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diff --git a/old/10671-8.txt b/old/10671-8.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d2d1c5a --- /dev/null +++ b/old/10671-8.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6915 @@ +Project Gutenberg's The Botanic Garden. Part II., by Erasmus Darwin + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: The Botanic Garden. Part II. + Containing The Loves of the Plants. A Poem. + With Philosophical Notes. + +Author: Erasmus Darwin + +Release Date: January 11, 2004 [EBook #10671] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE BOTANIC GARDEN. PART II. *** + + + + +Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Jayam Subramanian and PG Distributed +Proofreaders + + + + + +[Illustration: FLORA at Play with CUPID.] + + + +THE + +BOTANIC GARDEN. + +PART II. + +CONTAINING + +THE LOVES OF THE PLANTS. + +A POEM. + +WITH + +PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES. + + + + + +VOLUME THE SECOND. + + VIVUNT IN VENEREM FRONDES; NEMUS OMNE PER ALTUM + FELIX ARBOR AMAT; NUTANT AD MUTUA PALMÆ + FÆDERA, POPULEO SUSPIRAT POPULUS ICTU, + ET PLATANI PLATANIS, ALNOQUE ASSIBILAT ALNUS. + + CLAUD. EPITH. + + +THE SECOND EDITION. + + +LONDON: + +PRINTED BY J. NICHOLS, + +FOR J. JOHNSON, ST. PAUL'S CHURCH YARD. M, DCC, XC. + + +ADVERTISEMENT. + +The general design of the following sheets is to inlist Imagination +under the banner of Science, and to lead her votaries from the looser +analogies, which dress out the imagery of poetry, to the stricter ones, +which form the ratiocination of philosophy. While their particular design +is to induce the ingenious to cultivate the knowledge of BOTANY; by +introducing them to the vestibule of that delightful science, and +recommending to their attention the immortal works of the Swedish +Naturalist LINNEUS. + +In the first Poem, or Economy of Vegetation, the physiology of Plants +is delivered; and the operation of the Elements, as far as they may be +supposed to affect the growth of Vegetables. But the publication of this +part is deferred to another year, for the purpose of repeating some +experiments on vegetation, mentioned in the notes. In the second poem, or +LOVES OF THE PLANTS, which is here presented to the Reader, the Sexual +System of LINNEUS is explained, with the remarkable properties of many +particular plants. + +The author has withheld this work, (excepting a few pages) many years +from the press, according to the rule of Horace, hoping to have rendered +it more worthy the acceptance of the public,--but finds at length, that +he is less able, from disuse, to correct the poetry; and, from want of +leizure, to amplify the annotations. + +In this second edition, the plants Amaryllis, Orchis, and Cannabis are +inserted with two additional prints of flowers; some alterations are made +in Gloriosa, and Tulipa; and the description of the Salt-mines in Poland +is removed to the first poem on the Economy of Vegetation. + + + +PREFACE. + + +Linneus has divided the vegetable world into 24 Classes; these Classes +into about 120 Orders; these Orders contain about 2000 Families, or +Genera; and these Families about 20,000 Species; besides the innumerable +Varieties, which the accidents of climate or cultivation have added to +these Species. + +The Classes are distinguished from each other in this ingenious system, +by the number, situation, adhesion, or reciprocal proportion of the males +in each flower. The Orders, in many of these Classes, are distinguished +by the number, or other circumstances of the females. The Families, or +Genera, are characterized by the analogy of all the parts of the flower +or fructification. The Species are distinguished by the foliage of the +plant; and the Varieties by any accidental circumstance of colour, taste, +or odour; the seeds of these do not always produce plants similar to the +parent; as in our numerous fruit-trees and garden flowers; which are +propagated by grafts or layers. + +The first eleven Classes include the plants, in whose flowers both the +sexes reside; and in which the Males or Stamens are neither united, nor +unequal in height when at maturity; and are therefore distinguished from +each other simply by the number of males in each flower, as is seen in +the annexed PLATE, copied from the Dictionaire Botanique of M. BULLIARD, +in which the numbers of each division refer to the Botanic Classes. + +CLASS I. ONE MALE, _Monandria_; includes the plants which possess but One +Stamen in each flower. + +II. TWO MALES, _Diandria_. Two Stamens. + +III. THREE MALES, _Triandria_. Three Stamens. + +IV. FOUR MALES, _Tetrandria_. Four Stamens. + +V. FIVE MALES, _Pentandria_. Five Stamens. + +VI. SIX MALES, _Hexandria_. Six Stamens. + +VII. SEVEN MALES, _Heptandria_. Seven Stamens. + +VIII. EIGHT MALES, _Octandria_. Eight Stamens. + +IX. NINE MALES, _Enneandria_. Nine Stamens. + +X. TEN MALES, _Decandria_. Ten Stamens. + +XI. TWELVE MALES, _Dodecandria_. Twelve Stamens. + + +The next two Classes are distinguished not only by the number of equal +and disunited males, as in the above eleven Classes, but require an +additional circumstance to be attended to, _viz._ whether the males or +stamens be situated on the calyx, or not. + +XII. TWENTY MALES, _Icosandria_. Twenty Stamens inserted on the calyx or +flower-cup; as is well seen in the last Figure of No. xii. in the annexed +Plate. + +XIII. MANY MALES, _Polyandria_. From 20 to 100 Stamens, which do not +adhere to the calyx; as is well seen in the first Figure of No. xiii. in +the annexed Plate. + + +In the next two Classes, not only the number of stamens are to be +observed, but the reciprocal proportions in respect to height. + +XIV. TWO POWERS, _Didynamia_. Four Stamens, of which two are lower than +the other two; as is seen in the two first Figures of No. xiv. + +XV. FOUR POWERS, _Tetradynamia_. Six Stamens; of which four are taller, +and the two lower ones opposite to each other; as is seen in the third +Figure of the upper row in No. 15. + +The five subsequent Classes are distinguished not by the number of the +males, or stamens, but by their union or adhesion, either by their +anthers, or filaments, or to the female or pistil. + +XVI. ONE BROTHERHOOD, _Monadelphia_. Many Stamens united by their +filaments into one company; as in the second Figure below of No. xvi. + +XVII. TWO BROTHERHOODS, _Diadelphia_. Many Stamens united by their +filaments into two Companies; as in the uppermost Fig. No. xvii. + +XVIII. MANY BROTHERHOODS, _Polyadelphia_. Many Stamens united by their +filaments into three or more companies, as in No. xviii. + +XIX. CONFEDERATE MALES, _Syngenesia_. Many Stamens united by their +anthers; as in first and second Figures, No. xix. + +XX. FEMININE MALES, _Gynandria_. Many Stamens attached to the pistil. + + +The next three Classes consist of plants, whose flowers contain but one +of the sexes; or if some of them contain both sexes, there are other +flowers accompanying them of but one sex. + +XXI. ONE HOUSE, _Monoecia_. Male flowers and female flowers separate, but +on the same plant. + +XXII. TWO HOUSES, _Dioecia_. Male flowers and female flowers separate, on +different plants. + +XXIII. POLYGAMY, _Polygamia_. Male and female flowers on one or more +plants, which have at the same time flowers of both sexes. + + +The last Class contains the plants whose flowers are not discernible. + +XXIV. CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE, _Cryptogamia_. + +The Orders of the first thirteen Classes are founded on the number +of Females, or Pistils, and distinguished by the names, ONE FEMALE, +_Monogynia_. TWO FEMALES, _Digynia_. THREE FEMALES, _Trigynia_, &c. as is +seen in No. i. which represents a plant of one male, one female; and in +the first Figure of No. xi. which represents a flower with twelve males, +and three females; (for, where the pistils have no apparent styles, the +summits, or stigmas, are to be numbered) and in the first Figure of No. +xii. which represents a flower with twenty males and many females; and in +the last Figure of the same No. which has twenty males and one female; +and in No. xiii. which represents a flower with many males and many +females. + +The Class of TWO POWERS, is divided into two natural Orders; into such +as have their seeds naked at the bottom of the calyx, or flower cup; and +such as have their seeds covered; as is seen in No. xiv. Fig. 3. and 5. + +The Class of FOUR POWERS, is divided also into two Orders; in one of +these the seeds are inclosed in a silicule, as in _Shepherd's purse_. +No. xiv. Fig. 5. In the other they are inclosed in a silique, as in +_Wall-flower_. Fig. 4. + +In all the other Classes, excepting the Classes Confederate Males, and +Clandestine Marriage, as the character of each Class is distinguished by +the situations of the males; the character of the Orders is marked by the +numbers of them. In the Class ONE BROTHERHOOD, No. xvi. Fig. 3. the Order +of ten males is represented. And in the Class TWO BROTHERHOODS, No. xvii. +Fig. 2. the Order ten males is represented. + +In the Class CONFEDERATE MALES, the Orders are chiefly distinguished by +the fertility or barrenness of the florets of the disk, or ray of the +compound flower. + +And in the Class of CLANDESTINE MARRIAGE, the four Orders are termed +FERNS, MOSSES, FLAGS, and FUNGUSSES. + +The Orders are again divided into Genera, or Families, which are all +natural associations, and are described from the general resemblances of +the parts of fructification, in respect to their number, form, situation, +and reciprocal proportion. These are the Calyx, or Flower-cup, as seen in +No. iv. Fig. 1. No. x. Fig. 1. and 3. No. xiv. Fig. 1. 2. 3. 4. Second, +the Corol, or Blossom, as seen in No. i. ii. &c. Third, the Males, or +Stamens; as in No. iv. Fig. 1. and No. viii. Fig. 1. Fourth, the Females, +or Pistils; as in No. i. No. xii. Fig. 1. No. xiv. Fig. 3. No. xv. Fig. +3. Fifth, the Pericarp or Fruit-vessel; as No. xv. Fig. 4. 5. No. xvii. +Fig. 2. Sixth, the Seeds. + +The illustrious author of the Sexual System of Botany, in his preface to +his account of the Natural Orders, ingeniously imagines, that one +plant of each Natural Order was created in the beginning; and that the +intermarriages of these produced one plant of every Genus, or Family; and +that the intermarriages of these Generic, or Family plants, produced all +the Species: and lastly, that the intermarriages of the individuals of +the Species produced the Varieties. + +In the following POEM, the name or number of the Class or Order of each +plant is printed in italics; as "_Two_ brother swains." "_One_ House +contains them." and the word "_secret_" expresses the Class of +Clandestine Marriage. + +The Reader, who wishes to become further acquainted with this delightful +field of science, is advised to study the words of the Great Master, and +is apprized that they are exactly and literally translated into English, +by a Society at LICHFIELD, in four Volumes Octavo. + +To the SYSTEM OF VEGETABLES is prefixed a copious explanation of all the +Terms used in Botany, translated from a thesis of Dr. ELMSGREEN, with the +plates and references from the Philosophia Botannica of LINNEUS. + +To the FAMILIES OF PLANTS is prefixed a Catalogue of the names of plants, +and other Botanic Terms, carefully accented, to shew their proper +pronunciation; a work of great labour, and which was much wanted, not +only by beginners, but by proficients in BOTANY. + + + * * * * * + + +PROEM. + + +GENTLE READER! + +Lo, here a CAMERA OBSCURA is presented to thy view, in which are lights +and shades dancing on a whited canvas, and magnified into apparent +life!--if thou art perfectly at leasure for such trivial amusement, walk +in, and view the wonders of my INCHANTED GARDEN. + +Whereas P. OVIDIUS NASO, a great Necromancer in the famous Court of +AUGUSTUS CAESAR, did by art poetic transmute Men, Women, and even Gods +and Goddesses, into Trees and Flowers; I have undertaken by similar +art to restore some of them to their original animality, after having +remained prisoners so long in their respective vegetable mansions; and +have here exhibited them before thee. Which thou may'st contemplate +as diverse little pictures suspended over the chimney of a Lady's +dressing-room, _connected only by a slight festoon of ribbons_. And +which, though thou may'st not be acquainted with the originals, may amuse +thee by the beauty of their persons, their graceful attitudes, or the +brilliancy of their dress. + +FAREWELL. + +[Illustration] + + + + THE + + LOVES + + OF THE + + PLANTS. + + + + CANTO I. + + Descend, ye hovering Sylphs! aerial Quires, + And sweep with little hands your silver lyres; + With fairy footsteps print your grassy rings, + Ye Gnomes! accordant to the tinkling strings; +5 While in soft notes I tune to oaten reed + Gay hopes, and amorous sorrows of the mead.-- + From giant Oaks, that wave their branches dark, + To the dwarf Moss, that clings upon their bark, + What Beaux and Beauties crowd the gaudy groves, +10 And woo and win their vegetable Loves. + How Snowdrops cold, and blue-eyed Harebels blend + Their tender tears, as o'er the stream they bend; + The lovesick Violet, and the Primrose pale + Bow their sweet heads, and whisper to the gale; +15 With secret sighs the Virgin Lily droops, + And jealous Cowslips hang their tawny cups. + How the young Rose in beauty's damask pride + Drinks the warm blushes of his bashful bride; + With honey'd lips enamour'd Woodbines meet, +20 Clasp with fond arms, and mix their kisses sweet.-- + + Stay thy soft-murmuring waters, gentle Rill; + Hush, whispering Winds, ye ruflling Leaves, be still; + Rest, silver Butterflies, your quivering wings; + Alight, ye Beetles, from your airy rings; + + +[_Vegetable Loves_. l. 10. Linneus, the celebrated Swedish naturalist, +has demonstrated, that ail flowers contain families of males or females, +or both; and on their marriages has constructed his invaluable system of +Botany.] + + +25 Ye painted Moths, your gold-eyed plumage furl, + Bow your wide horns, your spiral trunks uncurl; + Glitter, ye Glow-worms, on your mossy beds; + Descend, ye Spiders, on your lengthen'd threads; + Slide here, ye horned Snails, with varnish'd shells; +30 Ye Bee-nymphs, listen in your waxen cells!-- + + BOTANIC MUSE! who in this latter age + Led by your airy hand the Swedish sage, + Bad his keen eye your secret haunts explore + On dewy dell, high wood, and winding shore; +35 Say on each leaf how tiny Graces dwell; + How laugh the Pleasures in a blossom's bell; + How insect Loves arise on cobweb wings, + Aim their light shafts, and point their little stings. + + First the tall CANNA lifts his curled brow +40 Erect to heaven, and plights his nuptial vow; + + +[_Canna_. l. 39. Cane, or Indian Reed. One male and one female inhabit +each flower. It is brought from between the tropics to our hot-houses, +and bears a beautiful crimson flower; the seeds are used as shot by the +Indians, and are strung for prayer-beads in some catholic countries.] + + + The virtuous pair, in milder regions born, + Dread the rude blast of Autumn's icy morn; + Round the chill fair he folds his crimson vest, + And clasps the timorous beauty to his breast. + +45 Thy love, CALLITRICHE, _two_ Virgins share, + Smit with thy starry eye and radiant hair;-- + On the green margin sits the youth, and laves + His floating train of tresses in the waves; + Sees his fair features paint the streams that pass, +50 And bends for ever o'er the watery glass. + + _Two_ brother swains, of COLLIN'S gentle name, + The same their features, and their forms the same, + + +[_Callitriche_, l. 45. Fine-Hair, Stargrass. One male and two females +inhabit each flower. The upper leaves grow in form of a star, whence it +is called Stellaria Aquatica by Ray and others; its stems and leaves +float far on the water, and are often so matted together, as to bear a +person walking on them. The male sometimes lives in a separate flower.] + +[_Collinsonia_. l. 51. Two males one female. I have lately observed a +very singular circumstance in this flower; the two males stand widely +diverging from each other, and the female bends herself into contact +first with one of them, and after some time leaves this, and applies +herself to the other. It is probable one of the anthers may be mature +before the other? See note on Gloriosa, and Genista. The +females in Nigella, devil in the bush, are very tall compared to the +males; and bending over in a circle to them, give the flower some +resemblance to a regal crown. The female of the epilobium angustisolium, +rose bay willow herb, bends down amongst the males for several days, +and becomes upright again when impregnated.] + +[_Genista_. l. 57. Dyer's broom. Ten males and one female inhabit this +flower. The males are generally united at the bottom in two sets, whence +Linneus has named the class "two brotherhoods." In the Genista, however, +they are united in but one set. The flowers of this class are called +papilionaceous, from their resemblance to a butterfly, as the pea-blossom. +In the Spartium Scoparium, or common broom, I have lately observed +a curious circumstance, the males or stamens are in two sets, one set +rising a quarter of an inch above the other; the upper set does not arrive +at their maturity so soon as the lower, and the stigma, or head of the +female, is produced amongst the upper or immature set; but as soon as +the pistil grows tall enough to burst open the keel-leaf, or hood of the +flower, it bends itself round in an instant, like a French horn, and +inserts its head, or stigma, amongst the lower or mature set of males. +The pistil, or female, continues to grow in length; and in a few days +the stigma arrives again amongst the upper set, by the time they become +mature. This wonderful contrivance is readily seen by opening the +keel-leaf of the flowers of broom before they burst spontaneously. See +note on Collinsonia, Gloriosa, Draba.] + + + With rival love for fair COLLINIA sigh, + Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye. +55 With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns, + And sooths with smiles the jealous pair by turns. + + Sweet blooms GENISTA in the myrtle shade, + And _ten_ fond brothers woo the haughty maid. + _Two_ knights before thy fragrant altar bend, +60 Adored MELISSA! and _two_ squires attend. + MEADIA'S soft chains _five_ suppliant beaux confess, + And hand in hand the laughing belle address; + Alike to all, she bows with wanton air, + Rolls her dark eye, and waves her golden hair. + + +[_Melissa_. l. 60. Balm. In each flower there are four males and one +female; two of the males stand higher than the other two; whence the name +of the class "two powers." I have observed in the Ballota, and others of +this class, that the two lower stamens, or males become mature before the +two higher. After they have shed their dust, they turn themselves away +outwards; and the pistil, or female, continuing to grow a little taller, +is applied to the upper stamens. See Gloriosa, and Genista. + +All the plants of this class, which have naked seeds, are aromatic. The +Marum, and Nepeta are particularly delightful to cats; no other brute +animals seem pleased with any odours but those of their food or prey.] + +[_Meadia_. l. 61. Dodecatheon, American Cowslip. Five males and one +female. The males, or anthers, touch each other. The uncommon beauty of +this flower occasioned Linneus to give it a name signifying the twelve +heathen gods; and Dr. Mead to affix his own name to it. The pistil is +much longer than the stamens, hence the flower-stalks have their elegant +bend, that the stigma may hang downwards to receive the fecundating dust +of the anthers. And the petals are so beautifully turned back to prevent +the rain or dew drops from sliding down and washing off this dust +prematurely; and at the same time exposing it to the light and air. As +soon as the seeds are formed, it erects all the flower-stalks to prevent +them from falling out; and thus loses the beauty of its figure. Is this +a mechanical effect, or does it indicate a vegetable storgé to preserve +its offspring? See note on Ilex, and Gloriosa. + +In the Meadia, the Borago, Cyclamen, Solanum, and many others, the +filaments are very short compared with the slyle. Hence it became +necessary, 1st. to furnish the stamens with long anthers. 2d. To lengthen +and bend the peduncle or flower-slalk, that the flower might hang +downwards. 3d. To reflect the petals. 4th. To erect these peduncles when +the germ was fecundated. We may reason upon this by observing, that all +this apparatus might have been spared, if the filaments alone had grown +longer; and that thence in these flowers that the filaments are the most +unchangeable parts; and that thence their comparative length, in respect +to the style, would afford a most permanent mark of their generic +character.] + +[Illustration: Meadia] + + +65 Woo'd with long care, CURCUMA cold and shy + Meets her fond husband with averted eye: + _Four_ beardless youths the obdurate beauty move + With soft attentions of Platonic love. + + With vain desires the pensive ALCEA burns, +70 And, like sad ELOISA, loves and mourns. + The freckled IRIS owns a fiercer flame, + And _three_ unjealous husbands wed the dame. + CUPRESSUS dark disdains his dusky bride, + _One_ dome contains them, but _two_ beds divide. +75 The proud OSYRIS flies his angry fair, + _Two_ houses hold the fashionable pair. + + +[_Curcuma_. l. 65. Turmeric. One male and one female inhabit this +flower; but there are besides four imperfect males, or filaments without +anthers upon them, called by Linneus eunuchs. The flax of our country +has ten filaments, and but five of them are terminated with anthers; +the Portugal flax has ten perfect males, or stamens; the Verbena of our +country has four males; that of Sweden has but two; the genus Albuca, the +Bignonia Catalpa, Gratiola, and hemlock-leaved Geranium have only half +their filaments crowned with anthers. In like manner the florets, which +form the rays of the flowers of the order frustraneous polygamy of the +class syngenesia, or confederate males, as the sun-flower, are furnished +with a style only, and no stigma: and are thence barren. There is also +a style without a stigma in the whole order dioecia gynandria; the male +flowers of which are thence barren. The Opulus is another plant, which +contains some unprolific flowers. In like manner some tribes of insects +have males, females, and neuters among them: as bees, wasps, ants. + +There is a curious circumstance belonging to the class of insects which +have two wings, or diptera, analogous to the rudiments of stamens above +described; viz. two little knobs are found placed each on a stalk or +peduncle, generally under a little arched scale; which appear to be +rudiments of hinder wings; and are called by Linneus, halteres, or +poisers, a term of his introduction. A.T. Bladh. Amaen. Acad. V. 7. Other +animals have marks of having in a long process of time undergone +changes in some parts of their bodies, which may have been effected to +accommodate them to new ways of procuring their food. The existence of +teats on the breasts of male animals, and which are generally replete with +a thin kind of milk at their nativity, is a wonderful instance of this +kind. Perhaps all the productions of nature are in their progress to +greater perfection? an idea countenanced by the modern discoveries and +deductions concerning the progressive formation of the solid parts of the +terraqueous globe, and consonant to the dignity of the Creator of all +things.] + +[_Alcea_, l. 69. Flore pleno. Double hollyhock. The double flowers, +so much admired by the florists, are termed by the botanist vegetable +monsters; in some of these the petals are multiplied three or four times, +but without excluding the stamens, hence they produce some seeds, as +Campanula and Stramoneum; but in others the petals become so numerous as +totally to exclude the stamens, or males; as Caltha, Peonia, and Alcea; +these produce no seeds, and are termed eunuchs. Philos. Botan. No. 150. + +These vegetable monsters are formed in many ways. 1st. By the +multiplication of the petals and the exclusion of the nectaries, as in +larkspur. 2d. By the multiplication of the nectaries and exclusion of +the petals; as in columbine. 3d. In some flowers growing in cymes, the +wheel-shape flowers in the margin are multiplied to the exclusion of +the bell-shape flowers in the centre; as in gelder-rose. 4th. By the +elongation of the florets in the centre. Instances of both these are +found in daisy and feverfew; for other kinds of vegetable monsters, see +Plantago. + +The perianth is not changed in double flowers, hence the genus or family +may be often discovered by the calyx, as in Hepatica, Ranunculus, Alcea. +In those flowers, which have many petals, the lowest series of the petals +remains unchanged in respect to number; hence the natural number of the +petals is easily discovered. As in poppies, roses, and Nigella, or devil +in a bulb. Phil. Bot. p. 128.] + +[_Iris_. l. 71. Flower de Luce. Three males, one female. Some of the +species have a beautifully freckled flower; the large stigma or head +of the female covers the three males, counterfeiting a petal with its +divisions.] + +[_Cupressus_. l. 73. Cypress. One House. The males live in separate +flowers, but on the same plant. The males of some of these plants, which +are in separate flowers from the females, have an elastic membrane; which +disperses their dust to a considerable distance, when the anthers burst +open. This dust, on a fine day, may often be seen like a cloud hanging +round the common nettle. The males and females of all the cone-bearing +plants are in separate flowers, either on the same or on different +plants; they produce resins, and many of them are supposed to supply the +most durable timber: what is called Venice-turpentine is obtained from +the larch by wounding the bark about two feet from the ground, and +catching it as it exsudes; Sandarach is procured from common juniper; and +Incense from a juniper with yellow fruit. The unperishable chests, which +contain the Egyptian mummies, were of Cypress; and the Cedar, with which +black-lead pencils are covered, is not liable to be eaten by worms. See +Miln's Bot. Dict. art. coniferæ. The gates of St. Peter's church at +Rome, which had lasted from the time of Constantine to that of Pope +Eugene the fourth, that is to say eleven hundred years, were of Cypress, +and had in that time suffered no decay. According to Thucydides, the +Athenians buried the bodies of their heroes in coffins of Cypress, as +being not subject to decay. A similar durability has also been ascribed +to Cedar. Thus Horace, + + _----speramus carmina fingi + Posse linenda cedre, & lavi servanda cupresso._ + +[_Osyris_. l. 75. Two houses. The males and females are on different +plants. There are many instances on record, where female plants have been +impregnated at very great distance from their male; the dust discharged +from the anthers is very light, small, and copious, so that it may spread +very wide in the atmosphere, and be carried to the distant pistils, +without the supposition of any particular attraction; these plants +resemble some insects, as the ants, and cochineal insect, of which the +males have wings, but not the female.] + + + With strange deformity PLANTAGO treads, + A Monster-birth! and lifts his hundred heads; + Yet with soft love a gentle belle he charms, +80 And clasps the beauty in his hundred arms. + So hapless DESDEMONA, fair and young, + Won by OTHELLO'S captivating tongue, + Sigh'd o'er each strange and piteous tale, distress'd, + And sunk enamour'd on his sooty breast. + +85 _Two_ gentle shepherds and their sister-wives + With thee, ANTHOXA! lead ambrosial lives; + + +[_Plantago_. l. 77. Rosea. Rose Plantain. In this vegetable monster the +bractes, or divisions of the spike, become wonderfully enlarged; and are +converted into leaves. The chaffy scales of the calyx in Xeranthemum, and +in a species of Dianthus, and the glume in some alpine grasses, and the +scales of the ament in the salix rosea, rose willow, grow into leaves; +and produce other kinds of monsters. The double flowers become monsters +by the multiplication of their petals or nectaries. See note on Alcea. + +[_Anthoxanthum_. l. 83. Vernal grass. Two males, two females. The other +grasses have three males and two females. The flowers of this grass give +the fragrant scent to hay. I am informed it is frequently viviparous, +that is, that it bears sometimes roots or bulbs instead of seeds, which +after a time drop off and strike root into the ground. This circumstance +is said to obtain in many of the alpine grasses, whose seeds are +perpetually devoured by small birds. The Festuca Dometorum, fescue grass +of the bushes, produces bulbs from the sheaths of its straw. The Allium +Magicum, or magical onion, produces onions on its head, instead of seeds. +The Polygonum Viviparum, viviparous bistort, rises about a foot high, +with a beautiful spike of flowers, which are succeeded by buds or bulbs, +which fall off and take root. There is a bulb, frequently seen on +birch-trees, like a bird's nest, which seems to be a similar attempt of +nature, to produce another tree; which falling off might take root in +spongy ground. + +There is an instance of this double mode of production in the animal +kingdom, which is equally extraordinary: the same species of Aphis is +viviparous in summer, and oviparous in autumn. A. T. Bladh. Amoen. Acad. +V. 7.] + + + Where the wide heath in purple pride extends, + And scatter'd furze its golden lustre blends, + Closed in a green recess, unenvy'd lot! +90 The blue smoak rises from their turf-built cot; + Bosom'd in fragrance blush their infant train, + Eye the warm sun, or drink the silver rain. + + The fair OSMUNDA seeks the silent dell, + The ivy canopy, and dripping cell; +95 There hid in shades _clandestine_ rites approves, + Till the green progeny betrays her loves. + + +[_Osmunda_. l. 93. This plant grows on moist rocks; the parts of its +flower or its seeds are scarce discernible; whence Linneus has given the +name of clandestine marriage to this class. The younger plants are of a +beautiful vivid green.] + + + With charms despotic fair CHONDRILLA reigns + O'er the soft hearts of _five_ fraternal swains; + If sighs the changeful nymph, alike they mourn; +100 And, if she smiles, with rival raptures burn. + So, tun'd in unison, Eolian Lyre! + Sounds in sweet symphony thy kindred wire; + Now, gently swept by Zephyr's vernal wings, + Sink in soft cadences the love-sick strings; +105 And now with mingling chords, and voices higher, + Peal the full anthems of the aerial choir. + + +[_Chondrilla_. l. 97. Of the class Confederate Males. The numerous +florets, which constitute the disk of the flowers in this class, contain +in each five males surrounding one female, which are connected at top, +whence the name of the class. An Italian writer, in a discourse on the +irritability of flowers, asserts, that if the top of the floret be +touched, all the filaments which support the cylindrical anther will +contrast themselves, and that by thus raising or depressing the anther +the whole of the prolific dust is collected on the stigma. He adds, that +if one filament be touched after it is separated from the floret, that it +will contract like the muscular fibres of animal bodies, his experiments +were tried on the Centauréa Calcitrapoides, and on artichokes, and +globe-thistles. Discourse on the irratability of plants. Dodsley.] + + + _Five_ sister-nymphs to join Diana's train + With thee, fair LYCHNIS! vow,--but vow in vain; + Beneath one roof resides the virgin band, +110 Flies the fond swain, and scorns his offer'd hand; + But when soft hours on breezy pinions move, + And smiling May attunes her lute to love, + Each wanton beauty, trick'd in all her grace, + Shakes the bright dew-drops from her blushing face; +115 In gay undress displays her rival charms, + And calls her wondering lovers to her arms. + + When the young Hours amid her tangled hair + Wove the fresh rose-bud, and the lily fair, + + +[_Lychnis._ l. 108. Ten males and five females. The flowers which +contain the five females, and those which contain the ten males, are +found on different plants; and often at a great distance from each other. +Five of the ten males arrive at their maturity some days before the other +five, as may be seen by opening the corol before it naturally expands +itself. When the females arrive at their maturity, they rise above the +petals, as if looking abroad for their distant husbands; the scarlet ones +contribute much to the beauty of our meadows in May and June.] + + + Proud GLORIOSA led _three_ chosen swains, +120 The blushing captives of her virgin chains.-- + --When Time's rude hand a bark of wrinkles spread + Round her weak limbs, and silver'd o'er her head, + _Three_ other youths her riper years engage, + The flatter'd victims of her wily age. + +125 So, in her wane of beauty, NINON won + With fatal smiles her gay unconscious son.-- + + +[_Gloriosa_. l. 119. Superba. Six males, one female. The petals of this +beautiful flower with three of the stamens, which are first mature, stand +up in apparent disorder; and the pistil bends at nearly a right angle +to insert its stigma amongst them. In a few days, as these decline, +the other three stamens bend over, and approach the pistil. In the +Fritillaria Persica, the six stamens are of equal lengths, and the +anthers lie at a distance from the pistil, and three alternate ones +approach first; and, when these decline, the other three approach: in the +Lithrum Salicaria, (which has twelve males and one female) a beautiful +red flower, which grows on the banks of rivers, six of the males arrive +at maturity, and surround the female some time before the other six; when +these decline, the other six rise up, and supply their places. Several +other flowers have in similar manner two sets of stamens of different +ages, as Adoxa, Lychnis, Saxifraga. See Genista. Perhaps a difference +in the time of their maturity obtains in all these flowers, which have +numerous stamens. In the Kahnia the ten stamens lie round the pistil like +the radii of a wheel; and each anther is concealed in a nich of the corol +to protect it from cold and moisture; these anthers rise separately from +their niches, and approach the pistil for a time, and then recede to +their former situations.] + +[Illustration: Gloriosa Superba] + + + Clasp'd in his arms she own'd a mother's name,-- + "Desist, rash youth! restrain your impious flame, + "First on that bed your infant-form was press'd, +130 "Born by my throes, and nurtured at my breast."-- + Back as from death he sprung, with wild amaze + Fierce on the fair he fix'd his ardent gaze; + Dropp'd on one knee, his frantic arms outspread, + And stole a guilty glance toward the bed; +135 Then breath'd from quivering lips a whisper'd vow, + And bent on heaven his pale repentant brow; + "Thus, thus!" he cried, and plung'd the furious dart, + And life and love gush'd mingled from his heart. + + The fell SILENE and her sisters fair, +140 Skill'd in destruction, spread the viscous snare. + + +[_Silene_. l. 139. Catchfly. Three females and ten males inhabit each +flower; the viscous material, which surrounds the stalks under the +flowers of this plant, and of the Cucubulus Otites, is a curious +contrivance to prevent various insects from plundering the honey, or +devouring the seed. In the Dionaea Muscipula there is a still more +wonderful contrivance to prevent the depredations of insects: The leaves +are armed with long teeth, like the antennæ of insects, and lie spread +upon the ground round the stem; and are so irritable, that when an +insect creeps upon them, they fold up, and crush or pierce it to death. +The last professor Linneus, in his Supplementum Plantarum, gives the +following account of the Arum Muscivorum. The flower has the smell of +carrion; by which the flies are invited to lay their eggs in the chamber +of the flower, but in vain endeavour to escape, being prevented by the +hairs pointing inwards; and thus perish in the flower, whence its name +of fly-eater. P. 411. in the Dypsacus is another contrivance for this +purpose, a bason of water is placed round each joint of the stem. In +the Drosera is another kind of fly-trap. See Dypsacus and Drosera; +the flowers of Siléne and Cucúbalus are closed all day, but are open +and give an agreeable odour in the night. See Cerea. See additional +notes at the end of the poem.] + +[Illustration: Dionna Muscipula] + +[Illustration: Amaryllis formosissima] + + + The harlot-band _ten_ lofty bravoes screen, + And frowning guard the magic nets unseen.-- + Haste, glittering nations, tenants of the air, + Oh, steer from hence your viewless course afar! +145 If with soft words, sweet blushes, nods, and smiles, + The _three_ dread Syrens lure you to their toils, + Limed by their art in vain you point your stings, + In vain the efforts of your whirring wings!-- + Go, seek your gilded mates and infant hives, +150 Nor taste the honey purchas'd with your lives! + + When heaven's high vault condensing clouds deform, + Fair AMARYLLIS flies the incumbent storm, + + +[_Amaryllis_, l. 152. Formosissima. Most beautiful Amaryllis. Six males, +one female. Some of the bell-flowers close their apertures at night, or +in rainy or cold weather, as the convolvulus, and thus protect their +included stamens and pistils. Other bell-flowers hang their apertures +downwards, as many of the lilies; in those the pistil, when at maturity, +is longer than the stamens; and by this pendant attitude of the bell, +when the anthers burst, their dust falls on the stigma: and these are at +the same time sheltered as with an umbrella from rain and dews. But, as +a free exposure to the air is necessary for their fecundation, the style +and filaments in many of these flowers continue to grow longer after the +bell is open, and hang down below its rim. In others, as in the martagon, +the bell is deeply divided, and the divisions are reflected upwards, that +they may not prevent the access of air, and at the same time afford +some shelter from perpendicular rain or dew. Other bell-flowers, as the +hemerocallis and amaryllis, have their bells nodding only, as it were, or +hanging obliquely toward the horizon; which, as their stems are slender, +turn like a weathercock from the wind; and thus very effectually preserve +their inclosed stamens and anthers from the rain and cold. Many of these +flowers, both before and after their season of fecundation, erect their +heads perpendicular to the horizon, like the Meadia, which cannot be +explained from meer mechanism. + +The Amaryllis formosissima is a flower of the last mentioned kind, and +affords an agreeable example of _art_ in the vegetable economy, 1. The +pistil is of great length compared with the stamens; and this I suppose +to have been the most unchangeable part of the flower, as in Meadia, +which see. 2. To counteract this circumstance, the pistil and stamens are +made to decline downwards, that the prolific dust might fall from the +anthers on the stigma. 3. To produce this effect, and to secure it when +produced, the corol is lacerated, contrary to what occurs in other +flowers of this genus, and the lowest division with the two next lowest +ones are wrapped closely over the style and filaments, binding them +forceibly down lower toward the horizon than the usual inclination of the +bell in this genus, and thus constitutes a most elegant flower. There is +another contrivance for this purpose in the Hemerocallis flava: the long +pistil often is bent somewhat like the capital letter _N_, with design to +shorten it, and thus to bring the stigma amongst the anthers.] + + + Seeks with unsteady step the shelter'd vale, + And turns her blushing beauties from the gale.-- +155 _Six_ rival youths, with soft concern impress'd, + Calm all her fears, and charm her cares to rest.-- + So shines at eve the sun-illumin'd fane, + Lifts its bright cross, and waves its golden vane; + From every breeze the polish'd axle turns, +160 And high in air the dancing meteor burns. + + _Four_ of the giant brood with ILEX stand, + Each grasps a thousand arrows in his hand; + + +[_Ilex_. l. 161. Holly. Four males, four females. Many plants, like many +animals, are furnished with arms for their protection; these are either +aculei, prickles, as in rose and barberry, which are formed from the +outer bark of the plant; or spinæ, thorns, as in hawthorn, which are an +elongation of the wood, and hence more difficult to be torn off than the +former; or stimuli, stings, as in the nettles, which are armed with a +venomous fluid for the annoyance of naked animals. The shrubs and trees, +which have prickles or thorns, are grateful food to many animals, as +goosberry, and gorse; and would be quickly devoured, if not thus armed; +the stings seem a protection against some kinds of insects, as well +as the naked mouths of quadrupeds. Many plants lose their thorns by +cultivation, as wild animals lose their ferocity; and some of them +their horns. A curious circumstance attends the large hollies in +Needwood-forest, they are armed with thorny leaves about eight feet +high, and have smooth leaves above; as if they were conscious that +horses and cattle could not reach their upper branches. See note on +Meadia, and on Mancinella. The numerous clumps of hollies in +Needwood-forest serve as landmarks to direct the travellers +across it in various directions; and as a shelter to the deer and cattle +in winter; and in scarce seasons supply them with much food. For when the +upper branches, which are without prickles, are cut down, the deer crop +the leaves and peel off the bark. The bird-lime made from the bark of +hollies seems to be a very similar material to the elastic gum, or Indian +rubber, as it is called. There is a fossile elastic bitumen found at +Matlock in Derbyshire, which much resembles these substances in its +elasticity and inflammability. The thorns of the mimosa cornigere +resemble cow's horns in appearance as well as in use. System of +Vegetables, p. 782.] + + + A thousand steely points on every scale + Form the bright terrors of his bristly male.-- +165 So arm'd, immortal Moore uncharm'd the spell, + And slew the wily dragon of the well.-- + Sudden with rage their _injur'd_ bosoms burn, + Retort the insult, or the wound return; + _Unwrong'd_, as gentle as the breeze that sweeps +170 The unbending harvests or undimpled deeps, + They guard, the Kings of Needwood's wide domains, + Their sister-wives and fair infantine trains; + Lead the lone pilgrim through the trackless glade, + Or guide in leafy wilds the wand'ring maid. + +175 So WRIGHT's bold pencil from Vesuvio's hight + Hurls his red lavas to the troubled night; + From Calpè starts the intolerable flash, + Skies burst in flames, and blazing oceans dash;-- + Or bids in sweet repose his shades recede, +180 Winds the still vale, and slopes the velvet mead; + On the pale stream expiring Zephyrs sink, + And Moonlight sleeps upon its hoary brink. + + Gigantic Nymph! the fair KLEINHOVIA reigns, + The grace and terror of Orixa's plains; + + +[_Hurls his red lavas_. l. 176. Alluding to the grand paintings of the +eruptions of Vesuvius, and of the destruction of the Spanish vessels +before Gibraltar; and to the beautiful landscapes and moonlight scenes, +by Mr. Wright of Derby.] + +[_Kleinhovia_. l. 183. In this class the males in each flower are +supported by the female. The name of the class may be translated +"Viragoes," or "Feminine Males." + +The largest tree perhaps in the world is of the same natural order as +Kleinhovia, it is the Adansonia, or Ethiopian Sour-gourd, or African +Calabash tree. Mr. Adanson says the diameter of the trunk frequently +exceeds 25 feet, and the horizontal branches are from 45 to 55 feet long, +and so large that each branch is equal to the largest trees of Europe. +The breadth of the top is from 120 to 150 feet. And one of the roots +bared only in part by the wasting away of the earth by the river, near +which it grew, measured 110 feet long; and yet these stupendous trees +never exceed 70 feet in height. Voyage to Senegal.] + + + O'er her warm cheek the blush of beauty swims, + And nerves Herculean bend her sinewy limbs; + With frolic eye she views the affrighted throng, +190 And shakes the meadows, as she towers along, + With playful violence displays her charms, + And bears her trembling lovers in her arms. + So fair THALESTRIS shook her plumy crest, + And bound in rigid mail her jutting breast; +195 Poised her long lance amid the walks of war, + And Beauty thunder'd from Bellona's car; + Greece arm'd in vain, her captive heroes wove + The chains of conquest with the wreaths of love. + + When o'er the cultured lawns and dreary wastes +200 Retiring Autumn flings her howling blasts, + Bends in tumultuous waves the struggling woods, + And showers their leafy honours on the floods, + In withering heaps collects the flowery spoil, + And each chill insect sinks beneath the soil; +205 Quick flies fair TULIPA the loud alarms, + And folds her infant closer in her arms; + In some lone cave, secure pavilion, lies, + And waits the courtship of serener skies.-- + So, six cold moons, the Dormouse charm'd to rest, +210 Indulgent Sleep! beneath thy eider breast, + In fields of Fancy climbs the kernel'd groves, + Or shares the golden harvest with his loves.-- + + +[_Tulipa_. l. 205. Tulip. What is in common language called a bulbous +root, is by Linneus termed the Hybernacle, or Winter-lodge of the young +plant. As these bulbs in every respect resemble buds, except in their +being produced under ground, and include the leaves and flower in +miniature, which are to be expanded in the ensuing spring. By cautiously +cutting in the early spring through the concentric coats of a +tulip-root, longitudinally from the top to the base, and taking them off +successively, the whole flower of the next summer's tulip is beautifully +seen by the naked eye, with its petals, pistil, and stamens; the flowers +exist in other bulbs, in the same manner, as in Hyacinths, but the +individual flowers of these being less, they are not so easily differed, +or so conspicuous to the naked eye. + +In the seeds of the Nymphæa Nelumbo, the leaves of the plant are seen +so distinctly, that Mr. Ferber found out by them to what plant the seeds +belonged. Amoen. Acad. V. vi. No. 120. He says that Mariotte first +observed the future flower and foliage in the bulb of a Tulip; and adds, +that it is pleasant to see in the buds of the Hepatica, and Pedicularia +hirsuta, yet lying in the earth; and in the gems of Daphne Mezereon; +and at the base of Osmunda Lunaria, a perfect plant of the future year +compleat in all its parts. Ibid.] + + + But bright from earth amid the troubled air + Ascends fair COLCHICA with radiant hair, +215 Warms the cold bosom of the hoary year, + And lights with Beauty's blaze the dusky sphere. + _Three_ blushing Maids the intrepid Nymph attend, + And _six_ gay Youths, enamour'd train! defend. + So shines with silver guards the Georgian star, +220 And drives on Night's blue arch his glittering car; + Hangs o'er the billowy clouds his lucid form, + Wades through the mist, and dances in the storm. + +[_Colchicum autumnale_. I. 214. Autumnal Meadow-saffron. Six males, +three females. The germ is buried within the root, which thus seems +to constitute a part of the flower. Families of Plants, p. 242 These +singular flowers appear in the autumn without any leaves, whence in some +countries they are called Naked Ladies: in the March following the green +leaves spring up, and in April the seed-vessel rises from the ground; the +seeds ripen in May, contrary to the usual habits of vegetables, which +slower in the spring, and ripen their seeds in the autumn. Miller's Dict. +The juice of the root of this plant is so acrid as to produce violent +effects on the human constitution, which also prevents it from being +eaten by subterranean insects, and thus guards the seed-vessel during the +winter. The defoliation of deciduous trees is announced by the flowering +of the Colchicum; of these the ash is the last that puts forth its +leaves, and the first that loses them. Phil. Bot. p. 275. + +The Hamamelis, Witch Hazle, is another plant which flowers in autumn; +when the leaves fall off, the flowers come out in clusters from the +joints of the branches, and in Virginia ripen their seed in the ensuing +spring; but in this country their seeds seldom ripen. Lin. Spec. Plant. +Miller's Dict.] + + + GREAT HELIANTHUS guides o'er twilight plains + In gay solemnity his Dervise-trains; +225 Marshall'd in _fives_ each gaudy band proceeds, + Each gaudy band a plumed Lady leads; + With zealous step he climbs the upland lawn, + And bows in homage to the rising dawn; + Imbibes with eagle-eye the golden ray, +230 And watches, as it moves, the orb of day. + + +[_Helianthus_. l. 223. Sun flower. The numerous florets, which +constitute the disk of this flower, contain in each five males +surrounding one female, the five stamens have their anthers connected +at top, whence the name of the class "confederate males;" see note on +Chondrilla. The sun-flower follows the course of the sun by nutation, +not by twisting its stem. (Hales veg. stat.) Other plants, when they are +confined in a room, turn the shining surface of their leaves, and bend +their whole branches to the light. See Mimosa.] + +[_A plumed Lady leads_. l. 226. The seeds of many plants of this class +are furnished with a plume, by which admirable mechanism they are +disseminated by the winds far from their parent stem, and look like a +shuttlecock, as they fly. Other seeds are disseminated by animals; of +these some attach themselves to their hair or feathers by a gluten, as +misleto; others by hooks, as cleavers, burdock, hounds-tongue; and others +are swallowed whole for the sake of the fruit, and voided uninjured, +as the hawthorn, juniper, and some grasses. Other seeds again disperse +themselves by means of an elastic seed-vessel, as Oats, Geranium, and +Impatiens; and the seeds of aquatic plants, and of those which grow on +the banks of rivers, are carried many miles by the currents, into which +they fall. See Impatiens. Zostera. Cassia. Carlïna.] + + + Queen of the marsh, imperial DROSERA treads + Rush-fringed banks, and moss-embroider'd beds; + Redundant folds of glossy silk surround + Her slender waist, and trail upon the ground; +235 _Five_ sister-nymphs collect with graceful ease, + Or spread the floating purple to the breeze; + And _five_ fair youths with duteous love comply + With each soft mandate of her moving eye. + As with sweet grace her snowy neck she bows, +240 A zone of diamonds trembles round her brows; + Bright shines the silver halo, as she turns; + And, as she steps, the living lustre burns. + + +[_Drosera_. l. 231. Sun-dew. Five males, five females. The leaves +of this marsh-plant are purple, and have a fringe very unlike other +vegetable productions. And, which is curious, at the point of every +thread of this erect fringe stands a pellucid drop of mucilage, +resembling a ducal coronet. This mucus is a secretion from certain +glands, and like the viscous material round the flower-stalks of Silene +(catchfly) prevents small insects from infesting the leaves. As the +ear-wax in animals seems to be in part designed to prevent fleas and +other insects from getting into their ears. See Silene. Mr. Wheatly, an +eminent surgeon in Cateaton-street, London, observed these leaves to bend +upwards, when an insect settled on them, like the leaves of the muscipula +veneris, and pointing all their globules of mucus to the centre, that +they compleatly intangled and destroyed it. M. Broussonet, in the Mem. de +l'Acad. des Sciences for the year 1784. p. 615. after hiving described +the motion of the Dionæa, adds, that a similar appearance has been +observed in the leaves of two species of Drosera.] + + + Fair LONICERA prints the dewy lawn, + And decks with brighter blush the vermil dawn; +245 Winds round the shadowy rocks, and pansied vales, + And scents with sweeter breath the summer-gales; + + +[_Lonicera_. l. 243. Caprifolium. Honeysuckle. Five males, one female. +Nature has in many flowers used a wonderful apparatus to guard the +nectary, or honey-gland, from insects. In the honey-suckle the petal +terminates in a long tube like a cornucopiae, or horn of plenty; and +the honey is produced at the bottom of it. In Aconitum, monkshood, the +nectaries stand upright like two horns covered with a hood, which abounds +with such acrid matter that no insects penetrate it. In Helleborus, +hellebore, the many nectaries are placed in a circle, like little +pitchers, and add much to the beauty of the flower. In the Columbine, +Aquilegia, the nectary is imagined to be like the neck and body of a +bird, and the two petals standing upon each side to represent wings; +whence its name of columbine, as if resembling a nest of young pigeons +fluttering whilst their parent feeds them. The importance of the nectary +in the economy of vegetation is explained at large in the notes on part +the first. + +Many insects are provided with a long and pliant proboscis for the +purpose of acquiring this grateful food, as a variety of bees, moths, and +butterflies: but the Sphinx Convolvuli, or unicorn moth, is furnished +with the most remarkable proboscis in this climate. It carries it rolled +up in concentric circles under its chin, and occasionally extends it to +above three inches in length. This trunk consists of joints and muscles, +and seems to have more versatile movements than the trunk of the +elephant; and near its termination is split into two capillary tubes. The +excellence of this contrivance for robbing the flowers of their honey, +keeps this beautiful insect fat and bulky; though it flies only in the +evening, when the flowers have closed their petals, and are thence more +difficult of access; at the same time the brilliant colours of the moth +contribute to its safety, by making it mistaken by the late sleeping +birds for the flower it rests on. + +Besides these there is a curious contrivance attending the Ophrys, +commonly called the Bee-orchis, and the Fly-orchis, with some kinds of +the Delphinium, called Bee-larkspurs, to preserve their honey; in these +the nectary and petals resemble in form and colour the insects, which +plunder them: and thus it may be supposed, they often escape these hourly +robbers, by having the appearance of being pre-occupied. See note on +Rubia, and Conserva polymorpha.] + + + With artless grace and native ease she charms, + And bears the Horn of Plenty in her arms. + _Five_ rival Swains their tender cares unfold, +250 And watch with eye askance the treasured gold. + + Where rears huge Tenerif his azure crest, + Aspiring DRABA builds her eagle nest; + Her pendant eyry icy caves surround, + Where erst Volcanos min'd the rocky ground. +255 Pleased round the Fair _four_ rival Lords ascend + The shaggy steeps, _two_ menial youths attend. + High in the setting ray the beauty stands, + And her tall shadow waves on distant lands. + + +[_Draba_. I. 252. Alpina. Alpine Whitlow-grass. One female and six +males. Four of these males stand above the other two; whence the name of +the class "four powers." I have observed in several plants of this class, +that the two lower males arise, in a few-days after the opening of the +flower, to the same height as the other four, not being mature as soon +as the higher ones. See note on Gloriosa. All the plants of this class +possess similar virtues; they are termed acrid and anti corbutic in their +raw state, as mustard, watercress; when cultivated and boiled, they +become a mild wholesome food, as cabbage, turnep. + +There was formerly a Volcano on the Peake of Tenerif, which became +extinct about the year 1684. Philos. Trans. In many excavations of the +mountain, much below the summit, there is now found abundance of ice +at all seasons. Tench's Expedition to Botany Bay, p. 12. Are these +congelations in consequence of the daily solution of the hoar-frost which +is produced on the summit during the night?] + + + Stay, bright inhabitant of air, alight, +260 Ambitious VISCA, from thy eagle-flight!-- + ----Scorning the sordid soil, aloft she springs, + Shakes her white plume, and claps her golden wings; + High o'er the fields of boundless ether roves, + And seeks amid the clouds her soaring loves! + +265 Stretch'd on her mossy couch, in trackless deeps, + Queen of the coral groves, ZOSTERA sleeps; + + +[_Viscum_. l. 260. Misletoe. Two houses. This plant never grows upon the +ground; the foliage is yellow, and the berries milk-white; the berries +are so viscous, as to serve for bird-lime; and when they fall, adhere to +the branches of the tree, on which the plant grows, and strike root into +its bark; or are carried to distant trees by birds. The Tillandsia, or +wild pine, grows on other trees, like the Misletoe, but takes little or +no nourishment from them, having large buckets in its leaves to collect +and retain the rain water. See note on Dypsacus. The mosses, which grow +on the bark of trees, take much nourishment from them; hence it is +observed that trees, which are annually cleared from moss by a brush, +grow nearly twice as fast. (Phil. Transact.) In the cyder countries the +peasants brush their apple-trees annually.] + +[_Zostera_. l. 266. Grass-wrack. Class, Feminine Males. Order, Many +Males. It grows at the bottom of the sea, and rising to the surface, when +in flower, covers many leagues; and is driven at length to the shore. +During its time of floating on the sea, numberless animals live on the +under surface of it; and being specifically lighter than the sea water, +or being repelled by it, have legs placed as it were on their backs for +the purpose of walking under it. As the Scyllcea. See Barbut's Genera +Vermium. It seems necessary that the marriages of plants should be +celebrated in the open air, either because the powder of the anther, or +the mucilage on the stigma, or the reservoir of honey might receive injury +from the water. Mr. Needham observed, that in the ripe dust of every +flower, examined by the microscope, some vesicles are perceived, from +which a fluid had escaped; and that those, which still retain it, explode +if they be wetted, like an eolopile suddenly exposed to a strong heat. +These observations have been verified by Spallanzani and others. Hence +rainy seasons make a scarcity of grain, or hinder its fecundity, by +bursting the pollen before it arrives at the moist stigma of the flower. +Spallanzani's Dissertations, v. II. p. 321. Thus the flowers of the male +Vallisneria are produced under water, and when ripe detach themselves from +the plant, and rising to the surface are wafted by the air to the female +flowers. See Vallisneria.] + + + The silvery sea-weed matted round her bed, + And distant surges murmuring o'er her head.-- + High in the flood her azure dome ascends, +270 The crystal arch on crystal columns bends; + Roof'd with translucent shell the turrets blaze, + And far in ocean dart their colour'd rays; + O'er the white floor successive shadows move, + As rise and break the ruffled waves above.-- +275 Around the nymph her mermaid-trains repair, + And weave with orient pearl her radiant hair; + With rapid fins she cleaves the watery way, + Shoots like a diver meteor up to day; + Sounds a loud conch, convokes a scaly band, +280 Her sea-born lovers, and ascends the strand. + + E'en round the pole the flames of Love aspire, + And icy bosoms feel the _secret_ fire!-- + Cradled in snow and fann'd by arctic air + Shines, gentle BAROMETZ! thy golden hair; +285 Rooted in earth each cloven hoof descends, + And round and round her flexile neck she bends; + Crops the grey coral moss, and hoary thyme, + Or laps with rosy tongue the melting rime; + Eyes with mute tenderness her distant dam, +290 Or seems to bleat, a _Vegetable Lamb_. + + +[_Barometz_. l. 284. Polypodium Barometz. Tartarian Lamb. Clandestine +Marriage. This species of Fern is a native of China, with a decumbent +root, thick, and every where covered with the most soft and dense wool, +intensely yellow. Lin. Spec. Plant. + +This curious stem is sometimes pushed out of the ground in its horizontal +situation by some of the inferior branches of the root, so as to give it +some resemblance to a Lamb standing on four legs; and has been said to +destroy all other plants in its vicinity. Sir Hans Sloane describes it +under the name of Tartarian Lamb, and has given a print of it. Philos. +Trans. abridged, v. II. p. 646. but thinks some art had been used to +give it an animal appearance. Dr. Hunter, in his edition of the Terra of +Evelyn, has given a more curious print of it, much resembling a sheep. +The down is used in India externally for stopping hemorrhages, and is +called golden moss. + +The thick downy clothing of some vegetables seems designed to protect +them from the injuries of cold, like the wool of animals. Those bodies, +which are bad conductors of electricity, are also bad conductors of heat, +as glass, wax, air. Hence either of the two former of these may be melted +by the flame of a blow-pipe very near the fingers which hold it without +burning them; and the last, by being confined on the surface of animal +bodies, in the interstices of their fur or wool, prevents the escape of +their natural warmth; to which should be added, that the hairs themselves +are imperfect conductors. The fat or oil of whales, and other northern +animals, seems designed for the same purpose of preventing the too sudden +escape of the heat of the body in cold climates. Snow protects vegetables +which are covered by it from cold, both because it is a bad conductor of +heat itself, and contains much air in its pores. If a piece of camphor be +immersed in a snow-ball, except one extremity of it, on setting fire to +this, as the snow melts, the water becomes absorbed into the surrounding +snow by capillary attraction; on this account, when living animals are +buried in snow, they are not moistened by it; but the cavity enlarges as +the snow dissolves, affording them both a dry and warm habitation.] + + + --So, warm and buoyant in his oily mail, + Gambols on seas of ice the unwieldy Whale; + Wide-waving fins round floating islands urge + His bulk gigantic through the troubled surge; +295 With hideous yawn the flying shoals He seeks, + Or clasps with fringe of horn his massy cheeks; + Lifts o'er the tossing wave his nostrils bare, + And spouts pellucid columns into air; + The silvery arches catch the setting beams, +300 And transient rainbows tremble o'er the streams. + + Weak with nice sense, the chaste MIMOSA stands, + From each rude touch withdraws her timid hands; + Oft as light clouds o'er-pass the Summer-glade, + Alarm'd she trembles at the moving shade; +305 And feels, alive through all her tender form, + The whisper'd murmurs of the gathering storm; + Shuts her sweet eye-lids to approaching night; + And hails with freshen'd charms the rising light. + + +[_Mimosa_. I. 301. The sensitive plant. Of the class Polygamy, one house. +Naturalists have not explained the immediate cause of the collapsing of +the sensitive plant; the leaves meet and close in the night during the +sleep of the plant, or when exposed to much cold in the day-time, in the +same manner as when they are affected by external violence, folding their +upper surfaces together, and in part over each other like scales or +tiles; so as to expose as little of the upper surface as may be to the +air; but do not indeed collapse quite so far, since I have found, when +touched in the night during their sleep, they fall still further; +especially when touched on the foot-stalks between the stems and the +leaflets, which seems to be their most sensitive or irritable part. Now +as their situation after being exposed to external violence resembles +their sleep, but with a greater degree of collapse, may it not be owing +to a numbness or paralysis consequent to too violent irritation, like the +faintings of animals from pain or fatigue? I kept a sensitive plant in +a dark room till some hours after day-break: its leaves and leaf-stalks +were collapsed as in its most profound sleep, and on exposing it to the +light, above twenty minutes passed before the plant was thoroughly awake +and had quite expanded itself. During the night the upper or smoother +surfaces of the leaves are appressed together; this would seem to shew +that the office of this surface of the leaf was to expose the fluids of +the plant to the light as well as to the air. See note on Helianthus. +Many flowers close up their petals during the night. See note on +vegetable respiration in Part I.] + + + Veil'd, with gay decency and modest pride, +310 Slow to the mosque she moves, an eastern bride; + There her soft vows unceasing love record, + Queen of the bright seraglio of her Lord.-- + So sinks or rises with the changeful hour + The liquid silver in its glassy tower. +315 So turns the needle to the pole it loves, + With fine librations quivering as it moves. + + All wan and shivering in the leafless glade + The sad ANEMONE reclined her head; + Grief on her cheeks had paled the roseate hue, +320 And her sweet eye-lids dropp'd with pearly dew. + --"See, from bright regions, borne on odorous gales + The Swallow, herald of the summer, sails; + + +[_Anemone_. l. 318. Many males, many females. Pliny says this flower +never opens its petals but when the wind blows; whence its name: it has +properly no calix, but two or three sets of petals, three in each set, +which are folded over the stamens and pistil in a singular and beautiful +manner, and differs also from ranunculus in not having a melliferous pore +on the claw of each petal. ] + +[_The Swallow_. l. 322. There is a wonderful conformity between the +vegetation of some plants, and the arrival of certain birds of passage. +Linneus observes that the wood anemone blows in Sweden on the arrival +of the swallow; and the marsh mary-gold, Caltha, when the cuckoo sings. +Near the same coincidence was observed in England by Stillingfleet. The +word Coccux in Greek signifies both a young fig and a cuckoo, which is +supposed to have arisen from the coincidence of their appearance in Greece. +Perhaps a similar coincidence of appearance in some parts of Asia gave +occasion to the story of the loves of the rose and nightingale, so much +celebrated by the eastern poets. See Dianthus. The times however of the +appearance of vegetables in the spring seem occasionally to be influenced +by their acquired habits, as well as by their sensibility to heat: for the +roots of potatoes, onions, &c. will germinate with much less heat in the +spring than in the autumn; as is easily observable where these roots are +stored for use; and hence malt is best made in the spring. 2d. The grains +and roots brought from more southern latitudes germinate here sooner than +those which are brought from more northern ones, owing to their acquired +habits. Fordyce on Agriculture. 3d. It was observed by one of the scholars +of Linneus, that the apple-trees sent from hence to New England blossomed +for a few years too early for that climate, and bore no fruit; but +afterwards learnt to accommodate themselves to their new situation. +(Kalm's Travels.) 4th. The parts of animals become more sensible to heat +after having been previously exposed to cold, as our hands glow on coming +into the house after having held snow in them; this seems to happen to +vegetables; for vines in grape-houses, which have been exposed to the +winter's cold, will become forwarder and more vigorous than those which +have been kept during the winter in the house. (Kenedy on Gardening.) This +accounts for the very rapid vegetation in the northern latitudes after the +solution of the snows. + +The increase of the irritability of plants in respect to heat, after +having been previously exposed to cold, is further illustrated by an +experiment of Dr. Walker's. He cut apertures into a birch-tree at +different heights; and on the 26th of March some of these apertures bled, +or oozed with the sap-juice, when the thermometer was at 39; which same +apertures did not bleed on the 13th of March, when the thermometer was at +44. The reason of this I apprehend was, because on the night of the 25th +the thermometer was as low as 34; whereas on the night of the 12th it was +at 41; though the ingenious author ascribes it to another cause. Trans. +of Royal Soc. of Edinburgh, v. 1. p. 19.] + + + "Breathe, gentle AIR! from cherub-lips impart + Thy balmy influence to my anguish'd heart; +325 Thou, whose soft voice calls forth the tender blooms, + Whose pencil paints them, and whose breath perfumes; + O chase the Fiend of Frost, with leaden mace + Who seals in death-like sleep my hapless race; + Melt his hard heart, release his iron hand, +330 And give my ivory petals to expand. + So may each bud, that decks the brow of spring, + Shed all its incense on thy wafting wing!"-- + + To her fond prayer propitious Zephyr yields, + Sweeps on his sliding shell through azure fields, +335 O'er her fair mansion waves his whispering wand, + And gives her ivory petals to expand; + Gives with new life her filial train to rise, + And hail with kindling smiles the genial skies. + So shines the Nymph in beauty's blushing pride, +340 When Zephyr wafts her deep calash aside; + Tears with rude kiss her bosom's gauzy veil, + And flings the fluttering kerchief to the gale. + So bright, the folding canopy undrawn, + Glides the gilt Landau o'er the velvet lawn, + +345 Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng; + And soft airs fan them, as they roll along. + + Where frowning Snowden bends his dizzy brow + O'er Conway, listening to the surge below; + Retiring LICHEN climbs the topmost stone, +350 And 'mid the airy ocean dwells alone.-- + Bright shine the stars unnumber'd _o'er her head_, + And the cold moon-beam gilds her flinty bed; + While round the rifted rocks hoarse whirlwinds breathe, + And dark with thunder sail the clouds _beneath_.-- +355 The steepy path her plighted swain pursues, + And tracks her light step o'er th' imprinted dews, + Delighted Hymen gives his torch to blaze, + Winds round the craggs, and lights the mazy ways; + + +[_Lichen_. l. 349. Calcareum. Liver-wort. Clandestine Marriage. This +plant is the first that vegetates on naked rocks, covering them with a +kind of tapestry, and draws its nourishment perhaps chiefly from the +air; after it perishes, earth enough is left for other mosses to root +themselves; and after some ages a soil is produced sufficient for the +growth of more succulent and large vegetables. In this manner perhaps +the whole earth has been gradually covered with vegetation, after it was +raised out of the primeval ocean by subterraneous fires.] + + + Sheds o'er their _secret_ vows his influence chaste, +360 And decks with roses the admiring waste. + + High in the front of heaven when Sirius glares, + And o'er Britannia shakes his fiery hairs; + When no soft shower descends, no dew distills, + Her wave-worn channels dry, and mute her rills; +365 When droops the sickening herb, the blossom fades, + And parch'd earth gapes beneath the withering glades. + --With languid step fair DYPSACA retreats; + "Fall gentle dews!" the fainting nymph repeats; + Seeks the low dell, and in the sultry shade +370 Invokes in vain the Naiads to her aid.-- + + +[_Dypsacus._ l. 367. Teasel. One female, and four males. There is a +cup around every joint of the stem of this plant, which contains from a +spoonful to half a pint of water; and serves both for the nutriment of +the plant in dry seasons, and to prevent insects from creeping up to +devour its seed. See Silene. The Tillandsia, or wild pine, of the West +Indies has every leaf terminated near the stalk with a hollow bucket, +which contains from half a pint to a quart of water. Dampier's Voyage to +Campeachy. Dr. Sloane mentions one kind of aloe furnished with leaves, +which, like the wild pine and Banana, hold water; and thence afford +necessary refreshment to travellers in hot countries. Nepenthes had a +bucket for the same purpose at the end of every leaf, Burm. Zeyl. 41. +17.] + + _Four_ silvan youths in crystal goblets bear + The untasted treasure to the grateful fair; + Pleased from their hands with modest grace she sips, + And the cool wave reflects her coral lips. + +375 With nice selection modest RUBIA blends, + Her vermil dyes, and o'er the cauldron bends; + Warm 'mid the rising steam the Beauty glows, + As blushes in a mist the dewy rose. + + +[_Rubia._ l. 375. Madder. Four males and one female. This plant is +cultivated in very large quantities for dying red. If mixed with the food +of young pigs or chickens, it colours their bones red. If they are fed +alternate fortnights with a mixture of madder, and with their usual food +alone, their bones will consist of concentric circles of white and red. +Belchier. Phil. Trans. 1736. Animals fed with madder for the purpose +of these experiments were found upon dissection to have thinner gall. +Comment. de rebus. Lipsiæ. This circumstance is worth further attention. +The colouring materials of vegetables, like those which serve the purpose +of tanning, varnishing, and the various medical purposes, do not seem +essential to the life of the plant; but seem given it as a defence +against the depredations of insects or other animals, to whom these +materials are nauseous or deleterious. To insects and many smaller +animals their colours contribute to conceal them from the larger ones +which prey upon them. Caterpillars which feed on leaves are generally +green; and earth-worms the colour of the earth which they inhabit; +Butterflies which frequent flowers, are coloured like them; small birds +which frequent hedges have greenish backs like the leaves, and light +coloured bellies like the sky, and are hence less visible to the hawk, +who passes under them or over them. Those birds which are much +amongst flowers, as the gold-finch (Fringilla carduelis), are furnished +with vivid colours. The lark, partridge, hare, are the colour of the dry +vegetables or earth on which they rest. And frogs vary their colour with +the mud of the streams which they frequent; and those which live on +trees are green. Fish, which are generally suspended in water, and +swallows, which are generally suspended in air, have their backs the +colour of the distant ground, and their bellies of the sky. In the colder +climates many of these become white during the existence of the snows. +Hence there is apparent design in the colours of animals, whilst those +of vegetables seem consequent to the other properties of the materials +which possess them.] + + + With chemic art _four_ favour'd youths aloof +380 Stain the white fleece, or stretch the tinted woof; + O'er Age's cheek the warmth of youth diffuse, + Or deck the pale-eyed nymph in roseate hues. + So when MEDEA to exulting Greece + From plunder'd COLCHIS bore the golden fleece; +385 On the loud shore a magic pile she rais'd, + The cauldron bubbled, and the faggots blaz'd;--- + Pleased on the boiling wave old ÆSON swims, + And feels new vigour stretch his swelling limbs; + + +[_Pleased on the boiling wave._ l. 387. The story of Æson becoming +young, from the medicated bath of Medea, seems to have been intended to +teach the efficacy of warm bathing in retarding the progress of old +age. The words _relaxation and bracing_, which are generally thought +expressive of the effects of warm and cold bathing, are mechanical terms, +properly applied to drums or strings; but are only metaphors when applied +to the effects of cold or warm bathing on animal bodies. The immediate +cause of old age seems to reside in the inirritability of the finer +vessels or parts of our system; hence these cease to act, and collapse +or become horny or bony. The warm bath is peculiarly adapted to +prevent these circumstances by its increasing our irritability, and by +moistening and softening the skin, and the extremities of the finer +vessels, which terminate in it. To those who are past the meridian of +life, and have dry skins, and begin to be emaciated, the warm bath, for +half an hour twice a week, I believe to be eminently serviceable in +retarding the advances of age.] + + + Through his thrill'd nerves forgotten ardors dart, +390 And warmer eddies circle round his heart; + With softer fires his kindling eye-balls glow, + And darker tresses wanton round his brow. + + As dash the waves on India's breezy strand, + Her flush'd cheek press'd upon her lily hand, +395 VALLISNER sits, up-turns her tearful eyes, + Calls her lost lover, and upbraids the skies; + + +[_Vallisniria_. l. 395. This extraordinary plant is of the class Two +Houses. It is found in the East Indies, in Norway, and various parts +of Italy. Lin. Spec. Plant. They have their roots at the bottom of the +Rhone, the flowers of the female plant float on the surface of the +water, and are furnished with an elastic spiral stalk, which extends or +contracts as the water rises and falls; this rise or fall, from the rapid +descent of the river, and the mountain torrents which flow into it, often +amounts to many feet in a few hours. The flowers of the male plant are +produced under water, and as soon as their farina, or dust, is mature; +they detach themselves from the plant, and rise to the surface, continue +to flourish, and are wafted by the air, or borne by the currents to the +female flowers. In this resembling those tribes of insects, where the +males at certain seasons acquire wings, but not the females, as ants, +Cocchus, Lampyris, Phalæna, Brumata, Lichanella. These male flowers are +in such numbers, though very minute, as frequently to cover the surface +of the river to considerable extent. See Families of Plants translated +from Linneus, p. 677.] + +[Illustration: Vallisneria Spiralis] + + + For him she breathes the silent sigh, forlorn, + Each setting-day; for him each rising morn.-- + "Bright orbs, that light yon high etherial plain, +400 Or bathe your radiant tresses in the main; + Pale moon, that silver'st o'er night's sable brow;-- + For ye were witness to his parting vow!-- + Ye shelving rocks, dark waves, and sounding shore,-- + Ye echoed sweet the tender words he swore!-- +405 Can stars or seas the sails of love retain? + O guide my wanderer to my arms again!"-- + + Her buoyant skiff intrepid ULVA guides, + And seeks her Lord amid the trackless tides; + + +[_Ulva_, l. 407. Clandestine marriage. This kind of sea-weed is buoyed +up by bladders of air, which are formed in the duplicatures of its +leaves; and forms immense floating fields of vegetation; the young +ones, branching out from the larger ones, and borne on similar little +air-vessels. It is also found in the warm baths of Patavia; where the +leaves are formed into curious cells or labyrinths for the purpose of +floating on the water. See ulva labyrinthi-formis Lin. Spec. Plant. The +air contained in these cells was found by Dr. Priestley to be sometimes +purer than common air, and sometimes less pure; the air-bladders of fish +seem to be similar organs, and serve to render them buoyant in the water. +In some of these, as in the Cod and Haddock, a red membrane, consisting +of a great number of leaves or duplicatures, is found within the air-bag, +which probably secretes this air from the blood of the animal. (Monro. +Physiol. of Fish. p. 28.) To determine whether this air, when first +separated from the blood of the animal or plant, be dephlogisticated air, +is worthy inquiry. The bladder-sena (Colutea), and bladder-nut +(Staphylæa), have their seed-vessels distended with air; the Ketmia has +the upper joint of the stem immediately under the receptacle of the flower +much distended with air; these seem to be analogous to the air-vessel at +the broad end of the egg, and may probably become less pure as the seed +ripens: some, which I tried, had the purity of the surrounding atmosphere. +The air at the broad end of the egg is probably an organ serving the +purpose of respiration to the young chick, some of whose vessels are +spread upon it like a placenta, or permeate it. Many are of opinion that +even the placenta of the human fetus, and cotyledons of quadrupeds, are +respiratory organs rather than nutritious ones. + +The air in the hollow stems of grasses, and of some umbelliferous plants, +bears analogy to the air in the quills, and in some of the bones of +birds; supplying the place of the pith, which shrivels up after it has +performed its office of protruding the young stem or feather. Some of +these cavities of the bones are said to communicate with the lungs in +birds. Phil. Trans. + +The air-bladders of fish are nicely adapted to their intended purpose; +for though they render them buoyant near the surface without the labour +of using their fins, yet, when they rest at greater depths, they are no +inconvenience, as the increased pressure of the water condenses the air +which they contain into less space. Thus, if a cork or bladder of air was +immersed a very great depth in the ocean, it would be so much compressed, +as to become specifically as heavy as the water, and would remain there. +It is probable the unfortunate Mr. Day, who was drowned in a diving-ship +of his own construction, miscarried from not attending to this +circumstance: it is probable the quantity of air he took down with him, +if he descended much lower than he expected, was condensed into so small +a space as not to render the ship buoyant when he endeavoured to ascend.] + + + Her _secret_ vows the Cyprian Queen approves, +410 And hovering halcyons guard her infant-loves; + Each in his floating cradle round they throng, + And dimpling Ocean bears the fleet along.-- + Thus o'er the waves, which gently bend and swell, + Fair GALATEA steers her silver shell; + +415 Her playful Dolphins stretch the silken rein, + Hear her sweet voice, and glide along the main. + As round the wild meandering coast she moves + By gushing rills, rude cliffs, and nodding groves; + Each by her pine the Wood-nymphs wave their locks, +420 And wondering Naiads peep amid the rocks; + Pleased trains of Mermaids rise from coral cells, + Admiring Tritons sound their twisted shells; + Charm'd o'er the car pursuing Cupids sweep, + Their snow-white pinions twinkling in the deep; +425 And, as the lustre of her eye she turns, + Soft sighs the Gale, and amorous Ocean burns. + + On DOVE'S green brink the fair TREMELLA stood, + And view'd her playful image in the flood; + + +[_Tremella_, l. 427. Clandestine marriage. I have frequently observed +fungusses of this Genus on old rails and on the ground to become a +transparent jelly, after they had been frozen in autumnal mornings; which +is a curious property, and distinguishes them from some other vegetable +mucilage; for I have observed that the paste, made by boiling wheat-flour +in water, ceases to be adhesive after having been frozen. I suspected +that the Tremella Nostoc, or star-jelly, also had been thus produced; but +have since been well informed, that the Tremella Nostoc is a mucilage +voided by Herons after they have eaten frogs; hence it has the appearance +of having been pressed through a hole; and limbs of frogs are said +sometimes to be found amongst it; it is always seen upon plains or by the +sides of water, places which Herons generally frequent. + +Some of the Fungusses are so acrid, that a drop of their juice blisters +the tongue; others intoxicate those who eat them. The Ostiacks in Siberia +use them for the latter purpose; one Fungus of the species, Agaricus +muscarum, eaten raw; or the decoction of three of them, produces +intoxication for 12 or 16 hours. History of Russia. V. 1. Nichols. 1780. +As all acrid plants become less so, if exposed to a boiling heat, it +is probable the common mushroom may sometimes disagree from being not +sufficiently stewed. The Oftiacks blister their skin by a fungus found on +Birch-trees; and use the Agiricus officin. for Soap. ib. + +There was a dispute whether the fungusses should be classed in the animal +or vegetable department. Their animal taste in cookery, and their animal +smell when burnt, together with their tendency to putrefaction, insomuch +that the Phallus impudicus has gained the name of stink-horn; and lastly, +their growing and continuing healthy without light, as the Licoperdon +tuber or truffle, and the fungus vinosus or mucor in dark cellars, and +the esculent mushrooms on beds covered thick with straw, would seem to +shew that they approach towards the animals, or make a kind of isthmus +connecting the two mighty kingdoms of animal and of vegetable nature.] + + + To each rude rock, lone dell, and echoing grove +430 Sung the sweet sorrows of her _secret_ love. + "Oh, stay!--return!"--along the sounding shore + Cry'd the sad Naiads,--she return'd no more!-- + Now girt with clouds the sullen Evening frown'd, + And withering Eurus swept along the ground; +435 The misty moon withdrew her horned light, + And sunk with Hesper in the skirt of night; + + No dim electric streams, (the northern dawn,) + With meek effulgence quiver'd o'er the lawn; + No star benignant shot one transient ray +440 To guide or light the wanderer on her way. + Round the dark craggs the murmuring whirlwinds blow, + Woods groan above, and waters roar below; + As o'er the steeps with pausing foot she moves, + The pitying Dryads shriek amid their groves; +445 She flies,--she stops,--she pants--she looks behind, + And hears a demon howl in every wind. + --As the bleak blast unfurls her fluttering vest, + Cold beats the snow upon her shuddering breast; + Through her numb'd limbs the chill sensations dart, +450 And the keen ice bolt trembles at her heart. + "I sink, I fall! oh, help me, help!" she cries, + Her stiffening tongue the unfinish'd sound denies; + Tear after tear adown her cheek succeeds, + And pearls of ice bestrew the glittering meads; +455 Congealing snows her lingering feet surround, + Arrest her flight, and root her to the ground; + With suppliant arms she pours the silent prayer; + Her suppliant arms hang crystal in the air; + Pellucid films her shivering neck o'erspread, +460 Seal her mute lips, and silver o'er her head, + Veil her pale bosom, glaze her lifted hands, + And shrined in ice the beauteous statue stands. + --DOVE'S azure nymphs on each revolving year + For fair TREMELLA shed the tender tear; +465 With rush-wove crowns in sad procession move, + And sound the sorrowing shell to hapless love." + + Here paused the MUSE,--across the darken'd pole + Sail the dim clouds, the echoing thunders roll; + The trembling Wood-nymphs, as the tempest lowers, +470 Lead the gay Goddess to their inmost bowers; + Hang the mute lyre the laurel shade beneath, + And round her temples bind the myrtle wreath. + --Now the light swallow with her airy brood + Skims the green meadow, and the dimpled flood; +475 Loud shrieks the lone thrush from his leafless thorn, + Th' alarmed beetle sounds his bugle horn; + Each pendant spider winds with fingers fine + His ravel'd clue, and climbs along the line; + Gay Gnomes in glittering circles stand aloof +480 Beneath a spreading mushroom's fretted roof; + Swift bees returning seek their waxen cells, + And Sylphs cling quivering in the lily's bells. + Through the still air descend the genials showers, + And pearly rain-drops deck the laughing flowers. + + + +INTERLUDE. + + +_Bookseller_. Your verses, Mr. Botanist, consist of _pure description_, I +hope there is _sense_ in the notes. + +_Poet_. I am only a flower-painter, or occasionally attempt a landskip; +and leave the human figure with the subjects of history to abler artists. + +_B._ It is well to know what subjects are within the limits of your +pencil; many have failed of success from the want of this self-knowledge. +But pray tell me, what is the essential difference between Poetry and +Prose? is it solely the melody or measure of the language? + +_P._ I think not solely; for some prose has its melody, and even measure. +And good verses, well spoken in a language unknown to the hearer, are not +easily to be distinguished from good prose. _B_. Is it the sublimity, +beauty, or novelty of the sentiments? + +_P_. Not so; for sublime sentiments are often better expressed in prose. +Thus when Warwick in one of the plays of Shakespear, is left wounded on +the field after the loss of the battle, and his friend says to him, "Oh, +could you but fly!" what can be more sublime than his answer, "Why then, +I would not fly." No measure of verse, I imagine, could add dignity to +this sentiment. And it would be easy to select examples of the beautiful +or new from prose writers, which I suppose no measure of verse could +improve. + +_B_. In what then consists the essential difference between Poetry and +Prose? + +_P_. Next to the measure of the language, the principal distinction +appears to me to consist in this: that Poetry admits of but few words +expressive of very abstracted ideas, whereas Prose abounds with them. And +as our ideas derived from visible objects are more distinct than those +derived from the objects of our other senses, the words expressive of +these ideas belonging to vision make up the principal part of poetic +language. That is, the Poet writes principally to the eye, the +Prose-writer uses more abstracted terms. Mr. Pope has written a bad verse +in the Windsor Forest: + + "And Kennet swift for silver Eels _renown'd_." + +The word renown'd does not present the idea of a visible object to the +mind, and is thence prosaic. But change this line thus, + +"And Kennet swift, where silver Graylings _play_." +and it becomes poetry, because the scenery is then brought before the +eye. + +_B_. This may be done in prose. + +_P_. And when it is done in a single word, it animates the prose; so it +is more agreeable to read in Mr. Gibbon's History, "Germany was at this +time _over-shadowed_ with extensive forests;" than Germany was at this +time _full_ of extensive forests. But where this mode of expression +occurs too frequently, the prose approaches to poetry: and in graver +works, where we expect to be instructed rather than amused, it becomes +tedious and impertinent. Some parts of Mr. Burke's eloquent orations +become intricate and enervated by superfluity of poetic ornament; which +quantity of ornament would have been agreeable in a poem, where much +ornament is expected. + +_B_. Is then the office of poetry only to amuse? + +_P_. The Muses are young ladies, we expect to see them dressed; though +not like some modern beauties with so much gauze and feather, that "the +Lady herself is the least part of her." There are however didactic pieces +of poetry, which are much admired, as the Georgics of Virgil, Mason's +English Garden, Hayley's Epistles; nevertheless Science is best delivered +in Prose, as its mode of reasoning is from stricter analogies than +metaphors or similies. + +_B_. Do not Personifications and Allegories distinguish poetry? + +_P_. These are other arts of bringing objects before the eye; or of +expressing sentiments in the language of vision; and are indeed better +suited to the pen than the pencil. + +_B_. That is strange, when you have just said they are used to bring +their objects before the eye. + +_P_. In poetry the personification or allegoric figure is generally +indistinct, and therefore does not strike us as forcibly as to make us +attend to its improbability; but in painting, the figures being all much +more distinct, their improbability becomes apparent, and seizes our +attention to it. Thus the person of Concealment is very indistinct and +therefore does not compel us to attend to its improbability, in the +following beautiful lines of Shakespear: + + "--She never told her love; + But let Concealment, like a worm i' th' bud, + Feed on her damask cheek."-- + +But in these lines below the person of Reason obtrudes itself into our +company, and becomes disagreeable by its distinctness, and consequent +improbability. + + "To Reason I flew, and intreated her aid, + Who paused on my case, and each circumstance weigh'd; + Then gravely reply'd in return to my prayer, + That Hebe was fairest of all that were fair. + That's a truth, reply'd I, I've no need to be taught, + I came to you, Reason, to find out a fault. + If that's all, says Reason, return as you came, + To find fault with Hebe would forfeit my name." + +Allegoric figures are on this account in general less manageable in +painting and in statuary than in poetry: and can seldom be introduced in +the two former arts in company with natural figures, as is evident +from the ridiculous effect of many of the paintings of Rubens in the +Luxemburgh gallery; and for this reason, because their improbability +becomes more striking, when there are the figures of real persons by +their side to compare them with. Mrs. Angelica Kauffman, well apprised of +this circumstance, has introduced no mortal figures amongst her Cupids +and her Graces. And the great Roubiliac, in his unrivalled monument of +Time and Fame struggling for the trophy of General Fleming, has only hung +up a medallion of the head of the hero of the piece. There are however +some allegoric figures, which we have so often heard described or seen +delineated, that we almost forget that they do not exist in common life; +and hence view them without astonishment; as the figures of the heathen +mythology, of angels, devils, death and time; and almost believe them +to be realities, even when they are mixed with representations of the +natural forms of man. Whence I conclude, that a certain degree of +probability is necessary to prevent us from revolting with distaste from +unnatural images; unless we are otherwise so much interested in the +contemplation of them as not to perceive their improbability. + +_B_. Is this reasoning about degrees of probability just?--When Sir Joshua +Reynolds, who is unequalled both in the theory and practice of his art, +and who is a great master of the pen as well as the pencil, has asserted +in a discourse delivered to the Royal Academy, December 11, 1786, that +"the higher styles of painting, like the higher kinds of the Drama, do +not aim at any thing like deception; or have any expectation, that the +spectators should think the events there represented are really passing +before them." And he then accuses Mr. Fielding of bad judgment, when he +attempts to compliment Mr. Garrick in one of his novels, by introducing +an ignorant man, mistaking the representation of a scene in Hamlet for a +reality; and thinks, because he was an ignorant man, he was less liable +to make such a mistake. + +_P_. It is a metaphysical question, and requires more attention than Sir +Joshua has bestowed upon it.--You will allow, that we are perfectly +deceived in our dreams; and that even in our waking reveries, we are +often so much absorbed in the contemplation of what passes in our +imaginations, that for a while we do not attend to the lapse of time or +to our own locality; and thus suffer a similar kind of deception as in +our dreams. That is, we believe things present before our eyes, which are +not so. + +There are two circumstances, which contribute to this compleat deception +in our dreams. First, because in sleep the organs of sense are closed or +inert, and hence the trains of ideas associated in our imaginations are +never interrupted or dissevered by the irritations of external objects, +and can not therefore be contrasted with our sensations. On this account, +though we are affected with a variety of passions in our dreams, as +anger, love, joy; yet we never experience surprize.--For surprize is only +produced when any external irritations suddenly obtrude themselves, and +dissever our passing trains of ideas. + +Secondly, because in sleep there is a total suspension of our voluntary +power, both over the muscles of our bodies, and the ideas of our minds; +for we neither walk about, nor reason in compleat sleep. Hence, as the +trains of ideas are passing in our imaginations in dreams, we cannot +compare them with our previous knowledge of things, as we do in our +waking hours; for this is a voluntary exertion; and thus we cannot +perceive their incongruity. Thus we are deprived in sleep of the only +two means by which we can distinguish the trains of ideas passing in our +imaginations, from those excited by our sensations; and are led by their +vivacity to believe them to belong to the latter. For the vivacity of +these trains of ideas, passing in the imagination, is greatly increased +by the causes above-mentioned; that is, by their not being disturbed or +dissevered either by the appulses of external bodies, as in surprize; or +by our voluntary exertions in comparing them with our previous knowledge, +of things, as in reasoning upon them. + +_B_. Now to apply. + +_P_. When by the art of the Painter or Poet a train of ideas is suggested +to our imaginations, which interests us so much by the pain or pleasure +it affords, that we cease to attend to the irritations of common external +objects, and cease also to use any voluntary efforts to compare these +interesting trains of ideas with our previous knowledge of things, a +compleat reverie is produced: during which time, however short, if it be +but for a moment, the objects themselves appear to exist before us. This, +I think, has been called by an ingenious critic "the ideal presence" of +such objects. (Elements of Criticism by Lord Kaimes). And in respect to +the compliment intended by Mr. Fielding to Mr. Garrick, it would seem +that an ignorant Rustic at the play of Hamlet, who has some previous +belief in the appearance of Ghosts, would sooner be liable to fall into +reverie, and continue in it longer, than one who possessed more knowledge +of the real nature of things, and had a greater facility of +exercising his reason. + +_B_. It must require great art in the Painter or Poet to produce this +kind of deception? + +_P_. The matter must be interesting from its sublimity, beauty, or +novelty; this is the scientific part; and the art consists in bringing +these distinctly before the eye, so as to produce (as above-mentioned) +the ideal presence of the object, in which the great Shakespear +particularly excells. + +_B_. Then it is not of any consequence whether the representations +correspond with nature? + +_P_. Not if they so much interest the reader or spectator as to induce +the reverie above described. Nature may be seen in the market-place, +or at the card-table; but we expect something more than this in the +play-house or picture-room. The further the artists recedes from nature, +the greater novelty he is likely to produce; if he rises above nature, +he produces the sublime; and beauty is probably a selection and new +combination of her most agreeable parts. Yourself will be sensible of the +truth of this doctrine by recollecting over in your mind the works of +three of our celebrated artists. Sir Joshua Reynolds has introduced +sublimity even into its portraits; we admire the representation of +persons, whose reality we should have passed by unnoticed. Mrs. Angelica +Kauffman attracts our eyes with beauty, which I suppose no where exists; +certainly few Grecian faces are seen in this country. And the daring +pencil of Fuseli transports us beyond the boundaries of nature, and +ravishes us with the charm of the most interesting novelty. And +Shakespear, who excells in all these together, so far captivates the +spectator, as to make him unmindful of every kind of violation of Time, +Place, or Existence. As at the first appearance of the Ghost of Hamlet, +"his ear must be dull as the fat weed, which roots itself on Lethe's +brink," who can attend to the improbablity of the exhibition. So in many +scenes of the Tempest we perpetually believe the action passing before +our eyes, and relapse with somewhat of distaste into common life at the +intervals of the representation. + +_B_. I suppose a poet of less ability would find such great machinery +difficult and cumbersome to manage? + +_P_. Just so, we should be mocked at the apparent improbabilities. As in +the gardens of a Scicilian nobleman, described in Mr. Brydone's and in +Mr. Swinburn's travels, there are said to be six hundred statues of +imaginary monsters, which so disgust the spectators, that the state had +once a serious design of destroying them; and yet the very improbable +monsters in Ovid's Metamorphoses have entertained the world for many +centuries. + +_B._ The monsters in your Botanic Garden, I hope, are of the latter kind? + +_P._ The candid reader must determine. + + + + THE + + LOVES + + OF THE + + PLANTS. + + + + CANTO II. + + Again the Goddess strikes the golden lyre, + And tunes to wilder notes the warbling wire; + With soft suspended step Attention moves, + And Silence hovers o'er the listening groves; +5 Orb within orb the charmed audience throng, + And the green vault reverberates the song. + "Breathe soft, ye Gales!" the fair CARLINA cries, + Bear on broad wings your Votress to the skies. + How sweetly mutable yon orient hues, +10 As Morn's fair hand her opening roses strews; + How bright, when Iris blending many a ray + Binds in embroider'd wreath the brow of Day; + Soft, when the pendant Moon with lustres pale + O'er heaven's blue arch unfurls her milky veil; +15 While from the north long threads of silver light + Dart on swift shuttles o'er the tissued night! + + +[_Carlina._ l. 7. Carline Thistle. Of the class Confederate Males. The +seeds of this and of many other plants of the same class are furnished +with a plume, by which admirable mechanism they perform long aerial +journeys, crossing lakes and deserts, and are thus disseminated far from +the original plant, and have much the appearance of a Shuttlecock as they +fly. The wings are of different construction, some being like a divergent +tuft of hairs, others are branched like feathers, some are elevated from +the crown of the seed by a slender foot-stalk, which gives, than a very +elegant appearance, others sit immediately on the crown of the seed. + +Nature has many other curious vegetable contrivances for the dispersion +of seeds: see note on Helianthus. But perhaps none of them has more the +appearance of design than the admirable apparatus of Tillandsia for this +purpose. This plant grows on the branches of trees, like the misleto, and +never on the ground; the seeds are furnished with many long threads on +their crowns; which, as they are driven forwards by the winds, wrap round +the arms of trees, and thus hold them fast till they vegetate. This it +very analogous to the migration of Spiders on the gossamer, who are said +to attach themselves to the end of a long thread, and rise thus to the +tops of trees or buildings, as the accidental breezes carry them.] + + + "Breathe soft, ye Zephyrs! hear my fervent sighs, + Bear on broad wings your Votress to the skies!"-- + --Plume over plume in long divergent lines +20 On whale-bone ribs the fair Mechanic joins; + Inlays with eider down the silken strings, + And weaves in wide expanse Dædalian wings; + Round her bold sons the waving pennons binds, + And walks with angel-step upon the winds. + +25 So on the shoreless air the intrepid Gaul + Launch'd the vast concave of his buoyant ball.-- + Journeying on high, the silken castle glides + Bright as a meteor through the azure tides; + O'er towns and towers and temples wins its way, +30 Or mounts sublime, and gilds the vault of day. + Silent with upturn'd eyes unbreathing crowds + Pursue the floating wonder to the clouds; + And, flush'd with transport or benumb'd with fear, + Watch, as it rises, the diminish'd sphere. +35 --Now less and less!--and now a speck is seen!-- + And now the fleeting rack obtrudes between!-- + With bended knees, raised arms, and suppliant brow + To every shrine with mingled cries they vow.-- + "Save Him, ye Saints! who o'er the good preside; +40 "Bear Him, ye Winds! ye Stars benignant! guide." + --The calm Philosopher in ether fails, + Views broader stars, and breathes in purer gales; + Sees, like a map, in many a waving line + Round Earth's blue plains her lucid waters mine; +45 Sees at his feet the forky lightnings glow, + And hears innocuous thunders roar below. + ----Rife, great MONGOLFIER! urge thy venturous flight + High o'er the Moon's pale ice-reflected light; + High o'er the pearly Star, whose beamy horn. +50 Hangs in the east, gay harbinger of morn; + Leave the red eye of Mars on rapid wing; + Jove's silver guards, and Saturn's dusky ring; + Leave the fair beams, which, issuing from afar; + Play with new lustres round the Georgian star; +55 Shun with strong oars the Sun's attractive throne, + The sparkling zodiack, and the milky zone; + Where headlong Comets with increasing force + Through other systems bend their blazing course.-- + For thee Cassiope her chair withdraws, +60 For thee the Bear retracts his shaggy paws; + High o'er the North thy golden orb shall roll, + And blaze eternal round the wondering pole. + So Argo, rising from the southern main, + Lights with new stars the blue etherial plain; +65 With favoring beams the mariner protects, + And the bold course, which first it steer'd, directs. + + Inventress of the Woof, fair LINA flings + The flying shuttle through the dancing strings; + + +[_For thee the Bear._ l. 60. Tibi jam brachia contrahit ardens Scorpius. +Virg. Georg. l. 1. 34. A new star appeared in Cassiope's chair in 1572. +Herschel's Construction of the Heavens. Phil. Trans. V. 75. p. 266.] + +[_Linum._ l. 67. Flax Five males and five females. It was first found on +the banks of the Nile. The Linum Lusitanicum, or portigal flax, has ten +males: see the note on Curcuma. Isis was said to invent spinning and +weaving: mankind before that time were clothed with the skins of animals. +The fable of Arachne was to compliment this new art of spinning and +weaving, supposed to surpass in fineness the web of the Spider.] + + + Inlays the broider'd weft with flowery dyes, +70 Quick beat the reeds, the pedals fall and rise; + Slow from the beam the lengths of warp unwind, + And dance and nod the massy weights behind.-- + Taught by her labours, from the fertile soil + Immortal Isis clothed the banks of Nile; +75 And fair ARACHNE with her rival loom + Found undeserved a melancholy doom.-- + _Five_ Sister-nymphs with dewy fingers twine + The beamy flax, and stretch the fibre-line; + Quick eddying threads from rapid spindles reel, +80 Or whirl with beaten foot the dizzy wheel. + --Charm'd round the busy Fair _five_ shepherds press, + Praise the nice texture of their snowy dress, + Admire the Artists, and the art approve, + And tell with honey'd words the tale of love. + +85 So now, where Derwent rolls his dusky floods + Through vaulted mountains, and a night of woods, + The Nymph, GOSSYPIA, treads the velvet sod, + And warms with rosy smiles the watery God; + His ponderous oars to slender spindles turns, +90 And pours o'er massy wheels his foamy urns; + With playful charms her hoary lover wins, + And wields his trident,--while the Monarch spins. + --First with nice eye emerging Naiads cull + From leathery pods the vegetable wool; + + +[_Gossypia_. l. 87. Gossypium. The cotton plant. On the river Derwent near +Matlock in Derbyshire, Sir RICHARD ARKWRIGHT has created his curious +and magnificent machinery for spinning cotton; which had been in vain +attempted by many ingenious artists before him. The cotton-wool is first +picked from the pods and seeds by women. It is then carded by _cylindrical +cards_, which move against each other, with different velocities. It is +taken from these by an _iron-hand_ or comb, which has a motion similar to +that of scratching, and takes the wool off the cards longitudinally in +respect to the fibres or staple, producing a continued line loosely +cohering, called the _Rove_ or _Roving_. This Rove, yet very loosely +twisted, is then received or drawn into a _whirling canister_, and is +rolled by the centrifugal force in spiral lines within it; being yet too +tender for the spindle. It is then passed between _two pairs of rollers_; +the second pair moving faster than the first elongate the thread with +greater equality than can be done by the hand; and is then twisted on +spoles or bobbins. + +The great fertility of the Cotton-plant in these fine flexile threads, +whilst those from Flax, Hemp, and Nettles, or from the bark of the +Mulberry-tree, require a previous putrefection of the parenchymatous +substance, and much mechanical labour, and afterwards bleaching, renders +this plant of great importance to the world. And since Sir Richard +Arkwright's ingenious machine has not only greatly abbreviated and +simplefied the labour and art of carding and spinning the Cotton-wool, +but performs both these circumstances _better_ than can be done by hand, +it is probable, that the clothing of this small seed will become the +principal clothing of mankind; though animal wool and silk may be +preferable in colder climates, as they are more imperfect conductors of +heat, and are thence a warmer clothing.] + + +95 With wiry teeth _revolving cards_ release + The tanged knots, and smooth the ravell'd fleece; + Next moves the _iron-band_ with fingers fine, + Combs the wide card, and forms the eternal line; + Slow, with soft lips, the _whirling Can_ acquires +100 The tender skeins, and wraps in rising spires; + With quicken'd pace _successive rollers_ move, + And these retain, and those extend the _rove_; + Then fly the spoles, the rapid axles glow;-- + And slowly circumvolves the labouring wheel below. + +105 PAPYRA, throned upon the banks of Nile, + Spread her smooth leaf, and waved her silver style. + + +[_Cyperus. Papyrus._ l. 105. Three males, one female. The leaf of this +plant was first used for paper, whence the word _paper_; and leaf, +or folium, for a fold of a book. Afterwards the bark of a species of +mulberry was used; whence _liber_ signifies a book, and the bark of a +tree. Before the invention of letters mankind may be said to have been +perpetually in their infancy, as the arts of one age or country generally +died with their inventors. Whence arose the policy, which still continues +in Indostan, of obliging the son to practice the profession of his +father. After the discovery of letters, the facts of Astronomy and +Chemistry became recorded in written language, though the antient +hieroglyphic characters for the planets and metals continue in use at +this day. The antiquity of the invention of music, of astronomical +observations, and the manufacture of Gold and Iron, are recorded in +Scripture.] + + + --The storied pyramid, the laurel'd bust, + The trophy'd arch had crumbled into dust; + The sacred symbol, and the epic song, +110 (Unknown the character, forgot the tongue,) + With each unconquer'd chief, or fainted maid, + Sunk undistinguish'd in Oblivion's shade. + Sad o'er the scatter'd ruins Genius sigh'd, + And infant Arts but learn'd to lisp and died. +115 Till to astonish'd realms PAPYRA taught + To paint in mystic colours Sound and Thought. + With Wisdom's voice to print the page sublime, + And mark in adamant the steps of Time. + --Three favour'd youths her soft attention share, +120 The fond disciples of the studious Fair, + + +[About twenty letters, ten cyphers, and seven crotches, represent by +their numerous combinations all our ideas and sensations! the musical +characters are probably arrived at their perfection, unless emphasis, and +tone, and swell could be expressed, as well as note and time. Charles +the Twelfth of Sweden had a design to have introduced a numeration by +squares, instead of by decimation, which might have served the purposes +of philosophy better than the present mode, which is said to be of +Arabic invention. The alphabet is yet in a very imperfect state; perhaps +seventeen letters could express all the simple sounds in the European +languages. In China they have not yet learned to divide their words +into syllables, and are thence necessitated to employ many thousand +characters; it is said above eighty thousand. It is to be wished, in +this ingenious age, that the European nations would accord to reform our +alphabet.] + + + Hear her sweet voice, the golden process prove; + Gaze, as they learn; and, as they listen, love. + _The first_ from Alpha to Omega joins + The letter'd tribes along the level lines; +125 Weighs with nice ear the vowel, liquid, surd, + And breaks in syllables the volant word. + Then forms _the next_ upon the marshal'd plain + In deepening ranks his dexterous cypher-train; + And counts, as wheel the decimating bands, +130 The dews of Ægypt, or Arabia's sands, + And then _the third_ on four concordant lines + Prints the lone crotchet, and the quaver joins; + Marks the gay trill, the solemn pause inscribes, + And parts with bars the undulating tribes. +135 Pleased round her cane-wove throne, the applauding crowd + Clap'd their rude hands, their swarthy foreheads bow'd; + With loud acclaim "a present God!" they cry'd, + "A present God!" rebellowing shores reply'd-- + Then peal'd at intervals with mingled swell +140 The echoing harp, shrill clarion, horn, and shell; + While Bards ecstatic, bending o'er the lyre, + Struck deeper chords, and wing'd the song with fire. + Then mark'd Astronomers with keener eyes + The Moon's refulgent journey through the skies; +145 Watch'd the swift Comets urge their blazing cars, + And weigh'd the Sun with his revolving Stars. + High raised the Chemists their Hermetic wands, + (And changing forms obey'd their waving hands,) + Her treasur'd gold from Earth's deep chambers tore, +150 Or fused and harden'd her chalybeate ore. + All with bent knee from fair PAPYRA claim + Wove by her hands the wreath of deathless fame. + --Exulting Genius crown'd his darling child, + The young Arts clasp'd her knees, and Virtue smiled. + +155 So now DELANY forms her mimic bowers, + Her paper foliage, and her silken flowers; + + +[_So now Delany_. l. 155. Mrs. Delany has finished nine hundred and +seventy accurate and elegant representations of different vegetables +with the parts of their flowers, fructification, &c. according with the +classification of Linneus, in what she terms paper-mosaic. She began this +work at the age of 74, when her sight would no longer serve her to paint, +in which she much excelled; between her age of 74 and 82, at which time +her eyes quite failed her, she executed the curious Hortus ficcus +above-mentioned, which I suppose contains a greater number of plants +than were ever before drawn from the life by any one person. Her method +consisted in placing the leaves of each plant with the petals, and all +the other parts of the flowers, on coloured paper, and cutting them with +scissars accurately to the natural size and form, and then parting them +on a dark ground; the effect of which is wonderful, and their accuracy +less liable to fallacy than drawings. She is at this time (1788) in her +89th year, with all the powers of a fine understanding still unimpaired. +I am informed another very ingenious lady, Mrs. North, is constructing a +similar Hortus ficcus, or Paper-garden; which she executes on a ground of +vellum with such elegant taste and scientific accuracy, that it cannot +fail to become a work of inestimable value.] + + + Her virgin train the tender scissars ply, + Vein the green leaf, the purple petal dye: + Round wiry stems the flaxen tendril bends, +160 Moss creeps below, and waxen fruit impends. + Cold Winter views amid his realms of snow + DELANY'S vegetable statues blow; + Smooths his stern brow, delays his hoary wing, + And eyes with wonder all the blooms of spring. + +165 The gentle LAPSANA, NYMPHÆA fair, + And bright CALENDULA with golden hair, + + +[_Lapsana, Nymphæa alba, Calendula_. l. 165. And many other flowers close +and open their petals at certain hours of the day; and thus constitute +what Linneus calls the Horologe, or Watch of Flora. He enumerates 46 +flowers, which possess this kind of sensibility. I shall mention a few of +them with their respective hours of rising and setting, as Linneus terms +them. He divides them first into _meteoric_ flowers, which less accurately +observe the hour of unfolding, but are expanded sooner or later, according +to the cloudiness, moisture, or pressure of the atmosphere. 2d. _Tropical_ +flowers open in the morning and close before evening every day; but the +hour of the expanding becomes earlier or later, at the length of the day +increases or decreases. 3dly. _Æquinoctial_ flowers, which open at a +certain and exact hour of the day, and for the most part close at another +determinate hour. + +Hence the Horologe or Watch of Flora is formed from numerous plants, of +which the following are those most common in this country. Leontodon +taraxacum, Dandelion, opens at 5--6, closes at 8--9. Hieracium pilosella, +mouse-ear hawkweed, opens at 8, closes at 2. Sonchus lævis, smooth +Sow-thistle, at 5 and at 11--12. Lactuca sativa, cultivated Lettice, at +7 and jo. Tragopogon luteum, yellow Goatsbeard, at 3--5 and at 9--10. +Lapsana, nipplewort, at 5--6 and at 10--1. Nymphæa alba, white water +lily, at 7 and 5. Papaver nudicaule, naked poppy, at 5 and at 7. +Hemerecallis fulva, tawny Day-lily, at 5 and at 7--8. Convolvulus, at +5--6. Malva, Mallow, at 9--10, and at 1. Arenarea purpurea, purple +Sandwort, at 9--10, and at 2--3. Anagallis, pimpernel, at 7--8. Portulaca +hortensis, garden Purilain, at 9--10, and at 11--12. Dianthus prolifer, +proliferous Pink, at 8 and at 1. Cichoreum, Succory, at 4--5. +Hypochiaeris, at 6--7, and at 4--5. Crepis at 4--5, and at 10--II. +Picris, at 4--5, and at 12. Calendula field, at 9, and at 3. Calendula +African, at 7, and at 3--4. + +As these observations were probably made in the botanic gardens at Upsal, +they must require further attention to suit them to our climate. See +Stillingfleet Calendar of Flora.] + + + Watch with nice eye the Earth's diurnal way, + Marking her solar and sidereal day, + Her slow nutation, and her varying clime, +170 And trace with mimic art the march of Time; + Round his light foot a magic chain they fling, + And count the quick vibrations of his wing.-- + First in its brazen cell reluctant roll'd + Bends the dark spring in many a steely fold; +175 On spiral brass is stretch'd the wiry thong, + Tooth urges tooth, and wheel drives wheel along; + In diamond-eyes the polish'd axles flow, + Smooth slides the hand, the ballance pants below. + Round the white circlet in relievo bold +180 A Serpent twines his scaly length in gold; + And brightly pencil'd on the enamel'd sphere + Live the fair trophies of the passing year. + --Here _Time's_ huge fingers grasp his giant-mace, + And dash proud Superstition from her base, +185 Rend her strong towers and gorgeous fanes, and shed + The crumbling fragments round her guilty head. + There the gay _Hours_, whom wreaths of roses deck, + Lead their young trains amid the cumberous wreck; + And, slowly purpling o'er the mighty waste, +190 Plant the fair growths of Science and of Taste. + While each light _Moment_, as it dances by + With feathery foot and pleasure-twinkling eye, + Feeds from its baby-hand, with many a kiss, + The callow nestlings of domestic Bliss. + +195 As yon gay clouds, which canopy the skies, + Change their thin forms, and lose their lucid dyes; + So the soft bloom of Beauty's vernal charms + Fades in our eyes, and withers in our arms. + --Bright as the silvery plume, or pearly shell, +200 The snow-white rose, or lily's virgin bell, + The fair HELLEBORAS attractive shone, + Warm'd every Sage, and every Shepherd won.-- + Round the gay sisters press the _enamour'd bands_, + And seek with soft solicitude their hands. +205 --Ere while how chang'd!--in dim suffusion lies + The glance divine, that lighten'd in their eyes; + + +[_Helleborus_. I. 201. Many males, many females. The Helleborus niger, +or Christmas rose, has a large beautiful white flower, adorned with a +circle of tubular two-lipp'd nectarics. After impregnation the flower +undergoes a remarkable change, the nectaries drop off, but the white +corol remains, and gradually becomes quite green. This curious +metamorphose of the corol, when the nectaries fall off, seems to shew +that the white juices of the corol were before carried to the nectaries, +for the purpose of producing honey: because when these nectaries fall +off, no more of the white juice is secreted in the corol, but it becomes +green, and degenerates into a calyx. See note on Lonicera. The nectary of +the Tropaeolum, garden nasturtion, is a coloured horn growing from the +calyx.] + + + Cold are those lips, where smiles seductive hung, + And the weak accents linger on their tongue; + Each roseat feature fades to livid green,-- +210 --Disgust with face averted shuts the scene. + + So from his gorgeous throne, which awed the world, + The mighty Monarch of the east was hurl'd, + To dwell with brutes beneath the midnight storm, + By Heaven's just vengeance changed in mind and form. +215 --Prone to the earth He bends his brow superb, + Crops the young floret and the bladed herb; + Lolls his red tongue, and from the reedy side + Of slow Euphrates laps the muddy tide. + Long eagle-plumes his arching neck invest, +220 Steal round his arms, and clasp his sharpen'd breast; + Dark brinded hairs in bristling ranks, behind, + Rise o'er his back, and rustle in the wind, + Clothe his lank sides, his shrivel'd limbs surround, + And human hands with talons print the ground. +225 Silent in shining troops the Courtier-throng + Pursue their monarch as he crawls along; + E'en Beauty pleads in vain with smiles and tears, + Nor Flattery's self can pierce his pendant ears. + + _Two_ Sister-Nymphs to Ganges' flowery brink +230 Bend their light steps, the lucid water drink, + Wind through the dewy rice, and nodding canes, + (As _eight_ black Eunuchs guard the sacred plains), + With playful malice watch the scaly brood, + And shower the inebriate berries on the flood.-- +235 Stay in your crystal chambers, silver tribes! + Turn your bright eyes, and shun the dangerous bribes; + The tramel'd net with less destruction sweeps + Your curling shallows, and your azure deeps; + With less deceit, the gilded fly beneath, +240 Lurks the fell hook unseen,--to taste is death!-- + --Dim your slow eyes, and dull your pearly coat, + Drunk on the waves your languid forms shall float, + + +[_Two Sister-Nymphs._ l. 229. Menispernum. Cocculus. Indian berry. Two +houses, twelve males. In the female flower there are two styles and eight +filaments without anthers on their summits; which are called by Linneus +eunuchs. See the note on Curcuma. The berry intoxicates fish. Saint +Anthony of Padua, when the people refused to hear him, preached to the +fish, and converted them. Addison's travels in Italy.] + + + On useless fins in giddy circles play, + And Herons and Otters seize you for their prey.-- + +245 So, when the Saint from Padua's graceless land + In silent anguish sought the barren strand, + High on the shatter'd beech sublime He stood, + Still'd with his waving arm the babbling flood; + "To Man's dull ear," He cry'd, "I call in vain, + "Hear me, ye scaly tenants of the main!"-- +250 Misshapen Seals approach in circling flocks, + In dusky mail the Tortoise climbs the rocks, + Torpedoes, Sharks, Rays, Porpus, Dolphins, pour + Their twinkling squadrons round the glittering shore; +255 With tangled fins, behind, huge Phocæ glide, + And Whales and Grampi swell the distant tide. + Then kneel'd the hoary Seer, to heaven address'd + His fiery eyes, and smote his sounding breast; + "Bless ye the Lord!" with thundering voice he cry'd, +260 "Bless ye the Lord!" the bending shores reply'd; + The winds and waters caught the sacred word, + And mingling echoes shouted "Bless the Lord!" + The listening shoals the quick contagion feel, + Pant on the floods, inebriate with their zeal, +265 Ope their wide jaws, and bow their slimy heads, + And dash with frantic fins their foamy beds. + + Sopha'd on silk, amid her charm-built towers, + Her meads of asphodel, and amaranth bowers, + Where Sleep and Silence guard the soft abodes, +270 In sullen apathy PAPAVER nods. + Faint o'er her couch in scintillating streams + Pass the thin forms of Fancy and of Dreams; + Froze by inchantment on the velvet ground + Fair youths and beauteous ladies glitter round; + + +[_Papaver_. l. 270. Poppy. Many males, many females. The plants of this +class are almost all of them poisonous; the finest opium is procured by +wounding the heads of large poppies with a three-edged knife, and +tying muscle-shells to them to catch the drops. In small quantities it +exhilarates the mind, raises the passions, and invigorates the body: in +large ones it is succeeded by intoxication, languor, stupor and death. +It is customary in India for a messenger to travel above a hundred miles +without rest or food, except an appropriated bit of opium for himself, +and a larger one for his horse at certain stages. The emaciated and +decrepid appearance, with the ridiculous and idiotic gestures, of the +opium-eaters in Constantinople is well described in the Memoirs of Baron +de Tott.] + + +275 On crystal pedestals they seem to sigh, + Bend the meek knee, and lift the imploring eye. + --And now the Sorceress bares her shrivel'd hand, + And circles thrice in air her ebon wand; + Flush'd with new life descending statues talk, +280 The pliant marble softening as they walk; + With deeper sobs reviving lovers breathe, + Fair bosoms rise, and soft hearts pant beneath; + With warmer lips relenting damsels speak, + And kindling blushes tinge the Parian cheek; +285 To viewless lutes aërial voices sing, + And hovering Loves are heard on rustling wing. + --She waves her wand again!--fresh horrors seize + Their stiffening limbs, their vital currents freeze; + By each cold nymph her marble lover lies, +290 And iron slumbers seal their glassy eyes. + So with his dread Caduceus HERMES led + From the dark regions of the imprison'd dead, + Or drove in silent shoals the lingering train + To Night's dull shore, and PLUTO'S dreary reign +295 So with her waving pencil CREWE commands + The realms of Taste, and Fancy's fairy lands; + Calls up with magic voice the shapes, that sleep + In earth's dark bosom, or unfathom'd deep; + That shrined in air on viewless wings aspire, +300 Or blazing bathe in elemental fire. + As with nice touch her plaistic hand she moves, + Rise the fine forms of Beauties, Graces, Loves; + Kneel to the fair Inchantress, smile or sigh, + And fade or flourish, as she turns her eye. + +305 Fair CISTA, rival of the rosy dawn, + Call'd her light choir, and trod the dewy lawn; + Hail'd with rude melody the new-born May, + As cradled yet in April's lap she lay. + + +[_So with her waving pencil._ l. 295. Alluding to the many beautiful +paintings by Miss EMMA CREWE; to whom the author is indebted for the very +elegant Frontispiece, where Flora, at play with Cupid, is loading him +with garden-tools.] + +[_Cistus labdaniferus._ l. 304. Many males, one female. The petals of this +beautiful and fragrant shrub, as well as of the Oenothera, tree primrose, +and others, continue expanded but a few hours, falling off about noon, or +soon after, in hot weather. The most beautiful flowers of the Cactus +grandiflorus (see Cerea) are of equally short duration, but have their +existence in the night. And the flowers of the Hibiscus trionum are said +to continue but a single hour. The courtship between the males and females +in these flowers might be easily watched; the males are said to approach +and recede from the females alternately. The flowers of the Hibiscus +sinensis, mutable rose, live in the West Indies, their native climate, +but one day; but have this remarkable property, they are white at the +first expansion, then change to deep red, and become purple as they +decay. + +The gum or resin of this fragrant vegetable is collected from extensive +underwoods of it in the East by a singular contrivance. Long leathern +thongs are tied to poles and cords, and drawn over the tops of these +shrubs about noon; which thus collect the dust of the anthers, which +adheres to the leather, and is occasionally scraped off. Thus in some +degree is the manner imitated, in which the bee collects on his thighs +and legs the same material for the construction of his combs.] + + + I. + + "Born in yon blaze of orient sky, +310 "Sweet MAY! thy radiant form unfold; + "Unclose thy blue voluptuous eye, + "And wave thy shadowy locks of gold. + + II. + + "For Thee the fragrant zephyrs blow, + "For Thee descends the sunny shower; +315 "The rills in softer murmurs slow, + "And brighter blossoms gem the bower. + + III. + + "Light Graces dress'd in flowery wreaths + "And tiptoe Joys their hands combine; + "And Love his sweet contagion breathes, +320 "And laughing dances round thy shrine. + + IV. + + "Warm with new life the glittering throngs + "On quivering fin and rustling wing + "Delighted join their votive songs, + "And hail thee, GODDESS OF THE SPRING." + +325 O'er the green brinks of Severn's oozy bed, + In changeful rings, her sprightly troop She led; + PAN tripp'd before, where Eudness shades the mead, + And blew with glowing lip his sevenfold reed; + Emerging Naiads swell'd the jocund strain, +330 And aped with mimic step the dancing train.-- + + +[_Sevenfold reed._ I. 328. The sevenfold reed, with which Pan is +frequently described, seems to indicate, that he was the inventor of the + musical gamut.] + + + "I faint, I fall!"--_at noon_ the Beauty cried, + "Weep o'er my tomb, ye Nymphs!"--and sunk and died. + --Thus, when white Winter o'er the shivering clime + Drives the still snow, or showers the silver rime; +335 As the lone shepherd o'er the dazzling rocks + Prints his steep step, and guides his vagrant flocks; + Views the green holly veil'd in network nice, + Her vermil clusters twinkling in the ice; + Admires the lucid vales, and slumbering floods, +340 Fantastic cataracts, and crystal woods, + Transparent towns, with seas of milk between, + And eyes with transport the refulgent scene:-- + If breaks the sunshine o'er the spangled trees, + Or flits on tepid wing the western breeze, +345 In liquid dews descends the transient glare, + And all the glittering pageant melts in air. + Where Andes hides his cloud-wreath'd crest in snow, + And roots his base on burning sands below; + Cinchona, fairest of Peruvian maids +350 To Health's bright Goddess in the breezy glades + On Quito's temperate plain an altar rear'd, + Trill'd the loud hymn, the solemn prayer preferr'd: + Each balmy bud she cull'd, and honey'd flower, + And hung with fragrant wreaths the sacred bower; +355 Each pearly sea she search'd, and sparkling mine, + And piled their treasures on the gorgeous shrine; + Her suppliant voice for sickening Loxa raised, + Sweet breath'd the gale, and bright the censor blazed. + + --"Divine HYGEIA! on thy votaries bend +360 Thy angel-looks, oh, hear us, and defend! + While streaming o'er the night with baleful glare + The star of Autumn rays his misty hair; + Fierce from his fens the Giant AGUE springs, + And wrapp'd in fogs descends on vampire wings; + + +[_Cinchona_. l. 349. Peruvian bark-tree. Five males, and one +female. Several of these trees were felled for other purposes into a +lake, when an epidemic fever of a very mortal kind prevailed at Loxa in +Peru, and the woodmen, accidentally drinking the water, were cured; and +thus were discovered the virtues of this famous drug.] + + +365 "Before, with shuddering limbs cold Tremor reels, + And Fever's burning nostril dogs his heels; + Loud claps the grinning Fiend his iron hands, + Stamps with his marble feet, and shouts along the lands; + Withers the damask cheek, unnerves the strong, +370 And drives with scorpion-lash the shrieking throng. + Oh, Goddess! on thy kneeling votaries bend + Thy angel-looks, oh, hear us, and defend!" + --HYGEIA, leaning from the blest abodes, + The crystal mansions of the immortal gods, +375 Saw the sad Nymph uplift her dewy eyes, + Spread her white arms, and breathe her fervid sighs; + Call'd to her fair associates, Youth, and Joy, + And shot all-radiant through the glittering sky; + Loose waved behind her golden train of hair, +380 Her sapphire mantle swam diffus'd in air.-- + O'er the grey matted moss, and pansied sod, + With step sublime the glowing Goddess trod, + Gilt with her beamy eye the conscious shade, + And with her smile celestial bless'd the maid. +385 "Come to my arms," with seraph voice she cries, + "Thy vows are heard, benignant Nymph! arise; + Where yon aspiring trunks fantastic wreath + Their mingled roots, and drink the rill beneath, + Yield to the biting axe thy sacred wood, +390 And strew the bitter foliage on the flood." + In silent homage bow'd the blushing maid,-- + _Five_ youths athletic hasten to her aid, + O'er the scar'd hills re-echoing strokes resound, + And headlong forests thunder on the ground. +395 Round the dark roots, rent bark, and shatter'd boughs, + From ocherous beds the swelling fountain flows; + With streams austere its winding margin laves, + And pours from vale to vale its dusky waves. + --As the pale squadrons, bending o'er the brink, +400 View with a sigh their alter'd forms, and drink; + Slow-ebbing life with refluent crimson breaks + O'er their wan lips, and paints their haggard cheeks; + Through each fine nerve rekindling transports dart, + Light the quick eye, and swell the exulting heart. +405 --Thus ISRAEL's heaven-taught chief o'er trackless lands + Led to the sultry rock his murmuring bands. + Bright o'er his brows the forky radiance blazed, + And high in air the rod divine He raised.-- + Wide yawns the cliff!--amid the thirsty throng +410 Rush the redundant waves, and shine along; + With gourds and shells and helmets press the bands, + Ope their parch'd lips, and spread their eager hands, + Snatch their pale infants to the exuberant shower, + Kneel on the shatter'd rock, and bless the Almighty Power. + +415 Bolster'd with down, amid a thousand wants, + Pale Dropsy rears his bloated form, and pants; + "Quench me, ye cool pellucid rills!" he cries, + Wets his parch'd tongue, and rolls his hollow eyes. + So bends tormented TANTALUS to drink, +420 While from his lips the refluent waters shrink; + Again the rising stream his bosom laves, + And Thirst consumes him 'mid circumfluent waves. + --Divine HYGEIA, from the bending sky + Descending, listens to his piercing cry; +425 Assumes bright DIGITALIS' dress and air, + Her ruby cheek, white neck, and raven hair; + _Four_ youths protect her from the circling throng, + And like the Nymph the Goddess steps along.-- + --O'er Him She waves her serpent-wreathed wand, +430 Cheers with her voice, and raises with her hand, + Warms with rekindling bloom his visage wan, + And charms the shapeless monster into man. + + +[_Digitalis_. l. 425. Of the class Two Powers. Four males, one female, +Foxglove. The effect of this plant in that kind of Dropsy, which is +termed anasarca, where the legs and thighs are much swelled, attended +with great difficulty of breathing, is truly astonishing. In the ascites +accompanied with anasarca of people past the meridian of life it will +also sometimes succeed. The method of administering it requires some +caution, as it is liable, in greater doses, to induce very violent and +debilitating sickness, which continues one or two days, during which time +the dropsical collection however disappears. One large spoonful, or half +an ounce, of the following decoction, given twice a day, will generally +succeed in a few days. But in more robust people, one large spoonful +every two hours, till four spoonfuls are taken, or till sickness occurs, +will evacuate the dropsical swellings with greater certainty, but is +liable to operate more violently. Boil four ounces of the fresh leaves of +purple Foxglove (which leaves may be had at all seasons of the year) from +two pints of water to twelve ounces; add to the strained liquor, while +yet warm, three ounces of rectified spirit of wine. A theory of the +effects of this medicine, with many successful cases, may be seen in a +pamphlet, called, "Experiments on Mucilaginous and Purulent Matter," +published by Dr. Darwin in 1780. Sold by Cadell, London.] + + + So when Contagion with mephitic breath + And withered Famine urged the work of death; +435 Marseilles' good Bishop, London's generous Mayor, + With food and faith, with medicine and with prayer, + Raised the weak head and stayed the parting sigh, + Or with new life relumed the swimming eye.-- +440 --And now, PHILANTHROPY! thy rays divine + Dart round the globe from Zembla to the Line; + O'er each dark prison plays the cheering light, + Like northern lustres o'er the vault of night.-- + + +[_Marseillle's good Bishop_. l. 435. In the year 1720 and 1722 the +Plague made dreadful havock at Marseilles; at which time the Bishop +was indefatigable in the execution of his pastoral office, visiting, +relieving, encouraging, and absolving the sick with extream tenderness; +and though perpetually exposed to the infection, like Sir John Lawrence +mentioned below, they both are said to have escaped the disease.] + +[_London's generous Mayor_, l. 435. During the great Plague at London in +the year 1665, Sir John Lawrence, the then Lord Mayor, continued the +whole time in the city; heard complaints, and redressed them; enforced +the wisest regulations then known, and saw them executed. The day after +the disease was known with certainty to be the Plague, above 40,000 +servants were dismissed, and turned into the streets to perish, for no +one would receive them into their houses; and the villages near London +drove them away with pitch-forks and fire-arms. Sir John Lawrence +supported them all, as well as the needy who were sick, at first by +expending his own fortune, till subscriptions could be solicited and +received from all parts of the nation. _Journal of the Plague-year, +Printed for E. Nutt, &c. at the R. Exchange_. 1722.] + + + From realm to realm, with cross or crescent crown'd, + Where'er Mankind and Misery are found, +445 O'er burning sands, deep waves, or wilds of snow, + Thy HOWARD journeying seeks the house of woe. + Down many a winding step to dungeons dank, + Where anguish wails aloud, and fetters clank; + To caves bestrew'd with many a mouldering bone, +450 And cells, whose echoes only learn to groan; + Where no kind bars a whispering friend disclose, + No sunbeam enters, and no zephyr blows, + HE treads, inemulous of fame or wealth, + Profuse of toil, and prodigal of health; +455 With soft assuasive eloquence expands + Power's rigid heart, and opes his clenching hands; + Leads stern-ey'd Justice to the dark domains, + If not to fever, to relax the chains; + Or guides awaken'd Mercy through the gloom, +460 And shews the prison, sister to the tomb!-- + Gives to her babes the self-devoted wife, + To her fond husband liberty and life!-- + --The Spirits of the Good, who bend from high + Wide o'er these earthly scenes their partial eye, +465 When first, array'd in VIRTUE'S purest robe, + They saw her HOWARD traversing the globe; + Saw round his brows her sun-like Glory blaze + In arrowy circles of unwearied rays; + Mistook a Mortal for an Angel-Guest, +470 And ask'd what Seraph-foot the earth imprest. + --Onward he moves!--Disease and Death retire, + And murmuring Demons hate him, and admire." + + Here paused the Goddess,--on HYGEIA'S shrine + Obsequious Gnomes repose the lyre divine; +475 Descending Sylphs relax the trembling strings, + And catch the rain-drops on their shadowy wings. + --And now her vase a modest Naiad fills + With liquid crystal from her pebbly rills; + Piles the dry cedar round her silver urn, +480 (Bright climbs the blaze, the crackling faggots burn), + Culls the green herb of China's envy'd bowers, + In gaudy cups the steamy treasure pours; + And, sweetly-smiling, on her bended knee + Presents the fragrant quintessence of Tea. + + + INTERLUDE II. + +_Bookseller._ The monsters of your Botanic Garden are as surprising as +the bulls with brazen feet, and the fire-breathing dragons, which guarded +the Hesperian fruit; yet are they not disgusting, nor mischievous: and +in the manner you have chained them together in your exhibition, they +succeed each other amusingly enough, like prints of the London Cries, +wrapped upon rollers, with a glass before them. In this at least they +resemble the monsters in Ovid's Metamorphoses; but your similies, I +suppose, are Homeric? + +_Poet._ The great Bard well understood how to make use of this kind of +ornament in Epic Poetry. He brings his valiant heroes into the field with +much parade, and sets them a fighting with great fury; and then, after a +few thrusts and parries, he introduces a long string of similies. During +this the battle is supposed to continue; and thus the time necessary for +the action is gained in our imaginations; and a degree of probability +produced, which contributes to the temporary deception or reverie of the +reader. + +But the similies of Homer have another agreeable characteristic; they +do not quadrate, or go upon all fours (as it is called), like the more +formal similies of some modern writers; any one resembling feature seems +to be with him a sufficient excuse for the introduction of this kind of +digression; he then proceeds to deliver some agreeable poetry on this new +subject, and thus converts every simile into a kind of short episode. + +_B._ Then a simile should not very accurately resemble the subject? + +_P._ No; it would then become a philosophical analogy, it would be +ratiocination instead of poetry: it need only so far resemble the +subject, as poetry itself ought to resemble nature. It should have so +much sublimity, beauty, or novelty, as to interest the reader; and should +be expressed in picturesque language, so as to bring the scenery before +his eye; and should lastly bear so much veri-similitude as not to awaken +him by the violence of improbability or incongruity. + +_B._ May not the reverie of the reader be dissipated or disturbed by +disagreeable images being presented to his imagination, as well as by +improbable or incongruous ones? _P_. Certainly; he will endeavour to +rouse himself from a disagreeable reverie, as from the night-mare. And +from this may be discovered the line of boundary between the Tragic and +the Horrid: which line, however, will veer a little this way or that, +according to the prevailing manners of the age or country, and the +peculiar associations of ideas, or idiosyncracy of mind, of individuals. +For instance, if an artist should represent the death of an officer in +battle, by shewing a little blood on the bosom of his shirt, as if a +bullet had there penetrated, the dying figure would affect the beholder +with pity; and if fortitude was at the same time expressed in his +countenance, admiration would be added to our pity. On the contrary, if +the artist should chuse to represent his thigh as shot away by a cannon +ball, and should exhibit the bleeding flesh and shattered bone of the +stump, the picture would introduce into our minds ideas from a butcher's +shop, or a surgeon's operation-room, and we should turn from it with +disgust. So if characters were brought upon the stage with their limbs +disjointed by torturing instruments, and the floor covered with clotted +blood and scattered brains, our theatric reverie would be destroyed by +disgust, and we should leave the play-house with detestation. + +The Painters have been more guilty in this respect than the Poets; the +cruelty of Apollo in flaying Marcias alive is a favourite subject with +the antient artists: and the tortures of expiring martyrs have disgraced +the modern ones. It requires little genius to exhibit the muscles in +convulsive action either by the pencil or the chissel, because the +interstices are deep, and the lines strongly defined: but those tender +gradations of muscular action, which constitute the graceful attitudes of +the body, are difficult to conceive or to execute, except by a master of +nice discernment and cultivated taste. _B._ By what definition would you +distinguish the Horrid from the Tragic? + +_P._ I suppose the latter consists of Distress attended with Pity, which +is said to be allied to Love, the most agreeable of all our passions; +and the former in Distress, accompanied with Disgust, which is allied to +Hate, and is one of our most disagreeable sensations. Hence, when horrid +scenes of cruelty are represented in pictures, we wish to disbelieve +their existence, and voluntarily exert ourselves to escape from the +deception: whereas the bitter cup of true Tragedy is mingled with some +sweet consolatory drops, which endear our tears, and we continue to +contemplate the interesting delusion with a delight which it is not easy +to explain. + +_B._ Has not this been explained by Lucretius, where he describes a +shipwreck; and says, the Spectators receive pleasure from feeling +themselves safe on land? and by Akenside, in his beautiful poem on the +Pleasures of Imagination, who ascribes it to our finding objects for the +due exertion of our passions? + +_P_. We must not confound our sensations at the contemplation of real +misery with those which we experience at the scenical representations of +tragedy. The spectators of a shipwreck may be attracted by the dignity +and novelty of the object; and from these may be said to receive +pleasure; but not from the distress of the sufferers. An ingenious +writer, who has criticised this dialogue in the English Review for +August, 1789, adds, that one great source of our pleasure from scenical +distress arises from our, at the same time, generally contemplating one +of the noblest objects of nature, that of Virtue triumphant over +every difficulty and oppression, or supporting its votary under every +suffering: or, where this does not occur, that our minds are relieved +by the justice of some signal punishment awaiting the delinquent. But, +besides this, at the exhibition of a good tragedy, we are not only amused +by the dignity, and novelty, and beauty, of the objects before us; but, +if any distressful circumstances occur too forcible for our sensibility, +we can voluntarily exert ourselves, and recollect, that the scenery is +not real: and thus not only the pain, which we had received from the +apparent distress, is lessened, but a new source of pleasure is opened +to us, similar to that which we frequently have felt on awaking from a +distressful dream; we are glad that it is not true. We are at the same +time unwilling to relinquish the pleasure which we receive from the other +interesting circumstances of the drama; and on that account quickly +permit ourselves to relapse into the delusion; and thus alternately +believe and disbelieve, almost every moment, the existence of the objects +represented before us. + +_B_. Have those two sovereigns of poetic land, HOMER and SHAKESPEAR, kept +their works entirely free from the Horrid?--or even yourself in your +third Canto? + +_P_. The descriptions of the mangled carcasses of the companions of +Ulysses, in the cave of Polypheme, is in this respect certainly +objectionable, as is well observed by Scaliger. And in the play of Titus +Andronicus, if that was written by Shakespear (which from its internal +evidence I think very improbable), there are many horrid and disgustful +circumstances. The following Canto is submitted to the candour of the +critical reader, to whose opinion I shall submit in silence. + + + + THE + + LOVES + + OF THE + + PLANTS. + + + + CANTO III. + + And now the Goddess founds her silver shell, + And shakes with deeper tones the inchanted dell; + Pale, round her grassy throne, bedew'd with tears, + Flit the thin forms of Sorrows, and of Fears; +5 Soft Sighs responsive whisper to the chords, + And Indignations half-unsheath their swords. + "Thrice round the grave CIRCÆA prints her tread, + And chaunts the numbers, which disturb the dead; + Shakes o'er the holy earth her sable plume, +10 Waves her dread wand, and strikes the echoing tomb! + --Pale shoot the stars across the troubled night, + The timorous moon withholds her conscious light; + Shrill scream the famish'd bats, and shivering owls, + And loud and long the dog of midnight howls!-- + + +[_Circæa_. l. 7. Enchanter's Nightshade. Two males, one female. It was +much celebrated in the mysteries of witchcraft, and for the purpose of +raising the devil, as its name imports. It grows amid the mouldering +bones and decayed coffins in the ruinous vaults of Sleaford-church in +Lincolnshire. The superstitious ceremonies or histories belonging to some +vegetables have been truly ridiculous; thus the Druids are said to have +cropped the Misletoe with a golden axe or sickle; and the Bryony, or +Mandrake, was said to utter a scream when its root was drawn from the +ground; and that the animal which drew it up became diseased and soon +died: on which account, when it was wanted for the purposes of medicine, +it was usual to loosen and remove the earth about the root, and then to +tie it by means of a cord to a dog's tail, who was whipped to pull it up, +and was then supposed to suffer for the impiety of the action. And even +at this day bits of dried root of Peony are rubbed smooth, and strung, +and sold under the name of Anodyne necklaces, and tied round the necks of +children, to facilitate the growth of their teeth! add to this, that in +Price's History of Cornwall, a book published about ten years ago, the +Virga Divinatoria, or Divining Rod, has a degree of credit given to it. +This rod is of hazle, or other light wood, and held horizontally in the +hand, and is said to bow towards the ore whenever the Conjurer walks over +a mine. A very few years ago, in France, and even in England, another +kind of divining rod has been used to discover springs of water in a +similar manner, and gained some credit. And in the very last year, there +were many in France, and some in England, who underwent an enchantment +without any divining rod at all, and believed themselves to be affected +by an invisible agent, which the Enchanter called Animal Magnetism!] + + + --Then yawns the bursting ground!--_two_ imps obscene + Rise on broad wings, and hail the baleful queen; + Each with dire grin salutes the potent wand, + And leads the sorceress with his sooty hand; + Onward they glide, where sheds the sickly yew +20 O'er many a mouldering bone its nightly dew; + The ponderous portals of the church unbar,-- + Hoarse on their hinge the ponderous portals jar; + As through the colour'd glass the moon-beam falls, + Huge shapeless spectres quiver on the walls; +25 Low murmurs creep along the hollow ground, + And to each step the pealing ailes resound; + By glimmering lamps, protecting saints among, + The shrines all tremble as they pass along, + O'er the still choir with hideous laugh they move, +30 (Fiends yell below, and angels weep above!) + Their impious march to God's high altar bend, + With feet impure the sacred steps ascend; + With wine unbless'd the holy chalice stain, + Assume the mitre, and the cope profane; +35 To heaven their eyes in mock devotion throw, + And to the cross with horrid mummery bow; + Adjure by mimic rites the powers above, + And plite alternate their Satanic love. + + Avaunt, ye Vulgar! from her sacred groves +40 With maniac step the Pythian LAURA moves; + Full of the God her labouring bosom sighs, + Foam on her lips, and fury in her eyes, + Strong writhe her limbs, her wild dishevell'd hair + Starts from her laurel-wreath, and swims in air.-- +45 While _twenty_ Priests the gorgeous shrine surround + Cinctur'd with ephods, and with garlands crown'd, + + +[_Laura_. l. 40. Prunus. Lauro-cerasus. Twenty males, one female. The +Pythian priestess is supposed to have been made drunk with infusion +of laurel-leaves when she delivered her oracles. The intoxication or +inspiration is finely described by Virgil. Æn. L. vi. The distilled +water from laurel-leaves is, perhaps, the most sudden poison we are +acquainted with in this country. I have seen about two spoonfuls of it +destroy a large pointer dog in less than ten minutes. In a smaller dose +it is said to produce intoxication: on this account there is reason to +believe it acts in the same manner as opium and vinous spirit; but that +the dose is not so well ascertained. See note on Tremella. It is used +in the Ratafie of the distillers, by which some dram-drinkers have been +suddenly killed. One pint of water, distilled from fourteen pounds of +black cherry stones bruised, has the same deleterious effect, +destroying as suddenly as laurel-water. It is probable Apricot-kernels, +Peach-leaves, Walnut-leaves, and whatever possesses the kernel-flavour, +may have similar qualities.] + + + Contending hosts and trembling nations wait + The firm immutable behests of Fate; + --She speaks in thunder from her golden throne +50 With words _unwill'd_, and wisdom not her own. + + So on his NIGHTMARE through the evening fog + Flits the squab Fiend o'er fen, and lake, and bog; + Seeks some love-wilder'd Maid with sleep oppress'd, + Alights, and grinning fits upon her breast. +55 --Such as of late amid the murky sky + Was mark'd by FUSELI'S poetic eye; + Whose daring tints, with SHAKESPEAR'S happiest grace, + Gave to the airy phantom form and place.-- + Back o'er her pillow sinks her blushing head, +60 Her snow-white limbs hang helpless from the bed; + While with quick sighs, and suffocative breath, + Her interrupted heart-pulse swims in death. + --Then shrieks of captured towns, and widows' tears, + Pale lovers stretch'd upon their blood-stain'd biers, +65 The headlong precipice that thwarts her flight, + The trackless desert, the cold starless night, + And stern-eye'd Murder with his knife behind, + In dread succession agonize her mind. + O'er her fair limbs convulsive tremors fleet, +70 Start in her hands, and struggle in her feet; + In vain to scream with quivering lips she tries, + And strains in palsy'd lids her tremulous eyes; + In vain she _wills_ to run, fly, swim, walk, creep; + The WILL presides not in the bower of SLEEP. +75 --On her fair bosom sits the Demon-Ape + Erect, and balances his bloated shape; + + +[_The Will presides not._ 1. 74. Sleep consists in the abolition of all +voluntary power, both over our muscular motions and our ideas; for we +neither walk nor reason in sleep. But, at the same time, many of our +muscular motions, and many of our ideas, continue to be excited into +action in consequence of internal irritations and of internal sensations; +for the heart and arteries continue to beat, and we experience variety +of passions, and even hunger and thirst in our dreams. Hence I conclude, +that our nerves of sense are not torpid or inert during sleep; but that +they are only precluded from the perception of external objects, by their +external organs being rendered unfit to transmit to them the appulses of +external bodies, during the suspension of the power of volition; thus the +eye-lids are closed in sleep, and I suppose the tympanum of the car is +not stretched, because they are deprived of the voluntary exertions of +the muscles appropriated to these purposes; and it is probable something +similar happens to the external apparatus of our other organs of sense, +which may render them unfit for their office of perception during sleep: +for milk put into the mouths of sleeping babes occasions them to swallow +and suck; and, if the eye-lid is a little opened in the day-light by the +exertions of disturbed sleep, the person dreams of being much dazzled. +See first Interlude.] + + + Rolls in their marble orbs his Gorgon-eyes, + And drinks with leathern ears her tender cries. + + Arm'd with her ivory beak, and talon-hands, +80 Descending FICA dives into the sands; + Chamber'd in earth with cold oblivion lies; + Nor heeds, _ye Suitor-train_, your amorous sighs; + Erewhile with renovated beauty blooms, + Mounts into air, and moves her leafy plumes. +85 --Where HAMPS and MANIFOLD, their cliffs among, + Each in his flinty channel winds along; + With lucid lines the dusky Moor divides, + Hurrying to intermix their sister tides. + + +[When there arises in sleep a painful desire to exert the voluntary +motions, it is called the Nightmare or Incubus. When the sleep becomes so +imperfect that some muscular motions obey this exertion of desire, people +have walked about, and even performed some domestic offices in sleep; +one of these sleep-walkers I have frequently seen: once she smelt of a +tube-rose, and sung, and drank a dish of tea in this state; her awaking +was always attended with prodigious surprize, and even fear; this disease +had daily periods, and seemed to be of the epileptic kind.] + +[_Ficus indica_. l. 80. Indian Fig-tree. Of the glass Polygamy. This large +tree rises with opposite branches on all sides, with long egged leaves; +each branch emits a slender flexile depending appendage from its summit +like a cord, which roots into the earth and rises again. Sloan. Hist. of +Jamaica. Lin. Spec. Plant. See Capri-ficus.] + + + Where still their silver-bosom'd Nymphs abhor, +90 The blood-smear'd mansion of gigantic THOR,-- + --Erst, fires volcanic in the marble womb + Of cloud-wrapp'd WETTON raised the massy dome; + Rocks rear'd on rocks in huge disjointed piles + Form the tall turrets, and the lengthen'd ailes; + + +[_Gigantic Thor._ l. 90. Near the village of Wetton, a mile or two above +Dove-Dale, near Ashburn in Dirbyshire, there is a spacious cavern about +the middle of the ascent of the mountain, which still retains the Name of +Thor's house; below is an extensive and romantic common, where the rivers +Hamps and Manifold sink into the earth, and rise again in Ham gardens, +the seat of John Port, Esq. about three miles below. Where these rivers +rise again there are impressions resembling Fish, which appear to be of +Jasper bedded in Limestone. Calcareous Spars, Shells converted into a +kind of Agate, corallines in Marble, ores of Lead, Copper, and Zinc, and +many strata of Flint, or Chert, and of Toadstone, or Lava, abound in this +part of the country. The Druids are said to have offered human sacrifices +inclosed in wicker idols to Thor. Thursday had its name from this Deity. + +The broken appearance of the surface of many parts of this country; with +the Swallows, as they are called, or basons on some of the mountains, +like volcanic Craters, where the rain-water sinks into the earth; and the +numerous large stones, which seem to have been thrown over the land by +volcanic explosions; as well as the great masses of Toadstone or Lava; +evince the existence of violent earthquakes at some early period of the +world. At this time the channels of these subterraneous rivers seem to +have been formed, when a long tract of rocks were raised by the sea +flowing in upon the central fires, and thus producing an irresistable +explosion of steam; and when these rocks again subsided, their parts +did not exactly correspond, but left a long cavity arched over in this +operation of nature. The cavities at Castleton and Buxton in Derbyshire +seem to have had a similar origin, as well as this cavern termed Thor's +house. See Mr. Whitehurst's and Dr. Hutton's Theories of the Earth.] + + +95 Broad ponderous piers sustain the roof, and wide + Branch the vast rain-bow ribs from side to side. + While from above descends in milky streams + One scanty pencil of illusive beams, + Suspended crags and gaping gulphs illumes, +100 And gilds the horrors of the deepen'd glooms. + --Here oft the Naiads, as they chanced to play + Near the dread Fane on THOR'S returning day, + Saw from red altars streams of guiltless blood + Stain their green reed-beds, and pollute their flood; +105 Heard dying babes in wicker prisons wail, + And shrieks of matrons thrill the affrighted Gale; + While from dark caves infernal Echoes mock, + And Fiends triumphant shout from every rock! + ---So still the Nymphs emerging lift in air +110 Their snow-white shoulders and their azure hair; + Sail with sweet grace the dimpling streams along, + Listening the Shepherd's or the Miner's song; + But, when afar they view the giant-cave, + On timorous fins they circle on the wave, +115 With streaming eyes and throbbing hearts recoil, + Plunge their fair forms, and dive beneath the soil.-- + Closed round their heads reluctant eddies sink, + And wider rings successive dash the brink.-- + Three thousand steps in sparry clefts they stray, +120 Or seek through sullen mines their gloomy way; + On beds of Lava sleep in coral cells, + Or sigh o'er jasper fish, and agate shells. + Till, where famed ILAM leads his boiling floods + Through flowery meadows and impending woods, +125 Pleased with light spring they leave the dreary night, + And 'mid circumfluent surges rise to light; + Shake their bright locks, the widening vale pursue, + Their sea-green mantles fringed with pearly dew; + In playful groups by towering THORP they move, +130 Bound o'er the foaming wears, and rush into the Dove. + + With fierce distracted eye IMPATIENS stands, + Swells her pale cheeks, and brandishes her hands, + + +[_Impatiens._ l. 131. Touch me not. The seed vessel consists of one +cell with five divisions; each of these, when the seed is ripe, on being +touched, suddenly folds itself into a spiral form, leaps from the stalk +and disperses the seeds to a great distance by it's elasticity. The +capsule of the geranium and the beard of wild oats are twisted for a +similar purpose, and dislodge their seeds on wet days, when the +ground is best fitted to receive them. Hence one of these, with its +adhering capsule or beard fixed on a stand, serves the purpose of +an hygrometer, twisting itself more or less according to the moisture +of the air. + +The awn of barley is furnished with stiff points, which, like the teeth +of a saw, are all turned towards the point of it; as this long awn lies +upon the ground, it extends itself in the moist air of night, and pushes +forwards the barley corn, which it adheres to; in the day it shortens as +it dries; and as these points prevent it from receding, it draws up its +pointed end; and thus, creeping like a worm, will travel many feet from +the parent stem. That very ingenious Mechanic Philosopher, Mr. Edgeworth, +once made on this principle a wooden automaton; its back consisted of +soft Fir-wood, about an inch square, and four feet long, made of pieces +cut the cross-way in respect to the fibres of the wood, and glued +together: it had two feet before, and two behind, which supported the +back horizontally; but were placed with their extremities, which were +armed with sharp points of iron, bending backwards. Hence, in moist +weather, the back lengthened, and the two foremost feet were pushed +forwards; in dry weather the hinder feet were drawn after, as the +obliquity of the points of the feet prevented it from receding. And thus, +in a month or two, it walked across the room which it inhabited. Might +not this machine be applied as an Hygrometer to some meteorological +purpose?] + + + With rage and hate the astonish'd groves alarms, + And hurls her infants from her frantic arms. +135 --So when MEDÆA left her native soil + Unaw'd by danger, unsubdued by toil; + Her weeping sire and beckoning friends withstood, + And launch'd enamour'd on the boiling flood; + One ruddy boy her gentle lips caress'd, +140 And one fair girl was pillow'd on her breast; + + While high in air the golden treasure burns, + And Love and Glory guide the prow by turns. + But, when Thessalia's inauspicious plain + Received the matron-heroine from the main; +145 While horns of triumph sound, and altars burn, + And shouting nations hail their Chief's return: + Aghaft, She saw new-deck'd the nuptial bed, + And proud CREUSA to the temple led; + Saw her in JASON'S mercenary arms +150 Deride her virtues, and insult her charms; + Saw her dear babes from fame and empire torn, + In foreign realms deserted and forlorn; + Her love rejected, and her vengeance braved, + By Him her beauties won, her virtues saved.-- +155 With stern regard she eyed the traitor-king, + And felt, Ingratitude! thy keenest sting; + "Nor Heaven," She cried, "nor Earth, nor Hell can hold + "A Heart abandon'd to the thirst of Gold!" + Stamp'd with wild foot, and shook her horrent brow, +160 And call'd the furies from their dens below. + --Slow out of earth, before the festive crowds, + On wheels of fire, amid a night of clouds, + Drawn by fierce fiends arose a magic car, + Received the Queen, and hovering flamed in air.-- +165 As with raised hands the suppliant traitors kneel + And fear the vengeance they deserve to feel, + Thrice with parch'd lips her guiltless babes she press'd, + And thrice she clasp'd them to her tortur'd breast; + Awhile with white uplifted eyes she stood, +170 Then plung'd her trembling poniards in their blood. + "Go, kiss your sire! go, share the bridal mirth!" + She cry'd, and hurl'd their quivering limbs on earth. + Rebellowing thunders rock the marble towers, + And red-tongued lightnings shoot their arrowy showers; +175 Earth yawns!--the crashing ruin sinks!--o'er all + Death with black hands extends his mighty Pall; + Their mingling gore the Fiends of Vengeance quaff, + And Hell receives them with convulsive laugh. + + Round the vex'd isles where fierce tornados roar, +180 Or tropic breezes sooth the sultry shore; + What time the eve her gauze pellucid spreads + O'er the dim flowers, and veils the misty meads; + Slow, o'er the twilight sands or leafy walks, + With gloomy dignity DICTAMNA stalks; + + +[_Dictamnus._ l. 184. Fraxinella. In the still evenings of dry seasons +this plant emits an inflammable air or gas, and flashes on the approach +of a candle. There are instances of human creatures who have taken fire +spontaneously, and been totally consumed. Phil. Trans. + +The odours of many flowers, so delightful to our sense of smell, as well +as the disgreeable scents of others, are owing to the exhalation of their +essential oils. These essential oils have greater or less volatility, and +are all inflammable; many of them are poisons to us, as these of Laurel +and Tobacco; others possess a narcotic quality, as is evinced by the oil +of cloves instantly relieving slight tooth-achs; from oil of cinnamon +relieving the hiccup; and balsam of peru relieving the pain of some +ulcers. They are all deleterious to certain insects, and hence their use +in the vegetable economy being produced in flowers or leaves to protect +them from the depredations of their voracious enemies. One of the +essential oils, that of turpentine, is recommended, by M. de Thosse, +for the purpose of destroying insects which infect both vegetables and +animals. Having observed that the trees were attacked by multitudes of +small insects of different colours (pucins ou pucerons), which injured +their young branches, he destroyed them all intirely in the following +manner: he put into a bowl a few handfuls of earth, on which he poured a +small quantity of oil of turpentine; he then beat the whole together with +a spatula, pouring on it water till it became of the consistence of soup; +with this mixture he moistened the ends of the branches, and both the +insects and their eggs were destroyed, and other insects kept aloof by +the scent of the turpentine. He adds, that he destroyed the fleas of +his puppies by once bathing them in warm water impregnated with oil of +turpentine. Mem. d'Agriculture, An. 1787, Trimest. Printemp. p. 109. I +sprinkled some oil of turpentine, by means of a brush, on some branches +of a nectarine-tree, which was covered with the aphis; but it killed both +the insect and the branches: a solution of arsenic much diluted did +the same. The shops of medicine are supplied with resins, balsams, and +essential oils; and the tar and pitch, for mechanical purposes, arc +produced from these vegetable secretions.] + + +185 In sulphurous eddies round the weird dame + Plays the light gas, or kindles into flame. + If rests the traveller his weary head, + Grim MANCINELLA haunts the mossy bed, + Brews her black hebenon, and, stealing near, +190 Pours the curst venom in his tortured ear.-- + Wide o'er the mad'ning throng URTICA flings + Her barbed shafts, and darts her poison'd stings. + + +[_Mancinella_, I. 188. Hyppomane. With the milky juice of this tree the +Indians poison their arrows; the dew-drops, which fall from it, are so +caustic as to blister the skin, and produce dangerous ulcers; whence many +have found their death by sleeping under its shade. Variety of noxious +plants abound in all countries; in our own the deadly nightshade, +henbane, hounds-tongue, and many others, are seen in almost every high +road untouched by animals. Some have asked, what is the use of such +abundance of poisons? The nauseous or pungent juices of some vegetables, +like the thorns of others, are given them for their defence from the +depredations of animals; hence the thorny plants are in general wholesome +and agreeable food to graminivorous animals. See note on Ilex. The +flowers or petals of plants are perhaps in general more acrid than their +leaves; hence they are much seldomer eaten by insects. This seems to have +been the use of the essential oil in the vegetable economy, as observed +above in the notes on Dictamnus and on Ilex. The fragrance of plants +is thus a part of their defence. These pungent or nauseous juices of +vegetables have supplied the science of medicine with its principal +materials, such as purge, vomit, intoxicate, &c.] + +[_Urtica_. I. 191. Nettle. The sting has a bag at its base, and a +perforation near its point, exactly like the stings of wasps and the +teeth of adders; Hook, Microgr. p. 142. Is the fluid contained in this +bag, and pressed through the perforation into the wound, made by the +point, a caustic essential oil, or a concentrated vegetable acid? +The vegetable poisons, like the animal ones, produce more sudden and +dangerous effects, when instilled into a wound, than when taken into +the stomach; whence the families of Marfi and Psilli, in antient Rome, +sucked the poison without injury out of wounds made by vipers, +and were supposed to be indued with supernatural powers for this +purpose. By the experiments related by Beccaria, it appears that four +or five times the quantity, taken by the mouth, had about equal effects +with that infused into a wound. The male flowers of the nettle are +separate from the female, and the anthers are seen in fair weather to +burst with force, and to discharge a dust, which hovers about the +plant like a cloud.] + + + And fell LOBELIA'S suffocating breath + Loads the dank pinion of the gale with death.-- +195 With fear and hate they blast the affrighted groves, + Yet own with tender care their _kindred Loves!_-- + So, where PALMIRA 'mid her wasted plains, + Her shatter'd aqueducts, and prostrate sanes, + + +[_Lobelia. I._ 193. Longiflora. Grows in the West Indies, and spreads such +deleterious exhalations around it, that an oppression of the breast is +felt on approaching it at many feet distance when placed in the corner of +a room or hot-house. Ingenhouz, Exper. on Air, p. 14.6. Jacquini hort. +botanic. Vindeb. The exhalations from ripe fruit, or withering leaves, +are proved much to injure the air in which they are confined; and, it is +probable, all those vegetables which emit a strong scent may do this in +a greater or less degree, from the Rose to the Lobelia; whence the +unwholesomeness in living perpetually in such an atmosphere of perfume +as some people wear about their hair, or carry in their handkerchiefs. +Either Boerhaave or Dr. Mead have affirmed they were acquainted with a +poisonous fluid whose vapour would presently destroy the person who sat +near it. And it is well known, that the gas from fermenting liquors, or +obtained from lime-stone, will destroy animals immersed in it, as well as +the vapour of the Grotto del Cani near Naples.] + +[_So, where Palmira._ I. 197. Among the ruins of Palmira, which are +dispersed not only over the plains but even in the deserts, there is one +single colonade above 2600 yards long, the bases of the Corinthian +columns of which exceed the height of a man: and yet this row is only a +small part of the remains of that one edifice! Volney's Travels.] + + + (As the bright orb of breezy midnight pours +200 Long threads of silver through her gaping towers, + O'er mouldering tombs, and tottering columns gleams, + And frosts her deserts with diffusive beams), + Sad o'er the mighty wreck in silence bends, + Lifts her wet eyes, her tremulous hands extends.-- +205 If from lone cliffs a bursting rill expands + Its transient course, and sinks into the sands; + O'er the moist rock the fell Hyæna prowls, + The Leopard hisses, and the Panther growls; + On quivering wing the famish'd Vulture screams, +210 Dips his dry beak, and sweeps the gushing streams; + With foamy jaws, beneath, and sanguine tongue, + Laps the lean Wolf, and pants, and runs along; + Stern stalks the Lion, on the rustling brinks + Hears the dread Snake, and trembles as he drinks; +215 Quick darts the scaly Monster o'er the plain, + Fold after fold, his undulating train; + And, bending o'er the lake his crested brow, + Starts at the Crocodile, that gapes below. + + Where seas of glass with gay reflections smile +220 Round the green coasts of Java's palmy isle; + A spacious plain extends its upland scene, + Rocks rise on rocks, and fountains gush between; + Soft zephyrs blow, eternal summers reign, + And showers prolific bless the soil,--in vain! +225 --No spicy nutmeg scents the vernal gales, + Nor towering plaintain shades the mid-day vales; + No grassy mantle hides the sable hills, + No flowery chaplet crowns the trickling rills; + Nor tufted moss, nor leathery lichen creeps +230 In russet tapestry o'er the crumbling steeps. + --No step retreating, on the sand impress'd, + Invites the visit of a second guest; + No refluent fin the unpeopled stream divides, + No revolant pinion cleaves the airy tides; + +235 Nor handed moles, nor beaked worms return, + That mining pass the irremeable bourn.-- + Fierce in dread silence on the blasted heath + Fell UPAS sits, the HYDRA-TREE of death. + Lo! from one root, the envenom'd soil below, +240 A thousand vegetative serpents grow; + In shining rays the scaly monster spreads + O'er ten square leagues his far-diverging heads; + Or in one trunk entwists his tangled form, + Looks o'er the clouds, and hisses in the storm. + + +[_Upas_. l. 238. There is a poison-tree in the island of Java, which is +said by its effluvia to have depopulated the country for 12 or 14 miles +round the place of its growth. It is called, in the Malayan language, +Bohon-Upas; with the juice of it the most poisonous arrows are prepared; +and, to gain this, the condemned criminals are sent to the tree with +proper direction both to get the juice and to secure themselves from the +malignant exhalations of the tree; and are pardoned if they bring back a +certain quantity of the poison. But by the registers there kept, not +one in four are said to return. Not only animals of all kinds, both +quadrupeds, fish, and birds, but all kinds of vegetables also are +destroyed by the effluvia of the noxious tree; so that, in a district of +12 or 14 miles round it, the face of the earth is quite barren and rocky, +intermixed only with the skeletons of men and animals; affording a scene +of melancholy beyond what poets have described or painters delineated. +Two younger trees of its own species are said to grow near it. See +London Magazine for 1784, or 1783. Translated from a description of the +poison-tree of the island of Java, written in Dutch by N.P. Foereh. For +a further account of it, see a note at the end of the work.] + + + +245 Steep'd in fell poison, as his sharp teeth part, + A thousand tongues in quick vibration dart; + Snatch the proud Eagle towering o'er the heath, + Or pounce the Lion, as he stalks beneath; + Or strew, as marshall'd hosts contend in vain, +250 With human skeletons the whiten'd plain. + --Chain'd at his root two scion-demons dwell, + Breathe the faint hiss, or try the shriller yell; + Rise, fluttering in the air on callow wings, + And aim at insect-prey their little stings. +255 So Time's strong arms with sweeping scythe erase + Art's cumberous works, and empires, from their base; + While each young Hour its sickle fine employs, + And crops the sweet buds of domestic joys! + + With blushes bright as morn fair ORCHIS charms, +260 And lulls her infant in her fondling arms; + + +[_Orchis_. l. 259. The Orchis morio in the circumstance of the +parent-root shrivelling up and dying, as the young one increases, is +not only analogous to other tuberous or knobby roots, but also to some +bulbous roots, as the tulip. The manner of the production of herbaceous +plants from their various perennial roots, seems to want further +investigation, as their analogy is not yet clearly established. The +caudex, or true root, in the orchis lies above the knob; and from this +part the fibrous roots and the new knob are produced. In the tulip the +caudex lies below the bulb; from whence proceed the fibrous roots and the +new bulbs; and I suspect the tulip-root, after it has flowered, dies +like the orchis-root; for the stem of the last year's tulip lies on the +outside, and not in the center of the new bulb; which I am informed does +not happen in the three or four first years when raised from seed, when +it only produces a stem, and slender leaves without flowering. In the +tulip-root, dissected in the early spring, just before it begins to +shoot, a perfect flower is seen in its center; and between the first and +second coat the large next year's bulb is, I believe, produced; between +the second and third coat, and between this and the fourth coat, and +perhaps further, other less and less bulbs are visible, all adjoining +to the caudex at the bottom of the mother-bulb; and which, I am told, +require as many years before they will slower, as the number of the coats +with which they are covered. This annual reproduction of the tulip-root +induces some florists to believe that tulip-roots never die naturally, as +they lose so few of them; whereas the hyacinth-roots, I am informed, will +not last above five or seven years after they have flowered. + +The hyacinth-root differs from the tulip-root, as the stem of the last +year's flower is always found in the center of the root, and the new +off-sets arise from the caudex below the bulb, but not beneath any of the +concentric coats of the root, except the external one: hence Mr. Eaton, +an ingenious florist of Derby, to whom I am indebted for most of the +observations in this note, concludes, that the hyacinth-root does not +perish annually after it has flowered like the tulip. Mr. Eaton gave me a +tulip root which had been set too deep in the earth, and the caudex had +elongated itself near an inch, and the new bulb was formed above the old +one, and detached from it, instead of adhering to its side. + +The caudex of the ranunculus, cultivated by the florists, lies above the +claw-like root; in this the old root or claws die annually, like the +tulip and orchis, and the new claws, which are seen above the old ones, +draw down the caudex lower into the earth. The same is said to happen to +Scabiosa, or Devil's bit, and some other plants, as valerian and greater +plantain; the new fibrous roots rising round the caudex above the old +ones, the inferior end of the root becomes stumped, as if cut off, after +the old fibres are decayed, and the caudex is drawn down into the earth +by these new roots. See Arum and Tulipa.] + + + Soft play _Affection_ round her bosom's throne, + And guards his life, forgetful of her own. + So wings the wounded Deer her headlong flight, + Pierced by some ambush'd archer of the night, +265 Shoots to the woodlands with her bounding fawn, + And drops of blood bedew the conscious lawn; + There hid in shades she shuns the cheerful day, + Hangs o'er her young, and weeps her life away. + + So stood Eliza on the wood-crown'd height, +270 O'er Minden's plain, spectatress of the sight, + Sought with bold eye amid the bloody strife + Her dearer self, the partner of her life; + From hill to hill the rushing host pursued, + And view'd his banner, or believed she view'd. +275 Pleased with the distant roar, with quicker tread + Fast by his hand one lisping boy she led; + And one fair girl amid the loud alarm + Slept on her kerchief, cradled by her arm; + While round her brows bright beams of Honour dart, +280 And Love's warm eddies circle round her heart + + --Near and more near the intrepid Beauty press'd, + Saw through the driving smoke his dancing crest, + Heard the exulting shout, "they run! they run!" + "Great GOD!" she cried, "He's safe! the battle's won!" +285 --A ball now hisses through the airy tides, + (Some Fury wing'd it, and some Demon guides!) + Parts the fine locks, her graceful head that deck, + Wounds her fair ear, and sinks into her neck; + The red stream, issuing from her azure veins, +290 Dyes her white veil, her ivory bosom stains.-- + --"Ah me!" she cried, and, sinking on the ground, + Kiss'd her dear babes, regardless of the wound; + "Oh, cease not yet to beat, thou Vital Urn! + "Wait, gushing Life, oh, wait my Love's return!-- +295 "Hoarse barks the wolf, the vulture screams from far! + "The angel, Pity, shuns the walks of war!---- + "Oh, spare ye War-hounds, spare their tender age!-- + "On me, on me," she cried, "exhaust your rage!"-- + Then with weak arms her weeping babes caress'd, +300 And sighing bid them in her blood-stain'd vest. + From tent to tent the impatient warrior flies, + Fear in his heart, and frenzy in his eyes; + Eliza's name along the camp he calls, + Eliza echoes through the canvas walls; +305 Quick through the murmuring gloom his footsteps tread, + O'er groaning heaps, the dying and the dead, + Vault o'er the plain, and in the tangled wood, + Lo! dead Eliza weltering in her blood!-- + --Soon hears his listening son the welcome sounds, +310 With open arms and sparkling eyes he bounds:-- + "Speak low," he cries, and gives his little hand, + "Eliza sleeps upon the dew-cold sand; + "Poor weeping Babe with bloody fingers press'd, + "And tried with pouting lips her milkless breast; +315 "Alas! we both with cold and hunger quake-- + "Why do you weep?--Mama will soon awake." + --"She'll wake no more!" the hopeless mourner cried + Upturn'd his eyes, and clasp'd his hands, and sigh'd; + Stretch'd on the ground awhile entranc'd he lay, +320 And press'd warm kisses on the lifeless clay; + And then unsprung with wild convulsive start, + And all the Father kindled in his heart; + "Oh, Heavens!" he cried, "my first rash vow forgive! + "These bind to earth, for these I pray to live!"-- +325 Round his chill babes he wrapp'd his crimson vest, + And clasp'd them sobbing to his aching breast. + + _Two_ Harlot-Nymphs, the fair CUSCUTAS, please + With labour'd negligence, and studied ease; + + +[_Cuscuta._ l. 327. Dodder. Four males, two females. This parasite plant +(the seed splitting without cotyledons), protrudes a spiral body, and not +endeavouring to root itself in the earth ascends the vegetables in its +vicinity, spirally W.S.E. or contrary to the movement of the sun; +and absorbs its nourishment by vessels apparently inserted into its +supporters. It bears no leaves, except here and there a scale, very +small, membranous, and close under the branch. Lin. Spec. Plant. edit. a +Reichard. Vol. I. p. 352. The Rev. T. Martyn, in his elegant letters on +botany, adds, that, not content with support, where it lays hold, there +it draws its nourishment; and at length, in gratitude for all this, +strangles its entertainer. Let. xv. A contest for air and light obtains +throughout the whole vegetable world; shrubs rise above herbs; and, by +precluding the air and light from them, injure or destroy them; trees +suffocate or incommode shrubs; the parasite climbing plants, as Ivy, +Clematis, incommode the taller trees; and other parasites, which exist +without having roots on the ground, as Misletoe, Tillandsia, Epidendrum, +and the mosses and funguses, incommode them all. + +Some of the plants with voluble stems ascend other plants spirally +east-south-west, as Humulus, Hop, Lonicera, Honey-suckle, Tamus, +black Bryony, Helxine. Others turn their spiral stems west-south-east, as +Convolvulus, Corn-bind, Phaseolus, Kidney-bean, Basella, Cynanche, +Euphorbia, Eupatorium. The proximate or final causes of this difference +have not been investigated. Other plants are furnished with tendrils for +the purpose of climbing: if the tendril meets with nothing to lay hold of +in its first revolution, it makes another revolution; and so on till it +wraps itself quite up like a cork-screw; hence, to a careless observer, +it appears to move gradually backwards and forwards, being seen sometimes +pointing eastward and sometimes westward. One of the Indian grasses, +Panicum arborescens, whose stem is no thicker than a goose-quill, rises +as high as the tallest trees in this contest for light and air. Spec. +Plant a Reichard, Vol. I. p. 161. The tops of many climbing plants are +tender from their quick growth; and, when deprived of their acrimony by +boiling, are an agreeable article of food. The Hop-tops are in common +use. I have eaten the tops of white Bryony, Bryonia alba, and found them +nearly as grateful as Asparagus, and think this plant might be profitably +cultivated as an early garden-vegetable. The Tamus (called black Bryony), +was less agreeable to the taste when boiled. See Galanthus.] + + + In the meek garb of modest worth disguised, +330 The eye averted, and the smile chastised, + With sly approach they spread their dangerous charms, + And round their victim wind their wiry arms. + So by Scamander when LAOCOON stood, + Where Troy's proud turrets glitter'd in the flood, +335 Raised high his arm, and with prophetic call + To shrinking realms announced her fatal fall; + Whirl'd his fierce spear with more than mortal force, + And pierced the thick ribs of the echoing horse; + + Two Serpent-forms incumbent on the main, +340 Lashing the white waves with redundant train, + Arch'd their blue necks, and (hook their towering crests, + And plough'd their foamy way with speckled breasts; + Then darting fierce amid the affrighted throngs, + Roll'd their red eyes, and shot their forked tongues,-- +345 --Two daring Youths to guard the hoary fire + Thwart their dread progress, and provoke their ire. + Round sire and sons the scaly monsters roll'd, + Ring above ring, in many a tangled fold, + Close and more close their writhing limbs surround, +350 And fix with foamy teeth the envenom'd wound. + --With brow upturn'd to heaven the holy Sage + In silent agony sustains their rage; + While each fond Youth, in vain, with piercing cries + Bends on the tortured Sire his dying eyes. +355 "Drink deep, sweet youths" seductive VITIS cries, + The maudlin tear-drop glittering in her eyes; + Green leaves and purple clusters crown her head, + And the tall Thyrsus stays her tottering tread. + --_Five_ hapless swains with soft assuasive smiles +360 The harlot meshes in her deathful toils; + "Drink deep," she carols, as she waves in air + The mantling goblet, "and forget your care."-- + O'er the dread feast malignant Chemia scowls, + And mingles poison in the nectar'd bowls; +365 Fell Gout peeps grinning through the flimsy scene, + And bloated Dropsy pants behind unseen; + Wrapp'd in his robe white Lepra hides his stains, + And silent Frenzy writhing bites his chains. + + +[_Vitis_. 1. 355. Vine. Five males, one female. The juice of the ripe +grape is a nutritive and agreeable food, consisting chiefly of sugar and +mucilage. The chemical process of fermentation converts this sugar into +spirit, converts food into poison! And it has thus become the curse of +the Christian world, producing more than half of our chronical diseases; +which Mahomet observed, and forbade the use of it to his disciples. The +Arabians invented distillation; and thus, by obtaining the spirit of +fermented liquors in a less diluted slate, added to its destructive +quality. A Theory of the Diabætes and Dropsy, produced by drinking +fermented or spirituous liquors, is explained in a Treatise on the +inverted motions of the lymphatic system, published by Dr. Darwin. +Cadell.] + + + So when PROMETHEUS braved the Thunderer's ire, +370 Stole from his blazing throne etherial fire, + And, lantern'd in his breast, from realms of day + Bore the bright treasure to his Man of clay;-- + High on cold Caucasus by VULCAN bound, + The lean impatient Vulture fluttering round, +375 His writhing limbs in vain he twists and strains + To break or loose the adamantine chains. + The gluttonous bird, exulting in his pangs, + Tears his swoln liver with remorseless fangs. + + +[_Prometheus_, l. 369. The antient story of Prometheus, who concealed +in his bosom the fire he had stolen, and afterwards had a vulture +perpetually gnawing his liver, affords so apt an allegory for the effects +of drinking spirituous liquors, that one should be induced to think the +art of distillation, as well as some other chemical processes (such as +calcining gold), had been known in times of great antiquity, and lost +again. The swallowing drams cannot be better represented in hieroglyphic +language than by taking fire into one's bosom; and certain it is, that +the general effect of drinking fermented or spirituous liquors is an +inflamed, schirrous, or paralytic liver, with its various critical or +consequential diseases, as leprous eruptions on the face, gout, dropsy, +epilepsy, insanity. It is remarkable, that all the diseases from drinking +spirituous or fermented liquors are liable to become hereditary, even to +the third generation; gradually increasing, if the cause be continued, +till the family becomes extinct.] + + + The gentle CYCLAMEN with dewy eye +380 Breathes o'er her lifeless babe the parting sigh; + And, bending low to earth, with pious hands + Inhumes her dear Departed in the sands. + "Sweet Nursling! withering in thy tender hour, + "Oh, sleep," She cries, "and rise a fairer flower!" +385 --So when the Plague o'er London's gasping crowds + Shook her dank wing, and steer'd her murky clouds; + When o'er the friendless bier no rites were read, + No dirge slow-chanted, and no pall out-spread; + While Death and Night piled up the naked throng, +390 And Silence drove their ebon cars along; + Six lovely daughters, and their father, swept + To the throng'd grave CLEONE saw, and wept; + + +[_Cyclamen_. 1. 379. Shew-bread, or Sow-bread. When the seeds are ripe, +the stalk of the flower gradually twists itself spirally downwards, till +it touches the ground, and forcibly penetrating the earth lodges its +seeds; which are thought to receive nourishment from the parent root, as +they are said not to be made to grow in any other situation. + +The Trifolium subterraneum, subterraneous trefoil, is another plant, +which buries its seed, the globular head of the seed penetrating the +earth; which, however, in this plant may be only an attempt to conceal +its seeds from the ravages of birds; for there is another trefoil, the +trifolium globosum, or globular woolly-headed trefoil, which has a +curious manner of concealing its seeds; the lower florets only have +corols and are fertile; the upper ones wither into a kind of wool, and, +forming a bead, completely conceal the fertile calyxes. Lin. Spec. Plant, +a Reichard.] + + + Her tender mind, with meek Religion fraught, + Drank all-resigned Affliction's bitter draught; +395 Alive and listening to the whisper'd groan + Of others' woes, unconscious of her own!-- + One smiling boy, her last sweet hope, she warms + Hushed on her bosom, circled in her arms,-- + Daughter of woe! ere morn, in vain caress'd, +400 Clung the cold Babe upon thy milkless breast, + With feeble cries thy last sad aid required, + Stretch'd its stiff limbs, and on thy lap expired!-- + --Long with wide eye-lids on her Child she gazed, + And long to heaven their tearless orbs she raised; +405 Then with quick foot and throbbing heart she found + Where Chartreuse open'd deep his holy ground; + + +[_Where Chartreuse_. l. 406. During the plague in London, 1665, one pit +to receive the dead was dug in the Charter-house, 40 feet long, 16 feet +wide, and about 20 feet deep; and in two weeks received 1114 bodies. +During this dreadful calamity there were instances of mothers carrying +their own children to those public graves, and of people delirious, or in +despair from the loss of their friends, who threw themselves alive into +these pits. Journal of the Plague-year in 1665, printed for E. Nutt, +Royal-Exchange.] + + + Bore her last treasure through the midnight gloom, + And kneeling dropp'd it in the mighty tomb; + "I follow next!" the frantic mourner said, +410 And living plunged amid the festering dead. + + Where vast Ontario rolls his brineless tides, + And feeds the trackless forests on his sides, + Fair CASSIA trembling hears the howling woods, + And trusts her tawny children to the floods.-- + + +[_Rolls his brineless tide._ l. 411. Some philosophers have believed +that the continent of America was not raised out of the great ocean at +so early a period of time as the other continents. One reason for this +opinion was, because the great lakes, perhaps nearly as large as the +Mediterranean Sea, consist of fresh water. And as the sea-salt seems to +have its origin from the destruction of vegetable and animal bodies, +washed down by rains, and carried by rivers into lakes or seas; it +would seem that this source of sea-salt had not so long existed in that +country. There is, however, a more satisfactory way of explaining this +circumstance; which is, that the American lakes lie above the level of +the ocean, and are hence perpetually desalited by the rivers which run +through them; which is not the case with the Mediterranean, into which a +current from the main ocean perpetually passes.] + +[_Caffia._ l. 413. Ten males, one female. The seeds are black, the +stamens gold-colour. This is one of the American fruits, which are +annually thrown on the coasts of Norway; and are frequently in so recent +a state as to vegetate, when properly taken care of, the fruit of the +anacardium, cashew-nut; of cucurbita lagenaria, bottlegourd; of the +mimosa scandens, cocoons; of the piscidia erythrina, logwood-tree; and +cocoa-nuts are enumerated by Dr. Tonning. (Amæn. Acad. 149.) amongst +these emigrant seeds. The fact is truly wonderful, and cannot be +accounted for but by the existence of under currents in the depths of the +ocean; or from vortexes of water passing from one country to another +through caverns of the earth. + +Sir Hans Sloane has given an account of four kinds of seeds, which are +frequently thrown by the sea upon the coasts of the islands of the +northern parts of Scotland. Phil. Trans. abridged, Vol. III. p. 540. +which seeds are natives of the West Indies, and seem to be brought +thither by the gulf-stream described below. One of these is called, by +Sir H. Sloane, Phaseolus maximus perennis, which is often also thrown +on the coast of Kerry in Ireland; another is called, in Jamaica, +Horse-eye-bean; and a third is called Niker in Jamaica. He adds, that +the Lenticula marina, or Sargosso, grows on the rocks about Jamaica, is +carried by the winds and current towards the coast of Florida, and thence +into the North-American ocean, where it lies very thick on the surface of +the sea. + +Thus a rapid current passes from the gulf of Florida to the N.E. +along the coast of North-America, known to seamen by the name of the +GULF-STREAM. A chart of this was published by Dr. Francklin in 1768, from +the information principally of Capt. Folger. This was confirmed by the +ingenious experiments of Dr. Blagden, published in 1781, who found that +the water of the Gulf-stream was from six to eleven degrees warmer +than the water of the sea through which it ran; which must have been +occasioned by its being brought from a hotter climate. He ascribes the +origin of this current to the power of the trade-winds, which, blowing +always in the same direction, carry the waters of the Atlantic ocean to +the westward, till they are stopped by the opposing continent on the west +of the Gulf of Mexico, and are thus accumulated there, and run down the +Gulf of Florida. Philos. Trans. V. 71, p. 335. Governor Pownal has given +an elegant map of this Gulf-stream, tracing it from the Gulf of Florida +northward as far as Cape Sable in Nova Scotia, and then across the +Atlantic ocean to the coast of Africa between the Canary-islands and +Senegal, increasing in breadth, as it runs, till it occupies five or six +degrees of latitude. The Governor likewise ascribes this current to the +force of the trade-winds _protruding_ the waters westward, till they are +opposed by the continent, and accumulated in the Gulf of Mexico. He very +ingeniously observes, that a great eddy must be produced in the Atlantic +ocean between this Gulf-stream and the westerly current protruded by the +tropical winds, and in this eddy are found the immense fields of floating +vegetables, called Saragosa weeds, and Gulf-weeds, and some light woods, +which circulate in these vast eddies, or are occasionally driven out of +them by the winds. Hydraulic and Nautical Observations by Governor +Pownal, 1787. Other currents are mentioned by the Governor in this +ingenious work, as those in the Indian Sea, northward of the line, which +are ascribed to the influence of the Monsoons. It is probable, that in +process of time the narrow tract of land on the west of the Gulf of +Mexico may be worn away by this elevation of water dashing against it, by +which this immense current would cease to exist, and a wonderful change +take place in the Gulf of Mexico and West Indian islands, by the +subsiding of the sea, which might probably lay all those islands int +one, or join them to the continent.] + + +415 Cinctured with gold while _ten_ fond brothers stand, + And guard the beauty on her native land, + + Soft breathes the gale, the current gently moves, + And bears to Norway's coasts her infant-loves. + --So the sad mother at the noon of night +420 From bloody Memphis stole her silent flight; + Wrapp'd her dear babe beneath her folded vest, + And clasp'd the treasure to her throbbing breast, + With soothing whispers hushed its feeble cry, + Pressed the soft kiss, and breathed the secret sigh.-- +425 --With dauntless step she seeks the winding shore, + Hears unappall'd the glimmering torrents roar; + With Paper-flags a floating cradle weaves, + And hides the smiling boy in Lotus-leaves; + Gives her white bosom to his eager lips, +430 The salt tears mingling with the milk he sips; + Waits on the reed-crown'd brink with pious guile, + And trusts the scaly monsters of the Nile.-- + + --Erewhile majestic from his lone abode, + Embassador of Heaven, the Prophet trod; +435 Wrench'd the red Scourge from proud Oppression's hands, + And broke, curst Slavery! thy iron bands. + + Hark! heard ye not that piercing cry, + Which shook the waves and rent the sky!-- + + E'en now, e'en now, on yonder Western shores +440 Weeps pale Despair, and writhing Anguish roars: + E'en now in Afric's groves with hideous yell + Fierce SLAVERY stalks, and slips the dogs of hell; + From vale to vale the gathering cries rebound, + And sable nations tremble at the sound!-- +445 --YE BANDS OF SENATORS! whose suffrage sways + Britannia's realms, whom either Ind obeys; + Who right the injured, and reward the brave, + Stretch your strong arm, for ye have power to save! + Throned in the vaulted heart, his dread resort, +450 Inexorable CONSCIENCE holds his court; + With still small voice the plots of Guilt alarms, + Bares his mask'd brow, his lifted hand disarms; + But, wrapp'd in night with terrors all his own, + He speaks in thunder, when the deed is done. +455 _Hear him_ ye Senates! hear this truth sublime, + "HE, WHO ALLOWS OPPRESSION, SHARES THE CRIME." + + No radiant pearl, which crested Fortune wears, + No gem, that twinkling hangs from Beauty's ears, + Not the bright stars, which Night's blue arch adorn, +460 Nor rising suns that gild the vernal morn, + Shine with such lustre as the tear, that breaks + For other's woe down Virtue's manly cheeks." + + Here ceased the MUSE, and dropp'd her tuneful shell, + Tumultuous woes her panting bosom swell, +465 O'er her flush'd cheek her gauzy veil she throws, + Folds her white arms, and bends her laurel'd brows; + For human guilt awhile the Goddess sighs, + And human sorrows dim celestial eyes. + + + +INTERLUDE III. + + +_Bookseller_. Poetry has been called a sister-art both to Painting and to +Music; I wish to know, what are the particulars of their relationship? + +_Poet_. It has been already observed, that the principal part of the +language of poetry consists of those words, which are expressive of the +ideas, which we originally receive by the organ of sight; and in this it +nearly indeed resembles painting; which can express itself in no other +way, but by exciting the ideas or sensations belonging to the sense of +vision. But besides this essential similitude in the language of the +poetic pen and pencil, these two sisters resemble each other, if I may +so say, in many of their habits and manners. The painter, to produce a +strong effect, makes a few parts of his picture large, distinct, and +luminous, and keeps the remainder in shadow, or even beneath its natural +size and colour, to give eminence to the principal figure. This is +similar to the common manner of poetic composition, where the subordinate +characters are kept down, to elevate and give consequence to the hero or +heroine of the piece. + +In the south aile of the cathedral church at Lichfield, there is an +antient monument of a recumbent figure; the head and neck of which lie +on a roll of matting in a kind of niche or cavern in the wall; and about +five feet distant horizontally in another opening or cavern in the wall +are seen the feet and ankles, with some folds of garment, lying also on +a matt; and though the intermediate space is a solid stone-wall, yet the +imagination supplies the deficiency, and the whole figure seems to exist +before our eyes. Does not this resemble one of the arts both of the +painter and the poet? The former often shows a muscular arm amidst a +group of figures, or an impassioned face; and, hiding the remainder of +the body behind other objects, leaves the imagination to compleat it. The +latter, describing a single feature or attitude in picturesque words, +produces before the mind an image of the whole. + +I remember seeing a print, in which was represented a shrivelled hand +stretched through an iron grate, in the stone floor of a prison-yard, to +reach at a mess of porrage, which affected me with more horrid ideas of +the distress of the prisoner in the dungeon below, than could have +been perhaps produced by an exhibition of the whole person. And in the +following beautiful scenery from the Midsummer-night's dream, (in which I +have taken the liberty to alter the place of a comma), the description of +the swimming step and prominent belly bring the whole figure before our +eyes with the distinctness of reality. + + When we have laugh'd to see the sails conceive, + And grow big-bellied with the wanton wind; + Which she with pretty and with swimming gate, + Following her womb, (then rich with my young squire), + Would imitate, and sail upon the land. + +There is a third sister-feature, which belongs both to the pictorial and +poetic art; and that is the making sentiments and passions visible, as +it were, to the spectator; this is done in both arts by describing or +portraying the effects or changes which those sentiments or passions +produce upon the body. At the end of the unaltered play of Lear, there +is a beautiful example of poetic painting; the old King is introduced as +dying from grief for the loss of Cordelia; at this crisis, Shakespear, +conceiving the robe of the king to be held together by a clasp, +represents him as only saying to an attendant courtier in a faint voice, +"Pray, Sir, undo this button,--thank you, Sir," and dies. Thus by the +art of the poet, the oppression at the bosom of the dying King is made +visible, not described in words. + +_B_. What are the features, in which these Sister-arts do not resemble +each other? + +_P_. The ingenious Bishop Berkeley, in his Treatise on Vision, a work of +great ability, has evinced, that the colours, which we see, are only a +language suggesting to our minds the ideas of solidity and extension, +which we had before received by the sense of touch. Thus when we view the +trunk of a tree, our eye can only acquaint us with the colours or shades; +and from the previous experience of the sense of touch, these suggest to +us the cylindrical form, with the prominent or depressed wrinkles on +it. From hence it appears, that there is the strictest analogy between +colours and sounds; as they are both but languages, which do not +represent their correspondent ideas, but only suggest them to the mind +from the habits or associations of previous experience. It is therefore +reasonable to conclude, that the more artificial arrangements of these +two languages by the poet and the painter bear a similar analogy. + +But in one circumstance the Pen and the Pencil differ widely from each +other, and that is the quantity of Time which they can include in their +respective representations. The former can unravel a long series of +events, which may constitute the history of days or years; while the +latter can exhibit only the actions of a moment. The Poet is happier in +describing successive scenes; the Painter in representing stationary +ones: both have their advantages. + +Where the passions are introduced, as the Poet, on one hand, has the +power gradually to prepare the mind of his reader by previous climacteric +circumstances; the Painter, on the other hand, can throw stronger +illumination and distinctness on the principal moment or catastrophe of +the action; besides the advantage he has in using an universal language, +which can be _read_ in an instant of time. Thus where a great number of +figures are all seen together, supporting or contrasting each other, and +contributing to explain or aggrandize the principal effect, we view +a picture with agreeable surprize, and contemplate it with unceasing +admiration. In the representation of the sacrifice of Jephtha's Daughter, +a print done from a painting of Ant. Coypel, at one glance of the eye +we read all the interesting passages of the last act of a well-written +tragedy; so much poetry is there condensed into a moment of time. + +_B._ Will you now oblige me with an account of the relationship between +Poetry, and her other sister, Music? _P_. In the poetry of our language +I don't think we are to look for any thing analogous to the notes of the +gamut; for, except perhaps in a few exclamations or interrogations, we +are at liberty to raise or sink our voice an octave or two at pleasure, +without altering the sense of the words. Hence, if either poetry or prose +be read in melodious tones of voice, as is done in recitativo, or in +chaunting, it must depend on the speaker, not on the writer: for though +words may be selected which are less harsh than others, that is, which +have fewer sudden stops or abrupt consonants amongst the vowels, or +with fewer sibilant letters, yet this does not constitute melody, which +consists of agreeable successions of notes referrable to the gamut; or +harmony, which consists of agreeable combinations of them. If the Chinese +language has many words of similar articulation, which yet signify +different ideas, when spoken in a higher or lower musical note, as some +travellers affirm, it must be capable of much finer effect, in respect to +the audible part of poetry, than any language we are acquainted with. + +There is however another affinity, in which poetry and music more nearly +resemble each other than has generally been understood, and that is in +their measure or time. There are but two kinds of time acknowledged in +modern music, which are called _triple time_, and _common time_. The +former of these is divided by bars, each bar containing three crotchets, +or a proportional number of their subdivisions into quavers and +semiquavers. This kind of time is analogous to the measure of our heroic +or iambic verse. Thus the two following couplets are each of them divided +into five bars of _triple time_, each bar consisting of two crotchets and +two quavers; nor can they be divided into bars analogous to _common time_ +without the bars interfering with some of the crotchets, so as to divide +them. + + _3_ Soft-warbling beaks ¦ in each bright blos ¦ som move, + 4 And vo ¦ cal rosebuds thrill ¦ the enchanted grove, ¦ + +In these lines there is a quaver and a crochet alternately in every bar, +except in the last, in which _the in_ make two semiquavers; the _e_ is +supposed by Grammarians to be cut off, which any one's ear will readily +determine not to be true. + + _3_ Life buds or breathes ¦ from Indus to ¦ the poles, + 4 And the ¦ vast surface kind ¦ les, as it rolls. ¦ + +In these lines there is a quaver and a crotchet alternately in the first +bar; a quaver, two crotchets, and a quaver, make the second bar. In the +third bar there is a quaver, a crotchet, and a rest after the crotchet, +that is, after the word _poles_, and two quavers begin the next line. The +fourth bar consists of quavers and crotchets alternately. In the last bar +there is a quaver, and a rest after it, viz. after the word _kindles_; +and then two quavers and a crotchet. You will clearly perceive the truth +of this, if you prick the musical characters above mentioned under the +verses. + +The _common time_ of musicians is divided into bars, each of which +contains four crotchets, or a proportional number of their subdivision +into quavers and semiquavers. This kind of musical time is analogous to +the dactyle verses of our language, the most popular instances of which +are in Mr. Anstie's Bath-Guide. In this kind of verse the bar does not +begin till after the first or second syllable; and where the verse is +quite complete, and written by a good ear, these first syllables added to +the last complete the bar, exactly in this also corresponding with many +pieces of music; + + _2_ Yet ¦ if one may guess by the ¦ size of his calf, Sir, + 4 He ¦ weighs about twenty-three ¦ stone and a half, Sir. + + _2_ Master ¦ Mamozet's head was not ¦ finished so soon, + 4 For it ¦ took up the barber a ¦ whole afternoon. + +In these lines each bar consists of a crotchet, two quavers, another +crotchet, and two more quavers: which are equal to four crotchets, and, +like many bars of _common time_ in music, may be subdivided into two in +beating time without disturbing the measure. + +The following verses from Shenftone belong likewise to common time: + + 2/4 A | river or a sea | + Was to him a dish | of tea, + And a king | dom bread and butter. + +The first and second bars consist each of a crotchet, a quaver, a +crotchet, a quaver, a crotchet. The third bar consists of a quaver, two +crotchets, a quaver, a crotchet. The last bar is not complete without +adding the letter A, which begins the first line, and then it consists of +a quaver, a crotchet, a quaver, a crotchet, two quavers. + +It must be observed, that the crotchets in triple time are in general +played by musicians slower than those of common time, and hence minuets +are generally pricked in triple time, and country dances generally in +common time. So the verses above related, which are analogous to _triple +time_, are generally read slower than those analogous to _common time_; +and are thence generally used for graver compositions. I suppose all the +different kinds of verses to be found in our odes, which have any measure +at all, might be arranged under one or other of these two musical times; +allowing a note or two sometimes to precede the commencement of the bar, +and occasional rests, as in musical compositions: if this was attended +to by those who set poetry to music, it is probable the sound and sense +would oftener coincide. Whether these musical times can be applied to the +lyric and heroic verses of the Greek and Latin poets, I do not pretend to +determine; certain it is, that the dactyle verse of our language, when +it is ended with a double rhime, much resembles the measure of Homer +and Virgil, except in the length of the lines. B. Then there is no +relationship between the other two of these sister-, Painting and Music? + +_P_. There is at least a mathematical relationship, or perhaps I ought +rather to have said a metaphysical relationship between them. Sir Isaac +Newton has observed, that the breadths of the seven primary colours +in the Sun's image refracted by a prism are proportional to the seven +musical notes of the gamut, or to the intervals of the eight sounds +contained in an octave, that is, proportional to the following numbers: + + Sol. La. Fa. Sol. La. Mi. Fa. Sol. + Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Indigo. Violet, + 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 + 9 16 10 9 16 16 9 + +Newton's Optics, Book I. part 2. prop. 3 and 6. Dr. Smith, in his +Harmonics, has an explanatory note upon this happy discovery, as he terms +it, of Newton. Sect. 4. Art. 7. From this curious coincidence, it has +been proposed to produce a luminous music, confiding of successions +or combinations of colours, analogous to a tune in respect to the +proportions above mentioned. This might be performed by a strong light, +made by means of Mr. Argand's lamps, passing through coloured glasses, +and falling on a defined part of a wall, with moveable blinds before +them, which might communicate with the keys of a harpsichord; and thus +produce at the same time visible and audible music in unison with each +other. The execution of this idea is said by Mr. Guyot to have been +attempted by Father Cassel without much success. If this should be +again attempted, there is another curious coincidence between sounds and +colours, discovered by Dr. Darwin of Shrewsbury, and explained in a paper +on what he calls Ocular Spectra, in the Philosophical Transactions, Vol. +LXXVI. which might much facilitate the execution of it. In this treatise +the Doctor has demonstrated, that we see certain colours, not only with +greater ease and distinctness, but with relief and pleasure, after having +for some time contemplated other certain colours; as green after red, or +red after green; orange after blue, or blue after orange; yellow after +violet, or violet after yellow. This he shews arises from the _ocular +spectrum_ of the colour last viewed coinciding with the _irritation_ of +the colour now under contemplation. Now as the pleasure we receive +from the sensation of melodious notes, independent of the previous +associations of agreeable ideas with them, must arise from our hearing +some proportions of sounds after others more easily, distinctly, or +agreeably; and as there is a coincidence between the proportions of the +primary colours, and the primary sounds, if they may be so called; he +argues, that the same laws must govern the sensations of both. In this +circumstance, therefore, consists the sisterhood of Music and Painting; +and hence they claim a right to borrow metaphors from each other; +musicians to speak of the brilliancy of sounds, and the light and shade +of a concerto; and painters of the harmony of colours, and the tone of a +picture. Thus it was not quite so absurd, as was imagined, when the blind +man asked if the colour scarlet was like the sound of a trumpet. As the +coincidence or opposition of these _ocular spectra_, (or colours which +remain in the eye after having for some time contemplated a luminous +object) are more easily and more accurately ascertained, now their laws +have been investigated by Dr. Darwin, than the _relicts_ of evanescent +sounds upon the ear; it is to be wished that some ingenious musician +would further cultivate this curious field of science: for if visible +music can be agreeably produced, it would be more easy to add sentiment +to it by the representations of groves and Cupids, and sleeping nymphs +amid the changing colours, than is commonly done by the words of audible +music. + +_B._ You mentioned the greater length of the verses of Homer and Virgil. +Had not these poets great advantage in the superiority of their languages +compared to our own? + +_P_. It is probable, that the introduction of philosophy into a country +must gradually affect the language of it; as philosophy converses in more +appropriated and abstracted terms; and thus by degrees eradicates the +abundance of metaphor, which is used in the more early ages of society. +Otherwise, though the Greek compound words have more vowels in proportion +to their consonants than the English ones, yet the modes of compounding +them are less general; as may be seen by variety of instances given in +the preface of the Translators, prefixed to the SYSTEM OF VEGETABLES by +the Lichfield Society; which happy property of our own language rendered +that translation of Linneus as expressive and as concise, perhaps more so +than the original. + +And in one respect, I believe, the English language serves the purpose +of poetry better than the antient ones, I mean in the greater ease of +producing personifications; for as our nouns have in general no genders +affixed to them in prose-compositions, and in the habits of conversation, +they become easily personified only by the addition of a masculine or +feminine pronoun, as, + + Pale Melancholy sits, and round _her_ throws + A death-like silence, and a dread repose. + _Pope's Abelard._ + +And secondly, as most of our nouns have the article _a_ or _the_ prefixed +to them in prose-writing and in conversation, they in general become +personified even by the omission of these articles; as in the bold figure +of Shipwreck in Miss Seward's Elegy on Capt. Cook: + + But round the steepy rocks and dangerous strand + Rolls the white surf, and SHIPWRECK guards the land. + +Add to this, that if the verses in our heroic poetry be shorter than +those of the ancients, our words likewise are shorter; and in respect +to their measure or time, which has erroneously been called melody and +harmony, I doubt, from what has been said above, whether we are so much +inferior as is generally believed; since many passages, which have been +stolen from antient poets, have been translated into our language without +losing any thing of the beauty of the versification. + +_B._ I am glad to hear you acknowledge the thefts of the modern poets +from the antient ones, whose works I suppose have been reckoned lawful +plunder in all ages. But have not you borrowed epithets, phrases, and +even half a line occasionally from modern poems? + +_P._ It may be difficult to mark the exact boundary of what should be +termed plagiarism: where the sentiment and expression are both borrowed +without due acknowledgement, there can be no doubt;--single words, on +the contrary, taken from other authors, cannot convict a writer of +plagiarism; they are lawful game, wild by nature, the property of all +who can capture them;--and perhaps a few common flowers of speech may be +gathered, as we pass over our neighbour's inclosure, without stigmatizing +us with the title of thieves; but we must not therefore plunder his +cultivated fruit. + +The four lines at the end of the plant Upas are imitated from Dr. Young's +Night Thoughts. The line in the episode adjoined to Cassia, "The salt +tear mingling with the milk he sips," is from an interesting and humane +passage in Langhorne's Justice of Peace. There are probably many others, +which, if I could recollect them, should here be acknowledged. As it is, +like exotic plants, their mixture with the natives ones, I hope, adds +beauty to my Botanic Garden:--and such as it is, _Mr. Bookseller_, I now +leave it to you to desire the Ladies and Gentlemen to walk in; but please +to apprize them, that, like the spectators at an unskilful exhibition in +some village-barn, I hope they will make Good-humour one of their party; +and thus theirselves supply the defects of the representation. + + + + THE + + LOVES + + OF + + THE + + PLANTS + + + + CANTO IV. + + Now the broad Sun his golden orb unshrouds, + Flames in the west, and paints the parted clouds; + O'er heaven's wide arch refracted lustres flow, + And bend in air the many-colour'd bow.-- +5 --The tuneful Goddess on the glowing sky + Fix'd in mute extacy her glistening eye; + And then her lute to sweeter tones she strung, + And swell'd with softer chords the Paphian song. + Long ailes of Oaks return'd the silver sound, +10 And amorous Echoes talk'd along the ground; + Pleas'd Lichfield listen'd from her sacred bowers, + Bow'd her tall groves, and shook her stately towers. + + "Nymph! not for thee the radiant day returns, + Nymph! not for thee the golden solstice burns, +15 Refulgent CEREA!--at the dusky hour + She seeks with pensive step the mountain-bower, + + +[_Pleas'd Lichfield._ I. 11. The scenery described at the beginning of +the first part, or economy of vegetation, is taken from a botanic garden +about a mile from Lichfield. + +_Cerea._ l. 15. Cactus grandiflorus, or Cereus. Twenty males, one female. +This flower is a native of Jamaica and Veracrux. It expands a most +exquisitely beautiful corol, and emits a most fragrant odour for a few +hours in the night, and then closes to open no more. The flower is nearly +a foot in diameter; the inside of the calyx of a splendid yellow, and the +numerous petals of a pure white: it begins to open about seven or eight +o'clock in the evening, and closes before sun-rise in the morning. +Martyn's Letters, p. 294. The Cistus labdiniferus, and many other +flowers, lose their petals after having been a few hours expanded in +the day-time; for in these plants the stigma is soon impregnated by the +numerous anthers: in many flowers of the Cistus lubdiniferus I observed +two or three of the stamens were perpetually bent into contact with the +pistil. + +The Nyctanthes, called Arabian Jasmine, is another flower, which expands +a beautiful corol, and gives out a most delicate perfume during the +night, and not in the day, in its native country, whence its name; +botanical philosophers have not yet explained this wonderful property; +perhaps the plant sleeps during the day as some animals do; and its +odoriferous glands only emit their fragrance during the expansion of +the petals; that is, during its waking hours: the Geranium triste has +the same property of giving up its fragrance only in the night. The +flowers of the Cucurbita lagenaria are said to close when the sun +shines upon them. In our climate many flowers, as tragopogon, and +hibiscus, close their flowers before the hottest part of the day comes +on; and the flowers of some species of cucubalus, and Silene, viscous +campion, are closed all day; but when the sun leaves them they expand, +and emit a very agreeable scent; whence such plants are termed +noctiflora.] + + + Bright as the blush of rising morn, and warms + The dull cold eye of Midnight with her charms. + There to the skies she lifts her pencill'd brows, +20 Opes her fair lips, and breathes her virgin vows; + Eyes the white zenyth; counts the suns, that roll + Their distant fires, and blaze around the Pole; + Or marks where Jove directs his glittering car + O'er Heaven's blue vault,--Herself a brighter star. +25 --There as soft Zephyrs sweep with pausing airs + Thy snowy neck, and part thy shadowy hairs, + Sweet Maid of Night! to Cynthia's sober beams + Glows thy warm cheek, thy polish'd bosom gleams. + _In crowds_ around thee gaze the admiring swains, +30 And guard in silence the enchanted plains; + Drop the still tear, or breathe the impassion'd sigh, + And drink inebriate rapture from thine eye. + Thus, when old Needwood's hoary scenes the Night + Paints with blue shadow, and with milky light; +35 Where MUNDY pour'd, the listening nymphs among, + Loud to the echoing vales his parting song; + With measured step the Fairy Sovereign treads, + Shakes her high plume, and glitters o'er the meads; + Round each green holly leads her sportive train, +40 And little footsteps mark the circled plain; + Each haunted rill with silver voices rings, + And Night's sweet bird in livelier accents sings. + + Ere the bright star, which leads the morning sky, + Hangs o'er the blushing east his diamond eye, +45 The chaste TROPAEO leaves her secret bed; + A saint-like glory trembles round her head; + + +[_ Where Mundy._ l. 35. Alluding to an unpublished poem by F. N. Mundy, +Esq. on his leaving Needwood-Forest. + +_Tropæolum._ l. 45. Majus. Garden Nasturtion, or greater Indian cress. +Eight males, one female. Miss E. C. Linneus first observed the Tropæolum +Majus to emit sparks or flashes in the mornings before sun-rise, during +the months of June or July, and also during the twilight in the evening, +but not after total darkness came on; these singular scintillations were +shewn to her father and other philosophers; and Mr. Wilcke, a celebrated +electrician, believed them to be electric. Lin. Spec. Plantar. p. 490. +Swedish Acts for the year 1762. Pulteney's View of Linneus, p. 220. Nor +is this more wonderful than that the electric eel and torpedo should give +voluntary shocks of electricity; and in this plant perhaps, as in those +animals, it may be a mode of defence, by which it harrasses or destroys +the night-flying insects which infest it; and probably it may emit the same +sparks during the day, which must be then invisible. This curious subject +deserves further investigation. See Dictamnus. The ceasing to shine of +this plant after twilight might induce one to conceive, that it +absorbed and emitted light, like the Bolognian Phosphorus, or calcined +oyster-shells, so well explained by Mr. B. Wilson, and by T. B. Beccari. +Exper. on Phosphori, by B. Wilson. Dodsley. The light of the evening, +at the same distance from noon, is much greater, as I have repeatedly +observed, than the light of the morning: this is owing, I suppose, to the +phosphorescent quality of almost all bodies, in a greater or less degree, +which thus absorb light during the sun-shine, and continue to emit it +again for some time afterwards, though not in such quantity as to produce +apparent scintillations. The nectary of this plant grows from what is +supposed to be the calyx; but this supposed calyx is coloured; and +perhaps, from this circumstance of its bearing the nectary, should rather +be esteemed a part of the coral. See an additional note at the end of the +poem.] + + + _Eight_ watchful swains along the lawns of night + With amorous steps pursue the virgin light; + O'er her fair form the electric lustre plays, +50 And cold she moves amid the lambent blaze. + So shines the glow-fly, when the sun retires, + And gems the night-air with phosphoric fires; + + +[_So shines the glow-fly._ l. 52. In Jamaica, in some seasons of the year, +the fire-flies are seen in the evenings in great abundance. When they +settle on the ground, the bull-frog greedily devours them; which seems to +have given origin to a curious, though cruel, method of destroying these +animals: if red-hot pieces of charcoal be thrown towards them in the dusk +of the evening, they leap at them, and, hastily swallowing them, are +burnt to death.] + + + Thus o'er the marsh aërial lights betray, + And charm the unwary wanderer from his way. +55 So when thy King, Assyria, fierce and proud, + Three human victims to his idol vow'd; + Rear'd a vast pyre before the golden shrine + Of sulphurous coal, and pitch-exsuding pine;-- + --Loud roar the flames, the iron nostrils breathe, +60 And the huge bellows pant and heave beneath; + Bright and more bright the blazing deluge flows, + And white with seven-fold heat the furnace glows. + And now the Monarch fix'd with dread surprize + Deep in the burning vault his dazzled eyes. +65 "Lo! Three unbound amid the frightful glare, + Unscorch'd their sandals, and unsing'd their hair! + And now a fourth with seraph-beauty bright + Descends, accosts them, and outshines the light! + Fierce flames innocuous, as they step, retire! +70 And slow they move amid a world of fire!" + He spoke,--to Heaven his arms repentant spread, + And kneeling bow'd his gem-incircled head. + _Two_ Sister-Nymphs, the fair AVENAS, lead + Their fleecy squadrons on the lawns of Tweed; +75 Pass with light step his wave-worn banks along, + And wake his Echoes with their silver tongue; + Or touch the reed, as gentle Love inspires, + In notes accordant to their chaste desires. + + I. + + "Sweet ECHO! sleeps thy vocal shell, + "Where this high arch o'erhangs the dell; + "While Tweed with sun-reflecting streams + "Chequers thy rocks with dancing beams?-- + + +[_Ovena_. l. 73. Oat. The numerous families of grasses have all three +males, and two females, except Anthoxanthum, which gives the grateful +smell to hay, and has but two males. The herbs of this order of +vegetables support the countless tribes of graminivorous animals. The +seeds of the smaller kinds of grasses, as of aira, poa, briza, stipa, +&c. are the sustenance of many sorts of birds. The seeds of the large +grasses, as of wheat, barley, rye, oats, supply food to the human +species. + +It seems to have required more ingenuity to think of feeding nations of +mankind with so small a seed, than with the potatoe of Mexico, or the +bread-fruit of the southern islands; hence Ceres in Egypt, which was the +birth-place of our European arts, was deservedly celebrated amongst their +divinities, as well as Osyris, who invented the Plough. + +Mr. Wahlborn observes, that as wheat, rye, and many of the grasses, and +plantain, lift up their anthers on long filments, and thus expose the +enclosed fecundating dust to be washed away by the rains, a scarcity of +corn is produced by wet summers; hence the necessity of a careful choice +of seed wheat, as that, which had not received the dust of the anthers, +will not grow, though it may appear well to the eye. The straw of the +oat seems to have been the first musical instrument, invented during the +pastoral ages of the world, before the discovery of metals. See note on +Cistus.] + + + II. + + "Here may no clamours harsh intrude, + No brawling hound or clarion rude; +85 Here no fell beast of midnight prowl, + And teach thy tortured cliffs to howl! + + III. + + "Be thine to pour these vales along + Some artless Shepherd's evening song; + While Night's sweet bird, from yon high spray +90 Responsive, listens to his lay. + + IV. + + "And if, like me, some love-lorn maid + "Should sing her sorrows to thy shade, + "Oh, sooth her breast, ye rocks around! + "With softest sympathy of sound." + +95 From ozier bowers the brooding Halcyons peep, + The Swans pursuing cleave the glassy deep, + On hovering wings the wondering Reed-larks play, + And silent Bitterns listen to the lay.-- + _Three_ shepherd-swains beneath the beechen shades +100 Twine rival garlands for the tuneful maids; + On each smooth bark the mystic love-knot frame, + Or on white sands inscribe the favour'd name. + + From Time's remotest dawn where China brings + In proud succession all her Patriot-Kings; +105 O'er desert-sands, deep gulfs, and hills sublime, + Extends her massy wall from clime to clime; + With bells and dragons crests her Pagod-bowers, + Her silken palaces, and porcelain towers; + With long canals a thousand nations laves; +110 Plants all her wilds, and peoples all her waves; + Slow treads fair CANNABIS the breezy strand, + The distaff streams dishevell'd in her hand; + + +[_Cannabis_. l. 111. Chinese Hemp. Two houses. Five males. A new +species of hemp, of which an account is given by K. Fitzgerald, Esq. in a +letter to Sir Joseph Banks, and which is believed to be much superior +to the hemp of other countries. A few seeds of this plant were sown in +England on the 4th of June, and grew to fourteen feet seven inches +in height by the middle of October; they were nearly seven inches in +circumference, and bore many lateral branches, and produced very white +and tough fibres. At some parts of the time these plants grew nearly +eleven inches in a week. Philos. Trans. Vol. LXXII. p. 46.] + + + Now to the left her ivory neck inclines, + And leads in Paphian curves its azure lines; +115 Dark waves the fringed lid, the warm cheek glows, + And the fair ear the parting locks disclose; + Now to the right with airy sweep she bends, + Quick join the threads, the dancing spole depends. + --_Five_ Swains attracted guard the Nymph, by turns +120 Her grace inchants them, and her beauty burns; + To each She bows with sweet assuasive smile, + Hears his soft vows, and turns her spole the while. + + So when with light and shade, concordant strife! + Stern CLOTHO weaves the chequer'd thread of life; +125 Hour after hour the growing line extends, + The cradle and the coffin bound its ends; + + +[_Paphian curves._ l. 114. In his ingenious work, entitled, The Analysis +of Beauty, Mr. Hogarth believes that the triangular glass, which was +dedicated to Venus in her temple at Paphos, contained in it a line +bending spirally round a cone with a certain degree of curviture; +and that this pyramidal outline and serpentine curve constitute the +principles of Grace and Beauty.] + + + Soft cords of silk the whirling spoles reveal, + If smiling Fortune turn the giddy wheel; + But if sweet Love with baby-fingers twines, +130 And wets with dewy lips the lengthening lines, + Skein after skein celestial tints unfold, + And all the silken tissue shines with gold. + + Warm with sweet blushes bright GALANTHA glows, + And prints with frolic step the melting snows; + + +[_Galanthus._ l. 133. Nivalis. Snowdrop. Six males, one female. The +first flower that appears after the winter solstice. See Stillingfleet's +Calendar of Flora. + +Some snowdrop-roots taken up in winter, and boiled, had the insipid +mucilaginous taste of the Orchis, and, if cured in the same manner, would +probably make as good salep. The roots of the Hyacinth, I am informed, +are equally insipid, and might be used as an article of food. Gmelin, in +his History of Siberia, says the Martigon Lily makes a part of the food +of that country, which is of the same natural order as the snowdrop. Some +roots of Crocus, which I boiled, had a disagreeable flavour. + +The difficulty of raising the Orchis from seed has, perhaps, been a +principal reason of its not being cultivated in this country as an +article of food. It is affirmed, by one of the Linnean school, in the +Amoenit. Academ. that the seeds of Orchis will ripen, if you destroy the +new bulb; and that Lily of the Valley, Convallaria, will produce many +more seeds, and ripen them, if the roots be crowded in a garden-pot, so +as to prevent them from producing many bulbs. Vol. VI. p. 120. It is +probable either of these methods may succeed with these and other +bulbous-rooted plants, as snowdrops, and might render their cultivation +profitable in this climate. The root of the asphodelus ramosus, branchy +asphodel, is used to feed swine in France; and starch is obtained from +the alstromeria licta. Memoires d'Agricult.] + + +135 O'er silent floods, white hills, and glittering meads + _Six_ rival swains the playful beauty leads, + Chides with her dulcet voice the tardy Spring, + Bids slumbering Zephyr stretch his folded wing, + Wakes the hoarse Cuckoo in his gloomy cave, +140 And calls the wondering Dormouse from his grave, + Bids the mute Redbreast cheer the budding grove, + And plaintive Ringdove tune her notes to love. + + Spring! with thy own sweet smile, and tuneful tongue, + Delighted BELLIS calls her infant throng. +145 Each on his reed astride, the Cherub-train + Watch her kind looks, and circle o'er the plain; + Now with young wonder touch the siding snail, + Admire his eye-tipp'd horns, and painted mail; + Chase with quick step, and eager arms outspread, +150 The pausing Butterfly from mead to mead; + + +[_Bellis prolifera_ l. 144. Hen and chicken Daisy; in this beautiful +monster not only the impletion or doubling of the petals takes place, as +described in the note on Alcea; but a numerous circlet of less flowers on +peduncles, or footstalks, rise from the sides of the calyx, and surround +the proliferous parent. The same occurs in Calendula, marigold; in +Heracium, hawk-weed; and in Scabiosa, Scabious. Phil. Botan. p. 82.] + + + Or twine green oziers with the fragrant gale, + The azure harebel, and the primrose pale, + Join hand in hand, and in procession gay + Adorn with votive wreaths the shrine of May. +155 --So moves the Goddess to the Idalian groves, + And leads her gold-hair'd family of Loves. + These, from the flaming furnace, strong and bold + Pour the red steel into the sandy mould; + On tinkling anvils (with Vulcanian art), +160 Turn with hot tongs, and forge the dreadful dart; + The barbed head on whirling jaspers grind, + And dip the point in poison for the mind; + Each polish'd shaft with snow-white plumage wing, + Or strain the bow reluctant to its string. +165 Those on light pinion twine with busy hands, + Or stretch from bough to bough the flowery bands; + + +[_The fragrant Gale._ l. 151. The buds of the Myrica Gale possess an +agreeable aromatic fragrance, and might be worth attending to as an +article of the Materia Medica. Mr. Sparman suspects, that the green +wax-like substance, with which at certain times of the year the berries +of the Myrica cerifera, or candle-berry Myrtle, are covered, are +deposited there by insects. It is used by the inhabitants for making +candles, which he says burn rather better than those made of tallow. + _Voyage to the Cape,_ V. I. 345.] + + + Scare the dark beetle, as he wheels on high, + Or catch in silken nets the gilded fly; + Call the young Zephyrs to their fragrant bowers, +170 And stay with kisses sweet the Vernal Hours. + Where, as proud Maffon rises rude and bleak, + And with mishapen turrets crests the Peak, + Old Matlock gapes with marble jaws, beneath, + And o'er fear'd Derwent bends his flinty teeth; +175 Deep in wide caves below the dangerous soil + Blue sulphurs flame, imprison'd waters boil. + + +[_Deep in wide caves_. l. 175. The arguments which tend to shew +that the warm springs of this country are produced from steam raised by +deep subterraneous fires, and afterwards condensed between the strata of +the mountains, appear to me much more conclusive, than the idea of their +being warmed by chemical combinations near the surface of the earth: for, +1st, their heat has kept accurately the same perhaps for many centuries, +certainly as long as we have been possessed of good thermometers; which +cannot be well explained, without supposing that they are first in a +boiling state. For as the heat of boiling water is 212, and that of the +internal parts of the earth 48, it is easy to understand, that the steam +raised from boiling water, after being condensed in some mountain, and +passing from thence through a certain space of the cold earth, must be +cooled always to a given degree; and it is probable the distance from the +exit of the spring, to the place where the steam is condensed, might be +guessed by the degree of its warmth. + +2. In the dry summer of 1780, when all other springs were either dry or +much diminished, those of Buxton and Matlock (as I was well informed on +the spot), had suffered no diminution; which proves that the sources of +these warm springs are at great depths below the surface of the earth. + +3. There are numerous perpendicular fissures in the rocks of Derbyshire, +in which the ores of lead and copper are found, and which pass to +unknown depths; and might thence afford a passage to steam from great +subterraneous fires. + +4. If these waters were heated by the decomposition of pyrites, there +would be some chalybeate taste or sulphureous smell in them. See note in +part 1. on the existence of central fires.] + + + Impetuous steams in spiral colums rise + Through rifted rocks, impatient for the skies; + Or o'er bright seas of bubbling lavas blow, +180 As heave and toss the billowy fires below; + Condensed on high, in wandering rills they glide + From Maffon's dome, and burst his sparry side; + Round his grey towers, and down his fringed walls, + From cliff to cliff, the liquid treasure falls; +185 In beds of stalactite, bright ores among, + O'er corals, shells, and crystals, winds along; + Crusts the green mosses, and the tangled wood, + And sparkling plunges to its parent flood. + --O'er the warm wave a smiling youth presides, +190 Attunes its murmurs, its meanders guides, + + (The blooming FUCUS), in her sparry coves + To amorous Echo sings his _secret_ loves, + Bathes his fair forehead in the misty stream, + And with sweet breath perfumes the rising steam. +195 --So, erst, an Angel o'er Bethesda's springs, + Each morn descending, shook his dewy wings; + And as his bright translucent form He laves, + Salubrious powers enrich the troubled waves. + + +[_Fucus_.l. 191. Clandestine marriage. A species of Fucus, +or of Conserva, soon appears in all basons which contain water. Dr. +Priestley found that great quantities of pure dephlogisticated air were +given up in water at the points of this vegetable, particularly in +the sunshine, and that hence it contributed to preserve the water in +reservoirs from becoming putrid. The minute divisions of the leaves of +subaquatic plants, as mentioned in the note on Trapa, and of the gills +of fish, seem to serve another purpose besides that of increasing their +surface, which has not, I believe, been attended to, and that is to +facilitate the separation of the air, which is mechanically mixed or +chemically dissolved in water by their points or edges; this appears +on immersing a dry hairy leaf in water fresh from a pump; innumerable +globules like quicksilver appear on almost every point; for the +extremities of these points attract the particles of water less forcibly +than those particles attract each other; hence the contained air, +whose elasticity was but just balanced by the attractive power of the +surrounding particles of water to each other, finds at the point of each +fibre a place where the resistance to its expansion is less; and in +consequence it there expands, and becomes a bubble of air. It is easy to +foresee that the rays of the sunshine, by being refracted and in part +relieved by the two surfaces of these minute air-bubbles, must impart to +them much more heat than to the transparent water; and thus facilitate +their ascent by further expanding them; that the points of vegetables +attract the particles of water less than they attract each other, is seen +by the spherical form of dew-drops on the points of grass. See note on +Vegetable Respiration in Part I.] + + + Amphibious Nymph, from Nile's prolific bed +200 Emerging TRAPA lifts her pearly head; + Fair glows her virgin cheek and modest breast, + A panoply of scales deforms the rest; + + +[_Trapa,_ l. 200. Four males, one female. The lower leaves +of this plant grow under water, and are divided into minute capillary +ramifications; while the upper leaves are broad and round, and have +air-bladders in their footstalks to support them above the surface of +the water. As the aerial leaves of vegetables do the office of lungs, by +exposing a large surface of vessels with their contained fluids to the +influence of the air; so these aquatic leaves answer a similar purpose +like the gills of fish; and perhaps gain from water or give to it a +similar material. As the material thus necessary to life seems to abound +more in air than in water, the subaquatic leaves of this plant, and of +sisymbrium, coenanthe, ranunculus aquatilis, water crowfoot, and some +others, are cut into fine divisions to increase the surface; whilst those +above water are undivided. So the plants on high mountains have their +upper leaves more divided, as pimpinella, petroselinum, and others, +because here the air is thinner, and thence a larger surface of contact +is required. The stream of water also passes but once along the gills of +fish, as it is sooner deprived of its virtue; whereas the air is both +received and ejected by the action of the lungs of land-animals. The +whale seems to be an exception to the above, as he receives water and +spouts it out again from an organ, which I suppose to be a respiratory +one. As spring-water is nearly of the same degree of heat in all +climates, the aquatic plants, which grow in rills or fountains, are found +equally in the torrid, temperate, and frigid zones, as water-cress, +water-parsnip, ranunculus, and many others. + +In warmer climates the watery grounds are usefully cultivated, as with +rice; and the roots of some aquatic plants are said to have supplied +food, as the ancient Lotus in Egypt, which some have supposed to be the +Nymphæa.--In Siberia the roots of the Butemus, or flowering rush, are +eaten, which is well worth further enquiry, as they grow spontaneously in +our ditches and rivers, which at present produce no esculent vegetables; +and might thence become an article of useful cultivation. Herodotus +affirms, that the Egyptian Lotus grows in the Nile, and resembles a Lily. +That the natives dry it in the sun, and take the pulp out of it, which +grows like the head of a poppy, and bake it for bread. Enterpe. Many +grit-stones and coals, which I have seen, seem to bear an impression of +the roots of the Nymphæa, which are often three or four inches thick, +especially the white-flowered one.] + + + Her quivering fins and panting gills she hides + But spreads her silver arms upon the tides; +205 Slow as she sails, her ivory neck she laves, + And shakes her golden tresses o'er the waves. + Charm'd round the Nymph, in circling gambols glide + _Four_ Nereid-forms, or shoot along the tide; + Now all as one they rise with frolic spring, +210 And beat the wondering air on humid wing; + Now all descending plunge beneath the main, + And lash the foam with undulating train; + Above, below, they wheel, retreat, advance, + In air and ocean weave the mazy dance; +215 Bow their quick heads, and point their diamond eyes, + And twinkle to the sun with ever-changing dyes. + + Where Andes, crested with volcanic beams, + Sheds a long line of light on Plata's streams; + Opes all his springs, unlocks his golden caves, +220 And feeds and freights the immeasurable waves; + Delighted OCYMA at twilight hours + Calls her light car, and leaves the sultry bowers;-- + Love's rising ray, and Youth's seductive dye, + Bloom'd on her cheek, and brighten'd in her eye; +225 Chaste, pure, and white, a zone of silver graced + Her tender breast, as white, as pure, as chaste;--- + + +[_Ocymum salinun_. l. 221. Saline Basil. Class Two Powers. The Abbè +Molina, in his History of Chili, translated from the Italian by the Abbè +Grewvel, mentions a species of Basil, which he calls Ocymum salinum: he +says it resembles the common basil, except that the stalk is round and +jointed; and that though it grows 60 miles from the sea, yet every +morning it is covered with saline globules, which are hard and splendid, +appearing at a distance like dew; and that each plant furnishes about +half an ounce of fine salt every day, which the peasants collect, and use +as common salt, but esteem it superior in flavour. + +As an article of diet, salt seems to act simply as a stimulus, not +containing any nourishment, and is the only fossil substance which the +caprice of mankind has yet taken into their stomachs along with their +food; and, like all other unnatural stimuli, is not necessary to people +in health, and contributes to weaken our system; though it may be useful +as a medicine. It seems to be the immediate cause of the sea-scurvy, as +those patients quickly recover by the use of fresh provisions; and is +probably a remote cause of scrophula (which consists in the want of +irritability in the absorbent vessels), and is therefore serviceable to +these patients; as wine is necessary to those whose stomachs have been +weakened by its use. The universality of the use of salt with our food, +and in our cookery, has rendered it difficult to prove the truth of these +observations. I suspect that flesh-meat cut into thin slices, either raw +or boiled, might be preserved in coarse sugar or treacle; and thus a very +nourishing and salutary diet might be presented to our seamen. See note +on Salt-rocks, in Vol. I, Canto II. If a person unaccustomed to much salt +should eat a couple of red-herrings, his insensible perspiration will +be so much increased by the stimulus of the salt, that he will find it +necessary in about two hours to drink a quart of water: the effects of a +continued use of salt in weakening the action of the lymphatic system may +hence be deduced.] + + + By _four_ fond swains in playful circles drawn, + On glowing wheels she tracks the moon-bright lawn, + Mounts the rude cliff, unveils her blushing charms, +230 And calls the panting zephyrs to her arms. + Emerged from ocean springs the vaporous air, + Bathes her light limbs, uncurls her amber hair, + Incrusts her beamy form with films saline, + And Beauty blazes through the crystal shrine.-- +235 So with pellucid studs the ice-flower gems + Her rimy foliage, and her candied stems. + So from his glassy horns, and pearly eyes, + The diamond-beetle darts a thousand dyes; + Mounts with enamel'd wings the vesper gale, +240 And wheeling shines in adamantine mail. + + Thus when loud thunders o'er Gomorrah burst, + And heaving earthquakes shook his realms accurst, + An Angel-guest led forth the trembling Fair + With shadowy hand, and warn'd the guiltless pair; + + +[_Ice-flower_. l. 235. Mesembryanthemum crystallinum.] + + +245 "Haste from these lands of sin, ye Righteous! fly, + Speed the quick step, nor turn the lingering eye!"-- + --Such the command, as fabling Bards indite, + When Orpheus charm'd the grisly King of Night; + Sooth'd the pale phantoms with his plaintive lay, +250 And led the fair Assurgent into day.-- + Wide yawn'd the earth, the fiery tempest flash'd, + And towns and towers in one vast ruin crash'd;-- + Onward they move,---loud horror roars behind, + And shrieks of Anguish bellow in the wind. +255 With many a sob, amid a thousand fears, + The beauteous wanderer pours her gushing tears; + Each soft connection rends her troubled breast, + --She turns, unconscious of the stern behest!-- + "I faint!--I fall!--ah, me!--sensations chill +260 Shoot through my bones, my shuddering bosom thrill! + I freeze! I freeze! just Heaven regards my fault, + Numbs my cold limbs, and hardens into salt!-- + Not yet, not yet, your dying Love resign!-- + This last, last kiss receive!--no longer thine!"-- +265 She said, and ceased,--her stiffen'd form He press'd, + And strain'd the briny column to his breast; + Printed with quivering lips the lifeless snow, + And wept, and gazed the monument of woe.-- + So when Aeneas through the flames of Troy +270 Bore his pale fire, and led his lovely boy; + With loitering step the fair Creusa stay'd, + And Death involved her in eternal shade.-- + Oft the lone Pilgrim that his road forsakes, + Marks the wide ruins, and the sulphur'd lakes; +275 On mouldering piles amid asphaltic mud + Hears the hoarse bittern, where Gomorrah stood; + Recalls the unhappy Pair with lifted eye, + Leans on the crystal tomb, and breathes the silent sigh.. + + With net-wove sash and glittering gorget dress'd, +280 And scarlet robe lapell'd upon her breast, + Stern ARA frowns, the measured march assumes, + Trails her long lance, and nods her shadowy plumes; + + +[_Arum_. I. 281. Cuckow-pint, of the class Gynandria, or masculine ladies. +The pistil, or female part of the flower, rises like a club, is covered +above or clothed, as it were, by the anthers or males; and some of the +species have a large scarlet blotch in the middle of every leaf. + +The singular and wonderful structure of this flower has occasioned many +disputes amongst botanists. See Tourniff. Malpig. Dillen. Rivin. &c. The +receptacle is enlarged into a naked club, with the germs at its base; +the stamens are affixed to the receptacle amidst the germs (a natural +prodigy), and thus do not need the assistance of elevating filaments: +hence the flower may be said to be inverted. _Families of Plants_ +translated from Linneus, p. 618. + +The spadix of this plant is frequently quite white, or coloured, and the +leaves liable to be streaked with white, and to have black or scarlet +blotches on them. As the plant has no corol or blossom, it is probable +the coloured juices in these parts of the sheath or leaves may serve the +same purpose as the coloured juices in the petals of other flowers; from +which I suppose the honey to be prepared. See note on Helleborus. I am +informed that those tulip-roots which have a red cuticle produce red +flowers. See Rubia. + +When the petals of the tulip become striped with many colours, the plant +loses almost half of its height; and the method of making them thus break +into colours is by transplanting them into a meagre or sandy soil, _after +they have previously enjoyed a richer soil: hence it appears, that +the plant is weakened when the flower becomes variegated. See note on +Anemone. For the acquired habits of vegetables, see Tulipa, Orchis. + +The roots of the Arum are scratched up and eaten by thrushes in severe +snowy seasons. White's Hist. of Selbourn, p. 43.] + + + While Love's soft beams illume her treacherous eyes, + And Beauty lightens through the thin disguise. +285 So erst, when HERCULES, untamed by toil, + Own'd the soft power of DEJANIRA'S smile;-- + His lion-spoils the laughing Fair demands, + And gives the distaff to his awkward hands; + O'er her white neck the bristly mane she throws, +290 And binds the gaping whiskers on her brows; 290 + Plaits round her slender waist the shaggy vest, + And clasps the velvet paws across her breast. + Next with soft hands the knotted club she rears, + Heaves up from earth, and on her shoulder bears. +295 Onward with loftier step the Beauty treads, 295 + And trails the brinded ermine o'er the meads; + Wolves, bears, and bards, forsake the affrighted groves, + And grinning Satyrs tremble, as she moves. + + CARYO'S sweet smile DIANTHUS proud admires, +300 And gazing burns with unallow'd desires; 300 + + +[_Dianthus_. l. 299. Superbus. Proud Pink. There is a kind of pink +called Fairchild's mule, which is here supposed to be produced between +a Dianthus superbus, and the Garyophyllus, Clove. The Dianthus superbus +emits a most fragrant odour, particularly at night. Vegetable mules +supply an irrefragable argument in favour of the sexual system of botany. +They are said to be numerous; and, like the mules of the animal kingdom, +not always to continue their species by seed. There is an account of a +curious mule from the Antirrbinum linaria, Toad-flax, in the Amoenit. +Academ. V. I. No. 3. and many hybrid plants described in No. 32. The +Urtica alienata is an evergreen plant, which appears to be a nettle from +the male flowers, and a Pellitory (Parietaria) from the female ones and +the fruit; and is hence between both. Murray, Syft. Veg. Amongst the +English indigenous plants, the veronica hybrida mule Speedwel is supposed +to have originated from the officinal one; and the spiked one, and the +Sibthorpia Europæa to have for its parents the golden saxifrage and marsh +pennywort. Pulteney's View of Linneus, p. 250. Mr. Graberg, Mr. Schreber, +and Mr. Ramstrom, seem of opinion, that the internal structure or parts +of fructification in mule-plants resemble the female parent; but that +the habit or external structure resembles the male parent. See treatises +under the above names in V. VI. Amænit. Academic. The mule produced from +a horse and the ass resembles the horse externally with his ears, main, +and tail; but with the nature or manners of an ass: but the Hinnus, or +creature produced from a male ass, and a mare, resembles the father +externally in stature, ash-colour, and the black cross, but with the +nature or manners of a horse. The breed from Spanish rams and Swedish +ewes resembled the Spanish sheep in wool, stature, and external form; but +was as hardy as the Swedish sheep; and the contrary of those which were +produced from Swedish rams and Spanish ewes. The offspring from the male +goat of Angora and the Swedish female goat had long soft camel's hair; +but that from the male Swedish goat, and the female one of Angora, had no +improvement of their wool. An English ram without horns, and a Swedish +horned ewe, produced sheep without horns. Amoen. Academ. V. VI. p. 13.] + + + With sighs and sorrows her compassion moves, + And wins the damsel to illicit loves. + The Monster-offspring heirs the father's pride, + Mask'd in the damask beauties of the bride. +305 So, when the Nightingale in eastern bowers + On quivering pinion woos the Queen of flowers; + Inhales her fragrance, as he hangs in air, + And melts with melody the blushing fair; + Half-rose, half-bird, a beauteous Monster springs, +310 Waves his thin leaves, and claps his glossy wings; + Long horrent thorns his mossy legs surround, + And tendril-talons root him to the ground; + Green films of rind his wrinkled neck o'espread, + And crimson petals crest his curled head; +315 Soft-warbling beaks in each bright blossom move, + And vocal Rosebuds thrill the enchanted grove!-- + Admiring Evening stays her beamy star, + And still Night listens from his ebon ear; + While on white wings descending Houries throng, +320 And drink the floods of odour and of song. + + When from his golden urn the Solstice pours + O'er Afric's sable sons the sultry hours; + When not a gale flits o'er her tawny hills, + Save where the dry Harmattan breathes and kills; + + +[_The dry Harmattan_. l. 324. The Harmattan is a singular wind blowing +from the interior parts of Africa to the Atlantic ocean, sometimes for +a few hours, sometimes for several days without regular periods. It is +always attended with a fog or haze, so dense as to render those objects +invisible which are at the distance of a quarter of a mile; the sun +appears through it only about noon, and then of a dilute red, and very +minute particles subside from the misty air so as to make the grass, and +the skins of negroes appear whitish. The extreme dryness which attends +this wind or fog, without dews, withers and quite dries the leaves of +vegetables; and is said of Dr. Lind at some seasons to be fatal and +malignant to mankind; probably after much preceding wet, when it may +become loaded with the exhalations from putrid marshes; at other +seasons it is said to check epidemic diseases, to cure fluxes, and +to heal ulcers and cutaneous eruptions; which is probably effected by its +yielding no moisture to the mouths of the external absorbent vessels, +by which the action of the other branches of the absorbent system is +increased to supply the deficiency. _Account of the Harmattan. Phil. +Transact. V. LXXI._ + +The Rev. Mr. Sterling gives an account of a darkness for six or eight +hours at Detroit in America, on the 19th of October, 1762, in which +the sun appeared as red as blood, and thrice its usual size: some rain +falling, covered white paper with dark drops, like sulphur or dirt, which +burnt like wet gunpowder, and the air had a very sulphureous smell. +He supposes this to have been emitted from some distant earthquake or +volcano. Philos. Trans. V. LIII. p. 63. + +In many circumstances this wind seems much to resemble the dry fog which +covered most parts of Europe for many weeks in the summer of 1780, which +has been supposed to have had a volcanic origin, as it succeeded the +violent eruption of Mount Hecla, and its neighbourhood. From the +subsidence of a white powder, it seems probable that the Harmattan has +a similar origin, from the unexplored mountains of Africa. Nor is it +improbable, that the epidemic coughs, which occasionally traverse immense +tracts of country, may be the products of volcanic eruptions; nor +impossible, that at some future time contagious miasmata may be thus +emitted from subterraneous furnaces, in such abundance as to contaminate +the whole atmosphere, and depopulate the earth!] + + +325 When stretch'd in dust her gasping panthers lie, + And writh'd in foamy folds her serpents die; + Indignant Atlas mourns his leafless woods, + And Gambia trembles for his sinking floods; + Contagion stalks along the briny sand, +330 And Ocean rolls his sickening shoals to land. + + +[_His sickening shoals_. 330. Mr. Marsden relates, that in the island of +Sumatra, during the November of 1775, the dry monsoons, or S.E. winds, +continued so much longer than usual, that the large rivers became dry; +and prodigious quantities of sea-fish, dead and dying, were seen floating +for leagues on the sea, and driven on the beach by the tides. This was +supposed to have been caused by the great evaporation, and the deficiency +of fresh water rivers having rendered the sea too fast for its inhabitants. +The season then became so sickly as to destroy great numbers of people, +both foreigners and natives. Phil. Trans. V. LXXI. p. 384.] + + + --Fair CHUNDA smiles amid the burning waste, + Her brow unturban'd, and her zone unbrac'd; + _Ten_ brother-youths with light umbrella's shade, + Or fan with busy hands the panting maid; +335 Loose wave her locks, disclosing, as they break, + The rising bosom and averted cheek; + + +[_Chunda_. l. 331. _Chundali Borrum_ is the name which the natives give +to this plant; it is the Hedylarum gyrans, or moving plant; its class is +two brotherhoods, ten males. Its leaves are continually in spontaneous +motion; some rising and others falling; and others whirling circularly by +twisting their stems; this spontaneous movement of the leaves, when the +air is quite still and very warm, seems to be necessary to the plant, at +perpetual respiration is to animal life. A more particular account, with +a good print of the Hedyfarum gyrans is given by M. Brouffonet in a paper +on vegetable motions in the Histoire de l'Academie des Sciences. Ann. +1784, p. 609. + +There are many other instances of spontaneous movements of the parts of +vegetables. In the Marchantia polymorpha some yellow wool proceeds from +the flower-bearing anthers, which moves spontaneously in the anther, +while it drops its dust like atoms. Murray, Syst. Veg. See note on +Collinfonia for other instances of vegetable spontaneity. Add to this, +that as the sleep of animals consists in a suspension of voluntary +motion, and as vegetables are likewise subject to sleep, there is reason +to conclude, that the various actions of opening and closing their petals +and foliage may be justly ascribed to a voluntary power: for without +the faculty of volition, sleep would not have been, necessary to them.] + +[Illustration: Hedysarum gyrans.] + + + Clasp'd round her ivory neck with studs of gold + Flows her thin vest in many a gauzy fold; + O'er her light limbs the dim transparence plays, +340 And the fair form, it seems to hide, betrays. + + Where leads the northern Star his lucid train + High o'er the snow-clad earth, and icy main, + With milky light the white horizon streams, + And to the moon each sparkling mountain gleams.-- +345 Slow o'er the printed snows with silent walk + Huge shaggy forms across the twilight stalk; + And ever and anon with hideous sound + Burst the thick ribs of ice, and thunder round.-- + There, as old Winter slaps his hoary wing, +350 And lingering leaves his empire to the Spring, + Pierced with quick shafts of silver-shooting light + Fly in dark troops the dazzled imps of night-- + + +[_Burst the thick rib of ice_. l. 348. The violent cracks of ice heard +from the Glaciers seem to be caused by some of the snow being melted in +the middle of the day; and the water thus produced running down into +vallies of ice, and congealing again in a few hours, forces off by its +expansion large precipices from the ice-mountains.] + + + "Awake, my Love!" enamour'd MUSCHUS cries, + "Stretch thy fair limbs, resulgent Maid! arise; +355 Ope thy sweet eye-lids to the rising ray, + And hail with ruby lips returning day. + Down the white hills dissolving torrents pour, + Green springs the turf, and purple blows the flower; + His torpid wing the Rail exulting tries, +360 Mounts the soft gale, and wantons in the skies; + Rise, let us mark how bloom the awaken'd groves, + And 'mid the banks of roses _hide_ our loves." + + +[_Muschus_. l. 353. Corallinus, or lichen rangiferinus. Coral-moss. +Clandestine-marriage. This moss vegetates beneath the snow, where the +degree of heat is always about 40; that is, in the middle between the +freezing point, and the common heat of the earth; and is for many months +of the winter the sole food of the rain-deer, who digs furrows in the +snow to find it: and as the milk and flesh of this animal is almost the +only sustenance which can be procured during the long winters of the +higher latitudes, this moss may be said to support some millions of +mankind. + +The quick vegetation that occurs on the solution of the snows in high +latitudes appears very astonishing; it seems to arise from two causes, +1. the long continuance of the approaching sun above the horizon; 2. the +increased irritability of plants which have been long exposed to the +cold. See note on Anemone. + +All the water-fowl on the lakes of Siberia are said by Professor Gmelin +to retreat Southwards on the commencement of the frosts, except the Rail, +which sleeps buried in the snow. Account of Siberia.] + + + Night's tinsel beams on smooth Lock-lomond dance, + Impatient ÆGA views the bright expanse;-- +365 In vain her eyes the parting floods explore, + Wave after wave rolls freightless to the shore. + --Now dim amid the distant foam she spies + A rising speck,--"'tis he! 'tis he!" She cries; + As with firm arms he beats the streams aside, +370 And cleaves with rising chest the tossing tide, + With bended knee she prints the humid sands, + Up-turns her glistening eyes, and spreads her hands; + --"'Tis he, 'tis he!--My Lord, my life, my love!-- + Slumber, ye winds; ye billows, cease to move! +375 beneath his arms your buoyant plumage spread, + Ye Swans! ye Halcyons! hover round his head!"-- + + +[_Æga_ l. 364. Conserva ægagropila. It is found loose in many lakes +in a globular form, from the size of a walnut to that of a melon, much +resembling the balls of hair found in the stomachs of cows; it adheres +to nothing, but rolls from one part of the lake to another. The Conserva +vagabunda dwells on the European seas, travelling along in the midst of +the waves; (Spec. Plant.) These may not improperly be called itinerant +vegetables. In a similar manner the Fucus natans (swimming) strikes no +roots into the earth, but floats on the sea in very extensive masses, and +may be said to be a plant of passage, as it is wafted by the winds from +one shore to another.] + + + --With eager step the boiling surf she braves, + And meets her refluent lover in the waves; + Loose o'er the flood her azure mantle swims, +380 And the clear stream betrays her snowy limbs. + + So on her sea-girt tower fair HERO stood + At parting day, and mark'd the dashing flood; + While high in air, the glimmering rocks above, + Shone the bright lamp, the pilot-star of Love. +385 --With robe outspread the wavering flame behind + She kneels, and guards it from the shifting wind; + Breathes to her Goddess all her vows, and guides + Her bold LEANDER o'er the dusky tides; + Wrings his wet hair, his briny bosom warms, +390 And clasps her panting lover in her arms. + + Deep, in wide caverns and their shadowy ailes, + Daughter of Earth, the chaste TRUFFELIA smiles; + + +[_Truffelia_. l. 392. (Lycoperdon Tuber) Truffle. Clandestine marriage. +This fungus never appears above ground, requiring little air, and perhaps + no light. It is found by dogs or swine, who hunt it by the smell. Other +plants, which have no buds or branches on their stems, as the grasses, +shoot out numerous stoles or scions underground; and this the more, +as their tops or herbs are eaten by cattle, and thus preserve +themselves,] + + + On silvery beds, of soft asbestus wove, + Meets her Gnome-husband, and avows her love. +395 --_High_ o'er her couch impending diamonds blaze, + And branching gold the crystal roof inlays; + With verdant light the modest emeralds glow, + Blue sapphires glare, and rubies blush, _below_; + Light piers of lazuli the dome surround, +400 And pictured mochoes tesselate the ground; + In glittering threads along reflective walls + The warm rill murmuring twinkles, as it falls; + Now sink the Eolian strings, and now they swell, + And Echoes woo in every vaulted cell; +405 While on white wings delighted Cupids play, + Shake their bright lamps, and shed celestial day. + + Closed in an azure fig by fairy spells, + Bosom'd in down, fair CAPRI-FICA dwells;-- + + +[_Caprificus_. l. 408 Wild fig. The fruit of the fig is not a +seed-vessel, but a receptacle inclosing the flower within it. As these +trees bear some male and others female flowers, immured on all sides by +the fruit, the manner of their fecundation was very unintelligible, till +Tournefort and Pontedera discovered, that a kind of gnat produced in the +male figs carried the fecundating dust on its wings, (Cynips Psenes +Syst. Nat. 919.), and, penetrating the female fig, thus impregnated +the flowers; for the evidence of this wonderful fact, see the word +Caprification, in Milne's Botanical Dictionary. The figs of this country +are all female, and their seeds not prolific; and therefore they can only +be propagated by layers and suckers. + +Monsieur de la Hire has shewn in the Memoir, de l'Academ. de Science, +that the summer figs of Paris, in Provence, Italy, and Malta, have all +perfect stamina, and ripen not only their fruits, but their seed; from +which seed other fig-trees are raised; but that the stamina of the +autumnal figs are abortive, perhaps owing to the want of due warmth. Mr. +Milne, in his Botanical Dictionary (art. Caprification), says, that the +cultivated fig-trees have a few male flowers placed above the female +within the same covering or receptacle; which in warmer climates perform +their proper office, but in colder ones become abortive: And Linneus +observes, that some figs have the navel of the receptacle open; which +was one reason that induced him to remove this plant from the class +Clandestine Marriage to the class Polygamy. Lin. Spec. Plant. + +From all these circumstances I should conjecture, that those female +fig-flowers, which are closed on all sides in the fruit or receptacle +without any male ones, are monsters, which have been propagated for their +fruit, like barberries, and grapes without seeds in them; and that the +Caprification is either an ancient process of imaginary use, and blindly +followed in some countries, or that it may contribute to ripen the fig +by decreasing its vigour, like cutting off a circle of the bark from the +branch of a pear-tree. Tournefort seems inclined to this opinion; who +says, that the figs in Provence and at Paris ripen sooner, if their buds +be pricked with a straw dipped in olive-oil. Plumbs and pears punctured +by some insects ripen sooner, and the part round the puncture is sweeter. +Is not the honey-dew produced by the puncture of insects? will not +wounding the branch of a pear-tree, which is too vigorous, prevent the +blossoms from falling off; as from some fig-trees the fruit is said to +fall off unless they are wounded by caprification? I had last spring six +young trees of the Ischia fig with fruit on them in pots in a stove; on +removing them into larger boxes, they protruded very vigorous shoots, and +the figs all fell off; which I ascribed to the increased vigour of the +plants.] + + + So sleeps in silence the Curculio, shut +410 In the dark chambers of the cavern'd nut, + Erodes with ivory beak the vaulted shell, + And quits on filmy wings its narrow cell. + So the pleased Linnet in the moss-wove nest, + Waked into life beneath its parent's breast, +415 Chirps in the gaping shell, bursts forth erelong, + Shakes its new plumes, and tries its tender song.-- + --And now the talisman she strikes, that charms + Her husband-Sylph,--and calls him to her arms.-- + Quick, the light Gnat her airy Lord bestrides, +420 With cobweb reins the flying courser guides, + From crystal steeps of viewless ether springs, + Cleaves the soft air on still expanded wings; + Darts like a sunbeam o'er the boundless wave, + And seeks the beauty in her _secret_ cave. +425 So with quick impulse through all nature's frame + Shoots the electric air its subtle flame. + So turns the impatient needle to the pole, + Tho' mountains rise between, and oceans roll. + Where round the Orcades white torrents roar, +430 Scooping with ceaseless rage the incumbent shore, + Wide o'er the deep a dusky cavern bends + Its marble arms, and high in air impends; + Basaltic piers the ponderous roof sustain, + And steep their massy sandals in the main; +435 Round the dim walls, and through the whispering ailes + Hoarse breathes the wind, the glittering water boils. + Here the charm'd BYSSUS with his blooming bride + Spreads his green sails, and braves the foaming tide; + The star of Venus gilds the twilight wave, +440 And lights her votaries to the _secret_ cave; + Light Cupids flutter round the nuptial bed, + And each coy sea-maid hides her blushing head. + + +[_Basaltic piers_. l. 433. This description alludes to the cave of +Fingal in the island of Staffa. The basaltic columns, which compose the +Giants Causeway on the coast of Ireland, as well as those which support +the cave of Fingal, are evidently of volcanic origin, as is well +illustrated in an ingenious paper of Mr. Keir, in the Philos. Trans. who +observed in the glass, which had been long in a fusing heat at the bottom +of the pots in the glass-houses at Stourbridge, that crystals were +produced of a form similar to the parts of the basaltic columns of the +Giants Causeway.] + +[_Byssus_. 437. Clandestine Marriage. It floats on the sea in the day, +and sinks a little during the night; it is found in caverns on the +northern shores, of a pale green colour, and as thin as paper.] + + + Where cool'd by rills, and curtain'd round by woods, + Slopes the green dell to meet the briny floods, +445 The sparkling noon-beams trembling on the tide, + The PROTEUS-LOVER woos his playful bride, + To win the fair he tries a thousand forms, + Basks on the sands, or gambols in the storms. + A Dolphin now, his scaly sides he laves, +450 And bears the sportive damsel on the waves; + She strikes the cymbal as he moves along, + And wondering Ocean listens to the song. + --And now a spotted Pard the lover stalks, + Plays round her steps, and guards her favour'd walks; + + +[_The Proteus-love_. l. 446. Conserva polymorpha. This vegetable is +put amongst the cryptogamia, or clandestine marriages, by Linneus; but, +according to Mr. Ellis, the males and females are on different plants. +Philos. Trans. Vol. LVII. It twice changes its colour, from red to brown, +and then to black; and changes its form by losing its lower leaves, and +elongating some of the upper ones, so as to be mistaken by the unskilful +for different plants. It grows on the shores of this country. + +There is another plant, Medicago polymorpha, which may be said to assume +a great variety of shapes; as the seed-vessels resemble sometimes +snail-horns, at other times caterpillars with or without long hair upon +them; by which means it is probable they sometimes elude the depredations +of those insects. The seeds of Calendula, Marygold, bend up like a hairy +caterpillar, with their prickles bridling outwards, and may thus deter +some birds or insects from preying upon them. Salicornia also assumes +an animal similitude. Phil. Bot. p. 87. See note on Iris in additional +notes; and Cypripedia in Vol. I.] + + +455 As with white teeth he prints her hand, caress'd, + And lays his velvet paw upon her breast, + O'er his round face her snowy fingers strain + The silken knots, and fit the ribbon-rein. + --And now a Swan, he spreads his plumy sails, +460 And proudly glides before the fanning gales; + Pleas'd on the flowery brink with graceful hand + She waves her floating lover to the land; + Bright shines his sinuous neck, with crimson beak + He prints fond kisses on her glowing cheek, +465 Spreads his broad wings, elates his ebon crest, + And clasps the beauty to his downy breast. + + A _hundred_ virgins join a _hundred_ swains, + And fond ADONIS leads the sprightly trains; + + +[_Adonis_. l. 468. Many males and many females live together in the +same flower. It may seem a solecism in language, to call a flower, which +contains many of both sexes, an individual; and the more so to call a +tree or shrub an individual, which consists of so many flowers. Every +tree, indeed, ought to be considered as a family or swarm of its +respective buds; but the buds themselves seem to be individual plants; +because each has leaves or lungs appropriated to it; and the bark of the +tree is only a congeries of the roots of all these individual buds. Thus +hollow oak-trees and willows are often seen with the whole wood +decayed and gone; and yet the few remaining branches flourish with +vigour; but in respect to the male and female parts of a flower, they do +not destroy its individuality any more than the number of paps of a sow, +or the number of her cotyledons, each of which includes one of her young. + +The society, called the Areoi, in the island of Otaheite, consists of +about 100 males and 100 females, who form one promiscuous marriage.] + + + Pair after pair, along his sacred groves +470 To Hymen's fane the bright procession moves; + Each smiling youth a myrtle garland shades, + And wreaths of roses veil the blushing maids; + Light joys on twinkling feet attend the throng, + Weave the gay dance, or raise the frolic song; +475 --Thick, as they pass, exulting Cupids fling + Promiscuous arrows from the sounding string; + On wings of gossamer soft Whispers fly, + And the sly Glance steals side-long from the eye. + --As round his shrine the gaudy circles bow, +480 And seal with muttering lips the faithless vow, + Licentious Hymen joins their mingled hands, + And loosely twines the meretricious bands.-- + Thus where pleased VENUS, in the southern main, + Sheds all her smiles on Otaheite's plain, + +485 Wide o'er the isle her silken net she draws, + And the Loves laugh at all, but Nature's laws." + + Here ceased the Goddess,--o'er the silent strings + Applauding Zephyrs swept their fluttering wings; + Enraptur'd Sylphs arose in murmuring crowds +490 To air-wove canopies and pillowy clouds; + Each Gnome reluctant sought his earthy cell, + And each bright Floret clos'd her velvet bell. + Then, on soft tiptoe, NIGHT approaching near + Hung o'er the tuneless lyre his sable ear; +495 Gem'd with bright stars the still etherial plain, + And bad his Nightingales repeat the strain. + +[Illustration: Apocynum androsæmifolium.] + + + ADDITIONAL NOTES: + +P. 7. _Additional note to Curcuma._ These anther-less filaments seem to +be an endeavour of the plant to produce more stamens, as would appear +from some experiments of M. Reynier, instituted for another purpose: +he cut away the stamens of many flowers, with design to prevent their +fecundity, and in many instances the flower threw out new filaments from +the wounded part of different lengths; but did not produce new anthers. +The experiments were made on the geum rivale, different kinds of mallows, +and the æchinops ritro. Critical Review for March, 1788. + +P. 8. _Addition to the note on Iris._ In the Persian Iris the end of the +lower petal is purple, with white edges and orange streaks, creeping, as +it were, into the mouth of the flower like an insect; by which deception +in its native climate it probably prevents a similar insect from +plundering it of its honey: the edges of the lower petal lap over those +of the upper one, which prevents it from opening too wide on fine days, +and facilitates its return at night; whence the rain is excluded, and the +air admitted. See Polymorpha, Rubia, and Cypripedia in Vol. I. + +P. 12. _Additional note on Chandrilla._ In the natural state of the +expanded flower of the barberry, the stamens lie on the petals; under +the concave summits of which the anthers shelter themselves, and in this +situation remain perfectly rigid; but on touching the inside of the +filament near its base with a fine bristle, or blunt needle, the stamen +instantly bends upwards, and the anther, embracing the stigma, sheds its +dust. Observations on the Irritation of Vegetables, by T. E. Smith, M. D. + +P. 15. _Addition to the note on Silene._ I saw a plant of the Dionaea +Muscipula, Flytrap of Venus, this day, in the collection of Mr. Boothby +at Ashbourn-Hall, Derbyshire, Aug. 20th, 1788; and on drawing a straw +along the middle of the rib of the leaves as they lay upon the ground +round the stem, each of them, in about a second of time, closed and +doubled itself up, crossing the thorns over the opposite edge of the +leaf, like the teeth of a spring rap-trap: of this plant I was favoured +with an elegant coloured drawing, by Miss Maria Jackson of Tarporly, in +Cheshire, a Lady who adds much botanical knowledge to many other elegant +acquirements. In the Apocynum Androsaemifolium, one kind of Dog's bane, +the anthers converge over the nectaries, which consist of five glandular +oval corpuscles surrounding the germ; and at the same time admit air +to the nectaries at the interstice between each anther. But when a fly +inserts its proboscis between these anthers to plunder the honey, they +converge closer, and with such violence as to detain the fly, which thus +generally perishes. This account was related to me by R.W. Darwin, Esq; +of Elston, in Nottinghamshire, who showed me the plant in flower, July +2d, 1788, with a fly thus held fast by the end of its proboscis, and was +well seen by a magnifying lens, and which in vain repeatedly struggled to +disengage itself, till the converging anthers were separated by means +of a pin: on some days he had observed that almost every flower of this +elegant plant had a fly in it thus entangled; and a few weeks afterwards +favoured me with his further observations on this subject. + + "My Apocynum is not yet out of flower. I have often visited it, and + have frequently found four or five flies, some alive, and some dead, + in its flowers; they are generally caught by the trunk or proboscis, + sometimes by the trunk and a leg; there is one at present only caught + by a leg: I don't know that this plant sleeps, as the flowers remain + open in the night; yet the flies frequently make their escape. In a + plant of Mr. Ordino's, an ingenious gardener at Newark, who is + possessed of a great collection of plants, I saw many flowers of an + Apocynum with three dead flies in each; they are a thin-bodied fly, and + rather less than the common house-fly; but I have seen two or three + other sorts of flies thus arrested by the plant. Aug. 12, 1788." + +P. 18. _Additional note on Ilex_. The efficient cause which renders the +hollies prickly in Needwood Forest only as high as the animals can reach +them, may arise from the lower branches being constantly cropped by them, +and thus shoot forth more luxuriant foliage: it is probable the shears in +garden-hollies may produce the same effect, which is equally curious, as +prickles are not thus produced on other plants. + +P. 41. _Additional note on Ulva_. M. Hubert made some observations on the +air contained in the cavities of the bambou. The stems of these canes +were from 40 to 50 feet in height, and 4 or 5 inches in diameter, and +might contain about 30 pints of elastic air. He cut a bambou, and +introduced a lighted candle into the cavity, which was extinguished +immediately on its entrance. He tried this about 60 times in a cavity of +the bambou, containing about two pints. He introduced mice at different +times into these cavities, which seemed to be somewhat affected, but soon +recovered their agility. The stem of the bambou is not hollow till it +rises more than one foot from the earth; the divisions between the +cavities are convex downwards. Observ. sur la Physique par M. Rozier, +l. 33. p. 130. + +P. 65. _Additional note on Gossypium_. + + --------emerging Naïads cull + From leathery pods the vegetable wool. + ----_eam circum Milesia vellera nymphæ + Carpebant, hyali saturo fucata colore_. + Virg. Georg. IV. 334. + +P. 119. _Addition to Orchis_. The two following lines were by mistake +omitted; they were to have been inserted after l. 282, p. 119. + + Saw on his helm, her virgin hands inwove, + Bright stars of gold, and mystic knots of love; + +P. 136. _Addition to the note on Tropæolum_. In Sweden a very curious +phenomenon has been observed on certain flowers, by M. Haggren, +Lecturer in Natural History. One evening be perceived a faint flash of +light repeatedly dart from a Marigold; surprized at such an uncommon +appearance, he resolved to examine it with attention; and, to be assured +that it was no deception of the eye, he placed a man near him, with +orders to make a signal at the moment when he observed the light. They +both saw it constantly at the same moment. + +The light was most brilliant on Marigolds, of an orange or flame colour; +but scarcely visible on pale ones. + +The flash was frequently seen on the same flower two or three times in +quick succession, but more commonly at intervals of several minutes; and +when several flowers in the same place emitted their light together, it +could be observed at a considerable distance. + +This phaenomenon was remarked in the months of July and August, at +sun-set, and for half an hour after, when the atmosphere was clear; but +after a rainy day, or when the air was loaded with vapours, nothing of it +was seen. + + The following flowers emitted flashes, more or less vivid, in this + order: + + 1. The Marigold, _(Calendula Officinalis)_. + 2. Garden Nasturtion, _(Tropæolum majus)_. + 3. Orange Lily, _(Lilium bulbiferum)_. + 4. The Indian Pink, _(Tagetes patula et erecta)_. + +Sometimes it was also observed on the Sun-flowers, _(Helianthus annuus)_. +But bright yellow, or flame colour, seemed in general necessary for the +production of this light; for it was never seen on the flowers of any +other colour. + +To discover whether some little insects, or phosphoric worms, might not +be the cause of it, the flowers were carefully examined even with a +microscope, without any such being found. + +From the rapidity of the flash, and other circumstances, it might be +conjectured, that there is something of electricity in this phaenomenon. +It is well known, that when the _pistil_ of a flower is impregnated, the +_pollen_ bursts away by its elasticity, with which electricity may be +combined. But M. Haggren, after having observed the slash from the +Orange-lily, the _anthers_ of which are a considerable space distant from +the _petals,_ found that the light proceeded from the _petals_ only; +whence he concludes, that this electric light is caused by the _pollen_, +which in flying off is scattered upon the _petals._ Obser. Physìque par +M. Rozier, Vol. XXXIII. p. iii. + +P. 153. _Addition to Avena._ The following lines were by mistake omitted; +they were designed to have been inserted after l. 102, p. 153. + + Green swells the beech, the widening knots improve, + So spread the tender growths of culture'd love; + Wave follows wave, the letter'd lines decay, + So Love's soft forms neglected melt away. + +P. 157. _Additional note to Bellis._ Du Halde gives an account of a white +wax made by small insects round the branches of a tree in China in great +quantity, which is there collected for economical and medical purposes: +the tree is called Tong-tsin. Description of China, Vol. I. p. 230. + + +_Description of the Poison-Tree in the Island of JAVA. Translated from +the original Dutch of_ N. P. Foerich. + +This destructive tree is called in the Malayan language _Bohon-Upas,_ +and has been described by naturalists; but their accounts have been +so tinctured with the _marvellous,_ that the whole narration has been +supposed to be an ingenious fiction by the generality of readers. Nor +is this in the least degree surprising, when the circumstances which we +shall faithfully relate in this description are considered. + +I must acknowledge, that I long doubted the existence of this tree, until +a stricter enquiry convinced me of my error. I shall now only relate +simple unadorned facts, of which I have been an eye-witness. My readers +may depend upon the fidelity of this account. In the year 1774 I was +stationed at Batavia, as surgeon, in the service of the Dutch East-India +Company. During my residence there I received several different accounts +of the Bohon Upas, and the violent effects of its poison. They all then +seemed incredible to me, but raised my curiosity in so high a degree, +that I resolved to investigate this subject thoroughly, and to trust only +to _my own observations._ In consequence of this resolution, I applied to +the Governor-General, Mr. Petrus Albertus van der Parra, for a pass to +travel through the country: my request was granted; and, having procured +every information. I set out on my expedition. I had procured a +recommendation from an old Malayan priest to another priest, who lives +on the nearest inhabitable spot to the tree, which is about fifteen or +sixteen miles distant. The letter proved of great service to me in my +undertaking, as that priest is appointed by the Emperor to reside there, +in order to prepare for eternity the souls of those who for different +crimes are sentenced to approach the tree, and to procure the poison. + +The _Bohon-Upas_ is situated in the island of _Java,_ about twenty-seven +leagues from _Batavia,_ fourteen from _Soura Charta,_ the seat of the +Emperor, and between eighteen and twenty leagues from _Tinksor,_ the +present residence of the Sultan of Java. It is surrounded on all sides by +a circle of high hills and mountains; and the country round it, to the +distance of ten or twelve miles from the tree, is entirely barren. Not +a tree, nor a shrub, nor even the least plant or grass is to be seen. +I have made the tour all around this dangerous spot, at about eighteen +miles distant from the centre, and I found the aspect of the country on +all sides equally dreary. The easiest ascent of the hills is from that +part where the old ecclesiastick dwells. From his house the criminals are +sent for the poison, into which the points of all warlike instruments are +dipped. It is of high value, and produces a considerable revenue to the +Emperor. + + +_Account of the manner in which the Poison it procured._ + +The poison which is procured from this tree is a gum that issues out +between the bark and the tree itself, like the _camphor._ Malefactors, +who for their crimes are sentenced to die, are the only persons who fetch +the poison; and this is the only chance they have of saving their lives. +After sentence is pronounced upon them by the judge, they are asked in +court, whether they will die by the hands of the executioner, or whether +they will go to the Upas tree for a box of poison? They commonly prefer +the latter proposal, as there is not only some chance of preserving +their lives, but also a certainty, in case of their safe return, that a +provision will be made for them in future by the Emperor. They are also +permitted to ask a favour from the Emperor, which is generally of a +trifling nature, and commonly granted. They are then provided with a +silver or tortoiseshell box, in which they are to put the poisonous gum, +and are properly instructed how to proceed while they are upon their +dangerous expedition. Among other particulars, they are always told to +attend to the direction of the winds; as they are to go towards the tree +before the wind, so that the effluvia from the tree are always blown from +them. They are told, likewise, to travel with the utmost dispatch, as +that is the only method of insuring a safe return. They are afterwards +sent to the house of the old priest, to which place they are commonly +attended by their friends and relations. Here they generally remain +some days, in expectation of a favourable breeze. During that time +the ecclesiastic prepares them for their future fate by prayers and +admonitions. When the hour of their departure arrives, the priest puts +them on a long leather-cap, with two glasses before their eyes, which +comes down as far as their breast; and also provides them with a pair of +leather-gloves. They are then conducted by the priest, and their friends +and relations, about two miles on their journey. Here the priest repeats +his instructions, and tells them where they are to look for the tree. He +shews them a hill, which they are told to ascend, and that on the other +side they will find a rivulet, which they are to follow, and which will +conduct them directly to the Upas. They now take leave of each other; +and, amidst prayers for their success, the delinquents hasten away. The +worthy old ecclesiastic has assured me, that during his residence there, +for upwards of thirty years, he had dismissed above seven hundred +criminals in the manner which I have described; and that scarcely two +out of twenty have returned. He shewed me a catalogue of all the unhappy +sufferers, with the date of their departure from his house annexed; and +a list of the offences for which they had been condemned: to which was +added, a list of those who had returned in safety. I afterwards saw +another list of these culprits, at the jail keeper's at _Soura-Charta,_ +and found that they perfectly corresponded with each other, and with the +different informations which I afterwards obtained. I was present at some +of these melancholy ceremonies, and desired different delinquents to +bring with them some pieces of the wood, or a small branch, or some +leaves of this wonderful tree. I have also given them silk cords, +desiring them to measure its thickness. I never could procure move than +two dry leaves that were picked up by one of them on his return; and all +I could learn from him, concerning the tree itself, was, that it stood on +the border of a rivulet, as described by the old priest; that it was of a +middling size; that five or six young trees of the same kind stood close +by it; but that no other shrub or plant could be seen near it; and that +the ground was of a brownish sand, full of stones, almost impracticable +for travelling, and covered with dead bodies. After many conversations +with the old Malayan priest, I questioned him about the first discovery, +and asked his opinion of this dangerous tree; upon which he gave me the +following answer: + +"We are told in our new Alcoran, that, above an hundred years ago, the +country around the tree was inhabited by a people strongly addicted to +the sins of Sodom and Gomorrha; when the great prophet Mahomet +determined not to suffer them to lead such detestable lives any longer, +he applied to God to punish them: upon which God caused this tree to +grow out of the earth, which destroyed them all, and rendered the +country for ever uninhabitable." + +Such was the Malayan opinion. I shall not attempt a comment; but must +observe, that all the Malayans consider this tree as an holy instrument +of the great prophet to punish the sins of mankind; and, therefore, to +die of the poison of the Upas is generally considered among them as an +honourable death. For that reason I also observed, that the delinquents, +who were going to the tree, were generally dressed in their best apparel. + +This however is certain, though it may appear incredible, that from +fifteen to eighteen miles round this tree, not only no human creature can +exist, but that, in that space of ground, no living animal of any kind +has ever been discovered. I have also been assured by several persons of +veracity, that there are no fish in the waters, nor has any rat, mouse, +or any other vermin, been seen there; and when any birds fly so near this +tree that the effluvia reaches them, they fall a sacrifice to the effects +of the poison. This circumstance has been ascertained by different +delinquents, who, in their return, have seen the birds drop down, and +have picked them up _dead,_ and brought them to the old ecclesiastick. + +I will here mention an instance, which proves them a fact beyond all +doubt, and which happened during my stay at Java. + +In the year 1775 a rebellion broke out among the subjects of the Massay, +a sovereign prince, whose dignity is nearly equal to that of the Emperor. +They refused to pay a duty imposed upon them by their sovereign, whom +they openly opposed. The Massay sent a body of a thousand troops to +disperse the rebels, and to drive them, with their families, out of +his dominions. Thus four hundred families, consisting of above sixteen +hundred souls, were obliged to leave their native country. Neither the +Emperor nor the Sultan would give them protection, not only because they +were rebels, but also through fear of displeasing their neighbour, the +Massay. In this distressful situation, they had no other resource than to +repair to the uncultivated parts round the Upas, and requested permission +of the Emperor to settle there. Their request was granted, on condition +of their fixing their abode not more than twelve or fourteen miles from +the tree, in order not to deprive the inhabitants already settled there +at a greater distance of their cultivated lands. With this they were +obliged to comply; but the consequence was, that in less than two months +their number was reduced to about three hundred. The chiefs of those +who remained returned to the Massay, informed him of their losses, +and intreated his pardon, which induced him to receive them again as +subjects, thinking them sufficiently punished for their misconduct. I +have seen and conversed with several of those who survived soon after +their return. They all had the appearance of persons tainted with an +infectious disorder; they looked pale and weak, and from the account +which they gave of the loss of their comrades, of the symptoms and +circumstances which attended their dissolution, such as convulsions, and +other signs of a violent death, I was fully convinced that they fell +victims to the poison. + +This violent effect of the poison at so great a distance from the tree, +certainly appears surprising, and almost incredible; and especially when +we consider that it is possible for delinquents who approach the tree to +return alive. My wonder, however, in a great measure, ceased, after I had +made the following observations: + +I have said before, that malefactors are instructed to go to the tree +with the wind, and to return against the wind. When the wind continues to +blow from the same quarter while the delinquent travels thirty, or six +and thirty miles, if he be of a good constitution, he certainly survives. +But what proves the most destructive is, that there is no dependence on +the wind in that part of the world for any length of time.--There are no +regular land-winds; and the sea-wind is not perceived there at all, the +situation of the tree being at too great a distance, and surrounded by +high mountains and uncultivated forests. Besides, the wind there never +blows a fresh regular gale, but is commonly merely a current of light, +soft breezes, which pass through the different openings of the adjoining +mountains. It is also frequently difficult to determine from what part of +the globe the wind really comes, as it is divided by various obstructions +in its passage, which easily change the direction of the wind, and often +totally destroy its effects. + +I, therefore, impute the distant effects of the poison, in a great +measure, to the constant gentle winds in those parts, which have not +power enough to disperse the poisonous particles. If high winds are more +frequent and durable there, they would certainly weaken very much, and +even destroy the obnoxious effluvia of the poison; but without them, the +air remains infested and pregnant with these poisonous vapours. + +I am the more convinced of this, as the worthy ecclesiastick assured me, +that a dead calm is always attended with the greatest danger, as there is +a continual perspiration issuing from the tree, which is seen to rise and +spread in the air, like the putrid steam of a marshy cavern. + + +_Experiments made with the Gum of the UPAS TREE._ + +In the year 1776, in the month of February, I was present at the +execution of thirteen of the Emperor's concubines, at _Soura-Charta,_ +who were convicted of infidelity to the Emperor's bed. It was in the +forenoon, about eleven o'clock, when the fair criminals were led into +an open space within the walls of the Emperor's palace. There the judge +passed sentence upon them, by which they are doomed to suffer death by a +lancet poisoned with Upas. After this the Alcoran was presented to them, +and they were, according to the law of their great prophet Mahomet, to +acknowledge and to affirm by oath, that the charges brought against them, +together with the sentence and their punishment, were fair and equitable. +This they did, by laying their right hand upon the Alcoran, their left +hands upon their breast, and their eyes lifted towards heaven; the judge +then held the Alcoran to their lips, and they kissed it. + +These ceremonies over, the executioner proceeded on his business in the +following manner:--Thirteen posts, each about five feet high, had been +previously erected. To these the delinquents were fastened, and their +breasts stripped naked. In this situation they remained a short time in +continual prayers, attended by several priests, until a signal was +given by the judge to the executioner; on which the latter produced an +instrument, much like the spring lancet used by farriers for bleeding +horses. With this instrument, it being poisoned with the gum of the Upas, +the unhappy wretches were lanced in the middle of their breasts, and the +operation was performed upon them all in less than two minutes. + +My astonishment was raised to the highest degree, when I beheld the +sudden effects of that poison, for in about five minutes after they were +lanced, they were taken with a _tremor,_ attended with a _subsultus +tendinum,_ after which they died in the greatest agonies, crying out to +God and Mahomet for mercy. In sixteen minutes by my watch, which I held +in my hand, all the criminals were no more. Some hours after their death, +I observed their bodies full of livid spots, much like those of the +_Petechiæ,_ their faces swelled, their colour changed to a kind of blue, +their eyes looked yellow, &c. &c. + +About a fortnight after this, I had an opportunity of seeing such another +execution at Samarang. Seven Malayans were executed there with the same +instrument, and in the same manner; and I found the operation of the +poison, and the spots in their bodies exactly the same. + +These circumstances made me desirous to try an experiment with some +animals, in order to be convinced of the real effects of this poison; and +as I had then two young puppies, I thought them the fittest objects for +my purpose. I accordingly procured with great difficulty some grains of +Upas. I dissolved half a grain of that gum in a small quantity of arrack, +and dipped a lancet into it. With this poisoned instrument I made an +incision in the lower muscular part of the belly in one of the puppies. +Three minutes after it received the wound the animal began to cry out +most piteously, and ran as fast as possible from one corner of the room +to the other. So it continued during six minutes, when all its strength +being exhausted, it fell upon the ground, was taken with convulsions, and +died in the eleventh minute. I repeated this experiment with two other +puppies, with a cat, and a fowl, and found the operation of the poison +in all of them the same: none of these animals survived above thirteen +minutes. + +I thought it necessary to try also the effect of the poison given +inwardly, which I did in the following manner. I dissolved a quarter of +a grain of the gum in half an ounce of arrack, and made a dog of seven +months old drink it. In seven minutes a retching ensued, and I observed, +at the same time, that the animal was delirious, as it ran up and down +the room, fell on the ground, and tumbled about; then it rose again, +cried out very loud, and in about half an hour after was seized with +convulsions, and died. I opened the body, and found the stomach very much +inflamed, as the intestines were in some parts, but not so much as the +stomach. There was a small quantity of coagulated blood in the stomach; +but I could discover no orifice from which it could have issued; and +therefore supposed it to have been squeezed out of the lungs, by the +animal's straining while it was vomiting. + +From these experiments I have been convinced that the gum of the Upas is +the most dangerous and most violent of all vegetable poisons; and I am +apt to believe that it greatly contributes to the unhealthiness of that +island. Nor is this the only evil attending it: hundreds of the natives +of Java, as well as Europeans, are yearly destroyed and treacherously +murdered by that poison, either internally or externally. Every man of +quality or fashion has his dagger or other arms poisoned with it; and in +times of war the Malayans poison the springs and other waters with it; by +this treacherous practice the Dutch suffered greatly during the last war, +as it occasioned the loss of half their army. For this reason, they have +ever since kept fish in the springs of which they drink the water; and +sentinels are placed near them, who inspect the waters every hour, to see +whether the fish are alive. If they march with an army or body of troops +into an enemy's country, they always carry live fish with them, which +they throw into the water some hours before they venture to drink it; by +which means they have been able to prevent their total destruction. + +This account, I flatter myself, will satisfy the curiosity of my readers, +and the few facts which I have related will be considered as a certain +proof of the exigence of this pernicious tree, and its penetrating +effects. + +If it be asked why we have not yet any more satisfactory accounts of this +tree, I can only answer, that the object to most travellers to that part +of the world consists more in commercial pursuits than in the study of +Natural History and the advancement of Sciences. Besides, Java is so +universally reputed an unhealthy island, that rich travellers seldom +make any long stay in it; and others want money, and generally are too +ignorant of the language to travel, in order to make enquiries. In +future, those who visit this island will probably now be induced to make +it an object of their researches, and will furnish us with a fuller +description of this tree. + +I will therefore only add, that there exists also a sort of Cajoe-Upat on +the coast of Macassar, the poison of which operates nearly in the same +manner, but is not half so violent or malignant as that of Java, and +of which I shall likewise give a more circumstantial account in a +description of that island.--_London Magazine_. + + +CATALOGUE OF THE POETIC EXHIBITION. + +CANTO I. + +Group of insects--Tender husband--Self-admirer--Rival lovers--Coquet +--Platonic wife--Monster-husband--Rural happiness--Clandestine marriage +--Sympathetic lovers--Ninon d'Enclos--Harlots--Giants--Mr. Wright's +paintings--Thalestris Autumnal scene--Dervise procession--Lady in full +dress--Lady on a precipice--Palace in the sea--Vegetable lamb--Whale-- +Sensibility--Mountain-scene by night--Lady drinking water--Lady and +cauldron--Medea and Æson--Forlorn nymph Galatea on the sea--Lady frozen +to a statue + +CANTO II. + +Air-balloon of Mongolfier--Arts of weaving and spinning--Arkwright's +cotton mills--Invention of letters, figures and crotchets--Mrs. Delany's +paper-garden--Mechanism of a watch, and design for its case--Time, hours, +moments--Transformation of Nebuchadnazer--St. Anthony preaching to fish +Sorceress--Miss Crew's drawing--Song to May--Frost scene--Discovery of the +bark--Moses striking the rock--Dropsy--Mr. Howard and prisons + +CANTO III. + +Witch and imps in a church--Inspired Priestess--Fusseli's night-mare--Cave +of Thor and subterranean Naïads--Medea and her children--Palmira weeping +Group of wild creatures drinking--Poison tree of Java--Time and hours--Lady +shot in battle--Wounded deer--Harlots--Laocoon and his sons--Drunkards and +diseases--Prometheus and the vulture--Lady burying her child in the plague +Moses concealed on the Nile--Slavery of the Africans--Weeping Muse + +CANTO IV. + +Maid of night Fairies--Electric lady--Shadrec, Meshec, and Abednego, in +the fiery furnace--Shepherdesses--Song to Echo--Kingdom of China--Lady and +distaff--Cupid spinning--Lady walking in snow--Children at play--Venus and +Loves--Matlock Bath--Angel bathing--Mermaid and Nereids--Lady in salt-- +Lot's wife--Lady in regimentals--Dejanira in a lion's skin--Offspring from +the marriage of the Rose and Nightingale--Parched deserts in Africa-- +Turkish lady in an undress--Ice-scene in Lapland--Lock-lomond by moon +light--Hero and Leander--Gnome-husband and Palace under ground--Lady +inclosed in a fig--Sylph-husband--Marine cave--Proteus-lover--Lady on a +Dolphin--Lady bridling a Pard--Lady saluted by a Swan--Hymeneal procession +--Night + + +CONTENTS OF THE NOTES. + + * * * * * + +Seeds of Canna used for prayer-beads + +Stems and leaves of Callitriche so matted together, as they float on the +water, as to bear a person walking on them + +The female in Collinsonia approaches first to one of the males, and then +to the other + +Females in Nigella and Epilobium bend towards the males for some days, +and then leave them + +The stigma or head of the female in Spartium (common broom) is produced +amongst the higher set of males; but when the keal-leaf opens, the pistil +suddenly twists round like a French-horn, and places the stigma amidst +the lower set of males + +The two lower males in Ballota become mature before the two higher; and, +when their dust is shed, turn outwards from the female + +The plants of the class Two Powers with naked seeds are all aromatic + +Of these Marum and Nepeta are delightful to cats + +The filaments in Meadia, Borago, Cyclamen, Solanum, &c. shewn _by +reasoning_ to be the most unchangeable parts of those flowers + +Rudiments of two hinder wings are seen in the class Diptera, or +two-winged insects + +Teats of male animals + +Filaments without anthers in Curcuma, Linum, &c. and styles without +stigmas in many plants, shew the advance of the works of nature towards +greater perfection + +Double flowers, or vegetable monsters, how produced + +The calyx and lower series of petals not changed in double flowers + +Dispersion of the dust in nettles and other plants + +Cedar and Cypress unperishable + +Anthoxanthum gives the fragrant scent to hay + +Viviparous plants: the Aphis is viviparous in summer, and oviparous in +autumn + +Irritability of the stamen of the plants of the class Syngenesia, or +Confederate males + +Some of the males in Lychnis, and other flowers arrive sooner at their +maturity + +Males approach the female in Gloriosa, Fritillaria, and Kalmia + +Contrivances to destroy insects in Silene, Dionæa muscipula, Arum +muscivorum, Dypsacus, &c. + +Some bell-flowers close at night; others hang the mouths downwards; +others nod and turn from the wind; stamens bound down to the pistil in +Amaryllis formofissima; pistil is crooked in Hemerocallis flava, yellow +day-lily Thorns and prickles designed for the defence of the plant; tall +Hollies have no prickles above the reach of cattle + +Bird-lime from the bark of Hollies like elastic gum + +Adansonia the largest tree known, its dimensions + +Bulbous roots contain the embryon flower, seen by dissecting a tulip-root + +Flowers of Colchicum and Hamamelis appear in autumn, and ripen their seed +in the spring following + +Sunflower turns to the sun by nutation, not by gyration + +Dispersion of seeds + +Drosera catches flies + +Of the nectary, its structure to preserve the honey from insects + +Curious proboscis of the Sphinx Convolvoli + +Final cause of the resemblance of some flowers to insects, as the +Bee-orchis + +In some plants of the class Tetradynamia, or Four Powers, the two shorter +stamens, when at maturity, rise as high as the others + +Ice in the caves on Teneriff, which were formerly hollowed by volcanic +fires + +Some parasites do not injure trees, as Tillandsia and Epidendrum + +Mosses growing on trees injure them + +Marriages of plants necessary to be celebrated in the air + +Insects with legs on their backs + +Scarcity of grain in wet seasons + +Tartarian lamb; use of down on vegetables; air, glass, wax, and fat, are +bad conductors of heat; snow does not moisten the living animals buried +in it, illustrated by burning camphor in snow + +Of the collapse of the sensitive plant + +Birds of passage + +The acquired habits of plants + +Irritability of plants increased by previous exposure to cold + +Lichen produces the first vegetation on rocks + +Plants holding water + +Madder colours the bones of young animals + +Colours of animals serve to conceal them + +Warm bathing retards old age + +Male flowers of Vallisneria detach themselves from the plant, and float +to the female ones + +Air in the cells of plants, its various uses + +How Mr. Day probably lost his life in his diving-ship + +Air-bladders of fish + +Star-gelly is voided by Herons + +Intoxicating mushrooms + +Mushrooms grow without light, and approach to animal nature + +Seeds of Tillandsia fly on long threads, like spiders on the gossamer + +Account of cotton mills + +Invention of letters, figures, crotchets + +Mrs. Delany's and Mrs. North's paper-gardens + +The horologe of Flora + +The white petals of Helleborus niger become first red, and then change +into a green calyx + +Berries of Menispernum intoxicate fish + +Effects of opium + +Frontispiece by Miss Crewe + +Petals of Cistus and Oenanthe continue but a few hours + +Method of collecting the gum from Cistus by leathern throngs + +Discovery of the Bark + +Foxglove how used in Dropsies + +Bishop of Marseilles, and Lord Mayor of London + +Superstitious uses of plants, the divining rod, animal magnetism + +Intoxication of the Pythian Priestess, poison from Laurel-leaves, and +from cherry-kernels + +Sleep consists in the abolition of voluntary power; nightmare explained + +Indian fig emits slender cords from its summit + +Cave of Thor in Derbyshire, and sub-terraneous rivers explained + +The capsule of the Geranium makes a hygrometer; Barley creeps out of a +barn Mr. Edgeworth's creeping hygrometer + +Flower of Fraxinella flashes on the approach of a candle + +Essential oils narcotic, poisonous, deleterious to insects + +Dew-drops from Mancinella blister the skin + +Uses of poisonous juices in the vegetable economy + +The fragrance of plants a part of their defence + +The sting and poison of a nettle + +Vapour from Lobelia suffocative; unwholesomness of perfumed hair-powder + +Ruins of Palmira + +The poison-tree of Java + +Tulip roots die annually + +Hyacinth and Ranunculus roots + +Vegetable contest for air and light + +Some voluble stems turn E.S.W. and others W.S.E. + +Tops of white Bryony as grateful as asparagus + +Fermentation converts sugar into spirit, food into poison + +Fable of Prometheus applied to dram-drinkers + +Cyclamen buries its seeds and trifolium subterraneum + +Pits dug to receive the dead in the plague + +Lakes of America consist of fresh water + +The seeds of Cassia and some others are carried from America, and thrown +on the coasts of Norway and Scotland + +Of the gulf-stream + +Wonderful change predicted in the gulph of Mexico + +In the flowers of Cactus grandiflorus and Cistus some of the stamens are +perpetually bent to the pistil + +Nyctanthes and others are only fragrant in the night; Cucurbita lagenaria +closes when the sun shines on it + +Tropeolum, nasturtian, emits sparks in the twilight + +Nectary on its calyx + +Phosphorescent lights in the evening + +Hot embers eaten by bull-frogs + +Long filaments of grasses, the cause of bad seed-wheat + +Chinese hemp grew in England above 14 feet in five months + +Roots of snow-drop and hyacinth insipid like orchis + +Orchis will ripen its seeds if the new bulb be cut off + +Proliferous flowers + +The wax on the candle-berry myrtle said to be made by insects + +The warm springs of matlock produced by the condensation of steam raised +from great depths by subterranean fires + +Air separated from water by the attraction of points to water being less +than that of the particles of water to each other + +Minute division of sub-aquatic leaves + +Water-cress and other aquatic plants inhabit all climates + +Butomus esculent; Lotus of Egypt; Nymphæa + +Ocymum covered with salt every night + +Salt a remote cause of scrophula, and immediate cause of sea-scurvy + +Coloured spatha of Arum, and blotched leaves, if they serve the purpose +of a coloured petal + +Tulip-roots with a red cuticle produce red flowers + +Of vegetable mules the internal parts, at those of fructification, +resemble the female parent; and the external parts, the male one + +The same occurs in animal mules, as the common mule and the hinnus, and +in sheep + +The wind called Harmattan from volcanic eruptions; some epidemic coughs +or influenza have the same origin + +Fish killed in the sea by dry summers in Asia + +Hedysarum gyrans perpetually moves its leaves like the respiration of +animals + +Plants possess a voluntary power of motion Loud cracks from ice-mountains +explained + +Muschus corallinus vegetates below the snow, where the heat is always +about 40. + +Quick growth of vegetables in northern latitudes after the solution of +the snows explained + +The Rail sleeps in the snow + +Conserva ægagropila rolls about the bottom of lakes + +Lycoperdon tuber, truffle, requires no light + +Account of caprification + +Figs wounded with a straw, and pears and plumbs wounded by insects ripen +sooner, and become sweeter + +Female figs closed on all sides, supposed to be monsters + +Basaltic columns produced by volcanoes shewn by their form + +Byssus floats on the sea in the day, and sinks in the night + +Conserva polymorpha twice changes its colour and its form + +Some seed-vessels and seeds resemble insects + +Individuality of flowers not destroyed by the number of males or females +which they contain + +Trees are swarms of buds, which are individuals + + +INDEX OF THE NAMES OF THE PLANTS + +Adonis +Aegragrópila +Álcea +Amarýllis +Anemóne +Anthoxánthum +Arum +Avéna + +Bárometz +Béllis +Byssus + +Cáctus +Caléndula +Callítriche +Cánna +Cánnabis +Cápri-fícus +Carlína +Caryophýllus +Cáffia +Céreus +Chondrílla +Chunda +Cinchóna +Circæa +Cistus +Cócculus +Cólchicum +Collinsónia +Consérva +Cupréssus +Curcúma +Cuscúta +Cýclamen +Cypérus + +Diánthus +Dictámnus +Digitális +Dodecátheon +Drába +Drósera +Dýpsacus + +Fícus +Fúcus +Fraxinélla + +Galánthus +Genísta +Gloriósa +Gossýpium + +Hedýsarum +Heliánthus +Helléborus +Hippómane +Ilex +Impátiens +Iris + +Kleinhóvia + +Lápsana +Láuro-cérasus +Líchen +Línum +Lobélia +Lonicéra +Lychnis +Lycopérdon + +Mancinélla +Méadia +Melíssa +Menispérmum +Mimósa +Múschus + +Nymphæa + +Ócymum +Orchis +Osmúnda +Osýris + +Papáver +Papýrus +Plantágo +Polymórpha +Polypódium +Prúnus + +Rúbia + +Siléne + +Trápa +Tremélla +Tropáeolum +Truffélia +Túlipa + +Ulva +Upas +Urtíca + +Vallisnéria +Víscum +Vítis + +Zostéra + + * * * * * + +FINIS + + +DIRECTIONS to the BINDER. + +Please to place the print of Flora and Cupid opposite to the Title-page. + +The two prints of flowers in small compartments both facing the last page +of the Preface. + +The print of Meadia opposite to p. 6. + +Gloriosa opposite p. 14. + +Dionaea p. 16. + +Amaryllis p. 17. + +Vallisneria p. 40. + +Hedysarum p. 172. + +Apocynum p. 185. + + + + + + + +End of Project Gutenberg's The Botanic Garden. 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