offers a noble example to future cultivators of the Muses who may be fortunate enough to be as liberally provided with this world's goods. It is scarcely necessary to name the poet Rogers: "Approach with reverence, there are those within Whose dwelling-place is Heaven, daughters of Jove; The celebrated and beautiful group of the Graces, from Canova's chisel, attracts all eyes, and leads them to dwell upon its matchless beauties. It is in figures of refinement and delicacy that this sculptor excels; in manly and heroic forms, he loses by comparison with the northern artist, Thorwaldsen. Leaving the gallery of sculptures, it is a pleasant change to wander in the parterres and conservatories, filled as they are with a splendid collection of plants of every kind. The pinetum and araucaria house, contain valuable plants of the species Abies and Araucaria. The botanical house is rich in the possession of some magnificent specimens of the tribe of cactus. The palms and ferns are of great size, and grow to a prodigious height. Not the least agreeable pastime is to wander up and down through the tortuous intricacies of the labyrinth, composed of horn-beam, and crowned with a temple of Chinese fashion. To all these tasteful contrivances for passing away pleasant summer hours, there seems no termination. Not the least of their merit consists in their variety, and their excellent arrangement in the most picturesque positions. To leave them, however, with out a word of comment on one of the choicest ornaments and with this sweet sentiment lingering on the mind, we are consoled in bidding farewell to this charming locality. MEMOIR OF PARMENTIER; OR, THE INTRODUCTION OF THE POTATO AT PARIS. ANTOINE AUGUSTIN PARMENTIER was born of poor parents, in the little town of Mondidier, in 1737. His father died during his infancy, and he was left to the care of his mother, a woman of superior character, and of admirable good sense, to whom he loved in after-life to ascribe the highest advantages of his education. The old curé of the parish, who was the friend of his family, struck by the intelligence with which he received her early lessons, undertook to instruct him in the rudiments of Latin. At sixteen, Augustin, impatient to render some assistance to his mother, who, though honourably descended, was struggling with great poverty, entered into business under an apothecary in his native town, and the following year he went to Paris to one of his relations, who followed the same profession. An opportunity soon offered for the young chemist with Hanover having broken out, Parmentier joined to enter a career worthy of his ambition. The war the army in 1757. The talent and the self-devotion which he displayed during the dreadful epidemic which used to describe these mishaps, in later days, with his of the place, would be an injustice. The dairy at Wo-battle-field. He was taken prisoner five times, and he burn is too unique to be passed unnoticed, and claims a special note of admiration. It is a small structure of Chinese character, surrounded by water, on which the elegant water-lily floats in graceful wreaths. The inte rior is well adapted for its uses and combines every convenience with its ornamental details. Nothing more perfect in its way can be conceived. During one of these military captivities, Parmentier conceived the first idea of the good deed which was Being subdestined to render his name immortal. termined not to forget it when he should recover his liberty: we shall see how he fulfilled his intention. On the east side of the abbey, there is a group of trees, between whose aged trunks several village spires may bejected to rigorous confinement, and obliged to content seen, all tending to form distinct and cheerful landscapes himself with the rations of the prisoners of war, who of sylvan life. From another part of the park, the were fed on potatoes; instead of complaining as the church at Woburn is a prominent feature in the view. rest did of this food, which was new and disagreeable A sense of something positively English prevails every-the nature and the utility of the precious root, and deto them, he more wisely set himself to consider well where; and in no place is the impression disturbed or destroyed. The noble house of Russell has ever stood foremost through all our national history for the inherent nobility of its sons, a glorious race! illustrious for their achievements in the field and their greatness in the senate. Thus, wandering in the haunts where they so oft have trod, it is natural to muse and meditate on bygone years, and listen to the chimes of the old church, as they might have listened when called to prayer by the same sweet sounds, and where they pondered on the passing scenes of their eventful times. "Che sarà sarà,"--they have ever been a lofty branch of the aristocracy of England, and long may they continue to be so, and for years come to enjoy their leisure in the sweet precincts of Woburn. Before quitting the neighbourhood, it may be recommended to the casual visitor to take a stroll through the cemetery of the church. Every grave, however humble, is kept in the most perfect order; and the intermixture of shrubs, rose-trees, flowers, with the marble and stone memorials of departed greatness, is happily suggestive of that land where all earthly distinctions are forgotten. One stone, commemorative of a girl of tender years, is worthy of remark. After relating the name and age of the deceased, the tribute to her memory is thus concluded "He builds too low who builds beneath the sky." Never was Cowper's poetry more appropriately quoted; When peace was restored to his native country in 1763, Parmentier returned to Paris, where he attended the medical lectures of l'Abbé Mollet; those on chemistry delivered by the two brothers Douelle; and the botanical courses of the celebrated Bernard de Jussieu. His ardent love of learning led him to bear with cheerfulness the greatest privations, by means of which alone he was enabled to pay for his lessons, and to buy the books he wanted in the prosecution of his studies. And all this time he spared money to assist his mother and sisters, who little knew at how great a sacrifice of the comforts of life he thus contributed to the supply of their wants. In 1766, he was chosen from amongst many other candidates to fill the situation of assistant druggist at the Hôtel des Invalides, and in this new post he won all hearts by his zeal, his gentleness, and the chatm of his affectionate and sprightly disposition. The old mutilated soldiers loved him for the interest he took in their past services, and in their welfare and comfort; and the good sisters who had the charge of the hospital loved him for the sympathy he showed in their anxieties and labours. In 1769, Parmentier was rewarded by the appointment of senior chemist, which fixed him permanently at the Hôtel des Invalides. As soon as he began to taste the pleasures of ease and tranquillity, the remem brance of his imprisonment in Germany, and of the potato, recurred more vividly than ever to his mind. This useful vegetable had been brought into Europe from Peru in the early part of the sixteenth century, and was first cultivated in Italy and in Germany. It was introduced into France from Flanders, and was propagated in the south by the care of the great minister Turgot; it was used in the provinces of Anjou and Limousin, but ignorance and stubborn dislike to every innovation had prevailed in all other parts of the kingdom, and the plant was regarded as a subtle species of poison, that was calculated both to exhaust the soil in which it was grown, and to bring forth leprosy and other fearful maladies wherever it was used as an article of food. Such were the absurd prejudices Parmentier now resolved to attack with courage and perseverance. He knew how hard the strife must ever be against long-established custom and popular opinion; but he was animated by the purest philanthropy, and no obstacle seemed to him invincible in the path which should lead to the attainment of a national benefit. He saw that it would be necessary to obtain from the first some powerful protection for his plans, and he sought that of the king himself, Louis XVI., who gladly accorded it. He then determined to strike the imagination of the Parisians, and so to forge a weapon of his own, for his projected warfare against fancy and foolish superstition. For this end, he asked the monarch to bestow upon him fifty acres of the sterile plain of Les Sablons. They were cultivated now for the first time, under his directions and at his expense, and in due time were planted with potatoes. No sooner did the flowers appear, than Parmentier carried a nosegay of them to Versailles, and presented it to the king, who was surrounded by his court; Louis received the offering most graciously, and placed it in his button-hole, in spite of the scornful looks and the halfsuppressed smiles of many who were present. From that time the cause of the potato was gained in the highest circles of Paris. The noble and the beautifu imitated the example of the monarch, and the potato blossom was worn instead of jasmine and roses in the most fashionable dresses of the day. But while the great lords and ladies of the court hastened to the Hôtel des Invalides to offer their congratulations to the modest philanthropist at whose expense not a few jokes had been passed only a week before, it was still doubtful whether the people, for whose benefit he had chiefly been anxious to raise the plant, would be willing to profit by his pains. The guards placed round his field by day increased the curiosity of the crowd, but they were withdrawn at night, and Parmentier heard with infinite satisfaction that his potatoes were stolen. He rewarded the first man that brought him tidings of this welcome theft, exclaiming, in the gladness of his heart, "If they are stolen by night, the old prejudice against them no longer exists." Soon afterwards he gave a grand entertainment, at which Lavoisier and the American philosopher, Franklin, were present, amongst many of the most distinguished men of that time. Every dish consisted of potatoes dressed in an endless variety of form and fashion; even the liqueurs were extracted from the same precious root. It is only to be regretted that the bill of fare and the receipts of the cooks have not been preserved to the present day. Thus did the generous efforts of one man give to his fatherland an inestimable supply of wholesome food, and placed millions beyond the reach of the dreadful famines which used in past years from time to time to desolate the plains of France. Parmentier occupied himself a good deal from 1783 to 1791 in composing and publishing several most useful works upon domestic economy and agriculture. But soon the storms of the French revolution put an end to all calm meditation and enjoyment. He was too wise, and far too well occupied to take any active part in the political discussions that raged around him, and his silence was considered as a disavowal of the principles which were then triumphant. Those who arrogated to themselves the title of "Friends of the People" began to persecute the man who had shown his friendship by his deeds. "Speak no more of Parmentier !" exclaimed an orator of the Jacobin Club, “he would feed us only on potatoes. It was he who invented them." His name was placed on the list of the suspected, and he was deprived of the small pension given to him by Louis XVI. and of his apartments at the Hôtel des Invalides. But he had scarcely been reduced to poverty before the absolute need of his services was again felt. The coalition of all the European powers against France forced her to neglect no means that might contribute to her security, and amongst these it was deemed advisable to reorganize the pharmaceutic department of the military hospitals, and to make the soldiers' bread better. This difficult task was offered to Parmentier, who accepted it with enthusiasm, and acquitted himself of it with zeal which was above all praise. To this day his name is gratefully remembered in the French army. He was now appreciated according to his deserts, and was called to one honourable employment after another in the service of humanity. All the learned societies sent him diplomas, and he was received as a member of the National Institute. During the time that Napoleon's empire lasted, Parmentier's life flowed on in uninterrupted prosperity and honour; but in 1813 his health was considerably injured by his grief on the death of a beloved sister, joined to his distress at the reverses sustained by the French armies. At the approach of the allied sovereigns he fell dangerously ill, and died on the 17th of December, three days after they had entered France. A distinguished French savant, Cadet de Gassicourt, delivered a funeral oration in honour of Parmentier before the Pharmaceutic Society; and in describing the life of this simple-minded and benevolent man, he dwelt on the two acts by which it was especially marked, and which contained, as it were, an epitome of it all,-the introduction of the potato and the syrup of the grape, which, in his own charitable intentions, were to become the bread and the sugar of the poor. François de Neufchatel had already proposed giving his name to the potato, and calling it "La Parmentière," but his suggestion was not adopted, and few perhaps now in France remember to whom they are indebted for one of the most necessary luxuries they possess amongst the fruits of the earth. EXTRACTS FROM NEW WORKS. THE COTTAGE OF AN ALBANIAN SHEPHERD. "Soon the barking of shepherd-dogs announced that our approach was heard; and, to our infinite joy, we found ourselves in a few minutes in a wild little Albanian hamlet, with the whole of its very unsophisticated inhabitants crowding round us. Instantly, when they found how wearied and exhausted we were, there was a great dispute as to who was to have the honour of offering us hospitality. Finally, the right to do so was claimed by the fortunate possessor of the best house in this village of shepherds. He triumphantly led the way to the dwelling, which we were told was so greatly superior to all the others. It was a small building, composed entirely of wood, and consisting of one single apartment. A large fire blazed merrily on a square stone near the top of the room, and the furniture consisted of various sheepskins, spread out on the clay floor as seats. We were invited to take our places on the ground, on one side of the fire, into which a handful of pine cones having been flung, it shot up into bright flames, which cast a strong glare on the strange scene around us. Opposite to us sat our us. host and his wife, their daughter, a little girl of some fourteen, and her husband, a fine-looking youth of twenty. Beyond them were our servants, occupied in preparing our supper, and in rubbing down the horses, who had entered by the same door as ourselves, and were to share the same apartment; next to them were an ass and a pig, who were loud in their remonstrances at being thrust so far from the fire to make way for the new comers, not to speak of the innumerable cocks and hens who perched in the rafters, and flew about amongst I really believe we should have slept soundly in spite of all, but for the restlessness of the pig, who was a decided somnambulist, and the braying of the ass in his dreams—a sound which all must be aware is far from melodious under any circumstances; but those who have never had an opportunity of hearing it in a bedroom can have no idea how overpowering it then appears. The night was short, and we started again at three o'clock on our return home; but it was one never to be forgotten."-Wayfaring Sketches among the Greeks and Turks, by a Seven Years' Resident in Greece. NIGHT SCENE BETWEEN .... DECKS ON A GERMAN "A HOLLOW Sea was running, and the waves thun- vessel threw the whole mass against them, to regain in all haste their berths, which were protected by stout planks, in order to save themselves from being lamed or crushed to death by the luggage which came falling upon them. Their condition now was terrible; and was made sadder by the moans of one of the young fellows who, in attempting to reach the hatchway and get on deck, had been badly wounded by some of the chests falling upon him-while from all the berths the noise was increased by the wailing of the women, the screams of children, and the groans and sobs of the seasick. It was a frightful confusion; and in vain did they all rage and cry for help from the sailors. In the darkness they could have done nothing, had they even had leisure then to attend to the unfortunate passengers. Then, when all might suppose the alarm had reached a height that could not be increased, there pierced through all the din and uproar, through all the groaning and complaining, a cry of agony and unspeakable horror so wild, that even the sick and the children hearkened to the sound, and for the moment an absolute hush followed the dismal tumult. It was but for a moment: and the fearful exclamation-'A corpse ! a corpse!' sounded from berth to berth, from lip to lip!"-The German Emigrant's Journeyings and Adventures. A NIGHT ON THE SHORES OF HINDUSTAN. There is "WE came to anchor, on the third morning after and found H.M.'s 3d Dragoons encamped on the glacis. quitting Kedgeree, under the walls of Fort William, About four in the afternoon, the heat having considerably abated, we disembarked, and marched into the Fort, where quarters had been provided for our men, though none for the officers, as the brigade-major informed us, at the same time stating, that as a difference the fort-major, we must wait until he (of the Queen's) of opinion existed on that subject between himself and had craftily overcome him (of the Company's), and induced the latter individual to house us. an old proverb about a man between two stools being likely to come to the ground, which was fully illustrated in our case, for, both of our supports for a night's rest in Fort William having given way, we came to the earth, though fortunately in the tents of the 3d Dragoons, immediately under the walls of the fort, where our fall was kindly broken by cloaks spread on the ground to receive us. fortably as circumstances would permit, when suddenly I was composing myself to sleep as coma volley of screams, as though proceeding from the lungs of ten thousand demons, caused me to start on my feet, supposing the camp to have been invaded by the infernal regions. My host, lying in the opposite recess of the tent, being a man of some days' experience, begged me not to disturb myself, as it was only the jackals. Only the jackals! but they are pretty nearly enough to murder sleep, I thought, as I laid down to await the cessation of their intolerable howls. Silence at length ensued, and I was just falling asleep, when a low gurgling noise arose close to my ears, and continued with the most monotonous regularity: Good heaven!' I cried, after listening intently for a few minutes, 'that must come from the diabolical bandicoots, of which I have often heard from old Indians.' I drew my sword, and awaited their advance in a violent perspiration, for I have an insuperable abhorrence to the whole rat tribe; but they had no intention of coming to close quarters. No, their cursed pipes sounded the advance, unheeded by the main body. My enemies, nevertheless, seemed to be mustering; for the gurgle was taken up by a reinforcement from the opposite side of the tent, interrupted occasionally by a low, muttering sound: Jamjam efficaci do manus scientiæ. 'I submit; it is impossible to sleep through this interminable persecution, and a man's days in this climate must be necessarily short without rest!' Thus I exclaimed, as jumping up, I threw my cloak aside, and paced the tent in a fever, saluted incessantly by the unearthly gurgle. My friend lay on the opposite side; sleeping as calmly as if there were no such things in the world to torture us as jackals or bandicoots. The morning was just breaking, and I stepped out of the tent, in hope of being taken for a ghost by the jackals, and thus retaliating by fright on a portion of my enemies -when, lo! the veil of mystery was withdrawn, and there sat two Hindoos smoking the pipe of the country, commonly known by the name of hubble-bubble, which noisy instruments I had mistaken all night for the bandicoots. This was too absurd. I burst into a fit of laughter, which awakened my friend, who hastily joined me, when I related my grievance. Having silenced the smokers, I soon enjoyed the rest I had almost despaired of attaining."-Military Sketches by a Cavalry Officer. Poetry. [In Original Poetry, the Name, real or assumed, of the Author, is printed in Small Capitals under the title; in Selections, it is printed in Italics at the end.] THE BROTHERS' ADVENTURE. BY ROBERT SNOW, ESQ. "Twas in a tropic ocean-bay Two English boys went forth to swim; And dauntless; now they float as still With pied shells in their grasp, and many an oozy prize. But I must not fail to tell How a fairy islet lay About three cables' length from shore, The jewel of the bay. And thither with swift strokes they race, Holding pleasure still in chase, Through cleft waves that, as on they dash, Close round their shoulders with a rainbow flash. And landing in a tiny cove, They rove the islet o'er and o'er, Naked, in boyish liberty; And high and low explore Its rocks, and inmost coral caves, And now 'tis time to think of home; Congeals their youthful blood! That seems the brothers for his prey to mark; Ah, well may they grow pale with dread! The elder boy, with desperate cheer, His jaws in sight, then dips, then slowly reappears. A deadly film comes o'er their eyes; Half conscious what they do, they creep Unseeing and unseen to lie, Than dally with their watchful enemy. And they look forth from hour to hour; And still they shudder, crouch, and cower; They shrink from the bright sea. For they must drown, or brave the cruel foe: For the dear life to shore they strain, THE DUMB GIRL. ANNE A. FREMONT. To break this weary silence, and to be So prodigal of speech, and full of glee- And when some childish grief Cometh to cloud their brow, or wet their cheek, For they in list'ning ears the cause can speak ; But must I hide mine deep In the recesses of my own sad heart, For I can only weep, And when they ask what I can ne'er impart, But there is one, the best, The sweetest, gentlest, most beloved of all; And oh how gladly seem her words to fall, Whose chords are broken, and the sweet voice mute: And with a skill, love-taught, Will read my feelings on my varying cheek, Unlock each sealed thought And give it utt'rance: if these lips could speak, A heartfelt blessing, and breathed forth for thee! |
