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the Ragged Windows, leading to a pond called Wood Pool, stood a noble beech. I can see now, in my fancy, the goodly crop of mast that usually burdened its fantastic branches. Many an hour have I and my playmates pelted that tree with sticks and stones, and many a hat crownful of nuts have I borne away from its despoiled boughs. This brow of mine was then free from wrinkles; these locks were not then bleached by the winters of age. If life be short, reckoning from infancy, what must it be when reckoned from advanced years? Again have I reason to put up the prayer, Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am," Psa. xxxix. 4. How varied are the effects of outward objects on the mind! When we stand under a beech, an elm, an ash, or an oak, we feel ourselves to be under a British tree, and especially so, when under the oak. It sets us thinking, at least it does me, of the old hollow trees that are to be seen in the parks of English noblemen; it takes us, in imagination, to the forests of old times, and to the oak and mistletoe-loving Druids of earlier days; but when we stand at the foot of the cedar, our feelings are changed. It is not a common thing for us to see a fine cedar in England; and when we do see one, it brings to our fancy such a gorgeous picture of the forest of Lebanon, that the solitary tree before us seems as a pilgrim and a stranger in the land.

While I write, a sunny season of the past breaks in upon my memory. Old Humphrey and a few of his friends are keeping holiday. A goodly castle is before them, proud in its strengthy walls and high embattled towers. An ample lawn nearly covers the inner court, a river is gliding along at the foot of the noble pile, and a group of lofty cedars are waving in the wind their flaky branches, sweeping the very ground! But again I must hurry on.

They tell me, that the forest of cedars on Mount Lebanon, where grew the stateliest and most magnificent of trees, supplying Tyre and Sidon, the palace of David and the temple of Jerusalem, with costly timber-they tell me that its glory is departed; the hatchet of the Arab has laid low its loftiest and its mightiest, and few of the kings of the forest now remain.

I cannot look on a fir without breathing, in imagination, the keen air of the north. Switzerland and Russia and Norway rise before me, and hills and mountains and precipices are bristling with straight, tall, sharp-pointed trees, that stand up "like quills upon the fretful porcupine."

We read of fir or pine trees tapering up into the air a height of two hundred feet, and spreading their fringy and fantastic branches widely abroad. Many a tall man carries his head proudly, because he measures a trifle more in height than his fellows. I would place such an one at the foot of a two-hundred-feet fir, that he might feel ashamed of himself-not ashamed that he is not two hundred feet high, but ashamed because he is proud of being two inches taller than his neighbours.

Europe, Asia, and America, in their northern parts, abound with firs, fringing the land to the "shining borders of the polar seas." How strange it seems, that the Almighty should make the pine trees of the forest the reservoirs of turpentine, and the grand storehouses of tar, and pitch, and resin, for the use of man! Truly, "Great is our Lord, and of great power; his understanding is infinite," Psa. cxlvii. 5.

If I say that I love the yew tree, it must not be one of the cut and clipped, the mangled and tortured trees, that here and there afflict our sight, in a garden hedge, by the wayside. Such trees may be curious and comical; but rather give me the rudest, the wildest form that nature ever wore, than such grotesque monstrosities. I do love the yew, not because of its dark, slender, needleshaped leaves and red berries; not because it was famous for supplying the English bowman with his destructive weapon, in days gone by; nor because its wood is hard and tough, and beautifully rich in its colour, grain, and veins, but simply because it has so long stood as a guardian in our churchyards, keeping watch for centuries among the dust that is dear to us.

I could be garrulous about yew trees, for few men have spent more time among the tombs than I have: would that I had turned my reflections there to a better

account; then had the thoughts of my heart been more continually grateful to wards God, and then had my words and my deeds been more frequently profitable to my fellow men. Yes, the churchyard is a place familiar to me; there have I mused at even-tide, there have I lingered till the midnight hour; and, once, when the morning sun lit up the eastern sky with his earliest beam, it found me seated on a tombstone, with the skull of a fellow creature in my hand. The churchyard is a place where the wise man and the fool may gain instruc

tion.

Ambition, honour, wealth, and worldly pride,

The painted bubbles mortal men adore, Burst when they come in contact with the tomb, And all their glittering hues are seen no more.

Whether the impression common among country people be really true, that a walnut tree requires a thorough beating of its branches to make it productive, I cannot tell; but I do know, very well, that men, ay, and Christian men, too, require a great deal of beating, of one kind or other, to make them fruitful. The walnut tree grows to a considerable size ; it has a massy closeness in its trunk, and a boldness of branch, that entitle it to be ranked among useful timber trees. Like the yew, the walnut is a warlike tree; for as the former gave the archer his bow, so the latter supplies the soldier with his gunstock; both trees, however, may be put to a much better purpose than that of enabling men to do mischief. Some half-dozen walnut trees are much endeared to my memory, on account of those to whom they belonged. Thus it is that things inanimate are made useful, bringing to our remembrance those we love, and binding us affectionately to our absent friends.

A word upon the chestnut tree, of which there are two kinds, the Spanish and the horse chestnut; each has its advantage, the one in fruit, and the other in flower. I have no time to speak of the Mount Etna chestnut, the largest in the known world, nor of the Gloucestershire tree, fifty feet in girth, though these have called forth much of wonderment. Not a finer posy is to be found in creation than the horse chestnut tree in flower, and yet, no tree that grows casts a deeper shade. Many a showy character, goodly to look upon, casts a deep shade too. Never should a

promise be fairer than its performance. Be a horse chestnut if you will in your words, so that you are a Spanish chestnut in your deeds.

Poplars are all handsome; the abele, with its leaves of silver on the under side, the aspen, with its trembling foliage, and the black poplar, with its graceful boughs. All are beautiful; but the Lombardy running up as it does towards heaven with elegant, lofty, and spiry stem, pleases me best. Willingly would I persuade myself that other people derived half the pleasure from trees that I do; but I fear that this is not the case. At times I can imagine the very angels looking down from heaven, to admire the surpassing beauty of the trees of the field.

Thus might I go on through the trees of lesser growth, but it would not agree with my design. The more bulky trees of the forest were those, and those only, that I meant for a season to occupy my thoughts.

The willow, the birch, and the lime, the hazel and the holly, the cypress and the sycamore, the mulberry and the maple, the elder, the alder, the thorn, and twenty others, are well worthy the best attention that can be paid them; we must, however, pass them by with the general remark, that if we loved God more, we should, most likely, love them more, as the workmanship of his almighty hands.

An

But imagine not that an ardent love of nature's beauties must of necessity be a good. Alas! many have found it to be an evil. There is no use in dreaming over a daisy, sighing with ecstacy at the foot of a waterfall, or gazing on the rising or setting sun, till blinded with his beams; these things are mere idleness, yea, folly, unless connected with some active principle in the soul. intense love of created things should produce an intensity of love for their Creator, with a desire to know him, to obey him, and to glorify him. It should influence us in a longing to be like him, and a desiring to abound in every good word and work, setting forth, by pureness, by knowledge, by long-suffering, by kindness, and love unfeigned_to_our fellow pilgrims, whose we are and whom we serve. Thus gazing on creation, with the mountains and the hills we shall "break forth into singing," and with_the trees of the field and the forest we shall clap our hands.

MEDICINE IN THE SIXTEENTH

CENTURY.

MEDICAL Science and practice were in a very imperfect state, though they had made considerable advances. It is to be apprehended that many persons in this century "died of the doctor," although the practitioners might use their best skill to effect a cure. A minute account is given of the illness and death of the earl of Derby, in 1594, which shows extraordinary medical treatment. Besides rhubarb and manna, and a variety of other drugs, with medical and surgical outward applications, "his honour took bezoar stone and unicorn's horn." The statement, in conclusion, gives ten reasons, "which caused many to suppose his honour to be bewitched." The third is, that he dreamed he was stabbed; the eighth, that "he fell into a trance twice when he should have taken his physic." The latter may have tended to prolong, rather than to shorten his life!

Lord Burghley was often afflicted with the gout, numerous remedies were recommended; amongst them were medicated slippers, oil of stag's blood, and tincture of gold. The latter remedy seems to have proceeded from some alchymist, which was almost the only form in which chemical researches were pursued. The objects principally sought were two; the transmuting of baser metals into gold, and the producing an elixir which would prolong life, if it did not quite prevent death. In 1574, a plan for transmuting iron into copper and quicksilver, was urged so plausibly upon the government, that a corporation was formed for the purpose, and several leading men about the queen, subscribed a capital to carry on the undertaking. It proved a mere delusion. One of the principal persons concerned, was sir Thomas Smith, of whom Strype says, "As chymistry is but an handmaid of physic, and usually accompanieth it; so he was as well skilled in that art also, and had apartments in his house for his skill and laboratories, which were going to his greate cost; but especially in labouring to transmute coarser metals into those of more fineness and greater value." But sir Thomas, when he had bought experience, said of alchymists, "Trust little to the words, and promises, and accounts of men of that faculty. Fain they would be fingering of money;

but when it is once in their hands, we must seek it in the ashes."

Magnetism and electricity were known; the former was practically applied in the mariner's compass, but no farther use was made of either discovery. Skill in astronomy and mathematics frequently led to the inspection of surgical studies, as in the case of Dr. John Dee, who was consulted, even by the queen and her chief courtiers.

Cristofer Langton, writing on "physyche," did not hesitate to personify physic as addressing the physicians of that day in severe terms, "Whereas, before I was authour of helthe to everye man sekynge for me; now I am not only a commune murtherer and a commune thefe, but also a mayntayner of parricides,” etc.

There were many who wrote rules for health, often ridiculous, sometimes mischievous. Sir Thomas Eliot speaks of colds as being only lately known in England. He rightly disapproves of the warm coverings for the head, so that even boys and young men wore two caps. Another physician laments the increase of witchcraft, which he considers more dangerous than the plague. But at the close of this century, Reginald Scot published the "Discovery of Witchcraft," which did much to meet the foolish ideas on this subject. He relates many amusing stories of imposition and credulity: among the cheats, was one who confessed that her conjuration to restore health was muttering these words over the sick.

66 Thy loaf in my hand,

And thy penny in my purse, Thou art never the better,

And I am never the worse."

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN USED TO, AND WHAT WE EXPECTED.

I HAVE frequently been led to observe, and indeed to experience, that a very large portion of human misery results from the disappointment of expectations which we never ought to have entertained. Hence, in the moment of sorrow and disappointment, our trouble is frequently aggravated by the internal conviction of reason and conscience, perhaps by the ill-timed retort of officious friendship, How could you expect any otherwise? how could you indulge such groundless expectations?

In one of my school vacations, a family party was formed to visit the

lakes of Westmoreland and Cumberland. During our stay at Keswick, I accompanied my uncle and Mrs. Mortimer in a ride to a ladies' school, a few miles distant, where my cousin was charged with some commissions to the daughters of a friend, who, on account of distance from home, remained there during the holidays. The young ladies were quite as much pleased as school girls usually are, with the visits of friends and communications from home; they were, however, disposed to avail themselves of the liberty of speech afforded them by the absence of their governess, (who politely withdrew soon after introducing her pupils,) to pour forth complaints of the restrictions and regulations of school, which were by no means agreeable to them and they particularly requested Mrs. Mortimer to inform their mamma that things were very different from what they had expected—not at all what they had been used to. My uncle and cousin exchanged glances, which at once conveyed to my mind the impression of their being rather sceptical as to the reality of the grievances. Perhaps they felt some embarrassment in steering clear of either encouraging a spirit of discontent and insubordination, or neglecting to listen to just complaints in order to obtaining redress. The questions and remarks of their friends elicited from the young ladies a full concession that there was no deficiency of kindness or attention on the part of their preceptress, nothing wanting that was really essential to their health, comfort, or improvement; and yet they declared themselves far from comfortable, and quite certain that they should make no progress in their education, As far as I can recollect, at this distance of time, the domestic grievances complained of were-thick bread and butter; butter rather too salt; plain rice puddings without sauce; a regular time allowed for undressing, and then the candle removed from each bed cham

ber; each young lady required to make her own bed, and no distinction allowed between young ladies who had been accustomed to the most genteel style of living, and those who were merely tradesmen's or farmer's daughters. The enumeration of these items was accompanied with some touching appeal, as, "You know, ma'am, it is what we have never been used to. "We never expected

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any thing like this; and I am sure mamma would not approve of it." "Did you ever hear of such a thing?" etc.

Mrs. Mortimer heard all patiently; but it was evident that she did not sympathize with her young friends in many of their complaints. Her remarks in reply, though couched in the gentlest terms, tended to direct their attention to their own vanity, pride, and selfindulgence, as the real cause of their discontent. She really could not consider any one of the matters specified as worthy to be considered a hardship. Simple food and regular hours were most conducive to health; and the improved appearance of the young ladies fully established the beneficial effects of their present system on themselves. The cultivation of habits of useful activity she considered one of the most important branches of education; and the equal blending of young persons well disposed and well instructed, though not of precisely the same rank and habits, was advantageous rather than otherwise, as tending to enlarge the views, to call into exercise the benevolent dispositions, and to correct the too common, but, wherever it exists, the mean and vulgar prejudice of supposing that wisdom, goodness, respectability, and politeness, are confined to any one particular rank or class of people.

The first class of objections set aside, the young ladies proceeded to express their utter disapprobation of the modes of tuition in Mrs. -'s establishment;

it was so very unlike what they had been used to, and so very different from what they had expected. Among other causes of dissatisfaction, they complained that although they had been more than a year in small hand at their former school, the writing master insisted on their returning to large hand copies; that, in like manner, though they had made great progress in other branches of polite learning, and expected to take a prominent station in the upper classes, they were compelled again to go over the groundwork, which they averred was perfectly unnecessary, and exceedingly discouraging and mortifying to them to be placed on a level with little girls. Moreover, Mrs.

required

them daily to perform a certain portion of plain needlework, for which they had no taste whatever, and restricted them as to the time bestowed on fancy per

formances in which they would have excelled. And then, too, they were without any kind of stimulus or encouragement to take pains with their learning; for no prizes were given, no taking of places in classes allowed in short, emulation had no place in Mrs. -'s system of tuition, and as emulation had been all in all at their former school, how was it possible for them to make progress without it?

attended

The entrance of Mrs. by a servant with refreshments, prevented a direct reply to the appeal. A spirited conversation ensued, in which I could distinctly perceive that my uncle and cousin sided rather with the views of the governess than with those of her pupils; for though no direct reference was made by either party to the discontent of the young ladies, the general remarks on education were such as to bear upon the subject of their complaints. There were three points on which the views of the governess and those of her visitors perfectly coincided, and which seemed to strike at the root of the several complaints-That docility in learners is essential to improvement; that conformableness to circumstances is essential to happiness; and that emulation stimulates to superficial rather than to solid attainments; and, moreover, that its ill effects of a moral kind more than counterbalance even its supposed advantages. Whether or not the young ladies were led to reflect on the extreme folly and unsuitableness of pupils forming a scheme of their own for instruction and discipline, and resolving that they will not be taught or regulated in any other plan, did not appear at the time; but I should hope they were; for I know that in course of years they became very valuable and well-educated women, and that they cherish to the present day very lively sentiments of gratitude and veneration for their excellent governess. These results I think could have been produced only by their exchanging a spirit of self-conceit, rebellion, and discontent, for one of subordination. My kind uncle, too, evinced his approbation of the principles and plans of Mrs. -'s establishment, by immediately placing there the orphan daughter of a friend, who had left him executor of his will, and guardian to his children; and in her case the result fully justified his favourable judgment.

A very worthy and respectable man in my uncle's neighbourhood, having several sons to provide for, determined on placing them out to learn trades. In his selection of one for each, he was duly guided by the abilities and inclinations of the boy, and was also concerned so to dispose of each as to prevent the probability of a future collision of interests between the brothers. Having it in his power to give premiums with his sons, he was particular in choosing masters who well understood their respective businesses, and situations in which he could feel confident as to the moral and religious welfare of his children, as well as to their domestic comfort.

During the period of probation, one of the lads wrote to his father a pitiful letter, full of complaints of the hardships he had to encounter. Things were very different from what he had expected, not at all like what he had been used to at home, and altogether so disagreeable that he was sure his parents would not think of binding him. He therefore requested permission to return home. The parents were disappointed and distressed at this communication, for they had received from judicious friends the most satisfactory testimony as to the eligibility of the situation; and should they remove their son, they knew not where to place him so advantageously. My uncle was consulted. His counsel was, to waive a direct answer to the question of his remaining or his removal, and simply to desire a specification of the grievances, as not an unlikely method of getting rid of them. "For," "said he, "if, as I suspect, they are but imaginary troubles, your son, who is not deficient in good sense, will find that, however it may be to poets, to matter-of-fact people, it is no easy task to 'give to airy nothings a local habitation and a name.

This suggestion was adopted; and in the reply, it appeared that the circle of grievances was considerably narrowed. There was little more to complain of than that the apprentices were required to clean their own shoes; that the junior apprentice was obliged to take down the shop shutters, a task which of course fell upon the complainant; that he received his instructions from one of the journeymen, not from the master himself; and that he was not put upon the more ingenious parts of the work, but