their good opinion had elected him to a high dignity, corresponding to that of a general, yet that he should always be happy to act with them as a private in the ranks of science.

Let us (said the President) labour together, aniinated by the noblest kind of emulation; let us prove that we are not unworthy of the name we bear, and of the times in which we live; and let us endeavour to transmit the glory of the Royal Society to posterity, not impaired, but exalted.

ON THE

;

Mlle. Linnæus, daughter to the celebrated professor of the Upsal University, assisted her father in his immortal work.

dispel the clouds which fable and su- | the dangers of a long and disagreeable
perstition have raised around truth, voyage, to study botany in Surinam
we shall find in Sicily, a queen who from whence she brought a figured
conferred the greatest benefits on man-herbal, forming a large quarto volume.
kind, by giving them lessons of agri-
culture, by making them acquainted
with the use of corn, and with the
mode of cultivating it. That queen
is Ceres, whom the ancients, by an al-
legory equally just and ingenious,
have represented as mother of Plutus;
meaning, unquestionably, that agri-
culture is the source of all riches.

The Greeks, who personified all received favours, as they deified all vir

SERVICES RENDERED TO AGRICULTURE tues, wishing to perpetuate their grati

BY WOMEN.

[FROM THE FRENCH OF M. DE CUBIERES.]

MAN (says M. de Cubieres) has not alone contributed to the perfection of agriculture; in this he has been assisted by that partner, which the Eternal, in the height of his beneficence, has given him, to share his labours, to alleviate his pains, and to embellish his

life.

And, indeed, by opening the annals of the world, and by reverting to the most distant periods of time, we shall perceive, through the glimmering light which succeeds the darkness of unknown centuries, that woman, so well designated by Madame Bourdie, in her epistle to the men, as the flower of the human species,' has had, in all ages, a direct share in the progress of agriculture.

By raising up the veil, which fiction and heathenism have placed between us and truth, we shall see, in a very remote back-ground, history pointing to Isis, and saying, she was queen of Egypt.'

While Osiris was dictating laws to the Egyptians, Isis, his wife, was giving them those precepts of agriculture, which rendered his dominions the richest in the universe. Isis had chosen the ox as her type, on account of its great usefulness in agriculture; from hence the Egyptians fancied, that the soul of that princess had, after her death, animated the ox; and, impelled by this idea, they exalted that useful animal to the rank of a deity.

tude to the queen of Sicily, made her
the goddess of agriculture and harvest.
These facts, purified from the dross
of fable and mythology, prove that the
two best cultivated countries, whose
fruitfulness was envied by all others,
were indebted to women for their ferti-
lity.

How many more instances could I
here adduce! I might name Minerva,
queen of Athens, who brought her sub-
jects acquainted with the olive-tree,
and the use of its fruit; and who made
them cultivate the land, instead of fol-
lowing piracy, which she suppressed.

The honours of apotheosis, conferred on Flora, on Pomona, on Pales, Perenna, Bubona, Mellona, Vellonia, &c. afford just ground to believe, that all these women rendered services to agriculture.

The charming Hydrangea, so well known under the name of Hortensia, is a new tribute paid by Commerson to the talents and memory of Mile. Hortense de Paute.

Elizabeth Blackwall has published a work on botany, in six volumes folią, with figured plants, which is held in great estimation by the learned.

Mad. Victorine de Chatenay has published a work in three volumes, entitled le Calendrier de Flore, (Flora's Calendar,) and in which are united correctness as to facts, with that peculiar grace of epistolary style which is so pe

culiar to her sex.

Madame de Genlis, whose name is above all praise, has written, with her usual eloquence, several articles on botany.

The charming garden at Kew, one of the first, one of the handsomest, and one of the most luxuriant of those landscape gardens which the English have imitated from the Chinese, was created by a Princess of Wales; and this kind of gardens, improperly called the English garden,' has been so much approved of in France by woIn Sparta, while the men were fight-men, that, at their solicitation, we have ing for their country, the women were adopted them. cultivating the soil."

In the Isle-Dyeux, or Isle-Dieu; belonging to the department of La Vendee, the men are exclusively employed in navigation, fisheries, &c. and the women, from time out of mind, have taken upon themselves all the agricultural labours of the island.

Among almost all savage nations, the men have enjoyed the pleasures of hunting, while the women were performing all the business of agriculture.

To this we shall add M. de Cubieres' picture of a French farmer's wife; not as it really exists, but as his imagination has depicted her.

The farmer's wife,' (fermiere) says M. de Cubieres, bestows her attention and her daily cares on whatever is connected with the administration of the farm. She inspects the dovecote, the farm-yard, the stalls, the dairy, the orchard, &c. She sells the vegetables, the fruit, the produce of the dairy; In the first centuries of the Roman ewes and their fleeces; to her is intrustrepublic, the care of the kitchen-gar-ed the gathering of hemp and flax, den was intrusted to the mother of the with the first operations these plants family. undergo; in the southern countries, It is to an empress of China that we she has also under her management the There are still extant, several sta- are indebted for the culture of the mul-important business of rearing silk tues of Isis, which represent her with bery-tree, and the rearing of silk-worms. worms, and the sale of their produce. the body of a woman, and the head of Isabella, sister to Charles V., marri- She knows how to excite workmen an ox; and we know of several monu-ed to the unfortunate Christian, king to their labour; to the lazy, she gives ments, on which their numerous in- of Denmark, made the Danes adopt a new life, by friendly remonstrances, scriptions witness, what an idea those the use of vegetables; and taught and, at the same time, she supports by people who had adopted the worship of them that mode of culture by her own her praises the zeal of the most laboIsis, entertained of their deity. example. rious.

If we continue in our attempts to

Marie Sybille de Merian braved all

She knows how to inspire awe, by a

studied silence, and to insure obedience by the mildness of command; she renders all her labourers faithful, by bestowing on them a due share of her confidence.

It is she who presides daily at the preparation of their food; in their sickness she attends them with maternal care; on the days of rest she excites them to rural sports.

In short, surrounded by her labourers, by her husband, by her children, who form her principal riches, she enjoys that felicity which springs from benevolence; she is happy in the happiness she confers on others; and that large family, free from fear, from cupidity, from ambition, leads a happy and peaceful life.

the dictionary of a very limited range, twenty miles,) come to Meriboliwhey,
this language had four dialects: the the principal town of the Tammaha
Cornish, the Amorican, the Northern, tribe, sometimes called, Red Caf-
and the Southern. The Cornish is ex-frees,' and who are represented as a sa-
tinct; but the Amorican may still be vage, warlike people. Mr. C. observed
traced in Brittany.
that their appearance corresponded
with this report; but he experienced
kind treatment from them; and after
the chiefs had held a consultation, they
consented to receive missionaries, and
promised them their protection.

DISCOVERIES IN AFRICA.
If Africa is to be discovered, it must be by

missionaries.'

WILBERFORCE.

IN 1812, the Rev. John Campbell, A large Town named Mashew.-He as the agent of the London Missionary next visited Mashew, a town about Society, visited South Africa, and on twenty miles further, which was esti that occasion he penetrated as far as mated to contain from twelve to fifteen Lataakoo, a very large town, about thousand inhabitants. Much land was nine hundred miles north of the cape, seen under cultivation. Here Mr. C. inhabited by savages of the Bootchuana had some conversation with an intellitribes, (who, since that visit of Mr. gent old woman, who said she came Campbell, have removed and formed a from a country to the eastward, bordernew settlement, called New Lattakoo.)ing on the Great Water, where people The journal of that enterprising tour live, who, she said, had long hair. THE English language is a curious has long been before the public. Mashew the people expressed an equal willingness to receive missionaries. compound. It is an olio of Greek and Latin, of Saxon, French, and

THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE.

Dutch ingredients. With this admixture it would be impossible to reduce etymology to any regular system; yet it may be remarked generally, that our scientific terms are from the Greek; our terms of art are from the French, Latin, and Italian; whilst most of our domestic words, words expressive of objects, which daily attract our attention,

In 1818, Mr. Campbell consented to
visit south Africa a second time, and

the following statement has just been
received of the successful discoveries of
what was to us terra incognita.

At

Discovery of Kurreechane, a large Town.-From this town Mr. Campbell travelled a week, (about one hundred and twenty miles,) further to the northOn Mr. Campbell's arrival at Lateastward, and came to Kurreechane, takon, in 1819, be found circumstances the principal town of the Marootze extension of his journey into the inte-sand inhabitants. Here Mr. C. found uncommonly favourable to the further tribe, containing about sixteen thou rior. The missionaries had been rea people arrived to a degree of civilizacently visited by Bootchuanas from dif- tion, and possessing a knowledge of ferent tribes beyond them, who had arts superior to any one of the tribes he are from the Saxon. Our derivatives expressed a wish to have missionaries are of course deduced from primitives; had seen. They smelt iron and copper while our primitives are derived from among them, and a powerful chief of from the ore. The metals are procured other languages, much after the rate of one of the tribes was at this time at from mountains in the neighbourhood. the following scale of obligation. Ma-Lattakoo, and had offered his services When Col. Collins was in Caffree thematical accuracy, in a case of this to assist our traveller in accomplish-Land, and among the Tambookes, in ing the object of his wishes. sort, is not to be fairly expected, parAccom- 1899, the articles of iron and copper ticularly as etymologists are so fre-panied by Munameets, the King of which he found among the savages, he quently at war, with each other. It, Lattakoo's uncle, and the King, whose supposed to have been furnished by the however, ought to be observed, that the name is not mentioned, and a suitable Portuguese, at De La Goa Bay. obligations here stated are very far from the 11th of April, 1820, in his bullock escort, Mr. Campbell left Lattakoo on being over-charged :— Latin.....6621 German 117. French....4361 Welsh......[1] Saxon ....2060 Spanish Greek ....1288 Danish

....

83

81

Dutch.... 660 Arabic ..... 18

Italian.... 229

waggon.

given of the Kurreechane, the colonel From the description Mr. C. has appears to have been mistaken in this Visit to Old Lattakoo.-After tra- opinion. The manufactures of Kurvelling about forty miles in a northerly reechane are found to have diffused direction, they came to Old Lattakoo. themselves from the borders of the coLattakoo, the place was taken posses-shores of Mozambique, and from De la On the removal of Matteebe to Newlony of the Cape of Good Hope to the With several words from the Teutonic, and Mr. Campbell supposes it to con- the opposite coast. sion of by people of different tribes, Goa Bay to the wandering tribes on Gothic, Hebrew, Swedish, Portuguese,tain eight thousand inhabitants. The needles, bodFlemish, Russian, Egyptian, Persian, kins, and other articles of a similar nagoverned by a chief of the name of ture manufactured at Karreechane, Cimbric, and Chinese. Mahoomer Peeloo. At a public meet- and found in abundance in the neighing of the principal men of the place, bourhood of Augra Pequena Bay, there was not only a willingness expres-strengthens the supposition that the Porsed to receive and protect missionaries,tuguese have for many years carried ou but even a desire to have them. an inland correspondence between their settlements and the eastern and western shores of Africa.

Nothing is more singular in the history of English etymology, than the circumstance of our having borrowed so little from the Welsh, which may be esteemed the most uncorrupted of all the fourteen vernacular languages of Europe, and for which reason it is the worst, being exceedingly harsh and guttural, and if we may judge from

It is

A Town called Meribohwhey.-From thence Mr. Campbell proceeded in a north-easterly direction, and after trávelling a week, (about one hundred and

The desire of keeping any thing in trade secret, indicates considerable ele

vation above savage life. Mr. C. saw sides, afford sufficient indications of many founderies in Kurreechane; but he regrets that they were guarded with so much jealousy that he was not allowed to enter them.

in their merits and success, yet the least is roused, and opposes the enemy, but,
fortunate of the two is a rather credita- in doing so, receives a mortal wound. In
ble effort. It is not a little singular this situation his passions are again wrought
that jealousy forms the basis of both, on by Laura and Michael, and he is per-
though differently treated and under that Bassanio was admitted into the castle,
suaded that it was by Julia's treachery
very different circumstances. We con-
and Durazzo induced to become a traitor;
gratulate our readers on the activity and, under this impression, he, in the ago
which pervades our great establish-nies of dissolution, curses his innocent
ments, an activity which continues un- wife. At this period, however, Laura is
abated, though far from being cheered informed that Durazzo and Michael have
with liberal patronage, and often very struck with remorse, she then confesses
fallen victims to their treachery; and,
DRURY LANE.-A new tragedy was been used to deceive her unsuspecting
her own guilt, and the arts which have
produced at this theatre on Monday victim. Montalto thus undeceived, re-
night, called Montalto. The story, vokes his curse, and dies, blessing the in-
which is by no means fertile in inci-nocent object of his unjust suspicions.
dents, is rather buried in prolixity;
the following is a pretty correct out-
line:

unsuccessful.

sition when given out for repetition. It was, however, performed on the following evening, with inore success, as some judicious curtailments had been made. It will, probably, run a few nights, but we cannot expect it to keep its place on the stage.

COVENT GARDEN. Few events in the dramatic world have excited more interest in the public mind than the announcement of a new tragedy, from the pen of Mr. Barry Cornwall, who had acquired considerable reputation by his Dramatic Scenes' and his Poem of Marcian Colonna.' His studies led him to choose his models from the writers in that golden era of the English stage, the age of Shakespeare. All lovers of the drama, therefore, who had watched the commencement of his ca

reer, felt gratified that a tragedy, avowto the public: and the long-forgotten edly from his pen, was to be submitted period of theatrical annals seemed to be

revived, when a new tragedy in announcement was the theme of every mind that aspired to literature. The tongue, and the expectation of every appearance of the house, which was crowded in every part, corresponded Some of the situa-with this sentiment.

tions are effective; and the language,
though seldom rising above mediocrity,
was not destitute of energy in two or
three of the scenes. Great justice was

The prologue, which was very well delivered by Mr. Cooper, prepared the audience to expect an imitation of Montalto (Wallack), by marrying Julia Shakespeare, and it will be seen from (Mrs. W. West), has become the sovereign of a principality in Italy, to the exclusion the sketch of the plot which we have of Laura (Mrs. Egerton), the cousin of Ju-given, that the characters of Othello, lia, whose affection, at an early period of Desdemona, and Iago, are all parodied her life, had been slighted by Montalto: in this production. The same remark irritated by this slight, and urged by am- will apply to many passages of the bition to obtain possession of those ho- play which have been transferred, some nours possessed by Montalto, in right of unadulterated, and others but very her cousin Julia, she determines on re venge: and, as a preliminary step to ob- slightly altered. The story is by no taining it, marries Durazzo (Booth), a fa- means devoid of interest, but it is tedious vourite and confidential officer of Montal-in its development. to; and, having succeeded in seducing Michael (Cooper), the brother of Durazzo, to become a party to her designs, she makes use of the influence which he has over his brother, to prevail on him to be-done to the play by the performers, and tray his benefactor and friend Montalto. by an audience as indulgent as we ever Such is the situation of the parties at the wand. Wallack exerted himself much in Montalto, and Cooper made the most of the part of Michael, which, however, is scarcely worthy of his talents. Booth was seized with one of his usual fits of tameness. tleman is one of the most unequal performers we ever saw, and, to play well at all, he must have a good character assigned him, for he will never make el's base insinuations, to increase and one. Mrs. West played the tender, strengthen the seeds of jealousy already affectionate, and injured Julia, with sown in the mind of Montalto by the con- much effect, particularly in the scene tents of the paper found in his tent, and where she meets her husband with a which had been placed there by their con- dagger, prepared to sacrifice her to the trivance. In these plans they were aided by blindness of his passion; for really it the unsuspicious and open character of Julia; and the jealousy of Montalto is at cannot be said of Montalto as of Othellength raised to such a height, that he is led 10, that he is a man not easily jeato attempt to poignard his innocent victim lous,' since there is nothing whatever whilst sleeping in her bed. She awakes, to justify it. Mrs. Egerton, in spite however, at the instant he is about to ef- of her fantastic dress and boisterous defect his diabolical purpose, which is thus clamation, gave a good picture of the defeated; and his suspicions of her guilt fury of a woman scorned.' The epiare somewhat shaken by her conduct on logue, a very silly piece of composithis occasion. Laura and Michael having, tion, was much better delivered thau it in the mean time, prevailed on Durazzo to come into their plans, the latter, in the deserved, by Mrs. Edwin. The tranight, opens the gates of Montalto's cas-gedy was heard throughout with great tle, and admits Count Bassanio! Montalto attention, but experienced some oppo

opening of the piece, at which time Montalto, who has been absent on an expedition against a neighbouring prince (Count Bassanio), arrives suddenly and unexpectedly at his own castle, induced to do so by a mysterious written warning, which he finds on his table in his tent, cautioning him to be careful that, during his absence, his honour was not betrayed by his wife. The business of the piece then consists of

the endeavours of Laura, aided by Micha

6

This gen

dramatis persona
The tragedy contains the following

John, D. of Mirandola Mr. Macready.
Guido, his so
Hypolito, son of Isabella Miss Boden.
C. Kemble.
Casti
Julii friends of Guido {?
Gheraldi, a monk

Mr. Abott.

Connor. - Egerton. Isidora, Dss.of Mirandola Miss Foote. Isabella, the duke's sister Mrs. Faucit.

The following is a sketch of the plot :

Guido and Isidora have long entertained a mutual passion unknown to the called away to defend his country in arms, Duke of Mirandola. The young prince, is desperately wounded, and it is reported to his mistress and his father that he is dead. The Duke, in an evil hour, sees Isidora, loves her, and, under the impres sion that Guido was no more, obtains from her a weeping and cold consent to marry him. Guido writes to his father and his mistress the news of his recovery; but the letters are intercepted by Isabella, the sister of the Duke, a sort of female lago, who labours, in concert with the miscreant monk Gheraldi, to ruin Guido, for the purpose of placing in the hands of her own son the sceptre of Mirandola, and, in ignorance of Guido's existence on this side the grave, the fatal union takes place. It is at this distressing moment that Guido returns. He meets Isidora, and the interview is full of tenderness. Then follows the meeting with his father, exquisitely wrought, which, after a cons

Rict of filial, paternal, and jealous feeling, derness, and from suspicion to confid-in the late northern expedition. This ends in an affectionate reconciliation. Isaing are so rapid as to require a do- is partly erroneous; no printing matebella persuades Isidora to give a ring to minion over tragic expression, which rials were on board. The fact was, Guido as a token of friendship. The Duke, at a banquet, whilst holding Gui-united with the finest talent. could only be exercised by great skill, each officer contributed some article do affectionately by the hand, recognizes Mr. (generally, either an ingenions pleathe ring. It was his marriage present to Macready's performance of this charac-santry, or else upon the subject of the her. He conceives a horrible suspicion, ter fully proved the greatness of his Expedition) unknown, at the time, to and is stung to very madness. Guido powers; it was of that class of perform- the rest of the crew. The whole benow determines to depart for ever-igno- ances which triumphs over the greatesting collected were fairly copied out by rant of what had caused his father's jea- difficulties. Mr. C. Kemble was as a clerk, and thus was produced a newslous paroxysm. The father is again re-spirited as the conception of the poet, paper, in writing, once a fortnight, to conciled to him. But another interview, in the character of Guido, which is the great amusement of the crew. under the most innocent circumstances, drawn with great skill. He breathed A natural phenomenon occurred on and against Guido's will, is produced be- the very spirit of love and gallantry, board, which may be of peculiar intertween him and Isidora, in a garden. The father, led by Isabella, surprises them; and we never saw him to more advan-est to the admirers of Newton's princiand, in his fury- or rather in the fixed tage. Mr. Abbot obtained much ap- ples of colours, of the truth of which and fearful calmness of despair, passes sen- plause in one scene, where a good op- it appears to be a remarkable confirmatence of death upon Guido, and orders portunity was afforded him, and played tion. Near the stove was grown a conhim to instant execution. Casti, in the well throughout the whole. Miss siderable quantity of mustard and cress mean time, has discovered the intercepted Foote and Mrs. Faucit sustained their which was highly useful on account of letters, and reveals to the Duke the horrid respective characters with great ability, its anti-scorbutic qualities. In consetreason of Isabella and the monk. The and the piece throughout was well quence of the privation of light, during the winter, this vegetable, as it grew, was perfectly white; but when the summer returned, and the light was admitted to it, through an aperture, it immediately bent in the direction of the light, and the tips became green, which colour gradually spread itself down the stalks.

acted.

6 The gay to-morrow of the mind
Which never comes.'

Strikes us as peculiarly happy and ori-
ginal. The Duke's passion for Isidora
is finely expressed. He says,-
By the blue sky and all its crowding stars
love you better-Oh! far better than

The crews used every means as may be supposed to escape the cold. The cabins were kept at a moderate and comfortable warmth, which was always regulated by a thermometer. They were also air-tight; but whenever the exterior air gained admission, the intensity of the cold was so violently opposed to even the moderate warmth of that within, that it produced an effect which had the appearance of a fall of snow which covered the floors.

wretched father invokes heaven to save Guido from the fatal stroke: and issues a mandate to arrest the execution, but in The language of this play fully justhat moment the dread volley is heard tified the expectations which the former from behind the scenes, and the Duke, talents of the author had excited. It agitated with a super-human pang of re- was, however, feared by some, that he morse, expires distracted with the horror would allow his muse to luxuriate too of having deprived a beloved son of life. freely in poetic imaginations. This he There are two historic incidents to has very judiciously avoided; indeed, which the plot has affinity-the fate of his design seems to have been to try Don Carlos, son of Philip the Second, the effect of natural dialogue on the and that of Ugo, natural son of Nicho-stage, and to bring down the serious las, Duke of Ferrara. The former drama from its usual elevation without has been treated by Otway not hap-endangering its dignity. There are, pily, and by Schiller and Alfieri with however, several passages of great pogreat power. In the former, there is etic beauty. His description of human the wild vigour of the German school; happiness, as— in the latter, the stern genius of Alfieri has embodied and developed sombrous tyranny, hypocrisy, and cruelty, with a giant's power. The fate of Ugo, as told by Gibbon and the Ferarese his. The sailors generally wore masks, torian, and which, by the bye, has inwarmly lined, when upon deck. Upon spired Lord Byron with one of the most their return below, they were examined beautiful of his shorter poems, seems by their messmates, for fear there more nearly allied to the subject of should be any white spots upon their Mirandola, than the story of Philip. faces. These spots were the effects of Guido, like Ugo, is a natural son, and the intense cold in congealing the the desolate father, after his unnatural blood, and if not attended to, were the judgment, cried out-Oh! that I We could cite other passages which forerunners of mortifications; they, were dead, since I have been hurried possess great merit, but these, for the therefore, immediately rubbed them to resolve thus against my own Ugo!' present, must suffice. We have now with snow, until the free circulation reThe character of Mirandola is ad-only to add, that the tragedy was ap- turned. Although their situation, in remirably drawn ; the elements of tragic plauded throughout, and that, when it gard to climate, was of itselt thus diffiemotion are so finely blended. His was given out for repetition, the accla-cult to be sustained, other disheartenhaughty and jealous temper, and his choleric suspicions are softened and mitigated by sentiments of the most kindly sensibility which filled every heart with emotion, and suffused many an eye in tears. The passions are so The late Voyage of Discovery.-It mingled with Mirandola-the transi- has been mentioned in many of the tions of touch from one chord of the public Journals, that a newspaper was heart to another from terror to ten-printed on board the Discovery Ships

I

Of day or dreaming night but I am with thee;
There's not a wind but whispers of thy name,
And not a flower that sleeps beneath the moon
But in it's hues or fragrance tells a tale
Of thee, my love, to thy Mirandola.'

Woman was ever lov'd. There's not an hour

mations were such as to leave no doubt
of its complete success.

Literature and Science.

ing troubles were added-for a long period, previous to their return, they laboured under a scarcity of provision. Four pounds, only, of meat, weekly, were allowed to each man, and a very small glass of rum each day. The former was weighed, and the latter measured with the most scrupulous exact ness. The conduct of the men under