carrying with it a portion of vegetable matter, which instantaneously formed into a fine tube, and one fibre was completed. In short, with instruments like our's, what may we not hope to accomplish in studies, unexhausted and inexhaustible as are those of nature. History, biography, geography, may no longer furnish scope for novelty; even fancy's wide domain may be filled to repletion; but the botanist, the chemist, and the geologist, have employment before them for centuries to come, and long, indeed, will it be ere they can have cause "to weep for new worlds to conquer." For those whose travels do not extend beyond lands, where Withering can guide them, there is space enough for study, discovery, and delight; but he who visits other climates, or is enabled by opportunity and wealth to rear their productions on British ground, has of course a wider field for research and admiration. We do not know a more delicious and enchanting spot than a green-house, filled with the blossoms and the perfumes of "the lands of the sun." The warm air conveys the choice and exquisite odours to the scent, the sight is ravished by the tastefully mingled tints and noble foliage of the aristocracy of plants; and a luxurious sensation of languor and enjoyment steals gradually over the frame. Here, too, double flowers, which the strict botanist terms monsters, but in which the florist takes peculiar pride, are displayed; and man is permitted by Providence to amuse himself by diversifying and embellishing nature, while the springs of life and vegetation are kept mysterious and inaccessible. Our Saviour's words, "Consider the lilies of the field how they grow," acquire additional force and peculiar beauty, when we remember that they were suggested by the sight of the splendid amaryllis lutea, a species of lily which abounds in the land of Palestine. Who does not feel their emphasis, when he imagines our blessed Lord standing on the mount, from whence his divine sermon was delivered, surrounded by an attentive and wondering throng, whom he is urging to lay aside unnecessary cares, and trust in the bounty of their heavenly Father; and then sees him pointing towards those glorious lilies which decked the surrounding plain, and deducing from their beauty, exceeding the pomp of kings' attire, lessons of simplicity in dress, freedom from vain or excessive cares, and dependance on Almighty protection. sold The study of Botany has afforded illustration to another passage in holy writ. In 2. Kings, vi. 26, we read that, during a severe famine in Samaria, a cab of dove's dung" was for twenty pieces of silver. What this article of food might be, had long puzzled the commentators, when the father of botany suggested that it was probably the root of the ornithogalum or Bethlehem star, which affords to this day a pleasant and nutritious aliment to the lower orders in Judea. Its English name was given on account of its prevalence in Palestine, and its ancient one, ornithogalum,' literally signifies bird's milk. When to this we add that its blossoms, of a greenish white, resemble at a little distance the dung of birds, the conjecture of Linnæus becomes still more probable, and a curious elucidation appears to be afforded of an obscure passage of Scripture. Enough has been said to establish the claim of botany to the favour of the elegant and the wise, as a pursuit both healthful and innocent, profitable and pleasant. Linnæus, to whom every botanist must say, as Dante said to Virgil, "Tu duca, tu Signor, e tu Maestro," is intelligible in his original garb to but few ladies; but there are many excellent works in our own language which will lead them farther than the generality will choose to follow. Eve, as described by the hand of Milton, "walked forth among her fruit and flowers, to visit how they prospered;" and we cannot imagine an employment better adapted to Paradise, or recommend a more graceful and pleasing occupation to Eve's fair daughters. The good and sagacious Owen Feltham has said, that "to have a mind which delights in innocent employment, is daily rising to content and blessedness." Those, therefore, who have opened to us new sources of rational amusement, and like Linnæus, Ray, Tournefort, and Withering, have been our pioneers on the road of science, deserve our grateful acknowledgments and affectionate remembrance. In the absence of more valuable gifts, let us pay them with appropriate offerings "Manibus date lilia plenis, Purpureos spargam flores." TO A FRIEND ON HER BIRTH-DAY. This is the day sacred to love, and mirth, Of that so famous land of Faery, Where quaintest spirits weave their spells unseen, Than to be happy still as thou hast been. M. THE CENSUS. We have received divers epistles respecting the Census, which Parliament has so judiciously ordered to be taken for the benefit of the infant science of Political Economy. All of them contain severe strictures upon that measure, for what reason it was at first difficult to conjecture: one of them inquired if we did not think the proceeding impious, and whether Parliament, being actuated by the same motive which prompted King David on a similar occasion, would not draw down the same punishment upon this nation which was inflicted upon the Israelites? Another solicited us to inform the writer, whether we did not believe that Government had availed itself of a state of peace to try if the country could not afford to make an addition to the numbers of the militia. Some of these letters, if published, would infallibly put us into the hands of the Attorney-general; for they charge our rulers with nullifying Magna Charta, and dragging forth and violating family secrets and social confidence. Others, abusing Mr. Vansittart, without mercy, lay all to the score of taxation, and breathe downright sedition. We therefore recommend the Home Department to be active; to double the centinels in the park; reinforce the police offices; and put the City light-horse on the alert. should not think this recommendation complete, if we did not hint at a farther and most important precaution, that all routs or assemblies at houses of persons of either sex, living in a state of "single blessedness," whether high or low-whether at Saint Giles's or Saint James's, should be narrowly watched by the Bowstreet patroles, so that suspected characters might be arrested, in case of alarm, at a moment's notice. Having thus done our duty as good citizens, and handed over the inflammatory letters to the proper authorities, we shall enable our readers to judge from what quarter we feel an apprehension of danger, by the sequel. The real cause of discontent, among the parties to whom we allude, seems to be the forced disclosure of certain personal secrets, which are generally deemed sacred and inviolable among particular classes, and the knowledge of which, being made general, must operate greatly to wound l'amour propre of the classes in question. It is contended that a clause should have been inserted in the Census-act, to prevent such disclosures where they might be injurious to individuals, upon due proof being offered thereof in the shape of affidavit, or otherwise. The following extract from a communication relative to the grievance complained of, will throw some light on the business, and put our readers in the possession of facts. The writer's name is Ebenezer Wigginbottom, parishclerk, school-master, and shop-keeper, of Bungay in Suffolk, where he has been lately employed in making the Populationreturns. We number Mr. Wigginbottom among our correspon dents, in the department of deaths and marriages; and the good man generally accompanies his monthly communications with gratuitous observations on the weather, the state of the crops, feats of bell-ringing in his neighbourhood, or Bungay tittle-tattle. After some irrelevant matter, he writes:"You will be surprised to hear that our peaceable place is in an uproar, and I am in a sad state of turmoil from being the unhappy cause. By obeying the orders of Government, I am embroiled among some of my oldest friends, past all redemption. You must understand I have lately been much occupied in making up the Populationreturns; and I can assure you, that though a penalty of five pounds is affixed to every breach of the law, or evasive answer to the questioning-officer, I could have profited to the tune of hundreds by making false returns, at the price of the penalty for each. I trust, however, that though preponderating motives abounded, I was inflexible in my duty to the public; and I have, in consequence, been insulted and contemned by those who were formerly my best friends. It is principally by unmarried persons, or those past the meridian of life, that I am thus treated. I am become so obnoxious, that no persons of that description will follow me in the responses in the church-service of a Sunday, and my customers, too, fall off. But to the point: on entering a house, I commonly ask for the master-if married-the number of his family, and so on, agreeably to my instructions. The first house where I met with a rebuff, was that of an elderly single lady, who called herself Mrs. Oldfish, upon which I said, I believed she was not a widow. That is no business of your's, Mr. Wigginbottom, put me down Mrs. Oldfish.' 'Indeed I cannot, madam,' I replied, 'I dare not make a false return;' so I wrote down Miss Zepherina Oldfish. I next demanded, what age? She here faltered exceedingly, blushed and looked pale by turns, and then amid convulsive agitations, she articulated, That is of no consequence, they can't want me for the militia. Madam,' said I, there is a penalty if an improper answer is given; I must write down the truth.' Now, more agitated, she stammered, 'Don't threaten me, Mr. Wigginbottom-don't be impertinent-the Government is unreasonable, oppressive. What pretty times we live in! What will it require next, I wonder?' Here she faltered still more in her speech, and appeared to be ill. Betty!' she cried, Betty! ringing the bell violently, my sal volatile. Do call again, Mr. Wigginbottom; I'm ill, indeed I am very, very ill. Not wishing to appear rude, and being unsuspicious of a trick, I left her, thinking to call again the next day. I did so; and to my dismay, found she had left Bungay for Scarborough that morning at day-break; beyond a doubt, that she might evade my questions, as she knew the returns must be completed by a particular day. I was forced to leave a blank opposite her name, in the column of ages, in my book; but when she comes back I shall levy the full penalty. 6 6 6 "Upon calling at the house of another lady, to whom I was well known, my mind being made up not to be again baffled, I commenced, as usual, by explaining the nature of my errand. She reddened deep as scarlet, and wondered why the Government was so particular with unmarried persons, and if they might not be returned in a general way. She affirmed that she had done all she could for the support of Church and State; she had helped to work a standard for the Bungay light-horse; had been careful never to employ a tradesman who was a radical; had given five pounds for the benefit of the Constitutional Association; had thrown up her subscription at the best circulating library in Norfolk, because that audacious paper, the Morning Chronicle, had been taken in there; and at her last whist-party had absolutely used dirty cards, because a package which she had ordered from London had not arrived; and she could procure none in her neighbourhood, but at a shop, the owner of which had shocked her feelings, by declaring that he thought a Methodist, or Roman Catholic, if not worth one shilling, had as good a chance for Heaven as his Grace of Canterbury. Now, Ebenezer,' said she, 'you have long known me, and know that I am a good subject; why then must my personal affairs be made known to all the world? Madam,' I replied, the returns are only seen by Government in London.' Nonsense,' she rejoined, 'don't think to cheat me. You have a wife, Mr. Wigginbottom, curious as married women always are-husbands can't keep secrets, you will let it out to her, and the whole town will have it. No, no, you can only levy the fine for contumacy-exact it-there is a five-pound note-do your worst.' Having said this, she marched out of the room with a stately air of triumphant scorn, muttering revenge for the arbitrary conduct of Government, and saying something about the ingratitude of persons in authority. A few days after, I heard she had given largely towards the erection of a Methodist chapel, had subscribed again to the circulating library, and had been heard to argue stoutly for Major Cartwright's system of universal suffrage." Our friend Wigginbottom continues: "A lady, a good customer of mine, (for you know, Mr. Editor, that I deal a little in the way of snuff and tobacco, besides groceries and hardware) refused to see me on the subject of the Population-act, but ordered her servant to give me what particulars were necessary, and to shew me her family-bible, where her age was inscribed. There she was entered thirty-nine, though I am certain it should have been ten years more. The figure three appeared newly written in, upon an erasure which had no doubt obliterated a four. I did not wish to be litigious in this case: indeed the law could not have helped me without farther proof, so I made the entry-Abigail Scraggs, spinster, 39,' and went away, fully convinced I had been mystified." The pertinency of the ladies, according to our Correspondent, was exceeded by that of the other sex. Our honest friend Ebenezer met with much trouble from single men; one, among many |
