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in a place moderately warm, and near neighborhood.
to the light. A parlor window is a
very common place for them, but is
often too warm, and brings on the
plants too early, and causes them to
be weakly.

THE MOLE.

Does the mole see? Aristotle, and all the Greek philosophers, maintain that it does not; Galen, on the contrary, maintains that it does. The question has been reagitated in modern days. Naturalists discovered the eye; but as it was unprovided with an optic nerve, its capacity of vision was still doubted. It has, however, since been ascertained that the mole actually sees, and that it is enabled to do so by the aid of a particular nerve, of which it is exclusively possessed.

ANIMAL CHARCOAL.

Some years ago the newspapers gave an account of an establishment at Copenhagen, in which the charcoal made from bones was used with great success in the purification of common oils, whilst the gas that was generated served to light a great part of the

An establishment of

this kind is being formed at Stockholm. It is said that the most rancid fish oils are made equal to the finest sperm oil by the use of this charcoal, and that in consequence of the profit resulting from its employment in that way, the gas which the bones give out in great abundance can be supplied at a much cheaper rate than the gas obtained from coals. It is rather singular that the experiment has not been tried in this country.

IMPROVEMENT OF CANDLES.

Steep the cotton wick in lime water, in which has been dissolved a considerable quantity of nitrate of potass, (chlorate of potass answers better, but is too expensive for common practice); and, by these means, a purer flame and superior light is secured, a more perfect combustion is ensured, snuffing is rendered nearly as superfluous as in wax candles, and the candles thus treated do not run." The wicks must be thoroughly dry before the tallow is put to them.

66

VARIETIES.

"Come, let us stray

Where Chance or Fancy leads our roving walk."

THE ALPINE HORN.

THE Alpine Horn is an instrument made of the bark of the cherry-tree, and like a speaking-trumpet, is used to convey sounds to a great distance. When the last rays of the sun gild the summit of the Alps, the shepherd who inhabits the highest peak of those mountains, takes his horn, and cries with a loud voice, "Praised be the Lord." As soon as the neighboring shepherds hear him they leave their huts and repeat these words. The sounds are prolonged many minutes, while the echoes of the mountains, and grottoes of the rocks, repeat the name of God. Imagination cannot picture any thing more solemn, or sublime, than this scene. During the silence

that succeeds, the shepherds bend their knees, and pray in the open air, and then retire to their huts to rest. The sun-light gilding the tops of those stupendous mountains, upon which the blue vault of heaven seems to rest, the magnificent scenery around, and the voices of the shepherds sounding from rock to rock the praise of the Almighty, must fill the mind of every traveller with enthusiasm and awe.

TALLEYRAND.

This veteran politician recently lost three millions of livres by the failure of a Paris banker. He has still, however, more than 20,000l. sterling per annum left, most of which he spends in hospitality. In fact, his

life is represented as one round of pleasure and excitement. In his own hotel at Paris, he is constantly surrounded by his satellites; and, when he sojourns at his princely palace at Valency, he is attended by a host of visitors. Under these circumstances, it can be no matter of surprise, that the threatened "Memoirs of his eventful life" proceed but slowly.

TURKISH MEDALS.

The Sultan Mohammed is resorting to a somewhat unusual mode of stimulating the valor of his troops. He has ordered honorary medals to be conferred upon those who distinguish themselves in the present war against the Russians. These medals have for their device" For valor." The Turks have hitherto shown an aversion to such distinctions. The order of the Crescent, instituted by Selim III., and conferred on Lord Nelson, could never be rendered popular in Turkey.

DANISH PERIODICALS.

The first periodical publication printed in Denmark, was in the year 1644, which was soon followed by many others, one of which was always in verse. There are now no less than eighty works of a similar nature, either daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly; and of these seventy are in the Danish language.

IMPORTANT TO THE STUDIOUS.

Edmund Castell, one of the scholars of the seventeenth century, of whom England may be most justly proud, devoted his whole time and his eyesight to complete his Lexicon Heptaglotton-a most extraordinary monument of learning and industry. It is important, however, for scholars to know, that the regular application of eighteen hours a day, for seventeen years, did not so far impair his constitution as to prevent his reaching the advanced age of seventy-nine.

ADULATION.

Perhaps one of the finest specimens of base and impious servility on record,

is the speech which, it is stated in Bertrand's History of Boulogne-surMer, was made by the prefect of the Pas-de-Calais to Napoleon, at the period when the latter was projecting the invasion of England, and had collected all kinds of materials for the attempt, viz: "God created Buonaparte, and then rested himself!"

CRANIOLOGY.

Philosophy is a very pleasant thing, and has various uses; one is, that it makes us laugh; and certainly there are no speculations in philosophy, that excite the risible faculties more than some of the serious stories related by fanciful philosophers. One man cannot, think with the left side of his head; another, with the sanity of the right side judges the insanity of the left side of his head. Zimmerman, a very grave man, used to draw conclusions as to a man's temperament, from his nose !-not from the size or form of it, but the peculiar sensibility of the organ; while some have thought, that the temperature of the atmosphere might be accurately ascertained by the state of its tip! and Cardan considered acuteness of the organ a sure proof of genius!

LYING.

A Dutch ambassador, entertaining the king of Siam with an account of Holland, about which his majesty was very inquisitive, amongst other things told him, that water in his country would sometimes get so hard that men walked upon it; and that it would bear an elephant with the utmost ease. To which the king replied, "Hitherto I have believed the strange things you have told me, because I looked upon you as a sober, fair man; but now I am sure you lie."

ORIENTAL RHODOMONTADE.

When his innumerable armies marched, the heavens were so filled with the dust of their feet, that the birds of the air could rest

thereupon. His elephants moved like walking mountains; and the earth,

oppressed by their weight, mouldered into dust, and found refuge in the peaceful heaven.

CHINESE PRIDE.

The Chinese are said to divide the human race into men, women, and Chinese.

ROSINI'S MOÏSE.

Dr. Cottugno, the principal physician at Naples, told me, at the time of the extraordinary success of Rosini's Moïse, that he had more than forty cases of brain fever, or of violent convulsions, with which young females dotingly fond of music were seized, chiefly caused by the superb change of tone in the prayer of the Hebrews in the third act.

HUBERT POOT, THE DUTCH POET.

Hubert Poot, of Delft, was the son of a peasant, who, although he had no education, and little or no reading, became the author of Dutch Pastoral and Elegy. He never allowed his passion for making verses to interrupt his duty as a day-laborer, and is said to have sold his watch, shoe-buckles, and ring, to purchase books, deeming the former luxuries-the latter, necessaries.

SILVER BOOKS.

In the library of Upsal, in Sweden, there is preserved a translation of the Four Gospels, printed with hot metal types, upon violet-colored vellum. The letters are silver, and hence it has received the name of Codex Argentea. The initial letters are in gold. It is supposed that the whole was printed in the same manner as bookbinders letter the titles of books on the backs. It was a very near approach to the discovery of the art of printing; but it is not known how old

it is.

NAVAL ECONOMY.

At the battle of St. Vincent, the Excellent, shortly before the action, had bent a new fore-top-sail, and when she was closely engaged with the St. Isidro, Captain (afterwards Lord) Collingwood called out to his boatswain, "Bless me! Mr. Peffers,

how came we to forget to bend our old top-sail? They will quite ruin that new one it will never be worth a farthing again."

NEW WORKS.

Tales of Woman, designed to exhibit the female character in its brightest points of view, are announced for immediate publication. It is said to be a work peculiarly worthy of female acceptation.

The Garrick Correspondence has, it is said, been placed in the hands of an experienced literary character and dramatic amateur, to be prepared for publication.

In the Press.-The Life and Times of Daniel De Foe, containing a review of his writings, and his opinions upon a variety of important matters, civil and ecclesiastical. Also an account of many contemporary Writers. By Walter Wilson.

An elegant volume of a novel character, devoted to the most elegant recreations and pursuits of young ladies.

Memoirs of Paul Jones; compiled from his Original Journals, Correspondence, and other Papers, brought from Paris by his heirs at the time of his death, in 1792.

The Life and Adventures of Alexander Selkirk, who died in 1723; containing the real Incidents upon which the Romance of Robinson Crusoe is founded.

Scenes of War, and other Poems, by John Malcolm.

The Trials of Life, a Novel, by the Author of De Lisle, or the Sensitive Man.

Conversations on Intellectual Philosophy, or a familiar explanation of the Nature and Operations of the Human Mind.

A New Year's Eve; and other Poems. By Bernard Barton.

The Interpositions of Divine Providence, selected exclusively from the Holy Scriptures. In one volume, 12 mo. By Joseph Fincher, Esq. The Last Supper. By the author of Farewell to Time.

OF THE

ENGLISH MAGAZINES.

THIRD SERIES.] BOSTON, JANUARY 15, 1829. [VOL. 1, No. 8.

GOOD SIR WALTER.

SIR WALTER MEYNELL was born in the last year of the seventeenth century, and was an only son, although he had several sisters. He went through the education which was then becoming fixed as the course proper for the Meynells, and which, in fact, has descended as regularly as the familyplate ever since. Eton, Oxford, and the Grand Tour formed this system of training, which was continued unremittingly till the French revolution, together with one or two other slight changes that it wrought, took away from the rising Meynell of the day the power of travelling with a bear-leader through the principal parts of Europe.

But no such naughty doings existed in the days of Sir Walter's adolescence. He was accordingly presented at the court of the Regent, Duke of Orleans, where nothing naughty was ever heard of, and thence duly performed the whole of that itinerary which has been named the Grand Tour, from the circumstance, I suppose, of the traveller going straight on end, and returning almost precisely the way he came. Sir Walter, however, brought but little of foreign fashions back with him to England. He returned the same hearty, brightspirited fellow he went-with some additional cultivation indeed-for his mental qualities were keen and sound -but in no degree warped or made foreign by his residence abroad.

Not long after his return, he succeeded to his title and estate. His 36 ATHENEUM, VOL. 1, 3d series.

mother had been dead some years; and he came and settled at Arlescot, retaining his eldest sister at the head of his household, as she had been in their father's time, and all the others remaining exactly as they had then been. Sir Walter was not the man to put forth his sisters because they ceased to be daughters of the house-he loved them all dearly, and delighted to have them around him. "Arlescot," said he, in answer to his man of business, who spoke to him on the subject, "shall ever be their home till they marry. I wish, in every respect, to fill my poor father's place as much as possible." And, indeed, if it had not been that the face at the head of the table was some thirty years younger than that which had been there so lately, one would scarcely have known that any change had taken place at Arlescot-hall.

There was a very considerable difference between the age of the eldest and the youngest of Sir Walter's five sisters, so that he continued to have a lady-house (-and the word, though I coin it for the purpose, carries with it a most comprehensive signification—) for many years. There was none of that loneliness, which so often sheds a chill over a bachelor's dwelling. There were always smiling faces and merry voices, to welcome his return home;-and all those elegances and amenities, which exist in no society among which there are not women, constantly graced, and at the

same time gave added animation to, the circle that congregated within the walls of Arlescot. Indeed, celebrated as that venerable pile has always been for its hospitality and joyous society, the days of Sir Walter and his sisters have come down in tradition as the most brilliant and festive of all. The numerous Christmas party seldom broke up till it belied its name, and was treading on the heels of Lent; and the beautiful woods of green Arlescot, as they waved in the full pride of summer, ever saw bright and happy groups beneath their shade, and echoed to the sounds of springing voices and young laughter.

In a word, Sir Walter lived during these years a most happy life. He had around him those whom he loved best in the world: he not only saw them happy, but he helped to make them so. Indeed, so thoroughly did the milk of human kindness pervade his heart, that he drew his own chief enjoyment from conferring it. To the poor, he was, indeed, a benefactor. Not contented with an alms hastily given, or a dole regularly meted out at the gate, he would personally enter into their interests-assist the beginner, encourage the rising man, and protect and provide for the destitute, the aged, and the sick. He would give his attention to their representations, and deal to them a merciful justice. He would speak a kind word, as the flower of that beautiful tree of charity of which the kind action was the fruit. Before he was thirty years old, he had acquired, among the peasantry around Arlescot, the epithet of Good Sir Walter." If any one met with injustice-" Go to good Sir Walter, and he will see you righted;" if any one fell into distressGo to good Sir Walter, and he will set you on your legs again."

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And among persons of his own station, Sir Walter was equally popular. He had, shortly after his coming into the country, been the means of reconciling a most distressing quarrel between two of his neighbors of the highest consideration-and this at

tracted the attention of the neighborhood towards him. His constant good humor as a companion-his extreme hospitality-the delightful footing upon which the society at Arlescot was placed his readiness to perform a friendly office, and the excessive reluctance with which he refused a favor,-all combined to make the gentry adopt the language of the poor, and say-" they have given him the right name—he is, indeed, Good Sir Walter."

One very natural consequence of the position in which Sir Walter was placed, was that he remained a bachelor. The smile of woman constantly cheered his home, while her accomplishments gave to it all the advantages of refinement and taste. In short, even the most manoeuvring mammas in shire had given up the matter as a bad job-and set Sir Walter down as a man that would never marry.

The youngest of his sisters was very much younger than any of the family; and, indeed, there was almost twenty years between his age and her's. At the time this sister, whose name was Elizabeth, was about ten years old, there was only one of the others left unmarried, and Sir Walter began to feel, with sorrow, how much their happy family circle was diminished. This circumstance drew his affections most vividly towards the little Elizabeth. He felt that she was his last stay-that when she left him, he would be widowed quite-and, accordingly, his kindness towards her increased so greatly, that she would have gone near to become a spoiled child-if it had not been that her nature was of a most excellent disposition, and that that nature had been directed, originally, by her eldest sister, towards the best and most beautiful issues. Accordingly, when, at about ten years old, her brother began to be over-indulgent towards her, the effect produced upon her was scarcely more than to render her affection for him every day stronger and more fond, while it left untouched the

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