highly inconvenient to their employers; but which, in reality, is an enviable peculiarity in the class, seeing that it is so essentially connected with good conduct. When our pride shrinks from any marks of "spirit" on the part of a servant, we little think what the reverse costs us; and that where there is an enforced servility, there can scarcely exist any of the hardy virtues. It may not be possible for individuals entirely to avoid, in their own case, the evils which arise from national errors; but undoubtedly "love" will have its power with English servants as it has with all other human beings. A kindly manner of dealing with them, demonstrations of an unaffected concern for their interests, behaviour calculated to foster, and never to wound or bruise their self-respect, must always tend, if consistently, perseveringly followed out, to evoke the better nature of servants, and make them agreeable and obliging inmates.

Perhaps those who at present experience the greatest annoyances from their servants, would be astonished to find how little is required, on many occasions, to bring out their better qualities. A story is told, in the French army, that a company of soldiers conducted themselves gallantly, and always behaved well, under one captain, and in the reverse manner under his successor; when, on inquiry, it was ascertained that the sole cause was in a small difference of manner between the two officers. The one always said, "Allons, mes enfans"-(Come on, my dears); and the other, "Allez, mes enfans"-(Go on, my dears). The one captain put himself on a human level with his men, and thus won their regard: the other acted as if he had stood on a height above them. It is exactly so with servants. Where their feelings of self-esteemfeelings as sure to be planted in them as in the highest nobility on earth are respected, and an appeal made to their kindly sympathies, they are forced by something in their own bosoms to act as duty requires. In the other case, it will always be "uphill work." It is not from any want of real benevolence that masters and mistresses fail in this respect. They are often seen to mean well, but to be prevented from taking right methods by the effects of prejudice and habit, or to be turned aside from a right course by disappointment at little failures. They may depend upon this, that there will never be perfect comfort in their connexions with servants while they stand upon pride, or force, or self-defence, or anything, in short, but the kindly sympathies which God has designed all his creatures to feel for each other.

Joseph Holt, who acted as general to the rebel peasantry of Ireland in 1798, was withheld from execution, and only banished, in consequence of his having, by humane interference, saved the life of an English officer. Carried to Australia, he was there employed as an overseer on the estate of a Mr Cox, where he had under his charge forty-five convicts and twenty-five freemen. In his life of himself, which was published in 1838, he

Thus the grand army, which was to have subdued Russia, was annihilated, and its boastful chief a fugitive towards France. On the evening of the 10th of December, the sledges which bore Napoleon and a few attendants from the scene of danger reached Warsaw; and hence, wrapped in furs, after a brief stay, they pursued their way as secretly as possible through Germany and France to Paris. What a miserable contrast did this rapid and obscure journey present to that of the French emperor's advance only a few months before! His sudden and unexpected appearance in Paris on the 19th of December caused general surprise; and it was only by concealing for a time the result of the campaign, and issuing false intelligence respecting the movements and state of the army, that he was able to prevent the discontent which was likely to arise. Ultimately all became known; but while Europe was filled with horror for so much suffering, France was distracted and amused with the prospect of new campaigns and victories which would efface the recollection of its losses.

CONCLUSION.

From the most careful calculations that can be made, it would appear that upwards of 650,000 men, French and Russians, invaders and defenders, perished in this most disastrous campaign. All estimates of the loss of life and also of property must, however, fall short of the truth. Many thousands of Russians perished obscurely, murdered in defence of their homes; thousands died of fatigue, hunger, and other privations. Innumerable villages, towns, and cities were sacked, burnt, and destroyed; and many years of dire suffering elapsed before the general distress was allayed, or the marks of disaster obliterated. What outrages were committed during the progress of the war, what hearts were broken, what grief was endured for the loss of fathers, brothers, and other relatives, what tears were shed-must all be left to the imagination of the reader. The scene is too harrowing to be minutely dwelt upon.

And all that we have told, and much more that it would be impossible for the pen to narrate, was the work of ONE MAN—a military adventurer, labouring under the frenzied and selfish notion of establishing universal empire, centering in his own person and family. The retributive punishment for such an audacious crime was the most signal recorded in history. In two years from the time when Napoleon was at the pinnacle of his greatness, he was precipitated from power by the united and outraged sovereigns of Europe, and became an unpitied exile from the French ter ritory. "Posterity," said he in his latter days of adversity, "will do me justice." It now does it; but in a sense very different from what his egregious self-esteem led him to reckon upon. The memory of a man who remorselessly caused the slaughter of millions of his fellow-creatures, can meet with no sympathy from the advancing morality of the nineteenth century.

HEN one person expresses hatred to another, or attempts to injure him, the first feeling of the person so hated, or liable to be injured, is usually of an angry kind. He hates in turn, or he stands indignantly up for his rights. This is natural, just as it is natural for a child to creep before he can walk, or lisp before he can speak. But as creeping and lisping at first do not form any objection to walking and speaking afterwards, so are those angry feelings which so readily occur to us, no argument why we should not come to treat those who hate or injure us in a different manner. If we always find that kindling up in anger, and returning evil for evil, prolongs mischief to ourselves as well as to the other party, but that we stop mischief, and make ourselves happy, by a kind and forgiving behaviour, there is no reason why we should not prefer the latter mode. plan is, in fact, as natural as the other, although with most persons it is not the one first thought of.

The one

But is it really best to treat our enemies kindly? This is the great question. We shall endeavour to prove that such is

the case.

It is matter of common observation that, when unloving words or looks are resented by the like, a complete division takes place between the parties. The hatred of the first person is deepened: he becomes a more unpleasant neighbour than he was before. And, because bad words have been used to him, his pride is touched, and he determines to show no symptom of relenting. But if, on the contrary, the object of his antipathy had refrained

says, "It required all my energies to keep them in proper order. My freemen I always employed by the piece, &c. As to the convicts, there was a certain quantity of work, which, by the government regulations, they must do in a given time; and this may be given to them by the day, week, or month, as you pleased, and they must be paid a certain price for all the work they did beyond a certain quantity. If they were idle, and did not do the regulated quantity of work, it was only necessary to take them before a magistrate, and he would order them twentyfive lashes of the cat on their backs for the first offence, fifty for the second, and so on; and if that would not do, they were at last put into a jail-gang, and made to work in irons from morning till night.

"In order to keep them honest, I paid them fully and fairly for everything they did beyond their stipulated task at the same time I paid the freemen; and if I thought the rations not sufficient for their comfortable support, I issued to each man six pounds of wheat, fourteen of potatoes, and one of pork, in addition. By this means the men were well fed; for the old saying is true, 'Hunger will break through stone walls; and it is all nonsense to make laws for starving men. When any article was stolen from me, I instantly paraded all hands, and told them that if it were not restored in a given time, I would stop all extra allowances and indulgences. The thief,' said I, 'is a disgrace to the establishment, and all employed in it; let the honest men find him out, and punish him among yourselves: do not let it be said that the flogger ever polluted this place by his presence. You all know the advantages you enjoy above gangs on any other estate in the colony; do not then throw them away. Do not let me know who the thief is, but punish him by your own verdict.' I then dismissed them.

"The transports would say among themselves, that what I had told them was all right. We wont,' they would reason, 'be punished because there happens to be an ungrateful thief among us.' They then called a jury, and entered into an investigation; and on all occasions succeeded in detecting and punishing the offender. I was by this line of conduct secure from plunder; and the disgusting operation of flaying a man alive with a cat-o'nine-tails did not disgrace the farms under my superintendence. Mr Cox said one day to me, 'Pray, Joseph, how is it that you never have to bring your men to punishment? You have more under you than I believe any man in the colony, and, to the surprise of all, you have never had one flogged, or indeed have made a complaint against one; they look well, and appear contented, and even happy.' 'Sir,' said I, ' I have studied human nature more than books. I had the management of many more men in my own country, and I was always rigidly just to them. I never oppressed them, or suffered them to cheat their employers, or each other. They knew if they did their duty, they would

be well treated; and if not, sent to the right about. I follow the same course with the men here. I should think myself very ill qualified to act as your overseer, were I to have a man or two flogged every week. Besides the horrible inhumanity of the practice, the loss of a man's week or fortnight's work will not be a trifle in the year, at twelve and sixpence per week; for a man who gets the cat is incapable of work till his back is well; so, in prudence as well as in Christian charity, it is best to treat our fellow-creatures like men, although they be degraded to the state of convict slaves.'"

Mr Holt also gives the following account of Colonel Collins, governor of the settlement at the Derwent River in Van Diemen's Land from 1804 till his death in 1810:-"This gentleman had the good-will, the good wishes, and the good word of every one in the settlement. His conduct was exemplary, and his disposition most humane. His treatment of the runaway convicts was conciliatory, and even kind. He would go into the forests among the natives to allow these poor creatures, the runaways, an opportunity of returning to their former condition; and, halfdead with cold and hunger, they would come and drop on their knees before him, imploring pardon for their behaviour.

'Well,' he would say to them, now that you have lived in the bush, do you think the change you made was for the better? Are you sorry for what you have done?' 'Yes, sir.'. And will you promise never to go away again?' 'Never, sir.' Go to the storekeeper then,' the benevolent Collins would say, 'and get a suit of slops and your week's ration, and then go to the Overseer and attend to your work. I give you my pardon; but remember, that I expect you will keep your promise to me.'

"I never heard of any other governor or commandant acting in this manner, nor did I ever witness much leniency from any governor. I have, however, been assured that there was less crime and much fewer faults committed among the people under Governor Collins than in any other settlement; which I think is a clear proof that mercy and humanity are the best policy."

Miss Martineau, in her works on America, gives several delightful illustrations of this principle, which almost sound like oddities. She speaks of a Tunker, a kind of Baptist, whom she found in the enjoyment of considerable wealth on a farm settlement near Michigan city. "He had gone through life on the non-resistance principle; and it was animating to learn how well it had served him-as every high exercise of faith does serve every one who has strength and simplicity of heart to commit himself to it. It was animating to learn not only his own consistency, but the force of his moral power over others; how the careless had been won to thoughtfulness of his interests, and the criminal to respect of his rights. He seemed to have unconsciously secured the promise and the fruit of the life that now is, more effectually than many who think less of that which is to