But, for the future, learn from hence, This helps to make our dwellings sure, Thus in the self-same course we view "Saturday Magazine." ASIA. The second great continent of the globe is Asia, joining on to the north-east of Europe, and to Africa, at its north-eastern point. It is four and a half times the size of Europe, and covers one eleventh part of the whole globe, its greatest length being 6,700 miles, its greatest breadth 5,400 miles, and its area 17,500,000 square miles. It contains about thirteen distinct countries, such as Persia, India, China, &c. Asia contains some of the hottest, and also some of the coldest parts of the earth, for it stretches as far into the north as Europe does, and much further into the south. Siberia, a country in the north, bordering upon the Icy ocean, is as cold as India, stretching into the Indian ocean, is hot for India lies so far south, that the rays of the sun fall straight (per-pen-dic-u-lar-ly) upon a portion of it. The people of Southern Asia, and the adjoining islands, are very dark, much darker than Europeans; they wear but little dress (those at least who carry on S. IV. F any sort of trade or active employment), and that dress is very thin, often white. The inhabitants of Central Asia and China (which lies at the cast of it), are of what is called the Tartar race of men; they have a dirty buff coloured skin, with long and narrow black eyes. The people of China are skilful in some manufactures, especially in that beautiful ware, called from this country where it was first made, China. We also get tea from China and India; as well as silk. cotton, wool, opium, rice, dried fruits, &c. The climate is so varied, that plants of almost all kinds are found on that continent, from those of the Artic region to the gigantic productions of the tropics, as the vine, fig, orange, lemon, tea and coffee plants. In the north of Asia, which is called Siberia, and in the north-east, which is called Kams-chat-ka, the men and women are short and ill looking, of a dirty, though not very dark skin, and tangled hair. They are even more ignorant and far more uncivilized than the central or southern nations of Asia. The south western countries of Asia were the first parts of the earth which were inhabitated. There Adam and Eve were created, and there took place all the wonderful things which you read of in the Bible. These countries lie chiefly between the river Euphrates and the Me-di-ter-ra-ne-an sea; and they extend from the Black sea, north, to the Indian ocean, south. It was somewhere near the southern windings of the river Euphrates, which is called the Great River, that the garden of Eden is supposed to have been placed. And further north, in the mountainous country (Armenia), where the Euphrates rises, is the mountain Ararat, where Noah's ark rested after the flood; and it was from this spot that Noah's family and their descendants spread themselves over the land. On the shore of the Mediterranean sea, near where Asia is united to Africa, lies the land of Palestine, the "Promised Land" of the Jews. On the south of it is a large peninsula, called Arabia. Arabia contains vast deserts, and some mountains, and fertile valleys between. Here is mount Sinai, where God gave his laws to Moses, and here also the wilderness in which the Israelites wandered for forty years, after they came out of Egypt. Four distinct races of people live in Asia:-the Cau-ca-sian, Mon-go-lian, Ma-lay-an, and E-thi-o-pian; and the language, both as regards the form of letters and the sound of words, is very different from ours: in fact no European can understand the Asiatic languages, until he has spent much time in learning them. Two days after Wyatt was apprehended, Lady Jane Grey and her husband were ordered to prepare for death. Lady Jane, who had long before seen the threatening blow, was in no way surprised at the message, but bore it with heroic resolution; and being informed that she had three days to prepare, she seemed displeased at so long a delay. On the day of her execution her husband desired permission to see her; but this she refused, as she knew the parting would be too tender for her to bear. The place at first designed for their execution was without the Tower; but their youth, beauty, and innocence being likely to raise an insurrection among the people, orders were given that they should be executed within that fortress. Lord Dudley was the first that suffered; and while the Lady Jane was proceeding to the place of execution, the officers of the tower met her, bearing along the headless body of her husband, streaming with blood, in order to be interred in the Tower Chapel. She looked on the corpse for some time without any emotion, and then, with a sigh, desired them to proceed. On the scaffold she made a speech, in which she alleged, that her offence was not the having laid her hand upon the crown, but the not rejecting it with sufficient constancy; that she had less erred through ambition than filial obedience; and she willingly accepted death as the only atonement she could make to the injured State; and was ready by her punishment to show, that innocence is no plea in excuse for deeds that tend to injure the community. After speaking to this effect, she caused herself to be disrobed by her women, and, with a steady, serene countenance, submitted to the executioner. At the head of those, who urged forward these violent measures, were Gardiner, Bishop of Winchester, and Cardinal Pole, who was now returned from Italy. Pole, who was nearly allied by birth to the royal family, had always conscientiously adhered to the Roman Catholic religion, and had incurred Henry's displeasure, not only by refusing to assent to his measures, but by writing against him. It was for this adherence that he was cherished by the Pope, and now sent over to England as a legate from the Holy See. Gardiner was a man of very different character: his chief aim was to please the reigning prince; and he had shown already many instances of his prudent eonformity. -Goldsmith's "England." THE DEAD COUNTESS. SHE is dead! But a little green mound with a cross at its head, I should fancy, that out of the musty air Sir Roger must angrily fume and growl, Dame Marjory mutter strange words from her cow! To the stout Crusader whose name is lost, All baffled and vext and crost, At the fall of their family pride. She is dead! Of all the De Lormes not a soul since their head, Could sleep without nightcap of ponderous stone Of the family vault; but Clare, Where the commonest hind may weep, And the sunlight glisten and evenings close, She is dead! Love fought and struggled and fled, Her artless, natural grace, Taking a rose from a wooer of ten With a mimic grandeur and courtly mien, |