cones, Shakspeare. *rees with their beautiful nd pines, are now particula and valued. In the warmer count, where shade is more desirable, their worth and beauty are more regularly appreciated. Virgil talks of the pine as being handsomest in gardens; and it is a great favourite with Theocritus, especially for the fine sound of the air under its kind of vaulted roof. But we have flowers as well as leaves in winter-time; besides a few of last month, there are the aconite and hellebore, two names of very different celebrity; and in addition to some of the flourishing shrubs, there is the Glastonbury thorn, which puts forth its beauty at Christmas. It is so called, we believe, because the abbots of the famous monastery at that place first had it in their garden from abroad, and turned its seasonable efflorescence into a miracle. The evergreens and winter flowers are like real friends, who, whatever be their peculiar disposition, whether serious or gay, will never forsake us. Even roses, with which we are so apt to associate summer weather, flourish from May to December inclusive; and during the winter months will live and prosper in apartments. We need never be without them from the first day of the year to the last; and thus, to the numerous comparisons made between roses and the fair sex, may be added this new one, as complimentary to their friendship as it is true. We have anticipated our general observations on winter-time in our remarks at the beginning of the year. December is in general too early a month for the fine manly exercise of skating, which indeed can be taken but rarely, on account of our changeful weather and the short continuance of frost. Like swimming, all the difficulty of it is in the commencement, at least for the purposes of enjoyment. The graces of outside strokes, and spread eagles, are the work of time and ambition. But December has one circumstance in it, which turns it into the merriest month of which, for obvious reasons, may be said the year, Christmas. This is the holiday, to have survived all the others; but still it is not kept with any thing like the vigour, perseverance, and elegance of our ancestors. They not only ran Christmasday, new-year's-day, and twelfth-night, all into one, but kept the wassail-bowl floating the whole time, and earned their right to enjoy it by all sorts of active pastimes. The wassail-bowl, (as some of our readers may know by experience, for it has been a little revived of late,) is a composition of spiced wine or ale, with roasted apples put into it, and sometimes eggs. They also adorned their houses with green boughs, which it appears, from Herrick, was a practice with many throughout the year,-box succeeding at Candlemas to the holly, bay, rosemary, and misletoe of Christmas,-yew at Easter to box,--birch and flowers at Whitsuntide to yew,-and then bents and oaken boughs. The whole nation were in as happy a ferment at Christmas, with the warmth of exercise and their firesides, as they were in May with the new sunshine. The peasants wrestled and sported on the town-green, and told tales of an evening; the gentry feasted then, or had music and other elegant pastimes; the court had the poetical and princely entertainment of masques; and all sung, danced, revelled, and enjoyed themselves, and so welcomed the new year like happy and grateful subjects of nature. This is the way to turn winter to summer, and make the world what heaven has enabled it to be; but as people in general manage it, they might as well turn summer itself to winter. Hear what a poet says, who carries his own sunshine about with him: As for those chilly orbs, on the verge of creation Oh, think what a world we should have of it here, Nor is it only on holidays that nature tells us to enjoy ourselves. If we were wise, we should earn a reasonable portion of leisure and enjoyment day by day, instead of resolving to do it some day or other, and seldom doing it at all. Company is not necessary for it, at intervals, except that best and most necessary company of one's family-partners in life, or some one or two especial friends, truly so called, who are friends for every sort of weather, winter as well as summer. A warm car Moore. pet and curtains, a sparkling fire, a book • a little music, a happy sympathy of this or a kind of discussion, may then cail to mind with unenvying placidity the verr rarest luxuries of the summer-time; and instead of being eternally and foolishty told, that pleasures produce pains, tv those who really make them do so with their profligacy or bigotry, learn the finer and manlier knowled how to turn pain to the production of pleasure. Lawrence, of virtuous father, virtuous son, Now that the fields are dank and ways are mire, The frozen earth, and clothe in fresh attire It is observed by Dr. Forster in the "Perennial Calendar," that the weather at this time is usually mild, and wet, with fogs; we have an occasional interchange of frosts. On some occasions a kind of weather occurs now which occasionally happens during all the winter months. The air becomes perfectly calm, the sky clouded and dark, without much mist below, the ground gets dry, and not a leaf stirs on the trees, and the sounds of distant bells, and other sounds and noises are heard at a great distance, just as they are on other, occasions before rain. The thermometer is often from 45° to 52'. The barometer rises to "set fair" and remains steady, and the current of smoke from the chimmies either goes straight upright into Milton. we S the air in a vertical column, or inclines so little with the breath of air as to indicate sometimes one wind and sometimes another. At this time the crowing of the cocks, the noise of busy rooks and daws, which feed in flocks in the meadows, and fly at morning and eventide in flocks to and from their nests, the music of dista't singing, and the strokes of the chur clocks and chimes are heard for miles, as if carried along under the apparent sounding board of the clouds above. Even the voices of persons are heard at a vast distance, all being hushed around. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Dark Stapelia. Stapelia pulla December 2. St. Bibiania, s. D. 363 CHRONOLOGY. On the 2d of December, 1823, Che London Mechanics' Institution was formed, and on the anniversary of the day, in 1824, the first stone of its theatre for the delivery of the lectures, in Southampton Buildings, Chancery-lane, was laid by Dr. Birkbeck. In a cavity of the stone was placed a bottle, wherein were sealed up a book of the laws of the institutionthe tenth number of the "Mechanics' Magazine," which contained an account of This Stone, the first of the Lecture Room, LONDON MECHANICS' INSTITUTION, by GEORGE BIRKBECK, M. D. PRESIDENT John Borthwick Gilchrist, LL. D. After the stone was laid, Dr. Birkbeck addressed the meeting in nearly the following words :-"Now have we founded our edifice for the diffusion and advancement of human knowledge. Now have we begun to erect a temple, wherein man shall extend his acquaintance with the universe of mind, and shall acquire the means of enlarging his dominion over the universe of matter. In this spot, hereafter, the charms of literature shall be displayed, and the powers of science shall be unfolded to the most humble inquirers; for to the feast of reason' which will be here prepared, the invitation shall be as unbounded as the region of intellect. For an undertaking so vast in its design, and so magnificent in its objects (nothing short, indeed, of the moral and intellectual amelioration and aggrandizement of the human race), the blessing of heaven, I humbly trust, will not be implored in vain. If, in this institution, we seek to obey the mandate which has gone forth, that knowledge shall be increased; if we act in obedience to the injunction, that in all our gettings we should get understanding; if we succeed in proving, that for the existence of the mental wilderness, the continuance of which we all deeply deplore, we ought to blame the culture, not the soil;' if by rendering man more percipient of the order, harmony, and benevolence, which pervade the universe, we more effectually assert eternal Providence, and justify the ways of God to man; and if thus we shall be the happy means of rendering it palpable, that the immortal essence within us, when freed from the deformity of ignorance and vice, has been created in the express image of God-then may we confidently hope that Omniscience will favourably behold our rising structure; and that in its future progress, Omnipotence, without whose assistance all human endeavours are vain, will confer upon us a portion of his powers. Whilst I remind you that the illustrious Bacon, long ago, maintained that knowledge is power,' I may apprize you that it has, since his time, been established that knowledge is wealth-is comfort-is security-is enjoyment-is happiness. It has been found so completely to mingle with human affairs, that it renders social life more endearing; has given to morality more sprightliness; and, politically, has produced more consistent obedience-it takes from adversity some of its bitterness, and enlarges the sphere, as well as augments the sweetness of every laudable gratification; and lastly, unquestionably one of its brightest influcnces, it becomes at once an avenue and a guide to that temple which is not made with hands, eternal in the heavens."" FLORAL DIRECTORY. Lemon Geodorum. Geodorum citrinum. Dedicated to St. Bibiania December 3. St. St. Francis Xavier, A.D. 1552. Birinus, first Bp. of Dorchester, A. D. 650. St. Sola, A. D. 790. St. Lucius, King, A. D. 182. Royal Dance of Torches. Berlin, December 3, 1821.-Of all the entertainments which took place in this capital, on the occasion of the marriage of the prince royal with the princess of Bavaria, none appeared so extraordinary to foreigners, as the dance of torches, (Fakeltanz.) It was executed after the grand marriage feast, in the following manner:-"The royal family, followed by all the personages who had partook of the feast at separate tables, proceeded to the white saloon. The dance was immediately opened by the privy councillor, marshal of the court, the baron de Maltzahn, bearing his baton of order. After him followed two and two, according to seniority of rank, the privy councillors and the ministers of state, bearing war torches. The august bride and bridegroom preceded the above dancers, and walked round the saloon. The princess royal stopped before the king, and making him a profound reverence, invited him to dance. After having danced one turn with his majesty, she danced with all the princes. The prince royal, in like manner, danced with all the princesses. After the ball, the royal family passed into the apartment of Frederick I., where the grand mistress, countess of Norde, distributed the garter of the bride. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Indian Tree. Euphorbia Tirucalli. Dedicated to St. Francis Xavier. December 4. St. St. Peter Chrysologus, A. D. 450. Barbara, A. D. 306. St. Anno, Abp. of Cologn, A. D. 1075. St. Osmund, Bp. A. D. 1099. St. Maruthas, Bp. 5th Cent. St. Siran, or Sigirannus, A. D. 655. St. Clement, of Alexandria, A. D. 189. Ancient Divinations in Advent. From the following lines of Barnaby Googe, it appears that rustic young girls in ancient times, indulged at this season in attempting to divine the name of the man they were to marry, from forcing the these three nightes are always thought ech man gives willinglee, unfortunate to bee: Wherein they are afrayde of sprites, and cankred witches spight, And dreadfull devils blacke and grim, that then have chiefest might. these same dayes yong wanton gyrles that meete for marriage bee, Doe search to know the names of them In that shall their husbands bee. Foure onyons, five, or eight, they take Such names as they do fansie most, and make in every one, and best do thinke upon. Thus neere the chimney them they set, and that same onyon than, That first doth sproute, doth surely beare the name of their good man. Their husbandes nature eke they seeke to know, and all his guise, When as the sunne hath hid himselfe, and left the starrie skies, Unto some woodstacke do they go, and while they there do stande Eche one drawes out a faggot sticke, the next that commes to hande, Which if it streight and even be, and have no knots at all, A gentle husband then they thinke shall surely to them fall. But if it fowle and crooked be, and knottie here and theare, A crabbed churlish husband then, they earnestly do feare. These thinges the wicked papistes beare, and suffer willingly, Because they neyther do the ende, And rather had the people should nor fruites of faith espie: obey their foolish lust, Than truely God to know; and in him here alone to trust Lifting the Banner of the House of Buccleugh, From the brown crest of Newark its summons extending, Chorus. Then up with the banner, let forest winds fan her, Then up with the banner, &c. A stripling's weak hand to our revel has borne her, We forget each contention of civil dissension, And hail, like our brethren, Home, Douglas, and Car; Then up with the banner, &c. Then strip lads, and to it, though sharp be the weather, Then up with the banner, &c. And when it is over, we'll drink a blythe measure To each laird and each lady that witness'd our fun, May the forest still flourish, both borough and landward Then up with the banner, &c. QUOTH THE sheriff of the forest. Abbotsford, Dec. 1, 1815. |