space, as is of the depths of the ocean, the sand to the mariner which adheres to his lead. But so far from its expected appearance, in 1848, being cause of dread and alarm to Powers and Potentates, its coming is looked for even by the multitude, with a degree of eager interest and will be hailed with pleasure and delight in many lands. From a mysterious messenger, bringing tidings of a dreadful, potent and awful calamity to a terror-stricken world, Astronomy by its progress has changed in the minds of men the character of comets: they have been made obedient to law, subservient, instructive and useful to man, in his upward and onward progress. They teach important truths, and assist to reveal the secrets of nature." THE COMET. In the year 1264, a comet of great size and brilliancy appeared in Europe, with a tail extending more than half way across the heavens, and of a surprising magnitude. Its track was noted, and a rough computation of the elements of its orbit made. In 1556, another great comet appeared and attracted general attention. Paul Fabricins, an Austrian mathematician, made observations upon it, from which Halley computed its orbit. On a comparison it was found that a great resemblance existed between the elements of the orbits of the two comets, and the opinion is entertained by some of the learned that they are one and the same body, revolving round the sun once in 292 years. If this conclusion is just, the return of this far wandering member of the star family cannot be far distant, as it ought to reach its perihelion, or nearest distance from the sun, some time this year. Professor Madler of Dorpat is of opinion that it may be looked for during this month and the next. This comet is computed to pass out from the sun about twelve thousand millions of miles, being more than double the distance of Neptune. Thus," adds Professor Mitchel, from whose interesting journal this account is derived, "these comets of long period seem to bind our own time, with the centuries that are passed, more directly than any other means in nature. The year 1264, six centuries ago, seems separated from us by a vast period; but in gazing on a comet which has performed but two revolutions since 1264, the lapse of time sinks to two simple units, and the past is brought close to the present." 66 Miscellany. THOUGHTS. "A man," says Sir Walter Raleigh, "must first govern himself ere he be fit to govern a family, and his family ere he be fit to bear a part in the government of the Commonwealth." "If a man," says Lord Bacon, "meditate upon the universal frame of nature, the earth with men upon it, the divineness of souls excepted, will not seem much other than an ant hill, whereas some ants carry corn, and some carry their young, and some go empty, and all to and fro a little heap of dust." "Good intentions," says Sir William Temple, "are at least the seed of good actions; and every man ought to sow them, and leave it to the soil and the seasons whether they come up or no, and whether he or any other gather the fruit." A REFLECTION ON A REFLECTION. Is there any thing finer in its way, than this old epigram, written by some one, on seeing himself in his looking glass? Richmond. When I revolve this evanescent state, How fleeting is its form, how short its date; VIRGINIA'S JEWELS. Cornelia's jewels, as the story runs, TO CORRESPONDENTS. As it is obvious that a work like this must require the co-operation of many hands, we invite our friends and all who may feel any interest in our object, to favor us with such contributions as come within the scope of our design. At the same time, we must beg them to remember, that, generally speaking, their communications must be brief; as we must always endeavor to make our pages as various as possible 66 We have before us a reprint of an old and rare pamphlet written and published by our Captaine," Capt. John Smith himself, in 1631, some years after his return to England from his voyage to Virginia, where he had succeeded in planting the germ of our future State at Jamestown; which we have read with great interest. It is entitled "Advertisements for the Unexperienced Planters of New England, or Any Where; or, the Pathway to Experience to Erect a Plantation; By Captaine John Smith, Sometimes Governour of Virginia, and Admirall of New England. London. 1631 :" and consists, for the most part, of a number of good counsels and hints to the Colonists who were then about to embark for the new settlements which had been recently effected at New Plymouth, and other places in New England; but contains also, incidentally, some remarks on the "misprisions," or mistakes, of the "wise men" of the Virginia Company, and others, who had engaged in the prior enterprise of planting a colony on our Southern shore. These remarks, the results of his experience here, are generally stamped with that sound sense and practical wisdom for which the author was justly distinguished, and seem to be, fairly and properly, a part and parcel of the materials for a full history of our State, which we are intending to collect, by degrees, in our work. We have, accordingly, separated them from the rest of the matter in the publication, which does not immediately concern us, and now lay them before our readers for their consideration, and, for the present, without any comment of our own. Now they take not that course the Virginia company did for the Planters there, their purses and lives were subject to some few here in London who were never there, that consumed all in Arguments, Projects, and their owne conceits, every yeere trying new conclusions, altering every thing yearely as they altered opinions, till they had consumed more than two hundred thousand pounds, and neere eight thousand mens lives. It is true, in the yeere of our Lord 1622. they were about seven or eight thousand English indifferently well furnished with most necessaries, and many of them grew to that height of bravery, living in that plenty and excesse, that went thither not worth any thing, made the Company here thinke all the world was Oatmeale there, and all this proceeded by surviving those that died, nor were they ignorant to use as curious tricks there as here, and out of the juice of Tabacco, which at first they sold at such good rates, they regarded nothing but Tabacco, a commodity then so vendable, it provided them all things: and the loving Salvages. their kinde friends, they trained so well up to shoot in a Peece, to hunt and kill them fowle, they became more expert than our owne Country-men, whose labours were more profitable to their Masters in planting Tabacco, and other businesse. This superfluity caused my poore beginnings scorned, or to be spoken of but with much derision, that never sent Ship from thence fraught, but onely some small quantities of Wainscot, Clap-board, Pitch, Tar, Rosin, Sope-ashes, Glasse, Cedar, Cypresse, Blacke Walnut, Knees for Ships, Ash for Pikes, Iron Ore none better, some Silver Ore, but so poore it was not regarded; better there may be, for I was no Mineralist, some Sturgion, but it was too tart of the Vinegar, which was of my owne store, for little came from them which was good; and Wine of the Countries wilde Grapes, but it was too sowre, yet better than they sent us any in two or three yeeres but one Hogshead of Claret. Onely spending my time to revenge my imprisonment upon the harmlesse innocent Salvages, who by my cruelty I forced to feed me with their contribution, and to send any offended my idle humour to James towne to punish at mine owne discretion; or keepe their Kings and subjects in chaines, and make them worke. Things cleane contrary to my Commission; whilest I and my company tooke our needlesse pleasures in discovering the Countries about us, building of Forts, and such unnecessary fooleries, where an Eggeshell (as they writ) had beene sufficient against such enemies; neglecting to answer the Merchants expectations with profit, feeding the Company onely with Letters and tastes of such commodities as we writ the Country would afford in time by industry, as Silke, Wines, Oyles of Olives, Rape, and Linsed, Rasons, Prunes, Flax, Hempe, and Iron, as for Tabacco, wee never then dreamt of it. Now because I sent not their ships full fraught home with those commodities, they kindly writ to me, if we failed the next returne, they would leave us there as banished men, as if houses and all those commodities did grow naturally, only for us to take at our pleasure, with such tedious Letters, directions, and instructions, and most contrary to that was fitting, we did admire how it was possible such wise men could so torment themselves and us with such strange absurdities and impossibilities, making Religion their colour, when all their aime was nothing but present profit, as most plainly appeared, by sending us so many Refiners, Goldsmiths, Iewellers, Lapidaries, Stone-cutters, Tabacco-pipe-makers, Imbroderers, Perfumers, Silkemen, with all their appurtenances, but materialls, and all those had great summes out of the common stocke; and so many spies and super-intendents over us, as if they supposed we would turne Rebels, all striving to suppresse and advance they knew not what; at last got a Commission in their owne names, promising the King custome within seven yeares, where we were free for one and twenty, appointing the Lord De-la-ware for Governour, with as many great and stately officers, and offices under him, as doth belong to a great Kingdome, with good summes for their extraordinary ex |