368 
DEATH-WATCHES. 
Of these death-watches or insects, 
there are two sorts, one is about a quar- 
ter of an inch in length, of a dark dirty 
colour, with a broad helmet over his 
head, under which, when quiet, it draws 
up its head; so that this helmet, when the 
insect rests, Is a very considerabie de- 
fence against such falls as are frequent in 
rotten and decayed places, which are the 
habitations of this species of insect. The 
other death-watch is a small greyish in- 
sect, resembling a louse. Both these in- 
sects have wings but not perceptible to 
the naked eye. Their tinkling noise 
which is generally considered by the 
superstitious and ignorant as portentous 
of death, as in Gray, 
The solemn death-watch clicked the hour she 
died, 
is nothing more than an amorous notice 
to each other, or when they eat. "Fhe 
noise is produced by striking their fore- 
heads against the place they lodge in, 
which is either in or near paper. 
The former of these insects seldom 
beats above seven or eight strokes, and 
those very quickly, but the other will 
beat many hours without intermission, 
and more leisurely. 
Mr. Derham, from whom these parti- 
culars are extracted, says they are ex- 
tremely shy of beating when disturbed, 
but that he has often approached them 
unperceived, and on his beating, they 
would answer. This he asserts as a fact 
founded on frequent experiments. 
DEVIL, A FAMILY NAME. 
Formerly there were many persons 
surnamed the Devil, such as Rogerzus 
Diabolus, Lord of Montresor. 
An English Monk, Wollelmus, cogno- 
mento Diavolus. 
And another person, Hugues le Diable, 
Lord of Lusignan. 
Robert Duke of Normandy, son of 
the Conqueror, was surnamed the Devil. 
* In Norway and Sweden, there were 
two families of the name of J7vo//e, in 
English Devil, and every branch of these 
families had an emblem of the devil for 
their coat of arms. 
Tn Utrecht there was also a family 
called Teufel or Devil, likewise in Brit- 
tany there was a family of the name, 
Diable. 
THE POINT OF HONOUR. 
The point of honour, though a crea- 
ture of the imagination, Is nevertheless 
Extracts from the Port-folw of a Man of Letters. [Nov. 1, 
the idol of the greater part of mankind, 
notwithstanding the pretexts which im- 
part life to it are caprice and frivolity. 
In this age, that which constitutes a man 
of honour, is not in the virtue of shunning 
the commission of faults, but in the au- 
dacity of supporting those he. has com- 
mitted. Does it not require an uncom- 
mon stretch of patience, when we see 
rank so confounded that men of merit 
and birth should frequently lose their 
lives in a duel, by hands more infamous 
than the public hangman, while the un- 
vorthy assassin saves himself, and lives 
unpunished ? 
The method of terminating a quarrel 
by a duel, is neither founded on reason 
nor honour; and what is called resent- 
ment, is but an imposture woven with 
cowardice, falshood, and rashness. If 
we examine the causes of quarrels in ge- 
neral, we shall find the greater part of 
them -occasioned by some hot-headed 
men, who will never acknowledge them- 
selves in the wrong,and who declare 
themselves men of spirit, bravery, and 
honour, with all the insolence which 
custom authorizes, but would think them= 
selves dishonoured by sincerely avowing 
they had committed a fault. These are 
the brpeds who have brought into fashion 
the art of giving a man satisfaction by 
threatening to biow his brains out, or by 
actually doing it. 
“ CHARACTER.” 
In a moral sense it signifies an habitual 
disposition of the soul, that inclines to 
do one thing in preference to another of 
a coutrary nature. Thus arnan who se/- 
dom or never pardons an injury, is a re- 
vengeful character. Let it be remarked 
we Say seldom or never, because a chatac- 
ter results not from @ disposition being 
rigorously constant at all times, but 
from its being ‘generally habitual, and 
that by which the soul is most frequently 
swayed. Mr. Duclos, in his Reflexions 
upon Manners, very judiciously remarks 
that the greater part of the’érrors and 
follies in the conduct of mankind, happen 
because they have not their minds in an 
equilibrium, as it were, with their charac- 
ters. Thus Cicero was a great’ genius, 
but a weak soul, which is the reason of 
his being elevated to the highest pinnacle 
of fame as an orator, although he could 
never rise above mediocrity as a man. 
Snnilar observations might be made on 
many other celebrated personages. 
There is no member of society more 
Gans 
