the order of divine Providence, attained nearly his thousandth year, ere he sunk by decay of nature, into death, as some suppose; then, at the moment of the general deluge, the finger of the Lord induced rain, for the first time, upon the earth; first to drown its impious inhabitants, and, secondly, on the cessation of the general deluge, by adverse extremes of cold and heat, moist and dry, to break down the constitution of man, and reduce the term of his natural life from a thousand years to threescore years and ten; then the rainbow was new to Noah and his family, altogether. Which of these positions is true, who can inform us? There is no voice-none to answer; and, therefore, as we found these questions, so must they be left to a future day.

The rainbow could not appear during the rain which produced the general deluge; because that rain was universal-there were no chasms in the circumambient vapours which then shed their waters upon the earth. A circular halo might have appeared during this universal rain, to those who had ascended the mountains, if any of the antediluvian mountains were higher than the clouds which produced the rains of the general deluge; but they could not have observed a rainbow: a circular appearance, or halo, of this description being sometimes visible to this day in mountainous regions, where the eye looks down upon descending rain. But the rainbow would appear when this universal rain had subsided, and a shower descended upon the earth, because a shower descends from a detached cloud, viz. a cloud which has terminations. A cloud may be one mile or a hundred miles long, or even a thousand, and its breadth may be in proportion, no matter how large or how small, but it must have dimensions, and thus be detached from other clouds; otherwise, as has been already noted, the rain descending therefrom cannot produce a rainbow; but if it is thus detached from the universal mass of vapour, it must, on producing rain, produce a rainbow. A breach in the mass of vapours, permits the rays from the sun to enter and strike the descending drops of rain, on their passage to the earth; and these rays, when re

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fracted and reflected by these minute aqueous spheres, form a rainbow, visible to the eyes of man upon the plains below.

The earth itself, in the manner of a plain, prevents the entire image of the sun's face from being depicted on the cloud, and terminates it in a semicircle; the two ends of which, like two feet, seeming to rest upon the earth. The rainbow, therefore, on appearing to Noah and his family immediately on the subsiding of that universal rain which produced the general deluge, must have been peculiarly consolatory. It lulled their fears on the approach of rain, excited their hopes, and confirmed their faith in God; who, having promised to maintain this bow in the clouds throughout their generations, had also promised to look upon it, and, remembering the covenant, never again permit an univessal rain to blot out the broad seal of His covenant from the face of heaven, and deluge the earth, to the destruction of mankind. The rainbow is, therefore, an appropriate sign of Jehovah's covenant with man, that the earth shall no more be destroyed by a flood; because, while it is maintained in the clouds, no universal rain can take place, and produce another general deluge; for, an universal rain would exclude the rainbow in toto, and no general deluge can take place without universal rain.

The rainbow points out, whenever it appears, even to the remotest posterity of Noah, that the covenant of Jehovah with him stands firm, and will stand firm, unaltered and unalterable, throughout every age of time. Not a day, perhaps not an hour, has passed, from the moment the general deluge subsided, to the present hour, when a rainbow was not visible to the eye of the Infinite in some portion of the atmosphere of this globe; for, scarcely can a shower of rain descend, where it is day, but a rainbow must be formed. Since the general deluge, no instance of universal rain has occurred; for in some countries it never rains; Egypt, for instance, as well as others; therefore, every rain since that period, except showers during night, must have produced a rainbow, visible at some one point upon or near our sphere; and, from the best calculations, it results, that rain, on some one portion of our earth, falls every hour. The bow of the covenant of God with man is thus perpetually in the clouds of heaven -the broad seal thereof, seen by angels and by men, adorns the sphere it is destined to save, not only in one, but frequently in

and with Venus at 20 minutes past four in the morning of the 3d.

On the 5th, at 30 minutes past six in the morning, the Moon comes to a conjunction with the planet Mercury, and at 52 minutes past three in the afternoon she is new in the 14th degree of Capricorn, her latitude being 5 degrees north: she is in perigee on the 16th. On this day Venus has ten digits illuminated on her eastern limb, her apparent diameter being 12 seconds; she has considerably receded from Jupiter. On the evening of the 7th the crescent of the Moon is observable in the western part of the heavens; she is directing her course to the planet Mars, which now appears considerably to the east of 20 Pisces, and is observed approaching a line drawn through a Andromeda and Algenib. The Moon is noticed to have approached nearer this planet on the evening of the 8th, and is observed gradually approaching Aquarii, which she is very near at 1 minute 47 seconds past six, this star is hid behind her dark limb, the point of contact being 17 degrees from the vertex: the emersion takes place at 59 minutes 1 second past six, at 123 degrees from the vertex on the right. There is also an immersion of p Aquarii on the same evening, at 39 minutes 47 seconds past seven, at 94 degrees from the vertex on the left; at 7 minutes 52 seconds past eight, the star emerges at 151 degrees on the left.

On the 11th, the Moon crosses the ecliptic in her descending node, having passed the planet Mars on the preceding afternoon. At 18 minutes past seven in the morning of the 12th, she enters her first quarter in the 22d degree of Aries, and is observed in the evening approaching the constellation of the Ram. On the 14th, at 15 minutes past seven in the morning, the Sun and Mercury are in conjunction, the former being between the Earth and Mercury, which is termed a superior conjunction; after this day the planet becomes an evening star, setting after the Sun.

The fair empress of the skies is observed to increase in magnitude and splendour, and nightly to approach the planet Saturn. On the 11th, at 50 minutes 21 seconds past eight in the evening, she will occult the star Geminorum; the observer will notice its disappearance at 167 degrees from the vertex on the left; the reappearance takes place at 51 minutes 21 seconds past nine, at 104 degrees from the vertex on the right. On the 19th, at 17 minutespast 12 at night, the Moon attains her maximum of splendour; her situation at

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this time is in the 30th degree of Cancer, with upwards of 4 degrees south latitude. She is now observed considerably to the south of Saturn, and passes him at three the next morning. At 44 minutes past five the Earth arrives at the 30th degree of Cancer, when the Sun appears to enter the sign Aquarius.*.

On the morning of the 21st, at 45 minutes past two, the Sun and Saturn are in opposition, the Earth being situated between them; the telescopic observers of this wonderful planet will notice the major to the minor axis of his ring, as 1006 to 368, and will also have a good opportunity of observing the moons which revolve around him. On the 22d, at 15 minutes past one in the afternoon, the Sun is in conjunction with the Georgium Sidus. The Moon is also in apogee, and crosses the ecliptic in her ascending node on the 25th. On the 28th, at 21 minutes past five in the morning, the Moon enters her last quarter, in the 8th degree of Scorpio. At 12 minutes 23 seconds past six in the morning of the 29th, the first satellite of Jupiter disappears in his shadow; the Moon passes him, on the 30th, at four in the

afternoon.

POETRY.

(For the Imperial Magazine.)

THE NATIVITY.
HIGH rose Immanuel's star of grace,
Resplendent in the orient sky;
The shining hosts, all veil'd their face,
While life's superior orb pass'd by.
Led on by Truth's unerring light,

The eastern sages sped their way,
With hearts o'erflowing with delight,
They came where God the Saviour lay.
Before his face they prostrate fell,
And humble adoration paid,
Hail'd him, the King of Israel,

And at his feet rich presents laid.
To give their joy-fraught bosoms ease,
The love of God," transported sung;
The listening heavens return'd the praise,
And repercussive valleys rung.

May heaven-born faith's directing star,
To-day illumine every mind ;
And guide each wandering soul from far,
The Lord of life to seek and find.

To Christ, who bruised the serpent's head,
And bought for man the bliss of heaven,
Be joyful adoration paid,

And gratitude's sweet incense given !

CHORUS.

Loud anthems raise to God on high,
And hail with joy the Saviour's birth,
Who life and immortality,

From glory brought to sons of earth!
Dartmouth.
J. M. M.

65

66

THE REIGN OF WINTER.

AGAIN the brumal potentate,
Has his dark car ascended,
From arctic regions, sped by fate,

He comes with storms attended.

His bead 's with glittering hoar-frost crown'd,
His nose is red, like nectar,;

In snow-wrought mantle wrapt around,
He sways his icy sceptre.

The forest's sons, a sturdy race,

Declare his visitation;

And, in his torpid, cold embrace,
Entomb'd sleeps vegetation.

The feather'd choirs now cease to sing,
Their minstrelsy symphonious;
No more their notes the welkin ring,
Nor echo joins in chorus.

Terrific grandeur marks his mien-
Let man, by contemplation,

Behold the Power that bids him reign,
And bow with adoration.

So quickly do life's seasons pass,
So man in winter shrivels,

Then mowing death the mortal grass,
To dust primeval levels!

But man shall like the spring arise,t
Appear a new creation;
May we be planted 'bove the skies,
To bloom without cessation!

MUTABLE AND IMMUTABLE SCENES.

THE sun ascends the orient sky,
With regal glory crown'd;

And with the radiance of his eye,
Enlivens all around.

But ere a quarter of his race

The glorious king has sped,

How often is his smiling face

By gloomy clouds o'erspread!

When zephyrs bland have breath'd around,
Like glass, the sea we've seen,

But, suddenly, a storm has frown'd,
And changed the lovely scene.

We've oft admired the rose's charms,
With mid-day radiance graced;
But long ere night, in death's cold arms
We've seen the flower embraced.

The sun, the sea, the rose, combine,
Uncertainty to prove;

And point us to the "Power Divine,"
Who is unchanging love!

Vicissitude on things terrene

Is legibly imprest;

Misfortunes cloud man's brightest scene,
And joy's a transient guest.
We sinners are to trouble born,
"As sparks do upward tend,"
Affliction's heav'n-appoint'd thorn
Does every bosom rend.

But for the Christian there remains
A paradise of rest,
Where pleasure unmolested reigns,
In ev'ry happy breast.

Yes! there the sun for ever pours
His emanations bright;
No intervening cloud e'er low'rs.
To intercept the light.

ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR 1829.

A REVIEW.

On the first of the month, which I welcome and

bail,

I'll balance accounts, and review my life's tale;
Like Janus, who gave its cognomen, I'll try
The past and the future to keep in my eye.

I'll think of the past with a sorrowing soul,
And the crystal of grief from my eyelids shall roll;
Then look on the future-Lord, pardon the error!
None ever saw that, save in folly's false mirror.

The past it is gone, and the future to me,
If wisdom forbid it, I never may see ;
Omniscience hath closed the volume-and mark,
Save the page I am reading, the rest is all dark!
How solemn the musing, I cannot look on,
Through the ages to come, like Apocalypse John;
The unknown prospective may not be explored,
But the retrospective shall profit afford."

Life's volume I'll read with compunction and grief,
From the fifty-first book to the title-page leaf;
I'll think of my course, and retrace it anew,
And the map I'll submit to my worthy friend
DREW.

The sins of my youth, the first link in the chain,
Shall pass my review in reminiscent pain ;
By their mildewing blight, and a premature frost,
The earliest buds of my comfort were lost.

I have lost the sweet time of my fruit-budding bloom,

The morning of boyhood, the spring of perfume;
A loss mines of jewels can never retrieve,
And oceans of tears, though I ceaselessly grieve.

Though silvery age has besprinkled my head,
And the heyday of life, with its vigour, hath fled;
Reminiscence sad, like a dark vision, steals
The ghost of past vices still treads on my heels.

How rosy the pathway in youth I design'd!
But the roses are past, and the thorns left behind;
The roses were folly's creations ideal;

But not so the thorns, they are lasting and real.

I wove me a chaplet of myrtle and flowers,

And sunk to soft slumbers in pleasure's gay bowers:

But woke on the brink of destruction and death,
With the dark gulf of hell roaring dismal beneath.

Perdition around me, for mercy I cried;
But knew not the path, till the Cross I espied;
It shed on the dark maze a silvery ray;

And a voice whisper'd softly, "Soul, this is the way!'

I gazed on the symbol of mercy and grace,
The Covenant sign to a perishing race;

I touch'd it, and quickly its virtue perceived,
And peace, love, and pardon, were proofs I
believed.

And thus I still travel life's valley along,
The Word is my comfort, Salvation my song ;
I am saved by the Cross, for its virtues are such,
If my wounds bleed afresh, they are healed by a
touch!

* Janus, from whom the month of January takes its name, was a native of Thessaly, and the son of Apollo. He is represented as bifrons, having two faces, because he was acquainted with the past and with the future. He holds the number 300 in one hand, and 65 in the other, to shew that he presides over the year. He presides over all gates, and shuts the old year and opens the His temple, which was always open in times of war, was shut only three times during 700 years under Numa; 235 B. c.; and under Augustus, when the Redeemer of mankind was born..

new.

The Author's age.

F