over the head descended low on all sides. They were fond of glowing
colours, especially of purple, scarlet, and light-blue dresses. Their
favourite ornaments were pearls; they wreathed these in their hair, wore
them as necklaces, ear-drops, armlets, bracelets, anklets, and worked
them into conspicuous parts of their dresses. Of the precious stones
they preferred emeralds, rubies, and turquoises, which were set in gold
and worn like the pearls.

Alexander did not limit his liberality to the wedding festivities, but
presented every bride with a handsome marriage portion. He also ordered
the names of all the soldiers who had married Asiatic wives to be
registered; their number exceeded 10,000; and each received a handsome
present, under the name of marriage gift.--_Williams's Life of
Alexander, Family Library, No. 3_.

* * * * *

POEMS, BY W.T. MONCRIEFF.

This is a pretty little volume of graceful poems, printed "at the
author's private press, for private distribution only." They are,
however, entitled by their merits, to more extensive, or public
circulation; for many of them evince the good taste and pure feelings of
the writer. Some of the pieces relate to domestic circumstances, others
are calculated to cheat "sorrow of a smile," whilst all are, to use a
set phrase, highly honourable to the head and heart of the author. In
proof of this, we could detach several pages; but we have only space for
a few:

SONG.

As flowers, that seem the light to shun
At evening's dusk and morning's haze,
Expand beneath the noon-tide sun,
And bloom to beauty in his rays,
So maidens, in a lover's eyes,
A thousand times more lovely grow,
Yield added sweetness to his sighs,
And with unwonted graces glow.

As gems from light their brilliance gain,
And brightest shine when shone upon,
Nor half their orient rays retain,
When light wanes dim and day is gone:
So Beauty beams, for one dear one!
Acquires fresh splendour in his sight,
Her life--her light--her day--her sun--
Her harbinger of all that's bright![2]

[2] "There is nothing new under the sun;" Solomon was right. I
had written these lines from experiencing the truth of them, and
really imagined I had been the first to express, what so many
must have felt; but on looking over Rogers's delicious little
volume of Poems, some time after this was penned, I find he has,
with his usual f