157.Notes to the “New Coalition”.[The Secret History ofFox’scoalition withLord North, his former adversary,—a proceeding which entailed on him much odium,—was first brought to light by the publication of the “Memorials and Correspondence of Charles James Fox,” begun by the late Lord Holland, and edited by Earl Russell. It was occasioned by his disgust at the conduct of the Earl of Shelburne, for whileFoxas one of the Secretaries of State under the Rockingham Administration was treating with Dr. Franklin for peace with the United States through the agent of the Cabinet (Thomas Grenville) Lord Shelburne, the other Secretary of State, was, throughhisagent Oswald, privately thwarting his measures, and that with the concurrence of the King! The consequence of the Coalition was the fall of Lord Shelburne’s ministry, and Fox and Lord North’s “taking the Treasury by storm”.—Ed.]
157.
Notes to the “New Coalition”.
Notes to the “New Coalition”.
Notes to the “New Coalition”.
[The Secret History ofFox’scoalition withLord North, his former adversary,—a proceeding which entailed on him much odium,—was first brought to light by the publication of the “Memorials and Correspondence of Charles James Fox,” begun by the late Lord Holland, and edited by Earl Russell. It was occasioned by his disgust at the conduct of the Earl of Shelburne, for whileFoxas one of the Secretaries of State under the Rockingham Administration was treating with Dr. Franklin for peace with the United States through the agent of the Cabinet (Thomas Grenville) Lord Shelburne, the other Secretary of State, was, throughhisagent Oswald, privately thwarting his measures, and that with the concurrence of the King! The consequence of the Coalition was the fall of Lord Shelburne’s ministry, and Fox and Lord North’s “taking the Treasury by storm”.—Ed.]
158. [TheIndia Billbrought in byFox, shortly after his accession to office, was the signal for his downfall. The Bill passed the House of Commons by large majorities, but when it reached the Lords, the King, who hatedFox, empowered Earl Temple to declare that he would consider everyone who supported the measure as personally his enemy. The Bill was consequently lost on the second reading by a majority of eighty-seven against twenty-nine. The Coalition Ministry resigned, andPitt, then in his 23rd year, became Prime Minister.]
158. [TheIndia Billbrought in byFox, shortly after his accession to office, was the signal for his downfall. The Bill passed the House of Commons by large majorities, but when it reached the Lords, the King, who hatedFox, empowered Earl Temple to declare that he would consider everyone who supported the measure as personally his enemy. The Bill was consequently lost on the second reading by a majority of eighty-seven against twenty-nine. The Coalition Ministry resigned, andPitt, then in his 23rd year, became Prime Minister.]
159. [John Nicholls, M.P. for Tregony, was blind of one eye, and altogether remarkably ugly. His delivery was ungraceful, and his action generally much too vehement. He wroteRecollections and Reflections during the Reign of George III., 2 vols. 8vo., 1822. His hostile pamphlet on theIncome Taxis marked by great ability.—Ed.]
159. [John Nicholls, M.P. for Tregony, was blind of one eye, and altogether remarkably ugly. His delivery was ungraceful, and his action generally much too vehement. He wroteRecollections and Reflections during the Reign of George III., 2 vols. 8vo., 1822. His hostile pamphlet on theIncome Taxis marked by great ability.—Ed.]
160. [On the 14th April, 1794,Thelwallwas in the chair at a supper of one of the Divisions of the Reformers, and blowing off the head of a pot of porter said, “This is the way I would have all kings served”.—Ed.]
160. [On the 14th April, 1794,Thelwallwas in the chair at a supper of one of the Divisions of the Reformers, and blowing off the head of a pot of porter said, “This is the way I would have all kings served”.—Ed.]
161. [John Horne Tookewas educated for the Church, and in 1760 became vicar ofNew Brentford. Resigning this he studied the Law, but being a clergyman was refused admission to the Bar. At first he supportedPitt, then apromisingReformer, publishing in 1788 his “Two Pair of Portraits,” disadvantageously contrastingFoxand his father with Pitt and his father. But Pitt not fulfilling his hopes, he became his bitter opponent and softened his animosity towardsFox. In 1775 he was imprisoned for a libel on the king’s troops in America. In 1790 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Westminster; the other candidates beingFoxand Admiral Sir Alan Gardner. In 1794 he was tried, in company withThelwalland others, for high treason, when all were acquitted. In 1796 he again stood for Westminster, and failed; but in 1801 he obtained a seat in Parliament for Old Sarum, on the nomination of Lord Camelford. A remarkable memoir of him was contributed to theQuarterly Review, vol. 7, by Lord Dudley, Secretary for Foreign Affairs in Canning’s administration, 1827–8.—Ed.]
161. [John Horne Tookewas educated for the Church, and in 1760 became vicar ofNew Brentford. Resigning this he studied the Law, but being a clergyman was refused admission to the Bar. At first he supportedPitt, then apromisingReformer, publishing in 1788 his “Two Pair of Portraits,” disadvantageously contrastingFoxand his father with Pitt and his father. But Pitt not fulfilling his hopes, he became his bitter opponent and softened his animosity towardsFox. In 1775 he was imprisoned for a libel on the king’s troops in America. In 1790 he was an unsuccessful candidate for Westminster; the other candidates beingFoxand Admiral Sir Alan Gardner. In 1794 he was tried, in company withThelwalland others, for high treason, when all were acquitted. In 1796 he again stood for Westminster, and failed; but in 1801 he obtained a seat in Parliament for Old Sarum, on the nomination of Lord Camelford. A remarkable memoir of him was contributed to theQuarterly Review, vol. 7, by Lord Dudley, Secretary for Foreign Affairs in Canning’s administration, 1827–8.—Ed.]
HOR. LIB. III., CARM. XXV.DITHYRAMBUS.[162]Quo me, Bacche, rapis, tuiPlenum? quæ nemora, aut quos agor in specus,Velox mente novâ?[163]QuibusAntris egregii Cæsaris audiarEternum meditans decusStellis inserere, et consilio Jovis?
HOR. LIB. III., CARM. XXV.DITHYRAMBUS.[162]Quo me, Bacche, rapis, tuiPlenum? quæ nemora, aut quos agor in specus,Velox mente novâ?[163]QuibusAntris egregii Cæsaris audiarEternum meditans decusStellis inserere, et consilio Jovis?
HOR. LIB. III., CARM. XXV.DITHYRAMBUS.
HOR. LIB. III., CARM. XXV.
DITHYRAMBUS.
[162]Quo me, Bacche, rapis, tuiPlenum? quæ nemora, aut quos agor in specus,Velox mente novâ?[163]QuibusAntris egregii Cæsaris audiarEternum meditans decusStellis inserere, et consilio Jovis?
[162]Quo me, Bacche, rapis, tui
Plenum? quæ nemora, aut quos agor in specus,
Velox mente novâ?
[163]Quibus
Antris egregii Cæsaris audiar
Eternum meditans decus
Stellis inserere, et consilio Jovis?
164.Dicam insigne, recens, adhucIndictum ore alio.
164.
Dicam insigne, recens, adhucIndictum ore alio.
Dicam insigne, recens, adhucIndictum ore alio.
Dicam insigne, recens, adhucIndictum ore alio.
Dicam insigne, recens, adhuc
Indictum ore alio.
165.Non secus in jugisExsomnis stupet Evias,Hebrum prospiciens.
165.
Non secus in jugisExsomnis stupet Evias,Hebrum prospiciens.
Non secus in jugisExsomnis stupet Evias,Hebrum prospiciens.
Non secus in jugisExsomnis stupet Evias,Hebrum prospiciens.
Non secus in jugis
Exsomnis stupet Evias,
Hebrum prospiciens.
166.et nive candidamThracen, acpede barbaroLustratam Rhodopen.
166.
et nive candidamThracen, acpede barbaroLustratam Rhodopen.
et nive candidamThracen, acpede barbaroLustratam Rhodopen.
et nive candidamThracen, acpede barbaroLustratam Rhodopen.
et nive candidam
Thracen, acpede barbaro
Lustratam Rhodopen.
167. There appears to have been some little mistake in the Translator here—Rhodopeis not, as he seems to imagine, the name of a woman, but of a mountain, and not inRussia. Possibly, however, the Translator may have been misled by the inaccuracy of the traveller here alluded to.
167. There appears to have been some little mistake in the Translator here—Rhodopeis not, as he seems to imagine, the name of a woman, but of a mountain, and not inRussia. Possibly, however, the Translator may have been misled by the inaccuracy of the traveller here alluded to.
168.Ut mihi devioRupes, et vacuum nemusMirari libet!
168.
Ut mihi devioRupes, et vacuum nemusMirari libet!
Ut mihi devioRupes, et vacuum nemusMirari libet!
Ut mihi devioRupes, et vacuum nemusMirari libet!
Ut mihi devio
Rupes, et vacuum nemus
Mirari libet!
[169]O Naiadum potensBaccharumque valentiumProceras manibus vertere fraxinos.[170]Nil parvum, aut humili modo,Nil mortale loquar. Dulce periculum est,O Lenæe, sequi deumCingentem viridi tempora pampino.
[169]O Naiadum potensBaccharumque valentiumProceras manibus vertere fraxinos.[170]Nil parvum, aut humili modo,Nil mortale loquar. Dulce periculum est,O Lenæe, sequi deumCingentem viridi tempora pampino.
[169]O Naiadum potensBaccharumque valentiumProceras manibus vertere fraxinos.[170]Nil parvum, aut humili modo,Nil mortale loquar. Dulce periculum est,O Lenæe, sequi deumCingentem viridi tempora pampino.
[169]O Naiadum potens
Baccharumque valentium
Proceras manibus vertere fraxinos.
[170]Nil parvum, aut humili modo,
Nil mortale loquar. Dulce periculum est,
O Lenæe, sequi deum
Cingentem viridi tempora pampino.
171. [This clever parody has reference to the attempt made by theDuke of Northumberlandto evade payment ofPitt’sIncome-tax. To mitigate the severity of the pressure on persons with large families, a deduction of ten per cent. was allowed to persons who had above a certain number of children. Among others the Duke was not ashamed to avail himself of this clause.—Ed.]
171. [This clever parody has reference to the attempt made by theDuke of Northumberlandto evade payment ofPitt’sIncome-tax. To mitigate the severity of the pressure on persons with large families, a deduction of ten per cent. was allowed to persons who had above a certain number of children. Among others the Duke was not ashamed to avail himself of this clause.—Ed.]
172. [See Note at p.84in “A Bit of an Ode to Mr. Fox,” line 18.—Ed.]
172. [See Note at p.84in “A Bit of an Ode to Mr. Fox,” line 18.—Ed.]
173. [Sir Hugh Smithsonmarried Lady Eliz. Seymour, great-granddaughter of Joceline, eleventh Earl of Northumberland, who was the last of the male Percies. He was createdDuke of Northumberlandin 1766. The hero of this Ballad was his son, who died in 1817.—Ed.]
173. [Sir Hugh Smithsonmarried Lady Eliz. Seymour, great-granddaughter of Joceline, eleventh Earl of Northumberland, who was the last of the male Percies. He was createdDuke of Northumberlandin 1766. The hero of this Ballad was his son, who died in 1817.—Ed.]
174. The ceremony of invocation (in didactic poems especially) is in some measure analogous to the custom of drinking toasts; the corporeal representatives of which are always supposed to be absent, and unconscious of the irrigation bestowed upon their names. Hence it is, that our Author addresses himself to the natives of an island who are not likely to hear, and who, if they did, would not understand him.
174. The ceremony of invocation (in didactic poems especially) is in some measure analogous to the custom of drinking toasts; the corporeal representatives of which are always supposed to be absent, and unconscious of the irrigation bestowed upon their names. Hence it is, that our Author addresses himself to the natives of an island who are not likely to hear, and who, if they did, would not understand him.
175. His Majesty’s shipEndeavour.
175. His Majesty’s shipEndeavour.
176. In justice to our Author we must observe, that there is a delicacy in this picture, which the words, in their common acceptation, do not convey. The amours of an English shepherd would probably be preparatory to marriage (which is contrary to our Author’s principles), or they might disgust us by the vulgarity of their object. But in Otaheite, where the place of a shepherd is a perfect sinecure (there being no sheep on the island), the mind of the reader is not offended by any disagreeable allusion.
176. In justice to our Author we must observe, that there is a delicacy in this picture, which the words, in their common acceptation, do not convey. The amours of an English shepherd would probably be preparatory to marriage (which is contrary to our Author’s principles), or they might disgust us by the vulgarity of their object. But in Otaheite, where the place of a shepherd is a perfect sinecure (there being no sheep on the island), the mind of the reader is not offended by any disagreeable allusion.
177. Laws made by parliaments or kings.
177. Laws made by parliaments or kings.
178. Customs voted or imposed by ditto, not the customs here alluded to.
178. Customs voted or imposed by ditto, not the customs here alluded to.
179. M. Bailly and other astronomers have observed, that in consequence of the varying obliquity of the Ecliptic, the climates of the circumpolar and tropical climates may, in process of time, be materially changed. Perhaps it is not very likely that even by these means Britain may ever become a small island in the South Seas. But this is not the meaning of the verse—the similarity here proposed relates to manners, not to local situation.
179. M. Bailly and other astronomers have observed, that in consequence of the varying obliquity of the Ecliptic, the climates of the circumpolar and tropical climates may, in process of time, be materially changed. Perhaps it is not very likely that even by these means Britain may ever become a small island in the South Seas. But this is not the meaning of the verse—the similarity here proposed relates to manners, not to local situation.
180. The wordonehere, means all the inhabitants of Europe (excepting the French, who have remedied this inconvenience), not any particular individual. The Author begs leave to disclaim every allusion that can be construed as personal.
180. The wordonehere, means all the inhabitants of Europe (excepting the French, who have remedied this inconvenience), not any particular individual. The Author begs leave to disclaim every allusion that can be construed as personal.
181. As a stream—simile of dissimilitude, a mode of illustration familiar to the ancients.
181. As a stream—simile of dissimilitude, a mode of illustration familiar to the ancients.
182. Walks of polished life, see “Kensington Gardens,” a poem.
182. Walks of polished life, see “Kensington Gardens,” a poem.
183. Germania—Germany; a country in Europe, peopled by the Germani: alluded to in Cæsar’s Commentaries, page 1, vol. ii. edit. prin. See also several Didactic Poems.
183. Germania—Germany; a country in Europe, peopled by the Germani: alluded to in Cæsar’s Commentaries, page 1, vol. ii. edit. prin. See also several Didactic Poems.
184. A beautiful figure of German literature. The Hottentots remarkable for staring at each other—God knows why.
184. A beautiful figure of German literature. The Hottentots remarkable for staring at each other—God knows why.
185. This delightful and instructive picture of domestic life is recommended to all keepers of boarding-schools, and other seminaries of the same nature.
185. This delightful and instructive picture of domestic life is recommended to all keepers of boarding-schools, and other seminaries of the same nature.
186. It is a singular quality of brandied cherries that they exchange their flavour for that of the liquor in which they are immersed.—See Knight’sProgress of Civil Society.
186. It is a singular quality of brandied cherries that they exchange their flavour for that of the liquor in which they are immersed.—See Knight’sProgress of Civil Society.
187. This division of the word is in the true spirit of the English as well as the ancient Sapphic. See the “Counter-Scuffle,” “Counter-Rat,” and other poems in this style.
187. This division of the word is in the true spirit of the English as well as the ancient Sapphic. See the “Counter-Scuffle,” “Counter-Rat,” and other poems in this style.
188. [The Rev. Gilbert Wakefield wrote several pamphlets against government, of which no notice was taken, until his Letter to the Bishop of Llandaff appeared, when the Attorney-General instituted a prosecution against him. He was found guilty and imprisoned; during which imprisonment a subscription of £3000 among his friends supported his wife and family very comfortably.—Ed.]
188. [The Rev. Gilbert Wakefield wrote several pamphlets against government, of which no notice was taken, until his Letter to the Bishop of Llandaff appeared, when the Attorney-General instituted a prosecution against him. He was found guilty and imprisoned; during which imprisonment a subscription of £3000 among his friends supported his wife and family very comfortably.—Ed.]
189. [John Gale Jones was an active political agitator for many years. In 1810, he was the conductor of the debating club, denominated the “British Forum,” which at one of its meetings discussed the propriety of the exclusion of strangers from the House of Commons during the debates on the Walcheren Expedition. For his observations the House, disregarding his apology, committed him to Newgate.—Ed.]
189. [John Gale Jones was an active political agitator for many years. In 1810, he was the conductor of the debating club, denominated the “British Forum,” which at one of its meetings discussed the propriety of the exclusion of strangers from the House of Commons during the debates on the Walcheren Expedition. For his observations the House, disregarding his apology, committed him to Newgate.—Ed.]
190. [“John Thelwall left his shop (that of a silk mercer) to be one of the Reformers of the age. After his acquittal he went about the country lecturing. Sometimes he was attended by numerous admirers, but more frequently hooted and pelted by the mob. In order to escape prosecution for sedition, he took as his subject Greek and Roman history, and had ingenuity enough to give such a colouring to events and characters, as to render the application to living persons and present events an exciting mental exercise. I heard one or two of these lectures, and thought very differently of him then from what I thought afterwards. When, however, he found his popularity on the wane, and more stringent laws had been passed, to which he individually gave occasion, he came to the prudent resolution of abandoning his vagrant habits, and leading a farmer’s life in a beautiful place near Brecon.... He was an amiable man in private life, an affectionate husband, and a fond father. He altogether mistook his talents—he told me without reserve that he believed he should establish his name among the epic poets of England; and it is a curious thing considering his own view’s that he thought the establishment of Christianity, and the British Constitution, very appropriate subjects for his poem....Thelwall, unlike Hardy, had the weakness of vanity; but he was a perfectly honest man, and had a power of declamation which qualified him to be a mob orator. He used to say that if he were at the gallows with liberty to address the people for half-an-hour, he should not fear the result; he was sure he could excite them to a rescue. I became acquainted with him soon after his acquittal, and never ceased to respect him for his sincerity, though I did not think highly of his understanding.”—Crabb Robinson’s Diary, 1790 and 1799.—Ed.]
190. [“John Thelwall left his shop (that of a silk mercer) to be one of the Reformers of the age. After his acquittal he went about the country lecturing. Sometimes he was attended by numerous admirers, but more frequently hooted and pelted by the mob. In order to escape prosecution for sedition, he took as his subject Greek and Roman history, and had ingenuity enough to give such a colouring to events and characters, as to render the application to living persons and present events an exciting mental exercise. I heard one or two of these lectures, and thought very differently of him then from what I thought afterwards. When, however, he found his popularity on the wane, and more stringent laws had been passed, to which he individually gave occasion, he came to the prudent resolution of abandoning his vagrant habits, and leading a farmer’s life in a beautiful place near Brecon.... He was an amiable man in private life, an affectionate husband, and a fond father. He altogether mistook his talents—he told me without reserve that he believed he should establish his name among the epic poets of England; and it is a curious thing considering his own view’s that he thought the establishment of Christianity, and the British Constitution, very appropriate subjects for his poem....Thelwall, unlike Hardy, had the weakness of vanity; but he was a perfectly honest man, and had a power of declamation which qualified him to be a mob orator. He used to say that if he were at the gallows with liberty to address the people for half-an-hour, he should not fear the result; he was sure he could excite them to a rescue. I became acquainted with him soon after his acquittal, and never ceased to respect him for his sincerity, though I did not think highly of his understanding.”—Crabb Robinson’s Diary, 1790 and 1799.—Ed.]
191. [These “Gagging Bills,” of 1796, required that notice should be given to the magistrate of any public meeting to be held on political subjects; he was authorized to be present, and empowered to seize those guilty of sedition on the spot; and a second offence against the act was punishable with transportation. So exasperated were the Opposition with this measure that Fox and a large part of the minority withdrew altogether for a considerable time from the House.—Ed.]
191. [These “Gagging Bills,” of 1796, required that notice should be given to the magistrate of any public meeting to be held on political subjects; he was authorized to be present, and empowered to seize those guilty of sedition on the spot; and a second offence against the act was punishable with transportation. So exasperated were the Opposition with this measure that Fox and a large part of the minority withdrew altogether for a considerable time from the House.—Ed.]
192. There is a doubt, whether this word should not have been writtenliar.
192. There is a doubt, whether this word should not have been writtenliar.
193. These words, ofconvictionandhanging, have so ominous a sound, it is rather odd they were chosen.
193. These words, ofconvictionandhanging, have so ominous a sound, it is rather odd they were chosen.
194. [The hero of the above song was Charles Howard, eleventh Duke of Norfolk, who both as a member of the House of Commons (while Earl of Surrey), and afterwards as a peer, was one ofFox’smost strenuous supporters.Sir N. Wraxallthus describes him: “Nature, which cast him in her coarsest mould, had not bestowed on him any of the external insignia of high descent. His person, large, muscular, and clumsy, was destitute of grace or dignity, though he possessed much activity. At a time when men of every description wore hair-powder and a queue, he had the courage to cut his hair short, and to renounce powder, which he never used except when going to court. In his youth he led a most licentious life, having frequently passed the whole night in excesses of every kind, and even lain down, when intoxicated, occasionally to sleep in the streets, or on a block of wood. In cleanliness he was negligent to so great a degree that he rarely made use of water for the purpose of bodily refreshment and comfort.” Complaining one day to Dudley North that he was a martyr to the rheumatism, and had ineffectually tried every remedy for its relief, “Pray, my lord,” said he, “did you ever try a clean shirt?” It must not be forgotten, however, that he was a munificent patron of literature, for he defrayed the entire expense of printing Taylor’s Translation of Plato, 5 vols. 4to.; Dallaway’s History of Sussex, 2 vols. 4to.; and Duncumb’s History of Herefordshire, 2 vols. The initials B. O. B. refer toMr.(afterwardsSir Robert)Adair, who is often alluded to in these pages.—Ed.]
194. [The hero of the above song was Charles Howard, eleventh Duke of Norfolk, who both as a member of the House of Commons (while Earl of Surrey), and afterwards as a peer, was one ofFox’smost strenuous supporters.Sir N. Wraxallthus describes him: “Nature, which cast him in her coarsest mould, had not bestowed on him any of the external insignia of high descent. His person, large, muscular, and clumsy, was destitute of grace or dignity, though he possessed much activity. At a time when men of every description wore hair-powder and a queue, he had the courage to cut his hair short, and to renounce powder, which he never used except when going to court. In his youth he led a most licentious life, having frequently passed the whole night in excesses of every kind, and even lain down, when intoxicated, occasionally to sleep in the streets, or on a block of wood. In cleanliness he was negligent to so great a degree that he rarely made use of water for the purpose of bodily refreshment and comfort.” Complaining one day to Dudley North that he was a martyr to the rheumatism, and had ineffectually tried every remedy for its relief, “Pray, my lord,” said he, “did you ever try a clean shirt?” It must not be forgotten, however, that he was a munificent patron of literature, for he defrayed the entire expense of printing Taylor’s Translation of Plato, 5 vols. 4to.; Dallaway’s History of Sussex, 2 vols. 4to.; and Duncumb’s History of Herefordshire, 2 vols. The initials B. O. B. refer toMr.(afterwardsSir Robert)Adair, who is often alluded to in these pages.—Ed.]
195. [These observations are directed against Godwin’s work on “Political Justice,” which, on its first appearance, excited extraordinary attention. His aim was to represent the whole system of society as radically and essentially wrong, and to extirpate all those principles which uphold its present constitution. The existence of the Deity is spoken of as an hypothesis, and the ethics are worthy of the religion.Holcroftreviewed it in the “Monthly Review,” but was doubtful whether to praise or blame it.—Ed.][“I noticed (saysCrabb Robinsonin 1811) the infinite superiority ofGodwinover the French writers in moral feeling and tendency. I had learned to hate Helvetius and Mirabeau, and yet retained my love forGodwin. This was agreed to as a just sentiment.”—Ed.]
195. [These observations are directed against Godwin’s work on “Political Justice,” which, on its first appearance, excited extraordinary attention. His aim was to represent the whole system of society as radically and essentially wrong, and to extirpate all those principles which uphold its present constitution. The existence of the Deity is spoken of as an hypothesis, and the ethics are worthy of the religion.Holcroftreviewed it in the “Monthly Review,” but was doubtful whether to praise or blame it.—Ed.]
[“I noticed (saysCrabb Robinsonin 1811) the infinite superiority ofGodwinover the French writers in moral feeling and tendency. I had learned to hate Helvetius and Mirabeau, and yet retained my love forGodwin. This was agreed to as a just sentiment.”—Ed.]
196. [Written in ridicule of Dr.Darwin’sLoves of the Plants.]
196. [Written in ridicule of Dr.Darwin’sLoves of the Plants.]
197. Ver. 1–4. Imitated from the introductory couplet to theEconomy of Vegetation:“Stay your rude steps, whose throbbing breasts infoldThe legion fiends of glory and of gold”This sentiment is here expanded into four lines.
197. Ver. 1–4. Imitated from the introductory couplet to theEconomy of Vegetation:
“Stay your rude steps, whose throbbing breasts infoldThe legion fiends of glory and of gold”
“Stay your rude steps, whose throbbing breasts infoldThe legion fiends of glory and of gold”
“Stay your rude steps, whose throbbing breasts infoldThe legion fiends of glory and of gold”
“Stay your rude steps, whose throbbing breasts infold
The legion fiends of glory and of gold”
This sentiment is here expanded into four lines.
198. Ver. 6.Definition—A distinct notion explaining the genesis of a thing.—Wolfius.
198. Ver. 6.Definition—A distinct notion explaining the genesis of a thing.—Wolfius.
199. Ver. 7.Postulate—A self-evident proposition.
199. Ver. 7.Postulate—A self-evident proposition.
200. Ver. 8.Axiom—An indemonstrable truth.
200. Ver. 8.Axiom—An indemonstrable truth.
201. Ver. 9.Tangents—So called from touching, because they touch circles, and never cut them.
201. Ver. 9.Tangents—So called from touching, because they touch circles, and never cut them.
202. Ver. 10.Circles—See Chambers’s Dictionary, article “Circle”.
202. Ver. 10.Circles—See Chambers’s Dictionary, article “Circle”.
203. Ver. 10.Osculation—For theosculation, or kissing of circles and other curves, see Huygens, who has veiled this delicate and inflammatory subject in the decent obscurity of a learned language.
203. Ver. 10.Osculation—For theosculation, or kissing of circles and other curves, see Huygens, who has veiled this delicate and inflammatory subject in the decent obscurity of a learned language.
204. Ver. 11.Cissois—A curve supposed to resemble the sprig of ivy, from which it has its name, and therefore peculiarly adapted to poetry.
204. Ver. 11.Cissois—A curve supposed to resemble the sprig of ivy, from which it has its name, and therefore peculiarly adapted to poetry.
205. Ver. 12.Conchois, orConchylis—A most beautiful and picturesque curve; it bears a fanciful resemblance to aconchshell. The conchois is capable of infinite extension, and presents a striking analogy between the animal and mathematical creation—every individual of this species containing within itself a series ofyoungconchoids for several generations, in the same manner as the Aphides and other insect tribes are observed to do.
205. Ver. 12.Conchois, orConchylis—A most beautiful and picturesque curve; it bears a fanciful resemblance to aconchshell. The conchois is capable of infinite extension, and presents a striking analogy between the animal and mathematical creation—every individual of this species containing within itself a series ofyoungconchoids for several generations, in the same manner as the Aphides and other insect tribes are observed to do.
206. Ver. 15.Hydrostatics—Water has been supposed, by several of our philosophers, to be capable of the passion of love. Some later experiments appear to favour this idea. Water, when pressed by a moderate degree of heat, has been observed to simper, or simmer, as it is more usually called. The same does not hold true of any other element.
206. Ver. 15.Hydrostatics—Water has been supposed, by several of our philosophers, to be capable of the passion of love. Some later experiments appear to favour this idea. Water, when pressed by a moderate degree of heat, has been observed to simper, or simmer, as it is more usually called. The same does not hold true of any other element.
207. Ver. 17.Acoustics—The doctrine or theory of sound.
207. Ver. 17.Acoustics—The doctrine or theory of sound.
208. Ver. 18.Euclid and Algebra—The loves and nuptials of these two interesting personages, forming a considerable episode in the third canto, are purposely omitted here.
208. Ver. 18.Euclid and Algebra—The loves and nuptials of these two interesting personages, forming a considerable episode in the third canto, are purposely omitted here.
209. Ver. 19.Pulley—So called from our Saxon word toPULL, signifying to pull or draw.
209. Ver. 19.Pulley—So called from our Saxon word toPULL, signifying to pull or draw.
210. Ver. 23.Fair sylphish forms—Videmodern prints of nymphs and shepherds dancing to nothing at all.
210. Ver. 23.Fair sylphish forms—Videmodern prints of nymphs and shepherds dancing to nothing at all.
211. Ver. 27.Such rich confusion—Imitated from the following genteel and sprightly lines in the first canto of the “Loves of the Plants”:“So bright its folding canopy withdrawn,Glides the gilt landau o’er the velvet lawn,Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng,And soft airs fan them as they glide along”.
211. Ver. 27.Such rich confusion—Imitated from the following genteel and sprightly lines in the first canto of the “Loves of the Plants”:
“So bright its folding canopy withdrawn,Glides the gilt landau o’er the velvet lawn,Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng,And soft airs fan them as they glide along”.
“So bright its folding canopy withdrawn,Glides the gilt landau o’er the velvet lawn,Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng,And soft airs fan them as they glide along”.
“So bright its folding canopy withdrawn,Glides the gilt landau o’er the velvet lawn,Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng,And soft airs fan them as they glide along”.
“So bright its folding canopy withdrawn,
Glides the gilt landau o’er the velvet lawn,
Of beaux and belles displays the glittering throng,
And soft airs fan them as they glide along”.
212. Ver. 38.Angle—Gratus puellæ risus ab Angulo.—Hor.
212. Ver. 38.Angle—Gratus puellæ risus ab Angulo.—Hor.
213. Ver. 39.How slow progressive Points—The Author has reserved the picturesque imagery which thetheory of fluxionsnaturally suggested for his “Algebraic Garden,” where thefluentsare described as rolling with an even current between a margin ofcurvesof the higher order over a pebbly channel, inlaid withdifferential calculi.In the following six lines he has confined himself to a strict explanation of the theory, according to which lines are supposed to be generated by the motion of points, planes by the lateral motion of lines, and solids from planes, by a similar process.Quære—Whether a practical application of this theory would not enable us to account for the genesis or original formation of space itself, in the same manner in which Dr. Darwin has traced the whole of the organized creation to his six filaments—VideZoonomia. We may conceive the whole of our present universe to have been originally concentred in a single point; we may conceive this primeval point, orpunctum saliensof the universe, evolving itself by its own energies, to have moved forward in a right line,ad infinitum, till it grew tired; after which the right line which it had generated would begin to put itself in motion in a lateral direction, describing an area of infinite extent. This area, as soon as it became conscious of its own existence, would begin to ascend or descend, according as its specific gravity might determine it, forming an immense solid space filled with vacuum, and capable of containing the present existing universe.Space being thus obtained, and presenting a suitable nidus, or receptacle for the generation of chaotic matter, an immense deposit of it would gradually be accumulated; after which, the filament offirebeing produced in the chaotic mass by anidiosyncrasy, or self-formed habit, analogous to fermentation,explosionwould take place;sunswould be shot from the central chaos;planetsfromsuns; andsatellitesfromplanets. In this state of things the filament oforganizationwould begin to exert itself in those independent masses which, in proportion to their bulk, exposed the greatest surface to the action oflightandheat. This filament, after an infinite series of ages, would begin toramify, and its viviparous offspring would diversify their forms and habits, so as to accommodate themselves to the variousincunabulawhich Nature had prepared for them. Upon this view of things it seems highly probable that the first effort of Nature terminated in the production of vegetables, and that these, being abandoned to their ownenergies, by degrees detached themselves from the surface of the earth, and supplied themselves with wings or feet, according as their different propensities determined them in favour of aerial and terrestrial existence. Others, by an inherent disposition to society and civilization, and by a stronger effort ofvolition, would become men. These, in time, would restrict themselves to the use of theirhind feet; theirtailswould gradually rub off by sitting in their caves or huts, as soon as they arrived at a domesticated state; they would inventlanguageand the use offire, with our present and hitherto imperfect system ofsociety. In the meanwhile, theFuciandAlgæ, with theCorallinesandMadrepores, would transform themselves intofish, and would gradually populate all the submarine portion of the globe.
213. Ver. 39.How slow progressive Points—The Author has reserved the picturesque imagery which thetheory of fluxionsnaturally suggested for his “Algebraic Garden,” where thefluentsare described as rolling with an even current between a margin ofcurvesof the higher order over a pebbly channel, inlaid withdifferential calculi.
In the following six lines he has confined himself to a strict explanation of the theory, according to which lines are supposed to be generated by the motion of points, planes by the lateral motion of lines, and solids from planes, by a similar process.
Quære—Whether a practical application of this theory would not enable us to account for the genesis or original formation of space itself, in the same manner in which Dr. Darwin has traced the whole of the organized creation to his six filaments—VideZoonomia. We may conceive the whole of our present universe to have been originally concentred in a single point; we may conceive this primeval point, orpunctum saliensof the universe, evolving itself by its own energies, to have moved forward in a right line,ad infinitum, till it grew tired; after which the right line which it had generated would begin to put itself in motion in a lateral direction, describing an area of infinite extent. This area, as soon as it became conscious of its own existence, would begin to ascend or descend, according as its specific gravity might determine it, forming an immense solid space filled with vacuum, and capable of containing the present existing universe.
Space being thus obtained, and presenting a suitable nidus, or receptacle for the generation of chaotic matter, an immense deposit of it would gradually be accumulated; after which, the filament offirebeing produced in the chaotic mass by anidiosyncrasy, or self-formed habit, analogous to fermentation,explosionwould take place;sunswould be shot from the central chaos;planetsfromsuns; andsatellitesfromplanets. In this state of things the filament oforganizationwould begin to exert itself in those independent masses which, in proportion to their bulk, exposed the greatest surface to the action oflightandheat. This filament, after an infinite series of ages, would begin toramify, and its viviparous offspring would diversify their forms and habits, so as to accommodate themselves to the variousincunabulawhich Nature had prepared for them. Upon this view of things it seems highly probable that the first effort of Nature terminated in the production of vegetables, and that these, being abandoned to their ownenergies, by degrees detached themselves from the surface of the earth, and supplied themselves with wings or feet, according as their different propensities determined them in favour of aerial and terrestrial existence. Others, by an inherent disposition to society and civilization, and by a stronger effort ofvolition, would become men. These, in time, would restrict themselves to the use of theirhind feet; theirtailswould gradually rub off by sitting in their caves or huts, as soon as they arrived at a domesticated state; they would inventlanguageand the use offire, with our present and hitherto imperfect system ofsociety. In the meanwhile, theFuciandAlgæ, with theCorallinesandMadrepores, would transform themselves intofish, and would gradually populate all the submarine portion of the globe.
214. Ver. 46.Trochais—The Nymph of the Wheel, supposed to be in love with Smoke-Jack.
214. Ver. 46.Trochais—The Nymph of the Wheel, supposed to be in love with Smoke-Jack.
215. Ver. 56.The conscious fire—The sylphs and genii of the different elements have a variety of innocent occupations assigned them; those of fire are supposed to divert themselves with writingKunkelin phosphorus.—SeeEconomy of Vegetation:“Or mark, with shining letters, Kunkel’s nameIn the palephosphor’sself-consuming flame”.
215. Ver. 56.The conscious fire—The sylphs and genii of the different elements have a variety of innocent occupations assigned them; those of fire are supposed to divert themselves with writingKunkelin phosphorus.—SeeEconomy of Vegetation:
“Or mark, with shining letters, Kunkel’s nameIn the palephosphor’sself-consuming flame”.
“Or mark, with shining letters, Kunkel’s nameIn the palephosphor’sself-consuming flame”.
“Or mark, with shining letters, Kunkel’s nameIn the palephosphor’sself-consuming flame”.
“Or mark, with shining letters, Kunkel’s name
In the palephosphor’sself-consuming flame”.
216. Ver. 68.Listening ears—Listening, and therefore peculiarly suited to a pair of diamond ear-rings. See the description of Nebuchadnezzar in his transformed state—“Nor flattery’s self can pierce hispendent ears”.In poetical diction, a person is said to “breathe theBLUEair,” and to “drink theHOARSEwave!”—not that the colour of the sky or the noise of the water has any reference to drinking or breathing, but because the poet obtains the advantage of thus describing his subject under adouble relation, in the same manner in which material objects present themselves to our different senses at the same time.
216. Ver. 68.Listening ears—Listening, and therefore peculiarly suited to a pair of diamond ear-rings. See the description of Nebuchadnezzar in his transformed state—
“Nor flattery’s self can pierce hispendent ears”.
“Nor flattery’s self can pierce hispendent ears”.
“Nor flattery’s self can pierce hispendent ears”.
“Nor flattery’s self can pierce hispendent ears”.
In poetical diction, a person is said to “breathe theBLUEair,” and to “drink theHOARSEwave!”—not that the colour of the sky or the noise of the water has any reference to drinking or breathing, but because the poet obtains the advantage of thus describing his subject under adouble relation, in the same manner in which material objects present themselves to our different senses at the same time.
217. Ver. 73.Cock-tailed mice—Coctilibus Muris.Ovid.—There is reason to believe that themurine, ormousespecies, were anciently much more numerous than at the present day. It appears from the sequel of the line, that Semiramis surrounded the city of Babylon with a number of these animals.Dicitur altamCoctilibus Muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.It is not easy at present to form any conjecture with respect to the end, whether of ornament or defence, which they could be supposed to answer. I should be inclined to believe, that in this instance the mice were dead, and that so vast a collection of them must have been furnished by way of tribute, to free the country from these destructive animals. This superabundance of themurinerace must have been owing to their immense fecundity, and to the comparatively tardy reproduction of thefelinespecies. The traces of this disproportion are to be found in the early history of every country.—The ancient laws of Wales estimate a cat at the price of as much corn as would be sufficient to cover her, if she were suspended by the tail with her fore-feet touching the ground.—See Howel Dha.—In Germany, it is recorded that an army of rats, a larger animal of the mus tribe, was employed as the ministers of divine vengeance against a feudal tyrant; and the commercial legend of our own Whittington might probably be traced to an equally authentic origin.
217. Ver. 73.Cock-tailed mice—Coctilibus Muris.Ovid.—There is reason to believe that themurine, ormousespecies, were anciently much more numerous than at the present day. It appears from the sequel of the line, that Semiramis surrounded the city of Babylon with a number of these animals.
Dicitur altamCoctilibus Muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.
Dicitur altamCoctilibus Muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.
Dicitur altamCoctilibus Muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.
Dicitur altam
Coctilibus Muris cinxisse Semiramis urbem.
It is not easy at present to form any conjecture with respect to the end, whether of ornament or defence, which they could be supposed to answer. I should be inclined to believe, that in this instance the mice were dead, and that so vast a collection of them must have been furnished by way of tribute, to free the country from these destructive animals. This superabundance of themurinerace must have been owing to their immense fecundity, and to the comparatively tardy reproduction of thefelinespecies. The traces of this disproportion are to be found in the early history of every country.—The ancient laws of Wales estimate a cat at the price of as much corn as would be sufficient to cover her, if she were suspended by the tail with her fore-feet touching the ground.—See Howel Dha.—In Germany, it is recorded that an army of rats, a larger animal of the mus tribe, was employed as the ministers of divine vengeance against a feudal tyrant; and the commercial legend of our own Whittington might probably be traced to an equally authentic origin.
218. Ver. 76.Rectangle—“A figure which has one angle, or more, of ninety degrees”.Johnson’s Dictionary.—It here means a right-angled triangle, which is therefore incapable of having more than one angle of ninety degrees, but which may, according to our author’sProsopopœia, be supposed to be in love with three, or any greater number of nymphs.
218. Ver. 76.Rectangle—“A figure which has one angle, or more, of ninety degrees”.Johnson’s Dictionary.—It here means a right-angled triangle, which is therefore incapable of having more than one angle of ninety degrees, but which may, according to our author’sProsopopœia, be supposed to be in love with three, or any greater number of nymphs.
219. Ver. 80.Plato’s and Menecmus’ lore—Proclus attributes the discovery of the conic sections to Plato, but obscurely. Eratosthenes seems to adjudge it to Menecmus. “Neque Menecmeos necesse erit in cono secare ternarios.” (VideMontucla.) From Greece they were carried to Alexandria, where (according to our author’s beautiful fiction)Rectangleeither did or might learn magic.
219. Ver. 80.Plato’s and Menecmus’ lore—Proclus attributes the discovery of the conic sections to Plato, but obscurely. Eratosthenes seems to adjudge it to Menecmus. “Neque Menecmeos necesse erit in cono secare ternarios.” (VideMontucla.) From Greece they were carried to Alexandria, where (according to our author’s beautiful fiction)Rectangleeither did or might learn magic.
220. Ver. 86.Zatanai—Supposed to be the same with Satan.—Vide theNew Arabian Nights, translated by Cazotte, author of “Le Diable amoureux”.
220. Ver. 86.Zatanai—Supposed to be the same with Satan.—Vide theNew Arabian Nights, translated by Cazotte, author of “Le Diable amoureux”.
221. Ver. 87.Gins—the Eastern name for Genii.—VideTales of ditto.
221. Ver. 87.Gins—the Eastern name for Genii.—VideTales of ditto.
222. Ver. 87.Dom-Daniel—a submarine palace near Tunis, where Zatanai usually held his court.—VideNew Arabian Nights.
222. Ver. 87.Dom-Daniel—a submarine palace near Tunis, where Zatanai usually held his court.—VideNew Arabian Nights.
223. Ver. 88.Sulphur—A substance which, when cold, reflects the yellow rays, and is therefore said to be yellow. When raised to a temperature at which itattracts oxygene(a process usually calledburning), it emits a blue flame. This may be beautifully exemplified, and at a moderate expense, by igniting thosefasciculiof brimstonematches, frequently sold (so frequently, indeed, as to form one of the London cries) by women of an advanced age, in this metropolis. They will be found to yield anazure, or blue light.
223. Ver. 88.Sulphur—A substance which, when cold, reflects the yellow rays, and is therefore said to be yellow. When raised to a temperature at which itattracts oxygene(a process usually calledburning), it emits a blue flame. This may be beautifully exemplified, and at a moderate expense, by igniting thosefasciculiof brimstonematches, frequently sold (so frequently, indeed, as to form one of the London cries) by women of an advanced age, in this metropolis. They will be found to yield anazure, or blue light.
224. Ver. 90.Caf—the IndianCaucasus.—VideBailly’s Lettres sur l’Atlantide, in which he proves that this was the native country of Gog and Magog (now resident in Guildhall), as well as of the Peris, or fairies, of the Asiatic romances.
224. Ver. 90.Caf—the IndianCaucasus.—VideBailly’s Lettres sur l’Atlantide, in which he proves that this was the native country of Gog and Magog (now resident in Guildhall), as well as of the Peris, or fairies, of the Asiatic romances.
225. Ver. 91.Judæa’s fabled king—Mr.Higginsdoes not mean to deny that Solomon was really king of Judæa. The epithetfabledapplies to that empire over the Genii, which the retrospective generosity of the Arabian fabulists has bestowed upon this monarch.
225. Ver. 91.Judæa’s fabled king—Mr.Higginsdoes not mean to deny that Solomon was really king of Judæa. The epithetfabledapplies to that empire over the Genii, which the retrospective generosity of the Arabian fabulists has bestowed upon this monarch.
226. Ver. 96.Young volcanoes—The genesis of burning mountains was never, till lately, well explained. Those with which we are best acquainted are certainly not viviparous; it is therefore probable, that there exists, in the centre of the earth, a considerable reservoir of their eggs, which, during the obstetrical convulsions of general earthquakes, produce new volcanoes.
226. Ver. 96.Young volcanoes—The genesis of burning mountains was never, till lately, well explained. Those with which we are best acquainted are certainly not viviparous; it is therefore probable, that there exists, in the centre of the earth, a considerable reservoir of their eggs, which, during the obstetrical convulsions of general earthquakes, produce new volcanoes.
227. Ver. 100.Far-extended heel—The personification ofRectangle, besides answering a poetical purpose, was necessary to illustrate Mr.Higgins’sphilosophical opinions. The ancient mathematicians conceived that a cone was generated by the revolution of a triangle; but this, as our author justly observes, would be impossible, without supposing in the triangle thatexpansivenisus, discovered by Blumenbach, and improved by Darwin, which is peculiar to animated matter, and which alone explains the whole mystery of organization. Our enchanter sits on the ground, with his heels stretched out, his head erect, his wand (orhypothenuse) resting on the extremities of his feet and the tip of his nose (as is finely expressed in the engraving in the original work), and revolves upon his bottom with great velocity. His skin, by magical means, has acquired an indefinite power of expansion, as well as that of assimilating to itself all theazoteof the air, which he decomposes by expiration from his lungs—an immense quantity, and which, in our present unimproved and uneconomical mode of breathing, is quite thrown away. By this simple process the transformation is very naturally accounted for.
227. Ver. 100.Far-extended heel—The personification ofRectangle, besides answering a poetical purpose, was necessary to illustrate Mr.Higgins’sphilosophical opinions. The ancient mathematicians conceived that a cone was generated by the revolution of a triangle; but this, as our author justly observes, would be impossible, without supposing in the triangle thatexpansivenisus, discovered by Blumenbach, and improved by Darwin, which is peculiar to animated matter, and which alone explains the whole mystery of organization. Our enchanter sits on the ground, with his heels stretched out, his head erect, his wand (orhypothenuse) resting on the extremities of his feet and the tip of his nose (as is finely expressed in the engraving in the original work), and revolves upon his bottom with great velocity. His skin, by magical means, has acquired an indefinite power of expansion, as well as that of assimilating to itself all theazoteof the air, which he decomposes by expiration from his lungs—an immense quantity, and which, in our present unimproved and uneconomical mode of breathing, is quite thrown away. By this simple process the transformation is very naturally accounted for.
228. Ver. 104.Phœnician Cone—It was under this shape that Venus was worshipped in Phœnicia. Mr.Higginsthinks it was theVenus Urania, or Celestial Venus; in allusion to which, the Phœnician grocers first introduced the practice of preserving sugar-loaves in blue or sky-coloured paper—he also believes that theconicalform of the original grenadier’s cap was typical of the loves of Mars and Venus.
228. Ver. 104.Phœnician Cone—It was under this shape that Venus was worshipped in Phœnicia. Mr.Higginsthinks it was theVenus Urania, or Celestial Venus; in allusion to which, the Phœnician grocers first introduced the practice of preserving sugar-loaves in blue or sky-coloured paper—he also believes that theconicalform of the original grenadier’s cap was typical of the loves of Mars and Venus.
229. Ver. 107.Parabola—The curve described by projectiles of all sorts, as bombs, shuttlecocks, &c.
229. Ver. 107.Parabola—The curve described by projectiles of all sorts, as bombs, shuttlecocks, &c.
230. Ver. 115. Hyperbola—Not figuratively speaking, as in rhetoric, but mathematically; and therefore blue-eyed.
230. Ver. 115. Hyperbola—Not figuratively speaking, as in rhetoric, but mathematically; and therefore blue-eyed.
231. Ver. 122.Asymptotes—“Lines, which though they may approach still nearer together till they are nearer than the least assignable distance, yet being still produced infinitely, will never meet”.—Johnson’s Dictionary.
231. Ver. 122.Asymptotes—“Lines, which though they may approach still nearer together till they are nearer than the least assignable distance, yet being still produced infinitely, will never meet”.—Johnson’s Dictionary.
232. Ver. 124.Ellipsis—A curve, the revolution of which on its axis produces an ellipsoid, or solid resembling the eggs of birds, particularly those of the gallinaceous tribe.Ellipsisis the only curve that embraces the cone.
232. Ver. 124.Ellipsis—A curve, the revolution of which on its axis produces an ellipsoid, or solid resembling the eggs of birds, particularly those of the gallinaceous tribe.Ellipsisis the only curve that embraces the cone.
233. [“Romantic Ashbourn.” The road down Ashbourn Hill winds in front of Ashbourn Hall, then the residence of the Rev. Mr. Leigh, who married a relation ofCanning’s, and to whom the latter was a frequent visitor. A clever parodical application of this couplet was made byO’ConnelltoLord Stanley’ssection of a party of six, who wished to hold the balance of power, duringPeel’sshort administration in 1835. He altered it to “The Derby Dilly,” carryingsixinsides.—See the Greville Memoirs, vol. 3, pp. 236, &c.—Ed.]
233. [“Romantic Ashbourn.” The road down Ashbourn Hill winds in front of Ashbourn Hall, then the residence of the Rev. Mr. Leigh, who married a relation ofCanning’s, and to whom the latter was a frequent visitor. A clever parodical application of this couplet was made byO’ConnelltoLord Stanley’ssection of a party of six, who wished to hold the balance of power, duringPeel’sshort administration in 1835. He altered it to “The Derby Dilly,” carryingsixinsides.—See the Greville Memoirs, vol. 3, pp. 236, &c.—Ed.]
234. [Thus sings Dr. Darwin of the Loves of the Plants:“Twobrother swains, of Collins’ gentle name,The same their features, and their forms the same,With rival love for fair Collinia sigh,Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye.With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,And soothes with smiles the jealous pair by turns.“Woo’d with long care, Curcuma, cold and shy,Meets her fond husband with averted eye.Fourbeardless youths the obdurate beauty moveWith soft attentions of Platonic love.”—Ed.]
234. [Thus sings Dr. Darwin of the Loves of the Plants:
“Twobrother swains, of Collins’ gentle name,The same their features, and their forms the same,With rival love for fair Collinia sigh,Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye.With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,And soothes with smiles the jealous pair by turns.“Woo’d with long care, Curcuma, cold and shy,Meets her fond husband with averted eye.Fourbeardless youths the obdurate beauty moveWith soft attentions of Platonic love.”—Ed.]
“Twobrother swains, of Collins’ gentle name,The same their features, and their forms the same,With rival love for fair Collinia sigh,Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye.With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,And soothes with smiles the jealous pair by turns.“Woo’d with long care, Curcuma, cold and shy,Meets her fond husband with averted eye.Fourbeardless youths the obdurate beauty moveWith soft attentions of Platonic love.”—Ed.]
“Twobrother swains, of Collins’ gentle name,The same their features, and their forms the same,With rival love for fair Collinia sigh,Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye.With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,And soothes with smiles the jealous pair by turns.
“Twobrother swains, of Collins’ gentle name,
The same their features, and their forms the same,
With rival love for fair Collinia sigh,
Knit the dark brow, and roll the unsteady eye.
With sweet concern the pitying beauty mourns,
And soothes with smiles the jealous pair by turns.
“Woo’d with long care, Curcuma, cold and shy,Meets her fond husband with averted eye.Fourbeardless youths the obdurate beauty moveWith soft attentions of Platonic love.”—Ed.]
“Woo’d with long care, Curcuma, cold and shy,
Meets her fond husband with averted eye.
Fourbeardless youths the obdurate beauty move
With soft attentions of Platonic love.”—Ed.]
235. [Brissotwas one of the first movers in the outbreak of the French Revolution, and with twenty other Girondists suffered death under the guillotine, October 30, 1793. He was one of the most virtuous as well as most accomplishedlittérateursof the time.—Ed.]
235. [Brissotwas one of the first movers in the outbreak of the French Revolution, and with twenty other Girondists suffered death under the guillotine, October 30, 1793. He was one of the most virtuous as well as most accomplishedlittérateursof the time.—Ed.]
236. Such was the end of these worthies. They were found starved to death in a cave in Languedoc. VideBarrère’s Rep.[Charles Barbarouxwas one of the most distinguished and energetic of the Girondists. As he opposed the party of Marat and Robespierre, he was, in 1793, proscribed as a Royalist and an enemy of the Republic. He wandered about the country, hiding himself as he best could for thirteen months, when he was taken, and perished by the guillotine, June 25, 1794.—Ed.][Jérome Pétion de Villeneuvewas a prominent member of the Jacobin Club, and a great ally of Robespierre. Being electedMaire de Parisin Bailly’s stead, he encouraged the demonstrations of the lowest classes, and the arming of the populace. He then joined the Girondists. On their defeat by the army of the Convention, he fled in July, 1793, into Bretagne. A short time after the corpses of himself and Buzot were found in a corn-field near St. Emilion, partly devoured by wolves. They were supposed to have died by their own hands. He was extremely virtuous in all his domestic relations; but his public career shows him to have been weak, shallow, ostentatious, and vain.—Ed.]
236. Such was the end of these worthies. They were found starved to death in a cave in Languedoc. VideBarrère’s Rep.
[Charles Barbarouxwas one of the most distinguished and energetic of the Girondists. As he opposed the party of Marat and Robespierre, he was, in 1793, proscribed as a Royalist and an enemy of the Republic. He wandered about the country, hiding himself as he best could for thirteen months, when he was taken, and perished by the guillotine, June 25, 1794.—Ed.]
[Jérome Pétion de Villeneuvewas a prominent member of the Jacobin Club, and a great ally of Robespierre. Being electedMaire de Parisin Bailly’s stead, he encouraged the demonstrations of the lowest classes, and the arming of the populace. He then joined the Girondists. On their defeat by the army of the Convention, he fled in July, 1793, into Bretagne. A short time after the corpses of himself and Buzot were found in a corn-field near St. Emilion, partly devoured by wolves. They were supposed to have died by their own hands. He was extremely virtuous in all his domestic relations; but his public career shows him to have been weak, shallow, ostentatious, and vain.—Ed.]