They gave him a censer in his hand, and a little copal to begin his worship; but having discovered, by the light of the flame which the copal made, the horrible spectacle, his anguish affected bis whole frame, and being transported with the violent effects of it, he ran out crying with distraction, and ordered his people to take revenge of so barbarous a deed; but they dared not to undertake it, as they must instantly have been oppressed by the multitude; upon which the father returned inconsolable to his residence to bewail his disaster the remainder of his life. His unfortunate daughter was created goddess and honourary mother, not only of Huitzilopochtli, but of all their gods; which is the exact meaning of Teteoinan, by which name she was afterwards known and worshipped.

THE VOYAGE OF LIFE. AN ALLEGORY.

LIFE is a voyage, in the progress of which, we are continually changing scenes; we first leave childhood behind us, then youth, then the years of ripened manhood, then old age with his locks of snow. While musing upon the mutability and varying scenes of human life, I sunk into a slumber amidst my meditations, and, on a sudden, found my ears filled with the tumults of labour, the shouts of alacrity, the shrieks of alarm, the whistle of the winds, and the dash of waters.

My astonishment for a time repressed my curiosity; but soon recovering myself so far as to enquire whither we were going, and what was the clamour and confusion? I was told that they were launching out into the ocean of life; that we had already passed the streights of infancy, in which multitudes had perished, some by the weakness and fragility of their vessels, and more by the folly, perverseness, or negligence, of those who undertook to steer them; and that we were now on the main sea abandoned to the winds and billows, without any other means of security than the care of the pilot, whom it was always in our power to chuse ; among great numbers that offered their direction and assistance.

I then looked round with anxious eagerness; and first turning my eyes behind me, saw a stream flowing through flowery islands, which every one that sailed along seemed to behold with pleasure; but no sooner touched, than the current, which though not noisy or turbulent, yet irresistible bore him away.

Beyond these islands all was darkness, nor could any of the passengers describe the shore at which he first embarked. Before me, and on either side, was an expanse of waters violently ritated, and covered with so thick a mist, that the most per

in effect none seemed less to expect destruction than those to whom it was most dreadful; they all had the art of concealing their danger from themselves; and those who knew their inability to bear the sight of the terrors that embarrassed their way, took care never to look forward, but found some amusement of the present moment, and generally entertained themselves by playing with hope, who was the constant associate of the voyage of life. Yet all that hope ventured to promise, even to those, she favoured most, was, not that they should escape, but that they should sink at last; and with this promise every one was satisfied, though he laughed at the rest for seeming to believe it. Hope, indeed, apparently mocked the credulity of her companions; for, in proportion as their vessels grew leaky, she redoubled her assurance of safety; and none were more busy in making provision for a long voyage, than they whom all but themselves saw likely to perish soon by irreparable decay.

In the midst of the current of life was the gulph of intemperance, a dreadful whirlpool interspersed with rocks, of which the pointed crags were concealed under water; and the tops covered with herbage, on which ease spread couches of repose; and with shades, where pleasure warbled the song of invitation. Within the sight of these rocks, all who sailed on the ocean of life must necessarily pass. Reason indeed was always at hand to steer the passengers through a narrow outlet, by which they might escape; but very few could by her remonstrances, be induced to put the rudder into her hand, without stipulating that she should approach so near unto the rocks of pleasure, that they might solace themselves with a short enjoyment of that delicious region, after which they always determined to pursue their course without any other deviation.

Reason was too often prevailed upon so far by these promi ses, as to venture her charge within the eddy of the gulph of intemperance, where, indeed, the circumvolution was weak, but yet interrupted the course of the vessel, and drew it, by insensible rotations, towards the centre. She then repented her temerity, and with all her force endeavoured to retreat; but the draught of the gulph was generally too strong to be overcome; and the passenger, having danced his circles with a pleasing and giddy velocity, was at last overwhelmed and lost. Those few whom reason was able to extricate, generally suffered so many shocks upon the points which shot out from the rocks of pleasure, that they were unable to continue their course with the same strength and facility as before; but floated along timorously and feebly, endangered by every breeze, and shattered by every ruffle of the water, till they sunk, by slow degrees, after long struggles and innumerable expedients; al