wholesome for the child-a virtue attributed also to the leaves. The seeds are also recommended for those who are troubled with shortness of breath, and wheezing occasioned by stoppage of the lungs. Its leaves in decoction strengthen the sight; its juice, taken fasting, is said to cure intermittent fevers. It is a sudorific and carminative, facilitates digestion when chewed; and is a specific in malignant putrid fevers. "There is a simple water made from the leaves, and an essential oil from the seed and leaves. Neumann says, "The oil obtained from the leaves on the upper part of the plant is much finer, lighter, and more subtle, than the oil obtained from the lower leaves. The former oil swims on water, and the latter sinks." There is also a strong water, or kind of brandy, made of the seeds of fennel, called fennel water. "Snakes and serpents delight in fen nel, and seem to eat it medicinally before they cast off their old skins. Pliny says, the ancient physicians observed that the serpents, having wounded the fennel stalk, cleared their eyes with the juice, whereby they learnt that this herb hath the singular property of cleansing our sight, and taking away the film or web from our eyes: he adds, that the only time to obtain the juice is when the stalk is nearly full grown: it was administered with honey. "Induced by these observations, the author planted fennel on a bank in his shrubbery, where he had frequently seen snakes; but for want of that time and caution, which it requires to watch these reptiles, he has never seen them bite this herb, but has often found the stalks not only wounded, but eaten nearly half through, either by these, or some other animal." THELWALL'S POEMS.* A VOLUME of poetry from the pen of a person who stands so high both in the literary and political world as Mr. Thelwall, cannot fail to be an object of more than ordinary interest; and we are persuaded, that in introducing such a production to the notice of our readers, we are conferring a reciprocal pleasure upon them and ourselves. Many of Mr. Thelwall's poetical productions have already met the public eye, but they have never before made their appearance, in a regular or collected form, and the present may therefore be considered as the first fair opportunity that has been afforded of ascertaining his true character as a poet. Judging from these specimens, we should say, that the soft and tender is more his forte than the bold and sublime; he is better fitted to chant the amorous lay of the Troubaduor, than the spirit-stirring strain of the warrior; and seems rather to aim at culling a wreath of the wild flowers that nature has strewn in his way, than at soaring 16 into the loftier regions of Parnassus, and giving "to airy nothing a local habitation and a name." Nor will he suffer by this preference in the estimation of those persons, who are no admirers of certain bards of high renown, that have mistaken rhapsody for sublimity have deemed horrors and crimes to be the most appropriate subjects of soothing song, and have conceived that they approach the perfection of their art, in proportion as their languaage becomes remote from common understanding, and their descriptions from versimilitude. With writers of this stamp, Mr. Thelwall has certainly nothing in common; but he may justly claim an honourable station among those who have excelled in strains of sweetness and tenderness, and in awakening the better feelings, and kindlier sensibilities of our nature. His anacreontics, of which there are several in the collection, exhibit very superior powers: we subjoin the following as a specimen. The Poetical Recreations of the Champion. London, 1822. ATHENEUM VOL. 11. IF WHEN THE SPARKLING GOB- Gush'd the big tear-drops, as my soul rememberesi LET FLOWS. If when the sparkling goblet flows, Then come, Naera ! sweeter rose! The balmy fragrance of thy lip, More-more than vision'd bliss 'twill be Zion, thy mountain paradise, my country! Claim'd, in our mournful bitterness of anguish, Dumb be my tuneful eloquence, if ever The reproach under which our language labours of harshness, arising from the frequent recurrence of hissing sounds, is well known. Mr. Thelwall has given us a curious specimen of " an English song without a Sibilant," as a proof that this fault might partly, at least, be avoided. As it contains but a few stanzas, and may be considered a kind of poetical novelty, we shall subjoin it. SONG. No-not the eye of tender blue, Had long enthrail'd my mind: From many of equal merit, we offer Nor tint with tint, alternate aiding to our readers, the beautiful piece entialed, HOPE DEFerred. Brimful of bliss the goblet flow'd, *Twas lifted to the very lip; ut envious fortune snatch'd away O Mary! is the goblet gone The draught forever cast away? Or is it but a while withdrawn, To come more sweeten'd by delay? Yes, Mary! yes-that speaking eye Tells me the cup again shall flow: And bless'd occasion shall supply The mutual bliss we pant to know. The following version of the 138th psalm certainly appears to us extremely harmonious. That o'er the dimpled tablet flow, The breathing tint, the beamy ray, But when to radiant form and feature, We had marked several other beautiful passages for extracting, but our limits will not admit of their insertion; we must therefore refer our readers to the work itself for further entertainment. For ourselves, we can truly say, that this miscellany has much exceeded our expectations, and that we should be glad indeed, could we always in our moments of relaxation from the severer pursuits and occupations of life, ensure amusement equal to that which we have derived from the Poetical Recreations of the Champion. Mon. Mag. March. Stephensiana, No. V. (Monthly Magazine.) An Original LETTER from a Travel ler of Distinction, concerning GEN ERAL WASHINGTON. ON my arrival at Alexandria, I was exceedingly desirous to visit Mount Vernon, a seat belonging to General Washington at ten miles distance. After having traversed several extensive woods, and surmounted two hills, I discovered a house built in a style of elegant simplicity, and appearing in every respect agreeable. In front of it, were meadows kept in excellent order; on one side were tables and offices, and on the other a greenhouse and several buildings in which negroes were at work, and a court-yard adjoining was full of turkies, ducks, geese, and other fowls. This house which commands a charming prospect of the Potomac, has a large and elegant portico on the side towards the river; the apartments are admirably adapted to the building, and the outside is covered with a kind of varnish, that renders it impenetrable to the rain. The general, who did not arrive until the evening, when he came home exceedingly fatigued, had been visiting a distant part of his property, where he intended to open a new road. You have often heard him compared to Cincinnatus; the comparison is exact. This celebrated general is no more at present than a plain planter, unceasingly occupied about the cares of his farm, as he himself terms it. He shewed me a barn which he had just finished; it is a building about one hundred feet in length, and of a breadth in proportion. It is destined to contain his corn, his potatoes, his turnips, &c. Around it he has constructed stables for his cattle, his horses, and his asses, of which he has multiplied a breed hitherto unknown in that country. The different parts of this building are so skilfully distributed that one man may fill the racks with potatoes, hay, &c. in a very short time, and that without any difficulty; the general informed me that it was built after a plan transmitted him by the celebrated Arthur Young, but that he had made did not cost above 3001.-in England His asses, his horses, and his mules, houses, scattered over different parts of his property which, in this neighbourhood alone, amounts to 10,000 acres, and Colonel Humphrey, his secretary, assured me that in different parts of America, he has more than 200,000. The general sent to England for a farmer well skilled in the agriculture of that country, and this person presides. over the cultivation of his lands. every Every thing in his house bespeaks simplicity; his table is served plentiand fully but without any pomp, Mrs. Washpart of his domestic economy evinces uncommon regularity. ington superintends every thing, and joins to the good qualities of a farmer's wife, that dignified simplicity which ought to characterize a lady whose husband has acted so conspicuous part. General Washington has nothing very characteristic in his countenance, and it is owing to this circumstance that his likeness is so very difficult to be taken, and that so few painters have The goodsucceeded in his portrait. ness of his heart, seems conspicuous in every look, and every movement of his mind his eyes possess but little of that brilliancy for which they were so conspicuous at the head of an army, or during some difficult emergency in the field of battle; they become extremely animated, however, and lively, in the heat of argument. Abundance of good sense is discoverable in all his questions and replies, and in his conversation he evinces the utmost modesty and diffidence of his own powers. He speaks of the American war as if he had not directed its operations, and of his own battles and victories, with an indifference that would not become a stranger. nation had the part of the dromedary Her ladyship was, for many years, the wonder of the fashionable worldenvied by all the ladies that frequented After having given liberty to his the court. She had a splendid house country, he is now about to add to her in Portland Place, with et cetera equal wealth and her respectability, being in brilliancy and beauty to, or rather called by the unanimous voice of his surpassing those of any of her confellow citizens to preside over the civil temporaries. Magnificent appendages government of America, and to evince were a sort of scenery she glorified in that zeal, discretion, assiduity and pub-milk-white horse to her carriagelic virtue in peace, which he so won derfully displayed during a long, a bloody, a ruinous, but a successful warfare. FASCINATION. That serpents terrify birds, and to such a degree that the poor little victims flutter about and fall within their reach, I can readily believe; but to suppose that they possess any charm or power of fascination will scarcely be allowed by those who deserve the name of philosophers, or who search into the reason of things. The following occurrence towards the latter end of 1800, suggests an observation that will explain some circumstantial relations quoted in natural history :— A parrot belonging to my family, was entrusted to the care of a neighbour, during our retirement to a country house, and was placed, as usual, at the window. A dromedary happened to pass by, and stretching forth its long neck towards the parrot, affrighted the poor bird to such a degree that it fell off its perch upon its back, and remained a long time in convulsions. Why give an air of adventure and surprize? why plunge inte a maze of inquiries? May not a common incident—a fright -produced by an object of terror, a clue to the judgment? Would not this have been called fasci serve as the coachman and footman in grand, shewy liveries-the carriage lined with a silk calculated to exhibit the complexion, &c. &c. I recollect, however, to have seen the late Mrs. Robinson go far beyond all this in the rich exuberance of her genius; a yellow lining to her landau with a black footman, to contrast with her beautiful countenance and fascinating figure, and thus render both more lovely. Lady Archer's house at Barnes Elms Terrace, was fittted up with an elegance of ornaments and drapery to strike the senses, and yet powerfully addressed to the imagination. She could give an insinuating interest to the scenes about her, which other eyes were viewing. Her kitchen garden and pleasure ground of five acres-the Thames running in front as if appertaining to the grounds-the apartments most tastefully decorated in the Chinese style-a fine conservatory opening into the principal apartment, with grapes, slow peaches, &c. at the end a magnificent sopha, with a superb curtain, all displayed with a peculiar grace, and to the greatest advantage. Much praise was due to the arrangements in her collection of green and hot house plants, the appellations of which she was well acquainted with, as also every thing relating to their history. Stephensiana. ADMIRAL SIR RICHARD HUGHES was of an ancient family-ran away with Miss Sloane, descended from the family of Sir Hans Sloane; he was a midshipman with Sir Edward Hughes, Not so in ancient days of Caledon, Was thy voice mute amid the fatal crowd, When lays of hopeless love of glory won Aroused the fearful, and subdued the proud. who, by some mistake, put out the eye Fair dames and crested knights attentive bow'd, of his friend with a fork, when about to transfix a cock roach. While admiral on the Halifax station, he surveyed the woods of Nova Scotia, and was introduced to the King on his return, and had an audience of two hours in the closet. He then became an admiral in the West Indies. He was a very For still the burthen of thy minstrelsy Was knighthood's dauntless deed, and beauty O, wake once more! how rude soe'er the hand mand Some feeble echoing of thine earlier lay: And all unworthy of thy nobler strain, handsome man, wore a ribbon over his Yet if one heart breathe higher at the sway, eye, and was at once a poet, a musician, a well-informed man, and a most accomplished gentleman. The wizard note has not been touched in vain, The glaring bale-fires blaze no more, All, all is peaceful, all is still, As if thy waves, since Time was born, Since first they roll'd their way to Tweed, The late CAPTAIN HUGHES was the son of an admiral and a baronet. This young man, heir to a good fortune, Where'er thou wind'st by dale and bill possessed of wit and humour, and undoubtedly had many of the best requisites for a gentleman. But one fault he had also, but it was a fault that precluded his advancement, ruined his constitution completely, cut his life short, and put a period to the hopes of his family and acquaintance. Constant and habitual intoxication having at length endangered his life, a physician belonging to the fleet told him that if he persisted he would actually wear away the coats of his stomach. With a non-chalance that too strongly marked his character, he replied, "I thank you, Doctor, for your information, but in case of such an accident, which I find it difficult to provide against, it must work in its waistcoat." MARMION. The following exquisitely beautiful passage of Marmion was in circulation before the poem was published, and as it varies in some respects from the printed copy, it will be esteemed a curiosity among the devotees of the illustrious author. Harp of the north! that mouldering long hath hung Till enviously did around thee cling. Still must thy sweeter sounds their silence keep Nor started at the bugle horn. Unlike the tide of human time, Which, though it change in ceaseless flow, Retains each grief, retains each crime, Its earliest course was doomed to know. Is stain'd with past and present tears. Low as that tide has ebbed with me, The hour my brave, my only boy Why, when the volleying minstrel play'd Enough! he died with conquering Græme. February 17, 1810... LORD NELSON. I visited Lord Nelson relative to my History of the War. On the Neapolitan subject he was as impetuous in language as in gesture, two or three times clapping his hand on his sword, and When he once drawing it half out. had calmed himself on his questionable conduct in that business, I directed the discourse to the battle of the Nile, and becoming tranquil, he drew on a sheet of paper, a sketch of the positions, and entered minutely into a description of his manoeuvres. I thought the sketch curious, and begged to be allowed to bring it away. |